Saturday, December 12, 2009

Backtracking to Thanksgiving

Before I get too deep into the Christmas season, I feel like I need to just give the Thanksgiving rundown. This is mostly because we had such a fun time and I'm fairly likely to forget what all we did and where we went. So, this is backtracking a bit, but I thought I would share anyway.

My family all came up for the Thanksgiving holidays. As in, my mom, dad, both of my brothers and their wives. It was quite the crew! Luckily, they weren't all staying with me! I don't have that kinda space :). Helloooo studio! Anyway, they found a great hotel in Chelsea that was a great location and was right next to trains as well. I was impressed :).

They came into town on Tuesday night (the 24th, I believe). Jim and I met them at the airtrain and took them straight to the hotel. I was already wiped out cause I had worked that night - so we just left them there. On Wednesday morning, they all took a stroll through Greenwich Village down to Houston. We met them at Katz Deli - one of our favorite places to get a great sandwich! Then we walked down around Chinatown, but it started raining... so we did a little shopping and headed back to the hotel to get ready for the evening.

Wednesday night we went up to see the parade balloons being blown up. It's such a cool thing to do! I had seen it before, but the fam needed the experience. It was misting quite a bit by then, so we really didn't stay long. We then headed back down to the Theatre District because we were seeing Jersey Boys later. We stopped at Rosie O'Gradys for some warm-me-up foods and headed on to the theatre.

I have to say that Jersey boys was amazing! The music was just spot on and my entire family was pretty much singing along. I'm glad we got to see it! I have to agree with whoever said it wasn't exactly a musical so much as a musical timeline. But it was still wonderful and I'll recommend it on to others.

After the show, we went down a few blocks to Times Square to take a few pictures and things. We decided to go somewhere for dessert - and conveniently there was a place called Roxie's that was perfect! I think some people were itching for some "NY Cheesecake." I know that wasn't me! Anyway, we took lots of pictures and walked ourselves back down to the hotel. Had to get to bed early to be ready for the parade in the morning! :)

On Thursday morning, we were out and about early. We went to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I believe we ended up standing around 40th on 6th ave. It was a great spot, really... I think we got really lucky! They had lots of stuff blocked off, so we had to do some maneuvering. But the parade was wonderful and the weather was pretty mild. I'm happy to report that we stayed for the whole thing - even though there was mumbling to the contrary.

Afterward, I had made reservations to have Thanksgiving Dinner at one of the restaurants in Grand Central Station. It's the one in the actual concourse that looks out onto the station- Metrazur. The food was fantastic (a lot better than I was expecting), so I think everyone was satisfied. The only thing missing was leftovers for later!

After dinner, we headed out to Queens so I could show everyone our apartment. We have tons of video games (thanks to boyfriend extraordinaire), so we set up rockband and some wii bowling and everyone went to town. That was a nice, quiet evening. By that point, I think everyone was starting to feel a bit of the tiredness of walking around the city for a few days.

On Friday, everyone sort of split up to do their own thing. Dad and Blake went to the Guggenheim, Grant and Megan went to Battery Park, Mom and Moriah went shopping in the scary Macy's :). Jim and I met up with the later and walked down to SoHo with them - specifically to go to the MoMa Store.

We all met back up in Little Italy to get a late lunch. Jim's mom actually came down from RI to have lunch with us. That was a good time and our parents got to get to know each other. After eating, I took both of our moms to see about getting some fakie purses - I may have shocked my mom though :). It's kind of a crazy area and lots of crazy people to deal with.

Mom and I took Jim and his mom to Penn Station because they were headed back to RI for a memorial service. Then I met up with my brothers, etc to go see Ragtime that night. It was pretty good! I didn't realize it was still in the first stages of being on Broadway and all that, but it kind of makes sense. It was well done (except for a few things), but it's a fairly depressing story. We stopped at a brewery on the way home and had a nice evening of chatting and such :).

On Saturday morning, Grant and Megan left early. They had the early flight that day. Everyone else did a little shopping and Dad went to the Met. We met up for lunch (minus dad) in Hell's Kitchen and went back to a place we had been to before and loved - Five Napkin Burger. Yum! We wandered around a bit more before we had to go to the airport.

