Labels: social

So.

As of Friday at 5:07 pm, I'm 30 years old.

I had been kind of freaked out by this for the last several months. My obsession with staying "timely" and "trendy" was at an all-time high, as I feared becoming out of touch with the newest of the new.

But then I thought about it, and thought about my 20s, and realized, "Thank god that shit's in the past!" No more months on end of fruitless online dating, no more living on such a tight budget that I can't even afford the pad thai at Republic, no more living in a closet-sized space with no natural light... The list goes on and on.

Thirty wasn't all rosy, though. It kept me on my toes.

W was called out of state for a funeral, which took place on the day I had scheduled my big party. I fretted for a few days before deciding to reschedule and instead have a few close friends over to the apartment on Saturday evening.

It ended up being OK. Abbie flew in from Richmond and made sure I was entertained and properly filled up with beer. She, and my coworkers took me out for a 3pm Happy Hour (after a champagne/ice cream cake party in the office). We ate copious amounts of sushi. I shed obligatory tears over missing my mother on my 30th birthday. I had brunch. And I graciously accepted wonderful presents, including this amazing quilt that Abbie made for me:



Other amazing prezzies included a necklace from Marc's favorite store, a high-heel-shaped cake cutter, a "you'll never be alone" necklace from Berna and a spa retreat from Mira and Christina.

W is on his way home now, and on Friday we depart for a surprise 30th bday vacation. YAY.

Labels: newme, nyc, social

As I get more into photography, I've been looking for ways to make my photos look better. I've finally purchased an external flash for my Nikon D70, and I couldn't be more psyched!

With built-in flash:


With new flash:



Sweet.

Abbie arrives tomorrow for Mira's birthday weekend, and I may have some interesting career news. Stay tuned.

Labels: gadgets, pets, social

My costume: East River Mermaid. The elements: a third arm, a dead pigeon, condoms, trash, a seaweed crown, toxic eyelashes.

I won first prize in the costume contest!! Mira and Dave kindly picked W and I up and drove us to the party, where we proceeded to eat, get drunk and stay at the afterparty for awhile, before trying (and finally succeeding) to find a car service.

Labels: holiday, NaBloPoMo, nyc, social

OK, first things first. Now that the iPhone is down to $399, exactly what I said my spending limit was for a cell phone, I decided that I needed to own it. So, I bought it.



Yeah, it's as cool as can be. Cooler than my Blackberry by far (though I'm still learning how to use the features). Even cooler? When I plugged it into my laptop, it let me set it up via iTunes! I didn't have to speak to any humans! And the best part is that AT+T reception seems to be way better than T-Mobile in my apartment. Oh, happy day.

On Friday, I threw a party with my friends at RePop to celebrate our mutual year anniversaries (mine for CHB, theirs for the store). It was an insanely good time - lots of drinking, cake consumption and general debauchery.



Sometimes, the level of activity in my social life reaches unbelievable levels. And I really get a kick out of it.

So far so good on school this semester. I just ordered an assload of books online (since as is the usual at the NSSR, the books we're assigned don't seem to be available at any area bookstore -- wtf!). My other class, which begins tomorrow, is being taught by a new professor. I hope she's cool and that the class is interesting...

Labels: gadgets, nyc, school daze, social

In case you find yourself in Clinton Hill tomorrow night, stop by my big anniversary bash for my other blog.

Labels: nyc, social

Silence again, I know. It was a busy weekend spent not laboring. I went to dinner at a new restaurant that opened up in a former porn shop, ogled at jellyfish at the aquarium, went on some rides at Coney Island, attended a pig roast (for real- a 100-lb pig on a spit) and watched a lot of tv. As for Labor Day itself, I braved the crowds at Fairway (ny refrigerator has been empty for weeks now) and worked on my memory paper (which is STILL not done, but is getting close to completion).

My first class of my third semester of grad school is Thursday. It'll be a whole different experience from last year when I came in clueless and not knowing anyone. Now I have several good friends and an exotic semester in Poland under my belt.

I'm worried that I'll be taking on too much in the coming weeks, before I'm able to excuse myself from my more mundane responsibilities.

I'm typing this up on the A train, which is experiencing "heavy delays." That's all I can decipher from the announcements. I have a headache and am starving.

***

So I got off the train at High Street and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to work. It was a gorgeous morning to do so, and so much nicer than when I made the walk on those frigid days of the transit strike. There were so many tourists out taking photos of themselves walking across the bridge.

Labels: newme, nyc, social

Yesterday was Berna's 30th bday. Sorry, B, that I didn't post this yesterday but I was running short on time. Anyhow, I took B to Choice for breakfast, and put a candle in her pastry and presented her with a My Little Pony bday card. I think she enjoyed it.

