resolution #2

so i've conquered my kitchen demons and crossed off resolution #1 (learn to make soup and cook more often). i've made 2 different yummy soups so far and have been cooking at home way more than usual.

the second resolution was "get involved in a volunteer program." and after last night's meeting i can cross that one off too! my trip to new zealand reinstilled my love for nature and i was bummed to go back to the city, knowing it would be tough to get to the outdoors. and for the last couple years i've been meaning to get involved in a mentorship program, giving inner city kids a sense of purpose and some self esteem. well, i did a little internet research and soon enough came across the perfect volunteer group that covered both of what i was looking for: inner city outings. an outreach program talking inner city kids on outdoor adventures while giving them an appreciation for nature! it's so perfect.

i went to the intro meeting last night and i immediately took a liking to the 15 or so members. the group ranged from old to young. most were hippie liberal types and many of them had their hands in various volunteer programs (all interesting stuff). i mean these are people who really care and are actually doing something about it. i truly respect that and am happy to be part of something like this. i felt so good after last night and it was just the intro meeting. imagine what it will feel like when i get to work with the kids!

i don't know how it happened, but after the pitch given by one of the members, i volunteered to organize their next fundraising event. i've never done anything like that and i'm sure it will be a challenge but it's for a great cause and i know it will be very rewarding in the end. see, you start crossing the resolutions off the list and things start to look up!

eclectic nights

looks like the winter hibernator finally came out of her cave this week. it was good for me to do this as the winter slump was slowly starting to make its way in. luckily i nipped it in the bud, got out and had some fun.

it all started with tuesday's bright eyes/cocorosie show at town hall (already wrote post on that one). good times. young hipster indie crowd. you know the types: ripped jeans, long bangs hanging in eyes and maybe a couple of "cool" band pins on the lapels on their black blazers. not sure if it was the venue or what but the crowd was pretty silent. conor even mentioned that he felt like he was in a library.

the following night was completely different. i call it my "sex and the city night." it was a new friend's birthday party. i met the crew at a trendy restaurant in williamsburg. the invitees turned out to be 7 fabulous women. all single (i'm including myself there). i was kind of thrown off by this. i'm serious, these women were all winners. fantastic looking. great style. interesting jobs. well travelled. independent. all qualities i like in female friends (not to mention qualities that i think attract good men). well, as it usually goes, the conversation instantly turned to the topic of men. then i come to find out, 3 of the women were actively doing internet dating. i didn't think awesome women had to turn to internet dating in nyc! i was amazed.

ok, i'm admitting it here. i did it once. a long time ago. back when it wasn't really cool to do internet dating. it was still newish then. as the story goes, i found one guy i liked on nerve, emailed with him for a whole month (!), went on that one introductory date and then he was my boyfriend for 6 months. so i never really did the whole internet "dating" thing. i just don't think i'm a dater. i find one person i like and stick with them. but these girls are seriously investing in the dating business.

one of the girls said it quite profoundly... she explained that you usually like different guys for different reasons. she said maybe you like that one guy who is really into wine and knows the best restaurants but he can't dance for shit. but then another guy is a bad conversationalist but can dance like there's no tomorrow. while another guy is into cool foreign movies and art but is a terrible dresser. her philosophy was that you get different things from different men and what's the harm in that?

i totally hear her and it actually makes a lot of sense. i'm just not the girl to put out that much energy into all that dating. is it too much to just want the whole package in one guy? i guess that's why i'm labeled as picky. sorry, but i'd rather be doing it solo style then getting this from one and that from another. and the real question is, how do you get away with "dating" these men and not sleeping with all of them too? there in lies the problem.

anyhow, as the night went on, 4 of us left the restaurant and headed for a brazilian party at nublu. i had soooo much fun. been a while since i got out and went dancing. serious dancing. i happened to wear my great ass pants and the latin boys definitely noticed. within minutes i was swept away by a hottie dancer and pretty much didn't stop shaking it for the next 3 hours. it was great! so nice to be lead around and around like that. and let me tell you, my hips are hurting today. jeez!

