just laura

To recap, my “vacation” in Texas was good though as usual wasn’t exactly slow, quiet, or relaxing. However, it was great to see folks and great to see live music and tour new homes and bask in the heat. You might not care about the details below, but I’m always entertained looking through the archives to see what I was doing in the past, so whether you read this or not I’m posting regardless. :)

• Wed: Spent all day shuttling back and forth between four airports – tiring. Home by midnight thanks to Mom and Dad for picking me up.
• Thurs: Ran errands with Dad, dinner with Stef and Charlie at Magnolia Cafe, and an excellent Storyville reunion show at Antones, with opening band All Day I Drive. Lovely. Home by 2am.
• Fri: Mowed the yard. Got a rental car. Had lunch at Chuy’s with ex-boyfriend Chris, his wife Aimee, their super cute daughter Cathryn. Reunion formal $60 dinner with John Dunn as my fabulous date. Fights, drama, old classmates, catching up. Dinner afterwards at Kerbey Lane Cafe with Will & Jackie, Corey & Heather, Lester, and Ben. Home by 2am.
• Sat: Quickie breakfast with John, Beal, and Hannah at a new Dim Sum place. Reunion picnic at midday – tons of kids. Family bonding/bowling in the afternoon with my parents, brother, and sister in law – entertaining. Dinner with Laura Beal and friends – Thai food. Drinks at the Lavaca Street Bar with Bryan Hood and more HS reunion shenanigans. Concert at Antones with everyone’s favorite naughty boy Bob Schneider. Party appearance at Dan’s new home. Home by 3 or 4am.
• Sun: Long talks with Mom and Dad about potential move and job change. Quick tour of Bill’s new home. Dinner at Magnolia with Chris & Alyssa and baby Tyler, Charles & Laura, Kat & Steve, and Andy. Ice cream with Chris. Chatting with Alyssa, Andy, and Chris. Bonding with a very not-sleepy baby Tyler. Tour of Charlie & Stef’s new home around 11pm. Sleepover.
• Mon: Head back to Seattle… another 15 hour day of travel through four airports. Killed time by reading (finished the fantastic book The Corrections) and watching movies (I loved Sideways, I hated the dumb humor of Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle). Home to Seattle by 11pm. Very, very tired.

I’m quite excited that my first trip out to the Gorge will be for the Pearl Jam show in September! Many thanks to CE & S for getting the tickets before they sold out! :)

An evening with Pearl Jam – The first hometown performance at the Gorge in 12 years. – Nearing completion on their 8th studio album, Pearl Jam has already announced a number of Canadian tour dates, generating phenomenally successful sales across the country. The Gorge Amphitheatre show is one of only a handful of special shows the band will play in the U.S. this year.

Movies at the Mural, Seattle Center Mural Amphitheater, 305 Harrison St., Seattle, www.seattlecenter.com
Gates open at 7p; movies begin at dusk.
Fri Aug 19 Beetlejuice
Sat Aug 20 Napoleon Dynamite
Fri Aug 26 Shark Tale
Sat Aug 27 Apollo 13
Sun Aug 28 The Princess Bride

Fremont Outdoor Movies, N 35th & Phinney Ave. N, Seattle, www.fremontoutdoormovies.com
Gates open at 7p; movies begin at dusk. Pre-show activities & entertainment. $5.00 suggested donation.
Sat Aug 6 The Goonies
Sat Aug 13 Teenagers from Outer Space
Sat Aug 20 Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Sat Aug 27 Jaws

Movies on the Wall, 4400 California Ave. SW, Seattle, www.sidewalkcinema.com
Gates open at 7:45p; movies begin at dusk. Live music performed before the movies.
Fri Aug 5 Big
Sat Aug 6 Marx Brothers in Horse Feathers

Linda’s Wednesday Night Summer Movie Madness, Linda’s Tavern, 707 E Pine St., Seattle, 206-325-1220
Movies begin at dusk. Movie selections range from the campy to the commercial. Last summer’s films included: On the Waterfront, The People Next Door, Reefer Madness, The 49th Man, school science films, cartoon classics, old commercials,
and old industrial films.
Wednesdays through Aug 31 to be determined

Cinema on the Piazza, S 3rd St. & Burnett Ave. S, Renton, www.ci.renton.wa.us
Gates open at 7p; movies begin at dusk. Pre-show activities & entertainment.
Sat Aug 6 Ghostbusters
Sat Aug 13 Shark Tale
Sat Aug 20 Sound of Music (sing-a-long!)
Sat Aug 27 Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The Three Musketeers, presented by Theater Schmeater at Volunteer Park’s shady glen, www.schmeater.org
Fri Aug 5 6:30p Volunteer Park
Sat Aug 6 4:00p Volunteer Park

The Tempest, presented by GreenStage at various Seattle locations, www.greenstage.org
Sat Aug 6 8p Camp Long
Sun Aug 7 3p Discovery Park
Sat Aug 13 8p Volunteer Park Amphitheater
Sun Aug 14 3p Volunteer Park Amphitheater
Fri Aug 19 8p Seward Park
Sat Aug 20 3p Seward Park
Sat Aug 27 8p Magnuson Park
Sun Aug 28 3p Magnuson Park

Henry V, presented by GreenStage at various Seattle locations, www.greenstage.org
Fri Aug 5 8p Camp Long
Sat Aug 6 3p Camp Long
Fri Aug 12 8p Volunteer Park Amphitheater
Sat Aug 13 3p Volunteer Park Amphitheater
Sun Aug 14 7p Volunteer Park Amphitheater
Sat Aug 20 8p Seward Park
Sun Aug 21 3p Discovery Park
Fri Aug 26 8p Magnuson Park
Sat Aug 27 3p Magnuson Park

