An Unintentional Music Monday - Swervedriver

Coincidentally I went to a concert last Thursday and as it happens I am only writing about the show today, hence the unintentional Music Monday.

A couple of months ago I was perusing Time Out Magazine and saw that a band called Swervedriver was coming to NYC. They were going to be playing a show at the Bowery Ballroom and one at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. I got myself a ticket for the Brooklyn show. Small venue, cool band - good stuff.

Swervedriver is another one of those British bands that falls into the shoegazer genre. An amazing band from Oxford who were active in the 90's and that somehow I discovered randomly way back when. For those unfamiliar with the shoegazer genre, best I can say is that it is a sub genre of British alternative rock, with a psychedelic dreamy sound and some serious guitar distortion.

I made my way to Brooklyn at about 9:15 thinking by this time I had missed the opening bands, which would be my usual modus operandi. Apparently not - nope, nobody had played yet. So I checked out the venue, got myself a beer and made my way to floor and prime position in front of the stage. The opening bands, Longwave and The Still Out were actually good and I would recommend checking them out.

At about 11:30 we were finally ready to go, the hall was packed, I worked my way right up to the stage in front of the bass player proceeded to get blown away by Swervedriver, my personal favorite songs were 99th Dream, Never Lose That Feeling (was only sorry they didn't play Never Learn) and Duel.

Great show, good crowd and after the encore the bass player, Steve George shook my hand and gave me his pick. Rock on dude! Yeah!

Funny observation though - in all the shows I have been to over the years, never have I been to a venue where there was NO line for the women's restrooms and a line for the men's. I think I need to be going to more of these types of shows... ha ha ha.

As far as I'm concerned the best thing about NYC these days is that cool bands generally come here. So here's hoping more British bands start reuniting and/or head over to NYC. If Ride (were to reunite) and Sterophonics come to NYC I may just lose my mind completely.

PS Last time I'm taking pictures with my damn phone - I've had it, I'm bringing a camera from now on!

PPS A belated Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, especially my own!

Unwanted Houseguests

Last week I was sitting on my sofa and out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw something scurry past my curtains. The something seemed to have a tail. Being that it was pretty late and pretty dark in my apartment and my curtains were blowing being that my windows were open, I decided it was a figment of my imagination.

Well, it wasn't. Sunday night, day 2 of NYC's sweltering heat wave, I'm sitting in my apartment watching Drive Thru, for joy and laughs were very necessary. Clad in a tank top and shorts, armed with a "Hawaiian Breeze" fan from Target and a cold wet towel, I settled in to watch the surfing show (the AC I inherited from my old roommate died).

This time, out of the corner of my eye, I spot movement on the table next to a chair in my living room. Apparently my little house guest decided to be brave and leap from the table to the chair and after I shrieked, it proceeded to hide in the cushions on my chair. I lept up from the sofa and as I was shaking and my heart was about to pop out of my chest, I started to pull the cushions off the chair. Armed with the wet towel, the plan was to catch the mouse and take him outside. Well, the mouse crawled up into the clothes I had over the chair. So I carefully shook out each item and threw it on my bed. No mouse on the floor. Oh no, that's gotta mean he is still in my clothes and now on my bed. I unpiled my bed and there he was, at the bottom of the pile. In a feat worthy of an Olympic medal, the mouse lept behind my bed.

Oh no, this was not gonna be good at all. I was so shaken up with our exchange I needed a break, the mouse must have needed one too after all that. Plus now I was really sweating - it was something like 97 degrees in NYC. So after a bit I decide ok I'm gonna give it another shot and reminded myself it is totally idiotic to freak out, I mean I must be over 1000 times bigger than the mouse - if anyone should be scared sh*tless, it's the mouse.

I spot him and manage to corner him in the bathroom between the bathtub and the sink. He was so tiny, couldn't have been more than 2 inches long and poor thing looked so scared. However, despite my best efforts, he managed to escape me and dart into my closet - with my shoes - not cool.

I headed for the internet, maybe I would find a way to catch him or scare him away. Well I found this easy way to make a no kill trap and went to work. Baited it with granola, finally went to bed and hoped for the best.

The next morning I awoke in anticipation of finding a mouse in my empty laundry hamper (part of the trap), but to no avail - no mouse and the granola did not appear to have been tampered with either.

