Crazy Eights

didn't i just say this?

2007-08-02T14:39:00.001-04:00

ode to tartine (SF not West Village)

2007-07-30T23:58:00.000-04:00

For those of you who have not been blessed with a wonderful friend who lives in the Mission District of San Francisco, well, I guess luck does not smile upon you. I have been meaning to write for some time about the sublime place where I spent every morning but one (when I had breakfast on Valencia Street with SW and her dear fiance) during my stay in San Francisco this past June. My darling Rachel does not drink coffee and consequently does not have a coffee maker or beans in her apartment. Thus it fell upon me to find a place where I could get my morning fix and sit down with my journal and the New York Times. Many a friend had spoke with awe about a certain pastry shop in the Mission District, but I didn't realize that I would be fortunate to stay two short blocks away from said haven.

While there, I sampled many a fruit studded bread pudding, varied veggie quiches, ham and gruyere croissants, morning buns, and frangipane croissants. Oh and wonderful coffee and conversation at the communal tables. I met men of finance who were trying to sort out what to do with their millions (buy in Noe Valley? Start a coffee shop?), mothers who trusted me to watch their newborns as they went back to their cars and who also happened to have lived in the same building that T now resides while they were in their New York phase, yarn store owners, and more.

San Francisco, I miss your cool mornings. I miss wearing my scarf and sweaters on my way to hot, hot coffee and treats. I miss getting up and hugging Rachel goodbye before she went off to work. I miss walking around town and riding the bus and MUNI rail listening to Feist's "The Reminder." Rachel, can I come back soon?

"so jealous": tegan and sara + paint = a whole new world

2007-07-28T22:41:00.000-04:00

What a different a paint job makes. I probably should have taken a before photo, but I didn't. Suffice to say, this wall used to look like a Tibetan prayer flag. No lie. I always felt it was a little too bright for even me. GS came over today bearing brownies and OJ. I made crepes with nutella and banana and a fruit salad of watermelon and mango. After brunching, we got to work. Spackling and priming were in order. GS had to leave after a stroll down 5th ave for iced coffee and lemonade and my dry cleaning.

That left me with the task of painting over the primed wall and doorway of saffron and peacock blue. Another friend burned Tegan and Sara's "So Jealous" for me earlier this week (yes, I'm really eager to get their new cd "The Con") so I listened to that on repeat all afternoon and evening (and am still listening to it now) and painted with utter determination. I also painted some old water stains on the molding above my fireplace. I removed a hook from the wall which created a hole that needed to be spackled. So it was that kind of day: tegan and sara, painying, spackling, wiping down all the molding on my walls. The room is so much brighter and more open. Things like this open one's heart just a bit.

in progress

2007-07-28T09:57:00.000-04:00

Here are two shots of my baby-dress-in-progress. It's for a colleague of sorts who had her first baby at the end of June. I have been trying to finish the cardigan

for sometime now, but I am a little worried it's too small and I need to block it. So I haven't taken the time to pick up stitches and rib the last touches.

I would love to make some coffee and keep knitting, but I really need to clean my room before GS comes to help me paint. I got a lot done last night while watching "Notes on a Scandal." Coming home last night, I thought I was back in Louisiana, the humidity was so bad in my apartment. Granted, people were cooking and there were more folks than usual in the apartment. My mom called this morning to ask me about some Built By Wendy Simplicity sewing patterns that I wanted. JoAnns was having a sale and these projects are exactly what I want to work on next week when I'm in North Carolina. I want to definitively learn how to sew next week. Someday I'll have enough space to have a craft room where a sewing machine will live and I can organize my yarn. I'll have a nice table for cutting things and for painting and sketching.

Someday, someday. For now, I'm here in NYC, running around, cramming too many things and people into one day. It's just not yet time for craft rooms, porches.

2007-07-21T10:17:00.000-04:00

Last night, I accompanied G as she waited in line for the new Harry Potter. Equipped with iced coffee, we stood in line from 11:30 pm until 1 am on 7th avenue in Park Slope at the Community Bookstore. The line stretched past the end of the block and wrapped around the corner, about halfway to 8th avenue. There were lots of parents with kids, many adults. Just a lot of people. The bookstore shot off fireworks in the street and the costumed characters kept everyone entertained as did the teenage boys on bikes heckling the line with cried of HARRY POTTER HARRY POTTER HARRY POTTER!!!!!!! The folks who bought their books at Barnes & Noble were able to take advantage of the bank of cashiers (one lone person served as cashier for the Community Bookstore) and folks drove down the street, waving their copies out the window. Everyone cheered and clapped when they did this. It was really wild to see people so excited about a book. As the night wore on, kids started to have meltdowns. Parents talked about "muggling" a book away from the folks who were ahead of us in line. A mother stressed to her children, "Guys, I just want you to know, I am throwing the wand AWAY."

The bookstore itself was decorated a la Hogwarts and there were many treats to be had. Once one paid for the book outside the bookstore, one received a coupon for the book. An open door within the bookstore was papered over to resemble a stone wall and there was a hole cut out at the very bottom. A gloved hand took your coupon and replaced it with a book. G was vaguely embarrassed that I took her picture, but something tells me that she'll be telling her grandkids stories one day and the photos will be appreciated then.

G said goodbye to me at Union Street as she needed to run home and start the book. We could see spotlights in the air, coming from the library where a party was also held. I have no intention of reading the book (admission: I have read Harry Potter 1-4), but I had to be there for an event that got people out of the house to buy a book.

something to work on

2007-07-18T22:50:00.000-04:00

So after going on about the explosion, I realized that I failed to mention something that was mentioned by my dear friend LEL over at Fear and Loathing in NOLA. She drew my attention to the Gulf Watch project run by the Southern Studies Department at U of Mississippi, Oxford (AKA: Ole Miss for those of you in the know). This department has always fascinated me and if for some reason I end up in Oxford, Mississippi, I know where I'll study/work. That is unless Square Books wants to give me a plum job. There used to be a PJ's coffee shop in that bookstore and seriously, those two items alone (PJ's coffee and seriously one of this country's best bookstores) are kinda reason enough to move somewhere. I bet they also have good catfish.

But I digress. I don't have the time now to substantially pour through this project's work, but I hope to do so in the near future and I strongly recommend you do, too.

Also, here is a lovely photo from the Bridge of Flowers to distract one from the idea of asbestos in the Manhattan air.

A failure of our infrastructure: sounds familiar?

2007-07-18T21:59:00.000-04:00

A pipe that was laid in 1924 burst today underneath East 41st street and Lexington Avenue. It happened just before 6 pm this evening as commuters headed home for the day. One person died due to cardiac arrest and there are reports that between 15-20 have been critically injured.

Earlier today, The New York Times reported that roughly six years after 9/11, Americans face the same threat from terrorists. We're no better off now than we were then after 6 years of the war on terror. Frankly, I think that Mayor Bloomberg said it all when he said that this is a failure of our infrastructure.

Sounds familiar? Army Corps of Engineers? Levee failure?

People can sniff that the waste laid to Louisiana was the fault of geography, but poor infrastructure is a problem for all Americans. Politicians give contracts to their friends and benefactors, no one wants to do the hard work for the lousy pay, projects never receive the attention they need. Be prepared for more and more incidents like this.

I hope everyone managed to get home safe. It took me over an hour to get from Midtown West to Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn and I just assumed it was the usual MTA jazz and all we heard was that there was a disturbance at Grand Central due to which service would be suspended from 86th street to Brooklyn Bridge. Everyoone just grumbled about the delays and didn't blink an eye. At what point do we expect better?

yankee doodle days

2007-07-17T23:41:00.000-04:00

When I brought T to NOLA for the first time, we went for the wedding of an old friend. One of the bridesmaids (another old friend) pounced upon T seeing as he was the first boy I ever brought home. She introduced herself politely as most Southern women do and then said, "You must be a Democrat if you're dating [ms. nola]. I'm going to call you Yankee Doodle!"

So in certain circles, T is known as Yankee Doodle. I found it highly amusing that this poster (found in Shelburne Falls) celebrated Yankee Doodle Days. If only we could have gone. Maybe T would have gotten some free funnel cake.

Bridge of Flowers, Shelburne Falls, MA

2007-07-16T00:07:00.000-04:00

Here are just a couple photos of T's and my trip to Shelburne Falls, MA. I'll have to post more photos later, but here is a taste of the Bridge of Flowers, one of the most tranquil places I know. This town is full of so many wonderful memories. I was really overwhelmed being back here. In part, I felt it was due to the fact that I've really resigned myself to not being able to ever fully go home again. Losing my home in New Orleans and losing the neighborhood in which I grew up was really one of the hardest things I've ever experienced. Coming to terms with that reality took a lot of acceptance that one can never fully expect to ever be able to return to a place they love and have it be they way they remembered it.