Labels: nyc, social

My old friend Sam's been coming out of the woodwork lately, dedicating Andrew Lloyd Weber songs to my cat on Facebook and posting a bunch of photos taken in 2003 on Flickr.

This particular photo caught my attention in a big way. It was taken in December of 2003. I would have left Elektra Records a year prior to start what has become a five-year career at Moon City. I was living in a Hell's Kitchen studio with slanted floors and no sunlight. I can remember going to this party (to watch the tree lighting from the Elektra multimedia office), and what a pain it was to get there with all the crowds. I had to walk several blocks out of my way to get there with streets blocked off. I remember being really fucking cranky by the time I arrived. I also remember being sad and kind of nostalgic knowing it was probably the last time I'd be able to see the tree lighting in person (from a window facing Rock Center on the 17th floor, since I'll never stand in that crowd!). I felt like it was the end of an era -- Elektra was moving to 6th Ave and would later cease to exist.

It was around this time that I had started seriously looking for an apartment to buy. Such balls for a 25 year old! I was also anticipating a trip to Hawaii.

Look how young I look!!!!! Do I like that hairstyle? Should I revert back to it? I look like a high school student!

I wonder what the girl in the photo would think about what she'd be like four years later if she could have seen into the future. I think she'd be pretty overwhelmed, but pleased.

So much has happened since then. Who IS that girl? It's so disorienting to see old photos of yourself when you're not expecting to, to try to remember who you were back then. Similar, but not the same.

Labels: newme, nyc, social

It's been a long, slow-ish day, but a good one. My roommate, Helena (from Warsaw) are getting along fabulously and over wine after dinner realized we both read many of the same blogs (TMZ, Sartorialist, Go Fug Yourself). Dinner was pretty tasty - lots of meats, more pierogies and real horseradish. They did run out of wine, but one of my new male friends had a talk with the waitress, who brought our group of four four more glasses. People are friendly, and I spoke with a lot of my classmates. You never know what the vibe will be when you're thrown into a group of strangers. Either the chemistry is there or it's not, and you never know ahead of time how the conversation will be. Thankfully, it was great. I've already recruited several people to come out drinking for my birthday, and agreed to teach them a few basic tap steps after I've had a few beers.

I have a LOT of reading to get done each night, but it seems fairly interesting. I first read about the role of Polish women in the fall of Communism (and their unwillingness to take credit) and am working through a piece on how personal memory works with the memories of others around you.

Tomorrow should be interesting. Aunt Jane's old friend from her days at the factory lives in Krakow, and wants to have me over for dinner. I don't know how old this woman is, but she sure is pushy! I called her this morning, and she demanded we get together tomorrow. Then she called me room later, and informed me that her sister would be picking me up at 10am. Too bad I'll be in class then! I told her to send her sister at 3 instead. It might end up being fun, but either way, I'm glad I'll be getting it over with sooner than later.

Labels: globetrotting, school daze, social

The NY Times is telling me what I already know: Krakow is COOL. Now I'm even more excited! I really need to start reading my travel books.

Aside from my foot injury, I had a productive weekend. I took photos of neighborhood community gardens for my other blog, signed up for Skype (Do you have it?? Let me know! Ug, the only available NYC area code was 347 - blech.), posted stuff on ebay, drove 6 bags of stuff to Goodwill, attended a rooftop BBQ and did laundry. Phew! It's so nice to have the time to keep up with stuff on semester break. I also used my ACs for the first time this season. Summer in the city is here.

Labels: globetrotting, nyc, social

Doesn't that sound like a good refrain for a song? Too bad it's true, and not a song. I may or may not have something stuck under the skin of my heel. I hit up SpaHa this afternoon to meet up with Judd and to pick up my NEW-TO-ME DSLR CAMERA!! Judd's trading up, and I've been hoping and praying for a second-hand DSLR before I plunk down 1k for a brand-new one. So, it all worked out. We walked around El Barrio for awhile while I tried out the camera, until suddenly I felt a sharp prick. I looked down to find blood running out of my foot. It soaked my sandal sole and dripped all over my other leg. Judd carried me for a half a block and i hobbled the rest of the way. Strange thing was, it didn't hurt at all after the initial sting, but it would NOT stop bleeding. I bled through two bandaids by the time I met up with Jim, Christina and Bobby at Dinosaur BBQ for an early-bird dinner (only available reservation was at 5pm, or really late). When I got home and washed it again, it was still bleeding a little and I still had a dark spot under my skin. I'm wondering if it doesn't hurt because of all my dancing calluses? All I knew is I was NOT about to go to the ER in Spanish Harlem. I'll see how it looks tomorrow.