Alright so I get dressed and head out into the sweltering sauna outside, walking from store to store (as my car is currently in vehicular surgery with the mechanic for the second time in a week) to find a no kill mouse trap. I go to my local organic supermarket and my local organic food coop, I mean if anyone should have the no kill traps it should be them - well, not so. I go on to Duane Reade, CVS, the dollar store and more. The damn hardware store is closed due to the Jewish Holiday and my blistered feet can't walk the 15 blocks to the other hardware store.

So I finally buy the $1.29 glue trap, after these guys tell me I can use vegetable oil to get the mouse loose. The heat must have fried my brain - how in God's name am I supposed to get a mouse loose from a glue trap with veg oil??? Besides, the mouse would totally freak out - I know I would. I mean imagine, you're walking along one day and all of a sudden you get stuck on something, you can't move and now you have to hope the giant who trapped you isn't gonna bash your brains in or rip your limbs off as they try to free you. No THANK you. Ugh!

I refuse to buy poison, I don't want a dead mouse in the walls, pipes or, God forbid, my Guggenheim shoes. Ewww. As for the traditional killer trap - I just can't bring myself to actually kill the mouse.

The inability to kill an animal all stems from my childhood. When I was about 4(?) I used to sit on the sidewalk and look at the big black ants. I was totally fascinated by them and would pick them up and split them in half to see what they looked like on the inside. One day, it dawns on me that what I'm doing is quite awful - how horrible would it be if I was sitting minding my own business and a giant came along and ripped me in half just to see what I looked like on the inside! I stopped ripping insects apart that very moment. 28 years later I still cover my eyes during kill scenes on nature programs, cry during The Dog Whisperer and refuse to watch Animal Cops.

Suffice it to say, I WON'T be killing any mice.

So during my dog watching stay in Manhattan I will scour the city for a no kill trap, attempt to catch the mouse again on Friday and when I do, I will deposit it safely in Prospect Park.

Random Thursdays - Random Ramblings

I wrote the following earlier this week while having a bit of a drama mama moment. I thought it was kind of funny, but not for Work Wednesdays - gotta keep that one positive. However, random ramblings with a touch of insanity are ok for Random Thursdays, so hope this makes you laugh.

Rush, rush, rush to be in a chair by 9am. To do nothing. Send email to my bankers and the other assistants to see if they need help. Nobody to talk to, barely anyone even looks at you when they walk by. Try to plan the day, break it up with a snack, a bathroom break and if I'm lucky a trip to the cafeteria to get some coffee. Can barely wait until lunch and then until 5. I shouldn't complain, I am getting paid to answer two phone calls per hour.

Wow, when people sneeze and I say bless you, they don't say thanks. I think this side people are weird and a bit rude. The silence makes me want to run through the maze of cubicles saying silly things. The big boss is really nice and friendly as is one other guy but the rest of them, wow, they look right through you. The first time I was here it was different. Sat with 3 other assistants who were really nice, had some travel booking projects and had the Figi water crisis. Still slow but not at this level.

I'm going into rigor mortis. I'm comatose. I'm falling asleep reading the news on the internet. I'm supposed to look "alert and willing to take on work", sure when someone walks by I manage to yank myself out of the hypnotized stupor I'm in but they don't even acknowledge me at all. Plus it's cold, I wish I had my hoodie and could put my head down on the desk. That or escape to the sunshine outside. How is it that the office job is sapping me of my will to live? I'm actually wilting here. I need the money but I need to find something more rewarding and challenging to do. I think my work ethic is getting the better of me today.

Music Mondays - The Verve

So this Music Monday I have a some rants and raves. Last week I went to a show at the WAMU Theatre at Madison Square Garden. The band that I went to see was The Verve.

Back when I was in high school and college I was super into British music. I was all over anything that fell into the Brit Pop / Shoegazer category. There was a really cool radio show on the University of Miami radio station that played a lot of this type of music and I was an avid fan, I called in and everything. I even had my own part in the show for a while, it was called "Christina's Corner" and the DJ would play the bad ass songs I requested. Yes, I had my very own 5 minutes of radio fame.

One of the challenges of being into this sort of music, was access. This was in the early days of the internet and I used to scour message boards for information on my favorite bands. When I used to go to Switzerland over the summer, the best was a layover in Gatwick or Heathrow, where I could hunt down CDs and music magazines in the airport music shops.

