Monday, June 30, 2008

Ummm... just a computer.

Me to Lex and Ashley: "I have a really funny story about the subway."
Lex to Me and Ashley: "I'm going to call Parker."
Me to Ashley: questionable face!?!
Me to Ashley: "I'm just going to tell you my story and not Lexie..."


Here goes.
At lunch a guy from the office told a story about a friend last summer. She was dog-sitting for a family in the city who she usually babysat for while they went on a trip for a week. She'd never really kept a dog before but figured she could do the family a favor. All was well until mid-week when she woke up to find a dead dog in the living room. After freaking out a bit, she decided to take the dog to the vet's office so that they could keep it until the family got back. And after calling the family and getting the vet's address she had to figure out how to get the dog TO the vet. She certainly couldn't take a cab with the dead dog as passenger number two. She finally figured out that she could fit the dog into a duffel bag. And she did. But when she got to the street and considered hailing a cab, she thought again and knew that she could totally get away with the incognito bag on the subway which is way cheaper anyway. When she got to the platform she had some trouble getting the bag through the turnstile so a generous man offered to hold the bag and pass it to her once she was through. No problems, passed the bag, made it through... no problems. She stepped onto her train and was on her way...
About half way through the ride the same man approached her on the subway car. He said, "Ok, my curiosity has really gotten the best of me, mind if I ask what's in the bag?" She got nervous and replied, "umm.... it's just a computer. I'm taking it to get fixed." He was fine with that answer and basically said thanks, I just had to know. And left her alone. She made it to her stop and got off the train and onto the street.
She made it down about two blocks when she sees the same man come running toward her as fast as he can possibly go. She thinks he's going to speak and THEN....
HE STEALS THE BAG! HE CHARGES HER AND STEALS THE BAG FROM HER AND RUNS AWAY FROM HER ----------- WITH THE DEAD DOG STUFFED IN A DUFFEL BAG, NOT A COMPUTER!
I would have given anything to see his face when he realized what he'd done and what he'd taken... totally not worth it.


Lexie to Me and Ashley: "What was all that laughing I heard from the other room? Tell me a funny story!"
Me to Lex: "Ohhhh noooo, you didn't want to hear my funny story, I already told Ashley and she thought it was really funny and you missed it."
Lexie to Me and Ashley: Pouting four about 4 minutes until I finally told her!


This is Lexie pouting on our sofa.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

The Chelsea Market

It rained all day today again and apparently all trains to all places do not run on the weekends. Nice to know. Not nice to figure out when you are standing 4 levels below the earth's surface on a subway platform for half an hour while you're already a bit damp from the rain and becoming more and more sweaty by the minute due to the humidity. Whew. We did finally make it home though, so yay!

We went with Molly Gee today to Chelsea to the Chelsea Market. We had lunch there- and that was it. The Food Network is upstairs in this building which was really exciting. I want to go see a show while I'm here!

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Splatterday is more like it.

It's been raining all day long! We braved it and went out and about though! Ashley has to work this weekend so she will not be involved in the following adventures at all.

Last night Lex and I Googled a local Blockbuster and walked the 12 blocks down to rent a movie. We also realized that we live in a far hipper area than we had originally thought. I did see this on the way though, and I fear that this is a growing trend:
When we got back to our apartment we made a 'sofa' and created a small living room so that we could watch our movies. Why didn't we think of this before?!

This is NYC apartment oddities installment number two: inanimate objects...

Why, yes, this industrial sized copy machine IS the same size as the desk in our living room. Thank you for asking.

We've also decided that these people are hoarders... of boxes. Maybe they are a part of one of those cults who truly believe that in the instance of nuclear fall-out cardboard will be the ultimate savior!Hmmm... What could this little 17 pound bundle be swaddled so nicely in a pale pink pillow case?Stop Lying! That is not what you expected!Oh, of course! It must be a key holder... by the mirror... on the dresser... in the room farthest away from the front door...

