I am in BUffalo for a wedding and have W here with me.

A lot of fun stuff has happened so far. It really has. But here are some other things that happened:

• On Thursday, NYC experienced tornado warnings and severe thunderstorms. As a result, we sat on the plane, on the runway, for EIGHT HOURS. Why eight hours? Well, after three hours, anyone who wants to deplane has the right to do so (after that PR nightmare JetBlue had last year). A handful of people wanted off, which means we had to drive back to the gate. Problem is, we were blocked in, so that took forever.
• Because we left the line of planes where we had been sitting for four hours, we lost our place in line and had to get back at the end of the line with 75 planes ahead of us. That was after we were able to get to and leave the gate, which was closed because of lighning and other planes blocking ours.
• Departed apartment: 2:15 pm. Arrived in Buffalo: 12:30 am. Total in-flight time: 45 minutes.
• Since Monday is my 1-year anniversary with W, I had planned a surprise overnight trip to Niagara Falls, Canada. I had rented a room with a heart-shaped tub. Because it was so late when we left, I cancelled the room. They probably still charged it to my credit card because it was less than 24 hours. This I will fight if it shows up on my bill.
  
• When we arrived, the Budget counter was closed, even though the reservation said they were open 24 hours. It took us several tries to locate the Budget van.
• Went for drinks with Leanne and Bob this evening and had a lovely time. Returned to car to find passenger window smashed out and my GPS (purchase price $600) stolen. Should I have left it on the windshield? No. But we were parked on Elmwood and Allen, in a busy area.
• Budget office would not answer and national office could not help. Called 911 and filed police report. Brushed glass off of passenger seat and drove straight to Budget location (on the way back to my dad's). Little troll working behind counter was unhelpful and didn't have another car for us. Didn't offer to call other rental car agencies to see what they had. Two other employees buzzed around behind counter not helping us while troll assisted clueless old people. ("Sorry we can't accommodate you! Let me try to help you find something else!" Um, no.)
• Had to call dad to pick us up. He was surprisingly accommodating. Not sure if it's because W is here, but enjoying lack of martyr syndrome.
  

Fuck whoever stole my GPS. RIP, Mrs. Garrett. Hoping karma will come back to him. Learn to respect other people, you piece of shit.

Labels: bflo, cranky, gadgets, globetrotting

Yeah, I know it looks a little weird with the turquoise bits left behind, but I couldn't take it anymore. I'm working on something new -- be patient! I'm determined to get make it happen by myself. It's about time I get a real handle on all this wacky interweb stuff.

An elderly dog in my building passed away recently. I feel bad for a variety of reasons. First, the dog was obese and probably not well taken care of. It was almost as wide as it was long, and its owner pulled it along with annoyance as it wheezed and panted. I'm also sad because, well, it's a well-known dog that's no longer with us. And speaking of dogs, a small terrier was mauled to death last week by a pit bull outside of my building. Thankfully for me, I had drank hot bourbon with honey in an attempt to cure my lingering bronchitis and was sleeping more soundly than I have in ages. That small dog has been on my mind constantly. And, the bronchitis still isn't gone.

Work has been, well, inconsistent. Some days I am just absolutely thrilled there, while I'm ready to do something wildly inappropriate (like throw something, have a tantrum and storm out -- which happens in our office) and never come back.

I received my diploma recently. Kind of exciting, but what do I do with it? At least Syracuse provided it in a nice hard-cover-thing. NSSR provided a flimsy cardboard folder. Bah.

Caught a glimpse of this gorgeous, subtle memorial a few weekends ago, in the northern end of my neighborhood near the Brooklyn Navy Yard:



Simple, moving, lovely. It kind of took my breath away to come across something so unexpected.

Labels: nyc, pets

I know, I know. It's been ages. I have debated saying "adios" to this format many times in the last several weeks, but I'm not sure what to do with it.

In the meantime, I just got home from a Yankees game. It was a close game. The Yanks came from behind and were very close to tying the game, taking it to the 11th inning. That didn't happen, but it's OK. The running commentary from the middle-aged men behind us was plenty of entertainment.

While trying to get a friggen sausage (don't get me started on the food service and options), I befriended two British men who had just flown into NYC that day for a bachelor party. I then offended them by describing greasy fish and chips wrapped in newspaper as "gross," even though I tried explaining that I meant "good gross." I won them back over by promising to set the cute, single one up with Berna.

Anyhow, I got off of the G train more than an hour later to find an average-looking white man passed out on a bench, his shoes off and cash sticking out of his pocket. A random man and I stopped dead in our tracks, wondering what to do. We were both worried. The guy shook the wasted man several times, telling him he could "get real fucked up" if he kept sleeping where he was. I stood watch for support. At first, the guy refused to even open his eyes. But as we walked away, he sat up, picked up his shoes and boarded the next G train (which amazingly pulled in right after the one we had just got off, which explains why we waited 30 minutes at Metropolitan for an effing G). It was a nice "Good Samaritan" moment. The guy will probably spend the night riding between god-knows-where-Queens and Smith / 9th, but at least he's off the deserted subway station bench.

