It was a Zipcar Kind of a Day

One of my promises for 2014 was to make sure I go for a drive more regularly. It's been 16 months since I last did, and I was worried I might have to start all over with refresher lessons. I rented a Zipcar today and it just FELT SO GOOD. I'm surprised how comfortable I feel behind the wheel now. Nervous Nelly doesn't live here anymore!

I picked up my Honda Accord Hybrid at 10am and completed some local errands. Then, on a complete whim, I decided to head up to one of most favorite little towns - Nyack, New York. This is a place that my parents and I used to visit every Spring. It's small, just about 8 blocks or so, filled with antique shops, zany craft stores, boutiques, and cafes. It's a great spot to spend the afternoon. I had a terrific date with myself - I enjoyed a mexican brunch and purchased a couple of new decorative items for the apartment.

I have to say, Zipcar really has their service model down to a science. I came across a couple of snags today, but all I had to do was call their help number and they were quickly remedied:

• Snag #1 - I couldn't restart the car (it's keyless, has a power button). Called the number, they walked me through the process, no sweat.
• Snag #2 - When filling the tank on the zipcar card, you have to enter the mileage from the odometer. For some reason, this car was set NOT to display the odometer. Once again, called the number, and they read me the mileage over the phone.

Now that the weather is beginning to warm up, I'll be making excuses to take a drive every month. Cabin fever sucks, it's good to get out of the city!

My Painful Night With James Franco...

I'm grateful to my good friend, Denise, who got me out of the house on a freezing Thursday night to view a short film, entitled Francophrenia (or Don't Kill Me I Know Where the Baby Is) with James Franco - yes, THAT James Franco. The delicious, adorable, sexy James Franco. We experienced the film, and then stayed for a live Q&A session with James and friends.

We sat close enough to throw tomatoes, but sadly we hadn't thought to bring any. It's not entirely Franco's fault. It was someone else's brainchild. To sum it up, they pieced together random clips of Franco filming a scene for General Hospital, then overlaid an invented, schizophrenic, internal monologue to create a brand new work of fiction. Believe me, you don't want to know any more. It was art at its stupidest.

However, one unexpected benefit of attending this event was it gave me an opportunity to study this rather intricate arrangement of air vents attached to the ceiling.

Yeah, I was that tuned out.

This is the exit door on the right side of the theater.
So close and yet so far. I wondered what fun, cool things might be happening on the other side of that door in the West Village.

Here's Franco and friends engaging with the audience for a little Q&A. One devoted fan presented him with a well-researched collection of study materials for his upcoming role in J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. She even organized it all for him in an attractive folder wrapped in ribbon. Goes to show you can't believe everything you read in People Magazine, because he flatly informed her that playing such a role was news to him and there were no such plans for it in the works. Not even close. He had his errand boy collect the folder from her in any case. Neglecting to even thank the woman, he glossed right over her offering of love and moved on to the next question. She looked embarrassed, a little stunned, a little mopey. How many days had she labored over this gift for her heartthrob?

I'm not usually this mean, but for some reason watching this dissed-fan scenario play out was the highlight of my evening, and made coming here all worthwhile.

As always, Denise was great company so I have no complaints. Hey, it's one more night I'm not Netflixing so that's something, right?

Forever FreeStyle Concert - Oh, The Day-After Body Aches!

My friend Ginny & I went to the Forever Freestyle Concert at Lehman Center last night. Seems every year this event comes around and for some reason or another we kept missing it. Four hours of non-stop 80s dance music, powered mostly by Nuyoricans. How many times can you shout 'B-O-R-I-C-U-A'?

The audience was mainly a 40+ PR crown but we spent most of the time on our feet dancing like we were 21. Admittedly, not all of the artists were as good as they used to be - BUT - the most impressive kick-ass performance was given by TKA (Tears May Fall, Louder Than Love, Maria). They obviously worked extremely hard to develop and practice their act. They are true entertainers, and they had us all singing and dancing our asses off.

Now, it's the day after and I'm nursing my aching muscles. I'm sure I lost a pound or two, or at the very least, my meal from Mama Sushi. If you like sushi, you'd love this Latino twist. Imagine a Japanese hand roll stuffed with Pernil, guacamole, and topped with platano maduro? It was a great way to start this night off.

International Destination...It's in the Works!

