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Monday, February 28, 2005 ( 8:48 AM ) teahouse Germany All right, here are some photos from the Germany part of my trip. Leipzig was beautiful because of its history and many beautiful churches. Dresden was beautiful as well. But so much of it was destroyed by the Allies in WWII and has yet to be rebuilt, even 60 years later! My camera battery crapped out on me right after Leipzig and Dresden, so I had to rely on an old fashioned camera for the rest of the trip. And the photos are taking a while to develop. So more pictures will be coming in the next week. # 0 comments Thursday, February 24, 2005 ( 8:29 AM ) teahouse Un-Serendipitous The other day I tried to meet a friend at Serendipity 3, this dessert place on the Upper East Side. This place has always been popular, but lately it's been ridiculous (that annoying movie made it even more famous). Now the lines and waits are notoriously long. When my friend and I arrived, at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday, we hoped the wait wouldn't be bad. We were wrong. There was a line of giggly women all the way out the door and onto the street. The surly male host told us, "The wait is 2 hours or so." Or so? Is that like, 2 hours, give or take an hour? For a cup of tea? WTF??? I said to my friend, as we left and went to another cafe, "Why are these people waiting this long for dessert? There'd better be a guy under the table going down on you while you have your cake." She deadpanned, "Yeah, but 2 hours? It shouldn't take that long, should it?" # 0 comments Wednesday, February 23, 2005 ( 8:04 AM ) teahouse Back to the Daily Grind Ok, the pictures aren't quite ready yet. But here are some things I learned during my trip: 1. Sitting 10 feet from the grave of Johann Sebastian Bach is the most moving experience ever. I just sat there for about 20 minutes, in total speechless awe. 2. In German, the word for "town hall" is rathaus. How cool is that? 3. London is a friggin expensive city. I can't remember how many times I caught myself saying things like, "I can't wait until we get home to New York, where everything is cheaper." 4. Everyone said the Guinness tastes better in England, close to the source. But I found it disappointingly bitter in London. 5. If you're ever in Prague, don't stay at this hotel. It looks good online, but it is a total shithole. The rooms are dingy and frightening. The towels are threadbare, the bathrooms are dirty. The food is icky. And the website doesn't tell you there's a strip club in the lobby. We switched hotels after one night. 6. It was a theater bonanza. In Prague, we got to see a puppet production of Don Giovanni. Loads of fun. AND in London, The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie. 7. Nobody east of the Prime Meridian seems to eat fresh vegetables. When visiting, plan your poop schedule accordingly. And now, it's back to work. Ugh!! # 0 comments Tuesday, February 22, 2005 ( 10:37 AM ) teahouse Hey HEY HEY The Blossom is back!! Yes, that's right! Vacation was great. Europe was fabulous. I have great pictures that I will post as soon as I can. It was fun traveling around. But the best part is always coming home at the end, and sleeping in my own bed. Yawn. Ok, must..stay..up..and..fight..the..jet..lag... # 0 comments Sunday, February 13, 2005 ( 12:09 AM ) teahouse Vacation It's cold outside, work is getting to me, and we have a long weekend coming up for Presidents Day. So...I'm taking a vacation! I'm flying out early tomorrow morning. I'm going here and to parts of here and here. I'll be back the week after next. Bye guys, and have a lovely time while I'm gone. I'll be back before you know it. Oh, and happy early Valentine's Day! # 0 comments Friday, February 11, 2005 ( 8:56 AM ) teahouse Christo and Jeanne-Claude Tomorrow, a new public art installation is going up in Central Park. There's been a big to-do about it. The whole thing seems slightly weird to me. Everyone I know is like, "Ooooh, ahhh..It's going to be SO GREAT!!!" but I guess I have to wait and see it. I'm afraid it's going to interfere with running on the paths in the Park. Won't birds and dogs poop on the fixtures? Some of my coworkers are running a nighttime 5K while the installation is up. I'm considering joining them. I'm into art as much as the next person. But I really feel like the little