Tag Archives: reviews

Finding a Women’s Laptop Bag

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I started a new job sometime in early April, and one of the perks of the new place is the flexibility to work from home. Which works out perfect, because my lame, post-surgery dog apparently required three days of some sort of laser physical therapy at the vet this week, and two more appointments next week. What this means is a lot of schlepping my laptop back and forth to the office. Now, the office supplied me with a laptop case, but between that, a handbag and a bag of library books that I had to drag to the office because the book return slot was closed, I resembled more of a bag-lady than a young, urban professional. That, and the laptop bag squeaks. Loudly.

Something had to give.

It seemed so simple …

I’ll just get a bag that fits my 13″ or so laptop, and make it fashionable enough that I could bring it out with to dinner after work, or to a business meeting or just … walking through to the back of the bus without accidentally taking out fellow passengers with an unruly bag.  I needed it to be reasonably priced, non-hideous and big enough to fit whatever I’d fit in a purse, plus a book and magazine and a laptop (that ruled out most carrying cases/briefcases).

Ideally, I wanted something that looked like a large purse, because sometimes I don’t bring my laptop with me and I didn’t want to keep switching over all my stuff. That’s how things get lost.

Who knew this would be the Holy Grail?

I’m an experienced online shopper. I figured I’d do a quick tour of Zappos, Amazon, some good google searches and come up with something acceptable. Probably run it by my friend Keren and maybe my sister as a shopping camaraderie thing, and then call it a day.

No go. It seems like absolutely everything that fit my criteria was either

  • hideous beyond words
  • looked so cheap that I’d be embarassed to carry it
  • a fortune
  • resembled a diaper bag
  • very sporty/rucksack looking
  • only came in incredibly juvenile or inappropriate colors (what’s with all the pink, and black and pink combos?)

I really didn’t expect to have such an issue. I emailed a few friends of mine who I know tote around laptops, and sure enough – they’ve experienced the same thing. One friend literally uses a diaper bag (albeit a Coach one.) I’ve even emailed Corporette to see if they could offer any insight.

And not only did bags not fit the bill, there didn’t seem to be any fresh stock. It was the same thing, over and over again.

I finally found two that were decent and finally just bit the bullet.

And this other laptop handbag kept popping up and getting good reviews, but it’s so … blah.But it did come with a detachable wristlet-type thing, which could be cool for running out to grab lunch/a snack, etc. But inexplicably the wristlet is fire-engine red.

And I think it looks like it could look pretty cheap in real life, despite being almost double the price. It’s not out of my price range, just didn’t seem to be that good of a value.  I  fear the good reviews are more due to the lack of market selection than an actual good product.

I ended up going with the first one – the Etienne Aigner laptop bag in pearl because I figured that it was a little more polished looking and I’d rather look more professional than not. And it had long straps.

But, if this whole thing goes well for me, I’d certainly like to buy more bags that look decent and rotate. And because I’ m super nerdy/susceptible to marketing, the idea of having that purple herringbone Project Runway-designer laptop bag was kinda cool. And it’s purple. I really, really love purple accessories.

Help? What am I missing? Are there some great bags or stores that I’ve overlooked? What do you carry?

Erica Approved: Secrets of a Hiring Manager E-Book

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Stuff I Like

I’ve long touted the sheer brilliance of Alison Green (She of Ask A Manager fame). Why? She’s funny, smart, articulate and I just generally … like her.  I can easily point friends to her blog when they have management questions and I’ve always enjoyed the discussions that pop up in her comments section. Alison and I? We get along. We just have similar sensibilities. And snark. These are the things that really count.

A while back I told her that I was considering a job change. This was a tricky one for me, because not only had I never done this, I couldn’t really leverage the network I had, and I usually rely on my wonderful (now former) boss for stuff career stuff like this. Alison swooped in and was just really amazing. She had advice, she had encouragement, she didn’t block me for long, rambly, anxious emails.  And the best of all? She wrote the book on this whole process. Literally.

