Jenn's Book of Days

The 9th Annual Christmas Shopping Trip

2008-12-17T12:11:00.000-08:00

By this time many of you are familiar with the Christmas shopping trip that Kel and I take every year. For 2008 - we left on December 10th - headed for Woodbury Commons for the 9th annual trip. I can't believe we've been doing this trip for almost a decade. But we love it!

Pictured here is Kel, in Coach - buying bags for pretty much everyone she knows. They had such good deals in Coach that we both bought numerous things in there - though Kel gets the medal for most bags ever purchased in Coach at a single time. In some stores, the deals were pretty decent - in others - not so much. But despite the face that it rained both days, and was much colder on Thursday - we were troopers, shopped for a total of 17 hours over both days, and got 95% of our shopping done.

The funny quotes from the trip are:

"I'm going to make it stop raining by willing it to stop. The Secret says I can" then - "See? I told you it would be done by the time we finished lunch."

"We cannot go back to the car after every single store."

"WHAT'S THIS!!!"

"We can't listen to Christmas music because the CDs are buried under the packages."

"I'm not leaving here without my mother's fucking gloves."

"$2.00 a box? Fuck you!"

That's all I can remember right now. Good trip though!

Food Bank for NYC

2008-12-02T07:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Community Outreach Day at my company, so my team volunteered to be a part of one of the outreach efforts planned - spending a morning working at the Food Bank for NYC.

We trekked out to the Bronx from Wall Street - no small feat. After two trains and a bus (flashbacks of living at home!) we arrived at the warehouse. Our objective was to separate huge boxes of food into smaller boxes by category: fruit, condiments, snacks, etc. I ended up being a "boxer" - I would repack stuff that other people had separated, seal the boxes and deposit them on nearby pallets.

I confess, volunteer work is not something I do often, but I really enjoyed the work we were doing at the Food Bank. The time went by so fast, and it was nice to know that we were doing something good for others. Here is a picture of all of us at the warehouse.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Story Update

2008-11-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

I received some good news the other day. Many of you may remember that several years ago, I had a story chosen to be published in one of the Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies. My story, "Melts in Your Heart, Not in Your Hand" appeared in "Chicken Soup for the Girlfriend's Soul". So on Saturday I received an email saying my story was considered one of the best of the best, and was going to be included in a new anthology - "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Preteens Talk". It is really exciting to know that not only do the editors think that my story was one of the best, but now more people will have a chance to read it. The book is actually available on Amazon, if you want to check it out, here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Soup-Soul-Preteens-Inspiration/dp/1935096001

Downtown

2008-08-19T08:40:00.001-07:00

I've been meaning to do this entry for awhile, but as usual, things have been busy. As some of you know, our offices recently moved from East-Nothing to the downtown financial district of Manhattan. A few things have changed - for one, we are no longer ALM but are now Incisive Media. So our new offices are located at 120 Broadway, in the historical Equitable Building. We are across the street from Trinity Church, whose graveyard holds the grave of Alexander Hamilton. We are a couple of blocks from the the New York Stock Exchange, and the Federal building where George Washington was sworn in as the first president of the United States. Pretty cool, right?

We can also see the WTC site from one of our conference rooms. It still just looks like a construction site, but I think it will be interesting to watch the building when they start on whatever memorial will be there and the Freedom Tower - if that's still the plan. I think they keep changing it.

Anyway - that's the latest from this side of the city.

Supermarket Ettiquette

2008-07-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

Some of you may remember posts I did a few years ago called "Subway Etiquette" and "Umbrella Etiquette", which focused on some common sense (you would think) tips for taking the subway and walking around New York City with an umbrella. Apparently the people of New York haven't learned much because now I need to do a post explaning how to behave at the supermarket.

I do most of my food shopping at the Stop & Shop in Maspeth which is a decent sized supermarket for Queens. Matt and I went yesterday to stock up on food for the week at around 7 p.m. As usual, the place was packed with idiots.

From that experience, I've drafted the following rules:

1. Do not leave your cart in the middle of the aisle and diagnolly so that it blocks up the entire aisle. I don't know if you know this, but other people are making their way up and down the aisles with carts as well.

2. If you are going to stop to look at products, please pull your cart over to the side. Treat the aisle like the highway - you can't just stop right in the freaking middle and hang out there for awhile.

3. If someone else has already stopped their cart on the side of the aisle, do not stop your cart directly next to theirs. You don't know how many times I have seen this. People stop in the exact same place, and their two carts block up the whole aisle. And they seem so surprised when you're behind them saying "Excuse me." Here's a nifty solution. Park your cart in front or in back of the other pulled over cart so that there's still an open lane.

4. Do not come to a complete stop at the end or beginning of a new aisle. I know you're trying to figure out if you need more freaking Cheerios, but figure it out somewhere out of the way.

5. Don't walk at an absolute snail's pace through the aisles. I'm tired too - but if we all walk at normal speeds, we can get done shopping quicker and get to bed quicker and get more sleep so we have enough energy to be at the supermarket.

6. Do not use the new fancy self-checkout counters if you do not know what the hell you are doing. I swear, when I shop at night they have about two aisles with actual cashiers with a line 5 or 6 people deep (the peoplel who are afraid of the new machines) and then five or six self checkout lanes with people standing around trying to figure out how to scan a head of lettuce that doesn't have a bar code. In fact, maybe the supermarket should just get rid of these things and hire a couple more teenagers to work the counter. These things don't save any time and they are causing everybody problems.

7. Keep your kids under control. I know this is difficult too, but when they are directly in front of my wagon and won't move, that would be a good time to intervene and actually do some parenting.

8. Once your car is packed up and your wagon is put back, get the hell out of there. There's about eighty other people waiting for your spot and you're on the phone. MOVE.

There you have it folks, food shopping is simple. See you in the cookie aisle.

Coldplay: Viva la Vida Tour

2008-06-24T09:21:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, Coldplay is my favorite band, so you can imagine how excited I've been about the release of their new (long-awaited) album - Viva la Vida. I was on iTunes at midnight the day the album was released (they actually had it available at 11:45 pm the day before) and I have been listening to it ever since.

To kick off their new tour Coldplay decided to give a couple of free "fan appreciation" concerts, and one of them was to be at Madison Square Garden. Of course I signed up to win tickets and actually was chosen as one of the winners! Not only that, but my tickets were floor seats, about thirty rows from the stage. Nice.

Matt and I went last night - it was pretty awesome to be shown to "close to the stage" floor seats, and we settled in for the concert. The opening band was called the Blue Jackets, they were handpicked by Coldplay to open for this concert. They were pretty good, but the next part of the show was even cooler. This DJ named Jon Hopkins came out and spun trancy, new-agey songs for about twenty minutes, accompanied by some trippy, 70s looking cartoons on a big screen. I actually discovered later that Jon Hopkins songs have been used in moments of "Sex and the City", pretty cool.

Finally, it was time for Coldplay! Chris Martin came out in that military jacket that he's been rocking everywhere. And the concert was pretty awesome. From the new album they played "Life in Technicolor", "Lost", "42", and some others. My favorite song from the new album so far is "Viva la Vida" and their energetic rendition was freaking awesome. They mixed up the old stuff too - "In My Place", "Square One", and even "Yellow" from a special mike up in the nosebleeds. The last song of the night was "Lovers in Japan" from the new album, and on a screen they had all these images of Japan and cherry blossoms, etc. And they made it rain confetti butterflies all over the garden, I picked up a few and pasted them into my journal with the concert ticket. Definitely my favorite part of the night.

So thank you Chris Martin and Johnny Buckland and Guy Berryman and Will Champion for coming to NY and letting Jenn come and hear her favorite music for free!

The Sex and the City movie

2008-06-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

So I know I'm a little late on this post, and by now all the buzz has died down and maybe nobody cares. But facts are I was in Costa Rica and didn't get to see this movie until two nights ago, so I'm just getting around to commenting on it now.

I had been waiting a long time to see this film. I've always been a fan of Sex and the City, and watch the reruns constantly on HBO on Demand. I'm a fan of the friendship between the girls and their relationship and the homages to New York and single women. The funny thing is - I also have these moments where I completely freaking hate Carrie. I once had a long in-depth conversation with three other women at a party about Carrie Bradshaw and everything that irritated us about her. A short list would contain the obvious:

*Carrie is forever turning the conversation back to her super, self-absorbed self even when her friends are talking about cancer, unplanned pregnancies and infertility.
*Carrie probably makes no more than 50K a year and yet she owns 40 pairs of Manolo Blahniks.
*Carrie's job consists of her researching, writing and turning in one column a week, and yet she's always complaining about how busy she is. To give you an idea of how ludicrous this is, I was a part time newspaper reporter for three years, and generally wrote three articles a week, all while working a full time 9-5 job, and attending night meetings for the articles.

You get the idea. But yet I was desperate to see the movie the moment I heard they were making it. The thing is - I love these women same as everybody else does. Us single New York gals - we gotta stick together. And frankly, we all want to believe that our happy ending is out there somewhere. (Christ, I sound like Carrie right now...). So even though the end of the series left everything tied up in a nice pink bow, when the movie promised us another chapter, like everyone else, I knew I had to know the next part of the story.

So the verdict was that I really enjoyed the film. There was a lot of drama, more than most people bargained for, I think. And some people I talked to were upset about it - sad that the happy ending the series left us with was taken away. And on some level I agree with that, but God knows you couldn't have a movie without conflict. But they did a good job with the movie, I really felt for Carrie. And I was really glad that I got to see this next chapter of her life, because what really floored me about this movie was that I thought she had really matured. She listened to her friends this movie. She was calmer, not all neurotic and squealing and yapping about what Big said and did. There was not one moment in this movie where I disliked Carrie.

So there's no real point to this entry besides to share my thoughts...I can't really recommend that people go see this - most of the men out there don't care and any woman who does has already see it. But bottom line, it was good to see the girls again.

Costa Rica Highlights

2008-06-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

Hello blog readers! When I logged into blogger I saw that the last time I did a new post was December 10, 2007. I will ask you to forgive me for staying away so long. I sort of meant to blog about New Year's in January but I got really sick for the whole month (courtesy of Tavern on the Green - see Brian's blog at Mochasteak.com for full details) and just never got back to it. But I am trying to remedy that, so now I'm doing a recap of our recent trip to Costa Rica.

This was an exciting trip for many reasons - it consisted of myself, Roy, Matt, Kim, Ryan, Drapo and Vanessa. Everybody was anxious to get away and relax in the sun for a week. And basically, that's all we did. We swam, we played a ton of pool volleyball, we ate some good food, we drank Miami Vices, and we went ziplining in the rainforest.

Oh and Kim and Ryan got engaged! If any of you still did not know that...

Anyway, without further adieu, here are the funny comments from the trip:

"No more Kylie Minogue! Don't they have another CD?"

"Say cheese! - Cheese-y hat!"

"It's my turn on the crocodile!"

"Oh no, tu grande!"

"Why can't you ever find the waiter when you want to order something gay and delicious?"

"Angry kid is very angry."

"They won't be able to have water aerobics this morning. Vanessa isn't here."

"Do you think they were REALLY missionaries?"

"Where's Wilbur? We need him to deal!"

The Big Birthday Weekend

2007-12-10T09:38:00.001-08:00

Another birthday passed, but this was a big one - I turned 30! So I thought this year I'd go all out and a bunch of people came down to Atlantic City with me.

Props to everybody that hauled to a boardwalk town in the middle of freaking winter. But most of you are gambling folk so you had enough to amuse you while you were down there right? Anyway, about thirteen of us had dinner together and then scattered to the winds to play various game. I was all over the casino - over the weekend I played: Sic Bo, roulette, slots, craps, Texas Hold Em (the table game) poker, video poker and blackjack. I sort of broke even at the end which is pretty much the same as winning, just with less money. Here are the funny comments from the weekend:

He was busy getting the rust sucked off his bumper.

Table for 13 please. Name? Jesus.

We should just order red wine and bread!

It's not over yet Coach!

Good luck on those Jacks! Except you! Not on your jack.

How often do we have a poker table to ourselves? Every Sunday night!

Jaegerbombs! Jaegerbombs, jaegerbombs!

Not now chief, I'm in the fucking zone.

Thanks again everybody for an awesome weekend, it was great. Hope we can do it again soon!

The 8th Annual Christmas Shopping Trip

2007-11-29T12:52:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Kelly and I took part in our great holiday tradition - the annual Christmas shopping trip. This year, it was tough to pull off. Here were the factors that almost stopped us from going at all:

*the fact that I changed jobs this year and had some complications with vacation time & asking for it off
*the fact that Kelly's job told her she couldn't take any more of her vacation days until after the holidays
*the fact that Kelly's family is away and she needs to be in town to keep an eye on her brother this week
*the fact that I'm turning thirty(!)and have dinners/weekends planned around this momentous event
*the fact that both Kelly and I seem to be busier than ever and couldn't even find a weekend that we could go!

But in the end, we determined we could take one day, and made it yesterday. We hauled up to the outlets and were determined to get as much shopping done as we could in a single day. And I have to say, we were troopers. We shopped from 11:30 a.m. until the stores closed at nine, with about an hour break for meals.

So here are some of the funny quotes from the day:

"I'm incorporating brown."

"14 day return policy? Fuck you!"

"There's nothing for James at Woodbury Commons."

"One coupon expires on 11/27 and the next one starts on the 29th? What about today? Fuck you!"

"Monkeys and cars and lions and giraffes and trees in Banana. Whoo hoo!"

"hot dog for the road?" (Again)

"Where's Jane? We need to know a price!"

I'm sure there's more, but I'm kinda burnt from shopping. Merry freaking Christmas.

Jenn's Health Experiment

2007-11-12T07:38:00.001-08:00

Lately I've been thinking a lot about trying to be a little bit healthier. But first off, let me clarify something here. There is a difference between getting "healthy" and "healthier". I don't want to get "healthy" - at least not yet. It's not my style. Wheat germ and getting all excited about going an extra mile on the treadmill - blech. Not for me. But the way I eat and go about my life now - I find I'm more fatigued and blah than I probably should be - so this week I am going to try and make a few minor changes (the idea is make small changes so they are easier to stick to) and see how I feel at the end of the week. The changes are:

1. make sure I take a multivitamin every day. I just started taking them not too long ago, but I find about half the time, I forget to do it at all.
2. substitute my morning coffee for a cup of green tea. Let's see how the antioxidants work.
3. Eat an apple a day. I almost never eat fruit - but apples are okay in my book.
4. Hit the gym at least a couple of times this week. - We'll see how the schedule goes, but at least a couple of times will be something.
5. Try to drink eight glasses of water a day. I probably do about five - but what if I actually got the recommended dose?

I'm telling you guys this because telling people may keep me a little more honest and motivated to do this. So maybe ask me at the end of the week how it's going and if I feel a little better. If I do feel better - hopefully that will be the motivation to keep it up.

Pygmalion

2007-11-08T06:27:00.000-08:00

I made it to the theater last night for the first time in a long time. Pygmalion is currently on Broadway, with Claire Danes starring as Liza Doolittle. I was glad I got to see this - I never got around to reading "Pygmalion", but I've seen or know more about most of its distortions - "My Fair Lady" and the much more recent "Pretty Woman".

The theater in general always astounds me...I am always in awe of how much they can do to create a scene with very little stage space. When "Pygmalion" opens, the characters are waiting under an archway and it's raining hard on the street. It's well done, and for the rest of the play, two different rooms slide on and off the stage simoultaneously as needed.

The other joy of Broadway is the caliber of acting that you are always presented with. After the play Karen and I were discussing this, and I was saying how I rarely understand it when a Broadway actor gets a scathing review...when you read the Playbill bios and see how accomplished these people are I can't help but be in awe, and while watching the play you are presented with such enthusiastic acting, it is hard not to be enraptured by the entire experience. Clearly this isn't amateur night, so what are these critics looking for?

Anyhow. It is interesting to see Claire Danes in such a role - she is unlike herself in both forms of Doolittle - which is interesting for those of us who still remember her as Angela Chase from the very awesome "My So-Called Life". Jefferson Mays, who plays Henry Higgins, is also very very good. This is a good one to see, if you're headed for Times Square anytime soon.

