roxieNYC

Destination Profiling

2009-12-22T04:07:00.001-05:00

Yes, this is a first world problem, and yes, it's a lot better than other types of profiling (I.e., racial, gender, etc.) but dang it all if I haven't been subjected to destination profiling.

This past weekend I experienced my first big snowstorm living in NYC. Sidenote: I did experience one when I came up to visit my friend Marc before I moved. We watched all of Season 1 of Weeds and ate Chinese. It was the best trip ever.

Anyway, I decided to brave the storm Saturday night and didn't realize what a challenge getting home might be. While those NY residents living closer to downtown were picked up left and right by "off duty" cabs They'd pull over, ask where I was going, then shake their head or quote me a price. Ahem, both of which are illegal!! Actually so is acting "off duty" so you don't have to pick up distant fares.

Then this morning, I stood on 1st ave with my suitcase to head to LGA and two open cabs drove right by me. Luckily a third pulled over like a minute later but still. Shenanigans.
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Observations on Midwest Airlines

2009-09-05T09:48:00.000-04:00

I'm heading home to SD for the weekend and then will go back to my sister's house in Omaha to hang out with her and the kiddos for the week. I was lucky enough to use frequent flyer miles that I started accumulating WAY back in 2005 when I moved East. The best route home from DC was Midwest Airlines because they had a lovely, direct flight to Omaha.

Once I flew Midwest Airlines it was really hard to fly anything else. For one, the seats are built like lay-z-boys. They're wide with tons of legroom and footrests! It's awesome! The best thing about Midwest Airlines is the chocolate chip cookies. They bake them fresh in-flight and give you two warm cookies and offer milk or coffee. Its very indicative of Midwestern hospitality and its just so homey.

Since moving to NYC, I've barely flown Midwest at all. Its just not affordable from NYC for some reason. I love the cookies but that's no reason to pay an extra $200 for a flight.

So, imagine my surprise when getting onboard that half of the seats are the old size, and half are normal size seats! I was very bummed.

The cookie deal also usually only applies to flights that take off after 9am. I get that. I really do. Cookies are not appropriate breakfast food. We have to set an example for the children. So I had to chuckle a little bit when the flight attendant announced beverage service around 715am and informed the plane that Mikes Hard Lemonade was available for $5.

So even with these disappointments the trip has been great so far. In Milwaukee I had to go through security after getting a snack between flights. The security people in Milwaukee are BY FAR the nicest people I have ever encountered. Smiles everywhere and "Do you have any liquids? I'd hate for you to have to go through again. I know that's such a nuisance." Thank you nice security people!

Just boarded the plane so I'm going to sign off but had to leave you with something. The man taking tickets at the gate's name is Ritch. I saw that and thought, "hmm, that 't' is completely unneccesary". So...how come Mitch needs a 't'? I'm pretty sure if someone named their kid "Mich" no one would pronounce it correctly. Any insight would be appreciated.

Hoping for cookies!

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Building 409

2009-08-18T22:42:00.001-04:00

Now that I'm in the mood to write again, I was going to talk about the wonderful and memorable NYC night I just had but I walked into my apartment and I just CAN'T.

My roommate moved out a couple of weeks ago and there is another two weeks before my new roommate could move in. So, my AMAZING super decided to come in and make some repairs.

The other bedroom has had 3 years of use from two different roommates so he came in, checked it out and said he'd like to patch the walls and paint. He did that, and I came home and they also re-caulked the tub and sink and replaced a wonky tile in the shower.

BEST SUPER EVER!!!!!

I think I'll bake Fabio and his guys some cookies.
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Hazel

2009-08-18T15:41:00.002-04:00

I was watching a movie the other day (one that Netflix recommended that I see) and one part in particular caught my attention. This woman was going to leave her husband and is ranting about, "you don't know me" blah, blah, blah and she says, "What color are my eyes?" After thinking for awhile he said, "green" when in fact...they are hazel.

I'm not really sure about you other Hazelites out there, but for some reason I get so upset when people say my eyes are brown. They are not brown, they are hazel.

I'm not opposed to brown eyes, my sisters and I all had brown eyes when we were kids. I get miffed by the inaccuracy of it. They are hazel. As the Karpen girls got older our eyes started to change color and get more and more green. Abby's are by far the lightest, then Whitney, then me.

Because most people think my eyes are brown, when someone correctly identifies them as hazel, they are immediately awarded 40 cool kid points (usually paid out in the form of a hug). And when they argue with me and say that they are brown and not hazel, they lose 100 cool kid points (quick kick in the pants). Obviously from this you can see that the most important thing is not arguing with me.

I have a lot of pride in my hazel eyes and to decrease any confusion there might be (after all, no one wants to lose cool kid points) I've started buying the "made for hazel eyes" eye shadows and eyeliners, etc. I'm wearing it today and I think it works. Ooooh, hazely.

DMV NYC

2009-07-08T09:23:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm standing in line at the NYC DMV about 20 minutes from surrendering my Missouri driver's license. You might say, "Roxie, you've lived in two states since Missouri and the most recent for nearly 3 years. How do you still have a Missouri driver's license?" And the answer would be, "because I'm lazy and don't drive."

My MO DL expires in approximately 13 days on my birthday and am actually sad to say goodbye to it. This is probably the first time I've really looked at it in a long time and am getting misty that it has my old Plaza address. In retrospect, that was an amazing apartment. Corner unit alcove studio? Amazing.

Anyway, even though I don't drive, I figure its a good idea to have a valid driver's license for when I drive around SD.

There are a few teens here with their parents getting what I assume is their first DL. My dad took me to get my first permit almost 14 years ago! I've been driving almost half my life. Scary. You should be scared too.
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B-O-L-O-G-N-A

2009-06-13T12:29:00.000-04:00

After years of eating 12 grain bread with turkey or chicken for lunch, I've regressed back to my childhood favorite. Bologna sandwiches on Wonder Bread! Yummy! It all started when I found that Wonder Bread has a new whole grain white bread. It's chewy goodness like regular white bread but it's a little firmer and a lot better for you.

Most people do not understand the love that I have for bologna. My dad could probably verify this, but I think I ate a bologna sandwich for lunch every day for a year. The following year, it was just cheese. Daddy, I'm proud to report that I have now combined my two favorite sandwich items and eat bologna AND cheese sandwiches. Tear, I'm growing up.

It looks like my nephew also has the bologna bug and chose to have a bologna sandwich for dinner the other night rather than bbq. While I'm not sure that's a decision I would make today, it was definitely one I would have made at his age.

Colin - Bologna and cheese is the way to go. I'll show you when I get home.
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Penelope

2009-06-09T23:29:00.000-04:00

I tweeted about it, I'm going to add to my Favorites on Facebook, it will likely be my gchat status tomorrow and here I am blogging about it.

Rent, buy or Netflix this movie! (Don't steal it...that's wrong.) If you currently have a Netflix account, you can use the "Watch It Now" feature which is the best thing about Netflix.

I am by no means a cinematic afficionado, but I knows what I like and I like this movie! It's heartwarming, several shots made me sigh, its funny, and there are great actors. Including Reese Witherspoon who also produced the film. High five Reese, I knew I liked you.

I liked it so much, and one particular song in it that I bought the soundtrack. Imagine that my favorite song on the album is from an artist I saw open for Joshua Radin. Her name is Schuyler Fisk and the song is Waking Life.

If at all possible, see the movie and report back!
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Riker's Island

2009-05-28T20:26:00.001-04:00

So, when I couldn't sleep the other night I decided to play with Google Maps on my phone and I was beyond excited to see there is a water taxi that goes from 34th St to LaGuardia. Not that I will likely ever take it, but I love that it exists.

So I was using my track ball to trace the water route to the airport and was noticing all these landmarks it goes by, most notably...Riker's Island.

They always talk about Riker's on Law & Order but I always think about it being upstate or something, or you know, far away. Nope, its adjacent to the runway at LaGuardia. Of course I couldn't let it end there, no, it was 1:30am, what else was I going to do?

Upon reading the history and background of Riker's I found out we also have a floating barge prison. Yes, a barge that is outfitted with cells that docks in Brooklyn on the East River. What happens if you're seasick? Is the whole barge technically a brig? Does it ever go out on the river? If it does, instead of semester at sea is it called sentence at sea? I have many questions.
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Post Surgery - 3 months later

2009-05-26T21:54:00.001-04:00

So I think I left off with Rommi taking me home. I really wasn't feeling much pain but the blood was a little nasty.

I basically lay on the couch for days, watched DVDs and slept. I never figured out whether it was my pain pills or the antibiotics that made me so loopy. I'd always take them at the same time and then 30 mins later I was OUT OF IT.

On day 3 or so the bleeding stopped and I didn't have to change my nose diaper as much and on Day 6 I was convinced my nose straws were trying to escape, but they stayed in.

Then the doctor, who laughs like Fozzy took them out. The splints were way longer that any object should be that goes up your nose. Way. Way longer. He sucked out all the gross stuff and it was insane how well I could breathe. To quote him "it was really messed up in there". I read some guy's blog about his experience and he said, "its like drinking through a stir stick your whole life and then drinking with a McDonald's straw. Woah! Big straw. Woah! Big straw." For a few hours I was breathing so deep that my lungs we're having trouble catching up with my nose.

3 months later I feel great, I still get a little congested on one side but its better than the alternative.

If you or anyone you know is considering the surgery, do it!
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Testing...1,2,3

2009-05-26T19:23:00.000-04:00

So I waste a whole lot of time on the subway and I don't blog anymore. I think we have a solution to the problem. I'm testing out blogger mobile, where I can post to my blog via email message. Rock on!

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My Surgery!!

2009-02-12T00:26:00.003-05:00

I really need to get Blogger on my Blackberry. I waste a LOT of time on the subway when I could be updating my blog. Sigh.

Anyway, I thought some of you might be interested in my surgery experience, and now that I'm no longer fuzzy (due to antibiotics and Tylenol with codeine) I can actually form coherent sentences.

So, I showed up at the hospital and walked up to the admittance desk and told the woman my name and she goes, "Oh you're Roxanne! We have a room waiting for you! Fill this out!" Apparently since they changed my time (18 hours before I was supposed to check in) they wanted to be sure to get me in at my new time. Awesome. So, I filled everything out, they sent me through some doors where a nurse asked me some basic medical info + my name and birthday. I was asked my birthday about 10 times by about 10 different people. If someone in the medical field could explain to me why this is relevant, or whether it's used to make sure I'm coherent, or whether they just couldn't read it on my bracelet I'd greatly appreciate it.

Then I was given my hospital gown and some fancy puce colored socks with rubber on them (so I don't fall down obviously). I was also given a locker to store my things and asked to change and come back to the original room. First, I opened up my gown, and I'm not really sure how many of me they thought there having surgery. I realize that hospital gowns must be one size fits all but the gown I was given would also fit someone who is 7'0 and weighs 400 lbs. Now before I proceed, this wasn't a TYPICAL gown. It was a lovely lavender colored gown, and by far the fanciest paper gown I have ever encountered. There were vents, and Velcro at the shoulders and a cute little paw print. I put it on, tied it, put on my puce socks and headed back to the main room.

About 5 mins later my doctor came and got me and I left my new friend, the 50 year old man in the lavender one-size-fits-all gown, and walked through the surgery wing. I walked RIGHT past the surgery board which made me feel very Grey's Anatomy for a second. Then he put me on a gurney and left to find my anesthesiologist. BTW, I don't know how a tall person fits on a gurney. I remarked that is was the perfect size for me and that I don't know how a tall person fit (my feet were about 3" from the end) and they said, "one size fits all". I think I need to find the person they're basing all of these gown and gurney measurements on.

Then I found out how cool my gown really was! The nurse asked me if I was cold, and I said, that I was fine. She said, "Are you sure? I can plug you in." I was intrigued and said, "Yes, I am a little cold". She then proceeded to pull what looked like a vacuum hose from the wall and plugged it into my gown. Suddenly warm air was rushing into my gown. Fancy.

