Ugh, I think I just saw a mouse....

I just saw the tail end of it scuttle from behind my TV and around the corner of my living room into my kitchen. At least I hope it was a mouse, because if it wasn't that was one big cockroach!!! Ugh ugh ugh!! I can't bear thinking about that. Much as I hate the idea of a mouse cockroaches are wayyyyy worse as far as I am concerned. This is probably because I had a hamster as a child, Snowflake, so I am far more comfortable with disease carrying rodents than insects. I was tormented by a mouse a few years ago which once gave me the fright of my life when I got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night - my bathroom is off my kitchen, oh the joy of New York living - and it popped out of my toaster!! My toaster!!!! Noooooooooooo!! Naturally I got rid of my toaster immediately. Shudder!!

Ah great, now I am scared to venture into the kitchen to make a cup of tea!!

Ooohh it's been a nippy ol' day in New York today. Yesterday was glorious, close to 70 degrees with clear blue skies, but today...well it's chalk and cheese, dreary, wet and cold. Winter seems to have made an unwelcome return, although you'd be surprised at the number of people I saw stubbornly shivering in their summer togs. Admittedly temperatures did hit the 90s for a couple of days in March, but still, that's not exactly typical for this time of year, so it seemed a smidgen foolhardy and premature to be breaking out the flip flops, shorts and tank tops and relegating the jumpers to the top of the wardrobe.

At least the bad weather meant that I didn't feel too upset to be in work today, not that I was overjoyed, but I didn't feel that I was missing out too much, since I probably would have just blobbed on the couch all afternoon. I chose to go in, rather than out of necessity, as I knew that if I put in a few hours this weekend it would significantly lessen the burden for the upcoming week, so I popped in for half a day. I was going to bring my laptop home and continue working into the evening - I had to be home between 4-6pm to receive a grocery delivery - but after 3hours I felt so exhausted that I knew it would be pointless to lug the laptop home as it would only sit unopened on my desk giving me the evil eye and making me feel guilty. Instead I got my domestic Goddess on and made a batch of spiced nuts and seeds as a healthy snack to take into the office. I am into making food from scratch as much as I possibly can these days since that way I know exactly what's in it. You can find the recipe for the spiced nuts and seeds here if you are interested, but I have to say, it's not my favourite, it's much spicier than I expected - duh, the clue is sort of in the title eh. I don't know why I thought it would be sweeter, although the 2 tablespoons of honey probably had something to do with it - but I suppose in some ways it's a good thing since if I had loved it I probably would have scarfed down the whole lot in one go and you'd have to roll me into work tomorrow.

As for the office today, well it was surprisingly busy, which was just typical since I'd barely made any effort at all with my appearance: my hair was limp from being left to dry naturally, I didn't have a scrap of make up on and the white shirt, jeans and runners combo I was wearing was barely a step up from sweatpants - which I'd admittedly considered wearing. Thankfully I didn't run into anyone I've been hoping to impress with my usual understated elegance (ahem) such as the various crushes I have loitering about the building. Actually...I'm pretty much done with my crush on the Strategy Hottie - I know, I'm fickle that way - which has been waning ever since I discovered he has a girlfriend. Aesthetically he's still very pleasing on the eye, but I've also been kind of put off him since he can be quite odd about saying hello when we occasionally pass each other in the hallway (probably about once or twice a week max), which I find more than a tad standoffish given we were in the same group at the graduate trainee assessment day a month ago. Not that we were ultra chatty at the assessment day, but helloooooo, we've met, so is it that hard to nod a hello? It's weird, especially as rumour has it, among those who know him, that he's a really lovely guy, but...shrug...that's not the impression he gives me. Who cares anyway, because drumroll please, there's new eye candy in town...ohhhh yes...the lovely Tom, tall, toned and um...twenty seven!! What is it with me crushing on the younger men these days?? Arf!! (that's my cougar impression). Actually Tom is quite a hit with all the ladies in the department with his deep voice, laid back demeanor and twinkling brown eyes. How envious they all are that he sits opposite me!! Ha ha!!

And last but not least there's the Creative Cutie who I was concerned may have been one of the 67 resignations that are rumoured to have occurred over a recent 2week period (seriously 67; that's like 10% of the workforce), but phew, what a relief it was to spot him by the lifts on my floor late last week. He continues to stare at me, but says nothing and I continue to feel slightly uncomfortable, albeit somewhat flattered, about the staring*, but try my best to smile encouragement, because he's a good looking bloke, reminding me quite a lot of the actor, Loren Dean, who plays Bones' brother on the TV Show and I'd go out on a date with him in a second if only he'd ask, but....nada!!! Am I blowing my own trumpet a bit too much do you think? I mentioned the situation to my Brit friend Nigel at dinner at the scrumptious Cafe Chili in Boerum Hill a few weeks ago and he was quick to point out that just because Creative Cutie stares it doesn't mean he is interested in actually doing anything about it.

"I stare at women all the time, but I have no interest in dating them," said Nigel.

Um...thank you Nigel you old lech, thank God you're here to prevent my ego from over-inflating since if I were left to my own devices my head would never get through the door eh!! Eyeroll!! ;-)

*While all the while wondering whether my mascara is running down my face, or if I've accidentally spilled coffee on myself