Wednesday, March 29, 2006

The First Sign of Spring

It's officially spring now. The first sign of spring has appeared. I don't mean the cardinal that appeared on my patio this weekend. Nor the fact that the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park has reopened. Nor do I mean that it is 60 degrees out. No, to me the first sign is... well, a sign. The street vendor who sells coffee out of a big aluminum box parked on the curb had a new little sign on his plastic window today:

"ICE COFFE 1.75"

Thursday, March 23, 2006

My Dad Is So Lame

He disappears from his blog for weeks on end. And then he thinks posting a picture of me makes up for it. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm damn cute, but I feel so used.

Monday, March 13, 2006

Grateful Kittens

Do you know anyone like this? Those pet owners or parents of infants who send you thank-you cards and holiday greetings signed to you by their pets or their infant children? So you get these notes signed, "Thanks so much for the house warming gift. Love, Diana, Pete, Tim, Sue, and Snuggles." Of course the entire thing is in one person's handwriting anyway, so not only do I know Snuggles had no hand in the matter, or paw I guess, I bet Pete has no clue this card went out either. And since during the party Tim spat up on my shoulder ruining my nicest Banana Republic stetch tee, somehow I think he would have mentioned that in the card, 'Hey, sorry about the tee. When I get a little older, two or three, I'll hit you back with some of my birthday money from Snuggles.'

Look, it's not like I'm skeptical, but I have to tell you what I think. I think Diana wrote the thank-you card on her own. I don't think Pete or Sue or Snuggles had anything to do with it. I don't think that the next day at the dinner table, they all agreed, wow it was really nice of Bob to bring that bottle of wine to celebrate our new home. Let's send him a thank-you card. Snuggles leaps up onto the table, next to the salad bowl, to chime in, 'Oh yes, let's. It was a lovely, refined pinot. It definitely deserves a note.'

You know what I want to know? What do these people do for funerals? I think if you're going to do this type of thing. If I'm going to get a note signed by your one-month old thanking me for the terry-cloth blanket and bib set, I think if you're that type of person, you should do it for all occasions. Birthdays, house-warmings, funerals. If Diana's uncle passed away, and I sent a flower arrangement to the funeral home, I'd expect a card, "Hey, thanks for sending those nice carnations to my funeral. All the family was heartened by their beauty and your thoughtfulness. Love, Uncle Ned." In Diana's handwriting, of course.