and now, on with life

so long for now...

2009-08-10T17:24:00.003-04:00

I haven't really had anything to post about lately. Or, rather, I haven't really had a desire to post anything lately. After a few years of traveling around, living here and there, and always with an eye on the next step, I'm in one place, doing one thing, and trying to concentrate on just this for the time being. I've got designs on moving on in a while, naturally, but for at least the next year we'll be here in New York, with me working on school and Dustin working on music (HIS website will only get busier - don't stop checking in there!).

So for now, I'm going on blog hiatus while I take some time to focus and put my energy into doing as well as possible, hoping for the best possible outcome. If all goes according to plan, then maybe that work will pay off and result in something worth re-starting this site over!

E-mail me, call me, carrier pigeon me any time.

Brooke Edge, expert chaperone

2009-07-29T15:51:00.005-04:00

A few months ago my brother e-mailed to let me know that a band Dustin and I really like, Gogol Bordello, was coming to Fort Lauderdale. I told him I'd check to see if it was an all-ages show, and if so I'd come down and take him to the concert - he replied that he didn't think I looked too old to go to a show. I guess Will didn't really get the concept of what ages clubs usually try to keep out, but thanks anyway for saying I don't look too old to go out on the town.

Anyway, the show was last night, and I ended up not just going with Will but also a few of his friends. It was me and four 17-year-olds, so I couldn't help feeling a little out of place and protective. Despite continually doing head counts to make sure I had all of them, it was a super fun night!

Here are a few of the more decent shots of the show I could get from my phone...

home coming

2009-07-26T16:24:00.003-04:00

The first sight of Fort Lauderdale from above makes me smile a little every time I fly home. Then I look away when the plane's soon over the subdivisions of endless clay-colored roofs and cul-de-sacs that stand where the Everglades used to meander. But at the same time, I start looking forward to landing, calling home, and in 15 or so minutes being picked up and driven to that lovely section of town near the beach and cut through by the Intracoastal. My hometown has all the flaws of any place that changes from the idyll of one's five-year-old days, but is still the place where I can find my parents, my grandparents, my siblings (most of them anyway, for now), and some favorite pieces of my self. I love coming home.

catch-up time, then chill-out time

2009-07-20T11:59:00.004-04:00

The past 10 or so days have been full to the brim with paper writing, spending time with Dustin's folks, and normal life activities. To be honest, D and I both got a little tired and snappy with each other for a few days there. But now I'm mostly looking forward to almost two weeks in Florida with my family, doing research by the pool instead of on our couch.
Before getting on a plane Wednesday though, I've got social overflow from what didn't get done the past week and a half. Four lunch/dinner/drinks appointments with friends in 36 hours, plus attempting to get a little time in for just me and Dustin. And packing, and 100 pages of reading... I have a feeling the reading might be what gets sacrificed.

Happy Hanksgiving!

2009-07-12T11:28:00.015-04:00

Here's a perk of going back to school for cinema studies - making friends with other folks who love to celebrate the fun of film! One girl in the program organizes great day-long festivals in her apartment with themes like "One Hit Wonders" (The Commitments, That Thing You Do) and "Mothers We Love to Hate" (Mommy Dearest, Little Voice, Serial Mom). Two other fellow classmates, Caitlin and Deirdre, absolutely made my Friday by throwing a Hanksgiving Party, to celebrate the birth of Tom Hanks. There were three films featured (Splash, Big, and a viewer's choice), themed food, prizes, and a Hanksgiving Tree which we all got to decorate. Unfortunately, Dustin and I were only able to stay for the first part of the evening ("Early Hanks: A Zany Rise to Fame"), but did get a parting gift of Astronaut Ice Cream (get it? Apollo 13?)

Here are two of the snacks - shrimp cocktail (ties into both Splash's marine love and the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company... Shia LaBeouf in the background is unrelated) and Hanks in a Blanket (sorry for the poor picture quality - these are courtesy of my phone)

And the Hanksgiving Tree (D and I brought the photo of Tom with a puppy, and the dog on the tree is named after Tom)

And just for giggles, here's my favorite addition of late to the Hanks oeuvre - his appearance on the Colbert Report a few weeks ago.

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Tom Hanks Care Package

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Jeff Goldblum

The Big Bucks of Being a Blogger

2009-07-05T22:16:00.004-04:00

Remember that blogging gig I got at Creative Loafing a few months ago, which promised payment in satisfaction? Well it turns out that's only the case until you write a super popular post that gets people all a-twitter and a-clicking - a few days ago my editor informed me that this entry of mine reached such incredible heights that I earned FIVE dollars! Then later the hits kept coming, bumping my earnings up to a whopping ten bucks!

I completely credit all of the crazy tweenaged RPattz fans out there with my financial windfall. Thank you kids, and I'll be sure to write only about Tiger Beat poster boys from now on.

Full of Pride

2009-06-30T16:51:00.007-04:00

I was warned that the day of the annual Gay Pride Parade was the loudest, craziest of the year for residents of the Village. With this year being the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riot, I was anticipating major madness. However, this past Sunday's festivities ended up being a lot more enjoyable than expected!

Here are a few shots from the parade, just a few blocks from our flat:

The contingent from the NYPD

The veterans of the 1969 uprising

Where the action happened 40 years ago, to cries of "Out of the closet and into the streets!"

I was really, really nervous about the girl who took to the roof to get her shots (look upper left)

There were some crazy outfits around, but this dog's decor was my favorite

a stand-still moment

2009-06-26T20:56:00.005-04:00

New York City had a thunderstorm this evening, while I was out catching up over bottles of wine and appetizers with girlfriends. As I walked home along West 4th Street, I noticed people flowing out of restaurants, standing in the street with cameras and camera phones pointed skyward, a la disaster movies right before the aliens open up on us with galactic-level firepower.

Thankfully though, this was just occasioned by a gorgeous sunset and cotton ball clouds. Here's the best I could capture on my mobile:

tributes

2009-06-26T01:18:00.002-04:00

In the 3 hours since I left class, went to a late dinner, and then walked home, I heard five musical tributes to Michael Jackson. Three were people playing "Billie Jean," including one rendering of it in drum circle jam session form in Washington Square Park. That one was pretty cool.

street love

2009-06-23T11:22:00.003-04:00

New low to living in New York: walking by two homeless people gettin' it on on the sidewalk of Bleecker between Broadway and Mercer, middle of the day, no blanket over them or anything.

Sorry, I know that isn't an image anyone wants, but if I kept it to myself my brain might've exploded.

fun with Macs

2009-06-16T10:54:00.005-04:00

Dustin and Owen spent some time playing with my computer while I wasn't looking.

Elliot got in on the action too!

oldies but goodies

2009-06-12T16:58:00.004-04:00

So other than the aforementioned French Bulldog invasion, not too much in Prague seemed different or out of place. There were a lot more Starbucks (the first had just opened when we left, and now there's one right off Old Town Square and a mall with not one but two 'Bucks), and Pilsner introduced some new beer called "Master" (Dustin sipped and deemed it tasty), but we pretty much felt right at home. Well not right at home, as someone else lives in our old flat now. boo.

Some of the features that haven't changed in our absence:

- The absolutely awesome public transportation system, so much cleaner and more straightforward than the MTA. I'm totally not trying to diss New York subways here, as I love their reach and (usual) efficiency, but it was so nice to be on a metro that was quiet, tidy, and tourist-friendly. Plus, Prague has the ultimate transport mode... trams! I miss trams so much. I can't explain it. It's just something about being above ground, that ringing bell, and the cable car shape. Riding at rush hour surrounded by sweaty men is no fun, but that's true in any city.

- The weather's determination to foil the best of intentions. All those cute sundresses I packed went to waste, as the temperatures dropped to autumn-ish. As a result, I wore the same fleece and puffy vest for four days in a row. Which leads me to another Czech cultural highlight that hasn't changed... smoky, smoky bars and restaurants. THAT made the fleece and vest smell even better.

- Our awesome friends. Well, this one's a mostly-not-changed, not that they're any less awesome, just that they aren't all there. We went to church on Sunday, and it was like we'd never left! Sadly, I kept expecting the Weidermayers and Haberdongs to walk in, but they're back Stateside. But all of the time we got to spend with the Stewarts, Davises, Bakers, and Syvertsens was filled with all the laughs and liveliness that we'd missed for more than a year (and now miss again!).

- Finally, my view on Thursday nights...

2009-06-08T14:02:00.003-04:00

Given my last post here and my newest film blog for Creative Loafing, I really seem to have doggies on the brain lately!

Frenchified

2009-06-05T15:08:00.007-04:00

Once we moved to New York, I seemed to find a French Bulldog every time I turned a corner. When talking with friends from Prague about our new home, they totally understood when I described French Bulldogs as the Dachshunds of NYC - weiner dogs practically overrun the cobblestones there.

Well, sometime in the year since we moved away the French Bulldogs moved their expansion overseas. I'd never, ever seen one in the 18 months we used to live in Prague, but all of a sudden last week they were showing up all over the place. Notably, running around our neighborhood beer garden. (note the expeditious blur on the left of this photo)
Just look at this guy! Does he look like his breed is set to take over the dog world or what?
Also, some dogs got a lot friendlier while we were away - this just might be the most cheerful Czech canine we ever encountered. (of course, I can also attest to how good a back rub from Dustin can feel!)

