PS - I'm bored.

This is awesome.

Manhattanhenge

Once a year the sun sets perfectly in line with the the street grid in Manhattan. If nothing else, it was fun to drag the Starlet and a skeptical Thinky Face out to the Shake Shack at Madison Square Park and catch the sunset from the East Side. Thinky Face came around when she saw the event and the resulting awesome photos. These were shot with my iPhone, and make me ashamed that I no longer carry a better camera around with me.





kyle the girl
(on iPhone)

New York Dance Parade 2009

Was AWESOME.



There were over 20 of us, between the Squirrel Girls and all of us Acorns (the students). We came out there like warriors with our tribal yells and our brightly colored skirts and all our coinage and had a blast. Mama Squirrel is amassing an army of American Tribal Style Bellydancers!

There were also tons of other cool dancers there! My favorites were NYC Bhangra Club, The Kansas City Marching Falcons Drill Team, and Groove Hoops, but there were so many other amazing things to see, from roller disco to ballet, to circus performers.

There was brief talk of going to one of several after parties at clubs around the City, but after a whole day of hip twists and body waves our bellies were all danced out.

Thanks to those who made it out, especially Heartwarmer, who graciously volunteered to carry the Squirrel Girls' banner. And to the rest of you, hope to shimmy at you next year!

As you may or may not be aware, Central Park is awesome.

I actually haven't been to Central Park much since I moved here but on Veteran's day Roommate #1 and I both had the day off and we decided to take a stroll through the park in search of the Castle, to which neither of us had ever really been. It was so much fun just strolling and chatting and strolling some more. I'm also very happy to report that the carousel is WAY worth it! If only we'd had a better camera... But here are a couple of pics from my iPhone!









PS - Today is my one year anniversary. I made it. I've been here in New York for a whole, real year. I am officially a New Yorker!

I fell in love today and I had polenta for brunch.

Today after Brunch Club Roommate #2 decided to accompany me to Brooklyn Heights for the Cranberry Street Festival, where the Squirrel Girls were performing. We wound up missing their performance but were able to catch up with them to visit at Park Plaza Restaurant. Afterward, Roommate #2 decided to take me on a tour of Brooklyn Heights, since she used to live there and I'd never been.

Once we started walking around I couldn't believe I had not been to this part of Brooklyn before. As we walked up and down the streets I could feel the water in the air. When we approached the Promenade, I immediately realized that I had finally found a neighborhood I liked as much as I liked the Marigny in New Orleans. Now I'm in love! I want Brooklyn Heights to be my home!

This gives me something to work toward. I've been saying for some time now that I'm saving to buy my own place, but I hadn't really felt sure about where I wanted to live. Now I feel pretty sure...and I know it might be a loooong time before I can afford a teeny tiny little place there, but I want very badly to live in Brooklyn Heights. Of course, who knows - I'll probably change my mind a dozen times in the next few years as I save up that down payment!

We also had a New York Moment and ran into Make Me a Supermodel, which was shooting on the Promenade. We took some pictures of our fun time and submitted them to Filming In Brooklyn, which is one of my favorite blogs. Woohoo!

Mugged. I got mugged.

These two little shits...kids. Maybe 17 or 18. Maybe younger. I was responding to a text and the one kid walked up and grabbed my iPhone out of my hands. At first I didn't believe it. I turned around and started screaming and chasing him. Screaming so loud, hoping that someone would be there, that someone would hear and stop him.

Then the other one came up from behind me and grabbed my purse. I knew it was wrong, but I fought him for it. He didn't expect me to fight either. He hit me over the head with the heel of his hand. He told me to let go, to give it up. I screamed louder and louder, "NO! No, I will give you the wallet just let me have the rest! This is all I have!" I just wanted my house keys so I could go home.

I was kicking him, pulling at my purse and aiming at his genitals. I missed and missed again and then suddenly I was on the ground, clutching for dear life at my bag. I bought that purse in France. It was cheap but I loved it. I didn't want to lose it. Then he said he had a gun. I didn't believe him and kicked at him some more, but then it registered in my brain that it was a bad idea to assume he did not have a gun. I let go. He ran off and I chased them, West on Sterling, South on Classon, then turned left to go East on St. John. Screaming my head off.