interesting observation from that night: ok, i have a thing for attracting latin men. i've dated 3 of them (yes, where english was their second language). my only theory is that i know they love a big booty and i have one. otherwise, i'm not really sure why they like me. BUT it was so painfully clear that night why i couldn't be with another latino (i know, i'm doing some serious generalizing. and no offense, it's just my history with these particular guys that leads me to think this way). so i'm dancing with this one guy (dominican). he's a fantastic dancer. the chemistry was definitely ON and we were having a great time. but after a few dances it was like i was HIS. and he wouldn't let me go. i was dancing with his friend at one point and he got all in the friend's face about it, grabbing me back. and a couple times i just wanted to dance by myself, not wanting to hold his hand and he wouldn't let me go. ew! i hate that shit. it's like a woman is a possession or something. it's this machismo thing and i can't deal.

it's like a constant struggle. my pattern seems to be possessive fiery latinos or passive laid back whities. ha! single boys reading this take note: we women want the pefect combo. a strong secure man who can lead us around on the dancefloor (and occassionally in life), but also someone with an independent spirit who appreciates our independence too. it's hard to find that balance.

and to finish up on the eclectic week night's activities, i accompanied danny to see "gatz," a totally random, yet innovative play put on by elevator repair service company. it was the full unabridged version of "the great gatsby." we were there for over 3 hours and only got halfway through the book! the second half is tonight, but i'm missing it. the play was definitely cool. i was a bit sleepy from the night before and the theater was warm and dim so it was a little hard to follow each of f. scott's brilliant words, but you got the overall idea. very cool idea i thought. done in a clever way.

overall a great week of fun. glad to be out of the dark cave. making me reaffirm my love of this city. it's kind of a love hate relationship we've got going. but i still love her overall.

bright eyes + cocorosie = great show

my good pal bob invited me to join him for a night of music at town hall last night. i was excited because bright eyes was headlining and cocorosie was opening. when bob and i were trading mp3's way back when and i asked what bright eyes was all about, he was pretty sure i wouldn't like it. i don't know why exactly, just didn't think it was my cup of tea (guess this was back when i was consuming pretty much nothing but broken beat/nujazz/electronica kinda stuff). anyway, i got it from him and i liked it.

we got to see conor play solo style at carnegie hall last spring and i was hooked. he sang this amazing song called "land locked blues" which blew me away. just him, his guitar and his soulful voice. i was transfixed. his words and his demeanor made me think this kid might be a neo-bob dylan. pretty big compliment for a 23 year old kid.

i saw bright eyes as a full band at coachella last summer and was blown away yet again. so great with him and all the band members... steel guitars, mandolins, horns, the whole bit. and something about this young boy made me fall in love. sure, there are plenty of those die-hard indie chicks (and probably straight dudes) that would give anything for a night with conor. it wasn't like that for me. i just thought he really had something and i was into it (and yeah, he's pretty cute too). but i didn't want to get in his pants. just his music.

the show last night confirmed my like for the band. conor was in top form, singing from his soul and giving the audience their money's worth. he sang a bunch of new tunes from one of his two new albums that came out yesterday, "i'm wide awake, it's morning". very folky and wonderful. i got the album at the show last night and have already listened to it about 6 times. i love it! a fantastic album (only one song i don't like and that's saying something). if you have any love of folksy music at all, run, don't walk and get it.

oh yeah, and cocorosie was equally as amazing in concert. got that album thanks to my belgian friend and was totally into it. and the live version = wow! kind of a theatrical production with funny little kids toys being played along with beat boxing and totally original singers! it was an all around great night of live music!

baby it's cold outside

not just cold. it's FREEEEEZING! dude, i was just walking around the city in 11 degree weather. that's -11 celcius. and that's not even with the wind chill. what was i doing outside you ask? well, i've been indoors the last 2 days straight, trying to avoid the weather. but when i got a call to go to the new and improved MOMA for friday free day, i jumped at the chance. it's now $20 to get in on regular days! since when did paying $20 to see art happen? jeez.

i knew it was frigid when i stepped outside, assessed the cold factor and went back inside to add leg warmers and my belly warmer. even with all my gear the walks from apartment to subway and then subway to museum were brutal. luckily the line was not too bad to get into the newly renovated museum. i must say, the place was pretty frickin sweet. the architecture was gorgeous. super sleek in an unpretenious way. just nice big white walls, huge open spaces, a great layout and cool lookouts and glass cutouts where you could view the ebb and flow of traffic. and the art of course was fantastic.

