Weekend Update

A tornado hit my room

My donations to Buffalo Exchange

I'm laying down on a deck in the backyard of a house in Cape Cod. I can get used to this. I haven't had a beach vacation in years. Don't be fooled. Being unemployed or underemployed is in no way, a "vacation." On Thursday, movers came to haul my furniture into storage. The Moishe's Movers were like well-oiled machines - wrapping and carrying out my furniture down flights of stairs in about an hour, and they were on time. The process was much smoother than my first move last year. I even had a few minutes to enjoy my apartment when everything was packed up and my desk was clear - no visual clutter. I've tried to get rid of tons of clothing and books over the last few weeks which have mostly resulted in epic fails - at least in terms of trying to make money from my junk. Buffalo Exchange flat out rejected a pile of clothing that I probably wouldn't have gotten rid of if I had known I'd get no money but I had plans right after stopping by their store.

Made me laugh but left him on the curb

A small casualty of moving. I had just proclaimed in my head how much I liked my Benefit Cheek Stain when I knocked it over.

On Friday, I spent the day running errands and attempting to enjoy the last few hours of my Upper East Side neighborhood. I hung out in Java Girl trying to write my novel, then prepared to drag the rest of my stuff into my father's car by consolidating and packing some more. I spent the final hour of East 66th street laying on my yoga mat in my former roommate's sun-filled room, with a candle lit and a Fast Company magazine, reading, stretching and closing my eyes before my dad arrived.

I had asked about five friends if they could help me move things into my dad's car but most were busy. One said he could, possibly but was uber busy that day. So as usual, I overestimated my strength and underestimated the amount of work moving would take. I was overly optimistic in thinking that my dad could find a parking space (he couldn't) so I didn't call the one available friend. I dragged my huge suitcase down the stairs, ran back up, carried a few boxes to the car and was sweating by my second run. The man who owns the pet store "Litter & Leashes" saw my struggle. He offered to help and wouldn't take no for an answer. So he made about four trips with me up my five flights of stairs - perfectly packed the car when my dad thought all hope of fitting another box was lost, and didn't complain for a second.

He helped me to the end even when I told him I could finish the rest myself. I joked around about how he didn't need to go to the gym for a week and he mentioned that he was fasting for Ramadan. With all the controversy surrounding the Muslim Community center, I thought this fact was particularly timely. How could people equate all Muslims with extremists? The only thing extreme about his behavior was his incredible kindness, exhibited countless times while I lived in that apartment. He treated my cats to free fake mice every time I bought pet supplies. He gave me a sympathetic and genuine hug when he heard that the kitten who fell was mine, and he reminded me how awesome New Yorkers are while I officially moved out of New York City (at least for 2010). It's a nice and (should be obvious) reminder that kindness transcends all faiths.

Romanticizing my apartment. Thanks new Hipstamatic iPhone App.

Java Girl

Typical Night Out In Manhattan?

Saturday night I spent 2 hours at SPiN New York with my friend. It's a trendy ping pong club on 23rd and Park. Actually, it has a super interesting crowd from older folks, to scantily clad women looking to meet men, to people would can afford blowing $20 on a half hour of ping pong. We weren't at our table for more than 2 minutes before we got hit on by the table next to us. A group of guys were closing out, visibly drunk despite it only being 9:30 and there for a bachelor party. Great. We played doubles. I was lucky enough to have the well-behaved married guy on my team whereas my friend had to avoid getting groped by her drunk teammate. After twenty minutes of wild playing, they left leaving us open to receive more male attention. An older, slightly creepy guy sat on the couch next to us watching us play and cutting into my friend's personal space. Two drinks and an hour and a half of ping pong later it was time for us to move on. But not before I had a quick Susan Sarandon sighting!

We headed to Norwood, a gorgeous private club on West 14th street. I'm kind of in love with the place. You could easily walk right by it without knowing its a club. It's in a brownstone with multiple (almost hidden) rooms, antique furniture and Victorian décor. I look forward to going back during the week when the majority of members aren't on vacation. And the crowd was just as interesting - a friendly, down to earth DJ, Kris Kross' long lost brother, and an L.A. type who could easily be mistaken for Seth Rogen. So while I was there, I figured I'd try and make friends. The Seth Rogen guy and I struck up a conversation while on line for the bathroom. I learned that he recently broke up with his girlfriend and was just getting back in the game. He managed to slip in that she lived across the ocean and they'd see each other every 3 weeks in different places around the world. Okay - way to slip in that you're loaded. His friends were leaving and he asked if I wanted to join them. I figured it was either that or go home so told him I was in. The group stood outside trying to figure out their next move. There was some confusion and suddenly the two of us found ourselves alone. He asked if I still wanted to hang out downtown and I said maybe - he seemed interesting and I wouldn't have minded just TALKING to him. Smooth operator that he is - mentioned we'd be better off drinking wine on his roof rather than hitting another bar. And on that note, I told Mr. Smooth that I was heading home. Peace Out.

