she keeps her love away

My nook is here!!!!! :)



I named her ripley the nook. :) She registered without a problem, she's all charged up, and I've got...well, should have 7 books and one sample on it. One book is missing, but I just shut her down to see if the new purchase shows up. It didn't, but I can always transfer it manually.

The books are:
Three Cups of Tea
Learning to Breathe
The Girl Wit The Dragon Tattoo
Dracula
Little Women
Pride and Prejudice

The seventh just showed up... The Girl Who Played With Fire

And I've got a sample of Under The Dome on it too. I'm not sure how many samples I can have at a time. My have to play with that.

EVEN BONUS!!!! I got an email today that ebooks were 15% off if you used a MasterCard. Well, I had money already in my eBook account thanks to gift cards, and it uses that amount first before going to the default card. My default card happens to be a MasterCard. AND IT GAVE ME THE 15% DISCOUNT EVEN THOUGH THE BOOKS WERE BOUGHT WITH THE MONEY IN THE ACCOUNT ALREADY! That let me get the extra book. (The three classics came free when I downloaded the B&N reader onto my computer.

I am so happy with my little nook!!!!! There's one little thing I can't get to work, but it's not a big deal at the moment - and nothing that can't wait until I can go into a store and talk with someone.

It's nice to be happy after yesterday. I already talked (literally) about The Marvelous Wonderettes. SOOOOO GOOD!!!!!!!! After that, I went over to Aaron's last performance in next to normal. They all did such a good job. Some of the (I can only guess as it wasn't this bad his first back) Gossip Girl groupies were a little screamier than they should have been during "Just Another Day", but overall it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

No stage door. The winds had been really up earlier in the day, and security canceled it. :( I know it's not a huge deal, but it is in a way. I almost wish they'd put an exit (that could be used regularly) on 45th Street for times like this. The alley is a wind tunnel in the best of circumstances, but when there's strong winds, it's really a mess. Oh well.

School was...school. We survived. LOL. 9 school days to go and we get a three-day weekend. w00t!!!

But yeah... Big news of the day is my nook is here!!!!!

So blah blah blah. We all know it's a new year. No news flash there.

I'm not a big one on the whole "resolution" thing, but given some of the shit that's been going down lately, I figure why not clean out. You know, get rid of the bad karma and bring in the good. All that jazz.

And so I am!

Today, I spent the better part of the morning and early afternoon on the living room. Cleaned it all up, threw out a bunch of stuff, boxed up some other things to go through at a later time (hey, with me, it's better to get things clean and THEN go through stuff that I wasn't positive on...I know how I work), that kind of thing. Not as many garbage bags as the last time, so that's a plus. Still, I've got a couple in the kitchen that will wait until the trash cans outside are empty (or until they're at the curb anyway...then I'll put them out with the cans) just so the cans aren't TREMENDOUSLY heavy between my stuff and other people in the building's stuff. I also moved the iMac and desk into the living room, so a portion of the bedroom is clean. Here's the living room as it looks now. :)



I will post a pic of the bedroom tomorrow when it's done. There will be more rearranging in the bedroom. All I really did in the living room was move the rocking chair over and the computer desk in.

The best part of this throwing out part? Getting rid of shit I have no need or desire for. Remember I asked about removing engraving? I decided to screw it and just throw the fucking frame out. I don't need that bad karma in my house or my life. I've reclaimed other parts for myself. This needed to be done. (I contemplated burning some cards, but I opted not to do that. I don't want to recreate the Valentine's episode of Friends. Throwing them out will suffice.)

Other than that, it's been a pretty low-key day. I was in bed before midnight last night. Yes, I'm a geek. So what? I was awakened by people yelling and either firing off fireworks (just single pop ones) or firing guns into the air. I was safely tucked in my bed, so I didn't really care. And the people above me didn't decide to move furniture back at 5am, so that was another big plus. I still don't know what was so fucking important last year (or was it the year before?) that they had to rearrange the furniture THEN and not at a semi-decent hour.

