Not4nothin's 2006 Thankful List

...in no particular order.

#1. i am thankful that i have my health and at most times, my sanity.
#2. i am thankful that i have a roof over my head, clothes on my back and food in my my apartment cabinets.
#3. i am thankful i no longer live in a red state.
#4. i am thankful my family has not experienced any devastating tragedies i can think of.
#5. i am thankful that the democratic party has taken back power and will hopefully direct this country in the correct direction.
#6. i am thankful my boyfriend moved to nyc, left everything he knew behind and has started a life with me here.
#7. i am thankful that in the 4 months the boyfriend and i have been living together we have not killed one another.
#8. i am thankful for the handful of friends i have in my life who i know i can depend on for anything.
#9. i am thankful i have a 4-day weekend.
#10. i am thankful that one of my best friends took time this summer to go and find herself and that she did it in paris, france.
#11. i am thankful i had the means to go and visit her for a week in paris.
#12. i am thankful that madonna toured this year and that i was able to see her for a 5th time.
#13. i am thankful the yankees swept the red sox in a 5-game series this season despite losing in the playoffs.
#14. i am thankful that the 'media' industry in this country had enough sense and decency to cancel oj's book and tv interview.
#15. i am thankful i had the childhood i had and that my parents raised me with the morals and views that i have today.
#16. i am thankful madonna's concert special is still airing tonight despite editting issues over the crucifixion scene.
#17. i am thankful that netflix was created.
#18. i am thankful for all the men and women in the arm forces who continue to protect our nation and defend our freedoms.
#19. i am thankful for all of the new tv programs abc has put on the air this year. #20. i am thankful that all of the things i have forgotten to mention know i am still thankful.

happy eating!

Tourist Season Now Open

being back in nyc is wonderful. i enjoy being back in the place i grew up. and since i am now living in what is considered nyc as opposed to the burbs i definately have a different perspective of all that is around me. i get to intermingle with all of the people who came to this wonderful place in search of a better life, whether it be from across the globe or across this country.

one of the things about nyc is that tons of people who do not live here often come here to visit. and it seems that they all come to visit in the month between thanksgiving and christmas. and who could blame them? this is the best time to be in nyc. not to sound biased, but nyc is the greatest city in the world to be in come the holidays. and believe me, i appreciate the boost in nyc's economy when the tourists come to visit. however, for ever positive there are often a few negatives as well. so, not4nothin is going to give some friendly words of advice for tourists coming to nyc or any city for that matter.

#1.remember first and foremost, YOU ARE IN MY CITY NOW. treat it with respect. make sure all cigarette butts, remains of street meat and starbucks coffee cups end up in the trash where they belong. those circular green things that are found on most corners is where that unwanted stuff goes.

#2. MOVEMENT ON THE SIDEWALK generally flows in 2 directions. often that direction is opposite of one another. so, if you are in a large group, say 4 or more, walk in front of one another. there is no need to spread out like a charging herd and stop the flow of traffic. not everyone on the sidewalks has the time to walk behind you as you stop to reload your camera and point in an upwards direction. and more importantly, if you do need to stop, think of the extreme side of the sidewalk as an 'offramp.' you wouldn't just stop your pickup truck in the middle of the highway back home, would you? most of us only have an hour tops at lunch to do what we have to do. keep out of our way so we can help keep the economy of the city flowing.

#3. IF ATTENDING A BROADWAY SHOW (which i highly recommend) there are a few things to keep in mind. first, dress appropriately. live theatre is not the movies. put the jeans down and put on the pair of khakis you packed. you brought them 'just in case.' well, here is your 'just in case' moment. secondly, DO NOT, i repeat, do not utter a single word during the performance. have respect for the actors on stage who are trying to do their job and perform for you. third, when the time on the ticket says 8 o'clock they mean it. fashionably late does not hold water for live theatre. the same goes for when the house dims the lights at intermission. that means the actors are ready to begin. so, get your a$$ back to your seat and bbe silent. you are on their timetable, not your own. and most importantly, turn your cell phones OFF. that does not mean vibrate so the phone can ring to let you know the call you didn't answer still left a message. open all candy, wrappers, sticks of gum and coughdrops BEFORE the performance begins. it is not dairy, it will not spoil once opened.

#4. WHEN RIDING THE SUBWAY please be aware that there is more room once you move INTO the subway car. the space does not end right after the door. there is usually a whole car with room to be had. and those metal poles and bars that run along the top of the car, they are there for a reason. hold on. cause the subway does move quickly (like everything else in nyc), does make sharp turns and sudden stops. and to be honest, i do not find it funny when you crash into me beofre i have had my first mug of coffee. and please remove your backpacks from your backs or little brown bags from bloomingdale's from your shoulders. space is limited once you get it and a lot of people have places to go.

#5. WHEN CROSSING THE STREET look BOTH ways. cabbies do not care if you are crossing against the light. they will plaster you into the pavement. and even if the sign is flashing 'don't walk' but there is not a single car in sight it is alright to go. trust me, not4nothin would not steer you wrong. i've crossed and lived to see another day.

so, enjoy the city and all it has to offer. just stay out of our way.

The Gap in Generations

recently, not4nothin has been experiencing some family drama. this family drama has not been what's kept me from blogging. rather it is the incident that brought me back to blogging as i try to understand why people act and treat each other the way they do.

there is a well-known saying out there which states, 'you can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family.' as i grow older i have found that this saying could not be more true. it is astonishing to me just how much the memory section of our minds files away and flashes a person back to when certain incidents occur.

the short version of my family drama is basically this (and keep in mind i am referring to my grandparents' level of family as i am an only child)...7 siblings (6 of which are female), italian background, death, selfishness and manipulation. pretty much my family reflects a very bad version of 'the sopranos' not in looks but in actions.

as i approach 30, issues which were important to me even 5 years ago no longer are. things, people or situations which caused unnecessary drama are no longer tolerated. going out to 'be seen' is no longer an necessity. one could say that my priorities and the people i hold near and dear to my heart have changed. being involved in a relationship for over a year and a half now has made me realize that things aren't always about me. with age comes maturity and progression.

when i think back to my childhood (which was an average one) i remember a lot of family around. 20 people around the table for christmas eve dinner. there was always a lot of laughter and underlying (unspoken) feelings of resentment, manipulation and jealousy. of course at the time i did not see that. i was only a small child who was always reminded that 'children are to be seen and not heard.' it wasn't until i approached my 20s and looked back at certain memories did i realize that the latter feelings actually rose above the laughter. and the laughter was a mask for those feelings of resentment, manipulation and jealousy. the extended family eventually disappeared and the cause was 7 siblings (6 of which are female), italian background, death, selfishness and manipulation.

having family around up until the age of 12 and then having that vanish leaves an unmistakable impression on a person. and to witness the way siblings treat and act toward one another is astonishing. i had decided a long time ago that the people who were at the root of these actions were no longer important to me. in a way, they were no longer family to me as far as i was, and still am, concerned. what continues to blow my mind is that with age some peoples' character, attitude and actions never mature. a persons' outer shell can change but the inside, where the root of resentment, manipulation and jealousy lie, can still stay the same.

in a world which has changed drastically since the days when i was 12 it amazes me that some people, especially siblings, can remain the same. and treat each other the same way. i guess the only encouragment i can take away from all of my current family drama is that it remains on the senior level of my relatives. it has not trickled down to my dad's generation of relatives. and it definately has not trickled down to my level. learning, recognizing and accepting people for who and what they truly are can help avoid the drama and the actions which come out of the drama. not considering them family can help also. :)