I have more pictures, but no time right now

2009-05-27T06:16:00.003-04:00

We're here in Prague, it's as fantastic as usual, and of course I have lots of pictures and stuff to post, but we're heading back out so no time to blog at the moment (must go in search of strudl)!

But for now, check out this crazy strawberry that we found in the bottom of a packet of berries while on a picnic with the Syvertsens on Saturday!

(adopted) homecoming

2009-05-20T20:32:00.003-04:00

About the same day we decided to move from Prague, we promised to try and come back for a visit one year later. We decided to move back to the States in the summer of '07. We actually moved back in March 2008. And tomorrow, a year and two months after that, we'll get on a plane to go back for a visit!

I'll update with photos and tales once we're there, but here are a few anticipated activities:
- doing the tourist thing in Old Town, the Little Quarter, and the castle
- having a beer at the Golden Tiger (at 3:30 of course, before the regulars kick us out)
- drinks with our Bar Guys
- lots of time catching up with our American pals
- walking down our beautiful former street, and most likely crying when I see our old apartment building and it hits home that I don't live there any longer
- eating bad Czech food, just as a reminder of why we should return to New York

one year down...

2009-05-15T19:59:00.002-04:00

For those of you with a vested (emotional, financial, whatever) interest in my graduate school career, I can officially announce that my first year is finished! Evidently maturing and developing a better work ethic in six years out of school helped - along with the absence of math and science requirements or Pike Dogs, themed frat parties, and Beast Lite - as my GPA is notably more attractive these days. There really is something to that "going back to school for something you really love" concept, I suppose.

Now for a few weeks off, including a much-anticipated visit to friends and castles in Prague, then it's back to a three-week summer course in June. Many, many thanks to all the friends who have supported me and kept me going these past 10 months!

B+A 4eva

2009-05-10T20:43:00.008-04:00

On paper, a trip to Louisville for a long weekend of wedding revelry a few days before I had three papers for my toughest classes due looked awful. In reality, it was such a nice break to get out of the city, see some trees and yards, and of course spend time with family and friends. I ended up in my favorite Louisville workplace, Highland Coffee, most of the time, downing delicious chai tea lattes to keep my energy up, but highlights of the weekend were walks to the farmers' market and through Cherokee Park with Dustin, and a home-cooked meal at Dom's (complete with seeing his skills on an old pasta maker).

And of course, Ben and Amanda's nuptials on Friday night were a beautiful start to the weekend. We were so honored to be included in this lovely family affair - here are just a few photos from the night:

First, how beautiful is this strawberry-coffee liqeur-deliciousness cake? A friend of Ben, Dom, and Dustin's from childhood now owns an adorable bakery in Louisville, and made this fantastic confection.
I know I shouldn't have taken a picture during the blessing, but this was way too funny to pass up.

gotta give some credit to Dustin, who helped string the lights!

new gig

2009-05-06T12:01:00.004-04:00

After getting back from the trip to Ben and Amanda's wedding in Louisville last week (I know, haven't had time to post anything about that), I had six days to write three papers. I essentially moved into the library, and lived and breathed fun things like television historiography and psychoanalytic film theory. And, because I needed something to distract me from all of that, I took on a new "job." (Job being in quotation marks because it's paid in satisfaction, not dollars)

Matt, my friend and former editor at Creative Loafing in Charlotte, asked if I would be one of the new contributors to the publication's film blog. I said sure, but I'd have to wait a few weeks before starting due to all my end-of-semester work. Then, of course, I found myself desperate for procrastination sources, and decided to start this new assignment a little early. Basically, I'll be posting a few film-related musings per week, from what I think of industry gossip to my opinion of recent (or old) releases. Since I'll be taking a three-week course on "Scorcese's New York" in June, get ready for a lot of mob and boxing diatribes.

Here's a link to Creative Loafing Charlotte's blog, and for those who want to jump right to the good stuff, here's my contributor page.

Away We Go

2009-04-28T12:20:00.002-04:00

Anyone want to go see this movie with me? I'm super duper excited about it...

when it rains... I get tired

2009-04-22T21:45:00.003-04:00

I fell asleep twice today in the noisiest coffee shop in New York (Think Coffee). The past three days have been crazy, with a round-trip flight to Ft. Lauderdale, a round-trip drive in a full car of family to Tampa, and a lovely - but busy - day in between that travel celebrating our time with Grandpa. This didn't really allot much time for working on final papers, or registering for fall courses, so my mental state has been in a fairly high-stress mode.

And of course, in the midst of all this I left my mobile in my clothes when I did laundry Saturday (I was SO proud of myself that, even with all of this going on, I managed to do laundry). It suffered what I can only hope was a quick, painless death somewhere around the spin cycle. The replacement phone I got in the mail today doesn't work well, but I don't have time to deal with that now. Friday, maybe.

Grandpa

2009-04-16T22:49:00.005-04:00

Sadly, my grandpa passed away yesterday. He lived a long, rewarding, and happy life, and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to celebrate him at his memorial service next week. The St. Petersburg Times ran the following lovely article today about Grandpa, who so many were blessed to have in their lives:

Dr. Pain-free dentist Rudolph G. Weihe loved music, travel By Andrew Meacham, Times Staff Writer

TAMPA — Dentist Rudy Weihe didn't need piped-in music. He supplied his own.
While probing a patient's mouth with picks, Dr. Weihe hummed songs from the 1920s — give or take. He would offer a dollar if you could name that tune.
A St. Petersburg College biology professor named Starr Culver found Dr. Weihe in 1965, on a colleague's recommendation.
"My first impression was that he didn't hurt," said Starr Weihe, 72. The dentist packed gold into her teeth. Two years later, he put a diamond on her finger.
The singing dentist became one of the state's best. He led the Pinellas County Dental Association and held memberships in several organizations, such as the Florida Academy of Practice Management and the Royal Society of Health of Great Britain.
Dr. Weihe died Wednesday at Tampa General Hospital. He was 95. He practiced in the Chicago area and St. Petersburg, and moved to Tampa five years ago.
"He was the very finest dentist I ever saw using gold work," said Dr. Geoffrey Weihe, 65, who followed his father into dentistry.
Dr. Weihe grew up in Oak Park, Ill., the son of a tool and die maker. A man of many talents, he boxed as a lightweight and played the piano while working his way through the University of Illinois and its dentistry school.
He married and raised a family. After his first wife died of cancer at 47, he started over in St. Petersburg. Starr Weihe, whom he married in 1967, taught biology at St. Pete Junior College (now St. Petersburg College). Though she was 23 years his junior, they seemed made for each other.
They went to the symphony. He made her giggle. She taught him to appreciate art, though he couldn't stomach anything too abstract. They vacationed in England more than 40 times.
"He enjoyed following his wife around," said longtime friend Eugene Patterson, 85, a former St. Petersburg Times editor and president who twice accompanied the Weihes to London. "He concealed it as best he could, but he liked the country."
At home in Point Brittany and later in Tampa's Canterbury Tower, they could be alone, together. He watched golf while she read, and neither minded.
At 3 a.m. Wednesday, on impulse, Mrs. Weihe awoke to check on her husband. She put her hand on his brow. They talked for an hour. He died three hours later.
Dr. Weihe never stopped singing or playing the piano. At his 95th birthday party in June, with an orchestra's backing, he serenaded his wife with "Let Me Call You Sweetheart."

kiss my ash

2009-04-09T22:58:00.005-04:00

The Times came out with an article today reporting that New Yorkers in general have an elevated level of nicotine in their systems, and wondered how this could have happened with such stringent indoor smoking bans. I can tell them one reason for at least MY smoke exposure - it seems like I constantly end up walking behind human smokestacks. I get clouds of smoke in my face, ashes flying onto my clothes, and even brushes with lit cigarettes all the time. It's so frustrating. argh.

the gift budget stays the same, it's the shops that've changed

2009-04-06T13:59:00.003-04:00

For the past few years it's been weddings that have kept us busy and in registry-searching mode. In the last few months the weddings have abated, but the baby showers and births have picked up the slack. It seems like a week doesn't go by where we don't get pictures of a new kid in the college friend fold, or an announcement of expecting a bundle in the next few months. We've become avid fans of Giggle, a baby and toddler boutique in SoHo, and have learned all kinds of new factoids about our friends' bodies and sleeping habits. All of this - particularly the constant photo album updates on Facebook - keep me in a constant supply of procrastination strategies. Major thanks to all of you procreating pals out there!

Saturday we got to see some of these friends in person, which is such a nice change from corresponding via e-mails and websites. Phil and Danielle are due to be joined by a little girl or boy this summer, and her family threw a lovely baby shower in her hometown of Montvale, N.J. Dustin and some other guy friends came out from New York to keep Phil company during the girliness, and to help carry baby gifts back to the house.

Unfortunately we won't be able to make it to their second shower, with some friends of ours in D.C. later this month. But to remind us that life cycles (and gift cycles) can overlap, we'll be at our friends Ben and Amanda's wedding in Kentucky the same weekend.

one year in/out

2009-03-29T22:03:00.003-04:00

It really doesn't feel like it's been a little over a year since moving back to the States. The anniversary has coincided, for some reason, with me feeling especially moody, nostalgic and emotional lately.

