Friday, January 05, 2007

Super Hero

I can't get enough of Wesley Autrey. Every time I read or hear something about him, I cry. I just watched the entire press conference. Every time he hugged Bloomie (who I also love) I cried.

There's been all sorts of discussions about why this sort of thing makes everyone feel so good.

Is it because in the same position we wouldn't have done the same thing? Shouldn't that make us feel bad? Or does it just make us appreciate people who do these sorts of things?

Is it because he's so humble and grounded?

Is it because he called out to his daughters to let them know he was safe?

Is it because he says he's not the hero and the people in Iraq are?

Is it because he did something completely and utterly and selflessly insane and lived to tell the story about his dirty hat?

He's being showered with gifts. Trump gave him $10,000. Disney gave him and his family a trip to Disney World, tickets and backstage passes to The Lion King, Mickey ears and stuffed animals. The MTA gave him a year's worth of free subway rides (cheap - they should give him and his family free rides for life). Other organizations have given his daughters scholarship money.

I hope hope hope all of this attention and the gifts don't change him. He's so nice. He's normal. He's giving. I think this is why people are going nuts. He's a sweet, awesome guy who did something amazing on the way to work and asked for nothing in return other than for New Yorkers to always be nice to each other.

Man. I'm almost crying again.

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Danger!

Am I the only one who thinks its completely ridiculous to have a candle holder that involves a sheet of paper? I suppose its even more ridiculous to have a restaurant full of candle holders made of paper, even if that restaurant has amazing amazing amazing empanadas.

Also they didn't charge me for my sangria! Ha! I still spent $28, though, but that was with splitting my friend's drink (she was charged for her sangria), splitting an appetizer, having my own giant salad and splitting a dessert. $8 over, but many courses. When L asked me to come out to drinks with her friends afterwards, I said "No! I am being responsible and saving money. Yes, I am." I pouted but I did the right thing.

So we ordered a chocolate/pecan cake with raspberry sauce.

They brought us something else.

I said "This doesn't look like chocolate/pecan cake with raspberry sauce." It wasn't. It was like a three layer white cake with a molton chocolate mousse cake on top of it, drowned in some sort of white sauce. "Maybe, though, there are pecans in the white part?" we thought.

Needless to say we ate it. The molton chocolate part was spicey! It was amazing! Not what we ordered, but amazing.

I kept wondering if they were watching us, waiting to see if we would ever notice or mention that we'd been given the wrong dessert. I imagined us as part of a hidden-camera type show where the audience watches average people not be assertive. I wondered what the character traits are of people who don't say "Hey, this isn't what we ordered!" If it had been my main course, I would have said something. But how can you turn away such a lovely dessert?

We decided to ask the waitress what it was, because if we ever go there again, we'd probably order it again. "It's the chocolate puff..." she said. "Wait - is the chocolate puff the same thing as the chocolate/pecan cake with raspberry sauce?" "No. The chocolate puff is the special tonight."

Weird, since we didn't know there was a special. There's no way we could have ordered it accidentally, and she wasn't all like "Oh, you ordered the chocolate/pecan cake!"

Then she's like "Oh, sometimes they just switch them because of the special - the chocolate/pecan cake is chocolate so they gave you the chocolate puff instead."

?

Language barrier? We didn't know what to say. I emphasized that we weren't upset but were actually delighted by the switch.

I don't know. This is a lame story but I am telling it because I am very happy that there was either a miscommunication or a bizarro presumptuous switch, because the chocolate puff was divine!

Oh My

I got the phone call. I guess this means I'm moving back!

Ummm. Whoa (said in my brain in the style of Keanu).

I wonder if I should stop the blog after I move, since the blog started when I was trying to move from MA to NYC. I guess that would be the tidy thing to do, but since when has life been tidy?

Oh my. This is really happening. Sometimes I feel as though I've been possessed. Various people think I am being irresponsible, but guess what! Those are the people who are old and unhappy and miserable, and if they took risks when they were younger they'd probably be far less bitter and judgmental now, and wouldn't be exerting precious energy in telling me I'm making a huge mistake and making me feel stupid.

And since when have I ever been irresponsible? These people don't know me well enough to know that I would never ever ever do something like this if it wasn't reversible and if it wasn't possible.

Whoa (again in the style of Keanu).

I guess I really thought it would fall through because I am a person with bad luck and, well, it shouldn't have been so easy. Then again, I still don't know what's going on with the apartment situation and with D and I'm sure that could all be a disaster but whatever! I have somewhere to be in May and I will be there and no stupid evil NYC landlord will stop me! Nope!

