PJ Gach --Idle Thoughts

The Sookie Stackhouse Experience

2008-07-25T10:54:00.003-04:00

HBO has been gearing up for their new series premiering in September; Trueblood http://www.hbo.com/events/trueblood/ with a lot of crazy guerrilla marketing tactics. Trueblood is based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. http://www.charlaineharris.com/
The series take place in the south, and Sookie is a poor white waitress working in a roadhouse who happens to be involved with vampires, werewolves and the like. The series stars Anna Paquin as Sookie.

HBO has been putting up posters all over town, then taking them down a few days later. The topics of the posters have run the gamut from promoting Trueblood, the beverage; motto "friends don't let friends drink friends. Vampires drink responsibly." To posters for the Vampire League of America etc., - all of these items are obvs part of the series.

Yesterday, HBO made their interns stand outside their HQ on 42nd Street and 6th avenue and give out promotional items. They carried petitions that were either pro- or anti-vampire amendments, wore tees that either proclaimed them as members of the American Vampire League or their opposition Fellowship of the Sun.

I'm walking by and have to stop. I've read the series, have friends who read the series and of course must get free crap to give out to friends and keep. Some of the interns don't know what it's all about. They were told to stand outside, get signatures for petitions and give away said crap. So, me being me, (read overally helpful) explain the novels to them. They start telling me stories about crazy people who have berated them for being pro vampire!

I decide to take a photo of the petitioners to send to friends (see above photo). They were very funny and cool about it. Right after I take the photo, two people, a young man and a woman run over and start screaming, "What amendment? Oh god, they're real!"
Me, being stupid again, start to go into the spiel about the novels and marketing of the TV series Below is the exchange.

"No," I say,"this is an HBO series based on the books of Charlaine Harris...blah blah blah"
The guy says, "Oh they're real! It's real."
The woman looks at me and says"Well you know, it's all based on fact."
I look at her, "I said NOVEL which means fiction."
"I heard you."
Guy"Well it's all based on blood rituals"
"You know, you're both incredibly stupid."
"You just called us stupid."
"I take it back, you're both morons"
I actually clutched my head and left!!!

Of course later, I realized I should have said that my ancestors were from the Carpathian Mountains (true) and to guess my age.

DAMN!

2008-07-12T14:31:00.003-04:00

Seen on the B train in the afternoon.

Tacky purple sequined 80's after five dress worn with cheap lavender mules to shop in.

Lazy

2008-07-05T19:04:00.002-04:00

I haven't accomplished one thing today. Oh, I have my to do list and it's long. But I've been lolling about on the couch watching Mumford, 10 Things I Hate About You and soaked in the tub for an hour and read a book. Now I feel like napping! All that hard work.

I really do need to get it in gear....

Yesterday April and I went over to the 125th Street Shopping area to get pedicures. Lovely, relaxing, a bit of gossip and then the rain came. And it poured, poured, poured down all around. What's normally a 15- 20 minute walk home became a three hour ordeal as we leaped from huddling under one awning then to another as they started to seriously leak.

At one point the rain stopped and we were able to get around a corner. It started again almost immediately, so we huddled in the doorway of a shoe store. Well that figures!

Eventually it all died down to a drizzle and we slid home, we both were wearing flip flops. I had to peel my jeans off my legs; they were that soaked.

Ouch

2008-07-03T00:31:00.002-04:00

Another weekend of debauchery has passed and I am still having trouble with heels.

you'd think with all the time I spend wearing them I'd get the hang of teetering, but no. Sadly no.

Friday night a bunch of us met up at the White Rabbit in the LES http://www.whiterabbitnyc.com
to celebrate the end of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Date Auction. Oooh boy! Get a bunch of gorgeous, smart, sexy urbane New Yorkers together and we all became hard drinking, hard flirting, screaming fools.

Ever get into a drunken debate over the future of the Art World? Don't recomend it. Try saying dystopic after three vodka gimlets and get back to me on that. Got twirled around, dragged someone by their Tee, pretended to read the menu without my glasses, sat on the bar....well, you get the gist.

Saturday morning was painful.

Was supposed to go with Nadja out to the Hamptons for a Black Tie Gala, and her car decided to not cooperate. Ended up going bar hopping with someone I met at Friday night's party. Laughed my ass off repeatedly, got my heel caught in my dress, could not find my drink in one the bars we went to - in my defense it was really, really dark - and ate big fat steak fries at 3 am..

Sunday morning wasn't pleasant either.

Have created my own drink; Vodka gimlet made with lemon flavored vodka, fresh squeezed lime juice, then shaken. Lovely.

Tuesday night was Yelp Gay Night, so a bunch of people met up at Beige. We terrorized the waitress and at one point I loudly sang the good-bye song from The Sound of Music. You know, "so long, farewell..." I should not sing.

More insanity this weekend.

It's almost July

2008-06-29T22:43:00.002-04:00

my, my, my time flies by when you're wobbling around on heels!

Was it Blake who said the road to hell is paved with good intentions? Anyway, I really did mean to write about the insanity that occurred after the Verino event, but things, as always kept happening.

So tonight when I'm in the midst of doing a thousand other things, I reckon I'd stop here and at least write something to prove that I am still alive and kicking.

To recap

Went with a slew of people to Stone Rose for drinks after the afore mentioned event. One guy, who shall remain nameless simply because I don't remember his name, promptly threw up on a banquette immediately upon entering the bar. Thankfully, I was far away and didn't see the waterfall.

Went to the cocktail party for the Life Ball at the W Hotel. They had herring as an appetizer. I have nothing against herring, I just prefer it in cream sauce.

Went to another event with the inimitable Nadja at another W Hotel, this time Union Square, had lots of lovely wine and met really nice people. Had a lot of laughs and ate some wretched Indian food after.

The spot used to be one of my fav places to go, and the service has become glacially slow.

Also met someone who was rather interesting, but also really drunk...
why do I attract drunk men? It must have something to do with the glass of champagne in my hand, no? So, drunk guy calls me three weeks later after the event, and I have no recollection of him at all. Then again, he said it was a different event than the one that I attended, diff hotel name etc., and truth to tell, in New York City, three weeks is a year anywhere else.

Went to Lauren's housewarming party, she has roof access and at one point all the smokers were crowded under a tiny umbrella while lightening flashed over our heads. Most of the time all of us were tucked into her spacious living room eating and drinking a few too many brown beers. At one point we discussed the myriad ways you could eat peeps. Highly informative if a tad disgusting.

A little late in the game, I added myself to the Yelp Leukemia & Lymphoma date auction.

Sadly I was bought for wholesale prices. Next year, I'll be one of the people at the starting gate.

Realized belatedly and rather sadly, that music, which was such a compelling force in my life for so many years - I was a DJ and then a rock writer for gawd's sake, has become just one of those ancillary objects in my life. I've always been emotionally tied to music; it affects you physically, emotionally and psychologically. And yet at this juncture, I don't know who's hot, who's not etc., but I can tell you that you can get a super good copy of hot pink Jimmy Choo pink patent leather peep toes at Payless for $17.99. I guess when the focus of your writing (which is my life) changes, so does everything else. Which leads me to

What is it about writing, journalism, whatever you want to call the field or what it is that I do, so tied directly to my soul? Setting words down in an coherent order, painting a mental picture for someone, telling a tale, passing information on to other people, people I don't even know, is part of my soul. I can no longer think of not writing than I could no longer think of breathing. It just is part of who I am.

I don't think my job, my vocation defines me, but if I could no longer write articles, it would be as if I'd see the world in greyscale.

And once again, I guest lectured for Rosemary Ponzo's stylist to be class at FIT. This time around I didn't scare the students- no, it wasn't intentional- this time I walked with them through the Met Museum and talked about the superhero comic book/movie exhibit. I talked about the history of the comics, why certain colors are used for heroes and villians, how you can use color for psychological cuing when styling a film or TV show etc., and found out later that the students didn't get it. Huh? Oh well, I'll go back to terrorizing them next semester.

something to share

2008-03-07T09:44:00.003-05:00

While I am still recovering from the Roberto Verrino event the other night, I thought I would share this little video with you about the upcoming Sex And The City movie; check out the tables of shoes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvS9vjF8x3A

Steinnun Fall 08

2008-03-04T14:48:00.004-05:00

Really excellent tailoring and detail work. The basket weave effect by the hem is wonderful. Great empire waist and the color just pops at you.

This is definitely going to brighten up a winter's day.

Designed by Steinunn and presented in Milan.

Object of my desire

2008-03-03T09:44:00.004-05:00

I am so lusting after this bike. It's a limited edition Cynthia Rowley with hand painted flowers on the frame.

I'd add a wicker basket big enough to hold the wonder dog.

Brrring-brrrring!

Aftermath

2008-03-02T19:50:00.003-05:00

Last night was crazy; eight people, most near strangers having dinner at Primehouse http://eater.com/archives/2007/10/the_dish_primehouse_new_york.php
Primehouse is a large stunningly decorated- black and white, mirrors -nouveau steakhouse on Park South.

Everyone is dressed to the nines, making chit chat as we drink and get to know each other . The centerpiece of this dinner party are two people I know who I've introduced. The other six are witnesses to their first date. After two hours at the bar, we finally decide to get a table. There's much dancing on who will sit next to whom, and it ends up boy-girl-boy-girl.

We're laughing loudly, there's innumerable smoke breaks, someone orders bottle of champagne, a bottle of white appears, then something else, who can look at the menu with all this glorious chatter?

My across the table dinner partner is Dan, whom I've met before. He recently lost his grandmother, and I have recently (not as recently as Dan) lost my mother. I move over to his side of the table and we talk about non-party topics. I scoot back, everyone is playing musical chairs; one moment we're all sitting, the next... this is what happens when you get a bunch of social butterflies. Andrea brought the comic book she's working on. I impatiently wait until R's done viewing it so I can look. Oh, it's breathtaking, the artwork, the story line, it's amazing. Andrea mentions that she created a comic book so, "that all her friends can live there and have fantastical adventures."

Around 10 we finally order. The width of my steak is wider than my head. I look at it confusedly, I'm supposed to eat this? In one meal?

After dinner, it's decided that we're all going dancing. Colin's driver is woken up and the SUV is pulled around, 180 people pile in. No, not that many, but it did feel like a clown car. Blaine, who's been drinking champagne since brunch time is curled up around me, playing with my hands and crooning, "I'm the word, I'm superbr, I'm hot, I'm hot...baby if you want to find you, you gotta google me,"http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=76423635

over and over, and over, and over again.

We finally pull up to this club without a name somewhere in the L.E. S. hey, I was in the very backseat, what the hell do I know? Us back seat people were discussing different types of vodka.

We walk into the club. It's kinda small with white floors, a large bar, a raised area with a few tables and a stripper pole in a recessed niche. Hmmm, dancing!

A bunch of us danced, drank and flirtede. I left before the drama started and was home by 2:30am.

The next day, I crawl out of bed and stumble into the living room. My feet hurt because of the high heels, I can't turn my neck and my arms are sore-damn stripper pole-after downing advil, my cell rings.

"Hey PJ, I'm in my bedroom, where are you?"

"Hey Michelle! I'm in the living room, you wanna come out?"

After not seeing the roomie for, oh I don't know three or four days, we sit on the couch and re-connect. She tells me about one of her dates, "so we're walking through the park and talking. Finally,he puts one hand around my waist. Then he takes my hand. My waist is happy, my hand is happy, but he still hasn't kissed me!"

The good, the bad....you figure it out

2008-03-01T18:28:00.004-05:00

Tonight I'm attending an impromptu dinner party. The hair has been professionally blown out, the nails have been done and accessories have been bought.

Why is it that if you get your hair done it only takes a half hour? You do it yourself, it's over an hour and you've poked yourself in the eye repeatedly? Forget about doing your own nails- I can barely draw in between the lines.

Two of the party are interested in each other, I think the rest of us are just a buffer if things go south. I'm hoping that it all goes well.

So that's the good, fun and nice social news of the day.

Here's the bad, not so good, shitty news of the day.

I've just destroyed a nascent friendship with someone who I thought was rather cool. Perhaps a little obsessive- not in a good way- but funny and kindhearted.

What did I do? I blurted something out that I swore (to myself) that I would never tell her. Whoops doesn't even cover it. How about fuck fuckity fuck fuck fuck. I think that's a bit better, but doesn't really hit the depths of idiocy that I plunged myself into last night. There's not a thing I can do to rectify it either.

Last night as the snow is flinging itself around us, fucking up our hair, making our maquillage look like Tammy Faye's, we stand in a street talking. Well, I'm being talked at anyway. When I try to explain myself, I realize that I'm not being listened to, then again, if someone is angry with you, they're not going to listen to you because they're boiling over with emotions.
I then say a few things;

"Do not ascribe any emotions that I'm not feeling to me."

"Why don't you just admit what's really going on."

"This is a no win situation, I'm going home."

And you know what, I am positive I sounded like a bitch. And you know what, when someone is telling you that you ought to be feeling X, or you did something because you were feeling guilty (which I wasn't), you get bitchy.

I can be a bitch, I've been called one, also arrogant and a few other choice things. Yup, I can be that. I can and am usually the one who will take that 3 am phone call, who will meet you in the pouring rain at the cafe to hold your hand while you spill your guts out. I am a lot of things.

What I'm not is a one dimensional paper doll. Just because I may say or do one thing, don't expect me to follow the party line. I follow my own.

Speaking of following my own road, one night not too long ago I'm having drinks with someone, who apropos to nothing, turns to me and says, "I can't read you." I smile and keep drinking.

Of course you can't read me. I have no idea what your agenda is, I have no idea why you are seeking out my friendship, I have no idea what you want from me. The days when I babbled my heart's desires to almost total strangers has long since passed. Much like purple eye shadow. It's great for 12 year olds and that's about it.

You have to remember that we each view reality, if that's what it is, through our own filters of experience and emotion. And according to the ex-friend I am filled with self-importance.

If self-importance is being comfortable in your own skin, of knowing your worth, if it's having a good sense of self-esteem, than I am self-important.

As for the friendship I wrecked, what can you do? I did something very stupid and nothing in the world will fix what I've done. The onus is on me. I take responsibility for my great and stupid acts.

That anger thing

2008-02-29T16:34:00.003-05:00

I'm pissed off; I don't want to use a euphemism, and I don't want to put it delicately, but I'm pissed on so many levels.

I'm trying to decide whether or not I am angrier at myself or the other person in this equation.

I just can't stand liars.

Conundrum

2008-02-27T13:35:00.002-05:00

If i stay home to work, I find something else to do. If I go out, I worry about not doing all the piled up work. When I attempt working during the day, all I want to do is nap.

What to do, what to do, what to do???

And now for something serious

2008-02-26T12:33:00.003-05:00

I'm not usually serious here, or really anywhere for that matter. There's a lot of stuff that I keep locked away in my brain; not to be used for public consumption.

But, this is something that I decided that I wanted to share, to say out loud. Who knows, maybe it will help some one, some where...

I have BDD; that's Body Dysmorphic Disorder. It's considered to be an outgrowth for people who have dealt with an eating disorder. It doesn't matter if you were bulimic, anorexic or anything that comes under the eating disorder umbrella, if you've struggled with it, there's a chance that you'll develop BDD. Not everyone who's had an eating disorder gets it, and I think, but I haven't done research on this, but I do think it's possible to have BDD without having to pass the prerequisite course. Having struggled with anorexia for years, I'm pretty much over it now, but I've got the side effect.

What is it? It's the inability to see oneself in a true light. A lot of people with BDD obsess over a particular body part; thighs, waist, hips. In their mind, the body part is grotesquely huge and out of proportion. It's another way to hate your body.

Me? I look in the mirror, acknowledge that it's me and that's just about it. For years I have stumbled around not knowing if I was pretty, ugly, coyote ugly (you gnaw your arm off in the middle of the night to escape), stunning or average. Had a dim idea of how I looked physically, but wasn't always sure.

It's like I've spent most of my life stumbling around in the dark. Now here's the weird part, it's fashion week, I'm up early stumbling around trying to get ready to go back to the tents and look at more clothes, I'm exhausted from lack of sleep and not coordinated at all.

Tripping over 10,000 pairs of shoes that are strewn across my bedroom floor, I glance at the floor length mirror in my bedroom. I stop. I blink. I walk closer and look again.

For the first time ever, I recognize myself. For the first time I finally see what the rest of the world sees when they look at me.

I'm a freaking knockout.

And I have a pair of shoes and a rolodex that I stubbed my toe on to thank for that relevation.

Weird, huh?

I'm baaaaaaaack!

2008-02-25T15:44:00.003-05:00

I'm back. I can't swear that I am going to post everyday or not, but I'm here, live as it were on the net.

Since I write for a living, there are days when I feel like I'm going to explode if I write one more thing....hence the silence.

Quick Update-

Ivan is practically engaged- he's living with E in the Slope- haven't heard from him in a looong time.
Albert moved to Mamaroneck- is also living with his intended
Diana and Isa the wonderdog are still hanging in there
James and Tanitha are engaged.
My dog still hides when I try to groom her.

I've switched from covering music/entertainment to covering fashion and beauty. I will occasionally do something music related, only if the spirit moves me. Am going to be interviewing Sasha of Sasha and Digweed soon.

Am still living where I live.
Am now blonde and loving it.
Am still single.
Am currently looking for a new Shifu.
Am still addicted to shoes.

See, nothing changes!

Free Vodka

2006-04-03T23:42:00.000-04:00

Went to the party for Patrica Field at Capitale last night - lots of free vodka. Got the brilliant idea (at the time) to ask for a vodka gimlet in a tall glass; this equals two drinks in one.

Today it doesn't feel like it was a brilliant idea.

Ran into Michael Musto at one point, "Michael," I said, " A straight woman couldn't get laid here if she ran up a flag and screamed."

He laughed.

2004-10-08T15:20:00.000-04:00

Very sleepy--murderous thoughts about last night's shoes....will continue in a more coherent manner tomorrow

2004-10-07T15:55:00.000-04:00

Am off to a thing tonight, and as usual dragging poor Ivan with me. It's a show at Rothko--we'll be checking out a few bands and the open bar. It's very important in my line of work to know about up and coming bands the buzz, etc., Free drinks don't hurt either.

Met Andrew Cuomo yesterday. Very tall, good handshake, direct eye-contact. Seems like a nice man.

Am almost done reading "Fast Food Nation," and "Sarah Churchill Duchess of Marlborough," but still have to get through John Locke's book. It's on my bedside table, I've been switching between that and "Fast Food." I started reading "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding," while reading the bio about the Duchess because she was a fan of his, and I wanted to more fully understand her mindset. I am such a geek.

Still trying to figure out the correlations between that and my current audio obsession, Gabriel and Dresden's "Bloom" CD. It's their debut CD and indiscribably delicious. The type of aural soundscape that you must dive into and are reluctant to leave. Dance music that isn't dance, trance that rocks and beats that sing through your bones.