The nostalgia can probably be equally attributed both to thinking about the one-year mark and our recent purchase of tickets back to visit Prague this May, and has led to me watching a lot of Passport to Europe on the Travel Channel despite my intense dislike of Samantha Brown. I still remember all the qualities of life in Prague that provided daily frustration (language barriers, gray skies, no Thai delivery), but I've been missing our life there a lot lately (the more laid-back routine, having an apartment with windows, and of course our friends).

That longing and the aforementioned moodiness can also be chalked up to being busy with classwork and anxiously waiting to get my mid-term grades back. This semester's courses are certainly still holding my attention and keeping me looking forward to class, but as I expected Film Theory provides a weekly mental challenge. I just don't naturally take to opining about how one understands a movie in grammatical terms, or what it might really be saying about my relationship with my father. Call me crazy, but I usually just take for granted that I get what most films are saying from scene to scene, and don't see a need to do cognitive calisthenics over how I manage to link a series of shots together.

So between the stress and missing our prior way of life, I figure that's led to my rampant emotions of late. Wednesday morning, the Today Show brought me to tears twice. I've been a little cranky and touchy, then will switch all of a sudden to sappy and feeling an intense need to snuggle.

8 weeks 'til the semester's over; 9 weeks 'til we land in Prague for a 10-day visit. If Dustin can stand me that long, I think I'll be able to call this first year of graduate school a success.

romantic man-handling

2009-03-29T11:39:00.004-04:00

So I'm working on a paper that takes as part of my central thesis the history of leading men being rough with women, yet still being considered "romantic." Think Marlon Brando breaking out as a sex object after Streetcar Named Desire, despite how horrible he was to Stella and Blanche, or Rhett Butler forcing himself on his wife, and her shown the next day glowing and happy. Anyway, I've been trying to think of more examples in Hollywood history of this phenomenon. Anyone else out there have suggestions of movies to check out?

The ultimate, of course, is Bond... James Bond. So hot, yet so slap-happy. Whoever put together this montage really helped my research!

Variety

2009-03-23T11:32:00.003-04:00

For my TV History class midterm, my assignment was to read through every issue of Variety from September through December of 1956 and write about it's value for historians of the medium. Hours of staring at the microfiche machine led to killer headaches, and my eyesight may never recover from all the squinting over tiny, horribly scanned type, but it was actually a pretty neat task. I'll get the paper back Wednesday (I hope), so I won't know 'til then how I did, but until my hopes are dashed I can say I tried my best and I think it turned out fine.

Beyond the actual graded work though, there were some pretty amusing news finds within the old papers. For instance, the music business was really concerned with some Calypso craze sweeping the nation, and "experts" were predicting this new thing called rock 'n' roll would soon be over and we'd all be jumping on Harry Belafonte's Banana Boat. And evidently a German cinema owner had perfected "Smell-o-vision" and was marketing it to theaters in the States, so they could match scents to what you saw on screen (I'd see Babette's Feast or Chocolat like that, but not many other good smelling films come to mind). Presumably, the incredibly popular calypso movies would have been accompanied by the smell of bananas and suntan oil.

time for a make-over

2009-03-19T17:24:00.000-04:00

We went to an engagement party for our friends Joey and Logan last weekend, which I'd been looking forward to both to celebrate these sweet pals of ours, and as an excuse to dress up for the first time in months. This student schedule of mine makes it WAY too easy to get into a jeans-and-sneakers rut (which I love, and find incredibly comfy). Unfortunately, though, it turns out that one reason I never get dressed up is because I don't have any winter-time clothes that look good. Seriously, I'm not whining here about "oh, I have NOTHING to wear." I tried on five outfits and all got a tepid at best response from D. Dressing up for our friends' Ben and Amanda's wedding in April is going to be a major challenge.

But more importantly, Logan and Joey's engagement party was lots of fun and a great way to see some Davidson buddies and raise a glass to two friends of ours we've known as a great couple for years and years. Logan was a roommate of my sister (Kate), and getting to catch up with these girls was such a nice treat. I forgot my camera, of course, but thankfully Kristen remembered hers!

my first Spring Break in 7 years

2009-03-13T11:04:00.002-04:00

Here's my plan for kicking off Spring Break today. I'm a little out of practice on the Girls Gone Wild front, and can't really afford to do the usual trip to the Keys like I did ages ago in undergrad, but I'm pretty excited about my Friday plans:

go turn in my final mid-term paper

hit the gym

late lunch with girlfriends at The New French

a much, much needed manicure and pedicure

plopping on the couch to take a nap in front of Lifetime's Wife Swap marathon

There isn't any tropical vacation planned for this week off of school, but at least there are a few sunny, mid-50s days in the forecast, and a fair amount of time for me to catch up on tv, reading, cooking, and movies. I can't wait!

mini-spring

2009-03-07T14:23:00.002-05:00

It's 67 degrees outside! People are outside strolling, drinking iced coffees, and getting their fair share of Vitamin D. It's a lovely little burst of spring, conveniently coming on a Saturday.

Unfortunately, after enjoying a bit of the warmth while walking to and from the gym, I'm back in our underground lair of an apartment, working on mid-term papers. I keep reminding myself that there will be plenty of warm days in the next few months though, on weekends with less homework.

and then, the wrap party...

2009-03-02T19:14:00.005-05:00

Scenes from the bar just down the street from Sesame Street, after a long few months of shooting season 40!

Me and my fellow interns (I'm a full decade older than some of them, ugh)
Some cast members get in the mix - those of you with tykes might recognize Chris from Hooper's store, and the lovely lady to his right, Leslie, is the sparkly Abby Cadabby, making fairy hands for the photo
Me and Luis!

proof

2009-02-26T11:56:00.011-05:00

Finally, a few photos to prove I intern at Sesame Street! (this was the last week of production, so next week my internship will become far more "regular office"-ish - i.e. no Muppets hanging around. alas!)

Me and Bob
Even with some random bench thing in it, Big Bird's nest is still awesome.
Outside Ernie and Bert's brownstone!
Oscar was always my favorite.
The magic happening.

at least it's over

2009-02-24T13:47:00.002-05:00

Well, last weekend I presented my first paper, at the Cinema Studies department's annual graduate student conference. It went fine, if I think about it with the adage "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" in mind. Evidently the professor mediating the panel I was on - also the head of the department - believes in destructive, rather than constructive, criticism. After we'd all spoken he announced to the room that all of our papers were inherently flawed, and then proceeded to explain the problems he had with each of them. It was so embarrassing. The two saving graces for me were: 1. I handled my rebuttals ok (thank you, year and a half working in P.R.), and 2. another guy got it worse than I did (I feel kind of bad taking refuge in that, but it honestly did make me feel a little better). I'll save my comments on the moderator for a non-public forum.

Oh well. I can't be good at everything the first time. Chalk this one up to learning experience, I suppose.

One in 8 Million

2009-02-20T09:52:00.004-05:00

The New York Times just featured our favorite neighborhood waitress, Maggie at Marie's Crisis, in their One in 8 Million series!
It's a great audio slideshow - check it out if you want a lively, two-minute slice of West Village life.

V-Day

2009-02-14T11:27:00.003-05:00

Everyone assumes that since Dustin and I are married, we'll be doing something special for Valentine's Day. Then I look like one of those V-Day haters when I say we're not. But it isn't a matter of me being anti-romance or wanting to take a stand against a Hallmark Holiday or something... we just don't really feel like buying flowers or presents or going to an expensive dinner on a certain prescribed day. Tonight I'm going to cook the recipe I'd planned on trying this weekend (Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce), and we'll rent a movie or keep watching more DVDs of Undeclared or John Adams (our viewing habits of late). After all of Dustin's shows in the past two weeks and my busy schedule, just having time to hang with each other is a Valentine's Day gift enough.

This post is brought to you by the letter S

2009-02-08T19:28:00.004-05:00

A few stories of late from the Street...

Sometimes I give tours of the set to visitors. The rules are strictly enforced and include: no touching, taking pictures of, breathing on, going near, or even looking the wrong way at the "Henson Table," where the Muppets are touched up and primped for the spotlight; no talking during filming (duh); no walking in Christian Bale's sightline; and no taking pictures of "sleeping" (a.k.a. not in use) Muppets. If an adult breaks the rules once, they're out. Kids get two infractions before being booted.

I still haven't worked up the nerve to get one of the other interns to take my picture on the set. There are only a few weeks left of filming though, so I'd better get up my gumption soon.

Behind me the other day, I heard Sonja, who plays Maria, talk to my boss. At the sound of her voice, I could practically feel the three-year-old Brooke somewhere inside me start jumping for joy - it's amazing what sensory experiences stick deep inside your brain.

Paul Rudd was on set the other day as the celebrity guest (he filmed an episode as the Handsome Prince while Zoe and Abby played princesses, and then a spot with Grover about the vocab word "Brilliant). I'm thrilled to report that he seemed really nice. And when we passed each other, our eyes met and we smiled - that means we're new best friends, right?

