Two Dozen Roses just $9.99Dr. Weil, one of my top three favorite doctors, (in the company of my brother and best friend) advises in one of his earlier books Spontaneous Healing, that his readers bring fresh flowers into their homes every week to encourage better health and healing.  It's an interesting suggestion from an interesting doctor and I've fully embraced it.  Every week (or so) I like to arrange the roses that I buy at the corner store (a bargain at 2 dozen for $9.99!) in one of my antique flower frogs.  This week I went with 24 blood-orange roses.  According to someone who calls herself FireLady that I came across online, my choice of orange roses implies that I am enthusiastic this week.  I guess I do find myself more peppy after I look at the fresh flowers on my counter top.

It's Free But Expect a Race to the Finish LineFree comes at a price in Manhattan.  The price is speed.  When something good is posted in the Free Stuff section on craigslist, you have to be quick.  Like lightning.  But let's define "good" in relation to the Free Stuff section.  No, I am not talking about the free partially working Canon printer/scanner/fax that was listed today.  Good Free Stuff, stuff that may actually be worth the effort, and the inevitable race to the finish line, would perhaps be the free King Size Mattress (maybe, if only to avoid Sleepy's).   Or if you are looking for a pet, perhaps the three good calm cats or free fish tank with 1 fish.  Whatever you decide to pursue, be aware, there are thirty or so other interested parties that will probably get there first.

Delivery.com, Manhattan's Room Service!And they might even invite you over.  Let me clarify.  We (mommy, daddy, baby) live in a (less than) 350 square foot space (high ceilings though), which requires that our out-of-town guests stay somewhere else other than our home.  There seems to be both positives and negatives to this arrangement.  Room service being one big positive imho.  One of my favorite Manhattan hotels, The Empire Hotel, does not have room service however.  Which is actually not a problem at all if your guests are checked in, are feeling lazy, and are not in the mood to venture out to one of numerous restaurants on the block.  Just login to your Delivery.com account and breakfast, lunch or dinner is served.

Dunkin' Donuts or David's Bagels ?Well, some places were open.  I decided to surprise Ben with breakfast in bed this morning while he and Nash slept.  I envisioned us snuggling up under our grey flannel comforter, one hand holding an organic drip coffee and the other a gingerbread cookie (or two ... or three) from Build A Green Bakery.  Unfortunately for me, the sign on their door read "Make Other Plans, We're Closed".  Not that surprising, since it was 8AM on Thanksgiving morning.  But all was not lost.  To the right of Build A Green was Dunkin' Donuts (open) and across the street, the more dubious choice, David's Bagels (also open).  In the end it was the reliable Dunkin' Donuts (XL coconut coffee, cream and sugar, thanks) that saved the day.  Even though the life size Fantasteriffic! (or something like that) posters of donut pusher Rachael Ray did not cause me to want to stick around.  Thanksgiving is off to a great start.