2004-10-06T08:26:00.000-04:00

I opened up my email this morning and found a note from the same reader who dropped the other note;

"PJ,

I read you blog entry today with much interest. Today I found you more interesting. No gloomy dead cat commentary. No Queer Eye for the Straight Guy sightings. Apparently you were energized by my e-mail. If so, thats great.

I feel like a muse. PJ, are there male muses? Or pun intended can one be an e-male muses? I like puns. Many people dont. I heard a fine author on c-span a few weeks ago say that he dislikes puns. Puns, like Jacob Cohen from Babylon, NY, a.k.a. Rodney Dangerfield, get no respect. Good old Jacob died on Tuesday.

So your distorted word was whee. And you say a discreet whee.

You write, anyone who knows you knows that there are guys attracted to a petite redhead who has problems with spatial dynamics. Tell me about you and spatial dynamics. Id like to know more. Next blog? An e-mail?

Do know about spatial dynamically challenged woman, but I too like petite. This brings me back to puns specifically homonyms. While there is no we, I know you are petite, that is you are wee and you recently experienced a discreet whee. Oui?

nycxxxx44"

It's nice to greet the morning with a laugh. It's sad about Rodney Dangerfield, he was a very funny, clever man. My mom told me once, that somehow through the New York single scene, a friend of a friend once tried to fix Mom and Rodney up. I asked what happened, she said that they talked on the phone, but she wasn't that impressed with him.

Looking back, I realize that this was right before she had gotten sick and when I thought I had all the time in the world to ask her about her life.

On a lighter note, I attempted to watch the debate last night. Three seconds into it, I started screaming at Cheney and had to leave before I started throwing things at the set.

A Vice President (I forget who, how appropo) was once quoted as saying that "The Vice Presidency isn't worth a spittoon full of warm spit." So, on that note, I did think it was funny that the VP's and VP's to be were arguing on TV. Traditionally, the VP goes to functions that the President can't make, patiently waits to step in if the President is incapacitated, and not much else. Except Cheney. Bush 2.0 is the only president who doubles as a ventriloquist's dummy, and yeah, we know who's putting words in his mouth, and pulling the strings - Cheney.

I love how Cheney discreetly mentions he's for gay rights this election. Lest we all forget, one of his daughters is gay and was the head of a gay PAC. When Cheney was elected, she was oh so discreetly paid off and flew into the woodwork. Now, when it's politically expedient, he remembers her.

Rather than go on and on about the present administration, I'm going to stop as I'm in a good mood right now and don't want to lose it. I've got an entire day to get through and want to greet it smiling.

Oh boy!

2004-10-05T13:19:00.000-04:00

I got an email from a reader of this blog that I felt like sharing with you.

"'What in the world is one to make of today's entry? I, like you, am a New Yorker. But your so-called weekend in one word which is not a word but rather is nonsense. And if anything PJ it is two words. And more importantly, it says nothing to me about our town - New York.

PJ, please explain. Either explain to me by return e-mail or in you blog. I will be reading.

nycXXXX44"

First of all, I'm delighted to get mail, so if you've been thinking about dropping me a line, go ahead. Half the time, I'm playing around here when I should be doing work, but aren't most writers great procrastinators? When I'm writing, the only time I've ever gotten mail was from my Op Eds for the New York Post. I have to say that the hate mail was fun to read. Not that I like being castigated, but the atrocious grammar and wacky assumptions were hilarious. That really was the only time I've ever gotten reader feedback from my work.

About the word I used to describe the weekend, it was the extremely elongated version of the word, "whee." That word is usually used to describe good things or something fun. I was trying to be discreet.

When I started this blog, I made a promise to myself and in print as well, that there were just certain things I would not or could not write about. I do want to live and while I can hint about certain frustrations in being a freelance writer, there's no way in hell that I'm going to name names. Same goes for my private life. Oh yeah, I can be a dating fool. Anyone who knows me, or has read this blog knows that there are guys out there who are attracted to a petite redhead who has problems with spatial dynamics. So I will write about some of my adventures. The things that my friend Ivan and I get up to sometimes can be downright silly. We become two 17 year old boys, bitching about guitars, me seriously mooning over basses, and have been known to run around Tower Records and push all the heavy metal CDs into prominence.

Back to Saturday night--I'll give the very bare bones--the very bare bones

Went to CBGB's to check out The Exit and a few other bands that were playing that night. The Exit were performing to promote the release of their New CD, "Home For An Island." I did catch part of Asobi Seksu's set and liked them. Female lead singer, plays keyboards--Raveonettes meets Blondie with nice guitar work. Exit reminds me of early U2. I'm talking from the "Boy," "October," and "War" era, before they got schmaltzy--and just to shake things up a bit, they've got some chord changes that you swore were early Police. Yeah, yeah, I know there are only so many chords to go around, but I would watch the grouping.

If you were there and saw a small woman all in black wearing silver and white boots - that was me. Anyway....something unexpected and nice happened. That's all you're going to get out from me.

Wanna do me a favor...check out my interview with Sonic Youth at UGO.com. You'll be able to watch and read it. In a few days, you should be able to watch my interview with Two Gallants and read my inerterview with the extremely swoony Gabriel and Dresden there as well.

Okay...go! Go there now!

Weekend in one word

2004-10-04T11:43:00.000-04:00

Whhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

2004-10-01T20:31:00.000-04:00

Walking down 42nd Street today, right by Grand Central Station, guess who's passing me by chatting on his cellphone? Carson Kressley that's who. Yup, a member of the Fab Five. And we've wearing the same sunglasses. I knew I had a famous twin

2004-09-30T22:51:00.000-04:00

Not much going on right now, but I thought I had better write something before anyone thought I was kidnapped by aliens.

Have re-sent out query for book, and am getting amazing responses this time around. Same query as last time--better class of agents :)

It's beginning to get colder, and not thrilled about that.

Worried about finances--who isn't? Checks are late and of course had an...hmmm...can't really say, can I? Well, I will say had a bait and switch recently...completed a piece and found out (natch!) after it was sent in, that they're going to pay me less than they said they would. Oh yeah, they want me to write more for them.....can you guess my answer?

There are days when I wish I had a majic lamp or parents that I could go to if I needed them. Oh well, what can you do?

2004-09-28T01:00:00.000-04:00

The weekend, like every weekend was too short. Went out with Ivan and Janis Saturday night. Started at a dive bar in the financial district and ended up in the (where else) east village. I'm too tired for caps, okay. Sunday was spent doing an editorial test and not much else. I should be working now, but have had a bit of wine (pinot grigio) and am here wasting time. Oh well, time to walk the dog.

2004-09-25T01:04:00.000-04:00

The weather was glorious today, breezy, not too hot and lots of lovely sun. Perfect for running around and doing errands. I was everywhere, Upper East Side, Midtown and then the Village. I felt like taking advantage of the weather and grabbing a bite to eat at a sidewalk cafe. Pretty soon it's just going to get too cold to sit and watch the sidewalk parade. Found a place on MacDougall, a restaurant that's been around forever, "The Olive Tree." Relaxed, ate my burger, read my biography of Sarah Churchill, eavesdropped on a couple sitting next to me; she-"you know there's a lot of things about you I don't like either." He-unintelligible and lots of nodding. She-"this is great hot borscht." He-nods more. She-"You know I don't think I'm cut out for relationships". Then they continue to eat.
Anyway, I'm finished ad look for the waiter, he finally shows up and I ask for the bill. Another year goes by and he returns with it, then rushes off. When he deigns to come outside again, I give him my credit card. An insane amount of time passes. I get the couple to watch my packages and go inside to find out what's taking so long. Guess what he's doing? Having lunch with friends.

I'm back, I think!

2004-09-21T23:18:00.000-04:00

I'm back. It's not that I wanted to stop blogging or anything like that at all. It's just that I'd sit there, and start remembering that when I wrote half of those posts, Sinatra was alive. And it hurt. After he died, I dropped 15 pounds in a week. Since I am only five foot two and a half (yes the half inch counts) 15 pounds made me look like a refugee. Did I mention that I was also smoking my brains out???

Yeah, it took awhile for me to start feeling like me. But I'll never forget the night I had to leave him in ICU at the Emergency Hospital. I came home and standing in the kitchen, I heard him scream. It was the most wretched feeling on earth. I have to stop this train of thought, I'm crying and that's not good for the contacts.

Let's get onto something silly. Celebrity sightings---two weeks ago, I'm wandering around the West Village and who do I see on Christopher Street enjoying the street fair? Alan Cummings. Okay, I could have screamed. I looked at him, making very sure that he didn't notice me and them scampered away.

During the summer I watched Richard Dreyfus being filmed walking down West 4th Street and a few weeks ago, they filmed part of the TV show "Rescue Me" three blocks from my house.

Interviewed Sonic Youth, Two Gallants and Gabriel and Dresden. If you'd like to see the interviews (they were filmed) check out UGO.com The SY and Two Gallants are VOD or video on demand interviews. You don't see me at all.

Saw Armin Van Buuren spinning--religious experience, okay.

Had very few dates. Yeah me, not really dating. Stop laughing.

These were my horrid dates:

1) Date number one got a phone call from his Mum and had to go home. I'm not kidding (said mum as he's a Brit).
2) Date number two tried to pick a bar fight in Pianos, kept egging on a drunk guy. Then date calls the police and pretends to be the victim
3) Date number three--well we actually had two good dates, he asked me out for a third and I actually said yes (shut up all ready) He blew me off. I deleted his number from my cellphone. A week later, he calls because he was fired and could I help him get another job.

So, I've been laying low. Under the radar. And at my height that's easy.

I also have (gasp) a dog. Me, with a dog. This is what happened. Almost a month after Sinatra died I was being pressured to get another kitty from friends. Personally I thought it was too soon. I mean if a relative dies, do you run to KMart and immediately buy another? I was surfing on the net and saw that a rescue league was looking for foster parents. I thought about all the wonderful people who helped me with Sinata, all of those compassionate souls and thought that I'd take care of an animal in honor of them and Sinatra. I called, went through a bunch of interviews, was deemed sane and was told that I was going to get a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel named Ocean. What I got was a Brittany Spaniel with an unclipped tail who has serious separation anxiety. I promptly renamed her Sophie. After bringing her to Union Square to show her off to respective parents and telling them that she was a special needs child. Did I mention she had very special needs? She's special dammmit. I adopted her.

The only thing I can say about Sophie is that if she had opposable thumbs, the world would be in serious danger.

Here are some of her escapades.

To get even with me for some imagined slight, she pooped on my Prada tee, Helen Wang Dress and ate my Christian Dior stilletoes. Mind you, she ignored all the inexpensive stuff and went right for the high ticket items.

I collect vintage hats. I had a lovely vintage cocktail hat from the 40's. It was made of red feathers. You wore it cocked over one eye. I had it hanging in the hallway of my apartment. Over five feet off the ground. I come home one day and there's feathers everywhere. Half of the couch is covered with feathers and there's feathers all over the floor. I stumble to the couch, screaming. "oh no! Oh no!" Look down and what do I see? Sophie had taken the dustpan out of the kitchen and put it (right side up) on top of what was left of the hat on the couch.

I run out to get mail and leave Sophie behind. I come back and Sophie is curled up on the couch watching TV. No, she didn't turn it on, I left it on for her. Next to her is a bag of pasta with a neat slit down the top, she's picking them out like popcorn. While I was gone, she opened one of the food cabinets, gently grabbed the bag, took it to the couch and you know the rest.

I come home one day and she's taken my makeup bag out of the bathroom and opened it up on the couch. Fanned out next to her are the contents. They weren't chewed or destroyed. I think if I had come home an hour later, she would have put some on. I grab the stuff and put it away. I have to go out again. I come back and she's done the same thing with my toolkit (I leave my tools--I think I have three-in a bag).

Scary, huh

2004-06-22T21:42:00.000-04:00

Sinatra right after he became ill with diabetes

2004-06-21T22:30:00.000-04:00

Why haven't I been blogging? I've been mourning. Grieving for a loved one who died.

On May 17th, between the hours of 7 and 8 PM, at the New York City ASPCA Hospital I had to authorize the euthanization (read kill) my cat Sinatra.

Even now as I write this, I am in pain and crying. I watched the Doctor adminster the dosage that would take him away from the pain, away from life and away from me. This was the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life.

He was my best friend. For twelve years he shared my life; through all it's ups and downs. He lived with me when I was homeless, moved with me back to New York City. Made me laugh, kept my secrets, and showed me boundless love, he was my family.

The previous Saturday I brought him to the Vet--when you're cat is diabetic, you must have frequent visits. He had lost another pound and the Vet was concerned that he wasn't getting enough insulin. She wanted me to increase the dosage. I followed her directions and the next day, he became brittle I think is the only way to describe it. Lethargic, sad, quiet. I called emergency vets and followed their directions. Took him to one emergency vet where they told me he could be fixed up, only fork over $3000 immediately. When I explained that I didn't have that in my back pocket, the vet on call said I really should put him to sleep. I thought that Vets had compassion, that they went into medicine to save lives, no, they don't they're in it for a buck and it's the dollar bill not life they care about.

I won't go into the agont of writing about having to put him in ICU, not being able to see or comfort him, going home blinded by tears and hearing him meow at home, when he was in the Vets.

I am plagued by doubts of what I could have done or should have done. Am upset that I'm not filthy rich and could have saved him. I miss my sweet boy. I miss my Sinatra.

He was my world.

2004-05-06T00:29:00.000-04:00

Meg and I were walking around complaining. She yelled out she was "munchy." I yelled back that I was "bloated." We looked at each other and I said,"You realize that we're the dwarves that Snow White never talked about."

Run like the wind

2004-05-04T00:30:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I was plodding along writing and felt trapped in my room. I decided to break out and get something, anything from the kitchen. I step into the hallway and am confronted by a giant bug. It was as big as Mothra. So, I do what any self-respecting female does in that situation; I scream my bloody head off. So it charges me. I keep kicking it back and it's rearing up at me. Very bad horror movie. I screw up my courage and leap both feet on it, screaming, "die warpig die!" I hear a terribly squishy crunchy sound crackling under my feet.

I was afraid to move. I stood there thinking that the minute I lift my shoes off the behemoth, it'll go for my jugular. The cat stared at me, shook his head and stalked away.

2004-05-01T22:13:00.000-04:00

Quick escape from transcribing....I'm hiding out here for a minute or two. Anyways, forgot to mention as I was stomping home this week from a club (one of the shows I attended in NYC) I passed a couple standing by railing of a subway entrance. I should say the girl was leaning against the railing and the guy was encircling (or trapping her). She kept moving her head to the side, trying to avoid his, and I hear him say, "Oh c'mon, I'm not the first guy you've kissed."

Idiot award to her for not kneeing him in the balls.

Idiot award to him for saying that phrase out loud.

Two desperate people on a weeknight.

2004-04-30T12:53:00.000-04:00

It's Friday and I've got worked piled up, yet am having problems getting motivated. This probably explains why I'm here instead of transcribing interview tapes.

Checked out Bulldog the other night at Southpaw in Brooklyn. Got there fine, watched the show, the band has a blues rock flavor that called to mind an updated version of The Band, Buffalo Springfield with a lot of southern rock/blues thrown in. Not my particular cup of musical tea, but that genre is like a lot of the other 70's music that's coming back. There is a resurgence of 70's musical sensibilities right now. I guess we're done mining the late 80's early 90's for musical influences. Bulldog is a tight band, they've a strong stage presence and will probably do very well.

When I left the club, made one of my fabulous wrong turns and got amazingly lost. I'm the only person trotting about Brooklyn--streets were deserted--have a couple of beers, so I'm also loopy. This is not a winning combo when you want to go home and have no clue where you are. I knew I was somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere but that was about it. Finally found a subway. I wanted to jump for joy when I saw the giant blue "M," wrong subway and yup, took me two hours to get home. Did I mention that when I took the right subway to the club it only took me 45 minutes?

Next time I leave Manhattan, I'm leaving a string trail to backtrack my way home.

Nothing new on the boy front, except that when it comes to boys lately, I'm irritated with the gender in general. As much as I enjoy them, they befuddle me, annoy me and make me want to start wishing for a third sex to deal with instead of them.

It's not that I don't enjoy being single, I do enjoy it. I vaguely remember what it was like to be in a relationship and have to "check in" with someone before you did something on your own, with friends etc., and the feeling of being yoked into something always made me feel a tad antsy. Yeah, I know you have to compromise when you're involved with someone, but the idea of saying, "honey I'm going to do..." Made me feel that I was back in grade school and had to get permission to go to the loo. I like autonomy.

I'm not one of those girls who feel lost without a boyfriend. I do think I'd enjoy being involved with someone.

I'm just a bit cranky today and feel very curmudgeonly right now.

Possibly has to do with a boy who insisted I go to a show this week and then didn't bother to show up. Okay, I wouldn't do that to a friend, or an acquaintance or if you think about anybody. That's just too damn rude. Dumb me, thought we were friends too. Yeesh. And I know if I bump into said boy a week or two from now, boy will act as if nothing ever happened. Whereas, I'd have fantasies of smacking him over the head with something or dumping a drink on said boy's head.

If this was a girl type friend instead of a boy type friend, I think I'd do what I'm doing now--that's just writing them off my list of people I know.

Why is it that no matter how old you get, you still have that lingering feeling of high school?

Did get a postcard from Ivan and Roxanne from Dollywood! Yay!

Am off to a CD release party tonight with Katy. Should be fun.

The rest of the day and weekend is writing, writing, writing.

It's not that many letters!

2004-04-28T13:03:00.000-04:00

Have spent the day (so far) working on pitches etc., for work. Went over to the Chicago Tribune website and the article I was interviewed for is finally in print. My name is spelled wrong. But, this is a first! You see for the first time ever, they spelled my last name correctly. This time my first name was spelled wrong. In the piece I'm PG Gach. Usually they add a zillion letters to my last name, not screw up the first.

Oh well.

2004-04-25T16:58:00.000-04:00

It's Sunday, and I'm freezing. It's so damn cold. We will never have spring. We're in a nuclear winter and some one forgot to tell us.

Yeah, I know we've got electricity. I'm thinking, they figured out a way to shield all electronics from the aftermath of the IMP.

Am just cranky because there's no sun.

FEH!

The joys of insomnia

2004-04-24T02:19:00.000-04:00

Ugh, ugh, ugh, that's all I can say. Made the mistake of napping this afternoon and now at the glorious hour of 2 am something I'm wide awake.

Let's see what's been going on...

Today, I filmed, yes I said that word filmed my interview with Sonic Youth. Well, I mean I personally didn't film it. I think to do that I would have had to clone myself etc., but...let's try this again...today I interviewed Lee Renaldo and Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth in their studio on Murray Street. It was a filmed interview that will be aired by UGO.com close to the release of the bands' newest release Sonic Nurse. Yeah, that does sound better, doesn't it.