My anesthesiologist * came along with her resident who I thought had put in my IV and when I said, "that wasn't so bad" said, "No, that's the shot we give you to numb the area so when we put the giant needle in it's not so bad." THANK YOU DR. JOHNSON! Doctors who numb the area before putting in needles are my favorite. My dentist in KC used to give me laughing gas, then rub my gum with Anbesol before giving me the Novocaine. Favorite. Dentist. Ever.

Then they wheeled me away to outside the operating room where my anesthesiologist said, "Now I'm going to make you work" and made me get off my gurney and walk into the operating room. When I walked in I must have had a "huh?" look on my face because she said, "an operating room can be kind of disorienting". Yeah, the "huh?" had more to do with it being an ACTUAL operating room and not some alcove where they move them in and out quickly. For some reason, because it was an outpatient procedure, I thought it would be like the room where I had my endoscopy. Yeah, not so much. Real operating room. Luckily the drugs were already flowing so I just hopped on the surgery table.

Then some wonderful nurse started laying warm towels on me. I felt just like Oprah. I asked the doctor if they were going to be taping the surgery, and unfortunately they said were not. The last thing I remember is saying to them, "that's too bad, my sisters would have liked that."

My first memory is shivering and my teeth chattering. I thought, well that's rather dramatic Rox, but then I heard them say, her temp is 95, and then they threw some more warm blankets on me. I REALLY need to get a blanket warmer. It's LOVELY.

I had an amazing nurse in recovery named Neven who came every time my blood pressure machine went off. Which I think at its highest it was 178/122 which is my best ever; I usually get an A+ for blood pressure which is what I told her. I think she thought I was still drugged up from surgery. She also gave me lots of drugs and made my first nose diaper for me when I told her my nose was leaky. Loved her.

Then I went to recovery II (no idea what this is called) and Rommi came and hung out with me, I was told what to do/what not to do before going back for my checkup on Monday and sent on my way! By the time Rommi saw me I was pretty coherent and we grabbed a cab and headed up to the Upper East Side! Thanks for coming to get me Romms!

I'll write more about my recovery later since this is getting pretty long, but let me assure you that I'm feeling great 1 week and 1 day post surgery. The body heals very quickly.

* I have nothing but respect for anesthesiologists and them keeping me alive during surgery, etc. I still think this is funny.

My Sniffer

2009-01-19T00:14:00.002-05:00

At the beginning of next month I have a somewhat big event. I'm having surgery to repair my sniffer. When I moved to NYC I started being more aware of the fact that my nose runs pretty much constantly when outside, at the gym, etc. and that I do not enjoy this. Whenever I go to spinning I take a wad of Kleenex to blow my nose throughout the class, regardless of whether I have a cold. This bothers me. Additionally, I'm always sick which I attributed to riding on public transport but apparently could be related to other issues.

I went to an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat doctor) in November to talk to him about my nose issues and what I assumed to be a deviated septum. While we chatted he talked about a variety of health problems related to my throat (adenoids and tonsils - removed), ears (tubes when a kid and constant itching) and nose (constant draining). I've never checked off more boxes in my life. Snoring...check. Breathing through nose issues...check. Ear issues...check.

Anyway, he said, let's get a CT scan to see how bad your nose is, and a sleep study to see how bad your snoring is. He also shoved an incredibly long instrument up my nose which I can only assume was to have an up close and personal talk with my sinuses. Basically the CT scan found that I have a severely deviated septum which is likely to blame for my faucet nose and breathing issues and the sleep study found that I do NOT have sleep apnea like my dad. No Darth Vader mask for me. Woot! (FYI - it sounds more like Darth than looks) However, we did have this conversation:

Dr. Cohen: Did we discuss your snoring last visit?
Roxie: Not really, I told you I snored. You asked how bad it was and I said, people tell me it's loud.
Dr. Cohen: Well, I didn't realize how loud it was. Most people are +2 decibels above their baseline read, you are a +12 decibels. You snore impressively loud for such a small woman. I'd expect that reading for a very large man who is a hundred pounds overweight.

Did you hear that Internet? I snore like a lumberjack. Awesome.

Net-net, I'm having surgery in a couple weeks. There are two objectives. One, repair my sniffer. He'll basically cut out the cartilage that is blocking me from breathing and put in splints to ensure that it stays straight while it's healing. Two, he'll insert some implants into my soft palate that'll toughen it up and make it vibrate less while I'm sleeping (decrease snoring). The second part is elective but I figure if I'm going to get surgery to correct my snoring someday, I might as well do it while I'm under general anaesthesia. All surgery that is done under local anaesthetic freaks me out. "Roxie, open your tiny mouth really wide so I can shove some matchsticks into your soft palate, you won't feel a thing." Yeah, no.

So, basically, that's what's going on in my life in the next month or so! I'm really hoping that it has an effect on my breathing, etc. I've heard from a lot of people that it will completely change my life and be incredibly painful for a week. Come on pain pills!

If I'm not feeling self conscious I'll post post-op pictures of me with puffy face and bruised eyes but there is definitely a possibility that I'll be a touch self-conscious about looking like someone from the Goonies and will keep those under wraps.

Send out good wishes to me February 3rd!

It's hot in heeerrrrrrr

2009-01-19T00:03:00.002-05:00

Ask my family, I'm SUCH a baby when it comes to being cold. At all winter holidays I walk around wrapped in blankets or my favorite poncho and the space heater in my room is always set at high. It's in particular contrast because my family members are mammalian and can withstand a normal range of temperature without complaining.

This past weekend I rearranged my room (there are two possible arrangements, I went back to the original) and when doing so, decided to take my air conditioner out of my window. It has been there since summer '07 and I just dealt with the draft from Winter '07/'08 by sealing it with a blanket and some packing tape. Well, it's been particularly cold in my room in the mornings lately (approximately 60-65 degrees F) and basically I WANT TO DIE.

So, now that the A/C is out of the window I'm experiencing something I call, "Tropics in January". For example, when I took the A/C out of my window my room was a comfortable 73 degrees (from a space heater...ahem, I'm a baby). Now that the A/C is not letting in a draft, my bedroom is approximately 83 degrees. My window has been open for approximately 1 hour (at 32.2 degrees) and it's still 83.3 degrees. I'm not sure that removing my A/C was such a great move. I mean, I like being warm, but this is no blankets, tank top and shorts warm.

I'll keep you posted on my baking while sleeping status and maybe be a better blogger. No promises.

The Vomit Tree is back :(

2008-10-03T20:59:00.000-04:00

OUCH!

2008-09-14T21:15:00.004-04:00

July 16th was the most recent post. Huh. Sorry y'all.

I've been getting some, are you updating your blog questions lately and I can only answer. Um...yeah, no. Sorry, I've been lazy.

So, lots of things have happened since July 16th, for example:

My birthday was held at a bar that didn't allow flip flops (had no idea before) and looked A LOT like the Ministry of Magic (see 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'). Regardless, it was a really great time.
I went home for Beers 'n Ears at the beginning of August. It was a lot of fun and I forgot how much I enjoy being home in South Dakota during the summer. I love being home when the corn is tall and green and the lawn and flowers are in their peak and when I'm surrounded by my whole family. Due to a sickness of Trent Reznor, little sister was able to stay for the whole weekend and it was really great.
While home in the Southern Dakota I went to a street dance, which was AWESOME. I've never been a street dance before, and since I knew everyone there, it was particularly fun. I had a great time and am really looking forward to next June and my 10 year reunion and the sesquicentennial of Elk Point, SD. It'll be a very fun weekend!
Two weekends after the South Dakota trip I went on the annual trip to Ocean City, NJ. Friends from PSB and I have gone on this trip for about 4 years which is amazing. What is more amazing, is that we do the same thing every time. Friday, get in late, hit the hot tub at Erica's mom's house. Saturday, go to the beach (play in the ocean, almost drown --waves kick by butt), Saturday night, go out in Atlantic City (wait until Michael Phelps wins gold), Sunday, lay by the pool, order Sack'o'Subs and head back to NYC. It's so much fun and I look forward to it every year.
Since then I've just been hanging out in NYC. My friend Rommi found an amazing bar called the Frying Pan that is on a pier in the Hudson River which allows you to enjoy living on an island. I have to admit, my biggest complaint about Manhattan is that, "I LIVE ON AN ISLAND! WHEN CAN I HANG OUT ON THE WATER?!?!" Ok, a little extreme with all the caps, but seriously, there are a limited number of locations that you can really enjoy the water.
Summer in New York was very mild in my opinion. Now that it's getting cold and fall/winter is coming I definitely feel that I got jipped.
New Yorker Festival: Ok, so this hasn't happened yet, but I'm going to the New Yorker Festival for the first time since starting to read the magazine. My friend Gretchen turned me on to the New Yorker when I was living in DC. When in DC I looked at the NY festival as something that'd be so fun to attend, but because I didn't live there, would be something I aspire to. Well, last year, I wasn't able to attend because I was out of town, this year, on October 4th (I think) I get to attend, 'Humor in Politics' at the NY festival. I'm thrilled to see Samantha Bee from the Daily Show, hopefully I'll update after the event.
I'm hyper interested in the state of presidential affairs right now, and because I'm assuming 90% of the people who read this know where I fall politically I won't state it here, but I can't promise that I won't mention my thoughts in the coming weeks. Part of the reason that I haven't been updating lately is likely because of my political feelings and not wanting to offend people. If I do, I apologize.

I hope everyone is well and I apologize for not updating more regularly.

xoxox

Rox

Beers 'n Ears

2008-07-16T18:54:00.008-04:00

Anyone who knows me personally knows that I talk frequently about my family's annual charity event, Beers 'n Ears. This year's event will benefit, Support Siouxland Soldiers which is an on-going care-package program that sends flat-rate boxes full of snacks, games, hygiene items and more to the deployed, Siouxland members of the Armed Forces.

We typically raise money through sales of meal tickets (all you can eat pulled-pork sandwiches, sweet corn, various salads and desserts, oh and ice-cold Miller Lite), through our live auction, and through sales of T-shirts adorned with the Beers 'n Ears logo.

Over the years people have asked me, "Where can I get one of those shirts?", well the answer is...right here. An image of this year's shirt is below but I want to mention a few "tweaks". The color of the shirts is "olive" so not identical (but close) to what is below, the logo will be a bit larger, and the logo will also be distressed because...10 years baby! We're vintage!

If you're unable to attend this year's bash, and would like to purchase a shirt (no pressure, if you don't want one, I will not be offended) please email your name, mailing address and size to deb@beersandears.com.

The total cost per shirt is $15 (add $2 for XXXL) + $4.80 shipping and handling. The shirts will be shipped around the day of the event (August 2nd) as long as you've paid the handy PayPal invoice my mom, Deb, will send you once she's received your order.

**We need all orders by July 21st, 5pm EST (sorry for the rush) so if you want one, you better respond fast.**

Crazy day

2008-07-13T01:17:00.002-04:00

Someone left her apartment today at 11:30am to go meet a friend and finds herself coming home at 1:00am. She did NOT plan to not come home all day, but this happens when you go to meet your friend for some needed catching up, then get invited to go see BON JOVI IN CENTRAL PARK, then have to find food, then go to a birthday party.

More to come on today's events, particularly fulfilling my 13 year-old's fantasy of seeing Bon Jovi. However, don't get uber jealous, somehow my pale self managed to forget sunscreen so I have a glorious sunburn and some pretty ridiculous tanlines that I will be working on correcting tomorrow.

Stay tuned for more on today's happenings...

Just Call Me Butter, because I'm on a Roll

2008-07-06T14:22:00.002-04:00

Since my movie is broken I'll just keep blogging away, la la la la.

I haven't blogged about music in awhile so I can write about that. My latest obsessions are Meiko and Katy Perry. I know, more chick singers, I'm going through a phase. A very long phase.

I probably mentioned her, but I heard Meiko at the Hotel Cafe Tour I went to this Spring. I bought her CD shortly after and I have been listening to it quite a lot lately.