Check out this ethereal photo I took of Cleo with the new Nikon:

Labels: gadgets, nyc, pets, social

My British pen pal* is in town this week with her husband, and it's their very first trip to NYC (and her first trip to the USA!). I took them to Schiller's on Rivington and Norfolk. Actually, I told them to meet me there, and they arrived successfully via the F train. Since they were concentrating heavily on seeing the sights, I wanted to make sure they got a taste of non-tourist New York. To accentuate this, I took them to Welcome to the Johnson's afterwards for a PBR. They were thrilled when I told them we could order White Trash Beer.

The evening was so much fun! I introduced Linda and Wes to fried calamari and answered questions about American politics, religion and vocabulary. ("What's the difference between Republicans and Democrats? Why does every president mention God? Why does everyone hang up an American flag? Because in the UK, we'd call someone trashy if they hung the flag up. Is a 'buck' the same as a dollar? What's up with sales tax?")

It was so nice to see them, and to be able to show them a little bit of NYC. It really felt like meeting up with old friends (which they are!).

*Yes, I said pen-pal. We started writing one another when we were 14, through Teen Magazine. This is the third time we've seen one another in person. First, she visited me in London when I was studying abroad, and then I went to her wedding two years ago.

Labels: nyc, social

The universe has been dropping me little hints lately, first in the form of a professor and then last night at an Anne Lamott reading. Both spoke about the importance of honesty in writing, and the bravery required to write the truth.

Ten years ago, I saw a psychic. She told me that I should always write my thoughts down, because someday they would help people. Maybe it meant nothing, or maybe it meant something. Maybe it meant writing frankly about losing my mother to cancer.

I know a lot of what I write about in regards to what I'm going through makes people very uncomfortable - specifically people who have not experienced this yet. I haven't yet reread a lot of what I've written on the topic. But I know that no matter how horrible or angry it sounds, I don't regret posting it. It's been an honest depiction of my year, and I think people reading who have gone through this can see that. It has not been easy to be so raw in a public space, but Lamott spoke last night of how important it is to capture things as they happen. Had I tried to recollect my year down the road, I'd likely write something completely different. And maybe I'll write that, too. But looking back, I am proud of the fact that I captured my sorrow, anger and angst in such an honest manner as it was all unfolding. There is no wrong way to grieve.

I am not the same person I was 18 months ago, and it would be naive to think I would or should be. But I think as I emerge from all of this little by little, I see a lot of positive things.

I went to last night's reading with my blog friend Amina's Mama, who was in town for business. I was a little nervous, as I always am meeting virtual friends in person, but we had a great time. It was her idea to attend the Lamott reading, and it turned out to be just the things I needed to hear. Later, we bonded over stiff drinks and appetizers at the Coffee Shop (which is where I had dinner on the eve of my 21st birthday), two women who are both learning to be proud of their black sheep status, and have each gone through something really huge because, well, we didn't have a choice.

Sometimes, true life is messy and uncomfortable. Lots of times, actually.

Labels: mom, newme, nyc, social

It was bound to catch up with me sooner or later. I haven't really been sick this winter, though I suppose I have several months of health coming to me after last year at this time (where I suffered a respiratory infection, the flu, bronchitis, bruised/broken rib from coughing, and then a major ear infection that caused significant hearing loss temporarily after it formed negative pressure behind my eardrum, all in succession).

I'm overworking myself for sure. Weekends are always filled to the brim. It's nice to be so busy, but I need to take this coming weekend to hibernate, finish my spring cleaning/organizing (I love to start each season newly-organized), catch up on hours of DVR goodness and spoon with my pets.

I am thinking of having an Easter potluck brunch this year, like I did two years ago. Everyone who comes will have to bring a dish they ate customarily growing up for Easter/spring holidays/family dinners. I will have my dad FedEx me the traditional Polish butter lamb and sausage. Who wants to come?

Labels: holiday, social

It's not yet midnight, which means it's still Sam's 30th Birthday.

So, Happy 30th, Sam.

Labels: social

I am happy to find that I survived Christmas, one of this year's huge milestones. Was it an amazing Christmas? No. But it was nice and comfy.

Christmas was always a huge deal in my family growing up, and it didn't feel quite right to not be there. Though it would have been worse if I had been there. What I'd like is to spend Christmas with a family filled with people of my age and interest range. If I could have combined a Lester Family Christmas with my 2006 Christmas, I gladly would have.

In the morning, Rachel came by for homemade pancakes, fresh bacon and The Devil Wears Prada. Yum.

