Umm...WTF?

Anniversary

Three years ago today I moved to NYC from Atlanta with no apartment, no job, and only one social connection. Amazing what can happen in three years!

What up hot list?

I've been back in NYC for about a week. All I can say is THANK GOD! It's been a pretty fun few weeks, though it has been super busy (and a tad stressful). Anyway, here's the recap.

Highlights
Trip back to Athens GA, bringing sexy back at JT, Court's new fantastic roomie, Kevin K being back from LA, seeing Ratatouille, eating arepas twice in a week, finishing Harry Potter, and a fun-filled Saturday which included - lunch at Caracas, The Simpsons, a failed trip to PS1, Water Taxi Beach, exploring Queens, a nice walk, and a yum dinner at Atlas.

Lowlights
Being one of the few that missed the Daft Punk show and discovering that "my bar" had become infested with a douche crowd while I was away.

Spotlight
This is going to sound weird. BUT I think the thing worth noting and applauding is the fact that a year ago this week I officially got out of my relationship with Either/Or...for good. There's something powerful in loving someone so much and feeling like you can't imagine your life without them, yet still having the strength to walk away from them. And I did that. I walked out. A year ago. And I am 987 times a happier, nicer, more sane person because of it. YAY!

What I've been listening to
The VanMega August 2007 Mixtape

Random thought

Nothing makes me feel more like an 80 year old than eating Prune flavored Activia for breakfast.

That's all.

Hotlist: 07.05.07

Not much going on here.

I've been at my parent's house for 4 days now and am pretty much bored out of my skull. But I'm well-rested. Last night I slept for 11 hours. The night before I slept for 9. It has been good to detox from the past three weeks of debauchery. I've got nothing else but the hotlist.

Highlights
Seeing Grey Gardens before it closed, Arepas (otherwise known as the best thing I've eaten in a really long time) from Caracas, impromptu Mojito Crawl, Cuz's new job, visiting with High School friends, hanging with mama, and not drinking for five days.

Lowlights
Not drinking for five days

Spotlight
Having my BFF in town for a long weekend. It was a great time, although I was a little grumpy from serious lack of sleep. But she put up with my grumpy ass and we laughed for five days straight.

What I'm listening to
Someone gifted this song to me on iTunes

They sent it from an email address I didn't recognize and signed "Guess Who."

Dear Guess Who,

Thank you for the gift. You reminded me that I love The Fratellis and this song, in particular. I have listened to it about 500 times. And even though it was driving me crazy trying to figure out who sent it, I'm just satisfied knowing that someone would think of me when they hear it.

XXX,
Weezie

I will follow him - Sister Act

EVERYONE has seen the Prison Thriller video. It still makes me laugh out loud thinking about it. And this one isn't bad.

I'm amazed that this is real or even legal, but I don't care as long as it keeps me entertained.

I have some questions:
1. What genius thought this up?
2. Who gets to choose which songs are performed?
3. Do they take requests?
4. How long does the choreography take?
5. How does one go about getting arrested in the Phillipines and end up at that prison?

I heart the Tighten Up Report

Monday I threw in a link to a blog post that pointed out some serious flaws with the holier than thou iPhone. Little cuz told me about this blog - The Tighten Up Report – to which some friends of our friends contribute. It sounded funny and like a good idea. Little did I know it is freaking hilarious and one of the most genius blogs on the Internets.

These 15+ writers make great use of blogging software to give whatever and whomever a heads up that for some reason they need to get it together – or tighten up. Every once in a while, someone gets a high five for being tight, but it’s usually just a series of hilarious and often cynical rants. A few of my favorite include:

• Cherries need to tighten up and Lose the Pits
• U.S. Mail
• VP Finds New Way of Ignoring Iraq Disaster
• Dear Wilco,
• Lardbucket Republican tight-ass surprisingly loose with facts
  

Dear TUP Friends,

Thanks for creating a bright star in a blogosphere full of mostly crap. Just knowing that the stupid people/companies/etc I’ve encountered may be called out and ripped open on the TUP has made sucky experiences a bit more bearable.

Love,
Weezie

Dear iphone fairy...puh-lease pay me a visit!!

I wouldn’t be able to call myself a real blogger if I didn’t pay homage to the latest and greatest topic among the blogwaves. Of course, I’m talking about the iphone.

I want one. Really. Really. Bad.

I told myself I wasn’t going to get it when it first came out for two reasons. First I currently have no income. So it makes no sense to shell out $700 for the phone and pay t-mobile $200 to get out of my contract. It would be unreasonable especially sense I have a perfectly decent phone that was the “hot new gadget” almost a year ago.

