Kickstands and Headbands

AND I TOLD YOU TO BE PATIENT, AND I TOLD YOU TO BE FINE. AND I TOLD YOU TO BE BALANCED, AND I TOLD YOU TO BE KIND.

2008-10-06T21:23:00.003-04:00

One of the best parts about living in Brooklyn is being able to get out of it.

The leaves are starting to change. What better way to experience them in their full glory than to go upstate?

Ms. West took Paul, Ronnie Dobbs, Annie and me on the most epic hike.

There is something so raw and beautiful about a birch tree.

Secret pond.

Fall has fallen.

So Seventies.

It was pure bliss atop that mountain.

Especially for the dogs.

Magic?

Dressel farms. Home to apple orchard, pumpkin patch, corn maze and the best apple cider donuts you'll ever sink your teeth into.

Delicious.

Jada must have eaten a sour one.

Dream House.

Mountain Man.

This is Babe's "Sam the Eagle" face.

Pretty spot on if you ask me.

The dogs were none too happy about being left in the car while we devoured freshly picked apples.

Could these two get any cuter? I think not.

When all was said and done it was a perfect day. All of this only a mere hour and a half drive from Brooklyn and we even got to stop at Target which New Yorkers know is a total luxury.

*Disclaimer: All of these shots were taken by Paul Petitto's Panasonic Lumix digital camera with a Leica lens, mostly by Paul. Except for the ones taken while driving, I took those. And Jada took some as well.

WHAT'S YOUR NAME? WHO'S YOUR DADDY? IS HE RICH LIKE ME?

2008-08-28T19:55:00.013-04:00

In light of the Labor Day holiday, I've decided to recap what I was doing this time last year. I attended a lovely affair thrown by my old housemate who also happens to be one of my very best friends and Atlanta Press Club's journalist of the year 2006, the one and only Miss Mara Shalhoup.

Mara is finishing up a book on the Black Mafia Family but somehow manages to always be the hostess with the mostess. She is notorious for her holiday parties and this one was to take place in her beautiful backyard garden. But your grandma's garden party this was not.

Anyone who has the pleasure of knowing Mara knows she is the best cook around. Raised by an Italian mother and a Lebanese father who owned a restaurant, she got those chops early so to speak. Seeing as how we were in in the South and all, she had to have a low country boil, tea sandwiches, mint juleps, blueberry mojitos. You know, the works.

We all put on our Sunday best for the occasion. Seersucker was greatly encouraged.

The Jastatts and The Chapmans brought their adorable spawn.

Nico.

Olivia.

Eli.

Olivia made a special guest appearance on drums later that evening during Judi Chicago's jawdropping set. We all wondered what this crazy bloke in the karate outfit did with our shy friend Ben from across the pond. If you haven't heard the Judy Chicago approved Judi Chicago yet, get hip to them.

Our friends The Hiss also kicked out some jams.

In addition to a mighty fine Rock n Roll band, the fellow in the white suit here has a HA-larious blog

Only half of the PFTZ.

We Atlantans know how to throw one hell of a party, no?

THE LAST OF THE FAMOUS INTERNATIONAL PLAYBOYS

2008-07-14T15:03:00.001-04:00

I recently acquired two things I had in Atlanta but never dreamed I'd have in New York. My car and my dog! Annie! To celebrate, Paul, Jada West, Chris Green and I took my boss up on her offer of her house in the Catskills for the weekend. This was the view from the backyard.

Since we got there in the middle of the night on Friday, we didn't have time to do anything except spook ourselves with horror stories about cars with their lights off following us on pitch black desolate roads. But the next day a hike was in order!

And after we were good and sweaty from the hike, we were ready to get wet! Jada did some research and found a secret swimming hole less than a mile away from the hiking trail, so secret even the park ranger didn't know about it. The trail was hidden and to find it we had to look for the numbers on the telephone pole, all Harry Potter style. 167 and 1/2! (mushroom not included)

But when we found it, Holy Cannoli! It was a beautiful spot, complete with waterfalls and an icy pool. Annie and I took the hard way down, meaning we fell down an embankment into the painfully cold water. Annie's a lousy swimmer so we climbed back up the waterfall and hiked around to the shallow water where Jada and Ronnie were waiting for us. I saw a baby snake on a rock!

Chris Green dared Paul to take his shorts off and put my beach hat over his family jewels ala a Playgirl centerfold circa 1972. Anyone who knows him can attest: My man has never been one to turn down a dare.

We had been alone for the past hour or so up until this point. Of course, right when Paul decides to drop trou, a woman comes around the bend and he has to hightail it into the woods to take cover and put his shorts back on.

Inside out, much to our amusement.

When we had our fill of drinking coronitas and freezing our fannies off, we headed into town to grab dinner in the way of sandwich stuffs from the Hanging Basket farmer's market.

And of course, the good ol' Bun N' Cone.

We had a picnic on Big Pond and watched some fat ladies in little bathing suits catch fish. I'll graciously spare you the visuals and instead supply you with one of Monsieur Green and this kayaker in front of this peaceful and serene backdrop.

Deer, my dear.

And the obligatory barn.

The next morning we went to the highly recommended Sweet Sue's for breakfast. We heard they had "crazy" pancakes, which they definitely did, but for some reason all of us were inclined to order off the lunch menu.

My delicious tempeh reuben.

Jada's pulled pork sandwich.

Chris, his Clark Gable moustache and his Thanksgiving dinner.

The crowd cheering on their rubber ducks in the race.

In all the excitement and getting in touch with Nature, we somehow missed the Brian Wilson (of the Beach Boys) concert right down the street!

*Thanks to Jada, Paul & Chris for the majority of the photos!

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

2008-05-16T20:17:00.001-04:00

Have you ever seen such a beautiful jellyfish?

This is Nana. How cute is she all propped up on that porch swing?

The time had come for my family's bi-annual trip to St. Augustine. 'Twas a long overdue vacation for all of us if you ask me.

A vacation full of daily walks on the beach (sometimes twice a day!), fried shrimp and clam chowder at all of our favorite old haunts (and a few new ones) and fresh tomatoes, okra, squash and green beans purchased from the farmers' market down by the lighthouse. I was especially into these fine gentlemen playing bluegrass tunes.

