When one is in the city that never sleeps it is important to pay close attention to the ins and outs of local lingo. As an outsider you will already stick out like a sore thumb due to your puzzled expressions, public eye contact, mouths aghast and constant photo ops. It is important to know that without total compliance you might run the risk of complete native annihilation. When in Roma do as the Romans do but when in New York conform or get out. :)

Yesterday as Blake and I were on our way home from the city we over heard a fellow use the word "CONVERSATE" in a dialogue with a friend. I looked at Blake with a puzzled expression but he, never one to miss a beat smiled and proceeded to use the new found word in a sentence. It is important to know that the fellow also used the word "REMIX" and his sentence went a little something like this. " WE NEED TO CONVERSATE, I WANT TO GET UP ON THAT REMIX. "

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............................................:>Come rain, sleet, snow or shine the NAKED COWBOY plays on...

<....ACHOOO!
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...................:Right before he ate this, the kid told his nanny "oh my
...................:gosh this is as big as my head" after eating it he gained
...................:20 lbs.
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Today in a conversation with my mother I told her that when I was a Teenager I had two brains, And that at the time of my teenage youth these two brains worked simultaneously both deducting and directing possible choices and consequences. I told her that when a situation would arise in the world of teenage drama I would consult the two brains. BLAIR would conger up a razzle dazzle display of propaganda, teenage angst, independent passions and verbose theatrics. While BETTY would calmly and mechanically display the possibilities of success, parental approval, social suicide and positive coercion.

On many occasions I remember calling upon the powers of Betty and Blair only to have them begin to duke it out mid mind choice. Leaving me to fend for my self in a haze of tumultuous doubt. But other times I could see them distinctly, as clear and separate compartments of choice. ( It is to be noted neither Betty nor Blair were ever able to be labeled as right or wrong, they just simply co-existed).

Over time though Blair began to pass into the infinitesimal abyss of my thoughts and memories. This is not to say that today Betty reins supreme in the mind of Tigan. She to was the recipient of change. In fact it might be safe to say that Betty also no long resides in my mind but rather something new and a little more me. But this morning for an instant as my mother and I shared a moment of mother daughter teenage reminiscence Betty and Blair reared their heads of stylishly coiffed curls, fists at the ready ... and I smiled!

*So maybe the next time your teenager is driving you crazy and they sit there staring at you blankly eyes glazed over as you reiterate... once again the importance of keeping the room clean. Stop and think ... Maybe their not really ignoring you, maybe their having their own internal Betty Blair Brain Battle! {wink} {wink};)

Things I've been working on lately....

This weekend I decided I really needed a hair cut. Since being here in the city I have seen really fantastic looking places to have this done unfortunately they also come with fantastical prices.
Prices for a regular old trim start at around $45 and can go upwards of a couple hundred. This does not include a style(which is okay with me because usually when a stylist does my hair I sit there wondering how the heck this person could actually think that what they are doing to me could be considered, in any way attractive. After 35 minutes of torture and fake reassurance that the rats nest they have created is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, I leave mad.... then proceed to my car were I call Blake and wail about how this retarded hair dresser could have possible passed beauty school and that I'm never going to getting my hair cut again) but at least they wash your hair. In Paris you had to pay for a wash and extra if you wanted conditioner! So after much thought I decided I would cut my OWN hair. I mean I've had my hair cut like a million times and you can learn anything on the Internet right? So I set to work, I prepared all of my tools and searched YOUTUBE for tutorials on how to layer your own hair. It looked easy enough but I knew that I wouldn't be able to trim the back. So after much persuasion I enlisted Blake to help me. He was very nervous but, I'm happy to report he did a wonderful job and it didn't turn out half bad!

We had a fun time on Saturday with our new friends, Kevin and Vanessa and Ian and McKenna. We are in the same ward as Kevin and Vanessa and they introduced us to Ian and McKenna who are also recent immigrants to NYC. We went to the Metropolitan Musem, 82nd and 5th Ave, on a wintry Saturday afternoon.This is obviously not a picture from the day we went because when we arrived it was covered in snow and there was no old men attempting to inconspicuously clear their nasal passages (see white hair lower right hand corner). There were however several very cool exhibits that we walked around and took in, Tigan and I spent a sufficient amount of time viewing the "French" rooms to make us remember the hours we spent viewing the lavish halls of Versailles.

This was the entrance badge that we received at the entrance, clever really, you fold it over your bag or shirt and it gives you a sense of culture and belonging the minute it is securely fastened to your personage.

This video is For The NeW ReMus RObiNSoN!



Happy Birthday Dad Love
Blake Tigan Toulouse & Isabella

When we decided to get dogs we thought to ourselves. This is a good idea it will teach us responsibility, compassion and a little patients... good practice for future endeavors. But after a year and a half of cleaning up doggie messes of pooh, pee and barf. Overturned trash cans repeated lectures of No, don't do that, stop whining and NOW diaper wearing Isabella (because we forgot to get her spayed... Ahhhh) I find myself wanting to run for the hills. We got dogs because we didn't want to have any kids yet, plus it sounded fun and now I find that the dogs I BOUGHT myself might just be tougher then the kids I would have BORN myself! When I tell my mom about everything my silly bulldogs do she just laughs and says kids would have been easier. Somehow I think she might have been right (Yes, mom that was just documented in writing) So between Toulouse singing at the top of his lungs to the MO-TAB CD on Sundays (so much for the spirit) and re-diapering Isabella's booty 20 times a day as she scampers beneath the bed. I think next time I see a cute little puppy face staring at me through the pet shop window I'll turn to Blake smile and say Isn't that so cute how about some earrings!

After months of Our poor little girl, Isabella, being confused for a boy, due entirely to the fact that she was wearing Toulouse'e old-ratty-falling-apart-at-the-seams-not-worth-the-money-paid-for-it-butt-ugly-blue-collar... she got a new one from etsy.com. And the best part... ITS PINK!!! No more gender confusion for this puppy!! Here she is sporting her new girl-as-they-come PiNk collar.

Last Christmas we received a gift called City Walks which we have been putting to good use. This weekend we did Fifth Ave and FAO Schwartz. Blake was really excited because the Mac Store is right next to FAO and I was excited because Henri Bendel was having an 80% off store wide sale. Sadly Bendel's was still to pricey for me and Blake resisted his urges to go-apple. but we did oogle the solitaires at Tiffany's and snag a snapshot with Batman.


Also this is... showing off his snazzy new coat. Even the man behind the MAC Makeup counter at Bendel's liked it. He even asked were he could find himself one. ( Blake was very proud:)

We Cure, Smoke and Pickle our own-that says it all. The aroma of cured deli meats and sour pickles is a dizzying rush. you pass the counter full of meats and smoke fish salads. Salamis hangs like a curtain over the counter adding their garlicky perfume to the air. The Carnegie Deli is best know for immense sandwiches. Blake Ordered a mellow not too zesty, utterly tender, fatty savoring, ridiculously large- so tall that the top piece of rye bread appears to be merely and afterthought applied to the tower of Corn Beef meat sandwich.