Keeping Busy

When I am not perfecting the art of the interview, from the interviewee perspective for those not up to speed, I have been creating a slideshow for my Aunt Charita's 80th birthday party. I came across this gem of my brother and me, a photo my sister immediately named "Waiting for Meghan". Good call on that one since no way was Tommy going to hang with me and that toy oven in the background. As it is the kid barely fits on the sliding board, already well on his way to 6'3".

Hace un ano...

Monday was it, the one year anniversary of my last day of officially-sanctioned, paychecked employment. It has been a hell of a year and I wouldn't change a minute of it, save for a few extra weeks in South America. But look at this face and tell me who wouldn't want to hang out with Dakota? She is now officially my homegirl and that's justification enough for having up and left behind everything about my adult life in California and returned to the east coast in a Corolla named Walter.

In honor of this milestone, let us consider some of the elements that made this anniversary week so great: I worked with Tommy and Tricia at the farmer's market on Sunday, and even though every cute guy there is either gay, married, or with a significant other, it's still a ton of fun; I went out to the farm Monday night and spent Tuesday playing with Dakota and enjoying killer strawberries courtesy of T n T's organic skillz and this insane October weather; I received a gorgeous bouquet of flowers from my friends for no reason other than they rock and I am lucky to know them, although the card indicated it was thanks for putting them up for the night; I made farm-fresh butternut squash soup with fresh cilantro as garnish and, later in the week, some killer pesto; I went to a members' only preview of the new Renoir exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art with my mom; I believe I went running every day, and am shocked it's getting easier; I had a few phone interviews with various wannabe employers; all in all I managed to enjoy myself immensely.

Meanwhile a serious potential job offer rustles softly under it all, delayed by requisite background checks and who knows what bureaucratic business, but I am content. Eager, but content. Lucky me.

The Economist vs. W Magazine

Last month I received a notice from United Airlines that the few miles I had on account with them were about to expire, but fear not for I could redeem them for magazines. I am a sucker for magazines, and for free things, so it seemed like a no-brainer. Ignoring the fact that in this household we already receive The New Yorker, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, The Smithsonian, Budget Traveler, Atlantic Monthly, The New York Review of Books (Daddy pretty much has this one to himself), and various alumni rags, I went ahead and ordered Conde Nast Traveler (I really wanted a cooking magazine but none were available), W Magazine, and The Economist. I have never read The Economist in my life, but it seemed like a good choice to balance the somewhat nonsensical point of W with the somewhat nonsensical (to me) point of The Economist. I would say my grasp of economics is wanting, to say the least. Why not subject myself, I mean open myself up to the challenge? A few things to note about The Economist: it has little advertising (rare indeed), it actually includes information about places like Latin America and Africa, AND it is a weekly. Oh my. Suffice to say that I am barely through the first third and I fear issue number two will arrive this afternoon.

I end with a confession and a goal. First, the confession: my first issue of W arrived yesterday and it was a fashion-filled respite from the rigors of global economics. Cate Blanchett looks gorgeous on the cover by the way. Second, the goal: stop writing about not finishing The Economist and go read The Economist. Well, perhaps after my run and after I make pesto, of course.