See, insomnia screws up your linguistics and syntax. You won't see neither hide nor hair of me, you'll only hear my voice asking questions and the guys will be answering them.

I fell in love with their board. It's about the size of my bedroom and to paraphrase Thomas Dolby, "All those tubes and wires!" WOW.

Came home and the DSL was back up. Yes, I forgot to mention that my computer crashed yesterday! Yup. Got invaded by a nasty trojan (am thinking of a wee virus wearing either a helmet or a condom) screwed up my computer and then the DSL link went down. Of course it completely screwed up my work schedule for the day and I had some last minute questions I wanted to research and of course I couldn't. Got the stupid computer to work after much wrangling with it.

Screamed at the DSL people for awhile. Panicked for even longer, then suddenly remembered at nine at night that I could go online the old fashioned way via dial up.

It's so easy to get spoiled and forget the way you did things back in the stone age.

Will be interviewing an up and coming actor for a Cali based mag in early May. Issue will be out in August. His movie is coming out July 23rd. That's it for hints. Feel like being mysterioso.

The wondercat has become Kate Moss. That's what I keep telling him. I've been trying all sorts of diabetic cat food on him, he fell in love with a certain type, so I bought ten cans. May I add that ten cans of cat food is equivialent to a steak dinner for moi? Boy, does he eat well. I cough up this money and now he won't eat it.

So, I've taken to calling him Kate Moss. The vet's worried that he's going to become anorexic. Yes, cats can do that if they don't like the food. If he thinks that I'm going to buy him a boa, he's got another thing coming. After hearing him whine for hours, I broke down and gave him his old favorite and baked chicken, just to keep him quiet.

There's got to be trick somewhere out there that will make him like and eat the food that he's got to deal with, I just need to figure it out.

Ivan, Roxanne and Janis are off to Dollywood, TN and Texas. I've demanded that they send me Dollywood postcards. They're also going to check out Sun Studios in Memphis, TN. I hope they can check out Beale Street.

It times like these when I wish I still had my car. Would love to throw a suitcse in back and just roar off into the sunset for a weekend, with the car pointed in any old direction.

Bloomies is opening up in SOHO this Saturday. It's not going to be in a huge space, but Katie and I are going to check it out and see if they have any first day goodies. I keep repeating to myself, "I'm going to be good. I'm going to be good."

I have to be, I've got stuff that I haven't even worn, it's still in bags.

I should write a novel about shopaholics, no wait, it's been done.

No adventures planned for this weekend, just writing.

I will behave. I will behave. I will behave. I will behave. I will behave. I will behave. I will behave. Damn, I hope so!

My hair! My hair!

2004-04-21T23:00:00.000-04:00

Am going to keep this short, in the middle of doing some research for an interview I'm doing Friday--will tell more later

Yesterday, I went with Ivan to keep him company while he got his hair cut. I'd promised him an ice cream cone AND a lollipop for afters. He's had long hair for a zillion years, and decided to cut it. But, and I repeat, but not too short.

We went to this place in SOHO, he'd heard some good things about it, sat down in the chair, talked to the stylist, showed the pic, the whole 9 yards. She said she got it--layers, kinda long, kinda short, but enough length so he could wear a pony tail if he wanted to. I sat there and watched. In the beginning all went well, She started making layers, locks of hair went flying about the place, it started to look like it was getting shaped, but long...and then, and then, and then, and then, and then---we think she went a bit nutty and PHOOM! It's short Okay, the back skims his shoulders, but the hair really isn't layered at all, and it's waaay shorter than he wanted.

I think she heard the word band, and gave him an alt.rock boy look regardless of what he said. Ivan wasn't happy.

You should have seen the two of us careening around SOHO afterwards. Every few seconds Ivan would stop ranting, raise his head to the sky and scream. Me, I'm running after him on my short legs, saying, "Dude...dude...dude...."

WHen he started in on how he wanted to punch out a wall until his hands bled, I put up my palms and said, "punch this, you're not gonna hurt yuor hands."

So, he starts laughing and I said, "Excuse me, I played ice hockey, I'm tough."

We walked/ran through SOHO back to the West Village. I promised him that there's stuff on the market that will make his hair look good. I reminded him that it will grow back, and then I bought him a beer. He does look good, but he's miserable without his locks. Roxanne, his girlfriend is also really upset.

Too bad you can't glue on the hair that falls on the floor.

Boy do I know how he feels. I've got long hair and getting your hair cut, even in NYC, is a crapshoot. I went to one place, I was supposed to get layers, I got a mullet. It was a couple of months wearing barrettes before I stopped looking like a reject from the 80's.

Why do stylists pretend they're listening to you? Why do they have their own agenda in mind and not their clients? We should get together and steal their scissors. Hide them where they can never find them.

Oh boy!

2004-04-19T01:00:00.000-04:00

So many things, so little time. I don't even know where to start...Let's see a little after I wrote my last entry (the one about Bush) I ended up running to the Hamptons on assignment. Damn it was cold! Too cold to smoke a cigarette outside and at one point I was running on a beach. Slept in flannel pajamas (with sheep leaping about), my coat, socks, everything and was still cold. Wrote about where "young hollywood" frolics when they're out there during season.

Finished up another cosmetic review--became addicted to liquid eyeliner, lavender eyeshadow and lip gloss.

R. moved to Cali, off to write about stuff out there...

Saw Crystal Method at Webster Hall, finally! The last three times they were in NYC, I was guestlisted, but had snafus at the last moment. Great show, ended up munching on tomatoes back stage, hung out with Ivan and Roxanne at Beauty Bar, got silly and met a man who claimed he was with FUSE. This does get better, as we were chatting and I was being my "oh can you name this song/artist" snarky self, talked about auditioning for channel. Well, that could be neat, right? I mean, think of all the fun you could have catching the wave in music, doin interviews etc., and um, of course shoes...gee golly, wee and wow...never got the call. Your guess as to whether or not he was for real, am laughing as I wrote that last line.

Had a date-ate, drank champagne, laughed-done

Got called a silly name in a comment when I wrote about Bush. I love how conservatives like to use the word liberal as if it was a smear against your ancesters. To them, being liberal (which I think is open minded) is the worst possible crime against humanity. It's funny how they equate reporters/journalists/writers with being "leftish." Well, I'd rather be in full possesion of my facts than be an Ann Coulter, who makes things up and doesn't respond when questioned about it.

Watched a bit of the Bush press conference, but laughed so hard I had to turn the channel. As the magazine (Newsweek) said, this is another Viet Nam.

I'm not even going to get into political writing now, it's very late and if I start, I'll get so pissed off I'll be writing for hours and furious at the same time. Who knows how many typos I'll inflict on the planet, let alone what nightmares I may bring onto myself.

My cat Sinatra has been diagnosed with diabetes. That whole deal is frightening. I've had him since he was just six weeks old. He's lost weight and the Vet and I are trying to get him to eat. After the first time I took him to the Vet (an emergency visit) I came home and couldn't stop crying. He was a trooper throughout the entire mess. I'm now injecting him once a day with three units of insulin, but we have no idea if that's going to work, or if the doses will have to be upped or what. He's a picky eater and hated what he had to eat. The vet did say that he could have hummus twice a week and unspicy chicken--yes I have a cat who also likes tomatoes, pepperoni and anything Italian, but he's got to stick to his diet, which is food for diabetic cats (looks like bad pate) and baby food. He hates it. I'll mix in a bit of regular cat food in the mess and he picks out the reg cat food. He's worse than an anorexic model.

Have somehow become the photographer of Ivan's band The Loosies. I must bug him for the URL of the site and link it here. You know how it is when you go to see a friend's band, you're more nervous about what you'll say to him afterwards than what you're going to see. Okay, I was blown away by them and I'm a pretty jaded individual. They're a curiousm,delicious and fun mixture of power pop and punk. The lyrics seep into your brain, and you find yourself humming the song a few hours later.

Oh yeah, and I FINISHED and I do mean finished the book. All 40,000 words of it. DAMN. It's sitting on the dining room table waiting to be mailed. I'm scared to let it leave the house. What if it doesn't look both ways before it crosses the street? What if it steals other manuscripts milk money?

Since I've all ready sent an email that it's on its way, I think this means that I have no choice but to let it go off into the world by itself.

Got into an argument with someone over my height. I know I'm 5 2 1/2 and they kept inisisting that I was taller. It's just that I have a big mouth, the volume makes me seem bigger.

Keep one eye open for Wednesday's Chicago Tribune. I'm in it. Oh it was so weird being an interviewee instead of an interviewer. Not to mention a photo shoot! They shot me shopping at the MAC store in SOHO and getting a makeover. God knows what photos they're going to use. I just hope I look human.

Better go and get some rest. Errand day, I have to go to the Post Office and mail off the (gulp) book and write pitches etc.,

2004-04-13T07:39:00.000-04:00

I really am alive! It's been crazy and I will post soon.
I promise!

2004-03-07T20:37:00.000-05:00

I'm just lovin' how this election year is starting.

It's nice to see how compassionate Bush is towards his constituents. I mean he's airing an ad where he's capitalizing on the 9/11 tragedy. Relatives and survivors alike emphatically tell him that the ad is in extremely bad taste and they're horrified by it. What does the president who looks exactly like Curious George do? Tells them tough nuggies and continues to run it.

States are rebelling the Patriot Act. It's been proclaimed as anti-constitutional etc., and some states like Oregon are ignoring it. It's up for renewal.

Gay Marriage? Bush wants to add an amendment against it. He can't even control his daughters and he's going to tell the rest of the country how to live.

let us not forget the weapons of mass destruction. Where are they? In my closet.

Does anyone remember that the administration decided not to use the job growth figures because they were amazingly poor?

The race hasn't officially started and he's doing just dandy.

All I can say for him is to keep up the good work. No smear campaign needed, he's burying himself.

********

On the home front, my cat has been on a rampage. From the first night R. came over, he's been in a snit. Sinatra has stopped sleeping in my bed. No kitty cuddles anymore for moi.

For the past two weeks, he's been shitting in the tub (on and off) just to make me crazy.

The piece de resistance? Yesterday he went into one of my closets and out of all the shoes in there, decided to pee on my manaolos and my chanel flats. Left all the cheap shoes alone. He then wandered into the other closet and shat on one boot. Did I mention that they were my favorites?

He's been barred from entering my bedroom. I'm terrified that he'll pee on my down comforter.

******

It's a full moon and running around town with Katie last night proved to me that yes, the crazies do get worse when the moon is perfectly round. Went to Karma. It was so dark inside that I got vertigo--I couldn't figure up from down. The cocktail waitress was selling lollipops.

Tried d/b/a. Walk in and it's packed. Some chick has draped herself over two barstools, is posing with a wineglass in one hand. Was it any wonder that no one went near her.

Hit Lit. It's so packed that they now have stair nazis. One on the top and one on the bottom. The bottom nazi tells you when it's safe to walk up the stairs and the top nazi tells you to hold onto the railing. They're also limiting how many people can go into the basement.

Does this mean it's time to find another home?

Some loud chick was wandering around (in the back room) with a plastic bag that had a piece on her in some middle tier music mag. She's was tryin' to really work it. Every time she bent over, you could see her shiny spandex beige granny pants peeking waaay over her jeans.

Granny pants, when you really want to say no.

2004-03-05T01:44:00.000-05:00

Shit, it's Friday, isn't it? I seem to have a problem with time. It sluices through my hands like water.

I'm the only person I know who never remembers birthdays, anniversaries or the correct day of the week.

Went out Saturday night to see Ivan play in a band. He's now hooked up with two of them. Boy is determined to hit the stage before he hits his dotage. Me, I'd just like to be able to sing on key.

Band is The Loosies, they played two songs as part of the Lou Reed Tribute at Freddy's Back Room in Brooklyn. Afterwards, we all piled into the Jimmy, headed back to Billyburg and proceeded to drink. We stopped in one bar where the bartender didn't know how to make any type of a drink. So I ended up with a greyhound that had four shots of vodka in it. Wobbled into another bar, where, be still my heart, we could smoke! I'll never reveal the name. Actually, I can't remember how we got there, the name or any other identifying detail.

I do remember sitting on Ivan's couch insisting that I had to go home or my cat would pee on the bed and asking repeatedly why the walls were spinning when I was sitting up. Fell asleep with boots off, socks on and woke up with my belt almost by my nose. Sleeping in tights sucks.

Very slowly made my way home. Spent the entire day on the couch. I couldn't move if I wanted to and actually watched masses of TV.

It's been so long since I've gone out--if it's really cold, I won't leave the home. I hate the cold and doubly hate dressing up like the pillsboury doughboy. Yeah, I am a wuss.

The hunt for the literary agent continues. Am thinking about investing in a very large butterfly net and stalking them in the streets.

Exhausted.

Good night

2004-02-25T16:57:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I got an email from another agent interested in the book. AMAZING!

Today I got a phone message from one of the Monday agents, and I called him back.

I knew the call wasn't going to go well when the agent informed me that he thought I was a man because I had written a "confident query letter." Yes folks those were his words.

No Pants Day is May 7th

2004-02-23T19:29:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not making the headline up, go to the website yourself www.nopantsday.com http://www.nopantsday.com/ I'm not sure if I'm ready to see subway cars full of men wearing their boxers or tighty whiteys on their way to work.

And in other news...Sunday before SATC I sent off e-queries to a few literary agents about my book and I almost broke out in hysterics when I saw not one but two emails from agents. If I was the coordinated sort, I would have done cartwheels. Being me, I accidentally walked into a wall instead. I've been bouncing around so much my hair is beginning to look like Einstein's.

I've also been told by my nearest and dearest to stay the hell away from coffee tonight.

As it is, I think I could jog to Mars and back but that would mess up NASA's budget.

EEK! EEEK! EEEK! Yes, it's me screaming into the Internet.

More Mel BS

2004-02-21T11:04:00.000-05:00

Look what wandered into my email inbox:

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Why must I own this? What's the point of all of this anyway? As the movie gets closer and closer to the theatres, the firestorm is heating up and who knows what havoc it will unleash? I'm sure that there are certain factions on this planet that want to beatify Mel right now. I'm pretty sure that there are many people who wouldn't mind if he just fell off the face of the earth.

I'm thrilled to death that when Mel had his drinking etc., problems that he turned to religion and it helped him get off that track. I just don't want and don't need to have his personal views thrust down my throat.

As an aside, I'm often highly amused when people abbrogate any responsibility for their life and use religion (of any sort) to make their decisions for them.

Wusses.

2004-02-20T18:30:00.000-05:00

Found another fun site to while away time instead of working, it's called Draw your Boss http://www.drawyourboss.com/ People send in nasty pictures (anonymously of course) of the bosses who are torturing them.

In a work related note, have stopped fiddling about with the bloody damn proposal. It's done, finished, kaput. And yes, I've actually written my query letter. Whew! Can I get a hey nonny na! I'm a writer, I am supposed to be able to marshall all the words that I need in any way that I can use them, right? Ha! It's easy as hell to write about anything except when it comes to your own work.

I have hated this entire process. It's been like heaving my guts out onto a table, rearranging them and then throwing it out into the winds. Yes gods do I have a headache. Now the next step, acquiring an agent and selling the book.

Right now I feel as if I've done the hardest part. I do realize that the agent part and the selling part is harder, but thank god it's done.

I can breathe now.

2004-02-19T17:20:00.000-05:00

I really need to go offline, but I keep coming across websites where you can have fun wasting time, like this one from National Geographic. They've got a crittercam. Just pick an animal and you can watch it swim, fly, eat and flirt. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/channel/crittercam/

2004-02-19T17:10:00.000-05:00

talk about hungry! Just came across this headline, "Black hole rips apart star." Yeee! Here's the story if you're curious http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1540&ncid=1540&e=7&u=/afp/20040219/sc_afp/us_space_040219074629

2004-02-19T17:02:00.000-05:00

Due to an up coming movie and a movie star/director's father shooting off his mouth and spouting some very scary lies, it might be a good idea to check out this site I found. The art and politics of Athur Szyk http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/szyk/Syk was an artist who escaped Nazi Germany and used his art to make the world aware of Hitler's atrocities.

Now might be the time for some remedial viewing.

2004-02-19T16:24:00.000-05:00

I saw a man walking a dog today. What was special about that? The dog had sneakers on his paws.

2004-02-19T10:18:00.000-05:00

It's never going to get warm.

We're in the midst of a nuclear winter and someone forgot to tell us.

A little ebay crazy

2004-02-19T01:32:00.000-05:00

2004-02-15T20:31:00.000-05:00

In a heroic act of unselfishness, today my sister rescued five orphaned pairs of shoes and took them home.

I envy her compassion.

2004-02-15T14:56:00.000-05:00

Oh yeah--here's the link to my top ten CDs of the year for the Village Voice critic poll. If you feel like arguing wing off a comment

http://www.villagevoice.com/specials/pazznjop/03/critic.php?criticid=3021&poll_year=2003&type=A&keyword=

2004-02-15T09:02:00.000-05:00

A little bit of music news for anyone craving info.....

Judas Priest has Metalogy (Sony/Legacy Recordings)boxed set that will be released May 4. $ CD's with 65 cuts. It's in a spiffy metal studded box.
More information www.judaspriest.com

Alanis Morrisette's new release So-Called Chaos (Maverick) in stores May 18. The first single/video from the disc is Everything You'll be able to start hearing it March 23.

Thin Lizzy is touring! They're on the road as a headliner and will also be appearing with Deep Purple. They hit the road March 5th. Want more information? www.coallierentertainment.com

The Vines new CD Winning Days (Capitol) is going to the streets March
23 and they start their North American tour March 11th. Check out www.thevines.com for dates.

Local H new release Whatever Happened to PJ Soles? out April 6th and they head out on tour the next day. Curious about dates? www.localh.com

Blender mag has an article in their new mag that claims to know when your fav rocker is going to die Check out the piece http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0211rockers-mag11-ON.html

Th-th-that's all for now.

2004-02-15T02:43:00.000-05:00

Saw a cute little short on IFC Sparks. Unfortunately it opens with a shot of the twin towers. I automatically cringed, preparing myself for a horrorshow. That was dumb, the flick was obviously (as I found out later) made pre 9/11. Just a short about the goings on in an apt. building.

I've got this pavlovian response whenever I see the towers in film now.

I miss them.

2004-02-13T19:28:00.000-05:00

This is too weird, was on the 'net again and found a photo of Miss Piggy imitating Janet Jackson Click on this, www.jrgach.com then scroll down. Odd thing, It's on a radio DJ's site, guy has same last name-a JR Gach--no relation although I do find it funny because I used to be a radio DJ.

Speaking of significant others

2004-02-13T00:34:00.000-05:00

Was wobbling about the Internet and came across this site theytookeverything.com It's for that person you know who got cleaned out when they broke up with, as Mad William Flint says, "insignificant other."

There's even a place where you can register for goodies, just like a (gasp) bridal registry.