Labels: nyc, observe

So.

As of Friday at 5:07 pm, I'm 30 years old.

I had been kind of freaked out by this for the last several months. My obsession with staying "timely" and "trendy" was at an all-time high, as I feared becoming out of touch with the newest of the new.

But then I thought about it, and thought about my 20s, and realized, "Thank god that shit's in the past!" No more months on end of fruitless online dating, no more living on such a tight budget that I can't even afford the pad thai at Republic, no more living in a closet-sized space with no natural light... The list goes on and on.

Thirty wasn't all rosy, though. It kept me on my toes.

W was called out of state for a funeral, which took place on the day I had scheduled my big party. I fretted for a few days before deciding to reschedule and instead have a few close friends over to the apartment on Saturday evening.

It ended up being OK. Abbie flew in from Richmond and made sure I was entertained and properly filled up with beer. She, and my coworkers took me out for a 3pm Happy Hour (after a champagne/ice cream cake party in the office). We ate copious amounts of sushi. I shed obligatory tears over missing my mother on my 30th birthday. I had brunch. And I graciously accepted wonderful presents, including this amazing quilt that Abbie made for me:



Other amazing prezzies included a necklace from Marc's favorite store, a high-heel-shaped cake cutter, a "you'll never be alone" necklace from Berna and a spa retreat from Mira and Christina.

W is on his way home now, and on Friday we depart for a surprise 30th bday vacation. YAY.

Labels: newme, nyc, social

...and I won!

At the end of May, I received a parking ticket. It was graduation weekend, and I was with my dad. It's a place I've parked many times before and I didn't see any nearby signage. My dad is pretty observant, and he didn't see anything either.

Regardless, when we walked out of the store I heard a grinding noise. I didn't even realize what was going on until I unlocked the car. I was about to be TOWED! You should have seen the look the miserable traffic cop gave me as she skulked back to the tow truck.

I was still in partial shock when I realized there was also a $60 parking ticket stuck under my windshield wiper. Fucking a!!!

Had it been a less expensive ticket, or even if I hadn't have been about to be towed, I might have just paid it. But it was the combination that killed me. I wasn't blocking a driveway or a hydrant, after all. It was a royal pain when I got towed in May, but I was admittedly too close to a hydrant. But this? A ticket AND trying to tow me when my car wasn't creating a potentially dangerous condition? And, where I DIDN'T SEE ANY SIGNS? Hell no! I determined that this was cruel and unusual punishment.

It took two trips to the municipal building. On both occasions I encountered judges with dickish attitudes. Like seriously aggressive and offensive without provocation. (Though I can see how one can develop a prickly manner working there. On my first trip, I witnessed a man insistent on fighting a five-year-old parking ticket, who stood dumbly and unmoving from the service window despite cutting insults from the head judge.) regardless, I'm just not sure what people get out of being assholes straight away.

On my second visit, color photo evidence in-hand and right-hand-raised testimony, my ticket was dismissed. Was it worth all that time? Absolutely, esp given that I was almost towed. (And if you gave ever been to the Brooklyn tow pound, you know what I mean!)

In another victory against the po-po, I did a post on CHB about how the local cops were permanently parked in the bike lane. The story was picked up by Gothamist AND Streetsblog. And you know what? The cops moved the cars.

My blogging technique as of late has been drafting up these mega-long posts on the iPhone while commuting. Right now I am walking down DeKalb Ave!



What else...

Happily, baby Jeffrey is home with mom and dad, and I was able to visit over the weekend. I was able to hold him, and since he was sleeping, I found it very relaxing. I also saw him pee on his own face during changing. I'll being that story out when he's about 16.



I also went a steamed crab and burger BBQ in Jersey City, where I learned how to get a decent amount of meat out of the steaming Old-Bay-seasoned shells.



Work's been better, which is good.

I turn 30 in one week and two days.

Labels: cranky, nyc

W and I went to Florida for the wedding of his childhood friend. I don't really consider DisneyWorld to be the kind of place I'd ever go as an adult, without kids (and W and I analyzed while there that the ideal age range for a kid to go is between 4 and 13 - old enough to know what's going on but not old enough to be mortified of one's parents). Regardless, we had a really great time.

We stayed at the Disney resort itself - a sprawling maze of themed resorts, heated pools, attractions ams carefully coordinated shuttle buses. We chose the Port Orleans French Quarter, because it was considered a mid-level resort and because we found the theme to be kind of hysterical.



Overall, it was a fine place to stay. The guestroom was decent and the pool was great (I'm such a landlocked girl, far preferring the calm, heated waters of an inground pool over the unpredictable salty, splashy water of the ocean!). The food court, though, left much to be desired (overpriced greasy fare and coffee tasting like styrofoam).

