Being an adult means wearing shoes that need their laces tied every morning.

Congratulations to my good friends Susy and Ricky for their upcoming bundle of joy!

It was great to catch up with them over lunch at Marta.

"'Vascularity is the new six-pack,' says Elias Carmelo, a personal trainer and model in New York City, who says that making his veins pop is his top priority before a photo shoot. The most essential is the cephalic, which runs along the forearm and biceps from the write to mid-shoulder---a beating indicator that a tank-top or tight-tee wearer is in shape everywhere else. 'When you can see that vein, you think, Wow, that guy's pretty fit,' Carmelo says."

From the March 17, 2015 Details.com story, How Veins Became the New Six Pack, by Kayleen Schaefer.

Clear and brisk skies in Sunnyside, Queens, last weekend.

Today's weather in New York seemed like the first time in the entire year to hit over 60 degrees. Even though it was dreary, rainy, and somewhat humid out, it was still nice to go outside and not be freezing cold.

My work is located on 25th Street near the Flatiron Building. I'm lucky that I sit by a window, and was able to crack it open today to get some air circulating into the office because the temperature and humidity from outside had it feeling stuffy. It was after 3 o'clock when some coworkers and I noticed a smell of something burning. It definitely wasn't coming from anywhere in our office, and we realized the odor was being wafted in through the open window.

It was soon after when we all learned about the building explosion in the East Village on 2nd Avenue and 7th Street. Watching it unfold in realtime through news outlets, blogs and social media was engrossing, considering how many countless times I've walked down that block in my life. And I couldn't believe that the smell from the fire was so potent and strong even from my office, forcing us to close the window at some point.

It's crazy how such damaging and life-changing results can happen in an instant. My thoughts and prayers go out to those who were hurt and are still missing because of this terrible event.

"Sometimes it seems like we're all living in some kind of prison. And the crime is how much we hate ourselves."

Said by Angela Chase in the show My So Called Life. Season 1, Episode 5.

Alone.

Lonely.

Longing.

Belong.

To nothing.

Happiness is...

...waking up another day to try again and figure it all out.

Anytime I catch myself overthinking something nowadays, I try to stop immediately to focus on something more tangible. This oddly seems to happen a lot while I'm using the bathroom, and results in me staring directly at tiles on the wall to study all its overlooked details.

It's funny how the concept of overthinking is not something I ever fully grasped until about a year or so ago, but now it crosses my mind a few times a day when I catch myself starting to ponder about random things. It's been really useful actually, because it helps put me at ease at times and takes the edge off my anxiety. Being able to do this has allowed me to just approach things differently, and I like it. If an old boss had never started to jokingly use this term about me at work, I'd probably be going through the same mental cycles about everything constantly throughout the day. It's nice to be able to turn the volume down a notch.

When I read back on some of the content of my old entries here, it's like woah okay my mind is really just going off tangent. The feeling is both funny and sometimes gratifying because I can recognize that while I still have a gazillion things to work on, this is one thing that I feel I've grown and improved upon.

Woot woot, 32. Life is great.

Dear Failure,

Thank you for all that you've taught me.

best,
thwany

Today's date is 3... 2... 1... INSOMNIA.

I feel so restless right now. It's past 5am and I can just tell that I won't be falling asleep anytime soon.

However, thankfully it's technically the weekend right now, so worrying about waking up on time for work in the morning is not a problem.

My roommate has to be at work by 7am, so I'm thinking that I'll go out into the living room when he starts getting ready for work and I can just eventually pass out on the couch with the television on in the background.

Wow, what a productive way to start the weekend.

"Officials at the authority, which is run by the state, acknowledge that delays have grown and point to a 110-year-old system that is working to accommodate a record six million riders a day."

From the March 19, 2015, New York Times story, Crowds and Long Delays Fray Subway System and Riders' Nerves, written by Emma G. Fitzsimmons.

"I know you've been hurt,
by someone else. 
I can tell by the way,
you carry yourself."

From the song Take Care by Drake ft Rihanna.

You can't have it all.

"The New York Police Department has started using a detection system that pinpoints the location of gunfire and sends the information to law enforcement, the latest move to modernize the nation's largest police force, the department announced on Monday.

The system, called ShotSpotter, is used in several major cities. It works by installing sensors---basically, sensitive microphones---around an area to pick up sounds from the street that might be gunfire, and uses the sensors to locate where the shots were fired. It then sends the information to the Police Department. 

From the March 16, 2015, New York Times article, New York Police Begin Using ShotSpotter System to Detect Gunshots, written by Tatiana Schlossberg.

"So far away. But still so near."

From the song Dancing On My Own by Robyn.

A lot can happen in a week. It's all so great.

"'The idea that we'd be doing this'---she gestured toward the hotel's homey kitchen, where Ben, a chef, was baking bread for the evening's meal---'is one of those things that reminds you that life is crazy in the best of ways.'"

From the article All In The Family by David Amsden in the March 2015 issue of Condé Nast Traveler.

This was such a beautifully written story about two people who love each other. It made me so happy after reading it.

Chicago is such a great city. I went last weekend with my friends Junho and Judy to celebrate her birthday. Visiting for a long weekend getaway was really a nice break away from home, but vegging out on the couch right now at my place is equally fun. 

Thank you also to Christine and Ray for the hospitality. And happy birthday to Judy!

Here are just a few random pictures from our trip.

It was just a stupid fantasy.

"Just kidding---there's only one possible answer, and it is Cookie. She of the animal prints. She of the bitchy retort. She who cannot help but burst into any and every room uninvited. Cookies is everyone's favorite."

From the March 13, 2015, New York Times article "Cookie is an 'Empire' Builder for Fox" by Gilbert Cruz.

Happy Friday!

It's a crisp and chilly day here in New York City finally without any snow falling.

Eat something good for lunch. Listen to some pumping music to get you through work. Make fun plans with loved ones for the evening.

Enjoy your day.

"In the city, where walking is a way of life, keeping sidewalks clear in the winter is not merely a neighborhood course, it is also required under the law. Businesses, homeowners and others in charge of properties are given four hours from the time snow has stopped falling (longer if it ends at night) to clean the pavement."

From the March 3, 2105, New York Times story: With No One to Clear It, Ice Creates a Dangerous Passage. Written by Winnie Hu and Ken Schwencke.

"One of the original players,
From the HIMALAYA."

Said by the character Jerome in the sitcom, Martin. Season 2, Episode 7.

It's another snowy weekend here in Manhattan.