While doing all the cleaning, I finished up watching season three of Sex and the City so those discs can go back to NetFlix tomorrow. Since then I've been watching "New Year's Slay" on Logo (translation, a Buffy marathon.) Woohoo!

The nook didn't come yesterday. Not only that, I apparently got no mail. SADNESS! I'd put a note on my mailbox to let the postmaster know I was home so I wouldn't get that "come and get it" slip in my box, but apparently we had a sub. Who apparently called my actual postmaster - George. He had yesterday off, but came over to see if there was a problem or what. I gotta say, I was impressed. I'm hoping for tomorrow. (I guess it was asking a bit much for yesterday...I think it's 2-day shipping, and yesterday was 1-day from notification.) But since tomorrow is clean and rearrange the bedroom day, I'll be home, so nabd.

All in all, it seems to be a great start to 2010! Woohoo!!!!

All safely back in New York!! Woohoo!! I'm sitting here in my apartment, waiting for the mail to come in hopes that it will contain my nook!! It's snowing out - very pretty. I mad the coffee that came in the gift basket from the landlord. It's actually YUM!

I guess now's as good a time as any to look back over the year. I know I listed my top 5s, but I'll do it again. :) Why not. (Hey, at least I'm not doing the year-end meme again!)


Theatre
Total shows seen: 102
Unique shows seen: 41 (Yes, before you ask, Next to Normal/next to normal counts as two because it IS a different show on Broadway than it was at Arena.)

1.next to normal
Really, is anyone surprised by this. THE most moving experience I've ever had in a theater. Over and over every time! (For more sharing, I'm counting them together in this top 5. It allows other shows a chance. :) Hee!)
2. Max Understood
Such a beautiful, honest, heartfelt portrait of one family's struggle with autism. I wish everyone could have seen this!!!
3. God of Carnage
Seeing this play the first time - and then again - just inspired me as a playwright. I can't wait to see it with the new cast!!
4. Hair
I know! Back in May, who'd have thunk this show would end up on my top 5??? But this is proof that you CAN revisit things and have a different experience the second (and third and fourth) time you see it. (For the opposite where there's no change, see my experience at Ragtime.)
5. Dirty Blonde at Signature in Shirlington, VA
I had no idea how this play would play out when I went to see it knowing only the barest of details about it and was utterly charmed by this whole play. Another on my inspiration shelf.

Books
Total books read: 61
Total pages read: 21,101

1. Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion by Sara Miles
Just a beautiful telling of one woman's journey to faith and action. LOVE IT AND HER!!!
2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Picked this up on the recommendation of a tweet from Jennifer Weiner. LOVE THIS BOOK!!!
3. Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant
Beautiful, haunting, transcendent. Just gorgeous. And not as predictable as I thought it was going to be.
4. At Least In The City Someone Would Hear Me Scream by Wade Rouse
Hysterical! I laughed out loud several times reading this! Which isn't always the best thing to do on the subway. (Though with a book in your hands you're slightly less batshit for doing that as when you're listening to, oh, say Emily and Alice's CDs with the hidden tracks...and the hidden tracks specifically. Then you just have things in your ears and yeah...you look batshit!)
5. Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner
Something about this book just touched me. I guess it's how I feel like in a way some of what happens there could actually happen to me.

Movies
Total movies seen: 18
I clearly fail at movies this year. Maybe more in 2010? The top 5 are limited to those I saw in the movie theater.

1. A Single Man
HANDS DOWN THE BEST MOVIE I'VE SEEN IN A WHILE, NOT JUST THIS YEAR!!
2. Julie and Julia
Before seeing A Single Man this was my number one movie. I do still think it's great. But it pales in comparison to the beauty and perfection that is A Single Man.
3. Whip It
I didn't expect to like this movie, and I actually did. Would I like to see Ellen Page act in another style? Sure. Her broodiness or whatever you want to call it gets old really quickly, but the movie was quirky and fun.
4. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
Another surprise package. While not as spectacular as the first one, it's charming and really well done. How to have a movie as close to the book as possible? Let the author write the screenplay AND direct.
5. The Princess and the Frog
A late addition (and one I suspected). Saw this with the parentals over Christmas and really enjoyed it. One of the stronger Disney movies I've seen lately.