I lost sight of them. A nice man heard my cries for help and stopped me. He reminded me it was a bad idea to follow someone who kicked me to the ground, hit me over the head and threatened me. I saw them up the block. I was so livid that I started to go, but he stopped me again. I started crying. He called 911 but standing there, all defeated and rained on and without a phone or a house key I just wanted something familiar.

I went to the Sound Scientist's house. I knew he would be home and he was. He let me in, let me breathe, let me sit down, called the police. He gave me a beer and I drank half of it in two sips. I was filthy from the street. I was all scraped up on my hip and my knee and my elbow and my head hurt where the little shit had hit me.

The police came. They were great. They cruised me around to look for the kids but of course we didn't find them. They brought me to the precinct, where I learned that two boys fitting my description had just mugged someone else on Vanderbilt Avenue, not far from where it had happened to me. The detectives were awesome, and while they processed my report they let me have full access to a computer so I could change all my passwords, shut off my phone, shut down my credit and debit cards, access phone numbers in my emails (thank goodness I save everything). I called my mom. I called Aunt J. I called my roommate a million times (she didn't pick up until waaaay later after the other roommate received an email from me and called her). Everyone rallied for me.

Roommate wouldn't be home until far later, so I went back to the Sound Scientist's house. We drank beer. We rehashed. We ran out of beer, then Roommate called so we went home. I changed, dressed my wounds and freshened up, then we got more beer and a pack of cigarettes. We went back to his house and got drunk and watched Shaun of the Dead. Then he walked me home.

All I gotta say is that if it weren't for him I'd be going crazy right now. He didn't have to do much to take care of me, but just being there with me and not leaving me alone... Well it was enough. He's such a good friend, a good person.

I'm okay, for now. Tomorrow... we'll see.

Unemployment adventures continue: I went to Wall Street today!

After a brief meeting with Payroll to develop a script idea I decided I would head to Ikea (yes again) to explore my storage options since I have way more stuff than closets now. I had read about a free water taxi and looked it up with my iPhone for details, since it sounded way cooler than the stupid bus at Borough Hall in Brooklyn. When I realized it left from Pier 11 at Wall Street I was even more interested, thinking maybe I'd see the current economic climate written all over the faces of the bankers and brokers. Woohoo!

I actually did sort of feel tangible stress in the air. Classy restaurants were notably empty at lunchtime. No one was smiling (but maybe that's normal? Finance seems like an awfully boring profession to me). I was impressed by the monolithic feeling of it all, passing Trump and Schwab. Then I noticed somewhere the bull of Merrill Lynch. I remembered that Bank of America ate Merrill on Monday. I thought about Lehman and looked up as the icon of banker suicide flickered through my brain.

The scene was a lot different when I crossed South Street and hit the pier. The retardedly expensive waterfalls cascaded below the Brooklyn Bridge. Flags everywhere whipped around their flagpoles on the blustering wind. I breathed salty air and giggled at a duck wiggling his tail at me. Seagulls roosted or stood serenely atop wooden poles (what are those things called?), belying their pesty, scavenging nature.

And then the taxi came, bouncing side to side in the wavy water. I sat on the top of course, letting the wind bluster my braids around and snapping photos like a cheesy tourist. It was so much fun bobbing around in the New York Harbor while the other passengers got nervous and the guy with the pronouncedly Jewish accent behind me gave a play by play of all the stuff we passed. While the hipster roommates scoffed at those of us taking photos. While the token annoying guy-on-cell-phone shouted in German over the airwaves. While the big, hyper-industrial boat passed us and the condemned Red Hook warehouses loomed abandoned and Governor's Island twinkled in all its pretty uselessness. It was beautiful!

I can't think of a better way to go to the store, and I'm glad I spent my afternoon doing it!

Working out with Arnold on the roo-oo-oof

How weird was my roof party?

Well! Last Thursday the film I'm working on got shut down, so a bunch of people from work went out and drank and I cabbed it home with my boss at 1:30 a.m. Then on Friday we were told there was still hope--to stop packing up and hold on until mid-week--so a bunch of people from work went out and drank and I cabbed it home at 2:45 a.m. I had planned and advertised a party for Saturday and guess what? Nobody from work came! No surprise there--if it hadn't been my party I probably wouldn't have gone either.

Nonetheless it turned out to be a hit. Thinky Face came, and so did a bunch of Roommate #1's friends. Aunt J and Auntie R came out and brought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers to congratulate on the new pad. It actually wound up being a very relaxed, laid back evening (but deep down I'm pretty pissed about so many people saying they'd come and then not showing--if you aren't gonna come it's okay, just say so).

