I didn't know what The Cloisters was when I agreed to go. My friend Emily was visiting and said "I want to see The Cloisters. Want to come?" Of course! Sounds great! Turns out, The Cloisters is a pretty amazing museum that's about as far north in Manhattan as you can go and still be in Manhattan. It takes a little while to get there--the A train, while express, still has to follow the law of physics! But it feels like you're in the middle of the woods, even though you're still in the city.
The Cloisters is a museum of Medieval Art. This also means that a whole bunch of it is religious art--a lot of Pietas and virgins and immaculate conceptions and other pieces of medieval devotions. It's amazing how well preserved the art stayed after all these years. I would assume in 500 years, my dogs playing poker print will not be as well preserved. Even without the religious devotion behind it, it's quite interesting to see the art and to imagine how the knights and medievaliets lived and loved and arted.
The most fascinating part of it for me was how the Cloisters building itself was part of the museum. Doorways from castles and important medieval structures were in the museum as actual doorways. The rooms of the museum were reconstructed in the various medieval time they were meant to represent. It was like visiting a whole bunch of castles at once, but with heat!
There were a few school group tours there during our visit, and I hate to say they dampened the experience, but they did a bit. Kids and medieval art? Come on! Also, I don't know a lot about curriculum, but I'm guessing it was a private catholic school, or someone's gonna get fired. Or the descriptions of the art were very vague: "This is of a lady named Mary, and some people who knew her. Notice the lines. Next!"
The Cloisters were a good time. If you do plan to make the trek, make sure you have a serious few hours carved out of your schedule, mainly for transport. The walk through the garden leading up to it is also lovely, even if it's raining. Also, I like saying the word cloister.
Showing posts with label New York City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York City. Show all posts
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Rockefeller Plaza Christmas Tree Lighting. A Review.
Hell. It was complete Hell. I had a few very real panic moments where I was sure I would be crushed or suffocated to death. People attempted to defy laws of physics by occupying the same space other people were already standing. There was a constant pushing force that was holding people up so very few of use were actually standing on our own legs. We were being held up by the force of those around us. My feet were an interesting shade of numb between the coldness and the trampling.
It was really hard to figure out where to go. I tried to get there plenty early, though I knew I didn't get there early enough. The roads were blocked off and there were corrals made of fencing on the sidewalks. Police officers wit bullhorns kept yelling for everyone to keep moving. But where were we supposed to move to? I passed the tree about three times, catching a glimpse each time, until eventually I just ended up in a giant mass of people. There was nowhere to go. It was 6 o'clock and I was intimately sandwiched among 10,000 strangers.
And people are bitches. The bitch behind me completely ruined the entire experience for me because she wouldn't shut the hell up. We couldn't see much at all, and hearing was tough. What made the situation worse was her constant commentary about how we couldn't see much and hearing was tough. You know what would make it easier to hear? If you'd shut up! I would have really liked to hear Carole King sing, but this twat didn't know who it was so instead talked over the performance. She talked over every performance, even those she claimed to like. I ended up learning way too much about her life. She even ruined a potentially really sweet moment we had--someone started singing "Santa Clause is coming to town" and nearly the entire section joined in. Then Bitchy McBitcherson commented "Elf, anyone?" We all know it was an Elf moment. But it was also a really nice moment where a bunch of strangers in one of the most uncomfortable positions joined together in a moment of song. Way to ruin it by being yourself.
I maintain the standing there experience was pure and utter Hell. But the tree is really pretty. I'll go back soon to see it lit up from an angle I couldn't see it before. And by that I mean any angle where I can see more than the left side branch through a window.
It was really hard to figure out where to go. I tried to get there plenty early, though I knew I didn't get there early enough. The roads were blocked off and there were corrals made of fencing on the sidewalks. Police officers wit bullhorns kept yelling for everyone to keep moving. But where were we supposed to move to? I passed the tree about three times, catching a glimpse each time, until eventually I just ended up in a giant mass of people. There was nowhere to go. It was 6 o'clock and I was intimately sandwiched among 10,000 strangers.
And people are bitches. The bitch behind me completely ruined the entire experience for me because she wouldn't shut the hell up. We couldn't see much at all, and hearing was tough. What made the situation worse was her constant commentary about how we couldn't see much and hearing was tough. You know what would make it easier to hear? If you'd shut up! I would have really liked to hear Carole King sing, but this twat didn't know who it was so instead talked over the performance. She talked over every performance, even those she claimed to like. I ended up learning way too much about her life. She even ruined a potentially really sweet moment we had--someone started singing "Santa Clause is coming to town" and nearly the entire section joined in. Then Bitchy McBitcherson commented "Elf, anyone?" We all know it was an Elf moment. But it was also a really nice moment where a bunch of strangers in one of the most uncomfortable positions joined together in a moment of song. Way to ruin it by being yourself.
I maintain the standing there experience was pure and utter Hell. But the tree is really pretty. I'll go back soon to see it lit up from an angle I couldn't see it before. And by that I mean any angle where I can see more than the left side branch through a window.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Secret Halloween Concerts
I went to the Secret Childish Gambino Halloween show at Brooklyn Bowl. I like to think this greatly increases my street cred. I don't actually have any, but if I did, it would be a little higher now.
Overall it was a pretty fantastic day. It was my first Monday in New York. I made a to-do list to stay on task and not make a vacation out of the rest of my life. I managed to tackle well over 50% of the tasks, and then a magical tweet came through around noon. Donald Glover announced he was the surprise concert at the Brooklyn Bowl; tickets went on sale at 6.