It was so nice to have them all around for the holiday! We had such a good time. I wish they could come up more often! Alas. At least I'm headed down to see them at Christmas time. I was going to add pictures to this post, but it's definitely long enough without it. I have pics all over my facebook stuff, so check around to find them. There are definitely some fun ones :).

Anyway, here's to a great Thanksgiving and looking forward to Christmas!

Monday, November 9, 2009

The schedule goes BOOM!

It's kinda crazy how you can have a whole lot of nothing going on for weeks at a time... then bam! Your social calendar explodes! Well, maybe the term "social calendar" is used very loosely here. More like... we had places to go. :).

This last week has turned our normal, low-key lifestyle on it's head. Last Saturday was Halloween. And being good New Yorkers, we decided to go to the Village parade. I went a few years ago, but it's always insane. It's nice to seee the crazies gather and realize how sane you are :). I posted some pics up at Facebook - but those were only a small tasting of what it was like.

I just love that even in a parade of crazies, there is still a crazy person!!! This dude had a dog in a tutu... himself in some sort of gypsy/nomad getup that I'm not convinced was a costume... and a live bird on his head. Ahem. And he kept coming by.

This was Jim's first time at the parade and he loved it. Especially the many superhero characters, the ATHF crew, and a cobra commander. He even got so excited about a zombie Captain America that he took a picture with him.
Perhaps we just need to get out more :).

But our week of fun didn't end there! Oh no. On Wednesday we got to go to our first Knicks game! The tickets were actually free to us, so that made the game even more enjoyable. Even if the Knicks lost. It was a night of intense amounts of cotton candy, pre-torn Knicks hats, and cup columbusing. A good time was had by all!

The very next night was another event - we saw Ricky Gervais LIVE at Carnegie Hall!! That was one of my birthday presents to Jim. He's a huge Gervais fan - as in he listens to all the podcasts and performances multiple times. Not to mention he loves The Office (British version only, natch). It was also our first trip to Carnegie Hall, which was really cool. It's extremely posh and we were extremely underdressed. But our seats were great (in one of the tier boxes) and it was a great show.

The encore was Ricky singing New York, New York with ELMO! I mean, the actual puppet. Isn't that crazy? I was shocked, but they did a great job. From our vantage point, we could actually see the workings of Elmo... which was kinda weird. But it was a lot of fun, and laughs were had by all!

To top it all off, we went up to Rhode Island this weekend to see Jim's family. His birthday is coming up (see early present, aka Gervais), so we headed up so they could celebrate with him. One thing that's great about visiting families is that we end up coming home with lots of yummy leftovers - specifically his aunt's homemade banana pudding. YUM!

Tonight we're headed to a midnight release of the latest COD video game - Modern Warfare 2. Jim's been amped about this for a few weeks, so tonight should be fun. This is the second release I've been to... so I'm expecting lots of nerdy and socially awkward dudes. Pictures? I hope so :).

Friday, October 9, 2009

Inadvertant Design

You wouldn't think it, but being a Librarian has given me way more variety than I ever thought possible. Obviously the whole reference question thing is the basis of it all... but it only blooms from there. One minute I'm a computer tech and the next I'm an event planner.

Our latest event has turned me into something completely different - a fashion show coordinator. This is, of course, something I would have never expected. Particularly as fashion is obviously not my forte. Though, perhaps I can claim craftiness.

But thankfully it's not just the fashion thing (I love Project Runway as much as the next person... but I'm no guru. Obvs). Of course, I didn't realize how much more it would take to plan a fashion show rather than one of our regular programs. It significantly more, actually.

To be specific, the program is going to be BUBBLE WRAP FASHION!!! YAY! What a great idea, huh? I can't claim it - is was one of my coworkers. Genius, I say! (ps i have no idea who this chick is... it was the only non-risque pic of someone wearing bubble wrap.) Anyway, this program is going to be awesome.
That is, if I can get it together. This means picking music, decorations, prizes, etc. so much more than I really wanted to get myself into... but there it is.
It just reminds me so much that being a Librarian (specifically for teens/kids) is just tons more than just answering reference questions. I guess I'm thankful for that - at least, I will be when the stress wears off from doing these programs.
Whew! Fashion design, here I come!! w000t! :)

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Fall is Upon Us!

