true story

"When you first move to New York after college you need to know how to drink. Because even though people work their asses off here, they also like to party. Even on Sundays! Sometimes I think that this city is like a college for neurotic grown ups/people who walk really fast."
- from thought catalog

easter bonnets and cute overloads

well my fine friends - checking in before heading to bed tonight.

rowena and i saw 'water for elephants' on sat morning. we took advantage of amc's $6 movie tickets before noon to see the flick, as we'd both read the book. i had a really hard time seeing reese witherspoon as the main female character marlena b/c she's just so reese witherspoonish, but the guy who played the bad guy was fantastic, and the film did a good job of recreating depression-era circus life. my recommendation is only to go if you want to see the book come to life, but the book itself is the much better option and well worth reading if you haven't already checked it out.

i celebrated easter by boozing it up in nyc with some folks and hanging out at outdoor bars to watch the celtics beat the knicks. my family isn't super religious, and my parents were in florida anyway, so there was no real reason to go home, though it was sort of sad to be having easter without the urban family for the first time in five years. was thinking of charlo, megh and ally and the other members of the urban family past yesterday for sure. also i didn't get to eat enough easter candy this year. my family's german shepards - sasha and logan - get dressed up for easter (so CUTE!)

on wednesday i'm going to see 'sleep no more' - a punchdrunk theatre performance set in a warehouse in chelsea. punchdrunk is a british theatre company that has pioneered immersive theatre - aka we put on masks and wander around the warehouse and break all the rules of traditional theatre. in this case we're seeing an alfred hitchock style performance of macbeth. had to wikipedia the plot of macbeth in order to have some understanding of what's going on (my knowledge was limited to double double toil and trouble), but it sounds amazing, and mulley gave it a glowing recommendation as well, so even though i don't usually go for these types of cultural experiences, i decided to give it a whirl and i'm really looking forward to the show.

saturday is the 'side walk', in which we attempt to walk around the island of manhattan. apparently this is a distance of 32 miles, and if we start at 9 am and walk fairly purposefully, we'll be able to finish it by 9 pm. people keep asking me why i'm doing this - i've been telling them for the hell of it? b/c it's a good story? b/c it's flatter than the 50 mile hike? all of the above? olverson has thrown down the gauntlet by declaring that he thinks i'm one of the few people who will actually do the whole thing. now i have to finish it. i'll report back.

great quote from 3rd rock from the sun: 'and i said to myself, 'hey world i'm alive. and these pants are washable.' amen.

brain food

food

one of the best things about my current apt is its proximity to the trader joe's on 72nd and broadway (i'm on 70th and broadway). the uws trader joe's is the most recent one to open, and is much better designed than the one at union square so you can actually shop for things instead of getting in line and shopping along the way.

as a result, i've gotten a chance to try out a lot of their products, and their frozen microwaveable meals are pretty much what i subsist on (still haven't used my oven since moving in). here are some my favorites:

• eggplant parmesan - hated eating eggplan parm as a kid (along with kale soup) but i must be growing up b/c trader joe's is delicious
• seafood cioppino - frozen seafood and a delicious sauce. i add some extra spaghetti sauce and serve it over rice
• chicken burritos - almost too much food!
• artichoke parmesan dip - zap it in the microwave and eat with crackers. amazing and i crave it
  
• chicken teriyaki - this one vin turned me on to. super easy to make and plenty left over for lunch
• mac & cheese - surprisingly good for a frozen meal
• gnocchi - again - surprisingly good for a frozen mean

brain

discovered this company called lumosity when they partnered with my website for cpa promotion (this is not a shameless plug i promise). lumosity does brain training programs to help you exercise your brain in areas like attention, problem solving, flexibility and memory. the games are actually really fun to play and the tracking and metrics make it almost addictive to keep trying to beat your best score and improve your bpi, and it feels good to know i'm doing something to help my cognitive skills which have not been substantially exercised since i graduated (in all likelihood). i started out playing word bubbles for free on the ivillage site, did the free trial, downloaded the iphone app and now i'm a subscriber. somewhat ironically i've taken to playing the games on the app while waiting for/on the subway, thus training to improve my attention while paying absolutely no attention at all to a semi-dangerous situation. i should probably cut that out. and you should check them out.

brain + food = brain food. see what i did there??

nature can make me cry faster than anything

I would insist that the man who spends four years in our North Country and does not learn to hear the melody of rustling leaves or does not learn to love the wash of racing brooks over their rocky beds in spring, who has never experienced the repose to be found on lakes and rivers, who has not stood enthralled on the top of Moosilauke on a moonlit night or has not become a worshipper of color as he has seen the sunset from one of Hanover's hills, who has not thrilled at the whiteness of the snow-clad countryside in winter or at the flaming forest colors of the fall - I would insist that this man has not reached out for some of the most worthwhile educational values assessible to him at Dartmouth.

