It's totally the ball, guys. You try playing with a women's basketball while you watch us girls dominate!

When it comes to basketball, I am an addict.

I actually feel an urge to play basketball, especially when I've not been able to play for a long period of time.

But since I live in New York and the gyms I can afford here are the size of my one-bedroom apartment, (if your gym has a pool or a basketball court, you can expect to pay $3,000+ a year for those benefits) I haven't been able to play IN A LONG TIME.

So when I came across an opportunity to sign up for a weekday, co-ed, after-work league last month, I couldn't sign up fast enough. Not only would I be able to FINALLY PLAY SOME BASKETBALL, but I also hoped to meet some really cool people doing so. This league is 3-on-3 and there has to be at least one girl on the court at all times.

The cool thing about ZogSports in the city is that you can sign up for virtually any sport, including softball, kickball, rugby, ultimate Frisbee, etc. as an individual, and they will place you on a team with other individuals who also don't know anyone and who just want to play.

After meeting with your teammates, you're supposed to decide on a team name and a charity to play for. If you win the championship game, a bunch of money goes to the charity of your choice. So far, ZogSports has raised more than $525,000 for charity, which just kicks ass.

After the games, which for basketball are in three elementary school gyms in Manhattan, organizers announce the official bar to go to afterward. Their slogan is, "We cannot force you to drink, but we can strongly encourage it."

Yesterday was our first basketball meeting and scrimmage. There are seven members of my team - four girls and three guys - and I met two of the guys and two of the girls. Everyone is super nice, and even though we only won one of our games (tied another one and lost two), I thought it definitely was because we don't know each other's playing skills well enough.

But I like Beth's opinion better: we're playing with a men's basketball, which puts us women at a fundamental disadvantage. Yeah, it's the ball.

Is it just me or is it really hot and MCSTEAMY in here?

Before moving to New York City, I was told by a veteran New Yorker that it was a city full of anonymous faces.

And boy is that true. No matter how many times I walk around my own block, I still manage to see people I've never seen before every time.

Unfortunately for them, celebrities can never be a part of this anonymity - even if they don't live here.

One such example is Rebecca Gayheart, whom I recognize every time she comes into my coffee shop even though none of my co-workers know who the heck she is. I know her from the 1999 movie Jawbreaker, and, of course, because she's married to Grey's Anatomy's resident McSteamy Eric Dane. Through small talk with her and other customers who approach her, I've learned she's living in New York for awhile while starring in the Broadway comedy Boeing-Boeing on Broadway.

Though I do feel a bit bad for her that it's rare for her to be able to come in and just buy a cup of coffee or coffee beans without someone saying something to her, even if it's just, "I loved your play," such is the case with all celebrities. Comes with the title!

This is why that even though I probably did a triple-take followed by a series of quick glances when her McHottie hubby showed up to get some coffee early the other evening, I composed myself enough to then smile and ask him what type of milk he wanted in his two triple espresso macchiatos (read: SIX shots of espresso with some foam). This was, or course, after I asked my co-worker, "Is it just me or is it hot in here?" which is my probably obvious way of informing my colleagues that a hottie's raising the temperature in the store.

Afterward, I was a little disappointed at myself for being so star-struck. I mean they're no one special and they're just people too, blah, blah, blah.

But this one IS THAT HOT in real life. Talk about tall, dark, and ridiculously handsome. I'm totally updating my top 5 list!

Christmas - Rockettes style!

"I have just two complaints," Brent announced after seeing the amazing Rockettes Christmas Spectacular. "There was too much singing and too much dancing."

After that comment, I didn't even bother asking him what he expected. What I expected was greatness, and that's what I got.

Brent's parents flew in for a relatively short weekend visit, and we started it off with a bang - dinner at Carnegie Deli (home of the sandwiches that are an entire foot tall - no exaggeration.) followed by seats in the SEVENTH ROW at Rockefeller Center to see the Rockettes.

