...and replaced by Ikea.

Fortunately, the closest store is in Tempe, which is about an hour and a half drive from here.

I've been on a home organization kick. Well, I've been on an I-should-get-organized-and-live-a-more-grownup-life kick. So I was looking on the Ikea website on Friday night for some quality inexpensive modern Scandinavian furniture, which is the style (and price!) I like. I found a couple of pieces but didn't do anything with that information.

The next morning, I received a text message from Jason inviting me to join him on a trip to the Ikea store that day. Creepy coincidence or kismet?

For a variety of reasons, I decided to forgo my three-hour Saturday yoga practice in favor of joining Jason on a jaunt to what I now call the Promised Land.

That place is magic!

I ended up only buying a lamp and some storage boxes because the flat-packed furniture I was eying wouldn't fit in Jason's Prius. I figured I'd just order it online and have it shipped, but that almost doubles the price!

Fortunately for me, I have a friend with a minivan who offered to take a road trip with me. Thanks Hillz!

Inspired by all this chic furniture, I finally cleaned out my walk-in closet last night, which was long overdue for a solid cleaning/reorganizing.

Now I have an old dresser with two of five drawers broken that I was tempted to "repurpose" into a secretary desk. Upon further consideration, and remembering that I'm not really very good at that kind of thing, I may just trash it when Ikea has much better furniture at affordable prices.

So thanks to Jason for popping my Ikea cherry.

And fear not, Target may no longer be #1, but it's still near and dear to my heart: Hillary and I spent a good two hours there yesterday!

Labels: Hillary, Ikea, Jason, not really newsworthy, personal, Target

It's official, I bought my JetBlue tickets this morning. I'll be in New York December 20-25 (leaving on a redeye at 11:59 PM on December 19). I'll take souvenir requests, but I'm not making any promises.

Thanks to Hillz for watching over the furball while I'm gone, till she heads back east herself. And thanks to Miriam for putting me up part of the time I'm there. The rest of my nights will be spent in a Fabulous Room (that's really what it's called, I swear!) at the glam W Hotel Times Square.

Labels: birthday, Hillary, Miriam, New York, personal

I attended Compass Health Care's annual Dynamic Duo Dinner last night as the guest (read: beard) of my friend Hillary, who was nominated with her colleague Susan as a Dynamic Duo for their work on the Unidas program at the Women's Foundation of Southern Arizona.

The event itself was a little hokey and poorly run, but the highlight of the evening was when Hillz and Susan won for Impacting Children and Youth! Way to go you too! Woo hoo! Nice work! Atta girls! And so forth.

Really, very proud of my not-twin.

Labels: Hillary

First, Merry Christmas to my many goyim friends.

Yoga Oasis was offering a free class this morning, so I figured I'd go. When I got there (only a couple of minutes before the class was about to start), the parking lot was packed. Busier than I'd ever seen it, though my frame of reference is admittedly small. Rather than staying, I decided to practice at home, which I ought to be doing anyway.

On my way home, I stopped by Casa Video to see if there was anything there I wanted to rent. For my four-year anniversary at the Center Against Sexual Assault, some of my colleagues chipped in and bought me, among other things, a Casa gift certificate. I've only used it once, so today I figured I might as well take advantage of my credit.

I rented Oh! Calcutta! and the second season of Little Britain. I was going to rent this other movie with Elijah Wood (who I've had a little crush on for years, Lord of the Rings nonsense notwithstanding). But the cover said it had extreme violence in it, and I'm not in the mood for that right now.

Side note: Hair is often credited as being the first Broadway musical with nudity, but it was actually Oh! Calcutta!. My high school chorus teacher frequently pointed that out for some reason. Also noteworthy, Oh! Calcutta! counts among its authors John Lennon and Sam Shepard.

So I came home (after nearly an hour of wandering around Casa), laid out my yoga mat, and proceeded to practice as best I could. I did all right. In fact, I did better than all right: I did a backbend rather effortlessly! Backbends are supposed to be good for stimulating the thyroid and pituitary glands and for heightening mood. Given how I feel right now, I'm inclined to believe it.

As I was typing this, Miriam called me to ask for a ride home from the airport later tonight. I'm so excited to have her back (for however long it lasts till she moves to NYC for good). She's usually my birthday buddy - what else would two Jews do on Christmas Eve but spend it together going to a movie?

This year I went to see The History Boys at the Loft by myself. I did enjoy the movie. I especially appreciated the reminder of the future subjunctive tense - that which may or may not happen. Seemed rather a fitting concept for me to think about on my birthday.

I also want to thank Hillary for spending so much time with me this weekend. She had an extra ticket to see the Arizona Theatre Company production of Ella on Thursday, came to my party on Friday, and went to yoga class with me on Saturday, after which she treated me to brunch at the Blue Willow for my birthday. And then she sent me a happy birthday text message yesterday.

I feel really blessed - as blessed as an atheist can feel - to have such light and love in my life. In the year ahead, I commit to remaining open to grace.

Labels: birthday, British comedy, celebration, Hillary, Miriam, musicals, New York, personal, relationships, Tucson, yoga