I don't believe in the inverted pyramid.

coffee shop chronicles

2010-08-03T10:15:00.000-07:00

maybe one day I can write a book of coffee shop chronicles based on what i've written in this blog sporadically over the years. and now that I'm fulltime freelance, I've seen many a coffeeshop. I've treked miles to get to Astoria coffee shops, where I live. I even went back to my fave WIlliamsburg coffee shop one day. I also spend a good deal of time at coffee shops in Prospect Heights, where Natalie lives and I'm prob moving in October. It was Prospect Heights where today I had a coffee shop first. I made a little girl cry.

It wasn't really my fault. I'm at the Heights,, a coffee shop that is really just an office for freelancers. You walk in and there's a parade of Macs. They also have a messed up system where you can only access their bathroom by a key that is still attached to their wall. So as the woman sitting next to me noted, "there's no way to protect yourself from the inside." So I'm in the bathroom, and someone starts unlocking the door. "Occupied!" I said. The door keeps opening, so I physically push it shut while I'm still on the toilet. I figured the person couldn't hear me.

Turns out it was a girl, who couldn't be more than 6, and clearly hadn't yet learned bathroom etiquette. Not that I have. "Occupied." Is that what you're supposed to say? Hmm. Anyway, girl was DISTRAUGHT. Girl would not stop crying for a full 15 minutes. Her mom had to take her outside, she was so upset. Clearly not really my fault, but I still felt bad.

And since I never want anyone mad at me I decided to buy her love. So I bought her silly bands.Because how can one not love sillybands? For those of you not own with the latest fashion for 6 year olds, they are the most ingenious thing in the world. They're colored rubberbands shaped like different animals and other things. they're fun! And cute! I love silly bands! And girl seems very happy now. All for a $1 investment on my end.

NEW CHAPTER

2010-04-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

Wow, I haven't written in a while. And for once not because I feel like nothing's happening. Now I feel like everything's happening. My life is so different from 3 months ago, and is about to be more different. When I go back to write my memoirs, the blank period in this blog will officially be designated the start of NEW CHAPTER: the one with the girlfriend and without the job.

Yes, now at age 25 I'm officially in a real relationship with someone great. And I officially gave notice at my first job that I've had for almost 3 years and am leaving next month to embark on TBD. But both of these moves are a step up in life. Being a freshman in life was better than college and college was better than high school and high school was better than middle school, so I have no reason to think this pattern won't continue.

Maybe I should start a new blog. I'm probably going to have a lot of time to write with my impending unemployment/freelancing (to be shortly followed by a real job, once I enjoy not working for a bit, of course). And I'm really psyched for what's in store.

Update!

2010-02-13T15:11:00.001-08:00

I am no longer voiceless! And I'm feeling better. This is a major relief. I pride myself on never being sick (as does my brother, who said of himself, "I'm immune to everything") so being sick shakes my sense of self. It also sucks.

Supposedly it takes 6 years to be a New Yorker, but I think spending 18 years in the suburbs has to count for something. Because I definitely feel like I'm a New Yorker now. When I graduated college, 7 of us from high school were in NY or in Ossining, and we had a book club. Now all but 3 of us left: Others are in Colorado, Japan, Toronto, New Orleans. And I was talking to Laurel (one of the ones who's still here) and I was saying how I don't feel sad like, 'oh, I haven't done anything else.' I feel proud of myself that I've built myself a life here.

Like, even if I leave, and I want to just to experience something else, I can't see not coming back. Yiran (who sometimes reads this, so, hi!) is moving to NY and was asking me apartment-seeking advice, and I felt knowledgeable, like, oh, this is my city. I'm also kind of an outer-borough, I guess "snob" is an oxymoron. But after living in BK and now Astoria, other than convenience (which is a real plus) I don't really understand why someone would live in Manhattan unless they had money for a tree-lined brownstone in the West Village (my ultimate goal, I think).

Also, I just realized I need to start writing the names down of all the restaurants I go to. I never remember what restaurant is what. I can remember stories from when I am 4 years old, but I can't remember where I should eat in the West Village, or where I went to brunch in Astoria, etc. This is obviously very important.

silence

2010-02-09T16:52:00.000-08:00

eeek, I lost my voice. I can't even talk. I went from sick Saturday, to meh Sunday to Monday, to Macy Gray to Harvey Fierstein to almost mute. It's really scary, because if you know me, I'm a talker. My phone interviews during the day got progressively more awkward. Finally I stopped talking and answering my phone. People in my office started talking about the Fugees and Lauren Hill and I wanted to join in but couldn't. So painful, since I want to be a part of every conversation. Also painful was that I didn't talk for two hours and no one seemed to notice. How long would I have to not talk for anyone to tell. A metaphor for something

I am blogging because I feel the need to communicate. Also gchatting. Thank god for the internet. Seriously. Oh, but otherwise things are good :)

this is that is that

2010-01-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

On Friday I was on the phone with my mom who, as I casually told her all my fun weekend plans, including interviewing Gabby Sidibe from Precious, and she (my mom, not Gabs) was like "I hope you're keeping a journal or something so when you're old you can look back on all the amazing things you've done." And then I looked through my real journal which is mostly like "ugh, I'm fat." "bleh, why can't I bring myself to ever clean my room?" and stuff like that.

I just have lots rattling in my brain . When I went to Israel I brought two journals, one to be like "ugh, I'm fat" and another to highlight all the sights I saw, so I could chronicle both. Not sure where either journal is and I think I ended up combining them, since that became difficult.

And this blog, when I update, is more of an in-between. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this. I just felt like blogging/procrastinating a freelance assignment.

But basically the stuff my mom thinks is cool (as do I) is the meeting famous people part. And it can be fun. Gabby Sidibe was super-nice and asked me if I want to go bowling with her and N'Sync. She was kidding. Basically about the whole thing. But still, would that not be the most amazing thing ever? I like people who just became famous. But if I just met her, I'd just think she was a nice woman, but I wouldn't be like, excited by our conversation. It's weird how fame puts people on a pedestal.

umm, what else.Another thing I was meaning of blogging about for a while is this quote I read. A friend did an art show where she put up quotes of unfamous people she knew and famous people she didn't know. She quoted me saying "You're the star of your life, but in everyone else's you're a supporting character." I've said this for about 5 years, so was so excited that this became an art show.

She also can a quote from Bela Fleck that said, "Because I don't fit in anywhere I can fit in everywhere." And I realized I kind of feel like that. Well, not everywhere. But a lot of places. And whether it's actually true if i analyze it literally for too long, I'm happy I've reached a place where I feel like that about myself.

plain boyfriend

2009-12-20T22:12:00.000-08:00

hiiii--can't fall asleep, so shall blog. This weekend was really nice. I went home to Ossining Friday night, and then came back, and didn't take the subway once this weekend. Partially because my roommate read the blog and called me out on my Astoria complaining, and partially because I really do mean it (really Sara!!!) I'll say I feel like I'm finally really living and liking Astoria! Like this weekend I went to a party in the hood, I went to Himalaya Tea Room, BZ Grill. And the snow was just pretty. And last week I joined the Astoria gay marriage group which I'm political geeked out about. Astoria's senator voted against gay marriage. It's like, helllloooo. So there's this small group of people trying to kick him out and elect someone better. And it would be fun and exciting to be the change in my community.

ok, now that we've dealt with the present, here's a story you all will like from my past. Plane boyfriend update!

Four years ago, in the pre-blog era, I became obsessed this dude I met on a plane. I'm not sure how much was real in my head and how much was just because it was fun to talk about, because I so rarely get massive crushes on guys or girls. And psychoanalyzing myself, part of it was a reaction to feeling pigeonholed with coming out. But see the e-mail I sent to my roommates at the time to catch yourself up on the saga (I took out identifying details :

made plane friends w/this my seatmate, which i never do, he's 25 lives in Chicago and his parents are British and he gave me his business card and I couldn't tell if he was flirting with me or not. (His opening line? after the flight attendant said I couldn't listen to music "I think they should let you listen to music going up because I know if I die, I want to be listening to something that makes me happy") I feel like we had a first date. in a good way. we talked the entire flight. Listened to eachother's ipods. Then we had the worst landing ever (like, in the movies where they die, it starts out like it did for us) and he was freaked out (almost vommed but thankfully didn't) and was holding my hand and I THINK started rubbing my leg. Then we exchanged numbers. But he seriously wasn't sketchy, as much as it seems the opposite from this story! If he ever calls me, which i actually rate at a 30%chance of happening, I'm definitely NOT going to tell him i'm gay so we can make out without making it weird bc I definitely have a plane crush on him. I think I just watched too many romantic comedies growing up and this is how I assumed/hoped I'd meet my husband. weirdddd.

Ok, so I was a crazyhead about it. As everyone who knew me then knows, it was all I talked about for a good month. That basically ended when I called him like a month later to try to hang out, like he suggested in our moment of passion, which is very out of character for me and got kindly rejected. Also, I was only 20 which seems so young right now.

And I sort of forgot about him. Well, I forgot about what he looked like and his name, but I remembered this story since he was always really an anectdote as opposed to a person.

But a few weeks ago at dinner w/Josh (who if you read this blog you'd think I hang w/constantly, but I just know he's always reading this so I namedrop him as much as possible) his other friend told a story about a guy she met on a plane, so Josh mentioned my plane boyfriend.

Then I remembered that a friend from work was the same age and went to the same college as plane bf, so I checked on facebook (after having to search my gmail archives "plane boyfriend" to figure out his name). and sure enough. It's not even such a huge shock because I am convinced every person in America who went to one of 30 colleges, lives in one of five cities and is between the ages of 21 and 30, I am only one degree of separation from.

But google tells me he now lives in New York. My heart pattered. But he has a girlfriend. My heart fell.

Still, I have to ask work friend about him. Turns out they hang out. I started to tell work friend this story and I said "plane boyfriend." and he's like, "yeah, totally."

he thought I meant PLAIN boyfriend. Because it turns out everyone thinks "my" dude is really boring.

I then told him the story. "I didn't think he was boring," I protested. That did not fit into my narrative.

"If you actually knew him, you'd think so," he said.

I guess I couldn't really argue with that. It was kind of an anti-climatic end to my fantasyland.

But that was the end of that. I do want to meet him some time, and probably will, knowing the way this city is.

Now it's time for real life.

i'm living the dream

2009-12-07T16:56:00.000-08:00

or at least somebody's version of it.

I was at the same party as Madonna. At Monkey Bar, this club that's supposed to be really hip, for the afterparty for the A Single Man premiere. It's like whaaat? I mean, I was working. But in a sense, she was working too, because she's Madonna, so she's always kind of working when she goes.

I was there for NYMag, and I obviously had to try to interview her, because what did I really have to lose? Even if she was disgusted that I bothered her, there's no chance she'd remember me, since they rarely do, except my bff Fran Drescher for whatever reason.

Her body guard shooed me away, but I paparazzid back over to her table with she and her date Bravo's Andy Cohen (who was as superexcited to be there as I was, see his twitter BravoAndy: Just went to the premiere of Tom Ford's "A Single Man". Was I Madonna's date? Yes! Did I get laid? No! It was worth it tho.).

"Can I talk to you for a second for NYMag?" I asked. Madonna looked at me and shook her head. We made eye contact. Very cool. Then her bodyguard told me I was "rude" to do that. oops.

Celebrities are one of the few things I'm truly excited about, so I hope I don't get jaded. I kind of am a little. I saw Irina, the winner from Project Runway on the street in Soho and only cared a little. Enough to text Becca, who cares about celebs even more than I, but not enough to tell anyone else about my sighting. Because, helllooo, I was rejected by Madonna.

But also, this celebrity awe thing is about to stop being cute, so it's kind of good I'm getting over it.

But anyway, night was really fun. And I really liked the movie. A Single Man. I recommend. It's a gay movie where it's not alll about the struggles of being gay, but moreover the struggles of life (in a Mad Men era, which i guess is my favorite). But be forewarned, if for some inexplicable reason you hate Colin Firth, it's his movie, no one else's. Even Julianne Moore is only in 3 scenes. And all these people who had teeny tiny parts were all at least semi-famous. Dana from the L word played a bank teller! The guy who STARRED in Pushing Daisies had one frickin' scene. Weird. I wonder how Tom Ford got them in? I guess for the chance to work with Tom Ford.

I'm thankful for...

2009-11-29T20:47:00.000-08:00

...anyone who is reading this. Apologies to my loyal fans for not updating (hi Roberto!). I need a theme that's not "Diana" because then maybe I'll update more. But it's like random thoughts can go to twitter and deeper thoughts can go in a for-my-eyes-only journal. So where does that leave you, gentle readers?

Let's see...

I was home for Thanksgiving. I'm glad I moved so I had an answer to the "So, what are you up to?" question, and didn't have to talk about my job or love life. I could either go through my shtick about missing Brooklyn or just say "Astoria's great!" depending on who asked. Although I realized this is one instance where it's easier to be queer, because few family members and family friends are progressive-minded enough to go into the "Sooooo, are you dating anyone special?" talk with me that seems to plague most single straight girls who reach my age.

Speaking of which, my mom was married when she was my age. Though as she said, she's not a success story, but it was a success-ish at the time. And I can't believe she was living an adult, married life at my age when I sometimes feel I can barely function. Although she made the good, and generous, point that when she was my age she didn't have to make a lot of the decisions I obsess over because my dad just made them for her.

To segue into how my problems are silly, I saw Precious. It was disturbing, of course. It was powerful and really well-acted (Mo'Nique and Gabby especially; Mariah and mustache were in only two scenes). But in some ways it sort of felt like a rote teacher saves underprivileged child movie but everything's just much more horrible and there's no happy ending. I feel like everyone I've talked to about it sort of wants it to be "based on a true story" just to make it seem even more horrific. Like the main point of the movie was to be horriffic. I guess, objectively, I give it a B- but A for acting.

ok, that's all for now. I'll try to write again soon.

lovelovelove, diana

2009-10-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

First of all, I read this NYTimes article which totally explains myself/post below. I used to cry when I was a baby when people sneezed. So I come by my neoroses honestly.

I moved. And there's lots of good. I like my apartment, my roommate and my price better than before. I don't like Astoria as much as Williamsburg. I moved from a fun place to a functional place. But it's only been a week.

And I just met one of Josh's friends I'd never met who read this blog. So weird to think anyone reads this (though most have stopped, understandably). Maybe I'll start updating more again.

worrying too soon

2009-09-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

"It's not time to worry yet,"just the other day I said to my roommate who was freaking out because she thought she lost her planner. Umm, wow, I am such a black pot.

But I just had an emotional breakthrough I wrote in my journal that I had to share just to make it real. A list of things I've spent energy in my brain worrying about in just the last four days that either didn't come true or I am yet to know if they will come true:

Being late for yoga, never going to yoga again after moving, getting kicked off Metro-North for not buying ticket, packing, hating Astoria, missing Williamsburg, being alone forever, adopting a Chinese baby that has emotional problems, having to make another trip to doctor's office, having my Mad Men story killed, hurting my back because I bought too soft a mattress, not having a career, my hand surgery resulting in nerve damage, not being able to handle planning D.C. rally, my frequent flier miles expiring, a friend being mad at me, having swine flu.

Just to reiterate, none of these have happened. At least not yet. And most of these I can control the outcome of. And many of the ones I can't matter very little in the scheme of anything.

Goal: Worry after the fact, not before.

Thanks for sharing in my emotional breakthrough!

goodnight!

diana

hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

2009-09-07T21:06:00.000-07:00

I'm moving to Astoria in October. The top reason I'm leaving is because I'm living with Sara, one of my best friends in the world who I've known forever. And everyone loves Astoria. And I'm saving literally thousands of dollars on rent. But I'm getting a little anxiety, because, why am I leaving Williamsburg?

I'm leaving for really practical reasons. My rent's expensive, even with the landlord lowering it. I know what a pain it will be to find someone to rent the small room. And if I were to move within in the neighborhood, I'd still have to move and would live with strangers.

And it's also good to have change, especially since I've been restless with my life.

And everyone hates on Williamsburg, but I think I really love it. Today I had a few, 'aww, i'm going to miss it here' moments.

1) I went and read a book by the water, and then ran into Alex and Cameran just out of the blue and chatted with them for half hour. I only know like 3 people to run into in Astoria.

2) emily called me as I was attempting to clean my room (ha) to say she was at The Gutter, so I met her and my friends there for an impromtu bowl, whcih was of course very fun. In Astoria people will only call me if they go to the beer garden.

3) ok, this is really the thing that got me. I went to Jesus MiniMart, where I go basically every day for something, and I asked the guy behind the counter (who used to work the morning shift and makes the best coffee) if he had any boxes I could have, since I wanted to attempt to start packing. He asked if I was moving, and when I said yes he said "All the good people move away."

I don't know what I've done to be one of the good people, but I was quite touched. I should have told him I still have three weeks. I'll say goodbye before I leave. Though I don't know any of their names, and they only know mine if they remember from my credit card.

We're also moving offices. So I'm going to have to say goodbye to the people at S'Nice too.

I obviously can't handle change as much as I thought. If I ever leave New York I will probably cry.

p.s. I have jury duty tomorrow. If I can I will blog about it after!

Hi there

2009-07-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

Wow, I haven't blogged in more than 6 months. I wonder if random livejournalesque blogging (ie this) has been reduced by twittering and facebook status messaging. I should research. I kind of want to resurrect this. I just am at the point where not much is happening.

Oh, that's not true. Things have happened. I met more celebrities.

I was also featured as a socialite in Manhattan Magazine.

My roommate moved out and I got another roommate. And then he left like a week later and then I got another roommate.

I dated a girl for like a month, but it wasn't working, but I also don't think I really gave it a chance to work because I'm crazy.

I went to Ireland by myself and had an excellent adventure and saw lots of green things and met lots of Australians. And also Irish people. Who are pretty similar, actually. And I kissed a married man. But I didn't know he was married. And a married woman hit on me. I knew she was married because her husband was just standing there sadly. I also lost my camera that night. Oh, I was going to write a story about that. I still can.

I got a Mac.

I started Spanish socialism classes!

And I've worked. And I'm over it, but I'm also not quite but mostly because it's safe and all I've known in my post-college life. and don't really know what comes next.

As John Mayer sang, before we all realized what a douche he was, "It might be a quarter-life crisis."

But John perservered and became famous and dated Jennifer Aniston. So I will be fine too.

The inauguration

2009-01-23T18:28:00.000-08:00

I will map my inauguration journey for posterity's sake. (most times are estimates)

Some time in November: Applied for tickets through Sen. Schumer and my Congresswoman but have no aspirations of actually getting a ticket.

January 7, 10:47am: Received an e-mail from Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez's office that began like this:

Dear Friend,

Thank you for expressing interest in attending the Swearing-In of the 44^th President of the United States. An unprecedented number of people are expected to travel to Washington, DC for this historic event. It’s an honor to help provide New Yorkers with the opportunity to attend.

Isn't that a totally misleading way to start an e-mail with buzzwords like "expressing interest" and "unprecedented number of people"? But yes I got a ticket. I screamed at my desk for a few minutes. Updated my facebook status. Called my boss who caused me to freak out for a few minutes saying I might not be able to go since I'd have to go down w/HW. But that was resolved shortly.

3:48pm: Pay $350 for an overpriced Amtrak ticket.

Jan 10: My dad tells me how stupid I am for paying $350 for transport without checking out "other options." I check out other options and buy Greyhound tickets for $60. I save $240.

Rest of week: Make plans to stay with Marcy; tell everyone I know I won a ticket to inauguration so everyone can be jealous of me.

Sunday, January 18: Go home for my grandmother's 90th birthday and borrow a fancy dress from my mother to wear in case NYMag sends me to an inaugural ball like Iwant.
Monday, January 19, 5am: My dad drives me from Ossining to Port Authority to catch the bus. Not sure why he offers to drive me, but much appreciated since I am way overpacked.

6am: Arrive at Port Authority. Woman behind me has a dog. Chat with line mates about the historic nature of our trip. One dude refers to this as "our generation's Woodstock" and it totally is. Also unlike my bus trip to Boston, this is a diverse group of folks (though on the young side).

7am: We board the bus. The bus is packed, but I somehow get my own seat. Life is beautiful. Or I smell. I go to sleep.

12:30pm: Arrive in D.C. Read a text from NYMag editor asking if I can go to the Hip Hop Inaugural Ball. Ummm, yes.

1:00pm: After nice city worker helps me buy a Metrocard, which I should be totally capable of doing since I'm from NY, I schlep to the Rayburn Building. I even get a seat on the Metro. This doesn't even happen in NY. So far Obamaland is nothing but happiness.

1:30pm:First roadblock in Oz. I thought I'd just walk into my Congresswoman's office, chat a little, use the bathroom and move on. WRONG. The line wraps around the building in a sort of an amateur Disneyland hell. I then get a text from my editor at NYMag asking me to interview people on line. This sort of passes the time as I ask adorable children why they like Obama and grown-ups if they'd sell their tickets for a million dollars (most won't) while the nice man in front of me directs my suitcase.

3:00pm: Some brilliant people jump over a barrier to a shorter line, and my line friend and I follow, with suitcase.

3:30pm: Finally get in the Rayburn building. Get ticket from Velazquez's office. Disappointed I'm in the silver section, which is basically the front of the Mall, and there's no way it would have qualified as a ticket in a pre-Obama world. "So I'm in the mall...with all the other people?" I ask the woman at the front desk.

3:45pm: Decide not to be a spoiled brat and be thankful for what I got. Also meet the deputy mayor of Buffalo while waiting to get in the Metro. On the Metro meet an adorable oldish couple who met girls who took ballet with Sasha and Malia.

4:45pm: Meet Marcy at her stop in Columbia Heights. Eat Popeye's then go to her HOUSE. Seriously, she has a house! That she shares with one person. A little D.C. envy.