It seemed to me that this was one of the reasons you live in New York. Because there are secret concerts that just pop up within six miles of your home. I had happened to be wearing my Childish Gambino T-shirt at the time the announcement was made. I can't be one of those people, so I changed T-shirts and made it to the Brooklyn Bowl at the perfect time. I wasn't first in line, but I was also very comfortably in the middle of the line--guaranteed to get a ticket.
The box office/ticket booth/whatever opened promptly at 6, and by 6:20, I had my ticket. Doors opened at 6, bu the concert didn't start until 9, and Childish Gambino didn't go on until 10. I wasn't really close enough to just go back home for a couple of hours, so I explored a bit. Luckily on that same block was "The Whiskey Brooklyn." I first went to the wrong door, had a short conversation with a guy named Jonathan trying to sell Whiskey, and then made my way down to the actual bar. And forsooth, it was happy hour, so I treated myself to a few drinks and a burger.
I headed back over to Brooklyn Bowl in an attempt to get the best spot possible for this show. It was standing room only, and for me, closer is not better. I was pretty close at the Childish Gambino show at Bonnaroo and I was scared for my life. I did not want a repeat of that. Long story short, I nailed it, finding a spot that was close enough to really experience it, but also off to the side to limit the chances of being crushed.
An amusing bit of trivia is that I have been to two Childish Gambino shows in the last year, yet I only know one of his songs. And as you may have gathered from the playlist post, his music is not my usual thing. But I was interested enough in Donald Glover to explore his music. It's still not really my style, except for the fact that I sort of really love it. He puts on a great show. This guy isn't just a rapper, he really is a musician and a performer. He is probably the only performer I've seen in concert twice having little to no knowledge of his music. And it was amazing both times.
Also, I'm pretty excited to be able to answer "what did you do for Halloween?' with "Oh, I went to secret Childish Gambino concert. You?"
Overall it was a pretty fantastic day. It was my first Monday in New York. I made a to-do list to stay on task and not make a vacation out of the rest of my life. I managed to tackle well over 50% of the tasks, and then a magical tweet came through around noon. Donald Glover announced he was the surprise concert at the Brooklyn Bowl; tickets went on sale at 6.
It seemed to me that this was one of the reasons you live in New York. Because there are secret concerts that just pop up within six miles of your home. I had happened to be wearing my Childish Gambino T-shirt at the time the announcement was made. I can't be one of those people, so I changed T-shirts and made it to the Brooklyn Bowl at the perfect time. I wasn't first in line, but I was also very comfortably in the middle of the line--guaranteed to get a ticket.
The box office/ticket booth/whatever opened promptly at 6, and by 6:20, I had my ticket. Doors opened at 6, bu the concert didn't start until 9, and Childish Gambino didn't go on until 10. I wasn't really close enough to just go back home for a couple of hours, so I explored a bit. Luckily on that same block was "The Whiskey Brooklyn." I first went to the wrong door, had a short conversation with a guy named Jonathan trying to sell Whiskey, and then made my way down to the actual bar. And forsooth, it was happy hour, so I treated myself to a few drinks and a burger.
I headed back over to Brooklyn Bowl in an attempt to get the best spot possible for this show. It was standing room only, and for me, closer is not better. I was pretty close at the Childish Gambino show at Bonnaroo and I was scared for my life. I did not want a repeat of that. Long story short, I nailed it, finding a spot that was close enough to really experience it, but also off to the side to limit the chances of being crushed.
An amusing bit of trivia is that I have been to two Childish Gambino shows in the last year, yet I only know one of his songs. And as you may have gathered from the playlist post, his music is not my usual thing. But I was interested enough in Donald Glover to explore his music. It's still not really my style, except for the fact that I sort of really love it. He puts on a great show. This guy isn't just a rapper, he really is a musician and a performer. He is probably the only performer I've seen in concert twice having little to no knowledge of his music. And it was amazing both times.
Also, I'm pretty excited to be able to answer "what did you do for Halloween?' with "Oh, I went to secret Childish Gambino concert. You?"
Friday, October 14, 2011
A Giant Post
I have an announcement to make. I've known about this announcement for a little while now, and it has been festering inside, causing me to be skiddish with my blog posting. I basically couldn't think about anything else. But now all the pieces are in place, the ducks are in a row, affairs are in order. Now I can make my announcement.
I am moving to New York. Specifically, to Brooklyn. In two weeks. Everyone gets two weeks' notice, and this is it.
I am moving to New York. Specifically, to Brooklyn. In two weeks. Everyone gets two weeks' notice, and this is it.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
FrISC 2011
New York City changes me. I stop thinking about appropriate bed times and drink limits. The only time I regret it is on the 7am bus ride home.
This weekend was the 2nd annual Friars' Club Improv and Sketch Competition, or FrISC! It's a two day competition: day one is for improv and day two is for sketch. Teams from all over the country (and apparently Canada) submit their acts and the top 5 improv teams and top 5 sketch teams are chosen to showcase their material to a live audience and a panel of judges. Oh what fun! It's also a great format because it's rare to be able to see so many different teams at one time. They're each given 20 minutes to do what they do.
Full disclosure: I missed the first night. I had to take the bus up on Friday after work. Waiting in line for a bus can suck sometimes. I try to make the best of it, and having chat on my phone is one of the best ways I've found. This is part of the convo I had with Mary whilst waiting:
Followed shortly by this:
1.) Typos are inevitable. That should read "lit up," but luckily Mary knew this and for once didn't jump all over it. 2.) This turned me into the jerk who is just standing in line cracking up at nothing.
