Becoming a New YorkerBecoming a New YorkerFrom NC to NYC, the Good, the Bad, the Ugly - and even the Boring - of becoming a New Yorker, in my own words and others Articles
"Things I Love" Thursdays - Bitching
2008-02-29 01:54:00 New Yorkers love to bitch about the petty and mundane. And I love to join them. There are few things more enjoyable than grumbling with a complete stranger about the MTA, bad pizza, rude cab drivers, the Boston Red Sox, but mostly the MTA ... and now, bagels.There is true fury behind the bitching over the subway fare hike and the inflated cost of bagels. If you want to see steam come out of a New Yorker's ears, just mention the MTA or the wheat shortage. More About: Love , Things , Bitching
"Things I Love" Thursdays ? Corporate Advancement
2008-02-29 01:34:00 The view from my boss?s new office (a floor below the founder's office), which is ultimately my view through her glass walls from my new cubicle.The best part about being an assistant is that when your boss is promoted, generally so are you. My boss was promoted to SVP so I received a promotion, a raise ... and a gold star. It's kind of nice to ride on the coattails of someone else's success.Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!"Thin gs I Love " Thursdays are inspired by "I Love New York" (BNY, February 14, 2007). More About: Corporate , Things
My Best February Birthday Ever
2008-02-24 05:23:00 My friends are so fabulous. Since I was in England during the week of my birthday, my friends planned a belated birthday celebration. Busy schedules pushed the date back over a month, but I was so touched by their persistence. Natasha and Gina B. sent out the following evite on January 28:"Hey ladies..... So it's time to celebrate Katie's birthday! The day will start with brunch at the amazing Spring Natural. Following, we will work off our calories by heading to Bryant Park for ice skating!!! (Make sure you bring your insurance cards in case of emergency!) To warm up after the cold ice, we will head for hot chocolate in Rockefeller Center at La Maison du Chocolat. Please RSVP and let us know if you're "in" for this fabulous day!!!!!"Since the ice skating rink in Bryant Park was replaced shortly thereafter with Fashion Week tents and coordinating the schedules of eight 20-something, fabulous women pushed back my celebration further still, we agreed on alternative arrangements: co... More About: Birthday , February
"Things I Love" Thursdays - Coming Home
2008-02-22 00:44:00 When I left for recent weekends in Miami and New Orleans, I got to return to New York City. I love calling this place home."Things I Love " Thursdays are inspired by "I Love New York" (BNY, February 14, 2007). More About: Home
Official Quotes from Our NBA All-Star 2008
2008-02-20 05:43:00 The official quotes of our NBA All-Star 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana:"C just started running!" - K, drunk and lost on Canal Street and wearing a hat that wasn?t hers, after A and B picked up me and Iris from the airport"Get in that ass!" - K"This shit right here ... This shit right here ..." - Katie and K in sporadic intervals (adapted from Katt William's Pimp Chronicles Pt. 1)"We need a whole lot a' chicken in room 2214!" - Davin to the Sheraton room service at 4am"[NBA player] ordered 12 breakfastses over an hour ago, and he's pissed!" - Davin to Sheraton room service at 5am"This is K [pointing at K], this is Katie [pointing at me], and she smells like Icy Hot [pointing at Iris asleep], want to smell her?" - Davin to Anyone Who Walked into Room 2214 between 4:15 and 5am"Baby, I'm bow-legged." - Uncle Junebug (Snoop Dogg's uncle) to A"Lemme get a pencil and write your number down." - Uncle Junebug to A"You are beautiful!" ? [A very famous NBA player], the owner of a Miami ra... More About: All Star , Quotes , Official
