How I Wish I Could Hibernate…

After a whirlwind weekend and a crazy Monday at work, I’m finally chatting with my lovely readers again. I firmly believe that exposure is what is going to get me noticed in the writing world, so I sent my last blog post to a fellow “tweeter” on twitter – @BroadwayGirlNYC who has almost 8,000 followers and a weekly column on Broadwayworld.com. I genuinely wanted her to read about my own Broadway moment last Wednesday night. In regards to my post, she wrote back “This is beautiful!” I was thrilled that someone who I respect so much as a writer and fellow theatre attendee would have such wonderful things to say about my own writing. I saw tonight that @LaCageBroadway, the show's twitter feed, also read my post and sent me a kind message. One more giant step towards a full time writing career!

I’ve decided to dedicate this particular post to my recent “obsessions.” January is the slowest month of the year (thank God it’s over!) and February has the tendency to drag as well – not to mention there is a certain “couples” holiday that makes all us singles in the world feel, hmm…what are the words I’m looking for, depressed? Less worthy? Alienated from all restaurants, movie theaters and flower shops? Luckily for me, I’ll be spending v-day in a hotel in Hartford, Connecticut by myself on a business trip…with a pint of ice cream. Doesn’t that sound like a fun night? In order to get my mind off of the snow, ice, frigid temps and my singleton lifestyle, I have found ways to occupy my time lately with the following…

-All things Natalie Portman. I have seen Black Swan and No Strings Attached, and Natalie is one of the few actors who has what it takes to be considered one of the greats someday. She is not the typical Hollywood starlet and I LOVE that about her. She enjoys her privacy, graduated from Harvard, wears only vegan clothing and chooses movie roles based on how strong the female characters are. I’ve admired this woman since she starred in Star Wars and V for Vendetta, and now I can’t wait to watch her career blow up. Even her romantic comedy with Ashton Kutcher is getting killer reviews simply because it’s not your typical rom-com…this one has substance. I can’t wait to see this lovely, brainy starlet win her first Oscar. And I have a feeling that baby she’s going to pop out in a few months is going to be one good looking kid.

-Ivanka Trump’s book “The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life.” Career books are my guilty pleasure (some people read romance novels, I read books on advancing in the corporate world), and this is my favorite one yet (although Kelly Cutrone’s book that I referenced in a post I wrote eons ago was pretty great too). I really admire Ivanka simply because she could have turned into Paris Hilton and didn’t. She is a smart and savvy business woman who also happens to be beautiful and a Trump. I haven’t finished the book yet, but she gives some really great insight on how to succeed. Like her father, she hasn’t used her name as an excuse to party, have lots of sex, and use cocaine from time to time, but rather as a tool to further her own career. And according to Ivanka, we all have a tool at our disposal as well. Discovering it is half the battle. She has created shoe and jewelry lines and is VP of real estate development and acquisitions for the Trump Organization…all at 29! I love reading about strong, powerful women and encourage all my women readers to do the same. And one day, I hope we all can be as successful as this inspiring woman.

-My new gym. I can’t get enough of my new gym membership. I still have yet to try many of the classes, but I am so grateful that I’m able to get home from work, change into workout clothes, walk the 11 blocks to my gym (as my warm up), complete a thorough workout and walk back home…all in time for Modern Family. I have been trying to get there 4 times a week, but with the way this winter’s been going, I may step it up to five/six. What better way to warm up from the zero degree weather than to go run out all of your stress. The treadmill is not my favorite way to run (my shins don’t enjoy it much either), but it’s ten times better than running in the snow and slipping on ice. And once I’m there, stepping it up from 30 minutes to one hour seems like no big deal. Who really wants to go back out into the arctic anyway? Even though I am paying an arm, a leg and a few fingers for my membership, it has been totally worth it to shake away those winter blues.