Overall, it's been a good year.
* I took a writing class and loved it! Signed up for part 2 already!
* I changed populations I teach. The jury is still out on this completely - largely because of the principal - but so far it's a good move.
* I've gotten a little more involved in church. Not always sure how good the ushering thing is, especially when I really would rather stay home, but overall it' a good thing.

Nothing too earth shattering happened to me. I guess that's a good thing.

As we know, I don't "do" resolutions. That's asking for failure. Plus, if we want to get technical, EVERY DAY begins a new year. So there.

I think I will just put out there what my friend Tammy said...

Make a pledge to live the year 2010 with more passion, more love, more creativity, more kindness, more generosity, more laughter, more intention, more compassion, more grace, more forgiveness and especially more of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will make that pledge! :)

Be safe everyone!

life in suburbia continues for one more day.

we didn't do a whole lot today. i rode with mom to the post office - woohoo! excitement! we dropped the sister off at the airport around 3:30is this afternoon. haven't heard anything, so we assume she is en route. the flight that i'll be on tomorrow was delayed. big surprise. i've figured out that it's the same plane i came on on christmas (well, it may not physically be the same plane, but you know what i mean)...the one that had people waiting to board when we got here. so i'll just keep an eye on 6687 tomorrow and see how it's coming to determine if i'm going to be late or not. i'm betting on late.

i'm pretty much all packed save for the last minute stuff. as long as they don't have a problem with hot chocolate powder (nothing i've read suggests they would) i should be fine with carry-on (and check the roller at the plane as is ok on the commuter flights). tomorrow i'm going with daddy while he gets his hair cut, and then i think we're going to go to trader joe's so i can introduce him to that wonderful world! then about 3:30 it's off to the airport to wait for my plane to get in and then board and fly home.

ooh! have i mentioned the drama dialogue thingy that tdf is doing? info is here. it seems really cool! i'm signed up and can't wait!!! especially since i'll be a week into playwriting 2 at the time!!

worked a little on my play this morning and probably will do more while the parentals are watching the kennedy center thingy (ugh!) later on. after a nice hot bath that is. gotta take advantage of the tub while i'm here!!! interestingly i think a conversation i thought was going to be between catharine and max is going to be between tori and max...but i'm not sure yet. it won't be as early as i'm working on. i still need to really figure out tori...who she is and what her deal is. yay fun. (actually it is fun! it's just annoying to know that i need info the characters aren't giving me.)

i think i may do some apartment rearranging when i get home. since i'm wireless, there is absolutely no reason the desktop has to stay in my bedroom! i think it will be going to the living room, and then i can move my bed into the other corner and going in towards the center of the room rather than towards the back wall...i know, it's hard to explain. i'll take pics if i do it. that would free up some space in the room so i can work on getting a wii and something like the jillian michaels exercise program or something and do that in the bedroom. since moving the television would require the cable company coming out again and no thank you on that one!

pending funds, i may try rushing Finian's Rainbow saturday. given its numbers it may not be long for this world. not one bit surprised at the news about Ragtime. when you're not even close to sold out thanksgiving weekend, there is an issue. what's most amusing is the big article the times ran over the weekend about how it absolutely wasn't closing, that those were just "malicious rumors" and blah blah blah. well, obviously the provisional notice had in fact been given as they announced on monday that their last performance will be sunday. egg on lots of faces with that article and now essentially a retraction of it. i know some people loved it, and i never wish for people to be out of work, but...that production just didn't work for me. sorry guys!

um...i guess that's it for now. not much happens here in suburbia that's worth reporting on. lol. have a good night!

