The chicken dance
This past weekend, TS and I went down to MD to go to my cousin's wedding, I had taken this opportunity to visit many friends in the area and it was a jam-packed weekend to say the least. I had given us 90 min to get from DC to Waldorf MD for the wedding at 4pm (this is about 45 miles). I should have known that if one traverses the beltway, allow 3X the imagined amount of time. After thinking I was going in the wrong direction, I turned around, only to find, I had indeed been going in the right direction, then there was a car on fire on the beltway. Luckily I pulled to the first exit after I saw the black cloud of smoke ahead. I had been in touch with BK (who was driving our Grandma and her friend MG) who said that he was just passing the fire and while it slowed a bit, traffic was moving fine. So I U-turned to get on the beltway to find cars reversing back the onramp because up ahead literally no cars were moving. Hmm, finding an alternate route on the map I was able to follow the remaining portions of our directions, untill the last bit. We were on a windy road in a forest for miles. I didnt see the church anywhere, so I turned around to make sure I had taken the correct road. Let me just say at this point it is after 4 o'clock, but weddings never start on time, right? Back at the road, sure enough I was on the correct road, so back for more car commercial style driving and sure enough not one mile past where I had turned around, was the little Piney Church. And look, there were people standing outside, in the parking lot! Had the service still not started! It was almost 4:30 at that point. . . wait, people were mingling about, going to their cars and retrieving presents . . . then I realized . . . we missed the wedding.
:(
But the reception was great, and the bride accepted my apology with a laugh. Highlights include the chicken dance*, the electric slide**, and at the very end, a sudden display of his inner 80s child with the worm and backspin moves by TS.
All and all it was lovely and good to see so much family and celebrate with SB and JB as well as the ever cute LB.
*which is apparently a family must at weddings . . . who knew the K's were such free spirits
** you know how at most weddings you kind of take the lead from one person who really knows what they are doing/the beat? tragically for all involved, I was that person for this wedding.
Snakes on a Plain
While upstate, we saw
Snakes on a Plane at the Fair View
drive in. I hadnt been to a drive in since my family went to ET.
The movie itself was scary funny, and a great one to see drive-in style.
The best part was since the audio comes through the radio, as left the "theatre" we heard the first few minutes of Miami Vice.
adventures in boating
Two weeks ago, when TS and I were at the beach, we tried many times to go for a boat ride. The alluminum row boat was too big for us to maneveur, the sailboat's oar lock was broken*, the canoe rental place was booked . . . so we bought a boat. Check out this kickin water craft.
It was a little cozy for 2, but turned on a dime when we just had one in it. While it handled the canal and even the inland water way excellently, when we took it to the beach for faux-white water rafting, we ended up with bumped noggins and skinned knees.
Last week we went up north to go kayaking** in
Cortlandt, NY. It was relatively quiet (although we did hear the occational Mack truck on route 9) and we got to see some cool birds like egrets and a huge blue heron. Since we arent certified paddlers, we had to stay in minibay area . . . which was great because I am sure the Hudson would have taken us away.
*and neither of us are strong enough sailors to sail without a back up way of getting home
**totally not us in the photo, we got a tandem sea kayak that I got to steer using my toes, while paddeling
6-12
While driving around northwest of the city, trying to get a quick bite before the main evening event, we came across Frosty Rock Creamery. . . does this remind anyone else of
the big Mic?
see how Frosty Rock rated
upstate
There is a "friendly" debate going on about the definitition of upstate, I thought upstate meant Albany, or at least north of Poughkeepsee(sp?), and the area between NYC and upstate was metro north (like sleepy hollow and Peekskillf). I was informed by a nameless other nontrueNYer that upstate is anything North of the Bronx and south of the Adirondocks (sp?*) and Northern New York was the term for the term for the very norther part of ny. Who is correct?
* Gosh, NY has some weirdly spelt town names.
water towers
In the south, towns take the water towers seriously, painting them as a billboard for the town, or with
catchy phrases*.
And in the whole town there is just the one water tower, and its usually in a field/by the expressway.
Then there are the watertowers of NYC. Almost every block there
is a water tower on some building or other. Its even become a symbol for a
BK fashion store.
I wonder what is the difference in gallon storage of the city vs country towers?
*or letting them rust away . . . can any of my readers identify where in NC this watertower lives?
New Hair cut
It seems once a year I go in for a new hair cut, and usually I get the "Rachel.*" You know what I mean . . . layers that curl under and then the most bottom layer curling out . . . I have even explained this phenomenon to the stylist before the scissors come out, saying I DO NOT want the "rachel." This usually proceeds with the styler completely ignoring me and I see the big round brush come out, pulling my hair straight, and around the brush, drying, then leaving my hair with a soft bounce. . . perhaps I just have the face for the rachel.**
Well a few days ago I sauntered over to Salon de Top's*** on Elizabeth street and got a whole new do! I do quite like the cut, and it wasnt styled as "Rachel", but a little bit like . . . well, Tipper Gore. I'm not sure if I should consider it an improvement, but it is a bit sleeker, and, umm, a bit, more "mature."
*In 1997 I thought this was rad. not so much the last 3-4 years.