So the night ended with me at my local pizza place and a 25 year old from Westchester thinking he was cool and harassing me. Can't a lady eat her pizza in peace?! And there we have it folks - a typical night out in Manhattan - drunk bachelors, creepy old men, celebrities, trendy clubs, rich, insecure men trying to entice the ladies with their wealth, and drunken boys from Westchester.

Cheers!

New York Times Connections

Aw, I went to high school with this guy... Super cool dude and his (now) wife is very sweet. Of course ran into them at a bar a few years ago.

And supposedly went to college with this girl although I'm not sure I knew her. Weird how that works. On top of that, ran into my ex boyfriend's friend today and some guy I went to college with. Just a typical day in NYC. Hmmm.

In other news, I went to a party in Williamsburg that ended up being really cool. I met some new and interesting people. Both girls told me the story of how they met their husbands/fiance and in both cases, they strayed off their beaten path and did something they wouldn't normally do. One went to a bar she normally wouldn't have gone to- to watch the debates when she would have rather stayed home. And the other was set up on a blind date by a coworker - with a man who lived in a different city. So.. yeah, I've sort of been following this motto over the last few weeks in terms of networking, etc. but it's a good thing to reiterate. That yes - there's a time and place for staying in, watching a movie, working, etc. But if you have the opportunity to meet new people, go to a different neighborhood, hang out with different groups, etc. definitely go for it. Reschedule time with your good friends. I must say, they'll always be there.

Love,
Molly

NY Photo Festival 2010

These last few days have been crazy. Two 3amers in a row. Wow. I've still got it. Or something like that. Thursday night, after going to a low key AWNY networking event (Silent Auction), I went downtown to an end of law school party for Brooklyn Law. It was crazy. Packed. There was dancing. And drinking. And whiskey. Not in that order.

Friday, I spent all day working from home and recovering. I didn't even leave my apartment until 5 so I was a bit stir crazy. So when my friend suggested heading to Dumbo for a NY Photo Festival party, I was all over it. The photo parties I've gone to have been generally low key, involve cheap wine, well dressed and interesting looking people standing around talking. That's how the party started... Fast forward an hour and a half in and people started dancing. The DJ put on some seriously old school tunes - like Elvin, Marvin Gaye's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (my favorite) going back to 50's early rock. People of all ages- hipsters, attractive Dutchmen, older folks and even someone in a handicap scooter were rocking out. And then.. we did a conga line around PowerHouse Books. It was like an awesome, sweat inducing, wedding dance - a - thon. My kind of Friday night.

And one of my favorite moments of the night - upon arriving at the York Street station, this guy and I looked at each other, had a moment of recognition that we were both at the party, and laughed. Like we were both in on a secret and knew how special, crazy and unexpected the dance party turned out.

Sunday Night Ponderings

As I sat in my dark, cold apartment on this rainy Sunday evening with my roommate and two cats (post yoga at Crunch!), I briefly considered going back on an internet dating site... and then quickly came back to my senses - realizing that I should probably focus my energy searching job matches instead of love matches. And then I checked my calendar, remembering that all my evenings are jam packed up until next week and that apparently, being unemployed, networking and working on my own ventures is more time consuming than being employed and in a relationship. But I can't complain! Hmmm. I ponder.
In no particular order, a visual guide to what I've been up to when I'm not networking, attending amazingly inspiring and informative AWNY events, sitting in cafés job searching, working with my friend to help her PR business in the social media realm, reading business books, etc. This is for you mom.

Under the cherry blossoms in the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Saturday April 24thAdd caption

More cherry blossoms (I think) in Central Park

Central Park

I have no words. Okay, I do. Thomas and Oscar love each other.

Sunday pancake brunch with the roommate = roommate love.

Oscar, making catnaps sexy since April 2010.