My passport has arrived! Pretty painless, considering I reported my previous passport lost and had to start the application process over from scratch. When I first applied over 20 years ago, I had no ex-spouse data to supply, but this time I did. Took me a couple of days to to track down my ex-husband's date of birth, plus our divorce date. Geez, that brief blip in my life will follow me around forever!

On another note, I've also set up a savings account especially for my travels. So far, I've got almost 1K saved. By Fall, I should be in good shape to get off the continent for a couple of weeks. Still haven't decided where to go. Europe? South America? Maybe a Yoga Vacation to some exotic destination. So many choices, so little time.

Passport Photo - CHECK !

In the spirit of international travel for 2014, I had to start the ball rolling fast. First things first - passport photos taken. My next job is to complete the app and send it in.

I'm actually pretty happy with the way this photo came out - worth the 16 bucks for sure.

So will it be a BodyHoliday in St. Lucia? Maybe a Spanish Language Study trip in Sevilla, España? I'm still undecided, but I have an entire year ahead of me to decide.

Suggestions are welcome!

Self-Assignment : Puppy Reading

I've been living alone for a very, very long time. Time to get a dog, perhaps? Everyone I know who has one says they find the relationship extremely fulfilling (but tons of work). Since I live in an apartment, I'm considering only the smallest type of lap dog - Chihuahua, Shih Tzu, Havanese, Terrier or a mixed miniature breed. Considering my allergies, the more hypo-allergenic the better. As with all new adventures, I must do my homework first.

These books came highly recommended by the Amazon audience. This will be my subway reading for about a week or two. We'll see by then if I'm not completely sold, or completely frightened off!

I Deserve Applause en Español! Well, Not Really...

As part of my 2014 goal to treat myself wonderfully, I'm planning to enroll in online Spanish courses at Instituto Cervantes.

I just took their online placement test. The results place me in the "mid-Superior range". How do you say "uncontrollable fit of laughter" in Spanish? (I couldn't resist myself I just looked it up - un ataque de risa incontrolable.) This only proves that I must be an awesome test taker because seriously, anyone who knows me well knows that my Spanish sucks huevos.

I'll probably save myself a lot of agravación if I initially enroll in level B2.1 (low Advanced) and slowly work my way up from there. 

Wish me mucha suerte !

My score on the placement exam. My revelry lasted about 30 seconds until I came to my senses.

According to their chart, I'm so good at this I really don't need to take any Spanish classes at all. Maybe I should take Italian instead?

I Deserve This iPad Mini

My first act of kindness toward self in 2014: the iPad mini. It's actually bigger than I expected, and very lightweight. I also got a cute little protective case that doubles as a stand. Fits neatly in my bag, too. I opted for the monthly anywhere Internet service for a nominal fee - this means I will have access everywhere my phone would. No more trying to connect to the wifi at the bakery. I've got my very own "my-fi" now. Works even in the park or on the beach.

Awesome!

I Deserve to Have a Great Year

It's January 1st, 2014. I've decided to start this personal journal to document the positive things I do for myself during the coming year. The last couple of years have been pretty rough. I deserve to have a great year. This blog will hopefully serve as a gentle reminder that in order for it to be a great year, it all starts with me and how I treat myself.

New Years Eve party at Locale (Astoria, Queens)

I originally wanted to name this journal "Just Call Me Alex" (taken.) So I then tried "Call Me Alex" (taken), "Just Alex" (taken), "Alex on the Go" (taken), "Alex on the Town" (taken). Somehow, I landed on "Alex Matters" (available), which is actually starting to grow on me. I think I'll keep it.

For starters, I'll make this introductory entry the driving entry for all other entries. I'll start a working list of things I'd like to do for myself to make this a great year. As I fulfill them, I"ll write related journal entries about what I did and how I did it. I'll include whatever media I can grab (photos, video, music, doodles, etc.) Selfies will be a must. After all, I'm Alex and I'm the star of Alex Matters.

This is a working list of ways I will make this year a great year. For some of you worldly, sophisticated folks, my list may seem lame in comparison to the one you'd write. That's OK. I'm kind of an easy-going, simple person. It really doesn't take much to make me happy.

• Apply for a new passport so I can travel. Then, actually TRAVEL. (One international destination this year is good for a start. A couple of short, domestic trips may be in order, too.
• Passport photo taken.
• Passport arrived.
• Domestic trip #1 - Vegas, baby.

