I Speak; Therefore, I Write in a Similar Fashion

I've been told by a few people that they can literally "hear" my voice when they read my writing. I like to think of my writing style as a combination of wholesome, snarky, sarcastic and (hopefully) concise.

Well now there's a website that tells me what famous author I write like!

I write like
David Foster Wallace

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

I have actually never read any of this famed author and essayist's pieces. If anyone has, 1) Is it any good? 2) Do I really write like him?

Granted, a website that "analyzes" a part of my blog, and then a second later tells me I sound like this guy, probably isn't all that accurate. But if I ever had dreams of becoming a famous author, maybe this is a hint about what style of writing I should try.

Wow Sam, this is a random blog post. I know.

My Google homepage keeps popping up in German. I'm not the only one in my office with that problem. Has anyone else had foreign issues with Google?

My brother completed the New York City Triathlon this weekend. He currently holds the title of "Superman" to me right now. Especially surviving the 90+ degree heat. He also competed in the 1.7 mile Underwear Run the Friday before, but for the sake of his dignity, I won't post those photos online.

While he was burning hundreds of calories competing, I sampled 12 different kinds of ice cream at the New Jersey Ice Cream Festival. Sad to say, the festival was insanely crowded and most of the ice cream (minus the key lime pie flavor) was just so-so. I think beside the Key Lime, this random flavor of vanilla that wasn't even entered in the contest was my favorite.

I'm counting down until the start of Season 4 of Mad Men. I blame my Dad for sucking me into it, but it's AMAZING! And look here, the secretary who I'm convinced has crazy eyes had decided to take her baby blues to Playboy.

I'm also counting down the days until my friend Lauren and her boyfriend,Tad, move to NYC. Lauren got an amazing job in the city and I'm super stoked to have a UMD friend in the neighborhood. I think Steve; however, is more excited for the twice-baked potatoes she makes.

Super busy the next few weeks at work and weekends with family and friends. This is shaping up to be quite a lovely Summer in the city!

Pilates in the Park

It's a good thing I watch the news and read newspapers. How would I know that it's freakin' hot outside without them?

It's day two of Hotmagaddon (it's like Snowpocalypse, only hotter) and I haven't completely melted yet. My subway car had no air conditioning this morning (awful!), but besides that, I'll keep praying to the A/C Gods that my little window A/C that could keeps pumping that sweet, sweet cold air.

Even with the temperature rising, I thought an 100 degree day was the perfect time to take a free outdoors pilates class. I'm serious.

The recently renovated Brooklyn Bridge Park is offering free pilates classes every Tuesday until Labor Day, and I would be a fool to pass up free gym classes. So I brought my mat to work and sprinted out of the office to make it to class on time.

I was sweaty by the time I got to class (not good); however, I hydrated all day at work (very good), so I was ready to face the heat. I hadn't been to the park before, but I had heard that it was very pretty and had great views of the bridge and downtown Manhattan, and it did not disappoint.

Pretty decent quality for a 2-year-old Sprint Flip Phone. Take that IPhone! And look how many people showed up! I'm not the only crazy one!

I made sure to get a spot next to the river so I could really feel the breeze from the water. Granted, it wasn't much cooler than the air temperature, but I'll take what I can get. I almost completely forgot how hot it was as soon as the class picked up the pace. Then I saw how sweaty I was when I got home, and I remembered.

Anyway, the class kicked my butt (well more like kicked my abs, arms and back) into shape and I left feeling absurdly sweaty, but really proud of myself for facing the heat and getting in a really interesting workout.

I plan on going as much as I can. Anyone in NYC looking for an exercise buddy?

Maine: The Way Life Should Be

We passed the "Welcome to Maine" sign, and that slogan greeted us as we cruised up I-95. I thought at first, "Wow super northern state, is life really that fantastic up here? Is this really how life should be?"

Summertime answer: Yes, yes it should.

I'm not going to campaign that this is the way we should live all year round. Granted, the water stays a constant 55 degrees around Bar Harbor all year, leaving it cooler in the summer and slightly less cold than the rest of the state in the winter. But still. Who wants to be in Maine in January? A New York winter is enough for me!

But enough of that. Our vacation was beyond fantastic. And here is a list of reasons why:

1. Clean air. I did not realize just how smelly NYC was until I left it...smelt fresh air...and then came back.
2. The Inn at Bay Ledge. We stayed here our first two nights. Delicious breakfast in the morning. Afternoon tea at 4pm. The most comfortable bed...ever. Friendly staff (that brought their dogs to play in the morning!) And steps away from these views:

This is the view from the porch while we were eating breakfast

From the stairs down to the pebble shore

The perfect place to look for clear, brown, green and blue sea glass.

3. Lobster lobster and more lobster. Those crustaceans tasted like they walked from the water, cooked themselves and then sat happily on my plate. By far the best place was a lobster pound on the side of the road. Yes, lobster on the side of the road. Better than any 5-star restaurant.

Doesn't it look like it's saying, "Eat me please?" Don't mind if I do.

4. Acadia National Park. Beautiful scenery, fantastic hiking/biking trails. The campsites were quite crowded (thumbs down), but besides that, our overnight provide me with the perfect combination of sweat, dirt and smoke on many of my clothes.
5. Ice Cream! We ate some much. So tasty.
6. Downtown Bar Harbor. Such a cute town with tons of restaurants, shops and bars. We went into one bar to avoid some rain and ended up staying for 2+ hours talking with the bartender and getting fed free drinks. That's the way service should be.