The Grand Canyon

2007-10-31T07:14:00.000-07:00

The Grand Canyon. About a week before I left for the road trip, I was on a plane flying west to Anaheim for a business trip. About three quarters of the way through the trip the captain came on the loudspeaker and said "Ladies and gentlemen, on the right, for your viewing pleasure, the Grand Canyon. Everybody leaned over and below were the red and brown rifts of one of America's great wonders. I almost didn't want to look, but a rift of excitement went through me - "I'm going to be there in two weeks," I said. It was a planned stop on the road trip and everybody was looking forward to it. Matt, Drapo and I started for Arizona midday on a Wednesday, a day that had already been chock-full by anyone's standards. Up at five, we'd gone to the balloon fiesta in Albuquerque and were delighted by all we saw. Quick breakfast, then to the top of a mountain called Sandia Peak by a tram car. A quick stop in Old Town, Subway for lunch and topping off the gas tank.

Matt began driving us through the desert where we hit the first traffic we'd seen on the road trip - construction. Off in the distance it was raining and we could see huge bolts of lightning. Yet, on the other side of the car, the sun was around, as were blue skies and clouds. That day was a long drive through long stretches of desert and not much else...but we could feel Arizona coming - the red mesas were starting to show up on the horizon. By the time we were nearing the canyon, the air had turned told, the world around us had turn to forest trees, and the smell of burning was in the air - controlled fires for continued forest growth.

We stayed in the small town of Williams, about 60 miles from the canyon. It was a small town and I had that feeling that no one could find me - as long as I didn't pick up my cell phone. The following day we started for the canyon, and began the day by seeing the Imax film for the history. After that we drove another seven miles or so and as we got closer, I felt more and more excited. We drove all the way to the Bright Angel Lodge, where the tour we were taking was leaving from. In the back of the lodge, the first glimpse of the canyon. This is one of those places that you cannot believe you are standing in front of. It is almost too beautiful to be real, the purples and dusty rose colors of the rocks, the cerulean of the Colorado flowing through it.

We took a bus tour around one side of the canyon, stopping at various lookout points and taking photos and photos and photos. What's cool about the bus tour is also all the history you get...our tour guide was a former park ranger who had almost fallen into the canyon twice - on the same day. She did literally fall, but caught something both times and was able to pull herself back up. Crazy. I think Matt and Drapo would both agree that the day spent at the canyon was one of the best on the trip...and I was really glad that we drove the distance needed to see this...how could you not love it when you see it?

Comments from the Trip

2007-10-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

I have been horrible about blogging lately, but I want you all to know that I am going to try to do some more blog posts about the trip. I have circulated photos to some of you, but I will be trying to do some city-specific posts on here to highlight some of the cool things we did. We went lots of places, and so far I've liked Chuck's reaction the best: when I asked him if he looked at the photos I'd sent him he said, "yes, I looked at some of them." "And?" I asked. He shook his head. "You went to some weird fucking places."

So without further ado, here are the funny comments from the trip...the ones I can remember anyway!

"What's your name? Prozac?" "Um, whatever you want officer."

"What the fuck is this? I was here...but not as a faggot!"

"I think we should go to Subway."

"Hey-o!"

"Spirit fingers!"

"I was in my kitchen. I was cleaning a dish, but I heard something, so I came out."

"We're starting up a new minor league ballclub. The San Francisco Shiftyfucks!"

"I'm not giving you a menu because you are getting the 72oz steak. Period."

"Wow. That was a real tour de force."

"Why don't you have a cup of shut the fuck up!"

"Welcome to the Bellagio Valet, now staffed entirely by Fraggles, hee hee hee hee."

"I'm hitting this like a disobedient girlfriend."

"Lesson one: Don't try to pick up chicks at the pool when you are fully clothed from head to toe."

"Isn't anyone worried about the sub-prime mortgage problem?"

"Shut up, Kensington."

I'm sure I've missed a bunch, but that's what I can think of for now.

The Cross-Country Road Trip: Nashville

2007-10-07T07:16:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the road. We've been crossing the country since Thursday - when we left Charleston, SC and drove through the Great Smoky Mountains to Nashville, TN. I am currently in Little Rock, Arkansas, which is why I have found time to do this blog entry. :-)

Nasvhille's a country town, at night we went to the bar whose neon sign you see here, the Stage. Inside a mural of country singers, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Roy Acuff graced the wall, and a band played a mix of country and contemporary and I wore a pink cowboy hat that the guys insisted I looked great in when we saw them in the store. (Reserve your comments, I do look great in it.)

The next day we took a tour of the Grand Ole Opry, the theater that is home to the longest running radio show in America. We got to go out on stage and sing the chorus to "You Are My Sunshine" so we could all say we've sung on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. I like collecting memories like this, so all in all, Nashville was a good time.

Shantaram

2007-09-10T09:18:00.000-07:00

Upon first examination, "Shantaram" looks a bit daunting. It's over 900 pages and its about an escaped Australian convict who ends up in Bombay and spends the next several years hiding out there. I swear, you won't even feel these pages go by. This is a page turner...it's got everything - smuggling, gunrunning, Indian everyday life and culture, slums, the mafia, prison, etc. Everytime things would start to go okay for this novel's narrator, something horrible would happen to him and I found myself wondering if he'd make it out of situation okay even though he clearly did because the guy eventually served out his time and got a book deal. (This is a novel but is based on the real life experiences of the author, Gregory David Roberts.). So - awesome read everybody. Pick it up!

Jenn Simpson

2007-09-07T13:37:00.001-07:00

In case you were wondering, this is what I'd look like if I was on the Simpsons.

Pretty cute, huh?

(You can all feel free to leave a comment on how cute I am in real life, too. You know you want to.)

Middlesex

2007-08-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading this book a couple of days ago. Yes, it's the latest Oprah book. This year I've been making a big effort to take books out of the library instead of buying them all the time in an attempt to save at least some money. And it's been working out nicely...I put the books I want to read on hold at the library, pick them up, read them, return them. What's interesting about this system is that I'm reading stuff that I wouldn't necessarily pick up at the bookstore. I sometimes pass books in the bookstore, pick them up, read the back, say "Nah" for some reason and keep moving. But the library allows me to try these books out even if I'm not sure about them because they are free. Such is the case with Middlesex. I'm certain I've thumbed through it once or twice in the bookstore, but for one reason or another, never picked it up. But reading it was such an enjoyable experience, I'm so glad I did pick it up.

The language is gorgeous, the narrartor is enjoyable to follow around and the story is definetely interesting. If pressed for a one sentence description, you'd have to say that the story was about a hermaphrodite, a "boy" who was born with undescended testicles and raised as a girl, but the book is about so much more than that. The narrarator traces her condition back three generations, using the mixing of genes to tell the stories of her grandparents and parents....it's genius. Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed spending time in this novel.

Ah, baseball

2007-08-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

Having Eric back in town for a couple of weeks is a great thing...not only because we're happy to see him but because it gets us off our asses to do fun things that we sort of mean to do, but don't always get around to. So last night we made it to the ballgame, NY Mets vs. San Diego Padres. What we witnessed was the equivalent of a bunch of five-year olds playing wiffle ball - the Mets did more stupid things last night than I've seen on a ballfield in a long time. But all the craziness did make for an entertaining game...especially the near rally at the end, when the Mets almost (what else is new) pulled it out.

But Jose Reyes set a new franchise record for stolen bases. Texas beat Baltimore (in their very own Camden Yards) by a whopping 27 runs, 30-3. We laughed when we realized they were playing a double header and Baltimore had to start all over again...

Anyway, so here's a picture of me and Matt way up in the stands...let's do another ballgame soon!

I Know, I know

2007-08-22T13:57:00.002-07:00

It's been forever since I last posted. I know. And I am sorry, my seven faithful blog readers, truly sorry. But a lot has happened to me in the past couple of months...as most of you know - I got a new job! I am now working for ALM - American Lawyer Media - and I do marketing for the job board - lawjobs.com. Here's the logo. You should all check it out and boost our traffic numbers. :-)

Anyway, just wanted to say that I didn't forget about the blog and hope to be posting more regularly from now on.

Kykuit

2007-06-15T12:04:00.001-07:00

Our company summer outing was yesterday, and I was pretty excited to go when I heard it was going to be this. Kykuit is the Rockefeller estate, which is one of several you can go up to Sleepy Hollow and tour. You can also go up to Washington Irving's house, the Vanderbilt estate, etc. Anyway, yesterday was a bit overcast but cool, and I thought a really nice day to be on this tour.

A shuttle takes you up to the estate, and when you pull in, there's a huge fountain and lawn to greet you. The name "Kykuit" (rhymes with high cut) is Dutch for high place or overlook. This is appropriate since the house is built on a hill that looks down over acres and acres of greenery below. The tour was pretty cool - you go through various rooms and see the art, furniture and hear stories of the Rockefellers and the entertaining they did at Kykuit. You wander through garden after garden after garden. Fountains, flowers, even a nine hole golf course right outside the estate. In the basement there's a pretty decent art collecction the highlight of which is a bunch of Picassos, some sketches some tapestries. Then last they took us to the stables/garage where you saw their collection of horse drawn carriages, the stables, and then the garage where many classic cars that belonged to the family are kept. Very cool experience, so if you live in NY and have a Saturday to kill, head on up!

The first rejection

2007-06-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

A few posts ago I told you guys that I was submitting my short story to a couple of literary magazines, and I told you I'd keep you updated on the results. Well, I got my first rejection the other day. You can tell as soon as you open the mailbox - big manila envelope, your address in your own handwriting - the dreaded SASE. You know how in college thin envelopes mean rejections and fat ones mean you got in because they are full of registration materials? Well for writers its the opposite. Big manila envelopes means your manuscript is coming back to you. I am pretty good about taking rejections in stride though. I do like to see if they send any personal messages, or sometimes they encourage you to send other stuff even though this particular piece wasn't right. But this letter was short and sweet, nothing special. Oh well. We'll see if the other journal has anything better to say.

Well that sucked...

2007-06-12T11:07:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a day late on this, but yesterday was kind of nuts, and I can't not post about the series finale of "The Sopranos". This has definitely been one of the most talked about series finales ever...but part of that comes from the fact that is probably the only series to ever simultaneously convince thousands of people that their cable had gone out during the most important minutes of the show.

Now. There are people out there saying this finale was brilliant. That Tony was destined to spend his life steeped in tension, always looking over his shoulder, always wondering if the creepy looking guy sitting ten feet away has been sent to take him out. And the way the show ended exemplified that, how we lived that tension as well, and we'd never know if the end was coming or not. But I have to say I'm in the camp with the other 95% - that is no way to end a series finale. Finales are about resolution one way or another, and even though no ending would have been easy for the Sopranos, I think the ambiguous ending was taking things too far. I saw a newspaper headline that said Tony & Chase (meaning David) whack fans, and that felt about right. For all our years of viewing, for all our patience during two and three year hiatuses, and this is what you leave us with? The people who made this happen should take a lesson from the people who worked on Six Feet Under. Now THAT was a series finale.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

2007-06-06T11:06:00.000-07:00

My co-worker gave me this book recently and I finished it a couple of days ago. This is a book for anyone who enjoyed "The Joy Luck Club" or "Memoirs of a Geisha", it's very much along the same lines...Asian women learning and observing traditions, trying to improve their station in life, etc. What's inteesting about books like these is how they make you think about certain traditions, and how they came about. For example, footbinding plays a huge role in this book - the more perfect a girl's feet are, the better chance she has of marrying well. And this makes me wonder - who the heck thought this up? What do feet have to do with anything else a wife provides? Anyway, it's a good read, though I don't think any of the male readers of this blog will touch it since it has a super girly title and cover.

Memorial Day Weekend

2007-06-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to do a post about last weekend for days now...but it's been a helluva week. God what I loser I am. But anyway, we went down to Atlantic City (where else?) and had a great freaking time. What was nice about this weekend was we had three days to fill with Atlantic City activity. Normally if we go down for one night all we really find time for is dinner and gambling. But this time, we squeezed in the new upscale Pier mall, walks on the boardwalk, a half a day at the beach, relaxing in the jacuzzi, massages, a tarot card reading, a walk on the Steel Pier and of course, dinner and gambling. Gambling was pretty crazy this weekend, I was way down but then took quite a bit of it back. In the interest of keeping this post fun, I'll get right to the funny comments:

This coffee is really good. Everything is good at the Borgata, Jenn. EVERYTHING.

Hey, I'm winning! I'm going to up my bet. (Pat puts an extra chip out on the Texas Hold Em bonus ante.) No I'm not. I'm a pussy. (And grabs the chip back).

Hello. We have come a great distance seeking Spice Road....

Silencio! Cut the malarkey!

Damn, you're chasing those rivers like a fucking kamikaze pilot.

You know the rules are the same for every hand, right?

Wait, you let a man rub your butt?

This town ain't bit enough for the two of us! And Pat signing "I got spurs..."

That soup looks very...beefy.

I bring nothing to the table. Meaning, I contribute...nothing.

Last funny moment, Michelle almost getting herself a job at Scandals from the dressing room in Guess! It was my fault for bringing the wrong (oh so wrong) top.

Playing the Market is like...easy and stuff

2007-05-24T13:51:00.000-07:00

Okay so I found a new hobby. There's this site called Mediapredict.com. It's a mock stock market for books, music groups, movies and television shows that may or may not get published, may or may not get a record deal, may or may not flop at the box office, you get the idea. So you buy shares of these projects, based on what percentage chance you think they have at succeeding. You get 5K worth of play dollars, and I'm up about 2 grand overall. You can hang on to your "stocks" as long as you like, and buy and sell as you please. It's pretty interesting to see if your predictions come true, and eventually if a band or book does get a contract, you stock soars. If not, worth nothing. Try it out! Maybe you'll buy what I have and my stock will go up!

www.mediapredict.com

Short Story submitting

2007-05-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been awhile since I last posted...I was in Canada for a few days at a conference, which I may or may not post about. We'll see. But now that I'm back I am going to try to submit my latest short story to a few literary journals because they are just about to wrap up their reading for the summer. Most literary journals read manuscripts through the school year but not in the summer months, so if I don't get a few submissions in the mail by May 31, I'll have to wait until September. So I've been working on a story about gambling addiction with my writing group and it felt really solid to me after the last draft, so I'm researching a couple of places to send it to. I sent it to AGNI magazine (Boston University) today, and hopefully I'll send it to a few others in the next couple of days. I'll keep you posted on what the responses are...it'll be interesting to see if I get any personalized letters or form rejections or wonder of wonders - an acceptance letter. Stay tuned!

The Unasked Questions of "Lost"

2007-05-09T12:57:00.000-07:00

Television week continues here on the blog, and since it's Wednesday, its time to comment on Lost. This show is a source of strife for many of its loyal viewers. There's tons of interesting stuff going on on the show but the lack of plot movement is sometimes glacial. The writers are so busy dragging out storylines that they sometimes forget that they started them in the first place. Now I know this is a prime time cash cow and they are trying to stretch it for as many seasons as possible, but when this starts to interfere with the believability of the plot and dialogue, then I have a problem with it. So:

Dear Lost writers:

Please acknowledge the fact that if a bunch of people crashed on a tropical island and eventually discovered that there were a bunch of OTHER people living on that island, who frequently kidnap, torture and belittle your fellow survivors, they will ask fucking questions. They will want to know exactly why you are on the island. they will want to know why the island does the things it does. Now I know answering all those questions would clue us in too much, but couldn't the Lostaways at least ask the questions and the Others not answer them? To me, that would at least make sense.

My favorite example of this kind of ridiculousness happened last week (SPOILER ALERT) when someone was asking Sayid what he thought Naomi meant when she said they found the wreckage of flight 815 with all bodies on board. Which would pretty much mean that all those on the island are dead. And Sayid says, "One thing at a time.", meaning, let me fix this satellite phone and get us off the island first. Uh, Sayid? If you're dead, it's not going to help you off the island. If someone were telling me they found my dead body somewhere I'd be hella interested in finding out more.

"The World is Being Fedexed to Hell"

2007-05-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

In the words of my friend Dr. Stanley Goodspeed "The World is Being Fedexed to Hell." This quote is from "The Rock" which I saw again last weekend and I was glad I did, because I forgot how fucking awesome it was. But The Rock aside, I love this quote because it makes a whole lot of sense to me when I'm having a day like today.

