"And another thing ..."

Getting the most amazing hair cut from my mom’s...

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:03:12 -0400

Getting the most amazing hair cut from my mom’s ridiculously hot stylist, Rosa (at Trio Salon in Evanston, IL).

Oh what a gorgeous day.

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:18:08 -0400

Oh what a gorgeous day.

Sunrise over Lake Michigan

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:16:04 -0400

Sunrise over Lake Michigan

I’m trying to take care of a host of unpleasant tasks...

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:05:38 -0400

I’m trying to take care of a host of unpleasant tasks I’ve been procrastinating for, like, two years while I’m at my parents house (health insurance, financial organization, etc), so I’ve been rewarding myself with breaks - like reading Texts from Last Night.

The only question I have is: are these texts REAL?? If so, where do I find people like this?!

They. are. hi-larious.

I’m pulling a bunch of red hair clips for the TMIweekly...

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:36:04 -0400

I’m pulling a bunch of red hair clips for the TMIweekly we’re doing on Massive Hair Changes …

and I decided I know what I want to be for Halloween now. ;)

What I want to be for Halloween … POISON IVY!

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:22:57 -0400

What I want to be for Halloween …

POISON IVY!

Think I can convince Meghan to be Batgirl??

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:14:00 -0400

Think I can convince Meghan to be Batgirl??

Photo I took of my new hat (from Olive & Bette’s on...

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:11:00 -0400

Photo I took of my new hat (from Olive & Bette’s on the Upper West side) before I left for Chicago.

I meant to wear it here, but um … the whole “raining every day” thing has been cramping my style.

Happy Birthday to my baby brother (in spirit), David Karp. ...

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:52:55 -0400

Happy Birthday to my baby brother (in spirit), David Karp. 23!!!!!!!

Update on Dan

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:27:12 -0400

From: J.D.
To: assistant@nonsociety.com
Sent: Jul 7, 2009 10:56 PM
Subject: Cancer Dan

Hey,
A lot of us who follow the blog were touched by Julia’s friend with cancer, dan. I remember that she planned to return to Chicago to help him rally after chemo. I know how tough that can be. I wonder: now that Julia’s in Chicago, is Dan there? What’s going on? It’s not really fair to raise this life-and-death drama and not follow up.

Hi … no, Dan is not here. He’s still in the hospital in Boston. He was meant to be here now, but things haven’t gone that well there. He is in the hospital 24-7 now, which obviously isn’t exactly his idea of a good time.

I talk with him regularly, and spoke with him last night, but I’m not sure what he wants me to share on his behalf, so I won’t say anything else.

I plan to come back here when he returns, hopefully in August.

PS. I told him to get an iPhone so I could text him - yes, the kid doesn’t have TEXT MESSAGING - and he promised he’d do so when I got health insurance. So I spent yesterday and this morning going over the arcane details of seventeen different Oxford plans. HA! That’ll show him.

"A recent British survey of 2,000 women and men revealed IT nerds to be at the top of a list of..."

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:50:23 -0400

“A recent British survey of 2,000 women and men revealed IT nerds to be at the top of a list of lovers’ occupations, as reported by The Sun newspaper. According to the survey, IT nerds were ranked so high because they were found to be the most selfless and adventurous lovers, as well as much more open to using tech gadgets (ahem) outside of the office. Even more specifically, the survey found that 82 percent of IT “geeks” interviewed said that their partners’ pleasure was the most important thing to them.”

- Meghan, this one’s for you, baby.

What is one thing (or two or three!) you'd love to tell your younger self?

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:36:09 -0400

I promised my mom I would go to bed in the next half hour, but I just read this article and I’m curious - if you could write your younger self a letter, what would you say?

"#7. If your stomach hurts and you haven’t got a virus, you’re in a bad situation."

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:31:00 -0400

“#7. If your stomach hurts and you haven’t got a virus, you’re in a bad situation.”

- from “Ten Things I’d Love to Tell My Former Self,” over on Divine Caroline (one of Meghan’s favorite sites!)

A few of the other points I especially agree with from her essay? 1) You are at least ten times prettier than you think you are. And 2) the only thing you should be faking (har) is confidence.

oh yes, Mini Roadkill! JUST FOR YOU! Or, you know, that furry...