I don’t really consider myself an e-book person (I’m even semi-anti-Kindle) but I trust Alison. I’m also not as self-help-y as one would think an anxious nutcase like myself would be. But when someone I trust writes a book? A friend? You kinda owe it to yourself (and her) to at least give it a shot.

Yeah. There’s a reason she’s an expert.

I read the book. I listened to her speak. And while I consider myself already a pretty good interviewer, I was definitely rusty and feeling incredibly nervous and anxious. A lot has changed since high school and I have a bad tendency to get self-deprecating and giggly when I’m nervous. That doesn’t really scream “confident professional.”

Why You Should Buy This Book

This book? Really, really helped. Some of it was stuff I know, from being generally pretty savvy about management and interviewing in my own right, but there was something about having it all there in front of me that built my confidence. And as hokey as this sounds, just the act of listening and reading made me feel prepared – like, I had done all I could do ace whatever comes my way. And she gives you something to “do” instead of just feel like the job fates are some whimsical fairies.

The results? Well, I had a ton of interviews for a few different companies. I aced all of them. I was offered a few different positions, and eventually got the job I really, really wanted. I should note that the job I really, really wanted also had the most … well, let’s just say it was a long, multi-step process.  (Which, for the record, I appreciated in its thoroughness, but was grateful that I had backup in the form of this book and some encouraging emails).

So in short, I want to officially endorse this book.  I know it can be tough to spend money, especially if you are looking for a job, or even just for ephemeral “books on the internet” but I really, really think that this will be a few bucks really well spent. I recommended it to my almost sister-in-law, and she was at first skeptical but trusts me (fool!) and wrote back after reading it “Whoa! This book is awesome. some super advice! I’ve already made up a bunch of lists.”

Learn more and buy about the How to Get a Job: Secrets of a Hiring Manager book.

Just want some confidence about interviews? Alison has you covered.

I’d love to hear what you guys think!

 

Fangirls, Steak and Yiddish

My first piece of excitement to share with my loyal readers is a cute article in the NY Times called “Yiddish Resurfaces as City’s 2nd Political Language” Nothing earthshattering, but I wanted to share. Did you know Colin Powell speaks a little Yiddish?

The second piece is about my awesome dinner tonight. It’s Restaurant Week in NYC which means fancy restaurants only charge $35 for a 3-course meal. I went with some of the coolest girls ever (some friends I met at work) to Delmonico’s on the advice of our boss. Delmonico’s is famous for being ancient (opened in 1835), having the most interesting clientele and is credited with inventing Eggs Benedict, Lobster Newburg, and Baked Alaska.

As we walked up to the restaurant (not too far from our office) I saw a familiar looking figure go up the stairs right before us. Big guy, glasses, wearing shorts and a t-shirt. It looked a little bit like … no … it couldn’t be. Oh my god, but it was. Kevin Smith. And he was holding the door for us.

Let me explain. I have lived in NYC my whole life. I have bumped into tons of celebrities, seem them on the street. We all pretend to be too cool for school here, so I never really got too excited, or made a big deal. Except – Kevin Smith! I have always loved him, and I won’t pretend that I didn’t have a crazy crush on him in the early years.  I have never marked out or been so excited before. I had no idea what to do.  I kind of just stared at him, as he held the door – trying to confirm in my head that it was him. I got a little ridiculous and just kind of stared deeply at him and was all “Thank You. Very Much.”KevSmith

I mean – what do you do? I wasn’t even sure it was him until the last second and then even if I was – I didn’t want to make a big deal out of anything. The poor guy is just going out to dinner and what could I say? Anything would just seem trite. It’s not like he changed my life, or saved me from jumping off a bridge. I just think he is funny and adorable and ohmygod, it’s Kevin Smith!  So, I didn’t say anything, other than an overly emphatic thanks for holding the door.