Katy Perry has one of the hits of the Summer according to a lot of lists I've seen. Her single "I Kissed a Girl" is all over the radio and in my opinion isn't even the best song on her album. Yes, it's a little scandalous, so it's getting lots of attention, which is a briliant move on behalf of her label. But there are some other great songs on her album, like One of the Boys.

Public Transportation

2008-07-06T13:56:00.003-04:00

I gotta give WMATA (Washington Metro Area Transit Authority) credit, they are WAY ahead of MTA (New York's transit authority) in terms of efficiency. I love how many trains/buses run in New York, that you never have to walk far unless you want to, but dude, you go to WMATAs website and it tells you what time the next train is coming.

Yes, I get that this is not entirely necessary in NYC because the trains come so frequently, but it's awesome, and I'm sad I never used it when I lived here. It would have saved me a lot of time sitting at my metro stop trying to go somewhere on the weekend. Somehow I always got there as the last train was pulling away.

They also have the fancy screens to tell you when the next train is coming which again, not really necessary on some lines in NYC, but it'd be nice. Unfortunately, MTA doesn't have any money so it'll be some time until I see this stuff.

DC2NY

2008-07-06T13:47:00.002-04:00

I am currently riding on the DC2NY bus, similar to Bolt Bus, and am having a lovely trip. It's about $15 more expensive than the Chinatown bus but they are new, clean, equipped with wireless Internet, they give you a bottle of water AND COOKIES. Guess what I'm most excited about? Well, you're wrong, it's the Internet. Don't be fooled by caps lock again kids.

I'm currently blogging and watching a movie on Netflix "Watch Instantly" which is my new favorite feature. It requires no explanation but I have time to kill so here it is. Basically you can watch older releases through streaming video so when I'm between movies I can watch stuff on my laptop. Ok, so my movie 'Bed of Roses' just stopped. Maybe not so great for the bus but great for lying in bed. Can't wait to get home.

Airlines...You're on Notice!

2008-06-19T10:03:00.004-04:00

Matt and Abby Visit

2008-06-15T22:40:00.002-04:00

My sister Abby, and my brother-in-law, Matt, came to visit me last weekend for a few days while they were both on vacation: Abby for the rest of the summer, Matt's will only last for about 2 weeks. Why didn't I become a teacher or join the Air Force?

While they were here I got to do/see a lot of what New York has to offer that I haven't had the opportunity, or made the priority to see in my nearly 2 years in NYC. We attended the BBQ Fest in Madison Square with my friend Rommi and we all had a pulled pork sandwich which might have been the best BBQ I've ever had. And I lived in KC.

We also went to the Bodies exhibit which made my stomach a little queasy (and it was not the margaritas I drank the night before, at least, I'm telling myself that). We saw all the major muscles groups, bones, tendons, organs (if you are a smoker, quit now) and nerves (including the one that did not do a very good job of telling me "DROP THAT PAN! IT'S HOT!" earlier that morning. Finger nerve, you're on notice). It was really very interesting and Abby proved that watching surgery shows really does expand your knowledge. She was point out things to me like, oh, that's the [INSERT BODY PART NAME IN LATIN] and there's the [INSERT OTHER BODY PART NAME IN LATIN]. I had no idea what any of it was, except for the sacrum, because I am deeply jealous of people who have visible sacral sulci. You know, the two little dimples in the small of your back? Yeah, you can't see mine. Sigh.

We also went to the Empire State Building which I have never been to before. It was great to see the city from above. Central Park is huge, the Chrysler Building is still my favorite, and I loved picking out all the buildings and landmarks I knew.

A HUGE benefit of Matt and Abby coming was Matt's carpentry skills. I received a shipment of furniture from IKEA that I was very excited to put together and Matt was more than happy to help with. The furniture would have been put together and utilized without him being here, but it would not have been leveled correctly, or anchored to the wall. Two things that I'm sure would have made me less satisfied with the outcome. Matt - huge thank you for taking care of these things for me; they look fantastic. Dad, I know you're jealous. Next time you visit I'll find something for you to put together.

The Russo Wedding

2008-06-15T22:23:00.002-04:00

Many of you may remember the post I wrote about how my friends Tim and Jana got engaged, but for those who didn't, you can find it here.

I attended their wedding on May 30, in Westhampton, NY. The location was absolutely gorgeous, as were the bride and groom. The food was exceptionally yummy and the best food presentation of the night goes to the french fries, served in champagne glasses with ketchup on the bottom. Pure genius.

I also loved the fact that I reconnected with so many people that I've met throughout the, um, 7 (I think) years I've known Jana. Yes, 7, she was an exceptionally bad influence on me my junior year in Lawrence. I remember.

I've never met someone who is so good at keeping people abreast of the happenings in her other friends' lives. So many people I met I said, "Oh you're [INSERT NAME]"! It was great to finally put a name to so many of the friends and family I'd been hearing about for years.

I've also met a lot of Tim's friends and family over the years that we've all be living in New York. They added so much fun and flavor to the festivities. I'm so glad I've gotten the opportunity to know them.

It was an amazing, moving wedding and it was a blast. I did a really poor job taking pictures but I'll be sure to post to the pictures their photographer took as soon as their available. You can see some pictures he took from the wedding on his website. If you're getting married, and need a wedding photographer, hire this man if at all possible. He takes amazing pictures, loves what he does (just read the blog) and is a nice guy to boot.

Jana and Tim, I wish you a very happy future.

Totally Fired

2008-06-14T23:47:00.002-04:00

If this was my job I would have been fired for abandonment. Many apologies to people who actually regularly read my blog. I promise, I'll try to be better.

Over the next few days I'm going to post the stuff that has been rolling around in my head for the past month. Some, but not all of the things I'll include:

1) Jana and Tim Russo's wedding - it was absolutely beautiful
2) Abby and Matt's visit to NYC and my ensuing visits to lots of NYC things I've been meaning to visit
3) More stuff...

Stay tuned...

Road trip to Virginia

2008-05-13T11:22:00.002-04:00

So I went down to Charlottesville, VA this past weekend, with Sabrina, to visit Gretchen who was finishing up her first year of law school. We had a great time.

I trained down to DC on Thursday night and hit the PSB happy hour. It was great to see and catch up with old coworkers, some of whom I haven't seen in the nearly 2 years since I left. There were a lot of new faces but everyone was very friendly. We ended up heading to Northern VA after the happy hour to continue the festivities and I ended up staying out a smidge late on a school night. Whoops.

Worked in DC on Friday then Sabrina and I headed to Charlottesville around 3:30ish. Yeah, apparently we didn't leave soon enough (doesn't anyone work in this town?!?) because we got stuck in some really bad traffic. The trip that is supposed to take 2 hours 30 mins took nearly 5 hours. It likely would have taken longer had Sabrina's boyfriend, Sean, not sent us directions to cut through side roads to get there. Rural VA is very pretty and made me miss home. SD, not NYC, not too many cows in NYC.

We saw lots of Charlottesville attractions, Bodos bagels, Buddhist Biker Bar, Cane's Chicken Fingers, the Downtown Mall, The Biltmore Grill (delicious drinks) and met a ton of new people. One of whom was nice enough to drive me back to NYC so I didn't have to take the bus. I fail as co-pilot, we kind of forgot to get of 495 and we looped around, about...270 degrees. Again, Whoops.

I've uploaded pictures on my Picasa site to the left. A lot of them are from Monticello (which was very pretty). Anyone heading to Virginia, you should be sure to add it to your list. Charlottesville too. Two, very enthusiastic thumbs up.

As Cool in Person

2008-05-13T11:11:00.003-04:00

Heather and Jon Armstrong are as cool in person as they are on their websites: Dooce and Blurbomat. For those that didn't read my last posting, you need to add these to your favorites and start reading! I still haven't read through all the archives though I have certainly tried. It's like when you find a band that you love only to find out they've released 3 albums prior to you hearing about them. It's like Christmas!

I went to the Soda Bar in Brooklyn for their book signing and I really didn't know what to expect. I got there around 6:30 (an hour after it started) and I didn't expect for all of Brooklyn to be sold out of the book or for the ones they had brought, to be sold out in the first hour. I did try to pick it up on the UES but everyone's shipment had been delayed. CURSES!

Anyway, There was a very long line to just MEET Jon and Heather. At one point I saw Jon and was shocked how tall he is. Pictures on the web can be deceiving. Heather is also ridiculously tall as you'll see in my pictures. They were very kind and gracious while I blabbered along about the love I have for them. Oh, and they love my name. THANKS MOM AND DAD! It DOES have an "x" in it. I agree, that is awesome.

The crowd was interesting, I was surrounded by some typical New Yorkers but also some stay-at-home moms that came down from CT "where the Stepford wives was filmed" to be accurate. They were REALLY excited to be leaving their house.

I got a picture with Heather and Jon which will follow when I get home. It's HERE! Tall right?!

Backlog

2008-05-05T21:00:00.004-04:00

Ok, you know when you know you need to call someone to catch up but it will be no less than a several hour call and you don't have the time for that? Yeah, well that's how I've felt about blogging lately. I have so much that I've wanted to blog about it'll take hours to update. I'm going to be lazy and bullet it out.

#1 - Funny story: I am currently knitting a sweater that provides the pattern in two forms, one with detailed instructions with what you should do for each of 12 rows, the other looks like this:

I find reading the pattern like this extremely confusing because I am constantly looking at the legend to see what the heck each stitch means.

Well I am standing on the bus and I look down and a woman is knitting something and I look at the pattern above. And then I say, "Are you knitting the Starsky sweater from knitty.com?" and she looked at me like I was crazy. I wasn't sure if it was because she was knitting the sweater, or whether she just thought I was crazy. But of course, she was knitting the Starsky sweater from knitty.com. I assured her I was also knitting it and that I wasn't a savant that went around memorizing knitting patterns. It was entertaining and we discussed the yarn we were using, how much we've gotten done, etc. All in all, pretty entertaining for a Wednesday morning!

#2 - All the fragrant spring flowers are at the flower stands in NYC: hyacinths, peonies, lilacs, lillies. I stop and smell them at one stand or another almost every day. I'm waiting for one of the flower guys to tell me that I'm going to take all the sniff out of them.

#3 - Marc and I are going to go see Jon and Heather Armstrong Wednesday night at the Soda Bar in Brooklyn. I don't think I've blogged about it before but Heather Armstrong writes my favoritest blog www.dooce.com. If you don't already read it, get on it. She is very honest about her family, her struggles and her happiness. Her stories about her 4 year old daughter make my ovaries hurt and make me want to have kids just so I can mess with them. Oh, I didn't mention, she is also hilarious.

So I read her blog every day, encourage all my friends to read her blog, then Marc, Ashley and I talk about her postings, and how we love her. Well, now I'm going to meet her, be in her presence, and I have to practice acting cool so I don't scream in her face, "OH MY GOD I LOVE YOU WILL YOU BE MY FRIEND?!?!" Because I think that would scare her.

#4 - CONCERT-MANIA! - Ok, I blogged about all the concerts I was going to but then didn't follow up on telling you about them.

Hotel Cafe Tour: Everyone set a reminder to look for tix to the Hotel Cafe Tour next January. The show was long, 5 performers long, and amazing. The performers alternated throughout the night and they'd come out for a song or two, then someone else would come on, then they'd do a duet with that person, etc. I got to see Joshua Radin (boyfriend, see previous post), Ingrid Michaelson (love her and her quirkiness), Cary Brothers (just got his CD), Meiko (got her CD) and Priscilla Ahn (she was good but none of her songs stuck in my head).

The concert was 3/24 and I was feeling particularly emotional and then on top of it were all these sentimental singer-songwriter types. I was worried it'd be a bad combo but they're all just so great in person! To the 3 men that read my blog: bowler hats and plain colored tshirts. Wow.