7. Portland. We weren't expecting much in this "city", but ended up seeing some beautiful lighthouses and hanging out with another friendly bartender in the city's downtown pub. Guinness on tap and part of the $3 happy hour special?! Steve was in heaven.

It even had a shamrock in the foam!

Lobsters do love Guinness.

I could continue the list, but I figure you get the idea. Will I go back to Maine? Yes, hopefully sooner rather than later. Now is the perfect time of year to pack the car and head north. It was sunny every day and didn't get above 75 degrees. You really can't go in the water (unless you have a super warm wet suit), but I'm more than happy to sacrifice that for all the beautiful nature.

If New York City ever becomes too dirty, crowded and smelly (even for me), I'm heading up there. Maybe I'll become one of those friendly bartenders. Or Steve and I will open a bed and breakfast. Vacation atmosphere everyday? Count me in.

Peace Out Big City!

By this time tomorrow I will have traveled the entire east coast. Top to bottom. That's because Steve and I are packing up his car and heading north...

to Bar Harbor, Maine!!

And Acadia National Park!

Five days of mountains, the ocean, fresh air, lighthouses and lobster. Delicious, delicious lobster. Cross your fingers for poor blackberry reception.

Business Trip to the beach? Should I wear a bathing suit?

In 24 hours, I'll be here.




Exciting, right? Well not exactly. I'm heading on a business trip to Miami tomorrow morning. And while maybe I'll get to spend a few minutes near a beach, I'll mostly be running around softball fields and GM dealerships. (Yes, in this instance baseball and cars work together)




I'm praying for good weather, decent interviews and that the other people involved were half as OCD as me. Seriously, you should see the time line/contact list I wrote.

Adios!

Sweet and Sour Awesomeness

New York will never cease to amaze me. After a successful (and slightly overwhelming) trip to Fairway in Red Hook, Brooklyn with Steve (really great supermarket, TONS of free samples),we stumbled into this just a few blocks away.

A key lime pie stand, in Brooklyn? Did we discover a hole in the time space continuum and end up in Key West?

My love for Key Lime began, where else, in college as a recipe taster for my roommate, Amy. She made a delicious frozen lime pie that made me fall in love with all things lime. And then there were the key lime cupcakes; I was pretty much sold after that.

This pie shop, or pie garage is what it looked more like, only sells one thing: pies. And lots of them. Steve and I decided to split a mini-pie. Fairly reasonable at just $4.



It was like taking small bites of sweet, sour and delicious heaven. No artificial colors, flavors or additives. Just key limes, pie crust and awesomeness.

And what added to the "gem-like" status of this place, was the beautiful garden that surrounds the slightly dilapidated parking lot, as well as the view of the New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty in the distance. (Wish I had a picture, sorry! I'll just have to go back! And next time, I'm getting this.)

Happy National "Insert Favorite Food" Day!

I'm sad to say I did not get the chance yesterday to truly celebrate National Donut Day. I kept telling myself I should stop by Dunkin' Donuts for a free donut with drink purchase, but I never got around to it.

I mean look at it. So delicious and tasty. I feel like Homer Simpson.
Mmm pink frosting.

It got me thinking about the other national food holidays that may be over looked ever year. I had the delicious chance to celebrate National Chocolate Cupcake Day, thanks to Hostess, when I was producing at Newschannel 8. (Just a reminder, it's on October 18th, in case you want to mark your calendars)

Here's how that phone conversation went:
Me: "Hello this is Samantha with Newschannel 8"
Awesome Hostess Lady (AHL): "Hi there, we would like to help you celebrate National Chocolate Cupcake Day, do you mind if we send you some Hostess Cupcakes?"
Me: "Really?! Do I have to do anything?"
AHL: "No, if you want to mention that it's National Chocolate Cupcake Day on October 18th, you can."
Me: "Score! Send them my way!"

A week later I got four boxes of Hostess Cupcakes to share with my friends at work (and sneakily hide one for myself later) And most of you know just how much I love my Hostess Cupcakes, see Tart Reform, and you'll understand (Thanks Amy!)

Anyway, those are not the only food holidays. Did you know today is National Gingerbread Day? Me neither! Or just wait until June 7th for National Chocolate Ice Cream day! Or if seafood is your thing, June 15th is National Lobster Day!
To check out the food holidays, click here.
Oh and of course I looked up my birthday. March 4th is National Pound Cake Day.
Mmmm pound cake. Mmmm food holidays. Mmmm do I have anything to eat in my kitchen?

I Got Links! Now You Got Links!

Who actually works at work? Apparently, I do. It's been so busy I haven't had time to (opps!) write a blog post during work hours. However, I have had time to scroll through my usual daily readings, and I came across some fun stuff.

More proof that little girls are more than just sugar and spice and everything nice.

Friend of mine at work sent me this song. If you can get past the creepy makeup and avaunt-guard costumes, the music is pretty good.



I just discovered M&Ms Pretzel. Quite tasty and colorful! Guess I'm not listening to Urban Outfitters' advice.

I tell Steve all the time that I don't fit in my neighborhood because I don't have a dog, or a baby. Seriously, it's either a baby, a dog, a baby dog, or a dog baby (a baby with the misfortune of bad genes.) I guess I'm not the only one who is notices that.

Where are my Peanuts and Cracker Jacks?

My elementary school gym teacher, Mr. Fitz, taught me the correct way to throw a baseball.

Sideways, step and throw.

My Dad taught me everything else.

I remember playing catch with him in the front yard in my softball days. He'd always remind me to snap my wrist to make sure the ball actually travels straight. He even taught me "windmill" style when I became my team's pitcher back in 5th grade.

Well finally, I got to see Dear Ol' Dad in action.