First we had drinks at the bar (I needed to calm the hell down). The bar was great, the bartenders were funny and adorable and both Jill and I ordered stuff we would never have ordered, because Carolann ordered such an adult drink (she even knew what gin she wanted!) – we were obviously outclassed.  We gossiped, had a great time and about an hour later, agreed to sit down.  Of course, Carolann asked the maitre’d to seat me next to ohmygodkevinsmith.

So, we sat. About a table away from Kevin, his gorgeous wife, his kid and some older couples. Maybe family. While the girls were awesome and trying to get me to say something to him, I wouldn’t do that. Not with his whole family there. If he was just with a friend, maybe I would have sent over a drink or something, but this was just going to have to do. I am sure my constant leaning over and staring at him was flattery/terrifying enough.

Oh, the food? I had Lobster Bisque, the filet mignon and dessert and a glass of a really nice Cabernet. The lobster bisque was delicious, but not very hearty. Tiny portion but delicious flavor. The filet was perfect. I ordered it medium-rare, but I think I got Carolann’s rare, and I will never order it medium again. For dessert, instead of the brownie or cheesecake that was advertised, we were offered some sort of yogurt panna cotta or a a “Yankee Doodle” cake. We went for the Doodle, which was stale and uninspiring and a Baked Alaska to split – which was delicious.  Then we guilted the adorable Croatian waiter into giving us a brownie, which was even better, and had marshmallows on top. We had a blast, and I can’t wait to go out with these ladies again, but the night will always be “The Night Kevin Smith Held The Door For Me.”

Stuff I Love: Ebates.com

This is me, sharing my love of fabulous things on the Internet. I wanted to tell you guys about Ebates. In the interest of full-disclosure: There is nothing to disclose. This review is out of the goodness of my heart. Although, in theory – if you want to try it out and send me an email or leave a comment asking for one, I can send you a link to join – and if you join through me, you get a $5 and I get $5. So, that’s kind of win-win. But – not really the point. Moving on…

There are lots of ways to earn money on line, most of them dubious, and some so not worth the time or energy. The way Ebates works is that if you are going to do some online shopping, instead of going straight to BN.com or DSW.com – you go to Ebates first, and click the link through their site. They have a ton of stores available, and jsut by clicking on that link, you get some percentage of your purchase as “cash back.” This won’t interfere with any coupons or anything else you may have – it’s just kind of – awesome bonus money.

Stuff I like about Ebates:

  • It actually works. They routinely mail me checks, I cash them – it’s over. It’s been about three years, and while I haven’t made a ton (about $40), I have not seen a “catch” yet.
  • It’s really easy. I also tried upromise, but I feel like I have to remember to do something, or request money or something. I think I probably set up some parameters on ebates about when I want checks sent to me – but whatever I did – it works. Every once in awhile, money just shows up.
  • The cash back rebates aren’t that stingy. Okay, some are 1 or 2%, which hardly seems worth it – but you are already at the site when you find that out – what’s the point of not clicking the link? (Sephora is 8% and 1800 Flowers is 15%!)

Stuff that isn’t as awesome

  • I haven’t found a plugin or add-on (although hopefully someone will post and prove me wrong) but I sometimes forget to use it (Which is why I have only made $30. I definitely shop more than that!).
  • I don’t go to the bank too often, because I don’t receive paper checks that often – so sometimes, if they check they are mailing me is only for $5, I may forget to take it to the bank and eventually – it expires. This is not Ebates.com’s fault, but you know, if you are as lazy as me (doubtful) – it may not be worth it. Unless you shop a lot, which means you probably have lots of money and maybe aren’t as lazy as me. Likely.
  • The amount of stores makes me want to do shopping that I wasn’t planning on doing. This is more the fault of “the internet” as a whole.

So, in short – check out Ebates.com. And if you want, tell me to send you an email and this way we both make money. But if you join and love it too – that’s all the payment I need (awwwwww!)

Cruise Control

We’re baaaaaack!

For those of you who do not track my every move, Frank and I just returned from a 5 night cruise leaving from Ft. Lauderdale, with Belize and Cozumel as ports-of-call.