Bernas's dinner was fantastic. She grilled salmon and veggies, and baked up a delicious mix of sweet potatoes and spices. I made my famous nog, though I could not get the egg whites to whip up into "stiff peaks." Since I am unmarried and thus do not have a KitchenAid mixer, I had to stand with mixer in my hand for ages. I think that might be my next big purchase- the KitchenAid mixer. What do you think of these colors?


And, here's a photo of myself, Berna and Sharon (who I met for the first time in person- yay!) posing luxuriously around the tree:


I never thought I'd say this, but look! I'm rewearing a BM dress! And it looks kind of nice! I might keep this one around.

After not being able to get a car service for approximately two hours last night, I arrived home late and exhausted. (Um, who the hell is using car services on Christmas night?) I set the alarm to go shopping this morning and picked up a few choice things, namely some new pants. Macy's and Banana are both having mega sales, but not everything I bought was marked down. It was very un-mall-like here. At the Galleria, everything would have been 60% off.

I am glad I waited on ordering the Kooba bag, since it's now on sale for about $200 less than it was before Xmas. Merry Christmas to me!

I also took a four-hour nap this afternoon.

When I checked my mail this evening, I had received something from SU. It's an irritating alumni survey thing that they've requested I fill out and return within ten days. Sigh...where to begin my rant?

First of all, filling out a paper survey? Really? They can't set this up online? Second, everything I receive from them is addressed to "MISS Robin L..." I change it online again and again, to "MS," but it never changes. I wonder if they have my "MRS" degree on file, too. WTF? Third, the survey asks you to send in hard copies of photos to be printed in this alumni directory. I don't think I need to flesh that one out. Finally, there are fill in the blank questions such as, "Fondest memory of SU:" I can't really write, "Skipping class on Friday to hit up a campus bar at 8am, only to get covered in beer and piss myself several times," or, "Spending the night at DTD after a Playboy party and seeing the biggest penis ever!" So I left that one blank.

Finally, my favorite checkbox: "Have you made provisions for SU in your will?" Heh.

On a more serious note, penpals. I've had one since I was 13, and last year I went to her wedding in the UK. I didn't write enough about it on my blog and she was upset, and I haven't written back to her since I received her last letter in July. I am hoping I can salvage our pen friendship. It has been difficult and even taxing for me to keep up with people who are not in front of my face these last several months.

My mom had a penpal, too -- a woman she became pen friends with when she was a Girl Scout leader. Her name is Joan Jones and she and my mom have been writing letters since approximately 1988. I remembered that I'd have to send her a letter about my mom's passing several months ago, but never did. Of course she sent my mother a Christmas card with a note saying, "I haven't heard from you all year,and I've sent you a few emails. I hope everything is OK." Stuff like this... well, it makes me feel like I've been punched. There is something so ethereally creepy about someone sending a letter or an email to a person who has died. Words that never reach their destination, unanswered.

Labels: cranky, holiday, mom, social

At long last, LH has been upgraded to Blogger in Beta. I think all this means is that I can add categories to my posts. I don't have anything to label this one, though.

I have decided that December is kicking my ass, bigtime. I am exhausted. I mean, it's mostly for good stuff: social engagements.

Tonight:
Party at Sam's in Queens
Party at Marc and Tavia's next door

Tomorrow:
Had to postpone shopping with Berna to retain sanity and inner peace because of
Party with Sesame Letterpress
Party at Craige's

Sunday:
Brunch with Mira
"Into the Woods" in Brooklyn Heights to see Renia perform

But, there are other things. Like the fact that the professor for my crap class wants to schedule in an extra class to "say goodbye." I just know this is going to impede on my tap class plans.

Also, I am starting to stress out a little about my holiday party, as I think 40+ people might show up! Shit. Will I have enough food? I can always order up a pizza from Not Ray's if need be. If you are reading this and are coming to my party, will you please bring some alcohol?

Labels: newme, social

Labels: social

I'm having one of those days where everything in my life seems a little "off." It didn't help that my morning began with a wild goose chase after my textbooks, which were not, as promised, at the UPS center in A Really Ghetto Part of Brooklyn. Then, a lady was nasty to me on the phone, on top of it all! The nerve - just get me my fucking package, bitch.

I was alone in the office today. Sounds nice, but not when I had to make a bunch of design revisions and deal with a bunch of a-holes.

Basically, it's time to leave for class and I'm left with a splitting headache and a mind abuzz with questions:

1. Why is academic reading so boring??? People only write like this to sound smarter than they actually are.
2. Who do certain scholars from a zillion years ago still remain the standard? For example, Karl Marx. Smart dude, I'm sure, but let's talk about modern times. Unless it involves NYC, I am just not that interested in history or wordy theories.
3. I have been at my current job for FOUR YEARS. Maybe I'm tired of it. What do I actually want to do? Seriously.
4. Am I in the right graduate program? Maybe I should be in some sort of design program so I don't have to manage stuff at work. (I'm mostly, but not all, kidding on that one)
5. I haven't had a party in awhile. Maybe I will host a New Years party to ring out this godforsaken year.
   

