the cherry of my eye

it's always funny when you have to leave a place to get a product that defines it. take for instance, my new bike. a beach cruiser you'd find on any sidewalk in newport. but did i have one? no. i had to move to big metal city to get hooked up. so check it out: a hot, cherry-red beach cruiser... leaving behind the cannondale and the trek for this sweet thing!

spain...and andorra...dream big

in honor of spain's win today, i wanted to share adidas' video series of young soccer players traveling out of andorra to train...and dream big...with the stars of football!

sunday storm

beautiful sunday.
rain falls, thudding --
thudding upon concrete, grass
all things. lightening strikes down.
straight down, crackling through the sky
with a thunder trail.
i sit and ponder, wind blowing,
cool humidity through my hair.
across my skin. freeing
visions locked away, coming
forward for a moment.
before slipping away
with the moving storm.

morning haiku

lewd visions of love.
suggest manic lust, longing
needs fulfillment now.


heat in the morning,
night -- simmering seduction,
daily connection.


temperatures rise,
friction ignites white-hot flame,
until cooled by night.


memories of you
standing on the street, walking
toward me-i melt.


pure pleasure comfort
food, lust, song and dance with you.
celebration nears.

time to get creative

the chopper fan club. let it begin.

good morning

exercise: the breakfast of champions

the endorphins are pumping, the blood is flowing. i'm stretched, sculpted and one day closer to nakedness. sweet rebirth in the city of love with my lover.

morning cup of phil-o-sophy

i woke to the world and said: what good can i put in it today? then i went back to sleep and dreamed of drowning while super rats flew to bite beloved dogs. then i knew...not much until i change my view.

interpretation is today's inspiration

interpretation is today's inspiration:

inspirations making the world a better place

i was reading in o magazine this weekend that one woman, when she's feeling rundown and ugly, does something good for someone else. she says that it inevitably makes her feel 100 percent prettier.



i wasn't feeling ugly this weekend, but i was feeling a little lonely. so i tried this woman's advice and sure enough if it didn't bring an extra spring to my step and a smile to my heart. if only i could find a way to bring this feeling of helping people into my daily existence. i think i'd be one step closer to living a fulfilled life.



check out a couple of places, organizations that make life a little better in different places locally and abroad:


International Educational Services

International Educational Services (IES) is a small, non-profit, non-governmental organization designed to serve the needs of rural dwellers in Ghana, West Africa. Our programs and projects over the past eleven years have been targeted toward increasing the inclusion and long-term retention of persistently neglected children in school-especially girls-in Ghana village communities. We work in partnership with parents, teachers and concerned local officials to design, implement,monitor and evaluate projects based on the needs of local children and their nurturing families.


Director Natalie Gray







Park Slope Food Coop



The Park Slope Food Coop, located in the heart of the Park Slope section of Brooklyn, New York, was founded in 1973 by a small group of committed neighbors who wanted to make healthy, affordable food available to everyone who wanted it. PSFC has more than 12,000 members, most of whom work once every four weeks in exchange for a 20 – 40% savings on groceries.



The Coop carries a wide variety of products, including local, organic and conventionally grown produce; pasture-raised and grass-fed meat; free-range, organic and kosher poultry; fair-traded chocolate and coffee; wild and sustainably farmed fish; supplements and vitamins; imported and artisan cheese; freshly baked bread; bulk grains and spices; environmentally safe cleaning supplies, and much more.





Brooklyn Public Library



Brooklyn Public Library is one of the nation's great library systems. Financial support from individuals, foundations and corporations helps Brooklyn Public Library provide quality materials and services, like state-of-the-art technology in every branch, multilingual books, adult literacy classes, after-school programs, programs for older adults, and literary programs throughout our system.









Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Put together one very run-down house, a deserving family, several opinionated designers, seven days and what do you get? The answer is Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The show has won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Reality Program, plus the People's Choice Award for Favorite Reality Show/Makeover and the Family Television Award for Best Alternative/Reality Program.



