Thank you, Lil'Bush
Friday, March 28, 2008
A part of one side. A little more here. And a lot more here.
If you see something, say something
Thursday, March 27, 2008
So I did. It was the second time I had seen this anorexic girl at the gym. Painfully emaciated, with obsessive eyes and a maniacally resolute air to her. She works out forever on the cardio machines, struggling through an effort that's clearly too much for her, going from one machine to the next. She's horrifying to look at, an aura of pain all around her. I was happily pedaling away to Law & Order when I realized I did not want to have her death on my conscience. I went to the entrance desk and spoke to a manager. He knew who I was talking about and told me there's nothing they can do, unless something happens to her at the gym. Anything could be construed as discrimination. She might have another disease, she is an adult. Granted, she could have a disease I never heard of, but there were several things pointing to somebody exercising to death. If I see her again I'll try another manager.
On the topic of food (or lack of), I am back to vegetarianism. Maybe not vegan as the first time around, but definitely more vegetarian. It's been 3 days now and yesterday I took Ana to the "new" Candle restaurant. Spectacular food. And no feeling of impeding explosion afterwards. So once again, here I am stopping at Health Nuts before work to buy tofu sandwiches and green bars. I think I was born to eat this way. I already feel a hundred times lighter and well rested.
Today there's the play in the public bathrooms in Central Park (I need to send M.A. the link, those restrooms are an obligatory stopover on our way to or back from our lunches at the Boathouse). After the play I am rushing home to welcome Quique.
This is what I want
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
I have been working at home today. Pure bliss. Lounge music, big monitor, nice view, good salad for lunch. I want my telecommuting!!!!!
Back in town
Monday, March 24, 2008
Montauk was great. Extremely relaxing. Basically doing nothing, reading, talking, eating. I never even finished a glass of wine, that's how relaxed I was. On Saturday night I cooked for everybody. Then the guys went to their suite and Ana and I to our rooms. Sunday morning we learned Ricardo had landed at the hospital after hours of vomiting and writhing in pain on the floor. Police was called, they called an ambulance. Seems he has liver stones ... on top of my cooking.
The Fubar
A crane came down on 51st and 2nd and landed on top of the Fubar. Pamen is trying to find out whether anybody was inside. The owner, lives in the building upstairs from the bar. John, who plays soccer with her, also lives upstairs and he is not answering his calls. The Fubar is where Pamen celebrated her birthday and where the whole soccer gang meets on Wednesdays. I am waiting for more news.
As usual, I was oblivious to all of this. As always, I found out from a phone call. This time is was Vivian, checking to see if I was OK. I was tinkering with my computers in bed, with the windows open and I thought there was an unusual helicopter traffic but I seemed to remember Bush was in town today and did not give it a second thought. Shit.
Lots of new goodies
Friday, March 14, 2008
New monitor, new hard drive, more memory. But now I need a new adapter to connect my MacBook to the monitor. I already have two different kinds (actually 2 of the same and a third one) but not the one I need.I also have to figure out how to install the new hard drive. I bought an enclosure for the old drive so I could boot from it, but I don't want to reinstall everything, so I might make a bootable image with SuperDuper on an external drive and boot from there. I still have to decide whether I will do the installation or get some techie to do it. I have been known to install memory on my old iMac, but I am not sure about the drive. So today after work I am going to the Mac store for some worshiping.
Forthcoming guests:
Andy is coming to town tomorrow. And taking me to eat the best pizza ever, in Brooklyn. Or so he promised.
And at the end of the month, Quique will be arriving and staying with me for a few days, before moving into his own place.
Bit and pieces
Monday, March 10, 2008
From now on Ana will not get to choose the restaurant. Centovini was not a great find. So so food in small portions and a distracted service. Not cheap either. The spelling mistakes on the menu were bad enough but having to wait for the check when there's almost nobody left in the restaurant is one of those things that really get on my nerves.
From now on I will not get to choose the after dinner entertainment. I think we went into the wrong club. Blvd instead of Crash Mansion. There was no band to be seen. Just a lot of very young kids, a lot of very fat women, a lot of pimp looking dudes and a fair share of roid raged bouncers. Not going back.
