8.27.2011

Naturally disastrous.

I've had a lot of people ask me about the earthquake and Hurricane Irene, so I thought I'd go through some details now.

Yes, I was home on Tuesday and yes, I felt the earthquake. JP and I were sitting on the couch and I snapped at him to please stop jiggling his foot because it was making the whole couch shake. He pointed out that he wasn't moving at all. That's when we noticed the liquid in our drinks sloshing, the blinds swaying, and our tall floor fan was wobbling back and forth. Because an earthquake was the furthest thing from my mind, I automatically assumed it had something to do with the fact that DirecTV had been drilling into our building that morning. But since JP is smart, he immediately said, no I think that might have been an earthquake. Yeah, he's the smart one in this relationship.

So now everyone is in a tizzy about Hurricane Irene. Lots of people have asked me if we're evacuating and/or what are we doing to prepare. The answer is no, we're not evacuating. We live in the middle of Queens, and according to the maps that show all the different zones (Zone A being the most at risk for flooding and other damage), we're not actually listed in any of the zones. So we have plenty of water, our stove is gas so we should be able to cook soup, etc., and if the wind ends up looking like it could shatter windows, we can hunker down in our windowless kitchen and hallway. We have flashlights and candles. Also, we'll fill our tub with water, so we'll be able to flush no matter what.

I personally don't think it's gonna be quite as bad as everyone here is thinking. I started following @NYCMayorsOffice on Twitter and I swear its sole purpose is to freak everyone out. For example, this was a picture they posted this morning and I'm posting it with the original tweet that accompanied it.
These are the kinds of boats used in Katrina. You don't want to end up in one. If you need to evacuate, do so now.


Also, the MTA has shut down all the subways and buses as of noon today. So now we just wait. Looking out the window, it's definitely getting darker and the sky is getting grayer. I'm very curious to see how it's all gonna go down. I'll try to keep everyone updated via Facebook.

Love you all - don't worry about us!

8.23.2011

Pink is still my favorite color.

Last Wednesday I asked a doctor at work to take a look at my eye. My left eye had been sore since the night before and I wanted to make sure it wasn't a chalazion (a bump that forms on your eyelid, as a result of clogged oil glands). Here's how the conversation went:

Doc: Hmm...yeah...that's conjunctivitis [pink eye].
Me: What?! Really?
Doc: Yep. And it's in both eyes. Your right eye hasn't been bothering you?
Me: No! Not at all. So...I guess this means I need to go home, right?
Doc: Uh...yeah. You need to go home for a week.

Conjunctivitis is extremely contagious, and since I work in an eye care facility, they take extreme precautions. So, I got to stay at home for a week. It's actually been pretty great spending time with JP. Lots of time spent on Tumblr, watching Law & Order: SVU and NCIS, and watching some movies here and there. Good times. But back to work tomorrow.

8.17.2011

The Blanks at Highline Ballroom

My most recent escapade in NYC involved seeing a band called The Blanks. Have you ever watched the show Scrubs? Remember Ted's a cappella band? They are a real band and they've existed since before Scrubs. Oh yeah, and also, they're amazing.
Me with Sam Lloyd (Ted, from Scrubs)

The concert was at Highline Ballroom. If you're ever in NYC (or you live in NYC and enjoy going to events here) you should definitely try to attend something at this venue. There are two levels, the bottom level easily converted to a dance floor. But for this night, there were tables set up downstairs, just like upstairs. We were in close quarters with other tables (and in some instances, strangers were seated together), but it somehow still felt intimate.

JP and me with The Blanks
The menu definitely has some pricey items, but luckily they also have some cheaper stuff to choose from. We went with a bunch of "small bites," small portions of food for $5 apiece. Two chicken tacos, a cheese plate, coconut shrimp, and spring rolls. And all DELICIOUS.  Beware though...if you want water, specify you don't want it in a bottle. And if you order a Coke, refills are not free. There IS a full bar though.



And now I leave with a video. It's The Blanks singing Superman, by Lazlo Bane, theme from Scrubs. For more videos from the concert, visit my YouTube channel.



8.13.2011

Top 6 favorite movies.

We all have different things we do for ourselves when we're down. I have a few different things I like to turn to...bubble baths, wine, puzzles...but my favorite thing to do is watch a movie.

But not just any movie. I have a handful of movies that I choose from and they are ranked.

6. The Chipmunk Adventure. Growing up, we had this movie on VHS and we watched it all the time.
Favorite Scene/Song: The Girls and Boys of Rock and Roll
Favorite Line: Brittany: I don't care how important he is, how powerful he is, how rich he is... by the way, how rich is he?

5. The Llama Movie (actually known as The Emperor's New Groove). I saw this movie in the theatre with a good friend of mine and it was love at first sight.
Favorite Scene/Song: When Kronk bursts into Yzma's tent and is startled by her mud mask. Close second: When Kronk goes to dispose of Kuzco and has his own theme music.
Favorite Line: Kronk's Shoulder Devil: Reason number two. Look what I can do. Ha-ha, ha!
[does one-armed handstand]
Kronk: But what does that have to do with anything?
Kronk's Shoulder Angel: No, no. He's got a point.