Eventually the bus arrived, we all loaded on, an we were on our way. During the trip, the NY State senate was actually voting on the same sex marriage bill. I was in Deleware when the news came through that it had passed. About 20 seconds later, this photo went viral:
There's a point when the bus is about 30 minutes outside the city when the skyline starts to come into view. By now, I know when this happens based on everything else around me. I was excited to see it, but the fog was so dense, well, I couldn't. I'm actually really glad this picture exists, because I could hardly see it from 35th and Madison.
I got to the city around 1am, had some drinks, took a nap, had a few more drinks, and made it over to UCB for FrISC. What a great show. Everyone brought their A game. I was rooting hard for Somebody's in the Doghouse, because I know them and they're from Boston. They put on a great show but they didn't win.
Each team had their own thing, their own style. The first team, Political Subversities, came out singing and basically kept it up for a sold 20 minutes. It was interesting to see how they just seamlessly transitioned from one sketch to the next. Plus, creating a sketch that allows a KFC Double Down to be eaten on stage is pretty sweet.
Stone Cold Fox and Onassis (I couldn't find their websites to link to) were both great. They had more of a traditional sketch show style with longer ones and black outs and call backs. Onassis had a really great in-between thing with their chairs. It's hard to describe. It was funny.
Somebody's in the Doghouse is unique because they're a two person group and they do wonderful things with that. They create great characters and their stuff is really smart. I could go on and on about how much I like their sketches, but just check out their website and if you're in NYC or Boston or wherever they play next, go to a show.
The last group was, uh, well, last. It was one guy who is apparently hilarious. I now firmly believe one man shows just don't work for me. I understand them, and I can appreciate the difficulty of them. And I'm not even saying they just don't work, I'm saying they don't work for me. I long for the connection people are making on stage. In a one-person show, there's just a character who goes and goes, and nothing organic is really allowed to happen. I mean, good job for putting yourself out there, it's just not my cup of tea.
Did I mention who won? It was Onassis, and it was well deserved.
The after party was the Friars' Club and it was pretty awesome. If I used phrases like off-the-hook, I would call it that. The curious thing about it was that all the drinks were served in wine glasses. The event was sponsored by PBR (Ok, that was served in cans) and a very special kind of bourbon. I attempted to complete the entire bar transaction with just pointing. The bartender filled a wine glass with ice and then poured the bourbon to the top. I heard they ran out shortly after. Hm.
They also poured this way when I ordered scotch. I was hanging out later with Paul Brittain (whoops, I dropped a name) and we commiserated over this odd pouring method. We were trying to drink classy drinks (Johnny Walker Black for me, Jameson for him) and they were messing it up. Of course, we weren't going to not take the goblets full of booze. Instead we stood around talking about the oddness of it and cracking jokes about the whole thing. Basically, we're BFFs now. I also got to casually talk to some other awesome people who will never remember who I am. But it's cool. Everyone was cool.
Have I mentioned how cool just the building of the Friars' Club is? There's a history to it, and I read about it once, but I don't remember it very well. It's an awesomely old dark wooded building with a grand staircase and photos of every comedian legend on the walls. You get a little funnier just stepping inside.
Ben&Jerry's was also there. I just wanted to mention that.
This weekend was the 2nd annual Friars' Club Improv and Sketch Competition, or FrISC! It's a two day competition: day one is for improv and day two is for sketch. Teams from all over the country (and apparently Canada) submit their acts and the top 5 improv teams and top 5 sketch teams are chosen to showcase their material to a live audience and a panel of judges. Oh what fun! It's also a great format because it's rare to be able to see so many different teams at one time. They're each given 20 minutes to do what they do.
Full disclosure: I missed the first night. I had to take the bus up on Friday after work. Waiting in line for a bus can suck sometimes. I try to make the best of it, and having chat on my phone is one of the best ways I've found. This is part of the convo I had with Mary whilst waiting:
Eventually the bus arrived, we all loaded on, an we were on our way. During the trip, the NY State senate was actually voting on the same sex marriage bill. I was in Deleware when the news came through that it had passed. About 20 seconds later, this photo went viral:
There's a point when the bus is about 30 minutes outside the city when the skyline starts to come into view. By now, I know when this happens based on everything else around me. I was excited to see it, but the fog was so dense, well, I couldn't. I'm actually really glad this picture exists, because I could hardly see it from 35th and Madison.
I got to the city around 1am, had some drinks, took a nap, had a few more drinks, and made it over to UCB for FrISC. What a great show. Everyone brought their A game. I was rooting hard for Somebody's in the Doghouse, because I know them and they're from Boston. They put on a great show but they didn't win.
Each team had their own thing, their own style. The first team, Political Subversities, came out singing and basically kept it up for a sold 20 minutes. It was interesting to see how they just seamlessly transitioned from one sketch to the next. Plus, creating a sketch that allows a KFC Double Down to be eaten on stage is pretty sweet.
Stone Cold Fox and Onassis (I couldn't find their websites to link to) were both great. They had more of a traditional sketch show style with longer ones and black outs and call backs. Onassis had a really great in-between thing with their chairs. It's hard to describe. It was funny.
Somebody's in the Doghouse is unique because they're a two person group and they do wonderful things with that. They create great characters and their stuff is really smart. I could go on and on about how much I like their sketches, but just check out their website and if you're in NYC or Boston or wherever they play next, go to a show.
The last group was, uh, well, last. It was one guy who is apparently hilarious. I now firmly believe one man shows just don't work for me. I understand them, and I can appreciate the difficulty of them. And I'm not even saying they just don't work, I'm saying they don't work for me. I long for the connection people are making on stage. In a one-person show, there's just a character who goes and goes, and nothing organic is really allowed to happen. I mean, good job for putting yourself out there, it's just not my cup of tea.