Each episode begins with team leader Ty Pennington's now-famous "Good morning!" wake-up call, when he, along with the other designers, surprises the unsuspecting family with news that their home has been chosen to receive a makeover. Then viewers witness not only the unbelievable transformation of the house, but during the final and emotional reveal, they see how the home makeover has impacted the lives of the deserving families.

i see you...beauty intact

paris...i see you.

your smell, vibrant essence is only a week away.

picturesque skies of blue and pink, give way to ponderings of that day -- july 3

when i will once again devour you with my eyes, mouth, hands.

wait for me. remain clear and posed to welcome your friend.

whose admiration will only linger with each breath she breathes,

with each step she takes, hand in hand with her lover upon your streets.

oh, excitement builds as i wait. i wait for our reunion.

my feet will touch your cobblestones

and my skin your metal, grass and water.

stay -- beauty intact -- for i'm coming soon.

a blast from the past

i studied this test in psych 101 and, to this day, feel it is a great resource for trying to better understand your personality. if only i still had the original test so i could see (if) and how much i've evolved.

the color quiz

yesterday, the borders guy made a recommendation: what color is your parachute. he said it is a classic book for finding career advice. well, you know when you're in the mood for a very specific thing, this will be the day that they don't have it. so instead i bought o magazine (enjoying so far) and another read -- the great man.

but then, tossing and turning after a decent night of sleep, i started my search again for this book. it led me to the color quiz (among other things) and here are the results. many of you may find this link to provide some valuable insight into your current situation.

here's what it said about me:

I took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test! "Over-imaginative and given to fantasy or day-dream..." Click here to read the rest of the results.

we were daydreaming yesterday...

here's some inspiration for all you kids stuck behind desks, inputting data, maybe making cold calls, daydreaming about other faces and pretty places. perhaps the phrases...i'm in hell...the agony and irony their killing me...might be ringing too true these days. so here's a classic to perk you up:

so many years, so many moments

happy 62nd anniversary, grandma and grandpa.

the events you've witnessed together. the discussions you've had as the kids grew up, the dogs grew old and the grandkids became adults. you've experienced failure, success, love and internal war within this span of time and here you are starting again...one more year. one more moment of beautiful peace, knowing you've lived. you've loved. and you're satisfied with what you've experienced.

i only hope that one day i, too, will be able to say i've experienced so many years, so many moments full of that same love and dedication you share.

the new, new yorker frenchie

such wonderful news came my way yesterday, a text from this guy on a train headed to epinal from cannes. it read: j called and left a message -- asking me to call her back. oh what refreshing words on a day when clients perturb and backs ache.

six long and anxious hours later, after emails -- texts -- phone calls, the real call finally comes. and he says: i have bad news (with a smile in his voice). i say: you sure sound happy for bad news. he says: well, my bad news is...i got the job!

yahoos travel across the atlantic, stars burst into colors of red, white and blue...and his smile comes face-to-face with me as we celebrate on telephone lines the hard work, perseverance and insanity of waiting the last two months for this final outcome. then the...although not always fair to say...my new, new yorker frenchie says: thank you.

i think: no. thank you for being a part of this crazy adventure called k's life.

a day of haiku -- tormented haiku

i sit spinning red,
wondering why life is hard
again and again.

negativity
my core existence today
optimism come.

please help me find smiles
of happiness and love notes
to blossom within.

love is saving me
putting joy in my heart, mind
washing away hate.

yesterday's tidbits

yesterday's tidbits, today:

Early reaction to Al Gore's Obama endorsement: Yawn
Some early overnight reaction to the belated endorsement of Barack Obama by Al Gore. And it might disappoint the former vice president and loser in the 2000 White House race.

Gay marriages begin as California ruling takes effect
At 5:01 p.m., same-sex couples across the state raced to partake in a legal ritual long denied to them. The first couple in L.A. County to marry are Robin Tyler and Diane Olson.

Sarkozy exclut tout élargissement de l'UE sans traité de Lisbonne
Eviter la contagion : après le non irlandais au référendum de Lisbonne, Nicolas Sarkozy a pour objectif numéro un d'éviter qu'un deuxième pays rejette le traité européen.