Earlier today came across a news story where Mel Gibson was quoted as saying that as much as he loves his wife, it's sad to know that she's going to go hell because she's an Episcopalian. Wonder who's going to be sleeping on the couch tonight? I wish I could find the link to that story.

Do you think Mel may use that site in the future?

2004-02-09T21:45:00.000-05:00

Doing the errand thing today and couldn't help but eavesdrop on the couple walking behind me.

She: What do ya wanna be friends with her for?

He: She's a nice person...

She: Yeah but it's a she...

He: She's nice okay? She listens to me, y'know we just talk, we're just friends okay?

She: No, not okay...She's a girl!

He (louder):Look, you just keep on going all right? Okay? Just keep on walking. I'm going in here (opens door to store) Just get away from me.

He runs inside the store. She stands outside, finishes her cigarette and walks in.

Classic case of not listening. Well it's a classic case of not listening and letting your own insecurities rule your life.

I think if we actually listened to what the other person said, rather than listen only to ourselves, life, sex and relationships would be much easier.

Or to put it into a different context, if we all really listened to Bush, instead of getting caught up in the glamour of his ads, he would never have become president.

2004-02-08T18:03:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. If anyone is thinking about getting me a stuffed animal...Don't. Put it back on the shelf and slowly walk away. Good, this way no one gets hurt.

A friend of mine sent me a link to the anti Valentine Day Card website http://www.meish.org/vd/ Check it out.

2004-02-08T01:13:00.000-05:00

I'm supposed to be writing and I'm here. Well I've been everywhere else on the Internet, TV etc., and am hoping that this might give me the jumpstart to do some real work.

Maybe

Maybe not.

I have to write

Ugh

I must

Yeah well if I don't write, I can't buy shoes. I just love having an argument with myself. The only good thing about it is that I win. Can you imagine having an argument with yourself and losing?

Tried to watch the Grammies pre-show and just couldn't deal with it, much less the award show. I rarely watch award shows on TV. They take forever to get to the good stuff and I don't really care what people are wearing to them. In real life how often are you gonna sashay down the street and into the subway in a $4000 dress?

I'll post some music news......

Chris Vrenna who's a founding member of Nine Inch Nails has Robert Smith (The Cure), Johnny Marr, David Sylvain (ex-Japan),Will Oldham, Hamilton Leithauser from The Walkmen, Mellowdrone, and Jennifer Charles from Elysian Fields doing guest bits on his Tweaker 2 a.m. Wakeup Call release (Waxploitation/iMusic). www.tweaker.net , www.waxploitation.com and www.imusic.com for more information.

Josh Todd (former singer of Buckcherry) has a new band. It's called..... JOSH TODD--Josh (vocals), Jesse Logan (guitars), Mike Hewitt (guitars), Mark John (bass) and Kent Ross (drums)—debut album, YOU MADE ME, March 9 (Todd entetainment/XS Records)

The Soul of John Black have released their self-titled debut album on No Mayo Records and will be performing 2/27 at Joe's Pub 425 Lafayette St., NYC 212-539-8776. Their single Scandalous, (no. 9) wasnamed one of NPR's Best Songs of 2003; All Songs Considered and The Wall Street Journal have them in their ROck & Pop Top 10 List.

The Soul Of John Black is guitarist/vocalist John Bigham and bassist Chris Thomas. Blender says "the acoustic serenade 'Time' (Losing My Mind)" sends a hundred magic fingers down your spine" and Interview Magazine boasts "Old-school funk pulses through this debut...the results are spine-tingling."

The band has played and collaborated with such high-profile artists as Miles Davis, Fishbone, Macy Gray, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Betty Carter, Harry Connick, Jr., Joshua Redman, Daniel Lanois and many others. Don't miss the band Spin Magazine says "Sublime's Brad Nowell hears in heaven."

To hear music, watch a behind-the-scenes video or download photos, please visit: www.thesoulofjohnblack.com

Moments In Grace are touring now. Download the These Days Will Fade EP (including artwork) and check for touring dates at: www.absolutepunk.net or www.momentsingrace.com.

I had better get cracking--stuff to do....

Boob Pic

2004-02-05T17:08:00.000-05:00

Okay for anyone who wants to see the Janet Jackson boob pic click here.http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20040203/capt.sge.grb51.030204063228.photo01.default-252x384.jpg
This was just a wardobe malfunction, it happens all the time. The entire issue is getting to be insane, now MTV is blaming Miss J for the whole deal, when she said ahead of time that she was planning on a "shocking" move during the half time show. Hey, didn't Justin and Janet date for awhile? Maybe this was his revenge? Seriously, you see more boobage on regular and cable TV on any given day. And I think the reason why most people watch cheerleaders is to see if they'll fall out of their costumes. I mean the tops of them are teeny weeny. Some I swear can only be found under an electron microscope.

2004-02-03T17:47:00.000-05:00

The good news is that I've finally got the comment feature to work. The question is, will I get any? Only time will tell.

I've gotten a few emails concerning the Toby Lightman show at Fez and have decided to share my experience, such as it was. I live in the Upper West Side, Fez is located pretty close to SOHO/East Village border, so I have to switch trains and go east. I hop on the train, open my book and read. La la la la...Train is moving, I'm reading, life is good. Without warning the train stops. Of course it has to stop in the middle of a tunnel, so it's really dark (cue scary music), eventually we lurch towards a stop. A grabled announcement wavers through the air. There's a sick passenger and help is on the way.

We wait.

We wait.

We wait.

Yup, we're still waiting.

The following year the train starts to move. I get to 34th street where I'm going to switch from the B train to the N/R and I look at my watch. I've got a half hour before the show ends. If the connecting train shows up quickly (ha!) and I get off at W8th street, then run like a fiend, I may make the last 15 minutes of the show if I'm lucky. I turnaround and go home.

This is why I'm not writing about adventures lately. Strange things keep happening. An art show was cancelled due to snow. I literally fell asleep while changing to go to another showcase, my guestlist notification was eaten up by the Internet monster....Sigh.

Some music news...

Skye Sweetum will be opening for Britney Spears in her upcoming spring/summer tour. Skye's 15 and her debut release Noise from the Basement (Capitol) will hit the stores May 18th. Her song, "Billy S.," was on the How to Deal soundtrack, and she recorded the theme for the N network show Radio Free Roscoe

Mos Def will be playing Ford Prefect in the upcoming movie The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy. Bit of trivia--Ford Prefect was a British Car.

David Bowie has more tour dates and the Polyphonic Spree will be opening for him at selected shows. More info on dates and opening acts go to David Bowie's website www.davidbowie.com

PROTO-KAW, featuring ex Kansas member Kerry Livgren will have a release out April 6th. Before Came After is on Insideout Music America.

CROSSFADEÃ‘s self-titled debut album is set for release April 13 on Columbia/Earshot Records

Locally Argentine will be performing at Pete's Candy Store Williamsburg Feb 5th. 10 pm No cover http://www.petescandystore.com/pete's_map.html

And as for me, doing the do...Cleaning, eating, writing and desperately trying to stay away from shopping. I must remember that it's a sport not a way of life.

This Just In....

2004-01-31T14:04:00.000-05:00

Went over to bitterwaitress.com's website (link is on the right) and found this great entry and decided to share:

This may be an apocryphal story, but I read a version of a response to that loaded question "Do you know who I am?" which is really, as we all know, a demand for special treatment, whether we know who they are or not. And who cares who they are? Anyway, the story is about an airline ticket agent, who, after a customer threw that question at her, supposedly picked up a microphone and announced she had a customer at the counter who didn't know who he was, and could anyone help him figure it out?

You have got to read that site. Fabulous!

2004-01-31T13:14:00.000-05:00

Am disgusted with the news coverage of WMD, economy et al. There was never any WMD in Iran. Actually they've been under my bed with my summer clothes the entire time the hunt was on for them. Now I'm wondering what I should do with them--maybe sell them on ebay?

Anyway--realized the other night that the only way to get very good news coverage about America (and I live here mind you, smack dab in NYC) is to watch the BBC. So I divide my news watching between BBC, The Daily Show and the International News Channel. Thank god for cable.

Found myself rooting for Dean during Iowa, especially after his "roar heard 'round the world." Frankly any politician who's not afraid to speak his mind has my vote. I'm so tired of mealymouthed cookie cutter politicians who utter the same pablum day after day. Why can't we (I mean America) elect someone who has a set of balls? Instead of a politician who has the same type of personality as a cold bowl of oatmeal? I'm upset that Dean is running out of money and may fall off into nothingness. My friend Stefanie (she co-wrote Surviving Saturn's Return ) did his chart and he's supposed to be going through some frighteningly bad Saturn transit right now and won't be able to recover his losses and win the democratic nomination. All I can say, and emphatically mind you is,"Waah!"

I don't understand why everyone here seems so complacent and no one's foaming at the mouth regarding Bush lying to America and the entire world not only about Iran, but about having foreknowledge about the terrorist attacks vis a vis 9/11, the dreaded oil connection and everything else. A pres who screws around gets crucified, but a pres who allows thousands of people to die is exempt from vilification? I don't get it.

What's the big deal about presidents having extracurricular activities anyway? This isn't a new trend--there was the teapot dome scandal and quite a few other cases of presidents having the nopantsitis disease.

CBS used to have this reputation as being the daredevil of news gathering. They would gleefully uncover coverups, slick machinations of governments and corporations and now they're as limp as old celery.

Enough of ranting...Am off to get into trouble.

Oh yeah--if there is anyone out there who could assist me in getting the stupid comment feature to work on my blog, please send me an email.

2004-01-30T13:33:00.000-05:00

The cosmetic review that I participated in is published. Here's the URL of the site if you'd like to check it out http://www.advicesisters.net/whatworkscol3.html We reviewers are supposed to be anonymous--so I can't say exactly what was my stuff--I will say that this was too much fun and a great way to expand my writing chops.

The Advice Sisters Website http://www.advicesisters.net/ is chuck full of smart, relevant pieces that'll help you navigate your way through all sorts of situations. Give it a scan when you can.

2004-01-29T10:52:00.000-05:00

Just got my horoscope for the day....

Greetings PJ --

Here is your horoscope for Thursday, January 29:

Just when you think you've seen it all, the world trots out another wonder. There's a fine line between appreciating something and wanting to possess it. You'll be more attractive by remaining ambiguous.

I have to use the subway today--am now wondering what weird thing I'll bump into while on it

Ack! or Oops!

2004-01-28T17:29:00.000-05:00

I forgot to mention (sorry Kevin) that Loser's Lounge, that wild collective that stages wonderful hommages to artists and groups has created an Ode to James Bond. Sniff! Wasn't asked to be a Bond Girl. So for more information on Kevin and his brothers, please click on these websites http://www.loserslounge.com and/or http://www.frontlinearts.com/terhunebrothers

A TRIBUTE TO THE MUSIC OF JAMES BOND
Fri Feb 6th
Sat Feb 7th
Wed Feb 11th
Sat Feb 14th (early show)
Sat Feb 14th (late show)

All shows are at Fez, inside Time Cafe on Lafayette at Great Jones St in NYC.

Blah,Blah, Blah, Blah!

2004-01-28T16:13:00.000-05:00

Kinda blah day today. Gee could you tell by the headline? Okay am just a tad sleepy/punchy/whatever. As usual, after a big snowstorm, a minor snowstorm or any type of snowstorm at all, our super goes into hiding and the tenants pretend they're employed by the Ministry of Silly Walks and leap like crazed psychotic deer over the snow and ice. Such a brisk way to start your morning.

Went down to SOHO to the Oscar Bond Salon, 42 Wooster Street www.oscarbondsalon.com to get my fine feminine feathers (getting a wee bit carried away with the alliteration) in English now...To get by hair blown dried for FREE! Yuppers, free. This is a tres chic salon that harbors a delicious secret, you can get your hair done--cut, blow dried, color for pennies by their apprentices. The apprentices are watched by their teachers, who hover about them like hungry hawks so you don't end up looking like the Bride of Frankenstein. Yoshihide was my stylist. He's nice friendly guy, just moved here from Japan and is learning all about American hair and American customer service. We spent a lot of time talking about cultural differences and behaviors. He's been here a few months and is still reeling with culture shock.

On my way over this morning, and oh the streets were empty, I realized that a savvy NY'er can get her hair done in all the top salons and pay, at the most $20.00 for services. I'm talking anything from a blowout (which would have cost me $85.00 at Oscar Bond) to color and highlights at Bumble+Bumble www.bumbleandbumble.com, which is...Let's just say expensive, but I pay $20.00.

I know where you can pick up a Perlina wallet for $1.99, a DKNY coat for $14.99, really chic prescription glasses (frame & lenses) for $39.99, a box of contact lenses for $14.00, in short I know how you can look like you've just stolen the wardrobe and the furnishings of the cast and set of SATC and pay maybe $100 for it all. The ironic thing is that I've been pitching this to editors for about a year now and no one's interested in it. Yet, everyone I know and friends of friends call or email me asking me where to get the really good shit. Go figure.

Am awaiting to hear from another mag if I'll be freelancing for them. I seem to spend a lot of my time waiting and hovering over the in box of my computer lately. I keep hearing that the economy is getting better and that ad sales are finally up, but when and where will it kick in here? When will publishing and New York City, for that matter get better. I know so many talented, educated and PUBLISHED writers who are dying for a gig. It seems that there's a hiring freeze going on everywhere or if you don't know the secret handshake, you're dead in the water.

Sometimes I'll send out my resume and wonder if a human really does read it, or is there some automated program that just deletes it when it gets into an inbox? Not to sound snotty, but there are some staff writers out there, who can't writing a decent opening line, who don't seem to understand what a transition is, or how to create a good piece. I read their work and am astounded by the fact that they've got a full time gig with bennies! This is highly ironic coming from me, the girl who slept during sentence diagramming and other grammatical delights in high school. But, it's true, pick up a free NY paper, I won't say the name and look at some of the pieces that are printed in that thin little broadsheet, and you'll cringe. Then pick up The New York Observer www.newyorkobserver.com and you'll swoon by the excellence of their prose.

Turning to music news--despite the foul weather the Toby Lightman showcase is on tonight, I'll write about it later. Also got the new Brides of Destruction CD and the soundtrack for the film Intermission y'know the one where Colin Farrell sings...Will be writing about them shortly. Throbbing Gristle will have a remix album out 3/23.

Met up with Ivan for lunch today. Lucky boy had gone to see Iron Maiden a few nights ago. He was chortling over the fact that Metal is supposed to be this heavy duty macho genre and there he is at the Hammerstein Ballroom,surrounded by long haired guys all wearing black tees, watching a guy prancing about on stage, singing in a quasi operatic voice about castles and demons and wearing costumes. Metal is such a funny fantasy land, you don't have to spend much on admission and it's way more fun than Disney ever dreamed it could be.

As usual the talk turned to guitars, and I asked him how his lonely little bass was doing. Okay, here's the deal, I periodically come down with Tina Weymouth-itis, this is where I start hungering for a bass. Mind you, I don't know how to play one, and my guitar teacher used to cringe when I walked thru the door, but I am in love with them. Sometimes this ahem, passion rears its ugly little head, and I have to scurry away from guitar shops lest something really bad occurs. Ivan has occasionally mentioned that he'd lend his to me, so I could see if I could actually do something with it instead of mooning about the bass, then he starts to play it and it stays home. Not to say this is a bad thing, it isn't, I just wanna try a bass. Once.

Ivan is now practicing with two bands and it looks like the last week in Feb will be when he performs with both of them. So the dates have been cleared off and I'm ready to rock n'roll. Now if he'd only tell me the names of the bands....

2004-01-27T23:57:00.000-05:00

Got a very nice email from a prospective editor today, so I braved the cold and hunted down the magazine. Only took four stores before I stumbled into a Barnes & Noble and found it. Gorgeous, glossy mag. Interesting stories and great photos. I now have to wait until Mon or so to find out if I'll be writing for them.

Am beginning to sympathize with the Luddites again. This usually occurs when I'm trying to do some technical thing. Any technical thing if I want to be accurate. Whenever a gizmo I'm dealing with isn't doing exactly what I want it to, I have visions of tossing it or them out of the apt. windows (the side street one to be accurate-it's got a great view of the sidewalk), and counting how many times it bounces up and down.

My latest annoyance is trying to figure out how to get a comment option working on this damn site. I went to, I think 3 or 4 of the ones that were recommended by Blogger and did exactly what the instructions said to do and nothing works. The last site I went to, Comment this! looked the easiest. I copied and pasted the code into the watchamacallit and now you can see a comment line, but you can't add one. Now time to bang head on monitor. I only wish I knew what the hell I was doing.

Got a bit ambitious in the kitchen tonight. Sometimes I'll create a pretty good meal and sometimes it's a lab experiment gone wrong. Tonight I threw together some leftover Beaujolais Nouveau, chicken stock, garlic and pork chops. Not too shabby, but I'm going to have to adjust the cooking time.

Am having the strangest time with my post on Craigslist.com. I put up a post a few days ago stating that I was looking for exceptional teens ( it's mentioned elsewhere in the blog) and have been getting flagged. So I email Craig and he puts it back up. Today it got flagged six times between the hours of 10 am to 11 am. It stayed up until 10 pm,then got flagged again. I hope whoever keeps doing this gets a really bad case of athlete's foot. And I mean a really bad one. The only positive to come out of this mess is that I'm getting to know Craig and he seems like a super guy.

More snow. Looks like most of the schools in the city have been closed. I've got an early appointment in SOHO and am wondering if I should go or just stay in bed.

All the falling snow reminds me of my second date with R. We were out wandering around in this heavy snow that made the city look like Alaska. Went bowling, wandered some more and ended up in this little bar in Alphabet City playing scrabble.

For the record I'd like to state that my former Boss at Del Rey Books is probably one of the most kindest, patient, compassionate, intelligent and fantastic people in publishing.

I've sent him emails occasionally asking him for advice regarding my book proposal. It's been (and still) is a confusing and hard road for me. Hey, I never thought I could sit still long enough to write one, let alone fiction. Steve has taken time to explain things and let me know what's right and wrong in doing one. I am in awe of him and will never be able to thank him enough for all his time and patience.

I'm still a little in awe of myself for pulling it off. Well, I haven't pulled it off yet, I just can't believe I wrote one. If it hadn't been for my wonderful and dear friend Stefanie, who believed in me, gave me encouragement, advice and listened to my fears, I don't think I could have done it.

Now the thing is to finish the proposal and send it out to agents. Yeah, I am aware that I wrote that I had done most of it, but I am still tinkering with the overview section. I wish there was a book fairy. Just like the tooth fairy, instead you'd put your manuscript under your pillow and you'd wake up with a contract instead of the quarter your mom gave you for the tooth. Oh sorry, I meant tooth fairy *grin*

Thinking about the weather, I'm supposed to go to a showcase tomorrow night at Fez for this singer, Toby Lightman tomorrow night. I wonder if it'll be cancelled. Toby's debut CD Little Things" will be released on March 30th. Her single Devils and Angels" charted after ONLY 5 days on radio. She's an MTV "Artist To Watch in 2004" and I'm anxious to hear her live. I'd also like the postman to stop hiding the CD and fork it over.

