Yes, it’s already Friday so I will post more probably on the six hour flight back home. I’m very aware that I’m behind.

I always wonder if my life is so chaotic because I make it that way–unintentionally. Every day, lots of things come up and I feel like a slave to all of them. Maybe I care too much!

Here’s what the week has looked like so far.

Kiddy birthday at the park

Oscars party (how irritatingly boring was James Franco?)

The blog class started. Work-intensive and amazing.

Friend came into town from Boston

Work review and all the financials surrounding that. As a treat, I’d like to book people to come and clean our place! We’ve been doing all the cleaning for the past six months and we suck. I need a couple of Brazilians to move furniture, dig into the corners, and wipe that shit clean.

Now we are on a whirlwind trip of NYC. It is bitter cold, but making the very most of the time.

Oh, I forgot, although I mentioned below. Dealing with a continuing burglary issue and coordinating logistics via email with the other owners and my tenants is very stressing.

Double oh, I’m in a race to finish the Book Thief by Tuesday night book club. Speed speed reading!

Chaos! We are dealing with multiple break-ins at my condo building. Someone is finding their way into our downstairs storage area and stealing. My neighbors have lost expensive bottles of wine and a bike. Nothing from my end, but that doesn’t make me feel any better. We have never, in the six years I’ve owned my place, changed the locks to the common areas. So those are keys that previous owners (even previous to me), dog walkers, contractors, exes, and tenants have all had. We had Pop-a-Lock (best locksmith in the city) come and change all the locks on Monday. But apparently, the day after, there was another break-in. So scary and infuriating. We are totally perplexed.

Dean and I are over the moon to be vacationing in NYC together. He’ll be there for work and I decided to tag along! After NYC and Italy, I’ll still have another four weeks vacation. Don’t hate me because I’m brimming with vacation time.

Last time I was in NYC was on my way to and from the Hamptons so it’s past that six month mark when I try to head to the big apple. Before that, it was the dead of winter. I, obviously, try to hit every single season! I think NYC is gorgeous at any time of year–no complaints from me.

Dean used to live in NYC (the burbs), whereas I’ve probably spent more time there, so it will be great to take each other to all our favorite jaunts.

Up on the docket, we’ve got:

The show Memphis which won the 2010 Tony for best musical.

Touristy sites like the Empire State building, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, and the Highline.

I have to show Dean the New York Ace Hotel (we got married at the Palm Springs Ace Hotel), including the hip Breslin Bar.

I’m intent on going to mass at St. Patrick’s–which will be the Sunday before Lent begins.

Outside of that, there are a bunch of friends I want to see, including one baby to meet! And art! We must checkout the MOMA, the New Museum of Contemporary Art, and my very favorite Frick collection.

Is there time for tax-free shopping?

There are so many boring people out there who can’t take a good joke. Dean, for one, made me promise not to play a joke on him this coming April Fool’s Day. Bahumbug. I think jokes and surprises can be so much fun, especially when they’re custom-tailored and very conniving.

Last year on April Fool’s, I sent Dean a scathing email. “My dad found out about your blog Gavin Newsom Sucks. He is a major democrat and he thinks I should reconsider dating you, since you write so negatively about democratic leadership.” Dean almost shit in his pants at work. Too funny!

My friend Erin is a huge rock band karaoke fiend. Her sisters pretended that her picture had been scooped up by a local newspaper featuring rock band karaoke. Erin was so excited, she blasted the news to all her friends–only to find out it had been a farce! That one will go down in April Fool’s history. I tell it every year.

This past weekend, we went to Dean’s friend’s surprise 40th birthday party. The guy came in to a bar full of friends and family, including his mom and siblings who had flown in from Connecticut. That’s one big surprise!

My former coworker Melissa had accidentally left her cell phone with her husband. So she had one of our male coworkers named Rob call the phone. When her husband picked up, Rob said, “Is Melissa there? Oh, weird, this is the number she gave me at the bar.”

Melissa’s husband called her furiously at work, “Are you  cheating on me?!”  HAHA! We were cracking up all day long.

Can someone play a joke on me? I love to be fooled!

Here are some goodies my hubby gave me for Valentine’s Day. I ate all the chocolates, but here are pictures of the card (his greeting inside was in Italian) and his own rendering of hugging meerkats (we love meerkats!).

Dean is a really good artist. Opposites must attract because I’m horrible at Pictionary.

I guess the last straw for me was when I found out a good friend of mine had a baby–and I didn’t even know. Granted, my good friend is a guy so I had no idea his wife was about to pop. But still. That’s pretty bad.

