DaniMania 40 and It's Running Wild!

Yes, it is true. Today is my birthday and I am turning 40… Too Sweet Woop Woop! I know what you’re thinking, “I can’t believe she is going to be 40. She sure doesn't look 40. She can pass for a 25 year old! She is freakishly smart, witty, flat-out adorable, courageous and she is living her best life.” But it’s true. Some people hide their age, but I like to think of it as my DaniMania 40. To be honest it doesn't feel real at all. Forty has always seemed so far away, so grown up...so old! Yet here I am saying farewell to my thirties. And while it feels big, I have decided to embrace it and welcome a midlife with open arms. I have no idea what the future will bring but the past 3 years have been full of growth and SO MANY lessons learned. Here are 40 things that I learned and know --

1. Well for one thing -- I have made it to 40 years old! Had 4 major surgeries (3 reconstructive ankle surgeries, 1 gall bladder removal). Diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis 6 years ago and currently in remission. That shit ain't got nothing on me. Life for a while kept on handing me lemons -- so I lived by the cliche of making lemonade; even though I can not drink it.

2. I learned that I am not in competition with anyone but myself. Yeah sometimes it can be easy to compare yourself to others. I like to call it the compare and despair game. Facebook pages showing all the delightful moments your friends are having. Romantic comedies portraying what being in love should look like. Feeling like your life would be perfect if you just had that house with the white picket fence, 2.5 kids and a Siberian Husky. But now I’ve come to realize… everyone has their own crap they’re dealing with and I don’t have to be anywhere in my life other than where I am right now. I am in control of my life. Stop comparing myself to others. Serves me no good.

3. I don't feel guilty anymore about letting toxicity and negativity go. I used to be a paranoid, insecure, codependent due to past relationships. I do have some slips but after taking the time to dig deep into my roots and learning the ways of radical self love -- I understand it’s not the quantity of the relationships in my life, it’s the quality. I have learned to eliminate those in my life who don’t bring me happiness and who do not serve my most good.

4. I try my best to realize that I am not in control of everything and I do not waste time on the things that I can not change.

5. A good night sleep and drinking lots of water is better than botox. Take care of myself. Self-care is not self-ish; it’s necessary. Only when I take care of me am I truly able to care for others.

6. I am WAY stronger than I ever knew.

7. Life is just way too short for chaos and drama. Count my blessings and practice gratitude often.

8. I know who my true friends are. At 40, that fuzzy line that existed in your 20s and 30s between ‘friends’ and ‘acquaintances’ can be drawn with laser precision. By now, I have weeded out the fair weather friends, the posers and the double crossers. And, truthfully, I have probably been weeded out too. (By those who couldn’t handle my sheer awesomeness, of course!). At 40 I finally understand that it is perfectly normal to have a social circle of which only a handful are my true peeps. Sometimes I do have my moments of "I have no friends!" and no Facebook does not count but there’s comfort in finally understanding who my true friends are. True friends don’t care if I have had a bad day, if I have been incognito for months (which NEVER happens), or if I look like a hot mess. They are the ones who like me just the way I am, no matter how imperfect I may be.

9. I don't have time to worry about who doesn't like me. I am too busy loving the people who love me. I no longer need the acceptance, validation, or approval from others to feel good about myself. I no longer feel that I have to be someone I am not. I am me -- and if you don't like me, well that is your problem.

10. Three very important words -- LET IT GO.

11. I got to unplug from social media every once in a while. It will always be there and can wait but moments and adventures will not be as well as will not wait. Get out there and enjoy life!

12. I learned and embraced how to say “NO.” I need to protect my time so that I have time for what, and who, really matters — including ME.

13.I learned and embraced how to say “YES!” to what will feed my soul. Say yes to the things that will bring me joy.

14. Money doesn’t buy happiness; even though people will say it does. Research has suggested that once one’s income climbs above the poverty level, more money results in very little extra happiness. “Happiness is a place between too little and too much” (Finnish proverb). Put my focus on relationships and experiences over stuff.

15. I must accept and embrace change. Believe me, I sure did want to but the way I was going about things did not work and I needed a change.

16. Be okay with OKAY. Stop chasing perfection. I am sure as heck not perfect and those that expect me to be -- look at #3 and #8.

17. I create and manifest my own luck — by working hard; believing in myself; surrounding myself with positive, supportive people; and having the right attitude. It works.

18. I do not have to have a plan for everything -- another bitter pill to swallow. Most times the best things in life are serendipitous.

19. NYC, Paris, New Orleans, having wanderlust -- always great ideas.

20. Find the time to read all of the books! Having a cup of tea helps with this!

21. Failure is a blessing because when I fail that is when I will learn best.

22. Find the beauty in everything around me. It’s always there.

23. Even though I have RA and will hurt afterward -- Push my personal limits and try something crazy that I would never otherwise do, like walking across the Brooklyn Bridge or walk close to 2 miles in NYC while snowing in December. I will glow with victory!

24. Smile. It works wonders for my mood.

25. IT'S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT ME. STOP TAKING THINGS SO DAMN PERSONALLY. In caps for emphasis as this was and will continue to be a big lesson.