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Some thoughts on cruising/our vacation:

  • I don’t think we would do a cruise again, with just the two of us. Maybe with a group of friends, or another couple. Maybe if we had a family or something. But for just the two of us? We are too lazy, not “joiners”, don’t drink, shop or gamble enough to make a cruise worth it.  We may have been better if we did an all-inclusive at a resort.
  • I can’t just “do nothing” for 5 days. I thought I could, but I can’t. I get crazy bored and not in a relaxing sense.
Doing Nothing

Doing Nothing

  • Was nice to know that Frank and I can spend an extended period of time with no one else to speak to, and no internet and still really enjoy each other’s company.
  • Wow, Belize City is a terrifying slum. Apparently, Belize proper is an awesome time, and I have friends who went on awesome vacations, but Belize City? Scary. The country itself is gorgeous though – jungles and mountains and just … pretty. But the poverty levels in the city definitely made for a downer. Lots of fat, rich, white American guilt here.
  • My god, the food. It wasn’t amazing food, and the desserts were nothing to write home about – but it was plentiful. Just an insane, insane amount.
  • I was really excited about our jungle river inner tubing excursion, but it was a bit of a downer. The currents were really strong, and we were on a time limit, so instead of just lazing down and enjoying, we had to paddle and ended up being pushed almost the entire way by the natives. Felt fat, lazy (in a bad way) and not relaxed.

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  • I really, really hate a large amount of people. Top of the list are not the annoying horrible children who stand on top of Mayan ritual sites and kick off the stones and spit their orange peels on it, but the awful parents (I nicknamed this particular one the Teutonic Terror) who do nothing. They don’t ask their kid to stop, they don’t explain why it’s wrong, or yank the kid off of there. They just complain about the bugs or why everyone on the elevator wants to go up, when she wants to go down.
  • The service was great, and you expect a certain amount of ridiculousness from your Cruise Director, but the ship announcements were incredibly annoying. Not only in their inanity (Bingo on the fourth deck! Shopping!) but their timing. It was loud, and obnoxious and either really early in the morning, or late at night. How do you page some errant busboy over the ship loudspeaker at 6:45AM?
  • Our room was over and had a view of the “Royal Promenade” which is essentially the “Main Street” of the ship. It was cool to get a view of the parades and ridiculous “dance parties” without actually having to attend.

    • Overy excited about the "Welcome Parade"

    Overly excited about the "Welcome Parade"

Tips:

  • Everyone says to get the “soda card” (a $40ish unlimited soda pass). We both did, and while it was nice – not really worth it. It was suggested for just one person to get it, but I think that’s kind of cheating and not fair. There is plenty of included stuff to drink.  I would skip it next time.
  • Excursions can be expensive, but I definitely recommend them. When you budget your trip and get suckered in by how cheap cruises are, make sure you add the cost of excursions in to your budget.
  • Bring cash! We forgot to do this, and were unable to tip some of the awesome guides we met in Cozumel.

Highlights:

  • Cozumel was a lot more fun then I expected! It was decimated by Hurricane Wilma a few years ago, so I imagine it can only get prettier.
  • We went on a last-minute excursion in Cozumel. We went ATVing and I went snorkeling while Frank lazed on the beach.

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  • I love ATVing! It’s scary as hell, (no Frank – we aren’t buying one).But it was a lot of fun when it was smoother terrain.
  • Snorkeling is the most awesome thing ever. I saw a barracuda! And shark eggs! And I think I may be over my crippling fear of fish staring at me!
  • Frank and I spent a lot of time out on the deck, just staring out into the water, or reading/listening to music, talking – whatever. As we were staring out, Frank thought he saw a sailfish out of the corner of his eye. We looked closer, and it was a pod of dolphins, playing in the wake of the ship. It was awesome! There were about 15 of them, just hanging out, and playing. It was magical and romantic and awesome.
  • We now call dolphins “sea puppies”.
  • Frank and I played a bunch of ping-pong. We are so awesome.
  • I really loved a lot of the art in the ship. Really cool stuff.