Online bill pay - its supposed to make our lives easier right? Ha. Now that I'm in my own apartment I'm trying to set up all my bills for online bill pay so that my bill paying will be a) easier b) more immediate. I'm not the most organized individual in the universe so I tend to misplace statements, forget to pay them by the due date or write out checks and stuff them in envelopes, but forget to mail them. So online is the way to go, couple of clicks and the money gets there electronically. It should be so simple...

Pretty much the most important bill I have these days is my mortgage. So I logged on to HSBC to set up online bill pay. That day I logged in and setup my information, but for "security reasons" I couldn't set up a username and password. I was told they would send me a username and password via mail, and I had to use those to log in. So that month, I still had to use my statement and a check and a stamp to pay my bill. Now today, I brought the envelope with my temporary password to work. Only when I'm trying to log on, I realize the letter says that my temporary username was sent to me in a separate letter. Are you kidding me? This isn't fucking Raiders of the Lost Ark. If I wanted to go on a treasure hunt I would do it, but believe me, I don't want to go through fifty steps to pay my mortgage. Do they think they're making my account so much safer by mailing all this crap in separate envelopes? Maybe. But at the same time they're making it a lot harder for me to pay them.

Then there's Time Warner Cable. I set it up to pay online last month, but when I was done I didn't see a confirmation or anything. Ok....uh, so is my bill paid? Or is it set up and now I have to pay it? So a few weeks later I got an email saying my money would be deducted on a certain day. Great. Only today, when I logged on to pay this month's bill, I saw that my account was "deliquent" because I hadn't paid last month's bill. So now I had to fax the confirmation email I received to them to research. Great. How do I know that I'm going to be charged for this bullshit twice?

Bill pay isn't this hard on every site, but it sure is getting funny. On my credit card sites they had me pick out an image from an array of pictures...stuff like high heeled shoes and plastic lawn chairs and beach balls. I pick my image and then pick a phrase to go with it. If that image and phrase does not show up when I log in, I'm on somebody else's page, I guess. But I would guess when I saw the name Miffy Mifferson, that might clue me in too. But whatever.

Here's the bottom line guys. Make online bill pay easy. Allow people to create usernames and passwords that work that day. Allow people to pay the bill that day or the next business day - don't wait until the bill due date to deduct the money. And for christ's sakes - don't offer online bill pay if you're gonna half ass it. I may have to start buying stamps again.

The Tudors

2007-05-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

Since it's television week of Jenn's blog the next post I'm doing is about "The Tudors" on Showtime. This series is a look at Henry VIII - you know him as the fat bastard who broke from the Catholic Church so he could marry and divorce as he pleased and also the guy who beheaded his wives. Which is why I like the poster Showtime chose, with Jonathan Rhys-Meyers surrounded by his bejeweled (yet headless) wives.

This show is interesting. Like I said, most of us know Henry VIII as a big fat bearded guy, but this show focuses on some of the earlier years, when he was young and virile (suppoosedly he was) and I like seeing the betrothals, betrayals, plague, worries about producing an heir, and scandal that the show focuses on. I read "The Other Boleyn Girl" by Phillipa Gregory a few years ago which focused on a lot of the same...how desperate Henry was for a male heir, and how far he was willing to go to get a wife who would give him one. And thats what I like best about this show so far as well - Henry's wives. Katherine of Aragon is everything a queen should be, regal, giving, forgiving, but yet she has only provided Henry with a daughter. He won't visit her bedchamber anymore, and I am not sure if she couldn't give him any more children or if he just didn't think she could and stopped trying. Anne Boleyn seems calculating and ambitious - but also had her entire family pressuring her to win and keep the king's affections with I think is interesting. King Henry slept with her sister first, but soon tired of Mary Boleyn, and began pursuing Anne. As we all know, she eventually got him.

So if you like history and scandal graphic sex scenes (this is cable after all) check out the Tudors.

Grey's Anatomy - What Happened?

2007-05-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

I think I'm going to do a couple of posts about TV shows this week, because I'm invested in a few and I have mixed feelings about some of them these days. First case: Grey's Anatomy. I got into the show in it's second season and once I was, I was hooked. Sure' it's kind of stupid and unrealistic but at times it's very funny, at times it's very dramatic, and its full of people that are supposed to be my age and are navigating their way through the same life issues that I am so I can relate. That is what was so good about this show. They were good at showing how hard it was to do well at work, to learn from the ground up and make mistakes and have the courage to come back in the next day and start over. The show was good at showing late twenty-somethings trying to figure out how to balance work, life, love and friends. It was good at a lot of things...I can't think of them all right now but I'm not the only person that feels that way because you could say "McDreamy!" on any street corner on any city in America right now and I guarantee you everybody will turn around and be like "where's Patrick Dempsey? I don't see him."

But lately, I've been disatisfied with Grey's. The biggest even I'm annoyed with is something that I lot of viewers are annoyed with (I'm a geek, I read bulletin boards) - George and Izzie sleeping together. Part of it has to do with the fact that these two are friends and have never ever shown any signs of romantic inclination towards one other. I understand that sometimes friends hook up, but see you've got to have some kind of transition - no matter how slight- to convince the viewers that there may have been something there all along. That's what the other part has to do with. This plot seems so contrived it's ridiculous. Sure everybody at this hospital is sleeping with everybody else...this is what happenes on shows that have long runs on tv. everybody jumps into bed with everybody. But seriously? don't we have enough people having affairs at this hospital without dragging George and Izzie into it? It seems like bed-hopping just for the sake of bed-hopping and that annoys me. If these friends and co-workers are going to have an affair (and it is since George is married) I want to see some reasons why.

I'm not a show quitter (usually) so I'm not jumping ship yet, but I really am tired of the current path of things on Grey's...so the writers should really figure out where things are going in season four...and it's my hope that they steer this ship back to what makes Grey's the show it is.

This Guy Should Be Taken Outside and Shot

2007-05-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/judge-sues-cleaner-for-65-million-over/20070503071409990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

According to the above article, this judge is suing his dry cleaners for 65 million dollars to cover a pair of lost pants (which aren't really lost) and a bunch of other whiny bullshit. It's no wonder that the system is so fouled up, with jerks like this taking up a court's time. My favorite part is how the guy thinks he's entitled to money to cover a rental car to drive to another godamn dry cleaners. Petty as it seems, I would even understand if he wanted to sue over the $1000 for the cost of the suit, but even that doesn't fly since apparently these people offered him a settlement. And seriously, if this guy can afford all these thousand dollar suits, he doesn't need 65 million, or money to rent a car to drive to the godamn dry cleaners. And this guy is a judge, so you'd think he'd know better. I'm usually not one to be judgemental and finger-pointy, but I'd be all right with it if this guy lost his job. Jerk.

The Housewarming Party

2007-04-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

Well, as many of you know I hosted a housewarming party this weekend to show off the new place. Sorry if you weren't invited, but if you weren't, then you probably don't live in the state. Or I haven't seen you in forever. WHY DON'T WE TALK ANYMORE? Just kidding. But anyway, for those of you that were there, thank you for coming, to those who came bearing gifts, extra special thank yous. You may also get some special thank you cards with Van Gogh scenery. You are welcomg for that. :-)

But anyway, the housewarming party was a great success, lots of people came, and I really enjoyed seeing you all. And since it's what you're all waiting for, let's get to the highlights, since there are plenty of them. Away we go!

-Thanks to Matt and Drapo for picking up ice after I specifically told them that I would pick up ice, and forgot to thirty seconds later.

-Thanks to Ryan for bringing a case of normal beer since one of the ones Drapo and I picked up was non-alcholic. We didn't do it on purpose! But it's this other guy's fault, we saw him buy about fifteen cases of Coors Light before we got there. there was none left for us. WE SWEAR!

-Thanks to Matt for leaving four bottles of beer in the freezer. They froze overnight and shattered into weird ice and glass sculptures. It looked like the Fortress of Solitude in there. But beer flavored. Three of those bottles broke and I did some major freezer surgery the next day to get all the glass out. The last one didn't break, but Drapo isolated it in the sink where it hissed and made other weird noises while it melted. Thanks to that beer for not exploding in my kitchen. And thanks to Drapo for leading me away from the refrigerator when I first discovered the mess. I really did need another two hours before I could deal with that. :-)

-Thanks to Kelly for bringing tarot cards to the party and giving Drapo two readings. We found out quite a bit of stuff- apparently he's going to the hospital soon, (but not for himself) his luck is turning around soon, and he might be turning gay. I wonder if that's all happening on the same night?

-Thanks to Matt for providing the biggest "I can't believe he did that" moment of the evening, but completely not remembering who Melissa (Melly Mel!) was and introducing himself to her.

-Thanks to Ken's friend Aaron for giving me the best boob compliment I've had in months.

-Thanks to Pat for saying on the funniest lines of the night. We were talking about Kim and how fast she got good at poker, and Pat said, "Yeah but you guys always get so mad when you lose. It's REALLY annoying. HA.

-Thanks to Onnik for unsuccessfully trying to buzz Kelly back into the building five times. It was really fun to go down to the lobby with no shoes on and let her in.

-Thanks to everybody for eating all of the vegetables and cheese and crackers I put out. It was awesome not to have a bunch of stuff left over. Now I just have to figure out what I'm going to do with a dozen non-alcholic beers....

Anyway, if I've forgotten any funny moments, feel free to post them in the comments section. :-)

The Shake Shack

2007-04-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

The Shake Shack is one of those New York things that you wish you didn't like doing (cause it's a lot of freaking work) but its too fun to pass up. On a day as beautiful as this, it's hard to resist being drawn into grassy tree-y, flowery Madison Square Park, where the Shake Shack is located. Chuck and I went for lunch today...we tried to go earlier, thinking we'd beat at least some of the lunch crowd, but we weren't too successful. There was a line at least forty people deep when we got on it. No worries. We talked as we inched our way up to the window. What's good about the Shake Shack is they have awesome burgers, fries, hot dogs, and of course, shakes. what's bad is that you have to wait at least forty minutes before you get up to the order window. We place our order, and then you have to wait again for it to be ready. Today that wait was 25 minutes, which I think is a bit crazy. As Chuck said, they probably sell about eight hundred hot dogs a day, so would it kill them to have a bunch grilling already? 40 minutes online + 25 minutes waiting for your hot dog, fries and shake = too long a wait for that kind of food. But the fries were pretty awesome, and Chuck and I did enjoy spending the entire lunch hour (and a half) outside. The Shake Shack. Try it if you dare!

Something About This Week...

2007-04-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

Isn't it strange how this week historically lends itself to tragedy? Food for thought:

April 15, 1912 - Titanic sinks, thousands perish in the freezing North Atlantic

April 19, 1995 - A federal building in Oklahoma City is blown up (by an American, no less) and hundreds are killed

April 20, 1999 - Two students go on a shooting rampage in their school killing over a dozen people and themselves in Littleton, Colorado

April 16, 2007 - Another student goes on a shooting rampage at his university, killing over thirty people including himself in Blacksburg, Virginia

Weird huh?

Patriot's Day

2007-04-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

Today I am going to complain about the state of Massachusetts having Patriot's Day off. Since the weather is so crappy here in New York, it would have been really nice to not have to go to work today. So anyway, apparently the state of Massachusetts gives the third Monday in April off every year for "Patriot's Day", celebrating the first battles fought in the Revolutionary War. Now since I'm a New Yorker, I'm going to argue that Patriot's Day should be extended down through the other states that were involved in the Revolution - weren't the thirteen colonies all in it together? Didn't we all hate the English equally? Didn't we tell them to take their taxes and their religious persecution and go fly and kite? Yeah we did. If anybody should be screwed out of this holiday, it should be California and Montana and Wyoming - who had no idea that a country was even forming over here in the late 1700s. If I had any free time on my hands I might start a letter writing campaign to Congress, but since I am at WORK today, my plate is already full. Hope you enjoy your holiday Drapo!

Heaven Lake

2007-04-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

Just finished this novel. I've been taking a lot of books out of the library lately in an attempt to save money. And I wasn't sure I was going to like this one, but I felt like I'd been browsing the fiction shelves long enough. I ended up really enjoying this book though. The main character is Vincent, he's 23, and heads to Taiwan as a young Christian volunteer to spread the Christian word to the Tawainese. At first I didn't like Vincent very much - he was self-righteous, a goody-two shoes, and far too judgemental for a person his age. I thought I was going to go through the book hating him (which is sort of enjoyable, hating characters becomes almost as fun as liking them) but events unfolded and soon Vincent was changing, adapting to his new situations, and dealing with his life in a variety of ways - sometimes with strength and confidence, and sometimes with weakness and cowardice. I think that Vincent is a good example of a complex character, and I think that that's a lof of what made this book great. The amazing descriptions of travel and life in Taiwan and China didn't hurt either. I recommend this read!

Marie Antoinette

2007-03-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

I've been learning lots about this historical figure lately, first when I read "Abundance by Sara Jeter Naslund (author of Ahab's Wife). Marie Antoinette is of course famous for being the frivilous queen who spent France right into poverty and then said of the starving masses, "Let them eat cake," But it's rather fascinating to learn more about the infamous queen - like how she was sent from Vienna in her mid-teens to be married off to Louis XVI. They were married but funnily enough did not consummate their marriage for seven years - much to the chagrin of the King of France, her mother Maria Theresa and pretty much all of France and Vienna. History speculates that the problem may have been a combination of physical - Louis suffering from a condition that made erections painful, which he eventually had corrected, and/or that Marie Antoinette had a "narrow" passage, making intercourse difficult. Then of course there is further speculation that neither of them knew what they hell they were doing, and got going once the Emperor of Austria (Marie's brother Joseph) talked to them both and pointed them in the right direction.

Either way, fascinating stuff, which made me interested in seeing the movie starring Kirsten Dunst, which I watched last night. The movie is not the most amazing piece of cinema you'll ever see, but it does a good job of capturing Marie Antoinette for what she probably was - a young teenage girl saddled with a huge responsibility at a young age, but also offered the whole world on a keychain. Maybe she should have known better, but she's not the first person in the world to accept endless prosperity without question.

Which Brings Me to You: Addendum

2007-03-27T20:27:00.000-07:00

I wanted to say more about the book when I did my original post, but I was having trouble pinpointing exactly what I wanted to say. Now that I've finished the book, here are my further insights.

One of the reasons why it was good, why it was a good reflection of modern love was the very beginning, and the way that went down. They're ready to go at it, and he says "Wait, I might like you." What feels true about that is that's how it goes sometimes...you date enough and eventually you get to the point where you're surprised if you actually feel like you click with somebody.

This book was about connection. Not too many people would write letters through the mail exchanging their intimate histories...and even though it was all fiction, it was fun to go through. It's nice to feel like the possibility of connection with someone else is out there, even if sometimes, it's just in a work of fiction.

Which Brings Me to You

2007-03-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

I'm reading this book right now - "Which Brings Me to You", which I picked up at the library yesterday. I'm not even done with it yet, but I'm really enjoying it and wanted to post about it. It's a novel about two thirty-somethings who meet at a wedding, take a liking to each other, and quickly decide to get it on the coat check closet. But just as they're about to do it the guy - John - stops and says, "Wait, I think I might like you." Despite Jane's initial doubt they decide to get to know each other first through writing letters (he lives in NY, she lives in Philly) and start exchanging their intimate histories through the mail.

This book is written by two writers, Steve Almold doing John's part and Julianna Baggot doing Jane's part. It's funny, sad, interesting, and its a story that feels more today than most of the love stories (or novels for that matter) that I read. Can't wait to see how it ends up.

What I Wear

2007-03-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

I find that there is a direct correlation between the kinds of clothes I like to wear (and don't like to wear) and the how the companies advertise their wares. For example - I am NOT a fan of uber designer stuff, $700 this, and $500 that. I was in the Burberry outlet once (the outlet! where everything is already marked down considerably!) and they had a Burberry umbrella that was like $80. I clearly remember telling Abbey that I'd rather fall face first into the sewer than pay that much money for an "elegant" or "trendy" umbrella. And look at the kinds of adds designer labels use:

That guy looks mean. And kind of dumb. And soulless. Ugh.

I tend to like the regular stuff, Old Navy, the Gap, New York & Company. Nothing to pricey, but perfectly nice just the same. And look at how the Gap advertises their stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmKacuH_xOU

I love that stupid commercial. Claire Danes and Patrick Wilson look so cute together, and seriously, who wouldn't want to buy clothes that people look so happy in?