Though somehow I have a feeling my family would have qualified as "the Stepford family" since as I like to say we're so functional we're dysfunctional. Hell, we were even laughing over dinner last night how I cried when I got my first C in college. Yes, I was that much of a geek.

Today was church at the 'rents church. Time for me to get to play "I'll just smile and pretend i have a clue who you are". It's a fun game. It was also hide from this guy named Owen who is just...weird. Somehow - in spite of Daddy telling him both Andrea and I were there - he didn't come over to see us. We did get to see Gayle, the music minister there who I have known since I was three and she baby-sat me. Good times. Then it was off to J. Alexander's for lunch. Mom and Daddy go there EVERY SUNDAY! And the crew knows them by name. Seriously. It's to the point where if they're not going to be there, Mom and Daddy will let them know so they don't worry. Luckily it's a good place to eat. :)

We got home and considered going to a movie, but that didn't happen because of time (Andrea's seeing college friends tonight) so we went to Borders. I now own both volumes of the Glee season one soundtrack!!!! SO EXCITED!

Now we're hanging out, watching The Sound of Music. Well, I'm listening because I have to be on the wired computer as whoever had the unnamed wireless we were getting sporadically locked it down (but left it unnamed) last night. :( Andrea's still out.

Tomorrow we're going to do brunch at the Loveless Cafe and then ride on some parkway before Andrea goes to more college friends' house for at least the afternoon. I think I'm introducing them to Trader Joe's as well...but we'll see. All these added security things are making planning for Tuesday (when Andrea flies back) and Wednesday (when I fly back) more difficult. but we'll figure it out.

Um...yeah. I think that's about it. :)

Two days. I just have to get through two days.

We have snow on the ground. Where it isn't piled up against the curb it's pretty still. Where it is aganst the curb it's dirty and nasty...and making big old puddles at the corners because the drainage ditches are full or not taking the melt as quickly as they should. That's just gross. Luckily I've learned how to spot the puddles so I hopefully won't have to deal with getting soaked up to my knee almost again. You do that once with freezing cold nasty water and you don't forget what it looks like any time soon.

Plans for the week...
* Tuesday, just get through the day.
* Wednesday night, lottery next to normal with Susan. I'll probably do the lotto loser dealie thing if we don't win.
* Thursday morning, go to MoMA to see a special exhibit. Get my sister's present. Finish packing - carry on-able only! Not paying $30RT to check a bag. Check into my flight. Look at weather and decide if I'm going to camp at the airport after the Christmas Eve service. Go to Christmas Eve service.
*Friday, head to the airport at some point in the day (depending on weather and stuff). Fly home - should be at 3:30, home 5:30ish.

Right now my flight back on the 30th is completely full. Should I get the message we got when we checked Mom and Daddy in - that the flight is overbooked and if I would like to volunteer to take a later flight for compensation - I am totally volunteering. AS LONG AS THEY GUARANTEE ME I WILL BE BACK BY THE END OF THE DAY ON THE 2ND!! I've always wanted to be able to do that and never have been. But I've confirmed with the 'rents that it would be ok if I did, so. Yay! (Although now that I've got a plan, that obviously won't happen.)

Have I mentioned on here how over Thanksgiving Daddy said out of nowhere that he wanted to see Hair?!?!? I mean... I know he was in the whole Vietnam era - only didn't get sent because of his childhood asthma (the other guy who got pulled off the bus was told he wasn't going because he had cancer...all the others on the physical bus went straight to basic training) - but... I don't know. I just didn't think it would be his type of show. I guess if it's still running when he's up here next I'll get us tickets... I'm just sort of dreading one particular song... I mean, really... Would YOU want to be sitting next to your parental unit while someone is singing "Sodomy. Fellatio. Cunnilingus. Pederasty."????? REALLY????? I think I'd even be ok with the last scene in Act 1 - the nudity. But that song... I'm just not sure I can do it. I'm taking the cast recording home with me for Christmas...that may squelch the whole thing when he hears the music. We shall see.