Secondly, I am a little bit of a gadget dork. And I always get them as soon as they come out...most often before everyone else. And while I'm the first on the scene with the cool toy, I usually have to deal with the first generation flaws. But the cool factor outweighs the headache. However for once I decided I wasn't going to jump on the cool gadget bandwagon. I was going to prove that I’m a big girl and I CAN do without. I CAN be comfortable in being the one who doesn't have the cool new toy. I CAN be the one that carries around last year’s news.

How i feel about the iphone!
Originally uploaded by weezienyc

But then everyone started getting them. And using them in front of me. And they were so pretty. And functional. And the earphones even fit my tiny ears.

And I felt like Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
“I WANT IT NOW!”


But I kept my word to myself. And was even more committed to waiting when EW (one of my business partners who is also an early adopter) decided he was waiting too. A few weeks back we went back and forth for an entire day about it over email. Here are the excerpts:

(EW to Weezie)
I don't know much about garage door openers (I was having a problem getting my corporate mail on my sidekick…which he calls the garage door opener), but you should be able to set it to check your RM mailbox. That or you could glue swarovski crystals all over it like the kids at the mall.

I'm having trouble not getting an iphone. Maybe that is the solution to your problems?

E

(Weezie to EW)
I hear you on the iphone. I didn't want to get one b/c I'm always the first one to get stuff and end up getting the defective one. But this time, I'm not sure how long I can hold out. Plus, my iPod was stolen in SF, so if I'm going to replace that, I might as well just add in the extra cash and get the iphone, right?

I've been reading about it all day. Of all the things I've read - check this and this. If Eric Peterson can fold, it can happen to anyone.

(EW to Weezie)
Yeah - getting the iPhone does make sense. Besides, it is so damn cool. Have you used it yet? My only problem with it is that $700 for a cell phone is kinda retarded. You might as well buy the Vertu. Besides, $700 is only $500 less than the new watch I want.

I am going to wait a couple months to see if the battery issues get worked out. My only other hesitation is that for some reason it only keeps 200 emails. That should just about get me through a day and a half.

I'm waiting for now. Or at least until I pass an Apple store, slip / fall and accidentally buy one.

E

(Weezie to EW)
ok. Let’s agree we will wait. I’ll feel much better if I know I’m not the only one living without it.

BUT THEN LAST WEEK

I got an email from EW about a call we had scheduled. And the last thing it said was "call me on the Jesus phone."

And I knew at that moment, he had betrayed me. I was the only one left standing...all alone with no iphone. EW (or Judas) had caved.

Lately there has been a lot of this happening

Seriously...on a Monday!
Originally uploaded by weezienyc

I've been back in NYC for two weeks and it has been nothing but fun times. There's been lots going on and the weather has been generous. Here's the hotlist:

Highlights
Good things are happening with my new company, meeting new people and spending lots of time with little cuz, PS 1, Trout, Georgia's Eastside BBQ, fun dinner parties, new shoes, Whiskey Town (new awesome bar opened nine seconds from my apartment) AND I've developed a mega crush on a very cute boy.

Lowlights
Aunt Mary left town for a month and my crush has yet to fall in love with me.

Spotlight
Bastille Day!!!! It was the most fun. Although surviving the Monday after was horrible. Here are the pictures:

• mine
• colonel cargill's
• lil cuz
  

What I'm listening to
I'm still listening to the Spoon album, am trying to warm up to the Wilco album still, and have been giving the Elliott Smith "New Moon" Album some serious playtime.

Is it my destiny?

Is it my destiny?
Originally uploaded by weezienyc

Enough Said

Magnolia Bakery - tasty - maybe, clean - not so much

I know I'm late to the game on commenting on this but Magnolia was shut down last Wednesday for health violations - the main one being they were missing a sink. The article I read (check it here) gives the details of the other violations as well. If I were Magnolia, the health department, or a potential customer, I'd be more concerned about the rat droppings and fruit flies found near the trash than the missing sink in the icing area.

Regardless it makes me laugh because I think my cupcakes are better because my cakes don't taste like cornbread and I serve them on a tree!

Cupcakes!
Originally uploaded by weezienyc

New iPod

Don't Steal Music
Originally uploaded by weezienyc

I just purchased my 11th ipod. For reals, I’ve gone through 10 ipods.
1. 1st generation.
2. Traded up for 2nd generation.
3. Traded up for 3rd generation. Had him for a good while, but dropped him on the ground - broke city.
4 - 9. Bought the Video ipod, ruined it by erasing the hard drive with the hardware on my handbag. Blamed it on iTunes and Windows not playing nice.

