Gems by Jewell

The new 2005 Spring/Summer Gems by Jewell Collection has arrived!
The 'Allende Collection' is inspired by the colors of the Caribbean. And now you can create your own Swarovski crystal earring designs. Remember that Valentine's Day is around the corner.

http://www.gemsbyjewell.com

Stitch N Bitch

I'm well on my way to accomplishing one of my New Year's goals. I found a Stitch N Bitch group that meets once a week at Dean & Deluca. Most people knit, but one of the women is kind enough to help me with crocheting. Tonight she taught me how to single crochet and double crochet. (I already had the basic chain stitch perfected.) I'm so excited! So everyone knows what they are getting for Chistmas next year. Some kind of scarf, hat (or doily). And by the way, who knew that coffee could get any more expensive than Starbucks?!

Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow!

Well, we finally got a substantial amount of snow, and I mean substantial. Some subway service was cancelled, some buses aren’t running and since most of the sidewalks aren’t cleared yet, it’s very difficult to walk down the street especially to cross at intersections. Sunday morning was the most quiet I have ever seen Manhattan. I was hoping to get by without any snow because the winter has been so mild here. But the worst thing to come of all this snow, is that my boss decided to cancel his weeklong trip to Asia due to airport closures. And I was so looking forward to a ‘vacation’.

What do you mean I can’t browse the books? This is the public library, right?

Today I decided to get a library card and I went to the main library, you know, the one with the lions perched at the entrance. Well, they don’t let you browse books there. All the books are kept in back rooms. So you have to write down the title to a specific book and someone brings it out to you in 20-40 minutes! And I wasn’t even looking for a rare dissertation on how Van Gogh’s works influenced the daily lives of bankers in the mid 1800s (ok, I completely pulled that one out of my ass, but it sounds good, doesn’t it?)….I was just looking for the Idiot’s Guide to Photoshop Elements 2.0. Now, when I go to the library, I need to look at and touch the books before I make my selection. I explained to the guy at the desk that I wasn’t even sure which book I wanted, that I would at least need to look at the titles. I need to bring the book to you, was his reply. Well, can you bring all the books that have to do with Adobe Photoshop? I’ll try. I got impatient after 10 minutes and decided to find another library that’s not so, well, uptight, about their collection. I can't believe that just going to the library turned out to be such an ordeal!

What I'm Reading

The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri

Calling in sick

So, it's no secret that I'm unhappy at my job. And thanks to MSN.com I now have a plethora of excuses to choose from when calling in sick:
I was sprayed by a skunk.
I tripped over my dog and was knocked unconscious.
My bus broke down and was held up by robbers.
I was arrested as a result of mistaken identity. (My personal favorite)
I forgot to come back to work after lunch.
I couldn't find my shoes.
I hurt myself bowling.
I was spit on by a venomous snake.
I totaled my wife's jeep in a collision with a cow.
A hitman was looking for me.
My curlers burned my hair and I had to go to the hairdresser.
I eloped.
My brain went to sleep and I couldn't wake it up.
My cat unplugged my alarm clock.
I had to be there for my husband's grand jury trial.
I had to ship my grandmother's bones to India.
I forgot what day of the week it was.
Someone slipped drugs in my drink last night.
A tree fell on my car.
My monkey died.
Actually, the one about the hair curlers is pretty feasible and could possibly happen :)