a little misadventure

One of my favorite writer/speakers is Simon T Bailey  (twitter: simontbailey) and I love his wording of, what I believe, is a universal truth:  “you attract what you respect.”

That has become one of the golden rules in the engel household, and a phrase you will often here repeated around here – simply because we believe it so very much.

The things you ‘respect’ (and let’s define that as, giving honor: a high priority in your thoughts, choices, conversations, behaviors) – you get more of.

So – complaining, criticizing, holding grudges, being pi**ed off at, worrying, etc – when these things take a large percentage of time and energy – they multiply.

I don’t want that. I bet you don’t either.

Years ago Marcus and I made a pact. Being on the road so often there is plenty of things that happen to tick you off, make your day more stressful or just plain annoy the crap out of you. And sometimes these things are very big deals! So what do you do? It’s very very easy for one jerk TSA agent to distort the entire rest of the trip. And then? You don’t notice the 99 percent of times that folks are wonderful and easy and things go smooth as can be.  So, we decided, that for every one complaint letter we found it necessary to write (and sometimes – you have to do that!) we would send five compliment letters to the folks who ‘got it right’ or went out of their way to make our experience better.

I can’t tell you how greatly this has improved our enjoyment of life!  On the off occasion something happens – we take the appropriate action, ie: speak to a supervisor, file a complaint, etc. – then we start looking for people to ‘thank’.  This trick has ‘saved’ more trips from disaster than any other single thing we do!

This past weekend we went to Orlando to do some biz and visit with the kiddos – and it was very natural to compare what I like about x place verses y place… and there are some major differences to discuss! However – the biggest thing I felt when I jumped back aboard our delta flight headed north was gratitude.

Each place – each season – each experience provides something unique. A lesson, a joy, a challenge, an obstacle, an opportunity. And I don’t want to miss a single one.

So keep bringing in NYC – we’re ready for ya and loving you! J

a remember being on the phone with a girlfriend a few years ago who was living in the city. she told me she was waiting on a hamburger to be delivered. of course that sounded so strange to me and i asked her who delivers burgers? i so very vividly recall her response:

“oh honey, this is New York – you can have anything delivered!”

we flew back in last night, spent the entire day glued to our office chairs and just don’t feel like ‘doing’ anything. so we decided to order some of the yummy local pizza.

i called our fav joint and placed an order for an extra cheese pizza please. then i asked if they had any dessert. (i know you’re shocked! lol).

he said, “no, we don’t have any – but tell me what you want and we’ll run by the grocery store and get it for you -anything you’d like.”

of course i declined but – wow. i have to say – that’s another first for me!

come to think of it… we are running a bit low on toilet tissue…. maybe next time….

marc & i have a tradition that when we are on the road – if at all possible – we do NOT eat at chains. we always ask for something local.  mom & pop restaurants, one of a kind pubs, stuff like that. please – orlando is SO full of chains that we get plenty of that, so having something unique from an independent cafe is something we really treasure and look forward to.

and boy did we move to the right city for that!

in our part of town you would be very hard pressed to even find a mcdonalds. everything is unique and independently operated. and every style of food you can imagine! i think the one that most shocked me was the ‘etheopian’ restaurant – i never thought of that country as being well known for their cuisine – but the restaurant is cute as can be. no…. i haven’t been inside yet…. it kinda scares me! 🙂

we have already found favorite places all over town. we have an awesome cuban place. a sunday brunch place. and italian sandwich shop. and not to mention pizza and subs… oh my. so much food!

there is this awesome little diner we found nearby. it’s really a fun place too because it’s got the whole ‘diner’ vibe going on – but it’s legit vintage – not what i call the “disney” version of what vintage should be.

i am loving that about new york – when something looks old or of a certain ‘style’ – it really IS. the tangible authenticity is so beautiful to explore.

we use the groupon “now” button several times a week – pull up an outstanding coupon and take off to try something new! (by the way – if you aren’t using “groupon” you are missing out!!)  naturally- we don’t enjoy all places equally – but we always enjoy the adventure.

we ended up in a creole restaurant last week. i was picturing cajun (new orleans style yum!) but this turned out to be haitian creole – very different but still yum. however the venue – it was the front room of what appeared to be a converted home. i think you might could fit 15 people in if you squished. the owner / hostess / server didn’t really take orders (even tho there was a menu) – she more just smiled, looked you up and down and decided what you would like and brought it out! it was really definitely different (and i did indeed make marcus eat some of mine – but isn’t that what hubby’s are for?!?)