But Shelburne Falls was exactly as I remembered it (I last visited in 2003) and feelings of family, nostalgia, wonder and joy hit me like a ton of bricks as soon as we arrived. I felt such a rush of emotion being in a place that I've shared with some incredible loved ones. I was so happy to share it with T. I'll write and post more pictures later on, but for now, enjoy!

dancing, running

2007-07-15T18:22:00.000-04:00

Who knew there was contradancing in NYC? T and I went contradancing last weekend in Peterborough, NH and really enjoyed it. I was so inspired by the workout that I ran two miles, walked a mile and swam a mess of laps the following day. I really want to get some sound running shoes and start running. Maybe J, G and I can go out to Prospect Park and play some soccer. Even if it's just practicing. But yes, I also want to dance more. T and I need to do some research. And I need to scour the web for running shoe sales. There's a part of me that would also like to get a bike, but I don't trust the drivers around Brooklyn. I would have to walk my bike over to the park to feel safe and then there's the question of storage. With running, all I need are some shorts, a tank top and some shoes. I can make room for that.

I am 29

2007-07-13T08:38:00.000-04:00

I am 29 today and two dear friends celebrate their sixth anniversary today. Exciting things to come today so I should run to work. More musing later. Happy happy.

home again (in hell)

2007-07-10T20:44:00.000-04:00

ugh, where did that lovely summer go?

I think I will gift myself with an A/C for my upcoming birthday. But for now, I will order and pick up some thai food and check to make sure we have ice cubes a plenty... Then I'll unpack and maybe block the cardigan (in this heat... what devotion!)?

in vermont

2007-07-04T23:17:00.000-04:00

can T and I just move here already?

upon leaving for July's vacation

2007-07-04T00:28:00.000-04:00

I brought a couple books home today (see stack)
And this is the state of the cardigan in process.
Is it really this late?

tabasco in my eye

2007-07-03T00:27:00.000-04:00

Yeah, so when you screw a cap back on a Tabasco bottle, take it from me, it's a good idea to wash your hands. My eye is still slightly sore from accidentally rubbing *near* my eye with a Tabasco tainted hand. The breakfast sandwich was far tastier thanks to that dear pepper sauce, but I really don't know that it was truly worth it.

But as bad as that is, what the hell is happening with Scooter Libby? Even Paris did (some of) the time. And given the crazy state of our justice system, I expect just about everything, but really, who thought this would fly by under the radar?

(also, happy belated birthday to Lindsay Lohan!)

MAN!

Even I can't focus on what's important.

of lemon yellow walls and cranberry heather cardigans

2007-07-01T00:27:00.000-04:00

Sprout and I were exhausted from Friday's three borough marathon and needed to stay home this evening. I needed to read and knit; she wanted to paint. Now the hallway is a lovely pale lemon yellow and I have read considerably and also started the sleeves. Yes, in a bold move, I'm knitting both sleeves at once. I'm just that talented! (And it also does not take much to keep me happy)

Operation mellow Saturday night was extremely successful.

I will report on Friday's three borough marathon sometime soon, but here's a preview: dosas are awesome. Temple canteens? Maybe even more awesome. Spending the whole day with one of your very best friends? You just can't ask for more.

atlas of the difficult (but remarkable) world

2007-06-29T00:57:00.000-04:00

My reading has been largely rooted in poetry. Poetry and Edith Wharton (whom I'm feeling would have a fabulous take on Paris Hilton). But what has been holding me captive has been the precision of poetry. Maybe it's because I'm living with all these details: the patterns and stitches of my knitting, winding yarn from skeins into balls, listening to T recite the train schedules, watching for the subways, feeling the weather get hotter degree by degree and then cool again, listening to Deb Talen's music, thinking about learning German, how I'll ever construct a schedule to make that (oh and my larger writing) a reality.

I'm returning to old friends. I want to pull all the books down and read pages then skip to other books. I've been having a hard time concentrating on reading lately because all the words are just exciting and inspiring me to the point where I have to stop and let the moments brim over.

Good thing that acoustic guitar of mine now lives with my brother. I might pick it up and start playing again. That might not please the neighbors (or the roommates). The clicking of needles and yarn is just loud enough for these muggy nights.

leaving so soon? yes.

2007-06-27T23:22:00.000-04:00

I'm packing up my bags again. That's right. Time to leave town. I got the all clear from the captain and this time I'm taking T. We're going to Vermont on the 4th, spending a couple days with friends from Dartmouth and then taking a bus to his Gran's on the 6th. We'll swim, play games, catch up, I'll probably drag everyone back to Harrisville Designs, maybe some sailing and canoing. Monday, T promises he'll drive me to Shelburne Falls, MA. I haven't been in years and years and I really cannot wait.

I'm zipping through the cardigan so that I can show it to Gran. I am almost done with the left front panel after which, all I'll have left are the sleeves, seaming, picking up stitches and ribbing, then sewing on buttons.

That's all!

Summer?

2007-06-27T00:41:00.000-04:00

It's so hot tonight. Granted, I did use the oven and the stove and I did also use the iron to attempt to block the back panel of my cardigan and the right front panel, but all those things withstanding, it would have still been way too hot.

A nice tete a tete dinner with Riri here in Park Slope. We made plans for Friday. Sprout and I are going to Queens for Dosas and then to Chinatown for grocery shopping. Afterwards, we will head over to Riri's studio for a little wine and perhaps dinner?

I got a haircut today and it couldn't have come at a better time. I think I'm also ready for my second shower of the night. Am I in NOLA or NYC?

Follow me to Coney Island for the Mermaid Parade!

2007-06-24T14:08:00.001-04:00

knitting, knitting, edith wharton, knitting, knitting, michael ondaatje, knitting

2007-06-22T00:03:00.001-04:00

So I finished my vest today (photo TK) and I am a good foot into the back panel of my cardigan. Other developments, I'm gobbling up Edith Wharton's "The Custom of the Country" and I heard Michael Ondaatje read from "Divisadero" tonight. I need to reread "Divisadero." But then again, I also want to read "Anil's Ghost" which everyone seems to be raving about as of late. Hmm, a little reading for my upcoming trip to New Hampshire, where I will inevitably get more yarn for more knitting projects. This time, though, I need to find yarn to make all these baby gifts for all my dear friends who are now mothers (the mind reels).

Thank you for being a friend

2007-06-18T23:32:00.000-04:00

So while I was in San Francisco, I saw two friends from Sacred Heart, my alma mater in New Orleans. One friend practices family law and specializes in domestic abuses issues. Another friend is studying for a masters in Entomology.

I knew the two of them lived in the Bay Area.

What I didn't know is that two other friends--friends that I have known since we were all three years old and wearing smocks in Nursery School together--were in San Francisco as well. However, they were more concerned with the earlier part of their trip to California as they were there on pilgrimage to see a taping of THE PRICE IS RIGHT with Bob Barker, during his final weeks on the show.

We just figured out we were there at the same time. Man, I think the class of '96 needs to create a blog so that things like this do not happen again. Also, why am I totally not surprised that I would know people who would go halfway across the country to see Bob Barker? There's a reason my parents didn't let me skip a grade; I love my classmates.

Almost there!

2007-06-15T18:12:00.000-04:00

I'm ALMOST done. I have to block the ribbing at the armholes and then seam up at the V-neck. Of course, today is probably the last day until October that I will be able to wear this beauty, but so it goes. It's still lovely and I have a little yarn left over for the stash. See, I *knew* I didn't need two extra skeins, but it's hard to fight the yarn store proprietor...

scenes from SF: 2

2007-06-14T01:16:00.000-04:00

for the record

2007-06-13T11:22:00.000-04:00

When people try to pretend that they didn't know about this, you can say you knew.

scenes from SF: 1

2007-06-12T23:17:00.000-04:00

golden gate bridge

2007-06-11T02:11:00.000-04:00

Back in Brooklyn

2007-06-11T01:49:00.000-04:00

I'm back! Yes, that time is right. I just got back to Brooklyn (via air train plus the A and 2 trains and a jog home with luggage in tow) and I'm going to work in a mere, hmm, 6 hours? Awesome. I'm on California time and have a West Coast state of mind at the moment.

That said, I enjoyed watching the Tony Awards on JetBlue as I flew home. Hey, Athena, I saw Christine and Cynthia together on TV after Fantasia sang a song from "The Color Purple!"

Photos and stories to come. I got to see so many old, dear friends. Rachel, thank you so much for having me! I had the best time and felt so at home in your home.

Picture postcard charms

2007-06-08T12:18:00.000-04:00

Too much going on to write about and life is supposed to be lived anyway. More from NYC.

it's a small world after all

2007-06-04T14:35:00.000-04:00

In addition to Rachel, I have three other friends in the SF area that I need to see. (In addition to friends of friends whom I would like to meet) One is from NOLA, another from Bryn Mawr and another from Dartmouth. Turns out my friend from Dartmouth lives about two blocks away from Rachel. We are planning on ringing her doorbell tonight on the way home from a party. My friend from NOLA called this morning, but didn't leave her phone number (ah, I have everyone's email and no one's phone numbers anymore) so I am still trying to track her down. Connection was made with my Bryn Mawr friend KMichelle (with whom I stayed and traveled with during a wonderful trip to London and Paris in 2002) who is meeting me at the Anchor Steam Brewery at 1 where we will go on the tour and catch up over some beer tasting afterwards.