My Dad has played on his company's softball team for a long as I can remember. But I think only recently since he's become the resident "older guy" on the team that he really enjoys it. And now that I live back in New York, and my apartment is in Brooklyn near where they play, AND my roommate works/plays for the rival company team, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I'd be behind that chain-linked fence watching him play.

Company softball is a lot more competitive than I ever realized. Maybe it was because they were playing their "arch rivals", but these guys were really into it. The team's coach doesn't go by the "everyone should get a chance to play, it's just company softball" motto, so I had to bite my tongue so as to not yell at him to let my Dad play with the younger, slightly faster guys.

Glee + HIMYM = Dreaming the Impossible Dream?

Instead of making NPH "Towns person #1" in the Lima, OH production of Les Miserables on "Glee" last night, couldn't they have just made him Javert?

Clearly, he already knows the part.



I had a very difficult time keeping my laughter contained while I watched this at work. And Glee should tap Jason Segel next. Or better yet, let's just have one amazing episode where the Glee kids sing all the songs created for HIMYM so far. Awesome!

Going Up...Or Not

"Love in an elevator, livin' it up while we're going down" - Aerosmith

That wasn't my elevator experience this morning. You know your day is pretty much going downhill when you can't go down, or up, in your elevator.

The box full of metal and winding parts started its journey up fine. It opened and closed on levels four and six, but somehow made the decision that, "You know, the 6Th floor is high enough for me today. I think I'll just stay there and trap the one lonely passenger inside."

The doors shut on the 6Th floor, and nothing happens. I thought for a second I was imaging it and I was moving at hyper speed. But that wasn't the case. I tried knocking on the door to see if the person who just got off the elevator was still there, but no answer. I fumble for my phone, but instead I look to the buttons for an answer.

I hit the alarm button:
Voice from inside elevator: "What seems to be the trouble, ma'am?"
Me: "Well, umm, the elevator doors closed and it doesn't seem to be moving."
Voice from inside elevator: "Oh alrighty."
(Doors magically open)

I awkwardly get out of the elevator, while the lady at the front desk on the 6Th floor stares blankly at me. I couldn't get to stairs from that lobby, so I had to wait for another elevator to take me up the last two flights.

I've had nightmares about being stuck in an elevator alone. But usually the lights are out, it's storming and suddenly there is no oxygen left.

But maybe it was the good night sleep I got or the delicious oatmeal I had for breakfast, but I did not panic when the elevator hung in-between floors. I knew I had cell phone service because I've made plenty of calls in there, and I thought it would be a good excuse why I was running late to work.

This little misadventure was the only few moments I had to myself this morning. And it gave me a story to tell before I discovered the insanity that awaited me at work today.

Blogger Fail

I'm a poor excuse for a blogger. See the date of the last post? Opps. Apparently life/work insanity/business trip to Atlanta just got in the way.

Do I have topics in the pipeline? Yes, sort of.
Will I become a consistent blogger? Hopefully, but I can't confirm.

So instead of trying to make something up when I simply don't have anything too excited to write about, I'll leave you with this. (With hopes that it will put the Mets back in first place)

Shuffling Around The Newsroom

I've dealt with a lot of interesting characters during my short time in the working world. Being in a newsroom will give you that opportunity. One person whom I didn't actually work with, but had the chance be "in the presence of" was Politico reporter, Mike Allen.
There is this fantastic article about the illusive, eccentric reporter in the New York Times magazine. Preview here.

The few times I ever interacted with him were:
1. Producing for "Newstalk". He was a frequent guest (it's easy when it's 10 steps from his desk) and would always came up with the best talking points, and he was one of the few guests I would actively pay attention to when I produced the show. Most times, it was a struggle to stay awake.
2. Awkwardly bumping into him in the newsroom. Literally.
3. Walking by his desk and wondering how anyone could get work done (or even fit in it) when there were so many papers, wrappers and other mementos surrounding him. But he always had an open box of some kind of cookie that was free for public eating.
4. (My favorite) Actually talking to him during my weekend shift. I was always curious to know why someone would willingly be in the newsroom at 5 o'clock in the morning on a Sunday. He would shuffle in and out of desks and then would suddenly disappear, like a fart in the wind. He did one time come up to me and said:

Mike: "You shouldn't be here by yourself this early."
Me: "Darryl (in charge of the assignment desk) is here."
Mike: "Oh" (shuffles away)
Me: "Thank you?"

Very exciting, I know. But when you talk to the guy who write the articles that top White House officials, Washington big wigs and news junkies read on a daily basis, any interaction with him seems kinda cool.

The article also inspired me to sign up for his daily Politico Playbook e-mails. Not just because Katie Couric is on the mailing list, but as illusive and "weird" as he might be, he sure as hell knows what he's talking about in terms of the inner workings of our political system.

Big Lights, Big Bridges, Beautiful City

There are few things in life that are better than a long stroll with good company. After an amazing Groupon dinner where Steve and I ate our weight in Japanese food, we thought there was no better way to walk off that food than a stroll over the Brooklyn Bridge back to my apartment.

I handed Steve my camera because I'm just too lazy to use all the cool features.

He likes to be all artistic. It's cute.

There are a few things that you don't get to see by just driving over the Brooklyn Bridge:
1. The wooden floorboards that you walk on have small spaces between them, so you can see the lights of the cars breezing under you. Very cool, but also made me start thinking about just how old (and sturdy) this bridge is.
2. The bridge was completed in 1883, one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States.
3. The walkway splits as both a bike path and walkway, and the center of the bridge has become a great place to sit and watch the world go by.