The Hard Rock Cafe glass collection

2007-03-19T11:18:00.000-07:00

These were the last things I unpacked in the new place...I wasn't sure where the heck I was going to put them, and had resigned myself to the fact that I was probably going to have to purchase more shelves. But yesterday my Dad was over and had a brilliant idea - lining the tops of the kitchen cabinets with them. Not only did this look awesome, but the glasses all fit and I didn't have to buy or put up any more shelving. Only one glass got broken in the move - of course it would have to be Barcelona - which is just about the furthest Hard Rock Cafe from here. I guess I'll just have to make it a point to get back there and get another one.

But I've got two business trips coming up, one to Toronto and one to Washington D.C. so there's two more Hard Rocks to visit and get glasses from.

Jenn: 1, NYC DOT: Nothing

2007-03-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

Well, the war on parking has begun. To continue an apartment releated string of posts, now I'll address probably the only downside to living in Forest Hills: alternate side parking. Coming from a neighborhood where alternate side doesn't exist, and meters are few and far between, having to deal with street cleaning rules is strange and a bit challenging. I think that there are a lot of idiotic parking rules in New York City, and this one is definetely at the top of my list. In Forest Hills we've got it on Thursdays and Fridays, by 8:30 a.m. Thursday, you've got to have your car on the Friday side of the street, and by 8:30 on Friday, you've got to move it back to the Thursday side. Why are we doing all this driving you ask? Street cleaning rules. Now this means some clunky sanitation truck will come by with rotating sweepers than barely touch the ground and basically blow all the trash around and leave it to settle on the other side of the street. Then the next day it blows it back. Way to waste our tax dollars, NYC. But anyway, in my first week in Forest Hills I managed to successfully find spots on the correct side of the street for alternate side, so I win this round. It will be interesting to see how many tickets I get for idiotic things like this during the time I live in Forest Hills.

American Idol

2007-03-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with this show. I always thought it was kind of boring, a bunch of pretty people that are all kind of alike singing poppy/discoey songs every week that will get stuck in your head for days. The only time I've ever watched it is this season, I started tuning in in the beginning when the episodes were made up the hunt for this year's contestants, and featured the good bad and the ugly from the various cities Simon, Paula and Randy visited. And you know what? These episodes are highly entertaining. the freaks comes out in full force and it is extremely funny to watch the judges faces as they belt out whatever normal song they've chosen in a completely abnormal way. And it's even cute to see the good singers make it through to Hollywood...they are all happy and cheery and teary when they get that yellow card and the occassional vote of confidence from Simon.

But on the other hand - this show is totally freaking annoying. Here are the reasons why:

1 - it's a bunch of pretty people singing poppy songs that we have to hear at weddings and the mall all the time - do I need to spend an hour hearing them every Tuesday and Wednesday?

2 - It's on three freaking times a week. No other show gets this much play - and seriously, as much as I love my TV shows, once a week is enough.

3 - American Idol is always moving and pushing other shows out of their timeslots to air! It shares a timeslot with House on Tuesdays (one of my favorite shows) and it's really annoying that House airs a new episode and then disappears for three weeks or a month because there's a slew of American Idol epsidoes. Did the TV networks ever used to do this? Every show should have it's own damn timeslot, and the networks shouldn't be able to move them all around for their convenience.

4 - Randy is really annoying. I get tired of him really quickly.

5 - It irritates me that the winners of this show (most of them) tend to disappear while the runners up are cutting albums right and left and winning freaking Academy awards. What's the point of even winning? Just making it to the top five can get you famous. But I suppose we have America to blame for that, since they are the ones voting.

Well anyway. I was bored at work and felt like going on a rant so there it is. I am sure that somebody is totally going to counteract this post with a "American Idol is the most popular show on television" type comment, but I don't care. As long as it keeps Hugh Laurie from me, I'm going to hate it. (Until next season's premiere when the bad guys sing again)

Moving Weekend

2007-03-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

So I finally moved into my new apartment last Friday, and I thought I'd blog a little bit about the new place and how it finally feels to have it. Movers came early Friday morning and took all my funiture and other stuff out of storage. That was liberating. I'd hated the day that I'd locked up all my apartment stuff in that 8x10 locker and then went back home to live with Mom and Dad. Not that being with them is bad - but it is truly difficult to go from living on your own to living with parents again. I used to feel like I'd locked independent Jenn up in that storage unit with the queen sized bed and all the boxes. But I digress. Another stop at the house to get the rest of my things, and then off to Forest Hills.

It was sunny and cold but I didn't feel either. It was really exciting to open up the door and see the apartment empty in the daytime - ready for my stuff. The movers were quick and efficient and by noon, the job was done. Dad and I celebrated with lunch on Austin Street, and by the time we were done, Mom had arrived in Forest Hills to help with some unpacking. Their help was invaluable - I got at least half the unpacking done that day - and was exhausted but happy by the time Kelly came over to see the place. She brought champagne and cool champagne glasses and we toasted to the new place and finally getting in there.

Saturday was another busy day. I had more help - Matt was good enough to come over and put together my kitchen table for me, and Karen came over to help me unpack and organize miscellaneous things. They both came with me to Bed, Bath and Beyond where I picked up a few necessities. Sunday was easier - with a quick trip to Home Depot I got the last of what I needed, and by five p.m. that day there were only two unpacked boxes in the apartment. I don't have a couch yet, but I do have a cool chair from Pier 1, my bed, and my new kitchen table and chairs. I have cable and have been happily watching Showtime movies (right now its free for 3 months!)

My new neighborhood feels like the city - lots of apartment buildings, challenging parking, but also lots of restaurants, ammenties, and diverse groups and aged people. I love that I can walk to the supermarket. I love that I can throw my trash down a chute and not worry about what day garbage day is. More than anything, I love that I am living alone again - and calling the shots on the little things, like what time dinner is, and whether or not I actually want to eat it at the table, or in front of the TV. It feels a little strange - living in Forest Hills and an apartment building will take a little getting used to (I've only lived in a house and an apartment in a 3 family house in Middle Village) but this morning as I walked out of my apartment I equated the strange feeling to the kind you get on vacation - you're in an unfamiliar place, maybe a little disoriented, but at the same time, it's all very very good.

I will try to take some pics of the new setup soon, but for now, just wanted to share the musings of being on my own again.

Notes from the Best Snowboarder in the World

2007-03-05T11:05:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to get a second snowboarding trip in this year. This past weekend, Matt, Roy and I headed up to Killington, VT on Friday for a weekend on the slopes. Matt found us a hotel at the last minute and Roy got us up there in the good ol' truck. This is only the fourth time I've been snowboarding ever (2nd time going up on the lift) so I was looking forward to spending some time on the "beginner" hill, which you see here. I had a fall or two - the worst of which will be mentioned in the comments section, but all in all, my snowboarding abilities are improving. I improved my lift disembarking technique (i.e. getting off without falling or at least falling in a way that didn't require them to STOP the entire lift) and making it down the entire hill without falling. My control is getting better - I found myself recovering from slips and was able to keep going without falling. Sore as hell today after two days on the slopes, but by Sunday I was suprising myself with how many runs I felt like doing. Now - onto the funny comment summary!

"Wow. I've never actually seen someone fall getting ON the lift."

Matt: "What do you think is hindering you most in your snowboarding? Fear? Lack of control?"
Roy: "Her instructor...?" (meaning Matt)

"Tough up Charmin!"

"Jenn's job as a fireman would be to break down a door with an ax? She couldn't even carry her snowboard up the hill today!"

"Relax...we're having fun!" (Matt's impression of Roy)

"Why is the hotel welcome booklet in the shower?"

That's all I can think of right now! Thanks for a great weekend guys!

MY NEW APARTMENT!

2007-02-21T08:40:00.000-08:00

As some of you (who am I kidding? You all know!) I have spent the last couple of months going through the stages of buying a a co-op apartment in Forest Hills. I got approved by the board a couple of weeks ago, so I wanted to wait until all the maybes were yeses before I posted about it. Now the closing date is set for next week, and hopefully I'll be moving in the same day. The photo is what the apartment looks like now - obviously that's the seller's stuff, but you get a little bit of an idea about what the place looks like.

For those of you not familiar with Forest Hills, it's a kickass neighborhood. For example, I am within walking distance of the following:

the subway
two gyms
the bookstore
two movie theaters
Starbucks
Blockbuster
various restaurants
Cold Stone Creamery
various shops

Hooray!

The Colony: The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai

2007-02-13T15:05:00.000-08:00

I'm not even done with this book yet, but I know it's something I want to put up here on the blog. This book is fascinating. In the mid 1800s leprosy began to spring up on the Hawaiian islands and government officials were afraid if they didn't contain it, the disease would wipe out the entire Hawaiian population. So the board of health began exiling patients to a remote, unescapable island where instead of receiving care and medicine, the victims of this disease were left to more of less fend for themselves and to die. I don't even remember learning about this in school, so since this is the first I'm hearing of it, it's definetely interesting to me.

Graphic Novels

2007-02-07T12:50:00.000-08:00

It feels like it's been forever since my last post. Sorry guys, but things have been busy. And I've kind of been all over the place. And I've been getting a million spammy comments from this blog which has been annoying. Anyway! Today's post is about the new hot thing in the children's book world - graphic novels. If you haven't seen them before, think comic book but longer. Since I've never been a comic book fan, I wasn't very excited about these when they started coming out. I must admit, most of the time, I don't give a crap about superheroes. But graphic novels are getting interesting - they're not just about the Green Latern anymore. Here are two that I've read and really enjoyed.

American Born Chinese. this just won the prestigious ALA Printz award - the first graphic novel to ever do so. This book has three storylines, but the common thread is racism. This graphic novel combines ancient legend with every day conflict in a way that has never really been done before (at least not that I've seen) and of course, it's one of few books out there that focuses on the Asian characters. I read it in a single lunch hour, and recommend picking it up.

Blankets. This graphic novel is a love story, which I am almost always a sucker for. The main character is about seventeen - struggling with a heavy Christian upbringing, thoughts of becoming a priest and of course, his first love. I read this in one night too - the story pulled me in and the illustrations only made it more poignant,

Despite my uncertainty about graphic novels, I really enjoyed both these books. My company is at work on one of these too - we're hoping it will be out by the end of 07!

For Anybody Who Might be Bored at Work...

2007-01-25T14:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a site where you can try your hand at painting a Jackson Pollock painting. Have fun.

http://www.jacksonpollock.org/

What I Read

2007-01-11T13:54:00.000-08:00

Since I just gave you guys a book recommendation, I thought I'd look back on some of the things I read last year, share the list with you. Here's what I read last year:

1. Tiny Ladies in Shiny Pants
2. Why New Orleans Matters
3. The Best American Short Stories 2005
4. The Breakdown Lane
5. The Electric Michaelangelo
6. Unsettling
7. The Odd Woman
8. Leeway Cottage
9. The Wright 3
10. The Tenth Circle
11. Lies My Teacher Told Me
12. Gail Godwin: The Making of A Writer: Journals 1961-1963
13. You Remind Me of Me
14. Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs
15. The Big Love
16. The Brief History of the Dead
17. Confessions of a Toxic Bachelor
18. The Puschart Prize Anthology: 2006
19. Tallulah Falls
20. The Jester
21. Prey
22. Anna Karenina
23. The Best Travel Writing 2006
24. The O’Henry Prize Stories 2002
25. Blankets
26. Looking for Mr. Goodfrog
27. Serious Girls
28. Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn
29. The Position
30. The Bone Vault
31. A Death in Belmont
32. Miss American Pie
33. Elsewhere
34. The O’Henry Prize Stories 2006
35. L’Affaire
36. Labyrinth
37. We Were the Mulvaneys
38. The Gun Seller
39. Japanland
40. Lizzie’s War
41. The Falls
42. The Mercy of Thin Air
43. Without Reservations
44. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
45. Maybe a Miracle
46. Honor Bound
47. For One More Day
48. The Time Traveler’s Wife
49. The History of Love
50. Reasons to Live
51. Prague
52. A Long Way Down
53. The Bright Forever
54. The Good German
55. Twenty-something
56. The Things They Carried
57. The Egyptologist
58. On Beauty

A Book You Should Read

2007-01-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

My latest book recommendation came to me from Matt. At Christmastime, or maybe it was Thanksgiving time - we were talking about possible subjects for future Lee & Low multicultural books. And Matt brought up Muhammad Yunus, who I had not heard of before. Turns out he's a Nobel Prize recipient for his work to break the poverty cycle for good. This is from the back cover copy of "Banker to the Poor: Microlending and the Battle Against World Poverty":

In 1983 Muhammad Yunus established Grameen, a bank devoted to providing the poorest of Bangladesh with miniscule loans. He aimed to help the poor by supporting the spark of personal initiative and enterprise by which they could lift themselves out of poverty forever. It was an idea born on a day in 1976 when he loaned $27 from his own pocket to forty-two stool makers living in a tiny village. These women only needed enough credit to purchase the raw materials for their trade. Yunus's small loan helped them break their cycle of poverty for good. His solution to world poverty, founded on the belief that credit is a fundamental human right, is brilliantly simple: loan poor people money on terms that are suitable to them, teach them a few dound financial principles, and they will help themselves. Yunus's theories work. Grameen bank has provided 3.8 billion dollars to 2.4 million families in rural Bangladesh."

This guy's fascinating obviously, and it's really interesting to learn that it's not as hard as we may think to break the poverty cycle. Check it out.

Gripe of the Day: Idiotic Policies and Regulations

2007-01-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

My cell phone drama continues. Now I ordered a new phone online from this website last week, and they finally shipped it out on Monday. Today's annoying company of the day award goes to Fedex. I called them to ask if they could just leave the package without a signature because I knew nobody would be home. They said the driver has to make at least one delivery attempt before they can do that, and then once he does, I can sign the slip and leave it on the door. So I got home last night, no slip. But I know an attempt was made since I've been tracking the package. Then today, same thing happens. By the time I track the package they've already attempted a second delivery. So I call and ask them to leave it and they say, "the company who shipped you this package requested a signature. So in order for us to be able to drop it off without a signature, you'll need to have that company calll us and say that the signature is not necessary." Does that even make sense? I'm the recipient, doesn't what I want count for anything? Apparently not. Morons.

Gripe of the Day: The Fine Print

2007-01-09T13:43:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've griped about something (not a word out of you, Drapo) :-) so I figured I'd post a rant about one of the things in every day life that drives us fucking crazy and rightfully so. The fine print.

I'm using this broad term to describe any situation where you find yourself parting with money for reasons unbeknownst to you, but apparently completely justified because they appear somewhere in the universe in teeny tiny unreadable unfindable letters. I've had a run of bad luck recently with a few things, and I thought I'd share them here just to show how completely ridiculous companies can be and yet, somehow get away with it.

Case #1: The cell phone. When my current cell phone was conking out, I went to get a new one. I was an AT&T customer, and since then, they'd changed over to Cingular. I'd have to get a new plan, a Cingular one. Okay. But I was eligible for a free phone. Sounds good. I get the new plan and the new phone. Superb. Only I quickly find out the cell phone sucks. It doesn't work in a lot of places, including the apparently remote time square. And no service when I was upstate in Woodbury Commons! I start going to stores to see what I can do to switch my phone, but guess what? There's no way to switch your phone once you get it! So I end up paying $250 (full price) for a good phone - which of course I lost about a month later. The lesson? Cell phone companies suck. They give you crappy phones and then wait for you to toss it against a wall in frustration. Then when you have to buy a new one, they charge you full price. Grrrr.

Case #2: The cell phone bill. During the whole "You need a new cell phone contract" debacle, the guy that told me I had to switch from AT&T to Cingular apparently thought it would be funny to give me a contract that costs about double what I currently pay. So the first month I get a bill that's over $100 instead of the fifty I normally pay. I freak out and change it, but of course I still have to pay it. Fine. Then the next month my bill is about $30 more than usual, a "pro-rated" fee for changing my contract in the middle of the cycle. FINE. Then recently, when I switched to the new phone, it had all kinds of cool browser capabilities. I made the mistake of thinking I'd download some kind of a song ringtone. I ended up fooling around on two different ringtone sites, tried to download a couple of things, but they didn't work out. Couldn't get them to upload. But lo and behold, there's a $25 charge for these companies on the new cell phone bill. thanks guys. Really appreciate it. Grrrrr.