It's really, really neat to see some of the older Muppeteers who've been doing certain characters for all 40 years of the show's run working with their apprentices, training a new generation of Oscar the Grouches, Big Birds, and The Counts. The men and women who work with the Muppets are incredibly talented, and seem so cheerful and dedicated to their work, which is lovely to be able to witness. How awful would it be if I found out the folks behind these characters were actually grouchy?

playing catch-up

2009-02-06T17:08:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry for the lack of updates - this new semester's schedule is taking some major adjustment. I've got class from 6-10 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and am at my internship all day Wednesday and Thursday. So Friday has sort of turned into my Saturday, when I get a huge thrill out of not having to set my alarm clock. Then the weekend, Monday, and Tuesday are spent in the library. My weeks seem to go so fast now, with no time for anything but reading, sitting in lectures, interning, and trying to get a bit of sleep.
It's not that bad a schedule, but the main thing I haven't found a good means to handle yet is dinner - buying sandwiches to eat before class makes me feel like I'm wasting money and not eating well. I think this weekend I might try fixing a few meals to freeze and then heat through the week and see how that system goes. If anyone has suggestions for good make-ahead meals, please let me know!
Oh, and I'm sorry I haven't responded to inquiries about more stories from Sesame Street. I promise that will be my next post (soon!).

I'm such a fan

2009-01-28T14:11:00.002-05:00

Just thought I'd share my favorite two photos from Dustin's show Saturday night. He's so cool.

hospoda flashbacks

2009-01-24T11:30:00.005-05:00

Our good buddy from Prague Phil Haberkern came to New York a few weeks ago to present a paper at the American Historical Association conference (he's so smart). While I'm sure schmoozing with fellow leaders in his field was fun and all, Dustin and I were at the ready for the true highlight of his trip (in our opinion, of course) - a trip to Bohemian Hall in Queens for a "real" Czech beer and meal.
Overall, the three of us were pleasantly surprised and gave Bohemian Hall pretty high marks for realistic-ness! The decor was appropriately mis-matched and garish, and the service fairly unhelpful (both to us and to each other). I've never seen a Buck Hunter arcade game in Prague though. There was a nice selection of Czech beers on tap, ranging from high quality (Pilsner Urquell) to low (Staropramen). The menu could have been taken straight out of one of our old neighborhood hospodas, and the food was really tasty. Maybe too tasty though... Phil and I agreed that my goulash was missing the floating grease you'd see in the CR, and the meat was a little too high-quality. All they need to do is purchase cheaper, tougher meat, and they'd be right on the Czech mark. I can't wait to go back this summer when the beer garden is open!

proud to be an American

2009-01-19T17:47:00.003-05:00

I'm not going to the inauguration, but I could get into the spirit by donning this classy, classy item. (insert exasperated sigh here)

the musical education of Dustin, parts 2 & 3

2009-01-18T13:06:00.006-05:00

We knocked two more musicals out in the past few weeks - The King and I, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Here are my summaries of D's reviews:

The King and I: Yul Brynner is awesome. The songs are good (as are most he's heard so far of Rogers and Hammerstein). The sets, costumes, etc. are ridiculously lavish. Finally, the end is a total rip-off. The king senses the world is changing so he just clutches his heart, runs off-stage, then goes to bed and dies? What?!?

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers: The songs aren't as good as The King and I, and while the dancing scenes are cool there aren't enough of them. The backdrops, particularly during wagon-driving scenes, are hilariously awful. The "Lonesome Polecat" song has some pretty laughable lyrics (i.e. "A man can't sleep / When he sleeps with sheep"). Then there's the whole issue of the brothers, inspired by the Roman legend of The Rape of the Sabine Women, stealing a bunch of girls from their families for the winter. As Dustin summed up, "It's a really strange musical." (By the way, I totally hadn't remembered any parts of the "Sobbin' Women" song and mentions of raping Sabine women from any of the many times I watched this movie as a little girl. It seems horribly inappropriate now - maybe I'm just getting to be no fun from reading too much feminist theory, but I'm usually pretty good at finding humor in non-P.C. stuff. I think it was these fun lines about the rape of the Sabines that got me: "Oh they acted angry and annoyed / But secretly they was overjoyed". Seriously? Did "They were asking for it" or "No means Yes" just not rhyme with anything? grumble grumble grumble)

Next up, I think I'll rent Bye Bye Birdie. Stay tuned to see if that gets ruined for me too.

a beautifully edited reminder of how many 2008 movies I still have to see...

2009-01-10T21:55:00.001-05:00

Christmas cornhole

2009-01-06T21:35:00.010-05:00

(that post title just sounds awful...)

The Weihes aren't known for their woodworking prowess. So when Kate e-mailed from Idaho and said she thought it would be a great idea for all of us to build a cornhole game over Christmas, I had my doubts. The game - awesome. The chances of us actually assembling this thing without hammering a thumb or something - not so much.

But Kate insisted that her friend Logan said building this thing was "really easy," so Dustin and I dutifully went to Home Depot with the dimensions to have some appropriate pieces of wood cut. But since it's me, I got the math wrong and, on Christmas Day, we realized the boards were two sizes too big.

While not terribly proficient around the house though, Weihes are resourceful. We went to the kitchen, found a bottle of wine, tied a bow around it, and gave it to our neighbor Dr. Dixon in exchange for him doing all the cutting. We figured we could handle the nailing on our own (hee hee... I know), but then found a tube of something called "Liquid Nail" in the cupboard, and figured it would work just as well. It didn't. So we got out the old fashioned nails, but none of us were too good at that.
Dad took over. (oh, and we decided not to worry about that one odd-length beam. It would work fine looking funny.)
So in the end, it all turned out in workable form and Kate was right - cornhole is the new source of post-Christmas presents Weihe fun!

Weihe Christmas

2009-01-05T20:39:00.007-05:00

Weihe Christmases are some of my favorite events ever. There's singing Christmas carols (and numerous, rousing renditions of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas"), drinking mimosas and other beverages, baking (and eating) cookies, and opening presents one at a time, so everyone can appropriately admire what others have given and received. I can't believe the last time I attended one was in 2005.

But this year, thankfully, I was home for Christmas! It was such a happy time, and I feel so lucky to have been able to spend time with all of my siblings, my parents, and my grandparents. Here are a few photo highlights...

Christmas morning
Santa's note! Papa's cool new fishing hat the living room at the end of the day... not too bad a mess!

Christmas time in Washington Square Park

2009-01-03T16:39:00.004-05:00

sharing the pain

2008-12-30T22:52:00.006-05:00

Two weeks now after finishing my paper on Freaks & Geeks and My So-Called LIfe, these two series still won't leave my head. Characters still show up in my dreams, albeit in a sort of fun way now rather than the torturing, nightmarish way they haunted me in the throes of the last two weeks of the term. The other night I was on a road trip with Daniel and Nick and some other random chick. Good times.

So, since I can't lose these kids, here they are to bother you too...

Lady L (every so often Dustin hints that he might cover this little number)

And the very best scene from My So-Called Life (perhaps one of the best scenes from any television show ever, but I'll leave that up to wistful teenage debate).

food

2008-12-29T11:23:00.009-05:00

Looking through photos from our trip home to Ft. Lauderdale for Christmas, it turns out Dustin and I like to take pictures of groups of family and friends eating. Maybe it's the food, maybe it's the folks... I'm inclined to think it's an effort to save memories of both (mmm... that delicious selection of sushi).

Family dinner on the 23rd at Nana and Papa's

(I love how one of our strictest dinnertime rules when I was little was "no elbows on the table," and here nearly everyone is breaking the commandment)

Christmas Eve at the Moons'

blog-iday

2008-12-23T14:39:00.002-05:00

I'm kind of on a blog holiday. I don't really have anything good to say, as I've just been hanging out with my family (which has been amazingly wonderful, and much needed), taking Dustin last-minute Christmas shopping, catching up with HBO series On Demand, and steadily eating a bunch of delicious Clementines.

There'll be photos to post soon, I hope, and then there will finally be something interesting up here again. Until then, I hope you're all having as nice and relaxing a holiday season as I am!

Christmas break

2008-12-20T14:22:00.002-05:00

At the moment, weather.com says it's 24 degrees in New York (and that it feels like 13 degrees). It also says that in Ft. Lauderdale, it both is and feels like 76 degrees. It's sunny outside, and I'm not bundled in five layers.

You know, some people make fun of a South Florida Christmas, but I can't imagine anything better.

let it snow!

2008-12-16T16:12:00.002-05:00

As I walked from the library to the Tisch building today to turn in my final paper, big, fat, beautiful snowflakes started falling all around me.

