What? WHAT?

When did this happen??

What kind of a God would let this be number 7 on itunes? And who is the creepy monkey man on the left?

I quit.

Add comment | September 2nd, 2008

New Problems…

Here’s a problem I can add. How about I buy every damn thing in the Built by Wendy fall collection, because it’s so cute that I can hardly stand it. These are the outfits of my dreams!

Just kidding, I don’t have an extra billion dollars lying around to spend on clothes. I’l have to suffer for a few months until it goes on sale. Or one of you jerks can send me some of these things as presents, I won’t mind. In exchange for reading my blog you give me clothes.

But here are some real things I’m adding:

Get Smart:

#32) Jane Goodall lecture at the 92nd street Y. Getting Smart about monkeys and apes.

Get Healthy:

#27) The Central Park Biathlon. It’s a 2 mile run, a 12 mile bike ride, and another 2 mile run. How nice and not too hard. And in Central Park to boot. (I dont know why I just said “to boot.” I’m not even sure I know what it means, I just know people use it as a way to say, “oh look an additional perk on top of all these other perks.”) Anyone? The Origin of “To Boot”? Argh! It’s like fingernails on a chalkboard everytime I say it now.

Travel:

#84) Visit Ecuador. I’m adding this back on since the time limit is off. I’ll go there one day soon.

#85) Visit Washington DC. I haven’t been since I was a kid. It’s easy to get to from NYC. And every good American should go, I always say.

#85) Visit Boston. I’ve never been to Boston. And it’s also close and easy to get to. There is a bus from Chinatown that I think costs $20, but I’ve heard it’s really shady. Maybe we can Megabus it? I’ve heard good things about megabus.

That’s all. Just some updates. And please send me those clothes.

5 comments | August 27th, 2008

Cha-Cha-Cha Changes.

I’ve decided to change something about this blog. Is it too late, am I to far in to change the rules? Eh. Oh well.

I’m going to take off the end of the year time limit. Here’s why:

1) It’s getting expensive. I’ve only completed a few items off of the travel list. I can’t afford to pack in 6 more trips in the next 4 months, nor do I have the vacation time to do that. I could go on 6 trips to a Best Western in Jersey, but that’s no way to live. I want to go to other cities and countries, see relatives, visit friends, etc.  And if there is no real time limit I can do that.

2) So this won’t end on December 31. I’ve enjoyed blogging (even though I’ve been bad at it lately) and I don’t want to stop when this year ends.

3) I want my rap album to be the best it can be.

4) Moving is a huge pain in the ass. I don’t want to use the move as an excuse as to why I’ve been slacking, but really. I can barely find clean clothes to wear everyday, and we still don’t have a garbage can. It’s hard to make this a priority right now.

And finally,

5) The time limit is stressing me out. I have some anxiety issues to begin with (I guess who doesn’t?) but still, the thought of having to do all this in such a short amount of time is weighing me down. My first solution was to think of a bunch of small, lame things to do just so I could quickly check them off the list. But I don’t want to set a goal based on how simple it will be to complete it. This way, with no time limit, this blog will be better. I can add goals that are actually challenging. I can skydive, or ride an elephant, or eat a hamburger. Damn! I don’t think I can eat a hamburger, I’ve never even had one in my whole life. I’d probably throw it up.

I’ll still donate money at years end. And I’ll be updating soon with some better goals. For the most part, they’ll be things I want to do relatively soon. I’m just allowing myself a little more time to do them. The time limit of December 31 was arbitrary to begin with. I only chose a year because it was January 1st when I decided to do this, and it fit in a neat little package that way.

I’ll be posting some goal updates soon…Ah, I already feel better!

4 comments | August 26th, 2008

Jet-settin’

I should update you on some things. The internet situation at home has been sketchy, so I haven’t been able to post. That is one excuse, and another is that I’m lazy. We should get the internet, but first we need an ironing board and a garbage can. We desperately need a garbage can.

