FlippNYC

You get a movie role..everyone gets a movie role.

2011-08-05T05:45:00.000-04:00

So, I survived back surgery, and I successfully shared a 720 square foot apartment with my Mother for 30 days. She was a saint, taking care of me the way only a mother can take care of you when you are sick.

Recovery from surgery has involved taking up pilates. I am not the most flexible guy in the world, and I have historically walked with my right foot turned out slightly. OK, maybe a bit more than slightly. My instructor has been working hard with me on both issues. It is like having to re-learn how to move and carry my body, and I am enjoying it.

But this blog is supposed to be about New York, and the experience of living here. I am going to try to recommit myself to just that.

Living in New York undoubtedly exposes you to to opportunities that you wouldn't otherwise get in Minneapolis or, mostly, even a Dallas or Salt Lake. One of those is the constant stream of media production. On any one day, Gossip Girl, CSI, White Collar and innumerable art films are being filmed here.

Someone has to star in all of these productions, and lately it seems that means everyone around me is getting an acting gig. My co-worker and office mate, Alene, just announced yesterday she is going to be in a movie after a casting agent saw her amateur comedy routine. Another co worker was writing a children's book when her quasi-agent announced that the agency was recasting the project as a TV series. Another good friend got asked to audition for a role in an art film. None of them are actors by trade.

After a childhood filled with local community theater productions, I guess my big break is surely just around the next block...right?

Take Your Momma Out

2010-12-09T10:05:00.000-05:00

So my Mom is in town for several weeks, staying with me, in preparation for some surgery I have to have. Having her here is like getting a chance to see New York with fresh eyes. My favorite moment so far has been when I was giving her directions, and I told her to "turn and go down 10th Avenue". She looked at me totally bewildered and said "how do you go down a street". Never thought about it that way before.

Stay tuned.

New York Redux

2010-03-30T16:30:00.000-04:00

I know, I know the posts are getting frighteningly more sporadic now. I guess after living here for over two and half years, your observations just become...well, less so.

I am getting to re-live some of the energy of a new New Yorker through a good friend who just moved to town. He is already going through the confusion of learning the subway, and the adjustments that come with your body being your primary mode of transportation. Of course, to really learn the subway, you have to ride it, which he says he has not done yet. I believe that will change once he sees the budgetary impact of taking taxis everywhere.

So spring is coming to the City again (not soon enough), and you can feel it on the streets as people flock to cafe tables and wander aimlessly on sidewalks just to get outside. I have always been a lover of winter, but one thing New York will do to you is change that. I do still love a good snow, but now, I am also a lover of warm weather vacations in February. In fact, warm weather vacations are now on my list of New York must-haves. As are good, old fashioned rain boots, which I recently invested $36 in a pair. Walking to work on this crazy, crazy rainy day without having to circumnavigate around every corner's puddle makes this purchase long over due. If you are moving here, I suggest you get a pair as soon as you can.

So I promise to become more observant again and post more frequently. Thanks for sticking with me.

Talking to Yourself

2010-01-20T11:06:00.000-05:00

I am talking to myself a lot these days. Several times walking down the streets of New York, I have recently found myself talking to myself. I usually outline the things I need to get done that day, or I prep for a conversation I need to have that day at work. Whatever the subject, it is definitely a new behavior and it is definitely something I attribute to a walking-centric life in New York.

Don't worry, I am not going crazy like those other people talking to themselves on the street. I keep it to a whisper, and I am not yelling about getting money from people or other nonesuch. I see it more as the walking equivalent of singing out loud to your stereo when driving somewhere.

I feel like it is actually a good thing, a way to maximize my time by multi-tasking walking and clearing my head. When walking these streets as much as I do, I want to maximize that time. I cannot really whip out the smartphone and get stuff done without running into people (though I do that too), and I am not one to wear an iPod everywhere...so I just end up talking in my head...and at some point, sometimes, out loud.

But softly. So no one thinks I'm crazy.

V-01-ting

2010-01-06T12:04:00.000-05:00

So, how long do you have to live in a city before you can start longing for the "way it used to be"? Apparently, a little over twenty four months.

Yesterday, the city of New York announced the passing of its old voting machines. I had the odd joy of using these machines in two elections, one to elect Obama and one to re-elect Bloomberg. The old metal behemoths felt special. After, all when else do you step into a full sized machine like that? When you registered your vote by pulling the very large mechanical lever, the machine would heave and whirl like a mystical metallic prop from a Harry Potter movie. I really felt like I was doing something different than anything other activity in my life, and I felt like my vote was captured, recorded and counted.

Like nearly every other state, though, New York finally traded heavy metal for silent 0's and 1's, and went to digital voting. Don't get me started on the fact the new digital voting machines don't print out a confirmation of your vote, or even let you see your vote after it is recorded. What I will really miss is the uniqueness in the experience of the metal voting machines. They showed me that voting was special. Now, with the digital machines, voting is more like making an ATM withdrawal or rating an online video.

Needless to say, I will continue to vote. I will have to trust that my votes are going to be captured, recorded, and counted with these new machines. Nonetheless, I will miss my short romance with New York's mechanical voting booths. Glad I got here before they became the equivalent of a 1998 Ford Explorer in the government clunker program.

I am a Yankee

2009-11-05T17:55:00.000-05:00

Last night, I got to experience the ultimate New York experience, watching the Yankee's win the 2009 World Series. The fun started with rowdy fans on the D line, went through some pretty great plays (of course, I was getting beer during the biggest home run play), and ended up with an all out street dance/jam session while the subway trains passed above the streets.

I fell in love with baseball all over again.

Go Yankees!

Life is a Cabaret...

2009-10-21T10:54:00.003-04:00

Walking into work this morning, I witnessed one of those "Only in New York" moments:

Two large, gruff construction workers, on break and working on a crossword puzzle:

"What is...A Broadway play starring Liza Minnelli starting with the letter 'C'?" Says the first guy.

"Ha...so easy!" says the second guy.

"What is it?" says the first guy.

"Are you mutha f**cking kiddin' me???!! You don't know a Broadway play starring Liza that starts with the letter C?!?!?" says the second guy, incredulously, as he took off his ball cap and slapped the first guy with it.

Again, these were two burly construction workers. Fighting over Cabaret.

It made me smile.

Top 10 Reasons to Move to New York NOW. (last part)

2009-09-10T13:50:00.006-04:00

Well, you have been waiting for it. The top two reasons of the Top 10 reasons to move to New York NOW.

2. If you can make it here, you'll make it anywhere. Now, before you get all mad at me for whimping out and using Frank's line, there is a tremendous amount of truth in this line. Of course, the key question is "how do you define making it"? Well, that is the beauty of a City where anything can be found, where every type of person and personality is located, and where every activity is available to you. Making it here can mean a lot of things, from being able to afford a nice apartment to that first by-line in a magazine, from hearing your song played at amateur night on the Lower East Side to getting your first promotion in an incredibly competitive environment. Making it is not just being Donald Trump in this City. It is truly a city of limitless possibility and thus limitless success. If you come to New York, and make it here, then failure anywhere else doesn't look like much of an option.

1. Cheap(er) Rents. An admittedly boring choice for Number 1, but remember, this list is to convince a friend to move NOW, and the best reason I can come up with is that in a City where every inch of space is prized like your first child, the square footage rental prices have decreased, in some areas as much as 20%, since the current recession started. So far, the recession has not brought back the New York of the 1970s with its wandering gangs of criminals and decrepit infrastructure. Instead, you still get a relatively low crime city with amazing amenities, all at a discount. Considering rent usually makes up about 50% of the average New Yorker's salary, ask anyone who moved here from 2002 until 2007, and they will tell you it has never been a better time to move to New York.

I ran across a great video which captures some of my Top 10 reasons in this Lonely Planet video about New York. Enjoy.

There you have it. My top 10 reasons. Hope to see you here real, real soon!

Top 10 Reasons to Move to New York NOW. Part 3

2009-08-28T14:47:00.007-04:00

I continue my list of the top 10 Reasons to Move to New York now, for the benefit of a friend of mine who is considering the move. Apparently, I do not need to continue all the way to Number 1, as my friend has accepted his New York based job, and should be here in a few months. What a powerful list I have made.

Nonetheless, here goes:

My Top 10 Reasons to Move to New York NOW

(Reasons 4 & 3)

4. The Pizza and Bagels. Most people say it is the water in New Yor k, which is some of the purist in the world , that makes New York have the best pizza and bagels. Others say it is the strong history of amazing pizza and bagel chefs and restaurants. Whatever it is, it is absolutely true. Whether it is the crisp, slightly singed deliciousness of Co., or the corner Ray's Pizza, you can step into most any pizza joint and have some of the tastiest, flavorful pies on the planet.

3. The People. When I moved to New York, my born-and-bred Southern Mom warned me "Now, John, I want you to know, Northerners are different than you and me." She is right. It takes getting used to a strong Brooklyn or Jersey accent for a guy used to his soft "r"s and stretched monosyllabic words. But regardless of the accent you hear, the best thing about New York is its people. I just love being in a city where every person has a great story, where in a single room you may have not just lawyers and businessmen, but artists, choreographers, bankers, and bohemians. I love overhearing at the gym statements like "Well, be sure to stop by my opening tonight..." "I will, but you need to come see my show next week."

Truth be told, I find this to be a wonderfully friendly city. Granted, you may not get the sugary sweet "How about this weather" from the stranger sharing your elevator like you do in Atlanta, but people here will help you, they will watch over you (well, at least the doormen), and, once they warm up to you, they will be good friends, sort of like a dog that initially barks, but soon enough is sitting at your feet. I take more pride in the neighbor who finally says a gruff "Hey" to me in the morning after a few months of seeing him taking his dog out, because after all that time, he is letting me in...like I earned it or something. For some reason, that seems more of an achievement than a million people who say "Hi" the very first time our eyes meet, but never really mean it.

SO, two more to go...come back and see what they are.

Top 10 Reasons to Move to New York NOW. Part 2.

2009-08-10T15:47:00.008-04:00

As I continue my countdown of top 10 reasons to move to New York now, my persuasive abilities seem to be working. It seems my good friend may, in fact, move here. I look forward to giving him some guest blogging spots in order to get his take on The Big Move.

But back to the list...

7. Stop Global Warming.

No, I don't know if global warming will be a good thing for New York, but you can help avert it by moving here now. No need for a carbon-spewing car. Amazing transit system. The Northeast has a train system that should have been the pattern for the nation rather than our highway system. Recycling is mandated and (if you have a doorman building) very easy to do. All of it combines to make NYC reduce your carbon footprint to a baby bootie.

6. Me.

Ok, so many of you won't count this as a good reason, but this list is for my good friend, so it should count as a pretty big one!

5. You can always move back.

Credit for this reason goes to another friend of mine who left Atlanta for San Francisco, but it applies equally to NYC. Truth is, New York is one of those cities (dare I say the ONLY city) that most people in the world admit they would like to live in at some point in their lives. Now, I couldn't find a quantitative poll to that effect, but my subjective polling of it is off the charts. My friend being a brand consulting-type guy, he should know the value of being associated with the best city brand in the world. Come and bask in its halo effect. Atlanta is not going anywhere. You can always go back to the ATL, where, apparently, if you miss something, do not worry, because every day will continue to be opening day.

Check back soon for the continued countdown to Reason Number One to Move to New York Now!

Top 10 Reasons to Move to New York NOW.

2009-07-22T11:15:00.008-04:00

A friend of mine from Atlanta is considering his own move to New York. I have been both selling and, undoubtedly, scaring him to death with my tales of what it is like to move to New York. I would love to have this friend be a New York neighbor of mine, so he often challenges me to "sell him" on New York.

What better way to sell him than a list. I will roll out two or three reasons per posting on our way to number one:

My Top 10 Reasons to Move to New York Now

(10 to 8)

10. Variety. Variety is the spice of life, and let's admit it, Atlanta is not the hotbed of diversity. Walking to work this morning, I saw a midget couple, two well-dressed I-bankers fighting, three bums who blessedly left me alone, a drag queen, and several fashion plates. I passed by people of at least ten different races. I also saw a bunch of people just like me. New York is a true melting pot, and that mix of people creates a wonderful energy. It also affords you the chance to learn about people different from you, and to explore their life experiences right outside your doorstep.

9. Culture. Today, for free or very close to free, I could:

Watch the latest Batman movie on a giant screen on Pier 54 overlooking the Hudson River;
View some of the oldest known examples of art, saved from destruction by the Taliban, at the Met's exhibit of Afghan art;
See how French Literary figure Louis Aragon resisted the Nazis during WWII in the Public Library's exhibit on literature in Vichy France;
Go to see performances from the top Broadway shows, for free, in Bryant Park at lunch;
Have a drink on a floating lighthouse bar, the Frying Pan;
Walk along one of the world's most innovative parks, the High Line, and watch the impromptu "High Line Orchestra" playing from the balconies of nearby apartments;
See portraits of NYC's 18th century citizens at the New York History Museum.

Folks, that list came from four minutes of visiting two websites. I could go on and on.

8. A Renewed Appreciation of Doing Nothing. This city is all about stimulation. It jumps on you the minute you rush out your door. Its sounds overwhelm your eardrums, its sights jiggle your optic nerves. And, I love the stimulation. It makes me feel alive. The list of "what to do" as you can see, is long. When I first moved here, I thought I would be out doing and going every night of the week in order to take it all in.