Speaking of the lighthouse.

The one in St. Augustine is grandiose!

And speaking of haunts, the lighthouse has more than its fair share of them according to popular folklore. My sister Sherlan and I decided to take The Dark of the Moon tour see for ourselves what all the fuss was about.

How Sherlan managed to look composed in this photo after climbing 219 steps in a supposedly haunted lighthouse in the dark is beyond me. I was obviously a little frazzled. Being the ghost-hunting dorks that we are, we had EMF meters and they were going off like crazy in certain parts of the tower. Besides that and catching a few orbs on camera, we didn't see or hear anything suspicious, but one lady on our tour apparently had her hair pulled by a spook in the basement of the keeper's house! Yikes.

And speaking of Yikes!

My mom, Nana and I visited the Alligator Farm and Zoological Park. Yes, that thing is REAL. Seeing these creatures up close and personal made me think about how it must've been back when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

An albino alligator. Not to be confused with the bad Matt Dillon movie (what do you mean which bad Matt Dillon movie?) of the same name. Dear hotter Dillon bro, although I will never forgive you for Wild Things, I will love you eternally in The Outsiders and Over the Edge.

Anyways, I digress. Now back to the real wild things.

These guys were conveniently located in the rookery part of the park, where many different species of wild birds migrate to mate, build their nests and hatch their babies. Apparently the alligators provide protection to the birds from other predators like raccoons, possums and snakes, but obviously the gators receive a bite-size snack on occasion when the babies fall or get pushed out of their nests. Sad!

The birds were actually my favorite part. It was amazing to be able to get that close to those babies without the fear of being attacked by their mothers. There were some more commonly seen species of our fine feathered friends too, like this parrot.

And then there were some not so common ones, such as this dashing fellow.

Who apparently loves prunes!

HANG ON TO YOUR EGO

2008-04-21T23:00:00.001-04:00

Uh-oh.

We visited Libby and Tyler on Saturday and one thing led to another, and well...

EVEN COWGIRLS GET THE BLUES

2008-04-19T21:56:00.000-04:00

Paul turned the apartment into a tropical desert greenhouse!

Jealous of our Wizard/Pizza/Unicorn painting? Well rightly so, it's a Mike Neeson original.

I always forget having plants is like having pets or kids. You have to find someone to take care of them when you go out of town.

Our upstairs neighbor is really gonna have his hands full now.

Pincushion plants look like baby orange trees.

Fresh lemon thyme, basil and parsley, oh my!

It should also be noted that Paul just finished the whole Keith Moon biography. All whopping 580 pages of it. I'm proud of you buddy.

IT'S JUST THAT DEMON LIFE HAS GOT ME IN ITS SWAY

2008-04-16T00:04:00.004-04:00

Parsnips, my new favorite vegetable.

After work I met Paul and we walked to the Garden (one of my favorite NY haunts) to get groceries for a fancy dinner we were going to cook using my newest cookbook, Vegetarian Food for Friends, which is authored by London's top vegetarian chef Jane Noraika. On the menu: butternut squash and goats' cheese gratin with warm parsnip and ginger puree.

The empty spot on the plate is where the watercress was supposed to go, but we made a spinach salad with tomatoes and onions instead. I always get super excited about butternut squash but always forget how long it takes to prepare and cook. I don't think I've had parsnips before, I'm pretty sure if I had I would have remembered. They are like a dessert in and of themselves. Speaking of dessert:

Oh. My. God. Reed's has gone and concocted GREEN TEA GINGER ICE CREAM. 19 grams of fat per serving. Please Kill Me.

YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOUR PET WILL GO

2008-04-14T23:28:00.000-04:00

I had a visitor today. Her name was Honey. She has visited us once before, quite uninvited. The first time she snuck in through the kitchen window while we were putting together a bookshelf and I almost took her for an oversized rat but her purple collar with the fish nametag tipped us off that she was of the feline persuasion. We do live in New York after all, people. Stranger things have happened.

This time she politely asked if she could come in so I obliged and offered her some milk which she promptly refused. My paranoia that she was going to mark her territory on one of my rugs in combination with my horror when she leapt onto our leather couch told me that it was time for Honey's visit to end. I put her out on the fire escape after which she loudly objected and tried to claw her way back in through the screen. How she made it down from our two story window, or how she even got there in the first place is beyond me but she's gone now. I have always been and always will be a dog person. Sorry Honey!

THIS IS WHAT MY YOUTH WAS FOR

2008-04-07T20:52:00.007-04:00

Get those bikes out of storage and grease up those wheels, spring has sprung.

We met up with newly engaged couple Leslie and David for a ride to the newish waterfront park on Wythe. Leslie just got a brand new custom built pink bike with a white chain. So cute! My vintage Schwinn Starlet is totally cuter but Leslie's bike weighs about 1 lb, a fact of which I am completely jealous.

And then there's Paul with his orange Peugot. A girl's bike, yet, according to him, it's the bike he's always wanted.

I am over the moon about the warm weather and I plan on staying outside for the next six months.

REMEMBER THE NIGHT PARTIES

2008-04-06T01:22:00.000-04:00

So the opera, it turns out, is not all it's cracked up to be.

But it was still fun to get all dressed up and pretend like we were cultured adults for an evening. I even cried. Not like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman style, but like something in the air in the Opera House was making me cough so hard my eyes watered.

We made it throught the first act of The Gambler and then we were back to acting like our immature adolescent selves and got to where we really belonged, a loft party where Oxford Collapse and Cause Co-motion were playing.

Guess who was the belle o' da ball once we got there? I'll give you one hint: It wasn't me. or Brooke. or Jada. Give up? First name: Italian last name: Stallion. It's amazing what a $15 Givenchy Blazer and some facial hair can do for one's self-image.