We both look a little like deer in headlights. I blame the building lights, and the random stranger who took the picture.

So perfect. Makes it really hard not to fall in love with the city.
Hey DC friends, wanna visit/move here? Look how pretty it is!!

Happy Tax Day! (Now Give Me My Refund!)

Happy April 15Th to all! Hope everyone filled out their taxes correctly. I apparently owed the Commonwealth of Virginia $17. Why? I have no idea. All I know is I'm never filing in that state again! (Heck, it's not even a state!)

Anyway, if you're strapped for cash and desperately waiting for your refund check, here's a list of free stuff being given away today. Coffee from Starbucks always tastes a little better when free.

And if you're one of those last minute tax filers, enjoy a little income tax propaganda, courtesy of Donald Duck.

"Dear John," More Like "Dear Jose"

Dear Tequila,

We need to talk. Over the years, our relationship has been smooth sailing. We met late in college, after I did my first shot of you with classmates, my dean and other professors at the senior luncheon for my journalism school. A lick of the salt, the sip of the drink and a bite of the lime and I was hooked.

After that, our relationship turned more casual. Shots with friends during a night out. Shots with my family at my cousin's wedding. Shots to celebrate life at journalism happy hours. And even mixing you with lovely fruity drinks to add to the delicious elixir.

But last night, our relationship took a bit of a turn. Those margaritas I shared with my parent's friend Jane at dinner were fantastic, but little did I realize just how much of you was happily sitting in my glass. It wasn't until I stood up to use the restroom that I realized, I was taken advantage of by my beverage! I was being smothered, and the empty glass was laughing at me!

As dizzy as I was starting to feel, it didn't end there. Another drink was ordered (thanks Jane) as well as the request to finish at least half. So I did, knowing I may regret this later.

So tequila, my fine friend, it was both our faults. I shouldn't have let myself be taken advantage of, but what's a girl to do when you're so tasty and delicious?

I think it's best we take a break. Just for a little while. I need to reassess my drinking priorities, see other drinks even, and learn from both our mistakes. I know we'll meet again, but don't provoke me. I'll find you when I'm ready to fall off the wagon again.

Love,
Sam

Who's That Gal?

A random celebrity sighting in front of my office today:

Anyone? Anyone? My first reaction was "Hey, that's the lady judge from Law and Order: SVU." But after a little IMDB search, I realize it's Judith Light from "Who's the Boss?" and "Ugly Betty." She looked a little bit disheveled and had a determined look on her face, like she was late for a meeting, but it was awesome and totally random! We sometimes get celebrities at work for satellite media tours (Clinton Kelly from "What Not To Wear" was here last week), but those don't count. Our studio is a controlled environment. And this sighting doesn't hold a candle to all the random celebrity sightings my brother has had (Jason Priestly, Henry Winkler, Tom Brokaw etc.), but I've only been living in the city a few months, I'll catch up.

I Feel The Need, The Need To Read!

I'm officially a resident of Brooklyn. It's not because I signed a lease nor is it because my pay stub says so.



I now have a Brooklyn Public Library card.

The city is a bit more lax about who they give library cards to. I applied online, it was mailed to my apartment, I activated it. No fuss, no muss.
No more of this "need to show proof of residency with a utility bill" sort of deal. Granted, it's a real card and not one of those mini cards that attach to my key chain, but I'll deal.

There are 65 branches all over Brooklyn, and lucky for me there is one just a quick jog away in Carroll Gardens. I wasn't really sure what to expect when I got there. I've grown up with big, suburban libraries with thousands of books, multiple floors and plenty of room to find a corner and read for a while.

This library was an eighth the size of the libraries in Rockland. When you walk in and can see the entire stock of books and everything else it offers without turning your head, you know it's a small library. I tried looking up books they might have in their online catalog, but most of the ones I looked up where not there or out of stock. So I instead sifted through the shelves, hoping something would catch my eye. I got lucky and found what must be a brand-new copy of The Time Traveler's Wife. It's a perfect paperback copy that nicely fits in my bag for work.

Now I shouldn't completely judge this library. There are 64 other branches I could try. And honestly, my whole county had maybe 20 libraries, so kudos to Brooklyn for using the "more branches, fewer books, more convenience" route. So this isn't exactly the branch that I'd go to and find a quiet space and read for an hour. I'll go in, hopefully find my books, and head out. Like their cards, "no fuss, no muss."

But this library did provide me with something that's been missing for a while. It gave me a sense of community. I'm starting to feel like I fit in (minus the whole "hipster" vibe) in Brooklyn. People walking their dogs/babies down the streets smile as I walk by. My apartment feels like a home. And now with this new library card, I can fill it with some great reading material.

Obamacare...Now What?

I was able to stealthy stream CNN live on my computer today at work to watch President Obama sign out nation's health care bill into law. There is still the hurdle of passing changes in the Senate, but most likely, change is a-commin'.

Even though I don't work in news anymore, I do my best to keep up with the constant 24-hour news cycle, (Even if it means watching NY1 "read the newspaper." I wish I was kidding, it's part of the Saturday morning newscast. Guess that's where "How I Met Your Mother" got the idea) Anyway, one thing I did notice was although the news was giving me "some" idea of what this health care bill means, I didn't feel like I was getting the whole picture; the good, the bad and the "what the heck?"

I'm not going to give my opinion, because honestly, I'm still forming it. There is so much to absorb from the 2,000+ page document. It actually makes me question who sat down and read the whole thing. I'm also trying to find the Cliffsnotes version of it, so if you know where it is, send it my way.