While I do try to do as much as I can, I have also discovered a new appreciation for the yin to the yang of this City's stimulation: the wonderful feeling of doing nothing. In Atlanta, sitting at home catching up on episodes of my favorite shows, or reading Follet's tome World Without End would be my last choice of how to spend an evening. It meant that nothing was going on. I would be calling up friends, finding out what is happening, and stirring up activities before I would let that happen.

In New York, a quiet evening at home is a divine, re-energizing treat for the soul. It has made me appreciate the beauty of down time. I love New York's yang of stimuli and its yin of self-imposed solitude.

******

Come back over the next few weeks as I complete my pitch to my friend and count down to my Number 1 reason to move to New York now.

On the Umbrella.

2009-06-30T15:49:00.004-04:00

Since 24 of the last 26 days in the city, we have seen rain, I have been reflecting on my altered relationship with the umbrella. Living in Atlanta, I had one umbrella. It was a nice one, Burberry or something. Very stylish, and I had it for years. That is all I needed. If the rain caught me without my trusty umbrella, at most all I had to do was dash to the car and get a little wet. In fact, if I threw on a coat, most days I didn't even need my umbrella.

Needless to say, New York is different. Because of the time and effort it takes to get around the City, I have to plan all my needs for an entire day before heading out the door. This includes financial, social, work, and home life needs. I have to carry the resulting physical manifestation of those needs in my arms or in my city bag (the proper city bag being whole other post)in the form of wallets/checkbooks, items for going out, shopping lists, work-out clothes, shoe changes, etc., etc. Such planning also requires reviewing the weather forecast before leaving my home, and such review usually includes the handy "hour-by-hour" review, because in New York, the hour the rain starts can determine my plan (and the crap I have to carry around) for the entire day. A 2:00 pm downpour means I may not have to lug the umbrella around all day because I am will be at work. An 8 am or 5 pm prediction of rain means bring the Totes.

In New York, I have not one but numerous umbrellas. Getting stuck in a downpour here can mean wet clothes for the day. As a result, I have umbrellas in many sizes, often tucked in different bags, with extras stored at work. I have extra umbrellas for out- of-town guests, who inevitably show up without thinking to pack them. I have small umbrellas for when the forecast is uncertain, and large ones for when it says the rain will fall throughout the day.

I cannot get too attached to one umbrella, nor spend too much money on any one of them, because I must also consider them completely disposable. I have already left at least a dozen umbrellas (including the long-lost Burberry) at different restaurants, museums or bars, having needed them going in, but forgotten them on the way out when the clouds have cleared. If I leave one in the handy containers offered by most establishments at the entrance, I might as well count it as gone, as New Yorkers treat those containers like a sample sale, grabbing whichever one fits their fancy on the way out the door. Most times, it is not a "one for one" switch out.

Like so many things that change when you move to New York (such as personal space), my relationship with the simple umbrella has undergone a drastic reassessment. It has both increased in importance while decreasing in my attachment to any one of them.

Sort of like my dollar bills....

Results of My Time Out New York Quiz....

2009-06-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

DO YOU BELONG IN NYC?
Yes, but sometimes you wish there were a better option.
You do love New York, and you fit in here better than you have anywhere else. You're committed to the city, and you take advantage of all of its amazing food, culture, nightlife and arts. But you have nagging doubts about this relationship. Spend your whole life here? Not sure about that. Sometimes you wonder about that farm in your fantasies or even just a smaller city. But in reality, you know there's nowhere better. Click here for suggestions about how to really enjoy NYC.

Do you belong in New York City?

Cheap Eats

2009-06-15T14:59:00.003-04:00

As the New York summer continues to look more and more like an extended, wet Spring, I was thrilled to have my brother come visit for several days. The agenda was packed:

Off-off Broadway show with the dated, but still funny, Altar Boyz.
Just-to-Broadway show with 9-to-5 at the Marquis Theater. Very good show. Amazing sets, good singing. The only thing was it was almost a direct pick up of the movie. That can be good and bad.
Walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, explored DUMBO, and visited lots of mid-century modern antique stores (a favorite of my brother's)

Overall, it was a wonderful visit. For the big dinner night, we went to Double Crown, a restaurant I had visited before with happy results. This time, it was AWFUL. Tiny, tiny portions, even for New York. High prices. Odd menu combination, and poor meat quality.

After that dinner, costing us $78 per person, my brother said: let's explore the low cost NY eating options. He had seen some places on the Food Network he wanted to try.

The agenda then included:

Empire Diner
Shake Shack
S'mac
Crif Dogs

I must admit, we had a great time eating New York's cheap eats. Granted, I wavered far from any sort of diet, but we got most meals in at under $15, and they all tasted really great.

Now that, as they say, was worth it.

Meredith Here I Come

2009-06-04T14:57:00.002-04:00

Lots going on as the City ramps up for summer. First, I got an audition to potentially be a contestant on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire." I certainly do. I am currently filling out the application, and my favorite answer so far is to the question "Why do you want to be on the Show?" Answer: "I like the challenge. Plus, I want to see exactly what my Phone-A-Friend's friendship is worth." We will see if the producers like snarky.

This has been a winning kind of week all around, as I also won an Xbox 360 from a contest I entered. I hope it marks the beginning of the good luck!

My brother from Nashville is visiting for the next five days. On tap: Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, the Guggenheim, two plays and some good dinners. I cannot wait to have some time to catch up with him.

Have a good weekend.

Welcome Summ-ah

2009-05-22T15:29:00.003-04:00

This has been a good week all around. The weather is amazing, the streets are bustling with hyper-active school kids fleeing the school buildings for summer, and short pants and Converse kicks are out in full force. Giant boats are docked along the Hudson for Fleet Week, and Mayor Bloomberg has encouraged the citizens of New York to "buy their servicemen a drink and say 'thank you' for their service to our country."

Plus, a certain someone got a promotion, which is not bad at all.

Summer has arrived in the City, and life is grand. Happy Memorial Day, everyone.

And, to our servicemen, Thank You.

Save the Time(s)

2009-05-20T09:20:00.009-04:00

This week has already brought the chance to have lunch with Amy Poehler, Laura Linney, Brian Williams and the cast of Saturday Night Live. Admittedly, it was me and 750 people at the 2009 Peabody Awards luncheon, but, still. YouTube picked up its first-ever Peabody. The best line of the afternoon belonged to NBC news anchorman, Brian Williams. Upon awarding the Peabody to the New York Times' incredible website, Brian said: "I hear that the NYTimes.com will be announcing the introduction of a risky but unitque new initiative: a print version of the website."

I subscribe to the daily print edition of the Times. It is something that I did in Atlanta, and it is something that I looked forward to doing as part of my New York experience. Even while working for one of the companies that is often accused of killing off newspapers, I still get a rush when I step out my door at 7 am to scoop up the paper. For some reason (age?), I am more amazed at the distribution process that gets that paper to my door than I am the point and click model of the online world. I am a big believer in efficiency, but I also feel a certain sublime experience in setting down to flip through the New York Times. I get excited about the Home section Thursdays, and now I really love the local New York section.

So, here is to the survival of print. Well, at least the New York Times. It is a daily part of the City that would be sorely missed by this Googler.

400 years ago....

2009-05-04T12:03:00.004-04:00

He discovered the river made famous when Sully safely landed a plane on it. For a more historical perspective, though, this interactive map of Henry Hudson's voyage which led to the discovery of New York is pretty cool.

A Strange New York Week

2009-04-30T17:00:00.006-04:00

This has been a strange, restless week in New York. As my company handed out Purell for every desk, New Yorkers waited for the day when they would be wearing masks like Hong Kong and Mexico City before them. I have been washing my hands more than a sleepwalking Lady MacBeth. We all shook in our boots a bit when a photo op looked a little like an image we had seen before. Our newly minted stadiums were stacking up the losses, and not many people seemed to be watching. Summer came racing in far too quickly, with temperatures reaching in the 90s, only to drop 40 degrees in a day. My friends in real estate continue to have to bow out of every "catch up" dinner because they are, quiet simply, running out of money. More stores have closed on my walk to work, including one butcher on 9th Avenue whose sign said that he was "closing his dream after 45 years."

Things feel strange here, I have to admit. Everyone is wondering when the good news will start, and when we can start being happy again. I was commiserating with an old friend the other day about the long-gone feelings of unbridled joy and promise we felt in the by-gone period of the late 1990s. I miss those feelings. After being pounded with bad news for almost a year now, it is easy to see why such feelings are missed.

I have decided to try to be more positive. I have always believed that such feelings truly start with oneself. So, once again, I recommit myself to trying to force out more positive thoughts and perspective, and maybe the world or at least New York will soon follow.

In the meantime, I will be watching some old 1990s TV shows on YouTube. Some uplifting Party of Five or Alf, anyone?

Waiting on the face masks

2009-04-27T13:20:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lack of updates. Not a lot going on, just up here wondering how long before I see the face masks all over the streets of New York.

Manhatta

2009-04-21T15:02:00.004-04:00

What was Manhattan like before people arrived, before adventurers, titans, and immigrants remade this tiny island into their own image and dreams? Check it out here.

Inside the YouTube Symphony...

2009-04-15T10:25:00.006-04:00

Tonight, the YouTube Symphony Orchestra is debuting at Carnegie Hall. Made up of over 90 winners of an online competition on YouTube, the orchestra will debut the first symphony written for the internet, "Erotica, Internet Symphony No. 1" by Tan Dun.

You can watch a "mash up" of the best entries on this video. This video was made by layering the actual audio from the video entries to perform the song. Pretty cool.

More from Carnegie Hall later....

New York is what you make of it.

2009-04-10T11:25:00.002-04:00

The Lost Tribes of New York City from Carolyn London on Vimeo.

Mapping the Buzz

2009-04-07T16:27:00.002-04:00

Curious where all the culture in NYC is located? Check out this map of all the cultural events in the city for the past two years. It shows what we all know: nothing is going on on the Upper East and Upper West sides. Apparently, it is all happening in Chelsea/SoHo/Midtown.

Maybe I need to stumble out my front door more often....

Reading the Subway

2009-04-03T19:10:00.006-04:00

When in the ever-evolving process of becoming a New Yorker, you take the small victories.

I have been taking the subway a lot more these days as I am working out at a new gym. I can get to the gym via one stop on the subway during my lunch hour, leaving from underneath my building. Using the subway makes the whole trip do-able in a little over an hour.

The trip can stretch longer, though, if I miss the train and have to wait 5-8 minutes on the next one. By that point, walking would be faster. Catching the train is key.

The first few times I did this whole process, whether or not I would catch the train in a timely manner seemed entirely left up to chance.

Through astute observation, though, I learned to read the subway station. Like a living animal, if you pay enough attention, the subway tells you things.

For example, I learned to take out my subway card out BEFORE going down, thus having it swipe-ready if the train is approaching. Fumbling for your card at the turnstile will leave the train laughing at you as it pulls out of the station.

I observed that if no one is coming out of the station, I better hurry down the stairs because that means a train hasn't yet arrived, and one is probably coming soon.

If people are flooding out and up the stairs, then I really hurry down the stairs, because that means the train just let it passengers out. I may still have time to swipe and get in before the familiar "ding ding" heralds the closing doors.

If people are trickling out of the station, I am probably too late, and can slow down my stride. Most of the disembarking passengers have left the station already except for the stragglers, and the subway doors are probably close to closing.

Today, as I left the gym and approached the station entrance, I saw no one was coming out. I hurried up. As I got to the top of the stairs, the flood of people started up the stairs. I had already removed my Metrocard and had it in hand. I pulled my gym bag close. I dashed down the stairs, before the rush yielded to a trickle.

"Ding Ding" said the train

"Beware of the closing doors..." said the pre-recorded voice.

I swiped.

I pushed.

I lept.

All in one motion.

And, I made the train. Timed perfectly, and rather gracefully, if I do say so myself.

Of course, no one even glanced at my feat. No one cheered my New York lesson about how to read a subway station. I smiled to myself, though, and thought: Yep, a little closer to a real New Yorker.

Oldest Known Photo of New York.

2009-04-02T13:51:00.006-04:00

Oldest photo of New York, sold last week at Sotheby's. Looks more like my `Bama home than the Upper West Side...

It apparently had the address on the back. Its location today? Here.

Summer plans.

2009-04-02T10:32:00.002-04:00

As the weather claws its way into decency, I have a list, a list of things I am promising myself I will do this summer in the City:

1. Get to the beach. No surprise, New York summers can be oppressive. Last year, most weekends I stayed in the City to explore all of the City life. This summer, it is time to get out and see the world. Or, at least, Long Island.

2. More museums. Museums are air conditioned.

3. Biking. I have a bike, a really nice one, that sits in my entry way. Time to use it.

4. Keep up this recent spat of dedicated gym-time. My age and waste size should not match.

A New New York Classic: Bonobos.

2009-03-31T18:02:00.005-04:00

While the rest of New York anxiously and freakishly awaits the newest British import, TopShop (I literally got three promotional emails from different New York "what's happening" services about it), I want to recommend a New York find that is available to anyone, anywhere: the perfect khaki pants.