NBA All-Star 2008
2008-02-20 03:52:00 New Orleans Weekend Highlights ...By the time Iris and I arrived on an evening flight from La Guardia, K and C were drunk and gambling with rich men's money; they won several hundred dollars between them.K's new main squeeze, Davin and his crew, got us into [an NBA player's] party, where we walked the red carpet and took a bunch of pictures like we were important.Above mentioned NBA player sent Iris, me and C to his VIP table at his party.Aforementioned NBA player's bodyguards took us to breakfast at Harrah's and dropped big bucks so that we wouldn't have to wait in the line for buffet seating.The owner of a big radio station in Miami became infatuated with C while we were having drinks in the hotel bar at the bottom of Loews, and he introduced us to a famous old school rapper.[An NFL player] hit on me in Saks while I was sitting near the Manolo Blahniks. I had no idea who he was until A said to me after he walked away, ?Do you know who that was?!?!?Davin and crew ordered late... More About: All Star , Star , 2008
"Things I Love" Thursdays - Anti-Valentine's Day Celebrations
2008-02-15 05:57:00 In a city full of 20-somethings who'd rather be single in New York City than married in Ohio, I attended my second Anti -Valentine's Day celebration in row. I'm not a romance antagonist, as I noted last year. In fact, I love genuine expressions of love. I'm just not a fan of consumer marketing-driven holidays. So I guess I don't like any holidays, but Valentine's Day in particular is the one that feels the most forced and insincere of all. It's the day when you say I love you because you have to.I gathered with about two dozen friends and friends of friends at Divine Bar on West 54th Street. It was my second best Valentine's Day ever. This was the first."Things I Love " Thursdays are inspired by "I Love New York" (BNY, February 14, 2007). More About: Celebrations
Bienvenido a Miami
2008-02-12 03:50:00 Miami Weekend Highlights ...Iris and I went to Miami for the weekend and stayed in a friend's 22nd floor condo in downtown Brickell overlooking the Port of Miami.Friday Highlights:Staying hereOne MiamiSplashing hereSouth BeachOutdoor cocktails hereMandarin OrientalClubbing hereMansion Saturday Highlights:Partying herePrivéSunday Highlights:Brunching hereBig PinkLounging hereNikki BeachReturning hereNew York City More About: Miami
"Things I Love" Thursdays - This Week in General
2008-02-08 02:44:00 It has just been a good week.New York won the Super Bowl, my Giant friend invited me to an official Super Bowl party for the Giants, I found out I'll be on live national television again next week, and Iris and I are going to Miami for the weekend."Things I Love " Thursdays are inspired by "I Love New York" (BNY, February 14, 2007). More About: General , Week
Any Given Super Bowl
2008-02-06 01:44:00 Because this journalist, with an equal love for New York City and a true passion for football, retells it better than I can ...One for the ages!Matthew Schneeberger, back in the U.S. after a year in India,relives the culture-spanning excitement of the Super Bowl A consortium of shouts, whistles and cheers pours into my friend's apartment window on Manhattan's Upper Eastside: "Yea, baby!" "Go Giants!" "Boston sucks!"Peering out said window, I see drunken revellers swarm past in droves. They high-five one another, swill from open containers of booze and proudly point to their team's logo on blue hats, shirts and jackets, which everyone seems to be wearing. A man does an Irish jig on Lexington Avenue, while a companion plays accompanying bagpipes. Horns honk, girls scream and a few testosterone-riddled alpha-males heckle a lone man in Patriots clothing, who scuttles down into the subway, covering his head and moving quickly to avoid confrontation.Heavy bass lines rattle the apartment...