Brunch today was much better. Our waitress at Brasserie 360 was just great. The food was good and very abundant. The drinks were fine. I don't particularly care for the decor, but it's not offensive either.
you As for Friday, it was rainy, it was cold and the play was in Queens. I couldn't remember why I would get tickets to see Moliere in the first place, so I just stayed at the office until 9 or 9:30 PM and skipped Don Juan.
Andy called. He's coming this week-end for spring break. He's staying with me a couple of nights, maybe more.
Quique called. He's coming next week-end. He's staying with me two or three nights too and then he's moving into his own place.
I signed up for paintdancing.
I will be checking out Betty Spaghetti School of Art and Debauchery. It might be the solution to finding time to artsy fartsy.
An inordinate amount of work is waiting for me tomorrow, it's 3 AM and I can't sleep. I've become addicted to a game. This is what happens when you listen to some brain training ad on Channel 13. You google it, you find stimulating games, you try them, can't stop. I am on level 12. Heeeelp!
I am on my way
I am leaving for Lima, Peru, in April.
I went to Cross-Cultural Solution information session last week.
A couple of rows before me this very annoying lady. Pleated short black skirt, too long dark hair, very aggressive attitude. She was there for her 18-years-old girl. She kept asking questions about safety and rules and supervision. You could sense the control freak in here. I think we were all feeling sorry for her daughter. Eventually the presenter had to tell her that the program was geared toward adults. I am afraid her daughter's chance at freedom ended with that answer. The lady took out her eyeshadow and then her lipstick and checked herself a couple of times. Then she left. None too soon.
The class nerd was also present, the one who had throughly researched every organization, read up on every detail and had the very precise, articulate questions. I of course had done the same. Checked the web, saw the clips on YouTube, read the blogs. But I seemed to have no questions. I was there mostly for the vibe, I guess.
There was the older lady with narcolepsy with the heavy NY accent, falling asleep in her chair.
The socialite, all camel colors and golden, chunky jewelry.
The black woman who wanted to know if she could get credit for a college she was not attending, or maybe brownie points for a raise in pay.
And then, of course, the one who spoke to my heart. Black, cute, sensitive and gay, of course. He had worked with infants and toddlers with AIDS in Brazil and he was so nice and real and funny and sweet. Just the kind of person I wanted to hear from.
I could not thank him personally at the end of the session, so I googled him and sent him an e-mail the day after. Several messages later I am now on his mailing list and I bought ticket for his upcoming solo performance. He seems like a keeper.
I also found a Cross-Cultural Solutions group on Facebook and wrote to a girl who will be in Lima in March. I can hardly wait.
Online Videos by Veoh.com
Cultural frenzy
Friday, March 7, 2008
Yesterday: a short stop at the Paramount's bar before going to the theater. The play "November" seemed very bland to me. I might have laughed twice. Lame, easy jokes. Nathan Lane is spectacular but the play is what it is. On the way out I overheard somebody congratulating somebody else for not leaving before the end. "You were a trouper" she said, and a man answered "At least we know which side of the issue he is at". Guess what's dull to some can be radical to others. After the play some of us headed to Delta Grill for an artery-clogging dinner I haven't fully digested yet.
Tonight: It's Don Juan!
Now, when am I supposed to go to the gym with this flurry of edifying activities?
Erasing my sins
Atonement 1: Tonight I have a meeting on volunteering abroad. I will look into going to Peru for a week, see how I like it.
Atonement 2: After landing once again on Kiva's website, I finally joined.
Now back to my shallow life: as soon as the meeting is over tonight, I'll be rushing over to Juan's to play with Ricardo's new Wii. I guess I will be skipping the gym after all. Although I am trying to get back into my exercise routine, the 75 minutes of cardio I did yesterday should cover my quota for today. That and the fact that Wii boxing probably qualifies as a workout.
E-mail to PopRally
Monday, March 3, 2008
I just sent this to the organizers of Saturday's party:
I am almost 50 years old and although it can be argued that I look sensational, I certainly don't look 20. I showed up on Saturday for the dance party with a group of friends and family. The girl at the door gleefully announced that she needed tickets and an I.D. I told her I was sorry but I did not have an I.D. I explained that all I have is my passport and I don't feel comfortable carrying it around. This girl smiled a shark smile and chirped "Do you have a copy with you then?". Needless to say I just gave my ticket to somebody else and left for a more enjoyable evening elsewhere.