Contrary to what you may believe, I do actually pull my head out of books sometimes. Today I've realized that Fall is upon us. I am, of course, shocked by it... because I'm pretty sure I was thinking about how hot it was days ago. And when I say "days," it's possible that I really mean "weeks." That's how time is moving for me at the moment.

I suppose it hit me mostly this morning when I woke up freezing - and then came to work to hang my Fall-themed sign for a display. Go figure. The taking-out-of-the-AC-unit yesterday only gave me a vague notion that it might not get hot anymore... but it still didn't hit home. I guess I'm unobservant like that.

Of course, Fall means that work is back in the groove of having our after school kids coming in... and then being kicked out. Always fun. I've only been cursed at twice so far - so I'm doing pretty good! And our programs and stuff are about to kick off (which has been stressful, but it will be a nice chance of pace once we get things going).

I'm really not used to needing a coat in the mornings - which has resulted in me being very cold walking to work. Maybe I'll start hanging some sort of coat on the door handle so it's impossible for me to leave without one. Knowing me, that probably won't work... but doesn't hurt to have good intentions.

Speaking of good intentions - I've given up candy. This doesn't sound like that big of a thing... if you don't know me. Lately I've realized exactly how much candy I'm attacking and it's just not good. My teeth are pretty much going to fall out, I'm sure. But yeah. I'm on day four right now - and it hasn't been easy. The darn vending machine at work has decided to be stocked with some of my faves. It's totally against me. But I'm staying strong and hoping I don't die of lack-of-sugar-poisoning :). I'm sure that exists.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Complaints, Etc.

There is something so brain-numbing about waking up early for work. By early, I mean 6:30am. I'm used to doing 7:45 or 8... but this early stuff is killing me. Especially when I worked till 9pm the night before...

You know, I used to get up early every day. My previous job was in a school, so I was always up around that time. Sure didn't take me long to get used to sleeping in. I think one of my other problems with this early stuff is that I only have to do it once a week. Meaning, I'll never get in the habit of doing it. I'd rather not... but still.

Enough complaining. This weekend I went to see 9.

Honestly, I really liked it. I didn't know much about it - but really the trailers don't give much info. I thought it was really well done and I'd definitely recommend it if you're into animated movies.
It was a lot more "steam punk" than I expected it to be. Kind of a what-would-happen-after-humans-are-taken-over-by-machines story. It was more in the action/adventure/almost thriller.
Anyway, I liked it and recommend it.
I'm really just writing about it to keep my brain-juices flowing and not drop my head on my desk for a nap. It doesn't help that our office is FREEZING. As in, I almost brought in a scarf and cap to sit in the office with. Unnecessary blowing AC is very unfortunate. I'm hoping I don't get sick from it. Alas.
I'm off to get some work done, I suppose. Wish me luck!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Milestone Time!

I've had a bit of a milestone around here. Yesterday marked two years that I have lived and worked in New York. Kind of exciting, huh?

Luckily that anniversary is pretty easy for me to remember. On my first day, there was a special activity that only happens once a year - the staff appreciation breakfast. It always happens around the same time - so really.... the breakfast is for me to celebrate my yearly anniversary.

Some days I really can't believe I've been here that long. Others, I feel like I've been here much longer. I suppose that's how it is everywhere... and everyone thinks that... I was just having my moment :).

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Reading Challenge

In past years I've tried to set a number of books to read in that year - really it's taken the place of my "new years resolution." Last year I read 80 books... and i was pretty proud of myself. I think I'm still just excited to be able to read without having school stuff get in the way. Everything I've read is because I want to. It's a wonderful freedom.

This year I found an online book challenge to give me a different sort of goal. The 999 challenge. Sounds daunting, doesn't it?