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  • The service and hospitality. Wow. It’s like they couldn’t figure out what to do for you next. And it was done with a smile, and I never felt like I was putting anyone out. I am going to research more into Royal Caribbean’s hiring practices. Just wonderful!
  • My god, the color of that water. Just gorgeous.
  • They made up the room almost every time we left it. Which was kind of awesome, because it was bigger than I thought it would be, but still pretty small.
  • Each time they fixed up the room, they would leave something behind. Usually the “Compass” which is the itinerary for the next day. Kind of like a little daily newspaper. And they made awesome towel animals! Like, monkeys, or puppies. It was awesome!

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I have written “awesome” 10 times in this post. This is embarassing, but I saving my uncreative enthusiasm for posterity.

Review: Graceful Services

Ever since I wrote about a certain disposable, wasteful toothbrush, the main referrers to the blog have stopped being “naked massage.” This could only mean that it was time for a massage. And because adventures are more fun with friends, I asked my friends Keren and Evelyn to go with me. Keren suggested Graceful Services, a place she found before her wedding that she really enjoyed.

She found out about it from a friend, and I am glad she did. There is no way I would have found this place on my own. Despite winning lots of awards for being a great budget spa, it looks like a hole in the wall, from the street. It’s on the second floor, and you pass by an apartment. Really no-frills. When you get in, you are greeted by a clean, if not sparse or clinical looking place. Judie was the receptionist, and she was friendly and nice. The policy is to pay first, so that you don’t have to deal with the silly financial stuff when you are totally blissed out. I have to admit – the major draw of this place is their prices. Both Keren and I received a Swedish/Deep tissue one hour massage for only $60. Evelyn had a one hour Reiki treatment for $90 (this was in a private room). The deals and specials are really, really impressive.

I was a little nervous at first though. I had been burned by my previous  massage, and although Keren vouched for this place, I think I am a little prissier than she is. I had nothing to worry about it. But – I should give fair warning. It’s not private rooms – it’s essentially one big, narrow room, each bed separated by curtains. The beds are only a few feet from one another, but everything seemed really clean. Nice, soft music was playing, and the room was nice and dim (even though mine was right next to the window).  We were a half hour early, but they were able to take us right away. You are given a box to stow your stuff under the bed, and instructed to remove your clothing (except your underwear) and get under the first sheet. I love clear instructions. I disrobed, and peeled back the first sheet to find a strip of paper – like you would find on your doctor’s exam bed. Not really super spa like, but it was definitely softer than at the docs. I put my face in the head rest thingy, and with it, went my last conscious thought.

I was laying there and a few seconds later, a woman came in. I never saw her face, but she asked in a soft voice to confirm I got one the hour. I could hear Keren in the next bed over being asked the same question – but it wasn’t distracting. Then, the massage beings. Oh. My. God. It was amazing. It was some sort of combo between deep tissue and Swedish and it was incredible. The next thing I know, this tiny woman is climbing all over me. I felt like a giant and she was my little Lilliputian helper, intent on working out every knot I ever had. It was incredible. Because my face was down before she ever walked in the room, I never saw her face, but about a half  hour in, I decided I would marry this woman and do anything to make her happy.

After what I assumed was about an hour, the woman left my little curtained off area. Anxiety started to set in. If the massage was over, why didn’t she tell me? How long do I lay here, in my little cloud? I shouldn’t have worried. Less than a minute later, she was back – with steaming hot towels. She put them all over my back and legs and rubbed through the hot towels. Not only was it super-relaxing, but it also rubbed off any oil. Bonus! Then, I turned over and she finished the treatment. I couldn’t believe it hadn’t been an hour yet.

When it was over, she left me alone to get dressed and brought me a cup of water. I couldn’t even speak, I was so relaxed. I met up with my friends in the waiting room, and we all fell asleep on the subway home. We are booking our next massage (90 minutes this time) for April.