Mind you, I have been carded before and I have gone home to get my I.D. without a fuss. The difference has been the person asking for the document. If you tell me you are sorry but your job is on the line it would never cross my mind to push the issue. But the person who was at the table seemed to be enjoying her little power trip. This is not just my impression but rather the comment by everybody who witnessed the incident. The I.D. could not have been required for identification reasons given that the tickets had no name printed on them. The fact that they were not being scanned tells me you were not screening terrorists either.
You know, sometimes a little kindness is all you need.
I'll make sure I carry my senior discount card next time I attend one of your events.
They did not let me in! I got to the MoMa and the bitch at the door asked me for my I.D., which I did not have. I explained that I only have a passaport and I don't walk around with it in my purse. She gave me a gleeful I-will-kill-you-in-your-sleep smile and asked whether I carried a copy. I knew immediately she was one of those people that cannot handle an ounce of power, unable to distinguish the spirit of the law from the mindless implementation of it. One of those who will abjectly and without hesitation turn their neighbour in if they got a memo instructing them to do so. She was clearly just enjoying her rather sad power trip. I.D. are required for age verification. I am clearly beyond the age requirement. I will soon get senior citizen discounts. Granted, I could have walked back home to get an I.D. but any desire I had had to be at the party had completely vanished. I gave my ticket to a friend, stopped at a deli and a liquor store and marched over to Ana's. The funny part was that I had lost my gloves on my way to the MoMa and when I retraced my steps to go to Ana's I passed by a large group of twenty-something playing soccer with one of my gloves.
Dance the night away
Me and my pink hair and multicolored socks are off to the at the MoMa.Tomorrow I'll upload all the posts for this last week.
A little bit of everything
Thursday, February 21, 2008
The week started on a less than cheerful note when on Tuesday, coming back to work after President's Day, I found that a colleague and fellow countrywoman had jumped from the 19th floor of the U.N. building. I did not know her personally but Uruguay being what it is, the name rings a bell. As usual with all news, at the beginning the details were not very accurate though they eventually they got them right. I would hate to be one of the security guards that found her. Through a friend of a friend of a friend, I was already treated to some gory details.
On a technological aside: I am still struggling to make MisterHouse work on the old laptop. My total ignorance in all things Linux does not help. I keep going from a tutorial to a cheat sheet in order to understand the commands. I have no idea of what I am doing but it is very interesting nonetheless.
And on a new, different idea: I am looking into "volunteer vacations". I think I have already decided on the organization (CrossCultural Solutions) and the place (Peru). Later on, if I enjoy it as much as I think I will, I'd like to try Ghana and Laos. I will be attending an info meeting on March 4th and I'll probably leave in April, if there are still places available.
As of the near future, I will be leaving for D.C. either tonight or tomorrow morning. And snow is on the way!!!!!!
Minimum one drink per set
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
I hadn't laughed so hard in quite a while. The two classic gin martinis might have helped but the show itself was hilarious. Matthew Broderick, Donna Murphy, Kristen Johnston, Seth Rudetsky, Rachel Dratch, Richard Kind, Claudia Shear, Dayle Reyfel and Eugene Pack reading the most moronic passages from the autobiographies of some pretty dumb and full of shit celebrities. Comment on the side: Matthew Broderick is very cute in person. I guess he just does not photograph well. After the show I joined Pam, Bettina, Julie and her friend for dinner at an Indian restaurant on the corner of 100th and Broadway.
And now I am working on the Punta del Este photobook. I am afraid I am in a very sleepless mood.
On my way back home
Track 3. 42nd St. Last crosstown.
Theory and practice
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Theoretically I should have gone to the gym and spent a few hours at the Library, working. Real life had other plans: lazy coffee in bed while surfing, humongous pizza at Patsy's, a lousy movie where I promptly fell asleep and back home, trying to digest the pizza and getting ready for dinner with Pam, Julie, Matteo and a friend of Julie's. The dinner part might not happen though because they will be arriving in town around 8.00 PM and by the time they will be ready to go out it might be too late for dinner. Not that that bothers me. Right now the mere thought of food triggers crushing nausea.
Well, I do have an hour or so to get some work done ...
Bed and out
At the Fubar
Friday, February 15, 2008
Wondering whether to leave or not. Been here since 8.30 and I think the alternative plan (dancing at Cielo) will not materialize. Reading about their "strict door policy" was enough for me not to want to go. Given the gazillion things I have lined up for tomorrow and given how much I need to pee, I think I am indeed leaving . . .