PUT ME IN YOUR SUITCASE, LET ME HELP YOU PACK

2008-03-07T18:34:00.003-05:00

And now for a little shameless self-promotion for my first real published piece as well as some love for my friends Stefan and Alex's online magazine Take the Handle: Check out pages 123 & 124 or just click on Georgia Peach in the left sidebar of the February travel issue to find my guide to New York. Other favorites include Kevin Vlack's article on Medicine Lake, (pages 125-132), Dan Featherston's Top Car Rides of 2007 (pages 149 & 150), Kevin Vlack's Top Five Recipe Mistakes of 2007 (page 150) and Tim Kasher's short fiction (pages 75-84).

I'M GONNA SHINE OUT IN THE WILD SILENCE

2008-02-27T20:27:00.000-05:00

This little kitty came to visit Dan every day.

Katie said he was like her black cat Andy, only grey. Yeah, that and the fact that Andy is a total JERK. Sorry sister, but you know it, I know it, and Andy knows it.

Dan had been trying to re-teach himself "Scentless Apprentice" all weekend. He finally mastered it right before we left. We're real proud of you buddy.

Lobster traps! These are the real deal.

Goodbye Peaks Island! Goodbye peace and quiet and polite island dwellers!

IF YOU WANT TO BE FREE, BE FREE

2008-02-25T16:38:00.000-05:00

On Sunday Paul and I took a little roadtrip up to Shawnee Peak, which is an hour outside of Portland.

It took us a little longer to get there considering both of us have zero sense of direction. But the drive was nice and we got to see a lot of Maine this way. Lots of snowmobiles and ice fishing, two things I have never seen in real life before!

It was a beautiful day on the mountain. Perfect skiing weather!

Does Babe look dashing in his ski get-up or what? We've got a first timer here!

Oh boy.

It had been eight years for me and I've never been an avid skier myself, so needless to say we were both a bit nervous. What shenanigans did the Rabbit Hill have in store for us today?

We loaded the lift without incident...

And opted for the run with "easy turns"...

Oh dear. Paul decided to kick off his first time showing off with some backwards skiing.

Seriously, he skied down the top of the mountain BACKWARDS. How does one do that? Although I'm not quite sure what he did constituted "skiing".

Once he recovered, he got a little assistance from Mr. Pine here to get back on his feet. Babe, I always knew you were a tree-hugger at heart.

Sometimes you just gotta take your skis off to get back up, you know?

I have to say I am very proud of both of us. I didn't fall once and old show-stealer here had 4 flawless runs.

This, my friends, is the smile of someone who learned something new today.

We drove home with a backdrop of a beautiful New England sunset.

Returned the rental car at the airport and caught the 7:15 ferry back to Peaks Island just in time to indulge in some junk food and watch the Oscars! Now that is what you call a good day.

ANOTHER SEASON, ANOTHER REASON FOR MAKIN' WHOOPIE

2008-02-24T19:48:00.000-05:00

Peaks Island is inhabited by around 850 residents year round, more people preferring to summer on the island, during which there are approximately 5,000-6,000 residents. According to the British woman working at the only market on the island who came for a 2 week stay 18 years ago and never left, Peaks is the best place in the world to live. You can send your 5 year old to the store, walk around the island at midnight by yourself, never lock your doors if you are so inclined and never have to worry about a thing.

I don't know about all that, but I do know it's one of the most quaint, peaceful and beautiful places I've ever visited. Not to mention friendly. Especially considering I live in Greenpoint. I know I've mentioned before how New Yorkers can actually be friendly if you give them a chance, but compared to Mainelanders, polite they are not.

Today is sunny and beautiful and everything is glittering with the angel dust of yesterday's snowfall. Everything is right with the world. At least for this weekend.

And for the icing on the whoopie pie, Katie has arrived! If you're asking yourself what a whoopie pie is, brother, get thee to your nearest Amish market on the double and indulge yourself in this chocolatey gooey goodness that makes Little Debbie's snack cakes taste like horse manure!

We all donned our galoshes and walked to the beach to harvest our dinner.

The fruits of our labor.

I felt bad because those little suckers clung to the rocks for dear life. But man did they compliment the cilantro coconut lime broth and foccacia bread Dan and Paul served them with! That was just the appeteaser. Next came the spinach salad with Dan's homemade dressing. And don't forget the grilled bloody steaks for Dan and Katie and Portobello steaks for me and Babe for the main course. You know how we do.

Shipyard, Maine's finest brew.

We finished out the night watching Eddie Murphy's Raw. Raw indeed!

IT'S SO EASY

2008-02-23T11:52:00.012-05:00

Paul and I decided to celebrate the weekend of our two year anniversary as partners in crime with a visit with our friend Dan Featherston (of Oxford Collapse fame), who is living on Peaks Island in Maine for the winter. And what a winter they are having! The island is a magical enchanted wonderland right now! I have never seen anything like this before.

Check out Dan's mountain man beard! We brought him fried shrimp and french fry leftovers from Gilbert's in Portland. Delicious!

The homes here remind me of those little miniature Christmas villages. So cute!

Dan is renting a two story house with a woodburning stove. Babe has transformed into Paul Bunyon this weekend and helped our gracious host chop some kindling to make a fire.

These photos don't do the house justice. It's nice yet pretty unassuming from the outside. And once you cross that threshold, oh my!

Books, records, musical instruments, rocking chairs and letters from Eleanor Roosevelt! Very cozy.

We took a walk and came across some kids sledding. Paul could tell how much I wanted to join in so he asked their mother if I could borrow one of the sleds. She politely obliged and said if I could make it up the hill I was welcome to ride down. Somehow I managed to make it up the treacherously icy mountain without falling, and got a reminder from the kids on how to get the most out of my ride.

I sat down on that purple piece of plastic and held on to that yellow rope for dear life!

The blur you see here is actually me. I felt like a child as I hauled ass down that hill and I shrieked with fear and delight!

Dan and Paul looked for muscles....um, I mean mussels, on the beach.

Paul snuck in a much needed siesta before dinner.

Then he and Dan made brussel sprouts and linguine with scallops! Amazing, or as Brooke would say, A-Maine-zing.

We drank red wine even though we should have had white with the linguine, and I tried some of the beer that Dan brewed himself. I told him "It's not bad...it's not really good either." Sorry buddy. It should be noted though that the more sauced I got, the better it tasted. After dinner, we jammed on Dan's drums and listened to Guns N Roses.