After four more iPods realized my pretty Marc Jacobs bag was destroying them. Had Video iPod #5 for a while until I left it on a plane.
10. Bought another one and kept it until it was stolen three weeks ago in San Francisco.

I also have a shuffle and thought I could just use that little guy for a while. I was wrong. I caved. I had to buy another one. Today. The bonus (if there has to be one) is I got out of the Apple Store without buying an iPhone too.

What up? I'm back

Ok. You know when I said I’d by updating my blog more since I wasn’t working? Well, I lied. Honestly, I’ve had plenty to post about, but haven’t spent enough time at the computer share it all.

In the past 10 weeks, I’ve been to Columbia, Sarasota, Orlando, Nashville, Raleigh, White Lake (NC), LA, Chatanooga, Atlanta, Austin, and San Francisco. I’ve also been to Brooklyn more times in the past 10 weeks than I’ve been in my lifetime.

I’ve been vacationing, working on my cookbook and trying to raise capital for our new company. It’s been fun, yet exhausting and I’m sooooo thankful to be back in NYC. With that, I’ll leave you with a 10 week Hot List.

Highlights
No job, good dates, trips to visit friends, Den’s fun bday, so much fantastic music released, beach vacays, family vacays, coming back to NYC

Lowlights
One REALLY bad date, getting my stuff stolen in SF (totally awful)

Spotlight
The Bright Eyes show was probably the best I’ve seen in years. Mr. BE was great – he could’ve used a haircut, but he is still so damn purty! My love for MR. BE aside, it was a spectacular show. Gillian Welch was awesome. And Britt Daniel was hot and perfect and also awesome. And I was so close to the stage I could barely believe it. I was like a kid in a candy store…it was a perfect ending to what so far has been the best week of 2007.

What I’m listening to
The new Spoon album…all day long.

My first vacation with babies

I just got back from a five day beach trip with my high school friends. Of the six of us, I am the only single one. One of them is trying to get pregnant, two of them are pregnant, and three of them have babies. Only two babies made the trip this time and while they are two of the most adorable babies I've ever seen, I'm not so sure I want one of my own for at least 30 years.

Here's why:






Why you should use protection... from Weezie McS on Vimeo



I do have to admit that even though my friends are moms (or soon-to-be moms), they haven't changed all that much...especially JSM. She still drinks beers, acts silly with me, and does/says the funniest things. For instance, we were all treking back from a mid-day walk with the two big-ass strollers in tow, when some red trash dude in a low-riding truck peels around the corner on which we were standing. So JSM yells at the top of her lungs, "These are babies, YOU FUCKER!" I think we all almost tinkled in our pants.

Overheard in Watercolor

Shaheen is always laughing
Originally uploaded by weezienyc.

Shaheen is always laughing......but at exactly what is she laughing? Probably at one of the many hilarious things said over the course of the weekend.

Unfortunately, here are the only ones I could remember and/or wrote down:

At the dinner table (where no pickles were present)
CF: Would you rather have a bad kisser or a bad pickle? (and she really meant pickle - like dill or whatever.)

At the pool
ZK: I totally want to destroy this guy's raft.
CF: And by "this guy" you mean that four year old?

About inside jokes
ML: Shares an inside joke
CF: Now that's an inside joke you can get
SS: Seriously, it's the worst when you tell an inside joke and no one gets it. Then you have to tell the whole back story and, still, no one thinks it is funny.
CF: Yeah, like you tell it all and there is nothing but a cricket riding by on a tumbleweed playing a harmonica.

Getting fired
CF: The first time I got fired was from volunteer work...showing cows at the state fair.

Sitting in the living room (my fave)
ZK: (eating ruffles chip) Man, these chips are so fresh.
ML: (trying a chip) They are fresh.
ZK: I mean these are the freshest chips.
ML: These chips are so fresh the have a born on date in the future.

Last Day

job
Originally uploaded by weezienyc.

Today is my last day at Pokemon. I couldn't be more excited and ready for my summer of travel and leisure, as well as the new gig that kicks off this fall.

Since I'm a fan of lists, I made a list of the things I wouldn't miss (read: glad to get rid of) and the things I would about working here.

Check it.

Things I won't miss:
- The barber shop flyer man that steps in front of me every morning to give me a flyer I don't want
- The crowds in Times Square
- Having to take the stinky F train every morning
- Executive Managers meetings
- Stupid people and their stupid business decisions
- Sorregana
- HBX Report Builder Templates
- Pokedolls
- Angry Parents
- Fulfillment Centers
- Language Barriers
- Video Game Police
- Dealing with so much unnecessary bullshit

Things I will miss:
- Diane
- Lawrence
- My Team

Watercolor

line
Originally uploaded by shactheattack.