Tristan Prettyman: LOVED HER SHOW! She played a lot of stuff from her new CD. Unfortunately, her new CD didn't come out until the following week so I didn't know all the songs but check out her new album! It's really great. The week it came out her single "Madly" was the single of the week on iTuenes and then she had the 2nd top album of the week. She needs to get the credit she deserves. She was FABULOUS! Then...she had a surprise guest. G.Love came out to do her 2nd to last encore. It was a huge surprise and they have great stage chemistry. They sang their song "Beautiful" and it was great. Again, dudes, plain tshirt and bowler hat. A guitar doesn't hurt either. :)

Sara Bareilles: If you can get to a live show of hers, GO! My friend Rommi saw her live for the first time after hearing her CD once and was blown away. She was absolutely right, Sara is so much better live. The amount that her album producers held her back and gave her a "Little Voice" (the name of her album) shocks me. The girl can belt it, and belt it on key, while playing the piano. I mean, I guess a voice like that can't record well because you'd constantly be turning up and down your ipod so that you don't burst your eardrums. Still. The point of this story is to go see Sara.

#5 - Rebecca came to visit me!!! My best buddy from college and 4 year roommate came to NYC to visit me before she starts her residency in St. Louis. She graduates from med school May 17 and it's so funny to me that she's "practically a doctor". I experienced her doctory skills first-hand when my back really hurt and she fixed it! Like magic! We went to a Mets game, the Gaf TWICE, R Bar and we ate cannoli, and pizza and hot dogs. I make everyone who comes to NYC eat these things, moreso I have an excuse to eat them. Yummmm!

Star Spotting #? - Joseph Cross

2008-04-14T23:50:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I saw this guy when walking to the subway last Saturday night and I thought...how do I know him? Then I realized, hey, I think he's an actor!

Today while walking, I realized I knew him from one of my FAVORITE SHOWS: Law & Order: SVU! So, then I went on IMDB and I realized that he's been in a lot of stuff, and not just on SVU. Anyway, Joseph Cross, I have no idea what you were doing on 86th and Lex, but kick it in my neighborhood anytime!

Happiest Day of my Life.

2008-04-08T02:53:00.003-04:00

Alright...I gotta clarify this post. Some people have been skeptical that last Monday was the "Happiest Day of my Life". Well...TOUGH! Ok, admittedly, I posted that after I got home from the bar somewhere in the 3's on a school night, but it was without a doubt, one of the top 5 days of my life, and had I been in Lawrence, would have gotten the number 1 spot.

As someone who is not married, and does not have any children, there have been few days that had a singular moment that made it memorable. Graduations? Meh. But beating Marquette in the Final Four semi-finals in 2003 then storming Mass St? Yeah, that's on the list. Besides the birth of my niece and nephew I have a tough time listing any other days that were in the top 5.

For those of you that don't understand, as I told my dad, my relationship with the University of Kansas Jayhawks has been the longest relationship of my life (with the exception of my family and a few friends), so my committment is pretty strong. The Jayhawks loss to Syracuse in the 2003 national championship, made me so depressed that I didn't watch TV, listen to the radio, or read a newspaper for 4 days. No one talked on campus. And it was a MONDAY. Talk about a long week ahead. THEN our coach decided to leave us to go to his alma mater. I admit, I, like most Kansas fans were very angry at Roy for not showing more loyalty to the place he spent the last 15 years of his life. However, after last Saturday's defeat of UNC, followed by Roy wearing a Jayhawk sticker at the national championship, I think the anger is gone. It is for me.

And one of the best things about this past week, Bill Self said no thanks to Oklahoma State. Those outside the Big 12 don't have any idea why Kansas fans were worried that he would ever leave. Well, we know what it's like when a coach gets a call from his alma mater. While UNC and OSU are not anywhere close to the same level, T.Boone Picken's millions could have made the transition a little easier.

Anyway, congratulations to the Jayhawks! Congratulations to Coach Self, I look forward to years of watching your teams. Man I miss Lawrence. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

Prayer to St. Phog of the Allen

2008-03-28T11:48:00.003-04:00

I really hope this isn't considered blasphemy. My friend Kari sent me this prayer and I found in hilarious:

Our Father, who art in Lawrence,
Hallowed be thy Game.
Thy tourney come,
Thy championship will be done,
In San Antonio as it is in Allen Field House.
Give us this day our deserved victories.
And forgive us our turnovers,
As we forgive Roy who double-crossed against us.
And lead us not into defeat,
But deliver us from East Coast bias,
For Kansas is the basketball kingdom,
And the tradition,
And the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Beak 'em 'hawks!

Vows

2008-03-21T16:06:00.001-04:00

I'm getting this written into my wedding vows someday:

St. Patrick's Day Weekend

2008-03-20T22:43:00.014-04:00

So while I probably haven't said it before on the blog, I've said it many, many times in individual conversations: New York is a hedonistic city. We live in small apartments so the upkeep is minimal, we don't have yards to take care of, to-go food is available and affordable, as are places to do your laundry, get your nails done, and there is an insane number of bars and restaurants to keep us occupied. Having fun is our secondary job and I definitely managed it this past weekend.

I had great St. Patty's day celebrations with a lot of great friends in NYC. TECHNICALLY, the St. Patty's festivities were only Saturday-Monday I'm going to include my friend's party Friday night in the festivities, nothing like pre-party.

Friday #1: My friend Rommi had an amazing birthday party at a great Manhattan apartment. The likes of which I have NEVER seen nor probably will again. INSANE New York apt. I have never been in this big of an apartment ever, let alone in NYC. Anyway, this is me striking a pose with some guys I met. The one directly behind me was kinda tall.

Friday #2: This is me listening to said guy explain that, 1) women have no common sense, "well, except for you three" (indicating to me and my friends) and 2) that Title IX had ruined women's sports, and 3) "Not all apartments are 6 feet from another building" (Mine is, from two actually). Um, yeah, I kinda wandered off after that.

Saturday: My friend Katie's boyfriend, Reid, had a pre-St. Patty's day party at his apartment and it was a GREAT time. We had some beverages, watched the conference basketball tournaments and had a great time. Reid got some INSANE bonus points for turning the KU/Texas A&M game on in his room so I could watch the whole thing without having to share the TV with someone watching Clemson/Duke (I think). Mad props, Reid, mad props.

Sunday: I kind of threw a festivity the Sunday afternoon before St. Patty's day at a little bar called "Off the Wagon". This bar specializes in games like beer pong and flip cup which many of the attendees were proficient at, as can be seen in the pictures below. And, no, I'm not getting sick in the first one, just laughing hysterically. It must be said, we had the most fun group of people at the bar and our group continued to grow throughout the night because, as mentioned, we were fun.

Oh, and Kansas won the Big 12 Championship from co-regular series champion Texas. Rock Chalk baby!

Monday: Actual St. Patrick's day was a hit! Nicole and I started the day at our favorite bar "The Gaf", conveniently located 2 and 1/2 blocks from my apartment. Then we were later joined by friends, Pete and James McNamara. We received AWESOME St. Patty's day hats from the Gaf bartenders. Thanks John and Brian! Then Nicole and I went to Stout where our favorite Irish band Scythian was playing and were joined by Meredith and Rommi and the McNamara bros! All-in-all, great holiday weekend. Now if there were a similarly fun Danish holiday I could get friends to play along with, this could be a BLAST!

Shout out to Rommi, Michelle, Carrie and James for supplying pictures. Approximately 3 out of 4 days I was dumb and forgot my camera at home.

Thoughts on Basketball

2008-03-20T17:49:00.004-04:00

Just a couple thoughts on Day 1 of the NCAA Tournament:

Go Jayhawks!
I'm rethinking the Democratic candidate I'm supporting.
If there is potential to have gigantic 7'0 twin sons, don't give them androgynous names like Brook and Robin.

It's Coming!

2008-03-19T10:07:00.003-04:00

So I had my first sighting of buds on trees while walking to work today and some daffodils are struggling to come up on the patches around the sidewalks.

I've seen some fully grown tulips, daffodils and hyacinths (my personal fave) that have been planted in flower boxes around NYC, a practice that has given me a false expectation of spring and is actually very misleading. The best part about all of these flowers is that they just start popping out of the ground one day and you know, "it's spring!". Planting full-grown spring flowers just seems wrong. Did you hear me boutique hotel whose name I can't remember on 87th St. between Lex and 3rd? Yeah, I'm talking to YOU.

So even though its gray and rainy today, I think I might have survived another winter in NYC. Bring on the sun and warm and flip flops and skirts (without tights) and afternoon margaritas because I'm ready!

Adultery Prereq for NY Governorship?

2008-03-18T15:48:00.003-04:00

Come on!

ONE DAY after Governor David Paterson is sworn into office in a very entertaining swearing in, this breaks. Ok, yada yada yada, full disclosure, but couldn't he have given us a little more time to enjoy the honeymoon period? After angry, arrogant Spitzer this guy was a breath of fresh air: making self-deprecating comments, telling jokes, entertaining stories about his kids, etc. I didn't even have time to blog about how much I liked him before this came out.

I'm curious to see what the New York Post will have on their cover tomorrow. For those of you who didn't see their cover last week, for your viewing pleasure:

A friend asked me the other day if I viewed the Spitzer situation any differently than I viewed the Clinton scandal in the late 90s. Now I'm asking myself that again but can look at it with the same perspective, that of a 26 year old, not from the differing viewpoints of a 17 year old and a 26 year old.

Both Spitzer and Paterson cheated on their wives, one was asked to resign, the other we have yet to see the fallout. I'm assuming he will be in office for awhile.

I just feel like what Spitzer did was so awful that I debated all the different ways I could call out "so awful" to fully stress how awful I thought it was: underline, bold, CAPS, all three?

Paterson didn't break the law but that's really not what bothered me about the Spitzer scandal. Spitzer endangered the health of his wife, has three teenage daughters (not that much younger than Kristen), and it was so planned and pre-meditated there is no way that it was not intentional and that he didn't acknowledge the potential consequences. Oh and $80k?!?! Don't get me started.

Does anyone else have these somewhat conflicting opinions?

Desiderata

2008-03-07T17:13:00.002-05:00

I haven't blogged in awhile but just looked up at my cubicle wall and saw a poem I thought I should share. My friend Marc sent this to me sometime within the last year and I read it frequently.

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, 1927

Upcoming Shows!!!

2008-02-24T23:59:00.004-05:00

I have a lot of shows coming up in March and April, all in the same vein of singer/songwriter. I'd like to say that the bulk of them are indie but their appeal is becoming more mainstream and I'm excited for their success.

3/24 - Hotel Cafe Tour: the following artists will be playing at my show, Joshua Radin, Ingrid Michaelson, Cary Brothers, Mieko, Priscilla Ahn. I haven't heard anything from the last two but I'm sure with the company they keep that they'll be fantastic. I was super bummed that Sara Bareilles was part of the tour but that she wasn't coming to the NYC show. Don't be sad for me too long! See 4/23.

4/10 - Tristan Prettyman: I saw Tristan opening for her boyfriend Jason Mraz at the 9:30 Club in DC and immediately fell in love with her sound. If you like Jason Mraz, G.Love or Jack Johnson, she's essentially the female version. I really hope her song "Guest Check" makes it onto her next album. If it doesn't, I'll just continue to listen to it on repeat on YouTube.

4/23 - Sara Bareilles: Yes! Score! My friend Nicole and I saw Sara at the Music Hall in Williamsburg, Brooklyn last Fall, but my friend Ash introduced me. I'm not going to embarrass myself by linking to the blog posting about that show. Yeah, I gushed a little. Just a bit. And Rachael Yamagata is opening for her, and she is featured on the Last Kiss soundtrack and likely to be my next big obsession. If you haven't heard Sara's song, "Love Song" by now, open your ears. Word on the street it's all over the radio now and it's been a fixture on the iTunes Top 10. Woot woot!

All Warm and Fuzzy

2008-02-24T23:29:00.003-05:00

Congrats to Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova for their Oscar win tonight! I blogged about them here. Ok, it was more him. If you'd like some MORE information about them (again, mostly him), here is nice article. Dear media - Marketa needs some press!

And a little quote from said article:

"I feel like a plumber at a flower show. The indie rocker in me wants to say it's a load of bollocks, but if you are gonna get an award in this life, why not try and get yourself an Oscar?...If you ask me what success looks like, its a bunch of lads who are happy and comfortable in their skin, touring the world and playing their music to people who want to hear it and feeling like they've got nobody to answer to. And the rest is gravy."