Man, I have a lot of musicals to see in the next few months.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

It's Merely OK To Be Back

I think I forgot that I live in NYC over break. Or perhaps I've become so adjusted to the idea of living in Boston again that I forgot about NYC entirely. I have a few more things to do and see here and then I'll be finished, and I'm not too distressed. I want to see Wicked, spend time with Brother, go to a few more museums and then never look back.

The break was good. It felt long, but not long enough. Again, I think I have adjusted to the idea of going to school, not working, and I'm cross with the world for expecting me to work. I shouldn't count the eggs before they hatch or whatever that saying is... it seems like its going to happen, but you never know. I wanted to buy equipment today but I'm not going to do anything until there is a form signed by me and money turned over. That is wise. I am so rarely overexcited about the future - its weird to me how non-skeptical I am about this - and so I want to hold onto this and be insane and irresponsible and thrilled and slacking.

I woke up this morning and felt like my eyelids were glued shut. I've grown used to too much sleep over the past week and a half.

Nobody is working today. Easy transition, no guilt. I used the Amazon gift certificate but not Barnes and Noble, because why does Barnes and Noble have to be so much more expensive that Amazon? I want to pick something that's $16 exactly so that I will spend $20 with shipping and won't have to kick in any of my own money to use the gift card. Cheap, I am, but it is the New Year and its Resolution #1 to save money. I didn't use the Victoria's Secret gift card either (can you believe that my little cousin has a job at Victoria's Secret? I am an old lady!) because I want nude-fishnets for various weddings but apparently they don't have them and I hadn't thought of anything else I might want. I mailed things and made business-y phone calls but not enough of them. I've been staring blankly and talking too much but I don't care because this won't last long.

The break was far less traumatic than I'd expected it to be. This was due, in part, to other drama that was brewing so we were all distracted. Christmas Eve Eve was spent with D's family and I love them all. I really do. His grandmother knows me better than my own grandmothers, and she's encouraging and non-judgmental and a joy to be around. Christmas Eve was too much family, the Lar side and the other side. Dear god. Sister and I were drunk, but I think we were allowed to be given all that's happened. I was surprised that more people weren't drunk in anticipation of having to talk to us. There was the usual lack-of-support and judging, and this year I didn't care. I didn't indulge. I sat in the corner and drank myself happy.

Christmas day was weird and there were tears, but not for long. We ended the night drunk again and having a dance party. Hopefully its a new Christmas tradition.

I saw few friends, because this was the first visit to new territority and it was important to spend time there. I saw friends from out of town - from CA and from England - and saw The Baby, because how can you not see The Baby? Even if I'm going to get to see The Baby on a regular basis soon, it is important to see The Baby while he's still a baby. He's cute, real cute, even if he hates me. We went to the new ICA and looked too quickly thinking there were four floors, but of the four floors only one floor has art. Weird. We went to Harvard Square. We drove around a lot. And then we came back and saw some New York friends and some good movies. We saw Children of Men and Pan's Labyrinth, both spectacular. On New Year's Eve we did nothing other than drink (too much drinking this break but its so rare and so necessary when dealing with family and weirdness) and eat and attempt a glimpse of Times Square that was thwarted at 8th Avenue. Insane. The Target confetti was silver and made the city sparkle as it drifted softly to the ground. I tried to catch them but it was difficult, but I am not above picking them up off the ground. I want to make something out of them next year. I started to doze off during Christina Aguilara and D woke me up at 11:55. I threw on my shoes and coat and we ran to the roof where I couldn't see the ball drop. D claims to have seen it. The fireworks were cute for the two seconds they were happening. We kissed and smiled at the neighbors and neighboring parties, and then went straight to bed.

And now its back to reality and I am going to be insane about getting a letter. And what if I don't? And will I call? What will I do? He said it was happening and welcome but that I'd receive a letter. And what about getting a job? What if what if what if? D said we should make a list of scenarios, but all of the scenarios depend on whether/when he gets a job, and if they'll negotiate. I am having a fantasy that he gets a job immediately and that they want him to start immediately, and he will be like "But I still have a lease in NYC!" and they will say "Oh - that silly thing? We'll pay it off!" and then D can move and I can live rent-free here and save a ton of money for school. Which is selfish of me, but its good for him too because that's more money I'll have to contribute to the amazing meals I will cook for him every night while I am in school.

Heh.

What will most likely happen is that we'll have to move before the lease is up and will end up carrying two apartments, or he won't get a job and we'll be homeless.

No! But I'm not worried! No way!

Instead of worrying... I am going to look for fishnets.

Another Year, Another Set of Resolutions

People keep asking me "Did you keep your resolutions from last year? What are they for this year?"

My answers have been "I don't know and I don't know."