As I have moved from a daily suit environment to a casual work environment, my wardrobe has admittedly not kept up. I have been over-reliant on my jeans.

After reading about Bonobos pants in New York magazine's "Best of" edition, I ordered two pairs. All I can say is that I love them. Really nice fit, solid design, and not overly trendy. These are going to be my favorite jeans khakis. The customer service is unlike any company I have ever dealt with: I have literally had two very friendly calls making sure I liked the pants. Add a no-questions-asked return policy, a lifetime guarantee, and a made-in-New-York pedigree, and I see no reason to buy khaki pants anywhere else. I cannot wait to order some shorts.

As it turns out, they are located close to me, but they ship anywhere..in a really cool box to boot.

Try them. You'll like them.

The Sign

2009-03-28T22:30:00.002-04:00

With the temperatures climbing into the 60s, and a crystal-clear Friday, I found my first New York sign of Spring. Finally!!!

All is Well in Candyland

2009-03-25T07:30:00.006-04:00

I continue to be fascinated by the the coverage of products and services that are actually doing well in this recession: candy, liquor, lottery tickets, and apparently here in New York, sexy lingerie.

It got me thinking about this economy, and how no matter boom times or bust, there are always winners and losers. I also think about how much our collective state of mind creates our economy. We hear things are bad, or are going to get bad, and we stop: spending, if we are consumers; loaning, if we are bankers. Most of us (90%) still have jobs just like we did last year, but we are all scared, and, collectively, we sink.

We suddenly decide we don't need that new car, but we do still want that uniquely human feeling of feeling...good. So we turn instead to cheaper consumer thrills: a sugar rush, some time to forget, a chance to win, or some carnal release. We still have the power to create winners, it's just the companies winning don't seem as praise-worthy as the latest glass condo development or that cutting edge designer's new flagship store.

I always believe we are what we think, that our thoughts control our world, both personally and collectively. I know that the problems our economy faces are real, and very complex (I am having a real hard time following the Treasury's legacy assets plan), yet I cannot help but wonder how much better we would be if we, the regular folks, were constantly reminded of the remaining good in our economy instead of bombarded with fear. Admittedly, Wal Mart, McDonalds, and beer may not be as slick as Prada, Per Se, and pinot noir, but they are getting the job done.

Still looking

2009-03-20T08:30:00.002-04:00

I am still looking for that first sign of spring here in the City...didn't see it out my window this morning, to say the least. Yes, that is snow:

NOTE: I registered the URL FLIPPNYC.COM. Now you can get back to this blog by simply typing in "www.flippnyc.com" without the blogspot part. Easy, breezey.

The New York Slapdown

2009-03-17T18:07:00.006-04:00

Some of my Alabama cousins came to visit last week, and we had a great time catching up after a few years apart. My cousins live in Russellville, AL, a small town in northwest Alabama.

During her visit, one of my cousins said "Everyone here looks so unhappy. They need to smile more."

On the surface, New Yorkers do seem pretty dour. Yet, I have found New York to be a surprisingly friendly and warm place. I guess when living here, you are forced to interact much more than on a visit. Or maybe it is because I was expecting the worst:

"You be careful up there, John" my Mother told me upon my move, "Yankees are ... different...than you and me."

In the subway today, I had one of those maddening New York slap-down moments. I call it a New York slap-down because just when you are getting cocky and confident about this place, you realize how much more you have to learn.

I had started to think I knew the subway pretty well. After relying on Hopstop.com to route me, from time to time, I could outwit the computer directions it sent me by taking another train and not waiting for the exact train Hopstop recommended to me. This morning, I was headed to the Upper East Side, and while waiting on an E train going north (which is what Hopstop told me to do), I decided to hop on the C train instead. In my part of town, the C and E stop at the same places and are interchangeable. I knew they separated at some point, just not exactly where. Needless to say, the C did not stop where I wanted to go.

I got off at the next stop so that I could walk back down to the 50th and 8th station to get back on the E. The station was clearly marked "C, E" so I walked down and stood at the platform. Three C trains went by before another guy walked up to me and asked about the E train.

We both discussed how odd it was that no E train had come. Then we discussed how the signs were not that clear, but we just knew that the E came here. I got out my wallet map of the subway and confirmed that, in fact, both the C and E stopped at this very station. Then we waited another ten minutes. Through perfectly friendly small talk, I found out he was a lifetime New Yorker, but rarely used this particular station.

Finally, my new subway friend and I went to ask the station attendant what was going on with the E train.

In doing so, we ran across a big sign pointing us down one flight of stairs, to the E train platform, located directly underneath the C train platform.

We both had a good laugh at the reality that neither the new New Yorker nor the old New Yorker had a clue.

Living in this city takes Hopstop, pocket maps, and the guts to ask station attendants. It takes paying attention to the signs, and spending some time studying the subway. Occasionally, it takes a perfectly friendly long-time New York stranger.

Even after all of that, New York will still slap you down from time to time. It is a tough town. So, New Yorkers admittedly smile a little less. It doesn't mean we don't still laugh...just that it is often at ourselves. After all, no self-respecting New Yorker would wait through three C trains.

New York Neighborhoods: (over) Simplified.

2009-03-13T16:18:00.004-04:00

Great map from Down by the Hipster website.

I am glad to be in the "art" section. Better than Hell's Kitchen, labeled "No Man's Land." I also particularly like the UWS: "Left wing fogies" and the UES: "Right wing fogies".

Spring Sign?

2009-03-13T11:14:00.002-04:00

Still no sign of spring. This morning, I thought I found one in this store window, but after my ears froze while taking this photo, I decided it was not the sign I needed.

Spring. Please.

2009-03-09T17:36:00.003-04:00

As I have mentioned in this space before, time passes in New York in funny ways. Tracking of the four seasons is not just made in nature, but also in the stores windows, the clothes on the backs of the people you pass, and in the stocking of the food market's shelves.

Despite being a big fan of winter snow, I am officially ready for the passing of winter and the start of spring. After last week's blast of snow, I am doing my part to push the coming of spring along by stowing away the sweaters and cleaning out the apartment.

Let's see if my anticipatory actions do their magic, and real spring weather really comes.

In my desperation to find spring, I have been looking in store windows, searching for the inevitable stocking of spring clothes. I have started to see a few spring-like displays. Yet, I cannot help but think that, when we had six inches of snow on the ground, some brilliant store should have plastered up a big sign "SPRING WILL COME, WE PROMISE" and throw up a display of colorful shorts and shirts.

Alas, I have seen no such sign. Instead, I still see plenty of "red tag" sales and "70% off" signs, as though winter, and the economic doldrums that accompanied this one, demand to linger.

So I will look for my first real sign of spring here in New York. When I see it, I will let you know, whether it be found in a storefront, a brightly dressed kid on the street, or the bloom of a flower.

I am ready for it.

My Gym is Taunting Me.

2009-03-05T10:09:00.000-05:00

It works.

Triscuits and Cars

2009-03-04T15:04:00.005-05:00

Week two of my only splurge of 2009: working with a new trainer. This guy is kicking my butt, I have to say, but he is totally worth it. He is also putting me on the low-carb diet. I miss my Triscuits

Back to New York stuff:

One of my biggest lessons in moving to New York is the realization that many things that I previously thought I couldn't live without, I now don't miss at all.

The obvious example: My car.

Moving from the second biggest US Car-tropolis, Atlanta, the thought of giving up my car was nearly unbearable. I loved my zippy Volvo XC-90. I used it to go everywhere, including the treacherous 1.1 miles to work each day, or the one mile trek to...my gym. Once, I even drove it to the grocery store in my building at the bottom of the parking deck. (so sad)

At first, I thought I would try to keep the Volvo. Like every change New York imposes on you, that thought was quickly sacrificed to the reality of cost. Parking in my New York building costs a minimum of $700 a month, when available. I considered open lot parking (about $200/month), until I found out that the cheaper price came with a big string: the low prices quoted have restrictions on how many times a month you can remove your car (usually limited to five free removals, each additional one costing you $10). Street parking is always available, but the inevitable $225 parking tickets add up quickly. Add in insurance costs, and higher gas prices in the City, and just "having" a car would cost more than my monthly payments on the car itself.

I returned the leased car to Volvo, and moved to the City sans car.

Being very aware I sit on the world's greatest transit system, I have to say, I do not miss having a car. Not even when I get to drive cars during business trips do I wish I still had one. I love not having to buy gas, worry about insurance, or fret whether my car is "the car" of the moment. (I know, I know, Volvo XC-90...it wasn't).

It is so freeing.

So, big NYC lesson # 314: Anything you think you just cannot live without, you probably can.

Except those Triscuits. How I do miss 'em.

Let Us Now Praise (Door and Elevator) Men

2009-02-18T10:14:00.005-05:00

My apartment, overpriced as it is, has a doorman. The building I work in has an elevator guy who stands at the elevator bank and announces which car is set to arrive next. Each morning, my doorman opens the door as I walk out of the lobby, tips his hat, and says "Good morning." After my eight block walk to work, I am further welcomed to the day by the elevator guy who says "Good morning....hot/cold/rainy today, isn't it?" as he announces "Car 5, going up."

In this bustling City where a few week days can go by and my only major social interactions are at work, the doormen and the elevator guy give me that warm feeling that comes from congenial routines, that certain comforting familiarity that comes from strangers who are a regular part of my life, in the middle of eight million people.

Sometimes I feel doormen and elevator attendants are societal anachronisms, out of place in our modern "do it yourself" world.

Yet, after a day of making my own changes to my work contracts, bagging and carrying my own groceries, and hauling around my workout clothes and computer on my back, I certainly do enjoy the opening of the door and the tip of the hat that comes from some of my best stranger friends.

Flippnyc 7.1

2009-02-16T21:17:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow, it is back in the gym for me. Since I moved here, one thing I have failed at is regular visits to the gym. It's not because I don't have a perfectly wonderful gym membership.

I can blame things like the cold weather, the hectic schedule of this City, or the increase in work hours. I guess I could blame not yet having a large circle of friends who work out at the local gym, making a supportive, gym-based social network like I had in Atlanta.

All good excuses, but nothing can excuse these tighter pants. I have no real excuses, except that I simply got out of the routine when I moved. What kind of excuse is that, really?

Tomorrow, it starts again. As a twist to try to avoid the early morning pull of the bed, and the evening's pull of the sofa, I am going at lunch time. Luckily, the gym is very close to work.

I had my last giant plate of french fries this weekend (and believe me, there are some great fries in this City. Good-bye Shake Shack. And Chelsea Diner.... ). I had my last, glorious Billy's Cupcake (for a while). And my last box of $5.99 Triscuits from over-priced Gristedes. The last day of my personal carb-fest completed, I am ready to fire it up again.

Here goes.

Recession-Era New York

2009-02-13T18:28:00.005-05:00

It has been strange being in the epicenter of the US recession here in New York. I know, some would argue maybe Detroit is more of the center with the stumbling car industry, or Florida, with its high foreclosure rate. Yet, in New York, the intersection of media, finance, real estate, and tourism built this booming city, and that same intersection appears to be the site of some of the worst train wrecks in this economy.

I know no one devastated by Madoff's trickery. I don't even know a bonus-starved banker. I do hear about friends of friends laid off in the Midtown Media world, and just yesterday, three attorneys contacted me separately to say they had been laid off and were handing my specific deal to another, luckier barrister.

I do see the City changing, and I feel a bit like a front-row witness to the decline of the City. New York is different than when I arrived.

Personally, I see the recession in the shockingly empty stores, and in the starved look on the faces of retail clerks as I walk in and say "Just Looking." Every morning, I see it through the "For Rent" signs popping up in the windows of the charming small businesses I pass on my walk to work. I currently count eight closed stores from my stroll of eight blocks and one avenue.

I feel it in the way "dinner with friends" is becoming "drinks with friends." Usually, one drink. No one feels like celebrating much anymore. I hear it in the elevators when co-riders whisper of their father's lay-off or the lay-off of their own co-worker. I read it in the constant fretting of blogs and the NY Times that, just maybe, New York's brightest day is behind it, and the world now rotates around Washington DC.

New York is still great, and I know enough about this City to know that it will come roaring back. After all, time will always start in Times Square, and I just don't see the Senate becoming Wall Street in any way except as a shareholder.

So, in the meantime, I plan to do my best to enjoy Recession-Era New York. I will be visiting more museums, and spending more time in the Park. I will buy from local stores, focus on things I can control like my health and well-being...and try to limit my own fretting.

And wait for the roar again.

Sticky and Sweet.

2009-02-10T10:22:00.004-05:00

For some reason the last few days, I have been thinking it was time to fire up the ol' FLIPPNYC blog again. Maybe it is Facebook Fatigue.

Ah, Facebook. I feel like I closed down this blog in part because of the glittery ball of shiny things that is Facebook. Like a kid eating cotton candy, the first few months on Facebook are a high-like thrill. Like cotton candy, however, the cool things about Facebook can quickly become the same things that make you feel kind of sick at your stomach.

Old friends find you, and suddenly you get a peek into the lives of people whom, three months ago, you didn't even think about. At first, reading the updates, you think "Wow, Steve is doing his laundry!" After a while, though, you start to realize that, even if you like Steve, why should you care? The same thing happens with those crazy Facebook applications. I mean, really, how many virtual shots or electronic pieces of flair does one person need?