Did I mention who won? It was Onassis, and it was well deserved.
The after party was the Friars' Club and it was pretty awesome. If I used phrases like off-the-hook, I would call it that. The curious thing about it was that all the drinks were served in wine glasses. The event was sponsored by PBR (Ok, that was served in cans) and a very special kind of bourbon. I attempted to complete the entire bar transaction with just pointing. The bartender filled a wine glass with ice and then poured the bourbon to the top. I heard they ran out shortly after. Hm.
They also poured this way when I ordered scotch. I was hanging out later with Paul Brittain (whoops, I dropped a name) and we commiserated over this odd pouring method. We were trying to drink classy drinks (Johnny Walker Black for me, Jameson for him) and they were messing it up. Of course, we weren't going to not take the goblets full of booze. Instead we stood around talking about the oddness of it and cracking jokes about the whole thing. Basically, we're BFFs now. I also got to casually talk to some other awesome people who will never remember who I am. But it's cool. Everyone was cool.
Have I mentioned how cool just the building of the Friars' Club is? There's a history to it, and I read about it once, but I don't remember it very well. It's an awesomely old dark wooded building with a grand staircase and photos of every comedian legend on the walls. You get a little funnier just stepping inside.
Ben&Jerry's was also there. I just wanted to mention that.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Anxiety and Me: A List and A Story
anx·i·e·ty (
ng-z
-t
)n. pl. anx·i·e·ties 1.
You know how when you sleep on a bus you wake up every once in a while, look around, don't know where you are or how long you've been asleep, and then go back to sleep? I was in that state of mind. I opened my eyes and looked around. It didn't look familiar at first, but it's possible I hadn't paid attention to the particular stretch we were on in the past. It became obvious we were exiting a highway. I didn't know what time it was at all. And I may not be all that worldly, but I know what Philadelphia looks like, and that's what I saw. It was dark and I saw Liberty Place One and Liberty Place Two sticking up into the skyline, and the PSFS building and the one with Ben Franklin on top. "Aww, that's pretty. I like Philadelphia. Wait. Why are we IN Philadelphia?" Again, I'm not a geographical genius, but I knew we traveled near Philly yet had never been close enough to see the skyline. And then we were getting off the highway and just driving through it. I finally saw a giant-ass clock that read 3:30 am.
I stayed calm, trying to gage if anyone else was freaking out. Nobody else seemed to be. I started going through worst case scenarios and contingency plans for getting to DC if for whatever reason this was our last stop. The bus stopped, a few people got off, and then we kept going. Oh. Ok. Back to sleep then.
Apparently what happened is that since it I was on the last bus of the night from NYC they combined the Philly and DC buses. From a business standpoint, it makes sense. They may or may not have mentioned this before we left- I climbed on the bus and promptly nestled in with my iPod and drifted off to sleep.
Since making it home safely and continuing the rest of my day, I've been laughing about this all day. I feel as though the anxiety of waking up in a different city is justified. Philadelphia is lovely though, and it was not crowded at 3:30 in the morning, so the anxiety was manageable.
a. A state of uneasiness and apprehension, as about future uncertainties.
b. A cause of anxiety: For some people, air travel is a real anxiety.
2. Eager, often agitated desire: my anxiety to make a good impression.
I try to contain it, but sometimes I have a lot of anxiety. A few things that cause me anxiety are:
- being late
- being late especially when I can't do anything about it
- purchasing airline tickets
- deadlines
- relationship discord
- meeting heroes
- grocery shopping
- mostly any kind of shopping
- crowds
- crowds on public transportation
- the wait before a concert or other big event
- waking up in Philadelphia at 3:30 in the morning when you think you should be in DC at 5:45
You know how when you sleep on a bus you wake up every once in a while, look around, don't know where you are or how long you've been asleep, and then go back to sleep? I was in that state of mind. I opened my eyes and looked around. It didn't look familiar at first, but it's possible I hadn't paid attention to the particular stretch we were on in the past. It became obvious we were exiting a highway. I didn't know what time it was at all. And I may not be all that worldly, but I know what Philadelphia looks like, and that's what I saw. It was dark and I saw Liberty Place One and Liberty Place Two sticking up into the skyline, and the PSFS building and the one with Ben Franklin on top. "Aww, that's pretty. I like Philadelphia. Wait. Why are we IN Philadelphia?" Again, I'm not a geographical genius, but I knew we traveled near Philly yet had never been close enough to see the skyline. And then we were getting off the highway and just driving through it. I finally saw a giant-ass clock that read 3:30 am.
I stayed calm, trying to gage if anyone else was freaking out. Nobody else seemed to be. I started going through worst case scenarios and contingency plans for getting to DC if for whatever reason this was our last stop. The bus stopped, a few people got off, and then we kept going. Oh. Ok. Back to sleep then.
Apparently what happened is that since it I was on the last bus of the night from NYC they combined the Philly and DC buses. From a business standpoint, it makes sense. They may or may not have mentioned this before we left- I climbed on the bus and promptly nestled in with my iPod and drifted off to sleep.
Since making it home safely and continuing the rest of my day, I've been laughing about this all day. I feel as though the anxiety of waking up in a different city is justified. Philadelphia is lovely though, and it was not crowded at 3:30 in the morning, so the anxiety was manageable.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The Blow by Blow
I considered giving the blow-by-blow yesterday, but I wanted to focus on the surprise party, and I didn't want to come off as too gloaty. Also I can recall in my recent past saying "the quick version, I don't need the blow-by-blow." If I'm instructing others to edit, perhaps I should take my own advice. Also, I try to avoid recapping my weekends every Monday. It would be repetitive and again, gloaty. I bet people hate me a little bit when they ask "how was your weekend?" just to be polite and I come back with "Fantastic. It was great. Sooo good, seriously. Way better than yours."