I decided to consult the Almightly Elusive Pringle in search of last year's resolutions and will now be possibly embarrassed by my failures of the year.

Last Year's Resolutions, according to The Elusive Pringle:

1. Eat fewer cookies per unit time
Result: Success. More due to insulin than to willpower, but still!
2. Eat more salads
Result: Success. See above.
3. Possibly... gasp... join gym
Result: Um, failure. But this was a *possibly* so I don't feel too bad. I had a good spurt of lame exercise videos that I rocked prior to The Worst Day Ever, so it wasn't a total failure.
4. Play more piano (possibly get good again!)
Result: Sporadic success and focus and motivation, but overall I would say this one was a failure.
5. Watch fewer Netflixes
Result: Success! Well, I might be watching the same amount but they are not the same time-suck that they once were, so a good result, yes.
6. Read novels
Result: I definitely read more but not nearly enough, so failure.
7. Stop forgetting when exhibits end and thereby missing them entirely
Result: Success, although I feel like my overall interest in art has decreased due to media overload, but I didn't miss anything this year as I was list-maker extraordinaire!
8. Be better about keeping in touch with friends via phone
Result: Failure! I am still terrible!
9. Be better about making time to listen to original songs friends have sent me to listen to
Result: Failure, but this is because, um, people probably stopped sending me songs because I didn't listen to them.
10. Travel (more specifically: go to Europe... more precisely, do not become first ever greater than or equal to 30 YEAR OLD person who hasn't been to Europe)
Result: Well, I went to Europe, but after I turned 30, so I guess I failed. Sniff.
11. Buy and then learn how to use new fancy camera
Result: Success with bonuses!!!
12. Think about future like serious 30-year-old should
Result: Success! The future is happening, because I am thinking about it with D's assistance.
13. Buy fewer pairs of glasses
Result: Well, I bought two pairs but I didn't pay anything for them so it doesn't count.
14. Keep credit card bills to reasonable amount
Result: Failure, oh my, the worst failure. The trips (and the apartments) drained me.
15. Drink less
Result: I think this was successful, but its hard to tell.
16. Hang out less or not at all with people from work
Result: Great success without remorse. I am evil but am so much happier.
17. Make and keep friends
Result: Success, I think. I feel like I belong finally and this is due to real, true friends and not just friends of convenience.
18. Read articles in Village Voice and not just about what to do
Result: Success. Voice, I will miss you.
19. Write more songs per unit time - stop neglecting the blog!!!
Result: Failure. I neglected the blog in more ways than music, and I think I wrote fewer than ten songs this year. I am embarrassed.
20. Maintain current good course of relationship with boyfriend
Result: Wicked success! We are miraculously living together and planning a big move together. Yay!

Overall Success Rate of New Year's Resolutions for 2006: 60%.

Not bad, and some of those were ambiguous failures so the success rate is probably more like 66%. I'm proud of myself for keeping my resolutions without even realizing I was keeping my resolutions.

And now for the, drum roll, resolutions for 2007 (and note the guest appearances of certain resolutions from 2006):

1. Save money, save money, and also save money. For the love of god save money. Be responsible. Stop hemorhaging money. Stop! PLEASE!
2. Limit dinner prices to $20.
3. Only one drink at dinner, and hopefully this will be included in the $20.
4. Exercise tapes (note that I am not saying "join gym" because I know this will not happen due to hating of working out and also due to saving of money).
5. Weights.
6. Read more books/graphic novels.
7. Continue bringing own lunch to work/school in order to save money and also eat in healthy manner.
8. Keep up with magazines in a timely fashion and do not let accumulate for months and months and months.
9. Write songs for the blog goddamit.
10. Begin writing musical.
11. Play more piano and get good.
12. Avoid apartment-related drama in NYC for one year. I realize this is out of my control but please please please let us be responsible and not lose more money.
13. Get to school on time every day.
14. Stop allowing The Parents to cause me to experience all manner of madness (this has already begun and I think there will be success).
15. If there is free time and extra money, which there will not be, take dance class.
16. Not be nervous when whole life changes.
17. Ahem - this is a long shot but - ahem - attempt to get driver's license. Right. Yes. If there is time and uncharacteristic bravery, I will do this!
18. Continue to sell things on Ebay and Craigslist in order to make small fortune!
19. Keep in touch with friends via phone in more regular fashion.
20. Become amazing cook in new life when there will be time to become amazing cook.

OK! 2007! Woo hoo! Yeah! I think its gonna be a good one, or at the very least, better than last year, because really, could things get any worse? Well, I guess they have a potential to get really bad this year but I'm trying not to think about it and to instead watch a lot of Arrested Development because, really, jail can be funny, right? Right.