But here is what I've found so far in my research that I find truly helpful:

1. This is a great interactive graphic from the New York Times that lets you know the changes depending on your current insurance status. If you're employed and your company provides insurance, it gives you the positive and negative changes that will come with this bill.

2. Here's a timeline of when each change will take effect from now until 2018. Most of us know the highlights, like being able to stay on your parent's coverage until 26, but what about the provision that will give tax relief for health care professionals with student loans? I didn't know that was in there. That will take effect this year.

3. Take a gander at Politico's series entitled "Health Care Diagnosis." From articles, to video interviews to interactive graphics, they spill it out for you. No wonder Mike Allen was running around the newsroom at 4am on Saturdays and Sundays. There's a lot to cover. (Politico shares a newsroom with Newschannel 8 and WJLA; he was at least a little company on my overnight shift!)

I'm still not done fishing around for answers so please pass along any materials that can help provide a better understanding.

It's Funner With A Runner

I am surrounded by people who love to run. I left a bunch of marathoners in DC. My current roommate is training for a marathon. Another friend in Brooklyn would wake up at 5am to get a run in before grad school classes. I have a friend who blogs about it. My brother is currently training for a triathlon. I just can't get away from those feet-pounding, knee-icing, stretch-loving fitness freaks.
And if that wasn't enough peer pressure, I have a boyfriend who's looking for a running buddy now that the warmer weather has finally arrived.

So I gave in.

I knew the weather this weekend would be my downfall. You couldn't ignore how nice it was. Prime running weather. I had no feasible excuse. So we laced up our sneakers and hit the pavement. Both of us pretty much took a "it's too cold outside and we are too cheap to pay for a gym membership" hiatus from running, so we eased in with a mile and a half run around his neighborhood.

I might regret publishing this, but honestly, it was not bad at all.

We kept up a good pace, and before I knew it, we were more than half way done with the course we created for ourselves. I even sprinted at two separate points in the journey, and liked it. Gasp!
This does not mean I'm signing up for the New York City Marathon tomorrow. Nor does it mean I'll categorize myself with my "runner" friends. But I've already planned to run one day after work and again this weekend with the boy, so I guess that's a start.

Did I just unlace Pandora's sneakers? Will I fall in love with running? I've tried to and failed before, but I guess this time I'm willing to give this relationship a second chance.

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

Living in New York has been wonderful these past few months. And now with the warmer weather finally on its way, I see clear skies, sunny days and cool breezes in my future.

But before that, we got rain. Not just a drizzle, but the raining cats and dogs kind of storm. (I like to pretend I'm the mother on HIMYM with my yellow umbrella.)

We all know, "when it rains, it pours." Well that part came true thanks to Mother Nature, but it also could be used to describe the slew of Maryland friends who made the trek to Brooklyn this past weekend.

It first started with the arrival of my dear, former roomie, Amy. We braved the monsoon to walk around my neighborhood and discovery Brooklyn.

I think she would have braved a tsunami combined with a hurricane and tornado for a New York bagel. Luckily, there's a good bagel shop two blocks from me.

Anyway, after a little shopping and a little baking (annual hostess birthday cupcakes!), we took the subway up to Green Point, to meet up with our guy friends, who made a 24-hour trip to NYC for a concert.

Concert was great, cupcakes were awesome.

After an memorable taxi ride (funniest cab driver who blasted "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" on our way down the BQE), we were back near my apartment. But before we headed home, we made one more stop...to see Lauren and Tad! They were in town for Lauren's brother's 30th birthday.

It was such a wonderful change of pace to see some of my favorite, familiar faces from college. It's these weekends where I realize just how much I miss seeing these people on a regular basis. The next time I see them all probably won't be until April (Maryland Day!), so it felt so great to catch up, even if it was for only one, rainy night.

The Good, The Bad and the Just Plain Icky

After a jam-packed awesome weekend with some great Marylanders (details and pictures to follow), I luckily have some down time at work to catch up on today's news.

Maybe not so much the headlines, but this stuff is still pretty interesting.

1. Thank you DC for at least trying to tackle the sky-rocketing HIV/AIDS rate that plagues the city.

2. Arizona and Hawaii, get with the Daylight Saving Time time program!

3. Thanks to split-second photography and Enya-like music, the hussle and bussle of NYC living can seem, well, relaxing.

4. Read about this one very special lady. The very last sentence in the article gave me an "ewwy" feeling all over.

Te Amo El Faro

This past weekend my parents took my brother, Adam, Steve and I to El Faro in the West Village for my birthday dinner. My parents have been coming to this little hole in the wall tucked away on Greenwich Street...forever. They always tell the story that they were there in 1975 with their best friends at the time, Ben and Barbara, before they went to a taping of Saturday Night Live! (The story continues that my Mom then fell asleep during the show, because clearly the first season of SNL couldn't hold my Mom's attention. Or maybe it was just the sangria.) Anyway, my brother and I have inherited a love for this place. We always request to go their for birthday dinners or special occasions if we are in the city.

There are a few things that stay the same every time we go:
1. We almost always get lost finding the place. My brother must be in the car every time because no one else in my family can remember what cross-streets it's near. ("Horatio! Wait Greenwich Ave or Greenwich Street!?")
2. We never make reservations; just show up at an early bird special time. My parents told us we do that because the place doesn't take reservations. We learned this past go around that they've been taking them for the past six years. Opps.
3. We all order the exact. same. thing. My brother and Dad get the double order of lobster and white sauce, I get shrimp and saffron rice, my Mom gets a chicken dish. We order some clams to split and fried potato slices along with a pitcher of sangria.
4. I take some of the white sauce and put it on my shrimp dish. (Thinking about it right now, and knowing that I have still have leftovers in the fridge...mouth is watering....)