Ok... So I figure now's as good a time as any to do my top 5 lists for the year. There might be more movie viewing (I only counted things I've seen in the theater) before the end of the year, and if that changes I'll let you know. But for now... My top 5 of the year in...

Theatre
1.next to normal
Really, is anyone surprised by this. THE most moving experience I've ever had in a theater. Over and over every time!
2. Max Understood
Such a beautiful, honest, heartfelt portrait of one family's struggle with autism. I wish everyone could have seen this!!!
3. God of Carnage
Seeing this play the first time - and then again - just inspired me as a playwright. I can't wait to see it with the new cast!!
4. Hair
I know! Back in May, who'd have thunk this show would end up on my top 5??? But this is proof that you CAN revisit things and have a different experience the second (and third and fourth) time you see it. (For the opposite where there's no change, see my experience at Ragtime.)
5. Dirty Blonde at Signature in Shirlington, VA
I had no idea how this play would play out when I went to see it knowing only the barest of details about it and was utterly charmed by this whole play. Another on my inspiration shelf.

Books
1. Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion by Sara Miles
Just a beautiful telling of one woman's journey to faith and action. LOVE IT AND HER!!!
2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Picked this up on the recommendation of a tweet from Jennifer Weiner. LOVE THIS BOOK!!!
3. Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant
Beautiful, haunting, transcendent. Just gorgeous. And not as predictable as I thought it was going to be.
4. At Least In The City Someone Would Hear Me Scream by Wade Rouse
Hysterical! I laughed out loud several times reading this! Which isn't always the best thing to do on the subway. (Though with a book in your hands you're slightly less batshit for doing that as when you're listening to, oh, say Emily and Alice's CDs with the hidden tracks...and the hidden tracks specifically. Then you just have things in your ears and yeah...you look batshit!)
5. Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner
Something about this book just touched me. I guess it's how I feel like in a way some of what happens there could actually happen to me.

Movies
1. A Single Man
HANDS DOWN THE BEST MOVIE I'VE SEEN IN A WHILE, NOT JUST THIS YEAR!!
2. Julie and Julia
Before seeing A Single Man this was my number one movie. I do still think it's great. But it pales in comparison to the beauty and perfection that is A Single Man.
3. Whip It
I didn't expect to like this movie, and I actually did. Would I like to see Ellen Page act in another style? Sure. Her broodiness or whatever you want to call it gets old really quickly, but the movie was quirky and fun.
4. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
Another surprise package. While not as spectacular as the first one, it's charming and really well done. How to have a movie as close to the book as possible? Let the author write the screenplay AND direct.
5. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
I'm not sure it's my favorites of the adaptations, but I did find it well done, if a little heavy on the weepy teen angst.
(This category is largely the reason I only did 5...I only left off a couple of movies because they were so...ew. I just didn't see a lot in the theater this year.)

Um... I think I'm going to get a hot shower before Hoarders. Yes...ironic. You'd think I'd do the shower AFTER.

Ye olde end of the year meme. Borrowed from Emily.

01. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
I'm sure I could come up with something else if I really thought about it, but... Got completely trashed at a party. Like sick trashed. (Yes, really/finally.)

02. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't really set "resolutions" so much as goals I would like to accomplish. So in that spirit, my list for 2009.
* Read 50 books
I blew this one out of the water. As of today, I have read 64. I slowed down once I hit the 50. So I think I will aim for 100 this next year.
* Finish Coventry: A Journey (the nano novel from 2007)
Epic FAIL!
* Take an actual class with Gotham (preferably fiction in which I can work on the aforementioned novel)
Check! It was Playwriting rather than Fiction. But I LOVED it!!
* Exercise at least 3 times a week
Not formally, but I did try and keep up my walking and stuff.
* Do better with eating right (less take-out!!!!)
Slightly better than the exercise. Thank god for Trader Joe's!! I am so glad I discovered them!!!
* Big glass of water each morning
* Try to get to at least one yoga class a week
* Volunteer ~ preferably with the Anti-Violence Project, but with someone
Started off strong but have slacked off a little. Oops!
* Do at least one new thing a month ~ can be scary or just something new (and yes, that can include a new food, but it's not limited to that)
Um...I'm going to have to call this a fail for the simple reason that I forgot about it.