But the very interesting thing is that I struck up a conversation (as you know I am wont to do with strangers) with the nice young mom sharing a table with me at Tartine and learned that she and her (now) husband lived for years in what is now T's apartment building. They lived on the floor above T. The crazy thing is that this woman had never been to Tartine before, lives in Nob Hill, and rarely comes to the Mission. What were the chances that we'd end up meeting and having this conversation? What else is going to happen during this trip?

And in the meanwhile, my friend EMF got engaged outside the Cafe du Monde in NOLA. Congrats!

everything's coming up roses

2007-06-02T13:24:00.000-04:00

From last week's trip to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. I'm off to SF!

ciao, brooklyn! hello, san francisco!

2007-06-01T11:47:00.000-04:00

I'm heading off to SF tomorrow for 8 days with my dear friend Rachel. I expect lots of fun for my first trip to Northern California. If you have any recommendations, please post in the comments.

It must have been a slow news week...

2007-06-01T10:42:00.000-04:00

...because this is old news. I knew it was time to graduate from Bryn Mawr when I saw women "playing Quiddish" on brooms in Erdman. Additionally, it's also a bit unnerving that Gothic is now "Harry Potter." Architects, take note!

That said, it's nice to see the college and, in particular, the Dalton Hall renovations.

tomorrow we fight so let's have fun tonight

2007-05-23T00:34:00.000-04:00

When I met Kathleen Hanna a couple years ago, I was wearing some arm warmers and a shrug that I had made for myself. She, JD and Johanna all commented on how lovely they were and that the stitching and colors were so nice. Nothing like having some of your favorite feminist indie rock idols praise the art that came out of that lost year in Philadelphia.

I was thinking about this song all day so I figured I'd post it in addition to all the knitting photos and stories of domestic bliss.

(Credit to Julie Ruin - aka: K. Hanna)

Crochet
You make me wanna go away
You make me wanna go away
You make me wanna go away
You make me wanna crochet
Just another book about women in rock
Just another book about women in rock
Just another book about women in rock
Just another book about women in rock
You make me want to
You make me want to
You make me want to
You make me want to crochet
You killed the thing
You killed the thing
They killed the thing
You killed the thing
You make me want to
You make me want to
You make me want to
Crochet?

picking up stitches (very much unlike pick up sticks)

2007-05-23T00:19:00.001-04:00

OK, this really isn't regressing into a knitting blog, but honestly, knitting is giving books a run for the money. There's something about learning a new skill, using math, dexterity. Knitting is very satisfying. Not unlike Kindergarten, you get to work with your hands and play with color and texture. Last night, I picked up stitches around the neckline and ribbed this neckline that you see before you. Looks easy, right? Try figuring out how to pick up just enough stitches so that the final product looks like this and not an accordion. Trust me, this took all evening. Thankfully, I had all night to hang out with T and knit. (Hence waiting until this evening to snap the photo) Hopefully, I'll finish up ribbing the armholes tomorrow. I didn't this evening because I enjoyed a home cooked meal with one of my best friends and her mom who happened to be in town on a spontaneous trip to visit her daughter. Time for dreamland. I can begin to dream of the cardigan I'll be making next!

The latest!

2007-05-21T00:19:00.000-04:00

I couldn't resist. I had to post a photo of what I did this evening. Now all I need to do is pick up stitches and rib a neckline and armholes.... Oh, yeah, just pick up the stitches. I've never done this before so this should be an adventure. An adventure for tomorrow evening. It's too late to start out on any new stitching techniques tonight.

Work in progress

2007-05-20T12:39:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd share my current work in progress. It's a sweater vest. I've completed the back and now I'm working from the armholes up on the front of the vest. I've been knitting it in the round so there is no seam so far. In fact the only seams will be at the shoulders. I'm going to pick up stitches and rib a neckline and also rib around the armholes.

I got the yarn in March while visiting T's gran in New Hampshire. We went to Harrisville Designs and I found two skeins of New England Highland wool in Lady Slipper (scroll down to see the yarn if you check out the link) in the sale bin. Silly me was hopeful enough to think that two skeins would be enough for a vest. It wasn't. So I had to search around online to see if anyone in the New York City area carried the yarn. The only place that did was The Yarn Tree in Williamsburg. While I hate going to Williamsburg (which requires returning to Manhattan in order to return back to my neighborhood in Brooklyn), I somehow forget that I always enjoy going and always enjoy the ride. Taking the J/M/Z train back to Manhattan means crossing the Williamsburg Bridge and getting a different view of the city. But also, The Yarn Tree is a store I wish I could go to more often. And maybe I should just make the trip more often. I always enjoy going there because the lady who owns and runs the place is so kind and friendly and also her yarn selection is fantastic. She carries a good variety of sensible--not ridiculous wool only good for items that don't take on much wear or tear--yarns in a vibrant array of colors.

So long story short, making this vest required a trip to New Hampshire (all that entails: Amtrak trip, hanging out with T's great family, getting out of NYC, enjoying the mountains, clean air, etc) and a trip to Williamsburg which is low on clean air, but high on the enjoyment/diversion factor. Who says knitting keeps you at home?

Hillary's plan for the Gulf Coast

2007-05-20T01:03:00.000-04:00

While cleaning my room earlier today, I played my dvd (yes, I own this) of "The War Room" (oh and I bought it at Target... I love Brooklyn). So maybe I have a bias towards Hillary Clinton. I'll be honest about it. I met her when I was 13 years old and was blown away by her kindness. Yes, her kindness. Her being a fellow Seven Sisters grad also doesn't hurt in terms of winning over my affection. But I am trying to gather as much info as possible about all of the Democratic candidates. As much as I have a innate bias towards the idea of the first American female president, I also would like to see something done on a federal level to aid the Gulf Coast region, but particularly New Orleans, and the London Avenue Canal Levee (which I can personally thank for destroying my house).

In that spirit, I wanted to bring Hillary's Gulf Coast agenda to your attention. There will be a quiz later this week (kidding, but seriously check it out. Let's hope everyone else steps up to the mat and starts talking more about NOLA).

Peonies, bluebells and more in bloom at the BBG

2007-05-19T16:33:00.000-04:00

Am I only the one

2007-05-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

Am I only the one who didn't know about this?

goodbye, stars hollow

2007-05-16T00:31:00.000-04:00

Goodbye, Paris.
Goodbye, Kirk.
Goodbye, Paul Anka.
Goodbye, Taylor.
Goodbye, Gypsy.
Goodbye, Miss Patty.
Goodbye, Babette.
Goodbye, Lane.
Goodbye, Mama Kim.
Goodbye, Sebastian Bach.
Goodbye, Zack.
Goodbye, Michel.
Goodbye, Jackson.
Goodbye, Sookie.
Goodbye, Richard and Emily.
Goodbye, Rory.
Goodbye, Luke.
Goodbye, Lorelai.

(This does not in any way mean that my mother and I will not engage in lame "Where's Rory? Where's the coffee cart?" jokes at Yale in the future. Thank you for seven years of banter and heart.)

good news and bad news

2007-05-14T23:22:00.000-04:00

The good news is that I had a great weekend. Bear Mountain with friends, sunshine, reading and cards with T, cooking, movies, parties. It was great. Tonight was no exception. Giff, my new roommate AG and I had an impromptu dinner which was a spontaneous success. My knitting is coming along famously and should I have enough yarn, i'll have a spiffy sweater vest by the end of the week.

The bad news is more of the same news from NOLA as reported by the New York Times.

huh, sounds familiar?

2007-05-07T11:05:00.000-04:00

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said the state's response will likely be hampered because much of the equipment usually positioned around the state to respond to emergencies is now in Iraq. That includes things like tents, trucks and semitrailers.

Oh and scroll down to read about the looters. I guess it doesn't make national news if you're from the midwest...

i'm not shocked (part 6K)

2007-05-06T22:34:00.000-04:00

More from National Geographic on the (still) flawed levees. Via New York Times.

When will anyone do something about this? Do I need to go out and get an engineering degree?

the canyon air

2007-05-06T17:39:00.000-04:00

Maybe I will be Liz Phair for GH's 90s party. There are some who say they have no nostalgia for the 90s. Others who have no nostalgia for any era. Eh, whatever. I can say that while I do not miss high school all that much, I do miss the Clinton administration, going to indie rock shows, great music, Sassy magazine, Weetzie Bat books, tearing through any book really that I could get my hands on, and that whole going to college thing.

What I do miss is driving in New Orleans and listening to WTUL, writing zines, trying to dye my brother's hair with cranberry juice cocktail, writing all my college applications to PJ Harvey's "To Bring You My Love," drinking iced coffee with friends, taking a lot of Northeast Direct Amtrak trains to visit friends and my brother, tasting new cuisine, and moving to France for six months. What I remember best about the 90s was feeling that anything and everything was possible. I always had my fatalistic, pseudo-cynical side, but I always tried to hold onto the spark of life.

I watched "Away from Her" today with GH and I realized how much I've changed. That marriage really doesn't feel that far from what I am moving towards. That I've already seen close family lose their minds, learning to let go. But the movie also stresses that you don't lose what you had. So I am all for nostalgia as long as it pushes you forward and keeps your fear and anxiety in check. Things will always change, but negative mindsets do everything to fulfill themselves. Better to go dancing around the room when moments like that hit. I recommend "Whip-Smart": Liz Phair for moments like that.