If you haven't done it yet, and you like indie rock...BUY ONCE!

Crafts!

2008-02-19T23:13:00.003-05:00

Ok, don't want to turn this into a craft blog but I had to share the link my friend sent me.

This site just drives me insane that I don't have a cheap craft store nearby. I mean, I want to make 90% of the things on that site. Do I have a NEED for any of these things? Certainly not. But I just want to make them!

I finished my french memo boards (pictures to come) but now I want to make fabric covered buttons to hold the ribbons in place. Did you hear that? I'm going to craft the pieces to make a craft project.

If this trend continues its only a matter of time before I'm living on an alpaca farm.

Random Rants

2008-02-13T13:25:00.002-05:00

Ok, here they are...sorry if they offend.

Ladies - do not put on makeup that requires the assistance of a mirror when you're sitting at a table, bar, or on the subway. If brushes are involved, double no no. Lip gloss, yes. If you're like my friend Alicia who can line her lips without use of a mirror. Girl, you've got skills. Powder application at a bar. No. This advice is for your own benefit. It makes you look vain and high-maintenence.
Also directed at the ladies. Look in the mirror before you go outside. If a random stranger sees you on the street, they should not think, "Oh, she must be going to a prostitute party." This happened. Purple lycra mini dress coupled with a cropped fake-fur coat, fishnets and ankle boots is not typical Monday, early-evening attire.
Progresso - it is true that an entire can of your soups is only 180 calories. I appreciate this. However, you shouldn't need a strainer to find your vegetables. I am disappointed by the Garden Vegetable Soup but I think I might spice it up by throwing a couple cans in a pan, and adding some noodles, and some more veggies (maybe some zucchini and more tomatoes). That'd be good.
I have a new arch nemesis...I call him, Mr. Woo (not actual name). My teacher teaches 3 spinning classes per week that I can attend. 2 on Tuesday night in Soho (6:15 and 7:15) and 1 Sunday morning near my apt. He typically attends Tuesday 7:15 and Sunday morning. How am I so hyper aware of his presence in a class of 25 you ask? Because throughout the class he will randomly shout "Woo!" in a high pitched voice. Last night I counted about 15 occurences. When you are pooling sweat under your bike, exhausted, and working hard the last thing you want to hear is "Woo!". It's not like the rest of us are making any noise or capable of it. If she turns off the music all you hear is heavy breathing (no Woos from anyone else). Oh, and he cheats. When we're all sitting down with high resistence I look over at him and he's standing (so much easier). Cheater. In case you want a visual, think 45 year old white guy with kids, wearing biking shorts and his hat on backwards (not down on this head) but perched atop it with his bangs coming out the front.

Random Happy Things

2008-02-13T13:12:00.003-05:00

I can't have too many consecutive rant posts or my reputation as a happy, chill person will fly out the window. And since I have arant positing bouncing around in my head I thought I'd provide a random list of things that make me happy:

Snow in New York - I don't have to shovel it, drive in it or dig my car out of it. It gives the prettiness of snow new meaning.
The Biggest Loser on TV - my roommate and I watch at least part of it together every week. It's SUCH a feel-good show considering it's reality TV (which I'm not a fan of). This past season it's gotten a little nastier since they introduced some new elements, but all the participants are supportive of each other. It's true, it made me cry yesterday.
The ridiculous crafting streak I've gotten into lately, In the last month I've finished a blanket, made 3 baby hats, finished two adult hats, designed some stationary that I'll be printing and will be finishing my french memo boards when I get my replacement staplegun staples from Joann.com, which leads me to the next point.
Joann.com - all your crafting needs delivered directly to your door!
Soup. Random, but I just really like it.
Netflix "Watch Instantly" - I've been a member of Netflix for a long time but the "Watch Instantly" feature is relatively new. After I had watched all of "The Wire: Season 1" in one sitting this weekend I watched several movies that I haven't seen in awhile, like "The Usual Suspects" and "Sleepless in Seattle."
My spinning teacher. She kicks my butt every class.
Warm woolen mittens - thanks Mom!

XX NYC - Some Advice

2008-02-07T09:30:00.000-05:00

Last night several of my girlfriends and I went out with some guys that we'd never met on a group outing. It was a fix-up of my friend's aunt with my friend's cousins' friends. Did you follow that one? Anyway, it was more of an experiment than anything and I actually had a pretty good time. Until I became a 1st grade teacher and took it upon myself to scold several of the guys in the bar regarding comments that they should not make. Interestingly, several guys in the bar (not all in our party) touched on nearly all of my sensitivity points within the span of an hour.

So for all those people out there (NYC guys in particular since these comments have come up before), I have a little advice for you...

#1: When a girl has an original name, like, say, "Roxie", do not say, "Roxie, huh? Is that your real name or a stage name?" because implying that a girl takes off her clothes for money, is never a good way to start a conversation.

#2: When someone has recently informed her roommate about the Corn Palace in the great state of South Dakota, and she asks you to explain it again, when the group is told that it's in South Dakota do not say, "Is that even a state?" Because odds are, if someone is talking about a relatively obscure tourist attraction, odds are, it's in their state. Especially don't say it if you're from another Midwestern state.

#3: Don't criticize other people's neighborhoods.

#4: When you ask a girl advice on a karaoke song to sing, and they say "something by Johnny Cash" and then they direct you to the 'J' for Johnny don't say to them, "you're a really pretty blonde girl who is probably getting a nice New York education, but Cash starts with 'C'." It's not a phonebook. If Britney Spears is listed in the B's, odds are, it's alphabetical by first name.

Alright, done ranting about my night. I'm sure it will surprise no one that each of said people got a little bit of a lecture from Ms. Karpen on the spot. Just trying to protect everyone else from making the same mistakes.

Yes We Can

2008-02-04T10:42:00.001-05:00

I lied...I wanted to share this.

Super Bowl 42

2008-02-03T22:06:00.000-05:00

Do I have to go to work tomorrow?

As Political as I'll Get

2008-01-31T18:53:00.000-05:00

I don't want to make this a political blog but wanted to share a new tshirt that I ordered, that I'm sad will not arrive until Super Duper Tuesday.

I've had a candidate crush on Obama since 2004 when he spoke at the Democratic National Convention. I was so excited to hear that speech and when he was done I found myself giving him a solo standing ovation from my living room. Many things about his campaign have inspired me but none so much as the humanity, natural presence and excitement that he has brought to the democratic party. Yes, he has a "rock star" persona, but he comes by it naturally. He inspires people.

A cute story I read from Bill Richardson talking about Barack that endeared him to me futher:
"I had just been asked a question -- I don't remember which one -- and Obama was sitting right next to me. Then the moderator went across the room, I think to Chris Dodd, so I thought I was home free for a while. I wasn't going to listen to the next question. I was about to say something to Obama when the moderator turned to me and said, "So, Gov. Richardson, what do you think of that?" But I wasn't paying any attention! I was about to say, "Could you repeat the question? I wasn't listening." But I wasn't about to say I wasn't listening. I looked at Obama. I was just horrified. And Obama whispered, "Katrina. Katrina." The question was on Katrina! So I said, "On Katrina, my policy ..." Obama could have just thrown me under the bus. So I said, "Obama, that was good of you to do that."

If you live in one of the green states below be sure to vote on February 5; preferrably for my pal Barack.

As a lifelong conflict avoider I've removed comments for this post. I decided I'd prefer to campaign for my candidate without potential public arguments or commentary. Feel free to email me directly if you feel strongly.

Star Spotting #8

2008-01-29T13:06:00.001-05:00

Kelly Ripa is so nice! She was coming out of my office building today (Miramax is on the 14th floor) and she held the door open for a guy delivering printer cartridges. When the three of us were just standing there, her holding the door, him not going, I decided to go. Kelly held the door open for me. What a nice person. Additional observation: she is itty bitty.

Odyssey Years

2008-01-29T10:41:00.000-05:00

I ran across this article a long time ago and keep going back to it. It's very insightful and explanative of my generation. I hope you enjoy.

The Odyssey Years (David Brooks) - New York Times

Tappy Tap Tap Tappy

2008-01-27T00:55:00.000-05:00

So a couple of weeks ago I had one of the worst days I've had in a really long time, nothing seemed to go right.

Three separate people seemed to have issue with where I was standing, or how I was folding my newspaper on the subway and this all happened before work. Then the day pretty much went downhill from there. So I was telling my friend Marc "just watch, I'm going to get hit by a car on the way home." Well, I didn't get hit by a car on the way home that night, if that's what you think this post is about.

I got hit by a car the NEXT night. Ok, "hit" is my way of being dramatic. It was a little tap, tappy, tap tap. I was walking across Spring Street en route to the gym (AT the crosswalk, WITH the walk sign) and I feel something hit the back of my right leg. I turn around and lo and behold, it's a car.

Everyone within a block's distance just stopped moving to see how I'd take it. The man and woman at the crosswalk just asked if I was ok and because it felt like a large dog brushed against my leg said, yes, I was fine. The driver did pull over and the passenger asked if I was ok, and I could only muster "Yes, but watch where you're going!"

I didn't even get dirt on my pants they barely brushed me but I can now say I was hit by a car. And let me tell you, calling Marc to tell him I was hit by a car, just 24 hours later...priceless.

**This post was not as funny as I had intended. I'm really very ok, and the streets of New York are, in fact, very safe. Lighting never strikes the same place twice, right? I think this should go on my New Yorker bingo card. Tapped by car....check**

iPizzle Button Pushing

2008-01-27T00:46:00.000-05:00

Out of curiosity, what is the first song that plays when you go directly from powering your iPod on then hitting Play/Pause?

Some background before I admit why this is on my iPod. My friend Erica and I used to regularly have dance parties to the song "Faded" which she got on an album called Now That's What I Call Music Vol. 5.

The song that plays when I hit Play from the iPod Menu..."Aaron's Party (Come Get It)". Yeah, Aaron Carter. A pre-pubescent kid rapping about a party he's going to have while his parents are at a movie.

I am THAT cool.

27 Dresses

2008-01-27T00:31:00.000-05:00

I don't think I often discuss movies on my blog so I thought I'd have a go at it.

I was in the mood to see "P.S. I Love You" tonight but since it is now only playing in Times Square; New Yorkers typically don't venture there for any reason other than to catch a show (Broadway not AMC). So, Nicole and decided to go see "27 Dresses" instead. For a bonafide chick flick, I have to admit, it was worth the $11.35 I paid to see it.

The best part (don't worry, no spoilers here) was when a character walks into her sister's spacious, luxurious, easily $3000 a month Manhattan apartment and says "Your apartment! It's so tiny!" and the entire theater (me included) gasped indignantly. Take a moment, and visualize. The line was nothing about yo' mama, no one trash talked you favorite team or neighborhood. Someone criticized the size of an incredibly large Manhattan apartment. The nerve.

IMDB is TOO WISE!

2008-01-16T23:54:00.000-05:00

Ok, while trolling my typical pop culture sites I ran across a familiar face. REX MANNING! For those unaware of Rex Manning, he is a very entertaining character from one my favorite movies from high school "Empire Records". Thank you to Fuse for playing it the other day, I needed a refresher for this shocking information.

I wondered, what's Maxwell Caulfield been up to? Um, for one thing being married to Juliet Mills for the past 27 years. Who is Juliet Mills you ask? Um, Tabitha from Passions!!! That's right, Michael Carrington from Grease 2, aka Rex Manning from Empire Records, aka Maxwell Caulfield is married to TABITHA from Passions.

I cannot even show you side by side pictures because it is too upsetting. You'll have to Google them yourself. This serves as a warning...don't go to IMDB for information unless you're ready for the truth.

IMDB...so wise

2008-01-13T23:26:00.000-05:00

So I made a shocking discovery today. I'm watching a little "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (why can't I pass up a HP movie when it's on, regardless of how many times I've seen it?) and Moaning Myrtle comes on. I was thinking, "I hope that she has a good career and isn't just Moaning Myrtle". They never show her at the premieres and I'm assuming she's the same age as the other characters.

