Bands, readings and galleries – oh my!

Had dinner & drinks Tuesday at Tillman’s, a new lounge-y/supper club-by place in the Fashion District. The website says the menu is “soul food”; Garet describes it as “innovative comfort food”; and I consider it to be “sexy grilled cheese.” The menu predominantly consists of grilled cheese sandwiches. I had one with brie and apples, Garet had one with a French onion dipping sauce on the side, and Gail had a Monte Cristo with blackberry jam (that one was actually my favorite). Sandwiches are served with potato chips and pickled black eyed peas. Food was good; the vibe was good. Wish I had known about this cozy place in the winter, but am quite happy to have discovered it now.

Later we went to the Red Lion in the West Village. I hadn’t been to this club in like 10 years; it was a lot less dive-y than I remembered. Jake Stigers was playing; the band was pretty good, standard rock. They were joined onstage by a musician friend who played the mandola and harmonium. I love the sound of a mandolin; it makes think of someone playing on the porch when it’s raining. For their last song, the band covered Eddie Rabbitt’s “Drivin’ My Life Away.” Wow. I hadn’t thought about that song (or Eddie Rabbitt for that matter) since the early 1980s.


My friend Doug’s first novel East Fifth Bliss was published last year. Writing a novel, let alone having it printed and distributed, is no small feat. He read a passage from the novel during a reading at Cornelia Street Café Wednesday night. Good stuff. The story takes place in the East Village - my neighborhood (and Doug's) . I will read the book in May, and give you the full review.

I got to know Doug when he & I worked together seven+ years ago during the dot-com boom (and we also shared an office!). Office-sharing can be a pretty intense, polarizing situation: either you never want to see the person again or you’re very cool moving forward. Fortunately Doug & I seem to be falling in the latter category, and I’m happy to see him doing well.


Does anyone I remember the time 6 years ago when I shot in San Francisco for a month? Monica, the art director who was with me on that trip, had a photography show Thursday night at Niagra’s downstairs gallery. It was a fun time, and Monica was very happy (though whiskey may have helped her out a little in this regard).

Celebrity crush

When I spot a celebrity, typically it’s vaguely cool for approximately 2 seconds and then I continue about my business. Based on this blog, you can see read that historically, I’ve successfully ignored the likes of Benicio del Toro and Philip Seymour Hoffman. However, I was somewhat taken aback Tuesday morning when I saw Vh1’s Aamer Haleem at 47th & Broadway as I was walking to work. Really. Had he not been surrounded by a camera crew, I very well may have tried to chat him up.

Spotted: comedian Nick Kroll on the N/R platform in the Union Square subway station Wed. morning. Not nearly as exciting as Aamer Haleem.

Ohmmmm(ow)mmm

I started taking yoga classes in my office again. I think it's been like a year & a half since I've done yoga. In any case, way too long. Tonight's session was good. I've missed practicing yoga & I obviously need it to stretch/relax. However, I predict I'm going to be super-sore tomorrow.

Down with cars

In conjunction with Earth Day yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg revealed PlaNYC 2030 - a plan to address the expected growth of the city over the next 25 years in an environmentally-sound fashion. One thing of particular interest to me is the recommendation for "congestion pricing." Essentially this is creating a heavy toll ($8) for cars coming into Manhattan during peak hours, as well as a $4 toll for cars just driving around in Manhattan. I am all for this. My pet peeve is people who choose to drive around in their personal vehicle when they could be taking a train or a bus. Congestion pricing was implemented in central London a few years ago, and it has been quite successful.

We may have turned a corner

Weather in NYC was sunny & in the 70s this weekend. Finally! Everyone's been suffering from serious cabin fever, so the city parks & restaurants/bars with outdoor seating were completely packed at this first hint of warm weather.

When the weather is nice, my weekend ritual is to get coffee & a bagel and read the paper in Tompkins Square Park. I like this mainly because Latin musicians from the neighborhood trickle in and basically jam throughout the afternoon. It starts as one guy with drums or a guy with a guitar and can grow to as many as 10 or 12 people.

Spring has sprung: the park musicians are back in full force.