Labels: cranky, school daze, social

My old friend Nicole was in town this weekend, and we had a blast! As a married mom of two (superadorable) kids, she really needed a weekend Brooklyn-Style.

Here's what we did:

Friday:
Had dinner at Luz on Vanderbilt- uber-tasty! Drank mohitos. Cried together. Stayed up until 2am talking.

Saturday:
Coffee and pastries at Choice Market, photos of Grand Ave for CHB. Walked to Atlantic Ave subway stop and took the R down to Greenwood Cemetary for a walking tour. Arrived 10 minutes late. Had a nice time. Walked alllll the way back to my place afterwards (25th Street in Brooklyn to Clinton Hill). Ate a late lunch at a Mexican place. Shopped on Fifth Ave (BKLN). Took showers, and dined at Madiba for dinner with Berna and Jay. Headed into Manhattan around midnight to meet Jim at Marie's Crisis, a fantastic gay piano bar. Got home at 3am.

Sunday:
Overslept. Went to brunch with Mira and Christina at Lodge in Williamsburg. Took C and N to my favorite Williamsbug flea market, where they have the best selection of used books. I purchased books and an owl hoodie. Nicole departed and I immediately headed to a neighborhood rally for CHB. Then to Berna's birthday BBQ. Home, showered, updated CHB and went to sleep. Zzzzzz.

CHB is becoming quite successful. It's exciting, but also stressful! It's like a second job. When I started the site, I didn't know how in the world I'd come up with enough posts to keep it going. Now I must have six or so saved and ready to go, with tons more stuff to cover. Phew. We may be adding another contributor as well, to make sure we have all areas covered.

Now it's time to get ready for graduate school! Orientation is next Monday.

Labels: social

Well, I did it. I went to the public pool! No, I didn't take photos inside at the pool - no one was allowed to bring bags beyond the locker room. For all of you inquiring minds:

• it was fairly clean
• the locker room was kinda nasty
• found a parking space on the street right out front
• the BarbMobile was just fine
• the water was nice
• there are lanes roped off for lap swimming
• very few unruly teens
• no reggaeton
  

Interesting how the only people who volunteered to embark on this adventure with me were my blog friends -- people who know me solely through my writing. This gave me the opportunity to connect in person with one of my favorite bloggers - citycrab! Despite the first few seconds of us meeting being kind of strange and not unlike platonic online dating, we had a lot of fun. As Berna later said to me, "Do you really think you wouldn't like someone who had an awesome blog?"

Aside from the overweight man who kept putting on goggles and swimming underwater near our crotches, and aside from the fact that I momentarily forgot my locker combination and nearly had to try and convince the Nazi-esque pool guard to clip my lock, the pool was lovely. I'll be going back for sure.

Accelerating our friendship even more, I picked Beth up again an hour later (this time with her Boston Terrier Dexter) to go to a doggie fashion shoot that we were both chosen for. It was for a catalog of dog leashes and clothes for a Chicago-based company. Here are some shots:


The second one has Christmas Card written all over it.
Dog pics by Kent Henderson

Just as I was about to make dinner, Berna txted me on my BlackBerry (now named Raspberry Tart after my favorite Strawberry Shortcake doll) and invited me for dinner. I, of course, accepted. We headed to the 'Burg and then to a bar up there having a benefit raffle. I put a ticket in for a "scooter skirt," assuming it was a cute skirt to be work on a scooter. I won the skirt, and this morning realized what I won was probably this. Crap.

Berna and Casey also won prizes. Casey actually won TWO. Since his second prize was a gift bag from Vosges, Berna and I immediately confiscated it and put it aside for Wednesday night's Project Runway viewing.

How is it that all of my weekends start off open and end up in a flurry of wall-to-wall activities? Tiring, but I am thankful that I have so many friends in the city.

Labels: nyc, pets, social

How hot IS it today in NYC? Hot enough for me to go to work, wearing shorts.

The weekend was lots of fun. Jay took me to Blue Ribbon Sushi in Park Slope for my bday, and we ordered the chef's choice. The only thing I couldn't stomach were the large, orange fish eggs. They kind of "popped" in my mouth, and it was a little too much to take.

The best was the raw mackeral. After we ate the body part of the fish, the waiter took the skeleton back, deep fried it and brought it back to finish. Jay was too squeamish to eat the head, so I did. Don't worry- the eyes were removed.