Innovation – Wordlock

I still remember my junior high school gym locker combination (23-27-09). I had that lock forever. Unfortunately, I have bought lots of locks since then (because  temporarily I lose things when I need them) and I don’t know which of my six black combo locks that code belongs with. And because I am the world’s most uncoordinated person, and even simple technology hates me – I never mastered the whole “once to the right, three to left, triple half gainer” to open. So, I just kept buying more locks, forgetting the combinations and getting annoyed. I tried different colors, I tried writing the codes in obvious places (which became less obvious when I needed them).

A few years ago – I found my salvation at Staples. The Wordlock. No numbers. Just letters. That make a word – that you choose! Even I can remember a word that I chose (it helped that I tied it to something gym-related. And that’s the only clue you’ll get from me!). And it works. Through all of my “maybe this is the time I stick with  a gym routine” phases, I always remember my word. I love this lock.

wordlock

I have no idea if its as secure as the number thing, but really – if you want my stuff that badly, go for it. “Locks only keep honest men honest” or something like that.

It’s just so stupid. It’s not stem cell research – but it does make my day a little brighter. Other people obviously have the same problem as me. Why did it take so long for this giant leap in lock technology? It makes me wonder about what other things I am using that I think are fine, or already at their peak of awesome (like sharks) but could be improved just that much more.

What is your daily annoyance that could be improved … somehow?

Review: Blue Smoke

It’s Winter Restaurant Week(s) here in NYC. That means that some fancy-pants restaurants are having 3-course prix fixe menus for the next week or so. Reservations fill up quick, but its a great opportunity to check out restaurants that you would have never thought to, or had the cash to try for non-major-special-event reasons.

Given that Frank isn’t really the fancy-pants foodie type, and he was my date this week, I wanted to pick a restaurant that he would feel comfortable in, and that we could both enjoy the food. Ever since reading “Setting the Table” I have been really interested in trying more of the restaurants in Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group.  I have already been to Tabla (which was amazing, and apparently offers a regular, cheaper than Restaurant Week lunch) and was blown away by their service.

So, Frank and I settled on Blue Smoke mainly because it was casual, fit my criteria and none of the other restaurants in the group had an open reservation until February. The added bonus is I am no longer a vegetarian and I haven’t had barbecue in years. So, we were super excited.

We walk in, early for the lunch reservation and they were able to seat us right away. We were probably one of the first few people in the restaurant for the day. The maitre’d/seater person seemed to have a hard time pulling his eyes away from the game on the TV over the bar, but no biggie. We were seated on the upstairs  level in the balcony, and had a great view of the place.

Frank and I decided to figure out dishes we could share, so that we could sample everything. I did this with caution, as Frank, despite being the love of my life, is not the best food-sharer.

For an appetizer, we ordered the beef cheeks with corn grits and mushrooms and chipotle chicken wings with creamy blue cheese. The food came quickly, along with awesome super absorbent napkins and a bucket for the bones. While the menu suggested a beer pairing for $12, Frank doesn’t drink, and I know that I couldn’t possibly make it through three beers. The waitress suggested a “Rogue Dead Guy Ale” which was kind of like a less bitter IPA and was really good.

I ordered the cheeks because you can’t turn on Food Network or watch Top Chef without hearing about beef cheeks and I wanted to know what the fuss was all about. As it turns out? Nothing. Unless these were horribly cooked or something, I found them extremely bland and fatty. The grits and mushrooms? Really, really good. I am new to the world of grits, but these shocked me with a really deep flavor – and an odd blue color that I can only assume was from blue corn.

I ended up giving up my whole plate of cheeks to Frank, since even one bite of the wings sent him diving for his diet Coke (no ice, lemon given to me.) The wings were a standout – nice big pieces, and the meat was cooked really well. It was spicy, but I am a known spice weenie. The bleu cheese was really great – fresh and tangy. Frank ended up smearing it on his (beef) cheeks. You can’t take us anywhere.