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:24:15 -0400

oh yes, Mini Roadkill! JUST FOR YOU!

Or, you know, that furry scavenger sitting at your feet.

Momsers made the most incredible salad with grilled salmon....

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:48:25 -0400

Momsers made the most incredible salad with grilled salmon. YUM!!!

"It’s easiest to be friendly when I’m happy but I forget sometimes that being friendly can make me..."

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:09:44 -0400

“It’s easiest to be friendly when I’m happy but I forget sometimes that being friendly can make me happy.”

- from this letter

Reader Email: "When I smile and make eye contact, I am always amazed how much nicer and smaller this city becomes"

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:08:00 -0400

From: [redacted]
Date: July 7, 2009 9:59:25 AM EDT
To: julia@nonsociety.com
Subject: Midwestern Friendliness = not actually a myth

Hi there,

I never thought I’d actually respond to a prompt like this … BUT friendliness in Manhattan is a favorite topic of mine.

Recently I passed out on the subway, during rush hour on the 4 train no less. The warmth and helpfulness of the other subway riders astounded me. After being helped off the train, I managed to pass out again while waiting for EMS and three strangers stayed with me. Now mind you, if someone even brushes me with a purse on the train I give a quick stank look and here I was completely taken care of by people I’d never even met. That’s a pretty extreme example, I know but it reminded me that New York is as friendly a place as you make it.

When I first moved here, I lived in East Harlem. Most people don’t really equate friendliness with East Harlem, right? It was the nicest place! I cannot tell you how many genuinely wonderful conversations I had in our dog pee smelling elevator. I loved that building because everyone was pretty much happy to be there and happy to talk about it when they weren’t happy to be there. I live on the Upper East Side now and the only person I say hello to on a regular basis is the doorman three buildings down. It makes my night! That one consistent hello after trudging home from work or the gym makes my night consistently now. What I am trying to say however ineloquently is that I’ve always gotten back what I’ve put out. If I say hello and start small talk with someone on the street, it sets off a boomerang effect and comes back to me always even if unexpectedly.

When I smile and make eye contact, I am always amazed how much nicer and smaller this city becomes. I think it’s too easy, and especially in a fast-paced city, to run around like a mad woman getting work done and then want a break from the world and from people when 8 pm hits. The problem is that life is still happening on the way to the grocery store, to the laundromat, and the subway and random acts of friendliness are not a one-way street. It’s easiest to be friendly when I’m happy but I forget sometimes that being friendly can make me happy. I come from a family who’s motto is “No good deed goes unpunished” so it’s kind of counterintutive, but it works for me. New York isn’t the easiest place, but I think it’s what you make of it. If you want it to be cold, it will never fail you but if you want it to be your home it will love you always.

Reader Email: "if someone needs help and you have the ability to give that help, you should."

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:08:21 -0400

From: K.L.
Date: July 6, 2009 9:01:30 PM EDT
To: Julia Allison
Subject: Midwestern Nice

Hey Julia!
I totally agree about midwesterners being nice! I’m from Fargo, ND and people always say hi when passing you on the street or at the very least smile. When I was out in Denver visiting a cousin we had some car problems and had to pull over. It was snowing pretty hard out and it was obvious that I was having issues trying to get this car to work again. Not one person pulled over or even asked if we needed any help. If something like that happens in Fargo, I can guarantee that a few people would stop and try to help out. I don’t know why we are like this. I just think, at least up here, that you are taught to help your neighbors and if someone needs help and you have the ability to give that help, you should. I really love that about the midwest!

All this friendliness is making me nervous! ;) What’ll happen when I get back to New York? I’ll reflexively smile at people and they’ll reflexively punch me in the neck.

Swimming’s the only excercise I can do with my back out...

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:24:16 -0400

Swimming’s the only excercise I can do with my back out (not like I’m crying so much at not being able to go to the gym) … Going to do laps in the pool in my parents’ building now.

Dual purpose photobooth shot: showing off my new iPhone 3GS...

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:50:57 -0400

Dual purpose photobooth shot: showing off my new iPhone 3GS (wooo!) and my new short blue nails (double wooo!)