Case #3: The credit card. I had a balance on a credit card with high interest, so I figured I'd be fiscally responsible and switch it to a credit card with 0% interest. So I transfer the balance, and pat myself on the back for all the money I've saved. But on the first statement, there's a finance charge. I call to ask why and they say the 0% interest only applies to purchases, not to balance transfers. Apparently I should have read THE FINE PRINT. Jackasses. Thanks Amex for hiding the fact that the zero interest doesn't apply to balance transfers. Grrrrr.

Seriously, I hope I've gotten all my bad luck out of the way for the year. I've certainly learned a couple of valuable lessons. Always read the fine print!

2nd Annual Killington New Year's Trip

2007-01-02T10:16:00.000-08:00

Last Friday the crew and I departed New York, Boston and Philadelphia for a fun filled New Year's weekend in Killington. We did this snowboarding trip last year, and since it was so much fun, we decided to repeat it by heading up to Killington again. We got up there Friday night and had a great dinner at the Wobbly Barn. Luckily it began to snow early on Saturday, so we had some fresh powder to work with. Time to hit the slopes! So here's Drapo and I, who finally made it off the bunny hill! Whoo hoo! The other slope picture you see is the beginner trail we spent our time going down. I was really excited to graduate to the lift this weekend - my control was getting better, and by Sunday afternoon, I was able to work my way down the mountain and only fall a few times - a big improvement over falling eight or nine the day before. The other pics you see here are from New Year's eve - us playing poker and being silly and waiting for the ball to drop. the last picture is Pat - celebrating the fact that his health insurance kicked in at midnight - Jan 1 2007 - and he could be reckless about jumping around in the snow since once again, he was covered. Drapo and he both did some awesome snow slides down the embankment to celebrate the beginning of 2007.

As usual, the trip was filled with laughter and comments, so here is the usually summary of funny happenings and things said:

What the hell is an aluminum falcon???

DOOOO DOOO DOOO, DOOO DOOOOO DOOOO DOOOOO....

Cockadoodledoo motherfucker!

I am the greatest snowboarder in the world. Say it. SAY IT!

Dude those moguls almost killed me. If my snowboard had an emergency brake on it, I would have pulled it.

I think that everybody here had some kind of a collision with a skier today.

This is my Roy Rogers collectible gun holster. They only made 12 billion of them.

Does his bathing suit really have two holes cut in the ass? Seriously????

Byah!

Where are my slippers? Has anybody seen them? Anyone?

Michelle, it's your turn from trivial pursuit! Roll the dice! Michelle? ZZZZZZZZ

Hey, I have health insurance! Time to do a backflip!

Happy freaking New Year everybody. Now if only we could do this every weekend...

The Christmas Season

2006-12-15T06:57:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've done a post, and part of the reason is that I've been insanely busy. It's the holiday season! I've been shopping (as you saw from the shopping trip post) and traveling (which you saw from the LA post) and running around Queens and the city like a maniac since I got home.

So now that I'm at work and things are quiet for the moment, I've got the ipod out and I'm listening to one of my favorite Christmas albums - "John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together". Now I know a bunch of you just said "Good grief" in your heads, and go ahead, say whatever you want. But this album is awesome - and it's always been a big part of my holiday season. I've decorated the family tree, wrapped Christmas presents and looked out the window at snowy evenings to this album.

Plus come on - who wouldn't want Beaker on their Christmas album?

Hollywood!

2006-12-08T07:04:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, sorry it took me so long to get this post going, but it's been sort of busy since I got back to work. Taking off a million days didn't really help matters - but it was totally worth it! So as you know by now, I took a jaunt to Los Angeles for the weekend, to stay with Eric and Alex in their house in the Hollywood Hills. Eric was nice to enough to pick us up at the airport, and it was nothing but sun and mid-seventies the whole time we were there, as you will see from the sapphire skies in the photo. Eric and Alex have a great house in the Hollywood Hills - their street and the exterior of the house are pictured here. Actor John Rhys-Davies - better known as the dwarf from "Lord of the Rings" used to live there, which I thought was pretty cool.

Anyway, Matt and I had an awesome time visiting LA. Neither of us had spent much time there before, so it was really cool to get out and see the town. We had dinner with Paula - an author I know from my company on Friday night, at this cool Italian restaurants where the waiters all sing. Matt and I spent a day wandering around Santa Monica - which is the area you see with the palm trees - just gorgeous. We shopped and had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the beach. We kept saying we'd forgotten that it was December! Alex was awesome enough to take us hiking in Topanga Canyon on Sunday, which was fun, beautiful and invigorating. And Eric took us to the Grove on Sunday night - a cool outdoor mall that is all decorated for Christmas - complete with huge trees, Santa and his reindeer, and fake snow all through the streets.

Matt and I also got to hang out with James - a friend we met on our first trip to Europe six years ago. We hadn't seen him since he'd been to New York three or four years ago, so it was awesome to see him. We also met him at the Saddle Ranch where we got to watch people ride and fall off a mechanical bull. Nice!

So to finish off this post, let's do the list of awesome quotes from the weekend:

IS THAT QUEEN LATIFAH? HOLY FUCK!

Um...there's some kind of green algae growing in the Brita water pitcher...

Yes Obi-Wan Kenobe - you are wise beyond your years...

The bartender lost my credit card! I'm going to have to cancel my credit card!

Could the entrance to this stupid dome be any harder to find? Jesus!

Hey you guys mind if we sit here? (Alex, talking to a table of pigeons outside in and out burger). Thanks!

Thanks to Eric, Alex and Dale for letting us crash at their awesome place, and thanks to Eric and Alex for taking us cool places in LA! Hope we can do it again soon!

The 7th Annual Christmas Shopping Trip (We think)

2006-12-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

I know that many of you have been anxiously awaiting the update on the annual Christmas shopping trip, so please accept my apologies for the long wait. A long weekend in Los Angeles (post to follow) sort of got in my way of writing it. Anyway, Kelly and I went last week on what we figured to be the 7th annual Christmas shopping trip. That's what we did on the car ride up - try to figure out how many years we'd been doing this trip. So the conversation sounded something like this.

Okay, when was the first trip?
The year I bought my ex the Movado.
Right. Then there was the year we stayed in the room that was thirty miles out of the way...
and smelled like an ash try threw up in it!
Yes! Then there was the year I had a migraine...
and the year I had a sinus infection...
Yup - that was the same year we first stayed with our family...
and ate in the same Friendly's restaurant, twice in the same day, and at first didn't even realize it.

We basically accounted for all but one year - there must have been one year where everything went so smoothly that we barely even remember it. Oh well. But anyway, here are some of the other quotes from this one:

Jenn, this store is really expensive. You are going to choke in here.

Hot dog for the road!

This room smells like an ash try threw up in in too! This room is the runner up to the the other room that wins the worst smelling room ever award. If the other hotel burns down, then this room could step up an fulfill that room's duty as the worst smelling room.

In the elevator in the hotel, two middle aged women with a million packages get on. "Where are your packages?" They ask us. "In the car." Kelly says. "I suppose we should have left ours in there." one of them said. "No, no," the other said. "We have to look through everything and see where we are." They got off, and Kelly said with a wistful sort of smile, "They are on the same trip that we are, you know that right?" I nod and say "Yeah, that's us in twenty years!" then we shake our heads and say "Amateurs! You don't need to take all the stuff out of the car!" You do what Kelly and I do - write it all down at dinner, figure out what and who you still need to buy for, and plan that for tomorrow.

Reindeer mat! And glasses! Kelly's getting dumped!

Christmas carols! Rebekah got her annual annoying message with the dogs barking jingle bells, and Drapo was treated to a message of the chipmunk christmas song.

I'm cute. Put me in charge. Happy bunny!

Last but not least, Kelly telling the employees at Target as she pays for her stuff, "I work at this shithole, so I get a 10% discount."

Thanks Kel for another fun shopping trip. Can't wait for the next one! :-)

National Novel Writing Month: Update

2006-12-05T08:32:00.000-08:00

Whew. It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks, and if you keep up with this blog, you will soon see why. November was a heck of a busy month - one of the reasons being that I was participating in this writing "contest" - National Novel Writing Month. This blog post is to update you on the status of it - and the status is: I won! The objective was to write 50,000 words in thirty days - or, a novel in November. The subject of my novel was about angels, specifically one guy who wants to become an angel who brings people to heaven after they die. I completed my story on November 29th, and I think that my final word count was 50,011. It was a really fun and challenging experience, and I'm glad that I made the effort to do it. It showed me that I can write every day if I really put my mind to it. Many thanks to Drapo for bringing it to my attention!

The Latest Publishing Scandal

2006-11-21T10:39:00.000-08:00

Like many people in the book business, I was absolutely appalled when I heard that Harper Collins was publishing a book by O.J. Simpson titled "If I Did It", a "hypothetical" account of how he might have committeed the Nicole Simpson Ron Goldman murders. If I did it? Are they kidding? A major disgrace, going for huge controversial sales over how a man killed his ex-wife and her lover - hypothetically of course.

Then yesterday, an interesting turn of events - Harper Collins pulled the book and said that it would not be sold. I read today that copies already out there will be recalled and destroyed. This is a fascinating move, because it's not just turning back and deciding not to publish a book. the book's already published, it's in a warehouse waiting to be distributed. the money has been spent. Recalling it is a major move at this juncture - but the entire book and publishing world is applauding it - thank God there is still some morality in this industry. Here's a bit from an article by Sara Nelson of Publishers Weekly on the matter:

"All this, I think, is good news for the publishing business, and for books in general: it proves that there are limits to what a publisher is willing to do to sell books; and it proves that people care about what those books promote or evoke. Never mind that booksellers, and publishers, for that matter, routinely make choices about what to sell and publish—nobody is required to endorse everything, after all—the decision is good public relations. While it could be argued that pulling the book because of public pressure is just a reverse sort of pandering—"Give the people only what they already want" turned "Don't give them anything they don't want"—it also just might help reverse the disturbingly prevalent opinion that publishers, especially big publishers, are soulless gatekeepers only out for the money. "The people spoke and shunned the book," one executive said. "That means that books matter."

It used to be that publishing declared its morality, its values, its world view by the books it chose to publish. Now, it seems, the business declares itself by what it refuses to publish.

I admit it's a weird turnaround. But, hey, I'll take it."

Glad this got nipped in the bud before it went any further.

Sometimes when you least expect it, life hands you a blueberry martini

2006-11-20T07:24:00.000-08:00

I went to Boston this weekend to visit Drapo, and as always I had a really awesome time. First I got to spend Saturday shopping on Newbury Street and in and around Copley Place. Boston couldn't be more beautiful in the fall, with the leaves all falling in different colors, it's crisp and cool under the autumn blue sky. Drapo and I were both tired and sort of under the weather by Saturday evening, so we thought we'd make it a quiet night - dinner and a movie. It started out that way - dinner and then "Borat" which of course was as funny as everybody says it is.

So after the movie, we shrug and say, "Oh, let's have one more drink." So Drapo leads us to a rather swanky hotel just off Boston Common where the lounge is low key and perfect for hanging out. He's got beer and I've got wine, but soon I notice a familiar bottle and the bartender wants to know what I'm looking at. I say I'm admiring the Icelandic vodka, and it turns out that Frank (the bartender) is a fan. He says he'll whip me up a great cocktail, and soon there's a blueberry martini in front of me - Icelandic vodka and Finnish blueberry liquor. Yum.

So now I'm drinking this fabulous martini and somehow Drapo and I start talking to this pretty drunk guy next to us named Randal. He was fairly amusing and fascinating, and there's lots of funny comments and conversation. Drapo and I are still trying to figure out which one of us he was interested in. We also think he may have wanted both of us! Room 234? Was that it Drapo?

We closed down the hotel bar, and were sent on our merry way. In the lobby of the hotel, somehow I start talking to a group of friends who were also drinking at the hotel bar, and they invite Drapo and I to join them for more martinis. So off we go, into the north end, where we are drinking black and blue martinis until two a.m. This one guy in the group, Jason was quite a character, and had us laughing the entire time with his crazy antics.

The next morning Drapo and I didn't move around much - we got ourselves up and out for coffee, and that was enough. But the night of blueberry martinis was one of the most fun I've had this year, and I'm so glad that the night took an unexpected turn. Thanks again for the fun weekend Drapo!

Thought You Guys Would Like This

2006-11-16T08:45:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry that I've been so lazy about posting lately, but I've been a little busy. As you can see from my last post, I'm writing a novel all in one month, working on a picture book manuscript as a side project, working on short stories and reading a lot for my writing class, as well as working and living a fabulous life. Travel, friends, you know. But today, for your enjoyment, here's a photo of Catherline, myself, Leanne and...Mozart! We took this photo in Vienna, and look carefully at Mozart: the best part of this photo is the pack of Marlboros that are sticking out of his pocket. Leanne said to him, "Mozart smoked?" and without missing a beat the guy smiled and said, "Yes." Haha.

My Kinda Marathon

2006-11-06T13:20:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have watched the New York City marathon yesterday. I did not. I think that running 26 miles is utter insanity. Three or four or even five is okay. 26 is nuts. But, since November is a marathony kind of month, I found my own to participate in.

Drapo sent me a link to this - National Novel Writing Month. The challenge is to write 50,000 words (a mini novel, if you will) in 30 days, during the month of November. So you sign up, track your progress, and so on. It's not supposed to be a masterpiece, it's more about finding out that you can do it. Isn't that why everybody runs the marathon? To know they can do it? Yup, that's what I'm doing.

So I've written 7200 words so far - on par for the month. We'll see how the rest of it goes, and if you want to check out my profile and an excerpt, click here:

http://www.nanowrimo.org/userinfo.php?uid=175471

Wish me luck!

Knowing When To Stop

2006-10-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend a bunch of us went down to Atlantic City, and boy was it a fun weekend. Represented at the weekend were people from our New York delegation -me, Matt, Pat, Michelle, Roy, Brian Steve and Ashley our Boston delegation - Drapo, and our Philly delegation, Michelle, Misti, Jen and Steve. I will do the usual sum up of notable and funny moments:

-Matt showing up at my house on Saturday morning already decked out for Staurday night. Dark blue button down shirt, black velvet jacket, sunglasses. he was Brad Pitt in Ocean's Eleven, and I made him say "We're gonna knock over a casino"

Pat being in the middle of a sentence and stopping to stare at Drapo. All of us hang there, waiting for Pat to speak again when he says "That would be perfect!" Turns out that Pat is going to be Indiana Jones for Halloween, and Drapo was wearing a brown leather jacket that would complete the outfit perfectly. He broke out the brown fedora hat he bought and it did look good. Drapo awesomely loaned Pat his jacket on Sunday when we got home, and Pat gave Drapo a black one of his as "collateral".

-On the car ride down, Roy broke out his ipod and treated us to the wackiest road trip compilation of songs ever. We heard Christmas music, showtunes, kids music and I don't even know what else. Our favorites (and by that I mean the ones that generated the most laughs) were "C is for Cookie", "The Hokey-Pokey", "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and "Supercalifragalisticexpialadocious". Thanks for the awesome soundtrack Roy!

-I'd like to point out that in this group, we had two Matts, two Jens, two Michelles and two Steves. And since a lot of these people hadn't met everyone else before - it was confusing to say the least.

-For dinner, thirteen of us paraded up to the hostess and we asked to be seated together if possible. The woman asked how many we were and took my name. Pat said later that I should have said, "13" when she asked how many of us there were, but I should have said "Jesus" when she asked my name.

-Michelle's impression one of our trip friends posing for pictures. Too funny for words.

-Roy's roll at the craps table. I was told that he was rolling for about a half an hour. The table was chanting "Roy!" whenever he rolled, and everybody was making money. Nice.

-Pat and I managed to stay in the poker room until after 4:30 a.m. When we finally left, there was brochure at the cashier window that said, "Knowing When to Stop" and it's where this blog post gets its name. At breakfast the next day, we were reading some of the questions inside that we thought were funny like:

Do you have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?

Do you ever gamble for longer than you had planned?

Are you reluctant to use "gambling money" for normal expenditures?

-Misti's craps roll in the morning - she made me and Michelle some money!

-Drapo and Roy's antics with Matt's car at the rest stop - putting the windshield wipers straight up and twisting the blades around. Of course matt's all in the car and seat belted in before he realizes and has to get out and fix it. Funny.

-Cheesequake! It has much to offer. Seriously. It does.

