God Bless Bloc Party!!!

Yesterday was EXHAUSTING!!! Mom and I went around the city all day, in the scorching heat and on the brutally hot subway. Mom was such a trooper, she kept on truckin' and made it through.

Then ... the best part of the day ... BLOC PARTY!!!

They were amazing. Possibly the best concert I have ever seen. The energy, the venue, the anticipation. BRILLIANT. First of all, the venue. Ruth and I made the trek to Brooklyn. It was my first time (other than the abandoned subway ride), but it was very easy to get to. We get to the venue, not knowing what to expect. Well ... it was hella cool!! An abandoned city pool, that was monsterous! Here is are a couple pics so you can visualize:
















There was graffitti all along the sides - it was just sooo NY cool.

The opening bands were really good. I liked the first one a lot, Mew. They totally kicked ass. Download their stuff ASAP if you can. The second band was good ... Secret Machines. It was soooo hot! Beer was the only option! Had a couple beers, and then went to get into line before Bloc Party went on. The lines were sooo long. I had to waste 2 beer tickets b/c BP came on and there was just no way I was going to miss a single second of it!!!

First of all ... they are amazing. I have loved them since I illegally downloaded Tulips. Lis then gave me Silent Alarm and that was on constant rotation in my car and on my iPod for 3 months. Big Daddy then gave me Silent Alarm Remixed, another three months of constant rotation. BP has rapidly evolved into one of my favorite bands. The anticipation for this concert was HUGE!!! I was very excited!!

They came on and were brilliant. I can't say enough. Despite them only having one full-length album, they rule! I made it to the front of stage right - all the shows Lis and I have gone to has taught me that the sides of the stage are often easiest to get up close.


The setlist ws as follows: Waiting for the 718 / Positive Tension / Banquet / Blue Light / She's Hearing Voices / Hunting for Witches / This Modern Love / Like Eating Glass / Little Thoughts / Helicopter /// So Here We Are / Price of Gas / Compliments / Pioneeers



I thought I might be able to get the video I took last night up here, but it ain't workin'! DAMN!















I am taking mom to Babbo for dinner tonight - if you are a fan of Molto Mario on the Food Network, then you know the chef, Mario Battalli. I am very excited. I tried to go on Friday, but they didn't have any room for a single lady to sit and eat.

6 more days, but I am not sad. I don't feel as though I have wasted this time at all, and I will leave NYC having had the best summer of my life.

Oh, so I have lived essentially right next door to this diner, but I never really noticed it ... until I was taking the cab to the hotel the other day, and I see the sign:








I will be visiting it before I leave here, just so I can say ... Big Daddy has totally cooked me food ... has he done that for you lately HARP?? I didn't think so!!



shake what your mamma gave ya!

i

The things you miss

I was told by Natalia (a friend of mine here) that I start too many sentences with "So". I re-read my postings yesterday and realized how true this was! I am going to try to resist the urge to do this today. Let's see if it works.

Yesterday was a good, 'normal' day. Nothing crazy, no interns gone wild stories, just doing stuff that you do when you become comfortable somewhere. It was nice. I overindulged at Food Emporium. Not only did I have sushi for lunch, but then felt the need for the pear dumpling ... mmm ... pear dumpling. After being a gluttonous pig, Natalia and I went back to the office. If you only knew how close I was to pulling George Costanza and sleeping underneath my desk, you would die! Seriously! The 3-month pregnant belly that Brandy is such a fan of is growing!!! It might actually be at 4 months now. tee hee

After work, I went for drinks with some people from work. It was fun. I got to hear all the work gossip. LOVE GOSSIP!!!! At least I can admit it.

Throughout this little adventure of mine, I have grown more and more weary. I am starting to miss the comforts of home more and more with each passing day. But this weekend, I at least get a couple things. My mom is coming in!!! As most of you know, I am a messed up only child and very co-dependent. I am probably the most co-dependent on my mom. She is my best friend, and I have never been 2 months without seeing her. She is coming in tonight, and I get to finally see her! The other thing that I get this weekend is a bed bigger than a twin. Granted, I will be sharing it with my mom, but still, half a king is still bigger then a twin. And let's not lie, I am a monster bed hog, so I will get more than half.