- Ernest Martin Hopkins,
Dartmouth President, 1916-1945

jimmy buffett day

my 'guilty' pleasure has become staying in at least one night a weekend. i save money, and i get a day where i don't feel like death warmed over (or in the words of will - the floor of a taxi cab). there may also be the factor of avoiding bad wine and bad conversation - sometimes it seems there is all too much of that when you're out in nyc.

tonight i'm staying in b/c of the above, but also b/c it's monsooning out. have realized the way to deal with awful weather is to just not go anywhere while it's happening. i completely missed the huge snowstorm we had in december by getting back to the city as it started and going to bed early. when i woke up the world was white and my super was shoveling the sidewalk outside my building. i got dressed and went to work like the snow had always been there.

i went out last night with aida who was back visiting her old stomping grounds for the weekend. we went out to brooklyn brewery in williamsburg for an nbc page reunion. i'd never been out to the brewery, but heard good things, and was pleased to discover it was very chicken box or cisco brewery-esque. (maybe it's a brewery thing). it was basically an indoor beer garden, where you bought chips and traded them in for beer, with lots of tables and conversation. the irish stout was my favorite - like alcoholic coffee. worth trying if your favorite local establishment stocks brooklyn beer!

called it an early night last night after being out late on wednesday with the old coworkers - we went to a tiki bar called 'pain killer' on the lower east side where i had a pina colada with 151 rum in a giant pineapple and of course the signature beverage. pain killers always remind me of laurak and our attempt to whip some up in the sd basement with apple pie spice and cream of coconut. then we headed to 'boss tweeds' to play flip cup until the wee hours. good team bonding all around. thursday was kickball so more flip cup and a late night at the pour house.

had to get up at 8 today to volunteer for the 'hands on ny' day with dartmouth. we helped plant a butterfly garden on 138 and riverside drive. it was chilly and an early start, but it really did feel good to give back to the community and we may or may not ever go back up there to see the fruits of our labor.

getting brunch with taylor tomorrow who is visiting the city for the weekend. looking forward to getting her post-bschool plans and wedding details. we're going to try for clinton st. baking co, but who knows how the wait will be at 11 on a sunday.

had a second round of interviews with the company i met with a few weeks ago. i think i can have the position if i want it, not sure if i do though. going to have to wait and see on this one. was kind of looking forward to knowing what i was doing this summer (and summer fridays!) for a change but i guess the goal is to get the offer so we'll see after that.

4/16 is officially jimmy buffett day in florida - the 'welcome to fin land' tour starts tonight in tampa. tried counting the days until it's our turn to see him in june, but it was still too many to go. lots of good stuff on the horizon kids. :)

plinky prompts from this week i found interesting:

3 most historic events that have happened in your lifetime

1. obama's election (2008)
2. fall of the berlin wall (1989)
   
3. twin towers (2001)
   

something historic that did not happen in my lifetime - 2011 is the 150th anniversary of the start of the civil war (aka my favorite part of my favorite subject!)

oldest thing you own
if it's a thing that is actually mine, my baby blanket and stuffed snoopy. have had them since i was a baby so 28 years old.

if it's a thing that was someone elses first, my grandparents gave me a set of china plates with dartmouth images on them for graduation. someone gave them to my grandparents on their wedding day so they're almost 50 years old at this point. :)

it never rains but it pours

list of things i've been invited to/discussed making work the weekend of may 6th - 8th - aka the weekend of diana's bachelorette in newport beach, california:

1. derby in louisville, ky
2. new orleans jazz fest (jimmy buffett is playing!)
3. europe
4. florida panhandle beach trip
5. cape relay race

list of things happening the weekend after ie may 14th:

<crickets>

it never rains kids . . .

8% of my love

twitter tidbits:

• had a dream i was in a haunted house this week. it wasn't super scary but this song was playing throughout: 'ghost of a chance' from square one. it's about probability and was one of my favorites from the show. i think i'm dreaming about numbers b/c it was a week with a lot of modeling. but was inspired to listen to the song and rediscovered another square one favorite '8% of my love' about percentages. 'eight hundredths of the time you're the only girl i'm dreaming of'. i'm a sucker for a good pun. and square one was the last time i liked math

• didn't go out at all last weekend (and went an entire week without drinking for the first time in like 10 years). realized i basically do the same things on weekends when i'm not hungover as when i am. i guess i can justify it more if i do go out. there may be a lesson here.

• sarchasm - the gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it. all to familiar with this one.

• 'to hunt for an apt is to decide which NYC you belong in & what specific droplet of the city's fickle soul has found its way into your veins.' - NY Magazine's anniversary edition is about the apartment. a lot of interesting reads but this one resonated given the current housing situation.

• my brother lives in louisville, ky and is gearing up for the kentucky derby by brainstorming ideas to sneak booze into the race. i said seeing how it's only 2 minutes can't you just pregame? apparently there's a lot more to it than the race they show on cbs.

• plinky prompt: name three things that are worth waiting in long lines for: 1. jimmy buffett tickets 2. next on a pong table 3. to go over the sagamore bridge on 4th of july weekend

• april 16th is jimmy buffett day in florida. who wants to observe the holiday in nyc with some margaritas?

