Destination Profiling

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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