Alrighty, I have to dry my hair and get ready for work. There probably won't be many, if any, posts this weekend, but I will let you all know how the Bloc Party concert is this weekend.

Iris over and out!

i

The book of face

So for these past two months, all I have heard anyone talk about at work, in the dorm, ANYWHERE is Facebook. I don't think it is that big in Canada. My suitemate Carlee signed up for it a while ago, and she has become like a crack addict.

I had resisted. There was no way I needed another thing to distract me online. I have some serious celeb stalking to do, not waste my time with Facebook. That was until my friend Heather was being difficult. She is the one I went to BED with the other night, and she was essentially holding the pics she took ransom. So I had a dillemma. Do I join this cult or resist the seduction of the dark side. Well, I caved to peer pressure, and joined. I just want to make it clear that I have joined solely for the picture stealing that I will be able to do. UGH! Like I need to be anymore connected with the world. I do have a blog!!!

So I now have some pics. Here are the Winnie Cooper pics again, and the pics from BED. I seriously don't see the comparison.




Winner Cooper-jeet my ass!

Alright y'all. Take care!!

i

First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes

So, I gave into the future of chats today. You see, yesterday morning, I almost cried when I got to see Harp for the first time in eigth months. She left for her world adventure in January and I have been unable to see her face since then. You don't realize how much you miss seeing people and their facial expressions until you go so long without, and then you finally do!

So today, I went out and bought a webcam. I am hoping that more of you guys will do the same so we can video messenger each other. I know I will be home in two weeks, but come on! Give a girl a break!!!

Today was relatively uneventful. Just work and laundry. FINALLY LAUNDRY!!! Now I won't have to Febreeze everything before I put it on. Well, I will in a couple days, but till then, I am good to go. I have also discovered my FAVORITE pizza in the whole world. Fresh mozarrella. (sp?) Mmmm ... I eat it all the time ... which is possibly why I have not lost any weight since being here. Yup, that and the fact that I eat 8000 calories at brunch, eat late-night snacks all the time and just don't really care, that is definitely the reason why. Will you guys still love me when you have to grease the door to get me out of the house? Well, you better!

Alright, I have nothing else to say.

have a gooder!

i

Ahhh ... the 5 hour brunch

I woke up this morning ready to be productive. Ready to do my laundry and other errands that needed to be completed. Well the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Instead, I awoke to a sea of girls, (my suite mate had her friends over this weekend) and my other suite mate Carlee informed me she was going to brunch. I LOVE brunch, so how could I resist? And, I figured it wouldn't take that long, a couple hours at the most!

So Carlee, Erin and I made it down to the Meat Packing District and walked for a bit looking for a place that would be able to seat us outside and have a good, hearty brunch fare. We ended up at Markt. Markt is where I originally met Bizarro Jarod.

So we went to get a table, sat at the bar until one opened up on the patio and had a couple of beers. Bizarro Jarod walks in to start his shift and he remembers me! This made my day. I often feel as though I don't leave an impression on people, and that I am totally forgettable. So it was nice to know that at least one person I have encountered in the city at least remembered me.

The girls and I finally get a table outside (great corner table actually) and we order. I promise, if you are a fan of French onion soup, Markt possibly has the best I have ever had. (Lis, you would die!) It was absolutely perfect. Mmmm ... my mouth is watering just thinking about it. The girls ordered breakfast fare, while I ordered an amazing burger. I have been craving this burger since the first time I was there. The beer kept flowing, and the food was incredible. The omlettes were the perfect fluffiness, and the asparagus was the perfect crispiness. And the fries! Eve, you must be disgusted with me right now, but on the weekends, I only end up eating one meal a day, so I generally go crazy with it. The girls ordered dessert, but I am not a dessert person. I did ask for a spoon so I could sample though. Both were great. You can totally tell the difference in good, fresh ingredients.