Um, or she's 42. Yeah, Moaning Myrtle is played by Shirley Henderson who some of you may remember as Jude from the two Bridget Jones' movies. Oh and she's Scottish. And anyone who is anyone knows "If it's not Scottish, it's crrrrrrahp."

Two New States!!!

2008-01-13T22:40:00.000-05:00

This weekend I gained two states on my states to see.

I went to Killington, VT this past weekend with some girlfriends to not ski. Well, they were planning to ski while my friend Rommi and I were going to sit and kick it. The weather did not cooperate however and the girls were unable to ski/snowboard due to poor weather conditions (most of the snow was melted and there were freezing rain conditions). We had a great time nevertheless (as always) and headed out in Killington. Perks of the weekend (in no particular order)...

An entertaining drive up to Vermont in Gertie (our white minivan)
Stopping at the biggest liquor store I've EVER been in
Having some DELICIOUS chili at the lodge
Hot tub action
Watching KU basketball game at the Lookout (Rock Chalk Jayhawk!)
Seeing Captain Morgan at the bar and getting swag + Rommi/Roxie wardrobe switch
Being driven home from the bar in a MINI BUS! No "short bus" jokes please
James "Kari Kelley" Taylor tearing up the dance floor "it was like butter"
Trip to Target near Springfield, MA (Shout out Jenn Rooke!)
Dinner at Panera
Crossing TWO states off my "need to see" list. Massachusetts and Vermont: check and check. Twelve to go!

A Whole Bowl!*

2008-01-04T01:16:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! We won a WHOLE BOWL OF ORANGES! Though the game/awards pics are not up yet, I thought I'd provide a pictorial representation of what a bowl of oranges looks like**...

That's right! The University of Kansas won the WHOLE BOWL. Now, I know that many of you said, "KU? They're not deserving of a BCS bid!" Well, I want you to think about that next year when an unknown team that HAPPENED to go 6-6 last year shows up

Yeah, we may have had a marshmallow season, but we showed up to WIN tonight. I'm not saying it was pretty, but we pulled it off impressively. Not bad for a team that was not likely many of the players first choices. Coach Mangino - hats off to you.

*Note: Roxie may or may not have been completely sober when writing this post. Read at your own discretion.

**I found a picture of the bowl of oranges. I'm happy.

New Pictures

2008-01-01T20:19:00.001-05:00

I've published some new pictures from recent events on my Picasa site. I like Flickr but Picasa is an easier upload, free, and more space. You can link to it just like Flickr - I added the link to the side.

New Obsession - Glen Hansard

2007-12-30T11:28:00.000-05:00

I watched "Once" when home for the holidays and it deserves all of the acclaim it has gotten. Check out the soundtrack. Its been a long time since I've gotten misty listening to music. I haven't heard someone with such raw emotion in their voice in a recording in awhile. Definitely worth a listen.

Karpens Take Manhattan

2007-12-30T11:22:00.000-05:00

Deb and Doyle came to NYC the weekend of December 14th-16th. After some minor weather difficulties they got here on Friday morning and we started our adventure. I took them to some NYC tourist locations including a carriage ride through (part) of Central Park. Check us out:

It was a really nice trip and I think I convinced them that people are nice and I'm not going to end up dead in the East River or Central Park like on "dun dun". Anyone who hasn't seen the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall has to put that on their list of "to do" for next year. It was amazing!

Bad blogger! Very bad blogger

2007-12-30T11:11:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I've been MIA for the last month but that's what happens around the holidays I guess. I had a great time at home for Christmas and experienced my first White Christmas in several years. White Christmas tops brown Christmas by approximately...a lot.

I finally put together a present that I have been thinking about for several years. I know, my niece/nephew are only 2 1/2 and 1 1/2 but this plan has been in formation for some time. I put a 24 x 36 map on a magnetic board and then put magnets with family members pictures on it. Then put the magnets with family members faces on them and put them in their respective spots in the country. See picture:

Even though they're still very young I am DETERMINED that they will know geography. Why is Whitney in SoCal you ask? Well, Whitney will be marching in the Rose Bowl parade on New Years Day between 12 and 1pm EST! Watch for her in the Pride of South Dakota marching band. One person that will be really excited to watch is Gabrielle who requested to watch "Aunt Whitty Marching Band" several times when home for Christmas (Whit has a DVD of performances which is a HUGE hit in the 2 year old demographic). Try to check her out!

Star Spotting #7

2007-11-26T14:21:00.001-05:00

My first star spotting not in Soho! Coming home from SoDak Saturday evening I was in the cab line at La Guardia and thought, "Why is Ethan Hawke standing in the cab line?" Then the improbability that he'd be taking a cab and not a car service prompted me to stare at him.

I decided that I'd have to do some checking online to see if there were any pictures of him in the hat he was sporting. Here it is...him, in the hat, from 2 weeks prior. I heart New York.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

2007-11-18T22:02:00.000-05:00

Yay!

The Vomit Tree

2007-11-18T21:49:00.000-05:00

There is a large tree about one block from my office that I never noticed before late this past summer. It was on this occasion that I noticed that there was a certain stench coming from the area that I realized that something was not right. Living in New York, I am not immune to noticing certain unpleasant odors from time to time but my first thought was, "Someone had a wild night last night." Assuming that someone had thrown up in a nearby garbage can.

The stench continued day after day until I eliminated the possibility of someone throwing up in the same garbage can every day for a week.

Then I noticed that the tree had been dropping some seed-like balls and the more that were squashed on the ground, the more it smelled. The tree was the culprit.

So yeah, this was a long time ago that I realized that the tree should hence be called the Vomit Tree, but now that it's fall in New York, the leaves are turning a lovely golden (non-vomitlike) color, I have a new appreciation for it.

I'm a weenie

2007-10-31T21:09:00.000-04:00

According to my digital thermometer it is 73.2 degrees in my bedroom and it is FREEZING. I don't like it being this cold. I want my heat to turn on. Right now.

I acknowledge that I am always cold. When home in South Dakota during Fall/Winter months I always stake claim to the giant blanket poncho, so frequently my mom knit me one last year for Christmas. I also steal my mom's wool socks and have the BEST space heater ever.

My ideal indoor temperature is 78 degrees. What is your ideal temperature?

Broken Records

2007-10-28T10:51:00.000-04:00

Kansas is 8-0 for the first time in 98 YEARS. Wow. Go 'hawks!

Watched the game at the Village Pourhouse with some new Jayhawk friends and had a blast. Well worth the trek to the East Village.

Star Spotting #6

2007-10-24T21:36:00.000-04:00

THAT'S RIGHT!!! Who's jealous? I saw Mr. John Cusack at EXACTLY the same spot I saw Kevin Spacey, in front of Balthazar in Soho. I was walking with my friend Stacey to the subway and he walked right in front of us, tapped his driver (standing near the car) on the shoulder and they both got into a black shiny car.

My physical reaction at seeing stars is still super obvious, eyes wide, mouth open, utterly embarrassing.

Helpful Advice to Stay Safe

2007-10-18T20:35:00.000-04:00

Since we live in New York City, my boss wanted my coworkers and I to be familiar with the signs for terrorism established by Homeland Security. Here are a few that I found most helpful:

If you spot terrorism, blow your anti-terrorism whistle. If you are Vin Diesel, yell really loud.

Be on the lookout for terrorists with pinkeye and leprosy. Also, they tend to rub their hands together manically.

Try to absorb as much of the radiation as possible with your groin region. The current world record is 5 minutes, 12 seconds.

I'm sure that you'll want to learn more helpful ways to stay safe. Here is where you can find more information.

P.S. If you didn't get it, this is a joke, there is no current threat, NYC is very safe. However, it is true that my boss sent this to me and I spent the next 15 minutes snorting and falling out of my chair.

San Francisco - Part 2

2007-10-16T23:42:00.000-04:00

Ok, so enough about the flight.

I had an interesting ride from the airport in a very scary van with a man who could not speak English nor apparently read road signs. Don't worry, I'm alive. I just had to remind myself not to be a scary New Yorker a few times when he put SEVEN passengers in the van and gave us no indication in what order we would getting out. Breathe in...breathe out.

Jenn was very kind and took me to dinner and we got to check out part of her neighborhood before I crashed.

Day 1: Friday

Woke up at 5am, stared at the ceiling for an hour before going back to sleep
Saw Alcatraz which I thought was very cool and did an excellent job of deterring me from a future in crime
I saw some rockin' sea lions
Reunited with Molly after nearly a year
Went to a Prohibition bar where you need a password to get in. We went in through the library. Password: books
Went down a SLIDE to get to a bar, only injured myself slightly. We told the slide story several times over the weekend. Jenn and I showed our battle wounds to prove our dedication to the cause.

Day 2: Saturday

Delicious breakfast at Polkers with Molly's friends
Walk to the Golden Gate Bridge
Laying on a hill in the sunshine
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest beer
Big cups at Oktoberfest for beer
KU football winning 58-10 (I think)

Day 3: Sunday

Matt giving us a ride to brunch
Seeing Roxie Cinema
Brunch at Foreign Cinema with the Patch brothers, Dave and Jared
Gourmet Pop Tarts at brunch
Dave giving us a ride to the Sports Basement
Falling asleep on the couch at the Sports Basement
Reenacting the opening credits of Full House at the Painted Ladies
Walking/shopping with Jenn, Molly and Amy
Dinner with the same

Now that you know WAY more about the trip than you ever wanted to know, here are the pictures! As I remember specific stories I'll be sure to fill you in.

Many thanks to Jenn for being an amazing host and helping eat all the candy I brought into the apartment...and my snoring that apparently can be heard through walls.

San Francisco - Part 1

2007-10-15T22:17:00.000-04:00

The whole time I was in San Francisco I was thinking about blog topics and I think I'll have to type them in several posts rather than one super long post.

The flight to San Francisco was outstanding. I took Virgin America which is a relatively new airline flying between NYC, DC, Las Vegas, LA and San Francisco. If you're going between any of these cities, the flights are pretty affordable and the plane has some very cool features.

The in-flight entertainment center in itself makes it worthwhile. Each seat has its own screen where you can watch TV, movies (for $8 - boo), play video games (with the console in the armrest, chat with other seats (using the other side of the console with qwerty keyboard), and create playlists. There were probably 500 artists and you could select the track or the whole album to add to a running playlist.

All this was great but the COOLEST thing is that you could order food on your screen too. All the typically complimentary drinks were free but they brought them to you any time you ordered them. For some reason I thought this was the coolest thing ever.

Flight to NYC: Same plane. Red eye. I slept.

Trip 1 - District of Columbia

2007-10-08T22:22:00.000-04:00

For those of you that didn't know, I am going on two trips at the beginning of October. Last weekend was the first!

I went back to DC to visit some friends that live there and some friends that were visiting. My friend from college, John, and his girlfriend Erin came to DC Metro to visit another friend from college and his wife. I didn't get to see them for very long sadly, but it was a good visit.

Gretch was also in town for the night before flying to MI for the long weekend to visit her parents.

We went to Buffalo Billiards for Happy Hour along with the typical PSB crew and in typical Roxie fashion, I forgot to take a single picture. I lived in the moment, that is until I saw a photobooth.

I pushed Sabrina and Gretchen into the booth (seriously pushed) and we got some very cute shots. Awww. I miss us.

Go Jayhawks!

2007-10-07T22:54:00.000-04:00

I've always been an avid KU basketball supporter. It's easy to be a fan of something that has been pretty darn successful for so long. However, our football team has often been lacking in the win column. Throughout college we had losing seasons every year and finally made it to the Tostitos bowl or something my senior year.

For these reasons today is momentous! Guess who is in the AP Top 25 Poll?!?! That's right, the Jayhawks for posting an undefeated 5-0 season so far. The first 4 teams were non-conference but this past Saturday we defeated in-state rival Kansas State (ranked #24). We are ranked #20 in the AP Poll, the first ranking since 1996, yes, 11 years.