Smugger's Notch - All Together Now

Wow! I've been crazy busy this morning. Hellz yeah. I totally prefer running on adrenaline than being so bored that I need copious amounts of caffeine to stay awake. So I don't have time to give the play by play but a picture is worth a thousand words right? The highlights were that I'm apparently sort of a natural - only took a half hour lesson from my friend Mike who was kind enough to help us. But apparenently I'm dangerous to myself and others and I probably should have taken an official lesson and SLOWED DOWN. The weekend was about overcoming some fears. I still had to get myself into a happy place while on the very high two person lift even when I was sitting next to my boyfriend. Yeah, heights and I don't get along. Not a rational fear and I must have fallen to my death in a past life. I certainly fell on my ass about five times and lost a bit of confidence towards the third run.

I ate tons of junk food. My body is now made up of 60% Cheetos, Doritos and potato chips. The people I went with are super awesome. I had the opportunity to spend quality time with mostly everyone and it was lovely having some simple, wholesome fun like completing the hardest hologram puzzle known to man and playing bullshit. It was great to be on the road. I laughed so hard to a Dane Cook's stand up routine I had to stop myself from seriously crying and freaking out the three other guys in our car. And I think I've finally forgiven them for abandoning me during karaoke. And now.. for your viewing pleasure..

I don't know why I love this picture. It's an action shot!

Bullshit!

Some morning puzzle action

A frozen tear.

Sunday afternoon lunch at Casa Del Sol in Vermont.

And if you're interested in seeing more pictures from my weekend, you can check out my flickr here.

Smuggler's Notch Part 2

And so the drinking began

So where was I? My car (three guys) and I arrived at our spacious condo, had some shots then dinner at the resort. Post dinner, we decided to hit up the pool and hot tub. One brave soul attempted to bypass the lifeguard wearing only his skivvies but was harshly reprimanded. After quickly changing, we ran over to the "Fun Zone" in the hopes that we would find ping pong, as the resort website promised. Instead, it was a gym area fit for five year olds and we were told to head to the teen zone. Hoping that the term "Teen Zone" was somehow meant for the over 12 crowd without children, we headed over. We entered a room fit for a church basement with one ping pong table, a few pimpled teenagers and some couches. My boyfriend spoke to the attendant who demanded his age, to which he replied 28 (he's 30). We were promptly kicked out and told to go to the bar. Why is drinking synonymous with the one "adult activity?" Large purple book bag in hand, wet hair and glasses, we made ourselves comfortable at the resort bar and were informed that, naturally, they were hosting karaoke.

A few drinks later and I was singing Kelly Clarkson in front of the crowd by my lonesome, completely abandoned by my boyz who had initially intended on singing with me. Among the crowd was, of course, a fellow college alumni also at the resort with about ten other friends. Our group was anointed the "New York Group" and at one point, I think we were even booed. Yeah, I'm really glad this photo is blurry. All in all, it was a fun night and I'm glad we got to see everything the resort had to offer. A little La Bamba, an ill chosen Benny and the Jets, and we returned to the condo, dignity partially intact. The rest of our crew arrived that night and we all crashed at midnight prepared for a full day of skiing.

Smuggler's Notch. Oh Snap!

I had an amazing weekend. I went up to Vermont's Green Mountain, and rented a condo with my boyfriend and 6 others. My boyfriend made us meet at Grand Central at 8am on Friday morning, which I've probably mentioned a few times. But to his credit, it was actually a great idea and felt pretty good to be out of the city by 9am. I had so many life changing "Firsts" this weekend. I experienced Cracker Barrel for the first time which was glorious and kicked my two day French Toast craving. What genius came up with a restaurant that also contains a country store full of goodies.

Boyfriend's friend. (Ladies, he's single!)

After taking what ended up being an hour detour through Stowe and then back around the mountain, we finally got to the resort around 4. My boyfriend planned the trip, reading that it was a top rated ski resort, but he missed the line where it mentions top resort for "families." So we were surrounded by families and got dirty looks throughout our stay - mainly because they thought we were going to tear up the joint. On the bright side, it meant that there were ample "Green Trails" for us beginners. Which was especially good since we missed our hour of free instruction and instead, received a 30 hour lesson from our friend Mike. I also felt comforted knowing that five year old's were fearlessly doing everything I was about to do.

To Be continued...