As my neighbor likes to say

2007-05-04T22:08:00.000-04:00

"This is *PARK* Slope."

counterpoint to bernstein

2007-05-03T12:44:00.001-04:00

The Guardian defends Hillary. An interesting take considering the bio pubbing next month.

Good things

2007-05-02T00:46:00.000-04:00

1) Doing a little dance to Amy Winehouse's "My tears dry on their own" at Gorilla Coffee

2) "How Sassy Changed My Life"

3) Sarah Polley + Alice Munro + Julie Christie + Olympia Dukakis

4) Orion Magazine

5) "Gilmore Girls" is no longer just an excuse for Tuesday night dinner

6) Springtime in Park Slope and Morningside Heights

7) Meeting Nathan Englander and Marilynne Robinson last week

8) Email updates about Jazz Fest

9) Manchego cheese with TJ's Ginger Spread

10) new digs, new outlook

Nat'l Geographic on Louisiana

2007-05-01T15:34:00.000-04:00

extra extra, read all about it

2007-04-30T11:06:00.000-04:00

Proud to hear such good press about one of my alma maters, if you will.

moved (but not forgotten)

2007-04-22T19:44:00.000-04:00

We moved T.
No small feat.
Yesterday and Friday were the actual move days. Today we went back and cleaned the old apartment and fetched what was left. We started at three. We still need to go back and make another run. A car would have been nice today. Also nice: had I not smashed my head into a fire extinguisher case. Yeah. Nice big knot on my head.

So now we've emptied the granny cart + bags that we carried on our shoulders and backs. Back for part two: the framed photographs and a big box of cords. Oh, yes, that will be as not so easy as it sounds.

The good thing is that the new place is better than we believed it to be. It was all worth it in the end. And trust me, that's saying a HELL of a lot.

Thanks to all that helped us out. Especially JA. We'll be there for every second of your move. No doubt.

cleaning house

2007-04-19T00:34:00.001-04:00

packing and moving.
there's just a lot going on at work and in everyone's lives. but i need to focus and help out T.
and honestly, there's something enjoyable about a fresh start.
we're making our way to that fresh start.

perpetually redefining the word busy

2007-04-14T10:24:00.000-04:00

Work, cleaning the apartment, painting the apartment, laundry at the inconvenient laundrymat, a move in the works for T, mucho reading, mucho writing, figuring out how to swing a trip to NC, debating a trip there for my birthday, commuting, and did I mention work?

I've been busy lately. I also went to see the play "Blackbird" this week and went to a lecture on Edith Wharton and the project of biography. In the audiences, I saw Famke Janssen at the first event and Philip Roth at the latter. I should write about "Blackbird," but I'm still working through it. Lately, I've found myself absorbing a lot of fictional material (drama, literature) about abuse, female sexuality. One was a book by someone I met recently. Now I'm reading a Katrina memoir. Good times! Next week should be equally busy given that Rachel will be in town (yay!) and I have a lot of work related social events in addition to more cleaning, painting, packing and moving.

But this morning. I'm going to have some coffee and read. I guess that still falls under work. The one thing about all this general busy-ness is that, while I am exhausted, I am happy and doing what I love for myself, but also and perhaps more importantly with and for the people I love.

Time to make that coffee.

happy birthday sprout

2007-04-07T18:08:00.000-04:00

Today is Sprout's birthday! We cheer and sing with happiness. No seriously, we are. Tonight, in Koreatown at Karaoke. Inbetween reading endlessly for work, I'm taking a moment to open my mouth and sing with friends all in celebration of her birth. Many, many happy returns, dancing queen.

new yorker gossip

2007-04-05T16:44:00.000-04:00

If you're a New Yorker magazine junkie like me, you'll love this.

Why I think I've officially outgrown the standard industry party (or why I never enjoyed it in the first place)

2007-03-28T01:13:00.000-04:00

I met someone very exciting tonight at a party where I was surrounded by photography that I had previously seen at MoMA or the Guggenheim. The host took my photo which was mildly disarming, but seeing as I had a glass of white with ice cubes in my hand, how serious could it be. I smiled and enjoyed it.

I've decided that I am not a fan of the industry party stuffed with 20/30 something assistants at a bar where I can barely hear myself think and end up being miserable because I (a) don't smoke and (b) have a low tolerance for that certain air of desperation/cutthroat desire to move ahead and (c) I don't like being forced to spend $$$ on drinks in order to just fit the part of the aspiring assistant and (d) don't believe that getting sloppy drunk with people means they'll help you get an interview somewhere.

I would rather be able to talk about the things I do and the things I enjoy with someone. Parties like the one I went to tonight are perfect. A nice blend of babies, terriers, husbands with cameras, rather important people, very important people, incredibly interesting people then me and GH. Also, mini croque monsieurs, excellent wine in lovely stemware, pate on crackers with currants? Hell yes this beats $8 gin and tonics, a surly barmaid, and a slimey Lower East Side floor. I actually got to (without getting accidentally burned by a cigarette or have a vodka tonic dumped on my skirt) talk about what I do, learn more about other jobs in my field, meet kind people, talk about the things I care about, and not have to scream to be heard. Literally and figuratively. Amazing how a glass of wine in the right setting and with the right people is just enough.

HOME HOME HOME

2007-03-25T23:13:00.000-04:00

I'm back in Park Slope after a restorative long weekend in New Hampshire with TPW. Now I'm listening to the Postal Service/New Pornographers/Lush/Joan Osborne after having some chicken chili that we defrosted (yay for the fully stocked freezer). Sprout decked out the kitchen in lovely IKEA-ness and Nerb was cooking a tasty meal from the Cook's Illustrated Cook & Bake cookbook. We've all become more adventuresome cooks now that all the cookbooks live within easy access in the living room.

TPW got me a new teddy bear in NH. For those of you who know the story, yes, start crying now. For the rest of you, I'll fill you in later. But I got lots of amazing yarn in addition to my new bear. Uncle Bill gave me a huge book of the letters of EB White which really touched me. Does anyone have his essay on marrying a Bryn Mawr woman? I told TPW about it and realized that he better read it sometime soon. We're approaching our fourth anniversary if you can believe it. Didn't I just finish at Dartmouth? Didn't I just finish Bryn Mawr? Didn't I just escape Catholic school in a white dress, kid gloves, long hair and a flower crown?

I'm going to make myself a new cardigan with some cranberry heather wool. I also got more alpaca for arm warmers and some assorted other treats from the sale bin. I may make a sweater vest as I've become disturbingly attached to my white button down shirts and a new spiffy cap.

But I wanted to jump up and down seeing Sprout and Nerb at home. I dragged TPW back with me to Brooklyn. Oh, Brooklyn. My happy little home. It was exquisite being away, but it's lovely being back home. I think I need to get out of town more often. It makes me all the more grateful to live this ridiculous life. I got another wedding invite today. Geez. I just want to drive around looking at farms and snow on the backroads of New Hampshire with TPW. Give me a little more of that, a pinch of homecooking with my Sterling Place family, less time on MTA, more time with my sweetheart.

Is this thing on?

2007-03-21T22:49:00.000-04:00

On March 24th Crazy Eights will celebrate two years!

Strange connections

2007-03-21T18:39:00.000-04:00

I met "the carpetbagger" yesterday. It turns out we have a friend in common. Who knew?

nothing else will do/i've gotta have you

2007-03-18T02:53:00.000-04:00

Next weekend, I'll be in New Hampshire. T bought the Amtrak tickets tonight. I can't even say how excited I am for a weekend away from NYC, a long weekend's escape with my sweetheart, and also a train ride to Vermont! (We take the train to VT where T's gran meets us) I wish there would be time for a road trip to Dartmouth, but maybe another time. Definitely this summer. As it is, I think T and I are overdue for some time together outside New York. We've both been so busy lately that it's time to make time and take a vacation for no concrete reason. Our inter-borough romance does not count as vacation-centric.

This weekend has been a lot of fun despite not being a vacation per se. Snow stomping around the neighborhood for groceries with T on Friday evening, silly songs with T and Sprout on Friday night over dinner, "The Family Stone," further silly singing over breakfast with T and Sprout, coffee time at Gorilla & a little retail therapy to recoop some losses with La Giff, a phone call from Rachel in SF, chicken chili & the fifth act of "When the Levees Broke," and tomorrow some sledding, freelance writing, taxes, and a dinner party involving Tofurkey & Dutch Apple pie. Oh and some reading, too. I started a new book that is reminding me of Steinbeck's "East of Eden" which I read about 14 years ago. Amazing how some literary memories lock in despite the years.Did I mention I'm excited about going to California?

So all in all, a restorative weekend. Nothing like knowing you'll be heading out of town shortly!

Also, we at Crazy Eights are looking for a new roommate to move in mid-April. We are looking for someone who enjoys dinner parties (planned and impromptu), keeping the apartment clean (a must), has charming friends that they would love for us to meet (we love friends and visitors in the apartment), doesn't smoke, is petless, doesn't mind Aerie Tuesdays, loves to cook and will contribute to late night conversations over tea or wine. If this sounds like your kind of living environment, contact me.

