gawker stalker

yesterday, at my fancy business lunch in rockefeller center at ruhlmann brasserie (i know, i know, i'm totally awesome), my boss came back to the table from the restroom and was like "oh my gosh! celebrity sighting! eliot spitzer is right by the bathroom!" (of course, we made a few jokes about his proximity to the ladies' room...) later, i had to use said facilities, and as i passed his table, he looked up and kinda checked me out. we even made eye contact. i'm not necessarily proud of that, but i do think it's really funny.

also of note: this was by far the schmanciest lunch i've ever had--everyone was in suits eating steaks drinking wine and making deals. it was not my usual scene, but it was kind of fun to try it on for size.

the view from the top

s and i celebrated our five-year anniversary on thursday with dinner out at mexican radio and a surprise trip to the empire state building. the esb has been on the us map for awhile now, but tickets are a little expensive, and we'd heard horror stories about the lines, so we'd skipped it in favor of other excursions. i am so, so happy we finally went! (although i highly recommend going on a weeknight in the winter--we practically ran through the building. i cannot imagine waiting in room after room of lines.)

it was cold and windy and eerily quiet and totally beautiful. (ok, full disclosure: it was freezing cold. but getting the 86th floor almost completely to ourselves? totally worth it.) the view was incredible. i took great delight in pointing out landmarks we're used to seeing from ground level: theatres we've visited, the washington square park arch, the bridge we've walked across. it was also strangely silent--we were too high up to hear street noise, not even honking horns, which is unheard of (ha!) in new york.

i felt like i got a new perspective on new york from so high up. the city at once feels enormous and tiny. from the sidewalk, 10 blocks can feel far and neighborhoods are defined by individual blocks. from up in the air, the city is distilled into heights and lights. at one point, i turned to s and exclaimed "this is our city!"

as i explained to a friend the other day, i often have moments where i am thrilled that this is my life. i spent much of my youth wanting to live in new york. when it didn't work out the first time, i was disappointed, but i knew that i wanted to try again when i had the time and energy to make this place my own. moving here as an adult, i've been able to really create a space here (between career, friendships, apartment, and fabulous relationship) that has helped me fall in love with this city for real--not a film new york or a fiction new york but a true new york. and seeing it all from the top of the empire state building helped put it all into perspective.

present mirth hath "present laughter"

one of the benefits of dating someone with other interests is getting introduced to new things (and doing some introducing.) s, as an audio engineer, is always bringing new music into my life. as a theatre nerd, i have gotten to bring to him the joys of a live play. for christmas this year, i gave him tickets to see present laughter, the noel coward revival starring victor garber.

we saw the show in previews, which i really enjoyed. they were still working out the kinks, and i liked getting an almost-backstage look at their processes. little, almost indecipherable, trip ups (on lines and telephone cords) help the magic to me--you realize that they're real, that this is happening for you right now. that human effort is such a rewarding element in a live play. (it should never look like work, per se, more like play, but i like knowing it's all unfolding in front of me.)

it's an enjoyable show--noel coward is always funny--and the cast does well, for the most part. victor garber seemed to be holding back at times. his character gary essendine is accused of over-acting so often that i would have liked to see a little more over-the-top from him, but i thought he performed well. i especially liked harriet harris as gary's long-suffering secretary monica, and enjoyed the balance between love and exasperation that lisa banes struck as his ex(ish)-wife liz.

i went crazy for the art deco decadence of the set, although s wasn't too keen on all the marbled wood and golden fixtures. the costumes were similarly lovely and sumptuous, and fit the characters well. gary's dressing gowns did an especially good job at playing their part, and a set of pajamas added a nice visual joke in the second half.

overall, it was a very enjoyable night at the theatre, and i would recommend it. i would also recommend using the roundabout theatre's preview ticket system. the tickets were extremely well-priced, and we had good seats. i look forward to the rest of the season.

you're funny.

i did improv in college. (did you know this? have i mentioned this?) everyone always says to me "oh, i could never do improv! it's so scary! how do you 'be funny' on command?" to which i say: i felt the same way. until i jumped onstage and went for it, and had the time of my life.

i was fortunate enough to get involved with an incredibly talented group of improvisers, who became more than friends, became my family. it is the one thing i miss more than anything else (except for my girlfriends who live in chicago), and the one thing that i could (more easily than say, those far-flung friends) get back if i really tried. i need to stop missing, and start doing.

i took my mother and sister to the UCB theater last night for a show (death by roo roo--they're very funny, i'd seen them before so i knew what to recommend.) every time i go there, i'm reminded that i should be taking classes, should be working my way through their system, should be auditioning and eventually performing. i was good at improv in college. i don't say that to brag; i loved it, and i worked at it, and i was good at it. and i miss it.

i learned last year that no one but me can make me go after the things i want. so i'm keeping myself accountable to my new year's resolution and plan to take a class. i'll let you know how it goes.

2009

it was a good year. it was an incredibly busy year. i lost 35 pounds, we moved into a new apartment and neighborhood, i got a new job, and somehow forgot to write in here. for that, i am sorry (if anyone is still out there.) no resolutions here, but do know that i hope to capture a few more of my outings in the coming year on this blog.

let 2010 begin. i'm ready for you, new decade.

some incongruity

you know what's funny? a monk (a franciscan monk, in full-on vestments) with a brooklyn accent. a tough guy of the cloth.

the last picture show

i will admit to loving mom and pop businesses, little home-grown stores or organizations operated out of crazy spaces, with a shoestring budget and plenty of charm. new york has plenty of those, seems to nurture their odd independent businesses, although my favorites are the movie theaters.

when we lived in park slope, we could easily stroll down to the pavillion, and often did to catch a new release on their old screens. the theaters were aging and somewhat ill-tended, but it was such a neighborly audience that i loved going to see movies in that place. there's a big fancy multiplex on court that is maybe 10 minutes away, and it was perfect for "up" and "harry potter" this summer, but my favorite movie theater in the nabe is cobble hill cinemas, just a few minutes in the other direction. they run special deals on thursday nights, though their regular tickets are still much cheaper than the fancy screens down the street, and they sell delicious popcorn, and they have painted film scenes on the walls (which is both funny and terrifying, when you come face to face with a four-foot-tall crazy-jack-nicholson-in-the-shining picture) and old movie posters, and signs on the stairs saying "only 20 more to go!" ("i counted 19" said s, last weekend when we went to see "inglourious basterds"), and comfy seats (though not such great speakers) and they play a mix of wide-release and indie films, and i just love it.

probably secretly (or not-so-secretly and maybe i'm just totally clueless) they're owned by someone more incorporated than my next door neighbors, but it still feels like a local spot, the kind that seem to be holding out better in new york than anywhere else, the kind that help to make this city so unique.