the haberkerns

[it’s a…] @chaber20

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 14:32:32 -0400

[it’s a…] @chaber20

El Yunque behind us, rio grande next to us, ocean in front of...

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:32:14 -0500

El Yunque behind us, rio grande next to us, ocean in front of us. #babymoon

Birthday man.

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 22:32:51 -0500

Birthday man.

Morning commute. When all else fails, walk to work from...

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 10:39:01 -0400

Morning commute. When all else fails, walk to work from Brooklyn!

That’s what I call a real man!

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 17:04:30 -0400

That’s what I call a real man!

Banana and honey crepes at the Haberkern home this morning, with...

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 17:03:56 -0400

Banana and honey crepes at the Haberkern home this morning, with @chaber20.

How to survive the hurricane Haberkern-style: bunker down BBQ.

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 17:03:43 -0400

How to survive the hurricane Haberkern-style: bunker down BBQ.

Okay, last one. Proof that we’re safe! Our prayers are for...

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 17:02:05 -0400

Okay, last one. Proof that we’re safe! Our prayers are for those who weren’t so fortunate.

Out surveying the damage with @chaber20

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 17:01:50 -0400

Out surveying the damage with @chaber20

I spy @chaber20. #wrathofsandy

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 17:01:39 -0400

I spy @chaber20. #wrathofsandy

wendesgray: Norway’s on the top of my list. mine too.

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:58:25 -0400

wendesgray:

Norway’s on the top of my list.

mine too.

anthropologie: Little homes of earth and wood,...

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:53:34 -0400

anthropologie:

Little homes of earth and wood, Iceland.

Via: Lost In America

Always by my side when I write. #WritingWeekend

Sat, 20 Oct 2012 14:00:35 -0400

Always by my side when I write. #WritingWeekend

Gorgonzola & lentil salad with Albero vino. Ella...

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 21:06:07 -0400

Gorgonzola & lentil salad with Albero vino. Ella Fitzgerald’s on the stereo and the mister is cooking chili. Friday night bliss.

Refuge. (Taken with Instagram)

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 20:50:15 -0400

Refuge. (Taken with Instagram)

From the ferry. (Taken with Instagram)

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 22:54:54 -0400

From the ferry. (Taken with Instagram)

Gelato on the High Line with the lovely Mandi Houk. (Taken with...

Sat, 06 Oct 2012 14:51:48 -0400

Gelato on the High Line with the lovely Mandi Houk. (Taken with Instagram)

Our favorite cook book and new farm table (from the Williamsburg...

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 20:18:14 -0400

Our favorite cook book and new farm table (from the Williamsburg flea). (Taken with Instagram)

Christian made me dinner: Eggplant with Greek yogurt sauce and...

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 20:03:05 -0400

Christian made me dinner: Eggplant with Greek yogurt sauce and pomagranet. He’s becoming quite the chef.

Have you seen the movie Zombieland? If so, you may recall one of...

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 23:30:00 -0400

Have you seen the movie Zombieland? If so, you may recall one of the opening scenes where humans and zombies alike are running every which direction in utter chaos. People scream as they zigzag through the mangled street. Zombies moan. It’s not my usual type of movie, but—fun fact of the day—my sister-in-law made an appearance in the film so of course I had to check it out. This was similar to the scene I found myself in yesterday after leaving my Chelsea office in a freakishly monsoon-like hail storm. Minus the zombies, thank goodness.

I didn’t bring my umbrella to work yesterday (the sun was out all morning!) but if I had, I’m convinced it wouldn’t have been much use. The office I’m freelancing from this week and next is five blocks from the Harold Square subway station, so I joined the flock of surprised New Yorkers caught mid-rainstorm in intermittently running through crosswalks and finding momentary shelter under crowded awnings. Within minutes, I was soaked to my skivvies and waded in puddles that reached my shins. I might as well have taken a shower in my ankle-length dress.

Besides concern for my laptop (which, I’m happy to report, was well-protected in my unfashionable-but-necessary “incase” shoulder bag), running through the flooded streets of Manhattan was exhilarating. And amusing. And oddly satisfying. I’m not totally clear why people were screaming as they speedily clamored to their destinations, but perhaps the element of surprise had something to do with it. Who checked the weather? It hadn’t rained all month.

On the F train, a puddle formed beneath my feet and a homeless man pointed out that my mascara had effectively traced the sides of cheeks. I received sympathetic looks from fellow passengers who somehow managed to escape the torrential waters, and had probably been riding the train long enough to be unaware of the chaos unfolding above ground. One stop closer to Brooklyn, another woman in a similar soggy condition boarded and struck up conversation. In a city where making eye contact on the subway is a cardinal sin, it was nice to meet a stranger, to have a companion for the wet ride home.

How interesting that unexpected circumstances—even unfavorable ones—can bring a smile to your face and dissolve the imaginary fortress we’ve built around ourselves. What untapped joy would I find if I let myself be surprised more often? If I held life more loosely and welcomed fleeting moments with strangers, however messy, inconvenient, and unplanned. Is that the true meaning of hospitality?

[Photo of yesterday’s storm cloud from msnbc photo blog.]