Twelfth Night, presented by Wooden O Theatre at various Seattle-area locations, www.woodeno.org
Wed Aug 3 7p Richmond Beach Park, Shoreline

Get your tickets to what might be the last KEXP John In The Morning at Night shows. Tickets are selling fast, it’s a good cause, they’re cheap, and it’s likely to sell out. I already got my tickets for both shows! Anyone want to join me for Sept show? (I think Samantha’s joining me for the Oct show)

Sept 10th Crocodile Cafe 21+
Bobby Bare JR
50 FT Wave
Tom Brosseau
The Pale Pacific
Ian Knapp

Oct 1st Nuemos 21 +
M83
The National
Athlete
John Vanderslice (solo)
Math and Physics Club
w/Special Guests Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Tickets for the John In the Morning benefits are $20 @ all Rudy’s Barbershops and select QFC locations as well as ticketswest.com. A SPECIAL COMBO PACKAGE of $30 for BOTH SHOWS is available ONLY at TicketsWest phone center by calling 800-992-TIXX (8499). This combo package is not available at outlets or on the internet.

Rolling Stone this week says Seattle is the #1 “City that rocks!” Austin, incidentally, comes in at #4.

Oh, and Seattle station KEXP is mentioned in USA Today earlier this week. Go local music!

It’s been a busy week, not even counting packing and prepping for my three week trip to NYC. My friend LL was in town this week crashing at my place, which is always fun and also kinda tiring at the same when you need to go out to dinner and socialize, but you also need to do work and need to get ready for a long trip. This week was also spent training my new p/t person at work, which is going more smashingly than I even expected. The week also meant finishing up all of the end of year exit interviews, reporting, evaluation, and finances since I’m heading out of town today and the school year and summer programs are done.

On a non-work related note, I ran into Samantha in Fremont on Monday – at the exact moment I was calling her about plugs for her upcoming China trip. Entertaining. Note: It’s very important to use currency converters even if you don’t need a plug adapter – my China trip in 2000 was where I fried my second digital camera – a true tragedy. (Side note: My third digital camera was stolen at one of our elementary schools back in 2001 – leaving me out a lot of money. My fourth digital camera was stolen by an employee at the USPS – though this time I had the foresight to get insurance on the package and was able to get it replaced. My fifth digital camera now features a spot showing up in he corner of some prints… not sure if it’s a burned out pixel, or a piece of sand from maybe Hawaii or Egypt. Either way, it’s going in the shop pronto).

But I digress. On other non-work notes, yesterday we hit Stace’s “Goodbye I’m moving to Canada” party which is exciting for her, but sad for her friends. And we finished off the night with a relaxing and entertaining stint at Jacob’s for a mini hot tub party. Today I’ll finish up things at work, pack from NYC, and head off to my vacation moonlighting as an environmental consultant in the big city. Folks planning to visit me: Rod and Dave (and maybe Caroline if I can convince her). Folks in NYC I’m planning to see: Suzan, Jeremy, Laura, David, Erin’s brother Chris, and Heather. Hope y’all are well!

After a 2 hr flight delay for the redeye from Sea to JFK, I arrived at the hotel around 9am before starting work at 10:30am. I am working for an environmental consulting firm, and we’re basically collecting recycling so other people can sort and analyze it. I am the proud new owner of Carhart pants and steel toe shoes. It’s about 10 pounds more than my normal clothing, which is an adjustment. Oh, and my hotel room has a sofa sleeper if anyone in web-land decides they want to visit. So far so good. :) Take care!

• The Korean Church of Queens is large enough to rival most any mega church in Texas
• Collecting recycling on the overnight shift is better than doing it in daylight b/c at night you can’t see the maggots. Along with that… manual labor is hard work and makes your joints creaky.
• Hotels with free internet, coffee, mocha, cookies, and fruit are good in my book.
• The smog here is really insanely worse than I expected.
• Sri Chinmoy inspires some amazingly tasty vegetarian fare in his restaurants from Seattle to NYC.
• You can’t turn right on red lights.

And with that, I’m off to soak in the hot tub. :) Take care!

Dinner tonight was at Oneness-Fountain-Heart (157-19, 72nd Ave in Flushing)
Everything we ate was just fantastic. Appetizers of mushrooms and nachos – great! My Thai Heaven curry was great. The smoothie was great. They even had a wheat-free pasta with pesto sauce! Wow! Staff were super nice, funny even… much better than the staff at Sri’s Seattle location.

Exboyfriend Chris with his daughter Catheryn

Super cute Catheryn

When I was in Austin two weeks ago for the reunion, I got to see a good number of old friends including ex-boyfriend Chris. :) We ate a Chuy’s (yummy!) and ran into old RHPS friend Linda as well (small world). Gotta love having a Chuy’s in RR! I’ll be heading back there this weekend for Charles’ wedding (my first time ever going back 2 times in less than a month!).

University Village Sounds of Summer, Crate & Barrel parking lot, Seattle, 206-523-0622
Wednesdays July 13 – Aug 17 6p

Concerts at the Locks, Ballard Locks, 3015 NW 54th St, Seattle, 206-689-2622
Sats & Suns July 16 – Sept 4 2p Swing bands, marching bands, big bands.