After brunch, I decided to go and chit chat with Bizarro Jarod. I sat for a couple more hours and read the NY Post front to back. Of course I skipped a lot of articles, but it was nice to have a little QT with a paper, a beer and intermitten conversations with Arthur (that is his name). Four additional beers later (I think I was on 7 or 8 at this point) I left. Unfortunately, I was not drunk. All of that delicious Hoogaarden and not drunk! Damn!

I then proceeded to walk along the West Side Highway, along the Hudson River. It was a beautiful day, not hot at all, although clear and sunny. The water was gorgeous. I walked aroung the West Village for a while, and made my way home. I have been out of the house for 8.5 hours, and it was only supposed to be a quick little brunch. HA!

Needless to say, laundry will not be getting done today. After all that food and beer and walking, I need a nappy, or to just go to sleep.

The past two days have reminded me why living in this city is my dream. Because it is incredible. As much as NY can kick your ass, it can also be a very soothing companion. The things I have seen and done, although a lot of times, going to the same places and doing similar things, are never the same. It is amazing that this city is here and that I am in it right now. Who is the luckiest girl in the world ... I think it might be me.

Keep on truckin!

i

What is with the Winnie Cooper comparison??

I have gotten it for a while now. And I just don't understand. I got it again last night. Some random guy comes up to me (as I am talking to a cute Swedish i-banker) and says, "Did you watch the Wonder Years, cause you look exactly like ... Winnie Cooper." WTF!!! I am sorry, I don't see it. I never have, never will. I JUST DON'T GET IT!!! See look ...



I will try and get a pic from last night and see if it might give me a better indication as to why I get this comparason.

What did I do Saturday night, I went to bed. Ok, well, it's a club here in NYC, and it was great. I haven't really hit any clubs since I have been here. A lot of lounges, but really, no clubs. My friend Heather and I went to BED tonight, and it was fantastic!!! Such a good night! (Carrie and the girls went to BED the day she was broken up with by a Post-It, just so you know)

In reality, it was a good day. Despite getting some tough news, and having a crap night last night, today was an all around good day. A couple of friends and I walked around Lower Manhattan. We saw the WTC Site which is so humbling. I think I have mentioned it before in this blog, but to see this real estate, in some of the most expensive land value in the world, without anything is totally humbling. We again went into St. Paul's Chapel. It is incredible that, despite being situated right across the street from the WTC, it suffered not even a broken window. Not to mention all of the memorials still in place. Going to the WTC site and St. Paul's made me realize that nothing could be as bad as that day. My heart still breaks when I hear stories or recollections of the day. As lonely and sad as I may be, at least I have tomorrow, right??

Alright whitey. Have a good one!

I have to get to bed -- I mean get to sleep! haha

Ok, good night!!

i

Quote Day!

Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genuis is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solve and always will solve the problems of the human race
- Calvin Coolidge

I must tell myself this everyday. I am not the smartest, the most talented or the most educated, but I am possibly the most stubborn, and out of this stubborness is born determination. Determination to prove your doubters wrong and prove the believers right.

Let's find a dark bar, so dark we forget who we are. Where all the scars of the nevers and maybes die.
- Rent (right Sarah?)

I know how lame I am for being so lonely. I get that. Don't judge me. I don't need that today.

i

What do you do? I google.

So this will be the most random posting to date, but I have to do it.

Yesterday, I came home between happy hour and going out again, and was chatting the Jarod on MSN. He sent me a link.

Now I have to preface this all with a little background - Jarod is possibly the best googler that I know. If you need some information, call Jarod and he will find you anything that you need. If it is on the web, Jarod will locate it. Brilliant, truly brilliant.

I have also been very concerned that he hasn’t been missing me since I have been here. He and Paul (my two best dudes) have both seem completely unaffected by the lack of Iris they are getting. I just hope this is their macho façade coming out, and they are really crying themselves to sleep at night without me.

I shall continue. So Jarod sends me a link that he found – here is the link

If you scroll down, the names of a couple of the saxophone players are … Jarod and Iris.