26. Nothing happens by accident and nothing is an coincidence.

27. Wearing my heart on my sleeve is stylish and is a true testament to who I am.

28. Having impromptu solo dance parties wherever I am is worth all the stares.

29. My strengths and passions are meant to be shared.

30. Everything I need to be happy is within me, not outside of me. It is no one's job to control my happiness. It is mine.

31. When I don’t get what I want now, it always makes sense why later.

32. It’s always better to bring others up than to drag them down. More people should learn this.

33. I must constantly craft actionable goals inspired by my strengths, passions, and purpose in order to evolve and thrive.

34. I can transform how I feel about and react to anything and anyone by being aware of my thoughts and intentionally challenging and changing them. Also pink salt goes a long way too.

35. Occasionally venting frustrations creates relief, regularly complaining about frustrations creates more frustrations and that does not feel good; which is priority #1.

36. My words really do create my world — both the ones I speak out loud to others and the ones I say internally to myself.

37. I can never be happy all of the time, but I can be happy a lot of the time if I decide to be.

38. Do not measure myself by age. It is just a number after all.

39. Be KIND. It matters.

40. Life is truly beautiful.

BRING IT ON 40!

My Review of the Museum of Mathematics

New York City is home to many museums covering various institutions and history -- dedicated to everything from Native American history to tenement housing to the very controversial topic of sex. It came to no surprise, well to myself anyway, that a subject most people hate/dread would land a permanent location in NYC.

The Museum of Mathematics is located on East 26th Street between 5th and Madison Avenue and is considered the standing fixture of "Math Midway" -- a traveling exhibition that first showed its factorial edge at the 2009 World Science Festival. While I enjoy a good lecture, MoMath (the Museums nickname) offers 30+ exhibits which ranges in topics from geometry to algebra. The museum's focus is to fulfill an incredible demand for hands on math programming as well as to enhance public understanding and perception of mathematics in daily life.

I visited the museum on its opening day which was December 15, 2012 and since it was their first day open to the public there were plenty of glitches. I could not create my symbol for the MoMath Logo Generator so I could not tailor my visit to identify where I was in the building. The gears for the Hyper Hyperboloid exhibit which is a chamber walled by vertical cords and when you spin in a swivel chair the cords come together to create a curved surface around you -- well the cords kept on getting stuck together. Formula Morph exhibit -- the computer kept on freezing. The velcro shapes for the Water Frieze (which was my favorite exhibit as I love things with patterns) would not stick properly. Also not all of the exhibits were opened yet. But again, this is reminiscent of having first day of school jitters -- if it can go wrong, it will. Do not let this hinder you from going.

Even with the Dr. House cane (thanks Veronica for the nickname!) with me, I enjoyed the museum. You do have to read the screens next to the particular exhibit you are viewing to understand what you are doing which in my opinion should be S.O.P at every museum but what do I know. The only problem I foresee with everything being so hands on and reliant on technology the museum might not last or hold interest -- unless you are in love with mathematics. Try it out on a Saturday or Sunday in the new year. Give the museum some time though to be open for a while. Hopefully the glitches I experienced will be gone.

Joisey Review: Harvey starring Jim Parsons

As many of you are aware, I am a fan of the television show The Big Bang Theory. I watch the marathons, have the DVDs, bought merchandise, you name it. My favorite character on the show is Dr. Sheldon Cooper played by actor Jim Parsons. Now last year he debuted on Broadway with the play The Normal Heart but by the time I found out about it, tickets were sold out all through the run. So when I heard that he was returning to Broadway this summer to be a production of a play called Harvey -- I patiently waited online until tickets went on sale and got myself a preview ticket for Sunday May 27th, 2012. The play does not officially open until Thursday June 14th but the benefit of the preview tickets is you get to see kind of a dress rehearsal. This is the time period where the actors have to get their lines right, their cues right, their mannerisms right, basically everything right. I figured what the heck -- a preview of a play where I do not have to deal with the possibility of a large crowd on a Sunday afternoon, works for me.

So what is Harvey about? Harvey is a six-foot-tall rabbit invisible to everyone except Elwood, much to the exasperation of his sister, Veta. In order to save the family’s social reputation, Veta takes Elwood to the local sanatorium. But when the doctors mistakenly commit his anxiety-ridden sister, Elwood—and Harvey—slip out of the hospital unbothered, setting off a hilarious whirlwind of confusion and chaos as everyone in town tries to catch a man and his invisible rabbit. In my opinion, it kind of sounds like Donnie Darko, just without all of the Jake Gyllenhall angst. I did enjoy the movie so the synopsis kind of appeals to me. Harvey is written by Mary Chase and directed by Scott Ellis.

Walking into the lobby of Studio 54 I was met with a variety of fans -- young, old, and we were all there for one reason only. Now most of the audience knew of the movie version with Jimmy Stewart which I will admit I have not seen but heard about it through my mother. Jim Parsons as well as not watched the movie version as he said he did not want to be influenced; he wanted to make the role his own. He most certainly did. A lot of the lines would be considered Sheldon-esque which I will not spoil if you plan on going to the play. The play is hysterically done and the chemistry between Jim Parsons and Jessica Hecht is spot on.