Anyway, so somewhere along the way I heard of this band called Verve (before they had to change their name to "The Verve"). Their music absolutely captivated me, their sound was so completely ethereal, lush, rich and sensual - all at the same time. The music literally had and still has, the ability to take me to another world.

If memory serves correct, about 10 years ago, my sister and I saw they were coming to the US and to a city sort of close to us. We drove to Atlanta to see them, quite a long drive. It was, without a doubt, one of the best shows I have ever seen. The band played an incredibly intimate show in a club in the Buckhead area of Atlanta.

So all these years later, I saw they were coming to do a show in NY. I had to go.

The Verve played a great show, they were on and incredibly intense. Although I am happy for them that they were able to play two shows in a larger venue, I missed the intimacy of the smaller club type show. However, again, nothing against the band - they made my week. My gripes come in with the crowd.

A - If you come to see an awesome band play, SHUT THE F*CK UP while they are playing! Do you think any of us give a crap about your social calendar??? Have some respect for the band and for your fellow concert goers.

B - Are people too cool to stand and rock out? A high proportion of the crowd was sitting for most of time, about the only time everyone got up was for the song "Bittersweet Symphony". I'm not hating on the people that only know their popular songs but what's up with sitting the WHOLE time? Maybe it is my Latin blood that makes me move and my age that really makes me not care if I look like a spaz.

Anyway, rants aside, it was a great show and next time they come to NYC I'm going and making my sister come with me! (Consider yourself warned Carmen!)

PS Blackberrys don't take good pictures, so I messed around with the picture in Photoshop. Next time I go to a show, I'm taking a camera.

PPS I'm trying to make some changes to the blog, new addresses and new website. Some of the posts may be looking a little crazy....

Random Thursdays - Venting

So this week has had some annoying moments.

I am dog sitting for a friend this week and staying in her apartment. Since I am temping at a financial institution I had to pack some work clothes and man, what a shock to the system to wear that stuff again! Anyway, so being that I have a 9-5 gig plus some other stuff going on I packed a suitcase and decided to drive my car to the city as schlepping on the subway is a pain, plus had I left my car at home I would have had to deal with somehow getting back to Brooklyn to deal with alternate side of the street parking. It just wasn't fitting into my schedule.

Anyway, Sunday I get here and park. Monday morning I walk the dog and repark the car due to street cleaning rules. So I must have been half asleep and end up parking where I am not supposed to. Monday, after work, I go to where I thought my car was and guess what? It is not there. I check online and see that, yep, you got it - my car's been towed. Ugh! Well in the interest of saving on cab fare, I take the subway to 34th Street and walk 5 long blocks over to 12th Avenue. In the pouring rain. I get to the impound lot where all my fellow morons are waiting, sit for an hour and a half and finally get my car out. Of course, in addition to the towing fee, you get a fine too. Lots of fun. Nobody ever said NYC was cheap.

So the week goes on, I'm super vigilant about where I park, I get out of my car and read the 35 million parking signs about 50 times, just to make sure I'm 100% legal.

Right, so today after work, I head to take care of my parking business. See my car, good start. No ticket, even better. Get in the car, engine starts - bonus! Think, "hmmm, that's weird - it sounds like my window is open." Look back, see glass on my back seat. Well, that's not good. I get out of the car and inspect the situation. Passenger side, back seat side window shattered, back door open. I decide not to touch anything, I mean the NYPD may want to dust for prints right? Ha ha ha. I've think I have been watching too much CSI. I call the police and they show up about 45 minutes later. They ask me if anything is missing and I tell them I did not touch the passenger side of the car, because I wanted to wait until they got there. Good thing I didn't tell them, "No - I was waiting for you guys to dust for prints." I think they would have looked at me like I was an alien.

So about 15 minutes later and police report in hand I head off to a GARAGE, to park. The attendant tells me it's $45 per day and I ask him to cut me a break. I tell him about all the vehicular trauma I have had this week and he offers $35 per day. Not a bargain, but at this stage I think it is my safest and cheapest option.

All in all, things could have gone better but then they could have been worse. I still have a car, my first temp job has been quite nice and hanging out with Finn (the dog) has been fun. This damn city hasn't got the best of me yet, at least not this week!