Regular mascara
For the first half of Dianne Reeves' concert I kept choking up. By the time she sang the last words to Windmills of your Mind I had tears streaming down my cheeks. On a non-waterproof mascara day!
Is the sound of distant drumming
just the fingers of your hand ?
pictures hanging in a hallway
and the fragment of this song
half remembered names and faces
but to whom do they belong ?
when you knew
that it was over
in the autumn of goodbyes
for a moment
you could not recall the color
of his eyes !
Marc and I ended the evening at Toast where I was the oldest customer until a couple of professors showed up.
A gem
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Just came across this ... can´t resist sharing it ...
My artwork is my deepest emtions and thoughts transcribed into a visual context exalting myself from old and negative emotions and to own my truth that my concious mind cannot envision. My art penetrates my subconcious enabling me to gauge what I feel and the condition of my soul.
Gem therapy is an alternative form of healing used as tools to strenghten, protect, and heal the mind, body, and spirit. Each amulet designed have been finely selected to attune personal needs and act as a talisman as well.
Gems and minerals...
An exercise in frustration
Misterhouse is not communicating with my Home Director module so I tried Heyu, which is simply refusing to install. I found somebody out there with the same problem, but the solution doesn't seem to work.
So the heck with them for today. Now I am looking into changing the image on this blog header. I downloaded the original and will be tweaking it with the GIMP. I added a Google calendar but the pop-up is too big for the page margins. Gotta fix that too. And I definitely have to finish the photobook of Punta del Este. So glad a long weekend is on the horizon.
Speaking of frustration, I fired off a less than happy e-mail to the company in charge of the cafeteria at work today. No breakfast and the perspective of a long day and I was ready for some decent food, which, obviously, was nowhere to be seen. I headed to the very last resort, the sandwich station, where a dozen people stood immobile. I waited a short while and then lost it. I must have speed walked back to my office and my computer. In the e-mail I made sure to mention the mice that can often be seen walking around.
I do not live by bread alone
Kaveri, Pam's young client, was over tonight for dinner (she is a tiny 22 years old with gorgeous, huge dark eyes, long, dark eyelashes and pouty lips - I can't believe I fed her! I should have killed her as soon as she set foot in my house!). Pam bought the groceries, I improvised the cooking (spicy sautéed Bruxelles sprouts with scallions, sautéed fake chicken with sesame seeds and orange marmalade, sautéed cauliflower and onions and baked sweet potatoes - they are both vegetarians). We topped it off with some fancy fruit alfajores and orange rum.
Given that today I was also out for lunch and that I have basically pigged out the whole week, I think I will have to run on the treadmill at full speed, on a level 10 incline setting, for at least a couple of months. I might burn the calories and I might also say goodbye for good to my knees. I'll think about it at breakfast tomorrow.
On a less basic needs subject, Marc, acting now as my own personal cultural attaché, has lined me up a few shows:
Thursday February 14: Dianne Reeves at the Apollo
Monday February 18: Celebrity Autobiography
Thursday March 6: Betrayed
Lunch with the geeks
Monday, February 11, 2008
Golden and red tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala with garlic marinated roasted peppers. My first course at Cibo, where I had a fun lunch with my fellow Taggers (Technological Advisory Group).
An international week-end
Sunday, February 10, 2008
I am back from a prolonged brunch. Lots of food and wine and an interesting conversation. In attendance mostly Spaniards and South Americans from work. Friday it had been dinner with Japanese friends and Saturday it was a German evening. Bettina invited a friend of hers, a German physicist with a background as a semi-professional ballroom dancer, very eclectic interests and an endearing quirkiness. He seemed to click with Pam. Soon they were deep in conversation with subjects spanning from Indian writers to Lebanese hotels, PBS and BBC radio. He walked back home with us, promptly accepting an invitation to come up and ended up staying until 3.30 AM.
Needless to say, I have had no time to go through my list of to dos. I haven't called all the friends I wanted to call, haven't sent all the e-mails I wanted to send. I haven't really played with Ubuntu much. Pam will be here shortly and I want to explore a series of links tonight:
Level Club
Saturday, February 9, 2008
This building is fantastic. I wasn't even aware it existed until yesterday. I had a very lively dinner at Fumiko's, a stylist, with Hiromi, a make-up artist, Bettina, who's in the fashion industry and Pam, with her fashion degree. A gathering with women like this and you are guaranteed a good time. I, of course, loved Fumiko's look and her layers of black clothes. I don't know what's with that style, but I love it. My ex-hubby used to call it my Vietnamese costume and recently at work somebody commented I was dressed like Bin-Laden. I don't care. I am mesmerized by black layers.