03. Did someone close to you give birth?
No.

04. Did anyone close to you die?
No. Someone at my school did, but I didn't know her.

05. What countries did you visit?
None

06. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Money would be nice. But mostly PEACE in my personal life - and that of my friends!

07. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
April 15 and June 7 - proof that dreams really do come true! October 11 - so powerful!

08. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
I took Playwriting and started working on an actual PLAY!

09. What was your biggest failure(s)?
Not seeing something that was so obviously happening - and therefore not doing anything to stop or prevent it.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
i tend to be disgustingly healthy.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A variety of theatre tickets. And my MacBook Pro!

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
The people in those states that legalized marriage for everyone.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
The asshats who either voted hate in or refused to vote for what was right and thereby perpetuate a society of "lesser".

14. Where did most of your money go?
Theatre tickets. Specifically ones for next to normal but a lot went to other shows too.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
next to normal on Broadway!!!

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? generally happier
ii. thinner or fatter? thinner - but nowhere near the "tiny" that Alice claims I am
iii. richer or poorer? about the same, but moving towards richer since I don't have any of those devil loans - and won't unless it's that or living in a box on the street

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Hmmm... I'm actually pretty content with the levels of things I've done.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Investing in a friendship that was fake from the start. Or at least was started for an ulterior purpose and not because the person truly liked me.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Starting the day in NYC, then heading to JFK to fly to Nashville.

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Yep! Though not really with a person.

23. How many one-night stands?
Nada.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Glee!!! Also, Toddlers and Tiaras!

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I'm about as close to hate as I come with a couple of people. I don't see that changing, sadly. At least I'm not going to make the first move at trying to reconcile. If they want a friendship with me, they can make amends.

26. What was the best book you read?
Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion by Sara Miles

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Limbsakimbo

28. What did you want and get?
To change populations at school. For next to normal to hit Broadway. For Alice to win her Tony award. Those last two made me insanely happy!!!

29. What did you want and not get?
Hmmm... Nothing really comes to mind.

30. Favorite film of this year?
A Single Man. PERIOD! GO SEE THIS!!!!!

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
The day before I camped out with some...well, at the time friends...for rush tickets for both shows of net to normal! SOOOO worth it for the experience!!

The day of I took off from work. I went to see The Marvelous Wonderettes (primarily because next to normal initially didn't have a show scheduled...or for sale for that night; but a happy fluffy show seemed the better option)! Then I went to the stage door at the Booth - at Alice's request - for a birthday hug

32.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Um...not having let myself be used.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Don't really have a fashion concept. Other than "comfortable". If i can pull off "cute" I'll take that too.

34. What kept you sane?
Theatre. Specifically next to normal.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Duh!

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
EQUALITY!

37. Who do you miss?.
Meaghan!!!! :(

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Once upon a time there wouldn't have even been a question on this. However, that person now falls under question 25. So overall... Susan! She is incredible and totally NOT into the using thing.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
Be VERY cautious at sudden friendships...especially ones you didn't initiate and with people who may not be all they appear to be. It's hard to know this up front. So basically just be cautious around new friendships - especially where others can be concerned.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
She doesn't like to show you her tears, she doesn't want feelings to get in the way; somebody hurt her a long time ago, she sealed up her heart and that's how it'll stay.

Wow! The conclusion of my fourth year of participating in Chad Darnell's 12 of 12! How time flies!!!

My day was pretty boring...or definitely will be from here on out, so... I shall post now.


Up and checking on my Cafe on facebook.


