Prince Farley

Most everyone that knows me, knows that I am completely obsessed with dogs. I can't walk by one on the street without stopping to say "hi buddy!" and maybe trying to pet him/her, and sometimes I even take a picture. Yes, of someone else's dog. It's borderline sick...I'm aware. I just can't help it. Dogs are my weakness.

I had a beautiful, princess of a dog...my sweet Lalo. She doesn't live with me anymore, but I still think about her everyday, and miss her dearly...and I have talked about her frequently (still do!), but I don't think I've made mention NEARLY enough of another little pup. A little gentleman who has been a part of my life for almost 15 years. My adorable Farley. Or as I like to also call him, my little brother.
Farley (who is a 10-ish pound toy poodle) was born on April 11, 1996 and joined the Olson clan in June that same year back in Wisconsin. I still count the day we brought him home as one of the happiest of my life! And certainly of my childhood.

I was very hesitant that day...we had tried a couple of other dogs, but had to give them up just days/weeks after bringing them home because of my brother's allergies. So by the time my parents told me we were going to get a poodle, I think I basically said "I don't even want to get him...I'll just fall in love, and then have to say goodbye." But they assured me a poodle was the right dog for us, as they are hypo-allergenic and don't shed. It took some serious convincing, but I eventually got about halfway on-board with the idea, and agreed to make the 4 hour drive to go get him.

Well, clearly, this one stuck. Farley is still with us over 14 and 1/2 years later! Not quite as frisky as he used to be, but definitely still as sassy...maybe even a little more so in old age. He always gets what he wants. Maybe I learned some of that from him all those years ago...

Coming home anytime is wonderful for me, and especially during the holidays. I love being in the house with my parents and my brother and my little, non-human brother. We're quite the little group! I have been soaking up as much time with Farley as I possibly can while here...including letting him sit on my lap at the dinner table...during dinner:

(My brother artfully moved my food away and a candle closer...must be a photographer somewhere in there...)

I think we all wonder how long Farley will be with us - his 15th birthday is right around the corner! I certainly hope he's around until he's at least 20, assuming his quality of life remains. I just can't really picture being home (Wisconsin, Virginia, or wherever that is) with him not around...begging for people food, avoiding getting stepped on (it's tough being small!), wanting to be cuddled/held/sit on laps, and just being darn cute. I love that dog, very much. He really is a legitimate member of the family...a true Olson. (And not just because he loves cheese and beer)

(And for those of you who don't know yet, and are wondering if we named him in honor of the great Chris Farley - who also hailed from Wisconsin - we did not. Farley's name was actually Buddy for the first week or so of his time with us...his chart at the vet even said "Buddy" for his first visit. But we still just didn't feel like that name FIT him and his personality. Luckily, my brother was paging through a name-your-baby book one day, and stumbled on "Farley" which means "from the sheep meadow." It was perfect. He looked like a little sheep as a baby, and I think he responded to the name right away. And the rest is history.)

Highlights of the "Mini-Project"

Well, as far as I know right now, my time working back in NYC has come to an end (I'm trying not to cry)...although I've said that before with this client, and things have definitely changed in the past...sometimes within hours...so we'll see!

But assuming it's the end of the "mini-project" I was working on for the past 6 weeks, I figured I should do one of my favorite things...which is to make a list of my favorite things. Anyone who knows me well, knows how much I love lists! (And if you know me well, you also know how much I love my job, and how VERY much I love New York City...so it's the tri-fecta of Lindsay-world...A.K.A. the longest blog post ever)

Highlights From 6 Weeks in the Greatest City on Earth

* Getting to stay in ridiculously nice hotels in such a fabulous city...with views like this:

* Getting to ride the subway everyday...which also means getting to do amazing people watching, play rat-spotting on the tracks, attempt to subway surf, get in needless fights with strangers, accidentally spill coffee on yourself at unexpected turns (many times), etc.

* Getting to walk through Times Square whenever I felt like it! And seeing my favorite M&M:

(And also checking on the "ball" everyday...waiting for them to change 2010 to 2011...still hadn't happened as of 12/23/10...shouldn't they be getting on that pretty quickly?!)

* Eating lots of delicious NYC bagels...they don't make 'em like that anywhere else! (My waistline does not thank me for the consumption, however)

* Getting to go to Fairway whenever I felt like it...it's the greatest market ever. For too many reasons to list here...but let me just give you a taste of it's awesomeness...yes, this is alllllllll cheese (and yes, I got in trouble for taking this picture):

* Getting to work everyday in a small conference room with our own thermostat...where 76 degrees was too cold, 78 degrees was too hot...and 77 degrees wasn't an option. So many arguments...