I know how ridic you are all thinking this is, and Jarod I hope you are blushing as you read this, but it was the first indication that you actually miss me. You googled our names! Together. Awww.

Ok, enough. I am a being totally cheese-mosa right now, and I know that, but I thought it was so cute of him to do.

OH YEAH!!! So you know how I mentioned that I saw Meadow from the Sopranos last night, well ... I sent the tip into Gawker, and guess who's tip made it in!!! MINE!!! So bloody cool, no? I have the link to Gawker on the right, so you should check it out.

I will be home in two weeks. I can’t believe this adventure is almost over! Harp – is it ok that I am getting a little sentimental now??

i

What do I have to say ....

Well in reality, nothing much. I had a good day at work, and some girlfriends of mine and I went out for a little happy hour action ... again. It wasn't quite the shit show the last time was, we were all relatively well behaved. And I am home at a decent hour.

Went out with a girlfriend from work afterwards. I love Ruthie. She is young, but cool as hell. We hung out at the Gansvoort, again. But this time we were in the basement '- G Spa. Anyways, it was totally cool. I saw Jamie Lynn Seigler there - Meadow from the Sopranos. Oh to be too cool to have fun.

I also met this guy with a shirt that I have. I am sure some of you know the one, the Appetite for Reduction Shirt. So I mentioned how I had the same one, and apparently the guy wearing it, was the one who designed it. I don't know if I believe it or not, but I can lie and say I did, and have a good time with it.

We apparently met some football players. Meh. They just don't do it for me anymore. I mean, once upon a time, in a land far far away, a black man who said he was a baller would have totally turned my crank. Now, I am just waiting for the chance to leave, without feeling obligated to talk to them/him.

Ok, so that is all. I hope everyone had a great Thursday, and remember the weekend is not that far away!

i

Ahhh ... that's better

Today was MUCH better. Work was good. A little tedious at times (I had to staple and stuff 41 press kits for the inagural El Al flight from LA to Tel Aviv). The job of an intern is never done! I also finally finished my pitch letter for the financial publications regarding Alberta. I LOVE talking about Alberta! There is something so comforting in knowing what the hell you are talking about ... Edmonton IS better than Calgary, Slave Lake IS beautiful, Fort McMurray WOULD be an interesting story for a financial paper to do. When you know so little, it is reassuring to know that the little knowledge you have might be useful to someone. Even if it is about Alberta.

I walked home again today. It was finally NOT a zillion degrees out, and walking was again bearable. I ended up at in front of The Plaza and right next to Central Park. One of the prettiest things I have seen thus far is the fountain in front of The Plaza. Its just so bloody nice. I was tempted to take a carriage ride through the park, but I forgot my camera, so that will have to wait. I walked home along 5th Avenue, and through Madison Square Park. I am not going to lie, I love 'name dropping' with where I have been and the things that I am seeing. I was talking to Jarod on the phone as I was walking, and I could hear a little jealousy in his voice. ADMIT IT!!! A good 40 block walk, in heels no less! I LOVE IT!!!

I ran into my version of a crack dealer today - the shoe salesmen. Kenneth Cole was having a monster sale and like a moth to the flame, I was drawn in. My poor mom is coming here in a couple weeks and I have already made her aware of the fact that I NEED ANOTHER SUITCASE!!! So she will hopefully bring an extra one, b/c the shoe count is now up to ... 12! I have an addiction (well a few, but this one is definitely the most costly). There are really cute, and they were on sale and I sound pathetic.

I have also stopped eating dinner. Is this a huge deal? I usually eat a really big lunch, and then just too lazy to eat again. Meh, whatever gets me into a smaller size will work for me.