Aftermath of a Giant Super Bowl Win
2008-02-05 01:18:00 All over New York City last night.I got home after 4am.I DID make it to work today. My hair was pulled back in a sloppy ponytail, there was fresh makeup caked on top of yesterday?s makeup, my skin may have smelled like liquor, but I was in the office on time. More About: Super Bowl , Super , Giant , Bowl
To Quote DrunkBrunch, "La Cena Buena"
2008-01-30 02:19:00 I joined fellow bloggers for another NYC Restaurant Week Winter 2008 hoedown last night. Still reeling from my crazy day in the office, I tried my best to remain calm when I really wanted to call all of my family members and best friends and jump around in the street on my cell phone.We met at Rosa Mexicano for what DrunkBrunch has already dubbed "La Cena Bena" on her blog. She has a pretty good summary of the evening so if anyone wants to read about it, I'll let her tell it. And posts like this are why I love FeistyRed - oh, and this, and this, and this, .And this, too. And this. And I'm done for now, after this.I will, however, include the camera phone photo ops of my own food.Wait here. More About: Quote , Buena
The City of Diverse Moments
2008-01-29 00:43:00 Last night, I had dinner with my new Giant friend. He was running some last minute errands in Manhattan before the team was to leave for Phoenix today and wanted to grab a bite to eat.I chose a small, inconspicuous Mexican restaurant near my apartment to avoid a scene, and as we were finishing up dinner, a police officer approached the table, "I'm sorry to bother you, but do you play football?" [Clearly not directed at me]My friend's response: "Yes.""I knew it!" he exclaimed, "You're [name removed]!" And turning to his partner, "I told you it was [name removed]!"His partner, approaching the table: "I thought it was you, too, but we were like, 'What's [name removed] doing in this little restaurant in Harlem?"Then there was a lot of handshaking and, "Bring the Super Bowl back to New York," and "It's an honor to meet you," before they walked away talking about how they couldn't believe it.Then, the restaurant sent over two Tequila shots on the house. So much for avoiding a scene... More About: City , Moments , Diverse
Phone Photo Op - Jolly New York Giant
2008-01-28 05:32:00 So my girlfriends and I ended up partying last night with a promoter at a club in the Meatpacking District, who was hosting a table for a few of the New York Giant s.This is my hand next to that of one of their starting defensive players.Holy moly.Hope those hands can bring a Super Bowl back to New York. More About: Photo , Phone
Phone Photo Op - Public Service Announcement regarding Public Sexual Acts
2008-01-26 23:29:00 Below is a public service phone photo op to warn you about the consequences of performing fellatio in a car parked under a street lamp in the Meatpacking District.It probably didn't help that one of my friends - in her drunken stupor - yelled, "Oh my God! That girl was giving that guy head!" just as we walked by and the subsequent undercover sting operation ensued.I wonder if the this couple were influenced by the sumos in Midtown. More About: Photo , Phone , Public Service , Public , Service
Phone Photo Op - Questionable Advertising
2008-01-26 23:18:00 Earlier this week (and ironically a few days just before this), I noticed this billboard in midtown while taking car service back to Harlem following late evening errands for my boss. So "Devil Wears Prada," I know.And I realized this advertisement could be interpreted two ways. More About: Photo , Phone , Advertising
Knicks vs 76ers = Bad Team vs Another Bad Team
2008-01-26 23:16:00 I've become a Knicks fan by default. At least there is only one New York team to pick from in basketball - unless you want to count the Nets, who will eventually be in Brooklyn. I chose the Yankees because I like their uniforms better, and a Giants fan was born on December 29 because I sat in the stadium and watched the underdog put up a good fight against the undefeated Patriots. All very girly reasons to route for one particular team over another.So at last night's game with Iris, Cassie and a friend of hers, we were delighted when they beat the 76ers, which isn't a big deal, if you let real sports fans tell it. But hey, our tickets were free (courtesy of one of the team's coaches); thanks to the Giants, I now know that I love drinking beer and actually paying attention at a live sporting event; and I'm a Knicks fan by default!How many hockey teams does New York have? Do I have to pick between more than one? More About: Team
Restaurant Week Winter 2008 - Aspen
2008-01-26 00:15:00 I met with Annisha, Gina B., Debasha and Natasha at Aspen last night to enjoy their $35 Prix Fixe Menu for NYC Restaurant Week Winter 2008 . I chose the Warm Goat Cheese & Arugula Salad, Natasha and I shared the Pan Roasted Chicken and the Wild Salmon, and I ended up eating the remainder of everyone else's desserts ... so Snow Capped Cupcakes, Sorbet/Gelato and Pumpkin Flan. Add a few bottles of wine and lots of laughter. Equals another one of those New York nights that I always wanted.