That was almost too much for me - I don't like seeing the face of something I am eating, but I guess that's the circle of life. Plus, I'm pretty adventurous. I can't say I'd do it again, but it was pretty tasty.


I finally drove my seven bags of clothing and books to Gooodwill yesterday. They've been sitting in my room for seven months now (no lie). Jay followed me on his new (to him) Vespa:

Jay and I are entering a new phase of laziness. Between the BarbMobile and the Vespa, I forsee a rapid decline in exercise walking around the 'hood.

Labels: cranky, nyc, social

Long in a good way, to be sure, but when one has so many days off at once, it's disorienting to jump back into the office mid-week. Especially after all the varied activities of the last few days.

Saturday... what the hell did I do? I recall taking a long neighborhood walk with Jay to take lots of photos for a new "project." We found a brand-new t-shirt printing place on Fulton, and brainstormed about making custom blog shirts. Maybe a blogroll of all of our friends on the back and some cool front design? Thoughts?

I think I ended up staying in after being tired and dehydrated. Knocked off two Netflix movies in one sitting - Pieces of April (um, why didn't anyone tell me what this movie was actually about, and advise me to avoid it???) -- depressing but good, and Dave Chapelle's Block Party. DCBP was filmed in my neighborhood. Yes, I was living there at the time. I must have been out of town that weekend, or else I'll never be able to forgive myself for missing the coolest fucking party of all time, just a few blocks away! Seriously, was I living in a cave? SO unlike me.

Sunday was HUGE. My first trip to Ikea with the car, and my first trip since buying alllllll of my living room furniture in 2004. I brought Jay and Bernadette along. Jay refused to believe that we could fit anything at all in the Beetle, even after I told him it's like a clown car.

Jay and I left early to do a quick driving tour of Bed-Stuy, and then picked up Berna at Outpost for coffee.

Let's just say the trip was a success.

Afterwards, we did a chill BBQ in Berna's new back yard (awesome), and did a walk-by Broken Angel, a weirdly-wonderful house on the Bed-Stuy/Clinton Hill border (also featured in DCBP).

Monday...Monday...Monday. I had lunch with my old friend Jeff, who I haven't seen in two years. He bought an apartment shortly after I bought mine, and we hadn't seen each other's places. We did apartment viewing/lunch/bike ride. Later that night (and into the wee hours of Tuesday morning)... I had a very enjoyable time.

Yesterday was kind of odd for me. When I was little, my parents always hosted my family birthday party on July 4 - killed two birds with one stone, since my birthday is exactly one week later. I have fond memories of holding sparklers while standing in the yard. This year was the first in many years where I didn't really "do" anything. Jay and I bought fried chicken and sat in the park, but it was far too hot to stay for very long. The visit was concluded by butting in front of toddlers to stick our heads in the playground sprinkler. Hey, I pay taxes. If I'm hot, I'm gonna step in front of the sprinkler for a few minutes.

I could see the Macy's fireworks reflecting off the windows of a nearby building that faces the city. As usual, that view was complemented by several smaller displays scattered throughout the BK, Queens and probably Long Island -- small and glittering -- that were visible from my window.

It's going to be an emotional week.

Labels: holiday, nyc, social

Last night, I attended the First Annual Brooklyn Blogfest.

I was both looking very forward to it, as well as feeling apprehension. There are several blogs I read daily (which, btw, contribute greatly to my steady decline in productivity at the workplace). I feel as though I've come to know many of them, despite never meeting them. In a way, they are like celebrities to me. I thought, "What if they're assholes? Or dorks? Or are mean to me? What if I go up to say hi and babble like a douchebag?"

Anyway, Marina and I arrived late, so we missed Brownstoner's discussion. We were excited to see him in person, since he's so all about being on the DL, and both agreed we feel we've seen him before somewhere. He is not at all what I expected -- strange.

Another favorite - Grace from designsponge. Marina are both avid readers, and now have a girlcrush on her. She is the cutest little stylish thing! I forgot to say hi to her during the social segment of the evening- oh well.

Callalillie and husband arrived late, and she didn't speak. I did say hi to her afterwards, which was cool. It was very weird to see the two of them in the flesh, after seeing them on their sites all the time.

I had a nice little chat with TravisRuse, one of my fav photobloggers. His mission is to take a photo every day of his commute to or from work, to show the world what it's like to ride the subway in NYC. I also fell in love with joesnyc, a gorgeous photoblog.

Overall, it was a small but friendly group. We all got nametags, and many people asked me about my blog. "What's it abut?" they asked. "Um..well...my life? In Brooklyn? Either sad or sarcastic depending on the day?"