well. after about a month and a half of exploring only indy restaurants i have to confess – i began to really – really crave something… dependable? or… predictable?… is that what the definition for comfort food is?? i just wanted me some good old ‘regular’ food. so i decided on olive garden.

now – a month ago i would have said it is nearly sacrilegious to be a few blocks from little italy and instead go to times square for chain quasi italian food, but i did it. i choose to blame it on hormones.

my sweet husband obliged and we hopped on the subway and took off for 42nd street. i was so excited – it was really rather ridiculous!

and finally – out come the breadsticks and… they just aren’t – right. they were not very warm… and frankly didn’t taste very fresh. the salad was great but the soup was cold… and if the breadsticks are wrong – everything is wrong!

so we finished lunch, walked around times square a bit and took the subway home. disappointed for sure.

maybe it was because it is such a busy restaurant (there are escalators and in it – if that gives you a clue to the size)… but it was just not good dining.

i apologized to marcus for dragging him there, and then i started thinking about how often i take for granted what i have – and wish for something else. it is oh so easy to get so comfy with the things that are easily accessible, and romanticize the things that aren’t. surely that is a set-up for unhappiness!

i’m going to make an effort to work on that. not just in dining of course – but just being present and appreciative all the way around. staying focused in the moment… aware – and ever grateful.

i am not swearing off chick-fil-a, but… i do want to enjoy the perks of where i am – what season of life i am in – while i’m here… and not look so far ahead i miss the unique things of “now.” i really do believe if we aren’t careful we spend far to much of life ‘wishing’ for something else rather than loving where we are.

and so tonight, thanks to groupon, we found this darling little place that makes awesome fries – and a yummy marshmallow fluff shake.

so come visit – i don’t know where we’ll end up – but i can pretty much promise we won’t be eating at cheesecake factory. 🙂

it is a fab fall-feeling weekend here in the city. temps in the 60’s and it is yummy beyond words! (plus the gators just won and that is pure icing on the cake!) not to mention i’ve been able to wear boots for 3 days in a row! so fun! we went to times square yesterday for lunch and walked around. still surreal to think we can hop in the subway, get out @ 42nd street and “bam” we are in the heart of midtown! life could hardly be any better!

and i am so looking forward to the next few months – i expect it will be my favorite time of the whole year. coming from florida where you don’t really have seasons – i’m ready to soak up every single second of fall in the city!

marcus came in last night from his walk with garrett and exclaimed, “i don’t like it here!” i honestly thought at first something bad had happened while he was out and about – but no. he was complaining about it being to cold. it was in the very high 50’s.  all i could think of was that – for him (and me if he whines a lot!) this is going to be a very, v e r y long winter!  lucky he’s not really the complaining type 🙂

so – let me give you the quick school update, which of course is why we are here to begin with! i’m hoping marc will write a blog so you can hear things from his view soon, but here is the basic 411.

marcus just wrapped up week two of classes. he goes to school on tuesdays and thursdays and is taking a full-time load. he has spent most of almost every day since before classes even began studying. (they sent out a list of homework prior to the very first class!). most of his work has been reading. and that’s great because he loves to read. however, it’s not exactly his first choice of material all the time. it’s heavy, focus required and sometimes technical works. he was feeling almost “stunned” after week one – but by the time he wrapped thursday night he seemed a bit more steady on his feet.

he has had some writing to do – and there is plenty more of that to come. but of course we all know he can write – so it will be hard work no doubt – but he’s perfect for the job!

he and garrett walk to class together and on the day’s he doesn’t go to school he often still walks around the campus. it gives g-dog some exercise and also keeps skills fresh. they have done incredibly well.

we moved here the month before school for that purpose – to have time to learn our way around before classes. that meant that most everyday – often several times a day – we’d all go out working routes. the first one was finding a “park” place for garrett (yah – that’s code for bathroom break – for garrett, not marcus… 😉

we found a great place a block up and across one rather quiet street (that is a MIRACLE in nyc to have a real patch of grass so close believe me!). they to the local coffee shop (unfortunately the closest starbucks is a mile away – marc could not care less, i however was shattered!). and then the school routes started.