If there is one Broadway play you plan on seeing this summer, I highly recommended Harvey. It is in previews right now until June 14th which is the date of opening night. It lasts until August 5th. It is playing at STUDIO 54 whose address is 254 West 54th Street in NYC.

Joisey Review: The Vow starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum

Today I had the splendid opportunity since I went to a Super Bowl party hosted by the New York Social Network to attend an
advanced screening of The Vow starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum. The screening location was the AMC Lincoln Center (68th Street and Broadway) which is steps away from the Hotel Empire and since I was in my purple tights I felt very Gossip Girl. But that is not the point of this post.

Here is the storyline in a nutshell: Paige and Leo are a happy newlywed couple whose lives are changed by a car accident that puts Paige in a coma. Waking up with severe memory loss, Paige has no memory of Leo, a confusing relationship with her parents, and an ex-fiance she may still have feelings for. Despite these complications, Leo endeavors to win her heart again and rebuild their marriage. This movie is inspired by true events.

i will admit -- since it is Love Month, I was in the mood for a romantic drama. What I did not know is that this movie was written by the same people that wrote Never Been Kissed; a movie I loved. But the problem with this movie is that it moves very slow and you can tell there is no chemistry between Channing and Rachel. It seemed that this movie was trying to recreate the spark and magic of The Notebook, which also stars Rachel McAdams, but it just simply falls flat. Plus the ending makes no sense as it abruptly ends. I did enjoy the scenery of Chicago and the formula of snow as the backdrop of a sappy romance with two people who are obviously crazy about one another but it just seemed too manufactured for my taste.

Again since it is coming out in the theater during Valentines Day weekend, it will probably be number 1 in the box office. Does it deserve it? I am not too sure.

Joisey Review: The New Museum

While on a brisk walk to the Bowery Mission to donate some coats that I know I would not need, I decided to pay a trip to the New Museum which is located at 235 Bowery. This is their current exhibition: “Carsten Höller: Experience” is the most comprehensive US exhibition to date of the artist’s engaging work. The current show gathers together a number of the artist’s signature works in an arrangement that transforms the viewer’s experience of time and space. Originally trained as a scientist, Höller is frequently inspired by research and experiments from scientific history and deploys these studies in works that alter the audience’s physical and psychological sensations, inspiring doubt and uncertainty about the world around them. His work often draws on social spaces outside of the museum such as the amusement park, zoo, or playground, but the experiences they provide are always far from our usual expectations of these activities. Höller’s art takes the form of proposals for radical, new ways of living by creating sculptures and diagrams for visionary architecture as well as transportation alternatives, such as his renowned slide installations. These concepts may seem impossible in the present day, but suggest new models for the future.

Each floor of the exhibition explores a different general theme within Höller’s work to provide a carefully choreographed journey through the building and the artist’s oeuvre. The fourth floor focuses on the theme of movement—featuring the artist’s spectacular Mirror Carousel (2005), which provides riders with a notably different physical experience than the traditional fairground merry-go-round, while at the same time reflecting and illuminating the space surrounding it. The third floor gathers together works that seek to provide an altered or utopian experience of architectural space. For example, his Giant Psycho Tank (2000) invites viewers to float weightlessly in the water of a sensory deprivation pool, providing a tenebrous, out-of-body experience.

Over the years, the artist has employed psychotropic drugs, flashing lights, and other stimuli to potentially alter the viewer’s mental state. His new site-specific installation on the second floor, Double Light Corner, flickers back and forth on a central axis, creating an immersive, hallucinatory experience. The work is paired with a recreation of Höller’s Experience Corridor in which the viewer is given the choice to undertake a number of self-experiments. The sculptures, Giant Triple Mushrooms (2010), icons of the kind of personal exploratory journey that his work has always centered on, will also be on view. Taken as a whole, Höller’s work is an invitation to re-imagine the way in which we move through the world and the relationships we build as he asks us to reconsider what we think we know about ourselves.

The exhibition is organized by Massimiliano Gioni, Associate Director and Director of Exhibitions, with Gary Carrion-Murayari, Associate Curator and Jenny Moore, Assistant Curator. (Source: www.newmuseum.org)

This exhibit has gardenered much press lately from Time Out New York magazine all the way to Interview magazine and one question that pops in my head is WHY??? This exhibit is a great big come-on with the main attraction a slide that you can do for free at a playground. Also what they do not tell you is the Giant Psycho Tank, which essentially is a jacuzzi tub with Epsom salt, is either a naked or a bathing suit activity for only about 10-15 minutes. So if you were like me just roaming one of your favorite neighbourhoods in NYC and are kind of reserve with being naked in front of strangers, then this is not for you. But maybe that is the point of this exhibit -- to get you to think outside of your comfort level. I truly do not have an idea and I did not need to spend $12 dollars to have that reaction. If you are a fan of avant-garde art, then please go and enjoy. This exhibit is there until January 15, 2012. For myself, it was a waste of time. Then again, I would not have known that without at least going in.