Kate may have an agent for her dog Flynn. Or as I call him the Famous Magical Mystical Flynn. He looks like a stuffed animal. Has extremely long legs and is more photogenic than Heidi Klum. Pretty soon I'll have to ask for his pawtograph.

The quitting smoking thing is not working well. I was doing pretty well and now it's out of hand again. Every day I hear on the news that smoking is worse for women, and I'm really upset at myself. I think I need to be put in a deprivation tank for a month to quit properly.

2004-01-26T23:50:00.000-05:00

Okay, premenstrual women should definitely stay away from chocolate. It's not enough that I'm feeling like the Queen in Aliens, I've now also got this horrid desire to eat all the chocolate in the known and if I can figure it out, unknown universe.

There I am, sitting on the couch. It's 11 PM, The Daily Show is on...And Then...And then...And then...I realize that I must, absolutely, positively and without a doubt, go down to the corner shop and pick up a package of Little Debbies.

Bad move. I come home not only with the Little Debbies, but cupcakes, brownies and fudge cakes are following me into my kitchen. I don't know how much longer they'll be around.

2004-01-26T18:05:00.000-05:00

It's murderously cold here. I found myself making whimpering noises as I was walking down 5th Avenue today. I just couldn't stop myself. I only did the bare minimum of what I had to do today and high-tailed it back home. Waiting on the subway platform, I looked around and saw a man who looked exactly like a garden gnome. Oh he was more than 2 feet high, but he could have been a stand in for the one on those TV ads.

When I came home and pulled off my gloves, my hands were bright red from the cold.

Where is the sun?

2004-01-25T22:40:00.000-05:00

Just finished my first ever cosmetic product review. It was a bit too much fun. I felt like a kid with too many crayons and not enough blank pages.

Am now on the hunt for exceptional/cool teens. I posted an ad in Craigslist.org, and within the next twenty minutes of posting, I of course got hit with porn. I think the subject line of the email was "she does animals." Oh joy.

Watched SATC tonight and got annoyed. Lately I've become annoyed with most of TV...Except the West Wing. Anyway, how can Carrie have lived in NYC for as long as she supposedly has and never had espresso, or for that matter have a coffee maker in her apt.? And didn't she buy the other apt on the same floor? It's when I start thinking of all the inconsistencies that I see I lose faith, sense of believability, what have you.

The first night I watched The Apprentice I berated myself for not going to the auditions. Mind you, all anyone has to do is mention the word math to me, and I break out into a cold sweat. But still, watching some of the contestants made me think I could have (possibly) been a good candidate. I think the only reason why they kept Sam on as long as they did, was to make sure the audience would hang on for three weeks. He reminded me of a gopher on speed.

Any show that I watched used to have a modicum of intelligence in the mix. As soon as they got very popular, intelligence hopped out of the window to be replaced by formulaic inanity.

What I find to be frightening and funny (only in the ironic sense of course), is that any time a British show is "imported" here it has to be dumbed down. And I mean dumbed down tremendously.

There was a game show that had a British woman as the host. She had glasses and red hair. No, I'm sorry I can't remember the name, can you help me out on this? (this is a rhetorical question). Anyways...Whilst the show was broadcast in Great Britain, the "Average Joe" was being asked complex history questions and they were expected, nay it was demanded of them to know the answer. When the show was trotted over here, I think the hardest question was if it was Minnie or Mickey Mouse that wore a bow on its head.

Here's another example--I watch Coupling on BBC America. It's very funny, quick witted and just enough over the top to keep you interested. One of the reasons why it's such a good show, now pay attention carefully, is that the actors don't look like actors. They look like real people. The show is brought over here, with the exact same scripts mind you, and it fails. I think part of the reason is that the actors looked like actors--just too perfect for real life. Each and every one of them were blow dried perfection. The characters have been around the block, they've experienced life and are a bit weary. However, if they look like they've never had a split end in their life, how can we believe that they have a sad love life?

It would be nice to think that one day the heads of networks will understand that the majority of the American public can chew gum and walk at the same time. That we deserve a show that doesn't bore a three year old. Then again, we've got people who think Bush is a great president.

2004-01-24T17:49:00.000-05:00

Had to run down to the Village today. I get off the subway and am walking down the platform when I see a homeless woman starting to pull her pants down. Apparently the fact that she's going to do whatever it is that she's going to do, where everyone can see her doesn't bother her one whit. Of course I and everyone else is giving her wide berth. The most ironic thing is she's wearing a pair of UGGS. Yeah, these are the boots that are going for over $300 on ebay and she's got a pair.

Only in New York City.

Stupid, stupid, stupid

2004-01-21T17:00:00.000-05:00

Oh I am annoyed. Can you tell by the heading? I had two amazingly stupid conversations today.

Number one--went to the post office to mail off some stuff, the counter guy writes "SAM" on the envelope, I look at it and quip, "Surface to Air Missile?" So he starts quizzing me on what does RAM, AAM and other initials mean. I'm going on and on about ICBM's etc., He looks at me and says, "How does a girl know these things? This is not girl stuff."
"EXCUSE ME!"
"Well, it's not girl stuff."
"Who said so? Look I wanted to go to the academy."
"You wanted to go to the academy?"
"What's wrong with that? I wanted to learn how to fly fast and blow up things. You gotta problem with that?"

I'm not even going to continue, but I think you get the idea.

next stupid convo...

had coffee with a fellow writer. Talking about our books, history etc., At one point fellow writer asks me if I've ever personally (okay this is an important word) personally thought about topic of book. I think and said nope. But I do think that there's a definite market for it. In fact, I added, I think it would attract many different types of readers.

Later on in the convo I'm told that I have spent the better part of the exchange "slamming the book," direct quote here. WHAT? Just because in my personal life I have never thought about the subject?? I sat there and said exactly that and said if I was "slamming the book" why would I even bother to say that there's a big market for it? Do people listen or what? I'm sorry I didn't lie and say that I think about it 24-7, but I don't and don't get mad at me because I don't. the writer has a contract which means that a house actually thinks it will attract an audience, I think it will attract an audience even if I'm not thinking about it.

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, is happening May 1 and 2. Oh do I want someone to send me there to cover it. The lineup is fantastic.

Have finished the overview and now working on the rest of the proposal. This calls for massive amounts of chocolate.

Our Critics Top Albums of 2003

2004-01-21T08:20:00.000-05:00

I've had the worst time finding the top ten list from Rolling Stone.com this year. It was kinda important to me--I'm in there. Finally found it on a website from Bratislava! Anway, thought I'd throw the whole thing in here..so here it goes.

new thought 1/26---I just realized that this is soo long that I'm only keeping my comments. I don't mean to be egotisitical, but thought this was a better idea

Our Critics Top Albums of 2003

This year, the diverse blend of hip-hop, funk and soul -- not to mention comedy -- found on OutKast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below dazzled sufficiently to top our annual critics' poll. Andre 3000 and Big Boi's sprawling two-CD set appeared on eight lists, just one more than Chutes Too Narrow, the second release by brainy indie rockers the Shins.
Despite the hype surrounding the two of the biggest "The" bands since the Beatles and the Stones, the Strokes and the White Stripes pulled in fewer votes for their respective 2003 releases (four) than did the latest offerings from grunge godfather Neil Young and long under-appreciated power-pop outfit Fountains of Wayne (both with five).

Other favorites ran the gamut from the late, great Johnny Cash, to prolific hip-hop phenom Missy Elliott to newcomers bearing the flags of yesteryear: southern rock (Kings of Leon), prog-rock (the Mars Volta) and folk rock (Damien Rice). Clay and Ruben may demand a recount.

PJ GACH
1. Rufus Wainwright, Want One (Dreamworks): Gershwinesque and poppy, Wainwright's epic about love proves we all ache the same way. "Pretty Things" reminds us about the lies we tell ourselves.
2. Ambulance Ltd., Ambulance Ltd (TVT): Pink Floyd meets a jam band. "Young Urban" merges the best of old and new school sensibilities.
3. Jamison Parker, Notes & Photographs (Interscope): Quick clever wordplay coupled with tight music make this debut EP too short a ride.
4. David Gahan, Paper Monsters (Reprise/Mute): Not all solo efforts are vanity pieces. Depeche Mode's Gahan has created an eerie, thoughtful release. "Bottle Living" is his bluesy memoir of addiction.
5. Overseer, Wreckage (Columbia): So what if Victoria's Secret co-opted "Slayed "for their ads, this CD needs to played on eleven. A great marriage of electro and hip-hop.
6. Perfecto Presents Paul Oakenfeld, Great Wall (Perfecto/Reprise): Once more Oakenfeld hijacks your body. It's a non-stop ever changing aural landscape that throws you into another dimension, complete with altitude changes and color.
7. Stellarstarr, Stellarstarr (RCA): A smashing debut; fierce playfulness tied to tight musicianship -- catchy pop driven tunes melded to garage's dark side.
8. Brookville, Wonderfully Nothing (Unfiltered): Ivy's Andy Chase's solo project is warm and lush. Indie, trip hop, Jazz, and ambience influences make this a CD to cuddle up to anytime.
9. Ataris, So Long, Astoria (Columbia): Call it Emo, Punk, Garage -- no matter what label you affix to this group, the songs are strong, tough and straight from the heart.
10. Iron Maiden, Dance of Death (Columbia): Metal just won't die, thank god! The boys prove once again, you can be smart and play loud.
Reissue: David Bowie, Aladdin Sane 30th Anniversary Edition (EMI): It's a classic, Bowie's a classic -- a zillion years later it still rocks and has the power to make you think and dance.

from www.rollingstone.com

Odd thoughts rattling around my brain

2004-01-20T21:25:00.000-05:00

Books, books, books...I can never seem to get enough of them. Almost four years ago I was an interim Editorial Assistant at Del Rey Books and took home between 15-21 books a day. That's right 15 to 21 FREE books a day. I still have books from there that I haven't read and yet I keep going out and buying more. It's as if I'm afraid of not having anything to read...Which when you think about it, it's silly...There are so many unread books in my house. I'm wondering if I'm stockpiling them sometimes.

This past weekend I went to visit Kate in Park Slope again. I'm getting pretty good at the commute. In her neighborhood is a used book store. I realize that a used book store doesn't seem like a big deal, but there aren't any in Manhattan. I've lived in quite a few states and there was always one or two in the town/city that I lived in. If there's any one drawback to living in NYC, it's that used book stores seem to be scarce. There is one, now that I think about it. But it's in the Financial District and they don't have a great selection. It's pretty hit or miss.

7th Avenue Books, Inc. on 300 7th Ave in Park Slope is a store not to be missed. They have everything. It's jammed floor to ceiling with books, tables overflowing with books, milk crates jammed with books. It's a junkies paradise. I told the owner that the store was pure evil as I forked over my credit card and he handed me a large shopping bag with books. I grabbed Terry Pratchet, a translation of Les Liaisons Dangerouses (I've only been looking for that for five years), And tons of other books; ranging from garbagey top sellers to "deep" books. I'm so glad the store isn't close to me, I'd be broke in a matter of days. Books! Bliss!

Vulnerable. I hate that word. I was thinking about writing something cute next to it, y'know like the definition, but that's been done. And what does it prove anyway except I'm a smartass (I think we've figured that one out by now).

Seriously, I'm terrified of being vulnerable. I'm great at hiding behind a laugh, a snarky funny comment, but letting myself be wide open, that gives me the shakes.

I think it's more than being vulnerable. It's the after effect of being vulnerable, the moment when you realize that you're open, nothing can protect you and you're teetering midway between two points. The points being bliss or hell.

There's nothing you can do once you open yourself up. Nope, after that fatal moment, it's the other person who can either slam you with poison darts or hold you.

The waiting for the following reaction is like sitting on glass.

Thing is, the followup can be in a nanosecond or it can be days, but the stretched too tight feeling, the beating yourself over the head feeling, the wondering if what was said was real or a lie is just plain agony.

Try distracting yourself, what a joke. I'll try not to think of various weird scenarios, and of course I come back to them. Just like when you tell someone not to think about the purple tap dancing elephant, you of course think about a purple tap dancing elephant.

Maybe that's why I am a fabulous dater. I can skate around anything emotional with out having to deal with it,. Bad first date? Solution-- no second date. Good first date, bad second date? Solution - don't date and make fun of poor misguided fool.

And then what happens when you meet someone who makes you laugh, who is a terrific kisser, is just an all around nice person? Hanging out with him is easy. There's none of that strange "this is a date" vibe, it just seems natural to hang out, laugh and enjoy oneself. What do you do? How about utter panic. Why? Oh for the sheer pleasure of it. Seriously, I feel like there's the sword of Damocles twirling over my head and I hate it. It's a time limit thing going on and there's not a thing I can do.

Do you try to cram a bunch of experiences in? Do you say fuck it and walk away? Do you bang your head against the monitor until there's blood on the screen?

This isn't a 25 minute sitcom where in between the commercial messages all's well that ends well. This is life and I may not be the first person to say it, and I'm not going to be the last, but sometimes it sucks.

Probably had one of the best rejection emails in my life today. In the email, the editor wrote, "Your clips were great, and I wish we could afford you..." Oh gosh, I'm just aglow. Okay, the market sucks and mag budgets are tight, half the time you don't even get a "thank you, but no thank you" letter/email/carrier pigeon. This email made my day.

Oh yeah...Music News

Aerosmith is doing a national tour with Cheap Trick. I kid you not, the 70's are officially back. Tour dates and other info can be found at www.cheaptrick.com

Listened to Hurry Up Offense's EP The labor Day EP
They're an irreverent, effervescent punk band that throws energy and good vibes through your speakers. They're along the lines of Green Day, but they're not derivative, they have their own sound, their own stance. Hearing them, you just want to dance. The singer may be moaning about a shitty event, but he sounds so damn happy (this sounds better than written, trust me) You need to have him singing more and more about his pain. This is so you can dance more and more. They'll be at the Luna Lounge in NYC 1/31 if you wanna catch their live show. Or check out their site to buy the CD or just look at them www.hurryupoffense.com

2004-01-17T11:18:00.000-05:00

Just got asked to join another blog "Memories I Had Forgotten," http://ihadforgotten.blogspot.com/ where you can scribble memories that have popped into your head. Old forgotten ones seem to pop in my head at the strangest times. Sitting in the subway, walking down a street, taking a shower--I guess it's when you're not preoccupied with the daily tasks your mind takes a quick journey down memory lane. Then it decides to startle you by reminding you of embarrassing moments et al. Like when I had my skirt tucked into my pantyhose all day in 8th grade and no one told me. Can we say, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGh"
Yup, I knew we could.

Had two very illuminating conversations about work yesterday. The first was about book proposals. I had been chatting with this woman who gas 9 count 'em 9 books out (that's enough to make me dizzy) about proposals and what you have to do etc., and in the space of twenty minutes she gave me great ideas, lots of wonderful insight and explained stuff to me that had me freaking out. She suggested that I should explain the book to my cat, then rewrite the overview section. Alison said that you've got to dumb it down, then gussy it up. So, a few deep breaths and back into the fray.

Other convo--met my rep at a creative agency I'm attached to, went over my prof site http://pjgach.tripod.com and made some revisions to make it more marketable.

The trick is to think of yourself as a product, not a person and market the crap out of yourself. Sounds easy, but execution can be another thing.

There's a blog I like reading, it's written by a Brit living in NYC "Wishful Thinking in New York" http://uknyc.blogspot.com/ . Some of his adventures are pretty funny--check out his SOHO House saga, or read his takes on some of the restaurants here. Reading his blog I realized that he goes to Doma in the West Village. Not only do I go there, but I have friends who practically live there. It's funny that he and I and other NYC blog writers could all be drinking coffee in the same place at the same time and be completely clueless that we're all under the same roof.

It's the joys of the Internet. You can "know" everyone and be a total stranger in reality.

Have to write up some cosmetic product reviews. Will be road testing some lipsticks from various brands. Good excuse to kiss someone.

It's another frigid day in NYC and I need to do stuff, but the jammies are too damn comfortable and my house is warm.

Been thinking, I like the idea of Winter. I like looking at snow from the inside. Going out and having to deal with it is another story.

2004-01-16T09:35:00.000-05:00

Saw R. Wednesday night. We went over to the Angel Lounge on Houston. We sat, laughed, drank, shared a cheese plate and watched the snowflakes dance through the air. All in all a lovely night.

Thursday it was so cold that I couldn't even concentrate on work, spent most of my time in the living room trying to warm up. Silly me for having a home office in my bedroom. It felt like icicles were swinging from my ceiling. Ugh.

Do have more music news........

Pennywise are hitting the road again. They're kicking off a national tour starting 1/21 in Atlanta. Here are the rest of the dates:

Date City Venue

Wed 1/21 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
Thurs 1/22 Jacksonville, FL Plush
Fri 1/23 Boynton Beach, FL Ovation
Sat 1/24 St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing
Sun 1/25 Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues
Wed 1/28 Norfolk, VA The NorVa
Thurs 1/29 Hartford, CT Webster Theatre
Fri 1/30 Worcester, MA The Palladium
Sat 1/31 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
Wed 2/18 Washington, DC 930 Club
Thurs 2/19 Philadelphia, PA The Trocadero
Fri 2/20 Philadelphia, PA The Trocadero
Sat 2/21 Pittsburgh, PA Club Laga
Sun 2/22 Cleveland, OH Agora Theatre
Wed 2/25 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
Thurs 2/26 Pontiac, MI Clutch Cargo's
Fri 2/27 Chicago, IL House of Blues
Sat 2/28 Milwaukee, WI The Rave
Sun 2/29 Minneapolis, MN The Quest

Dialated People's third CD Neighborhood Watch (Capitol Records) hits the stores April 6.
Track Listing:
Marathon
Neighborhood Watch
Tryin' to Breathe
Caffeine
Who's Who
Poisonous (featuring Devin The Dude)
Reach Us
Big Business
Love and War
1580 (Skit)
World on Wheels
Closed Session (feat. Defari, Phil Da Agony, Planet Asia)
This Way (feat. Kanye West)
DJ Babu in Deep Concentration

Danger Mouse (I love that name) new CD The Grey Album (Waxploitation) is out. They're combined the vocal content of Jay-Z's Black album added new beats and production using The Beatles White Album as the source material.

Aerosmith is headlining the Superbowl pre-game show, Feb 1 at the Relaint Stadium in Houston. Well that should be fun. Personally, I've been a bit cranky towards Steve Tyler ever since he stole my seat at a concert. He and his crew took over an entire row and I spent the rest of the evening standing. Oh joy.