I am a big believer in personal energy. Where you focus your energy is where you get your results. With Facebook, I too often found myself focusing my energy on people, memories, and events from the past. Some of that is good, some of it bad, and some of it is neutral. But, it sucked up my energy and time, even in the form of a few clicks and a few seconds, and for some reason, I started to feel like I had eaten too much cotton candy.

Plus, I got really really tired of those little ads on Facebook for my own personal stimulus check. I give Facebook about another two years before we collectively have bellyaches.

Most importantly, though, is the reality that my New York experience hasn't stopped quiet so neatly at Year 1 (see the previous post). New York continues to dole out some amazing experiences and observations that I want to record for myself, even if no one else reads this blog.

So, start checking back from time to time. Undoubtedly, this blog could be your own form of cotton candy. I promise to try not to make it too sickenly sweet on New York.

But, golly, I do love New York.

Final Thoughts on a Big Move

2008-09-08T10:09:00.005-04:00

One year ago today I moved from Atlanta to New York City. The move came for many reasons, professional and personal.

I couldn't be happier with how things have turned out.

I started this blog to record my "thoughts on a Big Move." I now consider my move complete. I have no more property holdings in Georgia (or...ah...anywhere, thanks to pricey New York). I have built a good circle of friends in New York (while, of course, maintaining my wonderful Atlanta friends!). I now quickly say "New York" when people ask where I live (rather than stumbling through "Atla...I mean, New York"). I will, however, always say "Alabama" when people ask where I am from.

I know the move is over, and I am a New Yorker now because I rarely get lost in the City and can follow the schedule changes on the subways. I actually ride buses. I don't buy anything unless it is on sale (this place is expensive), and I appreciate a good 99 cent store. I actually have regular haunts and restaurants where I know the hostess. I understand why everyone leaves the heat of the summer, and I plan to find a way to do it more often next summer.

I get frustrated at slow moving tourists on the street, and depressed by the European shoppers buying everything I cannot have (but I am happy that I get to stay here when their trip ends).

I know to look BOTH ways when crossing a one-way street because those Chinese food delivery guys on their bikes can come at you from any angle. I know the importance of several good pairs of sunglasses and plenty of Purell. I believe that umbrellas and gloves should basically be considered disposable items, and that my city bag/man purse/backpack collection is practically taking up one of my two (very valuable) closets.

I know the freedom of never going into home furnishing stores because I have no room in my 500 square feet for another tsotchke.

I am now thoughtful to run the air conditioner judiciously because ConEd ain't no Georgia Southern. I mean, a $290 electricity bill for one month for 500 square feet? Really?

I know that getting out of New York at Christmastime to go home is stressful, frustrating and will try your patience and good will towards men. Yet, I know it is entirely worth it to escape to the solitude and comfort of an Alabama lakeside home filled with the family that I miss tremendously and love completely.

I know it is sometimes difficult to be so far away when my Father is struggling and my Mother is being so strong in supporting him. But I also know how they support me for being here.

I know the promise of this City is that when one door closes, another one can open right across the (dance) floor from you. I am glad, thankful, and thrilled that New York and Boston are not that far apart. I praise Amtrak.

I know the best routes for taxis to take, and the best corners in my area to get one. I know even is east and north, and odd is south and west.

I miss the Twin Towers even though I don't know New York with them standing.

I know that I am a New Yorker because, while I may yell at the craziness of this City when I am here, I miss it the minute I leave.

I know that I am a New Yorker because I believe that while this City seems to take your every dime, it is worth every penny.

I know that I am a New Yorker because I have strong opinions on lifting the mayoral term limit, the look of the new newsstands, the new governor, congestion pricing, and anything that improves NYC public schools.

I know that I am New Yorker because I know how to ignore things that used to make me stare. I know how to turn off the people-watching impulse and just walk. I know that walking a few miles a day is not that bad for the figure, and that I don't even miss having a car. At. All.

I know that I don't regret making this big, exciting, expensive, frightening, thrilling and utterly rewarding move to New York City.

I know that....I love New York.

This is the last posting on this blog, for now, because I feel like the Big Move is complete. I am going to keep this blog up, though, because life's Big Moves can come in shapes and sizes other than a change of one's physical address.

And, when that next Big Move happens in my life, I am sure I will have more thoughts.

**************

“ There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born here, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size and its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter — the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is the New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something. […]
Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness; natives give it solidity and continuity; but the settlers give it passion." ----- E.B. White,

You, Will.

2008-08-13T10:40:00.009-04:00

This is a month of reflections, looking both backward and forward. My (now closed) high school back in Alabama is celebrating twenty years since I graduated (without me, by my own choice). I have been practicing law ten full years. I am personally marking two decades of friendship with one of my best and oldest friends, Michael P. I am celebrating one year of living in New York, and one month of having met someone pretty great. Later this month, I will celebrate 38 years of being alive for a wonderful, blessed life. All of these are very, very good things.

Today I ran across this ad entitled "You Will" from 1993. In it, AT&T says stuff like "One day, you will be able to read a book from a thousand miles away" and "One day, you can send a fax from the beach." AT&T was incredibly prescient (though we send emails, not faxes). Almost everything that once brought us wonder is now a normal part of life. Sometimes you have to stop and observe the normalcy in order to bring back the wonder. I mean, we really can send emails from the beach.

Something about watching this ad made me stroll down memory lane, and made me reflect on how different, wondrous, and terrifically normal I expect my own life will be over the next 10, 15, or 20 years.

I am so excited about it.

Thunderstorm In The City

2008-08-11T11:19:00.002-04:00

I just finished witnessing an amazing thunderstorm come through the City. The rain came down so hard you couldn't see a building anywhere. This is a picture of the storm rolling in.

Life. Liberty. Pursuit.

2008-08-07T07:18:00.006-04:00

Last night was one of those "I-live-in-the-greatest-city-in-the-world" moments that you have when you live in New York. I am really beginning to believe it.

In The Heights won this year's Tony for best musical, and the play deserved it. It is a story about loving people different from you, about the rock that is your family, and about the role home always plays in your life (wherever you may wander). It is a story about how different people are searching for their own happiness.

Some theater critics have complained that the storyline of In The Heights is unoriginal or trite. Particularly right now, however, I was struck by many elements of the admittedly- familiar story. So I loved it.

My favorite song was Albanza. It is a song paying tribute to the matronly, care-taking character, Abeula, and her ability to appreciate and lift-up the simple things in the middle of this big, busy city. I increasingly find myself noticing and appreciating the small wonders of this city: the kids playing on the sidewalk, the amazing sunrise over the skyline, the way that each building--not just the landmarks-- seems to have a storied history, like "George Washington drank here with this buddies" or "Clement Clark Moore wrote 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in this house"

It is almost as if, in a city where millions and millions of people come to build their lives, every inch of this 319-square mile city is soaked with their aspirations, plans, and dreams. Whether they are immigrants in Washington Heights, families on the Upper East Side, or gay couples in Chelsea, and whether their dreams are from yesterday or today, such dreams, at their root, are amazingly similar and comfortably familiar.

Last night, as I watched the play, I thought about this universal pursuit of happiness. I am doing a pretty good job in that pursuit these days. I have an amazing family, a promising new person in my life, and a pretty cool job. I am enjoying the pursuit. Day by day, my own story gets added to the millions of other ones in this City.

It is one I am very happy pursuing.

Facebook Killed the Blog Star

2008-08-05T09:27:00.002-04:00

After much resistance, I have joined Facebook. It was my gift to a departing co-worker who (like many of 'em) left Google to go to Facebook. Don't ask me how that qualifies as a gift.

I am now a Facebook convert. I was mostly worried about having another place to check for communications, but now I see the benefits of quickly getting a pulse of what my circle of friends, near and far, is doing. After initially fearing another inbox full of messages from acquaintances from whom I didn't really care to hear, I have instead re-connected with people I really do care about, but with whom I had simply lost touch. I don't think I will ever be one of those people who discloses everything on Facebook (though I admittedly enjoy it when they do), but it is enjoyable to share photos, thoughts, and comments with my friends in one place.

The problem is that updating Facebook, on at least a daily basis, decreases my desire (and time) to blog. The purpose of this blog was to keep my friends and family updated on my life, and now Facebook is filling that role.

The second purpose of this blog was to record my New York experiences. As I quickly approach my one year anniversary, I have discovered that many things which were uniquely New York to me in the beginning of my time here have become the norm, so I feel less and less compelled to write about them.

As a result, I have decided that September 10, 2008, my one-year anniversary of moving away from Atlanta, will be the end of this particular blog. For daily updates, find me on Facebook. And as for writing about my New York experiences...well, look for the book I plan to write. One day.

Where There is a Will..

2008-08-01T15:35:00.003-04:00

I am really lagging on blogging about the City, mainly because I have been out of the city. I was vacationing in Provincetown, my favorite summer spot. One of the joys of living in the Northeast is my proximity to Provincetown. The other is discovering the civility of train travel.

As a kid, I was fascinated with trains. In fact, my bedroom was decked out in them, wallpaper covered with train tracks, and even furniture mimicking train cars and a caboose. So when I traveled to Boston on the Acela Express, the kid in me was a little bit excited. I soon learned, though, that the adult in me loved it. No shoes-off security, a comfy seat with tons of leg room, a stable table and constant internet access all combined to make it my new preferred method of travel ... particularly to Boston, which, after a magical week in Provincetown, I plan to visit much, much more frequently.

Of Pride and Lazy Summer Days

2008-07-14T14:26:00.006-04:00

It seems like the last few weeks have flown by. Now, a quick update:

Pride:

Google sponsored a double-deck, specially-wrapped bus for the NYC Pride Parade. I had many friends in town from Atlanta for the weekend, and a special guest star appearance by Alexis, a YouTuber friend from London. Google had over 50 marchers in the parade. Without being too cheese-y, I will say the parade was magical. There is nothing like marching down Fifth Avenue on the top of a double decker bus while people yell out "I love Google" and DJ David Knapp is playing some pretty fierce tunes. I loved every minute of it, including the torrential downpour that didn't stop the music or the fun. I also enjoyed the pier dance and the fireworks, even with the missed connections and all. With so much celebration and support of the GLBT community, NYC Pride is another reason I love this city. Here is a slideshow of some of the pics:

Fourth of July:

I went home to Alabama, and had a wonderful trip home. Nothing makes you appreciate the tranquility and beauty of life on the lake like living in the hectic city. Lazy boat trips, Grandmom's biscuits, and fireworks reflected in the Tennessee River all combined to make it a wonderful trip. I also enjoyed the longest running show in my parents' house's basement: "Kidtastic", performed by my nieces...every night! Seriously, though, I loved being home.

Now I am back in the city preparing for my vacation next week in Provincetown. I am exited to get to spend some time with Erik, my old friend from Atlanta, and to get in some more lazy summer days.

Check Back Later

2008-06-24T18:06:00.003-04:00

I know there has been a dearth of postings recently. Work has really picked up, and, honestly, I have not been doing too much City-focused stuff. That will change this weekend, with Google sponsoring the New York Pride Parade. Our float, which I have worked on, will be a NYC double decker tour bus wrapped to look like a Google home page. We have a DJ playing tunes on the bus, and over 100 people from Google marching with us. I have several good friends from Atlanta coming up, and a full weekend of activities planned, including Broadway shows and lots of fun parties.

Otherwise, not much going on here. Check back later!

Bunny and Bear

2008-06-20T13:47:00.005-04:00

Check out YouTube's "The Screening Room", a YouTube Channel where every Friday you can view four different independent filmmakers' short films. This week, take ten minutes and watch "Love and War", the world's first animated opera about Bunny and Bear, two lovers torn apart by war. It is BRILLIANT.

From Drop Box

Here we go!

2008-06-19T13:40:00.001-04:00

It is going to be a great election for us political junkies.

Basic White

2008-06-17T13:36:00.004-04:00

It is no secret among those who know me that I can sweat. Not the over-the-top, sweat-the-pits sweating, but it seems that once I start sweating, it can roll down my face and back for hours.

As you can imagine, that makes for a fun walk to work in the 90 degree heat of a New York summer. In addition, this morning, I re-started my morning work out regime, which only added to the sweating. On top of that, my air conditioner has been less than effective recently (which my building continues to promise is being fixed "tomorrow." Yet, every afternoon I come home and the unit still sits there, mocking me for needing it.)

So I am figuring out how to adjust to this aspect of City life, the big sweat.

This morning, I stopped in one of the stores on the way in to work and bought a desk top fan. It helps, but the real secret has been a return to my roots: the men's handkerchief.

I am not talking about the silk kerchief stuck oh-so-imperfectly into the skinny suit pocket. I am talking about the working man's workhorse: the basic white, 100% cotton handkerchief.

With complete and utter homage to my Grandfather, who never left the house without one, I am now proudly carrying around several of them in my satchel.

They really come in handy, from wiping my brow to wiping my hands in the myriad of New York bathrooms that inevitably are out of paper towels. I even was able to whip one out after a female co-worker spilled a drink on her pants, and offer it to her. Just like it was 1895. (Actually, she loved it. I did learn from my Grandfather that, when you offer one to a lady, you let her keep it. At $10/pack, that is do-able).