6:00pm: Marcy and I prep for Hip Hop Inaugural Ball while discussing how un-Hip Hop we are

8:00pm: Arrive at Hip Hop Inaugural Ball. D.C. does not know how to run a red carpet, but I guess they don't have much experience. Interview Don King, Russell Simmons, Tatyana Ali and lots of hip hop people I've never heard of. (See some of the Q&As here)

8:45pm: Go into the party. Drink some Obama drinks, eat some bad appetizers, and feel pretty white. Sneak our way up into the VIP lounge and have to be all paparazzi-stealth like when they ask all press to leave. Talk to LL Cool J. He is nice but says a lot of nothing. The best part is I say "This is my friend Marcy" and he kind of checks her out and goes "Mar-ceeee!"

10:30pm: Watch Hip Hop Award Show. Busta Rhymes has good performance. Best part was TI, rapper formerly on house arrest, says of his volunteering to get out the vote for Obama, "It didn't even count as part of my 1,000 hours!"

midnight: Have to leave just as the party's starting since I am not actually a partier but a reporter and need to type up all my notes from the party. The party was fun though!!

January 20

4am: Go to bed after typing up notes from Ball.

6:45am: Wake up.

8:00am: Leave with Marcy's super-sweet roommate and her coworkers at a senator's office to go to Inauguration.

9:00am:After walking miles throughout the city and through tunnels arrive at the line for silver ticket holders. No end in sight.

9:30am: Walk two miles to the end of the line. Assume there is no way we'll see inauguration. Prep myself to miss the most historic happy event of my life.

10:45am: The line breaks up! We're in the mall!!!

Despite being all-ticketed, there's no way to see the stage. Strain to see the jumbotron, since lots of trees (that smart people sit in) and tall people in front of me. One man has a hat on that blocks jumbotron so people start cheering "Take the hat off!" He does only to reveal hair that sticks up.

A fiercely partisan crowd, we cheer the Democrats (and Colin Powell) when they turn up on screen and boo Lieberman, Clarence Thomas, Dick Cheney (who looks more evil in wheelchair for some reason) and Bush, which seemed a little innappropriate since he is (or was) our president despite being a crappy one. People also cheered "Na na, na na na na, hey hey hey--goodbye."

12:00pm: Obama becomes President! We totally miss the flubbing by Roberts, since can't really focus on details. Ditto the speech. But still, excitement, crowd, joy!!! hope!!! change!!!

The rest of the day consisted of walking, crowds, more walking, Ethiopian food, napping, hanging out at Marcy's, seeing Ruby and sleeping.

But twas a joyous inauguration. And now Barack Obama's President. the end.

Reasons to know who your congressperson is

2009-01-07T14:18:00.000-08:00

Mine just got me a ticket to inauguration! I applied for a ticket, then promptly forgot I did, then found out I will be one of 240,000 who will be able to sit in the cold and see our most historic president sworn in. If you know anyone going, let me know, since I want a friend to sit with/wait on line with.

I feel like I must have good karma right now, since my luck has improved dramatically in recent years (in every way but one, of course).

I'll write a real post later that isn't all 'omg, my life's so fun.'

Is Zach Braff dying of AIDS?

2008-12-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

Someone searched that and ended up on my blog, according to Google analytics.
That pretty much sums it up.

and in case you haven't seen it yet here's the article I wrote about Fran

Thanks to this coup, my life has become suddenly glamorous. I'm going to the premiere of Shrek: The Musical Sunday. This is so fun!

My life right now

2008-12-04T22:06:00.001-08:00

I always comment on the fact that barely a day goes by when I don't run into some random person I know somewhere in New York. Yet I rarely pass by famous people. Apparently I just need to know famous people, and then I'll run into them.

So last night, I'm out to dinner with at Chinatown Brassere, a really nice swanky restaurant, since the head of our department took us all out to dinner. It was a really nice time But icing on the cake: Guess who tapped ME on the shoulder to say hi (not vica versa)? Fran Drescher. Otherwise known as my new bff.

Backtracking: I started doing "party reporting" for New York Magazine, which basically means going to swanky parties and getting celebs to answer silly questions. And, not gonna lie, I'm kind of awesome at it, and I may have found my calling. Well, I also might want to be a guidance counselor which I decided on Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend but that's another post. But seriously, it's so nice to see that all my journalism education and writing about AIDS policy and such has translated into good party-reporting skills.

ANYWAY I went to this party Wednesday for the premiere of a movie about Le Cirque Restaurant that is premiering on HBO. All I knew about this restaurant I knew from Top Chef, and now even after eating there, the thing I most took away is that like me, the owner is a bit obsessed with being in the presence of celebrity. The food (served via buffet) was actually just okay, but the desserts were great. And maybe I'll take the owner up on his offer to come for lunch. Seriously, it's so fun saying I'm from a publication with name recognition

But of all the transcribing I did, I got 3 items published w/NYMag, 2 on the web and one in print. The one in print, which I won't ruin for you, is about Fran Drescher. I got quite the scoop from her and I can link to once it's up. But anyway, she was nice and talked to me for a while, and I actually stupidly gave my coat to the staffer who took hers and then at the end of the night couldn't find my coat and had to go be like 'Fran, do you know where they put our coats?' I found it.

But anyway, now apparently Fran and I are buddies, and I (and obviously all my coworkers) just get a kick out of the fact that a celeb tapped ME on the shoulder, not vica versa. By the way, she was sitting by herself for a while, so I invited her over just in case she was awkwardly alone. She wasn't. Candace Bushnell was on her way.

Obama post

2008-11-08T15:17:00.000-08:00

There's nothing really to say, and it's four days late, but I can't have a blog and not note how awesome it is that Obama is president.

Since I've been old enough to remember, there's only been one "Where were you moment?" that the gradkids will know about. I remember were I was on 9/11. And I'll remember where I was when Barack Obama became president. I was at a coworker's backyard party in Bed-Stuy where CNN was streaming on a projection screen. It was a diverse group of people--race, gender, sexuality, etc.-- just like Obama would have wanted it (but no Republicans so not bipartisan). And when Obama reached 270 we all screamed and hugged. It was a bit magical.

Not to get all Michelle Obama, but this truly is the first time in my adult life I've been proud of my country. Literally. I was 16 on September 11, 2001, and while my own life has only gotten better since then, this country has gotten progressively worse. Bush, 9/11, Iraq, civil liberties, Katrina, the economy...Billy Joel really needs a sequel to "We didn't start the fire."

I've been following the election obsessively, but more from a political wonky-I should be a political reporter-perspective. But this is a more emotional reaction. Like, there are enough people in this country who think like me.

Though I guess it should be noted that obv the country's not so different than it was Monday.
California still voted against gay marriage, partially because of black Obama supporters which always annoys me when anyone who's disenfranchised doesn't automatically support enfranchising others. And I guess also because of Mormons, who shouldn't be judgemental of marriage.

And of course Obama will now be president and he'll make mistakes and stop being cool, and Palin will just be a punchline on VH1's "I love the '00s."

But for now, this is amazing.

Ba-rocking the Vote

2008-10-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

for some reason, I just love saying that.

Anyway, yesterday I did just that in Germantown, Pennsylvania and it was great. So a couple weeks ago I was at the Metropolitan, this gay bar in my hood, and this woman came up to my table saying she was organizing a free bus of queer women (AND allies and friends) to go volunteer for the Obama campaign in Pennsylvania yesterday.

And since I always want to do political things, but don't often actualize my goal beyond talk, and because my vote in NY doesn't matter, despite the fact that I had to wake up at the super-early hour of 6 a.m., me and a few queer lady friends went to Ba-rock the vote (ugh, I said it again. I can't help myself).

So after free bagels and coffee at Henrietta Hudson, we had a bus ride where we watched But I'm a Cheerleader (duh), and arrived in Germantown, Pennsylvania, an area right outside Philly.
It's a predominately black, working-class area where 95% of people support Obama, but with "historically low voter turnout." We went to one of the 79(!) bustling campaign offices in Pennsylvania, then split up into teams of two. Me and my friend were dropped off and picked up at locales by another Obama volunteer, who was also volunteering for the first time.

Let me say, after knocking on doors (in the rain, fyi, just to demonstrate my hardcoreness), I am SO impressed by the Obama campaign operation. All the doors we went to were voters identified by the Obama campaign, and we were just following up.

We gave them these handy sheets with polling information and telling them they had the right to vote, and clearing up wrong information, since you know the Republicans will try to engage in voter suppression. This all strikes me as brilliant get-out-the-vote activities, and it's amazing that the campaign has the manpower to do all this.

While one (white) woman said it was "too soon to tell" who she was voting for--really? too soon? what the hell is she expecting to change her mind at this point?--almost everyone we talked to was voting for Obama and knew where there polling place was, and seemed excited about the election.

Granted this was not a representative sample, but I just get the feeling that everyone is so excited about this election, and that we are going to win. Like, it was so close the last two elections, and Obama just needsso a little extra to get the edge, and I feel like he has it. And it was just so amazing. Everyone who worked at the campaign office was just SO nice and happy we came. If you have a day to do this form now until election day, I recommend it.

Spending the day knocking on doors in Germantown, Pennsylvania kind of made me wish I had just worked for the campaign and given my whole life and soul to the campaign. BUT making a tiny difference is better than making zero difference.

I seriously am so excited about this election and just want it to happen.

Here's this cute video one of the organizers of the bus made.

on the bus

2008-10-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

Ugh I am on bus to Boston to visit friends and eveyone else had the same idea because traffic's awful.

Also interesting note, I,m on megabus, one of the new cheap buses so I paid $20. I expected the bus to have a greyhound demographic but it's totally the 20something middleclass express. I see one 50 something woman and one black guy and that's it for diversity. I helped my seatmate find a recipe for candy apples on my blackbret that she could make with her boyfriend she met on jdate and she highly recommended

How a spoof rap video relates to my life

2008-09-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

So on Thursday I was finishing up work at the S. 4th Bar & Cafe as is my custom, and a dozen kids who graduated from Northwestern show up to watch this video two kids who used to be in Mee-Ow were making that they are trying to make a "viral" success. Now I'm totally not someone who hates running into people from college. But I'm like, umm, this is my coffee shop, what are you doing here? Can you please not turn this into Unicorn Cafe?

BUT, anyway, they are very nice, and the video "Olafur Eliasson: A Milli remix" was funny (and would have been finnier if I knew who this Olafur Eliasson character was before I googled him afterwards). And one of the guys in the video I've said since freshman year is going to become one of those famous Northwestern alums we always talk about. I won't say which one.

Anyway, the next day, the video was on the NYMag website, and I totally saw it randomly without looking for it. But I figure I should do my part helping it go "viral." See below.

Most interesting news of the day

2008-09-17T08:36:00.000-07:00

Did you know Waldo, of "Where's Waldo?" is only 21 years old? That's what AM-New York, the second best newspaper in New York (and I'm totally convinced of that point) told me.

Does this surprise anyone else my age that Waldo is younger than us? Didn't you just assume that Waldo was one of those things like Winnie the Pooh or Curious George that had always been around? Or maybe that's just me.

Anyway, as the article says, a PR firm was hired to market Waldo to people our age. Which I think is an idea that could work, since as I've discussed before my generation is totally into pop-nostalgia. I spent the entire subway ride thinking about how there should totally be a live-action "Where's Waldo?" movie for the 20-something hipster-set, possibly starring that guy who was Ugly Betty's accountant boyfriend. Except I wouldn't like any possible plot of the movie. It has to be about someone trying to find Waldo. Either some crook is chasing Waldo around the world. Which is annoying. Or there's some girl who's looking for him in the city and keeps missing him. And those missed connection movies are my least favorite plot device. Which is why I don't like "Serendipity" or really "Sleepless in Seattle" and I can only deal with "You've Got Mail" because they are still hanging out.

Things about the presidential election I thought of myself...

2008-09-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

...as opposed to just stealing things I read, which is what I usually do.

-->I don't interact with any open Republicans on a regular basis. And I know I'm not the only one. There are definitely two Americas, and while I'm glad I live in mine, this is probably not healthy for our democracy. The whole Obama/Clinton fight was kind of cute because it was all about personalities and such. This is like a battle of worldviews.

-->Yes Sarah Palin and her book-banning and Jews for Jesus ways is fucking scary, but she is still a feminist, and it annoys me that people say otherwise. As far as I've heard she believes women deserve equal rights with men. She's not like a Phyllis Schlafly nutjob who argues women should be at home with the babies. While her abortion views are gross especially in light of Bristol's "decision", if you truly believe that a ball of cells is a baby then I understand that you wouldn't want to kill a baby.

-->I didn't think of this myself but Jezebel noted Cindy McCain is totally Betty Draper from Mad Men

-->All the talk about "pork-barrel spending" is so dumb. Americans might say they hate that shit, but really, they don't. The same way Americans hate Congress but heart their representatives.

My representative Nydia Velazquez sent out a mailing telling us what she'd done for us. It was a map with all her pork-barrel projects. My council woman Diana Reyna did the same thing. And when I was on a lobbying visit with work about all these different Gay Laws to Hakeem Jeffries (who mark my words is going to be a big deal some day if for no other reason than he's really cute), and this other woman in the room, this adorable black grandmother-looking lesbian told Mr. Jeffries "we'd really appreciate if you could give Gay Senior Center (or something like that) some money." He said he'd look into it.

And it's so not a big deal. Some of the appropriations actually fund good things that maybe wouldn't have been funded otherwise. As Gail Collins wrote last week re: McCain's obsession with them,"Earmarks are indeed a bad thing. If you ever become a U.S. senator, please dedicate yourself to getting rid of them. But for the chief executive of the country, they’re about as critical a problem as the overlong Christmas shopping season."

-->Voters say they want to "focus on the issues," but they really don't. For an unrandom sample when Obama talked about putting "lipstick on a pig" the NYTimes blog had 723 comments, many to say we should be "focusing on the issues." Another blog post about Bush's withdrawal of troops to Iraq only got 114 comments. While I agree that like the fact that I don't have Republican pals, this is bad for democracy, it's not that bad. Politics is just like sports or fashion or any other only marginally relevant thing to anyone's life. For most of us, it's just a hobby.

mexico part 2

2008-08-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

k, I need to blog about the Mexico vacay

But it was amazing. Like truly so. What started out way back in January me sending an e-mail the the HW Mexico city list, saying 'who wants to go travel w/me after?' and two of my favorites writing back and saying yes, ended up being this amazing beach vacation with 10 queer AIDS activists and friends camping on a beach in Playa Ventura, this beautiful tiny beach town. And I'm proud that I made this happen. And making it happen made me feel like I contributed to the team even though I had no skills to contribute with driving, navigating, Spanish, kayaking or camping or anything basically useful. And I was initially totally skeptical such a trip would work. When this trip was being "planned" it was bsaically a series o e-mails back and forth saying nothing but deciding we wanted to camp on a beach near Acapulco. And I'm like, 'ummm, do we really want to camp?' and everyone else is like, 'ummm, yes.' Basically, I have the Scholl stress gene, which my cousins and I thought was the dominant gene, but we learned at the family reunion in July it is actually a recessive trait that my grandfather passed on to three of his sons who passed it on to many of us, but the rest of the family seems to have replaced a stress gene with an alcohol gene.

But I digress....We did find a beach to camp on! Thanks to Lonely Planet's guidance we camped under this leafy thing at a restaurant, where exchange for eating their food and paying $5/a tent, we essentially had an entire beach to ourselves. The people I traveled with were so laid back and fun that it made me way more laid back and fun, and thus I was not stressed at all. Every day included one activity. Kayaking and swimming in a poluted lake. Driving two hours to the Afro-Mestizo culture and then not really learning all that much except that the African slaves may or may not have crashed a boat into Mexico but they definitely came and started a new culture. Seeing the "biggest circus in Latin America" which i really hope for Latin America's sake is not true, since this was the saddest, littlest Circus ever with lots of child performers who made me sad.

Mostly we just lay on the beach, went into the ocean which was totally not safe to swim in since the waves were huuuge, played games, hung out, ate much Mexican food. I am totalyl being bad at describing but it was lovely. There was also two dogs and a little boy who spent too much time with the dogs and played fetch. I posted a picture of him on facebook which makes me a little ashamed of myself, but he was just sooo cute.

after the beach laurel, lucile and i went to this silver-mining village called Taxco, TRIED to climb to see a pyramid but got there too late and back to Mexico City which was all full ciricle except this time I went to museums and not just the conference center. And I learned (or re-rememebered) Spanish! At least enough to get us not to die.

All in all a lovely trip. I should have written this earlier when it was fresh in my mind, like the way I'll do research and interviews for "long-term" articles then by the time I write them I forget the passion I once had. But trust me when I say go to Mexico.

IAC wrap-up

2008-08-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

hmm, how do I attempt to summarize 16 days in Mexico, half at a conference and half on vacay into a blog post? I already tried to make it into a facebook album and perhaps i'll addd some pics here.

Wellllll, I attended the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City. Was it fun? Not exactly, since I barely saw an inch of Mexico City that wasn't a conference center the entire week. Educational? Not in the traditional sense, since I didn't attend a session where the goal wasn't to disrupt it with a cheer of "Housing is a human right!" (in English and espanol). But it was inspiring and exciting. As long time readers might remember, I attended the 2006 IAC in Toronto, where I dutifully attended sessions to complete my half-assed research on "AIDS activism" in order to swag some grant money from Northwestern even though I had not a clue what was going on (Oh, I wish I could go back to college---Avenue Q). I barely spoke to anyone and had lovely nights hanging with Anne.

But actually I don't wish I could go back to college. Because now my life and job is maybe harder, but it's better. This time I spent the entire time doing press and writing about and participating in and in some cases helping organize daily protests about the need for AIDS housing. It was tiring and crazy but also exciting, like when we disrupted Bill Clinton's protest and he responded to us, and meeting the tons of people who responded positively to our message. I saw tons of people I know, met more people who I will know, and in a short year am integrated into this weird AIDS activist community.

And also feeling like part of a community of people at HW (I just realized I could abrev my place of work as to not show up on the google alert, duhh). Anyway, just hanging at the hostel w/HW folks, I totally still feel like the young white girl from Westchester especially when I tried to salsa dance.repeated that apparently Spades is a "black person game" which I was mocked for all week and Though one Latino colleague kindly noted, "I'm not a traditional white person." But despite feeling different, I also feel the same. I have never felt so accepted by a group in my life. As one colleague said, "I am so HW" and I feel sososo fortunate that this was where I happened to land after college and to be a part of and loved by this crazy group of people. And just hanging out at the hostel with them made all the getting up at 7am days worth it.

Ok, I will blog about the vacation part soon, I promise! It was amazing. I just need to go to bed now. Plus it's good to break these things up and to give you something to look forward to.

Overheard in New York

2008-07-20T06:37:00.000-07:00

at a party of gays in Hell's Kitchen.

Guy #1: I want some straight guy friends
Guy #2: Two of my roommates are straight
Guy #1: Really, what are they like?

a fun night

2008-07-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

I've been away the past three weekends, doing awesome things: Puerto Rico for work/play, Albuquerque for all the good things of work with none of the bad, and last weekend in Orlando for the best family reunion in the world (basically the short story is all the family I never met is superfun and way different than my family and I spent the weekend drunk and high until 3am with my cool new cousins). BUT despite some awesomeness, it didn't feel like life. It felt like a break from life, with the hellishness of life with short bursts of horrible weekdays (with the exception of the best happy hour ever with Tina and Amanda) where I had to work really hard in order to take days off. BUT now I'm back to normal life for a few weeks and I feel like myself again until I go to Mexico for the AIDS conference and the big gay roadtrip (!!!!)

And I just had the weirdest night. On my way home from work all these Puerto Rican neighbors on my street were blocking my path having a party, but I didn't mind because they're always nice. "What's going on?" I ask. They told me it was a party/funeral for an old friend that died, which is what they always do, and "you should come" one told me. So I dropped my laptop at my apartment and Iwent and join them. For 10 minutes. Because then I felt a little awkward. Like, ummm, I'm essentially crashing a shiva. But it was nice to meet neighbors, since they have this whole community going on that I'm not a part of since I'm totally in the new wave. But we exchanged names and I'll say hi when I walk by now so that's better than nothing. And it reminded me of how at the family reunion all my family was once immigrants who lived in one building and now we're spread throughout the country and doesn't know eachother. Sometimes I wish I was an immigrant. Or at least 1st generation.

THEN I finished working on my newsletter since I work late on Thursdays and then it was 11pm and I didn't want to clean or go to sleep so I went to S4th Bar and Cafe, my fave, and listened to the bartender talk about "the facebook" a sex position he apparently invented and poured me much wine which is why I'm still drunk now. And I had the guy sitting next to me legitimized that my new blackberry's busted and it's not just my fat thumb. And then I gave a cute guy flirting with me my number. I know I'm supposed to be gay and I probably am, but being straight would be way easier, so really, why should I limit myself when I am so young and undecided about life? I'd prob go on a date if he calls.

THEN after I left I heard these hipsters on the street mention facebook and I totally thought they were privy to the bartender's comments, so I was like "were you in the bar?." They weren't but invited me on their roof and I LOVE ROOFTOP ACCESS and it was so beautiful.They were both filmmakers' and one of their' roommates won an Emmy for producing MTV's Made. This is when living in NY is cool. This night is cool. I'm glad I have two whole weeks here before I'm jetting off for my next adventure. But really, New York is an adventure.

lovely weekend

2008-06-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, when I blog about being sad I always feel the need to blog again and be like "I'm happy now." I'm sure this all has to do with how I'm raised and I probably should get over it and just own my emotions. But I am happy now (if not overjoyed--Avenue Q).

I had a fun weekend, even if it was work-related. It would be fun if I could do these great things on weeksdays, and not give up my weekends, even if they are fun. But it was all the good parts of work and my favorite people who I truly love like family and the reason I'm doing what I'm doing. Not the stupid crap with office politics and such. I went to Albuquerque for a summit. On the flight home I sat next to a chatty man who was really excited about "talking to a New Yorker" and hates environmentalists and moved to New Mexico to save his marriage but I'm not sure if said marriage was to the wife sitting across the aisle. And heasked me my five year plan and I'm like, ughhhh. He suggested I be a therapist, a magazine writer or a political commentator. Needless to say, he was not a plane boyfriend, for those of you who remember my obsession of 2005.