The only thing that takes away from this great news is that Missouri is ranked #11. November 24th someone will be watching that game, and by someone, I mean this girl.

Best Concert Ever

2007-09-22T14:43:00.000-04:00

For my birthday my friend Ashley (frequently mentioned) sent me a ton of burned CDs of her new favorite artists. We have the same taste in music (alterna rock, singer/songwriter, indie, classics) and there were a ton that I really enjoyed. Then I became obsessed with one of the CDs.

The singer's name is Sara Bareilles (Bah-rell-is) and she is AMAZING! I decided to check if she had any shows in NYC and was disappointed to see that she was opening for Jon McLaughlin at the Bowery Ballroom but that they were sold out. Luckily I spotted the little note saying that there were still tickets to see Sara at The Music Hall of Williamsburg (in Brooklyn). I figured my friend Nicole would go with me because she really likes Sara too + apparently Brooklyn is where we go to see music.

She is even more phenomenal in concert than her CD shows. I swear, her label must have tried to tone down her vocals because she was fantastic. Her between the song banter was hilarious. About her song Fairytale, "this song started out as a joke with my friends. The princesses need some attitude. What would it be like if the princesses were drunk."

My favorite tidbit came from Ash, again. I told her that my favorite intro was when she was introducing her song "Love Song". She said, "God I love you guys" then muttered quickly under her breath into the microphone, "but I don't love the people this song is about." I thought she was just talking about an ex. I told Ash the story and she started laughing. She said do you know what she was referencing?

Apparently, her label told her, "we want a love song for your album." She felt kind of pressured to write a love song when she wasn't in love, wasn't feeling it. The chorus for this song:

I'm not gonna write you a love song

'cause you asked for it

'cause you need one, you see

I'm not gonna write you a love song

'cause you tell me it's

Make or breaking this

is that why you wanted a love song

'cause why you asked for it

'cause you need one

And as a refresher, what did she call this song? That's right, Love Song (this links to the song that's on her site). When listening to it, you actually think its a love song and its her biggest hit so far from this album. Seriously, hilarious. We have all decided, we would totally be friends.

This is turning into the longest blog ever. Anyway, what you should take away from this is that you should definitely go see her if she's playing near you and you should buy her CD if you don't have it already. She's opening for Maroon 5 this fall so I have a feeling she's going to be a big deal and the days of $12 tickets to see her will be over.

Pain Infliction

2007-09-19T01:12:00.000-04:00

Ok, for those who do not know me well, I have a particular skill for injuring myself regardless of what I'm doing. Most people would call me a "klutz". I prefer the term "proximity challenged". I run into doors or door jams minimum once per week and often fall UP the stairs. If the numerous scars on my hands, knees, elbows, shoulders and legs aren't proof enough you should check out a blog I did last December from when I landed on my shoulder after dancing into my living room with very padded socks. Yes, it's still stiff.

Anyway, I did something I think only I could do to myself. While putting on an elastic headband to wash my face this morning guess what I did? That's right, I accidentally let go of it approximately 2 inches from the side of my face. So, has anyone ever snapped a rubber band on your arm? Yeah, think that, but thicker AND ON YOUR FACE. Yeah, it is safe to say I yelled a few words most people don't hear first thing in the morning. There is no welt or even lasting pain but seriously, do yourself a favor, and be rid of elastic headbands. Ouch.

McCarren Park Pool

2007-09-17T22:11:00.000-04:00

The new iPod commercial featuring Feist (you'll know her by the fact you can't get the song out of your head) reminded me that I needed to blog on this topic.

One, Two, Three, Four
Tell me that you love me more
Sleepless, long nights
That was what my youth was for

Ha! See, now it's in your head.

Anyway, I went to a Feist show in Brooklyn with my friend Nicole and the venue was unlike any I've ever been to. I didn't know what to expect going to a place called McCarren Park Pool. I Google'd it and saw that there was, in fact, a pool at McCarren Park but there wasn't a lot of room around the pool.

The GA seating/standing room was IN the pool. The pool of course was empty so it's not like we were treading water, but it was still bizarre. Apparently this pool has been empty for years and just this year they decided to turn it into a concert venue. It's actually perfect if you think about it, the pool gradually gets deeper so there is a nice gradual slope so if someone is standing in front of you, you can still see. We actually were sitting for part of the show. Sitting at the bottom of the pool.

And guess what they yell at the end of the concert. Yep, "Everyone out of the pool!"

Room Shift

2007-09-05T23:45:00.000-04:00

I had been getting a little sick of my bedroom setup so while the living room is empty (I'm between roommates ) I rearranged my room tonight.

Note to self: beds are heavy and you shouldn't try moving them yourself. I didn't hurt myself or anything but it was not the most enjoyable experience.

So not sure whether I LOVE the setup yet but basically I consolidated all 4 square feet of walking space into one area rather than spread out. I could do a jumping jack if I so desired!

Ok, I actually wrote most of my intended posts in one sitting so you don't necessarily need to watch this space. I'll try to be better about blogging though. :)

Happy Belated Anniversary to ME!

2007-09-05T23:39:00.000-04:00

So, shockingly, I didn't make a big deal about my NY/Harris anniversary on my blog on the actual days so I'll make a big deal about it now.

It's my ANNIVERSARY! I've officially lived in New York a year as of 8/27 and I've officially worked at Harris a year as of 8/28. Some people think that I should consolidate the days and just pick one. Well if anyone knows me they know that I like to celebrate as much as possible.

Since my friend/coworker Viv and I share our anniversary I baked a delicious chocolate cake (recipe courtesy of Gretchen). It was seriously sooo yummy.

Star Spotting 5 1/2: David Bromstad

2007-09-05T23:28:00.000-04:00

Some people might be more excited about this Star Spotting than others. I happened to watch his show once last Fall (I think) and honestly the only reason I recognized him was because his enormous tattoo peeking out from his t-shirt.

I saw him in nearly the exact same place I saw Kevin Spacey and about 2 blocks from where I saw Elijah Wood.

Spring Street is HOPPING!

To the Theatahr

2007-09-05T23:16:00.000-04:00

I caught a few Broadway shows in the past month courtesy of some amazing friends and guests.

In early August I attended Grease with the Amos family who was in town from Kansas City. I had no idea but Danny and Sandy were selected on a reality show. Sarah filled me in while we were waiting for the show to start so I wasn't completely unaware. I really enjoyed in and behaved myself and did NOT sing aloud though incredibly tempted.

When Alicia came to town we got tickets at the tkts center at South Street Seaport (had never been there either). Tkts has discounted tickets the day of the show. The seats are usually pretty good though its not guaranteed that you'll get to see the show you want so you have to go in with some options.

We went to The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. I have to say they get the award for best incorporation of the audience into the show. The seats actually look like they're bleachers in a school gymnasium. It was a really cute show and I recommend it to anyone with parents in town. There are some potentially embarrassing parts but nothing like Avenue Q.

Blog Attack!

2007-09-05T23:15:00.000-04:00

So I wrote down all the things I have been planning to blog about so I'm going to try to take care of those in the next coming weeks. Watch this space.

I AM A NEW YORKER!

2007-08-24T00:16:00.000-04:00

What makes me say this you ask? Is it...

That I've been living in New York almost a year? No, according to most, you're not a New Yorker unless you've been living in NYC for ~4-7 years (depends on who you ask)
That I received my New Yorker renewal? Nah, I've been reading the New Yorker for years.
That I've eaten my 1000th bagel. Sadly, no. I enjoy the NYC bagel but at the rate of nearly 3 a day, I'd be as big as a house.

NOPE!!! I was invited to join a synagogue today. I have never been more flattered. The only way I can think that I got this is that I joined a Jewish community service organization which I greatly admire and they gave this synagogue my address. The invitation is lovely, complete with an envelope for the high holy day reservations.

I don't think I will be taking them up on their offer but I'm so flattered. Sigh. I heart New York.

Pros/Cons of Working Remotely

2007-08-09T14:03:00.000-04:00

Yesterday New York City had effectively what could be considered a "snow day". I listened to NPR while getting ready like every morning and they said the 2,3 subway lines weren't running because of the heavy rains and flooding earlier that morning (of course I didn't wake up and knew nothing about it). I thought, "that's fine, west side, whatever". It's not all that uncommon for the subway not to be running.

I get to my subway stop at 86th and Lex (4,5,6 line) and I know as soon as I step off the bus that there are WAY too many people milling around the entrance. Once I walk up, I find out that those trains aren't running either. So I decided to get back on the bus to the west side to catch the C line to get to work but no one seemed to know if it was running.

I get to the west side and the C isn't running and the bus stops are overflowing with people. At this point I realize that I should just work from home and schlepped the x miles back to my apartment.

Several of my friends who couldn't get to work, and couldn't work from home pretty much had a snow day and drank mimosas for lunch. Some others were determined and took 3-4 hours to get to work via several modes of transportation. So, net net. Great that I didn't have to spend half the day commuting, but bummer that I didn't have a mimosa for lunch.

One additional thing to point out, New Yorkers were being sooo chill about the situation. Yes, there was minor grumbling about why the city/MTA/whomever can't get it together to pump the water out of the tunnels but overall everyone was very nice. Several people were offering their bus/subway maps to strangers, and commiserating about the situation.

My Birthday Events

2007-07-28T23:57:00.000-04:00

My 26th (ouch) birthday was a COMPLETE success.

Sabrina, Sean, and Sean's brother, Bill came up on Friday night and we headed out for some fun downtown. We hit McSorely's bar (one of the oldest bars in NYC), then a few random bars in the East Village. However, when 1:15 rolled around I determined it was time to head to Barnes & Noble a few blocks away to pick up my copy of Harry Potter when I got some fancy glasses.

Saturday during the day we took in a Yankee game where the "New Yankee" hit his very first homerun. It was great to see how everyone in the stadium gave him a standing O and how excited he was. Awww, New Yankee.

Saturday night we hit Stout to hear my favorite Irish band Scythian play. They were outstanding as usual and I think everyone had a great time. Check out my Flickr Page for pics from the last couple weeks, including my birthday.

From these pictures, I've determined there is a strong correlation between number of drinks I've had and how much I hang on people in pictures. Need to work on my bar posture. I have a goal for my 26th year! Hooray!

4th of July...Finally

2007-07-28T23:33:00.000-04:00

Ok, since I'm laid up in bed sick, I figured this might be the optimal time to, 1) catch up on my quest to watch all of the SATC episodes, 2) finally upload my pictures from July 4th-present, 3) update the blog.

Yay! July 4th! My friends Jodi, Nicole and I decided to attend Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest to see the match up between Kobayashi and the U.S. favorite, Joey Chestnut. This seemed like SUCH a New York thing to do so we headed off to Coney Island to check it out.

As I'm sure many of you saw from the ESPN coverage, there were thousands of people there so of course we couldn't see. However, when we could see, we wished we couldn't. Seriously, gross, but we were so glad we went. Even when we waited 45 mins for a Nathan's hot dog. Delicious. Joey Chestnut broke the former record of 59 1/2 hot dogs by 6 1/2 hot dogs! It was impressive. You can see the picture of us at the contest below.

Not surprisingly, guys LOVE that we went to the Hot Dog Eating Contest. Thought I'd throw that out there for all the single girls out there. Competitive eating is a great pick-up line.

Um-buh-rella, ella, ella

2007-07-23T12:41:00.000-04:00

Random rant: I hate people with golf umbrellas because if they are of average height, you cannot get around them on the sidewalk. I desperately want a golf umbrella so I can walk without getting wet.

I think I'll just pick up some golashes and deal with my little umbrella rather than self-loathe.

Bypassing the 4th onto J.Crew

2007-07-23T12:31:00.001-04:00

Ok, so I really need to blog about my July 4th adventure and since I haven't posted pics yet I'm going to go ahead and skip it then come back to it later.

Ok, J.Crew story. I have a lovely strapless beach embossed dress that I got from J.Crew 2 years ago. After washing it (as the label directed) I noticed that something was poking me. The boning on the dress had come out of it's sleeve and was stabbing me in the waist. Now, this is not all bad as it corrected my bad posture whenever I began to slouch, but not the most enjoyable experience.