Anyway, much of the evening was spent in awareness of another roof party across the back yards. These people were, apparently, insane. They were all dancing...really badly. There appeared to be rhythm, but the moves were all just so strange we weren't sure what to make of it. Aunt J was pretty convinced they were on some kind of upper. Some time around 1:30 someone suggested we ask them. Being "a little tipsy," I shouted across the courtyard at them! "Hey... HEY!!" Finally I got someone's attention. He ran to the edge of the roof and strained to hear as I yelled, "What are y'all DOING?"

"Working out with Arnold!" came the reply. I didn't understand until later what he meant, so my next question was, "What are you guys on!?"

He shrugged his shoulders and lifted his palms in incredulity. "Uh... Beer?"

Someone else in my party shouted, "Do you have any more beer?"

"No! I think we're out!"

"Well come on over!"

A few minutes later Thinky Face and I were teaching Roommate #1's friend to bellydance when someone said, "Uh, [Miss A]? We have a visitor from across the way. This is [the Sound Scientist]!" As hostess I greeted him and his friends, gave him a drink and chatted a bit, when suddenly he asked, "This might sound kind of weird but are you on Twitter?"

As it turns out, I had responded to a tweet of his once--I probably saw it using the "Nearby" feature of the Twinkle iPhone app, which shows me tweets in my local area--and ever since he has followed my updates. Weird! Crazy weird!

We sat up talking like ALL night. As it turns out, we not only tweet at each other, we also have similar tastes and interests. So yay, I have a brand new friend to go with my brand new neighborhood! And it's all thanks to being a nerd. I knew I would find more of my kind eventually.

In other news, subway cars are perpetually too hot, but the one I'm in now is f-f-frrreeeeeeezing! Also I travel to Cleveland tonight for Salty's baby shower! Go Peanut!

Every time I see the Be Kanye billboard there's a white dude in front of it looking mopey.

Learning how to juggle

We all know Miss A is busy, but nothing compares to how things have been for me lately. For instance, I promised myself I would write about the Sobieski Truth Is Lame party or whatever, but I haven't had time. I promised y'all I would write about the Hipster Socialite, but haven't had the time. I promised myself I'd write a scathing review of the horrible, stupid lame Dark Knight (hear the sarcasm?), but haven't had the time.

And just today someone emailed me and pointed out that I am no longer a production assistant as my blog's tagline says. This is true! I've been meaning to change it....but I haven't had the time!

Backyard barbecue in Greenpoint

Two Sundays ago:

Last night the Squirrel Girls had a belly dance show at Union Pool in
Williamsburg. The show was put on by some fusion dancers who had
brought in Zoe Jakes of The Indigo for some workshops. The venue
looked pretty cool, so I decided to schlep out there for the evening.
Thanks to a complicated mass transit route I arrived a little late and
missed the Squirrels' set, but I was at least able to see this:

He was amazing! His costume, the dancing, the weird mix of traditional
ethnic vibe with drag show coquettishness... I was blown away!

Zoe was good too, but the set I saw was a lot like cabaret in tribal
fusion costume. She made it cute by throwing in some burlesquey-style
attitude, but still...cabaret solos are just not my thing. Mad props
to the gals (and guys) who do it, but I just enjoy a group effort
more. Even so, Zoe was gorgeous! In grand tradition of The Indigo she
sported some seriously ruffly pants, a fluffy overskirt, and what must
have been forty pounds of hip jewelry. I was a little surprised, with
all that stuff on the bottom, to see her head simply done in pigtails
and a small floral headband, but it worked together really well. It's
always nice to see dancers who costume really well, especially when
they surprise you with something you would never have thought of.

Afterward Mama Squirrel took me to her neighborhood bar, the Boulevard
Tavern. It is the BEST little spot! Harold, one of the owners, runs a
$5 all you can eat barbecue that's set up picnic style on the
courtyard. I happily paid my dues, grabbed a veggie dog off the grill,
and noshed away while chatting with the locals. Mama Squirrel and I
drank tall fizzy cranberry concoctions and chatted away about dancing
and money and aging and the world and dancing.

We hung out til 2:30, and then she instructed me on the finer points
of dealing with car services. I smoothed my dress underneath me as I
slid into the black Lincoln and promptly nodded off, sleeping until I
was almost home.

