Honestly....

So, for the last 6 years I have watched the Dallas Mavericks enter into the NBA playoffs... to lose. At what point does a fan lose faith in their team? Normally, I would blame a young team, or poor coaching..but seriously, enough is enough. Why can't Dirk clutch a title? It is so sad to watch such a talented player fall in the playoffs. Not to mention he isn't getting any younger...
UGH - maybe next year is our year. Until then, I SUPPOSE I will cheer for the Rockets.

the morning after. in the words of ben johnson.

Morning Everyone.

As I strolled [stumbled] through the Lower East Side in Turk’s gorgeous [terrifying] hood late last night, I realized what a lovely time I had at HH. I Wanted to thank you all for the good drinks and good company (how awesome is T.G. Whitney’s?) and say that I hope that you enjoyed yourselves as much as I did.

This morning, as I smiled at the homeless man making eyes at me on the subway, I realized that last nights conversation was a true HH anomaly, in the notion that we somehow started off sober and engaged in a completely crass and offensive dialogue [ointment… gag] and then actually got more intellectual and less offensive as the drinks poured forth. I think that’s a true rarity and only found amongst the random few crowds worth talking to. Crass is easy… locking it up tends to be the hard part [i.e. Saturday, for those who happened to be by the Honda in Citi parking lot A10, at about noon].

So, with that HH oddity in mind, I wanted to follow up on one point [no, not bottom nude, but that has a truly special place in my heart as well]. Instead, we briefly touched on the idea of our careers, whatever that word means I’m still unsure... while we all noted that we might not be living our dreams (grand ambitions lend themselves to crippling self evaluations) I think we should really enjoy the fact that we don’t know what comes next. I realize it might not be the most comfortable way to go through life, but since when was comfortable ever a story worth telling? These unclear ambitions may bring us a feeling of perpetual ennui, but the reality is, we are not in this position because we don’t have the skills or personalities to do something spectacular. As a matter of fact, it’s the exact opposite. We simply have too many unique skills and we are unsure which to pursue… what a spectacular problem to have.

Anyway, I realize this note is a bit tangential (at best) for a Wednesday morning, but I feel like I was trying to make that point last night and never really nailed it. I hope your days are off to a wonderful start, and if they aren’t, just remember these words of wisdom… “Somewhere, right now, there is a man bottom nude.” And if that’s not funny, I just don’t know what is…

Club sandwiches, not seals.
BTJ

the look of the Oscars.

So, clearly anyone who knows me knows that I love movies. Like, a lot. How some people feel about music -"wow, that song really moves me...." is how I feel about the film industry. I like pretty much all genres, and can be perfectly content staying in some nights enthralled in a great movie.

Needless to say, i LOVE watching the Oscars. Not only for the tribute to some of the greatest actors and directors in the industry, but also of course to see what everyone is wearing. I watched the entire red carpet show and have to say, that Taraji P. Henson won my vote for best dressed this year. I think she looked absolutely stunning, and rocked that dress.

It's nice to see that some people still respect the formal wear and timelessness of the evening. (Nothing makes me angrier than actors arriving in jeans /hats/ tennis shoes to these events!) And even though she didn't take home an Oscar, she looked fabulous!

Another mention must be made of my FAVORITE movie of the year - Slumdog Millionaire. If you have not seen this film, see to it immediately. It is so refreshing and moving - you will leave the theatre feeling like a different person!

2 new places to try.

Vintage Irving: 120 E 15th St New York, NY 10003

I had the delight of visiting this hidden gem with Tanya for a tapas night. The food was excellent, as was the wine. Surprisingly not crowded, and they played the best old music. A very cute, enjoyable restaurant with great, moderately priced food. OH, and they have a great brunch deal- make an online reservation and receive 20% off your entire order. Plus they have $2 mimosas and bloody Marys. That's a deal you can't beat.

VERO Wine Bar: 1004 2nd Ave at E. 53rd Street.

So my co-workers and I decided to take a lovely well-deserved long lunch and ventured to VERO wine bar. We have been here before, and specifically returned for the "Cookie Monster" dessert. For all those with a sweet tooth, this is a must-buy. A delicious warm cookie topped with ice cream, whipped cream and fresh berries. So good. They also have a pretty decent price-fixe lunch, wine included of course.

Check out the menu here: http://veronyc.com/midtown/pdf/menu-midtown.pdf

Austin in 48 hours.

So this weekend I had a mini-vacay and jetted down to Austin to spend it with Vanessa for her 24th birthday! We have gone pretty much every year (since I have known her..going on 16 yrs.) together for each other's birthdays, and I wasn't about to break the tradition now. Ann-Maree and Sara were nice enough to drive down and participate in the festivities as well. Such a good time. When I landed it was 75 degrees and sunny - exactly what I needed in this frigid New York winter. We proceeded to drink too many beers and go country dancing at Midnight Rodeo...yes, I said it. I am NOT one for dance halls, but of course had a wonderful time catching up with all of my friends. It was really great to see everyone and take in some southern hospitality at the same time.

Saturday night we had dinner at Vivo's downtown ( I recommend it highly) and then headed downtown to barhop and celebrate. Which of course we did in excess. Sunday morning was followed by hamburgers and fried mushrooms and a little bit of relaxing.

A very quick trip - but one that was needed and well worth it. Good friends and good times.

Until we meet again Tejas..

how much is too much?

I can honestly say I spend about 2/3 of my day at or on my computer in some form. I am not proud of this by any means. I would love a job that would allow me to float freely, untied from the depths of my cubicle. However, in the communications field, the computer wins. always. I started this blog a way to vent, praise, complain, rejoice about anything and everything that came in through my mind non-work related. So why is this - while I am spend so much of my time online - keeping a consistent blog has been so trying?

Trying to delve into the social media world, I am pretty open to new things. Facebook, myspace, linked-in , twitter, G-mail, flickr....when will it end? I understand that being knowledgeable in the field of new media is a budding trait, especially to the older generation of online beginners, but the online world is taking over my life! I am not sure if I should complain, or just accept it, embrace the fact, and move on. I will give it my best to keep up - but for all you techies out there - stop creating hundreds of these sites! Let me perfect the ones I have already established..

Trying to keep up -

Caution: January Blues.

It's that time of year. The lights are down, the Rockefeller tree is long gone. The holiday season is officially over. I, for one, am glad the waters have calmed, yet there is still something looming about the month of January that I just can't shake. Maybe it's the 25 degree weather that sends a chill down my spine every morning. Maybe it's the surprisingly slow work load. Whatever the reason, I refuse to let the January blues get the best of me!

While there are few activities to do outside during the next few months - I hope the creativity of my friends will continue to surprise me. Take for instance, an invite I received for Saturday night - a " Saved by the Bell" themed party. Now that is thinking outside the box. The whole apartment had magically turned into 'The Max.' I saw magically, because I grew up watching the show, and have probably seen every episode AT LEAST 5 times. Costumes were worn and cocktails were had. Yes, there was even a drunken patron in a Bayside Tigers costume. Now that is what I call beating the January blues. So get creative and refuse to let the winter months put a lull on your social calendar.

Only 3 more months until Spring.