I'll take that as a sign from above that work is over and it's finally time for Winter Break!

reality TV

2008-12-14T16:42:00.004-05:00

Here's my favorite quote that I've found for my paper:

"Beverly HIlls 90210 was a realistic view of adolescent life in the way that Finding Nemo is a realistic view of clownfish."
-Joss Whedon

priorities

2008-12-13T14:14:00.002-05:00

Here are the things within the apartment that keep me from writing term papers:

My continual need to microwave my cup of coffee

The bowl of cookies on the counter that Dustin's mom sent for his birthday

Checking e-mail

Checking Facebook

Checking the news

Going back to check e-mail, Facebook and the news again, just in case I missed something

Dustin (he hates this, as he's trying to get work done too, but every so often it's just too tempting to pester him for a hug or a smooch or something)

www.perezhilton.com

Making lists of things to do/buy before Christmas

This blog

cuteness break

2008-12-09T12:54:00.003-05:00

I'm trying with all my might to get the first of my two papers finished tomorrow, so I can start on the second paper with enough time to not go completely crazy before its due date next week. Ok..I'm not trying with ALL my might. I did take time last night to make birthday cake (D offered me a cake extension, but the reward of eating cherry chocolate goodness warrants procrastination), and we're going to root on Steph Curry and the rest of the 'Cats from a bar across from Madison Square Garden tonight. But some things are just necessary.

In the non-necessary procrastination category falls the Shiba Inu Puppy Cam that's evidently captured the hearts and eyes of internet users - including me - around the world. They're just so cute! I say I'll just look for a minute, but then one of them starts tearing apart a pillow or something and before I know it I've "wasted" a quarter of an hour.
Free TV : Ustream
Back to the paper...

Top 5 things I learned at Sesame Street yesterday

2008-12-05T14:13:00.004-05:00

1. Snuffleupagus' first name is Aloysius, and he lives high up in the rafters above the soundstage. When he's needed for a scene, they drop him down.

2. Inside Big Bird's costume lives a really nice old man. In between takes, they take off the main body part of the costume, and he walks around with the purple-striped Big Bird legs on, attached to him with suspenders.

3. Whenever a request comes in for a signed picture of a character, only the actual Muppeteer who does that character signs the photo - you want Telly's autograph, you GET Telly's autograph! For instance, yesterday we needed a Grover signature, but grover wasn't there, so it had to wait.

4. No one is allowed to touch the "Henson Table" except the "Muppet wranglers." These are two people who keep the Muppets looking their awesomest, touching them up between takes and caring for them with the utmost respect. While I can't touch it, though, I can stand back and watch them, which is still really cool.

5. Interns are indeed allowed to eat from the craft service table. And yesterday was corn dog day. What a shame I'd already brought leftovers from home, but I'll post an update about how the food is once I try it.

these sneaks were made for walking

2008-12-01T14:56:00.006-05:00

You know how if you don't diet wisely, you end up eating only grapefruit for a few days then bingeing on a box of cupcakes or eating a bowl of pasta in one sitting that should really serve three? Just me?
Well yesterday, in retribution for not being able to exercise for the past week due to school work and Thanksgiving and such, for some reason I thought it would be a great idea to just keep walking north after leaving NYU in the morning. I set a mental destination of the Metropolitan Museum of Art - not to go in and see the inside (no time, have to get back to the books) - four miles away. The walk was lovely and interesting and all, and it was a relatively warm day, but around the 8 mile mark on the way back, 40 blocks from home, the legs got a little sore.
Now today, the paltry mile and a half I walked to do errands were especially painful. I think I overdid it with 10 miles in a day. Not that I'd never do it again... just not any time soon.

"B is for Bookie!"

2008-11-30T16:06:00.002-05:00

That's the note I found taped to the TV about a week and a half ago, which Dustin had left out for inspiration prior to an interview I had for a production assistant internship at one of the most important and influential entities of my existence - Sesame Street!

Last week I was notified that I get to help out with the production of the 40th season of Sesame Street (and actually make a little money along the way!). I start Thursday, and while this is going to add a lot to my schedule for the spring semester (going from basically just full-time student to adding a third class and two full days of work a week), it's totally worth it to get to hang with Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and my favorite, Oscar the Grouch.

Oh, and I still haven't seen the production set yet, but I can report that the Sesame Workshop headquarters where I had my interview are awesome. I would've been so disappointed if they were just boring cubicles and gray walls, but everything from the carpets to the doors were covered in bright, cheerful colors. And a lifesize, plush Grover was sitting next to me on the couch in the reception room. That's when I knew this internship would be worth a more hectic schedule.

keeping the humbugs at bay

2008-11-29T12:14:00.004-05:00

Just in case anyone else is feeling the need for inspiration in this budget-minded holiday season, here's this article.

very hard work going on here

2008-11-23T16:24:00.003-05:00

As I think I mentioned in another post, for one of my end of semester research papers I'm writing about teen social structures in high school as depicted in Freaks and Geeks and My So-Called Life. I like the topic a lot, I've found some good research, so all that is going well.
But one of my research topics to tackle this weekend was to watch as many of the shows as I could, with the creators' commentary running, to get some good "behind-the scenes" insight and quotes. I knew it would take a while, but my heart just sank on Thursday when I found out that almost every episode of Freaks has two separate commentary tracks, effectively doubling this aspect of my research. It's fantastic that I have more material to work with, but this is taking forever.
I've been sitting in this one little nook of our couch for almost three days now, headphones on, watching and listening and taking notes. I feel gross, like I really really need to go get some exercise, but I'm also increasingly stressed about time. I feel like I'm at risk of atrophying into the sofa, laptop on what used to be my legs, playing one of the shows for eternity.
So is this why academics get that reputation of pale creatures who never see the sun?

budgeting

2008-11-22T10:32:00.004-05:00

Movie tickets in New York cost $12. No student discount, no matinee prices - $12. Hence, I'm disappointed to say that I've gone to see exactly one movie since moving here. But there are a lot I've really regretted not forking over the cash for (most prominently, I think, Rachel Getting Married), and with the annual Oscar-bait season of great films being released, I think I'm going to have to do some re-budgeting. What can I cut back on to afford a movie every two weeks or so... ? Eating out has already gotten slashed, we're turning out lights when we're not in rooms (not difficult, given that we have three rooms), and I haven't been shopping since Ally left town... Hmm.... weekend budget project.

Here's the article that got me thinking about what's coming to a cinema near me that deserves my moolah.

why pay a therapist?

2008-11-19T22:03:00.002-05:00

evidently this is why I cut my hair

I have bangs!

2008-11-19T21:11:00.002-05:00

no further commentary on that necessary. just a result from craving some sort of new look.

already?

2008-11-18T20:36:00.003-05:00

It's officially big coat time. I posted this picture in late January 2007, when I bought my first heavy-duty winter coat. Unbelievably, it's only mid-November and I'm already having to pull this thing out of the "seriously cold weather clothes" trunk. With the wind, weather.com says it feels like 23 degrees outside right now. And having just come in from the cold, I can attest that they ain't foolin'.
But at least I love my big winter coat! (for now - if I have to wear this every day through April I may burn it at the end of the season)

introducing...

2008-11-17T15:30:00.004-05:00

the new and improved Dustin Edge website!
My favorite feature is on the "Attend" page, which features Dustin's first NYC gig. For those in and around New York with free time this Thursday, D's playing as part of a showcase called God Tastes Like Chicken at the Under St. Mark's Theatre, at 10 p.m. As the showcase's title might impart, it will also be a night of stand-up comedy and performance art, so should prove mighty entertaining. Yay!

the musical education of Dustin, part 1

2008-11-10T15:20:00.006-05:00

Don't let the title of this entry scare any of you Dustin Edge music fans - I certainly am not trying to teach Dustin anything about the fine arts.
However, following our trip to Marie's Crisis last week, Dustin has requested a tutorial in musicals, so he can sing along with all the bears at the bar. I gave the first lesson lots of serious consideration (what includes lots of cheesy dance numbers? what has at least a few songs he'll recognize? what hovers on the edge of ridiculousness but won't quite send him over the brink of never wanting to see a musical again?) and finally settled on one of the classics of the classics - Rogers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! (Oh, and our friend Raven is setting the show on middle school kids in a few weeks, so Dustin wanted to see what it was all about.)
My family must've rented Oklahoma! at least once a month when I was growing up. I mean, we watched this one ALL the time. I don't know how my mom and dad bore it. But due to "Surrey With the Fringe On Top" burnout, I hadn't sat and watched the movie in a long, long time. I remember I always liked Ado Annie more than Laurie, who I felt to be kind of a sourpuss, and now I realize I just sided with the easy girl and, watching this as an adult, Laurie's a whiny, no-fun bitch. (sorry, but it's true) Dustin turned to me at the end of the movie and expressed his disappointment that Jud got a bum rap. I agree, he's treated pretty unfairly until he, you know, decides to burn people alive in a pile of hay. But everyone has their breaking point, I guess.
Now I'm wondering what to rent for part 2 of Dustin's Hollywood Musical lessons. Should I just knock out all the Rogers and Hammerstein works, or would that get a little too over-the-top and repetitive? Should I go back a few decades to the early, early stuff and do a little Fred and Ginger? Or should we go from 1800s Oklahoma to 1931 Germany for some Fosse androgyny?
Anyone have suggestions?

we are SO white

2008-11-10T11:17:00.003-05:00

Just yesterday, Dustin said we should make a vow to each learn to speak another language.