As most of you know, I have been pseudo-published. I recently emailed a writer at the Journal talking about a blog posting she had of NY and how much I liked it. She posted the email and a link to this, here blog. Kinda cool hey? Well I thought it was. I emailed it to everyone I know. God, how did I become such a loser? Here I sit at my BLOG and I am wondering how I became a loser. I have to stop! I was cool once. Well my mom thought I was. She doesn't anymore, but what does she know? Here is a link to my first published piece: http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/blog/withey.html?post=3902

I also just wanted to give a shout out to my peeps overseas. Eve, Harp, Big Daddy & Camille. I hope your adventures are treating you well. I miss you all horribly, and have no idea when I will be able to see you guys next. I hate that feeling. I also have to admit I got a little homesick yesterday. And it is all the fault of Jarod, Anne & Brandy. I don't think it's fair that you guys are hanging out without me. NOT COOL!

I appreciate the extra posts. Seriously, without them, this blog feels useless. And useless cyberspace junk is not what this world needs.

Tej - I miss you too (there, you have been mentioned!)

Take care everyone! I hope today treated you well, and I will talk to you soon!

I'm outtie!

i

Try and stay positive

Sometimes that is the hardest thing to do. I have nothing else to say. Today kicked my ass. The heat, work, EVERYTHING! It truly felt like the universe was conspiring against me today.

I hope you guys had an ok day. It is days like today that make me miss you guys so much. I want to go for a walk in the river valley, listen to something other than my own frustrations. ARGH!!!

Ok, I will post something tomorrow. Hopefully it will be a little bit more upbeat. God do I hope it is more upbeat tomorrow.

I am trying to stay positive. Really I am.

i

PS. If y'all are out there, post some comments!!! I had to ask Paul to post some today so I felt as though this blog wasn't totally useless andthat someone in the world was reading it!!! COME ON!!!

Bad girls, bad girls, what cha gonna do? - obligatory wife beater included

That is right. I was put in handcuffs by the NYPD today. There was no excessive violence or anything like that, just a drunk and beligerent Iris getting the cuffs put on.

Haha, I love that picture. The real story is that the group I am here with went to a Yankees game. (more on that later) The cop in my section was super nice, and as I was leaving, I explained to him that I would LOVE it if he could throw the handcuffs on me and let my girlfriend take a picture. Hilarious. He was really nice, and I should remind you all that I am generally scared of the 5-0.

The Yankees game was fun. It was at least 90 degrees and we were right in the sun. So what was the only thing to do? Drink beer! When in Rome right? So I had a couple (four) heroin beers, hot dogs, chicken fingers and Cracker Jacks. I felt so white trash I LOVED IT!!!

Boy do Americans love them some baseball. As I mentioned in my previous post, I don't get it. I couldn't tell you what the final score was, or even if there were any highlights. All I know is that, I was in Yankee Stadium and for me, that is pretty cool. As I mentioned before, I think the Yankees represent everything that is wrong with professional sports today. High salaries, free-agency ridiculousness, trading rather than drafting. I HATE THE YANKEES!! When they were announcing the line-up for the White Sox, guess what they - the Evil Yankees - were playing? The Imperial Death March! The irony of this was not lost on me.

Overall, I had a lot of fun today. The subway ride was hell ... seriously. Imagine the most packed train, constantly getting more people on it, and stopping at every station. It was hell. And it was like a 45 minute ride. Hellish.

Here are the rest of the pics from today. I hope y'all had a good Saturday. I am pretty sure I did.

i

Temptation - New Order

Another song title - one of my favorite New Order songs of all time!

I am sorry for the lack of blogs this week. As I have mentioned before, I am a believer in balance and excitement is best balanced by calm. So when exciting things are happening, I generally wait for EVERYTHING to be 100% for sure before mentioning it. So that being said, this week has been full of possibility, but no real concrete action to discuss ... hence the lack of posts.

What have I done this week ... you heard about the bowling. The next day, well it was interesting. I didn't get much sleep the night before. I had a meeting that I was very nervous about, and my busy head kept me up. So I required a nap after work. No dinner for me, just sleep.

Woke up from my nap, rejuvenated and very disoriented. My roomates were all gone! WHAT!? The dorm was all mine for a brief moment in time?! Fabulous. As I started dancing around in my underwear out of unbridled excitement, I called (actually texted) a friend of mine. We went for some champagne in the Meatpacking District. It was a beautiful night, and the company was appreciated. Despite me loving my alone time, I also enjoy the opportunity to have a real conversation with someone. I often feel that is lacking in my daily interactions with people, especially a lot of the people I live with. Although I love my roomates, they are great, and the interns I am working with are a lot of fun.