Though after it ended, I wished I had shared the experience with one of my nieces or young cousins, it still was an amazing show.

And since Brent's parents were the fourth set of people who came to visit us in December alone, it was a relief that the weekend was relatively relaxing. We spent days watching football, evenings playing games, and tried a bunch of new restaurants in close proximity to our apartment, among them being Lasagna Restaurant - a place where they took a good 45 minutes to an hour to custom-make lasagna for each individual customer.

I think I was probably the saddest to see them go because in the year I've been here, I've always had something or someone solid to look forward to. "Only one more month until I head back to Toledo," I'd think, or "only three more weeks until my mom comes to visit."

But this is the first time where, not surprisingly, no one is on deck to come and visit and we don't have plans to go back to Ohio anytime soon. The holidays are over and all I have is winter, winter, and more winter to not look forward to. I can tell the next few weeks are going to be tough.

"Chesnuts roasting over a lit candle because there's no way a fireplace could fit in here..."

Just like last year, Brent and I decided to spend Thanksgiving in Ohio with our families, but Christmas in the city by ourselves.

I can't say that this was a decision I fully supported (what would be more accurate was it was a decision I vehemently opposed, yet understood given the nature of Brent's job and all their end-of-the-year wheelings and dealings) but when the decision was done, I decided to make the best of it.

Since our New York City apartment is not conducive to anything that requires any amount of space, Brent didn't think getting a Christmas tree would be a good idea, given that we tend to like to move around when we're home. So I improvised and promoted my tiny singing Christmas tree from table ornament to full-fledged Christmas-tree status.

And one of my favorite Christmas traditions growing up was when my brother, sister, and I got into our pjs, grabbed our blankets and stuffed animals, and my parents drove us around town so we could check out all the neighborhood Christmas lights. The trip always culminated with McDonald's shakes - eggnog shakes if we were lucky.

So, in New York, I made sure I to make a few trips to see the Rockefeller Christmas tree and the lights on 5th Avenue - walking in the cold, unfortunately - followed by a Starbucks Eggnog Latte.

And although I will admit that I cried for unfortunately a very good part of the day on Christmas Eve because I felt left out from what my family was doing back in Ohio and missed them, I did have a nice, relaxing Christmas day at home celebrating the holiday with Brent and Chloe. Between spending time on the phone talking to my family, Brent and I took part in another family tradition of mine: opening gifts together in the morning, eating a big breakfast that my mom makes (in this case, it was me, and I made spectacular omelettes), and spending the afternoon lazing around and watching movies.

Chloe loved her bones and toys, and Brent loved the books I bought him (which he picked out) and also loved the hat and T-shirt I found for him, which was a first because not only does he hate surprises, he's usually not very excited about gifts that I surprise him with. (But the hat he's wearing in the photo is the one I picked out for him! Score!)

And of course, I loved the Nintendo DS I asked for from him - which I wrapped myself. Men!

So even though I couldn't spend Christmas with my parents and siblings, I was happy to spend it with my wonderful husband and pup.

The tapestry of life

My Grandma Bubacz called it "The Tapestry."


It's the notion that people you may or may not know influence you in ways they would never have imagined.

For example, my favorite Grandma Bubacz story starts with my Grandpa Bubacz proposing to her by asking her how she'd like a house with a white picket fence. But with my grandma being my grandma, she didn't immediately answer him. Instead, she made him sweat for three days while she went on a weekend trip by herself to pray to God for guidance. She secretly asked God for a sign: that she would receive a red rose if she should accept my grandfather's proposal.

Days went by without the answer my grandmother was seeking, but before she left, she went to see a nun whom she'd made friends with during the weekend trip. When my grandmother told the nun she was leaving, the nun embraced her, turned around, and plucked a red rose from a bouquet behind her to give to my grandmother to remember her visit.

That nun most certainly didn't realize what an impact she made on my grandmother's life, but had she not made that simple gesture of friendship, maybe my grandmother wouldn't have married my grandfather. That would mean neither my mother nor I would never have been born.