Woods outlasts Mediate in playoff to capture U.S. Open
SAN DIEGO — It was a good thing golf fans got to see Tiger Woods play 91 holes before winning his third U.S. Open this week.

Coldplay's 'Viva la Vida' has its moments
First, let's state the obvious: For a band that stresses its modesty to the point of self-consciousness, Coldplay has come up with an awfully pretentious-sounding title for its new CD, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (* * * out of four)...Sweepingly atmospheric and often sonically gorgeous, Viva nods to other iconic bands, notably Coldplay idols U2, whose longtime collaborator Brian Eno is a co-producer.

randomness filled with emotions...always emotional

a rather dull day -- trying to stay low-key and even-keeled. not always easy to do but this monday it worked. now if i could find some new inspiration, tuesday will be a bit more exciting. and yet today had several interesting turn of events: j finally heard from sg (sort of), tiger won the US Open after a playoff and 19 holes, i got an a+ on a french note from mr. w and got a little recognition until mr. p must have started drinking the juice...the l juice.

so here are a few thoughts spinning through my head after another day of madness in manhattan:

a. how is it that someone can send a two line message after not responding to three emails. come on...have they not learned email etiquette...or possibly considered what is at stake for the recipient. give us excuses and deadlines. even if you miss them, it will make us feel better...

b. does tiger have a deal with nike that every shirt he wears during final rounds of championships will be red with the white nike swoop. or does he wear it for his mom because red is a lucky color. or is it simply his power color. i say a mix of all three. but it doesn't matter because it works. maybe i should add a little red to my wardrobe -- ripping r red...

c. why is it that i can think about french all day, even write a note in the morning, but then when it's time to study, i can't bring myself to open the book. i think because it takes so much brainpower and focus...i can't seem to bring myself to read and write francais. but coming home to a bravo certainly helps. maybe i'll be able to set down my saramago book to pick up my french level 1. then again, maybe not...

d. they say that a family business is the hardest. you're a member and want one thing, but somebody else wants another. and sometimes it's an outside force causing most of your headaches. that is the most frustrating of all...the outside person making a claim, sharing an unknowledgeable voice -- adamantly. it makes me think twice about the task i've undertaken and whether i want to continue...no matter what ideas i develop, they (the wise and the unknowledgeable) come back with no, maybe, not quite. well, could you please just do it yourself. good.

so these are just a few thoughts going through my head...there are more, like what will bill gates do following his retirement this month (great article on pcworld.com), what's on the horizon (a constant question in my mind), how will we survive the months ahead, and will we (i) be able to keep success alive. so a constant swirl of thoughts that take me all over and back again, sometimes more than once...

a world of peace

a weekend getaway sends me to the green mountains of up-state new york. we drive around the wet streets of albany, contemplate buying tie-die in woodstock, then drive through the rainy roads of the catskills...as waterfalls cascade down rugged walls of brown rock and over ferns of granite green.

a relaxing getaway with friends full of discussion, drinking and disco...well, moxie rock 'n' roll.

a deer came to the edge of our path today. as it bounced away into the bushes, it brought me one step closer to nature. a world of green and wild, living things...outside my metal world. what peace this image brings as i peace out.

rest in peace

a sobering surprise of life cut short.

today, tim russert died at 58 of a heart attack. 58. my father is only a few short years away. who's to say this won't happen to him or anyone of my friends' fathers. who's to say their lives won't be taken away just as quickly or tragically, before we're ready...before their time should come.

it's true. we all have our time. but some leave us too soon. and at a time when there are so few people you feel you can trust in the political arena. with everyone having an agenda, he was a refreshing voice with insightful commentary and an attitude you'd welcome into your home day after day, night after night. and even when i didn't understand the issue, i trusted what he said. his eyes, his demeanor, his persona...all clearly said he's one of the good people.

may he rest in peace and may his family endure this difficult time knowing his legacy will live on.

anticipation

an old carly simon song just came into my head as i pondered a quick entry for this morning...anticipation...he's making me wait...they're making us wait -- thank you sg.