columbia is a very large land owner in our neighborhood. the ‘main’ part of the campus starts one long block and about 3 short blocks from our front door. that is a very regular part of our routine. we’d walk to the school grounds. then a few weeks in we finally got word on which buildings and rooms marc would be having classes in – so our routes grew to include those.

the closest subway stop is several blocks away (around half a mile or so). so needless to say we are doing TONS of walking. and especially now that it’s not so wretchedly hot we really enjoy it. most days we average a couple miles. but don’t worry – we are eating plenty to replace those burned calories! (lol)

now, as school is well under way, those two are getting around like pros. i’ve tried shooting some video to share but it seems to distract garrett. i will work on that for you tho 🙂

there have been a few mishaps, like missed turns or wrong turns. this area is so full of pedestrians that there is always someone pretty close by to ask (even tho marc hates to do that!). overall it’s working out rather spectacularly.

and time is going by so quickly! of course – i’ll probably be saying something different when it’s 10 degrees and frozen outside…  until then tho:  i’m LOVIN’ it!!

i’m a geek. i fully admit it. and i’m not really ashamed of it – although sometimes my hubby is :).

unfortunately it’s not the brilliant kind of geek that can solve all your computer troubles or give you cheat codes for ‘world of warcraft’ i am the kind who adores corny jokes and superheros and startrek. and i have snuck a comic or two under my mattress. okay – maybe i’m a bit ashamed of that….

naturally i love star wars, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that yoda quotes often form the foundation for my thinking. my own personal teacher, is he.  (ha ha – couldn’t resist) anyway!

truthfully a lot of very good advice is given from the mouth of the wee little jedi master. and one that i’ve been mentally exploring a lot while embarking on the adventure that is NYC, is this one:

“No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.”

it kinda builds upon my new years resolution from last year (which was ‘to grow a pair’) – and keeps me moving that direction. tonight i had an opportunity to ‘do or do not.’

being in the city i’ve had the chance to reconnect w/ an old friend of mine. hands down one of the most musically talented people you will ever know. and since being here we’ve had an incredible invitation to experience some of the absolutely amazing underground music scene that new york has to offer. these players are mind blowing good – indescribably good!

so we decided to head out to a place in brooklyn for some live music and to hang out at ‘open mic night.’ true to form it was fantastic. marc and i were smiling ear to ear – enjoying all of it.

then, as these things go, i was asked to sing.

i can not explain the battle that occurred inside of me: i haven’t really sung in years. yes – most of my adult life i sang in public several times a week BUT i’m not really a singer. i’m totally out of practice. don’t be a chicken. i’m only being smart. smile and he’ll go away. why is he still asking me?!? haven’t you been deciding to make brave choices? here’s your chance to be daring. you’ll be sorry if you don’t. you’ll be stupid if you do.

“are you freaking kidding me! no way am i going to open my mouth in this place with you all!” my brain decided quite firmly.

my mouth however, much to my horror, replied, “ok.”

and so it goes. and it wasn’t really too bad – until that one section in the verse – every single verse – where the guitar player and i did not agree on which chord should be played – and i had no clue how to fix it.

nails on a chalk board. wretched. and eternal.

it was almost out of body trying to figure out what was going wrong so i could stop it – but it was totally outside my skill set.  knowing the way my pasty pale skin responds i was quite certain i was tomato red – and that everyone was wishing they could crawl under a table. especially me.

but i powered thru. finished. and sat down as quickly as i could, using a LOT of self control to not run out of the building screaming like a mad woman. i’d much rather they remember me for pulling off my clothes and yanking my hair out than for performing so horribly!

my sweet (and very very wise) husband was instantly telling me how ‘wonderful’ it was. the man is certainly no dummy – he is attending columbia you know! but i didn’t believe it for a second. so, while the next guy played i sat trapped in my own thoughts. is it better to do? to try? do we really regret things we DON’T try more than than the things we DO? was i closer to my goal or further away from my goal of conquering this ‘new frontier’. did i feel strong and empowered… or ashamed and more determined than ever to never try THAT again!

in the movies when someone finally breaks thru their fear they seem to always triumph. i was certainly not feeling like a winner. but are there points for “trying?” or what was it i had done? tried? failed? did? didn’t do?

i decided that i did it. i didn’t do it well – but i did do it. and that was the point for me anyway right? to do something out of my comfort zone. so – i determined that i won. yah – i did it. i snuggled closer to my hubby and smiled.  ok. i can live with that. besides 99% of all people in the world don’t have the chops these guys do anyway! yah. that’s right! go me!