** Last summer, George in Iowa City, IA did give me a fabulous, very non-Rachel haircut (more the curly version of Gwenyth's hair in Sliding Doors). Sadly, this look required 3 different hair products, and far longer than lulu gives her hair.
***I must say, haircut aside, this salon has the best hairwashers ever . . . I think it was at least a 15 minute scalp massage with the washing . . . very relaxing.
summer's fall
Yesturday TS and I tried to go shopping for some beach essentials: shorts, swim suits, flip flops. There are none of any of these available in BK.* I realize that we are vacationing on the later side of the season, but it is still summer. However, the stores seem to have a full stock of cords and the latest wool blazers available. All and all was irritating to not find what we need**. I know that stores push the seasons early (see post below) but TS insited that autumn was so far away and I agreed.
Then I stepped out on my stoop this morning and felt a crispness in the air that is definitly fall-esque. A leaf even floated down to the sidewalk along 8th ave. . . I guess I cant be too upset, autumn in NY is so inviting . . . it will be good to live it again.
*OK, I contend that there may be a pair of drawstring linen cargo shorts, size 6 white wedge flip flops, or 40 odd bikini bottoms to be found
** and therefor will have to shop Maxway while at the beach
a whole new level of ridiculous
This morning, while listening to an AM station*, I heard an ad for the new
Madden NFL 07 game. OK, an ad for a sports video game on a sports station, no biggie, right? WRONG, the ad for the game was sung to the tune of a Christmas song. Christmas in August, ridiculous.
*which I initially thought was 1010Wins, but turned out to be a sports station
Bryant Park
Yesturday I a little bit fell in love with Bryant Park. I headed up there a little after noon and wandered around before settling in for some Broadway musical selections. I had been there before several times, but it just seemed especially friendly yesturday. I suppose its odd that I
should use the term friendly, since everyone seemed to come mostly by themselves or perhaps as a couple. There are even little table/chair hybrids for the lone luncher.
There is this section toward 42nd st and the library that is a "reading room" with books that I think you can just borrow and read while you sip your iced coffee or eat your lunch. If you didnt bring your own lunch,
'wichcraft is there serving some tasty salads/samies etc.*
While the grass has its bald spots, there are beautiful flowers inbetween the benches along the perimeter of the knoll, and even the bees who lunched on the blossoms kept to themselves. And the birds seemed to know to stay away from the benched area . . . neither pigeons begging or signs of previous well fed birds on the seat tops.
Sadly, though, the mini performances of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and (unheard of to me) The Fantastics, left something to be desired. I suppose performing outside instead of in a stately Theater was one thing, and the barely audible acoustics another, but the dities didnt light a fire under me to go see a show.
*Sadly, the ice cream 'wich shop wasnt open yet, but they have these amazing ice cream sandwiches.**
**I love that in a town where one can always find a place to have a drink (bloody mary with breakfast, chilled white wine with lunch, pimm's cup at tea time, etc), ice cream hour doesnt start untill 2pm.
i had a boring day, this is all there is to say
Yesturday, during a slow strech at work, I ventured to
Pearl River Market on Broadway. I love this store. RW referred to it as the Ikea of Chinatown. I kinda get what she means. There is so much interesting-looking stuff that would be cool to own, and is in whatever budget you have. Since it is within my walk radius at work, I often head over to browsing the paper/journal selection.
Yesturday, I made my first non-paper related purchase. You see, after living with an interior designer, I realized that one can use textiles not for their intended purpose. For example, sake cups make great paperclip holders. So i ventured for a small sushi plate to use as a soap dish* and litterally was there for half an hour just looking at their small plate selection. If you are looking for a housewarming gift, or just in town visiting, this is a great Soho-meets Chinatown store!
*for a small gift
Little Miss Sunshine
I saw
this movie this weekend. I loved it. I will say that part of the reason I loved it was the theater in which we saw it, BAM. I think there is more of an audible audience response to movies here, plus, they clap at the end (which totally reminds me of the feel of nubby carpet under my thighs and palms of my hands while propping myself up for the 4th grade release of The Incredible Journey).
But back to the movie . . . all the misfit characters somehow came together like a jigsaw puzzle to create a wonderful ensemble comedy. I give it 8 thumbs up.
agggh
I cannot get my Internet to work. I spent the better part of 2 hours last night unplugging and replugging all 12 various wires that connect my computer to my "wireless" modemn and restarting to find still no world wide web. I did everything but uninstall and re-install programs (because I figured knowing my luck I would be able to uninstall, but not re-install). I havent called the company because my roomie does the bill and has the info and she has been at a shoot in Tucson the last week.
Any suggestions?
shuffle
Lately the "shuffle" option of my ipod seems to be lazy. Maybe its the heat, but
The Duhks,
State Radio*, and
Carbon Leaf have been 9 of the last 10 songs, of 972 songs on the nano. This does not seem to be the great mix that so many people love about the option. . . unless, of course the shuffle is actually powered by the
infinite improbability drive where it is so improbable to play 2 songs in a row by the same artist, that that is exactly what happens.
*this is one of those bands that itunes gets you with when you browse . . . the 30 seconds they featured of several songs rocked, the actual song, mmmmm, a little too Widespread for me.