Apparently, I eat very slowly. I was trying to take my time and let my mouth cool down, but evidently I was super slow, because the food runner came out with our main course while I was still gnawing on chicken. He looked really embarrassed, but I asked him to just put the plates down- it’s not a big deal to me, and I was on my last delicious display of savagery (they gave me really thick, soft wet-naps, bless their souls). I am really only noting it because I was hyper-aware of the service, and I think he got points for looking concerned that he “messed up.”

For our entrees, Frank I ordered the brisket sloppy joe on a brioche bun and I got Kansas City spare ribs with collard greens. Both were really good, and the ribs were very tender (Frank thought a bit too mushy) but neither was really “Oh my god, we need to come back here.” We each remember some roadside stand that made it a bit better (and much cheaper.) The collard greens were a standout though. Really well-seasoned and tender. Yum.

Of course, it almost goes without saying that dessert is generally my highlight of any meal, but at this point I was stuffed and just wanted to go home and crawl into bed. I am glad I didn’t. A Key Lime Pie is what I ordered, and while the pie part was really, almost perfect (tangy, condensed milk sweetness, and lip-puckering tart) the graham cracker crust almost ruined it. It was so hard, and impossible to get through. But it was the perfect end to my meal. Frank’s Grasshopper brownie sundae with mint ice cream was of course, to die for – but after that meal, I thought it was just a bit too much. Didn’t stop us from practically licking the plate clean.

Our waitress was really nice, and her and I shared a high-five over being ex-vegetarians but it took forever to get a check, which was surprising given that the rest of our meal came out in rapid succession.

With the prix fixe prices, a beer, two diet cokes and tip – the meal came out to about $80. And we got some free candies (which I am saving for tonight!) after our meal.

Was it good? Yes. Was it worth it? Probably not.

I was a little disappointed. Not in the food, which was good – but I think that in the future, I wouldn’t try to go upscale for what should be more downscale food. If it was all like the beef cheeks in terms of fanciness, or they were really interesting and unique rubs on the ribs it may be worth it, but trying to go high end without offering any added twist just wasn’t worth it. And maybe my expectations were too high for service, but I was kind of hoping to be wow’ed. I wasn’t. The service was good, and I don’t know what else I could have expected, but somehow it seemed a letdown. But, I am still excited to try some of his other restaurants.

I did notice that a lot of the stuff on the menu looked great, and I could definitely see myself going there for a happy hour to sample their beer selection and get platters of appetizers. It seems like it would be a really nice place to relax, and pick on good food. Also of note: Frank was an excellent food-sharer this time around. Old dogs = learning new tricks.

And now, it’s definitely naptime.

Dream Jobs

Australia is currently advertising for what is arguably the best job in the world.  And it got me thinking – what would be the best job in the world for me? (The “for me” part is really key here.) And I thought about it – what would combine the stuff I love (travel, writing, reading, unstructured time, creativity, meeting and studying people) and still pay the bills and be an actual job.

Why did I think about actual jobs as opposed to dream jobs or pie in the sky stuff? Well, firstly – because I already blogged about what I would do if I won the lotto. Secondly, it’s a little boring to think about and thirdly, by now you realize I am neurotic and would start worrying about what I would do if money was no object and I start getting bored.

How am I narrowing down job as opposed to some sort of fantasy? I am not sure, but I think that it probably has two components – one is feasibility. I never really had a great chance of being an astronaut or rock star or Angelina Jolie. The other is that it has to be something that while maybe I would do if I wasn’t being paid – people do it because they get paid to do it.  No one is going to pay me to sit on an island and play with doggies and drink cocktails or to move my family to a loft in Paris and and write. Okay, they may – but it’s highly unlikely. Also, it can’t be a store I run – because I have a million stores and businesses I want to run – doggie day care, chocolate and coffee shops, after-school centers for teens, organic bakeries, “green” consulting firms – the list goes on and on. And I already daydream about that all the time. But, since I have no capital, rich relatives that I would feel comfortable asking for investments or any forseeable inheritance, and am currently too lazy to hustle an SBA loan – let alone almost all of my dreams are retail dreams and I live in NYC and rent just makes it more daydream-worthy than realistic.

