Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Everything happens for a reason.

That is such a cliche, but I totally believe it.

Back when I was weighing two job offers--one full-time with benefits, but in New Jersey; the other a long-term freelance contract in New York--I opted for the gig with health insurance and a 401(k), even though I was more excited by the New York gig. How bo-ring of me, right?

Now it seems that, for once, my practicality has paid off, as the New Jersey gig has since moved back to New York and the Web site of the freelance gig just shuttered.

But I guess hindsight is always 20/20, huh? (Hey, they're cliches for a reason.)

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Things I learned this weekend.

This Saturday, Sarah and I went to the American Museum of Natural History, a place I hadn't been to since the first grade. As we walked around, all I could think about was the wherewithal it must have taken my teacher, Miss Devine, to herd 20 or so 7-year-olds onto a bus headed for New York City, chauffeur them around a massive, four-floor museum and not lose a single one. The panic just the thought of it induced in me solidified the fact that I made the right decision in abandoning a career as a kindergarten teacher. 


The trip was educational, reminding me of those first-rate, first-grade nuggets of knowledge that your 8-year-old cousin spews out, causing you to think, "Wow, you're really smart," forgetting that there was a time when you used to be that kind of smart, too. Take, for example: 

  • The scientifically accepted name of Brontosaurus is Apatosaurus, after the scientific community realized that the fossils of Brontosaurus were the same as the previously discovered species of Apatosaurus. 
  • Butterflies have a life span of just 10 months. 
  • A recipe for a kick-ass vegan Caesar salad dressing does exist, which I'm adding it to the list of Things I Learned This Weekend because I did, in fact, learn it this weekend, and I'm sure there's some smug vegan first-grader somewhere that is aware of this bit of information.
A few photos here

Friday, February 06, 2009

Face Off

Emily Gould (whom I don't personally know) is one of those people whose talent I'm jealous of in the most absolutely depressing of ways. This post is a great example of how and why she has this effect on me. She's worth reading if you're ever feeling introspective, but can't quite put into words why you're feeling introspective.

I point out that post because I can relate to it in a very superficial way. While I certainly do not think of myself as one of those people who radiate "look at me waves," as she says, I do, on a once-to-twice-per-day basis, get stared at. I'm convinced this is because I am the generic person: people always think I am someone else they know. Or Anne Hathaway circa The Princess Diaries. (Anne, if you're reading this, I'm sorry.)

"Tiffany?" A man came up and asked me on an airplane once. "Are you Bob Garrett's daughter?" a woman once asked me while in line for coffee. "I know you!" said a drunk boy at a pizza place. No; no you don't, I replied. "No, really, I know you! I'm not trying to hit on you," he angrily shot back. "I know," I said, "but trust me, you don't know me." (My cyber presence isn't even immune to this phenomenon.)

And this staring problem is only compounded in New York, where you come into contact with thousands of people on a daily basis, a few of whom search my face with a look that reads, "Where do I know that girl from?" (I did that to Luke Wilson once, who sheepishly smiled and waved at me. I ignored him, which only made my faux pas all the more groan-worthy once I realized who he was.)

The reason I know these people don't know me is because I never forget a face--to an embarrassing extent. I can't tell you how many people I've been introduced to, only to run into them later where they say, "I'm sorry... What's your name again?" All this does is remind me of how unmemorable I personally am, unless I'm getting mistaken for someone else.

So, yeah, anonymity--there's no such thing.

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