* Getting to work with a team of coworkers who love "that's what she said" jokes as much as I do

* Going to dinners at fabulous restaurants with said coworkers...even when they trick you into being the one person at the table who has 4 desserts in front of you...one being birthday cake that you didn't order (but your director did sneakily) and involved the staff singing to you and you blowing out a candle (I wished for an iPad...why waste a wish?!):

* Getting to spend time catching up with a dear friend...lots of wine and dinners with HS...love her lots

* Drinking a bunch of champagne and martinis with your team and then going to Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center...which involved a ride up in a freaky elevator (this was the view through the glass ceiling as we rode up...we thought it was pretty much the funniest thing ever at the time):

* Seeing the most amazing views of Manhattan from Top of the Rock...but then finding the weird lights room up on the roof...and thinking that was more amusing:

* Annnnnnd then noticing a serious lack of dance music in the weird lights room, and immediately fixing that problem by pulling out the J-man's iPhone and playing "Like a G6" for all to hear:

* Learning and making up cool new catch phrases with the team, such as "badittude," "I think you're doing it wrong," "whatevah, whatevah," "joint" (which can apparently mean anything in the world, right MD?), and "bomb.com" or "Idon'tgiveacrap.gov"

* The endless debate over whether short-billed hats are stylish...sorry LD, they absolutely ARE

* Getting to go to Rockefeller Center whenever the heck we felt like it to see the tree! It was a short 15 blocks from our office...aaaahhhhh...we were so lucky!

* Getting to make LOTS of use of that extra set of keys to my brother's condo...thanks MOlson! (At least I always cleaned up after myself and left presents in the fridge!)

* Pretending we were going to buy a bunch of cheesy souvenirs to get the shop girls to take our picture...and then buying nothing:

* On the second to last day, when there were only 2 of us left (me and one of my new favorite people in the whole world...seriously, I think she and I were sisters separated at birth)...getting to stop work at 3:00pm. End result? LO and MD's NYC Day 'o Fun!!

(Trying on genuine alpaca hats at the Union Square Holiday Market...MD bought the one I was wearing here for her sister...best gift idea ever)

(Seeing "Promises, Promises" on Broadway! With Sean Hayes, Kristin Chenoweth, Molly Shannon, and red wine in sippy cups)

(Radio City...which included us trying to do Rockette kicks on the street...I think we were a bit out of sync)

(And of course, yet another trip to see the most fantastic Christmas tree ever...wearing our short-billed hats...don't they look great?!)
What a lucky girl I am...I get to live in LA, and work in NYC, and travel everywhere in between (and therefore be a frequent-flyer big baller!). Life is great. I am thankful. And refuse to take anything for granted.

I'm Mellllllllllttttting

Um...what the heck?! It has been raining for 4 straight days here. And it's supposed to continue for 3 more days yet. This is southern California. This is NOT supposed to happen. That's what I was told anyway, when I was deciding to move here. Lies. Dirty, rotten lies! (I mean, yes, it's still above 60 degrees outside in late December...but still...I'm soaking wet!)

People in SoCal don't know how to handle the rain. I think everyone pretty much holes up in their homes, and just waits there for it to stop. This is the land of perpetual sun. When that sun disappears, even for a few days, everyone is lost.

Good Things About The Rain
1. I get to wear my super cute polka dot rain boots everywhere
2. Staying inside and sitting on my butt is totally acceptable, and even expected (everyone else is doing it!)
3. There's nothing like falling asleep to the sound of rain outside
4. Um...I'm already running low on ideas here...I guess the palm trees get nice and watered??

Bad Things About The Rain
1. Can't go to the beach, even if it's warm enough (in December, no less)
2. Giant palm tree branches fall on the roads and sidewalks...and one almost hit me in the head yesterday...scary
3. Some of my windows are leaking...HIGHLY un-amusing
4. Damp/wet clothes constantly...I just can't seem to dry off entirely!
5. Rain makes most everyone grumpy - and I don't want to deal with grumpy people
6. Frizzy hair
7. We have to listen to the news warnings of possible flooding and mud slides...joy

It's getting pretty ridiculous - 4 whole days! Enough is enough, weather fates! Please don't make us all start building an ark...I'm no good at construction. And I'm always the one who gets splinters.

Tea and Strumpets, Anyone?