Thursday Afternoon. The weekend begins. (I'll give my friends fake names, so they're not dragged into the internet for no reason.) I left work at lunch time to go meet Blaire at the airport. I got to the airport at almost the exact same time her plane did. There were no metro problems, or baggage issues, or security problems. It was practically tropical when she landed.
The Grocery Store. Blaire and I made a quick trip to the grocery store for cake supplies and lunch supplies. This wouldn't be worth mentioning other than the fact the grocery store is across the street from the birthday girl's (Tootie's) apartment. It created an extra fun factor; we were extra vigilant while picking out cake mix.
Spring Breakdown. I love this movie, and Blaire needed to see it. True, it was a beautiful day outside, but it was also a beautiful day inside. I made the cake, put it in the oven, popped some popcorn, we made sandwiches, and settled in for a hilarious 87 minutes. I almost have the movie memorized, but I didn't ruin it for Blaire.
Cake Decorating. Tootie's favorite kind of cake is white cake with white frosting. I thought it would be hilarious to then also write on the cake with white frosting, so it was white on white on white- a Wilco cake, if you will. This was amusing for a minute, but then it was really hard to see the message, so I outlined it. I thought for sure I would ruin it, but it came out pretty well.
The Waiting. This whole time I was fielding text messages from Tootie, and lying in my responses. Blaire and I walked down to the bar with the cake and a backpack full of T-shirts. Yes, we had 30 matching T-shirts, because nothing says we're all here to party like matching T-shirts. People arrived, put their T-shirts on, ordered beer, and waited. Tootie entered and was blown away. She had indeed been enjoying St. Patrick's Day, but when she walked in the back room of the bar and her friends were waiting, and we said "Surprise! Happy Birthday!," well, a lesser person would poo themselves. Hugs and beers all around. There was a priceless double take when Tootie saw Blaire and it sunk in that a plane and serious subterfuge had been involved.
Operation After Shock. Friday morning was wonderfully slow going. Blaire and I made breakfast- cinnamon rolls, eggs, bacon, and coffee, and we watched the Thursday night line up from the night before. To borrow a phrase, it was awesome-sauce. I mentioned this yesterday, but there were still more surprises lined up. Tootie loves the zoo and our friend Natalie was due in with her husband, George, and their son, Clooney. Clooney is the perfect age to enjoy the zoo, so it seemed to line up perfectly to just surprise Tootie at the zoo with Natalie, George, and Clooney. She expected Blaire and me, but walking up with an extra three people in tow was amazing.
Lunch on the Circle. Post zoo, we grabbed sandwiches from a local deli and picniced on the circle. Norman Rockwell couldn't have painted it better. He probably would have left out some of the riff raff who use the trees as their bathroom. It's part of the ambiance though.
Schmorgesborg. We sat on the circle long enough to each get a little sun-burned. We packed up and split up a little bit- I went with Natalie and crew to pick up snackies, and Blaire and Tootie went to buy shoes, including a pair of flip-flops for yours truly. My favorite kind of shoes are the ones that just appear. We spent the rest of the night at my place eating cheese and crackers and popcorn and cocktail wieners and wine. Tootie's husband was eventually able to join us; one big happy framily.
NYC. Every time I mentioned New York City, we said it in that mooing voice from those old Pace commercials. Haha, funny commercial, but seriously, New York City would be the least economical place ever to make salsa. A 5 oz. jar would be $12 because of all their overhead. Still, Saturday morning was nice. We had coffee and a simple breakfast. I got ready for the bus and the rest of the framily had a full day of relaxing planned. The bus ride was fine, NYC was awesome, per uj, and the Super Moon came out.
Just when you think it's over. Gosh, it seems like the weekend was already jam packed, but there's a entire extra day. On Sunday, Tootie and I made a Zipcar trip to Trader Joes. This is a big deal. Then we strolled through the Farmers' Market, where she picked up a potted rosemary and I picked up some buffalo meat. There was a lull where she read magazines on my couch while I cooked my lunches for the week. Then we met her husband for lunch at Panera. That was an adventure- it shouldn't have been, because it was Panera, but it was. Then Tootie and I headed back to her place to watch the Michigan-Duke game.
Couch Shopping. After suffering a heart break I didn't really understand, we went couch shopping. I know, how many hours are in the day, right? Considering buying a giant bright red couch is hilarious. However, Tootie hit it on the head with "I'm not sure I can afford a $4000 joke." Good point.
Sushi Happy Hour. We slipped in the door of a sushi restaurant about 9 minutes before the end of their happy hour. They're nice enough to tell us this, and we just put a line down a column on their menu to get the order in in time. Sushi and Sam Adams for dinner.
One More Stop. Poor Tootie's husband, who was stuck at the office all weekend. We picked him up some 5 Guys and Tootie got in a cab to take it to him. I skipped home, high on life! I received report later that he was very pleased.
Phew. So much goodness in such a short period of time. Maybe the short version is better.
Thursday Afternoon. The weekend begins. (I'll give my friends fake names, so they're not dragged into the internet for no reason.) I left work at lunch time to go meet Blaire at the airport. I got to the airport at almost the exact same time her plane did. There were no metro problems, or baggage issues, or security problems. It was practically tropical when she landed.