General updates:

- Yay, Riki is officialy in New York! We’ve been unpacking and everything is a big mess. The move was fairly uneventful for him, (uneventful meaning, the truck didn’t break down on the way or something…but it was still a pain in the ass I’m sure) We broke the freight elevator and had to wait over an hour for the super to come fix it. He was so nice about it too, I wanted to hug him. We drank beer to pass the time til he got there, not so bad.

- The job is going really well.

- I like it here. I’m glad we moved.

Some tavel updates:

Riki and I were going to go to Ecuador in August with my mom and bro’s. But instead, my mom is getting married this weekend, so we are exchanging Ecuador with Louisiana because that’s where the wedding is. Maybe not the most exotic exchange, but all isn’t lost. We bought tickets instead to go to Costa Rica in November because we’re jet setters. Apparently November is when the rainy season ends there, and another bonus is that it’s right before winter depression starts creeping in here up north. We were also going to go to Venezuela at the same time as the Ecuador trip to visit Simon and Amy. Sadly, we wont be doing this because it would cost much more than Costa Rica. But look at places we could stay. (we did a package thing - for a set price we got air fare, a car, and about 70 hotels to choose from. )

Siiighhhh 

So cute, little personal huts. 

Thats all for now. I have to go run around and do stuff before we leave tomorrow morning. I picked the 7:30 am flight, so we have to get up at 5:30. Why did I do that? I bet I did it to save $30 or something. Argh!

6 comments | August 7th, 2008

Broken promises

I swear to you, I haven’t given up on this blog! And I know I’ve said this before, but I think my excuse is good. This move has just taken it out of me. Not in a bad way, but just in the way that when the day ends, all I can manage to think about is watching Big Love and laying on the premium air mattress. People move everyday, under more difficult circumstances than I’ve experienced, but you know when it’s your turn to do it, it’s the worst thing that’s ever happened. I’m being dramatic, but still. I can’t deal with changing one more address online, I just can’t. Plus, starting a new job is a bit overwhelming and this also contributes to me only wanting to watch Big Love. While eating thai food take-out. And another reason why I’ve been slacking? Because Riki is still in Chicago… I’m lazy and he keeps me motivated to check off the problems. Actually, I had a whole post on that, remember? It’s true, every word.

But I DO have some updates. Riki visited last weekend and we went to the Brooklyn Museum. That was fun, but not so fun that I’ll go into it. What else…. I flew to Chicago this past weekend to pack, that was not fun and even more not worth going into it. But it was nice to see my friends and sleep in a real bed not made of air. I’m full of guilt right now because I left about 80% of the work for Riki to do, plus he has to paint the apartment… Plus load the truck up, plus drive it, plus stay in some skanky hotel on the way, plus eat Taco Bell for 3 days straight. Which sounds delicious right now… Still, Taco Bell or no, I owe him a fancy dinner when he gets here.

Ok, so I’m gonna update 3 times this week. I can do this. Oh and look, the little garden I planted has grown so big, I’m proud of the little guy. I ate some lettuce leaves during my stay in Chicago, they tasted like grass and dirt.

Riki sent me some pictures of it, here’s one I especially like:

Add comment | July 21st, 2008

Stick a fork in me.

In the past 4 days I have:

- been to a Yankees game

- been to Times Square twice (ugh.)

- taken a ferry ride

- been to the top of the Rockefeller building

- been to a show at the UCB theatre

- seen David Byrne’s Playing the Building

- seen the World Championship Hot Dog Eating Contest (59 dogs in 10 minutes, disgusting!)

- hung out at the beach and hunted crabs

- watched the Fireworks on the East River

- and walked and walked and walked and walked….

Photos of all this stuff to come. And today, I’m not getting out of bed.

1 comment | July 6th, 2008

Wherein I walk 8 miles in ill-fitting shoes and get a little dizzy.