i still think MOMA may have my favorite permanent collection of any museum i've seen. i mean they have the famous "starry night" and my personal favorite, henri rousseau's "the dream." it's just so huge and colorful and reminds me of my childhood (my mom used to have a print of this painting and when i was a youngin, i placed a band-aid over the naked lady's boobies. my mom thought it was so funny that she left the band-aid on the print for years). anyway, besides the cold, it was great to get out and see some "aaaht." highly recommended if you have yet to see the new space (and go on free friday, unless you want to pay the ungodly $20). ART FOR THE PEOPLE dammit!

the search is on

let's face the facts. the bills are sky high, my freelance work is ever so slow, and i'm feeling a bit creatively stiffled these days. the time has come for me to get a "real job." it's hard to imagine going into an office every day, answering to a boss, and being productive all day long after living a freelance lifestyle for 2 years. i've been spoiled long enough. it will be good for me to get back into a creative atmosphere and get the juices flowing again. and i'd love to earn some real money so i can take another trip. but the problem is, finding a job is easier said then done.

i've spent the last few days beefing up the resume, adding projects to the portfolio, signing up for design placement agencies, and scouring online job boards. i've applied to two positions thus far and have not heard back. i know that's not much but it's still disheartening and worrysome. i'm going to try this route for a while before i get desperate and start calling in favors. BUT on that note, if you know anyone looking for a good designer, please let me know. freelance, contract, full-time, anything. i'm not at the begging stage yet, but i'll take any leads i can get. thanks!

online portfolio
resume

1 resolution down

it may sound silly to you. but one of my new year's resolutions was "learn how to make soup." sadly enough, this was on my list last year as well and i never got around to trying it out. that's how pathetic i am in the kitchen. and let's face it, my cooking phobia really boils down to laziness. i dread going to the market and picking out the ingredients to make something that i really have no clue how to make. then i fear whatever i do attempt will turn out shitty. meanwhile a huge pile of dishes need to be washed after this lovely meal that tastes like doo doo. that's no fun!

you'd have thought i might have picked up a clue or two in the kitchen when i dated a chef. but no. he never wanted help so i just sat back while he worked his magic. didn't retain a thing. well, i was determined to make soup this winter. everyone always says how "EEEEASY!" it is. i don't think i ever truly believed them. but i was willing to give it a shot and just get over my kitchen phobia.

here's the other thing: i adore soup. it may be one of my favorite foods. is it a food though? whatever. i love it and can eat it for days. and since i'm sorta in the poorhouse these days, i thought it'd also be a good way to save money--make a dish that will last a few days. so that's what i set out to do yesterday.

i was in the mood for a stew-y winter-y soup so i did a little research online for something with not too too many ingredients (when that list is a mile long, it freaks me out). i found this one which had an "easy" rating, a list that wasn't too long AND it sounded really yummy. the only thing that scared me was buying a chicken with a bone. i'm not a huge meat fan and i'm especially not fond of cooking it, let alone "de-boning meat." EW! but i knew if i had to get over this phobia, i had to do it.

an hour at the store picking out the ingredients and about an hour of preparation in the kitchen, i had my chicken stew. and might i add, it was deeeeelish! i was so damn proud of myself. and yes ladies and gentlemen, it was actually easy. one resolution down, a few more to go...

show report

for those of you wondering, the easy star all-stars were really really good. it was the perfect bit of dubby sunshine added to an otherwise cold wintery day. they were tight and sounded great. that was the first time i got to hear the great sound quality at the knitting factory (previous shows had been mostly dj stuff). not my favorite venue per se, but not bad either. it was packed too. full of what looked like lots of college boys. probably the kind of boys i hung out with in college.

you know the ones... stoner types just discovering the beautiful world of classic rock. they could sing dark side of the moon in their sleep. and have probably qued up the album to the "wizard of oz" cuz some other stoner dude told them it was "totally trippy man!" needless to say, the show made me feel like i was back in college, taking a tab and heading down to the science museum to go see the pink floyd lazer light show on a friday night. how could you not love that? besides, they played the album pretty much verbatim. i was kinda hoping for a bit more variation of some of the tracks (having listened to it over and over and over, it might have been nice to hear slightly tweaked versions) but it was still definitely cool. props to the musicians who held it down! i'd definitely see them again and would recommend the show. only next time, i'd rather be in a grassy field on a sunny day at an outdoor festival with a big ol' spliff in my hand, dubbing out!