So now I am a little more presentable when I walk into the office, looking a little less like I am melting.

While other people blog that madras shorts or matching jacket/shorts sets are this summer's must-haves, I say it is the basic white handkerchief.

Summer and the City

2008-06-09T11:35:00.008-04:00

Summer hit the City this weekend like...well, it was just too darn hot, let me tell you. What happened to those beautiful Spring days? It is one thing to be hot in Atlanta and jump in your air conditioned car, it is another to have to get out into the heat and walk around grocery shopping, especially when my apartment's air conditioning unit wasn't working.

This weekend, it was all about staying inside, and so, my friends and I went to a matinée on Sunday. Never has an old-fashioned "Air Conditioned" sign on the outside of the theater meant so much to me.

I saw the new Sex and the City movie for the second time, once last week in San Francisco and now here in the City.

Both cities had women in the audience dressed up in high heels and those little black dresses. Basically, this movie is 35-year-old women's Harry Potter.

I found it interesting to compare bi-coastal audience reaction:

When Carrie walks into her future penthouse apartment, with arched windows and hardwood floors for miles, in San Francisco, the audience swooned. In New York, a sarcastic ripple of laughter filled the audience, everyone knowing that, even with Big's help it was utterly unrealistic that Carrie could afford such a place.

In San Francisco, when the girls walk down the street in a parade of high heels and haute couture, the audience said "wow" or "hot." In New York, the audience grumbled: "yeah, right, like you could walk one avenue in those stilettos"

In San Francisco, when Big whisks a pregnant Charlotte to his waiting car on the way to the hospital, San Franciscans debated the kindness of Big. In New York, they wondered how the hell he got such a good parking space.

And, as I sat wiping my forehead for the millionth time, I took note that movies never seem to show New Yorkers melting in sweat on 99 degree days.

Welcome, Summer. I could have used a little more Spring. But, hey, I ain't complaining.

Meanwhile, In a Room in Alabama

2008-06-05T13:12:00.011-04:00

I must admit I have been struggling for a subject for a new posting related to the City. I have been looking all around this city for a pertinent observation about which to write. I thought about writing on my experience walking ten blocks behind a Muslim woman in a full burkha. As I followed her, I had her perspective on the deep, frightened stares she got from every person of every creed that passed her. Even another Muslim woman wearing only her scarf stared like the burkha woman had a bomb. I am not a fan of the burkha, but it must be very difficult to face those kinds of stares when all you want to do is walk down the street.

I thought about writing about the warming Spring in the city, and how the restaurants and bars have flung open their doors, pulled out their outdoor seating, and how the City is actually turning green in color.

I thought about writing about how so many people ask you for recommendations on where to eat and what to do when visiting the City, and how I wish I had the resources to try out all the places that I recommended.

I thought about writing about how Google is preparing for Pride, and how happy I am that Google is an official sponsor of New York's festivities, including financing an incredible float in the Pride Parade.

But all I can think about is that back home, in her room in Alabama, my cousin is dying. Mary Ann is one of my 25+ first cousins who grew up in Alabama with me. Along with Eliza and Everett, both also close to my age, at least a dozen of us used to play together almost every weekend. We would play card games like spoons and hearts. We would run around the play house behind Mama Rete's house, even in the dead heat of the summer. We would play hopscotch for hours, and run with sparklers on the Fourth until we fell down tired. We slipped on the slip-and-slide and chased each other through Mama Rete's giant yard. We would play so much that we would have to be pulled away late on Sunday night to go home, trying our best to convince our parents to stay "only fifteen more minutes."

Mary Ann and I grew apart after I left for college and she stayed behind in Alabama to start a family. I must admit we lost touch, and when I would see her at our reunions, the conversations felt sadly distant. Where we once lit each other's sparklers, we now lived entirely different lives.

My Mother and some of my other cousins are now sitting with Mary Ann around the clock as she enters what are her final hours. She is dying of the same cancer that killed her Mother at Mary Ann's age. One of my cousins is sending daily email updates on her condition, and on the parade of family and friends coming in Mary Ann's room to say an impossibly difficult good-bye. The emails are difficult to read. Mary Ann will be one of my first cousins to pass, and that makes me more aware than ever of the passage of time, the frailty of life, and the need to make sure we live it to the fullest.

I am grateful that Mary Ann is my cousin, and that we shared so many lazy, wonderful, laughing and innocent childhood days together.

I pray she finds comfort in the place where I know she is going.

So, even in the midst of this bustling City, bursting forth with Spring and Pride, and even though I am so many miles away from Mary Ann's room in Alabama, I am feeling a lot more lonely this week.

God bless and be with you, Mary Ann.

A Lazy List

2008-05-19T14:09:00.004-04:00

It has been a while since I posted, so I am going to do a quick list of what has been going on.

1. My old condo in Atlanta is closing on May 30. Let's just say that the pathetic condition of the real estate market hit real, real close to home. I have learned a lesson: I will never buy a condo in a market like Atlanta/Dallas/Miami/other big city (other than New York) again. While many friends and family members have made a mint in real estate, I seem to have missed that gene. Time to focus on other ways to make my millions.

2. I had dinner with a movie star last night! A former co-worker's wife is an entertainment attorney, and one of her clients was in town. They were nice enough to invite me to dinner out in Brooklyn. Whether or not you think Jon Heder of Napoleon Dynamite and Blades of Glory fame qualifies as a full-fledged movie star (I do...particularly since I got to have dinner with him!), it was really cool to meet him and his wife. I always struggle with what to say to stars when you meet them in such an intimate setting as dinner in a private home. (I realize that sounds like it happens to me all the time, which it doesn't). Do you acknowledge their status? Or, just pretend like they are a new person you happen to have met? I went with the latter. We mostly talked about books we are reading, board games we played as kids, and whether or not we were going to give in and join Facebook.

3. I saw the play Boeing Boeing. Set in the early '60s, it is a comedy farce about a guy who has three flight attendant girl friends. It tells the story about what happens when the airline timetables that allowed him to rotate three girls at once, without any one knowing about the others, are shifted. As technology allows the flight attendants to fly on faster jets, one wacky afternoon, his timetables, and his world, collapses. I couldn't help but think how today, with Blackberries, email alerts, shared Google calendars, and so much "on demand" information, this story could never be written. It relies on one method of ignorable communication, the phone. I thought the play was very funny. Go see it fast, though, because reviews are not good.

4. I find it a bit odd still that it is almost June and the evening temperatures are in the 40s.

5. I am off for some more travel to San Francisco for work.

Happy Memorial Day!

iGoogle Launch Takes over Meatpacking District.

2008-05-02T12:06:00.003-04:00

Last night Google had a huge event in the Meatpacking District of New York. We were rolling out personalized themes for your iGoogle homepage. iGoogle is where you can take the Google.com homepage and personalize it with lots of tools, "gadgets" and themes. Learn how to set up your own iGoogle page here.

Over 70 world famous artists and innovators designed themes that you can select for your iGoogle homepage. The artists included: Michael Graves, Philippe Starke, Dolce & Gabbana, Lance Armstrong, Diane Von Furstenberg, Jeff Koons, and more. Check out the themes here.

At the event last night, Google took the artists' themes, animated them, and projected them onto all the buildings in the Meatpacking District for an interactive, open art show in the streets, complete with audio sounds. To see the amazing effect, watch the video at the end of this posting The show stopped traffic and people flooded out of hotels and restaurants to watch it. Take a minute and watch this video. VERY COOL!

Flippant Friday: New York City Schadenfreude.

2008-05-02T09:36:00.006-04:00

From "Some E-Cards", a website where you can send some pretty flippant e-cards, I thought this one was pretty spot on. Now that I do not have a car, and gas is hitting $4 bucks a gallon, I sometimes find myself full of schadenfreude in my new life of environmental and fiscal smugness.

I think this cartoon perfectly puts me back in my place.

Thinking of Color

2008-05-01T18:20:00.001-04:00

Saw this exhibit a few weeks back at MoMA. Go see it if you can.

Almost an Evening

2008-04-30T09:32:00.005-04:00

Last night, I saw the play "Almost an Evening" by one of the Cohen Brothers, Allen. After a good review in the Times, I figured it would be more packed, but it was practically empty (Thanks for that economy, Bush).

The play was a series of short acts, and was capped off by F. Murray Abraham portraying "A Judging God" in a debate against "A Loving God." Each God was spot-on in his portrayal of the differing views of God's nature, but, naturally, the Judging God was much, much funnier. Every sentence peppered with obscenities (Sorry, Mom), the Judging God, dressed Moses-like in a flowing white robe, berated the audience for not only following the Ten Commandments ("These are commandments, not suggestions, people!") but also for "new screw ups" like "whining" and complaining about parking. His message of "suck it up and do right" was jarring and witty. A grand performance.

In a particularly novel part, after the debate, the next scene turned the stage around so that I was facing the back of the actors, and looked into a first row (but the first row was on stage, and full of other actors, not audience members). One actor in the "on stage" audience turns to the other one and says "what was that play about?" (which is what I was thinking at about that point). The audience actors then proceed to go to dinner, still trying to make sense of the play, and F. Murray Abraham (as himself) comes into the restaurant. He gets angry (in "real" life) and ends up breaking a lot of God's rules which he had just covered as The Judging God. Oh, the irony. A great play.

****

Google news today: If you use iGoogle (a personalized home page that you set up through your gmail/Google account), then check out the new artist themes for your homepage available here. Google rolled out over 70 artist themes for your homepage, created by some of the world's top artists, including Michael Graves (image above), Diane Von Furstenberg, Dolce & Gabbana, and more. Google is taking over the Meatpacking District here in New York for a three-night art show and festival to display the iGoogle artwork. Pretty cool.

Twitter dee, Twitter dum

2008-04-21T15:00:00.003-04:00

Hmmm...nothing really to post right now. Low key weekend here. I was longing to see my family, as they had all gathered in 'Bama for my niece's birthday party. However, $1,000 last-minute plane tickets kept me away.

Weather here is spectacular. The city is literally blossoming. Pretty excited about Spring.....

So, longer update later. In the meantime, you can always check out my "real time" blogging updates via Twitter in the upper right hand corner of this blog.

Good Ol' Charlie Brown

2008-04-13T21:26:00.007-04:00

I am in San Francisco for work, and, having a day free, I took the rental car up north to explore Napa, then hike among the giant redwoods. There is nothing more inspiring than walking among trees which first started growing long before the earth had heard of Jesus. On one hand, it makes your own life seem so very brief. Yet, sitting amongst trees taller than many buildings in New York, it also makes living seem so very majestic.

I stopped in a small bookstore near the Russian River and discovered the book Schulz and Peanuts by David Michaelis. The book is a biography and history of the twentieth century's most popular comic strip, Peanuts. As I paid for my book, the bookstore owner told me that the Charles Schulz museum was only about twenty five miles away in Santa Rosa.

I rushed down the highway to make it before the museum closed.

You see, Peanuts has had a profound influence on my life. As a kid, I collected every single Peanuts comic book, purchasing each one at the local Anderson's Bookstore, and reading it until the spine splintered. A part of me related to each character: Charlie Brown's frustrations with his lot in life, Lucy's bombastic prose, Snoopy's cool act, Linus' pensive reflections. I saw a bit of myself in each character.

As I toured the museum, I saw the desk where what would become my own philosophies flowed from Schulz' pens. I found myself laughing at many familiar comic strips displayed on the walls. Surprisingly, I also found myself feeling emotional. I guess it had been a while since I reflected on something that was such a big part of my childhood. As I read from the original versions of strip after strip, I began to see the source of my humor, the font of my happy demeanor, and the point of infection of my good natured, yet sometimes sarcastic, tone.

Through Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and the Peanuts gang, Charles Schulz gave me--and undoubtedly, many people---some insight into life and perspective on how to handle living it. Insight about unrequited love, true friendship, sibling rivalry, armchair philosophy, classical music, materialism, perseverance, simplicity....love...and the joy of a familiar blanket and a warm puppy.

Life lessons, indeed.

The Point of it All

2008-04-09T20:36:00.006-04:00

Monday night, I had a true New Yorker experience (at least, as true as HBO makes it!). My friend, Michael, generously got me invited to a fund-raiser for The Point Foundation, a wonderful charity that provides meritorious educational scholarships to youth who are cut off from familial support, or have otherwise suffered marginalized lives because of their sexual orientation, and such hardships have resulted in their inability to seek an education.

It was a star-studded affair, set at The Capitale, a breath-taking Greek Roman building with soaring Tiffany glass ceilings. The stars of Sex & The City were in attendance (Cynthia Nixon was being honored for her work with the foundation). I literally sat at the table next to Kim Cattrell and bumped elbows with Jeff Bewkes, Time Warner's CEO. I sat at the table with Kerry Butler, star of Broadway's Xanadu. Michael Patrick King (producer of the the S&TC series and the upcoming movie) was the host of the evening. I milled about with Sarah Jessica Parker, Anthony Rapp, Carson Cressley, Judith Light, and many stars of Broadway.

Outshining them all, though, were the kids, the youth who were recipients of the Point Foundation's scholarships. Many of them performed or spoke throughout the evening. These are kids whose parents have completely disowned them, or who have suffered severe harassment, bullying and even violence in their schools to the point that they had given up on education in their own lives. The Point Foundation provides scholarship and mentoring to these young creative minds, and now they are on their way to being opera singers, doctors, lawyers, actors, writers and designers.

