France to go

Well, it’s been another busy week, but I got to see a lot of people. The Tuesday night blogger meetup was nice, and today I went to the Social Media Cafe/Tuttle Club, where there was a nice, big group to chat with over croissants and coffee. I got to catch up with Mike, Darika, James, Rob, Melinda, Toby, Lloyd, LJ, Josh and Steve, and I met a few new people, including Roger, Justin, Terence and Laura.

The best part of the event was that there was a nice little discussion group afterwards hosted by James and James of Spinvox about the “future of voice.” We talked about the difference between voice and text, where voice recording, storing, transcribing and translating technologies are going, and the implications of having a record of all the things you’ve said.

They also started by having us do a funny little drawing activity, where we added on to shapes, which was supposedly a psychological test that revealed what we thought about ourselves, how other people viewed us, our career, religion, home and love life. Mine were pretty funny, though I don’t know how accurate they were. I apparently see myself as a dinosaur/dragon with a fat tail and spikes, but I think other people see me as a flower… hmm… leave your psychological interpretations below.

And what have I been writing this week?

There were the usual entertainment and fashion posts for Sugarscape, though the site was experiencing some pretty serious technical problems that slowed posting considerably, so it’s possible not all my stories made it up.

I got back on the wagon with writing for Hitched with a post about “Going Green This Summer.” Big thanks to Jamie from WalkIt.com for helping me put some ideas together, and thanks, Luke, for connecting us.

I also managed to do a few posts on Londonist — a nice little piece about “New Cancer Centre Offers Free Support,” and what you’ve been waiting for… “Stupidly Cute Monkey Born at London Zoo.” Check out the video of the endangered little critter below. Sort of so ugly it’s cute, and then ridiculously so because of its fuzzy little head and skinny little limbs.

Happy Friday, everyone. And even happier in London where everyone has Good Friday off, which also means a four-day weekend, since Monday is a holiday, too. Because of my traveling last weekend and today off, I only have three Londonist posts to share, though I did have a Hitched article from earlier in the week, if you’d like to check that out, too.

• Cannabis Cop Faces Charges: This story is exactly what you think it is — a cop stealing pot from the evidence locker.
• Posh Handbag Pincher Brought to Justice: A moped gang (yes, apparently moped gangs exist in England) have been smashing windows and stealing designer purses.
• Cling Film Arsonists Get Off With Drunk Defence : These two twentysomethings are thanking their lucky stars that they got off with only a light fine and community service after wrapping 5 cars in cling film then lighting them on fire when they were drunk. Their defense? They were too drunk to remember. (Oh, and for my American readers concerned with spelling, defense is spelled defence here.)

Later today, I’m off to Barcelona for the weekend. See you Tuesday!

I’m sure I’ll be posting a bit more, with photos and better descriptions, but Evan and I got back from our New York weekend today.

We left from Gatwick airport Friday morning and had a 2-hour delay off the bat since our plane didn’t arrive on time. After an uneventful flight — Evan slept and I finished reading Youth in Revolt (very funny) — we got to Newark, took the train to our hotel (the W, very nice) and got ready to go out to dinner.

We had Greek food (yum), went to see Towards Darkness (unfortunately the theater wasn’t very full, though it was well-received by the friends and family who came), and went out for drinks at the Thirsty Scholar (fun!).

Saturday we went to MoMA (very cool, check out the photo), walked through Central Park (always lovely), had Mexican food in DUMBO (quite an adventure to get to, though the food was delicious), and went out with friends at B Bar.

Sunday, we had brunch (I miss American-style brunch), Evan bought a camera, we had drinks with a friend, then spent a long time in Newark airport waiting for our flight (we were early). The flight was bumpy. Evan slept; I didn’t. I did, however, completely conk out on the train in from Gatwick. I also managed to take an accidental 6-hour nap this afternoon (oops) while Evan was at work.

More about the weekend soon.

Also, check out my latest Hitched article, “Online Tools to Keep You Organized.”

I’m very excited about my new Hitched article, just published today, called “The Family Blog.” It’s all about how personal blogging can help you stay connected with family and friends and create an evolving keepsake for your family.

Though it focuses more on the technical, how-to aspects of setting up a blog, I wish I could have injected more of my own experience into the story — things like how my parents and grandparents read the blog whenever I post (hi guys!), or how even though a lot of you reading (most of you reading, really) won’t leave comments, you will tell me that you’ve been keeping up with my adventures through other means.

I must say, though: Leave comments. Say hello. I want to hear what you’ve been up to as well. And I like to know you’ve come to visit my little sliver of the web.

While it’s fun to keep this blog as a bit of a travelogue for myself — and it is handy for remembering what I’ve been up to and when — I write for you, to let you in to what I’m doing. I never would have even started this blog project if it weren’t for everyone asking if I would be keeping a blog while I was traveling.

Also, if you’re interested in blogging, let me know if I can help you set something up. I’m happy to do it.

Good morning friends. Why so chipper on a Monday morning, you ask? I have no idea. But I do have some new reading for you if you’re interested.

First is my latest Hitched article, “Scheduling Conflict,” about working an opposite schedule from your spouse. I interviewed three couples about how they cope being on essentially night-and-day schedules. Sounds pretty lonely to me, but they’re making it work. And some even choose that sort of schedule for child-care reasons.