then the manager walks over to me. i pasted on a stiff smile wishing he would just go away and we could all pretend it never happened. he smiled warmly and took my hand, “that was great!”

huh? did i hear that right? i stammered, “well if i could’ve found that chord…”

“yah – i know what you mean – but it really didn’t distract. you were my favorite moment of the night.”

i blinked. was he teasing me?? no, i realized, he was sincere.

i mumbled a thank you as he asked me to come back and play again.

hmmm. really?  could i be judging myself so horribly wrong? no – i don’t think so… but what then?

i suppose i’ll have to think about all that some more – the whole ‘do / do not’ thing. and don’t worry –  i will not be quick to take a singing gig in the city based on one dude’s reaction!

but – i am glad i tried. or i mean i “did”.

and one thing i know for sure…. there maybe only ‘do / do not’ but something on the ‘do’ list dang better well be practice! preparedness makes for a much better “do”.

and learn that freakin’ chord!

i must confess, i am not known for having a great memory.  truthfully i’m often so forgetful my family more likely ‘expects’ that i won’t remember. even things like – what i had for lunch two days ago.

but like, i imagine, almost every other american i can remember the smallest detail of where i was, who i was with, and exactly what i was doing 10 years ago today is engraved in the fibers of my brain.

i have a story. you have a story.

my mother was up visiting us this weekend, so we watched together large portions of the memorial on television, then the 3 of us walked to a quiet cafe around the corner for brunch. even tho we had all heard the stories from one another repeatedly, we still listend as we each talked thru the details of “our” 9-11.

although our stories were all different from one another one thing we had in common was that we were each watching the events from far away. i was in sarasota florida, my mother was on a cruise ship off the coast of spain, and marcus was in saint louis, missiouri  none of us were in new york city.

today we all there were. and we got the opportunity to glimpse the experience on a different level… as if thru the eyes of the locals… the hometown of the tragedy.

we walked across the campus at columbia and 3000+ tiny american flags were fluttering on the lawn. a woman walked around the subway holding an 8×10 photo of her husband – lost 10 years ago to the day. enormous banners and posters were displayed all over the city putting photos of the first responders – telling a piece of their story.

it also seemed everyone was just a beat kinder. holding doors open. taking time to smile. offering a hand.

to be this close to the ones impacted the deepest by this event that ‘all’ americans own was somehow deeper… “real-er”.

i hope that we keep the extra kindness. remember to listen to one another more carefully. share our hearts more easily.

but i think the thing that is the heaviest on my heart after today is…. gratitude.

we live in a nation where the horrors of one september day has become a touchstone. we remember. we rally. we weep.

so many places – too many places – around our globe never know when another civilian location will be bombed. don’t have certainty that the government is mobilized for their protection. aren’t free to express their feelings about sensitive issues. don’t have the most basic of human rights.

i hope we never, ever forget the horror of that day. i hope it continues to propel us to do better, to BE better.

and i also hope we never ever forget the enormous gift (and responsibility) we have to live in a country where an event like 9-11 is shattering – in part because it is so far from what we are accustomed to.

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there are oh so many things about nyc that are so very different and almost foreign to my life experience. we’ve visited the city many times over the last few years, you know – a couple of days at a time and almost exclusively in times square. we had an understanding things would be different – but being here for a solid month (as of today!) we’ve had quite a few surprises. 

i thought those things would be interesting to share, so i asked marcus to write about one of the biggest (and most pleasant!) surprises. enjoy!  mE

A-holes or A trains? by Marcus Engel  (but mE named it! lol)

When I was a print reading fellow (i.e., back in the days before blindness), one of my favorite reading spots was (gasp!) on the toilet. It must have been someone else’s fav spot, too, because somehow Reader’s Digest magazines always found their way to the back of the toilet tank or the basket on the floor.

Back in the late 80s or early 90s, I was doing my bizness and flipping through that month’s edition. There was a story about a campaign to get New Yorkers to become a kinder, gentler lot. I distinctly remember a black and white photo of a pudgy, middle-aged taxi driver yelling and shaking his fist. Under the pic was the caption, “Come On, New York, Ease Up!”