It was an evening to be proud: proud of organizations like this, proud of a community in New York that supports this cause, and proud of these kids, who remind us all that, despite obstacles, rejection, and sometimes even outright hatred, we all have in us the ability to rise above our life hardships---whatever they may be--and to shine.

For all the pics of the evening, check out here and here.

In Your Service

2008-04-03T14:36:00.005-04:00

Starting while I was shut in with the flu, I have been watching (via glorious on-demand) the John Adams mini-series on HBO. If you have not seen it, you must. It is absolutely worth signing up for HBO to see it. The acting is mesmerizing, and spot-on. The scene where the demure, New England-bred Adams meets King George as America's first ambassador to Great Britain is a most subtle yet striking example of how good acting and writing succinctly crystallizes a character.

Last night, I felt a little emotional while watching the swearing-in of George Washington. Just a few months back, I visited Federal Hall here in New York with my family, and saw the stone on which Washington stood as he took that oath.

While watching the excellent re-enactment, I was struck by the contrast of our own current leadership. I was saddened over how this country has limped along in a vacuum of inspiration and direction for years now. Our nation's leaders from that era seemed to truly serve solely for the sake of service, in the service of ideas. They seemed to possess a passion not from power or glory, but from serving others.

In this episode, upon finding the newly-appointed Vice President Adams lingering in front of the crowd a moment too long (perhaps demonstrating a momentary envy of Washington), George Washington says to Adam: "I am in your service, Vice President Adams." The statement gets Adams to move out of the way so Washington can step forward to be sworn in. I couldn't help but wonder what a modern president would have said in that situation. Something a little more crass and self-serving, no doubt.

In this election cycle, I have been discounting the role inspiration really serves in modern American politics. A cynical side of me has been thinking that maybe everyone is too plugged in, too "real world" to believe in hope. I had been thinking that experience is needed now more than ever.

But after remembering a lesson from our own history, I am beginning to believe that what we really need now is a leader who can inspire people and raise people's spirits, someone who can get us (and this world) to again believe in the greatness of our ideas, and of our nation.

I hope we get what we need.

Happy April Fool's from Google.

2008-04-01T11:07:00.007-04:00

My employer, Google, has an internal website which allows you to view a photo of every employee by looking up their name. It is an awesome feature, especially as a "Noogler" (the name for a new employee).

Each employee uploads the photo of their choice. Today, April 1st, when you look up any employee, their picture has been superimposed with either a handlebar mustache or a pair of rhinestone sunglasses, layered onto their face. The gag appears in every single employee photo...perfectly positioned. That is some brilliant software programming.

Happy April Fool's!

Flu York

2008-03-31T15:00:00.007-04:00

It seems that every time I move to a new place, that following winter, I get the flu. It happened to me when I moved to Cincinnati, San Diego, Nashville, and Atlanta. I thought I had almost escaped my first winter in New York without the flu, but, alas, New York is no different.

This morning, I left my apartment for the first time since last Thursday.

Some random thoughts from those four days in seclusion:

1. On-demand HBO and Showtime: worth every penny. So is IFC On Demand, Sundance Channel On-demand...in fact, I am in love with all on-demand TV. I think all of cable TV should be completely on-demand. You read it here first: the real death of cable TV will be when all programming will be search-driven and delivered to viewers on-demand (probably through that internet thing). While I found nothing to watch on regular (programmed) television, I happily filled four days with my on-demand selections.

2. Showtime's The Tudors is my new favorite TV show. I never grew tired of the show even after watching 14 straight episodes (thanks again, on-demand). I did, however, grow tired of Queen Katherine 's only lines for 7 of those episodes being some variation of "But, I love you, Your Majesty, and I am your true wife, and the rightful Queen." She really could have used a copy of "He's Just Not That Into You."

3. MaxDelivery (for groceries/drugstore/dvds) and Seamless Web (for most any restaurant in your area) combined are real life-savers while being shut in and sick in New York. In Atlanta, I thought having a grocery store in my condo building was great, but having someone bring anything you crave to your door within an hour is almost reason enough to stay inside for four days, sick or not.

4. I finally got to use that Tamiflu I stockpiled during the avian bird flu scare. My friend Eric laughed at me for ordering it online. I showed him (btw: expired Tamiflu still works. I read it on the internet).

5. CNN has got to find something else to talk about besides the election. I purposely say "talk about" because despite filling up 22 of the 24 hour news cycle with election "coverage", none of it is real reporting.

6. I am thankful for my new New York friends who checked in on me, offering to bring soup and some company (which, out of fear of further spreading the flu, I politely declined.) I am also thankful for my old Atlanta friends who texted and called to make sure I was fine.

7. Yet nothing can compare to having your Mom and Dad call and check in on you every day, sometimes twice a day. There is still nothing like the advice and comfort of your folks to help you heal faster. That, and MaxDelivery's Chicken Noodle Soup (and cupcakes...and Gatorade...and TheraFlu)!

Don't watch The Tudors? Watch the full first episode of the second season, posted officially by Showtime, here on my favorite website, YouTube:

Pillow Fight!

2008-03-27T10:57:00.009-04:00

I have written in this space before that when in the City, you view the passing of the seasons not by the blooming of the dogwoods, but by the arrival of spring fashions in the store windows, and tulip pots in the bodegas.

While my friend Michael was visiting this weekend, though, we stumbled upon another unique way that the City celebrates spring: A giant pillow fight in Union Square by the students of NYU. Strolling through the city on one of the most beautiful days since I have moved here, about two blocks before reaching the square, we noticed what we thought were dandelion blossoms or something drifting through the air. As we got closer to Union Square, we realized it was down feathers from hundreds of students and strangers embroiled in a giant pillow fight. Everyone was laughing, everyone was smiling, and I believe ol' George Washington's statute even had a smirk.

Hey Atlanta, San Fran, Chicago...

2008-03-26T17:05:00.002-04:00

So, nothing you can do about global warming? On March 29, at 8 pm local time, there is something you can do. It is easy. Watch this video. And turn out the lights.

The Peep Show

2008-03-20T17:52:00.002-04:00

For your Easter laugh,

The Peep Show

Happy Easter.

Looking back six degrees

2008-03-13T11:21:00.004-04:00

I discovered one of those unexpected, yet expected, aspects of New York this week.

It's still a small world.

On Saturday at my friend's birthday party, I was talking to a guy who, as it turns out, is from Birmingham, where my brother and his family live. It turns out he not only grew up on their street (before they moved there) but that he has spent time with them.

Then, last night, a friend from Atlanta took me to a America's Next Top Model watching party at one of his friend's apartment. It was a party where the guest of honor was one of the judges on the show (a guest judge, she is editor in chief of Seventeen Magazine). She not only knew a friend of mine who worked for Tyra Banks (not a surprise), but she was best friends with one of my good friends from college. I turn to talk to the girl sitting next to her, and it turns out we worked together when I worked at P&G out of college.

Small world in New York? More likely explanation, as a wise soul once told me years ago, it's a small socio-economic world.

On another topic, many of my co-workers are at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin. I am a bit jealous. But, thanks to the wonders of this thing called the internet, you can practically be there yourself. NPR is creating some great coverage. If you get a chance, listen to REM's performance yesterday (here). Took me back to college. In a really good way.

The Comments Conundrum

2008-03-11T23:26:00.004-04:00

Alas, due to spammers and other people whose opinions I don't have the time or patience to entertain, I am turning off comments on my blog. No offense.....If you know me, and want to get in touch with me to respond or comment on anything I might write on, you know how. If you don't know me, I am thrilled you want to read what I have to say, so thanks for reading!!

The Possibility of It All

2008-03-10T13:41:00.007-04:00

A good friend of mine who works here in New York has been threatening to move back to Atlanta. Well, "threatening" is not really the right word. I say that because I would hate to see him leave. He has lived here for five years now, and he has been thinking that his time in New York was about done.

I have heard this line of thinking many times since moving here. For a lot of people, New York is a place to which you can make only incremental time commitments. Like a trip to the holy land for some religions, it is a place where many people want to live "at some point in their life." Those people usually only see New York on vacations, or when traveling for work, when all aspects of the City can be pretty amazing. They don't see, for example, my co-worker having to carve a third bedroom out of his living room to make way for a second baby, or the daily grind of dealing with getting around the city when taxis and car services aren't in the budget.

As of today, I have been a New Yorker for six months. Not a lot of time, and it is far too early to tell whether this is just a stop along my own journey, or something more permanent. Life is definitely very different here for me. Like everything, there are trade-offs, but just when you feel like you have had enough, you have one of those Saturdays when you wake up and within thirty minutes, you are staring at a Monet or Picasso at MOMA, then you stumble on some new cuisine for lunch, followed by a reading of a cutting edge poet, a stroll along the Hudson River, and topping it all off with a Broadway play that evening.

Of course, that wasn't my Saturday. But it could have been. And that is, I believe, a big part of what makes people stay in New York long after their self-imposed commitment to the City has ended.

My Saturday was spent at Village Tavern for this same friend's birthday celebration. With the admitted influence of a promotion at work, he announced to the guests that he has decided to stay. He told us --all current New Yorkers--that he "just can't seem to leave this City." Everyone around me just nodded in silent understanding.

You available May 17?

2008-03-07T10:50:00.003-05:00

In my short time in New York I have discovered that dating, like almost all aspects of my life, is different here, too.

New Yorkers are busy people, that is true. If they are more busy than inhabitants of other metropolises, I cannot definitively say. I can say I certainly feel "busier" than I ever did in Atlanta. Evenings are quickly booked, often weeks in advance. Good friends are seen only once every few weeks. In a blink, it can be three months since I last saw my good college friend, the one I was excited about seeing on a regular basis once I moved to New York.

New Yorkers work later, and most of us cannot zip around in a car racking up errands and visits with friends in an evening. Often, an evening can only fit one event, be it gym, drinks with friends, meetings, or trips to the grocery store. Lay those events linearly across the calendar, and suddenly you find your nights and weekends booked up until late May.

As a result, when it comes to fitting in a new person via the dating scene, it can often take some time. If one or the other person has to cancel last minute due to work, personal conflicts, or whatever, that can put the date off another month. That doesn't even take into account the second date...soon, there can be weeks between dates. That frequently results in the initial excitement wearing off, and the relationship delving into the electronic dustbin I call the "Hope you are well" text-based relationship. You know, the one where you randomly scroll through your cell's phonebook, see a name, and send out a short, non-committal missive more out of guilt than desire. Something like "Hope you are well" or "Hope to see you soon" or just "What's up?"

Now, I guess if I stumble across "the one," I will inherently clear the calendar. In the meantime, dating continues to be appointment-based and spread out. It is an experience that makes me feel like I have several pans in the fire, so to say, but nothing boiling up. A constant simmer.

Upon sharing this observation with a friend, he came up with the perfect name. Low-flame dating.

Feeling like a New Yorker

2008-03-03T17:14:00.009-05:00

I left the City this weekend to go to Vermont to ski. It was really, really nice. I forgot how much I like trees.

But it was good to get back in the City. I am really beginning to feel like I live here now. Everyone told me it would take about six months.

Here are some of the signs that I am starting to feel like a real New Yorker:

1. I am answering questions about directions to tourists on a daily basis. Something about me makes me more approachable (still) than the average New Yorker, as I get asked directions almost every day. Maybe it is because I have not mastered the dismissive"street stare" that most New Yorkers have. I still enjoy people-watching too much not to look at most every person I pass. Give me another few months on that one.

2. I am actually able to discuss which subway line is best to go where with my co-workers. This weekend, I even guided some French tourists through the maze of the New York subway "service changes" which plague weekend subway travel. Nothing makes you sound more like a New Yorker than being able to say "Yes, the C is out--again--for repairs, take the E instead which is stopping at Chambers or you can transfer over to the F at West 4th and take it over"

3. I am slowly finding out all the hidden gems of cheap eats in New York (and there are many). Real New Yorkers (at least ones whose condos in Atlanta have yet to sell) don't eat at the Spotted Pig every night.

4. I have been to Brooklyn. Three times.

5. I don't even know the price for a gallon of gas right now.

6. I actually understand and empathize with the argument that the West Village is just not what it used to be.

7. I kind of like diners. And I love Duane Reed. Narrow isles and all.

8. TimeOut New York (weekly print edition) is now my bible, Hopstop my go-to website, and Gawker.com my daily must-read.

9. I find myself dreaming of the day I could ever afford to buy a place of my own. Like almost all New Yorkers.

10. I can find my way through SoHo and the Village. Well...not true, yet.

11. I know it is true that finding a good dentist is mysteriously difficult in this city.

12. I have a position on re-naming Hell's Kitchen to "Clinton".

13. I actually want to go to Coney Island and eat a Nathan's hot dog. Once.

14. Today it reached 52 degrees, and I thought it would be a good day to be in the park.

15. I understand that "It's the first subway stop after crossing the river" might as well mean "I live on Mars."

Sliders and Corporate Cheerleading

2008-02-26T17:48:00.006-05:00

It is no secret that my current employer has some amazing perks, not the least of which is free food. This past Friday, they had an Oscar-like competition where all the chefs prepared their best dish and then all the employees voted on it. What a great day to invite my local cousins, Mark, and his wife into the office for a free lunch.