The Grocery Store. Blaire and I made a quick trip to the grocery store for cake supplies and lunch supplies. This wouldn't be worth mentioning other than the fact the grocery store is across the street from the birthday girl's (Tootie's) apartment. It created an extra fun factor; we were extra vigilant while picking out cake mix.
Spring Breakdown. I love this movie, and Blaire needed to see it. True, it was a beautiful day outside, but it was also a beautiful day inside. I made the cake, put it in the oven, popped some popcorn, we made sandwiches, and settled in for a hilarious 87 minutes. I almost have the movie memorized, but I didn't ruin it for Blaire.
Cake Decorating. Tootie's favorite kind of cake is white cake with white frosting. I thought it would be hilarious to then also write on the cake with white frosting, so it was white on white on white- a Wilco cake, if you will. This was amusing for a minute, but then it was really hard to see the message, so I outlined it. I thought for sure I would ruin it, but it came out pretty well.
Operation After Shock. Friday morning was wonderfully slow going. Blaire and I made breakfast- cinnamon rolls, eggs, bacon, and coffee, and we watched the Thursday night line up from the night before. To borrow a phrase, it was awesome-sauce. I mentioned this yesterday, but there were still more surprises lined up. Tootie loves the zoo and our friend Natalie was due in with her husband, George, and their son, Clooney. Clooney is the perfect age to enjoy the zoo, so it seemed to line up perfectly to just surprise Tootie at the zoo with Natalie, George, and Clooney. She expected Blaire and me, but walking up with an extra three people in tow was amazing.
Lunch on the Circle. Post zoo, we grabbed sandwiches from a local deli and picniced on the circle. Norman Rockwell couldn't have painted it better. He probably would have left out some of the riff raff who use the trees as their bathroom. It's part of the ambiance though.
Schmorgesborg. We sat on the circle long enough to each get a little sun-burned. We packed up and split up a little bit- I went with Natalie and crew to pick up snackies, and Blaire and Tootie went to buy shoes, including a pair of flip-flops for yours truly. My favorite kind of shoes are the ones that just appear. We spent the rest of the night at my place eating cheese and crackers and popcorn and cocktail wieners and wine. Tootie's husband was eventually able to join us; one big happy framily.
NYC. Every time I mentioned New York City, we said it in that mooing voice from those old Pace commercials. Haha, funny commercial, but seriously, New York City would be the least economical place ever to make salsa. A 5 oz. jar would be $12 because of all their overhead. Still, Saturday morning was nice. We had coffee and a simple breakfast. I got ready for the bus and the rest of the framily had a full day of relaxing planned. The bus ride was fine, NYC was awesome, per uj, and the Super Moon came out.
Just when you think it's over. Gosh, it seems like the weekend was already jam packed, but there's a entire extra day. On Sunday, Tootie and I made a Zipcar trip to Trader Joes. This is a big deal. Then we strolled through the Farmers' Market, where she picked up a potted rosemary and I picked up some buffalo meat. There was a lull where she read magazines on my couch while I cooked my lunches for the week. Then we met her husband for lunch at Panera. That was an adventure- it shouldn't have been, because it was Panera, but it was. Then Tootie and I headed back to her place to watch the Michigan-Duke game.
Couch Shopping. After suffering a heart break I didn't really understand, we went couch shopping. I know, how many hours are in the day, right? Considering buying a giant bright red couch is hilarious. However, Tootie hit it on the head with "I'm not sure I can afford a $4000 joke." Good point.
Sushi Happy Hour. We slipped in the door of a sushi restaurant about 9 minutes before the end of their happy hour. They're nice enough to tell us this, and we just put a line down a column on their menu to get the order in in time. Sushi and Sam Adams for dinner.
One More Stop. Poor Tootie's husband, who was stuck at the office all weekend. We picked him up some 5 Guys and Tootie got in a cab to take it to him. I skipped home, high on life! I received report later that he was very pleased.
Phew. So much goodness in such a short period of time. Maybe the short version is better.
Monday, March 14, 2011
It's Like Being Bi-Coastal, But On The Same Coast
This weekend was the beginning of my effort to be awesome and attempt some sort of bi-city existence. I haven't mentioned this to too many people, because I don't like the looks I get, or the exhaustive dismissive sigh they give me with a "Ugh. That sounds awful. Why would you do that?" Or something equally condescending. I don't think it's awful, or all that exhausting, which is why I am doing it.
Every weekend for the next 8 weeks (9 weeks, actually, minus the last week in April) I'll be making trips to NYC. Sometimes just a day trip- up and back in the same day, and some are full weekend trips. I made such a day trip on Saturday. Everything went swimmingly, and I'm looking forward to subsequent perfect excursions.
Yes, nine hours on a bus does seem like a lot. But there's not a lot you can do on a bus, so you pretty much find one thing and stick to it. That one thing is usually start to read a book and then fall asleep 5 pages in. Bus sleep might not be the best sleep, but it's sleep, so it still feels good. Also, I think being in the crunch position for 4 hours straight has done wonders for my abs.
The bus let out right across the street from Starbucks. It was like going home. It pulled in about 7 minutes early, which gave me a great sense of satisfaction. I knew where I was (28th & 7th), and where I needed to be (30th & 6th). Brilliant. I also got to meet up with a friend of mine who now lives in NYC. We met in Boston; he was the star of Nancy Melchert's Explosio!, my severely underrated Production 2 film. We chatted over coffee and free pastries, caught up, and planned to meet up again soon, probably next weekend.
