*magic*

i know, i know....where have i BEEN? how awkward to leave us hanging on that Xanadu post for so many weeks, eh?

i keep starting entries...and then i'm like {{snore}} who cares?!? meaning, there hasn't been much to report.

until NOW that is.......!!!

so you know how sometimes i like to write (complain) about my inability to spot celebrities in this city that is literally crawling with movie stars and A-listers?

(let's recap. i have seen: a) Celia Weston two (2) times, once in the crosswalk of 3rd Avenue and 85th and then again at Filene's Basement, b) Diane Sawyer one (1) time on Waverly Place in the Village, c) Dave Chapelle one (1) time at the Fifth Avenue Apple store, and d) Star Jones two (2) times in the elevator of my office building.)

ladies and gents...we can now add to that list {{drum roll please}}....NATALIE PORTMAN!!

this is, i feel, my biggest and most significant sighting yet. not only is Natalie (we're on a first name basis now) one of my favorite actresses, but i spotted her all by myself (which is unusual for me, the Oblivious New Yorker) and it was a very "normal" everyday kind of moment, which made it all the more surreal. she was standing literally about 1 foot behind my beau in the middle of Starbucks, by herself, fishing something out of her bag. right there!! right in front of me!! i knew it was her within 2 seconds, stopped talking mid-sentence (my mouth was probably hanging open) and then proceeded to squeeze the life out of my beau's leg in attempt to clue him into the fact that there was a mega-star standing RIGHT BEHIND HIM. and the coolest part was, no one even noticed! she was just a normal person in a Starbucks on a Saturday afternoon. no big deal. i loved it! she then left the Starbucks, met up with some (unrecognizable) guy on the sidewalk in front of our window, put on jumbo movie-star sunglasses and strolled down Lexington Avenue without turning ONE head. she was just like any other New Yorker. blendin' in with the masses. strollin' along.

a few things to note about Natalie: she is VERY small. she was not glammed up at all, looked pretty natural and average, and yet is still strikingly beautiful in person. she is VERY small.

my beau and i then went to see The Other Boleyn Girl this afternoon and it was all just quite surreal. there she was, my new friend, up on the big screen.

maybe i shouldn't spend so much time and energy blogging about such "trivial" things. but the truth is, it *really* brightened my day! b/c maybe i'm tired of feeling like a jaded New Yorker lately (i haven't been here long enough to be jaded!!). but between all the political drama, tragedies and just the everyday little annoyances, it's hard NOT to feel jaded sometimes. and Lord knows i'm beyond tired of the endless gray winter days (February and March are the toughest months to get through, in my opinion). so maybe i just need a little reminder every now and again that i DO love this city. that i AM incredibly lucky to get to experience life here. because i do. and i am. but sometimes i get tired. and sometimes i forget. so throwing a Natalie Portman my way every once in awhile doesn't hurt as a reminder to my city-wearied bones that I GET TO LIVE IN NEW YORK!! where, yes, the frustrations and stress freely flow on a daily basis, but so does the *magic*....and if you know me at all, you know that i l-o-v-e magic. so i don't necessarily look at this as trivial, but more like a little gift of New York magic....something to give me that extra boost in these final, dragging days of winter until (glorious!) spring arrives. actually, i got quite a few "boosts" this weekend: sunshine and mild temperatures, a romantic stroll through the Village, lots of movie rentals & relaxation and, overall, just another dreamy NY weekend with my beau (who makes everything feel a little more *magical*).

ah yes....i am ready. ready to face another Monday. ready to dive into a new work week. ready for the Day Job. ready to face New York, in all its glory and severity....let's DO this.