dub side

tonight's the night. the much anticipated show: easy star all-stars playing "dub side of the moon". i must first thank dori for mentioning the concept album way back when. i must also thank wanna for actually playing it for me last year and getting me hooked while driving and jamming in our lazy daze. soooooo good. the concept really does sound cheesy... a dub version of the entire epic "dark side of the moon?" but they did it so well! i love the album and can listen to it over and over without tiring of it (on extra good speakers especially).

i've also managed to get many others hooked. i played it for my bus team in NZ and had about 10 people at the end of the trip asking me to remind them of the album before we parted ways. so yes, it's spreading world wide. i have yet to see them live but i have high hopes. i'm still a little ill and should be staying at home, getting better, but i've been waiting to dub out to them and now is the time. fingers crossed it's a good one.

on the mend

i tried to postpone coming home on an airplane on thursday. i still felt so ill and just didn't want to go through with the uncomfortable torture. but since airlines don't have a sick policy, it was either pay $700 to fly the next day or fly 5 days later for $100. can you believe that? i guess that's why people get sick on airplanes... because you HAVE to fly when you're sick, thus spreading your germs to everyone else on the plane. ggrrr...

it was pretty hellish, but i made it home. been laying low the last couple days trying to get better and right now i can say i'm over the worst of it. i should definitely be fine by monday (back to work day!). this little illness definitely feels like i've pressed the pause button on the opening scenes of 2005. but now that i'm on the mend, i've got to push myself into full speed ahead mode. must start checking off those items on resolutions list. i'm ready.

as soon as i can get out of bed. heh.

happy friggin new year

i'm in LA with a 102 degree temperture. I'M SO SICK!!! it came on yesterday and has progressively gotten worse. and i'm supposed to fly back to nyc tomorrow. joy! it might have to be postponed, but we'll see if this thing gets any better tomorrow. not a good omen for a happy and healthy new year. poop!

lap of luxury

this little vacation is practically rivaling (is that a word?) my new zealand trip. but it's the complete opposite. this has been relaxation station and i've never enjoyed just chilling out this much. nz was constantly on the go... go here, go there, look at this, climb that, and on and on. since amy and i arrived in victoria, we've barely left her parents' house. normally i'd want to be out and about checking out the town and whatnot, but i've been perfectly content staying indoors, eating yummy food, staying warm, watching all the movies i can in one sitting, and being with great people. i love the french's! i've known them just about as long as i've known amy... almost 11 years, and i feel like family. they are amazing people and i feel honored to know them.

new years eve wasn't a big deal and this was probably the first year in as long as i can remember that i didn't give a shit about whopping it up. we started the night with a fantastic chinese meal then came back to the house to watch a screening of "team america" laughing our asses off. by that point we weren't that enthusiastic about going out but felt obligated to go have a drink somewhere at midnight. we got dressed and found ourselves in a town where every bar and pub had a cover. we were feeling cheap and amy, aggie and i had no desire to spend $20 for 5 minutes of a countdown, noise blowers and screaming people. with about 2 minutes to spare we found a free bar, got our plastic glass of free champagne, found a table and watched ryan seacrest do the countdown in nyc. it was weird and totally unfulfilling. the sisters and i laughed at the awkwardness of the situation and made our way up the street to the bar with reggae music.

aggie mentioned that the cheap champagne gave her indigestion and we laughed hysterically at our comical new year's eve situation. a couple fanny shakes later we made our way back to the car and headed to aggie's friends ginormous house where we ended the night with a beer and retro much music videos on the tv. not really the big new years night to remember, but i've had enough of those and was just happy to be with friends.

the rest of the time has just been pure relaxation. like i said, the vacation has been a real treat. thank you best friend! i owe you one. i'm feeling optimistic for 2005. this is sort of a symbolic year... 3 decades baby. i'm turning 30 in three months and am feeling ready for anything. i have lofty dreams of being ultra productive in my house for the winter. the main goal being to save up for the next adventure...