Breakfast! Cinnamon raisin British muffins (with butter and honey) and a slice of cheese. All from Trader Joe's! YUM!


The new face routine. The Body Shop's Nutrigenics line. Wash, toner, serum, and then moisturizer for day or night. Is'nt getting older fun?


Off to Manhattan to see A Single Man at the Angelika. The movie is absolutely stunning. Colin Firth has never been better and Julianne Moore is beautiful and at the top of her game. Do yourself a favor and see this movie as soon as you can!!!! I meant to take pictures of the poster, but I was running late getting in because of the stupid MTA's habit of holding an A/C train for the incoming G when I'm on the A/C but if I'm on the G, the A/C gets to go right ahead as we are almost at a stop. Then it was wait for the F at the next stop... It could have been worse though. The F operator had a "construction" route announcement so we thought we were going to be going over the C. It wasn't fun.

The film, however, was SOOOOOOOO worth it!!!!


I honestly have no clue why these beams are sticking out of the wall. Or why they're painted blue. It necessitated a picture for sheer weirdness and randomness factor.


The Crate and Barrel window is sooo pretty! And there's a cool reflection in it as well.

I had thought I would be nice and take a picture of the tree at Rockefeller Center for you, but I swear there were like thousands of people who OBVIOUSLY have never seen a tree before. You could not MOVE within about three blocks of it. Seriously? IT IS A TREE. A little bigger than most, true. But A TREE! (Ditto the lights that "dance" to music on Saks at night. It's not a new concept. But you'd swear it was some kind of technology imported from Pluto by aliens the way people will just stop dead in their tracks and gape at it.)

The crazy didn't end there. I decided since I wasn't going to take a picture of A TREE I would go to the World of Disney store and see if I could find this thing my sister asked me to see if i could find. The stores were even crazier than the area around the tree. There was a TWO HOUR WAIT (I asked out of curiosity) to get into the STORE section of American Girl Place. I got up to WoD and discovered a 1 hour wait. INSANITY! PURE INSANITY!

Times Square actually seemed TAME compared to that area. So you get this...


The artwork (such as it is) for The Addams Family. From the sounds of it, unless the writers get it together and figure some things (like Morticia's character) out (I'm sorry...if your actress cannot figure out what you want, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM AS A WRITER!), this will be a train wreck. But those can be fun. Sometimes.


Back home and eating my version of nachos. Again, chips and cheese from Trader Joe's.


My new Chase Continental Debit Card came in so I was investigating it. Had I been accurately told that (Continental) they were NOT still partnered with Delta (My "personal banker" at Chase told me they were), I would have gone with the general award card. Oh well...maybe I can get a decent trip somewhere...eventually.


And engaging in a guilty pleasure. Sex and the City on DVD. Thanks netflix!!


Oh yeah. I'm having fun.


Looking at information about my Christmas present! Yep!!!! I'm getting a nook!!! SOOOOOOO excited!!

And of course, the bonus pic.

Benny! He was napping and so didn't see the red focus light. So I actually got a picture of him.

So that's it. Another year wrapped up. Hope you enjoyed it!

...but not in Brooklyn from what I can tell. Or not in Bed-Stuy. At least it wasn't the last time I looked. :( I WANT SNOW LIKE THE REST OF NYC SEEMS TO HAVE!!!!!

Anyhoodles...

Things seem to be going ok I think. School is school. I'm surviving. Which is better than not surviving I suppose. Right? Thirteen school days left and we're on break! Woohoo!!!

I'll be around here the 24th...packing and stuff. I think I'm going to go in and see the Tim Burton exhibit at MoMA. They were out of entries the day Mom and Daddy and I went. I figure if I grab a ticket for the first time it should be cool. Christmas Eve service that night. Then on Christmas Day out to JFK by 1:30 or so for my flight to Nashville. I'll be there through the 30th and come home that evening. Amazingly I got a decent-priced flight. Woo!!