What I think is the best thing about it is that we never go too often. It's not our back up nice restaurant we go to. It's a part of my family's history, and will hopefully stay with us. The numbers at the table will grow, but at its foundation, I'll always remember it as a table for four in the corner.

Mmmm Cupcakes

So my birthday was yesterday, but I'm not going to write about that yet. Instead, I'm going back in time to a few weeks ago, when my dear friend Jillian celebrated her 24th birthday. Today, I was stealthy able to upload pictures on my camera to my work computer using my blackberry charger. Hooray!

(This should have been dated February 16th) What's great about living back in New York is being able to celebrate birthdays with people I'd previously only be able to call up or send a card. (Or in mine and Jillian's case, give each other gifts months later when we actually were in the same city.)

But now, things are different. And we rejoice, with cupcakes!

Jillian organized a girly cupcake decorating party equipped with delicious homemade cupcakes, pastel-colored frosting and sprinkles!! We each got two cupcakes and went to town, turning these tasty vanilla cakes into tasty colorful works of art!

Clearly I would be the one to make a smiley face on my cupcake.

The night was also filled with catching up with old friends, lots of laughing and a screening of "Julie and Julia" in the apartment. (Because there wasn't enough estrogen already in the room!) I could only eat one cupcake there so I thought it would be smart to bring the other one home.

I did not realize the power of the New York City subway. But don't worry, it didn't go to waste. It's just a little smooshed, it's still good, it's still good!

It makes me a little sad to know that people I celebrated birthdays with the past few years are now the people I can only call up on that special day. But I have to admit, it's a lovely change of pace celebrating birthdays in a new city, with new fun activities and hopefully some new adventures along the way!

Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful...

...and even with all the snow, my walk to the subway was so delightful.

Good Morning Dean Street!

I was avoiding the sidewalk for another reason today. But here...

you can clearly see that NYC is a pedestrian city; cars are second-class citizens.

As I was walking, I thought for a minute or so that the subway would be less crowded with people not going to work. I was very wrong. Although (thank goodness) the trains were running, many were delayed, forcing die-hard passengers to pack themselves into cars like sardines, praying there was enough oxygen for the ride under the river. I wanted to take a picture of this, but since moving my arm to get my camera from my pocket would have forced me to elbow someone in the face, I opted not to. Instead I held on to the poles in the train hoping I wouldn't fall over on a sharp turn, resulting in (although hilarious) domino-effect of others falling.

Although the snow accumulated in Brooklyn, Manhattan was more of a slushy, snowy wet mess.

I am in the shadow of the Chrysler Building everyday on my walk to work. I love this city.

It's suppose to keep snowing throughout today and into the evening commute. I'm suppose to head to Rockland tonight to pick up a few things and hitch a ride with my parents to my cousin's birthday party tomorrow. Hanging out with a dozen 6-year-olds on a farm in this weather? My excitement has slowly dwindled.

Snow Hurricane?! Really News Stations, That's What You're Calling This?

Oh John Elliott, you're a great meteorologist, but even you don't know what this storm will do.

(On GChat)

Steven: I'm tired of snowpocali (the plural of snowpocalypse)

me: hahaha me too can it be warm yet?

Steven: lets start a strike, until it gets warm

me: agree!

The New York region is in for another wallop from Mother Nature starting tomorrow morning. After looking at multiple websites, a dozen or so forecasts and different charts, I've come to the conclusion that no one really knows what they're talking about, and we won't know how much snow we are getting until it actually falls.

Six inches, a foot or maybe just rain? I'm guessing the storm will decide at the last possible moment.

Cross your fingers that the impending precip won't ruin my 6-year-old cousin's birthday party! It's on a farm!

But Who Going To Enjoy My Mom's Amazing Brownies Now?

Who doesn't love a good bake sale?

But for some NYC kids, they will never get the chance to experience the joy

I understand the reasoning behind it. Childhood obesity is a growing problem (literally!), and schools need to cut the fat (pun intended).

When I was growing up, I would help (okay, sometimes help) my Mom bake whenever my class needed something for a party, birthday or bake sale. It was great Mommy and me time and my Mom's desserts are always (almost always, sorry Mom) AMAZING!

And besides, if these parents are like my parents, they have sweet tooth's as well. Bakes goods aren't going away. We'll just find another excuse to break out the cookie pan and butter.

Why can't we just say Bake Sales are a "sometimes" event? It worked for Cookie Monster.

And If You Guys Thought Comcast Was Bad...

...just wait until you have Time Warner as your cable/Internet system. After my wonderful trip down to DC, I come home to find out our cable box and Internet have mysteriously stopped working.

After multiple calls to Time Warner, followed by instructions to unplug the cable box, and then plug it back in; and then unplug the TV and then plug it back in, the technician concluded that our box is broken and we need a new one.

Technician: "Someone can come by March 6th to fix it."
Me: "March 6th!? That's your first available date!?!"
Technician: "Yes (proceeds to read off paper) We are terrible sorry for the inconvenience."

Well after another call to Time Warner and a slightly more helpful technician, (Thank you new friend, Luis!) we are on the "early call" list, which will hopefully mean someone will schedule time to come fix this in the next few days.

So what does all this mean?

Well those blog posts (with pictures included) about:
-Moving to Brooklyn
-The fun quirks of my new apartment
-Jillian's Cupcake Birthday Party
-My awesome trip to DC

are just going to have to wait until the cable comes back OR I can somehow sneak a moment to upload pictures to my work computer and blog in my down time.

