Friday, February 26, 2010

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.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

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!


Tuesday, February 23, 2010

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

Friday, February 12, 2010

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! :)

Thursday, February 11, 2010

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.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

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. :(

Saturday, February 6, 2010

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.

Friday, February 5, 2010

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.

Monday, February 1, 2010

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."