Oh and I did forget one object from the 'hanging things' installment of apartment oddities:

And this happens every time you close the bathroom door.




Which is kinda fun.

Friday, June 27, 2008

I Saw Danny V. today!

Anybody want to see my huge blister from that little incident yesterday?
Didn't think so.





Today my mission was to go to the United Nations Garden and find a poster of the plowshare guy. I was given this mission by a highly secretive Biblical scholar code named J-Rock...

I went to the U.N. and it was really neat to see all the flags lined up outside and the protests that were going on over Tibet's freedom. I had to go through all sorts of security checkpoints to get into the visitor's area (where there were no posters of anything, might I add). There was also a really fantastic global photography exhibit up. Anyway, when I asked the guy at the information desk if he could point me in the direction of 'the statue of a man with a hammer hitting a sword (gestures included)'. He said 'He's in the garden. You can sort of see him if you go out that door, but the garden is closed.' I asked 'is it open any day of the week?' and he said 'no, it's closed.' and I said 'So it's never open to the public?' and he said 'not when it's closed.' then i walked away because obviously we were not connecting on some very important level. Anyway, I tried to get a picture of the statue but I felt like I was too far away from him.Sorry Brandy and Jared! I'm glad I went! I probably wouldn't have if you two hadn't pointed me in that direction. But I did find that verse! It was totally by chance that I saw it. I happened to walk all the way to the U.N building from the Empire State Building (like 15 blocks) and on my way down a set of stairs (near the Tibet rally), there it was: the verse that goes with the statue! It was across the street and down the block from the U.N. but I 'happened' to go that exact way!


So, like I mentioned, I also went to the Empire State Building today. It was beautiful, but as I got closer and closer, I could tell there were hundreds upon hundreds of people swarming around it. I got in line and went up to the 'buy an observation deck ticket' location on the second floor. The second I stepped off the escalator was followed by the next second when I got right back on the down-ward escalator. No way was I about to try to make my way through a line of hundreds of tourists from tour buses. I'll go back some other time.One last thing I did today that was beyond amazing... Pinkberry!

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Anyone? Pinkberry is an 'ice cream' shoppe that is gorgeously designed and has almost healthy ice cream! They have the original pinkberry flavor, green tea flavor, and espresso flavor. With these three flavors you can add any three fruit toppings (from tons of fresh options). Or granola if you'd rather have that. Each one is only around 130 calories! It might be my new favorite place in the city. If you come visit me, I WILL take you there.Home Sweet Home.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

I'm ready for my close up!

For those of you who did not know me as a freshman in college, I have a story to tell...

Dorm life is a myriad of hot pockets, micro-wavable meals and cereal. One day, I got out of my 11:00 class early enough to feel like I had adequate time to run across campus to my room to grab lunch before my next class at 12:30. I probably had something like half an hour to get to my room, make and eat lunch, and get to my next class. By the time I get to my room, however, I have a mere 12 or so minutes to get alllll the way to my next class so I shove a Mexican spring roll into the microwave and pull it out piping hot a few minutes later. I always ate these with a fork because I knew about their explosive molten-queso tendencies, but because I was hurried, I bit straight into it. My eyes immediately flooded with tears from the pain of the hot cheese that had streaked down my lip and chin. I threw down that dadgum devil roll and ran to class, in which I held an icy water bottle to my lower face for the entire hour and a half. It didn't do any good. The damage had been done. It scabbed over quite nicely and did not, in turn, leave a scar. I felt like such a fat kid because hot microwaved cheese ultimately marred my face for a week...

I say all of this to say "It just happened again." Not on my face, albeit, but it did happen again just now, while I was making dinner. I cooked up some Lipton noodles,and as I pulled the pan off the stove, the spoon flipped backwards out of the pan and down toward the floor. I jumped out of the way but a hot, tiny square noodle flew into the air and ultimately stuck to my ankle. It was quite painful. At first I thought I had been splattered, then i realized it was ATTACHED TO ME AND BURNING MY FLESH! Anyway, I can still feel it. Even as I sit here right now, eating those very noodles that, when used for harm and not good, can cause devastatingly small red marks. See?