Usually, I read blogs just for enjoyment, but one presenter brought up an interesting point -- many neighborhood-centric blogs have become a real social forum to voice concerns, share news, etc. Props to all those bloggers, inc Gowanus Lounge, Dope on the Slope, Dailyheights, etc.

For a long while now, I have wanted to start a Clinton Hill-specific website. After seeing all the news these people report on, I don't know how I could pull it off successfully. Votes of confidence welcome.

Labels: famous people, newme, nyc, pop culture, social

Every time I tell myself I am going to sit on the couch and relax all day, I always fuck it up by doing stuff like laundry, ebay, bill-paying. Before I know it, it's 4pm.

Here are a few pics: my closet, and Jim's bday:

Labels: pretty things, social

It was off to DC on Friday for Abbie's bridal shower. Mira drove us, and we hit the mall in Arlington when we arrived. An ice cream cone and several credit card swipes later, we were on our way back to Abbie's apartment to get ready for the "bachelorette." (I use quotes because we promised to avoid any and all dirty or embarrassing items or activities.)

We went for tapas and beers, I got drunk (and so did everyone else) and we stayed out just late enough to be tired on Saturday.

We headed to Hanover, PA in the pouring rain, dressed in our shower-appropriate attire. The ladies in their twinsets were ready for a good time, so I obliged: I made an impromptu toast to Abbie and led a fantabulous shower game I adapted from a game I found online.

Let me tell you, the ladies LOVED it. They were even getting super competitive about it. I was able to play off their energy and before you know it, Musical Theatre Lesterhead was out and about working the room.

Since Abbie and I have been friends now for almost ten years, I've gotten to meet a lot of her family members throughout the years. That meant they already knew me and were very sweet. A few years ago, I "adopted" one of her grandmothers and she still remembers.

Not to say they're better than my family, but sometimes it's nice to be a peripheral "family member," so they just dote on you once every few years, without all the nagging, drama and tension that comes with an actual grandmother/relative.

On Sunday morning, we headed to Todai, a Japanese buffet. It was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen - adorable sushi and maki all lined up in standard and exotic combinations, salads, Mystery Tempura (don't even ask; just know it was delicious), soup and best of all, MiniCakes for dessert. Adding to the kitch, Todai is located in a mall. In Virginia.

Weirdly enough, the weekend left me craving the suburbs. Just a LITTLE, but still. Driving to the mall in no traffic, lots of nature sounds...

Despite the fun weekend, there are two pieces of bad news to report:

1. My mom is back in the hospital again. She wasn't feeling well on Friday, and when she went to dialysis, she had a high fever. The dialysis people did a blood culture and discovered she had dangerous bacteria in her system. They called her Saturday evening and told her to get to the ER immediately, since it could cause her to become septic. Of course, my dad didn't know much. My mom is now doing better, but still in the hospital. I am extremely worried, as this is the type of thing that caused my godfather's death after his surgery. I am set to go to Bflo this coming weekend for Easter. Stew may or may not be coming, depending on how my mom is feeling, and what day he has to work over the weekend. Mallow has been booked to fly with me.

2. My ear is still fucked up. I went back to the ENT today, and he flushed my ear out again. Not much blockage this time. Then he squirted anesthetic up my nose, and stuck a light thing wayyy up into my eustacian tube (which for a second really hurt), but that looked fine. Now I have to go to his Brooklyn office on Thursday to have some tests done. The problem could be wack ear pressure (ie the doc might need to pop my ear for me), or some sort of blockage/growth. It is really amazing how little I can hear out of my left ear. On Friday night, Mira was talking to be in bed and I had my right ear down on a pillow. I heard nothing. Scary. Please send me some good karma that it's nothing too serious.

Labels: cranky, globetrotting, mom, social

Christina's engagement bash last night was a lot of fun. Mira brought cupcakes and brownies (yum), and we had a great area by the windows. Later in the evening, the place got packed and some of the younger sisterhood showed up. Once again, I was stuck making small talk.

These days, I just cannot make myself participate. The innocent question, "So, how are you doing?" neary gives me hives as I fight not to respond, "Kinda shitty, thanks. I'd ask how you are, but I really don't care. Instead, I am walking away." That meant it was time to head home. However, after starting at Nate's circa 7pm with some wine, I did stay out until 1am or so. Not too bad.

It turns out that Regular Lesterhead is back to being operational. Though I've kind of grown to like this plain, gray blog that's serving as a temporary writing space. I may continue here until Regular Lesterhead relaunches. Thoughts?

Today, Hobocamp, Leanne (visiting) and I went to see "Mad Hot Ballroom." It was THE BEST MOVIE OF THE SUMMER. I don't want to sound too cheesy, so I won't say anything more. However, you MUST see it at once.