21 Questions

Some may know, some may not - I'm temping this week and so between waiting for the phone to ring and someone to assign me a task like faxing or copying, I have spent a good part of the day reading New York Magazine online.

After reading NY Magazine's 350 entries of "21 Questions" I felt doing one of my own. So here are my 21 Questions...

Name
Christina Algeciras

Age
31

Occupation
Temp, dog sitter, freelance designer and researcher, blogger, aspiring artist, aspiring yoga teacher and whatever else I can do to make a few bucks.

Neighborhood
Kensington, Brooklyn (yeah, nobody else knows where it is either)

Who's your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
Realistically, probably my friends, cause I love em!

What's the best meal you've eaten in New York?
Too many to even say but anything at Da Ciro's ranks pretty high.

In one sentence, what do you do all day?
God only knows.

Would you still live here on a $35,000 salary?
Yes

What's the last thing you saw on Broadway?
Lots of people trying to cross the street.

Do you give money to panhandlers?
Sometime yes, sometimes no.

What's your drink?
Tea, water, beer or a vodka tonic (not all at once, of course).

How often do you prepare your own meals?
About 75% of the time and that includes reheating.

What's your favorite medication?
Sunshine, reggae yoga and glassy surf on a warm day.

What's hanging above your sofa?
Nothing, I have no wall behind my sofa.

How much is too much for a haircut?
Anything over $60.00 but I haven't cut my hair in over a year.

When is bedtime?
Usually too late.

Which do you prefer, the old Times Square or the new Times Square?
I'm not equipped to make that comparison, but I can say I generally avoid all of Times Square.

What do you think about Donald Trump?
Tacky.

What do you hate most about living in New York?
NYPD Traffic Police, endless construction on the BQE and the high cost of living.

Who is your mortal enemy?
I could not really say I have a mortal enemy but I don't care much for people who are mean or have attitude problems.

When's the last time you drove a car?
Last night, reparking on the Upper West Side.

Who should be the next president?
Someone who is not a "politician".

Times, Post or Daily News?
Times online when I have nothing else to do, but generally I avoid newspapers.

Where do you go to be alone?
Just about anywhere, but I have a spot in Central Park, a bench in Dante Square or a seat in my car for a drive to the beach.

What makes someone a New Yorker?
Knowing how to navigate through pedestrian traffic and standing on the street NOT on the curb when waiting to cross the street.

Random Thursdays - Fun Stuff

I have decided to write about any random topic on Thursdays so today I'm giving a big shout out to one of my new favorite bloggers. Funky Brown Chick is a blog about sex, dating and relationships and it's hilarious.

A couple of weeks ago I was searching the internet high and low for temp agencies in NYC. While looking for some more in depth information on NY staffing companies, I stumbled on this blog called Funky Brown Chick, the writer by her own admission is funky, brown and a chick - hence the name.

So I read the post about her employment situation and explored FBC's site a bit further. Funky Brown Chick has some hilarious posts like Manly Mondays - How to Hide an Erection and a variety of other highly entertaining entries.

Bonus points also go to FBC for her posts on Paul Walker. Nice to know I'm not the only grown woman with a celebrity crush! Ha ha ha!

So for some laughs, head over to Funky Brown Chick's site and tell her Christina sent you!

The Seasons First Surf!

A cold and nasty day last winter, I'm lying under the covers of my bed, watching a cheesy surfing chick flick (ok I'm embarrassed to admit it, yes - it was Blue Crush) and I have this thought - man that would be kind of cool to try. I have loved the ocean since I was a little girl and when I was a teenager I started getting really into the the whole surf culture, and of course I always loved those surfer boys. Anyway, time passed, I grew up and sort of forgot about all of it. So on this winter day I come up with the whacked out idea that I'm gonna try this. Maybe it was part of an early mid life crisis or something, who knows. After researching on the internet a bit I see I can take lessons in Long Beach, NY about an hours drive away. So a year ago I started taking lessons and well, you know the story, I quit my job, took off and went to learn to surf in North Carolina, Bali and Miami.

About two weeks ago I reunited with my crew - we are three girls and we met in the surf classes we started taking last year. We are not any good but we love it and we have a great time together being stupid and cheering each other on. After a lunch in Long Beach we head to Unsound surf shop to get properly outfitted. We have wetsuits, they match - it's retarded, but for these waters we also need neoprene boots, gloves and hoods. This in itself was a hilarious excursion, the gloves are so thick you can't move your fingers, the hood makes you look like an idiot and the boots. Well if you can actually get them on it's an accomplishment but getting them off - that's an exercise in patience, willpower and strength. Much to Jen's mortification, Reena literally had to pull on my boot and drag me across the floor of the surf shop. Funny.