Betterish

2007-03-16T01:40:00.000-04:00

I'm doing better. Turns out there's something (or somethings depending on who you talk to) going around the entire building so I'm not the only one with the mystery cold. Sounds like a bad board game. Mystery Cold. Ick. I guess it's no better than Operation. Really, who thought of that?

I knitted for a long time this evening. I'm just not in the mood to curl up with a book. Somewhat alarming, no? But I'm trying to just do what I want to do. Coming out of a cold, it seems right to listen to one's body. One would say this means to sleep when one needs it. Drink a lot of fluids. I say it means to knit in the face of a stack of books. I just don't want to jump back into things immediately, okay? It's something to say, "I'm settled, alright?" I don't need to find a new challenge just yet. I can try to just sit still for a while. And I don't always have to finish every book I start. Sometimes, it just isn't worth it.

Today I watched redtail hawks swoop around Manhattan from the windows at work. It was something to see their wingspan, their freedom. Not everyone paid attention or cared. But those of us who did stopped and paused. We let our eyes wander. We watched the hawks pay no attention to traffic, hideous condos, city buses, scaffolding or the Time Warner Center. The hawks were in no rush to take off for Central Park. Instead, they gave us an opportunity to see ourselves in them: ripe with directions and no timetable. Just for a minute.

We went back to work. Phone calls, tinkering with programs, writing things up, mailing packages. It was hard to leave work tonight. I lost track of time and I ended up leaving sometime after 7. Probably not the best idea on my first day back. I took the train home and looked out at the city as I crossed from Manhattan into Brooklyn. We work so hard to stay afloat in this city. Finding a job, finding an apartment, finding a relationship, making it work, even just making time to see your friends feels like an Olympic effort. It seems like a crime to just relax, but you need to relax. I have what I need. What I want will come. And really, a lot of it is already here. I don't always take the time to enjoy it.

March into, oh, whatever.

2007-03-13T20:47:00.000-04:00

I'm home sick. Boo. Chest colds are no picnic. I'm taking Robutussin, long baths, catching up on old, languishing New Yorkers (didya read the piece about the kid at the Sundance Festival?) and reading cookbooks before collapsing into sleep. Sprout brought me pulpy OJ and potstickers. I have a kitchen full of food and I'm sitting around in my robe, trying to decide when is a decent bedtime. I hope I feel better tomorrow.

LA3: The Other Mission Control

2007-03-13T03:46:00.000-04:00

Today I got a tour of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. JPL is responsible for all unmanned space missions. The Mars Rover was built there as were the first satellites. JPL is able to communicate with the objects through its' Deep Space Network. The DSN "is an international network of antennas that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions and radio and radar astronomy observations for the exploration of the solar system and the universe." One of the largest antennas is 70 meters (230 feet) and can track a spacecraft moving 10 billion miles away. Crazy.

LA2: Pasadena Art

2007-03-12T13:33:00.000-04:00

Went to Art Market yesterday in Pasadena. Local schools [Pasadena City College, Art Center College of Design, and The Armory] invited students, faculty, and alumni to show their works. As compared to a NY show (especially students'), the art was thematically sunny in disposition. Since it was 97 degrees in March though, I suppose that's what happens.

After the market, we went to the Pasadena Museum of History, and saw an exhibition of works by Sam Hyde Harris. When I first saw the paintings (one pictured here), I thought my eyes hadn't adjusted yet from being out in the sun. The colors looked so dull. I wanted to adjust the brightness on my internal tv. As I looked through the gallery though, I began to appreciate the soft hues and natural themes. They reminded me of works by New England coastal painters. Made me a little homesick, to be honest.

LA1: Beachwood Canyon and Eagle Rock Chalet

2007-03-11T05:24:00.000-04:00

I sat tonight by a fire in an air-conditioned room modeled after an Austrian ski lodge. The floor was a carpeted tartan. The weather outside was approaching the 80s.

Welcome to LA.

Flew out today from JFK to Burbank Airport (named Bob Hope). The flight was full of gay couples and one even had a baby. One of the fathers was sporting a "native baby carrier" that I think I have seen on Angelina. Sadly the Native Baby web site features no pot-bellied gay men.

Went to dinner in Beachwood Canyon at a place called Birds. My friends and I sat in a red booth below a large picture of Alfred Hitchcock. The food was delicious and the restaurant was right across from a large Scientology complex. The air smelled of honeysuckle or dogwood or magnolia. My nose is apparently only able to decipher between Canal Street and 59th Street subway odors.

Gained three hours. Lost an hour. I am not sure whether I have lost or won.

Before I jump into bed I thought it appropriate to depart with this quote in honor of my dining companion tonight. Hope you enjoy.

[Dressed in safari hunting gear and pith helmet]
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to darkest Hollywood. Night brings a stillness to the jungle. It is so quiet, you can hear a name drop. The savage beasts have already begun gathering at the water holes to quench their thirst. Now one should be especially alert. The vicious table-hopper is on the prowl, and the spotted back-biter may lurk behind a potted palm. To take me through this most savage of lands, I have hired a native guide.

[Snaps his fingers. An old man joins him, wearing a billboard sign that reads, "Maps of the Movie Stars' Homes - For Sale"]

He claims to know where I can find the big ones.
-A.H.

JFK to SFO

2007-03-10T23:05:00.000-05:00

June 2-10: I'll be in San Francisco.

It's my very first trip to San Francisco, my first trip to Northern California. I'll be staying with the lovely Rachel and I'm so very excited for lots of quality time with her in her new city. Well, not so new anymore, but you get the picture...

I'll get to see this show at Doe and I'm excited to see Lisa and Stephanie's work in person after admiring it from afar via these imperfect computers. Being me, I want to go to the DeYoung and SFMoMA, but I also want to ride the cable car, see the Golden Gate Bridge, go to the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory, eat seafood and avocados, City Lights (!), and Lombard Street.

I can't say how much this is lifting my spirits. Please send recommendations for SF things to do and books and movies relating to SF that I can read before going (I've seen VERTIGO and SNEAKERS, but please tell me more).

Brooklyn had actual sunshine and Springtime weather today. I opened all my windows and bought daffodils with Gifford today. Sometimes I wonder how I can cope with work and commuting and the imperfection of every little thing and then the world opens up with possibility again. I'm never going to stop reliving and revisiting the past, but I'm never going to come to terms with that or fully understand it for what it is unless I keep moving and learning.

San Francisco, here I come. Your very own Judy Maxwell.

Carrot orzo and Lane Kim

2007-03-10T18:54:00.000-05:00

Every Tuesday night, I make dinner with friends. At first it was always with HEO, but lately the crowd has grown. The draw of "Gilmore Girls," good friends, homemade food, wine, etc makes for a good evening.

Last week, I was planning on making a dal, but one friend doesn't eat lentils so I had to rethink my menu. I combed around epicurious and found a recipe for carrot orzo. Who knew how tasty it would be? The carrot gives an earthy and sweet flavor. Green onions, rosemary, parmesan cheese finish it deliciously. Also, for those of you who may want to try this at home, I substituted olive oil for the butter.

It's healthy comfort food. I made it again today for T and J for lunch along with some spicy blanched bean sprouts. When a vegetarian and a meat & potatoes kind of guy both wolf something down with gusto, it must be good. I think I've found a new kitchen favorite. We're making fondu this evening... Nerb has taken off for a week in Los Angeles and was kind enough to bequeath his Emmental cheese... So we will make the most of it and also look forward to some possible blogging from LA.

a more complex sort of joy

2007-03-04T23:52:00.000-05:00

Brooklyn's Fifth Avenue is a hodgepodge of architecture and commerce. Slapdash finishes, buildings that don't quite match their neighbors thanks to some financial woe at some time or another. One month's windfall greets a death in the family. Gentrification hasn't wiped out the character in my neighborhood. A bodega, a dry cleaner, an upscale Tex Mex joint, increasingly more middle eastern spots, 99 cent stores, used bookstores full of theory and literary fiction, wine bars, donut shops, seasonally open Italian ice shops, Bocce courts, yoga studios, muffin bakeries, hipster coffee, clothing boutiques, Brooklyn Industries.

This is home. These days, Brooklyn is where my heart is. I step out of the 7th avenue station and I fit in. I've got my tote bag full of six periodicals, countless books, my ipod, a change of clothes, a change of attitude. New Orleans is still so deeply a part of me, but I'm crossing a threshold---or am I just admitting it?---Brooklyn is the place I've lived the longest as an adult. This haphazard collection of folks and homes and businesses and trees, subways and patches of dirty snow is the place I hang my hat.

I've been thinking I'd go to NOLA for Jazz Fest, but the airfare's rising everyday and my hesitation is amounting to a large bill. Today I got off the subway and thought, "But who will get me from the airport?" It broke my heart just a bit to realize that for the first time, my mom and dad wouldn't be there in the terminal waiting for me in Louis Armstrong International Airport. I know there are lots of people who would come and fetch me, screaming my name and hugging me so hard my bones would ache. But it's all so different and I've been feeling the post-partum blues of losing my childhood home for good. I don't know if I'm ready to go back yet. I think I need more time to heal. I can't say how hard it is to say this.