And Now for Something Completely Different:
There are such strange things about the apartment we're staying in this summer. Strange thing number one is today's edition: Hanging Things...
Yep, in a corner behind a lamp. What is that even?What is this, even? How old are the people who live here? I am not opposed to having an inner child, but when that inner child tells you to hang a pocketed pooh-bear shoe-holder on a dimmer switch at the age of 25, he or she may have some repressed childhood feelings that need to be worked out in the proper care of a professional.
This scrubbie thing is hanging on a lone nail OUTSIDE of the bathroom.

Why? There was another in the other corner to match it, but I pulled it down that night we blocked the entries to the living room so we could capture the air. I wonder what purpose this serves when the regular inhabitants live here. (and "No. There's not a magical passageway behind there. That was the first thing I thought, too.)

And for one last bit-o-fun:

I had this Pinot Noir Soda with my lunch today and it was delicious. It also comes in Chardonnay and Rose. It's called Vignette: A Wine Country Soda.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Shear Genius

I'm posting twice today to make up for the most boring yesterday ever.
We read online that the show Shear Genius was going to be doing free hair cuts in Times Square tonight at 10pm. Ashley wanted to do it so we went with her. This was her on the sub-way pre-haircut:
This was her in Times Square when the nice man in a suit told her that the hair cutting expo had taken place at 10am:
When we were waiting on the subway platform to come home we were discussing the fact that Ashley has not seen a rat yet. I've seen many many rats now and as we were speaking of it, she grabbed Lexie and started to scream. Her very first rat (and then her very first second rat and very first third rat) was about three inches from her foot. Needless to say, her first experience with a rat was a little bit exciting and only created a few tears.

Do Not Go Here.

Unless you're into this type of thing.

I wonder if they use the same rooms and instruments.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Sunday Funday!

Can every day really be a Funday?
Why Not!?

We went to the Brooklyn Flea Market this afternoon. We met Jessie again since she lives a few blocks up from where we were in Brooklyn Heights. The flea market had vintage clothes, jewelry, art, furniture and food. Ashley found a great dress so we'll have to go back when there are more vendors. The forecast said rain today so I think that may have scared a few people away.
When it did start to rain we went into the theatre to see Get Smart. It was really funny and because we had just seen Anne and Stephen (we're pretty much on a first name basis now) on Wednesday it was all the more interesting to see the people and parts that they had spoken of.

After the movie we walked around Brooklyn Heights and went to the Promenade. This is pretty much where I'd want to live if Bryan and I came back to New York (if we didn't live in the city that is).
After all was said and done in Brooklyn, Ashley and I headed west to Manhattan and stopped in Union Square to have dinner at the Crocodile Lounge. This place is great because you buy a draft beer and you get a free pizza! A whole pizza and a beer cost me $4! Excellent!

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Mermaid Parade

We went on an outing to the Mermaid Parade on Coney Island today! It was so fun! We saw the parade on the boardwalk. Everyone dressed up like sea creatures of sorts/ or dressed down like they had recently sprung forth from the sea... but this is a family friendly site and I will not go any further into that.
Mer-Maids----- get it? Mer-MAIDS?! :)Nemo Sushi! Jelly Fish
Those ladies were boardwalk waffle cones! (the other two are both men no matter what the wigs make them look like, please do not be alarmed)Even the majority of the audience was dressed up in some form!

We also rode the Wonder Wheel and the Tilt-A-Whirl!!!
This is Ashley, Jessi (who is also interning here in fashion from State at Elle Magazine) and Me.
Then we stood in line for an hour to get a famous Nathan's Hot Dog! It was totally worth it. Man, was that hot dog good.

Because this day is Coney Island's busiest day of the year (probably equivalent to New Orlean's Mardi Gras) there were thousands of people at the parade, thousands of people at the beach, and probably a thousand more people at the amusement park! It was a blast, but now I'm pooped!