Anyway, all in all it was an awesome weekend. Even more so since I left AC up $160. It's all about knowing when to stop, see? Thanks for the fun weekend guys!

The Time Traveler's Wife

2006-10-16T10:57:00.000-07:00

It's book recommendation time! I just finished reading this book: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. This may be one of my favorite books of all time...its a combination of all the things I like in a story - someting supernatural - in this case, time travel. Henry DeTamble time travels to his past and future without meaning or desiring to. It's also one of the best love stories I've ever read, Clare and Henry are so well drawn, and their love is so normal and obvious that that's what makes it powerful. It's also very funny in places - poor Henry can't control when he time travels, but it tends to happen when he gets stressed, so there's some very funny worrying about time travel - like when poor Henry is hoping he won't disappear right before Clare's family's eyes at Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve or at their wedding. This is one of those books that you were sorry to finish it was so good. Enjoy!

The Departed

2006-10-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

I saw this movie on Monday night with Matt, Pat and Michelle, and I've been looking forward to doing a blog post about it to tell you how awesome it is.

Now it's a little complicated, because I really don't want to give anything good away, but I'll try to say what's good about the film without being horribly specific.

Jack Nicholson. He's back. He's awesome in all the comedies he does, but you forget how much awesomer he is when he plays villians, and that's what's happening here. He's an Irish mob boss and he's badass. And disturbing. And the whole time you're watching him on screen you're sort of saying to yourself "I can't not look at it..."

Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio are good too in their respective roles. I also enjoyed the story, it was interesting and kept me entertained the whole time...I thought it was well done. It was cool to watch a film about the Irish mafia - I always enjoy films with an Irish angle because of my heritage, and this one had some pretty funny quotes about being Irish in general. Like this one:

"You know, Freud once said that the Irish are the only race who are impervious to psychoanalysis." Awesome.

Go see it.

Vienna and Wolfgang Amadeus

2006-10-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

The last place we went on the Europe was Vienna, and one of the cool things we got to do there was go see a Mozart concert at Schoenbrunn palace, the "summer residence" of the Habsburgs. A massive lemon cream colored palace...they call it the Versailles of the east. And it's pictured here. The other photo is of the Orangerie - the concert hall where we saw an orchestra, opera singers and dancers perform some of Mozart's "greatest hits" if you will. Funny aside...in Prague Drapo and I were walking around and passed some kind of concert hall and they had a sign for that night's performance saying "Mozart's greatest hits" and we just thought it was hilarious - like the way you see Aerosmith's Greatest Hits 1985-1995 in the store. Anyway, dinner at this palace and then the concert was awesome...a very cool thing to have done while we were in prim and perfect Austria.

Prague!

2006-09-29T05:49:00.000-07:00

Morning guys! Here are some photos and sights from around Prague, which I think was a favorite place for a lot of people on the tour. the first two shots are from the roof of the U Prince Hotel. This is a quaint little place in the back corner of the Old Town Square, next to the astronomical clock. The cool thing about it is that they have this rooftop cafe where you can have drinks or lunch and look out on the whole square. Drapo, Catherine, Leanne and I went up there one day and had a long leisurely lunch, with everything from cocktails, to fancy entrees, to coffee and dessert. We got to hear the clocktower go off several times, and I think that afternoon was one of my favorite moments on the trip.

The next photo is of the Old Town Square, which is so pretty. Prague is hard to describe, it's like Paris, Munich and Florence all rolled into one, and at the same time, it is a city all it's own. The Old Town Square is made up of restaurants with outdoor tables, and buttercream and strawberry colored buildings like this. Pretty!

The last photo is of the astronomical clock in the Old Town square. It's pretty cool - it chimes every hour, and there's a little show of figures. The two windows at the top open at the twelve apostles parade by. A little skeleton rings a bell, death calling, and human figures, one holding a mirror to represent vanity, and another representing greed, shake their heads, "no, we're not going". Then this golden and green rooster crows, signifying another hour of life, only it sounds more like a kazoo than a rooster, and it makes everybody laugh. It's pretty fun to watch.

Dude...like, are you famous?

2006-09-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

Today's blog post is all light and fluffy with some of the nightlife fun we had in Prague. And as you can see by the photos, we totally met celebrities! The first photo is of Cheryl, George Stults, and me! You've seen George if you've ever seen 7th Heaven and I will admit that I had seen it and did know who he was. He was really nice, took a bunch of pictures with us, and even hugged me when we were leaving. Sorry. I like to keep track of the celebrities I get hugged by.

Next is Richard Burgi. You've seen him on Desperate Housewives, he's Terri Hatcher's ex-husband (on the show) and now he's with the Nicolette Sheridan character. I think. You also may have seen him in "In Her Shoes" with Cameron Diaz and Toni Colette - he played the boss that Toni Colette was sleeping with in the beginning. He too was really nice and took a million pictures with us, but I didn't talk to him as much as I did with George.

Pretty cool, huh?

Berlin Sights

2006-09-26T06:01:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is my next vacation post. Here are some of the sights we saw in Berlin. The first is the Berliner Dome, an impressive cathedral right at the foot of Museum Island, a patch of land where there's a bunch of museums one after the other. The Berliner Dome was the cathedral to the royal family, who used to live in a castle across the street, and now it overlooks a grassy lawn that is awesomely named "Lustgarden". How appropo...

The second photo is of what remains of the Berlin wall...it's pretty crazy to actually see it and think about how it separated one side of the city from the other. I can't even imagine what it must have been like to live in Berlin at that time...knowing you couldn't cross the barrier. We also heard some cool escape stories...like one West Berlin man wanted to break his East Berlin girlfriend out, figured out how high the barricade was at the checkpoint, rented an Austin Healy, practiced driving with his eyes closed, went by the border, ducked and floored it, and made it through before the guards even knew what happened.

The third photo is of the Holocaust Memorial. It's just a maze of all these different sized rectangular blocks...but the further you walk in, the higher they get, and soon they are two and three feet over your head. The idea is that when you walk in, you all of a sudden disappear behind the blocks...I like that symbolism. It's also supposed to be confusing and disorienting, much like the experience of the Jews who only thought they were being relocated somewhere for a better life. It's a cool memorial, and the museum underneath it was sad and moving and really interesting.

Vacation Stories! Chapter 1: Berlin

2006-09-25T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Sorry I've been away so long, but I was on vacation in Europe. A little over a week and travel in Berlin, Prague and Vienna. I was pretty lazy about pictures and updates from my trip last year on the blog, so this year, I am going to try to do a little better. So here goes:

On the right you'll find a photo of Drapo (aka Matt, for those of you from the trip) and I posing with Karl Marx and Frederich Engels in Berlin. This statue is hilarious - Drapo wanted us on Marx's lap, but he was a bit tall for that kind of climbing. Still, I think this photo rocks, and a friend of mine said, "It looks like the four of you have gotten together for a drink or tea," Ha.

Berlin sort of staggered me, it was very different than any other European city I'd ever visited. Not pretty like Paris or Munich, but worn and rough from World War II and Hitler and the Soviets and general unrest. The history was amazing, we learned so much about Hitler, the war, the Holocaust, the Berlin Wall, life in East and West Germany, escape atttempts, the wall coming down, etc. Berlin as a united city is also relatively new, and it is really interesting to see this city taking shape, putting up long overdue memorials to the Holocaust victims, and so on. I'll post more about these sights soon.

Another Florida Trip

2006-09-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

On Labor Day weekend I flew down to Tampa to hang out with Abbey, Max, Asia, the dogs, and Max's father and Giovanni (their nephew) who was visiting. Here's a recap of the weekend:

In JFK - I saw Carson from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy checking in right near me. He was wearing a snazzy red and blue U.S. Open jacket and white pants. He looked fabulous. Second celebrity sighting in a week!

Biggest holy crap moment of the weekend: we're on the plane, taxiing, and all of a sudden I see us get on this line of about eight planes. then the captain comes on and tells us we're 25th in line to take off, and it will take another hour to get off the ground. Oy.

Abbey and Max are the most gracious hosts ever. They insisted on picking me up at the airport (which is not around the corner) even when my arrival time became 1 a.m. instead of 11:30 p.m. Thanks guys for coming to get me!

Since the last time I visited, Abbey and Max have acquired a few more dogs. They are actually breeding them now, so they actually had EIGHT this time. Here are there names: Shine, Trinity, Tyson, Tiffany, Chanel (because she was fifth in the litter...No. 5, get it?) Isis, Biggie, and Kimora. So if anybody wants to buy a dog, I know where you can get one! :-)

Asia! She was a month old the last time I saw her - now she's almost a year and a half. She's a ham - as you'll see in the pictures where she's right up close to the camera...posing and smiling away. She's a happy happy baby, and she's always running around, spinning, falling, laying flat on her back for a second, and then cracking up.

We went to the Magic Kingdom and rode the merry-go-round and It's a Small World - it was fun to take kids to Disney World for the first time. Last time I was there...I was the kid!

Shopping! It's Abbey and my trademark. Funny moment - going down the hall to the bathroom at the outlets, there's photos of other outlets in other states that this same company must own. So I'm walking down with Max and I say, "Oh there's the one that Abbey and I went to in Connecticut. Oh, and there's the one we go to in New York. And.." and Max is saying, "What the hell is this?' and I say "Jenn and Abbey's shopping trip hall of fame!"

Seriously though, I was so happy to be able to spend time with Abbey and Max again, and play with Asia and just be around them. They are in the very elite group of some of the greatest friends I have...and I want to thank them for all they do for me. Abbey, your doubles are in the mail! Miss you guys!

Japanland

2006-08-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

This is the latest book that I finished, and I really really enjoyed it. Beth recommended this one - its from her stock (Rodale) and it was the first book in awhile that I couldn't put down.

Karin Muller is thirty-four, unmarried, and seeking the meaning of life. She goes to Japan and moves in with a host family who live about an hour from Tokyo. The book details her travels and adventures, but it is the differences between this eastern and our western culture that are really interesting. Japan is all about tradition - America - in many ways is not. Fascinating - Japanese women can work, but their working is really supposed to be a way to meet a prospective husband. They earn a salary but their fathers still pay for their expenses, and every penny of what their earn is theirs to spend. Their jobs fire them when they are thirty because they are supposed to be married by then, and if a woman marries before then, she can say good-bye to her job anyway.

This book is amusing, interesting, sad and thought-provoking all at once - and I really enjoyed following Muller around in her travels.

The Borgata

2006-08-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

So last Friday (which was my last summer Friday off from work) Kelly, Michelle, Rebekah and I headed south on the Garden State. Destination: Atlantic City for a night at the Borgata, to celebrate Kelly's birthday.

The Borgata is pretty much the swankiest hotel in Atlantic City, and can feel a lot more like a Vegas hotel and casino than an Atlantic City one. Vegas hotels/casinos are massive, decorated like palaces, and have casinos you could get lost in. The Borgata isn't as big at the MGM Grand or anything, but it gives the Taj Mahal a big run for it's money. Anyway. Things I like about the Borgata include:

*The statues they have in the lobby. There is always a huge check in line (think Space Mountain at Disney World) so while people are waiting they sometimes lean against a white marble statue of some ancient roman man or woman dressed in the white robes and wearing a crown of leaves. But surprise! The statue isn't really a statue. It's a person, dressed in white and painted white. They show up, get up on the pedestal, and stand still for a really long time. They wait until the crowd changes, until people who didn't see him arrive stand around in the lobby and lean against the post. Then they lean down and tap the person on the shoulder and it freaks them out. Very entertaining for those of us on line.

*The fact that they have Ocean's Eleven playing in the elevator. This is one of my favorite movies, and I like seeing George Clooney and Brad Pitt wandering around in the Bellagio when I'm three floors from a casino myself.

*The shower and shampoo. This sounds silly, but at the Borgata you get one of those huge showers with a glass door and a bench inside. The shampoo is rosemary mint and it's refreshing as hell. Go ahead laugh. Take a shower in there and I guarantee it will be one of the better traveling showers you've taken.

*The Do Not Disturb sign. Instead of saying "Do Not Disturb" and "Service Please" It says "Tidy Up" for service and "Tied Up" for Do Not Disturb. Nice.

So from here I think I'll skip right to the highlights and funny comments:

All weekend we made fun of the high security at the Borgata. When you check in, they take not only the cardholder's ID, but the ID of everyone staying in the room. Then they put all of our addresses in the computer. "What if I didn't want anyone to know I was here?" Rebekah said. They also have a sercuity guard stationed at the elevators, which are behind glass windows and past a sitting area called the living room. Every person in the room has to show a key to get upstairs. "What if I wanted to bring a guy back here from the club?" Kelly asked, half joking, half serious. So a slew of comments followed all weekend, like:

"Are you planning on thinking about your friend Bob while you're here? Cause we're gonna need his ID."

"Your brother is 16? Oh, he might come here someday. We're gonna need his ID."

So throughout the weekend, I was playing craps, and winning a lot of money doing so. Funny moment at the table. I was leaning over, as people tend to do, while playing craps, and let's just say I wasn't wearing the most modest shirt in the whole world, and my chest was partially exposed. The guy across the table from me rolled ,and both dice smacked my chest, and one fell to the table and the other into the wooden row where the chips stay. Oy. He was pretty mortified, but I thought it was funny.

Kelly's rendition of "Freefalling." "LOVES HOOOOOOOORRRRSSSSESSS..."

Celebrity sighting! While sitting at breakfast on Saturday, we saw Artie Lange, of Howard Stern and lots of other movies. I am in serious trouble with Drapo and Chris for not getting an autograph, but I'm hoping if I bring them lots of liquor the next time I go up to Boston, they'll forgive me. (Or at least forget about it). :-)

Cheesequake rest stop! Inside joke.

That's all for this one folks. I'm gonna be running around quite a bit for the next month, so expect a lot more updates. :-)

Project Runway

2006-08-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

Summer is coming to an end and soon it will be September which means - all my shows will be back with new episodes! But I thought today I'd talk a little bit about my new favorite show that has kept me amused all summer while everything else was in reruns.

Project Runway is on Bravo, and it's a reality competition show - just like the Apprentice, but with fashion designers. And it's pretty cool - every week the designers are giving a new assignment, given thirty minutes to sketch out ideas, 30 minutes to purchase fabric, and a day or two to create an outfit. It's fun to see what they come up with, and how the judges react to what they come up with. There's almost no middle ground where these outfits are concerned, they tend to be either completely gorgeous or completely hideous.

Heidi Klum is the host and she's awesome. First of all, she's so damn pretty, and she's always got a cool outfit on, you just want to look at her. Second, she's a badass. She's not afraid to tell the designers when something sucks, nor is she afraid to say "I want that dress in every color" when its awesome. Tim Gunn is awesome too - he's the advisor for the designers (and the director of the fashion program at the New school), and his mannerisms are so amusing that KIm laughs out loud anytime he says anything at all, even "Time's up designers".

Thanks Beth for getting me into this show!

It's Official. I'll Never Own Real Estate in New York...

2006-08-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

I read this article in AM New York ( a freebie paper they give out on the street) about the soaring prices of real estate in Manhattan, and all of New York City for that matter - and I thought this tidbit was interesting:

"Wondering whether you can afford to buy a Manhattan apartment? Here's how to find out: Convert all the money you're willing to spend into crisp $100 bills, then put those bills in a bag. Lug that to the apartment in question. and dump the money on the floor. Now spread the cash around the apartment, bathroom and all. Look around. Can you see the floor? If the answer is yes, collect your money and move on. You can't afford this apartment. This is not hyberbole. An average Manhattan apartment costs $1083 per square foot, according to the latest market reports. Ten $100 bills, when spread out flat, occupy about a square foot."

Even more depressing, check this out: The average Manhattan apartment costs 1.3 million. Here's what you can get for that much $$$ in other cities:

Seattle, WA: 5 bedrooms, 4 baths, a fireplace, 3570 square feet and water views
Boise, ID: 6 bedrooms, 6 baths, 4 car garage, landscaped grounds and pool, 6438 square feet
Phoenix, AZ: 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2853 square feet
Austin, TX: 5 bedrooms, 5 baths, 2 half baths, 2 car garage, pool, 4605 square feet
Peachtree City, GA: 6 bedrooms, 4 baths, 2 half baths, pool, 8000 square feet
Portland, ME: 3 level condo penthouse with harbor views. 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 3099 square feet.