This same principle exists every second of every day - just without anyone realizing it every time it happens.

On a small scale, someone at the checkout line at the supermarket who compliments me on my outfit might not know that later, I'll put a little extra confident bounce in my step.

On the flip side, someone who shoves me and shouts "MOVE!" while I'm walking up the stairs from the subway could vaporize my otherwise good mood and put me on the defensive for the rest of the walk home.

So I think it's a blessing when our eyes are open to this phenomenon.

The other day, I was serving coffee and cleaning as usual near the two tip jars that sit next to the cash registers when a 10-year-old boy ran up to me - bypassing the tip jars that are evenly split between all the employees - to press a $20 bill into my hand.

"My dad wants you to have this," he said. "For Christmas and to thank you."

"Are you sure?" I twice ask him. Then, because I was so bewildered at the time and I didn't think to go up to his dad and tell him myself, I said, "Tell your dad I said 'thank you.'" It was either that or I subconsciously thought that if the guy sent his kid up to me instead of coming up to me himself, he didn't want the recognition.

Either way, I made sure to pay attention to see that the kid scampered off next to a man who was on his way out the door. Even from behind, I realize it's a customer who I know well. He's a middle-aged man with gelled sandy-brown hair who always orders two bagels with four cream cheeses for his kids in the late mornings, and will smile his shy smile only when you look directly in his eyes and smile at him first.

After he left, I racked my brain as to why he would single out me to show his appreciation. I mean, I see the guy maybe once or twice a week; we've never had anything that could be misconstrued as a meaningful conversation, and one of the longest interactions we did have revolved around the time he and his kids were sitting in the lobby near a ceiling tile that collapsed along with a whoosh of water from the rain the night before, and he asked me for another bagel because some dirty rain water splashed on it.

Nevertheless, a few days later, I see him again - Bill, I later find out - and try to look into his eyes as he's ducking his head so I can tell him, "Thanks for the other day. It meant a lot." Then I left it at that because I felt that with him, it was all I needed to say.

What I was feeling, though, was surprise that I'm more than a robot serving coffee to these customers. I apparently affect them in ways maybe I don't realize (the tapestry at work!). Though I may never know exactly why Bill gave me the extra Christmas bonus - because I'll never flat-out ask him, of course - it's a gift in itself to know, simply, that I matter.

COUSIN!!! (And an aunt!!)

The month my parents introduced me to my baby brother, I also got a brand-new cousin - one who has shared countless happy childhood memories with me. I knew I couldn't get married without her being in my wedding party, and was thrilled when she asked me to be the maid of honor in hers.


So it killed me that after Breanne told me she was planning her first visit to NYC, I had to count down more than three months until she actually got here!


But the day finally came when she and her mom, my Aunt Liza, flew in to spend a long weekend with Brent and I, and we had an absolute blast - though I'm pretty sure I would have had more fun had I not had to work. Among the stuff they did while I was serving coffee was being in the audience on the David Letterman show the day Will Smith was on promoting his new movie, Seven Pounds, and getting onto two segments of Good Morning America.


But when I was around, I made sure to take them to see the holiday lights on 5th Avenue, the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, Chinatown and Little Italy, Wall Street, Times Square, and the Statue of Liberty.


And I got my monthly Broadway fix the day they arrived because we scored tickets for Grease. The following day, we thought it would be great to just chill in the evening, so we went the chick flick route and took in the surprisingly hilarious Four Christmases with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon.


Thursday night, I took them to my favorite Mexican restaurant, Rosa Mexicana, where we ordered two of their famous $14 guacamole appetizers and just sat and talked over dinner and margaritas for nearly three hours.