This past weekend I went to the beach in Florida with some friends. Court’s parents have this new house (totally rad – btw) in Watercolor…a private community next to Seaside (where the Truman show was filmed). It was a super weekend. I’d forgotten how relaxing it can be spending the weekend with people you love (that aren’t related to you…well - except cuz, of course) We sunned, played, drove around on our rental bikes (which I LOVED!) and ate and drank until our little hearts were content.

Here are the pics:

• Me
• Shac
• ML
• Cuz
• Zach

The last time I remember eating and drinking that much was two years ago in California with JSM. She was living in LA and I was headed to the Pokemon World Champion Trading Card Tournament. So I flew into LA and made her go to San Diego with me for the Nerd Prom 05. The tournament, as you can imagine, was totally boring. The only think mildly exciting was talking to William Hung (yes, he was in the tournament) and acting like we were fans. But when we weren’t interviewing dweebs for new product ideas, we were eating and/or drinking. We consumed so much that we began keeping a food diary, which I found yesterday while cleaning my office. Here is what it said:

Thursday
Lunch: Pistachios and beer (like two 12 packs)
Dinner: Pasta (JSM) and chicken (me) and pocketfuls of M&Ms

Friday
Breakfast: Cheese and meat omelettes, bagels and toast, coffee, hashbrowns, candy
Snacks: Caramel corn, fire cheetos
Lunch: McDonald’s nuggets, fries, and sodas
Dinner: Beer, margaritas, chips, salsa, guac, AND combo Mexican platters
Dessert: Ghiradelli’s cookie sundae and wine at the hotel bar

Saturday
Breakfast: Diet cokes and caramel corn
Lunch: Bloody Mary’s, Seafood Salads, Calamari
Snack: More Ghiradelli sundaes (I remember we got out of bed from a nap, went to get them to-go and brought them back to the room and continued watching Dirty Dancing and napping)
Dinner: Pre-dinner cocktails, three apps, bread, butter, a bottle of napa wine, steak, scallops, and fish. We had dessert and I think I remember it was crème brulee. We ate with a co-worker who said, "i've never seen two girls eat and drink this much" as he picked up the tab!
Post Dinner: another bottle of wine and 5,000 cocktails. That was before they closed the bar downstairs and we went up to clean out the mini-bar in my room and created our own party with these new friends we met.

Sunday
Lunch: Hooters wings and fries served by the World’s Dumbest Hooters Waitress (that is saying a lot)
Dinner: Pizza

I am grossed out. Totally.

Me - on the way to vacay

Me - on the way to vacay
Originally uploaded by weezienyc.

First Beach Trip 2007

I'm on vacation with my friends. We’ve been so excited about this trip since we booked it months ago. I find it funny that people who live in New York do so because “they can’t imagine living anywhere else” yet they always seem to be dying to get out of the city. I am one of those people today. I just got back from the Bay Area last Sunday and I’d been dying to leave again ever since. But I think I am more excited to hang at the beach with my friends than anxious to leave New York.

Anyway, I almost didn’t make it on the trip. Our flight was at 6 AM. ML was going to meet me at my place so he and I could take the same car, which I scheduled to pick us up at 4:30. The plan was set! Yay! – except for the fact I woke up at 4:47…with 10 missed calls on my phone. I was like a crazy woman – running around my apartment, grabbing things and throwing them in the suitcase.

I was out the door and hailing a cab at 5:06 and, finally, after three cabs refused to take me to the airport, I was in Omar’s cab at 5:13 on the way to JFK. I travel a lot, so I know that it takes at least 30 minutes to get there from my apartment. I also know that the flight closes 10 minutes before departure and that I didn’t have any cash with me. So essentially, Omar and I were both screwed. I was certain I was going to miss my flight. So certain that I’d already made a plan as to how I was going to somehow make the Crown Room feel like a beach while I sipped “mile-high” mojitos all day waiting to be re-booked.

But, alas, Omar came through in the clutch and got me to the airport in 17 minutes. SEVENTEEN MINUTES!!! I have no idea how this even happened as I was too busy working on my “Crown Room” beach plan to pay attention. And when I explained my cash situaion, he even agreed to let me send him the money…gave me his address and everything. I gave him a credit card – yeah, I obviously have no fear of identity theft – and told him that he could trust me, but just so he knew I was serious, if he doesn’t get anything from me in a week, he can use it. (it has a low limit and I never use it and I know it was a stupid idea, but my brain wasn’t on yet…remember I hadn’t even been up for an hour.) I threw his address in my bag and ran into the airport – with 20 minutes to get through security and to the gate to board.