Magnuson Park Summer Concerts, Magnuson Park, 206-684-7026
Fridays July 15 – Aug 12 7p

Seattle Peace Concerts, various Seattle locations, www.seapeace.org
Sun Aug 14 12p-6p Gas Works Park Washington Blues Society
Sun Aug 28 12p-6p Volunteer Park Cadillacin’ Riding First Class
Sun Sept 11 12p-6p Seward Park Washington Blues Society
Sun Sept 18 12p-6p Gas Works Park Grand Finale, Part 1
Sun Sept 18 12p-6p Woodland Park Grand Finale, Part 2

Cultural Celebration Concert, Columbia Park, 4721 Rainier Ave. S, Seattle, 206-760-5385
Wed Aug 17 6p Cultural performances from African American, Pacific Islander and Jewish groups.

Today I visted the Queens Botanical Gardens. They were pretty. There were neat flowers. I saw people taking wedding photos. Lots of old folks on benches. That kind of thing. Today I also bought the world’s cutest eggplant shaped coin purse in Chinatown. Just in case you were wondering.

Dinner today was at Ubol’s Kitchen Thai Cuisine (24-42 Steinway St. in Astoria/Queens, (718) 545-2874)
Good food (though not as spicy as I might like). The eggplant was just okay. The Massaman curry was much better. The Tom Khai soup was good as always. Thai ice tea was lacking proper sugar overdose. The BeeGees on karaoke was astounding, and the waitress super sweet. The company of coworkers made the dinner fun and entertaining overall.

Today I lamented long subway rides to free concerts where I’d have to learn early to be back in Queens for work by 9:30pm. Alas. I decided to spend the afternoon lounging at the pool instead.

Dinner tonight was at a Japanese restaurant in Queens
For $18, I ordered all you can eat sushi and it was yummy!! Great veggie tempura rolls! Good asparagus, egg, tofu/avocado, etc. The atmosphere was pretty basic with a slow but okay waitress. (I think it might have been Hokkaido on Queens Blvd. near 63rd Dr, but still not sure). Every time I go out for sushi I always end up wondering I don’t go more often… it’s so good!

Clint Black

Cowgirl Cat

Last week I went to see Clint Black in concert down at Summer Nights at South Lake Union. It was a fun show, he’s a funny man, the music was great, the people watching entertaining, and the views of the lake gorgeous. Met some nice people, had some gluten-y cookies, and life was good. I’m proud to be one of the apparently few people in Seattle who own a cowboy hat. (Many thanks to my team for this fantastic addition to my wardrobe!)

This week I’m in NYC and I just got two emails about free shows I’m going to miss in Seattle b/c I’ll be out of town. Hope all is well on your home front. I’ve been spending my days sleeping, watching HBO, eating nice meals, and lounging about at gardens or by the pool. Today I shall venture out to Manhattan and see Suzan in the Upper East Side. Yay adventures on the subway!

Please think warm thoughts for my wonderful friend Samantha… she’s having a hard day and embarking on a new adventure all at the same time.

Today I headed to the Upper East Side to hang with lovely Miss Suzan in Central Park. As an added bonus Jeremy was home from work and we were lucky enough to be serenaded by him (I love me some Simon & Garfunkle).

Temperature: Too freaking hot

Dinner tonight was at Gobo (1426 Third Avenue in the Upper East Side, 212.288.3799)
Gobo was decadent, a definite splurge. Their menu is Pan-Asian & Pacific Rim, Vegetarian, and Japanese… with tons of choices for vegetarians and even gluten free folks like me. Our slow cooked Malaysian curry was great, tomato and olive soup was great, mashed sweet potatoes, and sweet potato fries were all great. Shitake mushroom caps were so-so.

Dessert tonight was from Eli’s Manhattan (1411 Third Avenue in the Upper East Side)
Eli’s is a amazing 20,000 sq ft gourmet grocery store… way huge compared to most anywhere else in NYC. They have a giant mouth watering selection of bakery and dessert items and we eventually decided on a flourless chocolate cake (quite tasty) and peanut butter chocolate fudge (good, but would have been even better without the chocolate liqueur in it).

Hanging with Suzan before she leaves NYC for Chicago: Great as always.

Today I FINALLY slept in a little! I’ve been working the overnight shift and my body’s not quite adjusted. So, I’ve only been getting 3-4 hours of sleep a night, which isn’t good when the work is tiring and the hot weather is draining. Today, however, I got home from a long 10 hour shift, fell asleep by 9am, and slept in until 4pm! Yay! Hanging out tonight was with my old middle school friend Laura – always great to see her and realize we’ve been friends for 15 years! I think I get to meet her sweetie next Tuesday.

Temp: Too freakin hot, but with a nice breeze

Dinner tonight was at Meghna Restaurant (34th St in Astoria)
I was craving Indian food and so we checked out this small place off of 30th. Good samosas, and good food in general. However, everything was kind of sweet for my taste buds. I prefer my Indian food hot and spicy, not quite so sweet like my mali kofta and the raita. Even the papadam was nice but didn’t have any peppers. Not bad, but probably would want to check out a new place next time.

Dessert tonight was at the Avenue Cafe (35-27 30th Avenue in Astoria, (718) 278-6967)
I was still craving dairy and fruit, and this place was a perfect choice. Great mango smoothie. Great ice cream with bananas and chocolate. Fabulous outdoor seating on a warm summer night. Good people watching. :) Lovely choice.

Gotta run now… I work tonight from 10-7, then get back to the hotel in just enough time to grab my bag and get to the airport for my 8:30am flight home for Charles’ wedding in Austin!