Today I am chopping my hair off, probably something radical, given that there is not that much hair to cut anyways. In the evening we are invited for dinner at Bettina's. She too lives in the UPS and I will be salivating once again. If my place wasn't so damn convenient for work I would move to the UPS. Either that or the LES.
In the restroom
Pam, Bettina and me in the restroom at the St. Regis. After chatting up a girl from somewhere in middle America, she took this photo with my phone.
Here I am surrounded by pretentious people
Kernels and martinis
Thursday, February 7, 2008
I slept squeezed between two laptops: my regular MacBook and my "new" A30 running Ubuntu. Yesterday the friendly folks from the Help Desk presented me with an old laptop from their obsolete inventory. I installed Ubuntu and spent a good chunk of the night getting to know it. I have to read up on Linux but I think I've found some pretty good tutorials on the web. Step 2 will be the installation of MisterHouse. I also want to try Transolution and find an indexer with functionalities similar to those of dtSearch (Heartsome? Recoll? MetaTracker?). I will probably just have to explore every single link on the Linux for Translators page and then research KDE. All this on top of a gazillion other things I want to do. The funny thing is the other me wants to do absolutely nothing.
Pam should be here after lunch. Tonight we are celebrating Bettina's 50th birthday at some fancy schmanzy bar and then off to an Indian restaurant yet to be decided.
Installation 1
Almost all the CD cases are up on one of the walls in my office. I have to print a few more and maybe add a title.
A bullet through the back of my head
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
I usually don't find Stephanie Klein's posts very interesting. But today she nailed it. My marbled bathroom walls tend to come alive with all sort of faces and animals. My airplanes do explode in mid-flight. My cars can't stay away from frontal collisions. When I was a little girl I couldn't turn in my bed because there was a knife sticking out of the mattress. The joys of an active imagination.
Artsy Fartsy Tuesday
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
We are meeting tonight at home for some creative activities. Hopefully I will end up uploading pictures on the website.
I have to glue magnets on the back of my CD covers and I have to finish the photo/comic book about our holiday in Punta del Este. I also have some other things in mind, but they will have to wait until next week or maybe the weekend.
Living an improvised life
Saturday, February 2, 2008
As I was madly pumping my fists in the air to the sound of George Michael's Freedom sometime late last night or, more aptly, early this morning, I realized how wonderful it is to be unattached. I can improvise. I can do whatever I feel like doing. No negotiating, no coordinating, no compromising. Blissful freedom. And I enjoy every second of it.
A little practical advice: never wear Kushyfoot socks on the dance floor. They do not provide a gentle massage. It feels more like stones in your shoes. After a while it's daggers stabbing the sole of your feet. Upon awaking today it took me awhile to get the courage to peep under the duvet and check whether I still had feet. I still have them but I haven't used them at all today. Until now. I am off to dinner now. Will get back to yesterday's celebration later on.
The best is yet to come
Friday, February 1, 2008
Today's my birthday. There used to be a time when I hated this day. That was back when I was young and stupid. Now I am older and remarkably smarter, so I absolutely LOVE it. Last year I rented a great space and had a big party. This year I sent out the following:
Being the snob that you all know I am, I am forgoing the party (soooo last year) for an art installation. Basically, I want each of you to get an empty CD case and replace the cover with a creation of your own. The theme is: "The best is yet to be".
It can be a drawing, a painting, a poem (nothing sappy, please), letters, a color, a collage, doodles, anything, but it has to be something. I will then glue a magnet on the back of the case and stick it on a wall in my office. Lots of cases, lots of creations, hence "the installation". This will be my present so you'd better not ignore my wishes and ruin my birthday.
As for the celebration, let's meet at the Delegate's Lounge at around 6 PM on Friday Feb. 1st for some needed fuel and take it from there. Maybe dinner (The Highline? ) and most probably The Pyramid Club for the 80's night .
For those of you not in town, please send me a scanned image of your creation and I will take care of the rest.
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