Grumble Grumble Grumble

I Could Have Found My Media Job So Much Faster...

had I listened to the wise advice of gawker and Rachel Uchitel.

Oh and here's yet another list of annoying people on facebook (Valentines Day style!)

Amy, I know you love Rachel Ray, but this is just too funny. I wonder if he added a little EVOO on it before chomping down?

And finally, for the single Jews looking for some Valentine's Day lovin', why not Shabbat Dinner?

Enjoy! :)

A Classic Nor'easter

It wasn't record breaking. It didn't really even stop people from coming to work. The snow hit New York City around 11pm Tuesday night and quit 24 hours later.

The snow did "force" me to stay at my brother's apartment an extra night. Oh nuts. I didn't have a 2+ hour commute into the city because of the snow. How awful. Except I didn't pack enough socks. Opps.

It's actually really hard to tell how much white stuff fell in the city. The streets are too warm with traction from cars for much to stick, and most store owners were out there every few hours pushing the little snow on the sidewalks into the streets and drains.

It did leave a lot of slush in crosswalks that I happily jumped over.

I forgot my camera at home so these pictures are all thanks to Gothamist.




I saw something similar on my way to work and thought "Damn, I wish I had my camera, I want to take a picture of that." Apparently, someone else was thinking the same thing.

I'm Just Going To Call it a Blizzard

We are not getting passed over this time. My parents house and NYC just fall into the 12+ inches range. We will join already clobbered DC and Philadelphia in February's Flurry Frenzy.

I like to think NYC knows how to handle snow a little better than some other cities. DC has 146 heavy duty snow plows, and I believe NYC has almost double that. But apparently we've gotten a little more cautious in recent years. NYC Public School kids already found out they have the day off tomorrow. Damn you Mayor Bloomberg for denying that uncertain "Will I get a snow day feeling" to children. I remember carefully listening to the WRCR on snowy mornings with my Mom to see if "Clarkstown Central School District" was closed or delayed. I'd cross my fingers, put a spoon under my pillow and wear my pajamas inside out and backwards to get that snow day.

Sadly, I can't listen to the radio to hear if "Medialink" is closed for snow. Doesn't work like that anymore. :(

The Edge of Snowmageddon

While many of you were dealing with this:



And this (Thanks Amy for the pictures):



I woke up this morning and found this:



Nothing. Nada. Not a flake. And the funniest part is just how close I was to the storm. Northern New Jersey = clear. Central and Southern New Jersey = 8-24 inches. Crazy! It was like standing on the outside of a giant snow globe and looking in. I physically couldn't experience it, but with all the pictures and videos I've been watching of my friends enjoying the show, I felt like I was there.

But without the snow, I was able to get my errands done, because the city also just missed the storm as well. So that was good. But again, more on that later.

Snowpocalypse or Snowbomination?

I got an UMD text alert at 5:30 this morning (I need to figure out how to get off those) that school was cancelled today because of impending snow.

"This is going to be big" I grumbled to myself as I tried to fall back asleep. But then I thought, maybe we'll get hit! I live in New York now, snow is a natural part of life.

Three inches.

That's it. It's a snowtravaganza down south, and we're getting nothing! What happened to the days when my weatherman would say, "The snow will make its way into the city, but North and West will get hit the hardest." I'm North and West of the city! What is this? Damn you southern storm!

I keep telling myself it's a good thing I'm missing this. Because if I was down in DC still, I'd be working, not playing, in this snowtastropy, and that's no fun.

So to all my DC friends, good luck this weekend. Take lots of pictures, throw lots of snowballs and stay cozy inside. I'll run my errands like I planned, which will hopefully include signing off on an apartment in Brooklyn, but more on that later.

I'm Not a Thrill Seeker

"Jews Don't Ski" - My Mom
I learned this weekend that there might be some truth to that statement.
At least in my case.

After mentioning in passing, to asking if I'd be interested, to buying me snow pants, it was clear that Steve really wanted me to go skiing with him this past weekend. Along with his cousin, we made the trip to Tanglewood Mountain in PA.
We bought lift tickets and rented boots and skis. Now I've
never been skiing. Ever. The idea of freezing-cold wind whipping past me as I barrel down a hill on thin, wooden planks never appealed to me. But once can't hurt, right? I'll cross it off my bucket list.

Walking in those ski boots before I actually put on the skis gave me sort of a pimp strut. Heel, toe, across the snow. My ski pole was a great pimp cane. Now all I needed was a feathered hat. This part is fun, I thought, maybe the rest won't be so bad?

Anyway, Steve taught me the basics, the pizza pie to slow down, the "S" down the hill so you're not barreling out of control along the mountain. The first hour or so I was doing more flailing my arms, running into nets and falling than actually skiing straight. But then all of a sudden, I hit my stride. I was zig zagging down that bunny hill. I even wanted to go faster. I totally thought I was with it, a thrill seeker looking for my next adrenaline high.

I was so pleased with my progress, that I decided I was above this bunny hill and could try my skills on the beginner hill.

I. Was. So. Wrong.

I started out okay down the mountain, but then I lost control and fell to the side. Then I tried again, and down I went. Over and over again. About a third of the way down, every part of my body hurt. I forgot everything I learned and panicked as I barreled down. Screw having the wind in my hair and looking for that adrenaline rush. I wanted more than anything to get off that hill.

Steve tried to calm me down, but it was no use. We went back and forth from walking down the mountain to him slowly guiding me down. We finally made it to the bottom; all that was left was the chair lift. Now, that should have been a fun ride, but after what I considered to be my near-death experience, all I kept thinking about was this dinky lift breaking and the two of us plummeting to our snowy, cold deaths.