Went to Banjo Jim's on Sunday night to see Van Hayride, a country band that covers Van Halen songs. In addition to the classic favorites you'd expect to hear, they also have a song called "The Night They Fired David Lee Roth," which is sung to the tune of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." Nice bit of levity to end the weekend.

Van Hayride in action.

Still missing you guys

Went to Grand Central yesterday to catch a train to a client meeting. Thought of Shelley. It’s almost been a year since she passed away. The last place I saw Shelley was Grand Central, so now when I’m there I think of her. Grand Central is one of my favorite buildings in NYC – it’s classic, elegant, tasteful, and timeless. Just like Shelley.

I’ve also been thinking about Mach lately. I went to the blog his last agency started, and there’s a nice post from a few weeks ago commemorating Mach’s birthday.

It saddens me that Shelley and Mach aren't here anymore, but we were blessed to have these talented people with us for the short time we did.

Be bold

Went to Falai on the Lower East Side Wed. night for Dining Out Group. This was Donna’s pick. Flavors in a dish are usually very subtle (you detect a slight hint of this or that). Not the case with anything we ordered at Falai – all the flavors were strong, distinct and in my opinion, overwhelming. Like tortellini in almond soup – hello almond. Or gnudi – what’s with all the spinach? Or the foie gras that was so rich I almost gagged. Though I wasn’t a big fan, we tried a new place that gave us plenty to talk about (the whole point of DOG).

Latin flick

Robyn and I went to the US premiere of an Argentinean film Tattooed Tuesday night as part of the Havana Film Festival. Was a very quiet film about a teenage boy's search for info about his mother. She tattooed his arm when he was 3 years old before leaving him and his father. I thought the guy who played the son did an especially nice job of acting. The film itself didn't change my life, but I subscribe to its parting message ("everything happens for a reason"). We noticed the film's subtitles contained a lot of grammatical errors and typos, which was amusing - then annoying. Hey, proofreading can sometimes be a good thing.

Nice power?

Shani gave me the book The Power of Nice after she did a piece on the authors, 2 women who run a NYC ad agency. The book is about how being polite will help you succeed in business. Basically I couldn’t be bothered to read it.

However I experienced a few unexpected, pleasant surprises in New Orleans:
1) Diane discounted the earrings I bought and gave me a hug
2) A man from Denver paid for my dinner at Snug Harbor
3) A couple from Nashville paid for my cab ride to the airport

They all said they did these things was because I was “nice” to them. (But then again, since all the acts involved money, maybe I looked destitute or impoverished or something.)

On Canal Street Monday morning, I saw a man walking towards me and staring at me. In Manhattan the street would’ve been busier and I would’ve been able to ignore him. But in New Orleans, that would just be rude. So I allow the man to stop me, and he asks me where I was from. I tell him New York. He pulls out his driver's license - to show me he's from New York too. He gives me a hug (and asks me out). Taken aback by an unsolicited hug from a total stranger, my initial reaction was to check to make sure I still had my wallet. I did.

But all this made me wonder: how many more opportunities might I have by being nicer and more open?

How is New Orleans doing?

In the 9 months since I was last in New Orleans, the overall vibe of the city seems to have improved. The Quarter and Garden District looked pretty good last year, but now they look beautiful. Especially Esplanade Avenue (which borders the Quarter) - most of the houses have been repainted and the yards have been cleaned up. There were lots more people (tourists) in the city this time, which was quite nice to see. Also the locals I spoke with seem less shocked, overwhelmed and uncertain than before. Not to say Katrina is a distant memory (far from it), but perhaps now that some time has passed, folks at least have a process in place for coping from day to day. Admittedly I did not return to the worst-hit areas (like Lakeview and the 9th Ward) during this trip. Unfortunately, I understand these neighborhoods have not changed significantly.

So the message is the same as several months ago - all is not OK in New Orleans. The city still needs lots of money and attention. However I feel the mood is less dire than during my last visit. And as I keep demonstrating, it is pretty simple to have a wonderful time there. Please go down for a weekend and drop some cash.