• 'what a day, what a day, filled with surprises' - the director on my team at work (aka the job i'm gunning for) announced she was leaving yesterday. this is a true twist as it changes stuff at work. lots of options in the works. stay tuned. the lyric is from a fred penner song. he's like raffi only not as cool but he's a favorite of my mom's.
  

sad songs say it so much

so said elton john and he's right. fortunately i have no real reason to be dwelling on break up songs right now, but there are some damn good ones out there. my break up playlist is titled 'cow and the moon' aka - 'he and i are like the cow and the moon - over' - get it?

there are angry break up songs, i still miss you break up songs, i'm getting over you break up songs, i'm better off than i ever was with you break up songs and wait who? songs and the go-to songs depend on which state you're in, but here are my top ten picks in no particular order or category of break up songs:

1. i know him so well - chess - 'wasn't it good, wasn't he fine, isn't it madness he won't be mine didn't i know how it would go if i knew from the start why am i falling apart?'
2. romeo & juliet - dire straits - 'julie i'd do the stars with you anytime'
3. the winner takes it all - abba - 'i've played all my cards and that's what you've done too. nothing more to say. no more ace to play.'
   
4. the heart of the matter - don henley - 'i'm learning to live without you now, but i miss you sometimes'
5. love needs a heart - jackson browne - 'love needs a heart and i need to find the heart that's been looking for mine'
6. coast of marseilles - jimmy buffett - 'you make it so hard to forget i haven't stopped loving you yet'
7. storms - fleetwood mac 'did i ever really care that much is there anything left to say'. 'the chain' and 'go your own way' are close seconds
8. your wildest dreams - moody blues 'i wonder where you are i wonder if you think about me once upon a time in your wildest dreams'
9. every once in awhile - blackhawk 'just ask her if she ever still thinks about me she'll say every once in awhile'
10. saddest song i've got - annie lennox 'nothing left to say said it anyway said it anyway'

have to give runner up props to 'southern cross' and 'you're so vain' too. incidentally, i think abba and fleetwood mac are the two bands that have songs that cover the entire relationship spectrum, from the giddy crush and falling in love to the relationship crumbling and post-break up. guess they just wrote what they knew.

avenging narwhals

stumbled on 'an avenging narwhal play set' last week. those of you who have known me for awhile know that i don't like whales (topic for another post, but what have they done for you lately hmm?), but i found the whole thing hilarious and am still cracking up about it. seemed like the kind of thing laurak would like so i shared it with her and discovered that maynard had purchased the same play set for a secret santa two years ago. brilliant minds think alike.

laurak and i were able to catch up last week as she is back on the mainland after sailing the south seas for the last few months. you can catch up with her exploits on her trip's blog: study abroad with SEA semester. she'll be heading back to hawaii for another round of trips, but will be coming to diana's wedding. i just bought my plane ticket yipee!

i think one of the problems i'm having with apt hunting is that i have a really big bedroom but an extremely small apartment (all in your perspective right?) and it's making all the other rooms i'm looking at seem less than in comparison, even if the apartment has its own bathroom and a bed i can have sex in. the hunt/hemming and hawing continues. in the words of kevin, 'i hem and haw for like every single fucking step i take in life.'

been puttering around my small apt/big bedroom this weekend paying bills, cleaning and grocery shopping. haven't done any traveling in the last couple weeks, and it's been really nice to sleep, take care of business and save money for a change. of course i am still looking forward to the summer travel season. in addition to diana's wedding i'm planning on several trips to the cape this summer, as my grandmother is doing much better health-wise, but still not super great, and i'm feeling that it's very important to spend time with family this summer. my cousin is graduating from dartmouth in june, so i'll be up there again to hang out with the family in woodstock, and then my grandparents will be on the cape (down the street from the raw bar!) for most of the summer. my sister and brother will be coming home for the 4th of july, so i'm planning to take some time to be there when they are, though it's really strange to have plan your vacation around your siblings so you can see them instead of going home and having them there. #welcometoadulthood

it looks like spring outside (you know how the light is just different in spring/summer?) but the air still doesn't really feel like it. i broke out the spring vera bradley bag today for my trip to get my hair done anyway. i'm still in dire shoe straits and it would really be great if i could wear flip flops on my commute to work. also i have a lot of cute spring dresses i'm dying to wear.

speaking of my hair, i am blonde. like really blonde. am about to find out if they have more fun for reals this time.

spent friday at work listening to the entire jimmy buffett hurricane concert in order to help remind me summer is coming and fun to look forward to. he had a great line: 'my job is too keep summer going for as long as possible.' amen.

lastly, enjoyed this quote from friday's ggmm:

Emoticons are like crocs, rhinestones and elliptical machines in the sense that their use is never acceptable, even under the guise of irony.

i use emoticons all the time but that doesn't mean i can't give that an 'ain't that the truth' laugh.