The best part of a very cold, but lovely Monday in New York City? Lunch with my awesome teammates at Alice's Tea Cup, of course!


Ok, let me tell you about Alice's Tea Cup...I have adored it since I first discovered it almost 6 years ago. There are 3 locations in NYC...the first I discovered was in my old neighborhood (Upper West Side). That was the only one I ever went to (quite frequently, I must admit), until I was staffed on a project for work on the Upper East Side 4 years ago. I then became a regular at that location - a convenient 2 blocks from our office. And I am now back working at that same office for the month...so, of course, I introduced my team now to its fabulousness!

Alice's Tea Cup = one of the cutest things ever. They are adorable little cafes that are Alice in Wonderland themed, and specialize in tea and scones...and they are DELICIOUS. These were today's special scone flavors:

I was so happy that they had Pumpkin today...it's been their best one for the whole 6 years I've known them...and they were just as yummy today as always. Borderline to-die-for, in fact.

We were all very classy and drank pots of Alice's special hot tea with lunch...pinky fingers in the air, of course. I also enjoyed a mouth-watering veggie burger...I took a picture because the burger and fries next to the delicate tea cups and saucers was pretty funny (sophistication to the max):

All of the cute little girls that come in with their mothers and friends for lunch get to borrow sparkly fairy wings to wear at the cafe...no, none of us consultants were offered any...hmpf. (I guess it's better we didn't get the fairy wing glitter all over our power suits) It makes for adorable surroundings though, with all of the Alice in Wonderland paraphenalia. Most everything is very sweet...we did find one thing kind of creepy though...the Alice doll, that looks like a corpse, under the glass of one of the dining tables:

Would that not freak you out to stare at while you were drinking tea and eating scones?! In theme with the rest of the place? Yes. A bit traumatizing and weird? Also yes. I have a hunch that doll just might appear in a nightmare tonight...

"Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made..."

"Let's hear it for New York, New York!" A Christmas-y weekend in the Big Apple with my best gal...pure awesomeness. So many good times had. To sum it up:


Just kidding. To truly sum it up would obviously involve the beacon of the weekend, and the holiday season, and New York City:



Let me just say this though...if you want to go see this tree up close...you better REALLY want to see it. The crowds were insane...bodies, strollers, shopping bags, cameras, NYPD, dogs, aaaagggghhhhh! CB and I tried to keep our cool, but there were multiple times where we almost started punching/kicking/yelling obscenities/etc. I would say that was awful and not in the spirit of Christmas...but hey...we're in New York! It would have just made us fit in even more.

My partner in crime (loooooooove her so much!):

We saw and did so many fabulous things this weekend, it would take forever to tell about them all. Sooooooo, the highlights:

1. We ate brunch on Saturday at Mud in the East Village. I dare anyone to tell me there is a better cup of coffee anywhere in the world. Not possible. (Sorry, Buddy the Elf..."world's best cup of coffee" is at Mud)

2. We saw some amazing subway dancers...it's exactly what you think. A bunch of 15-ish year olds, singing their own music, making their own beats, and dancing, bumping, grinding, and doing FLIPS on moving suwbay cars. Incredible.

3. Sadly, we also saw said subway dancers get busted by the cops. Bummer. (I'm pretty sure one of them cried)

4. We went shoe shopping. Pure bliss. I got dangerously close to buying 6-inch stiletto boots...but ended up opting for cute patent leather flats...same pair that CB bought. They were that adorable.

5. Got in a fight with the super cute girls selling jewelry at the Union Square Holiday Market. Stomped away (me), but ended up going back and apologizing 'cuz I felt so bad. CB stayed out of it...but was (I'm pretty sure) laughing off to the side through it all.

6. Walked to FAO Schwartz...saw the line was around the corner of the block to get in...didn't have the patience for it and bailed. Sad!

7. Saw the crazy pack of Santas out on a bar crawl in the East Village at 10am...and in Mid-Town in the afternoon...and in Brooklyn at 11pm...they went alllllllll day!

8. Saw some serious bling at Tiffany...annnnnnd maybe drooled just a little bit.

9. Got caught in a bit of a rainstorm, and had multiple very classic NYC umbrellas-blowing-inside-out moments. I believe CB described it as "pure hell."

10. Best highlight though? Just getting to spend the weekend with CB in the greatest city in the world! We always have fun taking on NYC together, and these past few days did not disappoint. Even if we're lugging a suitcase and multiple bags all the way up to the 8th floor of Macy's via escalators, only to turn right back around still not finding what we're looking for, and almost breaking some Waterford crystal...we're doing it in style and having a blast. I heart NY. I heart CB. I heart Christmas. Period.