A less "live"-ly day

Monday was another beautiful day - sunny and 70s. Took a quick bus ride to the Garden District. Stumbled upon Lafayette Cemetary (the oldest "American" cemetary in New Orleans) and went in. I’m not a cemetery groupie or anything, but I was interested in seeing the mausoleums. Sean, a total character who’s affiliated with the cemetery, walked me around the grounds to explain stuff. I learned most New Orleans burials are above ground because of the city’s early Latin influences - not because of the city being below sea level (though that’s definitely another contributing factor). Also I found out bodies are buried in simple wooden coffins (so they decompose more easily). When it's time to add another person to a tomb, it's opened up and cemetary workers clean out what's left from previous burials (coffin remnants), and they put any bones/human remains in a plastic trash bag and place it in the back of the tomb so there's room for the new casket. It's a law that you must wait a year and a day after a burial before adding another body to the same tomb. Even then, what’s inside can be “pretty gnarly,” according to Sean. Apparently there are 40+ people buried in some tombs.

Had a shrimp po boy and lemonade for lunch and did some shopping on Magazine St. before heading to the airport to fly back to NY.


Row of tombs in Lafayette Cemetary.


Pretty little angel on top of one tomb. There are actually very few statues in this cemetary.


House in the Garden District. It's across the street from where Anne Rice lives, but I thought this house was more visually interesting than hers.

Listen to the music

Grabbed brunch Sunday at Cafe Amelie (grits with a lot of black pepper = tasty). Thought some artwork in a gallery on Royal St. near my hotel looked familiar, and as it turned out it was the gallery where Rick bought most of the art in his apt. Met the owners and one walked me to another of their galleries down the street.

Sunday was the last day of French Quarter Fest. Kinda like Jazz Fest, but more low-key: it's in the Quarter vs. at the fairgrounds; the musicians are local vs. national, and it's free.


Big Daddy “O”, a blues man who drank out of a flask during his set.


Chief Doucette, who was joined on stage by 2 Japanese musicians and a few girl back-up singers. He has a MySpace page. How bad-ass is that?

Had a cochon de lait po boy (pulled pork sandwich) from Jacques-Imo's food booth on Jackson Square for lunch. After drinking a hurricane and a having few beers during the day, it only seemed logical for me to have a Monsoon as a nightcap with my cheeseburger dinner at Snug Harbor.

April iteration of Mardi Gras

Flew down to New Orleans Sat morning. Kicked things off with the fried green tomato breakfast at Eat, a cute neighborhood restaurant on Dumaine St. Stopped by to see Diane, the Australian owner of Oonkas Boonkas, and bought another pair of earrings from her. The Patio Planters (the French Quarter garden club) were hosting an "open garden" so I popped in to see the inner courtyards of three townhouses in the Quarter.

Met Eric and Brenda for drinks at the Carousel Bar and then we went to a Bridge House benefit at Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World. Blaine Kern is the major float maker in New Orleans, and Mardi Gras World is his "den". We were able to go inside the workshop where the paper mache application and float-painting happens, and we also walked around the warehouse to see some of the "greatest hits" floats up close. Would have actually never motivated to go to Mardi Gras World on my own, but it was fascinatingly surreal. The benefit itself featured a live band, open bar, and food stations serving yummy stuff like jambalaya, bread pudding and praline crepes.


These floats are big!


Crazy colors and lights on a dragon-themed float.


Awesome juxtaposition: C3PO, Superman & Buddha.

Back off the wagon

During my 10 days in GA, I only had 1 glass of wine. Shocking! This changed when I met up with Jen and Tara after work last Wednesday for Jen's birthday. Jen wanted to try Koca Lounge, a relatively new place on the Lower East Side. Their specialty is akin to shabu shabu. Very modern burners are built into the tabletops. You order a broth/curry and you then you order meat, seafood and vegetables to dunk in the sauce and cook at the table. It wound up being a fun, fairly interactive meal. We also got a chocolate hot pot for dessert. The space is nice; there's an outdoor seating area in the back of the restaurant, which could be good for drinks & snacks whenever it’s not 40 and raining in NYC.

Savannah scene

My flight back to NYC Sunday night was cancelled, and all the Monday flights were booked. Hung out in Savannah before flying Tuesday afternoon. A Marc by Marc Jacobs store opened downtown on Broughton St. It’s one of five such stores worldwide, and is the largest one in the US. I find this fairly bizarre; we’ll see how it fares. Marc Jacobs will be in town next month to receive a Lifetime Achievement award from SCAD at their annual fashion show.