Done with work early (yay!!) which means I have time to shower before my flight! Life is good!

This weekend I went to Austin for 24 hours for Charles’ wedding. The wedding went well, no major problems (no sound on the speakers was just a minor problem), and it was quite beautiful. Seeing Chuck so happy and giddy was quiet entertaining! Congrats to Charles and Laura! Was fun to see folks like Susan and Kim, Mike & Eliz, the Austin crowd, and all of the babies. :) Also got to do brunch with family at Magnolia Cafe… was nice.

Getting home from Austin, unfortunately, also took 24 hours. Storms in New York meant all flights were canceled, and I ended up stuck in Ohare for 24 hours. Had to pay for a hotel, missed work last night, and finally got back this afternoon a full day late. Ooops.

Not much else to report. I’m FINALLY seeing part of a movie I’ve wanted to see for years…. So I Married An Ax Murderer is on HBO. Of course, I’m heading out to dinner in another five minutes, so I’ll still have to rent it some other day. But at least now I have a sense of why Suzan loves it so much. :)

Hope y’all are well.

Today I spent my day getting out of Ohare and into New York. It was long. Eventually I did dinner with coworkers then headed back to the hotel to prepare for work.

Dinner was at Baluchi’s Indian Food (111-30 Queens Blvd)
Very nice decor and very good food. In fact, I’d say the food was fantastic and thankfully there was lots of it! I think we split 9 entrees between 8 of us, as well as multiple kinds of nan, samosas, raita, mango chutney, and of course a mango lassi. Of course, I don’t think we finished many of our entrees, but that means I have yummy leftovers for later.

The Seattle Sockeye is the current US national Ultimate champion, and Thursday they’ll play the current Japanese National Champion the Buzz Bullets (a combination of players from Tokyo and Osaka).

Gametime is 8pm at Sealth Stadium in West seattle. There will be
- doorprizes
- exciting play
- a chance to see really amazing players in action.

It’ll be fun and family friendly, and in Seattle! Please bring your friends and support your local Ultimate team!

Sockeye vs Buzz Bullets
Thursday 8/18, 8:00 game time
Sealth Stadium, 8402 30th Ave Sw

Directions to stadium:
I-5 to West Seattle Bridge
Turn left onto 35th Ave SW (2.5 miles)
Turn left onto SW Thistle St (0.2 miles)
Turn right onto 30th Ave SW (<0.1 miles)
End at 8402 30th Ave SW

Lazy day today… read my book some, watched Wedding Crashers, lounged about. See… I can do vacation-y things if I try. :) Did dinner tonight with Laura and finally got to meet her boyfriend Michael. He’s a nice guy and they seem very happy together.

Dinner was at Thai Angel (Astoria at 25th & 30th)
Good massaman curry… nice selection of veggies and veggie options… great thai iced coffee. The spring rolls were veggie (+), but were fried (-). Choice of sweet chilie sauce and peanut sauce was a great touch. All in all, a lovely dinner with lovely people followed by an amazing panoramic view of the city from Laura’s apartment a few blocks away. Wow!

Today I spent the day on a field trip with Suzan and my lovely coworker L. We started with a lovely lunch, followed by some quality time at the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art), followed by a lovely dinner.

I’ve been to NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art before (the Met) and have also been to the Brooklyn Art Museum. And today, thanks to Suzan’s generosity with free guest passes, I was able to visit the MoMA. It’s in a huge, gorgeous new building and the exhibits are pretty fun. I’m used to art museums and churches with old art collections… I’ve seen (more than?) my fair share of historic museums like the Louvre or churches around the world that that feature DiVincis, Raphaels, Rodins, Greek statues, etc. Most art museums can be beautiful to me, or educational, but I’ve got to say I like having an entire huge museum dedicated to modern art. It was pretty fun… not always a general term of use for museums. And, as an added bonus, they have an outdoor sculpture garden with great people watching opportunities. Stuff like this definitely reinforces my love of big cities.

Lunch was at Organic Harvest Cafe (235 East 53rd St, (212) 421 6444)
As Suzan pointed out, it is kind of pricey for a little hole in the wall, but I loved the item I ordered. Between the two of us we ordered a lentil burger (no fries or sides included), a peaches and cream smoothie, and a small Greek salad. Our total bill was $26 for not a lot of food. That said, life with an expense account is great so money wasn’t an issue. The menu was all organic, and mostly vegetarian and vegan, and everything looked really appealing. L’s portabella wrap was okay… but she was disappointed by the excess of tofu and skimpy serving of portabella. Suzan’s Greek salad was pretty standard (hard to mess up chunks of feta and kalamata olives). My lentil burger was super fantastic. I’ve tried many times at home to make homemade veggie burgers with all kinds of online recipes and I’ve never had any success with my attempts at lentil burgers, black bean burgers, or walnut burgers. Organic Harvest, however, did a fantastic job. It was super yummy and full of fantastic veggies. The Peaches and Cream smoothie was great too (your choice of apple juice, orange juice, cow’s milk, soy milk, rice milk, etc). I recommend the place if you’re in the area and have spending money. I want to go back and try a few more items… so many choices!

Dinner was at Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant (468 W. 47th Street, (212)664-0520)
It’s a small restaurant on a residential side street a few minutes walk from Times Square. It felt like Seattle’s Ethiopian places… small, laid back, very simple, with Ethiopian locals hanging around the bar. Even had some of the same airline posters on the wall with scenic photos of Ethiopia. :) How did it compare to my favorite place Mesob? The menu included more veggie choices than Mesob, the veggie platter was slightly larger than Mesob’s (also had a slightly larger price tag at $10.95), and like Mesob the veggie combo was definitely big enough to serve two people. There was some mysterious yellow mush that was kinda odd, but the rest was very good… great injera, great lentils, and potatoe and chickpeas. I’m still partial towards Mesob, but I highly recommend Meskerem if you’re looking for Ethiopian in NYC. (Many thanks to JD for the recommendation!)