Have you heard about Olafur Eliasson’s Waterfalls exhibit in New York? Some people seem to love them, and some people think they are $15 million scaffolds with water pouring off of them. People on the NY Times City Room blog are all in a tizzy over it, here are a few comments I enjoyed:

The Brooklyn Bridge is throwing up.
If only it could jump off itself.
— Posted by Dan

Well put, Dan. Bravo to you, sir!

As stated in the article, 2.1 million gallons are pumped every hour between the four waterfalls ranging from 90? to 120? (so take 100? as a conservative average). Calculating the total energy used in one hour is therefore (you can plug the following into google):

(2100000 gallons/hour)*(1000 kilogram/(meter^3))*(9.8 meter/second^2)*(100 feet)*(1 hour) in kilowatt*hour

= 660 kWh

If electricity costs 15 cents per kWh in NYC, then you’re looking at about $100 per hour. For a 15 hour operating day (7am - 10pm), you’re looking at $1500 per day. Not to mention the fact that this entire analysis is assuming 100% efficiency of the pumps. If they are only 60% efficient, then you’re talking about $2500 per day just to pump the water.

And I thought my electric bill was high…
— Posted by Greg

From Greg, who hasn’t gotten laid in 14 years.

And finally,

How lame it is!
— Posted by gianduio

Lame, indeed, Gianduio!

Anyway, I woke up Saturday on my Premium-grade air mattress with not a whole lot planned for the day, and decided that I’d knock out a problem and walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, and also see the Waterfalls while I was at it. I took my iPod, and two pair of shoes (because basically every pair of shoes hurts me eventually) and headed out. The Brooklyn Bridge is only 2 miles from my house, so I figured after crossing it and getting on a train, I’d walk a total of about 3.5 miles. But once I crossed the bridge, I just kept going. Maybe it was the beauty or the “lameness “of it all, or the high cost of electricity to run the waterfalls, but something just kept me going.

Here you can see my route, it was 8.25 miles total. I think it took me 4.5 hours. The dizzy feeling hit on the W-burg Bridge. Next time I need to pack snacks. And if you’re wondering what that detour is at the end, Built by Wendy is having a sale. And I was so dizzy that I bought a few things.

I ate like a horse when I got home, had a glass of wine and then passed out.

Here are a few photos from the journey, and my deep thoughts on the waterfalls:

Here is a photo on the BK Bridge walking towards Manhattan.

On the BK Bridge I could see 3 waterfalls at once, and I thought it was pretty. They’re very calming and it’s really beautiful to have something organic and moving in grey, still surroundings. God, my Art History teachers would be horrified at that sentence.

Walking under the Manhattan Bridge…

This way to the falls!

And then…

Eh. Scaffolding with water coming off of it. Just like the nay-sayers nay-said.

And finally to the Williamsburg bridge.

In conclusion: Keep your distance when viewing the Waterfalls. Don’t walk 8 miles and then go shopping. A glass of wine leads to a good nap. And another problem solved.

2 comments | June 30th, 2008

Full List - The Culture Vulture Edition

Today I have broken my personal best record for Laziness in a Single Day. I think I even beat my Christmas 2007 lazy record, in which I watched an entire season of Weeds with my brother while drinking vodka at 2pm. Good for me.

Today’s laziness agenda included: waking up, walking to get lunch, watching 6 episodes of Nip/Tuck, which is wonderful and terrible in equal amounts, walking to get thai food, finishing off with looking up things on the internet for 3 hours. Which leads me to now. But I did take a shower which is something, and besides, yesterday was a big day. I went to the Mermaid Parade at Coney Island (I was expecting to see way more boobs than I did, so… eh.). Then I saw Jaws and the MoMA, which is amazing of course, and finally I went to see two of Riki’s friends play a show. So you see, a big day. I deserved today off.

Anyway, I need to add some stuff to this list, and since I’m in New York now, and people are coming to visit soon, I will get Culture Vulture out of my life once an for all. So here we go:

72) Go to the Brooklyn Museum - I want to see The Muramaki exhibit before it’s over, I think July 13?