We all fell asleep watching Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. Unbelievable. Katie Joiner will be arriving on Peaks Island in approximately an hour. Can't wait!

THERE WAS A BAND PLAYING IN MY HEAD AND I FELT LIKE GETTING HIGH

2008-01-13T21:46:00.006-05:00

Top 10 of 2007 (in no particular order)
1. Into the Wild (Oh Emile Hirsch, how I have loved thee since your Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys days)

2. No Country for Old Men (God Bless Javier Bardem)

3. La Vie en Rose

4. Daft Punk at Coney Island

5. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
6. The History of Love
7. The Bronx Zoo and dinner at Mario's
8. Judi Chicago playing Mara's backyard

9. Experiencing the Magic Kingdom all over again at 28
10. Karen Elson stealing the show with her cover of "After the Gold Rush" at The Citizens Band's performance at Ars Nova Theater

Anticipated Top 10 of 2008
1. The first issue of Dear Friend
2. Discovering Physique 57
3. Mainedate '08
4. Turning that spare bedroom into an arts n crafts/music/fitness room
5. Being with Paul when he uses his passport for the first time
6. Costa Rica
7. Art Therapy
8. Spending some time on the West Coast
9. Making Limited Skillz a reality
10. Witnessing the election of the first black or woman President of the US of A

ALL THE WORDS GET IN THE WAY OF WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO SAY

2007-11-21T22:56:00.000-05:00

WHEREVER YOU ARE, THERE IS THE SUN.

2007-10-10T23:14:00.000-04:00

For as long as I can remember, my family has vacationed in Florida every summer.

When my mom and her sisters were little girls, my grandparents took them to the beach every chance they got, and when my parents had my sister and me, they carried on the tradition with us. We would meet my aunt and uncle and my cousins in Daytona and stay at a mom and pop owned oceanfront motel complete with a shuffleboard court called the Spindrift (or maybe it was the Spindthrift?). I think one of the main reasons we stayed there was because they let us bring our dogs. We always had dogs. I remember us kids swimming in the pool, playing in the ocean and racing each other to the pier until we were all tuckered out and then our moms would put towels down on the front porch for us to take our afternoon nap. I remember getting so excited when it was time to go to the shell shops, I still love the way those places smell. And with Daytona being only an hour away from Orlando, we always got to go to Disney World.

We were all devastated when we found out our beloved home away from home was going to be leveled to make way for one of the many highrise condos that were being built on the beach. It just wasn't the same not being able to stay at the Spindrift, and it wasn't long before our trips to Daytona stopped completely. I was around 14 by then.

It wasn't long before St. Augustine became my family's new summer destination.

Did you know that St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city?

It is home to Flagler College and has some of the most beautiful architecture I've ever seen.

And the most ghosts.

I wonder if I will continue the family tradition if and when I ever have little ones.

I sure hope so.

IF YOU DON'T USE IT YOU LOSE IT.

2007-09-23T19:30:00.000-04:00

Summer is fading fast. Babe and I thought that one last NY beach trip might perpetuate it a little longer, so we headed to South Street Seaport to board the Patriot, bound for Sandy Hook (technically in NJ). By some sort of miracle, we made it on the boat with minutes to spare.

Sandy Hook has 3 beaches, one of which is beachwear optional. We opted for one requiring that you conceal your naughty bits.

Sandy Bay is also the home to Fort Hancock, the oldest working lighthouse in the country and gaggles and gaggles of geese.

I've done a lot of hands on research about beaches around here, and Sandy Hook is definitely my new favorite. You're sitting on a secluded beach feeling the sand between your toes (and in the seat of your bathing suit) and the saltwater in your hair. Behind you, you've got sand dunes, seagrass, cactus pears and winding paths, and in front of you you've got a vast ocean and a view of the Manhattan skyline. Who could ask for more?

LISTEN TO THE GIRL AS SHE TAKES ON HALF THE WORLD.

2007-08-25T19:26:00.000-04:00

If you've never taken a ride over the Williamsburg Bridge at sunset, you might just want to think about doing it. Don't just think about doing it, but actually do it.

It's intense and highly liberating.

Trying to squeeze every last drop out my second New York summer before it's gone forever.

I'M JUST A SQUIRREL...

2007-08-21T23:19:00.000-04:00

My blog has readers. Apparently there are some people out there that actually find my self-indulgence interesting. I know this because I get complaints that I don't update often enough. And because I have one of those counters where you can see how many people have viewed your blog. But I digress. I tend to only blog when I go on adventures or something exciting happens to me. Nothing notably exciting has happened to me recently (except that I saw Chevy Chase in the flesh in the audience at Upright Citizens Brigade Sunday night!) I haven't been anywhere in the past month, except to Cleveland to meet Paul's family, which was relaxing and lovely and they were warm, wonderful and accepting, and I would write about that except I didn't take any photos, and what's a photo blog without the visuals? I will say this: Cleveland is a lot cooler than most people give it credit for. Anyways, about this squirrel. Isn't it peculiar the way he is just spread eagle on that tree trunk in McCarren Park enjoying that nut like it was his job? He just hung out there for like 10 minutes like that. I almost felt like we were violating his privacy or something. I don't know, maybe that's just what squirrels do, but we were losing our minds over it.

On a related note, when is the last time you saw a Doberman peddling used books?

or a Chihuahua rocking a hotdog outfit for that matter?

Tell me people, when is the last time you treated yourself to a trip to Feet Island?

LET A SMILE BE YOUR UMBRELLA.

2007-08-03T17:22:00.000-04:00

Having another birthday in New York really put into perspective the fact that I have been here for over a year now. I am truly amazed at how quickly the time has passed.

Always the most thoughtful and not wanting me to stress about making plans, Babe said to leave it up to him. What birthday surprise magic did he have up his sleeve?

A delicious vegetarian dinner at Gobo with my friends! Hannah Adams, formerly of Brooklyn, currently of Milwaukee and Chicago was the special guest of honor. So nice to have you to join us Hannah!