In the last week Samantha’s stepdad died, Clare’s father died, and Susie’s grandmother passed away. Please think kind thoughts for my beautiful friends during their greiving process.

Today was another lazy day. :) I got almost 7 hours of sleep! I did a few hours of work stuff. I watched Mr. & Mrs. Smith on DVD, courtesy of my coworker R. I did a little leisure reading (One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez). I uploaded photos that I’ve eventually post. Rod arrived around 6pm today and will be staying for the weekend to see NYC. That’s all that’s happening in my world…

Oh, and did you know a year ago this week I was hanging out in Guatemala, going to a conference, and getting to know the lovely and talented Samer? It was a good week, a good trip, and good memories.

Dinner tonight was at Watawa Sushi (3310 Ditmars Blvd in Astoria, (718) 545-9596)
Rod, Dave, Dieter, and I all had some sushi and I enjoyed both the company and the food. The sweet potato roll was definitely my favorite! Total bill for 4 of us was about $65… not too awful for sushi.

Dessert tonight was at Martha’s Country Bakery (3621 Ditmars Blvd in Astoria, (718) 545-9737)
They had a huge selection of very cute cupcakes, as well as dainty mini cakes and pastries. I tried their tiny cheesecake with strawberries… cute, but just so-so. On the up side, it was totally gluten-free (no graham cracker crust) which was good for me. :)

Today I got a little bit of sleep then got up early to go wander around town with Rod. First stop on his list was the WTC site (ended up being mostly construction with tons of people with cameras peering through big metal fences). I wandered that area some and especially liked City Hall Park. Later we wandered Battery Park and I particularly enjoyed the memorial to the Irish Famine (it opened in 2002 and I don’t think I’ve seen it before). It’s perches on the edge of Battery Park in Lower Manhattan, right between big buildings with a view overlooking the water. We also had a view of the Statue of Liberty across the water, but the hazy, drizzling day didn’t do much for photo opts.

After the slow pace of the Esplanade at Battery Park, we picked up the pace and headed for Times Square to seek out dinner options in an environment with a little more energy before heading back to Queens so I could go to work.

Dinner was at the Heartland Brewery (127 W 43rd St, Times Square, 646-366-0235)
For only $12, I had a large Ceasar salad and a big bowl of spicy gazpacho soup. Happily, when I said no crab topping, they topped it with avocado instead… a nice touch and a good waiter. Rod said his chicken Marsala was good too… apparently not too heavy like some places. Who knew the Heartland Brewery would be surprisingly affordable with good food in the midst of Times Square madness? Oh, and their newly remodeled bathrooms were pretty nice too… slate floors/walls and the trendy new sink bowls that sit above the counter. :)

Today was another long day of wandering around lovey New York. Rod said the hot, sweaty, humid weather was a bit much for him, but I liked it as it reminds me of home in good ol’ Texas. :) The dirty/sweaty feeling all day I could have done without, but I do like the warm weather. The day began when we jumped in the car and headed to Coney Island… birthplace of the hot dog and long time amusement parks on the seaside boardwalk. From there we headed uptown for dinner and a walk on the Upper East Side, then from there we headed down to Union Square for some people watching and dessert. Around midnight the heat or walking caught up to us and eventually we headed home for Queens.

Afternoon snack was at Randazzo’s Clam Bar (2023 Emmons Ave, Coney Island, (718) 615-0010)
The french fries were great and the staff was super friendly. The cash register was the original from about 80-90 years ago. :)

Cool beverage of the afternoon was from Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices (Coney Island)
My old fashioned peanut butter milk shake was fantstically rich and creamy and perfect for a hot day walking along the coast.

Dinner was at the Candle Cafe (1307 3rd Ave, Manhattan, (212) 472-0970)
After greasy fries and a milkshake, I needed some health food so we took a trip to the Upper East Side to the acclaimed Candle Cafe. It’s all vegetarian, largely organic, quite swank, artfully arranged, and fantastically yummy. We began with a Mezza place that we quickly devoured (preserved lemons, olives, hummous, babagonoug, and tabouli). I ordered the Indian plate and loved every bite of my sweet potato curry, dal, cabbage, and sweet stewed raisins. Fantastic!

Dessert was at Cosi (841 Broadway in Union Square. 212.614.8544)
While the cook-em-at-your-table s’mores seemed quite popular, we decided to split the brownie sundae. It was good, but totally unnecessary. Good people watching, but between the two of us we still couldn’t muster the energy to finish either the brownie or the ice cream. Again… good, but unnecessary.

Another loooong day. Got up early (again) and spent the day walking around. :) Started in Times Square, headed to lunch in Midtown, stumbled upon the India Independence Day Parade near the Madison Square Park Conservancy, made some friends, headed back to Broadway to see the Mel Brook’s musical The Producers, dinner with Rod, then home now so I can head to work on no sleep. Promises to be a long night…

Lunch was at Cafe 28 Gourmet Deli

Dinner was at Ollies

More later if I can find time the time/energy. :)

Had some $$ stolen from my wallet yesterday.
Ate Thai food for lunch.
Dropped Rod at the airport.
Watched skaters in the park.
Dinner at Oneness-Heart-Fountain.
Off to work. Tired. Tired. Tired. More later when have more time/energy.

