Brokeback Bar

Strangely enough, one of the highlights of my Christmas weekend in Texas was the night that I went with Rob, his brother Ronnie, and Doug to Round-Up Saloon. Who knew that the worlds best themed gay bar was in Dallas? Its like Brokeback Mountain only gayer. The bartenders wear jeans, big buckles, cowboy hats and no shirts. There's a dance floor with men line-dancing flamboyantly and two-stepping with each other. The TV monitors play a slideshow of pictures of bull riders and roping cattle.

The pictures don’t do it justice. (I was too embarrassed to be taking pictures in an obvious way) Doug and I had our mouths wide open with strange glee, deciding that its our new Graceland.

Come and Get It

This is what I consumed for lunch at Babes Chicken House in Texas. It might have something to do with why its such a fatty state.

Of course, I had no trouble eating it. As Oscar Wilde said, I can resist everything except temptation.

Bettie Crocker has Nothing on us

I think that it’s a clear sign that you spend too much time in a bar when holiday gifts are exchanged.
Regardless, Lisa came over last night and we decorated sugar cookies to give to the bartenders at Marshall Stack.

What Goes In...

Last night I went to BYOB dinner with Marissa, Lisa, Suzanne, Kara and the other Erin.
BYOB with what Lisa 'Big Time' Benson calls “small bottles” of champagne (normal sized bottles. Big Time is used to magnums), vodka and lots of wine.
After dinner we went to Bond Street where Marissa, Darius and I polished off the bottle of vodka.

All this to say that I just threw up.
At work.
Where my co workers shit.
That's where I put my face.

Ouch the Owl

I just had sushi with Kelsey and her new friend ‘Ouch’ (she named him Ouch because apparently it hurts like hell to get a tattoo on the top of your foot)

White Christmas After all

Yesterday I didn't wear a jacket when I went out to get to lunch.

This is what is out my office window today.

Do Not Touch

I see this woman most mornings in Starbucks.
She's less than friendly and clearly would like to keep people from touching her many Duane Read bags.

I Heart Steak

Last night I joined 3 other carnivores Suzanne, Erika and Deena for dinner at Angelica's Kitchen in the East Village. We chose this restaurant because it was on a BYOB list and neither of us had been. None of us had been because its vegan. I'm fine eating vegetarian but not vegan. No eggs, so no pasta. No milk, so no butter on the dry bread. The food was less than impressive and smelled like a homeless woman, but we enjoyed the absurdity of 4 meat lovers trying tempeh, burdock and kamut for the first time.

I did love their reasoning for being cash-only though (pictured)

Blazy: –adjective. Averse or disinclined to blog, activity, or exertion; indolent.

Lately I’ve been as my friend Jenn coined; blazy. Its not that I haven’t been up to no good or encountered stories of hilarity. Its just blaziness.

Dottie gets credit for bringing me out of my blaziness.
This lady that I work with, Dottie (she's this little old black lady... She one of my favorites) anyway, she came up to my desk and said, "Are you getting any wood in your stocking for Christmas??"
Me: "What do you mean??"
Dottie: "Wood!! I know you must have a man... Are you going to get some big hard wood in your stocking?"

She's like 70 years old!! I have never laughed so hard in the office.

Im Not Perfect

Confession: I looped Pink’s “So What” in my iPod at the gym.
It played something like 12 times.

Judge me all you want, but I ran like the wind.

Melissa's View

I got an email from my best friend with this picture and a subject line that said “My view in class tonight”.

LGBTs

Last night I walked by cops getting briefed for the Prop 8 Protest outside of the Mormon Temple where we overheard one of them referring to those protesting as “the LGBTs”.
The LGBTs. Nice, buddy. Nice.

Puccini, Chagall and Mom

For my moms last night in town, we went to see Madama Butterfly at the Metropolitan Opera House. It was my 3rd time to see Madama Butterfly but I cried just the same; overwhelmed by the sad story, the breathtaking costumes and the powerful voices.

And as much as I love the opera, I love the opera house even more. The 2 massive Chagalls alone are worth going to the opera for.

Family in Town

This weekend has been a whirlwind with my older sister, Krista and her family in town (and my mom is still here).

It was a great opportunity to learn first hand all the kiddy entertainment that New York has to offer.
As it turns out the best entertainment that New York has to offer Grace was in my apartment.