The lovely and amazing Kay Hsu and Jada West were among the surprise dinner guests as well.

As were two of my oldest and most loyal sisters Brooke Morris and Libby Estabrook (no actual relation).

And here is Chris Green, a man so comfortable with his sexuality that he chooses to ride a baby pink bike. Paul, always thinking ahead, demanded that Chris not park his bike outside the restaurant so I wouldn't suspect anything when we walked in. It worked, I didn't know what hit me!

Ryan Rasheed, what a treat!

Time to unwrap some mysterious packages!

NO WAY!

A melodica?!

Scrabble?! Oh no he didn't!

Oh yes he did! My boyfriend is the BEST!!

When we were taking these polaroids I was thinking how fun it will be to pull them out when I have kids and they complain about how I can't relate to them. I'll be all, "Whatevs! Just look at how cool your mom was!"

We headed to Union Pool to meet up with the rest of the birthday entourage. I played the melodica the whole way there. Our cabbie was thrilled.

Good evening Thieves.

Good-bye tension, hello pension.

A HUNDRED THINGS CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

2007-07-16T14:58:00.000-04:00

Part 2 of our weekend adventure included going to the Bronx Zoo and eating dinner at Mario's on Arthur Avenue, the real deal little Italy. I'm doing this thing where I'm trying to cross as many things off my list of things to do this summer as possible. This past weekend, we knocked out three of them.

The Bronx Zoo is BEAUTIFUL! It is much nicer than what I remember the Atlanta Zoo to be like. They did a pretty amazing job at trying to recreate the animals' natural habitats. There were so many new babies! This tree kangaroo had an upsidedown little one in his pouch!

The monkeys were my favorite. It was really too misty to get any good shots of these guys, but what mother couldn't love that face?

What in the name of all things holy is this? I can't remember the names of half of these animals because I saw things I'd never heard of or seen before, but I know that a lot of them were endangered species. Good thing they're in the zoo then, right?

The gorillas were amazing. We couldn't tear ourselves away from them, but we had to hurry because the zoo was about to close and we had yet to see any sea lions, tigers or bears.

I cannot even begin to describe how adorable, hilarious, frightening, heartbreaking and mindblowing these creatures were. I had a staring contest with the fellow pictured above, and my life will never be the same for it.

Snake skulls! Who knew?

Contrary to what you might think, these are leopards.

Just your everyday giraffes.

We sacrificed a couple of extra hours at the zoo for some extra zzz's that morning, and didn't get to see all of the animals before it closed, so this adventure is to be continued...

We made our way down to Arthur Avenue and came upon this cathedral.

We went inside. There were a few people praying silently, including an elderly gentleman in black suspenders and a red gingham shirt. There was an overwhelming feeling of peacefulness and serenity, and it was so refreshing to see people holding something sacred.

There was a carnival in the streets and a parade to celebrate the feast of the Giglio. We saw the band having beers behind the church on our way home.

And then. Paul took us to Mario's where I would devour the best Italian food I have ever had in my life.

The world's best fried calamari. Salad. A Bottle of Chianti. Bread with butter and oil. Baked ravioli. Spaghetti with mushrooms. Some slices of ice cream.

The place is like a holy shrine and the decor hasn't been touched since the 70's. It shines like a precious gem in all of its gaudy Italian glory.

We got caught in a downpour on the way home. Good thing I remembered to pack those dorky matching ponchos my mom gave me when I moved here. Thanks Mom! It was all very Garden State and was the perfect end to a perfect weekend.

YOU COULDN'T LOSE ME IF YOU TRIED.

2007-07-15T14:00:00.000-04:00

Babe and I took the LIRR out to Long Beach to meet Leslie and Alex on Saturday. We made the 11:48 train by mere minutes. Paul being the daredevil that he is ran to get us bagels and water, returning only seconds before the doors closed, nearly giving me a conniption before noon. The beach was packed, the water freezing, and the waves colossal. We decided to brave it and let them kick our sun kissed asses for the next few hours.

Of course we couldn't resist the boardwalk ice cream.

Much to our chagrin, one of the bootylicious girls in front of us was wearing a thong. I'll spare you the visual and instead show you how pretty the beach was.

There were some serious bike aficionados out that day.

This is Babe's beach shirt. He wears it every time. When that shirt comes out, I know some fun in the sun is about to be had.

When day one of our perfect weekend had come to an end, we took the train all the way back to Penn Station, where we were dropped off in a sea of tourists with shopping bags and comfy tennis shoes.

NEWS FOR NERDS

2007-07-11T23:17:00.000-04:00

The impeccably preserved body of a baby wooly mammoth was discovered in Siberia today!
First the BoaDrum spectacle, then the new 7 wonders of the world, now this? I wonder what groundbreaking discovery the wonderful world of science will present to us next!
On a related note, I just came across this awesome website. Their slogan is genius: News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters.

THE THINGS I WANT TO SAY GET STUCK IN MY MOUTH

2007-07-09T21:19:00.000-04:00

Paul told me that they named the new 7 wonders of the world this week. The 77 BoaDrum phenomenon that went down at Brooklyn Bridge Park on 7/7/07 should at have least gotten an honorable mention.

New York and the creativity that transpires here never cease to amaze me.

The Boredoms from Japan. 77 drummers. 4,000 witnesses and hundreds more watching from the Brooklyn Bridge. Bartenders, friends, neighbors, sisters, brothers. All drumming in unison or as close to it as possible, under the direction of the man named Eye. Not to rub it in the faces of those that missed it, but nothing will ever come close to being able to see and hear what I saw on Saturday in person. But. I found a pretty decent video.

If there is such a thing as being high on life, this was definitive of it.

HERE WE ARE TOGETHER.

2007-06-25T23:52:00.000-04:00

What better way to spend a hot summer weekend than with thirteen of your closest girlfriends at a St. Simon's Island beach cottage belonging to Eli's Aunt Tutu?

Can you imagine being a hungry dude who just wants to have dinner at the Crab Trap, and when you get there, this is what you stumble upon?

The weather could not have been more perfect for the beach.

All of us were as pale as ghosts compared to Dirty with her Pacific Islander tan. Eli and Ace tried to protect their freckles from getting freckles.