I was right on time for class, and didn't make an ass out of myself at any point. For me, this is key. Clearly, I'm really self-conscious about this entire endeavor. I realize eventually it will have to come out that I don't live in the city, but I didn't want to lead with it and alienate myself somehow. I had to pretend I knew about a few things, like inherently where things are and what that means. For example, my friend, whom I'll call Brian, said he lived at Lexington and 45th. "Isn't that the Chrysler building?" I asked. Indeed, it is very close to the Chrysler building and we had a good laugh. Plus, I was pretty proud for knowing that. Then, while in class, someone was describing a terrible location and they prefaced it with "well, it's on A." The room chuckled. I don't know what that means. Similarly, someone admitted to living "on 5th, between 7th and 8th." Technically, I know where this is. I could find it on a map and get there by walking or even by subway. However, the teacher (Chris, who is wonderful, bt-dubs), commented "wait, that's what's weird about this story. That you live on 5th between 7th and 8th. Get out." Hahaha. It was funny. I knew it was funny, based on Chris's tone, but I don't really know why.
My concern about finding the bus stop and not missing the ride home prevented me from too much after class exploring. I know I have more time for that, so I wasn't worried. Eventually, I'll find out why it's funny that Karl lives on 5th between 7th and 8th, and why it's so hard to get to A st. The bus left NYC about half an hour late, which wasn't awesome, but I honestly didn't care. Also, it was really cold. Inexplicably cold. It was warmer outside than it was on the bus, and it wasn't warm outside. I wasn't dressed warm enough for the bus. Every person on the bus was dressed like Eminem in 8 Mile- hoods up, hands in pockets, ear buds in. A girl next to me was full on winter-geared up. For a four hour bus ride. It was cold.
I got back to the district a little after midnight, and home on the couch just in time for the last half hour of Saturday Night Live. Then I set my clock forward an hour (balls) and went to bed. My body doesn't really know what time it is or what city it lives in. There isn't a time difference between NYC and DC, but since NYC is east of DC, the sun sets sooner so it's just a little different. Just different enough to get in my head and mess with it a bit.
So for the next two months, I plan to split my time between NYC and DC. I'll be a weekender, because I think that might be a thing. Maybe if I just tell people "I live outside the city" they won't think of it too much. I don't have to tell them how far outside. "On the other side of the tunnel. Yes, it is west of the river. New Jersey? Kind of."
Every weekend for the next 8 weeks (9 weeks, actually, minus the last week in April) I'll be making trips to NYC. Sometimes just a day trip- up and back in the same day, and some are full weekend trips. I made such a day trip on Saturday. Everything went swimmingly, and I'm looking forward to subsequent perfect excursions.
Yes, nine hours on a bus does seem like a lot. But there's not a lot you can do on a bus, so you pretty much find one thing and stick to it. That one thing is usually start to read a book and then fall asleep 5 pages in. Bus sleep might not be the best sleep, but it's sleep, so it still feels good. Also, I think being in the crunch position for 4 hours straight has done wonders for my abs.
The bus let out right across the street from Starbucks. It was like going home. It pulled in about 7 minutes early, which gave me a great sense of satisfaction. I knew where I was (28th & 7th), and where I needed to be (30th & 6th). Brilliant. I also got to meet up with a friend of mine who now lives in NYC. We met in Boston; he was the star of Nancy Melchert's Explosio!, my severely underrated Production 2 film. We chatted over coffee and free pastries, caught up, and planned to meet up again soon, probably next weekend.
I was right on time for class, and didn't make an ass out of myself at any point. For me, this is key. Clearly, I'm really self-conscious about this entire endeavor. I realize eventually it will have to come out that I don't live in the city, but I didn't want to lead with it and alienate myself somehow. I had to pretend I knew about a few things, like inherently where things are and what that means. For example, my friend, whom I'll call Brian, said he lived at Lexington and 45th. "Isn't that the Chrysler building?" I asked. Indeed, it is very close to the Chrysler building and we had a good laugh. Plus, I was pretty proud for knowing that. Then, while in class, someone was describing a terrible location and they prefaced it with "well, it's on A." The room chuckled. I don't know what that means. Similarly, someone admitted to living "on 5th, between 7th and 8th." Technically, I know where this is. I could find it on a map and get there by walking or even by subway. However, the teacher (Chris, who is wonderful, bt-dubs), commented "wait, that's what's weird about this story. That you live on 5th between 7th and 8th. Get out." Hahaha. It was funny. I knew it was funny, based on Chris's tone, but I don't really know why.
My concern about finding the bus stop and not missing the ride home prevented me from too much after class exploring. I know I have more time for that, so I wasn't worried. Eventually, I'll find out why it's funny that Karl lives on 5th between 7th and 8th, and why it's so hard to get to A st. The bus left NYC about half an hour late, which wasn't awesome, but I honestly didn't care. Also, it was really cold. Inexplicably cold. It was warmer outside than it was on the bus, and it wasn't warm outside. I wasn't dressed warm enough for the bus. Every person on the bus was dressed like Eminem in 8 Mile- hoods up, hands in pockets, ear buds in. A girl next to me was full on winter-geared up. For a four hour bus ride. It was cold.
I got back to the district a little after midnight, and home on the couch just in time for the last half hour of Saturday Night Live. Then I set my clock forward an hour (balls) and went to bed. My body doesn't really know what time it is or what city it lives in. There isn't a time difference between NYC and DC, but since NYC is east of DC, the sun sets sooner so it's just a little different. Just different enough to get in my head and mess with it a bit.
So for the next two months, I plan to split my time between NYC and DC. I'll be a weekender, because I think that might be a thing. Maybe if I just tell people "I live outside the city" they won't think of it too much. I don't have to tell them how far outside. "On the other side of the tunnel. Yes, it is west of the river. New Jersey? Kind of."