Christ.

Modern Love

2006-08-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

Do you guys ever read the Modern Love column in the Sunday New York Times? Sure, it's in the Fashion and Style section - right before the godamn wedding section, but it's still a source of really interesting, well written and occassionaly poignant essays about love and the way things are today between people.

This week's essay I found particularly moving - excerpted from a book I'm interested to read: Twenty-something essays by Twentysomething writers. It didn't seem like the usual kind of story that would spring from that kind of situation, and I just really liked it. Hope you will too:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/13/fashion/13love.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

If You're Afraid, Then the Terrorists Win...

2006-08-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

That's my philosophy - so I just happily booked a flight to Florida to visit my friend Abbey on Labor Day weekend. I'm also headed for Europe in mid-September. All this bullshit that's going on now with heightened security doesn't bother me enough not to fly. But I gotta say - if the terrorists are waging a war to rob us of every convenience associated with air travel that we know and love - they are slowly and painfully winning that war.

Maybe I'm being too liberal - but it drives me crazy the way everything gets banned because of one incident. No more water, eyedrops, lip gloss on planes? It drove me crazy that the "shoe bomber guy" ruined security for the rest of us with his idiotic plan. Now it's liquids. Sigh. I'm all for being careful and heightened security but the first thought in my mind is - "They're just going to find another way" and it's true. And in the meantime, our carry ons are getting lighter and lighter. If there is ever a day when there are no carry ons at all allowed on planes...oy. Hope it doesn't come to that.

A note to Al-Queda: Please please please find something else to do with your time. The next time you get on a plane, instead of trying to blow it up, see where it lands. Wherever it ends up, I guarantee that they will have cocktails, chicks and fun on the other end.

Sorry I've Been Away for So Long...

2006-08-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

I just realized I haven't posted in awhile, so I figured I'd show you guys what was keeping me away. Catalog season! This is one of the biggest projects I do at work - putting together our annual catalogs for our LEE & LOW and Bebop titles. The LEE & LOW is new and very different this year - with more art and color and it looks awesome. The cover is on the right - isn't it cool?

I promise I'll post some more soon, but for now, sit back, smile a proud smile and say, "Boy that Jenn, she's a heck of a multitasker."

How I'm Gonna Die

2006-07-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

How Will I Die Quiz

You will die at the age of 78

You will die in a freak accident involving Ryan Seacrest

Find out how you will die at Quizopolis.com

The Beer Garden

2006-07-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we went to the Beer Garden in Astoria - and I thought I'd post a few pics. If you're not in em, wish you were here!

Foxwoods (yes, more gambling)

2006-07-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

I should just call this blog "Jen's Chip Count" because half of the postings I do are about gambling. Between poker games and trips to AC this year - I have been quite the degenerate gambler. Now a week ago, I went up to Foxwoods for the day, and I didn't have a chance to post about it due to catalog strain here at work. But the readers of the blog wanted to know, "Where is the post on Foxwoods?" So what the people want, the people get! Here it is:

On Saturday (7/15) Kim and I took the new wheels on a long drive up 95 to Foxwoods, CT. And damn its far. Forgot how far it was until I was in the sixties exits, thinking I was getting close, and then talked to Drapo on the phone and found out it was exit 92. After some traffic and slow idiots on the side roads, we finally made it.

And it was worth it. Foxwoods is massive, a lot like a Vegas casino. There's tons of guest rooms, lots of casino, and pretty much a whole mall inside. Drapo was waiting for us in the Atrium Lounge. We had a drink, then headed to the Hard Rock for lunch.

Side note: I will always stop in a Hard Rock Cafe wherever I am because I have this weird hobby of collecting pilsner and hurricane souvenir glasses from them. I have a whole bunch now, let's see if I can remember: New York (obviously), Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Orlando, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New Orleans, San Juan, London, Munich, Amsterdam, Rome, Paris, Reykjavik, Copenhagen, Madrid, Barcelona, San Antonio, Atlantic City, and there may be more but I can't remember. Anyway, you get the idea! (I know, I'm a freak).

So after lunch we hit the tables. The day consisted of Craps and blackjack - Drapo and I would play blackjack together and Kim and I would play the craps table together. Here are the highlights:

- Kimble making her gambling debut. I don't know how she's survived in the Stevens family this long without gambling, but it was definetely time to bring her over to the dark side. She learned the game quickly, and made herself quite a bit of money with some good rolls!

- Our stickman (that's what they're called seriously) at the craps table. He was very funny, and kept Kim and I laughing with his sarcastic comments, like when a player tried to change money for chips, but wouldn't put the money down on the table like he was supposed to according to casino rules and the stickman said, "The first step is letting go."

- Drapo being "cavalier" in his blackjack moves. He doesn't play by the rules, he hits when he wants to hit, and stays when he wants to stay.

- The weird Asian guy at our second blackjack table. He kept us cracking up with his victory noises, "Brrrrrr!" (Think pigeons cooing) and calling the young dealer his son whenever he dealt him a winning hand.

- Me telling Drapo whenever he won a hand that I set up for him that he owed me a steak dinner. "A steak dinner for $15?" he said. Ha. See you at Peter Luger's my friend. :-)

- Kim saying she was going to take the casino one way or another -if not in winnings than in drinks. In vodka alone, she cleaned up that night! :-)

Kim and Drapo, thanks for the awesome weekend! Let's do it again soon!

Dress Kevin

2006-07-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

Today's fun activity is this:

www.dresskevin.com

This guy in Hoboken decided that when it came to dressing well he was clueless, so he took pictures of his entire wardrobe, put it up online and now let's the public decide for him. Kevin tells you where he's going, and then everybody submits their vote on what he should wear - right down to the accessories. Then the votes are tallied and the shirts, pants, shoes, etc with the most votes wins.

I don't know if this guy has a girlfiend or not - but if/when he does - I'm willing to bet that this site/endeavor is eventually going to be a problem. But until then, vote away!

The Devil Wears Prada

2006-07-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

I went to see this movie last night with my sister and my Mom. I was looking forward to seeing it just for Meryl Streep - who I heard was awesome as the pain in the ass boss. And she was - the movie was pretty funny, Meryl had some great lines and I was entertained the entire time.

But there was another aspect of this film that really interested me - and that was the modern day dilemma of work vs. personal life. This movie raises the question - in an over the top and exaggerated way, "How much of your personal life do you have to give up to be good at your job?" The answer is different for everyone, but there was a line in the movie that really rang true for me. Anne Hathaway said to to Stanley Tucci, "My personal life is going to hell." And Stanley Tucci said, "that's how you know you're starting to do well at work." And my job isn't the worst in the world, but at the same time, I've gotten calls from my office on my day off, I've called in myself on my day off, I miss dinner with my family every night because I get home between 7:30 and 8:00, you get the drift. And my friends - some of them have crazy jobs. One of them is working this weekend - he's been working every third weekend of the month for over a year. Plus long ass days to begin with. I have friends who work twelve hour days, all the time. blah blah blah.

I'm not really sure where I'm going with this - just felt like musing a bit. I guess what I hope is that someday I have a job that I love so much that I won't mind working whatever hours it throws my way. Cause God knows, the work day sure isn't getting any shorter.

Bullitt

2006-07-11T06:41:00.000-07:00

Caught another movie at Bryant Park last night - this time it was Bullitt starring Steve McQueen. It was badass night at Bryant Park. I arrived a little after six-thirty and found Eric and Alex on the 40th Street side of the lawn, pretty far down to the front. Kudos on the great spot guys! The key to a fun (and comfortable) night at Bryant Park is not only getting a good spot, but getting a spot with a lot of space so you have room to stretch out in the five hours you'll be spending there. Eric and Alex secured their spot around five - and they had two blankets out, enough for everybody to lay down on.

We agreed that the hours before the movie flew by. But it was a gorgeous night - not hot, and just a hint of cool breeze. We talked and read and wrote and worked on computers. Here's what went on before the movie:

Eric pointed out a woman who was walking around with a laptop strapped to her. She walks around taking orders for a food place - sends them to the place from the computer, then leaves a numbered flag by your picnic spot, and that's how the place knows where to deliver the food to. Eric and I shook our heads and said, "Only in New York."

Another guy walked around with a clipboard stopping and asking everyone if they were registered Democrats. Everyone was shrugging him off, and he seemed a little peeved. "Of course I'm a registered Democrat," Eric whispered to me. "I just don't want to fill out paperwork." He looked around at all the people on the lawn, skirts and beards and long hair and said, "In fact, I know there isn't a single person on this lawn who isn't a registered Democrat."

We worked on a tagline for Alex's screenplay. I could tell you what it's about, but then I'd have to kill you.

Dusk approached and it was almost time for the movie. Eric and Alex had brought pillows and everything- I've never had a sweeter setup at Bryant Park. We told Alex about the ritual - the HBO dancing, which he got right into. They show that old old promo for HBO - I can't really describe it, but if you saw and heard it you'd know it. And everybody gets up and dances. It's very odd, and very Bryant Park Summer Film Festival.

Then the fun starts. A cartoon! Duck Dodgers to the rescue! And then the movie starts. I'd never seen this whole movie - I'd seen bits and pieces like the chase scene, but I'm glad I got to see it here. Watching a movie like this at Bryant Park is fun because everybody's into it - and whenever Steve McQueen says something suave or rough everyone cheers and whistles. We were so far down front that we were able to lay with our heads propped up on pillows and still see. It was awesome.

Thanks guys for getting such a great spot and a fun night!

New Car!

2006-07-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that I am now the proud owner of a 2006 Saturn Ion Sedan 2. (or I will be once I pay the down payment and pick it up on Wednesday). But as of today all of the paperwork is signed and done! I can't wait to drive it home!

The Weirdest Irish Fair there ever was...

2006-06-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to Allentown to visit my dear friend Beth. And at this point I'd like to congratulate her - every single time I go up there she finds something for us to do that's out of the ordinary, amusing, wacky, and totally blogworthy. And with that, I give you the latest post on Beth and my Saturday evening in Allentown.

This weekend Beth found out that there was an Irish fair happening at a building in the Allentown fairgrounds. But it's not just any Irish festival. This one is called Finnegan's Wake. For those of you who don't know the story - it's a book buy James Joyce, but the story is actually inspired by this song:

Tim Finnegan lived in Walkin' Street
A gentleman, Irish, mighty odd;
He had a brogue both rich and sweet
And to rise in the world he carried a hod.
Now Tim had a sort of the tipplin' way
With a love of the whiskey he was born
And to help him on with his work each day
He'd a "drop of the cray-thur" every morn.
Chorus:
Whack fol the darn O, dance to your partner
Whirl the floor, your trotters shake;
Wasn't it the truth I told you
Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake!

2. One mornin' Tim was feelin' full
His head was heavy which made him shake;
He fell from the ladder and broke his skull
And they carried him home his corpse to wake.
They rolled him up in a nice clean sheet
And laid him out upon the bed,
A gallon of whiskey at his feet
And a barrel of porter at his head.
Chorus:

3. His friends assembled at the wake
And Mrs. Finnegan called for lunch,
First they brought in tay and cake
Then pipes, tobacco and whiskey punch.
Biddy O'Brien began to bawl
"Such a nice clean corpse, did you ever see?
"O Tim, mavourneen, why did you die?"
"Arragh, hold your gob" said Paddy McGhee!
Chorus:

4. Then Maggie O'Connor took up the job
"O Biddy," says she, "You're wrong, I'm sure"
Biddy she gave her a belt in the gob
And left her sprawlin' on the floor.
And then the war did soon engage
'Twas woman to woman and man to man,
Shillelagh law was all the rage
And a row and a ruction soon began.
Chorus:

5. Then Mickey Maloney ducked his head
When a noggin of whiskey flew at him,
It missed, and falling on the bed
The liquor scattered over Tim!
The corpse revives! See how he raises!
Timothy rising from the bed,
Says,"Whirl your whiskey around like blazes
Thanum an Dhul! Do you thunk I'm dead?"

(Chuck, I know you're loving this right now).

Anyway, so there's supposedly some renactment of the song, and Beth says it sounds interesting. So we go. Pay admission, buy food and drink tickets. There's mostly just tables and chairs in this auditorium. the band is playing in one of those stage trailers. There's a few tables with food, a place to buy beer, and tables selling Irish t-shirts and sweaters and Claddaugh rings and Irish silver. Beth and I go for food. I had a very Irish meal of a hot dog, Lays potato chips and a soda, while Beth opted for fish and chips. Isn't that English?

The band is playing an Irish song and we sway our heads back and forth. But the next song ends up being being "Margaritaville". Okay....and then the next ends up being "Dayo" by Harry Belafonte. Isn't this an Irish fair? After that the band plays something Irish again, and all is right with the world.

Soon it's time for Finnegan's Wake. A bagpipe band appears, and they are wailing a sad sounding song as a band of mourners wheel a wooden coffin into the room. Now in the coffin lays a white haired man who is wearing black sunglasses, has a beer wedged between his arm and his chest, and holds a bunch of white flowers in his hands. The mourners are a tall man in black with a serious experssion and then a bunch of Irish "women" with black veils over their faces wailing loudly. These women are actually a bunch of men dressed in drag, dramatically playing the neighborhood women. The man playing Finnegan's widow is especially mannish and dramatic as he plays up his grief.

The band sings Finnegan's wake and in between each verse stops to talk to Mrs. Finnegan - who never breaks character. At the cheerful sounding chorus, they all dance around arm in arm, and it's pretty funny. The man who led the processional never moves - just stands there stone-faced during the dancing, and that's funny too. At the end, someone spills whisky on Finnegan, and he sits up, and everyone cheers. Beth and I are laughing and looking at each other like, "Yup, another weird Saturday night for us". Once the performance is over, Finnegan lays down again and closes his eyes. They wheel him off to the side, and then there's a contest of sorts. Everyone lines up by the coffin, and each person has a chance to whisper a joke in Finnegan's ear. Whoever makes him laugh, blink or flinch wins, and gets free beer tickets or something. Pretty funny.

Thanks Beth for another completely funny and blogworthy evening. Looking forward to the next one!

Noelle's Wedding

2006-06-26T14:11:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, this past Friday my dear friend Noelle got married to her fiance Chris, and I was a bridesmaid in the wedding. Friday was a busy but a fun day. The girls and I were at the salon early in the morning, manicures, pedicures and up-dos for the hair. Back at Noelle's we ate sandwiches and killed time until the make-up lady showed up, then sat one by one as she brushed us with powder and glosses. Chris was calling Noelle and trying to get her to go to the bank for money to pay the DJ - she adamantly refused, as she was legitimately busy, and had her hair already in the veil. We thought it would be pretty funny if she wandered into the bank like that though. We also thought it was pretty funny when she was trying to get Chris to go and pick up Sarah's missing shawl and said "We're in crisis here!"

Needless to say, we got our ducks in a row and got dressed. A bunch of pictures in the living room and on the front walk. A cute one of Noelle's flower girl Maria holding up her train. Soon, into the limos in our lilac beaded gowns, carrying round bouquets of pink and purple flowers. So pretty. In the vestibule we giggled for the last moments together before lining up to walk down the aisle.

The ceremony was really nice. Chris was choking up as he said his vows and that was sweet. He and Noelle make a cute couple, and I think that everyone was happy to see them tie the knot after dating for seven years.

Off to Chateau Briand for the party. The bridal party got our own private cocktail hour in a room where we also took pictures, and we got to chill out in the bridal suite and relax a bit before the reception, and have an attendent bring us drinks and food. The reception went by fast, lots of music, faces, fun and food. Everybody had a great time, but I was mostly enjoying just seeing Noelle so happy.

Thanks Diane for being such a great date - and to Noelle and Chris, congratulations again!

So freakin' excited

2006-06-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

You guys, I am so freakin' excited. I just booked my trip - this year it's a Contiki tour to Berlin, Prague (pictured above) and Vienna. I leave Sept 15th for a nine day trip! yay!

Hershey's says: We'd Rather See You Skinny Than Us Rich

2006-06-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

So as I mentioned before, last night we were in Bryant Park picnicing and Patty had a few choclate bars. One was Hersey's Extra Dark, and we were pretty amused to find the following warning on the back:

"The natural antitoxidants found in tea and certain fruits like berries and grapes can also be found in Hershey's Extra Dark. This is good news; however, like most indulgent treats, Hershey's Extra Dark should be enjoyed in moderation. A serving of Hershey's Extra Dark Macadamia Nut & Cranberry is 3 blocks (37 g)and has 210 calories and 13 g of fat."