Then I came back at 9pm which was perfect because I went to this supercrowded but really fun lesbian pride party the name of name I will not type because I feel dirty saying it. But it was fun realizing I know more people then I think I know, even if I've met almost every single one through Laurel or Lucile. But I guess that's how one grows a network or becomes part of a "scene."

Then at actual Pride I was in the parade. Which was superfun too. For art of the time I drove a van. Which I did because my friend didn't want to and he acted like I was doing a big favor, but it wasn't a favor at all because it was fun. And I honked at people and they waved back.

Then I was so tired and wet from the rainstorm so I went to be at 8:00.

rip

2008-06-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

I had this whole blog post I was actually writing in my head when I was in the ocean my last day in Puerto Rico during my work/play trip all of last week. I was finally calm after two really shitty weeks in New York and then two intense days of amazing but tiring work in Puerto Rico where I actually felt accomplished. About how I need to learn Spanish and I feel like I should remember more from high school Spanish but then again I don't remember high school math. About how the AIDS crisis in Puerto Rico isn't going to end just because I write about it. About how scared I was about traveling alone, but how it all worked out ok. About my new friends, a gay male couple moving to Paris who I totally want to visit. About how my own personal cat lady fear is being an old fag hag. About how I stopped a purse snatcher on the beach (ok, that story's awesome so I'll write about it at some point). And about how I was happy again.

But I will not blog about that, because I'll never be able to think of the Puerto Rico trip without thinking about how in the taxi ride home I talked to my dad who broke the news that my dog Nickel died while I was gone. She was 14, which is the average standard poodle age and she wasn't in much pain for long before she died and only really started getting old this year. And the truth is, I'm at the age where my childhood pet is going to die. I never knew that before, that early 20s seems to be the average age for losing your pet, but in the last two years almost all of my friends' dogs and cats from childhood have died. It's almost like a weird natural marker. Like, ok, dogs .and cats aren't meant to live past a childhood span. The kids had their fun, now it's time to die Even now, when I say "my dog died" I feel like I need to clarify that it's my childhood dog, since I'm at an appropriate age to have my "own" dog. And if that hypothetical dog died it would be a different tragedy, since that dog would have to be young. I've never thought of any of this before.

I know it's like she wasn't ever going to outlive me, and my mom's much sadder since she lived with Nickel daily and I've been out of the house for a while, but it's sad and surreal for me. I never really understood how sad it is to lose a pet until now that it happened to me. I always say a courtesy, "I'm so sorry" when someone tells me but I didn't really feel it. I wish I could have been there when was died, but maybe it's better. All I have are the happy memories. Of picking her out when I was in third grade. Of cuddling on the couch. When she used to play balloon volleyball. How all the neighbors in our old neighborhood knew her by name even if they didn't know me. When she would hump the little black stuffed animal.

Nickel was honestly a member of my family, a little weirdly so. The joke was that I was the only member of my immediate family who wanted to admit she was a dog, when everyone else acted like she was human. And that's true. I totally loved her, but I got mad when my high school yearbook ad my parents took out, they signed her name for all of OHS to see. And I still think it's weird that Nickel's in my brother's bar mitzvah pictures. But now I feel like a member of my family died, because it's true Also like the family I had growing up is officially dead. Because it is. Even though they're divorced, my parents literally "co-parented" Nickel, with my dad seeing her whenever possible, even though I just realized he didn't even live with her for half her life. I really think my parents' newfound friendship won't really exist without Nickel as the glue. And my mom might get a dog, or I will, or my dad will, or my brother will, but we'll never have a dog. The only family I ever knew officially doesn't exist anymore. And hopefully one day I will make my own family with my own dog. But that will be that because this was this. And that's sad, but I guess this is growing up.

It’s summer in the city and I’m so lonely, lonely, lonely

2008-06-10T17:18:00.000-07:00

So So said the wise Regina Spektor who supposedly isn’t gay even though most of her songs are about women but she’s singing in “character.” Ok, Regina, whatever. I totally don't believe you. Anyway, I am lonely, lonely, lonely, but my first need in the hierarchy of needs is coolness and I'm more so sweaty, sweaty, sweaty since it's so f-ckin hot here. I am going to splurge for A/C I believe. But my apartment actually isn't so bad, as opposed the office where I wouldn't even go today and camped out at our Brooklyn headquarters because the A/C is down and we CAN'T OPEN WINDOWS AND THERE'S NO FAN. Basically, prison. Ugh, I know in some times and place they deal with this but I grew up in an upper-middle class home in a 1st world country where I feel ok to complain about this.

I just saw kids outside my apartment who took apart the fire hydrant. I really don't think I've ever seen that before outside of books where the protaganist did outside her apartment in the ghetto. Or more likely her neighbors took apart the fire hydrant but she was inside writing short stories and being a loner, since most books are just thinly veiled autobiographies and most authors become, well, authors. That's always sort of bothered me, like, really can't you think of another career for your-loosely-based-on-you-protaganist?

Oh what is it about Forever 21...

2008-05-31T15:37:00.000-07:00

that is just so bloggable? My first blog post almost two years ago was probably the last time I purchased anything at this establishment. My former colleague at the Daily Northwestern has devoted half a blog to educating readers on "Making Forever 21 Your Bitch." And here I am again.

Friday was a day that was too beautiful not to be outside so cut out of work early to walk to Union Square and do some summer shopping. I've recently lost about two clothing sizes worth of weight which makes shopping really fun, 1) because I've been listening to everything society has told me for the last 23 years and would rather be thin than fat and 2) maybe because of 1), or maybe not, clothes just look better when you're thinner. Or at least when I am. I just had an experience last week at one of those boutiques on Bedford Avenue, where I was in a fitting room and the clerk (who was actually nice! A Williamsburg boutique anomaly!) told me how good I looked and I'm like "I haven't been this size since high school!"

So anyway, I'm on a buying spree, and I bought jeans at Banana Republic, then went to Urban Outfitters and tried a bunch of things on. This one shirt looked really great, but it was $48, and I've been spending a lot of money recently and Urban is really overpriced and I found out that this trip I'm taking to Puerto Rico will be a lot more expensive then I anticipated because apparently PR doesn't have hostels and I don't think I'm ever going to get a raise at this job I have now. So I didn't buy it, rationalizing that I could find something comparable at half the price at Forever 21. Totally wrong. After waiting through the massively long line which I think is so long because they realize that if you wait that long on a line, you'll feel like you might as well buy something now. Normally I would just try clothes on in front of a mirror, but since I should have been at work, I had time, so why not get the full experience?

Also, on line I overheard a guy on his cell phone saying "I take cabs now" which just said so much about New York and Forever 21 shoppers and upward mobility. And "I take cabs now" is another possible title for a novel I have yet to write. Basically, if I spent as much time writing as I do thinking of book titles I would be a best-selling author by now.

Anyway, I decided to buy two things I liked but didn't love and were not well-made. One of the items, a blue shirt dress, was worth the $11 I spent. Another plaid jacket, for $28, I realize now doesn't even fit properly, proving that even though I'm thin for me right now, I am a little bit zaftig for Forever 21's target body-shape demographic. And worst of all neither is a replacement for the blouse at Urban. I'm sure there was something comparable in the piles of clothing, but nothing worth I think I'm going to return the poorly fitting jacket-thing and buy the blouse I actually like. I've just spent 10 minutes looking online for a picture of any of the items so I could include a picture with the post but now I have to go, so I will search later.

Monthly blog post

2008-05-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

I figure I should blog once a month if I want anyone to read this ever.
Isn't it crazyness that I've been at my job an entire YEAR now? My first blog post was about how I didn't know if I should answer my work cell after hours. Now I don't really, but I check my work e-mail constantly since I'm all blackberry'd up, but I don't respond unless it will make my life easier the next day. And I have a decent work/life balance. I work kind of a lot now but all New Yorkers seem to work a lot...I think I work a little more than average since I still spend Thursday nights up until all hours, and ok, this week I was semi-on track and I told my editor I'd be done at 9pm and he's like "Oh, do you think you can squeeze out this other story?" "Umm, no," I said. How insane is that, that if I say I'll be done at 9pm that's considered an EARLY NIGHT and I should do a little bit of more work? Ok, so that part of my job I hate since I can never make plans Thursday nights. But that should be changing w/this redesign thing, but enough else I like that that's not bad. Like I get to travel to cool places and am writing cool stories that I enjoy. I feel like I am doing what I like about journalism and not the stuff I don't.

I realized I've been a reporter for almost 10 years. I realized that watching MTV's The Paper aka the greatest show maybe ever, a reality show about a high school newspaper. As a former editor-in-chief and journalism dork I relate to it, though I wasn't as obnoxious as Amanda the editor-in-chief, or at least I don't think so. But then again me and my staff weren't followed around with video cameras so I don't know what people really thought of me or what 17-year old Diana was really like. And anyway after this week, I like Amanda more then I like the popular clique in the back of the room. I wonder if I had ever been the popular clique in the back of the room if I'd like those kids more. But it's so easy to watch a show like that and for me to place myself there, since it's the only reality show I could have actually been a member of. this makes no sense if you haven't seen the show. But you should.

Anyway, that made me realize what those kids are doing is journalism, and I've been doing some form of it since I was a freshman in high school. And it's weird, because I don't know how much longer I'll be a journalist. I might write a book, or some more articles, and I will of course use all the skills I've used all these years, but realistically, I can't see myself working in 90% of journalism venues.. But who knows, maybe I'll continue journalism forever, so no need to get nostalgic about the last ten years before the last ten years have passsed (ben folds).

And I finally got business cards!!! so I won't be leaving my job quite yet.

Also, a note:
I saw Jon Stewart on the street! With his wife and children. On 17th btwn & 6th on the beautiful day Saturday. It was exciting, but not as exciting as when I saw Christy Turlington for some reason. I think because that was my first celeb sighting in nyc after a drought of forever, and now since I'd seen A celebrity, even if it was just a former model, made Jon Stewart less climatic, though I do love him.

Life without decisions

2008-04-20T09:01:00.001-07:00

I've avoided blogging just because I feel like I have nothing to talk about. Which is silly because life is life. I go out. I stay in. I work late. I go home early and nap. I visit friends in other cities. They visit me. I make new friends. I keep the old. (question: Which is silver and which is gold? I imagine that old friends are gold since they're a known commoditiy and new friends are silver since you really know nothing about them.)

So yes, life is happening. But much like Anna Karenina (or at least the way Prof. Gary Morson described it) real change happens gradually and I don't have any high highs or low lows to share.

And I kind of love it. I love that I don't have to look for a new job or a new apartment or move to a new city any time soon. That I don't have to agonize over any decision that's going to affect my life, though I am conscious that every decision I make or don't make will affect my life in unexpected ways later on, but, hey, that's my journey.

I love that after years of stressing over colleges and apartments and roommates and internships and classes I'm able to hold still for a while and just enjoy and build on the life I'm creating for myself. Yeah, I'm sure in a couple years I'll grow bored of my job or apartment or my life and will want to make some changes and will have to make decisions and will possibly go through a quarter-life crisis, but that doesn't matter right now, because I'm not currently at that place. Right now my biggest project is picking out a new bed and my biggest decision is if I should dye my hair red (think how Drew Barrymore does it...I'm open to your feedback, fyi).

A couple weeks ago a Medill freshman who also went to Ossining and I want to be her mentor messaged me asking the typical questions type-A Medill freshmen ask. "If I don't do this internship will it put me at a disadvantage the rest of my life?"-type deal. And I tried to respond appropriately, both giving her the advice I wish I had gotten that would have maybe helped me succeed, while at the same time stressing the fact that 94% of the stuff I spent way too much energy stressing out is so irrelevant and you don't know where life will lead you and most decisions aren't right or wrong.

I'm sure she won't listen. I'm sure I wouldn't have listened to myself. But now that I am where I am and in a pretty happy place I realize I spent way too much energy being stressed about decisions. And I'm sure when I have to make more decisions I will stress about those as well even though they will not be as important as I think they will be at the time. But for now I am totally ok with living in the moment as much as I know how which isn't very much, but I'm trying.

LIFE ROUNDUP

2008-03-28T06:18:00.000-07:00

-I turned 23 on March 23 and because I was in Chicago and traveled back to New York at night, the time change means my birthday was only 23 hours. According to Wikipedia, "23 is considered either lucky, unlucky, sacred to the goddess Eris, sinister, sacred to the unholy gods of the Cthulhu Mythos, or strange." I'm going to go with lucky, just for my own sanity?

And I also think this will be a good year. I had a lovely birthday in Chicago. It was low-key, with friends, fun and alcohol. The whole weekend was just really fun. I arrived during a snow storm (the fact that I arrived at all was a birthday/Easter miracle). It was fun being back in Chicago, which I've decided, although slightly worse than New York in terms of weather, transportation and fun brings more happiness to its beholders.

-Not as fun as New York or Chicago? Albany. I was there for two days for work. Remember when I used to travel to fun places? Despite the city of Albany not contributing to this , it was actually a pretty fun trip. See press coverage here:http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S393071.shtml?cat=300 And I really like learning how state government works (in a non-prostitute way, I mean) .

-Today is the 10 year anniversary of my bat mitzvah.

-I was up early finishing work and since I'm calling into the Friday am meeting then taking the afternoon off and going to yoga so no need to shower yet really, I decided to be "productive." I just wrote my first Yelp review ever (since Marissa and Alana correctly noted that I essentially think in Yelp reviews, so I should just putting my thoughts of the internet for the benefit of others). I wrote about the S 4th Bar & Cafe, since I was so impressed by it last night. I went there to do work and drink tea and had free wireless until 11pm, and when I finished I hung out at the bar and drank wine with a woman who was celebrating because she had just told her husband, for the first time in 5 years of marriage, that he was repeatedly verbally abusing her.

-I also wrote a letter to the NYTimes Ethicist. The contents of my letter actually occurred.

I work at a large non-profit in New York City. The organization doesn't recycle, and there are no bins or system in place to make it easily accessible. When I mentioned this fact to two of the janitors, both said they are glad we don't recycle, since it would make their jobs harder. I had been considering asking senior management if recycling could be implemented, but now I'm hesitant. I want our organization to recycle, but I also don't want to make other people, particularly those who aren't paid much to begin with, responsible for more work because of it, What's a "good liberal" to do? D.S., Brooklyn, NY DO NOT PRINT MY NAME!

It's actually not a dilemma to me. I sent it in because I think Randy Cohen will publish it because it's totally up his alley, and I really want Gawker's Unethicist to make fun of it, which is why I am not dumb enough to bring my real name. But for the record, I care more about the people I work with then I do about the future of the earth so I will stay quiet. But you all can feel free to give your responses, and I will judge you accordingly.

My day

2008-03-05T15:55:00.000-08:00

By now you've probably seen the website Stuff White People Like, which is really stuff the liberal urban young people like. For a fun exercise, since I have an hour to kill before pilates, I will go through my day and will reference this informative blog as I lead you through my day. Feel free to follow along.

My alarm went off at 7:30am and then I pressed snooze until 8am, checked the election results on nytimes.com on my blackberry and was disappointed that Barack Obama didn't win (even though I was conflicted until recently) ate cereal and then I left my gentrified neighborhood in New York City to work at a non profit organization.

I wrote article about needle exchange and some government policy that would apparently increase homelessness, so I was raising awareness about what's best for poor people . I should note that in my department, I am the only white woman, something I am very excited about, because, duh, I love diversity and being the only white person around.

For lunch I went to S'Nice, a vegan coffee shop where the guy who delivers the food (I guess waiter, but not really since we order at the counter) called me by name which was superexciting, had a Quinoa salad and coffee and read the New Yorker and the Wall Street Journal. Not all of it, just an article about math in the New Yorker (that was really good, and totally made sense) and about Mark Zuckerberg in the WSJ. These might sound like publications for smart people, and let me tell you, I am smart. I was once a gifted child.

When I was at work but not actually working I read Caitlin's blog from Japan; discussed my new obsession this amazing American Life episode about a Hasid and a hipster (public radio). I'm sad that I spent so much of my life not listening to This American Life when David Sedaris was on, since I do love him. I answered an e-mail from someone traveling to South Africa, recommending a hostel. I also scoured the internet trying to figure out if Ellen Page (Juno) is gay. I think she is. I feel like she would totally go to the Metropolitan too, which would be the best thing ever if she was just randomly there on a Wednesday night.

After I realized I was scarily on track for work this week, I left at 5:45, grabbed a Luna bar, and got on the L, hoping to make a 6:30 yoga class a 10 blocks from me. But despite my powerwalking, I get there at 6:26pm, all proud of myself, but the room is packed to the max, because after all, there are a lot of other white people in my neighborhood.

They could have maybe squeezed me in, but the leader basically said it would make everyone else uncomfortable, so not wanting to be that person, I left, and the leader apologized about 8 times.

I then came home, blogged what you're reading and watched my DVR'd The Daily Show. Since I am all about self-improvement and following through on exercising, I'm going to go to Pilates at the location nearer to me very soon (It starts at 8:15, but I'm going to be early, since I learned my lesson), which is fine, except I didn't want to eat before since I know I'll be hungry after so I ate grapes and half a cookie, and maybe after pilates if I'm hungry, I'll buy sushi at the overpriced grocery co-op down the street. Or I'll just have a lean cuisine since I had sushi Monday.

K, this took me an hour to write. But I think it was worth it.

Coffee shop blogging!!!

2008-03-03T12:57:00.000-08:00

After running extraordinarily late this morning and realizing my boss wouldn't be in to object otherwise, I decided to work from home today. So I went to this nearby coffee shop that I'm really into until I have to go do interviews and such.

Of the three other people sitting on their laptops at the tables around me NO ONE else in the coffee shop has a word document or an excel sheet, or a powerpoint, or anything that looks like work. Girl to my left: facebook. Girl to my right: Yelp. Guy across from me: gmail (which could be work related). Who are all these people? What do they do with their lives? Granted I am on blogger now and earlier on facebook, but I also wrote an ENTIRE article. maybe they're all about to. Are they all DJs or bartenders or strippers other nighttime jobs and are just hanging out getting lifecrap done? I am confused. Ok, now I have to go home to do interviews and such and don't want to talk and thus interrupt all these people doing whatever it is they do all day.

Get-my-life-together day

2008-02-18T19:47:00.001-08:00

Best President's Day EVER.
After sleeping in until 10 a.m., which as everyone knows is the perfect hour of sleeping in, I read online news sources, listened to "You Were Right" by Badly Drawn Boy radio station on Pandora (which I totally forgot about for months but is such an ingenious invention), played facebook Scrabulous (Josh, I think I'm much better now...or the people I've played against are just worse than you. Rematch?) and looked at the facebook profiles of all the new friends I suddenly have because apparently it's acceptable for urban baby boomers to be on facebook now. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I have been plugging facebook since 2004, and my new fbook contacts are work people and not my parents friends or my friends parents or anything, buuut I have to say, I'm a little protective of facebook. It's the one contribution my generation has contributed to society (unless you count the Mary Kate & Ashley branding or Obama-mania) and it feels weird that it's being appropriated by the grown-ups. But I'm technically a grown-up now, I realize.

Speaking of which, one of my big accomplishments today was I bought AND installed curtains for my room. Maybe you don't realize how huge this is. I'm not sure why this task was procrastinated beyond the point where my father was still regularly offering to buy me apartment things because he was "so proud of me" but it was and the sheets that were taped to my windows fell down yesterday so that was the last straw since it's something that's been bothering me for a while and I always feel the need to justify to visitors why I have makeshift curtains, even though they probably don't care, except my aunt, who seemed to care and judge when she visited. But I was judging myself too. Anyway, last night I took the appropriate first step and I googled "installing shades" and realized I can just buy an adjustable rod, and found this handy quote from my now soulmate HomeEnvy.com ToolGirl Mag Ruffman: "There are two kinds of people in the world: the kind who use towels and old blankets for curtains, and the kind who go to the trouble of installing proper drapes." Well, while I've made clear here that like Tina Fey, I'm in the first camp, I am an aspiring second camper so a quick jaunt to Bed, Bath and Beyond and $80 later, my windows are the proud displayers of the cheapest curtains BBB had that are in every post-college apartment (mine are green). On a productivity kick, I then installed the curtains in my roommate's room that been lying around for months (she's also in the first camp...hence our sparsely decorated apartment).
THEN, after setting up my retirement account (I told you, this day was wicked productive), I went to a yoga class that is half a block from my apartment. While I don't presently love yoga, I don't hate it which is the highest praise I can give exercise and while I don't like working out in a group settings since I feel judged, I know I won't do anything on my own. So until I can afford a personal yoga guru, this is a good alternative. And when I'm good enough, my goal is to take a 7am "express class" before work, since it's so close I could go and still be at work by 9:30 and I could be one of those people I've always admired who works out before work. We'll see. I'll try. But I want to do yoga a lot and be disciplined about it and make it my thing and in 10 years be incredible and go on yoga retreats in Nepal and when people admire my skill level I'll be like, "You'll never believe this, but 10 years ago, I totally sucked at yoga." Except, in my yoga-inspired state, I won't say "totally sucked at yoga" but rather "hadn't found my inner chi" or some shit like that.

The week where everything was super

2008-02-04T20:21:00.000-08:00

South williamsburg seems to have a 3 H demographic: Hispanics, Hipsters and Hispanics, with the first group supposedly swawing towards Hillary However, when I entered the Williamsburg Middle School (a mere block from my apartment, who knew?) polling place at 9:45 a.m. the Hasids were MIA and Hispanics were dominent. According to conventional wisdom, which is usually wrong, that means Hillary probably has the advantage. Although , it was may have been too early for many of the "creative types", meaning Obama still has a chance (see http://votingisthenewapathy.com/)

I spent a good portion of yesterday trying to decide who to vote for. This is the first election where my vote has the chance of mattering since I vote for Evanston's alderman sophomore year. And I care, deeply and am also I think unusually well-informed on the policy details. But more in a political wonky way then in a supporting candidate way, since besides for their health care (where I agree w/Hillary) they are the same-enough in policy.