There's words to put to paper and so many projects I want to accomplish. Lately, I've been catching myself thinking about the places I'd like to explore beyond the Mississippi delta. San Francisco is still just a dream to me. I want to visit Rachel and see her new home through her eyes. I was so proud of her when she left the East Coast for the West Coast... so it would mean a lot to get to know what her life is life out there. I want to explore and learn, take in new sights. The West Coast is this unexplored territory to me. I'm so confined to the land East of the Mississippi that I think I need to piece my way around the West.

By no means am I considering a move, but I've healed just enough to be ready for new spaces, new ideas. I'm not just coping anymore which is a wonderful feeling. Spring's around the corner, I'm cooking new meals for friends, thinking more about theater, clearing the cobwebs. Beginning to think about how to reconnect with old friends. Looking forward to making new ones. Nerb introduced me to a wonderful new band, The Weepies. I've been listening to their music on their website and enjoying the hope and sweetness in their music. Deb Talan's voice is reminiscent of Sam Phillips and Steve Tannen sounds like a young Paul Simon. The words curl up and take root in my heart, giving a little pulse of extra life to my day.

At heart, I have been living inside my flooded out house for the past two years and I'm ready to get out. I'm ready to write about NOLA, pre and post Katrina, but I'm also ready to let go just a little bit. It hurts me to say that, but what with everything that's been happening to me and my friends and family, we all need to put those feelings on the shelf for a while. We've all been trying to balance these New York lives and careers with one foot soggy in Lake Ponchartrain and the other hopping onto the Q train crossing Manhattan Bridge. It's been a tough high wire act. Nothing like what the brave people in NOLA and all over the Gulf Coast have been experiencing, but for a pack of natives who lost everything and then some, it's been one heartbreak after the next. No comparison's necessary. I raise a glass to all of us.

Last week, I finally gave up and got a new cell phone, a new cell plan. After having the same plan for almost four years, my first cell phone, it was so hard to break away. Silly, huh? And it hit me that it really shouldn't be this hard. It's just a phone. Not every little thing has to mean everything, imbued with meaning of connection. Another day, another bump in the road. I can do this. I've learned so much and I'm my parent's daughter, my friend's confidant, reckless companion or grounded voice of reason all at once. My boyfriend's girlfriend, my brother's sister, a child of the Sacred Heart, a former ballerina, a Mawrtyr, an extreme bicyclist, a baby born in Baptist hospital, a Katrina survivor, a product of publishing, a writer, a correspondent, an admirer, a passionate advocate, a girl lost in the crowd, the one who won't be left behind.

I'm all these things, but most of all, I want to be the one rolling the dice. It's time to carve out a new path. The next year and a half will pass by like the blink of an eye and I'll welcome my thirties. It's time to take more in stride. It's time to hold everything close to my heart with the other hand out the window catching the wind and taking note of the changes in temperature and temperament. It's time for something new. I'm looking for a more complex sort of joy.

thoughts about the timeliness of narratives

2007-02-25T00:33:00.000-05:00

In Philadelphia, I used to go to movies by myself all the time. Here in NYC, it's the opposite situation. Today, for example, I went to the movies with 7 friends. And this is without five or six other people who would have readily come if they weren't otherwise engaged. It was funny to be in the Angelika, running around in the theater before the show began, saying hello to everybody.

Oh and the movie we saw, the movie eight people wanted to see? "The Lives of Others," an incredibly depressing, but moving German film that clocks in at over two hours. I cried throughout the end of the film. I was so engaged. John reminded me of the time I sobbed through "Far from Heaven" with him back at Dartmouth. Unlike "Far from Heaven," "The Lives of Others" is not a melodrama. Far from it, its bleak reality leaves you craving color and light. In a sense, what you get is a taste of live in East Germany. And it isn't a place for which many people feel any sense of nostalgia. With reason.

Everyone should go see this movie. I think it's easy to say this will be the first of many German reunification stories (in film and literature) that will be making their way to the United States in the coming year or so. The excellence of this film and the soon-to-be-published lit also lead me to wonder if Americans could have been so wise as to hold off on post 9/11 fictional narratives. Or I could say that it gives us hope for sensitive, evocative and thoughtful narratives down the line. Here's hoping that the same is true of post-Katrina narratives.

candles

2007-02-21T21:12:00.000-05:00

Tonight I just felt like lighting candles. I stayed at work past 7:30, just trying to get things done. Something that feels just about impossible. I'm beginning to remember what Bryn Mawr felt like which is not the "happy fun traditions and late night chats" side, but the "French papers and labs and wait, how many books am I supposed to read this week" jazz? Yeah, life is not one big tea party complete with Wyndham cookies.

Candles are lit for better times to come, to give pause and think about those we have lost and those we know who are suffering. It's been a huge post-post moment lately and the lousy weather is no help. Still there's much to look forward to and there are larger goals to chance than surviving the Trader Joe's check out line, getting a seat on the subway, getting enough sleep, finishing every single task I set out to do. We're all still here, doing the best we can even if we're all pale and a bit mopey. We're all still here.

HAPPY MARDI GRAS

2007-02-20T19:48:00.000-05:00

My phone works! Long story short: my phone works again.

Huzzah!

cross your fingers

2007-02-19T17:48:00.000-05:00

My phone took a swan dive into a cup of water last night. I have a spare phone which is currently charging. Please keep your fingers crossed that my SIM card has survived the deluge and that this spare phone is indeed compatible with my AT&T wireless plan in which I have been happily grandfathered for about three and a half years.

Meanwhile, I'm in Brooklyn, enjoying the coziness of my home. One roommate is writing in his room, another is painting the kitchen cabinets green. I have candles lit and am listening to Cat Power: "The Greatest." I did one load of laundry on Saturday afternoon and brought it all home to dry instead of using a drier. Now everything is dry and I'm putting it all away. Everything looks so nice and crisp.

Hopefully, my phone will be up and running sometime this week. I don't want to bet too much on an easy solution (when was the last time that happened?) so if you're someone who believes him/herself to be in my phone, shoot me an email with your phone number and forgive me if you are waiting for me to return your call. Happy Mardi Gras, everyone!

The Long weekend

2007-02-18T23:06:00.000-05:00

I get President's Day, I mean, Lundi Gras off! Too bad I don't get Mardi Gras off as well.

All I know is that I really needed this weekend. This past week included a tornado, a friend with a damaged house, a friend whose house was all but demolished, seeing that friend's mother on CNN, that friend involved in the great 2/14 JetBlue/JFK fiasco, Valentine's day, countless cups of coffee, fried fish, a lot of Mexican food, braised cabbage, plenty of chocolate in a heart-shaped box, two trips to the Met museum, new luggage (!), and a whole lot of other stuff.

Tomorrow I intend to watch "Ellen" because I can. February can be a cruel month, but it's Carnival Time.

Keep talking, keep singing

2007-02-12T13:32:00.000-05:00

Lolis Eric Elie in the WaPo on Carnival and the state of NOLA.

Meanwhile, congrats to Irma Thomas on her grammy win! I've been listening to wwoz.org all morning at work and they've been playing Carnival classics, Irma tunes and more. Feel like I'm home.

It takes a Mawrtyr

2007-02-12T00:35:00.000-05:00

Evidently, it takes a Mawrtyr to run Harvard. Welcome to the 20th century, kids! (M. Carey Thomas became Bryn Mawr's first female president in 1894, just 9 years after the college was founded) Drew Faust (class of '68) is currently the Dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. The NYT tries to insinuate that she would have attended Princeton had they accepted women. Read her 2001 Bryn Mawr commencement speech and see if she's crying because she never got to be a Tiger.

I'll accept that they made the statement in order to so subtly wink at the fact that she may have been denied access to the Ivy League and yet ended up Harvard's first female president. She's also the first Harvard president since 1672 (that's right) who does not have a Harvard degree (undergrad or graduate). I have a feeling that if she wanted to, my friend KT could be the next female president of Harvard. The second from Bryn Mawr... and she's getting that doctorate in archaeology any day now from that school in Cambridge. Ya heard of it?

plenty of yellow for the winter blues

2007-02-06T23:12:00.000-05:00

These are my two new pieces of art. I got them on 7th avenue in Brooklyn from a sweet artist named Ron. He keeps his pieces in an old, strong, shell-like suitcase. I appreciate the care he takes and I love the NYC images he captures. I have a strong feeling these won't be my last pieces from him. I was also lucky enough to receive an Athena Waligore original print this weekend. I am very excited about this. I will take photos later. I think I'm going to mat and frame that piece and its companion. I want to preserve them for the ages. More to come.

The brutal cold of New York City keeps me from writing more, these days. People should be impressed I'm just making it to work. My new year's resolution of making coffee before work has helped me through these bitter winter conditions. Frankly, at the moment, I'm just happy to be home in Brooklyn. I need to find my hand lotion. My hands are so chapped from the cold that washing one's hands leaves them rather dry. I should leave a bowl of water on the floor tonight for some moisture. It's bone dry and cold. Weather in the single digits is for the birds.