Melissa Manchester (anyone remember "Don't Cry Out Loud) is releasing a new CD
When I Look Down That Road (Koch Record) March 9. Keb Mo and Beth Nielsen Chapman guest on the CD. She's also planning a tour after that. Hmmm...me? No comment.

Yes has a documentary premiering January 26th and to kick off that they're going to be performing a live acoustic show that will be then simulcast to all the theaters screening the doc that night.

YESSPEAK will be presented at the following locations on January 26th:

ATLANTA REGAL HOLLYWOOD 24
3265 N.E. Expressway Access - Chamblee, GA

BOSTON REGAL SOLOMON POND 15
591 Donald J. Lynch Blvd- Marlborough, MA

BUFFALO REGAL TRANSIT CENTER 18
6707 Transit Road - Williamsville, NY

CHICAGO REGAL LINCOLNSHIRE 20
300 Parkway Drive - Lincolnshire, IL

CLEVELAND REGAL SEVERANCE TOWN CENTER STADIUM 14
3492 Mayfield Road - Cleveland Heights, OH

DALLAS UA GALAXY STADIUM 10
11801 McCree Road - Dallas, TX

DENVER UA PAVILIONS 15
500 16th Street - Denver, CO

DETROIT UA COMMERCE STADIUM 14
3033 Springvale Drive - Walled Lake, MI

NEW HAVEN REGAL BRANFORD 12
325 E. Main Street - Branford, CT

HOUSTON EDWARDS HOUSTON MARQ*E 23
7620 Katy Freeway - Houston, TX

INDIANAPOLIS UA CIRCLE CENTER 9
49 W. Maryland Street - Indianapolis, IN

LAS VEGAS REGAL VILLAGE SQUARE 18
9400 W. Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, NV

LOS ANGELES EDWARDS IRVINE SPECTRUM 21
65 Fortune Drive- Irvine, CA

MINNEAPOLIS REGAL BROOKLYN CENTER STADIUM 20
6420 Camden Avenue North - Minneapolis, MN

NEW YORK REGAL (formerly UA) UNION SQUARE STADIUM 14
850 Broadway - New York, NY

OKLAHOMA CITY REGAL CROSSROADS MALL STADIUM 16
1211 E. I-240 - Oklahoma City, OK

PHILADELPHIA UA RIVERVIEW PLAZA 17
1400 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd - Philadelphia, PA

PHOENIX UA PAVILIONS 11
9090 E. Indian Bend - Scottsdale, AZ

PORTLAND, OR REGAL LLOYD CENTER STADIUM 10 CINEMA
1510 NE Multnomah Street. - Portland, OR

SACRAMENTO REGAL NATOMAS MARKETPLACE 16
3561 Truxel Road - Sacramento, CA

SAN DIEGO EDWARDS MIRA MESA STADIUM 18
10733 Westview Parkway - San Diego, CA

SAN FRANCISCO UA EMERY BAY STADIUM 10
6330 Christie Ave - Emeryville, CA

SAN FRANCISCO REGAL HACIENDA CROSSINGS 20
5000 Dublin Blvd. - Dublin, CA

SEATTLE REGAL AUBURN STADIUM 17
1101 Super Mall Way - Auburn, WA

WEST PALM BEACH REGAL ROYAL PALM BEACH STADIUM 18
1003 State Road 7- Royal Palm Beach, FL

WASHINGTON D.C. REGAL BALLSTON COMMON STADIUM 12
671 N. Glebe Road - Arlington, VA

Alanis Morrisette's new release "So-Called Chaos" (Maverick Records)
hits the stores April 13. The first single and video is "Everything" Gee I vaguely remember her getting slimed when I was a kid

If you're in NYC on a Thursday night and looking for an Industry night, check out Mickey's Blue Room 171 Avenue C between 10th and 11th Streets. They've always have a very good Happy hour with drafts, well drinks, and selected bottles priced at $3 each. You'll find writers, musicians, music people and civilians hanging out and drinking on those Industry nights. Got a question about Industry night? email Dina at
dina@wildfirepublicity.com I can vouch for her, she's a great person.

Love Me Destroyer is touring with Digger, Stereotyperider, Lawrence Arms, and more! Here are the dates:

1/16/04• Denver, CO Cervantes W/ Black Black Ocean, The Affairs, Red Cloud
1/22/04• Grand Junction, CO Whiskey River
1/23/04• Phoenix, AZ Nita¹s Hideaway W/ Stereotyperider
1/24/04• Albuquerque, NM The Launchpad W/ Stereotyperider
1/27/04• Ft. Collins, CO The Starlight W/ The Lawrence Arms, The Ghost
1/28/04• Lawrence, KS The Bottleneck w/ Straight Outta Junior High
1/29/04• Wichita, KS America¹s Pub w/ Straight Outta Junior High
1/30/04• Pearland, TX Perry¹s Landmark W/ Digger
1/31/04• San Antonio, TX TBA W/ Digger
2/1/04• Austin, TX - Emo¹s W/ Digger
2/3/04• El Paso, TX Moontime Pizza W/ Digger
2/4/04• Tucson, AZ Skrappy¹s W/ Digger, Stereotyperider
2/5/04• Las Vegas, NV Double Down Saloon w/ Stereotyperider

Laymen Terms has a new EP coming out on Suburban Home Records on February 24th. You can check out their MP3 from their title track "3 Days In" on the Suburban Home Records website so that you may download it now for FREE

for the MP3 or more info on the bands that call Suburban Home Records their own, check out their website www.suburbanhomerecords.com

That's all for music news. My friend Michael is a fantastic photographer, I've been telling him that he ought to be shooting for Vogue etc., for a year now. Anyway, he's just been written up in Retail AD World about his work and has stuff in two mags. So he's celebrating with a biiig party at Lobby tonight. The last party of his that I went to, I ended up slightly snockered (the details are somewhere in this blog) this time I have promised myself that I will noy be crawling over any banquette tops like last time. You can check out michael's work at www.michaelcreagh.com or you can see his work at http://portfolios.models.com/Michael_Creagh/ or at www.lemonademag.com

Anyway, I'm praying that it will warm up a bit, I'd really like to go out at night instead of huddling in my apartment listening to the howling wind.

2004-01-14T18:53:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note while my bath water's running...Off to see R. tonight.

Heard that Ted Nugent injured himself with a chainsaw while filming his new reality show...Unbelievable...Next they'll be giving my cat his own show. Watch my cat try to steal all the pepperoni off the pizza...Watch my cat shed only on my black clothes...Watch my cat have a wild party while I'm out and about...Film at 11

Just got in the mail a really interesting CD. W Originals (Columbia) Yes wrestlers now have a CD where they're warbling a tune or two. Why? I don't know. You can find "performances" by Rey Mysterioso, Stacy Keibler, Kurt Angle, Stone Cold Steve Austin and a whole bunch more

Liz Phair a singer who's been known to bring many a man to his knees is on tour. Here are the latest dates

Liz Phair will appear on NBC's "American Dreams" on Sunday, March 14.

A performance on CBS-TV's "Late Show with David Letterman" April 1.
NEW LIZ PHAIR 2004 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES

2/26 - Los Angeles, CA - House of Blues (Sunset Strip)

2/28 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues

3/01 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield

3/02 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater

3/03 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre

3/05 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom

3/06 - Spokane, WA - Big Easy

3/07 - Boise, ID - Big Easy

3/11 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue

3/12 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theater

3/14 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues

3/15 - Grand Rapids, MI - Intersection

3/16 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant

3/18 - Houston, TX - Numbers

3/20 - Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa

3/22 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues

3/24 - Orlando, FL - House of Blues

3/26 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues

3/27 - Towson, MD - Recher Theater

3/28 - Boston, MA - Avalon

4/02 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory

4/03 - New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom

4/04 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club

Official website: http://www.lizphair.com

You can catch the Dropkick Murphys Feb 5th at Roseland Ballroom in New York, NY.

Colin Farrell sings! Yup, the boy can be heard on the soundtrack of the Intermission, it's an Indie Irish Film. Soundtrack will hit the stores March 9th and he's singing "I Fought the Law"--other tunes by U2, Clannad, Thrills and Ron Sexsmith. Aw heck...here's the track listing:
Colin Farrell "I Fought The Law"
U2 "Out of Control"
The Thrills "One Horse Town"
Turin Brakes "Pain Killer"
Ron Sexsmith "These Days"
Relish "Get Down Move Over"
Fun Lovin' Criminals "Scooby Snacks"
Fonda 500 "Bumble A, Bumble B, Bumble C, Bumble D"
Magnetic Fields "I Don't Want To Get Over You"
Ron Sexsmith "Disappearing Act"
Clannad "Newgrange"
John Murphy "Two Buses/Intermission

have more but tub is overflowing....

Later.....

2004-01-13T19:17:00.000-05:00

Once again I've received one of those silly emails stating that I'm going to get gazillions of dollars from Africa. I used to delete them, then one day decided to send an email back to the idiots.. I simply wrote, "you've made me laugh, thanks!" Thinking that no more would come my way.

I read in the Woolamaloo Gazette http://www.woolamaloo.org.uk/ how the writer handled it. In England you can send the email to some Internet police and they did something about it. Here in the States you just delete them.

Here's the email in all of its idiocy.

Subj: Mr.Emannuel Kuta
Date: 1/13/2004 6:35:43 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: kuta1@fsmail.net
To: kuta1@fsmail.net
Sent from the Internet (Details)

From The Desk Of:
Mr. Emannuel Kuta
Union Bank Of Nigeria plc.
Victoria Island Branch Lagos.

Dear Sir/Madam,
first, I must solicit your confidence in this transaction, this is by virtue of it's nature as been utterly confidencial and top secret. Though I know that all will be well at the end of the day, I have decided to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction as I feel that you may have the ability to handle such transaction.

Let me start by introducing myself to you, I am Mr.Favour Adimabuah an Accountant with Union Bank Of Nigeria plc. Lagos. I came to know about you in my private search for a reliable and reputable person to handle this confidencial business transaction.

The preposition:

A foreigner, Late Engr. Dahlig Mitchell, An Oil Marchant/Contractor
with the Federal Government Of Nigera until his death in Korean Air flight 801, which Crashed in Guam on August 1997, banked with us here at Union Bank P.L.C Victoria Island Branch and had a closing balance of US$20.5M (Twenty Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) which the bank unquestionably expects it to be claimed by any available foreign next of kin of the late beneficiary or alternatively be donated to a discredited trust fund for Arms and Ammunition at a Military War College here in Nigeria.

Fervently, valuable effort were made by the union bank to get in touch with any of the Mitchell's family or relative but proved to no avail. it is because of the perceived possible of not being able to locate any of the late Engr. Dahlig Mitchell's next of kin (he had no wife and children) that the management under the influence of our chairman and Members Of The Boards Of Director, retired Major General Kalu Uke Kalu, that an arrangement be made for the funds to be declared Unclaimable and subsequently be donated to the Trust Fund for Arms and Ammunition to further Enhance the course of war in Africa and the World in General as stated in the our Financial Constitution that any unclaimed deposited fund after five years be converted.

In order to avert this negative development, I now seek your permission to have you stand as the Next-Of-Kin Of Engr . Dahlig Mitchell so that the funds US$ 20.5M (Twenty Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) would be released and payed into your Bank Account as the Beneficiary Next Of Kin. All Documents and proves to enable you get this Fund will be careful Worked out and more so we are, Assuring you a 100% Risk Free Involvment. your share stays while the rest will be for myself and my collegue for Investment Purpose in your Country.

If this Proposal is all right by you then kindly get back to me by e-mailing me via this this e-mail address, thanking you in anticipation of your cooperation.

Yours Faithfully,
Mr.Emannuel Kuta
(accountant union bank plc)

Freeserve AnyTime - HALF PRICE for the first 3 months - Save Â£7.50 a month
www.freeserve.com/anytime
______________________________________________________________
Please don't tell me anyone's fallen for this.

On a brighter note, I've actually done some work for the book proposal....After looking at the damn thing for so long, I'm beginning to believe that it's not that bad. I just have to relax and make sure I stay in one spot long enough to write the rest of it.

Some Music News

2004-01-13T11:49:00.000-05:00

The Frames are opening for Damien Rice in their upcoming US tour, new CD out 2/24.
Dates for tour are below:

Tue 03/23/04 Boulder, CO Fox Theatre
Fri 03/26/04 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern LG
Sat 03/27/04 San Francisco, CA The Warfield
Mon 03/29/04 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
Tue 03/30/04 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
Thu 04/01/04 Spokane, WA Big Easy
Fri 04/02/04 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
Sat 04/03/04 Boise, ID Big Easy
Tue 04/06/04 Minneapolis, MN Pantages Theatre
Wed 04/07/04 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre
Fri 04/09/04 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theatre
Sat 04/10/04 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
Sun 04/11/04 Pittsburgh, PA Byham Theatre
Thu 04/15/04 Upper Darby, PA Tower Theatre
Fri 04/16/04 New York, NY Beacon Theatre
Sat 04/17/04 Boston, MA Avalon
Mon 04/19/04 Portland, ME State Theatre
Tue 04/20/04 Winooski, VT Higher Ground
Wed 04/21/04 Montreal, QC Outremont Theatre
Fri 04/23/04 Toronto, ON Trinity St. Paul Centre
Sat 04/24/04 Cleveland, OH Odeon Concert Club
Sun 04/25/04 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall
Tue 04/27/04 Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre
Wed 04/28/04 Lawrence, KS Liberty Hall
Thu 04/29/04 Saint Louis, MO The Pageant

Blondie, yes Blondie is releasing their new CD The Curse of Blondie (Sancturary Records) April 6. Why the title The Curse of Blondie ???
“It’s been a standing joke for years,” says Debbie Harry, “Every time something weird would happen we would say, ‘It’s the Curse of Blondie.’ A lot of people take it seriously, but it’s silly. It’s sort of a Vincent Price, horror movie type title. I think it’s lucky.”

Judas Priest is in the studio as we speak working on a new release. All the original members are back www.judaspriest.com and they're planning a world tour. Have heard from friends that they'll be hitting the big European Metal fests this spring and summer. I know this is old news, but I like 'em.

BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION--Nikki Sixx (bass), Tracii Guns (guitar), London LeGrand (vocals) and Scot Coogan (drums)-- March 9 release of their debut album Here Come the Brides on Sanctuary Records. This should be interesting! produced by Steve Bruno and mixed by Steve Thompson, known for his production work with Metallica, Guns N' Roses and Korn. Drummer Kris Kohls, a member of Adema, plays on half of 'Here Come the Brides.' "Shut the F**k Up" has been used in a skateboard video shot by Drew Stone of Stone Films.
Quick rundown--Nikki Sixx--ex Motley Crue, Tracii Guns ex-L.A. Guns, Coogan--touring drummer for the boy band All4One, has played with Pete Yorn, Sinead O'Connor,Otep and others. LeGrand...a sharp new kid in town.

2004-01-11T00:22:00.000-05:00

Oh my god! There's someone on my street playing Scotland Forever on the bagpipes...live! I just ran over to the window and poked my head out and can't find the piper.

I love the bagpipes and I love that song. I had a cell phone that rang that tune.

Where the hell is the piper?????

2004-01-10T10:35:00.000-05:00

Finally got out of the house and did errands--mailed off some Christmas presents. This way I'm ahead of everyone and the presents will sit under the tree until next year.

Did not buy any shoes, but did pick up two books. I found another Laurie Colwin novel and picked up Shutterbabe by Deborah Kogan. I had heard that Shutterbabe is supposed to be a great read, and from the first page I'm hooked. Sadly finished Kitchen Confidential (okay so I've read it before), and am still working my way through the Ben Franklin biography. I started that one with zest and then the author has to go and call Ben Franklin a "kid" at one point and it turned me off. No, the book is lively and well written, but calling a young Ben Franklin a "kid" just doesn't seem to make good literary sense to me. I also have to finish the Egan book I'm reading. One of my big fears in life is that I'll run out of books to read.

ED2010 www.ed2010.com is a New York City based national (and free) organization for journalists. If you sign up for their newsletters you get job "whispers," news and they have all sorts of events. The reason why I'm mentioning them is that they've got a book club and for the new year they're reading Fear and Loathing by Hunter S. Thompson. I've never been to a book club meeting before, but I love HST and think I might join them for this round.

Speaking of the cool and interesting news you get from Ed2010, in my newsletter yesterday they had a link to gawker.com about a picture screw up that happened at Us Weekly. Look at page 72 and you'll see an (ahem) extra body part showing from a male model... "Top Model," a reality show hosted by Tyra Banks, has a photo of a male model on one knee. His raised leg is supposed to conceal the naughty bits, but....A picture is worth a thousand words http://www.gawker.com/archives/balls.jpg

Didn't work on proposal yesterday, will do it tonight. I've got the cover page and I think three lines written. That of course is accompanied by lots of scribbles and the word overview in italics. Ack! I've really got to work on it. There's something about writing a book proposal that sends me into utter panic.

Am off to Park Slope to have lunch with Katie. It's definitely an adventure for moi, as I am pretty clueless about anything and everything to do with Brooklyn. I've got the Manhattanite's view of the outer boroughs---anything that's not Manhattan is just an amorphous mass. I can count on one hand how many times I've been to Queens. I know there's stuff out there (I mean Brooklyn and Queens) and am curious about finding it all, but it's so far away and I might get lost and they don't have St. Bernard dogs to rescue you and, and, and um you get the picture right?

Freakin' Cold

2004-01-09T14:50:00.000-05:00

Have spent the morning procrastinating. I must somehow get out the door and run errands, but as I sit here listening to the news and hearing the temp drop (in what seems like seconds) I don't want to go.

So, I'm in my jammies in the afternoon. Have to do errands, work on proposal blah blah blah...But I am warm here! The idea of bundling up and trundling around looking like the Michelin Man doesn't appeal to me at all.

Must push off somehow

Crass Consumerism

2004-01-09T09:55:00.000-05:00

I don't know how it happened. And that scares me. Looking back I knew I was vaguely aware of them, I saw the pictures, they were everywhere. But they didn't really focus on my radar. Then I woke up one day and zing! I was obsessed. Sadly obsessed, I might add, because now I hunger for them.

What am I talking about? It's those damn UGGS boots. I am a self-confessed shoeaholic and have never counted how many I own...just the thought of sitting down and counting them runs chills down my spine. I mean, I'd have to count ALL of them. I have a shoe wardrobe for every season. When I switch out my clothes for each season it takes me two days. Many hours of the second day is just dealing with shoes. The spring/summer/vintage ones are packed up right now. Get the picture?

I recently figured out that I'm buying at least one pair of shoes a week. This is not good, I only have two feet. And then I have my favorites, the ones that I just have to wear, even if it means changing my clothes around my shoes. At home I live in my Hello Kitty slippers. They're velvety soft and have a plaid bow on kitty's head. Once I almost walked out of the house with them on. Since it's been so damn artically cold here, I'm living in my shearling boots. They're vintage (I think 80's) with a roll down cuff and oh, they make my toes warm and happy. Other shoes I just like to know that I own, oh the horror!