There are also jobs that I don’t currently have that I think I would like. But not really a dream job. Like, being a librarian. I am not entirely sure of what’s involved, but it sounds up my alley. Museum outreach coordinator. It sounds awesome, but I bet you there’s a lot of red tape that would drive me batty. I also have this odd fantasy about being front-of-house management in a great restaurant.

Okay, parameters in place.

Archaeology. Right? I mean – I was going to be an archaeologist at some point in my recent history. I only stopped because I didn’t want life as a student. And I hated the more boring parts of fieldwork. And all the reading of dry, technical scientific articles. And the whole publish or perish thing. Okay – maybe I would be an archaeologist if money wasn’t an issue and I could kind of just float around, picking the work I want to do and letting someone else handle the boring stuff. So, that’s a “win the lotto” hobby – not an ideal job.

Being a teacher! Maybe a social studies teacher in a private school for smart kids. Summers off to do archaeology, expensed history books, work with smart people. Except – I don’t want to go for my Masters in Education (and the history pre-reqs I would surely need). Oh, and I don’t really have any desire to teach.

Getting a little more difficult. What about my current job? I love my job! I do, really. Embarassingly, I am not always sure how to explain what it is I do, but I get to do marketing, customer service and think about and contribute to interesting topics and problems.  I work for a company that does good things, and I work in an environment that encourages me to grow, question, learn and that also solicits my opinions. And, I work with awesome people. So, I love my job. But is it my ideal job? Nope.

Don’t get me wrong – assuming my career continues an upward (and maybe sometimes sideways) trajectory, I will be a very happy camper. I want to learn more about customer experiences and think about ways to effect change. So, if I do this or something like this on a continuously improving level (and salary!)  for the next 40 years I will have no regrets and consider it a great career.  But my dream career? Nope. I have a feeling that most people feel the same way about their jobs. Or at least, I hope that people feel at least this way about their jobs.

And then it occurred to me – My ideal job would be a spa or luxury travel reviewer. It’s perfect! Travel, meeting new people, writing, giving people my opinion (man, I am incredibly self-important!), and presumably it pays somewhat decently. Right?

See, that’s the problem. I have no idea how this whole thing works. I started thinking about why I am not a travel writer.  The first reason is that it never really occurred to me until about Saturday. The second is that I do love my current job, and certainly was not thinking of rocking the boat now. The third, and probably most important is – I have zero idea of what it really entails. How does one get started in this? Is it generally freelance? Is this something that could pay the bills? I have lots of bills and can’t really afford to make less than I do.

Do I have to just start writing reviews of things and submitting them to magazines and hope someone thinks I am awesome and eventually starts paying me? Do I have to start in a mail room somewhere, making someone else’s travel itineraries until someone (accidentally!) falls down a flight of stairs and I have to bravely go in their stead and then the senior editor realizes I am the J.K. Rowling of the luxury travel world? How much do reviewers make? Is it a cut throat business or a little known secret? Is it one of those things where these people were already super rich and do this for fun?

I have no idea. I am going to start looking into it, because my gut says that you probably have to freelance for awhile. And if that’s all that comes of this thought, I will be super, super excited. And for the love of all things holy – if you have any idea where to start researching or you are best friends with the editor of a travel magazine and you think I am the best blogger ever, hook a girl up!

So, that’s why I don’t have my dream job. Yet. Or I may never. Or I will just never be happy because even when I had the guts and financial means to go for my dream, I declined (apologies to all of my awesome professors who wrote me recommendations).

What’s your dream job? Please don’t say something like “I want to get paid to sit home and watch TV” or “caretaker of giant pile of money” or “one of the first 5 employees at Google”. Is it your current job? Your boss’ job? Would you rather be a doctor? Is it in your field, but with a different company?  And almost as importantly – why isn’t it your job now?

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