This morning we finished work early and I came home and slept for 8 hours… perhaps for the first time in the three weeks I’ve been in NYC! I was very tired when I woke up, and am not sure if it’s from the cold I’ve been fighting or from the perceived excess of sleep my body doesn’t normally get. Either way, it seemed like a good idea at the time. After waking up and watching my first ever episode of Trailer Fabulous… instead of a sappy show like Trading Spaces where there’s a loveable host of kind people who does good things for people in really awful life situations, this MTV show takes a slightly different angle on home improvement.

Each week, rapper Brooks Buford and his design team roll into a different trailer park to give one lucky kid and his trailer a head-to-toe style makeover. Trailer Fabulous will definitely prove that there’s no place like home.

I’d admit it openly… I loved every minute of the episode I saw. Johnny Hardesty is maybe my favorite part of all… though the behind the scenes looks were totally great too. Like in today’s episode they accidentally lost the people’s cat when the design teams came in and started tearing up the trailer. Realistic? Yes. Would you ever see the Trading Spaces crews admit that kind of a thing? Not likely. Anyway, entertaining TV. Yet another reason I shouldn’t watch it… so many distractions from leaving the house. Eventually I did make my way to Manhattan and then spent the day wandering the Greenwich Village, taking some photos, but mostly doing a lot of people watching.

For over 100 years, this small area below 14th Street and west of Broadway has been a Mecca to the creative, rebellious and Bohemian. Although today no starving artists could afford to live here, the vibe still lingers and the beat goes on…

Lunch at Karavas Place (Greenwich Village)
The falafel platter included a huge Greek Salad and a side of fries… way more food than I could eat. I think this must be about the 10th Greek Salad I’ve had in the last three weeks… more than in the last two years combined. Odd, but good.

Dinner was from Rosa’s Pizza (Queens)
Considered the best pizza in Queens. Their sun dried tomato and garlic pizza was perhaps the most intense pizza I’ve ever seen. Those folks don’t skimp on toppings, I can tell you that.

I’m definitely sick, no longer in denial. Heading to work now… be home Friday night. Gotta run.

Today I was granted a really good day, where it’s necessary to step back for a minute and give thanks for all that’s good in life. It’s always nice to be able to stop for a moment and know that today you’re content in life, regardless of any ups and downs that might be happening on the surface or behind the scenes.

Today (this morning) despite the unpleasant circumstance of having to fire an employee, we finished work at an all-time record early hour, and I was able to get to sleep way earlier than usual (I was in bed by 4am!). I then woke up nice and early, made my way to Times Square, bought tickets for a show, wandered SoHo for a few hours admiring the iron work of the city’s first tall buildings.

I then headed back uptown to see another performance of my favorite production of all time: RENT. I’ve seen it many times on stages across the country, and I own the soundtrack, and somehow it still brings tears to my eyes every single time. Sappy to admit, but it’s so true. I thoroughly enjoyed today’s performance, and maybe even cried more than usual. (It’s possible the tears and drippy nose were also from the painful cold I have that’s making my throat burn and head pound and body creak and cough wheezy, but there’s really no way of knowing). I’m quite intrigued by the upcoming release of RENT on film. It includes an all-star cast of folks who’ve done the Broadway show and national tours, as well as current movie and TV stars like Taye Diggs (How Stella Got Her Groove Back) and Jesse Martin (Law & Order, Ally McBeal, etc).

Dinner was at Gobo(401 Avenue of the Americas in the Village, (212) 255-3242)
The butternut squash risotto with toasted almonds and toasted sage was good, though the best part was the sage leaves on top… who knew toasted sage leaves could be so yummy? Crispy and oh so good! Side order of yam and yucca fries, and a Locomotion smoothie for dessert with banana, soy milk, and peanut butter… the perfect blend of protein, sweetness, and fruit. :)

No time… as usually I’ve got to run and be at a work meeting in 5 minutes!

I’ve pretty much been my own boss for the past few years, both personally and professionally. I’m an independent, single gal at home. And at work I’m the director of my program. This month I’ve been working in NYC, and not only did I have to report to someone, that someone was both a friend and an ex. Have I mentioned Dieter’s my boss in NYC? It’s a source of constant entertainment or exhaustion depending on when you ask me. Since I don’t always spill Dieter’s good qualities here in recent years, let’s do so today.

1. he’s fun
2. he’s helpful
3. he’s laid back
4. he’s doing my laundry (washing my dirty socks, underwear, and work pants)

Nice, eh? A coworker LH asked if we knew each other before this NYC assignment. I said “yes, we’ve been friends for a few years.” She said “Ahh! I knew it. It’s like y’all are brother and sister or something.” Um, I guess so.

As someone who’s been my own boss for a while now, and as someone who’s worked in process development consulting to help create efficiencies, it’s been a transition for me to work for someone else much less work for someone who works for a company that works with three other companies to work jointly for a client.

The working for someone else idea is a transition I’m acutely aware of when I look at other jobs too… Caroline and I have both had conversations about wanting mentors and being our own bosses. I want to have a mentor, someone to learn from, someone to say “go home and get some rest… you’ve done a great job and need to go easy on yourself,” someone who can give me honest coaching, who can help me grow by saying stuff like “I have a book for you I think you’d really like on (blank) topic… I learned a lot from it and bet you’d like it too.” I want this mentoring and coaching and support, but as I already know and continued to understand this month, I also love my freedom and independence. I want some basic orientation. I want some basic feedback on how my work is going. I want some freedom to do things as I see fit within the goals of the program. What I learned on the job this month: I like being my own boss. When things are disorganized, you can organize them without stepping on any toes. When things are inefficient, you can take steps to create quick processes to save time and energy for all involved.

