Winter in BK

So hey there everyone... it's been quite the hiatus. Thought I'd come back and revisit the old blogosphere after a couple months' absence.

My time here in the city has been a bit of a rollercoaster. Some days I love it-- I'm completely infatuated with our neighborhood in Brooklyn (particularly its eating establishments... pure heaven!), our circle of friends and my various "extracurriculars" (i.e. the Brooklyn Symphony, babysitting for the best little Brooklyn family ever, and membership at the YMCA). My job... well, at least it sounds cool.

Actually, listing it all out like that makes me realize how good I've got it.

But it's the little things that get to me... the constantly crowded trains, the drive-bys outside my building, my radiator exploding burning steam all over me, the ease in which I slip into complacency and passivity at work... they make me a little bit crazy. Sometimes I just have an urge to pack up my things, get in my car (which I no longer have here) and drive back down South, where I still feel that I belong.

Sigh.

But that probably won't be happening anytime soon. So I'd better suck it up and look on the bright side.

my favorite (dc) things

This weekend I made the journey back to D.C., my 2008 summer home, to visit some friends and get a much needed taste of the (almost) South. It was a quick little trip, Chinatown-bus style (my DC Metro fare for the weekend cost more than the roundtrip busride back and forth to NYC... god bless the Apex bus!). I loved visiting the city I got to know this summer. I even got to see my old house in Petworth (for more info on the best neighborhood in DC, check out this great blog) and I visited an ice cream shop near and dear to my heart, Beveragemania. I worked at this Petworth staple all summer and grew very fond of their cheap shakes and lovely owners, Joy and Leonard. Lucky for me both were working when I stopped by! I loved seeing them again. I also had a fantastic dinner at Busboys and Poets-- I had only been there for drinks before, but their food is both affordable and inventive. Whoo hoo for weekend getaways! 

On a sidenote-- during one of Eric's nights off last week, we saw a free concert at The Living Room in the Village. My man knows my taste in music well and he knew I'd enjoy seeing Sydney Wayser, a singer-songwriter whose music sounds like it could accompany an entire season of Grey's Anatomy. Check out her stuff-- support your local musicians! 

It's been awhile since we've updated... lame. Things have been busy, but that's no excuse for blog-slacking. 

Lots of exciting things happening in our lives. Here's a taste:

1) I would like to announce that Eric has successfully become a part of the team behind the New York Times website, and I couldn't be prouder! :) However, the job does come with a bit of a price... he'll be workin' the graveyard shift five nights a week. Yes, times are a-changin'... and so will Eric's (and my) body clocks... but such is the life of a successful journalist. Tonight's his first night on the job-- I wonder what he's doing right this minute? 

2) Halloween in NYC is quite the production. Having lived in Chapel Hill, home of the South's largest Halloween celebration, for the past four years, I'm used to some pretty ridonkulous happenings on the 31st. To be honest, Franklin Street's insanity got to be a bit much for me... dozens of shady men with videocameras taping all of the scantily clad college students combined with random grope attacks really was a bit much. Eric and I spent this year's Halloween celebrating in the Village with our friend who attends NYU Law and I'm happy to report that it was a really great, family-friendly time. Only a few PG-13 moments, and they all occured after midnight. We tried to get a peek at the Halloween parade, but didn't have much luck seeing anything, so ended up walking around admiring the various costumery. Oh, and did I mention what we went as? Eric was Joe the Plumber, complete with baldness (I did NOT approve of that decision) and I was a very pregs Bristol Palin. We were certain that we'd see plenty of Joes and Sarahs around, but to our surprise there really weren't many! I'm going to take that as a good sign. 

3) I took my first yoga class in about six months last week and I was super sore for three days. The class was so intense-- people were standing on their heads and folding up into pretzels while I was busy trying to balance on one foot. New York yoga = way over my head. 

4) My BFF from high school, miss Jeanie, came and visited last weekend and we had a splendid time shopping, attending the Martha show and eating at yummy restaurants. I love having visitors because it gives me an excuse to do fun things! 

