Discovery/History/Love
June 30th, 2008 / No comments
Dark Prince
June 30th, 2008 / No comments
watch more of our trip HERE
Little Happies
June 29th, 2008 / 1 comment »Steve the Penguin, a blog I just found the other day when I was looking up the story on Christian Finnegan’s bigass weightloss. Seriously, have you seen him on Best Week Ever lately? He’s like, half the person he was. Amazing. Anyway, the woman who write that blog is smart and funny, bitch-lite. One of these days I’ve got to get over my issues with writing “fan letters” and just let her know how much I like her style. Also, I need to thank her for leading me to…
Daria episodes online! Holy shit! This been the best week of websurfing, I swear. Helen Morgandorfer, Jane Lane, Sandi and the Fashion Club — oh how I’ve missed them all. It seriously feels like seeing old friends again. Sometimes when I’m home I’ll just pull up an episode and let it play in the background while I’m working on whatever. MTV needs to figure this music licensing shit out already and get us those goddamn DVD’s — and I want the FULL versions, not those crappy edited ones that aired on The N a few years ago.
“Viva la Vida” by Coldplay. I know it’s a little oversynthed and yeah, some folks are calling Coldplay daddyrock… but I just love them. They churn out catchy pop anthem like candy from a gumball machine and I’m a sucker for that shit. I especially love the lyrics of the song, that whole fallen leader POV ; someone who had it all once, then fell, and now only has his perspective. Chris Martin lives tying in Biblical phrases and sensibilities to his songs.
That amazing “In the Heights” performance at the Tony Awards 2 weeks ago. Yes I have that shit favorited on YouTube. They took the 2 most energetic songs of the show and laced them together perfectly. If Abuela Claudia had belted out that Pacience & Fe number I would have been an emotional wreck. I’ve been lauding this show since I saw it off-Broadway in January 2007 and I’m so glad it’s finally getting the raves it deserves.
“Sleep Deep: Guided Meditation” by Lita. I found this when I was looking up foot reflexology info (cuz I’m facinated by nerve endings in the feet) and it’s amazing. The relaxtion guide Lita has the most soothing voice — she could guide me off a bridge and I’d do it. I like the version without background music, cuz I don’t really need to be hearing horny dolphins and the flutter of bird wings when I’m just trying to catch some zzz’s on the uptown A.
SteeLon messenger bags @ Uniqlo. They come in duffel, tote, messenger, mini, pouch — all sizes and colors, and so yes of course I have to own one of each. I’ve already purchased like, 15 of them. I’m addicted, they’re so cute and cheap and I love that I finally found a bag perfect for the gym, or a weekendd trip, or to fit my laptop and stuff w/o being too slim and tight or too bulky and wide.
Speaking of weekends away, NIck & I are headed back to D.C. tonight for another quick visit. We weren’t sure if the weather would be ok but we’re gonna go for it anyway. We’re staying downtown this time so that’ll be cool. He’s got some stuff in West Virginia he wants to see, a cemetary or something, and I just wanna go back and hang out in the Georgetown Mall… and buy more of that amazing peanut butter walnut fudge.
It’s the little things that matter.
Me & the Machines
June 25th, 2008 / 3 comments »I write this entry from the all-too familiar waiting room at Dr. F’s office. It’s that Cancer Check-Up time of the year again, never a visit I’m excited about but one I’m no longer afraid of. Actually haven’t been afraid of ever, really. I guess once you’d had a ball removed/replaced and undergone radiation sunbathing, you tend to not be scared of little things like sitting in a waiting room. Waiting for the results, that’s what usually gets folks all wound up. It’s been 4yrs now since I battled that whole scenario, and my bloodwork keeps coming back clean and perky (ok, maybe cholestoral is a little high), so I’m not very worried.
I’m supposed to get my color done @ Dramatic’s NYC later this afternoon. I told Eagle I’d burn a little slideshow of all the different stuff he’s done to my hair over the years, so I spent about half an hour this morning looking through old pictures I haven’t seen in awhile. It’s kind of a trip. If I never started this documenting my life on this blog 6yrs ago I probably wouldn’t have so many picture reminders of things like my hairstyles and varying states of happiness. Or see how my cheekbones are less and less sharp as the years go by, and how my cheeks get fuller. Dammit.