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Cool On The Outside
I have some pretty awesome things coming up, and I'm doing my best to maintain a cool, calm exterior.
My improv class showcase is on Sunday. Secretly (whoops, not any more), I want everyone to show up. I say "oh yeah, it's just a little thing the classes do" but I mean "you gotta come, please please please. Come on!"
I'm transitioning to the next level of classes, and I'm excited about that too. Since class is on Wednesday nights, Thursday mornings can be a real challenge for me. I'm tempted to introduce characters at work. I practice accents while reading memos out loud. I want to play "same line, different reaction" with my boss, but without his knowledge.
But I'm loving the involvement with the theater and the company. There's a contrast between the excitement of improv and the dullness of the office that is a kin to Jekyll and Hyde. I must maintain my cool exterior, but on the inside, I'm yelling out seven things I wouldn't use at my desk and making up Beastie Boys songs about my coworkers.
My calendar is filling up, and I'm really excited about it, but I don't want to blow my cover. Instead I'm going to maintain this creepy perma-grin I have going on to balance out my exploding interior and my cool exterior. Yeah.
My improv class showcase is on Sunday. Secretly (whoops, not any more), I want everyone to show up. I say "oh yeah, it's just a little thing the classes do" but I mean "you gotta come, please please please. Come on!"
I'm transitioning to the next level of classes, and I'm excited about that too. Since class is on Wednesday nights, Thursday mornings can be a real challenge for me. I'm tempted to introduce characters at work. I practice accents while reading memos out loud. I want to play "same line, different reaction" with my boss, but without his knowledge.
Nancy, did you get the email I just sent?I doubt I could convince him to ask me again though, so I could react differently.
I don't know John, why don't you go fuck yourself, and when the email makes it to my computer from space, I'll let you know.
But I'm loving the involvement with the theater and the company. There's a contrast between the excitement of improv and the dullness of the office that is a kin to Jekyll and Hyde. I must maintain my cool exterior, but on the inside, I'm yelling out seven things I wouldn't use at my desk and making up Beastie Boys songs about my coworkers.
Let me tell you a story about a girl named LeahThe thing I'm over the moon excited for is frequent trips to New York City for sketch classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. I've been trying to keep this to myself, to prevent the naysayers from coming out of the woodwork and commenting on how exhausting bus trips are. Yeah, I know. But it's totally worth it and it'll change my life. Because it's UCB and it's NYC and this is about more than just being bored on the weekends and really liking smelly buses. I've simply been skillfully avoiding too many plans on weekends, until really pressed, and I say "I'll be in New York." For what? Awesomeness, that's what.
Who sits at her desk with a big idea
For lunch she warms up a cold tortilla
She knows the capital of North Korea
My calendar is filling up, and I'm really excited about it, but I don't want to blow my cover. Instead I'm going to maintain this creepy perma-grin I have going on to balance out my exploding interior and my cool exterior. Yeah.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Live From New York!
The Big Apple. The City That Never Sleeps. Gotham. Empire City. New York, New York.
I've been counting down in anticipation. I've purchased my round trip bus ticket, organized my play list, and packed my back pack. I am ready.
I'm excited about all of it. The bus ride, the late night arrival, the subway, the purposeful lack of sleep, the early mornings, the walking, the gawking, the drinking, the eating, the drinking, the shopping, the looking, the drinking, the sun, the rain, the ogling, the food, the martinis, the ice skating, the pictures, the tall buildings, the shootings, the muggings, the bars, the music, the hot dogs, the men, the women, the comedy, the drama, the drinking; every last bit of it, you hear me? I love it all. In the event of a worst-case scenario, it'll still take place in the greatest city in the world, making it only an inconvenient-case scenario. If I get shot in the head and left in a gutter, at least I'll be in New York. Huzzah!
There are so many wonderful things about New York. Wikipedia has assembled a list of movies set in New York City, a list of songs about New York City, and a list of television shows set in New York City. On Sports Night, Dan spends most of the episode waxing poetic about the great city; he's having a New York Renaissance. On Mad About You, Paul and Jamie get serenaded on the subway platform. On Any Show Set In New York City, the characters are doing something awesome in the city.
Also, a tip from a source: the bathrooms in the Toys R Us in Times Square are clean.
I've been counting down in anticipation. I've purchased my round trip bus ticket, organized my play list, and packed my back pack. I am ready.
I'm excited about all of it. The bus ride, the late night arrival, the subway, the purposeful lack of sleep, the early mornings, the walking, the gawking, the drinking, the eating, the drinking, the shopping, the looking, the drinking, the sun, the rain, the ogling, the food, the martinis, the ice skating, the pictures, the tall buildings, the shootings, the muggings, the bars, the music, the hot dogs, the men, the women, the comedy, the drama, the drinking; every last bit of it, you hear me? I love it all. In the event of a worst-case scenario, it'll still take place in the greatest city in the world, making it only an inconvenient-case scenario. If I get shot in the head and left in a gutter, at least I'll be in New York. Huzzah!
There are so many wonderful things about New York. Wikipedia has assembled a list of movies set in New York City, a list of songs about New York City, and a list of television shows set in New York City. On Sports Night, Dan spends most of the episode waxing poetic about the great city; he's having a New York Renaissance. On Mad About You, Paul and Jamie get serenaded on the subway platform. On Any Show Set In New York City, the characters are doing something awesome in the city.
Also, a tip from a source: the bathrooms in the Toys R Us in Times Square are clean.
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