The Bad, the Ugly and the Good

Sunday I had quite the adventure. After having an overpriced coffee and brioche with my boyfriend at Le Pain Quitidien, I jogged through the rain and made the long journey to my parent's house in Schmersey. After five years of waiting, my friend and I finally visited his grandmother's storage facility. Ten years ago, she got evicted from her Washington Heights apartment when people learned she didn't live there full time. The place was essentially storage - books and clothes accumulated by his grandfather, a pack rat. We were both convinced that we'd find interesting objects and that there was a great story somewhere in the mess.

Two hours later, we arrived to the storage facility. We opened the garage-like door to reveal boxes stacked 10 high and about 6 deep, about 20 black garbage backs thrown on the floor and old suitcases miscellaneously parked on the floor. We ripped open the boxes with our keys. Books. More books. Books. More books. All from the Strand, still with their $1 price tags on. Occasionally we found potential: a box of old Life Magazines and a box full of old letters. But for the most part, it was overwhelming and slightly disappointing. Furthering our doubt in finding anything of value, my friend's grandmother was convinced the movers had already taken the valuables while they cleaned her apartment.

After an hour of searching we finally gave up and headed into the city to see Avatar. We found a parking spot 8 blocks away from the Kip's Bay theater and proceeded to half jog through the miserable rain, laughing through the slightly painful run. About two blocks away from the theater, while walking, a guy coming towards me grabs my umbrella and twists a side, breaking the a metal piece and consequently, breaking my umbrella. The Ugly. I'm more bothered that someone decided to break my umbrella purely out of evil than the fact that my umbrella is actually broken. Who does that?!

We met up with my bf and finally headed into Avatar. The Good. The movie was amazing. The movie industry has entered the world of 3D. The film was not only entertaining and had a broad appeal, but it's message about the environment was clear and moving; we need to respect all living creatures and their habitats because in the end, we're all interconnected. We finished off the night at a nearby diner, eating chicken fingers while watching the Golden Globes. A perfect ending to a crazy, rainy Sunday.

Winter Wonderland

I'm having a fit of artistic inspiration tonight. I spent the afternoon wandering around the East Village and dipping into thrift shops in the hopes of finding a decent new purse. I had no luck but found my absolute new favorite cafe/ wine bar. It's on 2nd avenue around 5th street on the West Side of the street. Incidentally, I never caught the name but it's absolutely perfect. Okay, perhaps I want it to be a secret. I started off with a cappuccino and toast with nutella while actually working on my novel. Then realizing I still had about an hour to kill, I ordered a glass of red wine. I sat at the bar next to a French couple, a German guy and surrounded by the Italian wait staff speaking Italian. As if the place wasn't perfect enough, at 6, they put out a display of prosciutto, cheese, bread, salami and olives- a happy hour treat for those drinking wine. I found myself surrounded by interesting, kind, creative people. Quite the perfect date with myself as the storm raged outside.

Post wine bar, I headed to a Polish restaurant further East for a birthday dinner for my all time favorite spin instructor. Despite taking his class for about 3 1/2 years, this was the first time I hung out with him and other spin people outside of class. It was fun and motivating to be around health conscious, athletic people. There's definitely something to be said about having the strength and determination to regularly complete his class and how that translates to the rest of your life. Everyone there seemed intelligent, accomplished and happy.

The journey home was an adventure. By the time we left the restaurant at 10, it was complete madness. I walked three blocks to the bus stop directly into the incoming snow, bonding with fellow New Yorkers over the insanity. Then stood waiting for the bus for ten minutes, another New York bonding experience.. the great equalizer as we all realized waiting for the bus was the only option. And finally, here I am, sitting in the comfort of my apartment, having my third and last glass of wine for the night, about to work on my novel.

My new favorite cafe.

The view from my window.

Solas Shot

I don't actually know these people but for some weird reason, I took their picture. I love their energy. It was at Solas, naturally. I dragged my boyfriend there (and some friends) for the second time. We walked in and headed to the bar, only to stop in our tracks as we saw a girl hurl into her hands. Classic. We both got a little tipsy and for some crazy reason, I allowed my boy to go on my Facebook without supervision. He proceeded to leave slightly embarrassing and misspelled wall posts on every friend he's met of mine - proof that he's sort of the male version of me. Or something like that. Good times.