5) Election day is in two days. Have you voted yet?? 

a night out, puppy-style

Few things in life give me such joy as the act of sharing the music I love with friends. Especially in a live setting -- heads bobbing, performers sweating, bass reverberating -- there's just a visceral pleasure in seeing your favorite music playing on the senses of those you've proselytized. It's partly ego -- they have you to thank, after all -- but I like to think it also stems from a deeper desire to ensure that good art doesn't go unappreciated. I want talented independent musicians to grow their listenership so I can say I was there first, yes, but also because they deserve it. And I want my friends to reap from the music the same joy I do.

That's why last night was such a thrill. Katie and I, along with friends Harper and Ellen, ventured out to the Bowery Poetry Club to see one of my favorite young bands, a fusion collective called Snarky Puppy. I'd met some of the guys from Snarky years ago, and I've watched them develop from an interesting modern jazz outfit into the vein-busting rhythmic bememouth they are today. Last night's show featured eight of the 29 (yep, 29) musicians who subbed in and out of the lineup on the group's latest release, Bring Us The Bright. 

Despite a tardy start time that frustrated those of us who actually had work in the morning (present company not included), the evening was an unequivicol triumph, on both musical and evangelical grounds. The band's skin-tight grooves, jarring syncopations and dazzling array of sounds left me buzzing the remainder of the night. And just as satisfying, my companions were similarly riveted by the performance. Katie grinned and glowed. Harper danced in his chair, even getting up to shake the bandleader's hand afterward. Ellen -- well, I wasn't really sitting next to her, but I think she dug it. The point is, I'd won some new converts to the Snarky Puppy cause. And it felt good.

winter wonderland

The ice skating rink has officially been constructed in Bryant Park (I can see it out the windows across from my desk). Winter is officially here!

AHHH!!!!

The thought of ice skating and snowflakes and twinkly lights is really exciting. But after December 25… the great white North will officially turn into my wintry hell. After four years of enjoying glorious spring-like weather (while my brave Great Lakes family told me about five feet of snow and treacherous patches of ice) I am entirely unprepared to face down a northern winter. Blech.

Perhaps you’d like to hear about our weekend? Saturday night Eric and I went out to dinner with my friends from UNC, Julia and Mathieu, who happened to be in the Big Apple. I’d heard about this Indian restaurant called Panna II in the East Village. All I knew was that they had a penchant for decorating with string lights and that there was some kind of competition going on with the restaurant next door. I had NO IDEA it would be the crazy experience it turned out to be! We walked up to the address, where there were not two, but three identical Indian restaurants all mushed together. At the doorways of each were these Indian hosts who were absolutely determined to get us to come to their restaurant. They all shouted over each other trying to convince us that the other restaurants were bad and theirs were “the best.” Thank goodness I knew which place to go in, because had I not I would have been really confused! Inside Panna II (which is about the size of a shoebox), there are millions of lights strung everywhere. It’s like a jungle of crazy lights. At one point during dinner, they actually turned off all of those lights and turned on a disco ball and then sang an Indian version of happy birthday. It was fabulous. Plus it was dirt cheap and pretty delicious too—I’m absolutely taking all of my future houseguests to this place! Only in New York…

What else… we also painted Eric’s new bedroom this weekend, which used to be this hideous mix of maroon and navy (with random patches of white… cute). Because the room is teeny weenie (as in 6 ½ feet by 10 feet) there used to be a loft up for a bed as well. Eric decided to forgo the joys of fort-building and took it down-- good choice, honey! So anyway, even though the room is ridiculously small, the ceilings are about 14 feet so there was a lot of work to do. We had to prime the whole place first and then we picked a nice tan for the lower portion of the walls. And now the place is lookin’ good! Go us.