I caught myself the other day thinking of myself as 30. It took a sec for me to remember, Oh wait I’m only 29. 30′s still a year away. We’ll, 10months and change but who’s counting?
… And what if they DO find something in my bloodwork? Some small cluster of cancer cells that have emerged out of nowhere. How would I find myself dealing, I wonder? The last time I dealt with this I did it mostly alone. Of course mom and dad were praying strong in Texas and my friends were only a phone call/IM mssg away… but I was very much flying solo… and i did good. A little dramatic at the end, burning shit and all, but still. My life is different now, there’s just more richness when I look at what I have, so I guess I’d be OK. I work in a place that I (like to) think would hold a spot open for me if for any reason I had to leave for Camp Chemo, and Nick is a little Viking. If for some reason this all became too heavy for me to handle, I know he could be strong enough for the both of us. These are little shiny treasures to me, I know they’re special and not everyone gets them. I do feel lucky.
UPDATE:
Nick & I are talking about heading to D.C. again on Sunday night for a few days. I loved hanging in Georgetown last time we were there, would love to see it again. Maybe Boston, or Philly instead — I’ve never really hung out in either city. And we can do it on the cheap cuz Nick’s still got a stack of those Comfort Inn vouchers and those Chinatown buses are amazing, yo. With all the money we can save we’re actually talking about getting a cleaning lady to come in twice a month and clean our shit. I know, it’s disgusting of me to even consider it but straightup, there’s no way in hell I’m gonna scrub them cruddy floors in the apartment.
Savvy
June 20th, 2008 / No commentsI got one of those spam emails rom that bullshit Nigerian guy running the money scam, the one who writes offering to give you 5 million secret dollars in exchange for 500K back. Instead of deleting, I wrote him back.
Dear sir,
I will do this for you in exchange for a whore and 2 bags of goat meat. Please advise.
Mister Chris
I know I know, but you gotta show some business savvy. If you just say OK right away then they’ll think you’re stupid.
Our Strawberry Blonde
June 19th, 2008 / No commentsWork flew by in a rush, which was nice. I was supposed to get trained on some billing procedures but it ended up getting postponed, so it was a relatively smooth day. I had to conduct an interview with a potential Concierge for our desk, which was just awkward and uncomfortable — not the candidate, just me. B/c we run such a small hotel and my Concierge department is so tiny, they really want to pick the right people, and want me to have a say in who we hire. It’s a heavy responsibility and I just never seem to feel natural or proper in those instances, sitting there with a clipboard interviewing someone for a job. Maybe it’s b/c I remember so well what it’s like when you’re the Interviewee who needs the job, you sit there searching the Interviewer’s face and body language and vocal patterns for some/any kind of hint for whether or not you might get this job… or maybe that’s just me who does it. I like having some control in who I’ll end up working alongside… but it irks me at the same time. I struggle with power at work. That whole Spiderman thing, you know.
Got outta work @ 3:30p and met Nick in Soho for lunch. I’d only had lemon water and some fruit all morning (trying to make it a habit), so I was ready to a big lunch. We went to some italian place on MacDougal & Bleecker, I had spagehtti and meatballs, and somehow got into this big discussion out of nowhere about the state of America and our freedoms and blahblahblah — I blame that annoying Jay Leno message everyone’s fwd’ing around. The talk got too heavy so we went to the pet store on Christopher St and looked at puppies. Nick is obsessed with getting an Italian Greyhound. I’m vetoing that with all my might, our place is already a Petco. Plus, if we ever do get another dog i REALLY want a teacup chihuahua… cuz I’m that gay. But I promise I wouldn’t carry it around in a bag… well, maybe just a Jack Spade bag.
We went to an event tonight @ Sushi Sakae, which was AWFUL. The only thing I liked was that it was inside the Chrysler Building, which I’d never been to before yesterday. Never, in all of 10yrs. It’s amazing the things I still haven’t done.