So this last Saturday, now being properly outfitted, we met up again. Jen and I to hit the water, Reena to assist us in getting dressed and cheer us on. One definitely needs a helper because once you have one glove on it's practically impossible to get the other one on and rocking the Michael Jackson one glove look is not wise in 43 degree water. Once fully dressed, Jen and I braved the water. It was not actually that cold but the wind was a killer. We caught a few waves, they were baby ones, but that was just right for us. Despite the cold and the extreme exhaustion from paddling in neoprene it was so good to be in the water again. You are out there on this deserted beach, it's so beautiful, the birds are fishing and you are working hard to paddle, stand up or not fall off; but somehow it is so incredibly calming. All you can concentrate on is the ocean and for a little while all that crap driving you crazy just goes away. Corny but true.

So kook that I am, I'm gonna keep doing what I'm doing, get out there and keep paddling.

Sex and the City

Not really. Last week I had visitors. My cousin Samantha and her friend Steffy came to visit me in NY after they had visited my family in Miami and gone to Key West and the Bahamas (you see - this traveling thing actually does run in the family). The only people that visit me sort of regularly are my mom and my friend Camille who comes up for business. How exciting to be able to show these two around one of my favorite cities!

I picked them up at JFK, we had dinner in Brooklyn at Picket Fences, which is in my neighborhood and is really delicious. Their mac and cheese is awesome. Anyway after dinner I packed these two into my car and drove them into Manhattan. I have some pretty strong opinions on how people should see NY and I consider a night time drive through the city essential. How else do you begin to take in the twinkling lights, the bridges, the billboards, the shock and riot of color, sound and light that is Times Square?

So we drove over the Brooklyn Bridge with great views of lower Manhattan, up the west side, down through Times Square (that really hit them!), through the Village, up the FDR, back down through Times Square again (for the pictures) and back over the Brooklyn Bridge and home. But not before they could experience the difficulty of finding legal street parking in Brooklyn at 1am. Ha ha ha.

The next day, with spectacular weather, we went to Rockefeller Center. The top of Rockefeller Center is 70 stories above Manhattan, with amazing views of Central Park and the Empire State Building. No lines and no waiting. Bonus.

We visited St. Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Avenue, which is as beautiful as any cathedral in Europe. Funny enough I have lived here for 8 years and never been to either the top of Rockefeller Center or St. Patricks.

We hopped on the subway and went to Gray's Papaya on the Upper West Side for hot dogs that my sister insisted they try. So for something like $3.50 you get the recession special - 2 hot dogs and a drink. I have to say they are really good. I have actually been here before but generally after a night out. We sat in the little park on 72nd and Broadway, watched the city walk by and took it all in. I think one of the really important things to do when in a city, be it your own or one you are visiting, is sitting on a bench in the sun. Somehow I think you get a better feel of the place, you just have to sit, be still, observe and get the energy of the place. Now that I think about it I think I have been doing this for a really long time. Funny that I just notice this.

After chilling out a bit we headed back on the 1 train and hopped on the Staten Island Ferry, the best and cheapest way to see the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and lower Manhattan. Why is is the best? It's free! Imagine, something that's still free in NYC! So after the trip on the ferry it was time to get back on the 1, we went to Central Park, took a carriage ride through the park - again something I have never done, and it was really nice. After taking some pictures with our cranky horse, we walked up to Lincoln Center and had dinner at Rosa Mexicana. For sure one of the best restaurants in the city. We drank pomegranate margaritas, Samantha made guacamole table side with our waiter overseeing, we ate too much, tried to get through the pitcher of sangria and headed out again. But destined for home we were not.

I ask, where in the world can you go shopping at 11:30pm? Times Square of course. So we headed to the Quicksilver store, the girls did some shopping and we finally made our way home.