Not to say I don’t like working for others or that Dieter wasn’t helpful, but that I really appreciate situations where I’m given freedom – whether as my own boss, or with a boss who gives me freedom in my daily tasks (I spent a year working for Brett and she was the world’s best boss in this regards). I’m generally someone who wants to go beyond “doing my job” and take it a step further to “doing my job well.” Today was a key example. Today 10-12 people were just standing around chatting while 2 people were working. I absolutely love friends and employees who ask the fabulous question “What can I do to help?” So I go up to boss man Dieter and ask “What can I do to help finish this up?” He says something like “What? Do you have somewhere else you’d rather be?” I put a patient smile on my face and say “I’m trying to be a proactive, helpful employee. Would you like any help cleaning up?” He says, “Calm down.” Arg. Different in leadership styles? Reasons we don’t date? Same difference? Anyway. Just a story.

Thinking about the possibility of moving to Kenya can be stressful for many reasons (far from home, not much communication, language barriers, new job field, etc). Thinking of any future boss who’d repeat situations like the above short snippet is just tiring. I have actually seen some elements of my early leadership style in Dieter this month. It’s not exactly the same situation I was in… he is the boss, but his hands are tied because there’s a project manager above him and multiple agencies sharing leadership of the project so I know he can’t just take every suggestion or grant every request and I know that he doesn’t always see easy changes as things that seem perfectly feasible to me. That said, it’s taken me a while to get to where I feel comfortable with where I’m at professionally, both in the work I do, and in front of a team, dealing with employees, etc. I think I was always confident in my approach of the task, but that doesn’t always mean I think I did a great job. And it doesn’t mean I’m full of myself and think I do a great job now. I know I’ve identified areas I want to work on. However, I do feel I’ve grown and changed and improved my own style along the way. After all, I’ve had a few years of practice and you’d hope I’ve grown and learned something.

Somewhat related story… I got the world’s best pick me up email last week from a former employee who’s since moved away and gone on to other things:

Hi Cat! How are you? I just wanted to write a quick note & tell you how greatly I appreciate all you did for us all last year. I know it has been quite a while! But, I’ve just been reflecting lately & soul searching & thinking of all the ways I grew & all the things I learned last year (thanks to you & our team!) & I just can’t even put into words how thankful I am to have had that experience. So, thank you again for all your hard work & great ideas & all you did to help me to learn & experience all that I did. I hope this finds you smiling & having a great day! Love, (name)

Anyway, Dieter had to put up with my questions as I learned about the project, learned about the different partnerships, and learned about the areas where both of our hands were tied. It was pretty easy work (hard work physically, but easy intellectually). There were nice folks that made the time enjoyable. And the project and trip overall were enjoyable. Did I mention that I got to see RENT, eat good food, see old friends, make new friends, and that Dieter is doing my laundry tonight? It’s a nice wrap up to a fun project for three weeks of the trip I’ve deemed NYC Working Vacation 2005, and nice to have time to reflect on the project, my professional life, and my goals and growth areas.

Worked from 10pm last night to 4am today. Slept for a while this morning then went back to work at noon to do wrap up and cleaning. After I finished I headed over to Greenwich Village (my new favorite neighborhood) and was apparently so tired I fell asleep twice on the subway. I woke up in time for my stop at West 4th so I could meet up with Dave and get dinner. I should clarify… Dave B. From Seattle. Oh wait… the only two guys I know in NYC are both named Dave, both have last names that start with B, and both moved here after living in Seattle. So tonight was dinner with former coworker Dave. He’s a very cool guy, I was glad to meet up with him tonight, and I’ll definitely miss having him in Seattle.

I told Dave he got to pick any restaurant in the Village for dinner and he choose Gobo all on his own, despite being a meat eater. Surprising, but fine by me as I’m a big fan. :)

Dinner at Gobo (again)
The slow cooked Malaysian curry continues to reign as an instant hit for all audiences. We also tried the pine nut vegetable medley with lettuce wraps (yummy) and yucca and yam fries (yummy). Frozen yogurt afterwards was procured at some bagel place and eaten in Father Fagan Park.

I’m now home sorting through my hotel room to begin the packing process. I’d love one last day in the city tomorrow before my 5pm flight, but we’ll see. My cold feels like it’s peaking in misery so I might just stay home and nap in privacy where I can blow my nose nonstop, let my breathing can be labored, self medicate my pounding headache with Aleve, let my eyes tear without needing to dab them, and avoid talking as it’s hard when you can’t breathe. I’m hoping to begin the path to recovery this weekend so I’m in a decent condition to meet, welcome, and train my new team that starts Monday.

I like to go see shows, but rarely go see movies and hardly have time to read most weeks. However, this month of vaction-type time has been very good for entertainment. :)

I’ve started and finished two books while in NYC: Digital Fortress (Dan Brown) and the more impressive 100 Years of Solitude.

I’ve watched a couple of movies: Wedding Crashers, Mr & Mrs Smith, Fabulous 4, Brady Bunch Movie, Home Fries, etc.

Saw two Broadway shows: RENT and The Producers

And now, there are two new films are coming out very soon that I’m excitedly anticipating…
Tim Burton and Johnny Depp get together again for another animated film: Corpse Bride.
And the star and producer of Lagaan, Aamir Khan, has another film in the works… one of the biggest productions ever coming out of Bollywood. Read more about it in an interview with Aamir.