Getting back to the damn UGGS. I knew about them. I read about them, but I never lusted after them. I have no idea how the horrible thought that I couldn't live without them entered my brain.

I'm not huge trend follower by any means. Oh, I read all the fashion stuff and avidly watch the streets to pick up on trends, and have a schizophrenic wardrobe (vintage/preppy/funky/trendy/high end/basic) and do salivate over certain labels (Tocca! Tocca! Tocca!) but haven't been this bonkers over any particular item since college. If you see me running around town, I look pretty eclectic.

College was bad. I have no idea who thought up this stupid exercise, but suddenly a mass of girls (and yes, I was one of them) were desperately trying to one up each other with izods. That's right izods. Who had more izod belts, tops, jeans etc., we were a maddened crowd hunting for that stupid 'gator. I thought the frenzy had left me, but noooooooooooooooo!

Here I am an adult (nominally) who is now actually spending hours on ebay.com hunting for them. One day I watched an UGGS ebay acution start at $9.99 and by the third hour the price had climbed to over $300.

I was in the subway on my way to a friend's house, when a woman sat across from me on the train. She was wearing UGGS. They were the tall sand ones. I had to grip my seat so I wouldn't leap on her legs and pull them off.

A few days ago I'm walking to Bumble + Bumble to get my hair done and pass a shoe store. In the window are a pair of baby pink UGGS. I stared for too long, I think the salespeople inside got worried that I was stalking them.

It's not enough that I want one pair, somehow a weird wire in my brain had informed the rest of my body that I need three pair. One Black, One Sand and pink. They all have to be the high (tall) boot. This way the basics are covered.

Yeesh! What I really want to know is how did this happen? How did I pick up this weird lemming like desire to own them. Looking at the boot objectively, they're okay looking. Not really a wowzer pair, yet they softly call out to you the way the sirens teased Odysseus. And it's not fair, I tell you.

What is it about an object, any object that makes your mouth water, your heart quicken and all sane thoughts leave your head? Why do you stop being a rational person and become a slobbering fool whose only thought is UGGS or a birkin bag or juicy couture? I have friends who bow down to the Marc Jacobs store in the Village, I know people who are hunting for bags with Elvis on them...what happened to our brains? last summer it was the Siegerson Morrison flip flops (I suddenly have memories of Stef and I sitting on a stoop clutching each other as pairs walked by us in the heat). Now it's the UGGS.

Who does these things to us? I'm going to track that fool down and smack them with a three day old halibut fish. I really need to stop thinking about them. I know and understand they are an inanimate object and don't worry about me. I know that I will live a healthy and productive life without them. I just need a cure.

I think stuffing my ears with cotton before I go to sleep is the only way to deal with their wanton cries of "buy me! buy me!"

Ambulance Ltd., (TVT Records)

2004-01-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

I have here, in my hot little hands an advance copy of the FULL LENGTH, yes! Full length CD that's coming out in the Spring. The clever folks at TVT Records are unleashing the CD around the time of chocolate bunnies.

Am I deliriously happy? Am I playing this over and over again? You betcha!

Too many times bands come out with a killer EP that just leaves you panting for more. The full length comes out after months of pining for it and it just bites the big one. Either they haven't put the tracks from the EP in the full length, or the full length is mediocre; as if they've exhausted their creative output and are just pushing buttons to get the hell out of the studio.

Not this time. Ambulance have not only hit their marks dead on, they've delivered a really strong cohesive release.

They've looked forward and back, utilizing the warm pyschedelia of the 60's, 90's jammy beats with a twist of the modern ironic sensibility that runs through our lives. They like to play with words and it shows. "You are a teenage runaway/you carry the people that you hate in a suitcase," from Michigan

Each of the 10 tracks on their new release carries musical and lyrical nuggets-- juicy warm guitars, multi-flavored orchestrations, drums that tickle your spine, phrases that you'll start repeating--this is an addictive release.

Quite rightly they're cutting a swath in New York; they don't sound like anyone else out now and the music scene is in dire need of fresh outlooks and visions, which they provide in abundance.

This is going to be an important release for the year 2004.

Should be hitting a store near you this spring.

Cehck out their website www.ambulancenyc.com

2004-01-04T23:57:00.000-05:00

I've been really sick. Was sitting down just about to write about the new Ambulance Ltd., release--I do have a copy and will pass on info soon, I promise when I was attacked by germs.

The next thing I know it's New Year's Day and I'm in the hospital. Oh joy. I was diagnosed with acute strep throat and given a shot in my butt.

So today is actually the first day that I've been able to sit up for more than five minutes.

I'm on an insane dosage of motrin which makes me feel higher than a kite. Didn't take it so I could write up my ballot and essay for the Village Voice critic poll and so I could at least write something here without you getting pissed off.

Hmm, will now take drugs and go back to sleep.

2003-12-25T15:45:00.000-05:00

Happy Christmas!!

Yeah, I know I've been awol. I meant to write sooner, really, but I got an assignment and spent 24-7 working on it. Yeah it happens...also was in the process of moving the blog to this site etc., etc.,...what can you do.

I'm going to be writing more later, but wanted to squeeze some news in first.

Last Saturday was Ivan and Janis' joing birthday party, held at South's in Tribeca. It doesn't sound like an Irish pub, but it is and unfortunately the fries are horribly addicting. There was a point where we were fighting over them.

After dinner, we moved to the bar. I hopped up onto the bar. This way I could see everyone who I was talking to (Oh the joys of being short). Jason, the bartender, took advantage of this by tossing sugar and salt down the back of my jeans. Note to self--do not were extreme low-riders if you're going to sit on a bar. It got so bad, that I had to go to the loo, take the jeans off, turn them inside out and slam them against the wall repeatedly to get the grains off the jeans.

Look I know exfoliation is good for your skin, but this was a bit extreme.

Hung out there for a bit, then we packed up and wandered off to where else, but LIT.

Made it home by 5 am and crashed.

Finished up my Top Ten CDs for the year for Rolling Stone.com this past week, and will post the URL once I see it.

Now have to work on my Top Ten for The Village Voice.

I'd love to be able to write about the worst CD's for once...there were some stinkers this year.

Am having guests over today for Christmas dinner, which is why this post is short. Last night baked a three layer cake, made rice pudding and today making mashed potatoes, candied yams, rolls, green bean casserole and corn. Did you notice that main dish is missing? That's cause I'm not making it. I have eaten ham in the past, but never made it. Roxanne is bringing the ham and cooking it, thank god.

The house is clean and smells good.

Now, I've just got to back into the kitchen and not panic.

2003-12-08T10:47:00.000-05:00

Don't Feel Like a Headline

It snowed incessantly over the weekend. Friends from Florida were calling to see if I was okay. They don't seem to realize that the snow is pulverized into mush and the city turns into a sloppy puddle very quickly. So you're more or less jumping over gobs of grey goo.

Overheard a funny exchange today on the subway. Two guys were discussing their jewelry purchases that they made for their girlfriends. They were in their late teens early twenties. One guy said the to the other," Nah, she won't take it to the jewlers, just show it to her Mom. Dude you're soo safe."

Ah, the holidays.

Tonight hit the Ambulance Ltd., listening party at Hi-Fi on Avenue A. Jason Consoli (a truly nice guy) does PR for TVT records and is the genial co-host of the M.N.S.C (Monday Night Social Club) for us wacky Industry nights, showed off the upcoming Ambulance CD.

I got to hear seven cuts from the forthcoming release. The CD is coming out Spring 2004. That's too damn long to wait. So run, don't walk and pick up their eponymously named EP. How is it? Too damn fucking short. makes you feel frustrated and wanting more.

Seriously Ambulance Ltd.,'s sound is like a warm wall of music cocooning you. The guitars are liquidly luscious, deeply melodic and the general vibe is a contented hum that pervades your being.

Us critic folk have to rely on past music to describe new music, because (1)most people can relate to music when it's described as being like someone/thing and (2)some critics use comparisons as a crutch.

Me? I try to create new words or get weird. In the past I've described CDs as fast muscle cars etc.,

Back to Ambulance, Ltd., To an unintiated listener, I'd tell them that Ambulance Ltd., sounds like Pink Floyd meets a Jam Band. They take Floyd's aural landscaping and infuse it with an almost jazz fusion sensability with a nod towards the Jam Band loose limbed "yeah baby this if fun!" experimentation.

Anyway--will make more of an effort to hit MNSC. I miss getting in wacky discussions over songs, I've been nostalgic over having debates on the new versus the old Judas Priest et al.

2003-12-04T10:45:00.000-05:00

Last night Ivan and I went to Tonic to see Kid Congo and Alice, Texas. Unfortunately, we mixed up the times and only saw Alice,Texas. I know that we've seen them before, just can't figure out where. They had a couple of pretty good songs, but most of their music is dirge-like. After the millionth funeral tune, we bailed and headed off to Luna. Never caught the band name, and that's fine...we ran over to the Johnson's drank beers, listened to the fabu jukebox and went back to Luna to check out their last band. That band was worth the wait.
Two Gallants are out of San Francisco; it's a guitarist and a drummer. They've got a very full rich sound, a kinda electro-acoustic feel to them and yeah, I'd see them again. The vocalist has a killer vibrato, and a wonderfully textured tenor voice.

Stef's book release party was tonight. Decided to go "film noir." Wore my 40's dress with a cocktail hat and a fur muff. Actually blew my hair straight for it, I was trying to do the Lauren Bacall Virginia Lake deal.

They served cranberry martinis. Dangerous. Yummy. Met some very interesting and cool people. Saw P., he's a friend of Stef's and does hair for all the NY fashion shows, music videos etc., He arrived late--straight from a video shoot. I asked him if he needed an assistant. I'd love to be able to sneak onto a shoot, and scoop some stuff for the mag. Hey to be able to hang out with all the clothes would be cool too.

Afterwards went out to dinner with Nica and her beau. Dan's a very nice guy. I think it's cool that he calls her by her last name, they've got a very playful way with each other. It can get very soppy when you see all the stuff oozing out of each other's eyes when they look at each other. They make me feel about 12.

Anyway...just found out that some boys that I know are reading this ole blog. Well, golly gee!

If I've offended anyone, I apologize. If I made you laugh, great!

But remember, I am a single person, and as such I'll smile, giggle, flirt and have a grand ole time. Until I'm in a relationship this is the way I'll be.

If you have a problem with it, tell me. If you want to get to know me better, I am not a mind reader, let me know. If you don't like being here let me know. If you're an idiot and behave boorishly, you'll be here. If you want to write a comment here, go ahead. If I had fun with you, It'll be here.

If and only if I have relationship with you (whoever you are) you won't be here.

Same with a lot of my work details--they won't be here.

Glad that we got that straightened out.

2003-12-02T10:44:00.000-05:00

Just a quiet day in the neighborhood. Contacted editors, ran errands, the usual.

Did manage to get out of the wedding. I'm thrilled about that. The bride was getting out of control. The poor girl had very few friends and no social life, she's staffing her wedding party with friends and friends of friends etc., Her mother wants this huge insane todo, and bridey hasn't got enough spine to say nope.

Seven bridesmaids??!!! Yeesh. It's because the groom has seven friends and he wants all of them to be ushers....

She announced that she wants the ENTIRE wedding party to hang out once a month until the wedding. What's going to happen after the wedding? After parties?

It was just getting very out of hand and I don't even know the chick. So I bailed.

2003-12-01T10:43:00.000-05:00

"I'm so tired, I haven't slept a wink...."

Not really a Beatles fan, but that line keeps running through my head.

Spoke to my editor at the Men's Mag today about previous pitches, and am pushing to do a piece on remote controlled sex toys. I think it's funny, and if you're really into multi-tasking...

Have more or less gathered up CDs to review for my top ten list for another mag. Have to quickly re-listen to them and decide....

Was standing outside the Conde Nast building today when Michael Imperioli (of the Sopranos) walked by. He's shorter in real life. But carries himself with diginity. Wore all black; black topcoat, pants, and wrap around black sunglasses. Didn't look right or left. Kept his head up, and his eyes straight ahead.

Am off to check out a few bands with Ivan Tuesday night. Alice,Texas and a few others whose names I can't remember.

Wednesday night is Stef's book party. That ought to be a blast.

The cold has seeped into my bones, am off to lie down and read Plum Island

2003-12-01T10:38:00.000-05:00

I'm Baaaaack!!!

Yes, I am really alive. One day I was fine and the next day…boom! I was struck down with that horrid flu that was hurtling around the city. It started with a headache, and by the end of the day I couldn’t swallow, breathe or walk.

I ended up spending a week in bed. I was so achy, and too tired to read or do anything. I just slept on and off. My voice came back midweek—and for three days I sounded like the love child of Darth Vader and the Exorcist.

The week after that I just killed trees by using way too many boxes of Kleenex.

Um, I think I’ve run out of excuses. No, seriously, being sick for over week, played havoc with my work life. I had a deadline or two that were screaming for me to hurry up.

So, here I am at the tail end of the T-day weekend, trying to summarize the rest of the month….where do I start?

Okay, my “dating moratorium” lasted most of the month—no, being sick had nothing to do with it. I think.

Last Tuesday, I met a very tall guy R., for drinks. Went to Lunasia, nice place, exposed brick walls, lots of places to sit. Chatted, drank and he asked me out for Sunday. He seemed like a nice guy, tall but nice. And never heard from him again. That’s okay, I’ve been so busy, I needed the rest.

Wednesday night at 10:40 get call from M. Who I’ve met very briefly, and the ensuing convo proved to me, that sometimes brief is much better. Within two minutes into the convo, I now know he’s been to Harvard and Columbia and is starting another business. He wanted to discuss econ theory with me. All I can say is “NEXT.”

Thursday, Roxanne threw an amazing T-Day bash. She did the brine thing to the bird the night before…massive dishes of every traditional holiday food everywhere. There wasn’t enough room on the table for all of the food. We all tried to do it justice, and then crawled into the living room to pass out and breathe. About an hour or two later, we game fully crawled back into the dining room, loaded up our plates, crawled back into the living room, put our plates down, then passed out. I crawled home in turkey stupor.

Friday night I was off to the Tribeca Grand. There in the Sanctum, Peter Hook of New Order was spinning discs. Grabbed Roxanne and Ivan for company, and went out to check out the scene and do some celeb spotting. If I saw a couple, I’d write it up and give to the mag. Somewhere in the crowd was either Fischer or Spooner…not sure. Peter Hook had pre-mixed his stuff, gave it to the DJ and went to the bar (outside the Sanctum) for a drink or two, then came back. The strangest part of the evening was dancing to a New Order tune, while Hook was hanging by the turntables.

The three of us were turning our little heads like radar, trying to catch a glimpse of someone I could jot down on my notepad. Nada. At one point, this really cute guy walked in. Yellow baseball cap, brown leather jacket, curly brown hair, kicks…he had this glow about him. He walked up to Hook, shook hands, they chatted for awhile, and he walked about the room a bit. I was tugging Ivan’s arm, “Dude, who is that?” Ivan looked at him. “Don’t think he’s anyone…I’m not sure.”

The crowd was as lame as a limp fish; we blew that pop stand and hit LIT.
LIT is a bacchanalia personified. The booze is cheap and flows from a generous hand, the patrons are relaxed, and the music rocks. It’s got two floors. The basement has nooks, crannies, and a back room filled with cushy black sofas. No one seems to know about the back room, so it’s easy to (and usually the only place) where you can cop a squat. Best of all, you can smoke in the basement.

So we went from someone’s over-decorated rumpus room, to a redneck’s basement. Hey, at least people know how to dance at LIT and the music is much better. After pushing, shoving and crawling our way through the crowd, we made it and threw ourselves onto a couch. Beers and lighters magically appeared. Suddenly I spot yellow baseball cap. I point at him, “Hey! You were over at the Tribeca Grand.” He walks over, sits down and introduces himself. T is from France, has been here two months and is dj’ing and starting his own label. He invites me to check him out Saturday night when he’s spinning at >b>VOID. I tell him that I’m checking out Hybrid at Avalon, but will try to get there. He kept bouncing back and forth between his friends and us. Yup, very flattering. Esp. since we were discussing everything from Napoleon to where you can hear techno in the city.

Two guys flop over to us. I really do mean flop, they were drunk out of their skulls. Two boys from East Hampton. Jay’s tall, cute and blond. Colin, short and as nasty tempered as a garden gnome. They sit down, say hi and ask me to go home with them. I tell them, nah, too many elbows. They point at Roxanne and ask me if she’d go, “See the guy she’s holding hands with?” They nod. “That’s her boyfriend.” They get up and try to snare someone else.

Rolled into bed about 3 AM. The next day, I get an email from T, reminding me about the gig, call him up and he puts me on the guest list.

Kate and I meet up to see Hybrid at Avalon. Many zillions of years ago, Avalon was Limelight. I remember that place from my misspent youth. It’s weird to be dancing in a converted Gothic church. The old club retained a lot of that atmosphere; it was funky, dark, with candelabras and had a cool vibe. Now, it’s all’s high gloss and high tech. Pretty soulless. Band’s supposed to go on at 10 PM. But, no! The crowd isn’t big enough, they keep pushing it back. Kate and I are dancing, making fun of people, checking out the boys, but we’re bored. The place feels like a bad high school dance. Only exciting thing was watching two guys try to out freestyle each other.

Back on the train to SOHO and off to see T do his thing. VOID should be re-named cooler. It was so damn cold I never took off my jacket. Saw T, chatted, he DJ’d and looked for me after. Must mention that it’s very cute to see a boy hunting for ya. Found me, introduced him to Kate. Kate’s off to Paris Wednesday, she’s going to spend two weeks hanging out at her Dad’s apt, while he’s in Miami. T mentioned a few places she should check out, I suggested that he email them to me and I’ll forward them to her.

The place was stacked with his friends. He went to make the rounds, and asked me if he could buy me a drink. I said, yes, and as soon as he left, Kate and I looked at each other and giggled. Um, it didn’t go so great after that. Yes, he bought a drink, but for someone else, then he was making the rounds. Meanwhile, I’m getting that stupid high school feeling all over again. Y’know the one, where you feel like you’re suede flat in a room full of stilettos?

Kate’s telling me we ought to go; the worst thing is to hang there waiting. And yeah, I do agree with her. Hear me out, okay? Yes, he’s asked a ton of friends to come and yes, he should spend time with them, but if you’re gonna offer to buy someone a drink and maybe want to do a bit of sport kissing, c’mon on back soon. Not twenty or so minutes later. I didn’t really care about the drink, but was looking forward to other things. So, we gather up our stuff and I walk over to T, to tell him that we’re meeting friends at LIT, and there’s my drink. Shit. He looks a bit crestfallen (whee!) and we talk about going out later on that week (double whee) and his looking at me with huge brown eyes and I’m smiling back…yeah baby!