I love that Obama could be superduper-awesome and that he has inspired so many people and even people who would normally vote Republican love him. But part of me just doesn't believe he'll be able to hack it. Where as Hill prob can, but the chances of her being superduper awesome and inspiring are slim. Also, I hate the whole "ready on day one." Umm, I'm sorry Obama never got to live in the White House. Is that a requirement nowadays? I don't fault someone for never being married to a former president, and in fact it's kind of a negative in my book. Plus, it sucks that so many people hate her no matter what and she would always go in with that. Why start off with a president half the country hates, even if they are totally dumb for hating her?

But I truly like her as a person, which I was reminded of when she was interviewed by Tyra (who I was reminded that I don't like).

Way off topic paragraph: I wrote Hillary a letter in second grade telling her I wanted to be president. I still have the form letter she wrote back in my scrapbook from that year. (I also have the picture that Mary-Kate and Ashley sent me after I wrote them asking me to join their fan club. I remember being so offended by this shameless commercialism even at age seven.) But anyway, while I have long since given up aspirations of the presidency, when I told my teacher, who was old and had been teaching for many years, this ambition in second grade, she said I was the first girl student who ever told her she wanted to be president. I imagine that if she was still teaching this wouldn't be the case, and I think Hillary has played a huge part in that. So I applaud her.

So yesterday morning I told myself I was voting for Clinton. Except I realized I'd rather Obama be president. I kind of wanted to vote for her so if I ever met her I could be like, "I voted for you" since of the two she is the one I'd rather sit down and have a beer with (though we'd both probably prefer wine).

But when I think of Obama being president it feels just way more exciting. Something new and different. Like, I don't want a Clinton redux since being president should mean you make longlasting changes, not make things ok for 8 years. And part of it's peer pressure, which feels wrong to say, but I'm sure I'm not the only one. I want to be a part of what all the cool kids in my generation are doing (And Obama is totally a cool kid and always has been), and while I'd rather tell Hillary I'm voting for her, I'd rather tell my peers I'm voting for Obama.

So I decided to vote for Obama.

On Sunday I watched the Super Bowl at a bar full of Giants fans. While I had not stake in the game, by the end I was SO EXCITED that the Giants won, that I couldn't imagine ever feeling ambivilent.

And that's sort of how I feel now. As I was walking back from the poll, I swear to G-D, I found myself, without even thinking, singing on the way back from the poll "The times they are a changing..." And then as I was leaving the poll, I saw a man with an Obama sign, and I smiled at him. And he smiled back.GO OBAMA! (unless Hillary wins the nominiation, then I've totally got her back).

it's 5:04 p.m., do you know where your day went?

2008-02-02T16:08:00.001-08:00

Today I woke up and looked at my clock. It said 5:04. Crazy, I thought, it can't be 5 a.m. because I feel like I've slept a lot longer than that. No it was 5:04 P.M (i wish making P.M capital letters had the effect capitalization usually has). I'm not sick. I don't have my period. I went to bed at 2:30a.m. I turned my phone off because I was planning on sleeping in. But sleeping in like noon. But I slept almost 15 HOURS FOR NO REASON AT ALL! And I'm not that sleep deprived either. My roommate is gone so I didn't hear the t.v. on or whatever, but still. I thought I was growing out of my adolescence sleeping patterns but I guess not.

The one good thing about totally sleeping through life is that I don't have to make any choices. On days when I've woken up at 2 without a scheduled plan I have to spend time thinking, 'Should I be productive today?Do laundry? Clean? Go be cultured and go to a museum? Go shopping?'. Today there was none of that. And none of those things are so incredible or necessary that I really missed out, especially since this weekend is the first in forever I've had both a Saturday and a Sunday free. I have evening plans in a couple hours so all I had to do was shower and dress and now I'm blogging. I literally had no day.

But I think I am making more efficient use of my waking hours, and doing both fun New York City things and neighborhoody things. Last week I went to Sushi Samba (which used to be cool when Sex and the City was on) for restaurant week and also saw this benefit show that included rap and burlesque. Plus I'm figuring out fun bars and restaurants in Williamsburg. Ok, this paragraph was totally just to justify that I am not a waste of life.
;aj'iaenkbmn;.fer

life update

2008-01-27T17:14:00.000-08:00

"It's kind of hard to take life advice from a single woman who's using her treadmill as a hanger for a wedding dress. And who's wearing a one piece swimsuit instead of underwear."
-Jenna (Jane Krakowski) about Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) on 30 Rock.
Perhaps everyone feels this way but I relate to Liz Lemon more than any fictional character ever. I have def worn a bathing suit instead of underwear on more than one occasion, and while I don't have a wedding dress I haven't returned, I totes relate to Liz's reason that "my internet was being weird" and to her other hot mess moment that she had yet to put together a desk (since I'm having the exact same experience at this very moment). ughhhh, willl I ever get my life together? At least Tina Fey makes it all look good. I love Tina Fey like woah. When will the writer's strike be over?

anyway, so since I last spoke:

Monday I went to Myrtle Beach for literally 24 hours. In that time I covered/participated in and AIDS rally, attended Obama's debate watching party (super-fun, and unlike Clinton's comparable party free food and open bar) and shook Obama's hand. Quite fun. And Ithink I'm supporting him now though I keep going back and forth so we shall see.

Friday I ran into a Northwestern person at a bar which always makes me happy because I'm still nostalgic for the college lifestyle apparently. Like not so nostalgic that I actually want to go back, since while I really enjoyed college for the most part I really think my life is only getting better from this point forward. And maybe that's naive, but I think it's true. Still there's something nice about being somewhere where everybody knows your name.

Last night I slept 13 hours for no reason except for apparently being very tired and now I will never fall asleep again. And now I'm bored. After doing nothing today. Well, not nothing. I had dinner with Tina in Williamsburg and went grocery shopping and did dishes. And took a shower. But as Becca noted when you have to count a shower that is pretty bad.

Live-blogging the debate

2008-01-15T19:43:00.000-08:00

Not really. And not that you need any political analysis, but I'm alone in my apt and want to share my thoughts. But I think I heart Obama again. He's sounding so smart. That's kind of a relief.

And Edwards makes me want to take a shower. He's populist for the sake of being populist.

Also my political theory which I want to share: Hillary's always going to poll lower than she is, because people don't want to admit they like her. I like her fine, but I'm back on the Obama track.

Politics really is to me what sports or fashion or other things are to other people. It's basically just gossip and judging people, but it feels more important because the country's future is at stake.

Cruising

2008-01-15T17:38:00.000-08:00

As I reported earlier, I just came back from a 9 day cruise to the Caribbean, which was quite lovely. Unlike my previous cruises in high school (two stages of life ago, fyi) I didn't make any "cruise friends"--more like cruise acquaintances. Also, my peer group was mostly on their honeymoons. My brother and I were actually asked twice if we were married.

Lack of friends meant I hung out with my brother for the first time in forever, and was able to see him as an adult, which was quite priceless, really.

What else did I do? I got a mild tan. Wore pretty dresses. Probably gained weight from my daily bacon consumption and four course dinners (which were actually kind of underwhelming). Went snorkling in Tortolla, which is a beautiful island. Went horse back-riding through the countryside and the ocean(!). Took an improv workshop with the Second City touring group. Got really competitive during movie trivia. Went on a fishig boat tour where we didn't catch any fish but still had fun since there were fun people on the boat in Antigua. Went on a lame (and rainy) booze cruise in Barbados. Played blackjack with a $100 gift from my dad and after winning multiple days and becoming the child prodigy of the table, lost, so I guess winning doesn't count. Drank fruity drinks. And didn't check e-mail for 9 days which was probably a record for me since, I don't know...when I went on my teen tour in 2000. No joke. That's the longest I've gone without the internet in 7.5 years. That's kind of gross. But at least I know it's not a physical addiction.

Every island reminded me of Africa in a different way, so I'm sure I annoyed my dad and brother being like "These street vendors in St. Lucia remind me of Cape Town!" and "This poverty in Dominican Republic reminds me of the townships!"

I know most people I talked to on the ship wished we skipped it, but Samana, DR I actually really liked despite the poverty, and I kind of liked knowing that tourism was helping their economy. white guilt was rampant on my tour, and people handed kids money for "being cute." During this mini-hike we went on through to a waterfall in the mud and rain these Dominican kids took our hands and wanted money at the end. It was fun the way down when I practiced my 7th grade Spanish,(I literally remember nothing from after that...so sad) asking the boy "What is your name?", "How old are you?" and "Are you from here?" and my dad gave him $2. But we literally had no money after, so I told a girl who tried to take my hand "no tengo dinero" and she ran off to help someone else. A smaller girl, about 8 came by and I told her the same but I don't think she understood because when I told her again at the end, she was MAD. She literally gave me the evil eye until I left. It was so awkward. "You can stop feeling guilty," my dad told me unhelpfully, but whatever.

The other islands were much wealthier and thus a happier place to be a tourist. I've decided, by the way, a cruise is a very middle class experience. Rich and poor people go to Disneyworld but probably not on a cruise. Thought to pondor.

In other news, I hate CNN. I keep watching it for my election coverage, especially on the cruise, without internet, but I despise it. There is no analysis. Just reaction. The talking heads are complete crap. I particularly hate Donna Brazile, the black woman who worked for Gore I believe, who will spit out lines like "Iowa's voters choosing Obama shows they wanted change" or "Hillary Clinton's crying obviously resonated with voters." Stop talking out of your ass lady.
Thank g-d Jon Stewart and Colbert are back on the air. They aren't that crappy without writer.

happy new year!/adventures in voter registration

2008-01-02T14:46:00.000-08:00

So I guess the holiday season is over and it's cold, but this only makes me more excited for the cruise I'm going on tomorrow (!!!!), to the Caribbean (!!!!!!), all-expenses paid (!!!!!) courtesy of my father. And I'm glad the New Years is over, since obv forced fun stresses me out. It was totally fine though. We had a lovely pre-party with a pretty good turnout of pretty great people. Then I went to a College Humor party in a Williamsburg warehouse, a last minute decision that sounds much cooler on paper then on the actual fun I had and since I was wine-drunk (ie. really tired) I left embarassingly early (though I did stay past midnight, so I'm not 67 years old yet). I think my New Years resolution is not to stay out later, but to make myself have more fun when I'm out so I WANT to stay out later.

Today was fun in a super-mundane way. Planning for vacations usually stresses me out (life pattern, anyone?) but since I've been off work since Friday I've been able to casually do the things I need to do to prep, though not buy a new bathing suit since I couldn't find a store that sold them. I spent the morning dropping off my laundry (not doing it), then getting a manicure, pedicure, bikini wax and an impulse-purchase arm wax which was possibly the best impulse purchase of my life and I'm not sure why I didn't do it 10 years ago.

Then I mailed in my application to register to vote. Such a process! I printed the form online, then went to the post office to get stamps (side note: the only time I remember that my postal code is swarming with Hasidic jews is when I go to a common area like, well, a post office) and then after buying stamps I saw that they had voter registration forms that I could use that didn't even need stamps! So I filled one of those out, but I had to be very careful since none of the English-language ones were there, so I translated my filled out form onto a Spanish languange one, hence saving myself whatever a stamp costs.

And the only reason I even knew the primary deadline is January 11 in NY (take note New Yorkers) is because Obama's people smartly e-mailed me, though it's actually not that smart, because despite my earlier allegance to the man, I'm kind of over him and am quite conflicted about who I'm voting for, but I think he might be 3rd place on my list since I am underwhelmed by his policy positions and don't know if he'll be an effective prez. I know I SHOULD vote for Edwards since he's the most liberal, but I kind of think it's special that we can elect a woman or a black president, and since I also think Edwards is kind of gross. I'll probably vote for Hillary, but still, I'm conflicted.

Anyway, and if I didn't register today I wouldn't be registered for the primaries. I almost considered not registering, since I like all 3 frontrunners (for the Dems, obv) but don't lovelovelove anyone enough to care which one wins. But then I realized that is the most hypocritical thing I could do, since while my vote only matters a little, it does matter a little, at least for the primaries, and politics is something I genuinely care about, and if a political dork like me can't take the time to register to vote, how can I complain about my fellow apathetic Americans? Granted, most Americans don't move every year like I do, but still, point given.

ok, so that is that. Have a good week and I will blog post-cruise. I am soooo excited to be disconneted from the internet and phone for 9 days. And I never thought I'd say that.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T16:54:00.000-08:00

NOT "happy holidays" , even though the people "Happy Holidays" is supposed to protect is people like me, the poor little-Jew girls who don't celebrate Christmas. But saying "happy holidays" is kind of pathetic when Hanukah was basically a month ago and it's not like I was wished "happy holidays" then and I basically forgot it was Hanukah in general. And Kwanzaa does NOT count as "happy holidays" because as we white people have whispered for quite a while, 'who actually celebrates Kwanzaa?.' I've yet to meet anyone who JUST celebrates Kwanzaa. It's like a whipped cream holiday---basically an addition.
So anyway, I agree with Bill O'Reilly and his War on Christmas and I'm so over saying Happy Holidays for the end of December when what we really mean in Merry Christmas, although I did sign all of my work-related e-mails "happy holidays" for two weeks as to not seem unfriendly.

anywayyyy, even though my Hanukah was a non-event, my Christmas was nice. My dad and brother met me in Midtown and we saw "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" (pretty cute) and ate Chinese food. Even though like all people who want to pretend to be real New Yorkers, I hate Midtown, it was a really nice place to be on Christmas Day. A lot was open, and especially with the weather good, a lot of people were around. I feel like Brookln basically emptied out over the weekend, since everyone went home for Christmas. It was so weird. Kind of fun. My roommate and I went to a bar at 6pm Saturday because we were so bored. Umm, and any straight girls out there, if you are interested in getting the affections of guys, perhaps go to a bar at 6pm on Christmas weekend. I haven't gotten so much male attention since being a white girl in Zambia.

Then last night aka Christmas Eve, after working from home during the day, I went to my friend Odette's family Christmas party in NJ (she's the one I met in a coffee shop in San Francisco, and we're still friends which is really cute). It was fun, even though it was basically a high school reunion for her friends so I ended up hanging out with her sister and friend who see each other often enough that they include me in their non-catchup coversation. I didn't sleep over because my dad and brother were coming in today, but I should have. Especially because taking the train home I got off at Penn Station. Did you know there are TWO Penn Stations? WTFFFFFF? I got off at Penn Station, NJ. in Newark. UGHHHHH. And I didn't know when the next train was coming bc it was late so I had to pay the $50+toll and tip and ATM fee since I didn't have this money to get me to Manhattan, where I still had to take a subway, since getting to Brooklyn would have been $20 more, but at least he dropped me off at 14th &1st. Anyway, super-stressful experience, and I almost considered selling an armchair on Craigslist to make up for this loss of cash, but today I came to my senses and realized the chair, which my mom had gotten as a handmedown and was about 15 years old, would have only fetched $20 and just put the chair on the street where a neighbor could take it (which is a really cool thing about NYC).

And I am obsessed with money I realized. That's what the horoscope I took on the way home from Alabama said, and I laughed it off. But it's so true. I think about money all the time. Not about being rich, but like, that losing $60+totally stresses me out.
Oh, we got a couch, which is why we got rid of a chair. And Crystal put it together while I was in NJ which was really amazing and nonstressful.

so i can handle my life and I din't think I'm as crazy as this entry makes me seem. But maybe I am.

2007-12-16T18:09:00.000-08:00

Today I went to Ossining for the day to participate in a special edition of the book club: the mother-daughter one. It was really wonderful since I love all those girls and their moms.

And it was weird how an hour north of the city it's all snowy and wintery. When I was waiting at the train station to go back to the city I asked "is this going to ny?" And the guy's like, "you mean grand central?" But in a way where he wasn't particularly trying to be helpful, more like "umm, you're in ny already" and I wanted to be like "I'm from here, but in this context you knew what I meant."

I'm happy I'm not still living at home and seeing my ossining friends I'm one of the first to "get out" yet I like being in the city but sometimes I feel like living in williamsburg and nyc in general is wasted on me. I only like going out in limited doses, ditto shopping, and I don't take advantage of all the cool different things there are to do. And living in ny is hard and stressful and I feel like quality of life is less here than other perfectly nice cities. So, and I know I'll be in ny for at least the next couple of yrs, and I'm totally not depressed or anything and think this is the right place for me right now, but I think in the longterm new york will not be sustainable for me.

BLOG RETRACTION

2007-12-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

Remember yesterday how I told you a guy who looked like Bono told me "I'm not who you think I am?" and I, and my editor and my editor's boss who was also there decided not to believe him?

It turns out this man was telling the truth...Thewashingtonpost.com reports:

Bono at BWI?! Well, Sort Of.
We should have figured there was a professional Bono impersonator out there! The FauxBono who drew a crowd and posed for pictures at BWI Monday night was Pavel Sfera , a 42-year-old former property manager turned U2 frontman look-alike. He told us yesterday that for years people noticed his resemblance to the Irish rocker (they've never met); he finally decided to go pro (sunglasses, rosary, guitar, stubble) in 2000. "I make a living -- it's a humble one, but a living," said the Los Angeles-based Sfera, who was in D.C. to schmooze the USO and was trying to get permission to visit troops at Walter Reed.
Oh, and Sfera says he never tries to fool anyone, but half the time, people don't believe him when he says he's not Bono: "It's that willful suspension of disbelief." So he usually doesn't say anything -- just poses for pictures, and signs "Love every day" and "Be happy" when asked for an autograph. "I'm very gracious with people."

AWKWARD! I'm embarassed that I didn't fact check, and I trusted everyone especially the Getty photograher who assured me who was there who said, "It's really Bono" and posted the pictures on the Getty site. I wonder if they're labeled... hmmm. I called the ONE campaign to try to get a comment from the real Bono, but I doubt that will happen. I'm just glad I didn't put the Bono-sighting in the lede.

OK, and now is where I'm so glad I'm an "advocacy journalist" and not a "journalist journalist" because if I were actually working for a real newspaper or something I could quite-probably be fired.

celeb interview!

2007-12-13T07:59:00.000-08:00

So I was in d.c. marching in and covering a protest as per usual. I wasn't that excited since by now I've been to about one protest a week for the last 6 mths and was more excited to watch project runway w my northwestern friends in d.c afterwards (which also involved aids randomly). Anyway, this protest,This one was surrounding the AIDS crisis in Puerto Rico and how no one is taking blame even though there is much blame to go around. And it was actually fun and I think useful with raising awareness.

But anyway, as we're marching and chanting, this guy who looks like Bono stops by. I know! I found out today he was in dc for this launch of the one campaign's tv ads in iowa and nh. How random! Guy in charge talks to him, and then I ask for a quick interview.

Bono holds my hand in his leather glove and pulls me aside. I ask him if he knew about the AIDS crisis in puerto rico. Bono says, "first of all, I'm not who you think I am." Now all I can think is 'omg, what if it's not bono and is an impersonator? Just a guy who looks like bono and is playing along' so I'm only half-paying attention to whatever nonsequiter answer he's telling me.but then as he turns away and leaves I ask, "what's your name" just to be sure. He said "Paul" and my boss checked and paul is bono's real name so phew. And apparently real aida activists don't really like bono but I'm undecided about him.

Now I'm trying to figure out if bono's more famous than julie andrews so I can decide who the most famous person I've met is. I think we've decided right now bono is more famous, but history will judge Julie Andrews on top.

In other news I'm on amtrak back from dc (since blackberrying in transit is the only way I blog anymore) and I'm in the nonquiet car just in case I had to do an interview via cell phone. I reallyreally hope airplanes never allow cells bc that would suck. The guy in front of me got in a fight with his girlfriend about how she doesn't even fix him a dinner plate and he wants his $10 back and I think this fight is symbolic of larger issues.

also...

2007-12-03T14:44:00.001-08:00

I forgot the best part of the bus adventure so now that I'm in the terminal I'll tell you before I have to write an article (ugh, I've become such a working person)

When at port authority, I wasn't sure where to go and I looked lost as per usual. A man asked if I was looking for the airport shuttle. I said yes, to laguardia. He guided me where to go. The whole exchange took about 30 seconds. "Thank you!" I said.
"Can I have a tip?" The man asked, not rudely.
But also not rudely I said, "a tip? You just did something nice. I do things like what you did every single day and I've never once asked for money." He smiled sheepishly and we waved goodbye.

While what I said was totally accurate and I don't feel bad, it is interesting that when I was in south africa I would have (and did) tip people in the "informal sector"for doing things that in the us didn't warrent a tip because it was more common there and also my white/american guilt was running so high I felt it was the least I can do. But other than make me feel better what did those 5 rands (at that time approx 75 cents) actually do? I'm sure there's the rare story of a car guard (people you tip to watch your car) who saves up his money and put his kids through university. But not to sound so republicanesque but handouts or paying people just because you feel guilty does nothing to "break the cycle of poverty." Like I'm not saying eliminate welfare or anything and maybe I'm just thinking abt that nytimes article I read abt malawi which many of you prob read bc it was the 2nd most e-mailed article today.

Ok,that was really deep for a blackberry entry. Now I'm going to conserve battery, byeeeee.

blogging from the bus

2007-12-03T14:44:00.000-08:00

I am on the bus from port authority to laguardia to go cover this conference in atlanta. One sign says "happy holiday" in red bubble letters (apparently no one got the memo abt hanukah and kwanzaa and that "holiday' is now plural). Another sign says (punctuation accurate) "Driver TIPS not included
In your ticket.
Thank you!!!!" And then there's a picture of a $5 bill. Is that an appropriate tip? I'm one of 3 people on a coach bus and the cost was $12 for the ticket. Hmmm
And I don't know how to expense a tip.