oh i don't really know the words. but there is a lot of anticipation going on in this head of mine. tgif. another 12 hours and i have two days off. 6 hours and a phone call to sg...will they pick up, will they finally give us an answer. 24 hours off to albany...anticipating a good time and a new place -- pictures, drinks and dancing with a cooler than cool friend. j-19 until i leave for france...giving me sweet dreams and even sweeter daydreams. yes, plenty to anticipate in the weeks ahead, making all other things less bearable, bearable.

weekend getaway

such a late night and early morning. i'm so tired...but adventure awaits. yes. i have weekend plans in the catskill mountains. it's going to be a short but fun trip with a saturday in albany and a saturday night at ryan nelly's. a little photography, drinking and dancing are in my future.

cari-girl, krazy k is coming to town...

mon ami

my dear j shared this with me today and it put me in such a good mood i wanted to share it with you. the following is a clip of arnaud weber on national tv in france. one of j's best friends, he is a born entertainer, a true intellectual and an overall good guy (who made my transition to nyc a little smoother way back in august -- oh, how the time flies). even if you don't speak french, you'll find this to be a humorous segment...and if you do, then you'll find it to be hilarious, especially when arnaud says i'm a business student...and the guy says get serious...so he says ok, i'm a bum. he he he...and you might even find yourself asking -- why did this guy talk to him for so long? aren't their five other contestants? the magic of technology.



you're destined for big things so keep following your dreams!

my mantra

MIKA: my mantra for today...relax, take it easy. actually, take it eeeeeaaassssy. now i'm not saying this to anyone else, but listening over and over again to myself. hoping that the words will seep into my skin, my soul, my absolute being and wake up an untouched, or lost portion of my spirit that has been dormant. trying to survive the craziness that i have put it through over the last ten months. it doesn't work. but over and over again i let the words like a broken record run through my subconscious -- relax, take it eeeeeeaaassssy....

work. please work.

early morning rise

early morning rise: can't figure out why, but each day i wake up earlier than the day before. not sure if its the sunshine or my sunny disposition (haha) but something pokes me -- makes me toss and turn -- open my eyes -- close them then open them again -- look at my phone then look at my computer -- sign in only to sign back out as i try to sleep for a few more minutes, not completely understanding how me -- miss can't get up to save her life during the winter is up at 5:30am! yes, the time continues to astonish me. if only i could shut up that little voice in my head that keeps saying wake! you fool! times 'a wasting so that i can catch up on my beauty sleep or even better dive back in to my neurotic dreams of flying taxis and exotic adventures. but no. this is not an option it seems. i have one too many thoughts bubbling to the surface, bringing me out of the toss and turn state and right into reality: i realize where i am (in ny). who i'm with (myself). and where i have to go (work). and i wish i could fall back asleep or at least fall back into those hazy five minutes of dazed altered state where i'm in a happy bliss, having slept so well with the ac cooling the hot apartment air. this would be too close to a nirvana state and certainly one i have not earned in this life. so i'm forced to battle the thoughts racing through my head of activities i put off from last night, the night before last night and the night before that.

the neurotic morning musings of a perpetual procrastinator. help!

an amazing specimen

battling the allergies that haunt my visage everyday, i've developed a unique daily menu of non-acidic, non-pickled and non-spiced vegetables. so in my search this weekend for organic goodness after a phenomenal run in the park on saturday, i found this amazing specimen waiting for me in the local market.

as i passed from apples, to peppers to baked goods, this long, wide cucumber of extraordinary size and gerth, reminding me of all things fresh, delicious and unbelievably phallic, jumped out at me. how could i see such a luscious, mouthwatering vegetable and not buy it? it fit my daily menu of cucumber and garlic. i felt like a pirate on a treasure hunt who'd just discovered the buried treasure...now the test becomes...can i eat it before it goes bad? this week will surely tell.

sunday morning thoughts

sunday morning thoughts:

been a weekend of crazy dreams...flying taxis, sisterly bonding and enormous fees.