We then walked around the MPD (I am not typing it all out) and made our way to one of the quietest streets (at least I think so) in the city. So peaceful. We then went for a little late-night snack and went on out merry ways.

Yesterday night was a write-off. After 3 hours of sleep on Wed. night, and then about 2 hours of sleep Thur. night, sleep was the only thing on my mind Friday night. (No seriously, I was dunzo!)

So I was thinking about this the other day after Brandy was telling me how annoying it is that I only got a celly when I came here. There was a good reason I didn't have one in Edmonton. Because a) I didn't REALLY need one - if you were unable to get a hold of me, there was likely a reason for it and b) I knew I would become addicted to it - I am texting all the time, calling people, when I don't need to, answering the phone when before there would only be messages left on my house phone. And call waiting. As many of you also know, I lived in the dark ages in Edmonton. No call waiting. I HATE being put on hold or dropped for someone else. (Do you all remember the Seinfeld epi about Elaine dropping her friend for Jerry and his reaction to it) HATES IT!!! So I refused to pay Telus for this service. Did you know that cell phones have it automatically? Is that not crazy. I am still not comfortable with it. The beeping in your ear, the disruption of a good conversation and the frustration of not being able to switch over (when in reality, you should just check the caller id and then ignore if possible) Call waiting is INFURIATING!!!!

Well enough of my little rant for today, I am going to jump in the shower and check out a Yankees game. I think baseball is like pulling teeth, but a little beer should help me take the inning after inning of this non-sport (I know I have had the discussion/debate with most of you regarding the inclusion of baseball in the 'sports' genre. It is a pasttime. Hobby if you will. The only athlete on a baseball team is the pitcher. FLAT OUT! But Yankees Stadium should be interesting. (I am sure the discussion about how the Yankees represent everything that is wrong with professional sports today has also come up) I can guarantee, I will NOT be bringing either of those conversations up today. I would like to make it out of Yankees Stadium alive and well ... not to mention a little drunk.

Can someone look up the number for the Betty Ford Clinic? I think I am going to need it when I return, and my body goes into shock for the lack of alcohol no longer entering my body! Anyone want to join me??

Alright ... Iris stinks and she needs a shower!

Stay clean!

i

Is 46 a good score??

Yesterday was fairly low-key, but a lot of fun. A couple of girlfriends and I decided to go bowling yesterday. We had a great time. It was the same bowling alley that Carrie and Big went to when they were trying to figure out what was going on. I had a killer time! I suck obviously. I mean my high score was 62 so I am obviously not good. But fun was had by all.

Nothing really interesting today either. Walked home, I hope that all this walking is going to get me skinny! If I am not looking like an Ethopian when I get home, I am going to be pissed!!!

Ok, enough of my superficiality. I am going to go to bed. I was on the phone with this crazy Korean till 3 am last night. I know, I know I am totally lame. But I am so tuckered out.

Keep your nose to the grindstone!

i

I think I melted today

So of course, my dumb ass decided to wear a turtle neck today. Why you all ask. Well that is b/c my office is a freezer. Seriously, I have survived Slave Lake in the middle of winter, and there were days that weren't as cold as this office. So I dress for the office. Makes sense, right? I spend the most amount of time there, and it only makes sense that I be the most comfortable there. Well today, I decided that I haven't been walking enough in the past couple of weeks, so I walked home. Approximately 50 blocks later, I was on the verge of death. BUT THEN!!! I decided that it would be a good idea to go for a bite to eat at this outdoor bar my friend had recommended. Sure, it would have been great, had I NOT been in a turtle neck. So as I sat there and sweated my ass off, and ate a really good meal, I thought of my parents when they were growing up in India. They must have been way hotter. But then I realized that there was a reason they left a Third World country. Because there wasn't enough air conditioning.

