bad babes on TV
Lately I only watch TV when I am at the gym, which means I watch whatever is on at that time. The Evening News with Katie Couric, and the View are shows I've recently seen. In both of the shows there is a change in the format, or I should say stage directions/ set of the show. At the end of the news Katie walks in front of the desk, leaning on it to deliver a light-hearted news piece or give her not-a-real sign off. This shot is a full body shot, and I think is supposed to make her more of a real person with viewers. But while pearls have appeared on her neck to make her look more mature/respected (I am assuming), her shoes have remained more the NY ladies elite - towering power pumps of various animal skins, leaving you wondering if her tootsies would perfer to be back behind the desk.
At the View, the roundtable discussion is now without a table*, the women sitting on a curved couch. This change is a disaster asthetically. In the show I saw 3 of the 5 women there wore button down shirts. Now, for most women, the button down shirt can look quite professional when standing, but when sitting, it can gape open inbetween buttons. This was happening to the women on the view and they were aware of it, continuously fussing with their shirts. Also, everyone but Rosie had on a skirt, one that was probably below knee length when standing, but again, changing shape when sitting so that on the full group shot, the center of the picture seemed to be aligned with knees desparately hugging each other to not give away too much to the camera. Lastly, because the legs were so firmly crossed, the foot of the crossed leg was in a position to show off the worn underside of the ladie's shoe . . . all and all I thought all the wardrobe "malfunctions" were distracting, and very . . . unladylike.
*I couldnt find a picture of them without the table, but trust me, its gone . . . I guess they dont get to drink coffee anymore either
hot stuff!
The newest thing in coffee drinks:
Wolfgang Puck's self-heating lattes. "Each of the lattes come in a unique self heating can which heats to over 140 degrees F in just under 6 minutes to give you a very portable instant hot latte. The technology to create a self heating can took 7 years, and over 24 million dollars and was developed by
OnTech. The OnTech self-heating container is built from two main parts: the container and the actuating "puck" (how appropriate). The container is composed of an inner cone that holds the mineral (Calcium Oxide), and the outer container body, which holds the beverage product." (from singleserve.com)
I am a little bit torn about these. On one hand, I think "hot coffee, yeahhhh", and then I think "more crap for the landfill, boooooooo". I myself havent tried one yet, but my boss has been raving, and he thinks they are recyclable since they do have a deposit on them . . . I wonder if they will impact DunkinDonut's styrafoam stylin' coffee . . .
make-up
I remember sitting on my parents bed watching my mom lean over the bathroom sink, rubbing her face with foundation, brushing her cheeks with blush and then slowly opening her mouth really wide. I always thought she would put on lipstick at this point, but no, it was the paradoxical open mouth for wider eyes with mascara application. I remember watching her get ready to go out, usually on Friday nights for meeting up with friends, a gentle waft of Jean Nate then a blast of Shalimar. Replacing all her bottles and brushes in a tan Woodies bag that sat on the back of the toilet, she would then pick through her dozens of Clinique free sample lipsticks, for her casual color, Berry Frost.
***
When she died, I inherited her makeup. Since I do not have the "throw crap out" gene of my father, I kept it all, a shoebox size bag with a separage bag just for lipsticks. When moving my things to New York, I went through the bag and smelled all the lipsticks, if the had an odd-scent I tossed them, leaving me with only 23 tubes.*
Last night, for no reason other than I had no plans, I brought out the bags, and went through all the colors, the powders and creams, tossing out 90% of the stuff, including everything that had been Mom's. It was hard. Sounds silly, doesnt it? I mean its just dusty compacts and bottles, but they were artifacts of what a mom passes to her daughter, how to cover up the negative and accentuate the positive.
When I said I tossed all her stuff, well, I did keep one thing. For the last few years of her life, I think it was her prized cosmetic, as she had searched for a non-pencil method forever, her eyebrow-enhancing chocolate brown powder and special brush.
*Did you know I usually just wear Pepperment chapstick?
Webkinz addict
Recently, TS gave me a little stuffed pup. He refutes that this is to make up for the lost stuffed pup, Stanley, but Humphrey entered my world just days after Stanley's escape. Regardless, Humphrey is a webkinz pup by Ganz. What is cool and apparently the biggest adult obsession with toys since beanie babies, is that you can visit your animal
online, decorating its room, earning it money, buying food, and I think visiting other webkidz (although, I dont know any others, so I dont have anyone to ask for a park date). I know I sound like a fool, but its kind of addicting . . . I try to check in with Humphrey once a day while I'm at work, and maybe win him a bacon bone or take him for a walk.
Im not really ready for a pup with a pulse, but the stuffed doggie who also lives online has found a place in my fur-fearing heart.
Save the evironment with a pivot
The other day I was walking through Soho and came upon two people with "Environmental Outreach" on their Tshirts. One was offering the other a brochure while she walked up the street. I thought they were both bored volunteers, one sarcastically soliciting the other. Then I heard the gal say, "Next time move your right ankle as the target passes you."
Who knew those flyer-hander-outers had lessons before accosting you with glossy so-to-be litter?