In the past I was righteously indignant about my organization"s "strong preference" that I take public transport. But now I'm less annoyed, since if I show some effort w the public transport I don't feel guilty abt taking a cab other times. Plus, going to ATL was MY idea. It's not like I'm doing anyone a favor by going, it's more visa versa. As long as I catch the plane I'm fine.

Wow, we're here already. That was quick.

Arizona "celebrity" sighting!

2007-11-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

For those of you who know me, or just read my blog, I am really into celebrity sightings though I never ever see celebrities, since either I apparently am not going to the right places or I'm just missing out. A couple weeks ago four seconds before I arrived at the line for some trendy club in the Meatpacking district, Tina and Kendra saw Lance Bass. I did not. Last week Laural saw a girl from Le Tigre in the line for the bathroom at the Metropolitan. I was there, but I did not, though I probably wouldn't have recognized her if I had seen her, which brings up another important point of celebrity sightings— you have to recognize the celeb by face in order to actually sight them.

But when I went to Phoenix, AZ this week to visit Becca I saw a "celebrity" who I did recognize. On Monday, my last night in town, Becca and I were enjoying margaritas and goat cheese pizza at this restaurant at the mall in Scottsdale. Then this woman walked in, and I said, "Ohmygod, that girl is from Tila Tequila!" recognizing the curly-haired girl as Rebecca, the slutty girl who Tila was really "down with" but then hooked up with Brandi and that other guy in the big bed so Tila kicked her out after feeling betrayed.

I wanted to ask this woman if she was on MTV, but I didn't, though I kind of know my Tila Tequila stars, and while I know is a totally trashy show but is the best horrible show on tv and I still DVR each episode, and a quick internet search revealed I was indeed correct and slutty Rebecca is a go-go dancer in Phoenix. Becca said she was a little embarassed for me but not that much and I agree.

In Phoenix, non-F list celebrity news, I had a lovely time on my holiday. It was really relaxing, the weather was fabulous and I had lots of fun with Becca eating good food, going to the zoo, getting a massage and seeing American Gangster (and reading the ny magazine article that inspired the quite excellent movie). I don't think I'd want to live in Phoenix (not that I'd ever considered it), since I wouldn't want to live in a driving city where everything it located in shopping centers, but it was a quite nice place to visit, and I'm jealous of Becca's huuuge nice apartment with a pool and a tennis court.

And now I still have five days left of my holiday! life is good.

Talkin' bout my generation

2007-11-10T14:48:00.000-08:00

Since I graduated and have started interacting with people older than me, I've been really obsessed with what it means to be a party of "my" generation, which I guess is "The Millenials" or "Generation Y" a generation, that as my friend Tony once said, our biggest accomplishment "is popularizing, though not creating, the internet smiley face :)" I feel that I fit a lot of the descriptions I've read--my parents are very involved in my life, sometimes more as "friends" then parents; I am always online, especially facebook; I want a job that is emotionally fulfilling; I'm more likely to talk about changing the world then do anything to actually change it.

So considering all this, I'm surprised that until I read Tina's comments and this article "Generation Overwhelmed"
(http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=generation_overwhelmed#comments) in response to Thomas Friedman's column "Generation Q" I didn't connect my disdain for protests as a part of my generation. I think I didn't make the connection because many of the people I see protesting are older, so I think in some ways the state of protests right now is a comment on the state of the world right now, and not just of people my age. But given the role models set for us people my age are supposed to be leading the protests, so I guess it's all circular? And me, as a liberal college educated person, should be part of that, right? But I'm not reallly.

Ok, to summarize (but do read both yourself): Friedman wrote what I thought was a kind of condescending column based on his experiences with his daughter Orly (who's my age, and it seems everyone I ever met from Maryland was bff with her at some point in their childhood) and his other daughter and some ROTC kids he met on college campuses that were state schools who consistute his random sample.

Apparently our generation is "too quiet" and "too online" for the huge problems we'll need to conquer—terrorism, global warming, the huge debt Bush is leaving us, etc, etc. Then this American Progress writer said we are just overwhelmed by so many choices of what to get involved in, so we talk about the world but we don't really know what to do, so we just go on facebook and have dance parties.

I agree and disagree with both of them. I agree with Progress girl that the protests for the Iraq war left me jaded that we can't really do anything. And I felt the same at March for Women's Lives when I went to D.C. freshman year and was so excited and uplifted until I realized the hundreds of thousands of people marching did NOTHING to stop Bush from staying president as all the speakers promised it would (though I'm sure it didn't help that Kerry didn't bother to show up at the rally and instead sent his liberal daughter as a surrogate). And some point that year me and my roommates, in a burst of 3am genius, decided to launch "Generation Why the Fuck" which was going to be a revolution, but in the end it was just a sign we put on the outside of our dorm room that eventually fell down.

But I don't think it's just that there are so many things going wrong that we're overwhelmed by what to pick. I'm sure there's ALWAYS so much going wrong. It's just that none of the things going wrong are immediately impacting my life right now. It's as David Brooks just said in a column I would link to if I wasn't so lazy: Most Americans are deeply upset with the state of the country but are satisfied with their own lives. And I definitely think that applies to me.

But the false nostalgia everyone has of the hippie days of the late 60s, when the young white elites (of which I consider myself a part right now) were politically active, from everything I've read and heard, the political WAS the personal. I'm not worried about my brother and my friends being drafted, so I'm morally opposed to the war in abstract, but not enough to do anything drastic. I cried when we bombed Afghanistan the first time, but now I barely read the articles about Iraq because I don't want to deal with it. And even the civil rights fight, where the white elites didn't HAVE to do anything, and most didn't, I think it was still much closer to home and was really a part of the fabric of America, though that's just a guess.

Same with the ACT UP protests of the 80s. Those "gay white men" and friends everyone talks about who had those amazing protests were fighting for their lives. Literally. I have to imagine if half of my friends were dying of AIDS and the government wasn't doing anything to help, I would hope I would do something, but again, I don't know. Now, I have lots of friends with HIV/AIDS...but only because of my job, not because lots of people in my normal circle of upper-middle class college grads are getting infected in droves But even my friends and colleagues with HIV are thankfully not wasting away. While many people in the U.S. are of course still dying of AIDS, if they have money and catch it early enough, HIV and AIDS is manageable, so the fight is for the minor details. And of course things are different in Africa and other parts of the world, and I don't think I was there long enough or exposed to enough people to TRULY feel engaged. But like both columns said, our generation is going abroad to feel connected to the world. Still it's different volunteering or observing than being.

Considering how many people my age I know without health insurance, you'd think that that would be a fight that people would lay their lives on the line for, but I guess it's not enough?

And I know global warming is going to suck for my hypothetical kids or grandkids, but right now I'm ambivilently enjoying the weather and recycling when I remember. And blogging about it. God, I'm a cliche.

just saying hi

2007-11-09T16:33:00.000-08:00

ok, what has been going on in my world since I've last checked in? ummm, not that much of note.
-i went to a work-sponsored benefit and bought a cute wintery Diane von Furstenberg (sp? I only know her from Project Runway) dress for $85 instead of $425 that tried on in the middle of the store and made a work acquaintance tell me if I looked good and she kindly listed the reasons (good color/material/i could wear a normal bra). Once I buy a shawl and shoes I will perhaps wear for New Years since I always want to wear a dress on New Years but I never have a cute wintery dress.
-I attempted to buy curtains at Bed, Bath and Beyond but it totally stressed me out, so I just left.
-I was Jan "Brush 'em, brush 'em brush 'em" for Halloween, which I thought was a good last minute costume since I got a pink jacket at Salvation army that i can totally wear again
-I saw some NU friends and friends of friends from out of town and walked around to trendy clubs that we didn't get into and I learned that "the meat-packing district is not my scene" and was just as happy when we went to a dingy pub in the east village.
- I had an adorable bookclub with my Ossining friends and a friend's birthday dinner with other Ossining friends and I am so grateful I have Ossining friends who I love so much.
-My computer still isn't working properly because IT is lame, but then I'm like, ok, I didn't have to pay more my computer, maybe this is a sacrifice I have to make?
-I'm getting Friday-Friday off, my first real break since June and visiting Becca in Arizona! And then spending Thanksgiving with my family so I won't have a Thanksgiving depression like last year, hopefully.

oooh, i had an ideal I meant to blog about when I was very passionate about this ideal but I'm not as much anymore but I will try to regain the passion so I can tell use the soabox i built effectively. Socialist Emma Goldman once said something along the lines of, "If I can't dance, I don't want to be a part of your revolution." Well, I decided that there shouldn't be a revolution just so you can have a dance party, Emma.

In my line of work I've found people are so quick to be like "Let's have a protest!" when they haven't quite decided what they are protesting or what this protest will actually accomplish. Now I've covered and participated in (and sometimes with this job both) dozens of protesty things, and some are great and bring attention to an important issue. But if I am ever a grassroots organizer, which I don't think I can be since I don't know if I could keep my snarky comments to myself, I wouldn't plan an action unless that action was actually going to stimulate change. Obviously protesting is really fun and everything, but a lot of things are fun. And protests that happen all the time for no reason at all except people love picking up signs and being against the man are just silly and make the people protesting look silly and are a waste of resources and my time if I have to cover it and /or plan it because it's my job. Yes, there are always bad things in the world worth protesting against but to say "Let's have a protest!" and then to pick one or more of these bad things from a list is just LAME.

ummm, is that all i have to say? I think so.

I was hit by a car

2007-11-04T20:20:00.000-08:00

So my computer is in the IT shop, hence my not-blogging, but now I'm in Ossining for the night, after the superfun book club we had, so I will tell this story that has been meant to be blogged since the moment it happened Friday.

I was walking back from a coffee shop in my hood—where I had been reading the very good book The Time Traveler's Wife and EVERYONE else was on their Macs — and I crossed at a crosswalk. I was probably spacing out because I'm spacey but I still don't blame myself for what happened.

I walked into the street, just a normal side street where there's a crosswalk and I was HIT BY A CAR. Literally. The car pushed me forward and I screamed, not out of hurt but out of shock. I then gave the car's driver a 'what the fuck?!' type look. They didn't speak English and said 'aqui, aqui' (here, here) so I went over. Unfortunately 'aqui' is about all I absorbed from high school spanish (since that was what we had to answer when the teacher took attendance) so since this coversation barrier was to much to bear, I accepted their apparent apology and moved on with my life, since I actually wasn't hurt at all, miraculously, or predictably since the car was going slow and had just half-stopped at the stop sign.

But I was HIT BY A CAR. How does that happen? Even weirder, my good friend Laurel was hit by a car a mere 2 weeks earlier. So think how many people are hit by cars all the time but don't know eachother. Maybe we'll start a support group.

Othering hipsters

2007-10-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

So I'm super-into blogging again (thanks to the nice feedback of my readers, particularly Ayana). I was going to find a coffee shop and hang there, since I love being a coffee shop bum more than anything as regular readers know, but it's yucky and raining right now and I'm enjoying sitting on the chair we got off the street and watching the DVR'd Colbert Show interview Craig of Craigslist, so I'm not. But I will coffee shop soon and give a Williamsburg coffee shop analysis of course.

But I promise when I do that coffee shop analysis, I won't refer to people as "hipsters." Since living in Williamsburg, not surprisingly I've been thinking and talking a lot about hipsters. Well, after hearing other people who loook, act and talk like what I consider a hipster talking derogatorally (sp?) about this same population, I realized I'm going to stop. This is a completely stupid conversation had only by people who have some stake in defining what a hipster is. When my dad came to move me in, I tried to point out hipsters to him on the street, and he said, "Everyone looks normal to me" because he has no stake in this discusssion. The only people who care who is/isn't a hipster are people who are close enough to that line

It's the same way when I was younger I always talked about who was/wasn't jappy, but Katie hadn't even heard the word jap until she came to college, since she didn't know any jews, and even after she obviously learned the definition at Northwestern, I doubt she used the term as much I have. And how my friends who are 1st generation Americans often refer to others as fobs, but I've maybe used that world maybe 5 times in my life. Because I'm pretty secure with my place as an American, so I feel no need to define others as not-as-much.

oooh, to use all my social science education, this is all about othering. I don't have to define myself as long as I'm defining everyone else and defining myself as "not it."

And at least I find it much easier to define other people then define myself. I don't know if other people feel liek this about themselves, but I think I'm so weird I can't be put into any one category, but I guess that's totally narcisistic in a way. Thoughts to ponder.

Blogging from work

2007-10-18T17:54:00.000-07:00

As I'm sitting at work at 9pm on a Thursday night, waiting for my editor to call me back to tell me I'm missing a comma in the copy, because, well, that's my life and I've come to accept it, I figured I'd blog. I totally could go home, and probably should, but I don't want to have to finish work at home. I want to go home and be DONE, particularly because I have a 4 day weekend! Also, my roommate's job (seriously, it actually is her job, I'm not being condescending) is watching Celebrity Rap Superstar, so until I have wireless in my room, I can't really do my work until she does hers.

Basically yesterday I just started FREAKING out about all the work I had and articles I had to write and I felt like Jessie Spano in the caffeine pill episode. Not sure why, I always have a lot of work, but I was literally on the verge of tears. At this rally for single-payer healthcare I had to cover, there was a typical crazy activist yelling at the crowd on Bryant Park, "Houseslaves go away!" Normally I'd just ignore such crazies, but yesterday since I myself was so crazy I went up to this man and said, "Excuse me, you realize you're alienating people with your message?" He kind of laughed me off, as he should, since who the hell am I to tell a crazy activist what their message should be?

Anyway, I think my editor realized I was literally going mad. That plus attending my party I think he realized I'm working quite hard for a 22 year old, and other than Rosh Hashanah haven't had more than one day off since June. So he graciously gave me Friday and Monday off.
I guess that's what they call, "mental health days."

I seriously like my job and feel lucky I have it (thoguh I think I said, I would never mention its name here, because that would be SO EMBARASSING if google blog alerts picked my blog up and all these randos at work saw it), except for days I go crazy like yesterday and times like right now when I'm not done with work.

I was like, I should have grand plans for my long weekend, but then I stopped to think. Shit, I'm kind of a grown-up now. I need to use these days to do things that I don't have time to do when I'm working. Go shopping. Set up wireless. Scope out a couch from Craigslist. Whatever, I'm not complaining, and I'm excited to have a bit of free time, buuuut I am just such a working person now. It's so weird.

yay, editor just got back to me. I am done. ttyl

Freshman in life

2007-10-13T15:37:00.000-07:00

I'm posting on a Saturday night, so my friendly stalker can know that staying in a weekend night is nothing to be ashamed of, though I usually totally am embarassed like I couldn't handle making plans 2 nights a week, buuuut I'm not embarassed tonight since I think I'm starting to get to a point in my life where I'm fairly secure in the fact that I'm not a loser so if I stay in some nights it's not because I COULDN'T make a few calls and have a life, it's because I don't really want to. Also, I'm just happy to be home recovering from our house-warming party yesterday.

The party was pretty great, despite the fact that the apartment was not-quite housewarming ready, like that we didn't have a wine-opener so we now have 6 bottles of wine guests brought in the fridge.About 30 people crammed into our apartment. It was so great hearing from people I care about "Your apartment's so nice!" "Your roommate's so cool!" "You're so lucky to live in this neighborhood!" "Your apartment's huge!" (a comment that would never describe the apt if it were anywhere other that nyc)to help me validate my life choices. And it was also fun seeing childhood friends mingle with high school friends mingle with college friends mingle with work friends.And although a few of us went to a bar afterwards, it was so nice having a legit party, reminiscent of those old college days, where you can just hang out and drink without paying a cover.

And, dare I say it, I'm just really happy right now and excited about this next stage of my life. It just hit me today, as I was on the bus back from a hangover brunch and Apples to Apples with Sara and her WashU friends who live in Greenpoint, that my social network is only going to expand, and I feel like with all the friends and friends of friends it can happen organically. It's not like before where I was limited essentially to the people in my tiny network. Now ALL OF NYC can be my social network (or at least anyone that lives within walking distance of the L or JMZ subway lines).

And that goes for dating too. Even though I've always wanted a relation, I've kind of never truly believed I would have a girlfriend and it's been (and still is) a legit fear that I'll never experience love or a real relationship or any of the things that are supposedly really amazing/painful/80% of pop culture. And while it will take some serious effort on my part to get over my awkwardness/insecurities and be confident, flirty, etc., today it kind of dawned on me for I think really the first time that dating is something that I can do, and that I really want to do and something that I'll need to make a priority in my life, and that being alone has in some ways been a choice because I haven't really "put myself out there" as they say.

So yeah, on that note of opening up my soul to all the blog's readers, I don't want to jinx it, but I'll just sayI'm just optimistic about the future but now I'm going to bed.

I might join a lesbian gang

2007-10-07T20:50:00.000-07:00

Today I moved into my apartment! It's great/weird/etc. and so far everything has gone well. Except one thing. So I'm on a street that from first glace seems 75% Latino families and 25%hipster-types (as opposed to 5 blocks down the street, where I had a delicious brunch, where it seems that demographic is reversed). Both of of parents were moving me in, so I of course felt about 12 years old as my parents did everything.

But ANYWAY, my mom reported back to me that she "probably shouldn't even tell me this" but obviously she did, that as she was talking to the super, a man of about 60 who currently has two teeth and until what I'm about to tell you I thought was very nice. Probably because of the lack of white faces walking down the street, my mother kept questioning the super, about 'how safe is the neighborhood?.' The super assured her the nieghborhood was great except...wait for it..."there's a lesbian problem." Apparently a lot of dykes had been terrorizing the neighborhood and beat up another member of the street's super-mafia.

My mom didn't say anything courageous like "My daughter happens to be a lesbian and she is one of your paying tenants and I could sue your ass" and I don't know if I would have been able to say that either so I really shouldn't judge since I've found it's hard to stand up to bigotry when it's personal, and not just an abstract injustice against someone else.

So I don't fault my mom for that but what I DO fault her and my father for is what I'm about to tell you next. As my parents were leaving, they each give me $20 to give to the super to bribe him to be nice to me. This man, aside for making me feel uncomfortable and being a homophobic asshole, didn't even help us carry in a single box!

SO instead of continuing to argue with my parents about how this man is not geting another penny from us, I realized the most beneficial solution for everyone (except the unsuper super) would in, in a silent protest against homophobic supers everywhere, I am KEEPING the $40 my parents gave me. I'm thinking of splitting the money with the lesbians in my neighborhood so I can do my part.

I'm moving!

2007-10-02T18:41:00.000-07:00

Those of your who really enjoyed my "Westchester bar reviews!" should not hold your breath for part #2, since I am moving to NYC(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) where bars are already reviewed on Yelp.com. Specifically on I'm moving on Sunday to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with Crystal, a really cool girl from Northwestern in a small-but-not-uncomfortably so-apartment. For those of you nonnewyorkophile out-of-towners, Williamsburg is a really fun area a stop outside Manhattan, that was formerly Hasidic Jew/Latino, and has in recent years been replaced by hipsters.

Now, people always use the terms "gentrification" derogatorally...often by those who are responsible for the gentrification. I am aware that I am an instrument in gentrification, and I think I'm okay with this, though it feels a little wrong to pay DOUBLE what the people before me did (because it was rent-controlled and market value has gone way up).

We looked at an apartment in a sketchy part of Bushwick that real estate agents are trying to call "East Williamsburg." Now, maybe in 5 years this area will be just as fun and hip and safe as Williamsburg, but let me tell you, it's not now. A little boy pulled a gun on me. Ok, it was a fake gun, but it looked VERY REAL! Note: my children will have no guns that are not supersoakers.

The point is, I've decided I want to pay a few dollars to be the beneficiary of gentrification. I'm not from the pioneers. I'm not cut out to go to a new neighborhood of old people and families that don't speak English, to be the gentrification to make the neighborhood safe for future generations of white kids from Westchester.

Until then I am super-excited to drink PBR at bars that have already been established. yayy!

reason #32654 they say new yorkers are rude

2007-09-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

Today when I was walking to work down 8th ave minding my own business, a woman behind me shouted, "Stop taking up the whole sidewalk, bitch!" When I turned around to see if she was talking to me, she was indeed talking to me. "First you were walking on one side, then you started walking on the other-" I cut her mid-rant. Now I am not usually a gal of few words. When attacked I usually say too much or nothing at all. But I have to say, I think I handled this situation beautifully.

"Bitch?"I asked,, emphasizing the "?" as though to say "honestly, whatever concrete criticism you wanted to make is now completely invalid once you sprung the b-word on an innocent stranger for no good reason."

Apparently it worked.

"It's not about you, it's about me," she said. "It's about me." And she walked ahead, ashamed, never to be seen again.

At first this whole exchange left me upset, but now it makes me a little happy realizing this woman owned up to her actions. That bitch (and she's still a bitch) is on to something

Moving on

2007-09-09T14:50:00.000-07:00

I'm surrounded by boxes right now as we move out of my house I've lived in for 22 years. I mean (almost) everyone moves out of the home they grew up in, almost everyone's parents eventuallly sell and move on. But the fact that this move is coinciding almost exactly with the end of my childhood sort of has me even more nostalgic than I would be normally. That and I hate packing.

My brother was able to pack up his room in an hour, about as long as it took my dad to gather this things when he moved out 5.5 years ago. It took me days, over the course of weeks, just because I procrastinated and agonized over every decisions. Reading each journal I wrote five pages in- seeing how much changed and how much stayed the same.Deciding if I should be packing the zilllions of pens One of the hardest decisions-i kid you not- were the Real World: Behind the Scenes books. Eventually, I decided as much as reading about who was the laziest person in RW Chicago was not worth the space in a box.

And yesterday these neighbors I never met came by qith their adorable six year old daughter is going to take my 19 year-old furniture. She's one of those naturally happy children who is going to have a good life, barring any external tragedy. She was SO excited about all the pink furniture she is inheritting. As I handed her every pink mirror and picture frame I could find, her eyes lit up. She got just as excited when I told her she now possessed the pink version of DJ and Stephanie's furniture in Full House (before the redecoration). I didn't mention that unlike the Tanners, we didn't have some random relative come in and redecorate, so my room has been pretty much stuck in time for years. But anyway, it made me happy that this delightful child would get so much joy out of my childhood.