A friend asked me the other day if I had a favorite part of the city. I said no, b/c how do you choose amongst all the great things in this city? But today, I revisited a great part of the city I had found on my second trip here. Grammercy Park. It is this quaint little neighborhood, that seems so detached from the hustle and bustle that is NY. Beautiful brownstones surround it, and the park is just so pretty. So today, this is my favorite part of the city.

Ok, I am going to go for another walk in this insane heat and see where that leads me. I just want to give a quick shout out to Paul, Health and Safety Coordinator EXTRAORDINAIRE!!!! Paul, I am very happy for you, and think that an I told you so is in order. Congrats! You rock!

Ok y'all, shake what your mamma gave ya!

i

Forget Regret or Life is Yours to Miss

Wow. That is all I have to say. I feel like the luckiest girl in the whole world. Today I got to see Rent, in New York, in the front row, all for $20!!!

I guess most theatres have a lottery system before certain performances that you can enter to win the chance to buy $20 tickets. I was totally blown away by the show. I had never seen the show before or the movie. I had no real idea what to expect except that it was supposedly a good show.

A good show is possibly the biggest understatement ever! The show was incredible. The story, the songs, the emotions! I, a person with no tear ducts and few human emotions, shed a few tears. I loved it! The NY references! And to be able to visualize these places and things they mention is so cool! I loved it. I thought you can only get emotions such as this when you see a movie - you know the movie feeling. (Eve, you know what I am talking about) I have a new phrase - the live theatre feeling. I highly recommend Rent for anyone that hasn't seen it. Go rent the movie, go borrow the soundtrack from the library. DO IT! Incredible!

Ok, that is all. The title for today's post is a line from Rent. It just sort of rung true to me. I like the way that I am experiencing and seeing all of these things that ring true in my head. I love that! I love that these things that I think and feel are actually expressed in these various things. I know I have said this before, but it is so true I can't handle it. This city is amazing!

Love you all, and hope all is well!

Keep on rockin' in the free world!

i

PS. I think you guys all SUCK! A building exploded 10 blocks away from where I work. I left my cell phone at home today, and expected to come home to a bunch of missed calls. I come home to find NO MISSED CALLS!!! Everyone else at work was getting calls from loved ones all day! But me? NOTHING! My family and friends have no concerns with my life and whether I am alive or dead. Thanks! You guys suck!

I got caught in a soccer melee!!!

No seriously, I did.

My roommate and I went to Little Italy today for the World Cup Final. It was crazy. I didn't get to see the actual game b/c we were too late to get a table inside, but the insanity afterwards was awesome. I have been on the "Blue Mile" and this was much more my style. No 'Shirts off for Horcoff", just good clean fun. That was until a soccer ball came out, and I got caught in the middle of it! My foot is going to be bruised tomorrow! But it was well worth it to see that sort of excitement. I know Whyte was crazy during the playoffs, but that was nothing compared to this. And like I said, I didn't have to deal with any boobs being flashed, which (in my opinion) is always a bonus.

What else did I do this weekend? Well yesterday I went with a friend to a screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark. I have never seen it on the big screen, and there is a bunch of the 'movie magic' that is lost when watching something on DVD. I get why Harrison Ford was such huge star. It was also cool b/c afterwards, the female lead, Karen Allen, did a little Q & A. It was such a cool NY thing to do. And it was at the Paris Theatre. Again, for any Sex and the City fans, Carrie goes to the Paris Theatre when she is 'dating' NY. It's a very nice theatre, and probably one I will go to again. We then walked around Midtown, and went to Coffee Shop (it was also on SATC) and then went to the W Hotel to one of Randy Gerber's clubs (he is Cindy Crawford's husband) It was another grand NY night.

Ok all. I hope you all enjoyed your weekend! Anne, congratulations! Brandy says it was a beautiful ceremony, and that you looked amazing. I can only imagine. I was very sad yesterday that I was unable to be there. I love you, and wish you all the best. Bran, happy birthday!!! I hope you too had a wonderful day!