Here's an interesting shot of my new yellow scarf.
It's a waffle stitch pattern and the bottoms of the scarf are simply ribbed. I have so many pending projects, I don't know where to begin discussing them. But in other knitting news, I have roped my friend P into work stitch n bitch and am teaching her how to knit. I love sharing this craft with others. I barely knitted this weekend with Book Stud. I was too busy cooking, vaguely watching the Super Bowl (mostly booing the Bears and cheering the Colts), and hanging out with my friends in what was a rather impromptu party. Perhaps I'll get my knitting game on this week. I have a ton of reading to do, but there's always time for a little stitching. Hey, it's whatever gets you through the winter.

Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She?

2007-01-31T23:49:00.000-05:00

First Ann Richards, and now Molly Ivins. It took me by surprise to see that she'd died. And so young. And from breast cancer. I hope that the 2008 is so spectacular that God decides to send her down to earth as a special correspondant. She will be missed.

(And I never knew she was a fellow seven sister grad!?)

green tea and almonds

2007-01-24T18:49:00.000-05:00

All afternoon, I munched on raw almonds and drank cup after cup of green tea from my petite Bryn Mawr college class of 2000 mug. It's a rather dainty mug as cups go and the school crest and all of the lettering is sky blue. It's a perfect mug for the eccentric tea/coffee machine happily tucked away in our floor's tea pantry. My constant musical companion of the past two days has been Regina Spektor. Her songs "Field Below," "Samson," and "Hotel Suite" are gems I'm happy to brand into my mind during these slate cold January days.

Somehow, these minor things established a nice little rhythm that helped me get through the afternoon. I'm home now and I'm not exhausted. Usually I come home and need to decompress. Today it's different. I want to keep working, thinking about work. It's easy. It feels like a natural gesture. I'm going to cook a light supper and get back into my work. Light some candles, make some more tea. Try to get to sleep early. I'm no fan of winter (wan skin, short days, chapped hands, stuffy subways), but I do appreciate the fact that it forces me out of my social ways and into a homebody's existence.

Colts, we'll help you cook the bear gumbo

2007-01-21T22:59:00.000-05:00

Here's a shot after Reggie Bush's phenomenal, graceful touchtown.

Here's Gifford reacting to the total bullshit calls that the refs continually made throughout the course of the game. I wanna know the names of the people who paid off the refs on behalf of the Bears. I'm going to remember this. I would be okay with a clear victory, but one paved by the refs? No way. It wasn't the field. It wasn't the weather. It wasn't the talent. It was the refs that made the game. I'm no sore loser. This was a joke.

But you know what?

In the end, a good time was had by all. Eight native New Orleanians were able to meet up with five NOLA allies, hoot and holler with likeminded folk, and sing the songs we've known all our lives.

"Who dat say they gonna beat them Saints?
Who dat? Who dat?"

With a lousy sinus infection, I couldn't partake of the Abita beer on hand, but I did eat some Zapps chips. There was chili, tabouli, lots of chips and salsa, and amazing lemon icebox pie.

I had Robutussin DM and antibiotics. I've spent the weekend in bed so that I could be well enough to watch the game.

But hey, there's always next year. Maybe this time in the Superdome for the NFC championship. NOLA has a lot of great memories and we will have many more. Bless you boys! We believe. Thank you 2006-2007 Saints for giving us something to hope for during this miserable period of NOLA history and thank you for showing us that Cinderella stories sometimes do come true.

GEAUX SAINTS

2007-01-20T22:47:00.000-05:00

There is nothing more that needs to be said.

I'm anticipating that bear gumbo will be as tasty as dirty bird gumbo.

not just a holiday

2007-01-15T11:33:00.000-05:00

(Frenchman Street, Faubourg Marigny, New Orleans, December 2005)

I salvaged two books from my house in New Orleans. An out of print YA book called Midnight Hour Encores: Bruce Brooks that I couldn't bare to let go of. I'd read it as a comfort book in college, having read it countless times in New Orleans as I grew up. The other book was Margaret Fuller's Woman in the Nineteenth Century which I studied in one of my favorite classes in college. I would show up with my PJ's coffee mug full of coffee, stressed and tired, sitting next to my prof in a class of eight students, missing Paris, and sure of just one thing: when I graduated, the first thing I would do would be to move back home.

To New Orleans.

The was nothing I wanted more. I just wanted to be home.

Margaret Fuller kept me company and challenged me. I should have been an English major.

But really it was the context of everything that consumed me. And so being a History major still feels like the best fit.

Sitting in my new closet, miles and miles away from the place where I once wore rubber boots, a gas mask and gloves, I was reacquainted with these two old friends. A long stint in Ziploc bags in my parents's freezer had killed the mold and the smell. Water hadn't reached them, miraculously. Somehow they were high enough on the bookshelves in the living room. Why they were there was anyone's guess. Every book in my bedroom was destroyed. The bookshelves fell apart and spilled all my precious favorite books, journals, letters, photos into the messy stew of toxic water in my room.

A few things managed to float in sealed plastic boxes. A couple smelly photos that also managed to lose their smell after months upon months in a box with baking soda. I saved three. A photo from Senior year of high school, a mess of us at Mona's on Bank Street. A photo from my 18th birthday party. A photo of me and my friend Naomi in my Merion slit during sophomore year of college.

But when I opened Margaret Fuller, a photo fell out like a leaf. It was a photo from my twentieth birthday dinner. Two very old friends and myself. Smiles, beautiful faces. And at the top of the photo, prisms that hung from the light fixture in the living room.

It felt like a gift. Something given back. Something to remind me that there's always some kind of a return. I don't have much left from my post-Katrina life, save the memories. I've had to let go of so much without so much as a goodbye. And I'm one of the very lucky ones. People like Joe Lieberman think there's no reason to press an investigation of the White House's shameful lack of response to the broken levees in New Orleans. It's time for a change. Today on MLK jr day, I hope people recognize the injustice in this country and do their part to keep the conversation alive, to never adopt an apathetic position, to speak out when there's occasion to do so. To just be gentle with one another. To listen. To act. No matter how small an action, it's worth the time.

In some ways, it feels like the year really begins now with this day. It's a celebration of hope, of faith. We are capable of so much empathy and joy. Let's spend today looking outside ourselves and learning more about others. I'm thinking about my fellow Louisianians, my fellow Gulf Coast residents. I think about all of the people who live in a city where Sean Peyton offers the only shred of leadership they've seen in years. I think of my aching hometown and the tears just fill my eyes. I am trying to find a way to serve New Orleans. The cheering and screaming on Saturday night was so cathartic and imbued with meaning. We celebrated the triumph of spirit above the Road Home, FEMA, the federal government, the Army Corps of Engineers, the carpetbaggers. New Orleans will rise again. We remember, we believe, we shall overcome.

Bless You Boys

2007-01-14T01:37:00.000-05:00

What a night. WHAT A NIGHT!

I need to write more later, but for the first time in their 40 year history, the New Orleans Saints have advanced to the NFC championship. I can't put into words what this means for the city of New Orleans, but I'm looking forward to Chris Rose trying to force Philadelphia to make good on his bet that should the Saints win, Philadelphia gets C. Ray Nagin.

I can say this much: I feel sorry for my neighbors. We NOLA natives screamed at every play. And my hoarse voice was worth it.

GEAUX SAINTS!

being a bag lady is not good for long-term back health

2007-01-13T01:18:00.000-05:00

I came home from work tonight with a bag of yarn and a half-knitted scarf, two New Yorkers, an O magazine, a New York Review of Books, six books, two travel coffee mugs, several lip glosses, a change of clothing, ipod, cell phone, wallet, keys, and another oddball knitting project. I didn't let myself bring home more books, more stuff.

And I wonder why I am a glutton for back massages?

something heartening, something upsetting

2007-01-10T17:52:00.000-05:00

Good NOLA related reading from the New York Times.

resolutions

2007-01-07T23:55:00.000-05:00

I've been back in Brooklyn for a week and so far, so good. I have been cooking up a storm. I made a massive pot of veggie chili last weekend and I made a big batch of baby lima bean soup (thanks to the Camelia Beans from NOLA) so there's plenty food in the freezer. One of my new year's resolutions is to make sure there is always a meal in the freezer, ready for me to reheat and eat. That way I don't have to resort to take out when I get home late, cranky, tired and hungry. I also never really did much in the way of keeping a pantry, but with a new roommate and a fresh start, I'm going to work on this. I'd like to be sure I have more than dried beans, water, and wine to offer friends when they come over to visit.

Another new year's resolution is to try to make my own coffee. I had the grinder and my brother had given me a Melitta one-cup coffee filter (goodbye clunky coffee maker!!) so I got some beans from Gorilla Coffee on New Year's Day and now I'm good to go. I'm enjoying the process of making coffee; smelling the brewing process, taking pleasure in making it for myself and taking the time to do so. I have my PJ's coffee travel mug for traveling on the MTA.

I need to finally sign up for a yoga class at work. And I need to try to stretch and exercise a smidge at home. That's why I have dvds: so that I can exercise and watch them as I do sit ups and leg lifts. I would like to start running at some point in the next two years and I need to get limber. My problem with running has always been that I either get a stitch in my stomach or some kind of cramp in my shoulder. Not only would stretching more be beneficial to my running career, but it would also work out the stress I keep in particular parts of my body.