And even though I'll be moving on the an nyc apartment tba, and my mom's moving five minutes away and this is a natural, healthy, moving on moment, it's just weird that in less than a week my house won't be my house anymore

The blackberry lifestyle

2007-09-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

So my job gave me a cell phone, which I blogged about forever ago (but probably only 4 posts ago since I'm not much of a blogger anymore). But it was a Zack Morris-esque cell phone and I kind of hated it. I also claimed my first week of work I didn't like being reachable at all times.

What a difference three months makes. I'm all blackberry'd up and I LOVE IT. I originally claimed to my friends on my way up to Saratoga, "It's not like I need a blackberry for my lifestyle" for which I was understandably mocked. It turns out I was wrong. The blackberry fits in PERFECTLY with my lifestyle. If I want to know something, instead of having to wait hours to google something, I can do it INSTANTLY on my blackberry. Instead of having 5 unread messages at any given time I always have zero.

However, the need for a blackberry became clear during my 21 hour trip to Alabama (and 18 hours back) for work (the contents of which I WISH I could blog thorougly about but I would never blog about work ever). But during said trip for undisclosed reason my travel companions and I used my blackberry to 1) play Christmas movie trivia, 2) find a Barnes & Nobles in Athens, Georgia, 3) read about hemphiliac brothers with knives 4) learn our astrological profiles, 5) google image "Cynthia Nixon's girlfriend" to prove a point during a rousing game of kill/marry/fuck. EDIT: How did I forget that I also I wikipedia'd Jena 6 after a man in the Waffle House asked me if I heard of them. I hadn't. Now I have.

And the fact that because of this incessant blackberrying I lost all power in my phone and the other van we were caravanning with couldn't tell us to stop since I was the number they were supposed to contact? So insignificant compared to the hours of fun my blackberry provided me and my travel mates.

The happy hour hoax

2007-08-16T15:42:00.000-07:00

Two Mondays ago my middle school bff Alana and I met for happy hour, since we're now both NYC commuters and need a drink after work. Alana met me near my office-in the armpit of Manhattan-and we attempted to find a happy hour. Let me back up for a bit. I literally work in the last desirable niehgborhood in Manhattan. I work in Midtown, which any person who's spent more than 3 days in New York will tell you is the worst part of the city. But not only that, I work on the outskirts of the garment district, which is so lame that Google neighborhoods (or whatever it's called) has decided my block is one of only maybe 10 blocks in Manhattan not worth the minimum wage they paid the videographer to track.

Anyway, after walking 10 blocks into a neighborhood google would find worthy we found a bar/restaurant that looked acceptable offering $5 special martinis. We assumed every martini was special and each ordered the martini of our choosing. I chose some keylime assortment and Alana got a Cosmo. When the bill came, our martinis were each $11! Outraged, I asked my waitress what was up. She said that only the *special* martinis were $5 that week, in the case of that particular day, it was an apple martini, which each of us would have happily gotten. After we got over our sadness, we disgruntly paid our bill and left, never to return again.

The next week Alana and I again did happy hour, this time in Murray Hill, where she was crashing at her cousin's apartment for 2 weeks and I was looking at an apartment to rent. First of all, an aside: I love Murray Hill and want to live there. It is conveniently sandwiched between my job and Union Square/East Village. There is a bar, restaurant, store on every corner.Everyone is young, and I was worried it woudl be too fratty/straight for me, but I think that is the only negative in a sea full of positives. Unfortunately, though I liked the share apartment I looked at, said I wanted it, and I didn't get it. :(. And according to craigslist, I probably looked at one of the cheapest apartments in Murray Hill ever. le sigh.

Anyway, back to the happy hour hoax. Alana and I found a cute Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood, carefully examining the happy hour menu and listening intently to the hostess's careful explanation of the happy hour special, including 2 for 1 martinis.

So we assumed we could each buy a margarita and only be charged for one. Right? Wrong. When the bill came, we were EACH charged for a martini. After we got over laughing, I asserted to the waitress about this scam. I spoke to the hostess as well, "So why don't we just pretend I ordered both of the drinks? This doesn't make sense." Finaly the manager just said, "forget it." And we were only charged for one martini. I successfully jewed them down.

And Alana and I have both learned our lesson: Happy hour is not so happy.

Westchester bar reviews!

2007-06-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

Me: It's weird going out in Westchester. Like, I know this is just a temporary social life to me, so it's sort of interesting. But I couldn't imagine if this was my life. The people I saw out last night, this is their life. Forever.
My mom: I know. Isn't that sad?

Now that I'm starting to adjust to my new life, and not be an old lady (or more accurately an upper middle-aged woman, probably an empty-nester, who works all the time but has no kids or responsibilities yet likes living in the "country" so commutes to the city from Westchester) I've actually been having fun! And most of that fun has been in nyc, since that's where the party's at, but by virtue of being a "boomerang kid" (though ONLY temporarily) I'm discovering the joys of Mid-Westchester nightlife.

Discounting a couple trips to a bar in Pleasantville when I was a camp counselor in high school (where I thought I was soooooocoool to sneak into Michael's without an id) I've never gone out in Westchester. Until now. And let me tell you, it's quite an experience.Because or inspite of the face that we are a mere 40 miles from Manhattan, the Westchester scene might as well be Iowa. When you google "Westchester bar reviews" (and duh, I did) nothing comes up. lohud.com attempts to have a "bar crawl" but it does not work. So I will attempt to chronicle my experience:

Last week Tuesday Anne, Caitlin and I went to Lucy's, a cocktail bar in Pleasantville that is really trying to be cool. While the cocktails are adequate, they were also expensive ($8.50) and the crowd of nine other people was mid-30s townies. We left at 11, and made plans to go to EB the next night and not be old ladies as per usual.
Grade: B-. It tried.

Then Wednesday, after I returned from Lake Placid, the three of us attempted drinking at South of the Border (SOB) in good old Ossining. I'd been here for dinner, but never drinks, though Anne assured us it was hopping on a Saturday night recently. While the thunderstorm probably didn't help our cause, our waiter not-so-subtly hinted we should leave shortly after I finished my Sangria. We were the last people in the restaurant. At 10:30.
Grade: C-. It could have gone up a grade if it didn't kick us out.

I had then planned to join Marissa, Laurel and others for karaoke at Torchia's, a family-Italian restaurant in Briarcliff. However, when I called Marissa at 10:30, they were already on their way out after been skeezed out by karaoke surrounded by 50-something drunks. Grade: N/A

Last night, for Michelle's last night in town before leaving for Boston, I joined many of my fellow Ossining High School grads in Tarrytown at Sunset Cove, or more accurately, The Washington Irving Boat Club. This place was bumping! We were carded to get in, and by the time Laurel, Ayanna, Ava and I got there at 9:30, the rest of OHS Class of 2003 and 2004 (or about 15 of them) had been drinking for two hours and were apologetic that there were not enough seats. I am thankfully at the point in my life where I don't feel the need to make smalltalk with people I don't care about, so had a lovely time chatting with those friends I just happen to not see that much, and didn't waste my time talking to those I choose not to see ever. It was a beautiful place, right along the Hudson River, but as Ayanna (who is not from Westchester, even) said. "We are not denying it is beautiful. Of course it's nice, it's on the river. We're just saying we don't want to hang out with fratboys." I would argue that not all of the crowd was fratty. To be fratty implies one must have gone to college. And if police want to earn their month's work of DUI violations, just park outside Sunset Cove at midnight WHEN THE BAR CLOSES. Some people went out afterwards, but I was tired, since time moves differently in Westchester. But still, had fun drinking beer and catching up with people. Grade: B+:--westchester standards.

Attempt at updating

2007-06-27T13:56:00.000-07:00

I'll probably update sporadically from now on, maybe, but I don't want people clicking on here to see the lame cellphone entry for the end....

But here is a brief update of what I have done in my life since we've last been in touch:

-Saw Knocked Up. Twice. Both times quite excellent.

-Worked. A lot.

-Was an old lady with Anne and Caitlin (boggle, wine and 11pm bedtimes, of course)

-Bought two lovely graduation dresses and one formal dress (after nixing the dress Josh and his friend were underwhelmed by at our chance H&M encounter)

-Took a week off from work to go to Senior Week and graduation.

-Small-talked like I've never smalltalked before at Senior week.

-Was overwhelmed by cicaidas at Rob's grad party in the suburbs. Where I also did my first skull bong.

-Paid for Six Flags Great America twice, since I forgot my senior week ticket.

-Had superfun at Senior formal.

-Was obsessed with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the best commencement speaker EVERRRR.

-Played functional-family with my family at graduation wekend, and ate at restaurants way classier than we were used to.

-Graduated! Which is bittersweetr because college was really fun.

-Left Evanston for real this time after going in and out every few months this year.

-Three hours after landing in New York from Chicago I took Amtrak to Albany to cover a rally for work.

-Accidently flirted w/a UMaryland law student ("I'm staying at an apartment all alone in Albany) who gave me his number

-Did not get my own apartment. Shared an apartment-type thing with a man from work. He was wearing FUBU type gear when he walked in. In the morning he was wearing a suit and I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE him. I am sort of racist but I don't think any white person would have done differently.

-Went "out out" with Anne and Caitlin to Eastern Bloc. Randomly saw Northwestern kids. Had superfun dancing (to AMAZING music) and drinking and being three of eight girls there. See DJ Josh's blog entry for a more detailed account. And despite the mistake of taking Metronorth home and workin the next day on 3 hours sleep it was way worth it to not be old ladies.

-Went to Lake Placid with my extended family. The town is superobsessed with its Olympics in 1980, but despite, that we had a lovely time. Especially with my cousin's little daughters, well, kids just say the darndest things. The older daughter is four and is totally going to be a flirty popular girl when she is older because that girl is not lacking self-confidence. Example: She and her younger sister (who is also cute but wouldn't really talk to us because she was in an "only talk to mommy" stage) were wearing the same outfit. My brother said jokingly "I like your outfit better than your sister's." Four year old said, "Yeah, that's because I'm cuter." oh, snap.

K, that's all for now...and I'll try to get better with updating, maybe?

Have you heard about cell phones?

2007-05-21T16:58:00.000-07:00

So I started my first "real" job a few days ago and I had my first "rea:l day today, and so far things are quite excellent. I am going to attempt to be professional and not blog details (although there is no formal police against blogging unlike say another organization I worked for that's name rhymes with Monde Blast).

However, I will say that my new job got me a cell phone, which at first seemed like a score. But I don't think this is so. Today I was I was completing my last interview of the day on my land line and was about to be the last person to leave the office at 6:30 to catch the 6:50 Metro-North (one of the biggest downsides to rocking the suburbs is that trains home are infrequent) when my work cell phone rang. Should I answer it, I thought? No, I decided. I'm about to leave the office, and I can't be a slave to my cell phone. The PR guy who called got my cell number off my e-mail signature and totally didn't need to talk to me that minute and in fact had just sent me an e-mail saying to call in the morning. I found calling my cell phone sort of unnecesary, but then I realized I put it in my signature so I guess it's on limits? And I realize I'm not at a totally 9 to 5 job and I'm not in a 9 to 5 city, but I feel like I shouldn't be always accessible.

Ok, this is totally rambly and makes no sense, but I had a memory of being in high school when one of my first friends got a cell phone. I remember feeling awkward calling his cell, as opposed to his home, because I felt like I'd be interrupting. Now, a mere 6 years later, I call everyone on a cell phone, even when I'm calling them at home. I try my parents on their cells before I call the landline since I know they'll be available.

I know at 22 years old I am in no position to be falsely nostalgic about a world I barely existed in, BUT I think it's kind of a little sad that I'm part of the last generation that will remember a time when you couldn't reach people at a moment's notice.

New Rules

2007-05-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

So I've been trying to motivate myself to lose weight for, oh, the past 22 years. But I am very rarely successful. This whirlwind year was particularly bad particularly since I always had an excuse, "Benny's Burrtos is right across the street!" "I'm only in San Francisco for another month!" "But this apple pie is free for Investigative," "I can't drink like this after college" or the ever popular "I'm in South Africa!!"

But now that I am living at home until tbd, I have an adult job that I don't think I'll hate, and the excitement of the last year is over, I really have no excuse other than boredom which isn't an excuse for not eating well.

So since Weight Watchers never worked (and I can't stand those annoying old women at meeting) nor did positive reinforcement, I made myself a list of 15 rules (that I would post, except if someone else did, I would totally ridicule them) that I know that, if followed, will allow me to lose weight or at least live a "healthier lifestyle."

However, for every one I break I have to give $1 to charity. At first I was trying to think of a good charity, but where's the motivation in that, since then I'll just feel guilty for withholding money for a worthy cause? And I was going to give to an evil charity like the Christian Coalition, but I just couldn't bring myself to it.

So I will be donating to the Boca Raton Museum of Art, given zero stars by the Charity Navigator, So every time I find myself wanting to buy a brownie at Starbucks, I just have to think that not only will I have to pay for that brownie, but I will be paying off the $251,120 debt the Boca Raton Museum of Art amassed purchasing crappy art.

I'll keep in touch.

Since you been gone

2007-05-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

So I'm back blogging here after my foray onto zafrica.blogspot.com. But now that my adventure though africa has sadly come to the end, it's back to the real world. Actually, I begin the real real world next week, kind of. Now I am bumming in Evanston for a week, living in the sun room without a door of the apartment I stayed in quarter.

In the 6 or so weeks I've been gone, things have changed. People don't really care about classs. Granted, about half my friends hae already graduated, like me, but even those taking class aren't taking many. Like I hear the regular murmur of "I should be writing my paper right now" but it's less frequent and easily silenced. As Ashu said, "Think how fun Northwestern would be if everyone had been like this from the start."

And I'm trying to soak up every last ounce of Northwestern (even though I'll be back two more times). Yesterday I panicked when I realized it was NU Day at Wrigley. My LAST CHANCE, to see the Cubs, not that I'd ever cared before. But when I realized I was lacking a sold-out ticket I went on overdrive gchatting and IMing everyone I coud think of until someone came through.

And the game was fun. I went with Daniella and Ash and an assortment of people and the group wanted to stay the WHOLE game, even though that meant 15 innings, which we then lost. While I was tired around inning 11 (after all the alcohol wore off) it was all worth it for the 14th INNING STRETCH. I didn't know such thing exist! Learn something new every day!

Zafrica blog!

2007-03-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

Zafrica.blogspot.com

Read all about the South African adventures of me, Steph and (soon) Tina!

"I like Cape Town because we can chill with the rich people"

2007-03-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

so said Steph, my traveling companion for my time in South Africa, after our $25 dinner at a fancy Waterfront restaurant (reminiscent of a classy restaurant on Fisherman's Wharf but cheaper). While she actually does research, I figured I'd blog about the journey thus far.

Flight from O'Hare-->Heathrow= miserable. Worst flight attendants EVER. They wouldn't give me a bottle of water even though I was dehydrated. Plus the flight was rocky.

London- We had 8 hours, so decided to be quick tourists in Piccadilly Circus, where a St. Patrick's Day parade was going on. This was my first time EVER in Europe, and maybe not the greatest experience, since I was quite tired/jet-lagged. It was...nice? My quick jaunt reminded me of New York + San Francisco architecture + British accents and a few stores I've never seen. I guess a tad anticlimatic, though I'm excited to get a few days there on my way back. Heathrow was the nicest airport ever though.

Flight from Heathrow--> Cape Town= AMAZING. The flight was underbooked, so we each got our own row of seats and I slept (soundly) 8 out of the 11 hour flight.

Cape Town is BEAUTIFUL. We're staying on Long Street, the central street where all the hostels aret. Steph keeps comparing everything we see to something she's seen, so I'd say Cape Town is like a more beautful San Francisco, and Long Street is like Jamaica, with white tourists and black service people. Table Mountain is beautful as is the water, and it's just so spectacular. Long Street is super-touristy and kitschy, but it's fun and vacation-like. Plus, the weather's amaing.

While there has been absolutely no reason to use the mase I invested in, just before I was sitting outside Mr. Pickwicks Deli, this cute deli where I got a mint milkshake, and this man sat at my table and started talking to me. I wanted him to leave because he was sketching me out, but I didn't want to say anything since, who am I to claim a table?, so I just let him sit there and even gave him a piece of paper when he asked for it. But then he started asking for money and I'm like, sorry, no. I felt bad, since I'm a rich American, but I can't just hand out rands to everyone who asks, you know?

Other sketchiness: Yesterday Steph and I got smoothies at a restaurant. Our nice waiter told us a beach to go to. Said waiter then saw us again while we were sitting at this park near all these museums. Coincidence, we thought, until this guy showed up AGAIN this morning and started flirting. He asked for our numbers so he could take us out. Kind of maybe-sketchy. We want friends in Cape Town, so we took his number. But THEN he leaves and brings back his sketchier friend who was WAITING ACROSS THE STREET. hmm, we think he might have been following us. What are the chances of running into him (or rather him running into us) three times?

And my research is, ehh. I should have, I don't know, "researched" more before, but I'm trying to just enjoy Cape Town and not stress about that. And unfortunately for my internet addiction, there's a cafe right under my hostel.

Oh, and I told this German man in my hostel that I'm from America, and he's like "America? You mean the U.S. There are a lot of other countries in America." umm, ok, so I'm ethnocentric.

k, i might be switching over to a South Africa blog so I can send it to my parents and such, but I'll keep you all informed if there's any change.

Roswell, NM

2007-03-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

I went to the 4th largest city in New Mexico last weekend as part of an ongoing investigation of a murder, as obliquely referenced before. We met with an awesome source, but again, I have high standards for what is ok to blog about and I think confidential witness testimony is not blog-appropriate.

What is blog-appropriate:
UFO Museum: HIGHLY overrated. Took itself waaaaay too seriously, with too many newspaper clips and not enough fake aliens. But I guess if you believe in aliens, you think alien sightings are worth taking seriously.

Best Western hotel bar: A guy in an alien hat tried to hit on us. We met a sportscaster who would have become our friend had we lived in Roswell. He was drinking with the local coaches and obv was struggling for a social life in Roswell. He was from San Diego, and was doing the whole 'putting career first at any cost' thing. "How does Roswell compare to San Diego," I asked. He looked at me increduously. "How does Roswell compare to Chicago?"

Lubbock, TX: We flew out of the Lubbock International airport, thus spending Sunday night in this west Texas city. All we really saw was a super-Walmart which was AMAZING. I was really tempted to buy a Biblezine, which had guy and girl versions in the teen magazine section next to Seventeen.
These were bible masquerading as teen magazines. The guy version had the tagline "How to pick up godly girls." The girl version had advice columns. SAMPLE:
Q: I'm in love with my stepbrother, what should I do?
A: You need a closer relationship with God. (duh)

1800 Contacts: We deliver. You save.

2007-02-27T20:25:00.000-08:00

I just came from a speech by Freakonomics author Steven Levitt. In his pretty awesome talk, he spoke some about altruism. On the walk back from Tech, Marcy and I discussed to what degree altruism exists, and if we're just doing it for the reward. When I returned home I was reminded that altruism pays off.

A few weeks ago, I ordered contacts on 1-800Contacts. I find myself to be an extremely annoying customer, constantly changing my order and verifying that I got the best price. The woman on the other end though was extremely nice and helpful (I've now learned 1800contacts is based in Utah) . She also was from this country, which probably added to my happiness with customer service. Since I was in a good mood myself, I asked to speak to her manager to compliment her on a good job. Her manager was also very sweet and appreciative since, she said, "we only hear when things go wrong, not when things go right."

I received my contacts and thought my interactions with 1-800Contacts would be put on hiatus for the next six or so months. Until tonight that is. My roommate informed me I received a package. From whom, I wondered, with no expected packages from Amazon, ebay or my mother.
Lo and behold it was a t-shirt! from 1-800 contacts! It is ginormous and ugly, but it is the thought that counts.(picture of me wearing said shirt to come next week!)

Also included was a fawning letter from none other than Joshua Neilson, 1-800Contacts Customer Care Manager. He "was delighted to read" my "positive feedback regarding the pleasant experience (I) had." And 1-800CONTACTS looks forward to serving me for many years to come!

I look forward to it too, Mr. Neilson, me too.

Overheard at the organic coffee shop

2007-02-25T15:39:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting at Wild Tree, this cute progressive/organic/I think vegan coffee shop that also sells vegetables. It's perfect since 1) it's close, 2) free wireless, 3) good food 4) un-Northwesterny.

But like any cute progressive/organic/I think vegan coffee shop that sells vegetables and is far enough from campus to not be completely student-filled, it attracts its share of nut jobs.

Case in point:

Crazy middle aged woman who is apparently a regular comes in, out from the snow. She doesn't buy anything and asks the owner:
I have a question, I 've been trying to grow my hair out, and I'm wondering is it even?

Owner and I make eye contact and laugh, me on the outside, her on the inside. Owner says she can't see hair, because woman is wearing a hood. Woman takes hood off. Owner assures crazy woman her hair is even. Then crazy woman leaves.

read at your own boredom

2007-02-23T21:16:00.000-08:00

So tonight I'm taking a break from being the social butterfly that I am this quarter. Seriously. This quarter has been so much fun, all my favorite parts of school (friends, learning) minus the crappy parts (midterms, stress). I went out SIX out of the last EIGHT nights. If wine tasting counts + four second guest appearance at hundo counts. And if hanging at Bat 17 counts. and if DM trivia counts. Well, at least boystown for rob's bday fo sho counts since we had to take the L in order to get dollar drinks. And there was dancing. And the president's day party where I was dressed as Monica Lewinsky fo sho counts. So it depends on what your definition of out is. I remember when I first went to college I was so confused what "going out" meant. I'm still confused. If there is not drinking or dancing is that going out? If there is no alcohol being served at the establishment? If there are less than eight people?
hmmmm.