I was able to see Nikki (of the Anonymous Blog) yesterday, and it's good to see she's doing well. I also found shoes for TheBigPink's wedding. HOT. I wore them all last night and they are mega-comfy.

Labels: cranky, social

This weekend is full of parties - C and B's engagement party, and birthday parties for Nate and Toby. And all on Saturday!

I finally jumped on the bandwagon and started reading Harry Potter. I'm more into it now, but the first chapter or so before he actually came into the story was a little hard to get into.

Last night, we had a sorority happy hour for SU sisters. It was decently fun and very interesting, since a few randoms showed up (meaning sisters no one has spoken to since college). I was unfortunately in an introspective mood and not too keen on making small talk, so I didn't stay very long. It was very bizarre to be together with so many women I lived with during college and have not seen since. I remember always feeling very much a part of my sorority, but I guess that no one can ever be BFF with 100 girls at one time. Maybe the situation made it seem like we were closer than we actually were.

I suppose that situation happens a lot. Elektra, for example, where I had a ton of friends there while I was actually there. Who do I keep in touch with? Dan, Linda, Sam, occasionally Justin?

After work, I am going to see March of the Penguins, and then going to visit Jim's new dog in SpaHa. Then it's home to clean in preparation for Leanne's arrival.

Labels: social

First, I would like to give a shout-out to all of my old EEG friends I reunited with last night:
GILLESPIE, LINDA, SAM, SUZI, JENKINS, TRACY, DIONNEE, LIUBA, JOEY, EDDIE, KIM...am I forgetting anyone? If so, HOLLA!

It was really a nice evening, and made me really glad to see everyone again. It seemed like ages since I had worked with all of them (and actually, it has been).

Sam rolled in late with his crew, and then took the 3 of us out for a steak dinner at 10pm. Not being well-versed in my meats, I ended up ordering a steak roughly the size of Pennsylvania. I probably have two more meals out of that thing.

***

Does anyone know why stories about "The Apprentice" keep making CNN's top stories? Does anyone really give a fuck? Maybe we should hear more about how fucked up Afghanistan is now that we moved our troops to Iraq and Al Qaeda is back in there. And why is Tump called "The Donald?" It sounds ridiculous.

Labels: cranky, social

What a busy weekend! On Friday night, I decided to take my bed frame apart. After almost nearly injuring myself and the cat on more than one occasion, I got the damn thing apart. I also did a lot more packing, including unhooking everything on the TV stand, packing some kitchen stuff and cleaning. I'm making progress.

On Saturday, I went to Baby Sophia's first bday party! It was so much fun! The food was great and I got to see a lot of old Elektra friends (many of them now have their own babies). Sophia was dressed in traditional Korean-wear. Poor dear. When she starts bringing boyfriends home, I'm sure Linda and Phil will bring those photos out and embarrass the pants off of her.

Saturday night was one of those "go out at 9pm and the next thing you know, it's 3am" nights. Whoops.

Labels: nyc, social

Sorry I've been so boring lately. Nothing much has been going on. I started packing, and it's a disaster! Perhaps I jumped the gun a little bit, but I figured because I don't have much room in here, I have to pack strategically and not in a haphazard fashion.

Why am I so bad at packing?

Otherwise I've had a pleasant weekend. On Friday night, I attended Melissa's housewarming up in SpaHa, where I sang some Cher karaoke. Then Mira and I headed down to Sam's birthday party. I'd like to give a loving shout-out to all of my friends at Elektra right now, and let them I know I hope all of them get what they want when it comes to keeping their jobs or getting laid off. From the way things sound, I almost think the latter would be a blessing. Who wants to waste their time being given high-school-like assignments in order to "audition" to keep their jobs? Fuck that! Trust me, things are a lot happier on the outside.

Yesterday, I headed out to Clinton Hill to go to an open house with Nader. He looked at a co-op in my building on the 5th floor! It was very nice, and the owner filled me on some kick-ass aspects of the co-op that I was yet unaware of (like the fact that all residents receive 40% off of their cable bill! KICK ASS. Now I can keep HBO sans guilt!).

Then I went to tap and caught up with Deirdre and Janine afterwards at the Euro, a diner near me that I've never tried (I'm still loyal to the Westway). At night, I went to see Dan's choral concert, and then Mira and I rented "Thirteen" and got a slice.

Now it's time to take a break and chill the hell out. Enjoy the sun!

PS- Thanks, Linda!

Labels: nyc, social

I'm going to watch the tree lighting from Sam's office tonight. Probably be the last time I'm in there. Sigh- so many memories (and so many of them bad ones!).

Labels: holiday, nyc, social