Bicycle on train 101
If you happen to look on the
bicycle saftey on the subway website, you will notice that rule#2 states:
"Do not carry your bicycle through one of the tall entrances or exits with high steel bars.If you get off at a station where there is only a tall exit with high steel bars, wait for the next train and go to the nearest station that permits easy exit with a bike.
High Entrance Turnstile - Don't try to get your bike through here."
Last night TS and I saw an older gentleman do quite a bit of fretting about his bike caught in the turnstile, spokes caught between spokes, locking the bike in the narrow passway.
seriously, what was he thinking?
The Drowsy Chaperone
Yesturday I met up with MD * who was in NY for work. We tried several ways to get last minute tickets to a show, setteling for the TKTS line. This was remarkably easy. We ended up going to the matine of
The Drowsy Chaperone. I had absolutely no idea what this show was
about. Everyone had just told me that it was hilarious and that it won the Tony, so when MD wanted to go, sure.
When we walked in the theatre we recieved our playbill, and I browsed through, trying to find the synopsis. It wasnt there. Then I remembered that there was no synopsis at other shows recently. When did it go? It definitly used to be there, just a paragraph for each Act, but has it been replaced with an ad for Hillary Duff's new perfume? Or are the writers of the Playbills just lazy?
It definitly is a hard show to describe . . . I suppose I should say it is a faux 1920s musical within a modern day play, and leave it at that. It was very funny and the Alberto character was especially laughable. I must say that I was not too thrilled with the set, but I think you arent supposed to be.
If you are thinking about a show to see, this is definitly one to consider.
* hee-hee, I just realized MD is married to an MD
San Gennaro Festival
In case you didnt know, the
San Gennaro Festival started yesturday. This is an open air fair throughout Little Italy celebrating the patron saint of Naples. Here you can take part in traditional Italian activities like shooting water balloons for 2' tall stuffed Spongebob Squarepants, or buy traditional Italian goods like rodeo-inspired license plates. Best of all is the sample of the mother country's authentic foods like pina coladas (in souvenir tiki cup!), philly cheesesteak subs and deep fried oreos!
random stuff in movies
I recently was watching a bit of Dazed and Confused on TV and discovered, at the back of the Junior High classroom, a poster of Mid-Atlantic Fish. This may seem less than eventful, but it happened to be exactly the same poster that has been on the northern wall of the beach house, for as long as I remember.
I love when stuff like that happens . . . the only other similar discovery in recent past is that the Mom character in the Family Stone has a favorite mug that is the same mug that RW took to Boston from
her mom's collection.
a little bit of hollywood that I recognize
Humperdinck?
My roomie recently did the hair and make up of
Engelbert Humperdinck. Who is this man? Apparently he was a foxy pop singer in the 60s and 70s, his first hit beatting the Beatles' Strawberry Fields Forever in the charts.
Me, I had never heard of the Tom Jones rival . . . when I hear the name Humperdinck, this is who I think of:
ommm
I started
Bikram yoga yesturday. This is the hot room yoga, like 100 degrees hot. The instructor said if I made it the full 90 minutes just staying in the room, then I should consider my first day a success. Low expectations, I like that!
I did manage to stay in the room, and even attempt all the poses. The instructor also said that feeling dizzy and nauseous is normal and to just return to the standing position to rest. The thing is, that it was the heat that was making me dizzy, and when I bent down to the ground, the air was so much cooler, that standing seemed to make it worse. Luckily, we eventually moved on to the floor. When I left, I was thirsty, of course, but OK.
Today I woke and returned for my second class, and felt OK untill the end. All and all, I think I like it, especially pose #13.
the wilds of Red Hook
Last Sunday* TS and I took Babs out for a final spin around Brooklyn to see some neighborhoods that we dont normally see (ie, not Park Slope). I have to say I was less than impressed with most of them, but when we crossed into southwestern BK, it was like entering an entirely new city. First it was really run down, then it seemed like there were hippies riding their bikes everywhere on actual cobble streets, then we found a tuti-fruity organic grocery (Fairway?) that actually let you take your buggie out to your car (as opposed to C-town, my usual grocery store that has tall gates all around the exit). Then amoung t
he stoic looking ex-warehouses/factories? not too far from a Princess Cruise docking location, was a tiny little pie place, selling key lime pies. Various sizes of key lime pies, but only key lime pies.
As TS and I nibbled on a chunk of pie on a stick (and then chocolate dipped!) we walked around the warehouse to a luxuriant and lively bucket garden on the dock, finding the most beautiful view of Lady Liberty I've seen.
With the tang of lime still on out tongues, we wondered at a city with so many nooks and cranies.
*after a very tasty brunch with CR and S (I had green eggs and ham!)
unexpected night out
Last Thursday TS and I headed into the city to see the sunset over the Hudson. In our effort for a good view along West St park, we happened upon the Chelsea sports compound. We thought we
might be able to sneak around to the floating dock to catch some rosy dusk light, but alas, no. We did however find the
Chelsea Brewing Co . It turns out this outdoor seating area gave us the perfect view of a very pink and broad sunset (well, it was partly covered by the driving range net, but still beautiful). To make the dinner extra fine, we ordered a flight of the brewerie's brews . . . the checker cab was my favorite.