Weekend Recap

I know. Finally. In between watching the second season of Californiacation (thanks J., I'm now obsessed with the show), I had some mini adventures. On Friday, I won the battle that every girl wishes she could win with her boyfriend: we saw "New Moon." Okay. I didn't want to see it that badly and there was no trickery involved- just a desperate need to find a movie not sold out in the Union Square, East Village area. But here's where the experience led to being one we both enjoyed - Heather Graham sat 2 rows behind us with her 3 blond, giggling friends. I think everyone in that theater could have been high. A huge group across the isle laughed at every poignant moment, thus ruining any potential that New Moon could have had. It was better than the first movie- direction, cinematic photography and special effects but nothing can still help the acting skills of Kristen Stewart or Robert Pattison. I implore some finer actors to take them under their wings.

Then on Saturday, I had my portrait painted downtown by the very talented, interesting a lovely artist Kristen Copham. She's attempting to paint impressionistic, 45-minute portraits of one thousand people within 2009. She's nearing her goal and has already amassed a collection of portraits that are vibrant, character-revealing and successful, in my opinion. It was a super cool experience knowing that my image will become part of the art world in some capacity along with my parents and eventually my sister and hopefully my bf.

I had arranged a girls' night at an undecided location downtown for later that evening and had to kill time somewhere inside while I waited to hear if at least one of them could still make it. So I sat in Inoteca, drinking a delicious glass of dry, Italian red wine while attempting to read "The Fountainhead" in the dimly lit, romantic light. The food was fantastic but one of those places that in order to satiate your hunger, you have to eat an appetizer, main course and dolci. Forty-two dollars spent on a date with myself where, as usual, I managed to avoid any awkward silences and UM, stuttering. Slightly buzzed and completely freezing, I took the bus back uptown towards my apartment while successfully convincing my friend to meet me at a wine bar around my corner. Hey, the night was young! An hour later, I sat with my lovely roommate and friend around a bottle of red wine in the cozy wine bar Vino, getting tipsy and recapping our funny adventures. And finally, we ended the night with a trip to Hot and Crusty for some indulgent chocolate chip cookies. All and all, a lovely weekend and I'm still debating what to do today. I've realized over the last few months that despite liking uptown and being near the park, I'm a downtown girl at heart. Hmmm. Perhaps a trip DT is in order for today.

Slacking

Wow. I've been slacking so much on my blog that for the first time ever, I had to log in. Hmm. Well. This weekend was the weekend to end all weekends. I kid. But I suppose it was fairly eventful. On Thursday, Thanksgiving dinner consisted of lobster and champagne. That's right folks. That's how we roll up in Schmersey. Hollar. Aight. My sister couldn't make it home for Turkey Day so we decided to forgo the labor intensive Turkey for an equally as indulgent and delicious fair. While home, I managed to fit in about 6 episodes of Mad Men 3rd season where I lost all faith in MAN kind. Or at least began to appreciate the less "authentic," less boozy and lucrative but way more politically correct, and female friendly advertising world of today. And on Saturday... wait for it. I had my 10 year high school reunion. That's right folks. I'm alive and have lived to tell about it. Actually, there's not much to tell. The four hours of open bar and small talk went by mighty fast and thanks to Facebook, there weren't any major surprises. I brought my beau which was a smart move. Not only did he get along with my peeps but having him there helped me avoid repeating my stats a million times. I still haven't figured out how to explain what I do in one sentence. I took off from work on Monday and Tuesday to use up my vacation time- i.e. I had a "staycation." I know what you're thinking. How very 2009- recession economy of me. I take comfort in knowing that after only 8 hours of work this week, I'm already over the hump. Victory! Speaking of work...

Weekend Update

This weekend was much less action packed than last but still fun. On Friday, I had wine in the East Village and then went out to dinner at an amazing Italian restaurant. I've come to realize how many restaurants I missed out on while living there. Most the good, quieter, more romantic spots are further East, near Tompkin Square Park. I'm still a downtown girl at heart.

Saturday, my sister and I had an unlikely connection while living in two different parts of the country. We both ate it while bike riding. According to her, she flew over the handle bars and hit her head while biking the empty streets of Minnesota. Fortunately she's okay and there's no brain damage (that we know of) but she has a few scratches and bruises. My glorious fall came at the end of a successful, first time bike ride with my friend Eric through Central Park. During our two loop ride, I managed to gracefully show off, riding sans hands while standing, much to Eric's annoyance. It wasn't until we were 3 blocks from his apartment, that my laces got stuck on the foot cage and I promptly fell over.