• Enroll in the online Spanish courses at Instituto Cervantes. Attend their group activities (Spanish wine/tapas tastings, Spanish-language film showings. Meet people to practice with 1x/month.)
• Took the Placement Exam
• Enrolled in Spanish Level B2.1 - Unfortunately, the school's online environment was weak so I dropped out. I'm better off taking a live class somewhere... TBD.
• 03/10/14 - Attended Instituto Cervantes' Flamenco Night
• 03/17/14 - Attended Instituto Cervantes' Flamenco Night

• Use the rowing machine at the gym. I just love the meditative, almost prayerful, movement of rowing. And what a perfect full body workout. So doable. (Let's be realistic, 2x/month is doable.)
• No rowing machine at Bally's. Darn.

• Run more regularly. This should be easy, because I just love it. Inwood Park, Fort Tryon Park, Van Cortlandt Park, Central Park, Prospect Park. Let's kick it up a notch and take the runs to different parts of the city this year. (2x/week. Once my stamina is back up, sign up for a 5K run.
• 04/19/14 - Inwood Park, 2.09mi.
• 04/27/14 - Inwood Park, 2.13mi.

• Revive my yoga practice. I really, really miss the yoga. (Home practice 2-3x/week. I finally have the quiet space!)
• 03/13/14 - Took my first private Pilates class at Physiologic. Days later I can still feel the effects on my core. I"m interested!
• 03/20/14 - Pilates #2, Physiologic
• 04/15/14 - Kickboxing #1, at I Love Kickboxing First time EVER. So hard, especially the warm ups - they KILLED me. At least now I am the proud new owner of my very own boxing gloves. HA!
• 04/17/14 - Pilates #3, Physiologic
• 04/24/14 - Yoga #1 - I discovered this lovely studio so close to my job. Yoga People.
• 04/24/14 - Yoga #2, Yoga People.

• Attend free/low cost events around the city. They're listed in Time Out New York. It shouldn't be that hard to find a reason to get out of the house cheaply. (1x/month)
• 01/17/14- Went to see Celebrity Autobiography featuring Ralph Macchio and Tony Danza. Lots of laughs.
• 03/01/14- Went to see Forever Freestyle featuring Lisa Lisa, TKA, and other 80s dance artist. Danced all night.
• 03/06/14- Went to see James Franco's Francophrenia featuring (who else?) James Franco. The best part was...um...let me get back to you on that.
• 04/24/14- My first book club ever. I'll be meeting with a group of awesome women who will read a book related to women's issues about once every six weeks. First read: Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg.
• 04/25/14- A friend invited me to a museum treasure hunt at the Met. So much fun! An April Evening in Paris.

• Get dressed up and take myself out on a dinner date in a nice restaurant outside of the neighborhood. Have a healthy salad with a glass of wine at the bar. Make conversation with others at the bar. Meet some new people. Give some hot, young guy my number. (2x/month)
• 01/16/14 - District 12 (met former rapper Corey Red, pretty engaging convo, exchanged emails - not sure why exactly.)
• 02/20/14 - Heights Tavern (interesting convo with a cool guy at the bar.

• Rent a sexy little Zipcar and go for a drive. No particular destination is required. Just drive and get out of the city smog. (1x/month)
• 03/08/14- Rented a Zipcar and drove to Nyack, New York Great way to start Spring.
• 04/19/14- Rented a Zipcar and drove to Harford, Conn for the first time! I took the same old route that Dad took all those years when we visited the fam. I felt so proud of myself. Love driving!

• Revel in a spa treatment. Facial. Massage. Reflexology. I work hard, so I deserve this. (1x/month)
• 01/13/14 - Deep Tissue Massage - 60min. Really good!
• 02/25/14 - Myofascial Massage - 90 minutes. WTF! Unlike any massage I've ever had. Loved it.
• 03/25/14 - Myofascial Massage - 90 minutes. Another WTF!
• 04/22/14 - Myofascial Massage - 90 minutes. This one took the cake because it was a few days after my first kickboxing class and I was sore as hell. I felt like I could do ANYTHING after this massage.

• Participate in organized country hikes. I've done this in the past. Why did I ever stop? (4x/year)

• Get a puppy? This will be a huge commitment - not 100% sure.
• Reading Materials Underway!

• Pick up my brush and paint. I've had the materials for ages. I took the classes. Make a picture already. (1x/month).

• Update my devices. I want the latest and greatest of what's out there so I can take better pics and vids.
• Got the iPad Mini

• More delicious treats to give myself T.B.D.

OK. I'M READY TO MAKE THIS A GREAT YEAR. Let's get this ball rolling...