Link Roundup

Some links I enjoyed lately ---

Strath at Pacific Standard in Seattle talks about the Steve McQueen festival at Lincoln Center now through May 26th, accompanied by some gorgeous stills. The hottest, and the coolest man, all at the same time.

A short day-in-the-life from WNYC at Peter Pan Donuts on Manhattan Ave. Classic Greenpoint, and best donuts ever.

A couple more I cribbed from Greenpointers:
Local photographer Kristy May's site.
And a bartending school in Williamsburg. Of course, something like this exists. Gross.

The Belmont Special is back. Glad to hear it, but thanks for nothing on Derby Day.

I've been walking around in the East Village on nice days lately. It's been a long time since I speant a lot of time in that hood, so I sometimes forget what a great place it can be. For example, a pork sandwich from Porchetta that tastes like it came straight from the Mercato Centrale in Florence. And for the flipside, some old-style Avenue A. Here's a fascinating take with raw photos showing how life on Avenue A is still lived by some in the East Village.

My appetite is getting better, so I bought a round of one of my favorite cheeses, Red Hawk from Cowgirl Creamery in Pt Reyes, CA. Expensive but amazing. And a most interesting article in today's Times about Sriracha, the indepensible red chili sauce in the rooster bottle.



Hilarious songs from comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates. Seriously, watch it.

Lastly, I have a new three-day-a week permanent Production Director gig at The Daily Group, publishers of The Daily & the Fashion MINI, (plus regular other special B-to-B pubs,) owned by IMG. Guess I can't escape giant fashion mags.

It's a funny, gossipy fashion insider paper that comes out daily during NYC Fashion Week + 6 times a year. Russell, an old friend of mine from college, hooked me up by so kindly being a VP there for a digital division connected with The Daily Group. We hadn't spoken to in 13 years, since I first moved to NYC, due to a bunch of complications. For my first 5 months here, I lived in his old room in an apartment on 14th Street. It made my move here simple as it could be, and again, he has helped a sister out.

Extended Break

Postings will be light (or non-existent, apparently) for the next month. SL and I are going back to Thailand from Jan 15th to Feb 5th for our 2009 edition of "Running Away from the Cold." Meanwhile, holidays, actual work, a corneal ulcer that is severely bumming me out, and travel logistics have taken over, but I'll be back in February with a whole new look and name.

Redux

When the thing happens again that you never imagined and you feel shattered into little pieces, you try to turn to others to reaffirm that you are still alive and whole and valid. Double whammy -- Your shit is inconvenient around the holidays and most other times; Or you are forcing someone else to confront their own personal, unrealized dreams; Or the hardest of all, you asked someone to step outside of their own tenuous world to hold onto your hand, just for a minute, so you won't drift too far away.

And that's when you are surprised to find that some of the greatest kindness comes from strangers. No one knows exactly what to say, and it's hard and awkward like life is sometimes. But they offer you an ear and comfort, because that's all it really takes.

Stupid Economy

Nothing like being one of three final candidates from over a hundred people that applied for a dream job at MoMA, and having the joint go on a hiring freeze for the next couple of months. (At least they finally called today to tell me that.) Grumble.

The Big Easy

First morning in New Orleans for a long weekend complete with Bartley and Tania's wedding, and I'm still in bed with a pounding headache. Goddamn Daphne, Dan and Mimi's. I used to not be such a pussy.

Round Up

In my own version of Twitter, here's what has been on my mind over the past 24 hours:

•Had Korean BBQ last night with SL's lovely parents again on their way back through NYC before returning to their home in Athens. That's Greece, not Ohio.
•What does one wear for a second interview at MoMA? And what samples to take? Hmm. Time to put on my corporate. Hope to also stop see the Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling exhibit before it closes.
•What movie to go see later today/tomorrow? Haven't seen anything in a theater in forever.
•Lisa B's in town from London. This mean pork buns and pickles at Momofuku Ssam Bar tomorrow.
•How should one cook lamb shanks?
•Can I pull off this year's Derby Day plan without alienating SL entirely?
•Are the rats running rampant on Calyer Street over the past few weeks going to make their way into my 1st floor apartment?
•I finally cleaned the scary closet in my house, where tools and paper products go to hide. Now I keep opening it to admire the amazing organization. Dork.
•Should I finally give in and join Facebook? Probably not. Social networking sites annoy me. I find them a poor excuse for actual friendships.
•It's Baxie's 3rd birthday! You can send dead rodents as presents. Here's a photo of him laying all up on my freshly washed sweaters, in honor of one funny and dear cat. (Yeah, I know I'm gay. Shut up.)

Summer's Not Over

Staving off the inevitable fall by being out in here in our Greenport-trailer-by-the-swamp rental with SL and the cat for two weeks. Its been more with the farmer's markets, beach, reading, catching up with old Shelter Island pals, pond/LI Sound swimming, Camille in (and now gone) for a few days visit, and we go to a wedding in East Hampton on Saturday night for some old friends from This Old House. Also regularly getting totally worked up by the conventions and daily coverage. We'll be back Sunday. But it's still summer on my calendar, goddammit. Suckas.

Lazy, Hazy, Days of Summer

Riis Beach, Belmont for Friday sunset racing, Barbecuing nightly feasts*, Farmer's Markets, hanging with SL, Softball Sundays, Home improvement, Working for Camille at her store, Easton PA for thrice-monthly press checks for LBM, Ongoing nonsense with Studio B, Happy hour at Pencil Factory, Pilates, Keepin' on with late Visionaires, Music on the compudio, Pickling**, Books from the library, Roz on TCM, Justifying why I need an iPhone***, and not a lot of blogging.

*tonight's menu: bbq pork spareribs, freshest of fresh corn on the cob, steamed baby artichokes, chicken liver pate and blueberry-peach cobbler. SL is a lucky dude.

**peaches and califlower for today's selections.

***no iPhones to be had on the isle of Manhattan

Andy Rooney Moment

Did you ever notice that the more jobs you have, the more keys you have to carry around?

Did you ever notice that if you have to run errands during the day (vs. after work/weekends), there are loads more people getting in your way, like old folks, tourists, strollers, disabled-types, or just general retards? Frickin' impossible to get up and down 14th street in a timely manner.

Update

The floors are finally done, and my furniture can go back to its proper home.

The Scotty Hard Supper sold out in two days, and we even needed to add seats for a total of 22 to accomodate. If only I could take all the others who also wanted to come but space is tough as it is -- sorry if you got shut out! Now its onto the logistics of a 22 person sitdown dinner in a Brooklyn backyard....

Curlin is running at Belmont Saturday in the Man O' War for his first ever turf race. It may be the only time you see the current best horse in the world take a loss.

After a couple trips to the beach, and few days in Texas, including my first trip to Austin, with Jen, I'm also very tan.

Hobbit Hipsters

A question I have been asking for years: Why are people so tiny and thin (or what I have may referred to as "pussies") in this part of Brooklyn? Amazon broads want to know.

Martha

Here's what my fridge looks like right now. Gayest. We've been eating good over here, what with time to cook and go to the farmer's market regularly. So does that mean I should or should not feel guilty about being inside watching TV almost all day today? I may need a hobby.

Little House on the East River

While SL continued on with hand nailing 1" red oak planks for new floors in the hallway and dining room, I pickled garlic scapes, mushrooms, radishes and beets today.

It gets gayer and gayer over here.

Heat.

Love the heat, love the summer, but four days of this intensity is a lot if wrapped deep into the city. SL and I spent our first day of the season at Riis Park Beach yesterday, where it was about 15 degrees cooler than in Greenpoint. Gorgeous, windy, and water so cold I couldn't feel my legs 10 seconds after wading in. No matter. In we went. Broke down last night and put in the central air at home, after spending 2 hours cooling on the stoop with my neighbors Betty and Cookie, gossiping about the neighborhood. They have lived at 110 for 47 (!!) years, raising both their families in our building, after growing up in the 'Point. Telling me stories about seeing movies in the theater that used to be where the Rainbow is now. I can't imagine this life: living within a 10 block radius since the day I was born. A throwback to the old ways of never moving, these two ladies are a wealth of local information, and hilarious to boot.