In between drinking wine, eating pasta and walking between 66th and E90th (about 6 times), I also saw two movies - oddly enough both set in 1987 but they couldn't have been more different. Adventureland took place at an amusement park about a virgin and his innocent love for the more experienced, Em. It was pretty decent by my annoyance at Kristen Stewart's acting skills sort of tainted the viewing experience. And I saw Precious at the DGA theater, a profound story about perseverance and overcoming one's devastating hardships through a strong spirit. It was incredibly moving and included some Oscar worthy performances by some unlikely actors.

And on a brighter note, I discovered a new iPod game called Unblock Me. It's excessively addicting and after playing it all weekend, I tried to read some of Anna Karina. Except instead of being able to focus on the story, I saw the words on the page sliding from side to side...

Happy Monday!

Updates

So I've sort of gotten a little over the whole blog thing if ya'll haven't noticed. Although I'm sure you're entertained by my videos. I started seeing someone over a month ago and have spent the majority of my time with him.. and don't really feel comfortable sharing my adventures. It's both strange and highly satisfying to know that someone speaks my language. I mean really speaks my language - fake ghetto, funny voices, random tangents and understands me despite my mild ADD tendencies. It has been a great adventure so far.

But some things never change.. today at my spin class, Carl inflicted the most pain and torture on me that he ever has. He told everyone to sit down except for me and with a shit ton of tension, made me go faster and faster while instructing the class to cheer me on. I came seconds away from passing out before he told me I could stop. And I had no music to motivate me. At the end of class, I called him out on the lack of music so who knows why kind of revenge he'll get on me next week. Then after managing to shower in a post work out haze, I headed to Whole Foods for dinner. Not realizing that the hot food would cost an arm and a leg, ordered the meal with two sides; salmon, broccoli and (shhhh) mac n' cheese. It was way too much food and cost $16! Jeeze people. This ain't 2007. I don't got no money to burn and Whole Foods certainly isn't worth it. I don't even think they clearly posted the price. I figured it would be around $10 at most and didn't ask. Hmmm. Lesson learned.

Going backwards here.. took my folks to Schiller's for my dad's birthday last night. Pictures to follow. Also went to see my friend Rebecca Lerman in a music- 23 Coins about a child genius, genetics, and fake preachers. Interesting play and she did a hell of a job going from childlike banter to child genius preacher. Saturday went to a birthday party, etc. etc. and Friday went to Bushwick (I know, I'm so hardcore) to the CMJ festival. We only saw two bands perform but liked the Grandchildren out of Philly. They just seemed like a bunch of kids having fun and making awesome music. Kind of an eclectic, almost tribal sound that included harmonies fit for an a capella group mixed with the loud, full sound of errr punk rock. Okay, I ain't no music critic. Needless to say, it was worth the trek (aight we got a ride succkkas) - to Bushwick.

Peace out kids. Despite my total adrenaline rush from fearing Carl/ spin, I'm going to hit the hay.

Weekend Update

Wow, sorry I've been completely M.I.A. Here's a very quick update. Thursday and Friday I took off from work. Ended up being fairly productive. Went rollerblading. Saw the High Line and went to a super awesome Symphonics show at the Bowery Poetry club. Probably one of their best. Saturday I babysat in Brooklyn, then Sunday I went to a wine tasting in Upstate New York. Was tons of fun minus the port a potty experience but then again, we all had to endure it. Then Saturday night, if that wasn't enough, I danced hard core for a few hours at the Body & Soul party at Webster Hall with my new friend Natalie.

And in a few minutes.. I'm off to Grand Central, catching a train up to Breakneck Ridge where I'll be hiking and hopefully not breaking my neck! Pictures, videos, etc. to follow.

Happy Monday and Happy Columbus Day!

Weekend Update

I am not the not so proud owner of a new 3Gs iPhone. I say no so proud of course because my new purchase is the result of complete idiocy on my part. I've had a cell phone for nearly ten years and have never lost my phone until now. No, I lose the $400 serious piece of machinery that I am lost without.