The entries included things like filet mignon stuffed with lobster and wrapped in bacon, a spicy curried halibut that was excellent, and this, the winning dish:

Best Dish - Main Dish - Tuna Teriyaki Sliders with Grilled Pineapple and Basil Aioli

Sadly, we had so much stuff piled on our plates that our Tuna Slider went un-eaten, so I cannot vouch for them. Now, the best side dish---yucca fries with lime enhanced natural sea salt--were Oscar-worthy.

Ok, despite the stock getting hammered these days, this is still the best place to work in America. For more pics of the foodie Oscar's, click here.

Flippant Fridays 4

2008-02-22T11:41:00.006-05:00

FIRST: Happy Birthday, Mom. I love you sooooooo much. I was blessed with the best Mom a guy could ask for....

Last night, my friend from Atlanta, John B., blew me off for dinner. Ostensibly, he had to get back to Atlanta early for work, but I know it was due to his wimpy Southern guy fear of the Big Snow which arrived in the City today. Well, in his honor, Pedja, John C. (fellow ex-Atlantans) and I went to Maroon's, a Southern soul-food restaurant right here in the middle of Chelsea. The restaurant came complete with a sassy southern waitress and the Obama/Hillary debate on the adjacent bar's screen. We ended up discussing politics, dating, and Kosovo independence (Pedja is Serbian...boy, he had an opinion on that) over some good gumbo and really good collard greens. And grits.

Admittedly, it made me miss the South.

But, this snow is spectacular. Big, 1 inch flakes. Nice. The view out my window at 7 am this morning:

And, on the way to work:

For your Flippant Fridays, I love this parody of the iPod nano commercial:

On tap this weekend, sitting at my employer's table at the New York HRC dinner, a performance of Macbeth at BAM, and dinner tonight at Fatty Crab....if I am not snowed in!

AND the S&TC Trailer.

Rule of Thumb: No Multi-tasking

2008-02-20T14:18:00.006-05:00

My latest New York experience: The New York emergency room.

After attending a time management seminar at work, I was anxious to perform the first step from the seminar, the "mindsweep", where you basically write down everything you have swirling in your mind that you need to do. Doing that led me down a few rabbit holes, until I found myself finally cutting up my old ATM card that had sat on my desk for the last few months.

In doing so, I blatantly broke one of the other rules from my seminar: no multi-tasking. I was chatting away with my office mate, Anjali, and barely noticed as the scissors cut not only the card, but the end of my thumb. See why multi-tasking is not good, kids?

Two hours and several office-first-aid-kit bandages later, the bleeding refused to stop. So, I went to the emergency room. I was half expecting a New York emergency room to be full of gun shot victims and the occasional unrequited nurse-doctor romance (wait, that was ER). Alas, my fellow patients consisted of a few flu victims and a British tourist who had lost his seizure medicine.

Checking in, the nurse had a grand time with my last name ("Hey Flipper! Flipster! Those Flippin' Scissors!"). When I jokingly offered to take her to a Yankees game if she put me ahead of the line, she said "So long as you leave the scissors at home." Ah, New York emergency room humor, there is nothing like it.

Finally, they moved me to the Rapid Response room, where they send patients with less-than -emergencies. When the intern came to check my cut finger, I don't think he expected the unwrapped bandage to expose a finger bleeding that badly. He asked "My god, how long has this been bleeding?" I got a little panicked at that point. Who knew you could bleed out through the tip of your finger? I was rushed to the front of the rapid response line.

Just for future reference, it takes three shots to numb a thumb due to all the nerve endings. I HATE shots. I soaked through my t-shirt with nervous sweat in about two minutes. For some reason, I focused on Disney tunes to try to block out what was happening. I bet the doctor wondered why I started humming "Some Day My Prince Will Come" in the middle of the second shot. Honestly, I don't know why that song came in my head, but I ran with it.

Three stitches later, I was almost out of there when the nurse came back to give me a tetanus shot. Great, four shots and a sliced thumb in under three hours.

On the way home, before stopping in at Dallas BBQ for comfort food (chicken fingers and fries...I deserved it), I called my Mom to fill her in on my exciting day.

"Did you tell the Doctor that you had that horrible reaction to tetanus shots when you were six?" she breathlessly asked.

"WHAT? I didn't know that!!!" I, equally without breath, responded.

"Yes, you got that high fever and your throat closed up. The doctor said if you ever got another tetanus shot, to only get half a dose."

You know, this would have been good information for my Mom to remind me of sometime over the last thirty years....

After a fitful night of sleep (nothing like waking up every hour to check your windpipe for blockage), I am happy to report I am going to be just fine. No reactions, just a sore thumb and a sore arm from the tetanus shot. And lots of "rule of thumb" jokes around the office. My favorite is my co-worker, Nicole, who showed up yesterday with a rock of an engagement ring on her finger. She claims I was just trying to steal her digit's thunder. Bill sent around an email reminding me that people like me just fine, that "there is no need to be maiming myself" ....

Finally, the day culminated in a gift from MJ, a particularly smarty-pants HR rep on the 15th floor: A pair of safety-edged scissors, ages 4+.

Well, thumbs up to my co-workers for their creativity. At least I know I am loved.

Flippant Friday 3: Valentine's Edition.

2008-02-15T11:10:00.009-05:00

In New York, the concrete jungle, you do not have the changing of the leaves in the fall to indicate the change of seasons. Instead you see the passing of the seasons through the changing of the store windows. Yesterday, every bodega and corner store seemed to be blooming with fresh cut flowers, indicating not the arrival of spring, but of Hallmark's favorite holiday, Valentine's Day. About every fourth person on the street had a bundle of plastic wrapped roses or gardenias in their hands, and the street vendors did their best to convince the other three people to stop by for their own flowers.

While walking home, I passed what has to have been the most clever New York Valentine's Day sign. In front of one of the flower-packed stores was a sign that read:

Get your Valentine's flowers here.
No Valentine? Liquor specials in the back.

I stopped in for a bottle of wine. That guy deserved my business.

And, your flippant Friday's video, a 1970s era news report about the exploding whale.

Snow in the City!

2008-02-12T15:47:00.000-05:00

Finally, the first measurable snow in New York. These are from earlier today while walking into the office. A former co-worker of mine called me from San Diego this morning. He bet me I would get tired of the snow before he would get tired of the never-changing 70 degree weather.

He is probably right.

But this is beautiful for now.

Super Day, but a better one is ahead.

2008-02-05T09:54:00.000-05:00

Super bowl parade. Super Tuesday. Fashion Week. Things are happening here in New York today, and as I stood in line to vote, I stood at the juncture of it all. From where I voted, I could see fans streaming into the subway to head for the Canyon Of Heroes for the parade to welcome home our unlikely football champions, students sprinting out of the Fashion Institute on their way to the tents of Bryant Park, and a melting pot of citizens standing in line at PS 33 to vote for an historic nominee.

Voting in New York is not like voting in Atlanta, GA. First, all the directions are in six languages. In Georgia, I think they still have an English test to allow you to vote. Second, the gymnasium in which I voted was packed with polling stations for a staggering 8 different voting districts, a testament to the dense population in the high rises around the school. Unlike in Georgia, where I always noticed polling stations were quieter than most churches, everyone here was talking, yelling, laughing, and generally in a gleeful mood. Jokes were being made about for whom we were going to pull the lever. Change was in the air, and the people of the 44th Election District seemed ready for it.

The first thing I did in New York once I had my apartment was register to vote. I have not missed an election since I was 18. This was my favorite vote casted.

This was my favorite election so far, not necessarily because of the candidate I chose, but because of the entire experience. One thing I liked was I again got the satisfaction of actually pulling a lever to vote. It feels so much more certain, participatory, and decisive. In Georgia, touching a screen to vote gave me no more satisfaction than punching in my PIN into the ATM, and at least with the ATM I am assured of getting my money. Alas, in following the new federal laws, New York will replace the 1960s-era voting machines in 2009, being the last state to do so. With all the screw ups in electronic voting in Georgia, New York staying with these machines is one time that last adapter to technology looks to be the smartest.

I also witnessed again the diversity of New York, and the feeling that universal voting is truly America's strength. In my polling station, I saw about fifteen or twenty people holding the tell tale new voter registration card I also held in my hand. I stood among many races, colors, and ages, each of them caring enough and believing enough to skip a parade, be late for work, or drag the kids to come out in the rain, and vote. I spoke to at least two first time voters, a new citizen from Britain and a young female college student. I could not help but spend a moment reflecting on the historic nature of this election, and on the long path our nation has taken to get here. From white, educated, rich landowners selecting their own to lead all others to all the others selecting from their own. It took too long to get here, but the inevitable arc of justice did it's thing, and here we are.

One thing struck me above all else, and that was our need to end this war. We are spending billions each month (remember when this was projected to cost $50 Billion, but now it is running $8 Billion a month?). George W still does not even account for this cost in his annual budget. I wish I could spend thousands of dollars, and then tell the credit card companies not to expect payment because the money is simply "not included" in my checking account. I wish my student loan companies took "oh, that money is not accounted for in the 2008 John budget" as an acceptable explanation for not having the money to pay for the loans.

But more than any other feeling, what struck me was sadness. Sadness that while we spend all these billions rebuilding the schools in Iraq, and we still point to that country's people's purple fingers from a fruitless election years ago as evidence of "success" in this war, I stood in a decrepit, 1950s-era, leaking Public School 33 with a sea of diverse people who quietly live together in a unity that most Iraqis could only dream about, and I saw people who could each, in their own way, benefit from that money being spent here. On us.

And I felt angry. So I pulled a lever. And I saw Bush's inevitable departure. And I felt certain, participatory. And decisive.

It is a Super day in New York, but Jan. 20, 2009 will be a better one for our nation.

Bandwagons and All

2008-02-04T11:50:00.000-05:00

Go Giants! Well, due to my travel schedule, I will unfortunately miss my first ticker tape parade in New York. I have to say it was pretty exciting to be in New York when the Giants won last night. The bars and streets were packed, and even though most crowds were evenly split between the Giants and the Patriots, the celebration seemed to tilt to the Giants in the end.

Beatrice. Way Inn. I am Outta Here.

2008-01-31T10:34:00.000-05:00

So this week I went to one of the three hottest bars in New York, Beatrice Inn. It is one of those places that LiLo (Lindsey Lohan, as her friends call her) hangs out. A place you have to personally know the bouncer to get in. To be clear, I did not know the bouncer, but my friend who took me did.

I actually did see (and sat at the table next to) LiLo. She was very beautiful in person, but she looked like she was very bored with the cadre of blond skinny girls with her. I have no idea if she was drinking or not, as her glass looked like water to me. I apparently was also in the presence of several fashionistas and, undoubtedly, a few other people I should have known if I were in the know.

This club/bar is in the basement of an apartment building. The single door does not open into a sleek, understated Ian Schrager space where you might expect to find such stars. Instead, you duck into to a rambling collection of rooms with low-slung ceilings (at 6'3", I was a hair short of an inch until my head hit the ceiling), paint-by-number oil paintings and sofas I doubt the Salvation Army would take.

As I walked across the thread-bare carpet, through the crumbling plaster rooms to the plywood bar to order a drink (the staff was actually pretty nice to us, a testament to my friendly host), I found myself thinking about what a co-worker said about another bar I wanted to go to in the Meatpacking District, Cielo.

Co-Worker: Cielo? Yuck. That place is so last year, so B&T*

*(Bridge and Tunnel: meaning it attracts, well, a very non-LiLo crowd).

So I have not gone to Cielo. Cielo has sleek interiors, apparently the best customized sound system in New York, and more drink choices than you can shake a stick at. (I recognize comparing Cielo and Beatrice Inn is sort of like apples and oranges, but stay with me here).

Instead, I crouched in a smoky hovel of a basement, in a space better suited for a laundry room than the hottest spot in New York, and sipped my 4 ounce, $17 drink. I sat, careful not to stare too much at LiLo, or the fashionista with those stupid skinny jeans that flatter no one, or at Josh Hartnett, for fear of being asked to leave. Apparently the main reason that Beatrice is one of the hottest spots in town is the fact that the people who spend their life seeking fame can come here to find something even more valuable to them in the end: anonymity.

And, I was bored.

Having worked at a sports marketing company, media companies, and even the White House, I have met my share of famous people (in fact, Mike Bloomberg just walked by my office, as he is speaking here today). While I am always curious, I am rarely taken back by them. At least not taken back enough to stand in a leaky laundry room and feel obligated to stare at the floor in order to avert the eyes of the young actress sitting next to me.

I can't quiet summarize my point here. I guess it's that I am more impressed with architecture and design than the famous people that may fill the space. Or that I would rather spend my time with friends, laughing it up, in last year's bar than to be in the hottest spot in New York if the latter means you cannot be yourself.

Anyone want to go to Cielo with me?

Let It Snow....please.