We spent Saturday at the Magic Kingdom, and I was quite surprised at how nostalgic I felt on many of the rides. It's interesting how much an iconic experience gets woven into one's memories. I love that W is up for going all-out when we travel. As soon as we entered the park, we made a beeline for the mouse-ear-embroidered-hat shoppe.

My favorite ride, of course, is still the Haunted Mansion. Small improvements have been made, but overall the experience seemed to be mostly the same.

I also had intangible, find memories of the Enchanted Tiki Room, and was disappointed to find that the annoying parrot from Aladdin (voiced by Gilbert Gofdfry) was added and the show completely changed. It was loud, obnoxious and included music by Miami Sound Machine. When we left the show, I was furiously ranting on about how they shouldn't change a thing and revert back to the 1960s. Despite realizing that I sounded like a cranky old lady, I was still mad. (When I got home, I promptly downloaded the "Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room" song.)

It's kind of creepy how strongly gender roles are reinforced at Disney. I guess the princesses have become a big "thing," after the new wave of "strong willed but looking for love" Disney cartoons in the early 90s. A new attraction is the "Bibbity Bobbity Boutique" in Downtown Disney, where little girls pick out a princess outfit and have there hair and makeup done in classic Disney princess style. They also get a pink sash to wear, announcing that they've been to the salon (as though the glittery slicked up bun, makeup, tiara and princess costume weren't obvious enough). It made me kind of sad, because I'm sure I would have never been allowed to have the BBB experience, cost wise. Sometimes I wish I had had the experience of having my girlishnss indulged as a child. What would it have been like to have an expensive store-bought official costume and pretty long hair and a tiara?

I was excited to see the Hall of Presidents, where robots of all the old presidents talk and move. I remember it being boring as a child, but I thought it would be better as an adult.

Nope. Boring in 1983, boring in 1988, boring in 2008. The animatronics are pretty amazing though. Maybe if they'd just ditch that colonial times video that takes up half the time, and maybe if they let the more obscure "presidents" speak. (Rutherford Hays, Chester Arthur? Those guys were presidents?? Just saying.)

We had planned on leaving the Magic Kingdom around 2pm, leaving time for a visit to MGM. But before we knew it, it was 5pm!

We jetted over to Epcot with only enough time to ride Spaceship Earth. I had just started bitching about how the ride needed to be updated (the animatronics ended with old computers) when the ride did this awesome interactive thing in each seat. It's hard to explain, but I was impressed.

I wish we had more time at Epcot, since I think I would have really enjoyed it. And man, that globe thing is actually really beautiful! I couldn't stop taking pictures of it.



We watched the fireworks show in a special reserved area for the wedding guests. It was mostly nice, aside from the mother of the bride accusing us of crashing the wedding. No joke, and she didnt even apologize. I'm still fairly pissed off about it.

On Sunday, W and I checked out Celebration. We had heard all kinds of creepy things about it-- new urbanism, Disney ownership, cultish residents, etc -- but I found aspects of it to be quite nice. There are lots of walking trails, a public fountain to play in, rocking chairs by the water, a town square, etc. Don't get me wrong-- it's still not totally cool in my book to create a highly regulated "city" where only upper middle class white families can afford to live, financially and culturally, and is owned by a large corporation and is exempt from county laws and such. I think cities should be inclusive and somewhat chaotic/organic.



One more creepy thing- the town does simulated fall and winter. This means that fake fall leaves are placed on sidewalks during autumn and streetlamps emit small bubbles to mimic snow in winter. I am not joking.

Thankfully, my very first friend from college, Darlene, drive us to both Celebration and Old Town! It was great to see her, and we would never have known about Old Town. Old Town very much reminded me of downtown Vegas-- the old, grittier strip of tourist attractions and faded glamor. It also made me remember a hotel called Wilson World, where we stayed in 1988. I remember it being luxurious, with a gorgeous indoor pool with a huge waterfall I could swim under. I Googled it when I got home, only to find that it's now a Red Roof Inn. (I suspect my perception of "luxury" was not what it is today.) Another surprising and fond memory of Disney!



In my Google search, I found a message board of people sharing memories of the hotel. It was kind of like recently when I realized that several women in my office once owned a cassette tape by a group called The Party that I was once obsessed with. I'm having these experiences a lot recently, where I find someone with the same passionate childhood markers of time that I have. It's thrilling to discuss them.

The wedding was exceptionally classy, though it was difficult to get W to dance. I guess this is one of the drawbacks of not bringing a gay date.

After the wedding, we made our way via shuttle bus to the Boardwalk resort, styled to look like a 1920s boardwalk. W was thoroughly creeped out, but forgot his discomfort inside Jellyroll's Piano Bar (thanks, Darlene!), where two dueling piano players sang and took requests.

As much as I'm not a Disney person, I have to admit that they have their shit together at the resort. A shuttle picks you up from the airport, and they check you in and check your bags going home. The entire resort is connected by a complicated series of highways. Fascinating.

Labels: childhood, deep thoughts, globetrotting