Indian with Mom

My mom arrived last night!!!

We were both pretty tired so we went to an early dinner at the best Indian food in the East Village; which doubled as a light show.

Fire

I finally charged my camera battery. This is the picture I took of the fire that some ass hole started in celebration.

Change

I worked until 12:30 last night then went home to the Lower East Side where hipster trust fund kids (80% of them are white) were joyfully shouting in the street, knocking over newspaper stands and starting fires to trash. Hopefully their bull shit ways of "celebrating" has subsided.

The Empire State Building was a divided red and blue last night.

Tonight it will be blue!!!!

Woody Allen and Lady Bunny

Last night was a random New York Monday. Heidi and I first to the Plaza Hotel for a Leica camera tribute to Woody Allen then we went to a Shiseido launch party.

Random: champagne, Woody Allen, lots of lip stick, a drag queen named Lady Bunny and cotton candy shrimp.

Lazy Weekend

Since 100 proof vodka kicks my ass even 24 hours later, I spent Saturday on the roof with Lisa, mimosas, magazines and napping.

Sunday I went out to let Heidi shame my laziness as she ran yet another marathon.

No Place Like Halloween

My Halloween night was spent in 2 hours of traffic and Heidi Klum’s party. There was plenty of body paint, random celebrities including “hey!! That's the guy from Desperate Housewives. I love that guy. Don’t know his name, but I love that guy”, and 100 proof vodka cocktails.

Batman Needs Coffee Too

I work in the building where Regis and Kelly tapes their show, so I came to work bombarded with plenty of clever costumes.

However none caught me off guard this morning like this guy sitting outside of Starbucks.

Dang, I love Halloween.

Eddie

I'm a little bored with work and the election coverage, so here is another random story not really related to tomorrow’s holy day.

As you can read on post below, Suzanne has a scary friend named Eddie. She used Eddie as one would use a crucifix for a vampire in the haunted house and took it to a great new level when she sent me this BBM picture saying that she was taking Eddie with her to LA.
(She’s perfectly sane. We had talked about her doing this to eff with fellow passengers.)

A few days later, Suzanne sent this one of “Eddie with his cousins”.








…I said it was a random story.

Holly at the Halloween Ball

Last night I went with Heidi to the Central Park Conservancy Halloween Ball. The invitation read “black tie, masks and costumes encouraged”. I dressed as Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn’s character in Breakfast at Tiffany’s).

There were more than a few Sarah Palin costumes, but the best came with a moose (who for some reason decided to stand alone during the cocktail hour)

Heidi was the emcee so she didn't dress in costume, but she was introduced as “the best looking meteorologist” (apart from Sam Champion, I agree)

The décor in the tents in the middle of Central Park were impressive (which made up for the mediocre food)

I flipping love Halloween.

Birthday Cocktails

This weekend was my birthday. After one of the more delicious dinners Saturday night with many friends, we went to Sweet Paradise where I happily drank the always classy champagne in a can.

I was also not-so-happily hazed with double shots of “SoCo and Lime… hold the lime”

Beatles in Bloomingdales

Last night I went to see the reason that Suzanne has been working longer hours and has needed to drink more. AKA, the opening of the Beatles Shop in Bloomingdales.
Even our cab driver pulled up to Bloomingdales and took pictures of the Beatles-filled windows.
Nice work, Suzanne!

Party in Grandmas Sweater

Last night Heidi and I went to a party honoring art historian Rosamond Bernier at the Four Seasons Restaurant.
Rose champagne, escargot, caviar and way too much tuna tartar. I had a delicious time in my Grandma’s unflattering sweater.

Vegetable (and Rabbit) Lasagna

Friday night I went to Bacaro with Kelsey and Kim. Kim is a vegetarian. And in the past has ordered the vegetable lasagna, enjoyed it, and decided to order the lasagna again. A few bites into it, the lasagna “tasted different...” so we asked the waiter who informed us that their lasagna is now made with rabbit.

Poor Kim.
But more for Kelsey and I.

Chilly Weekend

This weekend was fairly chilly and low key, the highlights were Saturday brunch at Jamie’s apartment followed by baking pumpkin cupcakes then Sunday afternoon was spent watching Lisa’s boyfriend’s lacrosse game (with more than enough mimosas).