Turns out we're not alone in that desire.

still going strong three years in

2008-11-06T16:06:00.005-05:00

In 2006 and 2007, we celebrated our first two wedding anniversaries in Cesky Krumlov. This year, a close second to foreign travel was going down to Chinatown after my class yesterday for our favorite dumplings and bubble tea. (here's the only photo we took of our anniversary celebration, of our tasty snack) Then, despite the icky, rainy weather, we walked back to our 'hood to have a cocktail at Little Branch, our nearby speakeasy, and on to an Italian dinner. Topping off the night, Dustin took me to Marie's Crisis, a bar I've been dying to visit ever since we first moved here. You know you've got a keeper of a husband when he takes you to a musical singalong bar, joins in rousing choruses of Broadway's greatest hits, and bears some good old-fashioned ribbing about being one of two straight guys in the joint.
I absolutely can't wait to go back to sing some more, and of course to a fourth year of being married to Dustin!

voting = free stuff

2008-11-06T15:58:00.002-05:00

I just have to say... it was great and all that Starbucks offered complimentary coffee, that Krispy Kreme doled out donuts, and Ben & Jerry's provided scoops to voters, but the best handout I saw on Election Day was at Babeland - free silver bullet vibrators for all who did their civic duty!

2008-11-05T10:03:00.003-05:00

I am just so proud of our country right now. So full of hope, and so encouraged for our future.

my so-called paper proposal

2008-11-04T09:46:00.003-05:00

I have a proposal due tomorrow for the final (well, only) paper in my Twilight Zone class. The assignment is loose, basically just that we have to use a theme studied at some point in the course to write about a topic of our choosing. So mine is about teen questioning and self-consciousness and stuff within the high school community, and its depiction in two television series, "Freaks and Geeks" and "My So-Called Life." And how those two shows' "realistic" takes on teen life were critically acclaimed but each failed after one season, as opposed to the soap-opera antics of "Dawson's Creek" and "90210" lasting for years and years. All of this is forming a cloud of nebulous, overwhelming thoughts in my brain, which between now and tomorrow at noon have to be refined and reduced into a two to four-page paper describing a clear idea.

And at the same time I have to try not to think about election results.

But anyway, in preparation for this proposal, I've been watching a ton of "My So-Called Life" over the past few days. I'm almost done going through the whole show (three and a half more episodes to go). It's weird to re-live this show I loved in high school 13 years later. They all look so young (though of course Jordan Catalano - and I love how they always refer to him by both names - is still the epitome of dreamy brooding), and I can't believe they're talking about - or doing - all of this stuff at only 15 years old. And I find myself having a lot more thoughts along the lines of the parents' point of view, like how Angela never says thank you for anything. And there is SO much plaid flannel! I remember I got my hair cut like Angela's when I was a freshman, and I tried to indulge in a bit of the prep-school version of the grunge look (I was so little at the time, I remember I was still shopping for my plaid flannel shirts at Limited Too).

Angela, Rayanne, Sharon, Brian and Ricky would all be my age now. I wonder what they'd be up to as they approach 30... jobs? kids? re-hab? eternal inner-monologue musing?

Halloween 2008

2008-11-01T13:43:00.009-04:00

One of the first features we heard about our location when we moved to Bedford Street was its proximity to the Village Halloween Parade. Some raved about how great it would be to live so close, some warned us of copious amounts of trash sitting outside our windows. Both proved true - lots of fun, lots of entertainment, 'til it started to get a bit old around 1 a.m. In the spirit of continuing family tradition, I cooked a vat of chili and a tray of accompanying cornbread for me, Dustin and a few friends. And in the spirit of continuing our newfound Czech traditions, Dustin made a vat of Svařak for us to put in mugs and take to the parade. Here are our two vats:
And here's a favorite perk of living in New York - Kate Murphy, one of my bestest buds from about first grade on. We used to go trick-or-treating together as kids, and last night she trekked down from the Upper West Side to join in the West Village festivities.
The parade was a sight - but, lame NY transplant that I am, I didn't dress up. We saw lots of Heath Ledger-style Jokers and sexy nurses and such. Things inevitably got political, with more than a few Sarah Palins and Joe the Plumbers walking the streets, marked by some more startling displays. (I didn't get a shot of the guy dressed as a corpse walking attached to an IV stand with a bag of blood on one side and a lynched teddy bear with the head of George W. Bush on the other - there was a message there, I suppose.) Oh, and this being the West Village, there was lots of this:

BOO!

2008-10-28T23:16:00.003-04:00

My mom sent me these "BOO" lights a few months after I left home ten years ago, to decorate my freshman dorm room for Halloween. I kind of can't believe I've been dragging them around with me every Halloween since, and I really can't believe they're still working. (that's probably thanks to me leaving them in storage in the States while we were in Prague... I doubt they would've survived the converter)

Now they're making the one window in our apartment, from our bedroom in the basement out onto passers-by's legs, just a bit more festive for the fall. No one else on our block has decorated for Halloween, and maybe we shouldn't be drawing a lot more attention to our street-level windows, but the BOO lights make me smile anyway.

"Thank you sir, may I have another?" and another, and another...

2008-10-25T15:56:00.006-04:00

I'm spending my day watching the same scene from Animal House over and over and over again, to analyze its: editing, camera movement, sound, lighting, mise-en-scene (which is taking forever, as that encompasses decor, props, costumes, etc.), etc. in order to write this paper.

I'd really wanted to do the scene of Otter seducing Dean Wormer's wife and Pinto awkwardly making out with a 13-year-old, but I think that technically constitutes two scenes. And as long as I'm already going so low-class as to write a paper about a movie based on drunken delinquency of all forms, I should play it safe and stick to the rule, in bold and underlined on the professor's handout, that we are to analyze one scene.

By the end of this I'll be able to recite all of the initiation scene in my sleep. Of course, the "I, state your name" routine is probably more entertaining than my usual nighttime gibberish.

week in review

2008-10-22T19:44:00.003-04:00

no big events to blog about recently, but some kind of notable little ones:

For one of my courses, I've got to write a five-page analysis of a scene from a movie on the Cinema Studies department's "films you should watch by the time you graduate from here" list. True to my high brow nature, I've selected the esteemed 1978 masterpiece Animal House. (I was surprised it was on the list too.) Fellow students I've talked with are writing about Kubrick works, Chinatown, Casablanca, and other such quality films. Me, I'm thinking about writing five pages on the nuances of the Omega pledge paddling scene. NYU might really regret admitting me soon...

I've been in super soup mode lately, cooking meals that taste good on chilly nights and don't cost too much. The fridge is full of vegetable soup and lentil sausage stew. If anyone has good suggestions for other soup recipes, please send them my way!

I passed Mr. Big yesterday on the way to the market. Then I saw a bunch of cute dogs. It was a great walk.

The building manager turned on the gas to heat our place this week. One of the newfound quirks of living in the basement, we found out, is that some pipe within our bedroom wall isn't too happy about being put into use, and clangs really loudly every four hours. That fun new sound has made for two nights of being suddenly, startlingly woken in the middle of the night. The landlord should be out to address this tomorrow, but of course he was supposed to be here this morning as well, and was a no-show. Maybe I'll just load up on some Tylenol PM and earplugs tonight.

name game

2008-10-18T16:41:00.003-04:00

In the spirit of procrastination, I've wasted a bit of time lately on Nameberry - a site of baby names that makes entertaining lists like "Stylish Girly-Girl Names," "Old Lady Cool Names" (which features my Nana's name, Geraldine), "Rocker and Rapper Kids Names," "Names All Your Friends Will Think Are Cool," and "Names Sure to Shock Grandma."

I found the site after reading an article about how to not name your kid a trendy hipster name. Of course, my two favorite potential names to use one day are slandered as way too hipster chic. Whatever.

And it turns out three of the four girls names my mother picked for her daughters are on the"Yupster Names for Girls" list. According to the site: "Yupsters— a blend of yuppies and hipsters—like names that are to the left of the most popular list but far to the right of most choices on this site. The Yupster Names are classic as well as cool, embodying style along with history. The only problem is that you may hear them far more than you want to in the years to come."
"classic...cool...style...history..." that pretty much fits the Weihe girls, I like to think.

wish I got a sticker

2008-10-16T17:33:00.003-04:00

I just voted!

Now let's hope Broward County actually counts it!

sorry

2008-10-16T14:20:00.004-04:00

I've been blog-negligent lately, more concerned with enjoying a visit from my sister Ally. She and I both had our fall breaks for the semester last weekend, and in just three and a half days we fit in three trips to the cupcake shop around the corner, half-price tickets to Spring Awakening (which was amazing), and multiple shopping trips (mostly of the window variety).

I didn't get around to bringing out the camera until we were leaving for the airport, but Dustin was nice enough to get at least these two shots of us together.
Now she and I are both back at school, but at least I got a little family time in to tide me over 'til Christmas!

reasoning

2008-10-08T20:03:00.002-04:00

It's getting around the time where my hair needs a trim.

Sunday, I walked past a boutique and a neat hat in the window caught my eye.

So instead of going through the trouble of finding a new salon here in NYC, I bought the hat, and told myself that the cost was worth it because wearing a cute hat would buy me a few more bad hair days.

