the perfect body initiative.

inspired by regina spektor's song, folding chairs,

i've got a perfect body, but sometimes i forget, i've got a perfect body 'cause my eyelashes catch my sweat, yes they do.

i asked,

why is your body perfect?

and you answered. boy, did you answer.

and because your answers were so perfect i decided to create "the perfect body initiative"-- that sounds important doesn't it? well... i think this is important.

each day i'm going to feature a reader's response. and i will create an icon on my sidebar that will take you to those responses. 

the purpose of the perfect body initiative is to redefine what it means to have a "perfect" body.

so here we go,

My shoulders... because they allow me to hold my head high. 

from Morgan

Let Me Help You Help Me

wow. i couldn't imagine a better one to kick this thing off with. 

image by Redup Reda via deviant art

via visualize.us

what to do in nyc: the arthur ross terrace (located at the american museum of natural history)

so you've been in new york for a few days now and constantly going out for lunch and dinner is shrinking the wallet. rapidly.

here's my best suggestion:

pack a picnic. and head to the museum of natural history (located at 80th street and central park west). if you want to go in, by all means do...a more exciting museum is difficult to find and while they suggest a price, you are able to pay what you want/can (with the exception of certain exhibits, as well as the imax).

but after a long morning of exploring the innards of one manhattans great treasures, ask for the outdoor terrace (corner of 79th and colombus). and plop yourself down under the shade of some trees (there are tables) and feast on the beauty of the landscape, as well as the good (cheap) food you've brought. 

the area was built in the great tradition of european gardens, and you can feel it...it transports you. it feels private and beautiful, is nearly an acre in size, and rests against the glass encasement of the space exhibit. 

if you are coming with small children, pack water clothes for them (but know the boys must wear shirts, no matter the age, and everyone must wear shoes--water jellies and crocs come in very handy) and don't forget the spf, of course. then let the kids run free through the fountains. 

and if you're feeling the need for a calming moment...walk to area against the glass wall, where all the water drains...feel the buildup on your feet and marvel at how small you are in relation to...everything.

the best news is...it's free. you do not have to visit the museum in order to partake in the splendor of the terrace. 

do know that during the winter the terrace becomes a polar rink (a skating rink...but not quite, because it's not ice).

i have to say this is my new favorite place in all of new york. it's a great place to go to feel as though you've gotten out of the city. it is here that i can read, write, have lunch with a friend, and of course... run through the fountains (because i'll never be too old for that).

yes, they do.

two days ago i thanked regina for this reminder,

i've got a perfect body, but sometimes i forget.

and then taza reminded me (as taza tends to do) that the in full, the quote is:

i've got a perfect body, but sometimes i forget, i've got a perfect body 'cause my eyelashes catch my sweat, yes they do.

of course, i thought. 

of course (my favorite response). 

these bodies of ours do amazing things each and every day. so...this is my charge to you:

why is your body perfect?

mine?

well.

because my feet get me from one end of the tunnel to the next. 

and about a million other reasons. but that's the one i'll give. 

so now you. 

i want to know. 

and then i want to make a list.

and then we'll have begun the revolution without even realizing it.

what are you waiting for--why are you still reading this?

go.

ps: according to glamour magazine,

animal prints are making a

comeback (when did they ever

go away?) and so i've decided

to wear my zebra shoes

all the time, since i think i'm finally

coming back to myself.

yes, i am.

what to do in nyc: central park zoo

so i've been asked many a time what i like to do in nyc. in other words, people want to know what i suggest. and always, always i think...euf, i'm just about the worst person to ask because i don't get out... nearly enough. 

but. 

in truth. 

i do have a few ideas. 

and i'll go one at a time.

so how's this for a start?

when in the summer it becomes unbearably hot and i in turn become unbearably overwhelmed, i take great comfort in the penguin house at the central park zoo. 

the central park zoo, located at the southeast corner of the park, is small and carries a $10 price of admission for adults ($5 for kids). but it is home to an oasis of vegetation and a welcome respite from the daily grind and grit of manhattan. 

so why the penguin house, you ask? it's blissfully cool, you can sit on the bench that lines the wall for just about as long as you want, and those little creatures amaze me to no end. 

you see, they're just about the most awkward little things on land. waddling and tipping this way and that. but then they make up their minds to jump into the water, a more graceful animal has never existed. 

and i think there is something to be learned from that--i'll let you figure out what i think it is.

not to mention, they mate for life and i find that endlessly romantic. 

ps: when going to the zoo make sure to catch the sea lion feeding. the best part is just before the show begins and the sea lions know that at any moment their trainers will arrive with plentiful goodies--so they start to look for them and turn around in around in hopes that the goodies might arrive just a wee bit sooner.

diana f+. revisited.

the sky has opened and time has befriended me. 

translation: with my nanny-family moving to france and a slight shift in schedule at my second job i have suddenly found myself with time. ample time. so ample that last night i had a five hour play-date. and today i have committed myself to my new friend, diana. 

today diana and i are heading to 420 9th avenue where we will attempt to outfit her with the correct film. diana and i are on tenuous terms as i did not buy the correct film the first go round. 

and because i've almost broken her. 

five times. 

thank you all for the lovely comments with suggestions regarding this new friend of mine. unfortunately, most of them flew about five feet above where my butt is firmly planted to the stool. translation: over my head. 

so once i get to the camera store and get some nice man/woman to help me, i will review the comments and see if they land a little better. 

but until then...

happy shooting (of film, of course) and happy monday!