I've been so focused on the shitty end to my night, that I forgot to focus on the awesomeness that was everything before 4:30 am. Let's review. My friend had her birthday party at Santos Party House. Still not sure if it's a gay bar or not but all's I can say is penis, penis, penis. Who said New Yorkers are jaded? We were all shocked, entertained and somewhat delighted to see perfectly chiseled (yet delicate) men in speedos seductively dancing on top the bar. The front stage contained a performance piece that was a sexually explicit play on cooking shows which included Amanda Lepore in the background. Need I go on? Okay, I will. Staying true to form, I danced on top of a bench which was on a higher staged area with the birthday girl. I can imagine we probably would have gained more attention elsewhere. While being pulled onto the bench, I managed to drop my drink, spilling half on my new dress, and the other half on the bench, making the whole experience thrilling yet deadly.

Three cheers for the birthday girl. She swong me into the only group of single, straight men in the whole joint. Added bonus, the five attractive men are MBA students at Columbia. I wish I had talked to the sexy Spaniard longer but they left from dancing exhaustion. Yeah, there was a whole lot of sweating going on.

After the birthday girl left, I convinced my boyz to hit up Solas, of course. Hadn't been there since I moved uptown and was slightly entertaining to see the same old faces. As I was getting water and about to leave, a guy worked the "what's your poison" line. Yeah, he went there. Not knowing anyone else in the bar, I spoke to him for a bit and we realized we live on the same block. What are the chances. Also learned that his mother is a diplomat. We agreed to share a cab uptown and get pizza. mmmm. Whole Wheat Pizza. He walked me home and I'll end my story there... because the rest of the night is too painful to recap in detail. But basically involved me taking a cab back to Solas, banging on their shuttered doors, taking a cab back home, and then psuedo crying myself to sleep.

On a brighter note - word on the street is that Oprah was at the Apple Store while I was buying my phone. Whole story would have been so much cooler if it involved Oprah making a surprise "Angel" visit to the store and paying for my new phone. But alas, I'll have to seriously conserve my dough and cook like a responsible adult. There was also an attractive (but completely crazy) man dressed in a red cape and red boxing shorts (sans briefs!) at the store with his two sons. holding an oversized barbie doll. So wish I could have gotten the full story on that.

What's that saying? The truth is better than fiction?

Truth, better than fiction.

Weekend Update

My mom told me that I don't love her anymore. Then she said that I don't update my blog enough. I'm not sure if the two comments are related but as an ode to my mother.. here's the good ole weekend update:

Thoughts about my new hood- it's really nice being able to walk around Central Park and explore Uptown. It's hard not to think that everything doesn't happen for a reason considering how happy I am. Or maybe as humans- we just adjust to our surroundings and make the best of things. I spent the afternoon walking through Central Park and reading. When I say walking, I mean I walked across the park to the Shake Shack which as of last week has become a weekly habit. Even worse, I stood in line in a downpour. But it was soooooo worth it. I savored every last bite of my cheeseburger, fries and chocolate milk shake. I worked it off by walking slightly North, then all the way across to East End Avenue and back to my apartment.

On Saturday, I had a similarly satisfying and relaxing day. I got highlights downtown. It was weird being downtown again in my old hood but sort of reinforced how much prettier uptown can be (at least East Village vs. uptown). Then had a lovely dinner with a good friend at a restaurant I used to frequent back 3-4 years ago before I moved into the city. After dinner, I met up with a coworker for my first real Upper East Side bar experience at Wicker Park. Well- at least first time as an Upper East Sider. I can't say whether or not the crowd was better- I was told that everyone is away during the summer. But I did feel like the atmosphere was possibly more condusive to meeting people- and the crowd closer to my age.

And finally, my weekend got off to a good start on Friday. I actually hit up a spinning class, then meandered back uptown to my apartment and saw Harry Potter with my roommate.

I have to admit, it feels soooo good to walk through Central Park. I think being able to do that on a regular basis will help keep me sane in the city and not need to go home to quieter New Jersey as often as I do. I just feel so at peace and relaxed.

Updates

Wow, thanks to Twitter, I've been sort of lame updating my blog. Friday night, saw The Pains of Being Pure at Heart at the South Street Seaport. One of the guys in the band went to both my high school and college. They were awesome and I ran into people from every area of my life; long lost high school friends, college buddies, former coworkers, and even a girl from my spinning class. See favorite shots below. Afterward, headed uptown to meet up with a friend for a drink but it was kind of pointless. I was super tired and could only think about how badly I wanted to go to sleep. I'm getting old. I think on our way out, I spotted a guy I went on 1 date with but I'll never know for sure. The bitch never called me back.