So it came as no surprise that we were exhaused after a day out in the rain and snow on Friday, where a trip to the Statue of Liberty could have been better had we had any type of view from Liberty Island. All we saw was snow and all I felt was hail and coldness! After drying off, we ate dinner at the Italian restaurant on the opposite corner of my apartment building and spent a night playing a fun, but endless game of Trivial Pursuit.


And what I've found is that it's amazing that you think you know someone until you spend every waking minute with them for even a short period of time. You might know what a friend prefers to order at a particular restaurant, but that's because you're with them at the time. What you don't know is everything leading up to that fact - how many outfits she tried on before heading out or what songs she listened to on the car ride on the way over.


But when you are with a person from the moment they wake up until the two of you say goodnight before going to sleep, you learn a whole lot that you didn't know that you didn't know. Because I grew up with Breanne, my Aunt Liza was always around, and we'd usually talk about this or that, but I didn't realize how much quality time I was missing with her.


So amid the catching up during the five days my cousin and aunt were in town, I relished the fact that we could not only catch up, but I could get to know them on a whole different level - all while having a blast in the city!

Wow - I wonder what he has in store at the year mark!

This month marks a small, but significant milestone in my very young marriage. As of Dec. 14, Brent and have been married for six months.

Let me backtrack a bit and say that with the exception of our one-month anniversary on July 14, the 14th day of the other months have been - understandably - quite unexceptional. If I happened to notice that it was, for example, Oct. 14, I might give Brent a, "By the way... happy four-month anniversary hubby!" kind of remark, but other than that, I didn't expect to celebrate anything until the big ONE YEAR! (Fingers are still crossed very likely in vain for a very unlikely surprise trip to Hawaii!)

So it wasn't a surprise to me that I didn't put 2-and-2 together when Brent asked me if I had any plans for yesterday night - a Sunday. Now I know I've only been married for six months, but I do know my husband. Therefore, I know that it's like pulling teeth to get him out of the house on Sunday nights - he would much rather relax in front of a football game and get mentally prepared for the work week ahead. So when he mentioned a surprise on Sunday night, I immediately became suspicious, yet didn't register the date.

He told me to dress nice, so I put on a dress and high heels and off we went down 57th Street so I could see my favorite NYC Christmas decoration - the giant star that hangs over 57th Street and 5th Avenue.

But then he cut over to 58th Street an led me into this restaurant called Tao. I had never heard of it before, but I later found out that it's a trendy place popular with celebrities that's also the largest and most popular Asian restaurant in New York City.

Apparently, it's designed to indulge all the senses. To that extent, it's relatively dark so you can't see what you're eating as much as you can smell and taste it. Also, they spin their own music inside the restaurant, which looks much like someone decided to turn a big, empty warehouse with a high ceiling into an Asian retreat.

After sharing a warm edamame appetiser, I dug into my fillet mignon over spicy noodles and veggies and he nibbled on his salmon. Then, we were given the dessert menu. Normally, Brent doesn't even glance at it, but this time, he asked me what I wanted for dessert. Again - I was very suspicious. So we ordered a pot of green tea and decided to go with the over-sized fortune cookie that was filled with white chocolate mousse on one side and chocolate mousse on the other and surrounded by fresh fruit.

A few minutes later, the waitress brought us our dessert - complete with two lit candles and the words "Happy Anniversary" spelled out in chocolate sauce on the plate.

"How did you..." I began to ask Brent, who had never left my side the entire time we were at the restaurant, so I know he couldn't have let them know it was our anniversary that evening.

"I can't let you in on all my secrets," he replied with that impish smile. But he did tell me that he had to make our reservations at the restaurant at least a month in advance. So while I was or was not noticing it was our five-month anniversary, he was already planning something special for our six-month anniversary. You gotta love the guy!

And of course we each got a fortune with our cookie. Mine said "Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it that you can," which was appropriate for me as I attempt to be a painter in my art class.

But Brent's was absolutely perfect for a couple in love celebrating their anniversary. It said "Sex without love is an empty experience, but as empty experiences go, it's one of the best." What's more romantic than that?