My new favorite mini-vacation

<- That's me!

I had a good day last Saturday--like a really good day!--and I can't believe I'm just now getting around to writing it up!

Sundays are usually my favorites, but in light (darkness?) of my drunken mishaps, I have to say Saturday won out. After all, I spent it with Thinky Face and her man-friend in Coney Island! I never once felt third-wheely either. I think the best couples to hang out with are couples in that awkward not-quite-dating-kinda-friends limbo for sure. I love you married folks, but seriously, it was so pleasant to hang out with a couple and not hear them talk about each other the whole time. Plus they were all cute and awkward, and it's fun to watch your friends be cute and awkward with man- or lady-friends.

Anyway, we had a great ride on the good ol' Q out to the beach, which doesn't take long from my apartment at all, and is actually quite pleasant, since most of the ride is outdoors and you can look out the windows. It's not all that exciting, but there's something to be said for sunshine. There were more than a few Mermaid Parade-goers in our car, even though we were very much late for the start.

Anyway, the best was yet to come. The crowd in the street was thick and teeming with folks dressed up like sea creatures. The sun beat down brightly on us and the moisture in the air was palpable. Women walked by us wearing nothing over their breasts but paint and glitter. Almost everyone was drinking a beer, if not something more potent. It was all so.... familiar! "Mardi Gras!" I shouted. "It's just like bein' home!!" I wished I had dressed up too.

As it was our beachcomber clothes were more than appropriate. It didn't take too long for us to get bored with the parade (which is not like Mardi Gras at all-it's more like Homecoming meets Halloween), and after a bit we hurried over to the Cyclone for a rickety ride on America's most famous roller coaster.

Thinky and I hop-skipped into the second seat behind a couple of Guidos (hey, it's Brooklyn) and man-friend settled into the seat behind us. We all threw our hands up as we ascended the first hill and then....screamed for our lives! Really!! That thing feels like it's going to fall apart underneath you! Despite feeling like I'd just lost a boxing match at the end ("Ow, my brain!" Thinky said), it was really awesome. I can't wait to go again!

After that it was off to the boardwalk for real live Coney Island hot dogs. I'm not much of a carnivore, and usually refuse even the choicest cuts of cows and pigs, but I am a sucker for an excellent hot dog. Especially with relish and ketchup! Yum! Ours were, frankly (get it?), the best weiners we'd ever tasted (bada-bing!).

We made our way onto the beach, which was actually very pleasant. I'm not much of a beach person, but I have to say it was a welcome change from the concrete jungle. We took off our sandals and wiggled our toes in the sand a bit, enjoying cheese fries and beer (Coney Island's version of health food) and then after a while we decided to wiggled our toes in the ocean instead. My! That was...brisk! I hadn't been in the ocean since ten minutes in Alabama more than a year ago and before that in the Mediterranean Sea in France. Neither of those instances could possibly have prepared me for the freezing murk at Coney Island. Still, after a couple of minutes it was nice, provided you don't mind not being able to see past six inches deep. It quite reminded me of Lake Erie, but with an undertow.

With the hem of my dress wet and salty I danced around the beach for a bit and then we all agreed it was time for more junk food. A feast was found at one of the less-crowded stands! It included onion rings, a corn dog, Italian ice, root beer, Italian sausage, chicken ke-bobs, ice cream, and beer. I enjoyed two of those things and shared the root beer with Thinky.

Our bellies were full and our energy was drained from the sun and the surf. It was time to go home. We packed into the car with some paraders. It just never got old to look at these blue guys...and they didn't just look funny, they acted funny too:

As the train rolled away I gazed out the window contently at pools and realized they belonged to a cluster of tall hotels--and I can't help but imagine the most adorable little overnight trip staying at one of those places. With boardwalk food on the moonlit beach for dinner and waking up to an amazing view of the ocean and the Cyclone... Now I just need to get a friend on board. It'll be so nice!

Fire Hydrant Cool Down in Lefferts

Some dude opened up the hydrant on Lincoln Rd by the Prospect Park
subway station and soaked these poor passers by! It didn't look like
they minded too much, and in the 95 degree heat I was starting to
consider jumping in myself!

Incoming! Heads up!

Be careful when walking through Manhattan! Lately it's been raining construction materials:

Cranes!
"Debris!"
A whole bunch more cranes!

Also, my uncle occasionally blows stuff up. Cool!