kid in The Emperor's New Clothes. I must be a big ol' crank. Everyone is making a big fuss, and I just don't see it. # 0 comments Thursday, February 10, 2005 ( 8:49 AM ) teahouse Ohhh, Andrew I was up late last night because Pretty in Pink was on tv. Aw man, I LOVE that movie. Here's a secret: I had a schoolgirl crush on Andrew McCarthy for about an entire decade of my life. Sigh. I thought he was soooo cute. Yeah, one time in college, I made out with a guy just because he looked like him. The only celebrity crush I ever had. Now that everyone is properly disturbed, I'm going to go to work. # 0 comments Tuesday, February 08, 2005 ( 9:33 AM ) teahouse Fat Tuesday Happy Mardi Gras to everyone! I've decided to give up coffee for Lent this year. This afternoon I will go to Starbucks and have the ceremononial final frappuccino. I predict major crankiness for the next week. # 0 comments Monday, February 07, 2005 ( 9:14 AM ) teahouse Feed the Poor Last night, while walking home from a Super Bowl party, I passed a homeless guy on East 57th Street. His hair was dirty and matted, he smelled bad, and he pushed an old shopping cart overflowing with dirty bags and greasy clothes. He was also wearing a North Face ski jacket, and listening to an iPod. That must have been some tax refund. # 0 comments Friday, February 04, 2005 ( 8:55 AM ) teahouse Marathon I got an email informing me that I've qualified for the 2005 New York City Marathon. I got in by running at least 9 qualifying races in the preceeding year. In fact, I think I ran something like 15 races in 2004. So all I have to do is send them an email, and I'm in. Do you think I'm going to do it? No way. I think people who run the marathon are CRAZY. I'll stick to my 10Ks and 15Ks, thank you very much. Hahaha, yeah I guess when I run it next year, I'll look back on this post and laugh ruefully. Running a lot makes you do crazy things. But for this rainy morning, I'm staying in my warm bed and NOT going out to train for some crazy race. 26 miles, are people out of their minds? # 0 comments Thursday, February 03, 2005 ( 9:01 AM ) teahouse Pinkeye One of my friends, a 30-something-year-old lawyer, woke up on Monday with her eyes sealed shut. She has conjuctivitis (also known as "pinkeye"). I had that once when I was a kid. But adults don't get it as often. She's beside herself. She won't leave the house because she said she looks like a freak. She's made her husband sleep on the couch for the past 3 nights so he won't get it. "It's sooo gross," she said to me over the phone. "My eyes are all oozy and encrusted." Encrusted. Now there's a word that brings up icky pictures in my head. I generally don't like that word. Well, unless it's used to describe a piece of jewelry that's encrusted with diamonds. # 0 comments Tuesday, February 01, 2005 ( 2:37 AM ) teahouse Letter Dear Evil Large Law Firm/Former Employer-- Yeah, you. You came along at the beginning of 2004, and took over the firm where I was working. I was happy at that firm. But the partners were greedy, and they sold out to YOU. You and your promises of a better life, a bigger future. YOU, who said we'd get the same quality of work, but everything would be better - better support staff, better salaries, better offices, better clients. But you LIED. So I left after 3 months, and I went to another firm. A firm where I've been very happy for the last 9 months, thank you very much. YOU, who docked my pay when I left. You, whom I still hear my friends and former coworkers complain about. YOU, who treat them badly, cut their vacation hours, block their 401K contributions, give them zero bonuses even though your partners are listed among the richest and most highly compensated in the country. YOU, who still reach from the grave to haunt me, because now I want to get my taxes done and get my refund. Because I need the money for a down payment on an apartment. But I CAN'T DO ANYTHING because still haven't gotten my W-2 form from you. YOU, whose Accounting Department has totally ignored and stonewalled me. Can the people who work for you even return a phone call? Or are they too important for that? That money is mine, and I'm entitled to it because I've payed my taxes quietly like a good citizen. SO GIVE ME MY FUCKING W-2 BEFORE I COME AND KICK THE SHIT OUT OF ALL OF YOU. # 0 comments |
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