Take care and keep it on the straight and narrow!

i

Here are some more pics from today and last weekend. I only have pics of my one neice and nephew, the camera was stuck in the car when I was hanging with everyone else. How lame am I??

Happy Hour is only supposed to last until 7pm

And usually does. However, when you have the opportunity for $3 mojitos time can really get the better of you. A few girlfriends of mine and I found that out yesterday when we went for a couple drinks, ended up hitting 3 different lounges/pubs and got home at 11:00pm!!! How is that possible??

After returning to the dorm, I called a friend and we went for a couple more bevvies. We went to the Maritime Hotel, and then to the W Times Square (hey BB, you remember that one? It was the first club we hit on our trip) It's funny b/c he is a big cab taker, while I am a big walker. How else are you going to see stuff and find random places and things? So apparently he enjoys walking as much as I do, so I take back the comment.

So tonight will be quiet, at least for me. I am far too old to be going out on a weeknight.

Only a month left in this magical city. My heart is becoming very sad.

Peace out y'all

i

Shouldn't all these people be doing something fabulous in New York instead of seeing the movie I want to see?

So again I tried to see The Devil Wears Prada. Again, it was sold out. So I instead went to see Superman Returns. First of all, the guy is HOT! That made it worth it right there. But the movie was good. Better than I expected actually. I thought that he would be totally unable to fill Christopher Reeves shoes, but he did a decent job at it. Overall, it gets my thumb up.

Other than that, my day was relatively uneventful. Worked, ate, watched a movie and came home. I think I might go to see Broken Social Scene tomorrow. I kinda dig them, and think it will be a good concert, so what the hell right? I don't have anything better to do.

Ok y'all, keep it real.

i

This one is for you shoddy blogger

Hello All!

I apologize for the lack of posts this weekend. I was in Florida hanging with my extended family, and the internet was not readily available.

Where did I leave off ... Oh yes! After Bizzarro Jarod, I came home and napped. The cute gay bartender did something that straight guys never do ... buy me drinks. I was drunk, walked home, got a little lost again and came home. Oh, by the way, did anyone lose two Scrabble tiles, because I found a couple. I got an E and an O should you guys be short. I was walking around the village, and it was SOOOO quiet. No cars around, no real noise, and this was right in Manhattan. It was cool. I didn't think quiet like that was possible in this city.

The next morning I was off to Florida to hang with the family. I got to see my three neices and my nephew. I am exhausted! It is amazing how kids have so much energy. Where do they get it all from, and is there a way I can bottle it and sell it? I would be a gazillionaire!

Speaking of gazillionaires. I returned from the Sunshine State today, and it was Fourth of July. A friend of mine took a couple of us girls out to meet her friends, and they have the most amazing apartments I have seen in my life. The view from these two apts was incredible. From one of them, we could clearly see both sets of fireworks, the Battery Park fireworks and what ever the hell the other ones are. It was amazing. Like seeing doubles, without being incredibly D.R.U.N.K. Very cool.

Well that was my Fourth of July. I hope everyone celebrated this country's independence with vigor. haha, what a joke. Ok all, this is iris signing off.

i

P.S. I am starting to feel a little like Doogie Howser with this blog ... except old and drunk.

Bizzaro Jarod

So I totally met my version of Bizarro Jarod today. He was a bartender at this restaurant in the Meatpacking District. Funny, smart and a bit of geek, all of the qualities I adore in Jarod, and his sexual orientation was somewhat ... ambiguous. He was great! He is a writer and he allowed me to read a piece of his work. Very cool. We talked about movies, and I was planning on seeing the Devil Wears Prada today, but ALL the shows at the theatre by my dorm are sold out! GOD! I have decided that sitting at the bar and eating is a much better way of meeting people. At the very least you will probably chat with the bartender.

Today was HOT! And long. I accidentally got lost again. Here I thought I had a great innate sense of direction, but apparently I was wrong! But no money, other than the money I spent on lunch, left my wallet today. Its a good thing, although the day is still young.

Well off for a nappie nap. Iwis tuckered!

check ya lata!

i