Once more into the breech! Once more Kate and I hurl ourselves into the frigid air and walk to LIT.

After pretending we were in a rugby scrum, we make it into the back room. Couches and space. As soon as I tell Kate about Colin and Jay, they show up. “Hey guys!” They have no recollection of the previous night. Colin kept apologizing over an over again. Jay was still trying to get laid, their friend Amy walks over and we’re having this funny and wild convo about men. Two very hot boys join us on the couch and jump into the convo. Pretty soon, we’re all laughing and flirting. Then T pops his head in the doorway. Wow. He said that he and his friends were off to a different club. Okay, I now totally flattered. He didn’t see me and popped out of the room. If he had come in, it would have been awkward, as I met S. and we were playing with feather boas and chatting. But, one of his friends saw me flirting and the usual with S…..so hmmm? Will he tell?

S and his friend A grew up in France. Yup, more Frenchmen and just like T, they’ve got dual citizenship. Okay, we (Kate, D, me and S) hung out till 5 am.

I’ve spent the day sleeping. I’ve been a busy, busy girl.

I’ve got a date with Ross this week and am wondering if S and T will call. Would love to hang with T, and S is an amazing kisser.

Stef’s book party is this week.

Yup, this is gonna be a goooood week.

2003-11-03T10:37:00.000-05:00

All Quiet On The Home Front

Nothing incredibly horrible has happened this week. Hallelujah!

I got a call from the bride and have been promoted from Chuppah holder to bridesmaid. I asked her if that came with a raise and a corner office. This wedding is getting really strange. I mean, the wedding's not till May, anything can happen before then. AND bridezilla now wants monthly "get togethers" with the bridal party. Why? Please tell me why. I'm wondering what's going to happen to her once the wedding is over. There's no way that I'll be going to monthly after parties. Uh huh.

Drummer boy surfaced. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I so don't care. Men. Yeesh. I think that word sums everything up nicely.

No, it's not that I don't like them, I do. They're wonderful. I just don't have limitless patience for their antics.

Had an interesting chat with a fellow freelancer tonight. Went to one of those media thingys. We snuck outside for a cig break and apropos to nothing, she asked me if I had a "significant other." I burst out laughing and said, "Honey, I haven't gotten laid since July and it wasn't that fabulous." Ever notice how some people turn very red very fast? She was like litmus paper.

"No, no, no! That's not what I meant. I mean how do you concentrate on work?"

"Look I date like a wild thing and if I could find someone with whom I'd like to get naked with, I would. But seriously, we all have different priorities. Some people's priorities are their relationships, and that's okay. Some people's priorities are their careers, and that's okay too. It's all about what's most important to you."

Oh yeah, I heard squeaky noises in the ceiling in my bathroom today. Not cute cartoony squeaky noises, real SQUEAKY NOISES.

So, I've got a two bed, no view and squeakers. I wonder if I can get the squeakers to chip in on rent or at least bring a nice housewarming gift.

2003-11-03T10:34:00.000-05:00

Thank god it's over

Could it be that my biorythyms were low? Or that the stars really had it in for me? Suffice to say this was the week that needs a do over.

As I promised when I started this thing, I wouldn't/couldn't write about work, I'm sticking to that resolution. But work played into my having an INCREDIBLY stressful week, topped off by losing my keys.

My keys may be in the garbage or tucked somewhere in a lost or found bin, but they are not with me. Of course, my front door key is a medeco key, which means that the only way to get one is to go the manager's office and get it. Oh joy!

The nice bits of the week. Had dinner with Rose Wednesday night. We ate at our favorite restuarant, Cafe Topsy, 575 Hudson Street. They serve amazing British food. No, I am not on drugs, in the right hands any cuisine can be more than edible, and Topsy's has terrific ambience, yummy drinks and hot waiters (okay most of them are gay, but eye candy is eye candy). Plus Tony the owner is a doll and there's something nice about going to a place where everyone knows your name and you can kid around with them. It's sort of like being home, except better decorated and your living room is filled with strangers. I mean, I can go there, help myself to a cup of coffee, flirt with the boys, get dating advice and order a half portion of dessert.

Met up with Ivan after dinner, we had plans to troll the music venues in the LES, but since I had been on a shopping binge, (when I get very stressed I shop) we had drinks at Welcome to the Johnson's and caught a band at Luna.

The shopping bag was so heavy that I was listing to one side and I was so stressed out that I had three drinks (two martinis and one vodka gimlet) and I was still sober. I have zero tolerance for alcohol, and the fact that I could down three drinks and not feel it.....

Listened to a band called Speedway at Luna Lounge. The members look like escapees from a jam band and play excellent alternative rock. The sound system was on the fritz, combine that with hollow bodied guitar and ouch. They're definitely a band to see again. Music is fresh and the lead singer plays bass-doing all sorts of fancy finger work while singing--not easy.

Thursday night Albert and I finally caught up with another and saw Kill Bill Vol.1. I was bored. The fight scenes were beautifully choreographed, I think there was a plot, but don't quote me on that and the subtitles did not match what the actors were saying.

There were so many mini-hommages to various tv shows and kung fu movies that it smelled derivative. Yes, I know that the cheesy lighting was on purpose, but cheez louise...enough all ready.

Tonight was my first night as a judge for the First Annual Soapbox Comedy Festival it's being held throughout the city until the 13th. The comic I really enjoyed didn't make the cut. Sniff. I'm rooting for her anyway, the woman was very polished and funny.

Came across a silly fun song "Gay Boyfriend" by the British duo Hazzards. The video is silly and a great time waster. I wouldn't suggest watching it at work, you'll laugh out loud too much and get into trouble. Check out the website http://www.ukesofhazzard.com/ If you can also check out Adam Freeland's "We want your soul" song and or video. Full of biting wit about crass consumerism. There's a great line in the song, something about it being okay for America to go to sleep as our leaders are making our decisions for us.

Oh yeah, my date with drummer boy--got stood up. Could anything else have gone wrong? At least we weren't invaded by aliens!

This coming week had better improve, or I'm sending it back.

Ta!

2003-10-27T10:34:00.000-05:00

One more time for the Eurythmics!

Have you ever noticed that it rains when
(a) You're wearing suede
(b) You're getting your hair done
or
(c) You've got a really important meeting?

Well today I had two out of three and dodged raindrops all the while.

Had an interview in the morning. The editor seems very cool. She's from the same area that I am, so we have that common language thing going on and the interview digressed from a regular one to swapping shopping tips. The job seems like it could be fun (it's not full-time) and it could hone my research skills etc.,I'd be in an office two days a week--with people! But the money is pretty bad. Yeah, I know we've all heard the mantra "the economy sucks, just take the money and run." Well, there's making money and there's making money and this just isn't it. I never thought I'd turn down a job because the money was poor, but there ya go. You can sometimes find yourself doing the darndest things.

Then I met up with Nica. I was off to get my roots hidden and Nica came along to see me transformed back into a "fierce redhead bitch" as Lucky, my hair guy calls me. After he applied the goop, I went to hang with Nica in the lounge. Between my hair piled up on top of my head (looking like the Bride of Frankenstein) and the black cape over my shoulders, I was ready for Halloween. If it wasn't raining, I could have walked around scaring small children on the street.

Nica and I were chatting away and the topic turns to men(of course). The minute we switch to that, every ear, male and female clicks on to our convo. It was like watching horse ears twitch.

Nica is in a quandry--she's got a bf who has been, shall we say, a dick in the past. Well, now he's trying (oh c'mon, they all do at some point) and she wants to be monogamous, but just met a very cute, funny, intelligent and successful writer. What to do? Go out on a date with the boy? or politely say no? I told her until she's married to go for it. Why be stuck in a so-so relationship when you could be tasting all sorts of yummy fruits? I'd rather do that than have to constantly second guess my boy. Who needs that type of exercise?

I suggested that she should have a spare or two laying around. They can always come in handy.

I told her about my dating moratorium, and she started laughing. Especially, after I told her I just met a very cute boy. Yeah, I'll probably go out on a date with him. He's into music and I just hope he doesn't react the same way the other musician I dated did. We were talking about bands and the boy got pissed off that I knew more bands than he did. First of all, it's what I do for a living, second of all if he's that competitive...

Speaking of boys, haven't heard from J. All I can say is yippee! I'm so bad. No, I'm not. If I really liked a boy and he liked me, I'd probably be in a completely different mindset.

I think that no matter how old you get, romance is always and I mean alwayslike high school. Every time I start talking about boys to Cris, she starts saying things like, "Oh my god! Will we see him in study hall??"

I think in the case of ilex boy, I'd have to revert to second grade and throw something at him. I have such bad aim, it's not a good idea.

Walking around in the rain woke up all my old sports injuries. They came screaming alive, and reminded me how banged up I really am. I have yet to take any advil. I'm just sitting here gritting my teeth. I have decided to join a gym next week. Winter is bad for me, my appetite revs up--I must have been a big hibernator in the past and I just bought a ton of super low jeans and want to wear them. The gym that I'm joining is now offering fencing. I haven't fenced since High School and I loved it. There's something satisfying about doing a circular riposte. The problem is I've wrecked my rotator cuff and am worried that I'll never be able to pick up an epee again.

Sara gave me some simple exercises that are supposed to build up the muscles around the cuff. I'll try them. I just hope I don't do any more damage. At this point in my life, I don't think there's enough crazy glue in the universe to keep me togther.

Found an all Paul Rauhofer all the time Internet radio station. alldanzradio.com Am in heaven.

am off to medicate my self and eat.

2003-10-26T10:33:00.000-05:00

The Lust List

Lately I've been lusting after all sorts of electronic devices. I have no idea why I suddenly want these things-- I know it's not the adverts on TV--Some switch in my mind has been flipped and I suddenly need, no crave objects that will most likely collect dust.
What I have a intense desire for are:
1)CD Walkman that plays cdr etc.,
2)DVD player
3)Picture phone
4)digi cam
5)scanner

I don't really need these things. Heck, I've got a vcr and tons of movies that I'm not watching now.

Maybe I'll get these goodies for my birthday or for Yule.

Then I'll have to figure out how to work them

2003-10-24T10:30:00.000-04:00

Another Friday Night....

After kicking myself around the block a few times, I finally sat down and started re-writing my first three chapters of my first book. My, there's a lot of mys in there, isn't there!

Anyway, it was either write or leave the apartment and do laundry. The laundry has become a massively huge thing, looking at it, I'm convinced it could be used as an anti-terrorist weapon. So, for the sake of national security (and the fact that it's cold outside) I've decided to leave it be. Who knows? It could become New York's first line of defense.

Obstensively, I'm writing. Well, right now I'm writing this...so...I know, as a writer I am a fabulous procrastinator.

I'm not that bad. I've just finished the edits on the first three chapters, can I get an amen please. And started writing the fourth when I wandered on over here.

Sometimes it just easier to do the stream of consciousness type writing here than trying to be creative. Except when on deadline. When I'm on deadline I'm focused. I think it's the adrenaline rush you get when you're beating the clock and everything is flowing. It is zen. You're making the ephemeral concrete. It's so damn sweet.

Have only told one friend that I'm putting a moratorium on dating. Her response, was "about damn time." Hmph. then again, Sara isn't really into dating. Then again, I view it as a sport.

Can I have fun? Can I have a good time and want to see this person again? Lately my dates have been so-so. Yeah, I have fun, but do I want to see them again? No.

If, and I say if, someone who really makes the ole tum go aflutter asks me out then I'll say yes.

Of course Ilex boy is oblivious. Ilex boy...am not going there.

There are times when I really like the idea of finding someone and having a relationship (and steady sex) and there are times when I'm not into it. Commitmentphobic? Moi?

Am also enjoying the thrills and chills of dsl. I should have converted to that earlier. Am listening to this fabu 80's radio station accuradio.com Accuradio has tons of channels and the one I'm listening to is playing The Pet Shop Boys "Let's Make Lots of Money." I love the older PSB stuff.

Oh well, back to the book.

2003-10-23T10:29:00.000-04:00

No, I haven't been abducted by aliens

I was just asked to be in a wedding party. A friend of a friend needs an extra body or two for her wedding, and I was volunteered. So, I spent last weekend with the rest of the bridal crew hunting down elusive bridesmaid dresses and looking at favors etc., for a wedding in May. The more I learn about planning a wedding, the more I like the idea of eloping to Vegas and getting married by an Elvis impersonator.

Speaking of weddings etc., I have decided to take a break from dating. Collective gasp please. Yup, I'm taking a breather. There just comes to a point where if I am going to shave my legs, there had better be a good reason for it.

Other than that, life has been pretty quiet. I'm liking the drama free days. Well, most of my life is pretty drama free. Just the usual staring at the computer and alternating by staring at the phone and wondering if my editors have been abducted by aliens.

Recently reviewed Jamison Parker's debut release Notes & Photographs It's an EP, which sucks. I mean only five songs to listen to, ugh I want more. Luckily their full length CD will be out sometime in 2004. The band is reminiscent of The Smithereens, Marshall Crenshaw, The Pixies and they've got lots of energy and quirky, clever wordplay.

Off to check out many bands tomorrow night with Ivan. Hopefully the weather will be warmer. When it gets really cold, all I want to do is hide in the apt. until Spring.

I don't know what it is about hanging with Ivan, but there are moments when I suddenly turn into a 17 year old boy. I'm doing things like saying, "dude" and making displays of heavy metal bands in Virgin. It's fun and goofy and I'm not bitching about it. Actually, I kinda miss the days when the most important thing was to be able to outname bands. To be a walking enclycopdeia of arcane and weird rock shit.

2003-10-14T10:28:00.000-04:00

Here comes the rain again

Sitting here in front of the computer, I'm listening to the rain hitting my ac. It doesn't sound as cozy or romantic as rain hitting a tin roof in the tropics, but it will have to do.

Cris and I went to the Museum of Natural History today. Walked around the fish exhibit, and I ended up being a tour guide. Years and years ago, possibly during the Jurassic period, I was so enamoured with marine biology, that I almost went to school for it. Apparently, I've remembered all sorts of facts and frighteningly enough, the latin names for some of the fish. So, Cris and I made fun of various species and I spouted off facts. Once a geek, always a geek.

We watched the IMAX movie, Kingdom of the Tiger. It's a gorgeous film about the birth of tiger and animal conservation in India. The countryside is breathtaking. After seeing the film, I completely understand why there's a guy who kept a tiger in his apt. here in the city. How he kept the animal quiet and litter trained, are some of the many unaswered questions. I mean, how much kitty litter do you buy for a tiger anyway?

We checked out the Hall of Gems and Minerals after the movie. What I find strange is that I've been going to the museum on and off since I was 2, and this was the first time I've ever gone to the gem part. I seem to always hit the same sections; dinosaurs, planet earth, indigenous peoples, dinosaurs again, and of course the planetarium.

Went back to my house and watched one and a half novellas. I don't speak any Spanish, and made Cris translate. Now I'm hooked on them. I have no idea what they're saying, but I can't wait to see tomorrow night's installments. At one point, Cris got bored translating, so we created our own dialogue. Then we found Better Off Dead on cable, and of course you have to watch that. I've seen bits and pieces of that flick over the years, but never the entire thing. Will have to buy my own copy. When you look at the actors as an adult, you realize that they don't look like teens at all, but when you're a preteen watching those things, you hope and pray that by the time you turn 16, you look like that. What's really scary is that Friday Cris and I are walking around 5th avenue and we're seeing horrible 80's fashions in all the stores. Yikes. I for one, will not have big hair. Nope.

Had an interesting weekend. Went out to dinner with J. Saturday night. He had made reservations at Tabla in Gramercy Park. Nice place, nice atmosphere and he shows up wearing jeans. Oh god, I know I sound shallow (I most definitely am not), but c'mon it's a second date, put a little effort into it. The sweater he was wearing was wrinkled and he looked like he was ready to hit a dive bar or two.

While I had an okay time,(he had a great one), I'm not interested in seeing him again. There's zip chemistry. I am also not fond of the fact that he couldn't get it through his head that I am really and incredibly thrilled for Stef's success with the book and column and other career related things that she's doing. He kept saying repeatedly, "But she's a writer too." How does this make any difference in our friendship? We're friends first and foremost, and you want your friends to do well. It's a joyous thing to see them succeed. I'm now in the unenviable position of telling a boy that I'm not interested. It's such a squemish feeling, no matter how you phrase it, it never comes off well.

Sunday was, in Ivan's words a "bad Seinfeld episode." Sunday was supposed to be the great buying the computer router day. We decide to meet at the Office Depot on 5th Avenue. Neither of us knew there was a parade going on at the same time. Neither of us knew that the 5th Avenue Office Depot is closed on Sundays. We ended up on the one on Broadway and 41st, and realized that the sale on routers was at Compusa on 5th and 38th. We ended up playing in the men's department of H&M.

Went back to my apt. to get the DSL working and it refused. So, we went out to dinner instead.

Am going to be attempting to buy a router tomorrow. By myself. All alone. Just me. Nervous? You betcha!

2003-10-09T10:28:00.000-04:00

Rolling Along

Had the interview yesterday at the mag. Not only did I have a good hair day (yippee), but I kicked ass!

Funny thing, I had gotten there too early and the mag is located in a business park. Nothing but high rises, one after another. No place to get coffee and sit for awhile. So I walked up and down the street. Did I mention that there was construction everywhere, and I'm hopping over broken sidewalks and lots of dust and dirt. In heels. In black fabric (faille) heels? Yes they got dirty. I scrubbed the dirt off them before I went to the interview. At least I was busy while I was wasting time.

Got on a subway this morning, and this woman decided to preach to us poor half-awake people. Not only did she have to punctuate every other word with "Amen," and "Hallelujah," she kept talking about being covered with the blood of Christ. Eeww. Okay, not the best thing to hear on an empty stomach. She kept calling the Holy Ghost the Holy Goat. I started to laugh, thinking about a goat rompng around in a barnyard wearing a halo.

Of course, I had to say something to her as I left the train.

I'm so not "PC". I think the only that "PC" is a load of crap. To be "PC" is to have a narrow world view. To be really "PC" is to accept yourself and others without labels. The "PC'ers" love labels. They're as bad as the conservatives. I love to tweak them both equally

2003-10-07T10:27:00.000-04:00

venting ahead, be afraid, very afraid

This is the second time I've written this, technology is not my friend tonight.

Spent the day being viciously attacked by a pair of shoes that promised me that if I bought them, they'd be my bestest friend ever. They lied. Also had the twirling skirt day. That one was my fault, I've got a brown suede hip hugger skirt that I tried to wear as a normal skirt. We played tug of war--it won.

Came home to find a nasty threatening email from an ebay buyer. He misread the auction, wants his money back--he looked over the items before he handed over the cash. He also brought me up on charges in ebay court. This is great, just like High School Honor Court.

Ivan sent me a photo of shoes that he bought.

I have a job interview at a mag Wednesday, I better have a good hair day.

Can I hide under the bed until Spring?