Food for Thought: Cereal

To this day, I have no idea how I grew up eating cereal without milk. As soon as I tried it, the combination of the crunchy cereal and the cold milk created a meal I could now eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.

As a kid, we ate the sugary favorites like Cocoa Puffs, Fruity Pebbles, Lucky Charms and if you were really lucky, Cookie Crisps (my mother felt there was only so much sugar acceptable for breakfast, and a bowl of cookies was pushing it). Nowadays, it's all about eating healthy with fiber and antioxidants. So some might thing the fun of cereal is over. After all, half the fun was taking out all the marshmellows in the Lucky Charms. But there are 2 "adult" cereals I can't live without.

My recommendation? Smart Start and Special K Strawberry. And I don't just eat it, I devour it, averaging a box in less than a week, cleaing off the shelves at CVS and Walgreens like I'm on Supermarket Sweep.

I love this cereal so much, I could eat it any time of the day. But some people confuse my choice of cereal for dinner as laziness. If I had to milk a cow and bake the cereal myself, I'd still eat it. (Um, ok maybe not, as the thought of milking a cow makes me lose my appitite). But can't it be that I just love cereal? So kill me if I enjoy cereal all the time. No, don't. Then you'd be a cereal killer! Zing!

I Have a Dream...That One Day...I'll Know What the Hell My Dreams Mean

As Martin Luther King said, "I have a dream..that one day...this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed..."

I don't know about you but my dreams normally include riding unicorns into Brad Pitt's home on a rainbow cloud with a leprechaun leading the way.

With the movie Inception taking over the box office, it got me thinking. If I had one dream, it would be to figure out my dreams. But let's really analyze this.


We all have plenty of dreams. Some that may foreshadow an event or perhaps some that include running from aliens in our backyard. Some that feature us as the main star or others where were an innocent observer. But the real question is, what do they mean?

I know the dreams that end right before my alarm clock means I'm a well-timed thinker. I know the dreams that get cut off by alarm clock piss me off, especially when I can't remember what my dream was about minutes after waking up. I know the dreams that scare the crap out of me in the middle of the night makes me want to believe it's still ok to jump in my mom's bed. And I know the dreams that continue in my head when I know I'm fully controlling the outcome are friggin awesome but totally don't count.

But I don't study dreams enough to know what they really mean. All I know is that it's freakishly cool to be asleep and have our minds be wide awake!

Top 3 of the Week: Things I'll Have to Get Used to Living on My Own

1) Wait that cost WHAT NOW?!
Ok, fine. We're all spoiled when we live at home and don't have to pay for rent or food. And living in a city like New York where it cost $12 for a sandwich definitely makes me think peanut butter and jelly is a great alternative and home cooked meals will be missed. No but in all seriousness, we make money to spend it right? And so what if my rent is double that of most places in America and half the size, it's still worth it. Even if it comes at the expense of my expenses!


2) No One to Answer to But Me!
Yes, it's finally time to say I am Ms. Independent. Going out whenever I want? I can do that! Creating my own schedule? I can do that! Not answering to anyone? I can do that too!--although my 3 other roomies might beg to differ. But an apartment of my own definitely provides a refreshing feeling knowing that it's time to grab life by the horns and do whatever the hell I want with it!

Sometimes I felt like this is the lengths it took to get to work everyday...

3) Having so Much Time on my Hands
OK, so commuting to work was a 2-hour door-to-door triathlon every day. Driving in my car, riding the train, walking to work. Now, a mere 20-minute walk to work and I'm left with so much time I don't know what the do with it. The odd part? I am struggling to find time to write this blog since I used to take care of this task on the train!

So be prepared for some less frequent posts. After all, I'm living in the city now, so I got to live it up! And for all you naysayers who said, "how do you have time to blog," I'll now admit-- it ain't one of my top priorities! Sorry fans! I got a life to live!

***BREAKING NEWS******

The Brooke Schneider Show blog is taking a brief hiatus. I'm moving into the city!!!! And certainly can't justify blogging about dreams, cereal, or any of the other topics I want to discuss when I've got massive packing to do! So I'll report back when my life gets back in order!!!

Top 3 of the Week: Why Apartment Hunting is the Worst Experience Ever

1) Dealing with Brokers
Fee or no fee, dealing with brokers will make you go out of your mind. For starters, they all operate the same-- beautiful luxury building! Aka, it's a dump. Great view! Aka, it's on the 1st floor. What bothers me most though is that they get annoyed when you see apartments from other brokers. Sorry that I'm looking out for my best interest and what's available. And what IS available is all the same crap that you're all overlapping and showing me anyway.

2) The Signing Process
AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
I believe that says it all. When do you take it? When do you keep looking? When do you give up and get frustrated you just take anything? I'm indecisive as is, and living with 3 other girls is a challenge for sure. (Try finding a 4-bedroom apartment. It ain't easy.) But it's inevitable that your going to have to sacrifice something, and probably wind up paying more than you want. But at what point do you give in?


3) Actually Finding What You're Looking For
Ok. Fine. I want to live in the Taj Mahal for a dollar. Ya got me. But trying to find an apartment on a tight budget, especially in New York City, ensures that I'm going to live in a shithole. But is it so hard to ask for a couple of amenities? It is, apparently. Unless I find that genuine broker who finds me that can't miss deal that has everything I want...but that sounds as realistic as a post like this!