Made sense at the time...

just for kicks

2008-10-03T13:10:00.000-04:00

a debate of a different shade of lipstick

2008-10-02T22:48:00.004-04:00

Just before tonight's debate, my Dad called to say he had a dream last night that I was a Sarah Palin impersonator.
With my hair up - sort of like it was at my wedding, he said - in Dad's opinion I could take over for Tina Fey. I responded that this supposed similarity was terrifying but if Palin's ticket should happen to win, a new job at SNL could be a welcome pick-me-up.
Dad's comparison of Mom to Princess Diana in her wedding photo was far more complimentary.
And, by the way, I don't see it...

doggin'

2008-10-01T23:51:00.004-04:00

Today before class I was talking with some other students about the upcoming Beverly Hills Chihuahua movie. (we cinema studies students only discuss the finest films...)
One of them said, "Man, I remember how annoying that Taco Bell chihuahua was when I was a kid."
First of all, he didn't look like he'd just graduated from high school (that stupid little dog debuted in 1997), so I assumed he was exaggerating about being so young.
I responded how the favorite advertising canine from my childhood was Spuds McKenzie.
You could've heard a pin drop. All six or so of the other students just looked at me, with totally blank eyes, until the Taco Bell chihuahua guy said, "What's a Spuds McKenzie?"
I just muttered, "Man, I feel old." Finally one girl said, "Wasn't that a beer ad dog?"
Yeah, that's right. I vividly remember the Spuds t-shirts sported on Ft. Lauderdale beach. Spuds could kick your stupid chihuahua's yappy ass any day.

end of the season

2008-09-28T22:27:00.015-04:00

In our travels and our move, Dustin and I had trouble passing a baseball stadium and not stopping for a game. As of the end of the regular season, D hit 6 games and I took in 7 (got to a Marlins game with my family over the summer).

Wrigley was of course the highlight (and then seeing the Cubs again last week at Shea), but all of the stadium sampling was fun. Here's a shot from each excursion (a more complete photo album is on Facebook):

Arizona Diamondbacks: The stadium is shiny and new, but perhaps a little too so. The crowd's responses to home runs sounded more like golf claps than good old fashioned cheers.

Kansas City Royals: The ugliest.

St. Louis Cardinals: This stadium is shiny and new too, but full to the brim with fantastic fans.

Chicago Cubs: Wrigley Field never fails to impress. Dustin got us great seats along the third base line, next to a dedicated two decade-plus season ticket holder. We paid homage to the Harry Carey statue, and ate and drank in between cheers. Oh, and Wrigley had the best brats, hands down.

Yankee Stadium: We got in on the 6th to last game, thanks to our being willing to pay too much for bleacher seats on eBay. Turns out there's no access to beer in the bleachers. However, still a great experience among the Bleacher Creatures.

Shea Stadium: While I was growing up, the only time we were allowed to use the word "hate" was in reference to the Mets. I really wasn't planning to visit Shea this season, but when the Cubs came to town last week, it wasn't too hard to twist my arm.
Oh, and I've always heard how tough NY fans are, but I dared to wear an old Cubs sweatshirt anyway (and my nails look black in this photo, but they were actually sparkly Cubs blue). A Mets fan smacked me in the face as we were walking off the subway into the stadium. Hard. He said it was an accident...

post-season song

2008-09-21T15:50:00.005-04:00

Eddie Vedder pens song for Chicago Cubs die-hards

CHICAGO (AP) — A note from Eddie Vedder: The Cubs are still alive.
The Pearl Jam front man has released a song for the Chicago baseball team at the request of Cubs great Ernie Banks. It's called "All the Way."
Vedder made the song available on Pearl Jam's Web site this week. It's been buzzing on radios in Chicago and in bars near Wrigley Field.
The lyrics pay homage to a team that hasn't won a World Series for 100 years. The Cubs defeated the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday to clinch the NL Central title.
"Someday we'll go all the way," the refrain goes. "Yeah, someday we'll go all the way."
Though Vedder became synonymous with the Seattle grunge sound in the '90s, he was born in the Chicago area and is a longtime Cubs fan.
"When you're born in Chicago you're blessed and you're healed the first time you walk into Wrigley Field," Vedder writes.

here it is!

hot or iced?

2008-09-21T10:34:00.004-04:00

I've been sitting on the sofa, pondering a big decision for an unbelievable 75 minutes now. I want - no, need - coffee in my system before getting on with the day. My options for accomplishing that are: 1. grind the coffee beans here in the apartment and make a pot of hot coffee, or 2. get dressed (which needs to be done anyway) and walk around the corner to buy an iced coffee at Grey Dog.

Option #2 has won every single morning. I kept telling myself that this was a summertime indulgence, and once it wasn't warm I would start saving money and brewing my own coffee at home. Now, sure enough, I've woken up to a non-warm morning. It's 59 degrees outside - the mercury is officially lower than iced coffee allotting weather. But if I make hot coffee I will officially have given in and admitted the end of summer, which I really, really don't want to do. On the other hand, if I don't go to Gray Dog I'll save $2.50, and break this frivolously expensive iced coffee habit.

argh! I think this is all going to come down to whether or not I can convince Dustin to go get the coffee for us...

observations

2008-09-20T12:10:00.002-04:00

Last night Dustin and I went to the annual Fall for Dance Festival, a great program of diverse short pieces performed by a bunch of different international groups, with every ticket in City Center priced at only $10. The New Yorker warned that the shows sell out quickly, and indeed, when I went online only 3 hours after tickets went on sale, the only seats we could get to my top-choice line up last night (Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, American Ballet Theatre, Louise Lecavalier, and a super-fun tap ensemble) were way, way, way back and not next to each other. But it was a lovely date night nonetheless.

I noticed some differences between American theatre audiences and the European ones I'd gotten used to in Prague. First, I realized that the Americans clap for a shorter period of time after each performance (I swear the clapping goes on for ages at Narodni Divadlo), but they're certainly louder. There was lots of shouting and hollering and whistling - which I never, ever heard in Prague.
Then, I was reminded of how incredibly obnoxious my native audience members can be. The lights had just gone down on the final group, and the dancers hadn't yet even taken their bows, before people were positively racing for the exits. Not just a few folks, but entire rows of patrons who evidently didn't feel like showing their appreciation. I don't mean to sound grumpy, or to quote the Olsen twins on Full House, but How Rude!

to do

2008-09-18T11:55:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to share today's to-do list. It's a doozy.

In no particular order of importance:
1. register for student health insurance
2. clean the bathroom
3. do some dustbusting
4. write the article I was supposed to finish by an hour ago (but am spending my time blogging instead)
5. buy a new sponge
6. go get my Twilight Zone class required reading, and get started on that
7. decide what to cook for dinner
8. go grocery shopping for said dinner
9. apply for my absentee voter ballot (I'm determined to vote in Broward County, where IF my vote gets counted it may actually make a difference)
10. have a super-fun budget discussion with Dustin

How much do you want to bet #s 2, 3, and 10 don't get done today? They've been on my daily list for about a week now.

last night's view

2008-09-12T15:17:00.001-04:00

Back to School

2008-09-10T17:16:00.007-04:00

I've attended each of my two classes for the fall semester now, and have some thoughts.

1. Evidently I'm ancient. Everyone else in my entering class looks like they just got their braces off. And these tykes intimidate me. I think I hate them. One of the second-years, trying to make me feel better, said, "Oh yeah, last year they couldn't believe I was 26!" I've got such a complex that I spent Friday night watching Back to School, bonding with Rodney Dangerfield. I don't think I'm going to be able to hire a staff of experts to write my papers for me or get Kurt Vonnegut to give me an interview for my term paper (especially these days), but maybe I'll start working on my Triple Lindy.

2. I thought I was done with Plato, but he's reared his pedantic head again. Karma gods have come back to get me after avoiding the philosophy requirement at Davidson, and somehow worked dense Greek musings into the very first reading assignment of my "Film Form/Film Sense" class. I can only hope that NYU doesn't have a physical education req for grad students, since I got out of that from 4th grade on by taking flute lessons and then skipping the swim test during orientation week at Davidson. And you wonder why I get beat up by treadmills.

3. On the good side of things though, my other class - "The Twilight Zone and the Politics of Paranoia" - is really, really fun. It's pretty much what the title gets at, watching a bunch of television episodes and discussing. The readings are far more my speed than Plato, including a Philip K. Dick book. I've always meant to read something by him, but sci fi isn't a genre I ever pick up of my own will. Seeing it on the syllabus will finally get it off the "to read someday" list. Just like, I guess, Plato. Damn.

4. I'm a huge nerd. That's not really any new news, but it came to the fore when, so disappointed that our Twilight Zone class was cancelled for this week (the professor has jury duty), I went out and rented a documentary about Rod Serling. I didn't just watch it, I saved it to watch today during class time. Sometimes I appall myself.

flickers

2008-09-06T15:38:00.005-04:00

One of the things I mourned about as soon as we left the U.S., and which I've been pining to return to for the past two years (I can't believe it's been two years - Sept. 1, 2006 - since we landed in Prague) is Netflix. It might be the main reason I moved back to the States, if I'm being honest. Family, friends, Whole Foods - I love you all lots, but the bright red envelope makes for intimidating competition.

