and 3, and 2, and 1...

My nails are "Lincoln Park After Dark", my Uggs are cleaned (and I'm breaking them in today), my new Kors Michael Kors red peacoat a la Costco is by the wayside on the ready and my cutest leggings tops and tunics have been folded.

Just 8 more hours of work to go (already concquered 1) and it's time!! NYC! NYC! Chant with me now...NYC!

Off to tie up some loose ends at work and entrust the store to my trusty busty sidekick. Some last minute sales training and motivating and hopefully the store will pull out of its current hole while I'm gone. Probably not - but maybe. But I will be in NYC with my best friends, enjoying time just hanging out, laughing, catching up and walking around. I'm going to be a tourist with my camera; I want to bring as much of the city back with me as I can.

This is the most excited I've been for anything in years. Years, people. It's just so friggin' exciting!!

Yes, yes, yes

I am going to NYC in less than 48 hours!!! Stoked! I'm stoked. I haven't been back in 2...almost 3 years. I need this. I truly need to get back to that city, where I felt completely secure and confident (for the most part). Where I found myself. I don't mean in some cheesy made for tv movie way, but in a real and honest way. I spent my life being what everyone around me wanted or needed and there I was me. I worried about me. I loved my friends and roommates; I pushed my personal boundaries and really became comfortable in my own skin. I wish everyone had an opportunity to know themselves as well as I did in NYC.

And I'm getting to go back. To breathe again. And see my girls. And feel completely free for just a couple days. I know the decisions I make when I'm in NYC are truly my decisions - free from the pressure of wondering what someone else thinks. I am just so blissfully anticipatory.

And I got new boots for the occasion, which I have a severe crush on. I bought them outright. No sale. No coupon. No discount store. Not my style at all, but it felt good. So my boots and I are going to NYC, in less than 48 hours.

Ma fleur

Possibly the best song ever. I first heard it in a commercial, which was also brilliant. Those Chivas commercials are such amazing aspirational lifestyle moments. I've watched them with my friends in the south who look at it as an actual aspirational life. But I feel like I'm looking at my old roommates and friends in NYC when I watch that commercial.

Just having a moment on the couch. Loving the song.

New desire

So which one do I get?

Anniversary Day

Today is my double anniversary. It's a gorgeous day with crisp Fall air and I'm rocking my Rangers shirt and cream suede croc boots. It's my boots first day out of the box this season and they do not disappoint.

Two years ago today, Boo and I sat at The Quarter and over a Tito's and a glass of red wine I said, "So I guess you're kind of my boyfriend." We'd been dating for four months, but due to other circumstances in life I wouldn't claim him until I knew for absolute sure. And Oct 28th, 2008, I knew. And he ran with it.

Last year on this same day, I sat at the doctor's office with my Mom after months of sickness, issues and feeling absolutely terrible almost every minute of every day and was diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes. Happy Anniversary.

I'm celebrating my one year with a 5K and the 2 fundraisers I've done over this last year for the ADA. And I'm celebrating the second - well, I hope we celebrate. I'm at work now and we're meeting at The Quarter to watch baseball. It is the biggest series of the year and our team is playing so I get it. But I do hope there's more to it than this. I left post it notes all over the house with the million reasons I love him (in his bathroom drawer, on the mirror, on the Splenda jar, on the front door, on his computer, on the dog's collar, on his car, etc) and he doesn't know yet, but I also got a gift certificate for dinner at our new favorite "affordable" restaurant up by the store.

So Happy Double Anniversary to me. I've survived the last two years and changed physically, mentally and emotionally - all for the better.

Cheers!

Joyous Occasion

Holy toes hurt, batman. I have been on my feet all day. And even though I'm in my comfy flat boots, I am tired. I've sold 4.8x goal for the day and caught us back up for the month after a tornado-y, rainy, no sale weekend. Thanks for that whole "biggest baseball game of the year" thing Rangers. It's paying my rent in sales!

But there is way more to be excited about than that. This week on Thursday I will have been a Type-1 diabetic for one year. As well, I will have been in a happy, healthy relationship for two years. Both on the same day. And Saturday I walk a 5K for the ADA and have beat my fundraising goals already. Also, I just learned my favoritest, cheap NYC store is opening locally Fall of next year AND I have a trip to NYC next weekend!

My bestie and I have been emailing plans back and forth. So far I land Sat morning (used points) and we head to brunch with the old Jones crew. Then we wander and do whatever, hit up a local new wine bar just opened in Billyburg and find a neighborhood for drinks that night so I can let anyone and everyone know to say hello! Sunday we do a nice dinner the two of us and I have all day Monday to wander, shop, grab street meat and just enjoy being back. I miss that city so much I could cry (& have).

And the store is a real, true store. It's actually working and coming together and we're getting press and word of mouth is spreading like wildfire. I would never have had the guts to do this or the motivation without Boo; well, and actually without diabetes. When you have to change everything about your life into a fight for survival you learn that you can fight for anything and my dreams were worth fighting for. What a great year.

Yes, the true calendar starts over at NYE every year, but for me I'm about to turn a year old. And I couldn't be happier about this last year and where it's brought me personally, socially, romantically - everything! So I suppose Happy Bday to me. I'm going to celebrate right now by closing up shop, going home, ordering in from our fav local tapas restaurant and curling up on the couch for some DVR with the boy.

LIR? Why yes, please

Um, it is very important that I say this after my last post...

This has turned around and I am feeling actually pretty happy. I was on the phone with the boy and he made me smile and turned things around for me. And? My dinner arrived and I just had one of the best rolls ever. The LIR from Sushi Zushi. Amaze-balls. Seriously. Edamame, wine, another roll to go. And for dessert? Coffee popsicles from Weight Watchers and frozen raspberries. It's going to be a decent and relaxing night after all.