Ace was rocking war paint.

All of the girls said that they wished Babe (Paul) was there, but no boy in his right mind actually would have wanted to be within a 10 mile radius of that house. We were a force to be reckoned with. Mara and Clare tore up the kitchen making us delicious dinners like fish tacos and tuna medallions and we put away two cases of wine, several pitchers of sangria, and way too much Budweiser.

Krista and I rode into town early one morning and stopped by the Lighthouse. I am becoming obsessed with Lighthouses, especially haunted ones like this one.

We also rode to a little flea market where I found a vintage bolo tie with a cowboy on a bucking bronc and a ceramic broach. Katherine scored some really snazzy sequin earrings.

*I'd like to acknowledge Dirty for letting me use some of her photos (as blurry as most of them were), without which the weekend never would have been able to be documented(or remembered for that matter).

DROPPING LIKE FLIES.

2007-05-25T22:00:00.000-04:00

One of these four women recently got engaged. Can you figure out which one?

when the time is right...

maybe someday...

when her heart says he's the one...

til death do us part...

Did you guess which hand belonged to whom?

Congratulations Libby Estabrook, aka the future Mrs. Tyler Rann, we love you both!

IF I HAD A PENNY FOR EVERY TIME YOU MADE ME SMILE

2007-05-08T21:32:00.000-04:00

On Saturday BroMo, Tito and I had our second saga of what I plan to be a long series of adventures that lasts throughout the summer.

New neighborhoods! New faces! New eateries!

We took a scenic ride on the B-61 and ended up in Red Hook. Brooke had been to the neighborhood before and acted as our tour guide. Paul and I were glad to have her, because as it stands, combined we have as much sense of direction as a dog chasing its tail.

Our journey led us into beautiful Carroll Gardens where the streets are free from drunken Polish men (at least during daylight hours), baby carriages outnumber cars and policewomen ask you politely to buckle up.

I FEEL IT ALL.

2007-04-23T20:17:00.000-04:00

Friday evening, Paul and I hopped on the 5:30 Chinatown bus bound for our nation's capital. Two dead ipods, 3 magazines and 2 rounds of hang man and tic tac toe later, we reached our destination. Even with the Lincoln Tunnel traffic, we made it to D.C. by 10:50 p.m. We got off the bus, stretched our legs, and ordered over $20 worth of inedible food from Fudruckers because it was the only place that was fast and open.

We were in a hurry to get in our "Heavenly" bed at the Westin, which turns out, gives you a not so heavenly cramp in your neck. Brooke Morris, or as Paul likes to call her, BroMo, who is one of New York's most eligible and sought after bachelorettes, convinced us to keep her company over the weekend because she had business to tend to at the beautiful new Cusp store in Georgetown.

This couple was really cute and very obliterated. This photo was taken at the Rock n Roll Hotel moments after they almost took out several people on the dancefloor while attempting a very difficult move.

Spring was in the air, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and new life was all around us. Tasks as simple as breathing became easier.

We lay in the park like our lives depended on it, then brushed up on some U.S. history.

The road home was a long one, and it came to an end with me leaving my phone on the bus. An emergency phone call to the bus dispatcher, several phone calls from 3 different numbers to my cell phone answered by "Ringo" our bus driver and one Andy Jackson as appreciation for his troubles had my beloved lifeline safely back in my hands the next day. Ringo even got Paul's text that was meant especially for me that read "I love you, you ham hock!"

Oh, and did I mention that this is the face that I get to wake up to each and every morning?

DEAR BRIGITTE

2007-02-25T17:48:00.000-05:00

According to MyHeritage.com, My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way takes a backseat only to Ashley Tisdale (don't worry, I have no clue as to who she is either), and a pre-pubescent Jodie Foster when it comes to celebs I look like. The only consolation I find in this accusation is that it also claims I might be able to pass as Spanish siren Penelope Cruz, million dollar baby Hilary Swank, James Dean's main squeeze Natalie Wood, and French sixties sex kitten Brigitte Bardot.

THE HARMONIOUS WHOLE

2007-01-17T16:45:00.000-05:00

Having had many a daydream about being a travel show host a la Brooke Burke or Samantha Brown, and flying around, staying in swank hotels, stuffing my face with delicacies, sipping age old wine, and frolicking on the world's best beaches, I was obviously psyched when I was chosen to host a new Discovery Channel show about New York called "City Spots". Little did I know, the show didn't exist and was created as a ploy to get me on another one of the network's shows,
Cash Cab. Before I was a contestant, I had never seen or even heard of the show, and I was none the wiser even after I hailed and climbed into the taxi with the flashing disco lights with its dapper Robert Dinero circa Taxi Driver chauffeur/host Ben Bailey.

If you are also unfamiliar with the show, let me give you a brief rundown. The objective is to answer as many questions correctly as possible before arriving at your "destination", which in my case, was the Amish Market on 49th and 9th. There are tiers of $25, $50, and $100 questions, and one red light challenge, worth $250, which you are eligible for if you've answered $200 worth of questions correctly and the cab stops at a red light.

The catch is, you can only miss two questions before getting tossed cash-less and cab-less onto the dirty streets of New York City. You are allowed two "shout-outs", a "mobile shout-out" (where you can call a friend) and a street shout-out (where you pull over and ask a pedestrian), which are similar to the lifelines Regis would give contestants on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. If you do in fact make it to your destination without getting thrown out, you are offered the chance to double your winnings by answering a question in the video bonus round.

Long story short, with Paul and Hannah's help, we made it to the Amish Market, and by getting the video bonus round question right, our winnings totaled $850!!! I know all of the many readers of this blog are on pins and needles about when the episode starring yours truly is going to air, so I'll definitely keep you posted. *Ed. note: We were told that the episode of cash cab will air Friday May 25 at 5:30 p.m. Tune in to watch us win the big bucks!

To celebrate, we racked up a $75 dinner and bar tab at The Slaughtered Lamb, a cozy yet creepy werewolf inspired joint in Greenwich Village.