Halloween Cookies

Last night I also learned the proper way to eat these amazing cookies that are from Ohio.
Its kind of disgusting to look at, but very delicious.

Blood Manor

Last night I went with Suzanne and her out of town friends to Blood Manor, a haunted house in Chelsea. It was genuinely the most terrifying half hour I have ever encountered. One room after another of freight and gore.
We also encountered Eddie, a $1 Target purchase. Its intent is to be frightening, but Suzanne gave Eddie a funnier edge.

I couldn’t decide which clip was better, so I'm posting both.

Dinner with Papa

My dad is in town for work, so last night instead of joining my coworkers with the final debate coverage, I went to the Empire Hotel roof bar for a cocktail, PJ Clarke’s for dinner, then Barcibo for a glass of wine and truffle crusted cheese.

We thought that PJs has a fantastic quote on their wine menu:
“I feel sorry for people who don’t drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they are going to feel all day.” –Frank Sinatra

Central Park Run

Since the weather was perfect I spent my evening running in Central Park.

The leaves have officially started to change.
Theres a creepy green film on the Boathouse Pond now that the boats are stored for the winter.
The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir was crystal clear.
And there was a cute jazz band playing on the running path.

Art

Returning from brunch Saturday I walked by some burned trash across the street from the New Museum on Bowery.
In my opinion, this clearly marked art is much more interesting than some of the commissioned work across the street.
Whoever did this; very clever.

Canine Dorothy

A little something I found in my costume search.

My Graceland(s)

During lunch I went with Heidi to complete our Halloween costumes. If you can’t guess based on the ruby slippers, I'm going as Dorothy from Wizard of Oz. The Halloween store just below Union Square is my Graceland. 2 years ago my old roommate, Marissa and I went at least 4 times.

And after the Halloween store we went to Taco Bell, my other Graceland.
It was the best lunch break ever.

Night Night Lovie and Papa

I think that this is my sister, Krista’s cheap attempt to cut me out of whatever will my parents have. Oh, the points she scored with these little girls!!!

(Lovie and Papa are what Grace calls my parents. I still want my kids to call my mom ‘Big Momma’ though... an action that Im sure will do a better job knocking my name out of a will.)

Tots and Jello Shots

Since I’m on the bored side and a little depressed with the extreme drop in the market I thought I would share an incriminating story about myself.
When I was in San Francisco for Marisol’s bachelorette party I had a few drinks and decided to learn how the trailer park-themed bar, Butter makes their tater tots. So I got in the kitchen and made a few batches (and charged a bit more than the posted price).
While back there, I somehow thought that the Jello shots were free since I was technically working there, so I took some (seven) and even took some out to my friends.
Apparently that is considered stealing alcohol from a bar and is frowned upon in Butter.

Fall Bikes

Sunday Suzanne and I went for a bike ride for perhaps the last time of the season.
The thought of putting my bike in storage for a while is kind of depressing, but oh, the precious space that I can regain after the green beast leaves my apartment.

Yes. I wear fur. Sorry to disappoint any of you.

Madonna in New Jersey

Saturday I went with Heidi and her gays to the Madonna concert (the US tour kick-off in New Jersey). It was my first time to see Madonna and to see an event in New Jersey, so I made several observations:
1) Madonna can play the guitar (well)
2) Madonna can double dutch jump rope
3) Madonna has a hot old lady body
4) Madonna doesn’t like Sarah Palin
5) New Jersey gays love make-up (a lot of them anyways)
6) New Jersey loves to tail gate… its not just for football it seems
7) New Jersey loves Madonna
(New Jersey has a bad name, but based upon my observations, New Jersey and I have a few things in common)

Subway Entertainment

On the subway on my way home from the gym (yes, I went to the gym. It had been a while; so much so that the check-in guy scanned my card and said “welcome back”) I saw the most magical man playing a keyboard with all these dancing dolls. It was creepy and wonderful.
Im sorry. My camera phone doesn’t at all do it justice. I didn't want to take an obvious picture since I wasn’t carrying any singles in my pocketbook.

Camera Face

This is how I took a picture when I had too many after work glasses of wine with Heidi and her new friend Jillian at Barcibo.

Moron.