And now a tip of voting advice… THIS is super important!! If you’re voting in North Carolina, you MUST fill in the bubble next to your choice for President, EVEN IF you’re filling in the bubble below to vote straight ticket. If you don’t, your vote for Prez won’t be counted!

walking amongst the stars

These past few days have been star-filled (and super fun). After a two month drought of famous peeps, let's take a quick inventory of the star sightings that have occurred in the past 48 hours.

-Martha Stewart
-Yo Yo Ma
-Mayor Bloomberg
-Dylan & Cole Sprouse (of Big Daddy and Disney Channel fame)
-Martha Stewart
-Ellen Burstyn
-Alan Kalter (announcer on The Late Show)

Seriously... that's an impressive list. I'm impressed just looking at it. Last night Eric and I attended a Yo Yo Ma benefit concert at Carnegie Hall. I'd never been in there before-- it is so, so, so beautiful. And huge! We were up in the nosebleed section of the top balcony, which is actually higher than the top of the stage. The sound wasn't amazing, but what a view! Yo Yo played with the Sony Symphony (composed entirely of Japanese Sony employees... yeeeeah Suzuki kids!) and all of the benefits went to several New York music charities. He played the Dvorak Cello Concerto-- keepin' it classic-- and just completely poured himself into it. It always blows my mind how much of a team player he is. There he was, on stage with an amateur orchestra, and he treated it as if he was playing with the New York Philharmonic. He's such an incredible musician and entertainer. I'm totally psyched that he's got a holiday CD out, called Songs of Joy and Peace, with all-stars like James Taylor, Renee Fleming, Dave Brubeck and Diana Krall. FYI, we're just 16 days from the official start of the holiday listening season. That's Nov. 1, baby. Take off the Halloween costume and put on some Bing Crosby and Muppet Family Christmas, in my book. I'm looking forward to adding some Yo Yo to the mix!

Eric, you totally need to blog about our BYOB hilarity last night.

Ooo, another celebrity connection... I'm officially just one step away from Perez Hilton. I was in the studio today when this interesting election prediction was shared with the world this morning!

what if mom friends me on facebook?

The Motherload blog on NYTimes.com raises an interesting quandry: If my mom wants to add me as a friend on Facebook, should I accept? 

On the one hand, I like to think that I have a close relationship with my mom. Loving, even. But: Facebook friendship makes one privy to all sorts of salacious life details that, frankly, I'd rather not have to explain to Janet Bishop. Not that my Facebook photo albums show me galivanting around the nightclubs of Chicago wearing the skimpiest of clothing. (Yes, Sarah, I've seen the photos.) Siblings on Facebook create their own unique challenges, a fact that I recently learned when my sister Julie sent me a friend request. There, the benefits of seeing photo albums of our baby niece Claire far outweighed any potential embarrassments resulting from adding Julie as a friend.

On the Times post, blogger Lisa Belkin pinpoints a fundamental tension with letting your parents into your Facebook world:

• Is it a diary? (Something that parents shouldn’t read, except for when maybe they should?) Or a conversation with friends in the living room? (Open to anyone standing nearby?)

  Kids themselves don’t seem to agree. Many of my friends have children who happily “friend” them — and me. My 16-year-old niece, in turn, pretends she has friended me, and doesn’t think I know that she has barred me from some of the more interesting parts of her Facebook.

  And my own sons? The older one has blocked me and I haven’t even bothered to friend the younger one. Let them have their private clubhouse. Because what I have learned from my own time on Facebook is that there is nothing terribly private about the place at all. When everything you do is being broadcast to hundreds of acquaintances, secrets wont stay deep or dark for long.

Sarah, I hope you're reading this. Although like you, I'm thankful that Mom and Dad haven't yet realized that setting up a Facebook account is so easy, even centegenarians can do it.

P.S. Can we appreciate the fact that Mrs. Belkin refers to her niece's profile as "her Facebook?" Oh, adults. Even when you get it, you don't get it.

night at the museum

Last night, my good friend Mo and I, being the grown and sexy women we are, hit the club.

You may be asking yourself, which club did you "hit"? Perhaps the always-bouncin' 95 South, conveniently located on Franklin Avenue? The Brooklyn YMCA?