I'm also going to try to read more books than I did last year. I try to beat myself every year at this. Last year I read 66, just scraping by 2005's 65 books. I had hoped to read 75 at least, but that didn't happen. Maybe if I didn't read the NYT, nola.com, the New Yorker or the New York Review of Books... and blogs. And I'm not giving up knitting. Also, I've been trying to write more in my notebook on the way home, rather than just read. Either way, I would like to try to read something by Faulkner this year, reread all of Alice Munro and discover new favorites. Also, it may be time to reread Middlemarch. We'll see.

JetBlue is my New Year's Eve destination party

2006-12-31T13:40:00.000-05:00

I have taken a break from blogging and life has been one long, pleasant day of spending time with my immediate family. We've been cooking incredible meals (all four of us pitching in), laughing and telling stories, staying up late having great chats, sitting by the fireplace (a family first... we've never before had one), drinking wine, drinking coffee, going to Wilmington for tasty grilled fish sandwiches, walking along the river, walking on the gorgeous beach nearby on the Atlantic Ocean, picking up shells and stones, having ice cream sodas at the local soda shop in Pittsboro, checking out the local arts shops and thrift stores, wandering around UNC at Chapel Hill. I got a great haircut at the Aveda Institute on the main drag in Chapel Hill from this sweet young woman who lives with her sister -- a junior at UNC -- and two brother kittens. She sang along to the radio as she cut my hair. We even attended a John Edwards rally. My mom has discovered a love of sushi. We're all having a great time even if I never got to see a deer in the neighborhood.

Right now, I'm writing thank you notes, writing up an interview I had with a prospective Bryn Mawr student, finishing up knitting projects and playing an intricate game of "How Can I Bring All of This Back to NYC?" I'm heading back this evening to Brooklyn and I'm sad to say goodbye to my family, especially since my brother is staying until the second week of January. Yet, I have so much to look forward to this coming week. Tomorrow, I'm going to a party in the neighborhood then dinner w/ RJK et al. Tuesday, Sprout is moving into the apartment and I am making dinner for her, her parents, RiRi and whoever happens to be in the apartment. Wednesday, I'm going to a play at MTC with the Swan. Thursday and Friday, I have no immediate plans, but I am sure Sprout and I will be cleaning and reorganizing the apartment. I'm sure there will be a trip or two to Target. Saturday, we are celebrating epiphany and RJK's birthday. I have to make time for sleeping and writing. Oh, and returning to work. That too.

I should get back to packing, but I hope everyone has a safe and fun New Year's Eve. Let's hope 2007 is a hurricane-free year and certainly full of more joy and more prosperity than 2006. I hope it's another year of good health and happiness. Best wishes to everyone.

this just in

2006-12-23T21:14:00.000-05:00

and now we have wireless?!?

life changes fast.

the new house is already becoming rather lived in. books on the shelves, photos in frames, a stack of newspapers for recycling, soap in every bathroom, a mantle lined completely with Christmas cards, neighbors stopping by to chat, bird watching in the backyard.

I miss my friends, but I must admit that a holiday spent entirely at home with my family is pretty nice. The quiet is just what we all needed.

new home

2006-12-22T19:22:00.000-05:00

there is so much to say about the new home and i don't know where to begin.

for the first time since June '05, a visit home means I get to sleep in a room by myself instead of sleeping in a 320 sq ft room (which mind you includes the bathroom + kitchen) with my parents and brother.

(admittedly, i'm not used to this anymore and i need a nightlight. yes, i'm more scared of being in the dark in North Carolina than in Brooklyn)

the kitchen is great. for the first time, we have an ice/water dispenser in the fridge door.

also, for the first time we have high speed internet instead of dial up. I'm still reveling in this.

i haven't seen any deer yet, but supposedly they frequent the neighborhood.

instead of nightly reports on katrina, we hear about the duke lacrosse players 24/7.

i miss The Times-Picayune and frankly the local papers kinda suck so my dad is getting the NYT every day.

Eastern time zone is cramping my whole "early to bed" habit when it comes to "going home." This is because Letterman (a family tradition) comes on an hour later out here. Lots of groggy faces in the AM.

I've finished two books since coming here and my dear work colleague sent me my New Yorker which arrived today so I guess I'll work on that.

No Christmas tree, but we have each other and that's enough. Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. Thank yous to everyone who has sent cards, written emails, etc. I have been a lousy correspondant over the past year and I hope that changes in 2007. Here's hoping.

Spirit of the Season

2006-12-18T21:46:00.000-05:00

I'm in North Carolina, celebrating the holidays with my family in our new house so I don't get to go through my nightly ritual of the ten pm news on WWL, eagerly awaiting that night's Benny Grunch carol. This was all I could find from a cursory search on You Tube. Please prove me wrong and someone find the actual videos. Oddly enough, I heard this song on the radio from the airport today and can't not think about driving around New Orleans while listening to this song. We have a lot to be thankful for, but there's still so much that needs to be done in New Orleans. We should never forget. This particular montage is incredibly moving and has photographs I've never before seen.

Things to look forward to

2006-12-11T01:00:00.000-05:00

In 2007, I'm looking forward to visiting New Haven in order to see a play, see my brother, see friends, and see this newly renovated Louis Kahn museum (photo from the New York Times)

I also want to go to San Francisco and see my friends there and if possible make my way up to Portland, Oregon to see my friend Emily. I feel like the West Coast is this place of possibility that I have never really explored. It's about time I do so.

My apartment is almost ridiculously clean. I am really excited about Sprout coming and it makes me want to keep it up even better than I usually do. The trash and recycling is out, the dishes are all in their place in the cabinets, floors are swept and surfaces nicely scrubbed down.

I have plenty of knitting to do and stacks upon stacks of books and magazines to read. I'll be in North Carolina soon, helping choose furniture, beds, dishes: you name it. New beginnings all over. I want to start tomorrow. I spent the weekend with a slew of best girl friends. Either in person or on the phone, that connection was crucial. It had been a hard week (nothing like leaving the office at 8 on Friday with no overtime) and I was ready to just have some time to myself. On my own and with the ladies. I also saw two old friends from graduate school who have been busy with writing. I need to get back to that as well. I want something to share over a pot of tea at Tea Lounge. I'm gaining momentum, trying to find a stride, and letting the world make sense of itself for a change.

hope

2006-12-04T23:15:00.000-05:00

I read about this earlier today and was just crushed reading about it. I can't believe that after all this time, the mother and two daughters have been found alive. It really gives you faith in something larger than our frailty. I really hope that it won't be long until the father is found.

Forget rebuilding the gulf coast...

2006-12-04T18:04:00.000-05:00

...let's create lunar colonies!

What's next, dare I ask?

On the homefront

2006-11-26T17:10:00.000-05:00

Sprout is moving in! I need to change the blogroll to reflect this. Hope everyone is enjoying the Thanksgiving weekend. More when I return to NYC.

all good things

2006-11-15T00:54:00.000-05:00

in one week i'll be back in NOLA. so much to do between now and then. so much to do while i am there.

by the way, "gilmore girls" tonight?!

also, can i take a moment and just say that me and my tuesday night dinner party crowd would make much better post-GG chatter than the "aerie tuesday" crowd. don't ask if you don't get it. really, it's embarassing that we know. bare with me, i'm exceedingly happy.

and in other news, i have ridiculously low triglyceride levels. is this a good thing?

tomorrow i will have drinks with friends under the auspices of "work." yes, we do all work in the same industry and yes we will be networking at the time warner center in what could very well become a bar crawl given our tendencies to chat. we'll have fun. then i'll go out for a date with T. still dating after all these years.

a friend of a friend has given me the entire collection of Marilyn Hacker's poetry. I lost all my signed editions in the storm and this kind friend requested all the books for me from his friend who works at Norton. i wrote an effusive thank you note today. I am just so pleased, I can't even begin to explain it. It's amazing the kindness of strangers.

Further thoughts

2006-11-08T22:22:00.000-05:00

I like the way Joe Scarborough keeps saying that Webb was a Reagan Republican. I'm sure he's saying it in order to rub in our faces that the Democrats have a former Republican to thank.

But in that same vein, I say it's nice to see Republicans come around to a better way of thinking. We'll forgive those inchoate political leanings.

breaking news again

2006-11-08T21:58:00.000-05:00

NBC is reporting Webb as the winner in Virginia so it looks like we have a Democratic Senate!

breaking news

2006-11-08T13:07:00.000-05:00

RUMSFELD IS STEPPING DOWN!

let it rain

2006-11-08T11:22:00.000-05:00

I don't even care about the rain. Good news all around. Democratic House, potentially Democratic Senate, and Britney is divorcing K-Fed. Maybe this means we'll see less of him. Britney, we await your comeback and the fabulous anti-Kevin dance mixes. Nancy Pelosi, no dance mash-ups, please, but do step it up.

Tonight = pizza + MSNBC

Lately

2006-11-07T23:17:00.000-05:00

Losing Louie

Annie Leibovitz

The American Pilot

Cookshop