First Person Singular by Wendy Braitman

Choosing Optimism

I just got a haircut, and that always makes me feel renewed. Heading towards the weekend, and with no specific evidence in sight, I’m assuming a positive outcome. (New Year’s Resolution #3.)

Technolust

I’m fantasizing about Siri and the new iPhone.

Image: Murat Süyür

Dog Days of Autumn

Almost 100 degrees in L.A. today. Can’t say that I mind it. My dog, on the other hand, is wasted.

Image: Best Friends by Riccardo Guasco

Shopping For Romance

During the 5 months of shopping around on real estate sites for a place to live, I couldn’t bear to also search around for a date. The pursuits were too eerily similar. Making a wish list. Checking out new entries each morning, with hope. Trying to figure out if they were worth a meet and greet. Getting disappointed by the visuals. And digging deep in my soul, to see if the inevitable compromises were ones I could live with. When months went by without scoring, I privately wondered what people had been suggesting for years. Am I too picky? The answer is, a resounding NO. I held out for the right condo, put an offer in within 24 hours, and I’m living happily urban ever after. Now that I’m settled, I’m getting the dating bug. Any suggestions for sites?

Image: Curtis Kulig

5 New Year’s Resolutions for 5772

1. Drink more water
2. Meditate 10 minutes a day
3. Give people the benefit of the doubt
4. Assume the best outcome
5. Drive defensively without being defensive

Image: The Flapper by F. A. Leyendecker, Life Magazine, 1922

Feeling the Love

I’m about to unplug my computer, and carbo-load, as I get ready for the holiest day of the Jewish year. The holiday begins at sunset, as does a 25 hour fast. I never understood it as a kid, but now I find it to be a meaningful spiritual experience, and political too. When I feel hunger pangs during the course of this specified time period, it helps to think about those who walk around hungry without end. It makes me grateful, and energizes me to work for a more equitable world.

Sculpture by Robert Indiana, from Large Scale: Fabricating Sculpture in the 1960s and 1970s

Superman’s Day Off

After 9 years of happy living with my gay best friend, I moved into a condo 2 months ago. Having been around someone who was good at fixing things, I’d gotten used to stepping aside when something broke. Right before moving, I did an IKEA run, and picked up a mini toolkit. But I’m all thumbs with it. My first week in the apartment, I tackled a home repair project involving a straight edge, but gave up after 6 hours of unproductive labor. (I called a handyman.) When the handle fell off my patio door, I abandoned the screwdriver for some duct tape. (I called a handyman.) A few weeks ago, after the bulb blew in my ceiling fixture, I thought of calling the handyman, but invited a tall friend over for dinner. I’m lousy at repair, but good at picking up the phone.

Image: Superman’s Day Off by Jennie Ottinger

Today, I Weep

The Grass is Always Greener…

Image: Michael Dumontier and Neil Farber

How To Subdue Loneliness

It was one of those unplanned weekends that crept up on me. I woke up Saturday morning, facing a stretch of 24 hours, alone. My usual anchors were of no help – a close pal with whom I phone chat daily, is in Vietnam; my dog Rose, was spending the next few days with her “dad”;  there were no movies I was dying to see. After a moment of panic, followed by a deep, cleansing breath, I decided to explore my new neighborhood, like a tourist. At 8 AM, Sunset Blvd. was still waking up. I walked for a couple of hours, gazing into every store window, discovering a quaint doggie parked tucked away, a cool taco place (both definitely in my future) and a Hookah bar (which I’ll probably pass on). I ended my urban hike at the high-end grocery store, strolling from aisle to aisle, inhaling the gourmet foodstuff just minutes from my front door. I bought a glistening orange-cranberry muffin, returned to my terrace, and finally caught up on those back issues of The New Yorker. It was a blissful morning. And rest of the day was…a cakewalk.

Image: Chris Ware