Anyway I am in on this fine Friday night to work on my fiction story. And if that failed I was going to clean my room. Duh I'm doing neither. Duh you don't care. But actually you sort of do if you're reading this. And it's your choice to stop if you get bored. Sooooo i'm finally blogging. Good story I know.

And with t minus three weeks left of being a student I'm totally getting nostalgic, even though I'll be back for a month in May. But still. That's just the declining action. I'm basically done with college. And, as per my blog title, I'm getting nostalgic already. My college happiness definitely increased each year (except the awfulness of spring sophomore year)

Ok, that is all for now. Goodnight.

"I should have taken more picture"--avenue q

2007-02-18T20:50:00.000-08:00

The above images are of someone smoking on the porch during a President's Day birthday party and petit fours I decorated during my adorable roommate's petit four decorating party.

But what makes this pictures different than other pictures? I took them.

I love looking at pictures (just not of scenery). And I even like taking pictures (just not organizing them, yuck).. But I'm not a picture taker by nature. I was raised in a family where my parents didn't even bring a camera to my high school graduation. While I had the foresight to bring a disposable to capture this once in a lifetime moment, my mom didn't even think it was weird not to have a camera. At my brother's graduation, no one brought a camera. But we couldn't count on my brother who didn't take one picture during his two weeks in Israel. But I only took about 30 when I was there, so I really can't judge.

Needless to say, I don't come from picture takers. I took about eight pictures my entire summer in manhattan, and maybe 30 in San Francisco. I've probably taken 100 pictures during my 3+ years of college. But anyway, I got a supercute new fast digital camera for Chanukah, which I finally set up so I'm trying to take more pictures to document my quickly ending college career and my trip to South Africa in a month.

So this weekend I was the girl with the camera. I felt pride when at a party a mutual friend was dancing on the table and Daniella told me to take a picture. I was the person with the camera. And I'm going to try to be that girl for the rest of my college career + South Africa. The only problem is I think I'm a bad picture-taker. I am trying to work on this skill.

Maybe I will post more pictures in the future. But I find it sortof-innappropriate/creepy to post pictures of people without thier permission, because what if one of those people in this pictures wanders onto my blog. Although I have no similar qualms about posting pictures on facebook, so maybe I need to rethink this line in the sand I just drew.

But let me know if in the future I have your consent for sharing my masterpieces of you.

I cut class to do laundry

2007-02-14T12:56:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to put that out there.

In other news, happy valentine's day.

might as well binge blog

2007-01-31T18:37:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday I went to this free open bar at a kind of classy with a whole posse of Northwestern kids. Apparently this was normally a nice restaurant, but since it was free and free passes to DJ AM later, obviously the crowd was under-30. A middle aged man noted to his middle aged friend, "It's a very, very, very, very young crowd tonight."FOUR (4!) verys.

After getting drunk on GOOD alcohol we went to the Reserve to see DJ AM. "See" is an interesting word, since we weren't important enough to get up to the floor where he was performing so they had a VIDEO SCREEN where we could watch him. Nothing special, of course. The music was probably a B+, but a D- considering this is a celebrity DJ we're dealing with. Unfortunately his girlfriend Mandy Moore wasn't there, though maybe she was just important enough to get to the top floor

Filed under ummmm

2007-01-31T17:56:00.000-08:00

I apologize for being the most negligent blogger EVER. The only really interesting thing in my life is I'm investigating a murder. Seriously. I feel like I shouldn't be blogging about the particulars of the case, since it's actually the real deal. BUT I have to tell this one story:
We went to interview a probably innocent man who's in prison on murder charges. I was designated "bad cop" and had to ask him the tough questions and was literally screaming at one point. I guess he likes his woman rough, because at the end of the interview he told me that before he went to prison, I would have been exactly the type of girl he would have asked out. EXCEPT, he said, "You'd have to do something about your hair." It was kind of amazing. And I hate to admit he's right, I do need to do something about my hair. It's at a weird in-between length right now.

yayayayay

2007-01-17T23:19:00.000-08:00

I am going to South Africa!!!!!!

for a month or so in the Spring. Living in Capetown. With two really good friends. All expenses paid courtesy of Medill School of Journalism. I am clearly stoked.

While this ranks among my best days ever, not everything was good. For example:

-We found a mouse in the apartment. eeeeek.
-I almost followed the brilliant and powerful professor of the potentially best class ever into the men's bathroom. eeeeek.

But yeah, I so can't complain because I am going to South Africa! Last year I applied to do my Medill internship (TM) in S. Africa and I was sooooo sad/felt really screwed over by the system. And everyone's like 'Things work out for a reason' and between my tears I'm like 'fuck you.' But apparently that is true, since now I'm going to South Africa (for much less money than I would have last year) and I still got to have my wonderful quarter in San Francisco. I'm sure I sound so annoying, and if your day sucked you probably are annoyed listening to me, but I'm just happy and wanted to share my news. lovelovelove, diana.

Evanston update!

2007-01-07T23:10:00.000-08:00

I've been in Evanston for a week. It feels longer. Which is good since I have a lot to do before I graduate. Marcy, Irina and I made a quite excellent list of things to do in Chicago. And I apparently like lists since I helped Becca make an also quite excellent pro/con chart tonight (muahahahah). So here's another list of hings I have done so far of interest:

moved into my lovely HUGE apartment that I'm subletting from a mutual friend with a queen-sized bed. My roommates are lovely as well. Though I miss my sf roommates and our tv time.
had a happy New Years but realized I'm so over binge drinking. New Years resolution: Stop eating when I'm full, stop drinking when I'm drunk, and stop talking when I have nothing relevant to say. p.s. If you want to read a GREAT article about New Years resolutions...
went to the Lincoln Park Zoo, and realized zoos are possibly the cruelest/saddest place on earth. But that one-armed monkey was so darn cute.
had a great class that was filled with annoying creative writing majors
lost in a spelling bee at Hundo (though I did not wear my "Hundo shoes"). This is probably worthy of a whole blog post, but at the time it was too traumatic, and now most people have heard the details. I wanted to participate in this genuinely dorky activity because of my now shattered belief that I am an excellent speller (solidifed by a bitch at Jane who told me I "looked like a good speller." I know, wtf). However, I am not so excellent. I got out in the second round! On Massachusetts! Which I have never had trouble spelling in my life. But under the pressure I spelled it M-A-S-S-A-C-H-U-S-S and then it was too late. The crowd started "ooohing" with mock-sympathy. And the crowd didn't even know I didn't suck at spelling since my word in the first round was the super-easy "yield." Though as Xtine pointed out, at least I wasn't one contestant who got out in the first round on origami (O-R-A-G-A-M-Y). And I didn't even get a chance to do the word I practiced G-O-N-O-R-R-H-E-A. But congrats to Tina (who is probably reading this) on her 4th place finish!
went with Irina to an Orthodox rabbi's house for Shabbat, and actually had a really good time, despite the obnoxious freshmen who attended. And I'm kind of in love with the rabbi's wife.
Went to a dueling piano bar in Wrigleyville, which was on the previously mentioned list. Quite fun.
Ate out every night since I have not been the grocery store and the only food here is cereal.
Was super-productive at (non-wine selling) coffee shops. Managed to finish grant proposal, resume update AND add my first non-Tom friends on Myspace. Life is good.

Overheard at Starbucks

2006-12-28T12:08:00.000-08:00

Ugh, so I'm at Starbucks in Ossining right now pretending to write a grant proposal. When I found out that this Starbucks makes you fucking pay for wireless, I regrettably paid $9.99 for wireless. I was going to leave to make a statement but I'd already ordered my hot caramel apple cider. And I can't work at home without doing even less than I'm doing nwo. Sigh, I had high hopes for this Starbucks which back in the day experimented with being a groovey coffee shop, a la open mic night. I'm sitting in the back, so at least I only saw one person I know, my brother's friend who I barely recognized.

The only upside to this so-far disappointing experience (other than the hot caramel apple cider) was I watched a woman use her approx. 4 yr old son to try to pick up a guy at Starbucks!
The mother saw me watching and even giggled at me but didn't try to justify herself, so I have to assume what I'm about to describe to you is 100% legit.

Mother: Go tell that guy "My mom likes you" but don't tell him I said to say anything.
Little Pimp: "My mom likes you"
Child runs back
Mother: Ok, now ask him one more question. Say "What are you doing for the rest of your life?'
Little pimp: What are you doing the rest of your life?
Man: Spending it with you.

Aww?

"They must have slept on their Rosie O'Donnell pillows"

2006-12-24T21:51:00.000-08:00

Since the runner's up was tied, I'm giving Andrea's vote priority, since she was my only true stalker who voted:

Go back, back, waaay back, before Rosie was the snarky, dykey, speaking her mind and getting publicity View hogging lady she emerged as this year, she was, in popular imagination, "the queen of nice." I have long known she was not as nice as she appears.

The date (according to imdb) was May 19, 1998. As a 13 year old fan of "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" my mom's friend bought me tickets. When she couldn't go, my always punctual father accompanied me and we arrived towards the front of the line. At the very front of the line were three midwestern (non-chicago) looking women who HAD ROSIE O'DOLLS (featured left) ATTACHED TO THEIR HEADS! "Maybe they slept on their Rosie O'Donnell pillows," so snarked our new waiting-on-line friend, bringing you the quote of the day.

Were these overeager Rosie fans rewarded for this? No. The geniuses in the studio seated back to front, meaning me, my dad and our line friends were in the second to last row and the women who may or may not have camped out with their Rosie dolls attached to their heads were seated in the back.

The suckiness continued as Rosie did not speak the the audience AT ALL, shooting koosh balls at the audience only at the end of commercial breaks to try to trick viewers at home, and instead chatting with lame guest Paul Reiser and Kristen Johnston, the tall girl from 3rd Rock from the Sun. And despite guest Natalie Merchant's lovely performance, we did not receive her album but instead received a Funny Lady cd(?)

Rosie has since gained a few points in my book by being a lesbian and more recently telling off Donald Trump. (Another blogger might use this moment to hate on Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and while I don't deny that she sucks, I just can't speak ill of her, since she comes from *my* season of Survivor.) However, I can never truly embrace all that is Rosie because of the way she treated me, and more importantly, the owners of the Rosie O'Dolls.

"Back in the closet, how appropriate!"

2006-12-24T21:14:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Here is the story behind the quote you unanimously voted for:

So sophomore year/beginning of junior year of college, post-coming out, I had a few drunken hookups in various stages with boys. I blame alcohol for all of these decisions, but my insightfulness/ability to psychoanalyze myself to death also credits boredom, insecurity, confusion and some other things for these encounters.

At one such occasion sophomore year, I went to a gathering in kto's dorm room and after this dude (a friend of a friend) was shamelessly making out with me in front of everyone, I brought him back to my room in order to avoid the pda i find so repulsive. I would totally kiss and tell, but there's really nothing worth mentioning. After the kid left I went to kto's room to, well, kiss and tell. At that moment of course, said boy calls to say he left a jacket in her room. Instead of just going back to my room, which seems the logical solution in hindsight, kto's idea was that I should hide in her closet when the boy arrived. Which I did.

So that brings you to the quote of the day. I said, "Back in the closet, how appropriate!"

Choose your own adventure!

2006-12-21T21:28:00.000-08:00

I had a lovely time today revisiting the East Village (my old home/ favorite place in the city) . And in between hanging out at the bakery with Josh and seeing STOMP! (not so amazing) with mi madre y mi hermano, I went to this Barnes & Nobles in Union Square that had the BEST anti-greeting cards (that I didn't buy because the line was too long and I can't find them online) with sayings like "His worst days are still to come." My favorite said "Nobody read her blog."

That hit a little too close to home. So in order to increase readership/posting, I decided I should allow you to control your destinies. Here are some blog-worthy events in my life from my pre-blogging days. You may have heard some of these stories, which I am identifying by only the date and a quote from the event (mostly NOT attributed to me). You may vote, and I will select the top two vote-getters to blog about. I'm only posting if I have at least 4 distinct commenters (sorry to be so harsh). So if you haven't commented yet, HERE is your chance! Even if you don't know me/do know me and feel like you shouldn't be reading my blog, still post since I am excited to have a quasi-stalker and am probably already reading whatever you put on the internet.

And your choices are:

a) "They must have slept on their Rosie O'Donnell pillows"(1998)
b) "People in Chicago are soooo unsophisticated." (2005)
c) "I thought the gas was the break." (2001)
d) "(inaudible Korean)... teenager" (March 28, 1998)
e) "Never have I ever seen Bill Clinton speak and had to masturbate afterwards"(2004)
f) "It's so annoying that he wo-on" (2000)
g) "Poke him in the eye, poke him in the eye." (1988)
h) "Back in the closet, how appropriate!" (2004)

Now get commenting!

Dear Amazon.com,

2006-12-21T20:44:00.002-08:00

How do I fall for your ploys to make me spend more money every time? When you suggest an additional movie I buy it for no other reason then, you're right, the person I am buying the first gift for WOULD enjoy the second that you kindly recommended. And well, with the FREE SUPER SHIPPING, I save, like $3.00, so what's an extra $15 to double the chances that my brother will enjoy his Chanukah present? Amazon.com, you know how to work it. But just know I don't plan on buying any of John Donne's other books. It was for class, dude, a one-time thing.
love, Diana

San Francisco recap

2006-12-16T20:48:00.000-08:00

I have ended my 3 month adventure in San Francisco. I'm really happy I went, but not sad to be done though I'll miss the city and the people I met there. And I had a lovely last week with my mom where we ate our way through the bay area and then she packed for me(!). I also had a lovely last night doing my first ever pub crawl in North Beach w/my amazing roommates.

But here, as a Hanukkah present to my hardcore readers, here's an update on some of your favorite SF blog posts:

- I went to Melt!, the coffee shop where I was planning to be a regular, a total of six times. The most recent time Odette (Cornell environmentalist) and I went there, since it's where we met. We remembered why we stopped going. It is INTENSE in there. "Diana!" DeForest cried when I walked in. Everyone wanted to hug us while Odette and I kind of wanted to chat without people trying to enter our conversations. DeForest pretended to cry when I said I was leaving. "I'm going to North Carolina, maybe I'll see you on the east coast," he said. Um, ok. Apparently I am too much of a snob for the Cheers lifestyle.

"That's not sketchy, that's modern": The creepy lesbian sent me this text message: 'I asked santa for a condom, i got 3. I asked for a dollar, i got 10. i asked for a hoe, & i got this number! Lol.' I kind of cut off contact.
The nice lesbians and I played some phone tag but never hung out again. So my romantic life was, duh, nothing, in sf. But katie o was able to convince me during my thanksgiving depression that I will not be alone forever.

I do have a job: While I had so much fun with the other interns, the job got boringer. Rather than going to d.c. my new career goal might entail me spending 2 years in bumblefuck in order to try out newspapers. eek.

Yeah, I met the Cho brothers: My bffs, Erwin and Godwin Cho, lost the Amazing Race, and they kind of didn't deserve to win. I stopped watching, though I've heard the druggie models won.

Pombo kills puppies : Pombo lost in the Democratic sweep of Congress! Yay. I feel I deserve a tiny bit of credit.

And now expect lots of exciting Ossining and Evanston posts. But bye-bye san francisco, i'll miss you. the end.

Back by popular demand

2006-12-09T02:19:00.000-08:00

Overheard in the Mr. Smith's (straight bar) bathroom:

Girl #1: Do you think the DJ is gay?
Girl #2: Yeah, obviously.
Girl #1: Oh, because I made out with him.

Editor's note: I don't know if said DJ is gay or straight, but I do know his music sucked.

Freedom of speech, motherf**ker

2006-12-05T18:42:00.000-08:00

Since I had NOTHING to do at work, my boss graciously gave me today off. I decided to go explore Berkeley, since it was on my list of things to do before I leave the bay area (in t minus 10 days...insane).

Walking down the street an aging hippie was advertising "subversive" (though not really) pins and buttons with the sign "Freedom of Speech, motherf**ker". I ask, what is the symbolic meaning behind the asteriks? Was this a pointed reminder than there really is no such thing of freedom of speech? Or was the man conceding that it was unnecessary to use the 1st ammendment for the sake of shock value? Or was the hippie just uncomfortable with the word "fuck"?

In other news, I decided to wander onto the campus of UC-Berkeley (or Cal, to locals, which took me like a month here to figure out). It was 3p.m on this beautiful day so students were Since I've been out of the college-bubble for six months, I decided to eavesdrop on what the kids were saying to help me with my return to academia. Here are excerpts from the first four convos I heard after I decided to do this experiment:

Overheard at Cal #1: "A 3.3 is an A-."
Overheard at Cal #2: "Yeah, I try not to highlight everything."
Overheard at Cal #3: "Did you ever find out what happened to that care-package?"

Yup, apparently college students in Berkeley are as dorky as those in Evanston. Thank G-d for "Overheard at Cal #4: "Just because you've been to Tel Aviv doesn't mean you can claim you've been to Israel." While out of context that makes absolutely not sense, since Tel Aviv is obviously in Israel, hey, it's freedom of speech, motherf**ker.

I guess this is growing up

2006-11-30T01:09:00.000-08:00

K, I feel like I should write SOMETHING so here's a diana-esque late-night musing:

At work today, my fellow interns, f(our other girls who are now my bffaeae except not really but kind of), and I chatted about the potential trials of having a husband have a sex-change, wacky freshman roommate stories (I obv could share a few) and most importantly the kick-ass tree trimming party one of the interns is throwing Saturday. Then our boss walked in. Except our boss is out this week so our substitute boss walked in. She kept asking about the holiday party, ("that sounds so much fun!") kind of fishing for an invite until she shamelessly invited us to HER holiday party. It seemed weird she wanted to come to our party because she's our substitute boss, but then we remembered she's like 22. In any other setting she's a peer. And she was an intern a year ago, but if she hadn't been such a type-A go-getter and graduated from school early, she could have been one of us right now.

As I dip my toe into the real world, I am trying to gather information that will serve me well once I am a permanent resident. One of the things that continually shocks me even though it shouldn't: the narrowing of the age/power relationship gap. Growing up my parents, teachers, camp counselors were older than me. The kids I babysat for were younger than me. Throughout my entire education I was more valuable or powerful than someone a grade younger than me but less so than those a grade ahead. But that's quickly evaporating. While age kind of counts for something, merit, talent, luck and connections count for more. In the not-so-distant future I could have a boss who's younger than me or be the boss to someone who's older than me.

So moral of this story...life as I know it will very soon change forever. And in case you were wondering we decided to be nice and invite Editor to the party, though she probably won't come for very long, and it could be a tad awk, but not too much

In other news: tonight I had a cab driver who said he was 7'3 and could only fit 3 people in the cab because he has to bring his seat back so far!!!

i'm ok

2006-11-26T00:03:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I deleted the most miserable blog post ever, because I decided it did not fit into the spirit of the blog and the careful branding of myself I've worked so hard at. So those of you who are true stalkers were graced with the dark side of me and the rest of you, well, you really should be reading regularly if you want to see these deleted scenes. And thanks to those of you who checked up on me to make sure I'm not suicidal, I appreciate it. :)

So my weekend has changed from depressed to just kind of boring. I've learned my lesson and I will be attending Thanksgivings in New York from now until eternity or until I make my own family and value my family of procreation more than the family I was born into as is the American way, (according to Intro to Sociology).

And today was pretty ok. Exhibit A: I bought a balloon Rudolph the rednosed reindeer from a homeschooled balloon artist on the bus. Exhibit B: I got a haircut with reddish highlights I always talk about getting but never do, and I basically am liking it. Exhibit C: I bought these cute shoes, and a kid at the store was like, "You should buy them. You looked happier once you put them on."

Thankgodyouupdatedyourblog.com

2006-11-19T15:15:00.000-08:00

Last night I went out in North Beach w/my roommate and some of her friends and their friends. A member of the party train, a 30-year old male teacher I'd never met before who hit on every member of said train, got arrested. (I was "quite attractive" and received a booty dance). In case you want to spend four hours in a drunk tank in San Francisco, here's a how-to guide with last night as your role model

If you are a drunk person:
1)If you are carrying a closed beer can and Sort of Good Cop politely says, "Buddy, just a warning, don't open it" open it. Ten feet from the officer.
2) When Sort Of Good Cop's partner, Bad Cop pulls you aside for having an open beer can, call this butch-looking woman "sir." She'll really appreciate it.
3) Proceed to yell at cops. Your drunk friend/friends of friends should proceed to jump in. Except one of your top 3 friends in the city's sister, who should leave the scene because of worry about her potential political career.
4) When Sort of Good Cop tells one of your top 3 friends in the city, "You might want to take your buddy home. He's pretty drunk" your friend should answer, "Yeah, don't worry, the bars are closing soon anyway."
5)Curse at the cops. They'll admire your gumption.
6) When officer is handcuffing you, all of the members of the party train in their various states of drunkenness should try to reason with the cops, except for one who ran away because of a potential political career. My personal awesome contribution: I say, "We'll take him bed Sort of Sort of Good Cop says, "He can't go back with you. You're all drunk." I say, "Really? You mean we're drunk Saturday night in North Beach?! Since when is that a crime?" I'm sure I really helped the cause.
7) After you're handcuffed, and stuck in the drunk bus, one of your top 3 friends in the city should try to get arrested to. Out of solidarity. Actually, I kind of found that honorable, not gonna lie.
8) After that doesn't work, said friend (half-Mexican fyi) should say AT LEAST four times. "I can't believe they arrested him! He's a teacher! He lives in the city! He's white! He's from Sonoma! There are a lot of BLACK people here from Oakland who probably have knives. If there's anyone who should be arrested it should be them! Not a WHITE guy from SONOMA!" Your party train will be really impressed by your racism.

Anatomy of a bad day

2006-11-12T18:49:00.000-08:00

Today was shitty. Nothing bad happened, it just sucked, you know, and it was totally a self-fulfilling prophecy. An Australia Day to quote my mom who was quoting the best book ever "Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good very bad day." So I woke up at noon which is not unusual for me, and as much as anyone claims differently I don't expect this to change with age. I had no forseeable plans, so I did nothing for a little while as I pondered my unappealing options- including gym and cleaning my room- when I decided I would go visit my long-lost friends the sea lions. As I was very slowly getting ready, at 3pm I get a call from my landlord.