"Things I Love" Thursdays - My Friends
2008-01-25 01:28:00 I just want to take a moment to blog about how much I love my friends. How lucky I am. How I love this New York life, despite the outrageous cost of mediocre-to-poor living conditions, the horrific commutes and city grit. Because out of the ruff of it all, I have great friends to fill it with all of the cliché moments that make you love life.When I returned from England last Sunday and my cell phone reconnected with Verizon Wireless towers for the first time in a over a week, I had 11 voicemails and 77 text messages. Jessica and Kamata sang "Happy Birthday" together. Jamario and Stephanie left a joint birthday voicemail. Daphne left her trademark oration regarding the blessedness of my day. Those were the ones that definitely stood out.Roughly half of the texts were from New York club promoters sending mass messages regarding nightly Manhattan hot spots. Various versions of: "Free entry and comp bottle service on my list at the door." A cellular salute to the aquisitively exclusive ... More About: Friends , Love , Things
August 4, 2003 ... January 23, 2008
2008-01-24 04:35:00 Cullowhee, NC. Rickey and I had not spoken in two weeks. Following a fight over his attempt to illegally fill a forged prescription for pain medication, I had been ignoring his phone calls from August a, Georgia. I wanted him to feel like he was losing me, like his behavior was destroying all we'd ever had. And if he didn't get his life together, there wouldn't even be a friendship left. I wanted to make him suffer a little. How immature it seems now. How stupid it seemed immediately after the phone call.When his father's name flashed the incoming call on my cell phone, I assumed it was Rickey. That his cell phone had been turned off yet again. That he was using his father's phone as he had numerous times before. I remember the last thought I had just before I heard the Earth crack in two: "Ok. I'll talk to him now."The thing that perplexed me the most after Rickey died is that no one else's world came to a deafening halt. The Western Carolina Men's Basketball Team still left... More About: January , 2008
Heath Ledger Found Dead Downtown
2008-01-22 23:10:00 The news of Heath Ledger 's death spread like wildfire in our office just moments ago. Already, his death date has been updated on Wikipedia. The speed of information technology is amazing.My coworkers pursued TMZ, MSNBC and other celeb/news sites for the latest breaking news. I was not so much shook by the fact that an Oscar-nominated celebrity had died, but that he died in an apartment downtown. Suddenly it made New York seem really small knowing that someone I've noticed in films since 10 Things I Hate About You had died just hours ago and only a few miles from where I currently work at my desk.One of my coworkers lamented, "I hope Britney is not next." Sadly she might be. While I could care less about the gossip surrounding Britney Spears, we have essentially watched the demise of a human being in a fish bowl. It's hard enough to experience a breakdown - or multiple breakdowns - privately; it's quite another under a magnifying glass.I vaguely overheard one of my coworkers say... More About: Downtown , Dead
The London Post
2008-01-22 00:59:00 "... And all them other cats you run with, get dumb with, dumb quick,How the f*** you gonna cross the dog with some bum shit?There go the gun click, nine one one shitAll over some dumb shit, ain't that some shitY'all n***** remind me of a strip club, cause every time you come around ..."On Sunday, January 13, I looked at Terrence and raised an eyebrow. Pointing upward at the speaker system in the Birmingham Indoor Arena (NIA), I said, "They're playing the unedited version of this song?"On the court below, top seeded teams of the BBL Cup 2008 were warming up for the final game. Terrence had just finished shooting in the Molten Three-Point Shootout with nine of the other "finest 3-point shooters in the BBL," and we were sticking around to watch the championship match. He didn't win the grand prize, which we could have used for our trip to London the following Tuesday, but I'm sure he was honored to be among the 10 league players in the contest.As children ran up and down the aisl... More About: Post
Eternal Battles of the Insatiable Appetite
2008-01-11 21:14:00 To further embrace the healthier lifestyle I have been more-fully adopting since August 2007, I substituted whole grain over the ?everything? for my Friday morning bagel with Lox cream cheese after I left the gym. And I chose an orange over the Friday morning nonfat café latte from Starbucks, which my wallet appreciated, and proceeded to the office.And then moments ago, Sam appeared outside my cubicle: ?There is pizza in the kitchen.?Damnit ? More About: Battles , Eternal
I Know How You Like [It]
2008-01-11 05:33:00 Regarding a clean bathroom, that is the sweetest thing a man can say to a woman with undiagnosed mild OCD. I called Terrence this evening to let him know that I could not find the XXXXL items from Foot Locker that he wanted me to bring to England. I had been to two different Foot Lockers in the city and could only find up to XXXL on the days that I went.?That?s because all the short dudes, who don?t really need them, want to wear big clothes,? he said. At 6?9? with a 7?1? wingspan, clothes shopping can often present a challenge. After some brief chitchat regarding my travel preparations, I said, ?Let me call you later so I can enjoy this pedicure.?A few minutes later, he called me back, ?Are you ok??It is generally easy to gauge my moods, but I was reminded of how he can read me like no one else can ? even from across the Atlantic Ocean, ?Just a little stressed.??Why?? he asked. I replied that I was just trying to wrap up everything at work, run my own errands and get the list of Un...