Nope and nope. Even nerdier (and more awesome).

The Museum of Natural History was hosting one of its monthly DJ parties, and because Mo's aunt is the coolest, we had free tix! So we techno grooved the night away in the midst of the most random and eclectic crowd ever (aka girl wearing ear plugs so she could get her techno jam on directly in front of the huge speakers...) and even got to take a break to watch a movie in the planetarium, second-grade style. Except there was booze.

Interesting facts I learned while at the planetarium party:
-Sun spots are the coolest parts of the sun at 8000 degrees!
-Mo's sister weighs absolutely zero on the moon!
-I did weigh something on the moon! (Ouch!)
-Techno is really, really hard to dance to!
-Sarah Palin walked with the dinosaurs!
-If an asteroid was coming toward right the earth, we could send a space shuttle to fly right next to it for like a hundred years and it could POSSIBLY change the course of the asteroid because of it's gravitational pull and save humanity! Sweet!

in paradise/at madiba

Wow... so much to update on. Where to even begin? I guess I'll start with my incredible adventure to the dirty Jerz yesterday. I'm visiting schools for the Robbie program up here, so each Friday I trek out to a few high schools to meet with some overachieving rockstars. But yesterday's trip was special because a) I don't have my car down here any more, so I took NJ Transit (a real live train that runs for the most part ABOVE ground) and b) New Jersey was totally nice! I mean, yes, I did know that the state is not all one huge sewage treatment facility, however, I wasn't expecting it to be SO picturesque and lovely. Maplewood, NJ was a lovely place to be on a fall day. :)

Some restaurant updates, because I ate out not once but TWICE yesterday (that's unheard of, in my book)-- before making my next high school stop at the NYC Lab School, I was in Chelsea and had lunch at this lovely little spot called Paradise Cafe. Sandwiches were great (read: when I bit into mine, a large chunk of avacado fell out, which for me means I automatically love it), the staff was friendly and it just had a really nice, relaxed vibe. The prices were slightly expensive-- what else is new-- but it had garage-door type opening in the front that was rolled up to allow the tables to spill out into the sunlight and the lunch-goers to do some serious people watching. I saw a tiny dog wearing four sneakers, for example. Typical.

But as special as the cafe was, my second eating out experience was extra-super special. Eric and I checked out Madiba, the only (as far as I know) South African restaurant in NYC, conveniently located in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

Oh. My. God. It was so incredibly delicious.

Madiba was the first South African restaurant in the US and it's got a distinctly ZA vibe as soon as you walk in the door. The interior is decorated to resemble a shebeen, or township bar, and there are South African flags and photos everywhere. We sat outside on their sidewalk seating, which was great because the weather was so warm yesterday. The menu had tons of delicious options that brought back a flood of memories, from baby back ribs with monkey gland sauce (Eric's choice) to a delicious mince meat pie called bobotie (my favorite). Several members of the serving staff were South African Xhosa speakers, so I got to ask our waitress if I was pronouncing the word "umngqushu" on the menu correctly (and I did! it's "umn-gu(click)-shu"). Plus, the true test of a good ethnic restaurant is if people of that ethnicity actually eat there-- and we were surrounded by people clicking away in Xhosa all night. And, the icing on the cake is that part of their proceeds is sent back to South Africa into the Ubuntu Education Fund and the Ethembeni School of the Bli

My absentee ballot came from NC yesterday... so I'm gonna go vote. Woot!

movin' on up

Guess who just found a place to live in posh Prospect Heights? This guy.

After a grueling search (I visited two places), I have finally found the apartment of my dreams. Great location, great building, and (I think) great roommates. The room is tiny but includes a lofted bed, and the rest of the place is huge and nicely decorated with vintage furniture. I think I might paint my room--any color suggestions, my loyal readers?

In other news, I just got a couple story assignments from Duke Magazine, my alumni glossy. I'm profiling a jazz pianist and a male model, which gels nicely with my areas of expertise.