Things I Still Haven’t Done
Coney Island
crossed the Brooklyn Bridge
Campbell Apartment
Guggenheim Museum
Shakespeare in the Park
Bronx Zoo
Roosevelt Island
helicopter tour
seen anything @ Radio City
walked all of Broadway
Boat Basin Cafe
Century 21
any kind of Chinatown festival
Saturday Night Live
Things I Plan to Never Do
New Years Eve in Times Sq
any major holiday/heritage parade (i.e. Thanksgiving, Puerto Rican)
Ice Skating @ Rockefeller/Central Park
hang in East Harlem
Red Lobster Times Square
fly out of Teterboro Airport
wait in line @ Magnolia Bakery
feed pigeons
waive camera/signs at the Today Show
Phantom of the Opera
encourage those hiphop gymnasts on the subway
So yeah, the event sucked but I had a free iced green tea and then they drove us through midtown in one of those double decker tour buses, which was kinda fun. Being able to reach up and touch a streetlight is cool. The tour guide was full of random NYC info — I had no idea that Jackie O was paid to stay married to JFK for public reasons!
We went to see Being Boeing, which was hilarious. I’d seen it in previews last month and loved it. Gretchen the german stewardess was my favorite, so big and mannish and bellowing. Kristen Johnson (3rd Rock) was in the audience and I’m pretty sure she was there studying to take over the part of Gretchen later on — she’d be perfect! Bradley Whitford is still playing the lead and I don’t get him, he just sucks. I hated him on Studio 60 and I hated him in this, the arrogance is just palpable. He’s supposed to be playing the straight man to Mark Rylance being all rantic and over the top, like Tony Curtis to Jerry Lewis in the movie version. But the audience goes NUTS for Mark Rylance’s hysterics so Bradley Whitford starts to camp it up too and then it just seems like a Show Off Competition. Anyway, the show was amazing. Nick laughed so much he cried. We got Cold Stone after the show — I’m serious as cancer when I say that rythym is a dancer, and also when I say that their Our Strawberry Blonde on a waffle bowl is the SHIT! Like an orgasm in my mouth and I swallowed every drop. Ew, sorry.
Starving
June 17th, 2008 / 1 comment »I’m on day 3 of the Cleanse and I’ve lost 3lbs. Nick says he can already see a difference in my face. To be honest, I haven’t really noticed b/c I’ve been too busy STARVING. But Pride weekend is coming up and I’d really like to look cute in a tank top. Not cuz I’m after any action or attention so much (hello, have you seen my hotass boyfriend?!) but I just would love being one of those cute guys everyone notices. I used to be. About 3yrs and 25lbs ago. God it’s WEIRD getting older.
I’ve been watching Northern Exposure on DVD lately, Nick got me the complete series for my birthday. God I forgot how much I love this weird show. What an unusual series this must have been to pitch to networks and producers… a cast of total unknown actors of all ages and types, in this boring setting, where nothing important ever happens. Yet it’s so fascinating. They always crept this mystic, poignant tone and made you think about life… or maybe that was just me. The “Northern Lights” episode was one of my all time favorites. Holling and Shelly must have been the ODDEST couple on TV at the time, him being old enough to be her grandfather at the time. And I always had big love for Marilyn Whirlwind, always sitting there quietly knitting and observing; her shit was unflappable.
Dropped some frames off @ the optometrist today @ 116th, a red pair and green pair. Can’t wait to get them back with my prescription, they’re really cool. Stood outside the window of Amy Ruth’s and let my mouth water at the chicken & waffles. Took the 2 to the UWS and deposited some money, cashed in some loose change ($52!) @ one of those Coinstar machines, and enjoyed the late afternoon rainshower.
Have to go to the courthouse tomorrow. Jury summons.
Tony’s
June 15th, 2008 / No comments
UPDATE: There is nothing more strange and fun that sitting with a bunch of strangers in a piano bar, everyone glued to the plasma, watching the Tony’s. Whoopi rocked as a the host, Patti Lupone gave a fucking awesome acceptance speech for Gypsy, and In The Heights won for Best Musical. Nick came to meet me after he got out of work and we took the 1 home together. Nice day.