bookwhore.com

I found my cell phone

and then I jotted everyone's # down the old fashioned way: pen and paper. I've had the phone for 4 years. Time to get a new one!

The Inevitable Happened

I lost my cell phone, it's either at the Cornelia St Cafe or at another cafe or if it's not in either of those two places, it's: I-Haven't-A-Clue where.

Tho I take this as a cue to get a new cell phone with a NY #

So, after my job interview, I know what I'm doing...backtracking

Damn it! My cell phone is also my alarm clock!

what's for dinner?

Ice cream! You scream! We all scream for ice scream!

Fung Wah

I rode Greyhound from Hartford back to Boston last Tuesday and endured an annoying conversation bt the bus driver and the front seat passenger for 2 hours. The conversation consisted of her only being in the Framingham bus station once and the Springfield MA bus terminal twice. Two hours of absolute prattle. Anyway, the bus driver and she both agreed that the Fung Wah bus was terrible (tho she - the passenger) had never ridden it. "It drops you off in Chinatown!" she cried. Duh, that's why it's dubbed the Chinatown bus. Apparently she doesn't go to lower Manhattan all too often.

Anyway, anyway, coming back from Manhattan last night from a day trip into the city, I experience one of the most frightening rides back from NYC to Boston. I woke up from a not so successful nap to view the bus driver hunched over the steering wheel driving 80 mph weaving from lane to lane in the pouring rain on the Mass Pike. This ride made me consider how much I love valium. I don't normally get anxiety attacks but bt from say, Westborough to Boston I thought I was going to die. I am going to be so glad when I never have to get on that road again. I googled "mass pike, casualties" "casualties, mass pike" "deaths, mass pike" "mass pike deaths" and "mass pike accidents" and nothing. "accidents on the mass pike" brings up three hits, one of which being a vegan site which asked the question: how the hell do you Bostonites deal with the absolutely insane driving?

Answer a): take Amtrack. In that way one does not have to put up with insane drivers or inane conversations.

Answer b): take drugs. Tho preferably not while driving.

I'm glad my complaining has graduated to an art form

I'm conquering Coney Island next.

ran into...

Joe Torra in DS who said: In a month you'll probably be blogging that NYC sucks. He's right that I will be complaining, but I will say NYC is a pain in the ass. Or maybe I will have a rapid transformation, overcome my bad habits and turn into someone with a sunny disposition. I hope that doesn't happen...

SOHO?

from craigslist:

We are typical MTV type party girls. Looking for a third roommate that likes to have fun. Our other roommate just moved out for the rest of the lease cause she will be modeling in Milan. The total rent of the apartment is $4000, but we don't really care about money and just want a cool girl to live with so you would only have to pay $500. The apartment is right in soho on west broadway and has everything - hot tub, rooftop access, pool, doorman, etc. We want a girl that likes to party and go to clubs to live with. Send a description of yourself and we'll get back to you.

That's awesome, I want to be a MTV type party girl also! But does anyone watch MTV anymore?

MAY

Departure Location: Boston
Arrival Location: New York
Preferred Arrival Location: Another Country
Departure Date: May 2006
Arrival Date: Therabouts
Why: If You Have To Ask...
Baggage: Hopefully Just Books...

news of the weird

Man Hits Own Car, Then Sues Himself
Claim Denied, Now His Wife Gives It a Shot

all this from following a link from...

Halliburton Gave Troops In Iraq Contaminated Water...

New Years Eve

from James Cook:

Once again the Cooks of ** Knowlton Square in Gloucester will be hosting a
round the world New Year's Eve party. Bring music. Bring instruments. Bring
food. Bring drink. Most importantly bring yourself & bring friends. I don't
have an email address for everyone I would like to attend, nor do I know the
kool people that you know. Bring 'em. The festivities begin early & end late
(or perhaps they end early depending on how you view such things). Come in
the afternoon. Come later on. Come & go.
Come & go & come back again. Come & go by train.
Gloucester's commuter rail station is three blocks away. A
schedule is available at mbta.com. Come & go by designated driver. (Read
that last sentence twice or more often. It's meaning both explicit &
implicit should be clear. If it is not I'll gloss it. Don't consume alcohol
& then attempt to operate a moving vehicle (or heavy machinery for that
matter). I know I'm pedantic. I'm a teacher.) If you're interested in coming
& don't know how to get here (by car or train) give a ring 978 *** ****. You
needn't respond to this email if responding is not your thing, but we do
like to look forward to you coming so call or send a note if that *is* your
sort of thing. Amanda reminds me to add:
Kids're welcome. Abby reminds me to add:
"hehehehehe eh eh eh eh eh yeeeigh".
I'm not sure what that means but perhaps you do.
Hope to see you Saturday.
best wishes,
James
Amanda
Abigail

jcgloucester@hotmail.com

secular

I am probably only one of a few people who ate baked tofu and udon noodles for xmas eve dinner.

My cat, on the other hand, does not like her fancy gourmet organic paul neuman's cat food. That's right, not only does paul do mcdonalds coffee but he also does cat food. Cat food that is overly expensive. Cat food that my cat just stares at.

Over all, I would have preferred eating Vietnamese food and going to the movies.

sometimes...

it's tactile

Hartford CT

One thing I noticed about Hartford coming in and going out was a big sandbar the size of a parking garage in the CT river...it was strange to see the water table so low...compared to...other cities that dwell a few feet under...

On this trip I saw the front pg of the Hartford Times (which no longer exists as a newspaper) of the 1957 flood bc as one should be aware, Hartford CT and other cities are built on a waterfront...

It's as if my family were un-endorsed archivists or the tact-less phrase: pack rats.

I walked around Hartford on Wednesday, went to the state library, went to a farmer's market, went to, or tried to go to the Wallace Stevens room but it seems that no one's heard of Wallace Stevens except for, well, poets. The guard didn't know what I was talking about.

The Hartford Public Library was being gutted but still some access, the Wadsworth Antheneum was showing "ye old masters" meaning "dutch paintings" and I saw a nice brownstone being shown - to rent or buy.

Another thing I noticed about Hartford; no where to go food shopping. Or any kind of shopping. It's not a mecca by any means.

I found a good indie coffee shop, tho there are no book stores (unless the one I am thinking of is still around), the bars are heterosexual meat markets, unhappy would not classify the word I saw on peoples faces, it's congested, it's segregated, it's suburban...it's...

Frederick Law Olmstead had a colleague of his design "the park." Bushnell Park.

It would be considered Hartford's "boston commons" or "central park" but...

There is a carousel, big shady trees, a pond, underutilized would be the kindest way of putting it...

I was walking around Hartford bt 10 am and 2 pm (minus the time I spent in the library, which was, historically speaking, quite grand - Hartford's City Hall is also not such a horrible place if one has to get a copy of a birth certificate) and I've never seen such a dirth of "individuals" coming and going in a city in well...a long time.

It's not a city, it's an urban planning nightmare. There's a new convention center and a new hotel on or near the CT river...I still await the enticement...or rather, what promotion...or social-economic research...