Bankers at Play
2008-01-11 05:00:00 After reading about the Bear Stearns squash tournament iin Grand Central Station on Joe.My.God, the following email correspondence ensued.From: (Me) [mailto:(email removed)]Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 1:31 PMTo: (Name Removed) (Exchange)Subject: Ummmmm?What the heck are yall up to over there?http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2008/0 1/morning-view-squash-in-grand-central.ht ml*************************************** ********From: (Name Removed) (Exchange) [mailto:(email removed)@bear.com]Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 3:11 PMTo: (Me)Subject: RE: Ummmmm?That?s all we do over here, play games? More About: Play
"Things I Love" Thursdays - NYC Bloggers
2008-01-11 04:46:00 I love that there are millions of us experiencing this city in different ways and living to blog about it. But I also love that sometimes a few of us are blogging about the same damn thing at the same damn time. Then again, it is a city of 8.2 million residents living within 322-square miles (all boroughs withstanding) and a large portion of those 8.2 million working within the 22.7-square miles of Manhattan, 5-7 days a week. The odds are in favor of running themes throughout NYC blogs.MTA (general incompetence)A Casual Look (Dec. 10)This is a No. 2 Express Train (Dec. 7)The long, slow trek from Coney Island to Jamaica brings home a C-minus* (Dec. 5)MTA (performers)Subway Hottie* (Dec. 23)Subway Gymnastics (Dec. 21)MTA (rush hour)Please Use All Available Doors ... If You Can Get There Before I Shut 'Em (Jan. 7)The 1 Train Sucks Lately* (Jan. 7)Applause on Subway platform (Jan. 3)WeatherYet Again, 1 Train Makes Me Want to Kill Kittens (Jan. 10)A Post-Holiday Carol (Jan. 9)Random Mus... More About: Love , Bloggers , Things
Winter Temps Revisiting Retirement
2008-01-09 16:56:00 The warm weather is back ... in my second January in New York City (last year's January 5th colleague reactions).The ads for the Scottsdale Take Pitty on Me! Contest, which currently line the wall adjacent the Times Square shuttle to Grand Central, tend to lose their appeal in this warm wintery weather.From the contest website:"Tire d of shoveling snow? [No.] Ready to wave bye-bye to wind chill? [Could always do without, but haven't had to deal much.] Done with frozen nose hairs and snotsicles? [Meh. I always look forward to those.] As temperatures plummet in the north this winter [or once or twice in January], Scottsdale will be enjoying sunny blue skies and warm winter days. Enter the Take Pity On Me Contest and you could win a trip to thaw out in Scottsdale! Just submit photos or a video of yourself suffering in the worst winter weather conditions [can I Photoshop myself into an Antarctica scene?] and you could win a trip to sunny Scottsdale!"Visit http://www.pleasepityme.com/ f... More About: Retirement , Winter , Temp
Phone Photo Op - NYC Real Estate: You Do Not Get What You Pay For
2008-01-09 04:36:00 The giant, leaking hole ... in the hallway ... across from the front door ... to my 350-square foot studio apartment ... for which I pay $1200 in rent ... every 30-31 days. More About: Photo , Phone , Estate , Real Estate , Real
Please Use All Available Doors ... If You Can Get There Before I Shut 'Em
More articles from this author:2008-01-08 01:26:00 Dear MTA,I understand that rush hour is a busy and hectic time for your staff. However, if your conductors are going to instruct passengers to use all available doors and then immediately thereafter shut the doors promptly before one can get to the next nearest available door, maybe the conductors should consider leaving the closing doors open a few seconds longer so that passengers can use the other available doors.Regards,BNYP.S. And please stop telling me that there is another train directly behind this one ... when there isn't.P.P.S. And about that other thing ... More About: Shut , Doors 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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