vegas trip
It should come as no shock that I’m allergic to last-minute deviations from Routine and Established Schedules.
That’s why both Maya and I are still so surprised that I randomly decided to take her to Las Vegas this past weekend.
Outside of Caesar’s Palace…it was 105 degrees!
I’m not sure why I did it.
Especially since my lack of planning led to ridiculously high airfare and hotel rates, which troubles the Indian in me to no end.
Also, I’m sure I don’t need to delve into my anxiety regarding airplane travel + Maya’s motion sickness.
The view from our room at the Bellagio.
But for once I just wanted to be the fun parent (which I admittedly am NEVER).
— I let her stay up until whenever.
— I fed her gelato knowing she’d get a stomach ache. (This after my sweet cousins took her to M&M World, the Hershey’s store, and fed her caramel popcorn.)
We went swimming at the hotel pool, which was amazing.
— I took her to the Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson show and then to dinner at the shocking hour of 9:30 pm.
— I even threw caution to the wind, bought myself a glass of orange juice for $7.50, and shared some with Maya (I’m very much opposed to kids drinking juice – a post for another day).
In the Bellagio lobby.
But by Sunday afternoon I was tapped out. I couldn’t answer even ONE MORE OF HER QUESTIONS.
So I did what any respectable parent would do: I handed her the iPad (which I am also very much opposed to) at the Las Vegas airport and told her that “Mama’ s going to close her eyes for a little while.”
I guess the moral of the story is that there is a place in my world for orange juice, the iPad, and a bit of spontaneity. Everything in moderation I suppose?
flying solo
In about an hour I will be boarding yet another flight to Los Angeles.
Solo.
This is because Maya is already in LA, and Ali is currently at a resort in Florida doing”work.”
I have mixed feelings about this journey:
Positives:
– I didn’t have to pack for anyone except MYSELF. And since everything I own is black this took about 5 minutes.
Packing for one….
– I calmly hailed a cab on the early side, and thanks to TSA Pre-Check, I had time to write this post.
– Maya is not with me and thus I am not on vomit-watch.
– Ali is not with me and thus I am not on technology-watch (his favorite thing to do is to FaceTime the second the flight crew makes an announcement that the doors are now closed).
Negatives:
– Maya and Ali are not with me.
It took an hour to get to the airport thanks to traffic and rain. But I didn’t mind because I wasn’t worried about anyone getting car sick…
Conclusion:
So they both drive me absolutely bananas – if they didn’t this blog wouldn’t exist.
But the last few solo weeks in NYC have made me realize that when I don’t have to manage their lives I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF.
How sad is that?
I’m thinking I’ll use the next 6 hours and 36 minutes to investigate the possibility of a new hobby….
polish
Each time I leave Los Angeles I think, “There are so many pretty girls here. I should really make more of an effort.”
My trip a few weeks ago was no exception, and I returned to NYC thinking:
– I really need to buy some makeup.
– I should stop being lazy and get a professional to regularly blow dry my hair.
– Maybe I should go shopping? It wouldn’t kill me to wear a dress once in a while.
Stopped by Saks…bought nothing but took this pretty picture…
And so, all full of inspiration and motivation (plus it’s Ramadan and I have nothing BUT time), I set aside a few hours last weekend to do all of the above. Here’s what happened:
– I stepped into Sephora. I immediately felt overwhelmed. I asked an employee to direct me to the lipsticks with the fewest chemicals. She vaguely pointed to the opposite end of the store. I walked a mile through mascara feeling more overwhelmed. I tried on a few lipsticks praying that people didn’t double dip. Everything seemed garish on me. I needed an expert but couldn’t find anyone available to help. I decided to stick with my $2.99 Eos lip balm.
Conclusion: I tabled the makeup for another day.
– I decided to get my hair done. But then I realized I had nowhere important to go, and the humidity would surely ruin any attempts to tame my frizz. Did it make sense to subject my hair to such torture? Do girls get their hair done just because? Should I take the $50 and buy books instead?
Conclusion: I tabled the DryBar visit for another day. And went to Barnes & Noble.
Stopped at Rockefeller Center…bought nothing but encountered lots of people and pretty palm trees….
– I went shopping. I hit Bloomingdale’s and after what seemed like hours I finally found a cute Vince shirt. It wasn’t a dress but it contained color so it seemed like an acceptable substitute. I couldn’t get myself to pay $325 for it though so I hung it back up. I found a pair of Theory pants that fit perfectly. I loved them. They were black. I decided I needed another pair of black pants like a hole in the head.
Conclusion: I tabled the clothes shopping for another day.
– I decided to look for a new bag instead. Something low-key. One that didn’t scream a logo. I found a bag fairly quickly! I wondered if I’d found the bag too soon. Was I settling? Should I look at other stores? I tried it on 50 different times. I carried it around the store as I contemplated. I nearly pulled out a pen to write a list of pros and cons.
Conclusion: I bought the bag.
My new, hands-free bag…don’t let my hair fool you in this picture. As soon as I stepped outside and into the humidity I could see it in my peripheral vision…
I’m hoping my new bag will help camouflage the circles under my eyes, the melasma that seems to get worse each day (the dermatologist said I can thank Maya for this lovely gift), my hair (I have no words in this humidity), and my all-black, all-the-time ensembles.
I’m headed to L.A. again in a few days so maybe more inspiration is in store?
While I'm not going to win Mother/Wife of the Year Award anytime soon, I haven't killed anyone yet or shot myself in the head. And that, my friends, is how I calculate success these days. 
FANCY THAT FANCY THIS 