4. Cats Don't Dance. I mean, come one. It's a bunch of animals singing and dancing. Win.
Favorite Scene/Song: Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now. Close second: Big and Loud
Favorite Line: Danny: If we all work together, we can make our dreams come true. Let's show the world what we can do.

3. Annie. Another childhood favorite. I went through a time of watching it every single day. I knew every word and every dance move.
Favorite Scene/Song: Little Girls. Close second: We Got Annie. Close third: Easy Street.
Favorite Line: Lily: I beg your pardon, I'm sure, but I don't stoop to what you're incineratin'.

2. Cinderella Favorite Disney princess. The end.
Favorite Scene/Song: So This is Love
Favorite Line: Cinderella: [to the clock tower chiming] Oh, that clock! Old killjoy. I hear you. "Come on, get up," you say, "Time to start another day." Even he orders me around. Well, there's one thing. They can't order me to stop dreaming.

1. The Holiday At age 21, I did not think any movie could usurp Cinderella for my favorite movie after a lifetime of Cinderella holding first place. Then came The Holiday.
Favorite Scene/Song: When Amanda joins Graham and his girls in their tent. Close second: When Miles joins Iris' Hanukkah party. Close third: When Miles and Iris go to Blockbuster.
Favorite Line: Miles: Iris, if you were a melody... I used only the good notes.

What's your favorite go-to movie?

8.08.2011

I don't always love NY.

I'm aware that I tend to gush a lot about how great New York is. I truly do love it. But I thought you might like a little dose of reality. What would you say if I told you it's not all rainbows and unicorns all the time? Here are some things that I don't <3 about NY.

1. The smell. NY has a very distinct smell. I've mentioned it to other New Yorkers, and their reply is usually, "Oh yeah, it's the smell of trash." But I can't quite agree. The smell unpleasant and slightly trashy, yes, but there's more to it than that. There's no other way to explain it, except it just smells like...New York. In fact, when I brought it up to my friend Molly recently, she said to her it just smells like home now. Those of you who have yet to visit, don't worry. You don't smell it constantly or anything. Even if you do smell it as soon as you get here, you get used to it really fast.

2. The heat. It's a lot hotter in Georgia than it is here, and for that I'm grateful. However, when it's in the 90s in Georgia, you usually walk from your air conditioned house to an air conditioned car, then go inside to your air conditioned destination. When it's in the 90s in New York, I have to walk from my non-air conditioned apartment to a bus that may or may not be air conditioned, then go underground to at station where it's hotter and stuffier than outside and sweat rolls down your back. Then you get on a subway train that may or may not be air conditioned. Then you have to walk however many blocks to your destination, which, thank God, is probably air conditioned. Let's just suffice it to say that the heat sucks up here. Which leads me to my next dislike...

3. No central air. We have a window unit in our bedroom because we couldn't sleep without it. But our living room only has a ceiling fan and a recently acquired standing fan. These do not make up for air conditioning. At all. If the temp gets up to the high 80s or worse, then JP and I just have to sweat it out on the couch or, on really bad days, hang out in the bedroom.

4. Poop in the subway. No, don't reread it - you got it right the first time. I have only seen this is one particular station - the one next to my work. Usually it's done over a vent halfway down the staircase. Sometimes you know it's there before you see it, other times someone has already covered it with sand. I'm pretty sure it's the same homeless guy I see hanging around down there pretty much every day.

5. TV shows are scarier. Law & Order: SVU is one of my favorite TV shows. I still watch it all the time, but now it hits home a lot harder. Every time they mention a specific address, I know exactly where it is now. I'm just saying...it's freaky.

6. Chick-fil-A. Come on, people, it's a given. If you know me, you started this blog knowing this was coming. I've bought a bus ticket to go into Jersey to find a Chick-fil-A. It's a hard-knock life.

7. Crowds. It's really crowded here. I know, big surprise. Sometimes I get really tired of seeing people EVERYWHERE. Especially when tourists hit up the big city during the summer. I pretty much avoid the major sites when summer comes around. Fuggedaboutit.

8. Jacked up prices. At Olive Garden, they've been advertising carbonara ravioli with chicken for $10.95, but when we had it we paid $15.95. It's like this with all chains, groceries, everything.

9. Health crazed. I'm all for eating healthy and taking care of yourself. But people are crazy about it up here. Calories are posted at almost every single restaurant or eatery, even chains like McDonald's. And organic food stores are all over the place. Maybe it's just me being stuck in my southern roots of fried foods and sweet tea, but I just really dislike being inundated with the superiority of it all.  (Now, Jean, if you read this, don't be offended. You do not annoy me with health food stuff. ;-)

10. Missing friends and family. I miss each and every person I left down south every single day!!

So there you have a short list of dislikes. But believe me, everything I love about this amazing city far outweighs this puny little list. Ultimately, I <3 NY!!