As if we hadn't had enough excitement for one weekday evening, Paul, Hannah, and Dan decided to meet miss Leslie Siu out at Capone's for some greazy reala brooklyna pizza and karaoke. PP, Dan, and Hannah kicked off the tunes with some back to back Genesis under the stage name Mr. Medley, and Hannah wowed the crowd with a moving rendition of 3LW's Baby Im'a Do Right"

I butchered my usual karaoke choices "You're So Vain" and "Bette Davis Eyes".

It was only after we had gotten safely back at our door in Greenpoint that Paul realized his man purse (or murse as I will refer to it from here on out) was missing. Being the amazingly patient and understanding girlfriend that I am, I told him that we would back track all of our stops of the night until we found it, starting with Capone's. We called a car to take us back there, and as our streak of luck that night would have it, the murse was hanging unscathed on the back of a chair. The driver took us back to our apartment, and only charged us $10 for the whole trip, bless his heart. It was when I got upstairs and ready for bed that I realized that somewhere in between calling the car and getting home from Capone's for the second time, I had lost my phone! Being the genius that he is, Paul called my number and the driver answered, and told us he would bring the phone back to us in a matter of minutes. I tried to give him 10 more bones for his troubles, but the saint of a driver wouldn't hear of it. A little bird named Leslie Siu once gave me a meditation card on which these words were written: "Each person is part of the harmonious whole. I choose to believe that everyone is always helpful. Therefore, wherever I go in life, people are there to help me." In my recent move to the big scary city of New York, I have found this to hold an amazing amount of truth.

IS YOUR DADDY AN ASTRONAUT? CUZ I'M OVER THE MOON FOR YOU

2007-01-02T13:18:00.000-05:00

To ring in 2007, 15 of my closest friends and I decided to ditch the parties, the wondering who was going to be sober enough to drive home after the last drop of champagne had been drunk, the going home with that special someone against your better judgement, and the waking up wondering where the hell you are and just how you got there. Instead, we opted for a quiet, peaceful, rainy, foggy hideout in the North Georgia mountains. So with Sir Adrian behind the wheel, Tito in the backseat, and me sitting shotgun with the map, we headed for the hills.

To get to our cabin, we had to drive through the kitschy little alpine town of Helen. They really go all out for Christmas there.

Paul and I took a long last look at this bed the morning after we slept in it because we knew that it gave us the last good night of sleep we'd be getting for awhile. The downside to having so many friends is that sometimes you have to play musical beds, sleeper sofas, air mattresses, lazy boys, and cushions on the floor. The second night we piled in the king size bed with Brooke and Leslie like a can of sardines.

This was Tito's uniform for the weekend. He didn't change out of it or take a shower until the last night when he got in the hot tub. How did I get so lucky?

Jef gathered all this wood for a bonfire but it rained the whole time so we couldn't even have one.

There were only so many episodes of Growing up Gotti and Arrested Development we could watch, and only so many games of Jenga and Scrabble we could play before we got more than a little stir crazy. Luckily, we are an insanely creative bunch, and we found other ways to entertain ourselves, including a sidesplitting rendition of "Is your daddy...".

Happy New Year!

THE HARDEST-WORKING MAN IN SHOW BIZ

2006-12-25T19:58:00.000-05:00

James Joseph Brown

May 3,1933-December 25, 2006
Happy Birthday baby Jesus, rest in peace Godfather of Soul.

THE LITTLE TREE THAT COULD.

2006-12-17T18:09:00.000-05:00

PP and I invited some friends over to Casa de la Raw Boogie to help us decorate our first Christmas tree. After an exhausting day of scrubbing the place clean, trekking all over Greenpoint in search of decorations and delectables, hauling the tree back to the apartment, and cooking and wassailing, we were finally ready for our guests. Among the party goers was Greer's new puppy Radar. He was in the holiday spirit and very well behaved.

After a bit of eating, drinking, and getting merry, we were ready to get in touch with our crafty sides.

The results were adorable, hilarious, and overwhelmingly more creative than I ever could have dreamed for our little tree.

My friends never cease to amaze me.

Merry Christmas!

LEGALIZE IT.

2006-10-25T21:22:00.000-04:00

a good view

a little bit of sunshine

friends so good you consider them family

a barefoot little one or two

maybe a glass of wine and a good lobster now and then

are really the only things in life we need to make us happy.

May you live your life together happily ever after Mr. and Mrs. Kral!

IT'S A DOG'S WORLD.

2006-10-09T19:26:00.000-04:00

Saturday afternoon Paul, Jada, Ronwell Dobbs, and I decided to take a little cruise. We chose the Staten Island Ferry as our mode of transportation.

As you can see, the ferry gives spectacular views of Lady Liberty.

HERE IS NEW YORK

2006-09-25T20:59:00.000-04:00

Every now and then, it's nice to get out of the city.

It feels good to be able to hear yourself think.

Maybe even be alone with your thoughts.

A weekend away with your co-workers might not be the best way to achieve this.

But it's a start.

Luca Brasi is a coy-dog, half coyote.

By the end of the weekend, she was a regular frisbee dog.

Even the cat had his own house.

And the neighbors had horses.

The cicadas were never louder and the stars were never brighter.

WHO IS K BOOGIE?

2006-09-23T13:47:00.000-04:00

I AM SO INTO SUBWAY GRAFFITI.

LET YOUR FREAK FLAG FLY!

2006-09-10T20:14:00.000-04:00

Deitch Projects had its annual Art Parade yesterday. Unfortunately, we got there just in time to see the aftermath.

These kids covered this hotrod in denim. Paul wondered if that would make it overheat. I told him this was probably their second car that they didn't drive around too much.

This gentleman had the most amazing nipples I've ever seen. As in they were like two inches long.

On our way home we saw Rosie Perez hanging out of a car hollering "You're Beautiful!" at a cop. He came over and let her flirt with him for awhile while the car was at a stoplight. Only in New York.
That evening our friend Troy helped put on a fashion show for Yellow Fever as part of NY fashion week. Andrew and Dana Strasser's parents were in town, and much to our amusement, but much to the models' chagrin, the lovely Brazilian diva Mrs. Strasser brought a chair in from the lobby and placed it dead center in front of the runway. If you look really close stage right you can see Russell Simmons in the audience.

BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU NEED A MOMENT OF SOLITUDE.

2006-09-05T19:47:00.000-04:00

I love New York. I love how you can take the subway up to 190th street, get off the train, step into an elevator, and then the doors open, and you are here.

BANANARAMA

2006-08-30T17:39:00.000-04:00

This is Banana. She likes to sit on the toilet and watch me get ready in the mornings.

Sometimes she is naughty and likes to do naughty little kitty things like unravel a hat that her Auntie Karolina has spent hours crocheting.

Oh Banana.

GIMME BACK MY WIG FIRE

2006-08-17T19:01:00.000-04:00

Tuesday at work we had to evacuate the building because a box of wigs in the storage space next to our office caught on fire. There were about 6 firetrucks and 4 or 5 ambulances blocking off the street, and the firemen had their oxygen tanks on and everything. Their hose leaked all over the floor and we had to take the stairs down 11 flights. We took the opportunity to sit in Madison Square Park and watch people wait in line for food that breaks just about every New York City health code law and is according to Gawker, the second dirtiest place in New York city to eat. Ah, Shake Shack.

SURE DO LOVE YOU

2006-08-13T21:41:00.000-04:00

Katie came to visit and we went to Central Park to see Ryan play Summerstage. It was the first time I had been to the park since I moved to New York. It made me want to go more often.

You can't tell very much from the picture but we walked up on a drum circle and this little boy was keeping the beat on the tiniest drum I've ever seen!

Afterwards, we went to Katie's favorite Mexican place up here, Mama Mexico. They had $13 guacamole and a mariachi band!

I LOVE THE WAY YOU MAKE ME LAUGH, JUST DON'T TICKLE ME.

2006-08-12T19:38:00.000-04:00

Summer Fridays are perfect for exploring parts of the city you've never been to before, like Chelsea Piers.
Summer nights are perfect for sitting on patios of neighborhood bars with people you love.

Paul Petitto and Nicholas Lorden. Handsome sons of guns aren't they?

Oh Ace, how I miss you my little redheaded firecracker!

BEACHY KEEN

2006-08-07T19:19:00.000-04:00

We went on an adventure to a secret beach that is only 15 minutes from Manhattan by car. Unfortunately it took us over an hour by subway and bus. We packed a picnic and some wine. Paul and Dylan played in the ocean all day like little boys.

They kept getting pinched by crabs, at which point I decided I'd had enough of the water! The beach was beautiful, and there were even sand dunes! All 15 minutes from Manhattan! Getting home was an adventure in itself, which involved jumping a fence, a lot of walking and waiting on buses but we made it back safe and sound, and the fun in the sun made it well worth it.

YOU MAKE ME SO DIZZY

2006-08-07T14:17:00.000-04:00

Progressive dinners are not just for your parents and their friends anymore. Last night my crew and I filled our bellies over at Tim and Dorothy's place with delicious hors d'oveurs and cocktails before heading to Brooke and Jada's patio for salad and mojitos.

Ronnie Dobbs (or as Paul calls him, Robbie Donns) was in full effect.
Brooke and Ryan and Paul and I had a contest to decide once and for all who was the cutest couple.

I'm pretty sure it was a tie.

Later, at Leslie's for the main course, everyone got a little bananas.

Leslie was cleaning barbecue sauce off the walls the next day. Her house is always a guaranteed good time!

CONEY ISLAND CUPCAKES

2006-08-03T15:22:00.000-04:00

On my birthday, after an unsuccessful go at a taking the Long Island Railroad to Long Beach, (read: we missed three trains) Paul and I opted for the more touristy route and decided to go to Coney Island, where we drank Coronas on the beach, got food poisoning from macaroni salad, watched middle aged puerto rican guys try to pick up teenage girls, and swam in maxi pad infested waters.

This little sleeping sun baby's parents were nowhere to be found. Paul and I secretly wanted to steal him until we realized mom and dad's friends were on the blanket next to his stroller.

Brooke (armed with cupcakes!), Ryan, and Jada met us later at the park where they were showing the movie the Warriors, which is based on the fictional Coney Island gang of the same name. The cast of the movie did a Q & A session after the movie. Those guys are old. Lisa Loeb hosted the night and was selling cds. Bizarre. After we had enough of Coney Island culture, we took the train back to Brooklyn and met up with some friends at Royal Oak to finish out the night. Even though getting older is a bummer, it seems as though my birthdays just keep getting better.

LIT UP.

2006-07-05T19:46:00.000-04:00

We camped out on this rooftop in Brooklyn all afternoon so we'd be guaranteed to have a good view of what would turn out to be one of the best fireworks bonanzas I'd ever seen.

This is Dirty. She really hams it up for the camera.

Speaking of hams...

Paul Petitto is one of the biggest ones I know, which is why I love him the most.

The boyz.

Ratface and Wolfeyes.

Let freedom ring!

OH CANADA!

2006-07-02T20:19:00.000-04:00

In celebration of her Canadian heritage, the lovely and talented Miss Leslie Siu threw the bbq to end all bbqs. All the major players were in attendance.

*Bear and Brooke...

*The ever radiant Miss Jada West.

The perfect addition to any summer bbq, Mr. Timothy Traynor.

*Hannah Adams, ladies and gentlemen.

*Michael Pace!

OMG Look It's Brian Hersey!

*The Dirty South's own Donnie Senterfitt, or as we like to call her, Dirty D, just happened to be in town for the occasion. Her new beau Jeff came all the way from sunny L.A. Aren't they sweet?

*In other impossibly cute couple news, Hannah's boyfriend Dan Yingling came all the way from Wisconsin.

*PP Raw and I aren't as cute as we are tough. Wouldn't you agree?

*We all wore red in Canada's honor.

Just one look at these bad boys* and people like Montuori got hungry in a hurry.

*Time to devour some dogs!

*Photos of People with Polaroids. Sounds a little like a disease, does it not?

Happy Canada Day!

*=Photos were borrowed from Brooke Morris, courtesey of http://www.flickr.com/photos/bossa_nova/