I’m a professional traveler. So I pack just like the TSA tells me to and can usually fly through security. But it was today that the TSA dude needed to check my bag. I couldn’t imagine the reason – it was the small one that I always travel with, containing my laptop, little travel pillow, about 47 magazines, 5 charges, my DS Lite, and, oh yeah, a plastic bag of grits. Yup! He thought the grits might be drugs.

It was a pretty funny conversation, once I told him what they were. It went something like this:

Mr. TSA: You travel with grits? Now that’s a first.
Me: Not usually, but I’m writing a cookbook on Grits and I’m going to the beach (in…er… like 2 minutes) and I wanted to make them tonight for dinner.
Mr. TSA: What kinda grits are those?
Me: Yellow stone-ground.
Mr. TSA: Them ain’t real grits. Real grits come in a blue box.
Me: Those are instant, these take an hour to cook (why am I even having this conversation?).
Mr. TSA: I should make you some real grits. You want some real grits?
Me: (no – I want to get on my plane) Sure.
Mr. TSA: (walks over to counter, writes something down and comes back to hand it to me) Alright, well you call me when you’re back and I’ll make you some grits.

I think Mr. TSA was hitting on me – maybe I’ll invite him and Omar over for a fantastic grits dinner.

DOMYSTUFF.COM

Homepage flash banner reads:

"Outsource your: Research, Moving, Chores, Reservations...Life"

This is brilliant. It is basically a site for busy (or lazy) people to have other people bid on tasks that they want done. I signed up just to check it out and some of the tasks I’ve seen so far are:

Healthy Cooking: “The task is cooking for two people. We have a large kitchen with all necessary implements except for a dishwasher. The diet is basically defined as "healthy." We can talk specific recipes with someone interested. The location is corner of Grand and Forsyth in Manhattan. Less than a block from B/D trains. You would be responsible for groceries and receipts. Obviously, we reimburse you.”
Find my adopted brother: “My Mother had a child 5 years before I was born w/ someone other than my father. All I know is that he was born in December of 1979, and his name was Randall William Card, but I don't know if he was put up for adoption, and what his name was changed to if he was adopted.”
Dog Retail Store List: “I am about to launch a fun dog community website for dog lovers. I am seeking someone that can gather a list of all the dog retail stores in the 50 states. I need the list to be sorted to each state and into two categories: upscale and regular.”
Find a place that sells ketchup chips: “If you can find out where I can buy Ketchup Chips within a 30 minute drive of 94043, I'll pay you $10. I'll pay you after I have eaten the delicious Canadian chips. I'm only interested in Lay's or Old Dutch ketchup chips, like these:
http://www.taquitos.net/snacks.php?snack_code=369
http://www.taquitos.net/snacks.php?snack_code=1454”


These are the tasks I would have people do for me:

Buy stamps: My rent is almost always late. Why? Because I HATE to buy stamps. And when I buy them, I lose them. Which means I have to buy them again, which I hate doing.
Organize my storage unit: My storage unit is a mess to say the least. I hate going to the storage unit (which is only two blocks away from my apartment) and I hate it even more now that it is such a disaster. After carefully packing my winter coats in proper hanging bags for storage, I ended up cramming them into the unit and quickly slamming the door because I didn’t have the patience/interest to move things around to make room for them on the hanging rack.
Repairs: I need someone to send my watch back to Marc Jacobs so he can personally fix the leather that ripped. And my suitcase has been sitting in the corner of my room for four months since Delta tore off three of the four wheels. So I need someone to take it to the Samsonite repair location. But before it can be dropped off, I also need someone to call the repair shop and ask them what type of documentation one needs before dropping an item off for repair.
Apartment Decor: I need someone to hang the antique mirror I’ve had for 10 years and never hung. But before they can do that, they need to help me decide where to hang it. I can’t make that decision without determining what piece of furniture I want to go on the same wall where I want it to hang. I also need someone to wait at home for my new bed to be delivered because none of the available times work for me.
Laundry: I don’t need anyone to do my laundry. But after I wash my clothes and put them in the dryer, I have a horrible habit of letting them sit there…in the basement of my building…sometimes for up to three days. Likewise, I have no problem dropping my clothes off at the dry cleaner, but am so bad about actually picking them up…I’m expecting to see one of the homeless people sporting my ski jacket around the hood.
Anti-stalking measurements: I really need someone to call t-mobile and have a few phone numbers blocked. And then plan a fake going away party so my ex thinks I’ve already moved to San Fran.