For my last day in NYC I debated a ferry out to Staten Island or Ellis Island, maybe taking pics of some famous sights, maybe lunch with Laura one last time. What did I end up doing? Spending most of the day in bed using as little energy as possible. Even with 8 hours of sleep I was still exhausted from this lame cold. I watched Ray on HBO and the did my packing before heading to a late lunch. And with that, my three weeks in NYC were done. I came, enjoyed myself, and did everything I wanted to do on the trip. Met nice people, saw friends, hung out in the city, saw some shows, read some books, watched some movies. Not a bad paid working vacation. :)

Lunch at the Tikka Grill (Astoria Blvd, Queens)
Decent “fast food” from a locally owned little hole in the wall Indian cafe. I had a combo platter with sagg, channa, and curry pakora. There were three tables, and a hot foods line with 4 or 5 veggie options and 4 or 5 more meat options. Custom dishes could also be made, at a 10-15 minute wait. The naan was yummy, the mango lassi was so-so. Decent food… enough to satisfy me before getting onto a long cross country plane trip without food service.

The entrance to the memorial is full of quotes and news snippets on hunger

The peaceful memorial is tucked right into a bustling area of lower Manhattan

“New York State’s Irish Hunger Memorial, built in 2002, is an extraordinary memorial devoted to raising public awareness of the events that led to the “Great Irish Famine and Migration” of 1845-1852.

Timothy S. Carey said, “During The Great Hunger almost a million died, and almost two million more were forced leave their country. And yet, through the worst of the famine, foreign landlords continued to export food from Ireland, condemning hundreds of thousands to cruel and needless deaths. It is my sincere hope that The Irish Hunger Memorial will encourage all the nations of the world to work together to put an end to starvation and the use of hunger as a political weapon. Brian Tolle has captured not only a vision of Ireland, but its very essence. I eagerly look forward to the day when people from all walks of life visit the memorial to touch the sod of our heritage and understand the courage of those who were forced to leave their homeland and travel across the ocean to start a new life.”

The 96 foot by 170 foot Memorial rises above a base structure that is level with the sidewalk on its eastern end and 25 feet high on its western end. A passage in the western end of the Memorial opens inside a ruined fieldstone cottage imported from County Mayo, a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Slack, and Mr. and Mrs. Chris Slack. Leaving the cottage, the visitor can wander through abandoned fields and overgrown potato furrows that evoke the terrible desolation that famine brought to Ireland. The Memorial, which was landscaped by Gail Wittwer-Laird, is planted with some 62 species of native Irish wildflowers, plants and grasses and has stones from each of Ireland’s 32 counties.

Along the base of the Memorial, lines of illuminated text that focus on the history of the Hunger and the Irish people are separated by layers of imported Kilkenny limestone. The Memorial’s location, which looks out on the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, reminds visitors that America welcomed survivors of The Great Hunger and was in turn changed and strengthened by their countless contributions to our country.

The size of the cultivated area of the Memorial, one-quarter of an acre, is significant. In 1847, Sir William Gregory proposed an additional clause to the Irish Poor Law stipulating that no person occupying land of more than one-quarter acre was eligible for any relief. This law had a devastating effect and contributed to the suffering. The unroofed abandoned cottage reminds the visitor of the stark choice between survival and holding home and hearth.

In 1996, Governor Pataki signed a law making instruction on the mass starvation in Ireland a part of the New York State curriculum. New York schools are now required by the Board of Regents to teach courses in patriotism, citizenship and human rights issues, devoting particular attention to the study of genocide, slavery and the Holocaust.

So extensive was Irish immigration that between 1847 and 1851 more than 848,000 Irish arrived in New York City alone. By 1930 Irish Americans were more than 21 percent of New York City’s population. In 1980 about one in seven Americans claimed Irish ancestry, and more than 40 million Americans described themselves as predominantly Irish. Almost 800,000 residents of New York City and 2.8 million residents of New York State trace their ancestry to Ireland.”

That was an offer from a very friendly guy at the bar last night organizing his future brother-in-law’s bachelor party. Samantha and I were out to catch up, tell stories about our trips, talk about boys, and generally people watch. It was a successful night on all accounts. :)

Queens Botanical Garden (43-50 Main Street, Flushing NY)

Originally created as an exhibit for the 1939 World’s Fair, the Queens Botanical Garden opened in its present location in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in 1963. It is 39 acres of city owned land, has a Victorian gazebo area you can rent out for weddings, and has bees, birds, herb gardens, and woodland gardens, in addition to pinetum, backyard demonstration gardens, an arboretum, and seasonal display gardens.

It’s not far from one of New York’s Chinatown areas, and when I spent an afternoon at the garden the park was filled with a few families from the local neighborhood and a handful of elderly folks talking walks or reading books. It’s a very serene park tucked into an amazingly quiet area is a very loud, busy Chinatown neighborhood. I know the other botanical gardens in NYC are supposed to be much fancier than this one in Queens, but I was content. The quiet and the solitude were actually kind of nice.

And people aren’t the only ones who enjoy the gardens. This chocolate eating squirrel looked quite content here as well.
(No, I wasn’t the one who fed him chocolate. Some older gentleman and his grandson were the culprits).

The more I read, the more photos I view, the more news stories I watch… the more I keep tearing up. My thoughts and wishes go out to all of my friends, their families, and other folks from New Orleans.