This article on Slate.com outlines one Netflix situation I've been trying to avoid in re-starting our membership, though. We weren't always very good with returning movies in prompt fashion. With no late fees, it's too easy to say, "Well I'm not in the mood for L'Avventura today, and I probably won't be for the next week either, but I really should watch this movie so I'll keep it around in case next week I want to take in some pensive Italian-ness." If I sent it back unwatched, I'd feel this stupid sense of defeat. So, six months later, Antonioni is still staring at me from on top of the TV. Just as the article says, anything involving subtitles or existentialism tends to take more effort to pop in the DVD player. I know that when Forgetting Sarah Marshall gets here though, it'll slide in quick and easy - just how I like my movies.

One of my Davidson professors told me his wife has a Netflix rule in their house. If a movie's been there for a week and still hasn't been watched, it goes right back. You can put it on the list again, but expeditiousness is key. I'm trying to abide by that for now. Indeed, the other night we watched American Gangster. I wasn't really in the mood, but it was here. And if I didn't watch it that night it had to go back the next day. So we saw it, got our money's worth, and now it's in the mail. Next on the list are two documentaries about the film industry and one cartoon (albeit a classy one - Ratatouille). I think these next few should be smooth going... until we get to that nine-hour John Adams documentary, anyway.

Holly the Dog

2008-09-05T10:46:00.003-04:00

This post is in memory of Holly, the Weihe family's recently departed little dog. She arrived on Christmas Day in 1994, much to my father's disappointment (he was already living with 5 girls, and didn't need a girly dog to top it off). She spent the next 14 years yapping at anything that dared pass by our house, biting our ankles in the morning, and sometimes even being borderline snuggly. Holly was a good dog.

do-gooder

2008-09-02T12:25:00.003-04:00

My sister Kate started a new job earlier this summer as a volunteer and program coordinator at Sun Valley Adaptive Sports, an organization that helps people with disabilities enjoy the beautiful outdoors of Idaho. Two weeks ago, Kate told me about this very cool weekend trip she helped with, taking a group of wounded veterans out for fly fishing, waterskiing, and other adaptive activities.

Well evidently an area tv station thought it was cool too, and did this story on the non-profit and its services for veterans (sorry for the link - I still haven't figured out how to embed videos).

I'm so proud of my sister!

and I thought Sunny had gained weight...

2008-08-31T18:44:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure if this photo does justice to the sheer hugeness of this dog, which is often found laying outside the neighborhood coffee shop (appropriately named Gray Dog Coffee Shop) and howling. The thing is a beast.

addendum

2008-08-31T18:41:00.003-04:00

As a follow-up to the previous post, I'm running out of new responses to "Party time, huh?" when I buy wine. I think today I said, "ha ha... yeah." Other great replies have been, "All the time is party time," and "Well it is Monday (Tuesday, Wednesday... insert appropriate day)."

Anyone out there have suggestions for new things to say to the guy at the counter?

Who Are The People In Your Neighborhood?

2008-08-30T20:13:00.001-04:00

They're the people that you meet each day, duh. Here are the people in my new neighborhood that I've met so far:

Sasha the Baker: manages Blue Ribbon Bakery, and supplied me with some delicious rosemary bread. His brother works at The Container Store. I've met him too, but he isn't really in my technical neighborhood so evidently my brain didn't register his name.

Lauren: lives in the apartment behind us. She's very nice, and very young, and loves to play Tom Petty's Greatest Hits at high volume.

Marlo: founded and manages Sweet Revenge, a sinfully delicious cupcake shop around the corner. Last night we walked there after dinner and indulged in a "Dirty" cupcake (chocolate with chocolate filling and a hint of chocolate), a "Sweet Revenge" cupcake (peanut butter cake and frosting with chocolate ganache filling) and two glasses of prosecco. Marlo is now my favorite person in the West Village.

Luce and Phil: bartenders at Daddy-o's, the bar and restaurant four doors down. I don't really need to elaborate on why I like them so much beyond the draught beers and the temptingly tasty steak tacos and spicy chicken sandwiches.

Finally - guy at the liquor store: I forgot his name, perhaps because of what he purveys. What I do remember is that every time I bring wine to the register he says, "Party time, huh?" Indeed.

buggin'

2008-08-27T16:49:00.002-04:00

I'm not that nervous about being mugged, I'm not scared of big city crime or all the pit bulls people walk by me every day. But I am absolutely terrified of bed bugs.

Since getting to New York, numerous people have told us horror stories of their apartments being overrun by these tiny, seemingly immortal bloodsuckers, then having to throw out their furniture, clothes, books, everything. Beyond the idea of being bitten in my sleep, the thought of having to get rid of all this stuff we just bought brings me close to hysteria.

Yesterday I listened to a recent This American Life podcast - one of my favorite events of the week. This one, however, was all about people with fears of sleep. Of course they interviewed residents of some building in Brooklyn that has been infested by bedbugs for years. The bugs live in the floorboards there, so the residents can't do anything other than move out empty-handed. This provided more nightmares last night than any scary movie I've seen in years. Not helping things was our down-filled pillow-top mattress cover thingy, out of which the pokey ends of the feathers come through the sheets and sometimes make for an itchy sleep. Of course, every time a feather poked me last night I jolted awake, convinced we were sleeping with thousands of parasites. Dustin had to talk me down this morning.

ew. ew ew ew ew ew.

Praha & SoHo

2008-08-25T20:08:00.004-04:00

Nana called yesterday to let me know that the latest J.Crew catalogue was shot in Prague, and that the photos were beautiful. Indeed they were, and they featured not just some of our favorite sites - castle, bridge - but also some of our day to day sights - hello, tram 22!

And of course these pictures also included lots of pretty coats and scarves and boots and such. I tried to look straight past those, as new J.Crew duds don't really fit into the post-apartment outfitting budget.

Oh, and when I walked into J.Crew's SoHo shop to pick up a catalogue today, I knocked over a life-size mannequin. I do always love a good entrance.

Dustin reviews

2008-08-23T19:16:00.004-04:00

For those of you interested in a review of Dustin's performances in and around Charlotte a few weeks ago - and downloadable audio of the shows - visit Jim's site and scroll down a bit.

settled

2008-08-23T18:50:00.003-04:00

I wish our camera wasn't broken so I could have taken and posted before and after shots of our apartment. What was totally bare one week ago is now the loveliest little place, featuring the first grown-up (i.e. not from Goodwill or adopted from friends) bed and sofa Dustin and I have ever owned. Also, a big thank you to everyone who gave us wedding gifts back in 2005 - three years later, they're finally out of boxes and ready to be put to good use (I'm talking about you, KitchenAid mixer...).

We've done such a good job of setting this place up, I'm actually about to cook my first meal in months tonight! And in preparation for this landmark event I got to do what I'd been looking forward to since minutes after receiving the thumbs-up from NYU - shop at the Union Square farmers market. Fresh summer squash and zucchini, free-range eggs from a nearby farm, organic rosemary bread... all ripe for the picking and ready to be turned into dinner.

I just need to turn off the Jean-Claude Van Damme movie Dustin's watching, and then the apartment will be perfect...

half full

2008-08-17T17:55:00.002-04:00

Moving-day minuses:
1. an inscrutable traffic jam held us up just outside Manhattan for two hours
2. the workers renovating our apartment left it a mess
3. the duplicate keys we had made evidently weren't duplicate enough, so we were locked out of our apartment until a locksmith could come charge us $200 for a new lock

Moving-day plus:
1. Amy Sedaris walked by us as we sat on the back of our moving truck waiting for the locksmith

Totally worth being late, let down, and locked out.

2008-08-11T17:36:00.002-04:00

I have lots to say, but no time in which to say it. Plus, not all the words coming out of my mouth lately have been nice ones, so I don't want to type them. Such are the travails of moving.

Suffice to say, we have keys to our new apartment, and we have a storage unit neatly divided into areas of "to NYC" and "to stay in storage", now all we need to do is get on the road. By Friday, if all goes accordingly. Then I'll gradually get my wits about me again, and with that will resume my ability to blog. I know I'm looking forward to that - hope you are too.

this bodes badly for grad school diligence...

2008-07-30T22:42:00.003-04:00

Earlier this summer I bought a textbook to read. It's not required reading for NYU, but it's written by one of the professors in my department and I thought it would be an extremely good, responsible idea of mine to study it over the summer and get back in the habit of reading dry, academic material. I've carried it with me dutifully in my backpack for nearly two months now, and have yet to crease the spine.

Instead, I bought the new David Sedaris book, and have been devouring it for a week now. Devouring in small bites though, if that makes any sense, as I'm trying not to finish it too quickly. I first read David Sedaris when I borrowed my friend Betsy's copy of Naked before setting off on the honeymoon a few years ago. I finished it by the time the plane landed, and one of my first things to do on this most romantic of holidays immediately became finding an English language bookstore and purchasing Me Talk Pretty One Day. Then came Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and for the next two years turning to the contents page of each week's new New Yorker to see if he'd written a piece.

But now I'm almost finished with When You Are Engulfed In Flames, and sadly realizing I have no other Sedaris respite to run out and buy. I guess on the plane trip back to N.C. I'll finally have to read that textbook. Or, there's always the availability of InStyle at the airport.