brooklyn is coming to life as summer approaches: the museum yesterday was fabulous and free, only wished i'd had my man with me to join in the fun.

sunshine, sunburn, heat -- summertime is here...

a year ago i was watching the french open finale on the couch with my lover in paris, now i'm watching it on the couch, alone, in new york (iming with my lover).

go federer!

morning thoughts

morning thoughts:

what does it mean when you dream of five homeless men hanging naked, homeless man from a tree? you call 911 and have a philosophical conversation on the topic, while hurrying to the airport.

i miss you terribly. hearing your voice yesterday was like hearing brad pitt's voice around the corner...turning every corner but not being able to catch a glimpse of his face.

it's going to be a long day. not necessarily bad, maybe good -- but definitely long.

my mom is the coolest email/letter writer on the planet.

it's almost the weekend. buck up, sister!

un jour special

demain. c'est l'anniversaire de ma maman.

la belle de la ville, la beaute des temps.

une autre annee heureuse, un autre jour vivante.

je sais tres contente avec les nouvelles.

tout la monde est heureux -- ma soeur, ma pere, ma grand-mere.

maintenant, j'espere que'lle est contente aussi.

joyeux anniversaire, ma mere, mon amie jolie.

celebres cette journee!

new politik

historic night. obama wins the superdelegates, even as clinton continues to win the popular vote.

race, sex. both were at play. and i can't help but be a little disappointed that sex didn't win out. there's no doubt this is great news, but...we came so close. was clinton the right woman for the job? maybe not. would she have done as well or better than obama? i'd like to think so. but now we'll never no. unfortunately, she couldn't play the game, get away from her husband's reputation or find the right balance between bitch and almost bitch.

perhaps one day, we'll see a woman in that ever so precious seat. all i can say is that obama sure the hell better pick a woman as his running mate...if he represents change...really represents change, he will see that this addition will be the epitome of change.

let's hope someone (perhaps his advisers, his wife) will guide him to the right decision. obama, let's make this a win-win for everyone who's a lefty-feminist like me.

exercise in the morning

today, i woke up early. different from other days. not the typical toss and turn, sleep and then toss and turn some more. i woke up and stayed up. i talked to my man (what a wonderful treat) then i exercised. yes. i spent 30 minutes climbing stairs, stretching and lifting weights. and damn did it feel good. an energizing burst of endorphins--running through my body, fueling my brain. so full of emotions, so ready for the day. i step into the shower on fire...

the power of the park

for years i've wondered why build parks since no one uses them. sure, you see little kids swinging on swings and sliding down slides or health fanatics running around the green grass (craving a bit of fresh air) but, in houston or orange county, they more often than not simply sit empty until fourth of july rolls around.

in my travels, i've found thousands of people in cities like buenos aires, paris and other large european cities enjoying the benefits of public parks. they sunbathe in the sun, play music on the lawn, picnic around beautiful feats of architecture--existing within a public space, loving beneath green shade trees. but it wasn't until this weekend in new york, where temperatures soared and the sun shined down on all till sunset, that i saw this same phenomon take place in america. yes, new yorkers were out in droves, sitting, playing and socializing in the park amid strangers and friends. and here it dawned on me that it's not a foreign concept--taking advantage of parks--but a city space dynamism.

you see, unlike places like orange county and more so houston, new yorkers pay dearly for their space which means they rarely have any. so like those other metropolises where balconies are few and backyards fewer, people desiring the sun's face upon their skin must go to public spaces like prospect park or central park or simply hit the street be one with nature. this concept makes sense, but it never registered until today.

parks, with their rolling fields, forest of trees and lakes, offer a vast space for people to stretch their legs and play in nature. something so rarely achieved when we work within metallic monsters 60 hours a week and live within the same, surrounded by brick, mold and closed windows. today's revelation, simple and perhaps a little late, brought a smile to my face and an extra pep to my step.

e the private sanctuary of one's own backyard reigns supreme over public places and spaces, i've finally discovered a city where this doesn't apply. new york--of course offering very few private spaces it's taken years but new york has finally shown the value of public parks.