Today I'm ensconced in the a/c at a friend's, babysitting her three-month old son while she runs into the city for some errands. My summer is looking quiet, with trips to London and Thailand on the horizon in July for Visionaire projects. Not a lot of work, but just enough to live on. We're putting in some gifted-to-us solid oak flooring in this week, and cooking from the farmer's market most nights on the new gas grill, but I don't have much else. Here is where I am. For once.

Words of the Day

Two new words I like:
SPLINE: the thin rubber stuff that roll into a small gap to keep screens in their frames.
EGRESS: a way out; exit.

New Theory

Post-derby party/julep bacchanalia, a friend said to me that too much brown liquor brings out the self-doubt in people. Hm. Been pondering this important thought...I sure know that the brown stuff makes the irrational angry rear up, but is it all liquors or just the whiskey that does it?

A Joke Gone Horribly Wrong

I'm finally trying to sell this terrifying collection of "Smiley" figurines aka The Friends of the Nurse or FOTH that have been living in my house for far too long. This whole thing started with THE NURSE back in SF about 15 years ago, and as is bound to happen, as soon you have a collection, and/or talk about it too much, people start buying you items to 'help' add to your collection.

I found about 75% of these crazy little people in various thrift stores for a couple bucks, but also had contributions from far and wide when people would send them to me randomly. The bad part was when visitors used to come to my house for the first time, and I had to explain what in the fuck these things actually WERE, and suddenly, it wasn't so funny and um, 'ironic' anymore. I was becoming a crazy ol' lady way before I should have been (currently see: me and gardening). Four shelves of these were downright weird. I hid most of them away in boxes a few years ago, while keeping my favorite 8 (The Great Eight) for posterity.

Twenty-six of these babies are for sale for $250 on Craigslist*. I'm hoping someone will purchase them to put in their bar or whatever as a group. That way, when the first one comes alive, there will be a whole army to follow and kill you in your sleep. Discount for my readers!

*cat not included.

Dare I Say it?

Maybe it's not spring yet, but it's definitely NOT winter anymore either. At least my crocus don't think so. Things are just starting to peek up in the garden and unfurl their leaves. Me too. As usual, it can't come soon enough, for all better things come with the sun.

Body

About 10 days ago, my body malfunctioned in an unexpected, blindsiding way. While I realize I am getting older, my body has always been the one thing I could rely on -- I was always strong enough, could do most anything for myself without needing help, able to hold my own in most sports, rarely sick, and most fortunately, blessed with a naturally fast metabolism. Things were effortless, and the physical was one thing I could always count on, able to more or less take daily functioning for granted. I am lucky. REALLY damn lucky.

When something within didn't work the way I thought it would recently, I was stunned. I'm still grappling with the fallout, and inevitable feelings of failure. I feel utterly betrayed by one of the most basic things about me. And while I'll be okay and my inner strength will carry me through, I'm still a bit heartbroken. Facing your own mortality: what a bitch.

New

•GLASSES: With red frames, that I fear make me look like a weird old artsy Italian woman. I feel very fancy after casting off my busted five-year old pair.

•JOB: Filling in for the manufacturing director on maternity leave for a few months at Art + Auction, Modern Painters and Culture + Travel. All three are part of a company called Louise Blouin Media. Only working three flexible days a week so as not to cut into my life of leisure.

•TRIP: SL and I are going to Hong Kong in March 13th for ten days while I print the latest issue of Visionaire. Trips to Guangzhou, China, Macau for gambling, and the two Hong Kong horse tracks including the Hong Kong Derby (!) are on the card, as well as tons of amazing food. I love Hong Kong, and suspect it will be even better with company this time.