Drugstore Magic?

I have really been loving life lately...I'm a seriously lucky lady in many, many ways...but I have to say it...I am TIRED. I go, go, go all day, every day, and I just never get anywhere near as much sleep as my poor body would like. I know it. And I feel bad about it. But where does the sleep fit in? With work, and nonstop travels from coast-to-coast, and personal commitments, and trying to keep up with friends and family all over the country...I just don't have any openings right now. And as much as I know I need more sleep, I'm just not willing to give up anything right now! I love everything I'm doing and I know that I can't possibly keep up a schedule like this forever...so I have to enjoy every second of it while I can.

So that means I am open to a little help here and there when I can get it. And after a stop at Duane Reade this evening, I'm hoping I have found a little bit of magic, in a bottle:

Neuro-Sleep. I've seen it around a few times, but never really given it any thought. But I'm exhausted, and I needed a beverage anyway, and well...why the heck not try it?! The claim is that it is drug-free, HOWEVER, the warning states that it "will cause drowsiness" - that's right. Not "MAY cause drowsiness." They are totally confident that it will. I'm fascinated by this idea.

I'm a little scared, and a lot curious, about what this will do to me, if anything. I will probably only have half of it to be safe - I'm the same girl who can usually only take half-doses of any type of medicine because I'm so small and things hit me hard. We'll see though...I hope it's the magic that I believe it can be...

And if not, I know there are a few other options out there that can usually help me fall asleep (though not really stay asleep):

I mean, the mini-bar IS right there next to my big, comfy bed. If Neuro-Sleep doesn't work out, a nightcap may be in order.

My Sweeeeeeeeet Hotel Room

I cannot lie...I am madly in love with my hotel room for this week. It is pure fabulousness. It is at the Eventi in NYC...6th and 30th...right in lovely Chelsea. I was a little skeptical when my manager said it was the nicest hotel he had ever stayed at...that's a tall order. We get to stay in a lot of really nice hotels...what was going to be so great about this one? Well, let me tell you...

1. Location (obviously)...it's pretty kick-butt
2. The outside of the hotel looks kind of neon-purple and pink (it's a bit modern, to say the least)
3. There is sweet techno music playing by the entrance/lobby upon arrival (makes me wanna shake my groove thang)
4. Super-duper comfortable king-size beds...aaahhhhhhh
5. I got a room upgrade upon check-in...cha-ching!
6. Amazing views right from my room (lots of floor-to-ceiling windows), including:


(And no, I didn't even use the zoom on my camera to take these shots - just straight out the window!)
7. Wine reception in the swanky lobby every evening
8. The nicest bath products I've ever used...they're from Milan...la-dee-dah
9. Gigantic shower, with bench....you could fit 8 people in there!
10. Oversize shower has 2 really nice shower heads (totally unnecessary, but I'm not complaining)
11. Sweet iPod stereo in the room (so I can dance and jam to my Christmas music as I please!)
12. And probably my favorite...the amazingly fabulous robes in the rooms:


Can't you just see me loungin' around in my room in that lovely thing? Oh yeah. I have been in it every second I've been able since I arrived. It just feels...right.

So as much as work can get crazy sometimes, and travel can be a bit trying, there are so many great perks to my job...staying in this ridiculously great hotel is just one of them! I'm loving every minute of it.

'Tis the Season

Christmas is everywhere...and nowhere more than New York City! Seriously, it's smacking me in the face everywhere I go here. And I love it. So very much!

Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting last night...wow. I don't know what else to say. It's hard to even try to describe the feeling of that night. The people, the energy, the music and sounds, the most beautiful tree ever. Anyone that ever has the chance to attend that annual event really better take it with no questions asked. You'll never regret it.

And in addition to that very special, gigantic tree, NYC seriously has Christmas trees everywhere! On our taxi ride to the office this morning, I counted no less than 15 Christmas trees...and we only went from 39th and 8th up to 64th and 3rd. Really not that far...AND I didn't even start counting right away (minor coffee spill on my suit distracted me...damn). I'm so ridiculously excited to spend most of the rest of the month of December here!! So many Christmas-y things to do...especially when CB comes to hang with me in the Big Apple next weekend. Look out for us...we are quite a pair when we get together in the big city.

I failed to take pictures last night at the lighting...even though I had my camera on me...too many other things to stimulate my senses and distract me. But I promise I'll do better in the coming weeks! Definitely.