And I’m continuing my little Londonist streak — I’m going to try to do a post a day. Today’s little post is about a fire in a fire station, and it’s called “No Pole to Slide Down to Get to This Fire.”

I’ve also been testing out writing some reviews on some review sites here. I still miss Yelp, though I have found some good, though newish, alternatives.

Hope everyone’s week starts off well. I get to end mine off with a visit from my parents — they’re coming on Saturday, and I’m very excited to show them around London.

Two more articles up this week: One on Entrepreneur.com about new billing/payment trends, which ended up being much more interesting than it sounds. Well, at least the interviews were. I got to talk to people at four different alternative billing companies — Bill Me Later, eBillme, Revolution Money and BSG Clearing Solutions — and hear about the new ways they’re letting customers pay retailers. It was a great education in shopping carts and alternative credit systems that I never expected to get. I wish I could have written more about each of the companies. If you’re interested, check out “New Ways to Pay.”

The Hitched article is one Valentine’s Day — what happens when one partner is more into the holiday than the other. I interviewed NYC-based psychologist Diana Kirschner, and was helped out by a connection from the Entrepreneur.com payment article — Bill Me Later had just done a survey on Valentine’s day spending and disputes. If you’re interested in this one, check out “Valentine’s Day Dispute.”

What an appropriate subject for me to cover — dealing with winter colds and flus. Seems like everyone’s been getting something lately, though I guess that always happens this time of year.

Flu Season Fixes
When your spouse is suffering from a cold or flu, help them heal while avoiding getting sick yourself.

Itchy throats, stuffy noses, aches and pains: yup, it’s flu season. And when your partner gets a nasty virus, finding ways to make them feel better—and ways for you to not get the bug—are top priority. So what can you do?

… read the full article at Hitched

Check out my latest Hitched article about new year’s resolutions. Hope this is a great one for all! I ended up having a near repeat of last new year’s–Evan and I had dinner with his grandparents, which included an absolutely amazing chocolate souffle, we went out with some friends to a bar in Downtown LA called Blue Velvet, which was fun, and we stopped by a party at a friend’s place to see a few more people. Then we spent New Year’s Day at the Rose Bowl — go Trojans! — and finished the day by meeting up with Maryn and Brian, then having dinner with my parents. Man, it’s been a busy trip home! I’ll try to post some pictures soon — we have nice ones from Tara and Dave’s wedding and the Rose Bowl.

Resolution for Two

Want to make this a great year for your marriage? Try making one of these 10 resolutions that can help bring you closer.

You hop into the new year by sharing a bottle of bubbly and a smooch from your partner, but your resolutions will probably focus on you, you and you. You want to lose weight, get a promotion and make more money. But what about that other entity in your life—your marriage? We challenge you to make 2008 the best year yet for your union by taking your partner into consideration and making a resolution that’ll benefit both of you.

Don’t know where to start? We’ve got 10 experts who can help you get the gears turning.

… Read the rest of the article at Hitched

This one is short and sweet.

Gifts for the Whole Family
Want to find something that everyone can enjoy together this holiday season? Look no further.

If spending more time as a family is going to be one of your New Year’s resolutions, why not help yourself out with a holiday present that everyone can enjoy together? In this last-minute push at the end of December, we’ve got five picks that can work for your family, whether you have children or not.

…Read the whole article on Hitched

Check out my new Hitched article, especially if the holidays stress you out.

6 Steps to a Stress-Free Holiday Season
These six tips from the founder of The Stress Institute can help you have happier holidays.

The holiday season is prime time for stress, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether it’s your budget, your family or the prospect of an expanding waistline that’s grating on your nerves, there are ways to refocus on what holiday time should be about—having fun and relaxing. Dr. Kathleen Hall, founder and CEO of The Stress Institute (www.thestressinstitute.com) shares six stress-busting tips that can help you have a calmer, more fulfilling holiday season. 

… read more at Hitched 

Check out my latest Hitched article:

Spoiled Rotten
Think your spouse has spoiled your children too much? Here’s how to get back on the same page and deprogram the brattiness.

“Dad, can I get this?” asks your little one, holding up a toy on what was supposed to be a quick trip to Target for toilet paper. You say no—she doesn’t need one more toy that she’ll forget about in two days and then have it clutter up her room. But she starts whining. And even worse, she says, “But Mom would get it for me.” Now, before you go into a blind rage—at both your spouse (assuming your child’s statement is true) and your child—or just give in and buy the item, think about how and why your child expects and even demands unnecessary items from you and why your spouse is so willing to give in. …go to Hitched to read more

My latest Hitched article seems absolutely apropos this week–it’s really starting to feel like winter in Hungary. It snowed yesterday (I meant to take photos, sorry), and it’s definitely getting colder–and my article is all about the things you can do to get ready for winter that might not be top-of-mind.

Get Ready for Winter
Are you ready for the cold season? Take a look at these quick tips to expertly weather the winter.

Even if you don’t get snow, you still have to deal with some winter issues. From flu and colds to increased heating costs to just wanting to cozy up by a fire; are you ready for the months ahead? We gathered some tips you may not have thought of to save energy and money and keep your family and pets safe this winter. …go to Hitched to read more