73) Yankees Game - Is Yankee Stadium closing this year? I feel like I read that somewhere. I dunno.

74) Ride on one of those Double Decker Red buses - Here is where I lose the tiny bit of coolness that I’m already desperately clutching by the skin of my teeth.

75) Top of the Empire State Building - It’s tall. I’ll see so far. Then I’ll get lunch.

76) Walk the Brooklyn Bridge. - The whole thing, there and back. Wait, actually, how long is it?

77) Ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

78) Visit the MoMA - Not just to watch Jaws, either.

79) Visit the NY Public Library - Free guided tour bitches!

God this list is exhausting to look at. I need to watch Hulu some more to recover. But first, I leave you with some boobs from the parade:

2 comments | June 22nd, 2008

Meat photo Thursday

As promised, some photos from the Hot Doug’s trip:

Look at this line. I waited in this line. Why did I do that??

4 Dogs and 2 men. Can they do it?

Another for fun. And I can’t remember if they finished the dogs, that’s how long my attention span is.

Add comment | June 19th, 2008

I’m still alive!

Alive and in New York.

Today Riki texted me asking if I was giving up on my blog, and I realized that it has been forever since I’ve updated. But no, I haven’t given up, I’ve just been overwhelmed with moving and staring the new job, and the thought of looking for an apartment, and moving into a sublet….and the 100 degree heat wave for four days didn’t help either.

But I’m here, and the hardest parts of all of this are over. Well, except for the driving the truck from Chicago to New York part, but Riki is taking care of that while I sip margaritas on the roof of our new apartment and call occasionally to check in.

So the quick update:

- My sublet has worked out well, I’m staying with 2 really sweet guys. I do have a mouse in my room, which sort of freaked me out when I first saw him. But he’s tiny and cute, and now I think we’re friends. I wonder if he walks on my face at night while I sleep.

- The job is great so far. My coworkers seem really talented and smart, I think I’ll learn a lot from them. And, the company is a great fit for me - for example, they have an in-house group that tracks how much waste and resources the company uses, and reports back to everyone with ideas on how to decrease energy use, increase how much they recycle, etc. I love that. Plus, they have drinks every Friday at 5 in the kitchen, and have a huge spread of breakfast on Monday mornings to start the week off.

- I found an apartment! I looked at only 5 places, and there were actually 3 that I loved. We decided on the place we took because it’s the biggest - and it’s a loft, so we’re going to build it up. I move in with my air mattress and 1 bath towel next week, so i’ll post pictures.

- I went to the beach yesterday. I’m sorry Lake Michigan, but you lose.

And, since my last update I’ve completed quite a few problems. Because I need to catch up and get the blog back on track, here is the quick read of what I’ve done:

- Went to Hot Doug’s with Riki and his friend John. I had a coke and watched them eat all kinds of nasty tubed meat. I have photos, but I think they’re at work, so i’ll post them tomorrow. Spoiler alert: They’re gross. So gross.

- Made the blue dragon cake! It was delicious and so cute. See for yourself:

The red part is his tongue. And he has coconut claws. Use your imagination.

-Threw a fun party (sorry, no pics, take my word for it. It was fun. Even though I was kind of on edge because I was leaving the next day. Actually, I was very on edge.)

- Margarita party (umm.. sorry, no pics of this either… This took place during the fun party above. Is that cheating? eh, oh well.)

- Made Julio sugar-free cupcakes. Lets just say these didn’t turn out to well, and Julio wasn’t shy about letting me know how terrible they were, which was really nice of him.

- I planted an herb garden and a regular garden, that Riki is watching for me now. (Right, Riki?) Argh! No pics of this either. I’ll get him to send me some. Last I saw, the lettuce was growing like crazy, and there was one jalepeno plant that was doing really well. And the tomatoes seemed ok too. I hope they make it. Godspeed, tomatoes.

- And finally, the apartment!

Minus 8, suckers.

9 comments | June 15th, 2008