The whole thing is that you read nine books in nine categories in 2009. That would be a total of 81 books - giving me a little lead on last year's number... but some people also took another level of the challenge and tried to do it by 09/09/09.... yesterday. I almost made it. I lack two books (both classics, of course). But I've read more than 9 in some categories... so perhaps it still counts as complete. Right? Right.

I figured I needed to branch out of my fantasy/sci fi/favorite authors stuff and read something else. And I have to say, it has made me a better librarian for it. I've actually been able to talk about books that I wouldn't have had any idea about before. I would totally recommend doing this to anyone who is an avid reader. It totally broadens your scope.

So I guess I'm going to write my book list here. I'll put stars next to the ones that I loved the most :). Those aren't the only ones I recommend though. Enjoy!

Young Adult Fiction Challenge
Realistic Fiction
Caught Between the Pages - Merlene Carvell
Undone - Brook Taylor
Cracked Up to Be - Courtney Summers
Jellicoe Road - Melina Marchetta
Peeled - Joan Bauer **
Boot Camp - Todd Strasser
Same Difference - Siobhan Vivian **
Mystery/Adventure
Dead is the New Black - Marlene Perez
Dirty Laundry - Daniel Ehrenhaft
School for Dangerous Girls - Eliot Schreiber
Dead is a State of Mind - Marlene Perez
Max (A Maximum Ride Novel) - James Patterson
Death By Bikini - Linda Gerber
Princess of the Midnight Ball - Jessica Day George **
Gentlemen - Michael Northrop
The Awakening - Kelley Armstrong **
Death by Latte - Linda Gerber
Science Fiction
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins **
Skinned - Robin Wasserman **
GemX - Nicky Singer
Dangerous Days of Daniel X - James Patterson
Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld
Neptune's Children - Bonnie Dobkin
The Carbon Diaries - Saci Lloyd **
Fantasy/Horror
Dragon's Keep - Janet Lee Carey
Generation Dead - Daniel Waters **
Gregor the Overlander - Suzanne Collins
Lord of Misrule (A Morganville Vampires Novel) - Rachel Caine
Shadow Kiss (A Vampire Academy Novel) - Richelle Mead
Sucks to be Me - Kimberly Pauley
Fragile Eternity - Melissa Marr
Persistance of Memory - Amelia Atwater Rhodes
Impossible - Nancy Werlin **
City of Glass (Mortal Instruments Series) - Cassandra Clare **
Hunted: a House of Night Novel - PC and Kristin Cast
The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan **
Evermore -Alyson Noel
Historical Fiction
Ivy - Julie Hearn
Envy (A Luxe novel)- Anna Godbersen
The Season - Sarah MacLean
Newes From the Dead - Mary Hooper
The Red Necklace - Sally Gardner
The Smile - Donna Jo Napoli
Ten Cents a Dance - Christine Fletcher
A Voice of Her Own - Barbara Dana
Graphic Novels
Watchmen - Alan Moore
Breaking Up - Aimee Friedman
Plain Janes - Cecil Castellucci
Life Sucks- Jessica Abel
Cairo - G. Willow Wilson
The Good Neighbors (Kin) - Holly Black **
Japan Ai - Aimee Major Steinberger
Heroes (Companion to the TV show) - various authors
Urban Fiction
Hot Girl - Dream Jordan
Work What You Got - Stephanie Perry Moore
Tyrell - Coe Booth **
Shortie Like Mine - Nini Simone
Hotlanta - Denene Millner and Mitzi Miller
Push - Sapphire
Jason and Kyra - Dana Davidson
Shooter - Walter Dean Myers
Messed Up- Janet Lynch
"Chick Lit"
At Face Value - Emily Franklin
Girl v. Boy - Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout
Jet Set - Carrie Karasyov
Gamer Girl - Mari Mancusi **
Being Nikki - Meg Cabot
The Girls - Tucker Shaw
Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks- Lauren Myracle **
Oh. My. Gods. - Tera Lynn Childs **
Audrey, Wait! - Robin Benway **
Classics
Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
1984 - George Orwell
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut
A Separate Peace - John Knowles
The Stranger - Albert Camus
(two more classics to be added... once I read them :))
Sorry for the length... but that's how it goes, I suppose :).