The next day we headed back to Manhattan. The girls were not much for seeing museums but the weather was not so great, I thought well, I could take the to the Museum of Sex. (Yes this is where the Sex and the City part comes in.) Again another place I have never been - so first we see the exhibit on Sex in Design - plenty of interesting objects and art on display, for cultural purposes of course. Next comes the "film" exhibit. Well, that was interesting. Everything from "educational" films to soft core, hard core and celebrity films on display. Kind of a weird place, a few suspect characters standing around just sort of watching the films very intently. It was sort of shocking and funny all at the same time.

We decided to go get some lunch and headed to Coffee Shop in Union Square. Models and quasi celebrities abound, we ate a delicious lunch, went shopping again in the claustrophobic atmosphere of Times Square. We caught our breath in Bryant Park with a coffee and made our way back home. Initially I had big plans to take them to a fancy dinner and then out to a bar or lounge but I think we were all so tired out that we opted to stay in, order a NY pizza and watch a movie.

The following day, I got the girls some bagels (I had to make sure that they ate the NY classics!) and they packed. We went for lunch at the super fantastic A Farm on Adderly, where we intrigued the bar man and the patrons with our Swiss German. We finished up, packed up and made our way back to JFK for their flight to Zurich.

Time to go home

After spending a few fabulous weeks in Europe it was time to go back home to the USA. So once again I boarded a plane and made my way back to JFK International Airport. However I was not to be spending my time at my home. I had a job lined up! So I unpacked and repacked and headed to the Upper West Side of Manhattan where I had the job of watching Finn, my friend's cocker spaniel for a few days. I love animals, so for me it was a great way to make a few bucks. I spent my time hanging out with Finn, froze my ass off in the snow, went to a career seminar to look for that epiphany and did some general catching up.

After Finn's mom came home I was back off to my home in Brooklyn to repack again, I was off to Miami again but this time to pick up my car and drive it back.

I spent the next few weeks in Miami, lethargic as all hell ( I think there is something in the air down there!) I visited with family and friends, worked on business ideas, hung out with my cousin and her friend who were visiting from Switzerland and did not do much else.

Finally on the 17th I was ready to get on the road again, this time really eager to drive and get back to NY. So I drove - no stopping for sightseeing (although I would not have minded a few surf lessons in North Carolina again), no speeding tickets and 1 flat tire - and 2.5 days later I was home and ever so happy to be back.

Moving Right Along

Well after about a month in Miami, enjoying the holidays, spending time with friends and family, and the constant challenge of trying to improve my computer's efficiency, it was time to head back to Brooklyn. Rather than driving up, I left my car in Miami and flew back since I was about to embark on another trip out of the country.

After about three and a half months in balmy sub tropical weather I was definitely not ready for the harsh and bitter cold of New York. However I survived, sorted through all my mail, saw some friends and after three days in NY, I headed back to the airport for a flight to Switzerland.

Brunch - Cafe Cortadito

Well I'm going a bit nuts trying to prepare for this trip, so I decided to take a break and write about Sunday. To start it was one of those picture perfect NY days, sunny, blue skies and not too hot and not too cold. My dear friend Silvia and I met for brunch at this great Cuban restaurant on the Lower East Side called Cafe Cortadito. I'm not one to eat Cuban food too often but the name of this place was intriguing, as I have found it nearly impossible to explain what a "cortadito" is when I am trying to order one in NY. For those who don't know, it's espresso with milk, but until you have had it at the window in a Cuban restaurant in Miami, you won't really understand. It's like diluted jet fuel.

Anyway, I walked into this gorgeous little place on an unassuming street and was truly transported. The music was old school cuban and the decor was warm and welcoming. So I had a guanabana juice (don't know what fruit this is in English, suffice it to say it was yummy), a cafe con leche, vaca frita and some of the best plantains I have ever had . Vaca Frita is shredded beef, prepared with lots of garlic and onions and lime (I think - I'm not quite sure how to translate mojo but it is a sauce that meat is sometimes cooked with). It was a great place, see their review in NY Mag. http://nymag.com/restaurants/reviews/underground/35516/. Oh and I did get the cortadito too...

After all this eating some serious walking around was called for. So we strolled for hours through Soho. I made a few last minute purchases, like sneakers, as the ones I have are over 5 years old, much to the disgust of certain friends. Then I was dragged into a boutique to buy a ridiculously expensive and sexy dress that "packs well for traveling" at the insistance of Silvia, as woman can not live in yoga pants alone. As long as I don't have to wear high heels, all will be well.