Now, any sociologist and/or economist can tell you that NYC today is very different from NYC of the late 80s and early 90s. Like, somewhere in the early to mid-90s, crime rates just fell through the basement. There are a billion different theories on this that I won’t discuss here, but suffice it to say that I’ve yet to feel unsafe in our new town.

Furthermore, I have yet to meet with any of the attitude that’s been pinned on the Big Apple. In the month (to the day, now) that I’ve been a New Yorker, I can’t think of a single instance of someone being what I’d term as “rude.” No yelling at me/us crossing streets, no mutters under one’s breath, etc. I just haven’t noticed it… and definitely not the kind of ‘tude shown in the photo so long ago.

Does this mean there aren’t A-holes in New York? Duh, no! Those people exist everywhere. And thanks to the law of large numbers and this 8 million population, it’s probably likely there are even more here. Yet, the kindness of New Yorkers, not the crudeness, is what we’ve noticed.

Two days ago, I was standing to cross the street onto Columbia’s campus. As soon as the light changed, a gent to my side said, “Hey buddy, the light’s in our favor.” This doesn’t mean I don’t also use my senses to determine when the safe time to cross is, but I appreciated the gesture. Yesterday, I got a little turned around on a route. After crossing a street I wasn’t sure of, I stopped the first set of footsteps passing me.

“Excuse me, can you tell me what street this is?”

“Morningside Drive. The park is directly in front of you.”

Was that hard? No, but many simply don’t believe New Yorkers can actually be courteous and kind. Life DOES move at a faster clip here, so bluntness may be interpreted as rude, or directness as shallow, but I just don’t see it.

So, don’t believe everything you hear about NYC. It’s not the unsafe place it once was, and the attitude has seemed to have been lost, too.

So, c’mon to NYC! Visit us, have a great time and see why we’re falling in love with this town!

with garrett being so new to our family, a lot of folks were wondering how he is responding to nyc. marcus & i were extremely interested in how that was gonna go too! and i’m so happy to report that g-dog is doing amazingly well!  he seems to enjoy the city and not be ruffled at all by the noise or hustle and bustle going on around him. curious? yes.  distressed? not a bit.

it was almost like he hopped off the plane, took a look around and said, ‘oh yah, i know this place!’ (he did do training here in the city while he was at the seeing eye.

and he is doing fantastic at his routes! he is great at remembering things and knowing exactly which door marc is looking for. i mean, he is not perfect at it of course, but between marcus’ inbuilt gps and g dog’s aptitude for memorizing – those two get around probably better than i do! 🙂

moving here, and letting him use this part of his training, has really revealed to us how remarkable he is at his job. and he’s just such a sweetheart to boot!

but, there is something else we’ve discovered about the wonderful garrett. a dirty little secret that has been revealed to all who enter.

he is gassy. very, very, very gassy.

because we’re in such a tiny apartment now, i think something we’ve noticed off and on is now making a rather large impact on our lives. especially mine.  why mine? because 1 – i ‘smell’ better than marcus does. and 2 – garrett has decided he most enjoys curling up right next to my side of the bed – as close as he can – to sleep at night.

so, trapped in a itty bitty bedroom that has no a/c (ie: air circulation!), is always kind of musty, and having a 70lb lab farting regularly 20″ from your face – yah. it’s not really fun. and he does it over and over and over. it seems to awaken me several times per night. every night.

we’ve tried changing his food. no help. i’m about to whip out the ‘bean-o’. well, i have to buy some first, we don’t have it lying around here! just to clarify!

i’m not sure what to do about this ‘issue’ (ha ha). maybe the solution will come to me. but for now, we are totally in love with this cuddle-bug dog, and amazed at his abilities. but next time you visit manhatten and think that it’s smelly… we might know the culprit. or at least a contributing factor.  well, that is of course unless marcus is just blaming the dog. 

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Most everyone knows by now that Marvelyne and I are living in New York. Most everyone knows it’s because I’m going to grad school. Some may even be able to state that my area of study is an M.S. in Narrative Medicine. But, over the last year or more, I don’t believe there have been more than a handful of folks who actually know what narrative medicine is. And frankly, a year ago, I was no different. So, here’s the skinny.

Narrative Medicine is a field which has only been around a few years. In fact, the term “narrative medicine” was coined less than a decade ago. To the best of my knowledge, Columbia University in NYC is the sole institution where one can study narrative medicine. Hence, our relocation to NYC for the 2011-12 school year. That’s the logistics, but again, what is it?