"Don't you think this chair lift is a little romantic?" says Steve. "No", I whimper.

And then, music to my ears: "I'll never make you go skiing again."

You Gotta Beat the Beat!

I'm a little behind. But my love for this guilty pleasure deserves a mention:

My brother and I have had battles over the remote control from as long as I can remember. I distinctly recall a few times getting rug burn in one of our more epic battles. And for people who've met my brother, he has about eight inches and at least 60 pounds on me. So guess who won?

But the argument would stop every Thursday while the two of us watched The Jersey Shore together.

Yes, I watched and fully enjoyed, The Jersey Shore. And what else I loved about this show? All the news stories about how many begrudgingly and shamefully admit just how much they love the show.

Here are a few of my favorite articles:

1. My curiosity in the show began with this article from The New York Times. When The New York Times can make a show that centers itself around GTL (Gym, Tan, Laundry for non-fans)sound smart, I had to take a look.

2. A top ten list!? Love. A top ten list of the best Jersey Shore catchphrases?! Even better.

3. The news is out that the whole cast will be returning for a second season. Not that I'm against this, but I have a sad feeling that they will never be able to replace the purity of the first go around. How many times can you be a grenade, Pauly D.? Really?

4. And finally just because I'm already thinking of fun MTV reality spin offs. Can we call it Jersey Mom? Or I met a guy at Karma and all I got was this surprise pregnancy?

I wish I missed you, NC8

It's nice to be told you're missed by former co-workers. I'm not going to lie, I secretly hoped my replacement sucked so my weekend cohorts would think "Gee, I wish Sam was still here." Clearly selfish of me, I admit it.

My colleagues have also been keeping me up to date on the "news within the newsroom", and the most recent tidbit really frustrated me.

Apparently, the powers that be at my old station severely demoted a non-contract reporter to the point where he would have little to no choice but to quit, thus avoiding giving him a severance package. The same thing also happened to an amazing producer I had the honor of working with and learning from.

I understand that, from a business perspective, this is a gain. Higher someone cheaper to do the same job or get rid of the position. Makes sense in these economic times. But what happened to appreciating the employee? You give more than a decade of your life, working overnights, weekends and holidays to report and produce quality news and at the end get tossed out like last week's smelly garbage? I'm not saying everyone should get a parade for actually "doing" their job correctly, but is it wrong to receive a "thank you?"

UM's College of Journalism just opened up a new building on campus that will mold and teach tomorrow's journalists, but do these students realize that the industry is totally different from when they started at the j-school?

I also checked out last year's State of the News Media address, and they cite decreased revenue, new ways to receive news, the digital transmission switch as well as other problems has led the broadcast news industry into uncharted land. So now the question becomes will these "not normal times" actually change back to what we remember, or become our new reality?

Journalists? No, just hungry college kids.

I've become a fan of Caramel Creams in the past few months. Those individually wrapped chews that are caramel on the outside but that funny cream-like stuff on the inside. I know it's all sugar, but I can't help myself, I've recently started liking them. I even picked up a small bag of them at CVS so I can treat myself to one (or two) while at work.

I think my new love for them comes directly from my old job. The journalists I worked with were a lot of things. They were a little crazy (or A LOT crazy), sometimes abrasive, fast thinkers and hopefully objective. But really, at the heart of it all, these journalists were just college kids looking to mooch wherever they could.

Whether it was a holiday, a birthday, a Tuesday, dayside or weekend overnights, there was always something to eat in that newsroom. Well, not always. It was there, and then be gone five minutes later after the vultures I worked with swooped in and ate every last crumb. And besides the special treats at the assignment desk, everyday at 12:30 on the dot, our VP of News' Assistant would fill two little bowls of candy for everyone to take. It was different everyday, and could be M&M's, fun size chocolate bars, Rolos, Reese's Pieces or Caramel Creams. It was always nice to grab a handful after I finished producing the 1pm show (if there was any left).

Do I miss this? Sort of. But I have a desk drawer dedicated to snacks, dried fruit and different types of teas at my new job. And every time we have a satellite media tour, there's always leftover bagels and fruit and other pastries that we can totally swoop in on and enjoy.

So really, it's not just journalists that with the mindsets of poor hungry college kids. We're everywhere, searching for the next morsel of free food. Hoping there's enough so you don't even have to go out and buy lunch.

Wow, hop on the train to weight gain city...next stop, my desk.

It's a Lazarus Family Extravaganza!

Every time my family would come down and visit me at school, I would call it a "Lazarus Family Extravaganza." That's because it was never just my parents coming down for the weekend. It was my parents and my brother, or my parents, my brother, my aunt and uncle. We travel in packs. And now that I'm back at home, it's an "extravaganza" almost every other weekend.

Last weekend, we took my Grandma out to lunch for her 88th birthday. She now lives in what my brother calls "a college dorm for old people" right in Rockland, so it's easy for us to see her.
Guess Grandma didn't know we were taking a picture. But she couldn't help it, look at all that ice cream in front of her!

This weekend was my cousin Cameron's 3rd birthday party. It was at a firehouse in Stamford, CT. All the little ankle-biters got to play around in a fire truck and see the firefighters in their gear. They even got to ride around in the truck with all the lights and sirens. I felt like I was back on a elementary school field trip. My kids are totally going to have educational birthday parties.



I didn't actually take any pictures while we were in the firehouse, but the truck kind of looked like this.





As much as my family is loud and all over the place, I really missed these functions while I was away. I wasn't there for a lot of these birthday parties or random dinners and lunches, and it's been fun getting back into the swing of things. I can already feel my New York accent getting thicker.