Author: Stacy Horn

This is my nephew Christopher who is graduating from high school. Yesterday I noticed he’s like, a guy. To me, he’s always been a really cute kid, but to girls his age, I mean, look at him. He’s got a bit of a Prince William thing going on there, don’t you think? Same with my other nephew Greg. All of a sudden not cute kid, but cute GUY.

I only talked to him for two seconds, and I’m so mad. I meant to ask him what he planned to study in college and what he thought he was going to do with his life. (I’m so easily distracted.) Karen, what does he think he will be?

I recently asked people on Echo what their dreams/plans/goals were back when they were 18 and just starting out. Then I added a part 2: what happened to that dream/plan/goal, what changed your mind? (IE, I decided I liked X better, or working in Hollywood wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be.)

I made up my mind to be a writer when I was 9, but I knew that making a living that way was going to be a longshot. As to what I might do in the meantime however, I didn’t have a clue. I only went to college because the alternatives without it were so grim. Picking my major was only a little more planned than picking a number out of a hat. I picked oceanography because I had grown up not far from the water, and had watched a bunch of Jacques Cousteau specials and going to the work out on a boat instead of an office looked like fun.

Then I was introduced to reality. Endless science classes! What the hell? Plus, it was the seventies and I learned that Jacques Cousteau wouldn’t hire women for the fun jobs.

So what does Christopher think his future might look like?

This is my friend Marianne’s dog Schlomo in hydrotherapy. The poor thing is struggling to walk and so Marianne has him in hydrotherapy. Go little Schlomo go! Oh God, look at that face. Who can not love animals?

I’m having a crisis of confidence today, and I’m thinking the best thing to do might be to stop working. I’ve been writing, editing, day in and day out. And I think I’ve come up with good solutions to some problems that were brought to my attention. Even today when I thought I was done I got a cool idea which I just implemented. But now I look at it and I can’t tell what I have anymore. Step away from the book, Stacy.

My band has a great gig tomorrow night, just a couple of blocks away from where I live, in a park. Playing outside is my favorite thing in the world. And here’s a gig I just have to step out the door to play, but I don’t know if I can. My doctor said to practice and see what effect that had. He said I might cause more damage, and I might not. So, I’m going to do the heat/exercise/stretch/ice thing and see.

I might as well do that now … instead of mess up my book. Step away from the book, Stacy!

I’ve completely exhausted all the take-out food places in my neighborhood, so I broke down and took a cooking course. It was great!! I’m in the best mood now. I went to the Institute of Culinary Education on 23rd Street, and the experience was wonderful from beginning to end. Everyone who works there was very nice, and the person who taught this class, Jackie Newgent, picked such perfect recipies, for my needs anyway. Healthy, easy, and all were vegetarian except for a couple. And she taught me how to use a knife and I feel like I just learned a whole new language or something. I know that sounds crazy, but learning how to chop things up easily and quickly and well was amazingly empowering. I CAN RULE THE WORLD.

The name of the course was Superfoods: Summertime Fresh and Flavorful and my group made: Organic Mexican Layer Dip; Basil-Walnut Pesto Pasta Salad with Baby Spinach; Lebanese Tabbouleh with English Cucumber; Heirloom Tomato Caprese Spaghetti; and Natural Cocoa Smoothie.

Of all the dishes the other groups made, these were the two best: Mesclun Salad with Goat Cheese and Fresh Raspberry Dressing; and Avocado Huevos Rancheros Torta.

Seriously, I am just so excited. Maybe I can cook myself once in a while. Who knew?? That cooking didn’t completely suck, I mean. KAREN!! You should have told me!! You are the cooker in the family!! But I will need easy dishes like this for the winter, too, now.

Part of me always regrets not taking a Keith Haring drawing when they were everywhere, all over the subway and no one knew who he was yet. But I felt that would be wrong. They were there for everyone to enjoy and I shouldn’t be so greedy and grasping about it. So I didn’t. Little Miss Goody Two Shoes that I am. (Mostly.) Except few would have cared and one of those drawings would be worth a fortune now. Poor Keith Haring though. Life is so unfair.

I just came across this on 1st Ave. between 3rd and 4th. I think it’s by the same guy who did the peace one on 14th Street. Like before, I wasn’t really tempted. I still think whoever puts them up is putting them up for everyone. I liked the peace one better, except it has since been vandalized. “Everyone” can be such a jerk sometimes.

Should be editing again today, but I’m a little burnt out. Too lazy to go out and do anything else though. I took the long way back from the dentist. I went by way of the lower east side to pick up some moisterizer by Christine Chin. This is the place to go for facial and having your eyebrows done, by the way.

Oh GOD, could this be a more boring post?? Proof I need a vacation. Which I never take.

Thank you Don Vassallo for the choir pictures! This is from our last concert.

Did I mention that I hurt my arm and have been going to physical therapy? Well, it keeps getting worse and worse and worse and so they are scheduling an MRI. Of course it’s Arm Cancer. I just get over the Bleeding Face Cancer and now this.

Here’s my plan for the day:

– Coffee and blogging and Echo.
– Start reading book again (I’ve tinkered and now I see what I’m left with.)
– Shower.
– Mediate (who would have freaking thought I would turn into a meditator??).
– Gym. (A little backwards, I know, showering before the gym.)
– Finish reading book.
– Look at myself in the mirror and obsess about my eyebrows.
– Oh, eat! At some point I must eat. At two points, really.
– Spend a few minutes expounding on the wonders of Finney’s belly.
– Perhaps take pictures of Finney’s belly.
– I hate the word belly when it comes to humans by the way, I prefer the word stomach, but with animals, belly is the proper word.
– Look at my own stomach/belly and go back and forth between “it’s cute” and “uh-oh, you have a stomach.”
– Call father at some point.
– Worry about something (dying, the cats dying, never finding love again, Joss Whedon never doing a TV show again, world cluster-fuck getting worse, our current government … oh I shouldn’t get started about that, I will implode, a spider might walk over me while I sleep, my cats might eat a spider, my hair is going to take forever to grow long enough to put in a ponytail again, the apocolypse. Just kidding about the last one.)
– TV TV TV TV TV. The 4400 starts up again tonight!