I'm Not Hungry, I'm Numb

I can’t believe I have done it but I went a full day without eating. Not something I ever thought I would do unless sick, but I did it. It’s weird because I don’t feel hungry I feel numb and my sense of smell is crazy. I walked out of the gym last night and I smelled bacon like I have never smelled it before. It was gloriously intense.

This fasting business is rally going to help me to appreciate food, as if I didn’t before. But it is a different appreciation, it's an enhanced sensual experience of it. I’m on day two and I almost cracked this morning. How sad is this one – I was heading to my office and I noticed a cookie crushed on the street. My thought, “that cookie looks good”, maybe I am hungrier then I thought. But then imagine how great a cookie will taste when the fast is broken – trust me I can imagine it.

#10 - Adorable

It’s the end of the year and we all know that means one thing – Top Ten Lists.

In 2009, so far, I have taken 9,786 photo’s and as hard as it was to do I narrowed it down to my Top 10.

And they are:

#10 – Adorable

I took this picture at our annual Family Day event on Staten Island. It was summer time there was face painting and balloons and she just looked right at me. I don’t know her name and I don’t have another picture of her, but I don’t need one because her face has stayed with me all year. No wander I titled it Adorable.

Getting Juiced

I am juice fasting today, something I have never done, but my friend Chantel convinced me to try it and with holiday food on the horizon I thought a pre-Christmas fast would be a good idea.

By “good” I don’t mean I’m exited or thrilled to be trying this, I mean…I eat everything in site when I am at my Mother’s (her cooking is that good) and I’m only there two times a year so in my mind that allows for guilt free indulging.

To prep for this annual gastronomic celebration I thought I would cleanse, detox, fast – whatever the currant buzz word is around this process.

I said I would take it one day at a time (the goal is ten days - which I can even comprehend at the moment). So here I am with my juice thinking this could be it for ten days, even typing that makes me hungry.

Today I've had a juice made of kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, parsley, celery, cucumber, apple, lemon and ginger for breakfast – this made my face feel tingly (or maybe that is a symptom of hunger). My lunch juice was strawberries, blueberries, orange juice and banana (that one at least stopped the grumbling sound my stomach kept making).

I am not a picky eater, I will try anything but I usually like to have my kale in a whole form and with sushi this liquid version of eating I can’t believe people do this often.

I'll see how long I hold out. I should not envision my Mom's cookies for motivation right?

Great Mystery of Life

Ladies and Gentleman I’ve solved one of the greatest mysteries of all time – how could It’s A Wonderful Life not have been a huge hit when released in 1946?

I’ve never understood why this classic needed a decade of constant play on television to become popular thirty years after it was made, but this weekend I stumbled upon the answer in the special features section of the collectors DVD - the original trailer…is terrible. Watching it puts this long debated mystery to rest, case closed, the marketing department is guilty of bad promotion.

The trailer is boring. It opens with a shout out to practically every cast member regardless of their importance as celebrities or characters – you know I love Beulah Bondi, Frank Faylen and Ward Bond but, really, are Mrs. Bailey, Burt and Ernie instrumental enough to the plot to justify a trailer appearance? Why not add Mr. Potter’s man servant since we are throwing in the kitchen sink? Would any of them make you go hmmm…looks interesting a movie with a cop, a mother and a taxi driver included…come on. Then, after the cast roll-call, it goes in yet another direction alluding to a love triangle between Mary, George and Violet, but since there was no love triangle between them the footage they string together does not make sense at all.

If I was a moviegoer in 1946 I would have a better way of spending my 25 cents as well, so I am letting the greatest generation off the hook for this slip up and doing some finger pointing at the RKO marketing department. You all are darn lucky copyright expiration saved this film from the purgatory of films badly promoted.

Favorite author and the book that got you hooked on his/her writing

Every time I read the words of Charles Kuralt I feel like I am looking at a Norman Rockwell painting or hearing John Philip Sousa music played by a marching band in a 4th of July spectacular. I was first hooked by On the Road where his words capture American images and personalities so fresh that even on a re-read it is as if I’m meeting the people for the first time. Charles Kuralt made the every man a hero and every small town the center of the universe. He clearly loved the people he met on his travels and he had the ability to tell me why in simple eloquence. Reading his books are like visiting a new town and being shown around by a local, he captured the America that many believe is disappearing but as long as his books are published it is alive. Charles Kuralt is my favorite author.

What's your favorite love story?

I got a request for answers to this questions and I loved pondering options. After much debate and an honoerable mention to Gone With the Wind I say:


Every time I read the Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton I hope it will end differently. I want Newland Archer to go up to Ellen Olenska’s apartment, take her in his arms and for the passionate ending they (and I) have desired to finally come to fruition, but it never does and I end up crying so hard I can’t see the page this heartbreak is written on. The stains of repeated tears on my copy of this classic remind me every time that romance is about more then a happy ending.

Art reveals itself slowly

-Arne Glimcher