NO plans for NYE at this point. Keeping my options open I guess. LOL.

January 3 I've already got a ticket for the evening show of next to normal (bought that when that was was far out as they were selling tickets for the LONGEST time...now they're selling them further out). I'm planning to get a ticket for the closing show of The Marvelous Wonderettes, which will be the matinee. Do that after payday. Several shows are going down that day...Wonderettes is the one I care most about. And so I will go see it. I hope.

This past week on Thursday I got to see next to normal again! :) My friend Carli had a tdf ticket and she was really tired, so she let me have it and I'll pay her back when we get our teacher's choice reimbursement which should happen the 10th for those of us smart enough to have direct deposit. :) It was great! They were all on fire! Especially Alice, but what's new about that? :P

Today I went to see The Private Lives of Pippa Lee at the Angelika Film Center. I'd never been there, and I really like it. It's very art house - indie movies and the like. It's kind of cool to occasionally hear a subway train rumble overhead. :) Very New York! And the movie was really good too. I just got the book from the library (I think they had to restock because when I first heard about the movie I looked for it and don't recall seeing it) and started it last night. I'm not tremendously far in it, but to the point where I am, the movie was VERY true to the book. I guess that's an advantage of letting the author write the screenplay and direct, huh? Julianne Moore has a smallish part in it, and she continues to amaze me with her chameleon-like way of sliding into such different roles. PLUS in previews we saw one for A Single Man which stars her and Colin Firth and looks fucking AMAZING!!! Definitely checking that one out ASAP!! (I think it comes out December 11.)

Now I'm watching The nightmare Before Christmas for the first time. I know, I know. But at least I'm finally watching it!

Hmmm... I'm hungry and trying to decide if I should eat some Joe's O's, some oatmeal, or go get chips or something from the bodega. Course the latter would require getting dressed after my nice hot shower, so that may fall by the wayside. I should eat something...I haven't had that much today now that I think about it. Tea with honey for breakfast...Reese's Pieces and a diet coke at the movie...TJ's instant mac and cheese...and applesauce. No wonder I'm hungry. Should go remedy that. LOL.

So Thanksgiving was good, even if a tad on the short side. Had fun with the parents - for theatre reviews, see my review blog. And then last night we went to Radio City for the Holiday Spectacular. Um...we've seen it. It's not bad...it's just very commercial. Gotta say the building is impressive if nothing else.

Headed back to the apartment after it was over because I had to be at school today. It wasn't too bad. The kidlets were all in rare form, but we survived.

Weather is GROSS outside. I decided just to eat an overdue fine of a day rather than go back out in this mess and go to the library. Also, I've got something at the UPS place and could get it tonight but a) it is gross and b) it is in the middle of nowhere and I'm not in the mood to head out there after dark. I can get it tomorrow. No biggie!

I need to work on my scene for the take home assignment from playwriting so it's ready to go in the morning since I won't be coming home between school and class.

It's the 30th of November. My "novel" isn't close to finished. And frankly my dear, I don't give a damn. Too many people made it not fun for me with all their whining about not hitting word count and/or whining about NYC being behind Chicago or Seattle or Belgium or what have you. It's supposed to be fun. Not something to get depressed over if you don't win and not something to be made to feel guilty over if you're not as enthusiastic as everyone else. I think it's just not my thing to do something so high-pressured. I can write on my own. I don't need a fucking purple bar to prove it. Sorry guys...I'm over it.

I'm thinking it's about time for me to revisit next to normal. It's been almost a month. I'm not completely obsessive like I must see it every x-number of days. It's just been a while and I miss seeing people. Plus when one of them starts appearing in dreams wandering in and out of scenes...I figure it's a sign. Ha! We'll see when that lotto ends up happening. Obviously not tonight. Or tomorrow because of class. Dark Wednesday... We'll see. Soonish I hope.

Alright... I think I'm gonna just chill and get a shower. Stay in and relax for the night. Yay!