sounds good
I make fun of Ali’s indifference all the time but the truth is that it usually benefits me. Especially when on vacation.
Me: “Maya has Spring Break in just ten short days. What am I going to do with her for an entire week?” Ali: “I have no idea.” Me: “Do you want to drop her off at your mom’s place and go somewhere for a few days?” Ali: “Sounds good.” Me: “Where do you want to go?” Ali: “You decide.” Me: “New York?” Ali: “Sounds good.”
Il Gattopardo: Fettucine with Lobster
I try not take advantage of the situation too much. But because I’m selfish and want things my way I end up taking advantage of the situation all the time.
So that’s why I decided to cut Ali a break when he got it in his head that he wanted to have lunch at – are you ready for it? – Grand Central Station.
Bice: Organic Salmon with Asparagus and Tomatoes
There was no stopping the running commentary in my mind, however, which worked overtime processing a variety of questions. But mainly I just wondered if I’d missed the memo that Grand Central was suddenly a secret NYC hot spot for lunch.
Still, I said nothing, navigated the subway from Chelsea Market (without getting lost I might add) and met Ali at Café Spice.
Landmarc @ Time Warner Center: Poached Eggs with Mixed Greens
Several hours later, when Ali and I thought we were going to die from food poisoning, we realized a couple of things:
- One should never eat fast Indian food.
- Especially at Grand Central Station.
- It really behooves both of us – and our health – when I take advantage of the situation and make all pertinent decisions.
Tao Restaurant: Chocolate Lava Cake with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
It’s been days and my stomach still hurts. I think it’s safe to say that neither of us will forget this little lesson anytime soon.
priorities
In a perfect world my priorities would look a little something like this:
- Family
- Health
- Career
- Helping Others
- [Insert 5th important thing that shouldn’t have slipped my mind]
In reality, my priorities look a little something like this:
- Work. Lots of work.
- Furious and obsessive cleaning.
- Trying my best not to burn my forehead with a curling iron.
- Obsessing about how ugly our master bedroom looks and how I feel helpless in getting it back on track.
- Spending a few minutes of quality time yelling at Ali and Maya for _______ (fill in the blank).
The bad news is that my priorities are very messed up. But the good news is that I totally have a plan to get back on track and I’ve already taken a few steps in the right direction…
Yesterday I packed Maya off to my in-laws place, packed a carry-on each for Ali and me, and hopped on a red-eye to New York City. So now I have 4 days and 3 nights to examine the error of my ways.
And I’m going to do just that. Right after I catch up with old friends, hit up Bloomingdale’s, and have a couple of good meals at Tao and Bouchon…
a dead shark
Do you know what the hardest thing to give your child is? Undivided attention.
I am well aware of this and yet I had the brilliant idea to tell Maya that in lieu of a birthday gift, I was going to take her somewhere special.
When I broke the news to her and saw the huge smile on her face, I felt like the best parent ever. As a matter of fact, the smirk I threw Ali’s way screamed something along the lines of “I’m a way better parent than you because I denounced materialism in favor of spending time with our child.”
Minutes later, however, Ali handed Maya his gift of an Air Swimmer Shark
Anyway, I finally made good on my promise and took Maya to Disneyland. It goes without saying that a visit to Disneyland is harder than my hardest day at work.
But 12.5 hours later? When we both returned home tired, in a bad mood, and covered in grime? And I saw Maya’s two-week-old deflated Air Swimmer hovering near death?
I realized it was all worth it.
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 