Narrative Medicine is a combination of health care, literature, communications, philosophy and a tad bit o’ social work. Interesting, right? But, what does NM do? Well, the goal with narrative med is to take these very complex stories of illness, healing, hospitalization, disease, disability and dying and turn them into something from which others can learn. Let’s take, for example, a story of a patient dying from cancer.

NM can be used by said patient to journal his/her thoughts and feelings as they’re going through the dying process, hopefully on their way to acceptance and peace. It can also be used by the caregivers who are treating the patient. After all, it’s a pretty callous health care pro that spends great amounts of time with a patient and does not get attached in some way.

Now, the tales of the process can be used by other cancer patients, cancer caregivers to understand the patient’s role, learn from the mistakes of other caregivers, etc. Again, NM tries to take these very personal, emotional and complicated stories and put them in narrative form for the comfort of those who are sick, with the added benefit of being an educational tool for the caregiver. Plus, there are many, many other applications I’m not even familiar with yet. But just wait – those times are coming!

Anyone who knows the speaking I do for health care can see the relationship between my work and narrative medicine. But the question still begs to be answered: “Okay Engel, this is interesting and fits you too a T. But, how’s it going to help the work you do?”

Well, for years, my main thrust has been keynote lectures. I’m hopeful for several different things to come out of this narrative med program.

First, books. With as much reading and writing as the program requires, I’m pretty sure there’ll be a few more Marcus titles in the not-so-distant future.

Polishing of my keynote: Through some of the oral communications of narrative med, I hope I can speak with an even more powerful and impacting style.

Third: More offerings to my clients. Now, instead of going too a hospital for a single 1 or 2 hour keynote, I can also teach the skills of narrative to all interested parties. I foresee myself giving my usual lecture on patient care in the a.m., then in the afternoon, meeting with a smaller group of front line caregivers and instructing them in some workshop form exercises about journaling and getting them to see the benefits of NM in their own field.

On Tuesday evening, the Narrative Med program held our orientation. There are approximately 25 students in the program, a little more than half were able to attend (thank you, Hurricane Irene, for at least helping most of us get there.) In my class there are physicians, playwrights, social workers, hospital chaplain, graphic artists, a nurse or two and several folks who’ve recently graduated, thinking they were going to med school, but needing to indulge their love of literature before entering the sterile world of health care.

After introducing ourselves around the room, we got into small groups with a few faculty members. From there, we discussed a poem with a health care slant, then used a prompt for a short writing process. Each person shared something from the prompt, “How did you get here?” We were allowed too interpret that however we saw fit. Most of us took on the task of answering the question about how we came to the field of narrative medicine, myself included. All of us, in some way or another, shared something rather personal… and this seems par for the course in NM. I look forward to these deep, meaningful types of writing instead of the fluff from undergrad English days.

What happens next? Well, next week starts the actual classes. As I get deeper into the program, I’ll share more. In the meantime, please enjoy more of Marvelyne’s musings about our NYC life at:

www.MisadventuresInNYC.com

we got back to the city safely and surprisingly easily following all the drama of irene. we had a great time in orlando, but both marcus and i felt like returning to NYC was “coming home.”  funny how quickly that can happen!

as of today we’ve been here four weeks. it has flown by! we feel like we’ve gotten the things done we needed to and now are ready to launch this thing!

last night marcus went to the orientation for the school of narrative medicine. he enjoyed it (all four hours of it!) and other than a little blip getting home, seemed to be excited about moving forward.

while he was attending the session to learn about what he would be learning about… i made a quick trip to home depot to pick up some paint chips (and dream – i LOVE giant hardware stores!). then i did a lot of walking around our neighborhood checking out some pieces i’d seen on craigslist. we only need a few things to have the place really set up. my expedition was quite successful, met some new neighbors and come tomorrow we’ll have every major piece in place.

this afternoon we walked a few blocks to pick up a chair i purchased. and this chair is mammoth! it’s really called a ‘chair and a half’ and i do believe it’s slightly larger than our sofa! (but man is it comfy!) anyway, it did require marcus and i carry this ginormous piece home. several blocks and a multitude of tiny doorways later we got it in the apartment. i’m sure it made an amusing picture… but we were not exactly laughing! we made it tho! and man – once again i have to say – i have the best hubby in the world!

i’m such a lucky girl.