Saturday was action packed with adventures. I went to a BBQ of a former coworker who now lives a block and a half away from me. It was really good seeing her and meeting her friends. The mix of her college friends, coworkers and boyfriend's friends sort of reminded me of the people I grew up with. I'm sure I'll be seeing them again. Went to bed early again Saturday night but it felt much later. Maybe the 5 flights of stairs instantly tires me out.

And Sunday, I hung out with my friend all day, roommate and his coworker. We walked around the Bastille Day Street fair on 60th street. Then I went home briefly with the intention of running, but ended up napping, then met up with him and his coworker again to see some special sunset. Of course we missed it by 10 minutes cause we dipped into a bar to get a drink. But yeah, I basically spent the whole day walking, and by the end.. I was spent. I'm starting to get used to the street noise and am really happy with my decision to be uptown. I suppose I'll always love the energy and style of downtown but LOVE LOVE LOVE the peace and quiet of uptown. I can only imagine what it will be like in the fall and how awesome it will be to eventually take advantage of running in the park. I can see myself living on the Upper West Side, even way uptown. I enjoyed my time on St. Marks and saved tons of money but am so glad that I moved when I did..

Can you possibly guess where the picture above was taken?

Life is Good

Have had a lovely weekend so far. Wow, what a difference a day makes. Or a week. Good lesson to keep trekking through the bad because the good is always around the corner. Okay, so sometimes the block is really long.. Overall, I spent my last weekend in the East Village very appropriately.

Friday night, I had a lovely dinner with one of my best friends. I'm excited that I'll be living less than 10 blocks from her in a week! Post dinner, we tried seeing The Proposal but during the trailer, the film actually burned right in front of our eyes. So alas, it wasn't meant to be and we met up with her friend and friend's sister. It was very nice to have a girls' night. Especially since I feel like most of my friends are guys.

Today, I was fairly productive. I dropped off my $3000 + check for my new apartment. Yikes! Then started basically walking back to my apartment from 59th and 3rd. I think subconsciously (or maybe consciously) it was an attempt to avoid doing laundry and going to my intense spinning class. I met up with another best friend and we snacked while sitting on a bench that overlooked the East River in the East 30s. From there, I walked home, through the Union Square farmer's market and Whole Foods. The universe reminded me why I'm moving. It's been a day, and I still have no hot water. I went to the gym and attempted the most pitiful excuse for a workout just so I could shower.

My lovely weekend concluded with seeing The Proposal at the same theater (East Village on 2nd Ave and 12 street)-Check out the old school, beautiful theater if you get a chance. The movie was hysterical. I laughed uncontrollably and am totally in love with Ryan Reynolds. It's obviously predictable but visually somewhat stunning.. makes you want to move to Alaska.. and Sandra Bullock was great. As a tribute to St. Mark's, we got a hot dog at Criff Dog. It was total serendipity. Neither of us could figure out what to eat, and we were on our way to a Mac & Cheese spot when someone near us mentioned hot dogs. At Criff Dog, I ran into this guy I used to have the biggest crush on. He skated at the ice skating rink I used to frequent and we'd race each other around the rink. I'm pretty sure the last time I saw him, I was 12. Now he's married (as of last week) and apparently his wife used to work in my building. Jesus. Small freaking world. On top of that, another guy I know walked in the joint. And this afternoon, spotted a former coworker. And Thursday night, spotted a former college classmate, along with one of my spin teachers, all while walking home from an event. I'm curious as to what cast of characters from my past I'll spot while living on the Upper East. Must remember to always look presentable when exiting my apartment :)

Short story long, if it's not already obvious, I'm really looking forward to moving. There is no question that I need to change my lifestyle and develop more healthy habits. And a move is the fresh start that I obviously need. I can't wait to regularly run in Central Park, cook healthy meals with more than 4 inches of counter space, develop buns of steel from my 5th story walk up, NOT regularly stop at Criff Dog, Ray's Pizza, Pinkberry, Red Mango, etc. on my way home, save money, not stop at Solas... and get serious about applying to a master's program this fall. So yeah, feel free to hold me accountable and I'll happily entertain you with my progress. Maybe even be an inspiration.. but yeah, I may miss Pheobe the cat.

What are your goals? Are there things you keep saying you are going to do but don't? Or better question, how did you manage to develop the good habits?