Fountain in Forsyth Park.

Easter

My mother neglected to tell me services at my family church start an hour earlier than usual on Easter Sunday. So on Sunday morning I showered and dressed in time for an 11 am service, when it actually began at 10 am. Whoops.

Had lunch with the cousins I usually spend the holidays with. Good stuff.


Bunny cake!


Azaleas at my cousins’ house.

Rural Southeast Georgia: it's different down here

The place where I grew up probably could not be more different from Manhattan. I wouldn’t change a thing about my upbringing. However the longer I live in NY, the “differences” become more apparent when I return to GA for a visit.

Welcome to small-town SE GA, where:
- my family's dinners are typically consumed by 7 pm, if not by 6 pm
- you can see a first-run movie for $5.50
- DJs play Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" on the radio (without any irony)
- teachers visiting from France can ride a mechanical bull at a local bar


Cows on my family's farm.

Retail therapy

I’ll admit, I kinda like shopping in malls. Probably because I prefer to look at everything, then go back and try stuff on, and finally return a 3rd time to purchase things. This strategy isn’t practical in NYC so I’ve abandoned it for the most part. However, I can return to my old habits when I’m home.

I went to Oglethorpe Mall in Savannah on Wednesday, and bought some shoes, earrings, tank tops and sunglasses. I could actually see the merchandise in the stores, and no other customers were jostling me. Novel concepts!

I’m not a “bargain shopper” by any means. Basically I don’t have the time or patience to deal. However I found 2 good buys on Wednesday:
1) A tailored velveteen jacket I saw at Mint in November. It was still in the store & was marked down 75%. (I guess there's an upside to being the weird girl who’s interested in velveteen when it’s almost 90 degrees outside.)
2) Two little purses at Walgreen’s for $5. (Normally I wouldn’t discuss what I paid for something or admit to purchasing fashion accessories at a drugstore, but... 2 purses for $5!)


The latest additions to my handbag collection.

After all, it was Holy Week

Stopped by Epworth before leaving St. Simons. Essentially Epworth is my spiritual home. Growing up, I spent several weeks and dozens of weekends there at camps and retreats. Really beautiful and special place.


Prayer chapel, with the Frederica River in the background.


Oak trees and Spanish moss at Epworth's entrance.

Headed south

Flew into Savannah on April 1. My mom & aunt picked me up at the airport, and we headed down to St. Simons Island for a few days.


Aerial shot of the Savannah River & its estuaries from the plane.

Stayed on the beach at the King and Prince. Temps were in the 80s and the sun was pretty intense, so it was nice to hang out by the pool Monday. Visited family friends who recently moved into a new house overlooking the marsh and also gave birth to twin daughters. Lots of life changes since last year!


Mural of the marshes Mrs. Minnie G painted in Greer & Laura’s house.

Saw Blades of Glory. It had some laughs (expected, given Will Ferrell and Jon Heder, the man who brought us Napoleon Dynamite). And there were some really good cameos from actual/former professional ice skaters: Scott Hamilton, Brian Boitano, Nancy Kerrigan. However, Will Ferrell's body is shown a lot in the movie. I say use his less-than-stellar physique once for a laugh; no need for him to be shirtless in every other scene.

Since it’s been over 4 months since I’ve been in GA, I had some Southern food cravings to satiate. Checked out “old” places like Gnat's Landing (which lived up to its name since we experienced some sand gnats during dinner at an outdoor table). We also tried some places that were new to me: Beachcomber (had the pulled pork sandwich, which was actually pretty tasty. But I always feel like I’m cheating on a boyfriend when I eat BBQ anywhere other than Vandy’s) and Delaney's Bistro (good sauteed crab cakes).

Dawn in the big city

To know me is to know that I am NOT a morning person. Have never been, will never be. So it’s ironic that my favorite time of day in NYC is early morning. The city is relatively peaceful then – not much traffic, not many people out yet. Dawn in the city is also quite powerful – seeing the rising sun reflecting off the buildings makes me feel like the city is mine and my possibilities for the future are absolutely endless. No matter how cold it is outside, no matter how tired I am, there’s something wonderful about early morning cabs rides through the streets of Manhattan.


Daybreak over the Con Ed plant on East 14th St., April 1 ~6:30 am