Can you freaking believe that this is on the wrapper? Hershey's is actually telling you that you'd better not get fat eating their chocolate. God forbid you actually eat an entire bar! Gluttonous!

So of course, for the rest of the evening, whenever anyone went for the chocolate we shook our heads and clucked our tongues and said "No, no, calories, calories."

Bryant Park Summer Film Festival

2006-06-20T06:54:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite parts about summer in New York City is the HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival. It kicked off last night, and Karen and I (and some of her pals) were there to see the first movie of the season, "The Birds".

We arrived by six, just in time to get one of the last spots of grass left in the back - and still we only had room to roll out half the blanket. But no worries. We had wine, cheese and crackers, veggies and hummus, and chocolate - one bar of which displayed an unbelievable disclaimer which I will elaborate upon in another post. Anyway, so we were there by six and settled in for a long picnic - the movie doesn't start until it's dark - 9:00 or so, so you have to get there early to save your spot, then ride it out for hours on a picnic blanket while you wait. The trick is to spend a good part of the picnic time laying down, that way when the movie starts you'll be able to sit up for the two hours without too much cramping.

As predicted, around nine the festivities started. First they show a Merrie Melodies cartoon - in this case Tweety and Sylvester -which was fun. Remember when it was okay to have violence in kids programming??? Then the old old HBO intro, the one with them music that a bunch of people get up and dance to. Don't ask me why. Then the movie.

"The Birds" was a cool movie to see in Bryant Park. Even though there's hundreds of people on the lawn, all is quiet as we watch the film - everyone is engaged. We oohed when Tippi Hedren turned around and there were birds everywhere and laughed at the pretty bad special effects when people got attacked by them. And everybody whoo-hooed loudly when Tippi and Rod Taylor kissed - I love the interactive spirit of movies at Bryant Park.

Karen, I'm glad I always have you to go to these movies with - let's try to do another soon! And Eric, now that you'll be living in the city, I expect you to go to one before you leave!

A Trip to the Spa

2006-06-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday was Noelle's bachelorette party - in less than two weeks she is going to be a married lady. So to properly send her off - we had a great day on Saturday. The first part of it included a trip to the spa.

We chose the Juvenex Spa in NYC - mostly because it looked good n the website and it was the most affordable one we could find. There were five of us at the spa, and for those of you who have never been, here's what happens when you go to a spa:

They give you a robe, a towel and a little wraparound white thing that always feels like it's falling off. You get a key to a locker, and say good-bye to everything you are wearing. You get naked, and put on the robe or the wraparound thingy.

At this place, first you take a shower. They make it sound really fancy on the site - like "a rainforest shower" or some crap, but it's really just like being in a locker room in high school with your friends.

Then you go into the steam room. That's the igloo you see to your right. This is pretty cool - I'd be in in one like this before at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland and loved it. It opens up your skin, you feel good in the heat and it's just enjoyable. They served us ice water on a try inside the igloo, and we stayed in there until we couldn't take the heat anymore.

Then you go into a small cool pool that's got about fifty lemons floating in it. Spas always have fruit everywhere. It's in the pitchers of water you drink, in the water you soak in, in the oils and scrubs they use. Everywhere. So we all got in one pool and of course were being silly and chucking the lemons at each other and making small splashes. Other women were elegantly sitting in other pools, talking about their New York lives and not throwing lemons. I enjoyed the fact that we were the least refined people in there.

Massage time! Diane and I were shown to the same room, and two masseuses gave us hour long full body massages. This is something I've done before and always enjoy. No matter what it costs, it's usually worth every penny.

Lastly, snack time. We're shown to a small bar and they serve us slices of pineapple and green melon. (What did I tell you? Fruit!" It's a nice way to relax before you have to put your clothes on and go back out into the world.

Noey, Diane, Emma, and Lavina - had a great time with you guys, hope we can do it again sometime!

T.S. Eliot

2006-06-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

Today we are going to read some poetry guys. I've never mentioned how much I love this poem - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock". Read it and tell me that there isn't something in this poem that you can relate to on every day of your life:

1. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

S’io credesse che mia risposta fosse
A persona che mai tornasse al mondo,
Questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse.
Ma perciocche giammai di questo fondo
Non torno vivo alcun, s’i’odo il vero,
Senza tema d’infamia ti rispondo.

LET us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherised upon a table;
Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
The muttering retreats
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells:
Streets that follow like a tedious argument
Of insidious intent
To lead you to an overwhelming question …
Oh, do not ask, “What is it?”
Let us go and make our visit.

In the room the women come and go
Talking of Michelangelo.

The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes,
The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening,
Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains,
Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys,
Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap,
And seeing that it was a soft October night,
Curled once about the house, and fell asleep.

And indeed there will be time
For the yellow smoke that slides along the street,
Rubbing its back upon the window-panes;
There will be time, there will be time
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;
There will be time to murder and create,
And time for all the works and days of hands
That lift and drop a question on your plate;
Time for you and time for me,
And time yet for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions,
Before the taking of a toast and tea.

In the room the women come and go
Talking of Michelangelo.

And indeed there will be time
To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “Do I dare?”
Time to turn back and descend the stair,
With a bald spot in the middle of my hair—
[They will say: “How his hair is growing thin!”]
My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin,
My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin—
[They will say: “But how his arms and legs are thin!”]
Do I dare
Disturb the universe?
In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.

For I have known them all already, known them all:—
Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons,
I have measured out my life with coffee spoons;
I know the voices dying with a dying fall
Beneath the music from a farther room.
So how should I presume?

And I have known the eyes already, known them all—
The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase,
And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin,
When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall,
Then how should I begin
To spit out all the butt-ends of my days and ways?
And how should I presume?

And I have known the arms already, known them all—
Arms that are braceleted and white and bare
[But in the lamplight, downed with light brown hair!]
It is perfume from a dress
That makes me so digress?
Arms that lie along a table, or wrap about a shawl.
And should I then presume?
And how should I begin?
. . . . .
Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets
And watched the smoke that rises from the pipes
Of lonely men in shirt-sleeves, leaning out of windows?…

I should have been a pair of ragged claws
Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.
. . . . .
And the afternoon, the evening, sleeps so peacefully!
Smoothed by long fingers,
Asleep … tired … or it malingers,
Stretched on the floor, here beside you and me.
Should I, after tea and cakes and ices,
Have the strength to force the moment to its crisis?
But though I have wept and fasted, wept and prayed,
Though I have seen my head [grown slightly bald] brought in upon a platter,
I am no prophet—and here’s no great matter;
I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,
And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker
And in short, I was afraid.

And would it have been worth it, after all,
After the cups, the marmalade, the tea,
Among the porcelain, among some talk of you and me,
Would it have been worth while,
To have bitten off the matter with a smile,
To have squeezed the universe into a ball
To roll it toward some overwhelming question,
To say: “I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all”—
If one, settling a pillow by her head,
Should say: “That is not what I meant at all.
That is not it, at all.”

And would it have been worth it, after all,
Would it have been worth while,
After the sunsets and the dooryards and the sprinkled streets,
After the novels, after the teacups, after the skirts that trail along the floor—
And this, and so much more?—
It is impossible to say just what I mean!
But as if a magic lantern threw the nerves in patterns on a screen
Would it have been worth while
If one, settling a pillow or throwing off a shawl,
And turning toward the window, should say:
“That is not it at all,
That is not what I meant, at all.”
. . . . .
No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be;
Am an attendant lord, one that will do
To swell a progress, start a scene or two,
Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool,
Deferential, glad to be of use,
Politic, cautious, and meticulous;
Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse;
At times, indeed, almost ridiculous—
Almost, at times, the Fool.

I grow old … I grow old …
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.

Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?
I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.

I do not think that they will sing to me.

I have seen them riding seaward on the waves
Combing the white hair of the waves blown back
When the wind blows the water white and black.

We have lingered in the chambers of the sea
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.

Mike Tyson's Punch Out

2006-06-05T13:00:00.000-07:00

I've never really been a fan of boxing, so I'm not really sure why this is my favorite classic Nintendo game. But it is. Mike Tyson's Punch Out was awesome. I used to love sitting down, starting with Glass Joe, and pounding my way through these strange bunch of fighters, all the way up to the big man himself.

So how excited was I when I found a website where you could play it online? Check it out:

http://www.davieboy.net/play/

Just register - it's free, and you can play! It is harder to play on a keyboard (especially doing uppercuts) than it was with the good old controller - but still, it's great to be able to play this game again. Surprisingly, it's still pretty good. Yesterday I made it up to Soda Popinski - a guy I've always enjoyed beating since he always laughed when Mac first steps up to fight. I'll have to kick his ass later.

Enjoy!

The Atlantic City Rollers Club

2006-05-30T06:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend I took my love of gambling to a new level, when I learned how to play Craps. Matt, Pat, Michelle, Eric Alex and I went down to Atlantic City for Saturday night and Sunday day, and after arriving, checking in, walking down the boardwalk a bit, and eating a quick lunch, we soon got down to business - gambling. Matt had been reading up on Craps, they all started playing. Craps was never my game so I played a little blackjack first and didn't do so well. I came back to the Craps table to see how they were doing. "Play," Matt said. "I don't know how, I don't know what I'm doing." I replied. Matt dismissed this excuse with a wave of his hand. "Just do what we do," he said. "You'll learn as you go along." Good advice. I bought in for a hundred bucks and the fun began.

Thing is, there was winning streak going. Once I started playing, Pat and Michelle got in on it as well, and the six of us had once whole side of the table to ourselves. And what magic. When you're playing Craps, on the first roll, you ante up and then wait for a number to come out. If seven or eleven comes out on that first roll, you automatically win. And when the dice came around to us, we all rolled seven or eleven on our first three rolls. It was amazing. And even when there was a point on the table and we were betting on that, those rolls were coming out too. We couldn't stop cheering. There was such a great energy at the table, I was so happy Matt talked me into playing.

This went on for five and a half hours. By 9:30 p.m. we needed to eat - so we reluctantly abandoned the table and headed to the restaurant to eat. Everybody was up - way up, and at dinner we figured out how much everybody had won to see what the total take was. And you know what it was? Over $1700!

So we started calling oursleves "The Atlantic City Rollers" and as the weekend progressed, we were saying we've got to get jackets that say that on the back and have our gambling nicknames on the front - which are as follows:

Matt - "Mattrick"
Michelle - "Tiny"
Alex - "Dragon"
Eric - "E"
Pat - "Victim"
Jenn - "Rookie"

And of course, the funny comments that made the weekend great:

- It's official. I'm never going to Atlantic City with anybody but you guys ever again.

- Heat seeking missiles, Pat. Heat seeking missiles - bring em right here.

- Did he say "come and rest your balls with me?"

- I cannot believe that we took that casino for $1700 bucks.

We put in about ten hours at the Craps table on Saturday - 5 1/2 in the afternoon early evening, then evening into Sunday morning, until 4:30 a.m. But we also still managed to walk on the boardwalk, walk up the pier, have a nice breakfast together, and laugh it up. Thanks for a great weekend guys! And Matt, thanks for talking me into playing Craps!

Igo Ugo

2006-05-26T06:28:00.000-07:00

Hey, guys, Happy almost Memorial Day weekend. My latest scheme is trying to find a way to buy the really cool 30 GB Ipod with video playback without spending the full $300 bucks on it. So, I've come up with a new plan. I have written several travel journals for this site, and they give you points for every one you write, and for every registered member who reads them. Save up enough points and you can get yourself a gift certificate to amazon.com, sports authory, etc. So I figure I'm gonna make a run for points and then get a couple of amazon.com or something gift certificates and buy the thing for way cheap. Good plan, right?

So I need you guys to do some clicking. go to igougo.com - sign up. They will not bombard you with emails, I promise. Igoguo.com is probably the least annoying site I've ever signed up for - no spam. Then do a search for Jenn126. On the right side you'll see my picture, and click on read journals. Make sure you're signed up before you do! That way I'll get the points. Then if you want, you can write your own journals and earn points. Or you can just read about places - some of the journals are really helpful. anyway, have a great weekend everybody!

Let's Go Mets!

2006-05-24T13:24:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Chuck, last night he, Karen, Adnan and I got to go to a Mets game at Shea Stadium. This was a real treat because a) the Mets are actually doing well this year and b) I hadn't been to a game in several years. Here are some highlights/funny moments.

-Sitting about ten-fifteen rows up from the field in a company box on the first base line. It was the closest I'd ever been to the field, and it made you feel like you actually had a shot at catching a foul ball.

-Having passes to the Diamond Club. It was cool to finally see what was up there, a bar and grill and another store to purchase Mets stuff in. Although it made me laugh when Karen looked around at all the patrons eating salad and stuff and said, "What the hell would you want to be in here for?"

-Karen saying she liked being able to watch the planes going by so low (landing at LaGuardia), which was immediately followed by Chuck slapping his head in frustration.

-Me saying that my objective at Mets' games at Shea is to see the "Home Run" big apple go up, which was immediately followed by Chuck slapping his head in frustration.

-Karen wanting to eat sushi at Shea even thought it was deemed "Utterly inappropriate" at a ballpark by Chuck. She did get it though.

-Adnan telling Karen that the scoreboard of "K"s actually stood for Karen, and how many times he thought of her during the game.

-Getting a Mets hat for the first time in years and wearing it at the game. Yay!

-Knowing I had better seats than all three of my bosses who also happened to be at the game. I was sure to wave from down front. :-)

-And last but not least, remembering what it feels like to be at a baseball game at night in cool spring, cheering for hits and home runs and being all excited to watch your home team fight for the victory.

Thanks again Chuck! Glad we all were able to go.

Let's Do Something Good Today

2006-05-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

I come on here and I brag about my gambling wins, sigh happily about Europe, recommend books, and bitch about people in New York and traffic tickets. So, for a change, I thought we could all do something good today:

http://www.humane.net/

Click on this link, and you will be brought to several "buttons" which can be clicked to feed the hungry (a click will warrant about a cup of food) or save the rainforest (a click here will help save 11.4 square feet of rainforest). Click one or three or all of them, and then we can all feel like we did a little something good today.

Then go back again tomorrow and do it again.

Spelling Bee

2006-05-17T06:48:00.000-07:00

Last night my company took us all out to dinner and a Broadway show to celebrate some of the awards our books have won and what a good year we've been having. The show was "Spelling Bee", a musical that's been around for a couple of years and which I'm sure you've heard a commercial for at least once on the radio.

The show was really great. It's an elementary school spelling bee so the theater is meant to look like a gymnasium. Sports banners, climbling ropes, basketball hoops. What's really cool about this show is that they pick a few volunteers to be in the spelling bee. It's not just yanking people out of the audience, you have to volunteer yourself and they only pick four people or so. But those people are up on the stage, sitting in the bleachers with the other "kids" and they get called up and have to spell words. It's funny because they get to spell words like "cow" for a little while, but eventully they get knocked out by real words. In last night's show, the last of the regular people was called up - this guy Sean. And they gave him some complicated word - I can't even repeat it- and he got it right! The crowd went wild and the vice principal who was reading the words had to call him right back to do another word, because you could tell it was the part in the play where they were supposed to get rid of him. Really funny. The actors played off the clothes and other details of the regular people, and used it as part of their bios when introducing the people before each word. Like for one woman they said, "Mary came in first place in a I Kinda Sort Look Like Sally Jesse Raphael contest at her school." So funny.

So for anyone who's looking for a play to go to, I recommend this one. Enjoy!

Poker Night

2006-05-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

Last night Matt and I headed down to Brooklyn to join Pat, Eric, Alex, Will, Brian, and some new guy for some Texas Hold Em. I felt pretty cool, being the only girl at poker night (check out the pic I found to represent it) and it ended up being my most successful poker game ever.

We do a $10 buy in, and then you get a certain amount of chips for that money. Then you just play - and it keeps going until everyone is eliminated...one by one. And in the first round, I was eliminated as usual. But in the second, I was doing well, getting pretty good hands. And I ended up winning! Yay!

I would like to thank my poker mentor, Brian for all of his nights of exasperation at the Kettle for poker tutorials, and I would like to thank all the guys above for letting me play. It was fun!

Although... I wonder what the odds are of me being invited back now...