I rely on Twitter and Facebook to keep me abreast of a lot of this stuff. I rely so much on these killer apps that I’ve come to take the information for granted. Now it’s time to get focused. I don’t want another situation like that–whether it’s a baby, an engagement, a marriage–to catch me off guard again. I thought I was a better friend than that. Clearly not.

I’m going to own my problems and not blame Facebook–even though Facebook, you’ve got a long way to go! With all that funding coming your way, can you please work out the kinks?! But my solution for now is to purge. Animal profiles? Deleted them. In-laws I’ve never met? Gone! My own family members I’ve never met. See ya! Sure we’re family, first cousins, second cousins, aunts, uncles, but do you really care what I’m up to if you’ve never even seen me face-to-face? And probably never will. When’s the next time you’re taking a vacation in America? Probably never. When’s the next time I’m going to the Philippines? I won’t say never, but it’s going to be a long time from now.

It feels good. It feels liberating. Who else can I purge?

Here’s a funny image I found on the web.

All was fine enough with my back that I reduced the pain killer dosage to once in the morning versus three times a day. Then yesterday, quite randomly, I had a setback—literally. I couldn’t roll out of bed like usual. I had to flop off by shimmying on my tummy. It hurt to walk. It hurt to sit. It hurt to bend. At night, I couldn’t even consider laying on my back. It was sore and twitched. I’ve heard it may take several months to heal. Until then, back to more drugs!

It’s picture time! Finally dusted off my camera and decided to use it for once. My blog class actually starts next week (I had thought it started this week) so this cockamamie (sp?) post in no way reflects the quality of the class I’m about to take.

I’ve been meaning to create this post for some time. Well that time has finally come since we took down all the Christmas cards and stationery that we had taped up to our glass doors. All gazillion of them.

This is a very special shout out to my top three favorite holiday greetings.

This is in no particular order, but I have to give major major props to my friend Kristen Wong who pioneered the holiday letter. I’ve been getting her annual letters for God knows how long. She’s creative, witty, consistent, and make no bones about it, I don’t know a single person who has been writing holiday letters as long as she has. It’s the one holiday piece that I look forward to every year. Despite all of my various moves, I make a point to make sure Kristen’s got my most recent address. I’ll email desperately, “Please don’t forget me! Here is my current address.” She is a true inspiration for so many.

Here’s an angled shot of the 2010 Wong family letter.

Here’s my favorite holiday card from my friends Brian and Leslie Baker. Not only is it festive, but I get to see what they currently look like, where they’ve been, that they’re active, having fun, and well-traveled. I already wrote a post about how disengaging it is to only get pictures of babbling children. Did my friends get fat? Did they shrink? Did they go gray? Are they on the brink of divorce? Who knows? Sending Christmas love with pics of the kids–that’s all you get. Lovely.

The Bakers buck that typical, lazy trend. Here’s a pic of the Bakers’ bad-ass card.

Here’s my favorite postcard from my friends Nikki Doran and Merritt Pelkey who moved to Las Vegas last year from the Bay Area. Honestly, it doesn’t get more creative than this. Super cute, super relevant.

Here’s their very awesome postcard.

I hope you all find creative inspiration with the above. Take note of what friends and family would like to see. You! Get it?

I was chit-chatting with a coworker in front of the elevators this afternoon when mid-way through our chatter, he said, “You’ve lost weight haven’t you?”

“Oh my God, you are the first one to notice. I’ve lost four pounds in the past two weeks by eating healthy. You’re the only one who’s said anything. Thank you!”

I find it fascinating that the guy who mentioned the weight loss interacts with me infrequently and is not gay. Someone out there is paying attention, or at least very observant.

The Bay to Breakers is turning 100 this year. After years of memories and a long drawn out existence, it’s time to euthanize this baby.

The event  loses money. Any decision on the future of the race boils down to profit. It ain’t making any! No funding for non-profits, a complete loss for the race owner and sponsors. What is the point?

No doubt, the B2B is a good time. I’ve had my share of fun in the sun, running in the rain, walking, running clothes, running unclothed, gawking from the Hayes Street Hill. But in this economy, during a time when our public schools are losing funding, when every single cent counts, you’re telling me we should continue with this losing proposition because it’s a good time. Woohoo! I didn’t realize flushing money down the toilet felt so good.

Those who care, who passionately want to keep the race alive should submit specific, actionable plans that ensures the B2B breaks even. Until then, I hope this 100th anniversary is the last.