My friend Nicole, a former J.Crew employee said I should take it back and see what they could do. So I finally got around to doing this on Friday. They said they could give me the current sales price which of course I thought...$5. I will deal with getting stabbed if all I was going to get was $5. Shockingly, the sales price was $69.99 so I figured, I could get a new one online (they no longer have them in the store).

Today I finally went online to purchase the dress, and due to sales and discounted pricing the dress was only $47. I know it's dumb, but I feel guilty about J.Crew's poor system and taking advantage of it. I've decided the free shipping and extra t-shirt are my birthday present.

This actually worked out because I got the dress in a different color/size so it's like a present.

The Beach

2007-07-01T22:43:00.000-04:00

I don't need to go away for the weekend to go to the beach, I can just hop on the LIRR (Long Island RailRoad) which I have decided to start calling by it's phonetic spelling.

Saturday 4 friends and I went to Robert Moses beach which is the first beach on Fire Island. Admittedly, it took awhile to get out there (about 1 1/2 hours) but it was absolutely beautiful. It was probably 80 degrees, white sand, sunny. Gorgeous.

We even had a pretty good time on the train and on the way back we picked up a 6-pack and had Happy Hour. I think will be the first of many trips to the beach this summer. Next time I'll remember to put my memory card back IN my camera after uploading pics. Then I can share the beauty with you all.

Note: I, of Scandinavian descent and pale skin color that makes makeup counter ladies smirk, missed several spots when applying the SPF. Of course the around the ankle area, unreachable back area and around the swimsuit areas were most notably missed. Loose clothing for days...

See you Soon

2007-07-01T22:36:00.000-04:00

So, maybe I frequent some places in my neighborhood a bit much. I realized how often today when I show up at Yummy Sushi and the woman asked me how I was doing and when I left, said, "See you soon!" Yeah, you probably will.

I also regularly go to Eastside Grocery around the corner from my apartment. It's actually a bodega, where you can pick up whetever you need if you're in a hurry. Friday night I stopped in there to get a big water for the beach on Saturday and finally asked the name of the guy who is ALWAYS behind the counter, Mohsen. Tonight I was craving some ice cream so went around the corner and he remembered my name, and I his. Then when I left, "See you soon!"

I really like my neighborhood.

Lemonade 10¢

2007-06-26T22:08:00.000-04:00

Sunday was a GORGEOUS day, absolutely amazing, so I went to sit in Central Park with the rest of New York City. Besides meeting some interesting gentlemen that I absolutely cannot begin to describe, I walked by a lemonade stand that was run by two little girls. They had quite a nice setup, table, lemonade, cookies, nice little sign.

I was actually going to buy some lemonade, thought it was pretty cute, then I realized where I was walking. Yeah, I was on 86th St between Madison Ave and 5th Ave. For those of you not familiar with the city, these little girls live in a VERY nice neighborhood. I could not bring myself to provide them with any more money. Their combined allowance is probably the same as my salary so the lemonade stand just wasn't as cute.

Am I mean?

Cutest kids ever

2007-06-24T21:03:00.000-04:00

YAY! Abby uploaded new pictures of the kids! A lot are from Colin's birthday, but these are by far my favorite.

Thank God for Netflix

2007-06-24T20:59:00.000-04:00

Ok, if I've already blogged about this, feel free to send hate mail. I never remember what I've actually blogged and what I just thought was a good blog topic and never actually blogged about.

I have a new plan to watch all of the TV Shows I can think of on Netflix and get the New York references. It never occurred to me the first time around of watching Seinfeld, Will & Grace and others that I wasn't getting the joke. Lately while watching these shows in syndication I realize that they're New York references to Broadway, the subway, parking, that I'm just not getting.

Along with not getting adult innuendo in movies when you're younger I think getting NY references in movies will make me happy.

How Do You Get There from Here?

2007-06-24T20:50:00.000-04:00

A favorite pasttime of New Yorkers is discussing their routes to...well, everywhere. It never really occurred to me until I heard someone discussing it on This American Life. This guy from Chicago was talking about life in New York City after his recent move. He said that New Yorkers seem completely preoccupied by discussing their routes to and from work. And I completely agree.

Whenever I meet someone new, you get through the what you do, where you live, where you work, the next logical question is, "Well how do you get to work?". EVERYONE has an opinion on your route, and this is in no way a bad thing. If someone informed me of some magical connection that would make my commute shorter I'd probably kiss them but it's so entertaining to listen to.

Also, when someone asks me directions on or near the Subway (happens a lot - tourists probably don't think that a nice Midwestern-looking girl will rob them) another New Yorker occasionally joins the convo to provide their faster route.

So maybe New York's sub-slogan to I (heart) New York should be, "We'll get you where you want to go". That might be the slogan to some car company already, but I say we steal it.

Early Riser?

2007-06-21T11:17:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I've decided I either only need approximately 6 hours of sleep a night or I've become super sensitive to the sun rising.

For the last couple of weeks I have been waking up (different than getting up) in the 5s! I wake up, think "what is the sun doing up", squint at my wall clock, look at my cell phone AND my alarm clock to verify the time, then go back to sleep.

This morning was particularly crazy since I woke up about 5 times before my alarms started going off at 7:05. What's up with that? The bummer is that when I wake up at 5:30 I am completely refreshed. Then after waking up and snoozing for the next 2 hours (yes, I hit snooze approximately 3-4 times every morning) I wake up tired. I would like to experiment one day and actually get out of bed at 5:45 and see what happens. I think you just get lots of stuff done, and maybe go to the gym. I have no idea, I've never had this problem before.

Side note though, I am loving this sun in the morning thing. Since I do not have an air conditioner in my room, I sleep with my window open and my fan blowing on me. It is SO NICE to wake up in the morning with the sun and a light breeze.

My Boring Life

2007-06-20T15:24:00.000-04:00

I worried I'm getting used to New York and I don't find anything that exciting anymore. To prove that is not true, here are some fun things I'll be doing soon:

#1 JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge - this is a 5k race tomorrow sponsored by the obvious. 10,000 runners ran yesterday and there will be 10,000 more tomorrow. While I had great ambitions to actually RUN the whole thing, odds are I will be walking briskly most of the way. The best part about it is the Harris Interactive tshirts we got. The back has a big beer mug and says, "Survey says: 99% of people would rather drink beer than run." I concur tshirt, I concur.

#2 Ladies Night at Mo's Caribbean tonight - can anyone say $2 margaritas, 50 flavors? Yeah, I can.

#3 Park laying - this weekend I have a hot date with my book club book to go lay in Central Park and read. The weather better cooperate or we're going to have words.

#4 Room Rearrangement - I am not the more organized person out there as anyone who personally knows me can testify, but I'm trying to make the most of my limited space. Since I purchased a laptop, I am no longer in need of my desk, so I have posted it on Craigslist and I have someone coming to look at it on Sunday. Yay! Saturday I'm carting several bags of clothes and books to the Goodwill. As soon as I'm done with my reorg I'll post new pictures!

Bad blogger

2007-06-13T13:16:00.000-04:00

Ok, I haven't blogged for a month. I'm a VERY BAD blogger.

You just get all these ideas and you want to blog about them all, but then it's just too many and you can't deal with the thought of doing them all at once.

Anyway, this first blog is to let everyone know that I upload pictures to my Flickr site of Doug and Stacey (Scott) Langley's wedding and my most recent trip to DC. I had so much fun at both events!

More blogs to come...

Star Spotting: Political Edition

2007-06-08T15:10:00.000-04:00

Ok, so while I didn't see this gentlemen in NYC I'm going to do a special "Star Spotting" with the politicians I've seen recently.

#1: Senator John Thune (R-SD)

Last Monday, while waiting for my flight to DC, I saw Senator Thune running for a plane to Washington, DC. When he realized I recognized him he smiled and said hello. Now this isn't CRAZY exciting because I've met him before and shared a little small talk with him. As student body VP, it was my duty to introduce him in the absence of our student body president when he came to speak at my high school.

Regardless, I thought it was cool to see him.

South Dakota Guilt

2007-05-30T00:22:00.000-04:00

Ok, everyone at home, if you want to feel guilty, watch, "Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee" on HBO. Yeah, it talks about how the Pine Ridge Indian reservation was created. Yeah, depressing.

New Phone Part II

2007-05-23T21:08:00.000-04:00

My emotions have been ALL OVER the place today with this phone. First, I couldn't turn on my phone yesterday after it fell on the sidewalk. I assumed it was broken and spent the better part of last night looking for new phones on eBay.

Then, this afternoon, I went to Verizon to have them pronounce it dead before buying a new phone, they plugged it in and suddenly it worked. I knew that the battery wasn't dead but they made me sit there for 5 minutes while they charged it and lo and behold, as soon as they unplugged it, nada, dead. They told me I could get a new phone (Razr...grrr) to replace my old one for $50. I decided not to do it then and there because I would have lost my phonebook and wanted to document my phone numbers before getting a new phone.

And then, tonight, I went to the Verizon by my house and the guy looked at it for one second, bent back this metal piece and turned it on. Yay for a second opinion. Still hate my phone though. :)

East Coast = Bad Luck for Roxie phones

2007-05-22T21:25:00.000-04:00

Well, I've been on the East Coast for a little over 2 years. In that time, I've gone through 3 phones. This is not good. Now, mind you, I have been a cell phone owner since 2002, and I was on a good clip of getting a new phone every 2 years until November of 2005. Since then I have:

Lost a phone
A phone purchased online croaked (prob bad quality to begin with)
My Razr died after dropping it

Mind you, I HATE my Razr. I have hated it since shortly after I got it when I realized that the operating system is ridiculously slow and that you can talk for about 60 minutes before it needs to be recharged.

So, since Verizon charges and arm and a leg when your contract is not up, I will probably be buying another phone online through eBay. Sigh.

So, odds are I won't be able to transfer my phone numbers, so if you would kindly email me your phone number, I would greatly appreciate it.

Jeopardy - thee are so wise

2007-05-17T00:35:00.000-04:00

I was a little behind on my Jeopardy One-a-Day calendar when I ran across this clue tonight:

A. "It took thirty years for the appliance to be in over 50 percent of U.S. homes; the need to bake a potato in three minutes wasn't pressing."

I won't bother waiting for a response because the question is obviously, "What is the microwave (oven)". See, I'm not so odd. However, the microwave oven was invented in the 50's SO yeah, maybe not having one is a little odd.

Graduation Advice

2007-05-17T00:13:00.000-04:00

While scouring the University of Kansas student newspaper I ran across some advice for new graduates joining the real world. I found this point particularly interesting:

Always pick Kansas to win it all in your office pool. It’s the right thing to do. Be really annoying and vocal during March Madness in your office if the ‘Hawks are still alive, especially if you have Mizzou and K-State grads as co-workers.

Um, yeah, so admittedly, I do this every year. I know it's not a "smart" strategy but some day it will pay off. SOME DAY. As for Mizzou/K-State grads, I've only run across a few in NYC so far, and I would gloat if I ran into them. Especially if they came to a KU bar to watch the basketball game. Rude, rude Tiger fans.

Looooove her

2007-05-15T21:49:00.000-04:00

I am a huge fan of an artist that opened for Joshua Radin (blogged earlier) whose CD I have been listening to nearly non-stop for the last month or so. Thanks Nicole for burning it for me!

What caused me to blog about it now is that I watched last week's Grey's Anatomy episode last night on abc.com (they should pay me for all my plugs) and one of her songs was featured.

Check out Ingrid Michaelson if you get a chance.

HIMYM - Part 2

2007-05-15T00:30:00.000-04:00

Tonight was the airing of Tim's proposal to Jana on "How I Met Your Mother" - I'm sorry I couldn't remind you all, but blogger and I were fighting today. The news cameras were there to capture the engagement party (I was totally there) and Tim and Jana watching the proposal for the first time.

You can catch the news segment here.

Congratulations again Tim and Jana (pictured above with the cast)!