How have I not blogged about Landlord yet? He is ridiculous. He takes years to fix anything yet is really proud of himself when he does. He claims to be working on his book about faith healing, but really he's just walking around North Beach picking up rent checks. He comes over at random hours and is surprised when we're annoyed.

So this call was to tell me he was showing someone my room in, oh, 5 minutes. But even though it was 3pm I was still in pjs. When I told Landlord this he was totally judging me. Still, I quickly throw my clothes under my bed, put on jeans to open up my home to Landlord and the prissy girl he shows the apartment to. Girl is a bitch and wants no part in small talk. I finally leave while Landlord again judges my "lazy day" which I am totally entitled to, because unlike him I actually work the rest of the week instead of pretending to make phone calls about broken sinks.

I go see the sea lions at Fisherman's Wharf. They are lame. Now for my first two weeks in sanfran, the sea lions were my only friends. I visited them about six times and they never disappointed. However today they disappointed. Instead of their usual cuddling and fighting, today they barely moved. Like me, they were apparently feeling blah. I wanted to tell the tourists surrounding me, "You should have been here two months ago, they were so much better." However, this seemed like nothing to brag about, so I stopped myself.

Then at 4:30 or so, wanting a plan, I decided I would take the F street car as far as it can go (the Castro) just for an activity, and once there I would have dinner. Dinner would include meat, which I was craving. However, three minutes into the ride, I heard "Last stop." Yup, I was on the wrong direction. Awesome. I took this as a sign from the heavens that my day was supposed to be blah, so I went to In 'n Out for dinner.

Ok, I didn't expect In 'n Out to be GOOD, in the classic sense, but Californians in diaspora talk about it so much, I figured it would be special. No. It's like McDonald's. I think this shows how starved we, as a people in this gentrified world, are for a regional identity. We'll grasp to a restaurant that is only a local chain because it's not good enough to expand nationally.

Then I went to Barnes & Nobles. Then I went home. Now I'm home. And I refuse to make this day better because I kind of want today to continue sucking so I can just wake up tomorrow and have a fresh start. That doesn't really make sense, but to me it does.

Pombo kills puppies

2006-11-05T19:19:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, I plan to join the majority of my fellow Americans and not vote. While I am registered to vote in Illinois and New York (which I think is illegal), I am currently residing in neither and since all the major races in both districts are firmly colored blue, performing my civic duty for the sake of performing a civic duty isn't enough motivation for me to write in for an absentee ballot.

My nonvoter status, however, did not stop me from trying to get other people to do as I say, not as I do. On Saturday I went with Odette, who works for the Sierra Club, canvassing door-to-door for Jerry McNerney (D), who is running against Richard Pombo (R) in California's 11th district. Pombo is a totally horrible corrupt person who enjoys killing endangered species. He's been in Congress since the massacre of 1994 and the Sierra Club and other legit groups consider him the biggest enemy of the environment in D.C (after Bush, obv). So even though his reelection was orignally supposed to be a cakewalk in this largely Republican district, environmental groups etc. got behind McNerney's campaign (which is totally 'i'm not Pombo'), Pombo got caught up in a few of the scandals spreading around Republicans in Congress like the flu and now the race is basically a toss-up.

This brought me to Pleasanton, CA, a very suburban surburb an hour north of sf. My mini-bus from the city joined about 300 people from throughout the bay area who were all part of some very Wildllife something or other coalition. I was hoping to meet a lot of crazies, but I think environmentalists are actually pretty down to earth and I met some super-cool, friendly people,

AND GUESS WHO ELSE WAS THERE?! Jennifer Garner! While a celebrity sighting was totallly NOT THE REASON I WENT (really!) Bennifer: the way-better sequel was scheduled to speak at the rally before we went door-to-door. However, Ben Affleck (a nonvoting hypocrite, much like yourstruly) was stuck in L.A. with a migraine. So his cool and hot wife Jennifer Garner came alone and was super-adorable and nervous about making a speech, since really Ben's the political one, and one wouldn't normally think to call Jennifer Garner alone for such an occassion. But they should, since she was a smashing success, and was super-adorable and down-to-earth. I was standing really close to her, but we unfortunately didn't get to interact and after her speech she was whisked away.

Anywayyyy... one of the groups part of this coalition were the Humane Society, and they're considered less political than the Sierra Club so when I knocked on doors, I said, "Hi I'm Diana, a volunteer with the Humane Society." This was a good strategy, because, really, who hates the Humane Society? I started visualizing myself as an actual Humane Society volunteer and made sure to be really nice to everyone's pets when they answered the door. One woman in particular I think really liked that, and I feel like I helped convince her to vote for McNerney. So if I convinced or reminded two people to vote for a good candidate in an important race, that totally counteracts my not voting in a not-important race, right?

Don't worry, I wasn't shot

2006-11-01T17:42:00.000-08:00

Erica and I roamed the streets of the Castro in our nun costumes (she was a pregnant nun; I, as a jew, didn't feel that was kosher for me). We took pictures with fellow clergy, gawked at fellow costume-goers and took part in a very quick awkward "sit-in" with these hippies from Missouri who felt that nun-presence would deter the cops from closing the festivities at the 11p.m. deadline.

MEANWHILE while I was enjoying being a member of the clergy for the day (p.s. populist costumes are the way to go), 9 other people were being shot and one was being trampled. Miraculously (and I can say that as a former nun) no one was killed. The shooting honestly doesn't come as a surprise to me. While I originally expected the Castro on Halloween to be filled with lots of gay men and tourists, I didn't realize that it also attracted a somewhat seedier crowd, and apparently most of the people in the neighborhood hate it. While I didn't see the shooting, I did see a man grope a woman, who then slapped him. Instead of realizing that he was a dick, he instead proceeded to try to punch her. Luckily his friends held him back. The police were nowhere to be found, but in good cop fashion they were clumped together in groups of about 10.

Since I've never been to this event before, and am basically a quasi-tourist I can't really provide in-depth analysis of what went wrong. But if you want to read pretty racist, classist, straightphobic, and regionalist commentary of what went wrong, check out the Chron's message board. (A popular suggestion: Ban the "trash" from the East Bay from attending).

And now they're considering canceling it. So while I was told Halloween in the Castro was something to "do once" I didn't realize that that I possibly attended the last Halloween in the Castro as we know it EVER. I love being a part of potentially-historically significant events.

Halloween Take 1

2006-10-29T14:54:00.000-08:00

I was in a costume-crisis. Friday night Odette (of Melt! fame) invited me to go with her to an all-campus Halloween party at Stanford (where her friend's friend's girlfriend is a grad student) and I had nothing to wear three hours before we were set to leave. Thinking on the fly I decided to cut a green pillowcase ( tube top) and wear a purple sheet ( wrap-around skirt) to be a Project Runway outfit gone wrong.

Unfortunately this was an uber-lame party with no alcohol. It also made me feel so beyond college. I realize I am technically still in college but this 6 month hiatus + the fact that all my friends here have graduated makes me feel much older. The party was a freshman-year esque blow. And as one of the guys in our group said, "This party is like an abortion." Amen? After 5 minutes we were like, let's go, and the Palo Alto bar (think an Evanston bar a la 1800 club) and at a pizza place (where I sluttily allowed a man by the name of Manuel to hit on me and kiss my head for a free slice) were better. Also the Stanford campus is BEAUTIFUL. Plus, I cannot fathom going to a school with good weather all year round.

Adding to the lameness of the night no one thought I was dressed up! Now I can take this as a compliment that "I made it work" and my costume looked like real clothes. However, I know this is not the point of Halloween . Anyone have last minute suggestions for my hopeful Halloween Take 2 in the Castro?

10 things of note

2006-10-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

I have nothing to write so I will write this:

1) My quality of life decreased ever so slightly tonight because I found out Grey's Anatomy was a rerun.
2) I haven't been that stressed about post-grad, since I'm not in the stress bubble that is Northwestern, but then I started getting stressed about not being stressed enough. Who am I?
3) I'm newly obsessed with the song "Blankest Year" by Nada Surf that randomly appeared on my mytunes. I think it was on the Lollapalooza mix we got at the festival, maybe? I love the line "I saw life turn into a tv show" since I ALWAYS think that. But my mom made a good point, maybe life's not like tv but they base tv shows on life.
4) The girls at work were talking about how after staring at the computer all day at work they can't even look at a computer screen when they get home. I can't relate. I (gchat)heart the internet.
5) At the gym I occasionally notice people wearing the free t-shirt we got with gym admission. Socially acceptable, yes or no?
6) I'm slightly sick. Not really sick, but legit enough to take a sick day in 3rd grade if I had had a stay-at-home mom.
7) Halloween crisis! I don't know what I'm wearing OR what I'm doing. I want to go to the Castro, maybe, since it's supposed to be ridic and a to-be-experienced once thing. I thought I passed a costume shop every day, but I went in today and it turns out it was a costume shop for PETS. Last year I didn't dress up at all since I just went to homecoming on that Saturday and then my POZ feature was due on Nov. 1 and I obv procrastinated it.
8) I just joined Myspace today. I think it's time. But I didn't make a profile yet, because it's not time for that. Related: read this funniest thing ever about profile no-nos, courtesy of craigslist.
9) I finished writing the art gallery article and I have absolutely no clue what to do at work tomorrow. Maybe I can go home early. ugh, i hate being a cubicle monkey, but TGIF.
10) I'll try to get better about putting pictures up here. I'm just not a visual person.
xoxoxo, diana

Yeah, I met the Cho brothers

2006-10-23T23:55:00.000-07:00

So for the past six weeks I've been watching the quite excellent reality show the Amazing Race. My roommate Erica saw me watching and casually mentioned that her friend's boyfriend's roommate is on the show (Godwin- one of the Asian brothers). I filed this into my random quasi-celebrity connection to save for an anectdote but didn't think it would affect my life. However, three weeks ago Erica said her friend's boyfriend's roommate hosted a viewing party every week. "AND ARE WE GOING?!" I asked before she could saw any more. "Yeah, of course." she replied, slightly taken aback by my overt enthusiasm and not yet aware of my extreme love of reality tv and meeting celebrities.

The Cho bros didn't host the party the next two weeks, but we went at the first available opportunity, last night. SO FUN. It was great watching the show on two big screen tvs (the Amazing Race interrupted the world series...I'm sure the rest of the bar patrons were happy about that) with people who were actually on it and 40 of their closest friends. I won't bore you with plot details, since I'm guessing most people don't watch it, but thankfully Erwin and Godwin have made it another week. And I got to meet reality tv contestants! They were very nice, though in our extended convo w/Godwin he talked about boring investment banking and asked Erica about working at Google and didn't reveal too much about the show (except that the one legged girl's boyfriend was much nicer than he appeared on tv). I didn't take any pictures, because the mood didn't quite strike and I already felt quite tooly especially because when I left I said, "Congrats on making it another week." Um, who am I. But all in all, it was a night to remember. Erica's friend Amanda noted that it was more fun to watch my reaction then to watch the show, similar to the reason parents take their children to see Sesame Street Live.

"That's not sketchy, that's modern"

2006-10-22T15:03:00.000-07:00

Let me just note that since my vow last week to improve my social life, I've seriously doubled my number of friends, or at least cruise friends. In case you're wondering, cruise friends are friends you use to have fun when you're in a specific situation (ie. a cruise) with no reason to keep in touch after the duration. Sometimes cruise friends morph into real friends, but that is not a requirement. So this week two new interns arrived, so now there's a great group of four girls to eat lunch with and go post-work drink 'n bitch. And on Friday I went out with new friend Odette (coffee shop enviro) and a couple of her friends and had much fun, attending Melt! Friday open mic night (far superior to Monday actually), went bar hopping and smoked pot (!) on her roof (!!!). And I still love my roommates, who I am even more grateful for after meeting Odette's roommate, who she also found on craigslist, but who resembles a serial killler.

However, I still wanted to meet lesbians, and with the exception of my roommates' rugby friends, I really hadn't met any. Not that I have many gay girl friends at school, but I'm aiming higher here, since it is San Francisco.(Preface: I was so only going to tell this story to select people since it seemed sketchy to a non-gay audience, but as my friend Rob said when I told him, "That's not sketchy, that's modern" so instead I will tell EVERYONE).

So last night with no plans on the horizon, except the always available possibility of going to Melt! (which is a last resort, let's be real. Even the guys in Cheers wouldn't go to Cheers if they had something better to do). So, bored, I happened on craigslist w4w. Sifting through the "My boyfriend's gone tonight, want to play" and "I want a girlfriend now-NO MEN" varieties, I saw an ad from a girl trying to get a platonic group together to go to some club opening. I responded, and I talked to this non-sketchy sounding girl who offered to give me a ride. I IM'd everyone I thought wouldn't judge me, to get approval, but no one was there, so I just went with it, hoping this chick wasn't going to steal my kidney.

She didn't, and the group of 4 of us hung out all night at this really fun club with a great mix of music and girls. Two of the girls I came with were great (one girl, also new to the area and apparently more cautious/less lazy than me, met us at the club). The other non-driver: um, ok, think about a 15 year old boy, in appearance and personality. I'm convinced she didn't have any friends to go out with because they all refuse to be seen with her. As we were walking into the club, she's like "Who's going to carry me back to the car when I'm too drunk to walk?" LOL, we thought. Um, no, this bitch got shwasted and left perfect strangers circa 5 hours earlier to carry her to the car. However, she claims she got three phone numbers, and I wouldn't have believed her except one called while we were driving back:
Choice excerpts we heard:
"Um, who is this?"
" I don't remember you."
"Do you have text? I won't remember any of this so why don't you text me this and we'll go out."
I did not get any numbers (maybe my next week goal will be not to be awkward). However, this girl's mad skills confirmed for me that I just need to be more confident, because if she can do it, I certainly can. But still, it was really fun! It was great music ("Summer Lovin' from Grease remix!), great people, and now I have dykes I can call to go out with for my remaining weeks in the city.

You really can get everything on Craiglist.

I do have a job

2006-10-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

I realized I havne't actually written about work. This is 1) because we were told not to, 2) nothing uber-exciting's going on, but also nothing's bad. But since I spend quite a bit of time there I will give it a shot:

If San Francisco Magazine were a person it would be a San Francisco socialite. A straight white 36 year old woman who got her degree in English from UC-Berkeley. She's married to someone who makes enough money that she can devote her time to "philanthropy" and creating a jewlery line. She goes to all the art galleries and show openings, is politically active (liberal, of course) without losing sleep over genocide in Sudan. She wants to know what's going on around her, and she loves the Bay area. She has enough disposable income that she can do whatever she likes without really thinking about money. She is fashionable, without being fashion obsessed and is a complete foodie who probably never cooks because she's so busy eating out. She'll have children, but not yet.

Keeping this in mind, every article I've written so far has been about art or theater. Which is cool. My first big story is "Top 5 affordable art galleries" but when I say "affordable" this is SFMag affordable which is like when Sarah Jessica Parker says she doesn't only wear expensive clothes, she also shops at Club Monaco. To me, $3500 for a painting is expensive. But that's just me. Still, it was really fun to go to all these galleries and chat with the owners. I tried not to seem too stupid when they asked what kind of art I'm interested in. But this totally inspired me to acquire some design sense and buy art when I have a permanent home.

I'm really enjoying writing these pieces, and what I love about magazine writing is how I can play with every single word and really use my own voice. I love being able to be witty and sit for 20 minutes figuring out sentence structure. And I feel like learning about art will definitely prove to be beneficial to my life. But while I don't regret coming here AT ALL, I think my future lies in less fluffy writing. I think I want to write about politics. Like, I care about politics way more than most people (I think secretly because all of politics is just gossip dressed up as something more important). I was discussing the elections with environmentalist friend, and I assumed she'd know all about it because, she works for the Sierra Club, but she didn't know that Lieberman is from Connecticut. And I don't blame her, it's not actually important, it's just important to me, the way knowing who plays on the San Francisco 49ers is important to other people. But I just find politics really really interesting, and I'm thinking maybe I should go to D.C. after graduation.
Thoughts?

Blogging binge continues

2006-10-16T23:32:00.000-07:00

Whelming. adv. Exactly as expected. Not good or bad. Sentence: Open-mic night was whelming.

So I went to open-mic night (which I spelled wrong in the last post. So embarassing since I pride myself on being/looking like a good speller) at Melt. And, the host aka "the black guy" gave me a special shoutout when I walked in. Melt has decided to enter the digital age, and were podcasting the open-mic night. I'm sure that will really get a lot of traffic, especially since I can't find it online, and we all know how good I am at googling. The audience was pretty similar to the crowd I saw yesterday. The performers were a few old men playing self-written songs on a guitar and "The Holy Man" as he is known reading Ginsburg poetry. My hopeful bff (the neurotic environmentalist from Cornell) didn't show, and other than the delightful, motherly bartender I was the only female. So after an hour I was like, let's go. (Plus the Bachelor was on).

I'm sure I'll go back. Board games and wine are some of my favorite things, and it's a wonderful place to go on a lazy Sunday. But I kind of am not sure if I belong there. Scratch that, I belong there, since anyone who wants to belong there can belong there. But sitting there, in this welcoming, warm environment watching these people pour their hearts and souls out, I felt like a detached, elitist anthropologist (which is not helped by the fact that I'm writing this down). Still being there made me happy because it's nice to know that i every city there must be places like this where anyone, no matter who they are, can have a place to gather and be with other people and perform and never have to be alone except for after 10pm on weeknights and midnight on weekends.

Why today was amazing

2006-10-15T20:28:00.000-07:00

So I'd been mildly depressed the last couple weeks, just like, ok, I've been here a month, the city's awesome,f but I haven't really met anyone I'd clicked with, and will it be like this the whole time?

But after sleeping til noon then online communicating with some of my favorite people in Evanston and ny I ventured out of the apartment and on my way to pick up pictures I developed (since my digi is ghetto) I was DRAWN into this coffee shop a block from my apartment. As I sat near the counter reading "Running with Scissors" (good/weird) I saw this normal looking girl with non-blowdried hair sitting at the counter look up from her book to discuss the weather with this older french woman. The weather? That's a conversation I can handle, I thought, so using my empty tea cup as an excuse I finagled my way into their conversation, ("yeah, I'm from NY, and I'll never be able to face the cold after being here," I offered.) And so it began.

At the risk of being completely cliche, this coffee shop/wine bar is like Cheers. By the time I left four hours later everyone shouted, "Bye Diana, see you later!" though I, a little embarassed, can't remember everyone's names. Everyone includes:
-the friendly possibly alcoholic Parisian woman, who I bought a drink since I needed a minimum $10 to charge my glass of wine to my credit card.
-the Kevin Smith lookalike in tyedye who attempted to improve my backgammon skills and I tried to prevent from flirting w/me.
-the black guy whose only job I can gather is hosting the coffee shop's open mike night (which I will be attending tomorrow) and who, 20 years ago lived on 4th st. between A and B and when I told him I lived 2 blocks from there this summer asked if Key Foods is still around (it is.)
-the antique shop owner who completely schooled me in backgammon and gave me his business card in hopes of being featured in San Francisco magazine.
-the British coffee shop owner who kept refilling my wine glass (hence, my current tipsyness) and also gave me her business card in hopes of being featured in San Francisco magazine.
-the cute transplanted Midwesterner bartender who works 3 nights a week and hangs out in the coffee shop the rest of his life.
- theenvironmentalist, neurotic recent Cornell grad from Jersey native who came to sf 3 weeks ago and lives in North Beach but agrees it's not her scene. It was her first time at the coffee shop too. We want to go out in the Mission (if only she were gay, and then we fell in love, but alas, life's not perfect) since we are both very not-North Beach. She's totally someone I could see actually being friends w/and she wants more friends too, since the friends she has are all coupled, and we exchanged digis and she invited me to this scavenger hunt around sf she and her friends are throwing, but I need to find a pair, which as she noted is a good excuse for a date, and is maybe finally the motivation I need to push me out of the asexual rut I've been in for far too long.

And that, my friends, is why today was amazing. Hopefully I'm in such a good mood once all the wine has worn off and I have as much fun at open-mike night as I'm planning to.

And as per Josh's request

2006-10-15T01:22:00.000-07:00

I got a Google shirt from my roommate. It's yellow. I never wear yellow but I plan to wear this shirt because it's from Google, which is my favorite company. I use Google for everything. Today when I didn't want to go to the gym I googled, "I hate going to the gym" just so I could see that I have 1,160 kindred spirits. I found another kindred spirt last night, at this book reading I went to, this non-gym goer read about how she never worked out and decided she was going to go on a Richard Simmons cruise to remedy this. Did you know he's not openly gay? And some of the women had crushes on him. But anywayyy, I still went to the gym since I'm attempting to be hardcore. But I hate the gym like woah. But I really like yoga even though the instructor totally decided I was remedial/retarded and took pity on me. In other news, I also spend way too much time on facebook. It makes me sad when I see the newsfeed and all my friends in Evanston are attending parties that I won't be going to. This weekend I probably would have gone to Tommy's party, even though i'm not friends with him, I know that like 20 of my friends were attending the party. And tonight I would have seen a movie w/Marcy and Erica. I really need to stop reading fbook/talking to school friends every day. But I know my homesickness for Evanston is false nostalgia since when I'm at school I'm a stressball and it's not like these social outings I'm pining for are orgasmi. And San Francisco is truly really good mostly, I'm just in a blah mood at this moment for no really great reason except that I'm in a new city where I have about 3.5 friends and I'm stream of conscious blogging which I don't usually do since I hate the emo-ness of people who do that.
p.s.I think Josh should start a blog too. It can chronicle the struggles of spending days sleeping in, "running errands," hanging out in bakeries, going out every night and facing a quarter-life crisis when Friday nights role around.
xoxoxoxoxo, diana