2008-01-28T14:56:00.000-05:00

Today's "Feel the Love" Score for New York remains low because I have still not enjoyed my first New York snow. As a sad substitute for the real thing, I watched Sex and the City repeats over the weekend (while healing the ol' back). I saw one of my favorites, the episode called "Splat," which features a New York snow storm as central to the series transition to its conclusion: Carrie was moving to Paris, Miranda to Brooklyn, and Samantha into a relationship. Further illustrating the end of the era in this episode, New York's 1980's "It" girl, Lexi, falls out of a window to her death after declaring to the party that she was "so bored she could die."

The friends' time together was coming to a close, and the storyline reflected that in the quiet progression of beautiful scenes of a snow-covered Central Park, blanketed cars, and the stillness of the frozen avenues.

Truth is, I have always been a winter guy. I prefer the cold and the snow to the heat and the beach. I find joy in the Fall when the wind whips around your face, whispering of the coming chill. I like the snow, the way it makes even ugly streets (at least momentarily) beautiful and changes the appearance of everything it covers. I always liked The Snow Miser more than the ubiquitous Mr Heat Miser.

Maybe it was because it was so unusual to have snow growing up in Alabama. Maybe it was because all those thick sweaters hid all that shameful baby fat I struggled with as a kid much better than a swimsuit. Or, maybe one's preference for winter versus summer is just born in you.

I think it was the way snow always created a buzz, made even the adults smile, and drew my family into the house for warm fires, hot chocolate, and vanilla snow ice ("Don't gather the yellow snow" my Mom always warned).

I have been thinking a lot about snow recently. I think it is because my chronic back issues have flared up again. When I had my back surgery a few years back, the neurosurgeon came to the conclusion that at least part of my problems started with a back injury after sledding as a child. While sledding during one of the few Alabama blizzards of my childhood, I rolled off a speeding toboggan to avoid a steep incline, only to meet a rather stubborn pine tree with my lumbar region. It knocked the wind out of me, and apparently knocked a few discs just far enough out of alignment to culminate in some nasty back problems 15 years later.

Nonetheless, I don't blame the snow (Don't worry, Mom, I don't blame you, either. Although she refused to take me to the doctor before sending me back to school, I think I deserved the medical neglect because I faked illnesses to avoid school pretty often as a kid).

I still love the snow, and I am impatiently waiting for my first big one in the City. I do have an upcoming ski trip to placate me. Nonetheless, I cannot wait to see snow blanket New York City for my first time. Everyone says it turns ugly here quickly, and that I will eat these words later. I know what horrible things snow can do to a person, or a city. But until that first transitional moment, that first New York snow, I am like a kid in Alabama again, watching the weather, cursing the let-down of "wintry mixes" and "near misses," and waiting.... for that first Big Snow.

Flippant Fridays 2

2008-01-25T13:35:00.000-05:00

This week has flown by without me getting to post. Already time for another Flippant Friday:

1. On Monday, we kicked off the week here in the office getting some great news, but, like all of America, we were focused on the economy. As our favorite stock sadly came back to earth, we discussed the impending recession:

Me: So, are we going to have a stock market crash today?
A: I think so. Do you think we are facing a recession?
Me: I think so. So, how do you define a recession...what about a depression?
A: I think a recession is when there are two or more quarters of declining GDP or something like that.
Me: Then what makes it a depression?
Bill: It is easy. A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose your job.

2. I cannot help but love at this ad for Toyota. "There are no trucks in War Of Witchcraft!"

And, for those of you didn't feel like reading the whole Hillary Clinton comedy routine from last week's Flippant Fridays, here it is via video:

On tap this weekend: Time with some potential new friends, more work on the apartment, and rest and recovery for the ol' back (threw it out putting together my electronics/TV).

Flippant Fridays

2008-01-18T10:00:00.001-05:00

So, I am going to attempt a new feature of FlippNYC...Flippant Fridays! This is where I will post fun little facts, videos, pictures, or stories I ran across during the week that made me laugh. A good way to kick off the weekend.

1. While reading The Onion, I happened to see a girl's personal ad featured on the home page which said: "The five items I can't live without: Love, laughter, life, language, and laditudinarians. Go ahead, you know you want to look it up." So I googled it (great service, btw), and found this responsive posting on another blog. Hilarious.

2. I am sure you have seen it, but I love this Facebook parody:

3. Apparently Hillary Clinton did a funny Flight Attendant routine on a recent campaign swing. I have to admit, it makes me like her (story from Salon.com):

Clinton Plays Flight Attendant

By BETH FOUHY Associated Press Writer

Jan 16th, 2008 | LAS VEGAS -- Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton welcomed her traveling press corps aboard her campaign plane Wednesday with a humorous riff on the standard flight attendant speech familiar to commercial air travelers.

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, and welcome aboard the maiden flight of Hil Force One," Clinton said over the plane's intercom as it taxied down the runway en route from Las Vegas to Reno, Nev.

"My name is Hillary and I am so pleased to have most of you on board," she said. "FAA regulations prohibit the use of any cell phones, Blackberries or wireless devices that may be used to transmit a negative story about me.

"In a few minutes, I am going to switch off the 'Fasten Your Seat Belt' sign. However, I've learned lately that things can get awfully bumpy when you least expect it — so you might want to keep those seat belts fastened.

"And in the event of an unexpected drop in poll numbers, this plane will be diverted to New Hampshire.

"If you look out from the right, you will see an America saddled with tax cuts for the wealthiest and a war without end. If you look out from the left, you will see an America with a strong middle class at home and a strong reputation in the world.

"Once we've reached cruising altitude, we'll be offering in-flight entertainment: my stump speech.

"Once again, thank you for joining us on Hil Force One. We know you have choices when you fly, and so we are grateful that you chose the plane with the most experienced crew. And so we are grateful that you chose the plane with the most experienced candidate."

4. Having just gone to the Consumer Electronics Show, this parody of the Microsoft Surface computer table is awesome. "The future is here. And it's not an iPhone...it's a big ass table".

5. Finally, an old favorite of mine from McSweeney's, a funny parody called "How to tell Jesus from the Anti-Christ".

THIS WEEKEND:

On tap this weekend: A New York weekend of two of my favorite activities: movies and books. Going to see the MOMA screening of the rich pageant, Opera Jawa, searching for bargains at a warehouse book sale at Taschen, and maybe going to the opening of the new SoHo outpost of the ever-intriguing Melville House bookstore/publishing company. After all that culture, I am trying to get a group to go on a Monster-Attacks-New York Thrill Ride, Cloverfield. That movie trailer is pretty damn scary.

Have a good weekend!

"The first thing we do, we kill all the lawyers" - Henry VI

2008-01-17T12:17:00.000-05:00

So last night I went with a friend of mine from MTV to SoHo House. A members-only club steps from my office in the Meatpacking District, the six-story facility has everything from a trendy bar to uber-chic hotel rooms, a library and a roof-top swimming pool (featured on an episode of Sex & The City years ago where Samantha tried to sneak into the pool). Membership in New York is somewhat focused on the media industry. I have to admit, I was interested in checking out potentially joining.

As my friend told me about all the benefits--the fun summer parties, the convenience of having a private bar, the private movie theater-- he stopped dead in his tracks:

"Oh, wait, they don't let lawyers in---or Wall Street bankers. I am sorry...I just forget you are a lawyer"

What?!

Ok, the Wall Street bankers I kind of understand, but all lawyers? Even nice, funny, in-house ones like me?

Apparently a few years back, he said, they let in a bunch of I-bankers and Wall Street lawyer types. The "tone" changed too much, so they stopped it and now try to limit it to those in the media industry.

That is the first time in my legal career where the broad brush of lawyer-hating painted me. It was like getting a tour of heaven before St. Peter tells you that, unfortunately, you didn't make the cut. "I just forget you were a sinner," he says.

As a consolation prize, my friend assured me that I could go to SoHo House as often as I wanted-- as his guest. We will see. Feeling pretty rejected...but if I do go, then in the name of all the good lawyers out there, I will try to tone it down.

The Best Christmas Present Ever: The Bike R.A.A.K.

2008-01-15T14:47:00.002-05:00

So apparently I have the honor of having given someone the best Christmas present of their life, and you have the honor of hearing the whole story behind that gift, the "Original, One-of-A-Kind Bike R.A.A.K"

Stay with me here, because it is a long walk to a small house....

We had our legal department Secret Santa last week (or, Secret Non-religious Gifting Event, since it was a bunch of lawyers). The limit on gifts was $20.

The night before the lunch, I struck out in SoHo with a co-worker, Anjali, on what was the coldest night in New York during the past year. I had chosen the name of another co-worker, Mike. Having recently moved to New York as well, Mike has the guts to actually bike around this city. On the streets.

One day while biking, Mike claims to have been accosted by a raccoon. The raccoon blocked Mike's bike path and caused Mike to wreck, resulting in some rather pretty cuts and bruises all over his face and hands. So bad was he swollen, on that Monday, he warned the legal department with a pre-emptive email explaining what had happened so that he would not be asked a million times.

Back to SoHo in 15 degree weather:

" Anjali, we should get Mike a stuffed raccoon!" I said.

" Yes, a cute and cuddly one. Maybe with some Christmas candy in its sweet little paws" Anjali responded.

We started searching SoHo for a stuffed animal store.

That lasted about 5 minutes (remember the 15 degree weather?). Anjali, being thin and wearing the wrong coat that day, gave up quickly. I, on the other hand, was determined to find SOMETHING raccoon related. We walked up and down the confusing streets of SoHo to no avail.

And THEN:

I saw this store: Evolution NYC. A whole store full of human skulls, stuffed vermin, and bugs enclosed in glass. It is like the closet Darwin didn't want you to see.

"We will get a real stuffed raccoon!" I said to Anjali, my mind obviously affected by the numbing cold as I pulled her inside the narrow, creepy store.

Inside, a real stuffed raccoon sat on the counter, reared back and ready to scare Mike and his bike. It was perfect, but a bit above the Secret Santa limit at $500. The other stuffed raccoon, which the salesperson described as "being in a trash bag in the back" where it was not "too mothball-y smelling," was nonetheless still north of the $20 limit.

Ah, but, over here, Anjali.... I found the Raccoon Penis Bone. And, it was only $6!

Anjali immediately shot down raccoon penis bone. I think her more-attuned lawyerly instinct sensed the vague notion of a sexual harassment suit. Something about Mike opening it up in front of all the lawyers during Secret Santa might just tip the scales over to a "hostile work environment."

But next to the raccoon penis bone was.... a WHOLE JAR of raccoon skulls. And only $20 bucks each.

"Perfect" I yelled.

"I'm outta here" yelled Anjali as she fitfully bundled up, quickly fleeing out of Evolution's front door lest I started asking about the potions in the back.

I cannot really say how I came to believe a raccoon skull would actually make a good gift. I think I got too caught up in the theme.

I do love a theme. It comes from my family and the way we would decorate to the rafters for every holiday.

Now on my own, I knew I couldn't give just the skull. So I started looking for a stand to put it on. It is all about the presentation, after all.

(reminder, at this point it was about 9 pm, the temperature had dropped to about 10 degrees, and I was still in trendy SoHo when what I needed was a Michael's or a Craft City..)

So I burst in to the upscale kitchen supply shop Sur La Table. When the nice lady asked me if she could help, I said:

"I need a small stand" I said.

"For what?" she smiled

"For this..." and I yanked out the raccoon skull.

The lady wasn't too helpful after that.

But then, it hit me. The skull would not just sit on some stand, requiring a lot of explanation upon opening. I needed to continue the theme, to push it to its limit.

Let's see, I had the raccoon item. Now I needed to tie it back to the bike and the accident. The theme, the theme!

I knew that were I a raccoon, keen on threatening a cyclist, if I saw one of my kind's skull on such bike, I would probably run away. I thought about those deer warning whistles you put on cars.

Still in Sur La Table, and left to my own devices by a now less-than-helpful sales staff, I picked up a wooden crumb collector (perfect for the stand) and a spoon clamp (to clamp whatever I concocted onto a bike). Across the street at Katie's Paperie, I found some black paper, the all-too-important paint pens, and the crowning touch: red ribbon.

Back in my warm apartment, I got to work. Two different kinds of super glue didn't work, and I resorted to electrical tape, which is all I had at midnight. It took me another hour to wrap it perfectly, complete with the explanatory signs and handmade cards.

Finally it came together (without any alcohol of any sort, by the way), straight out of my imagination.

The one of a kind, FlipCo original!

Mike's very own:

BIKE R.A.A.K.

(or "Raccoon Accident Avoidance Kit")

Ta-da:

I was scared to death when I woke the next morning and saw my present, wrapped as it was in black paper with red and black ribbon and skull sticker on the top. I feared the relentless pursuit of a theme had gotten the best of me. I sent an email to Anjali, "I think this may not go over so well" I typed. She didn't respond.

Well, now, to the small house to which we arrive: Mike LOVED it. I knew he would, having once told me that The Nightmare Before Christmas was a holiday favorite of his. The best Christmas present of his life, he claims on his blog. (the best compliment ever...though I did comment on his blog that he must have gotten some crummy gifts in his life). Even Anjali couldn't stop laughing.

So that is the story of a my first Secret Santa on the new job. I think I set some pretty high expectations for next year, at least when it comes to a theme. More likely, though, I may not be asked to draw a name.

*************

Despite its odd subject, this post is dedicated to my Aunt Ann. She passed away this weekend, and if there ever were anyone responsible for my inclinations for crafts, themes, and decorating, it would be all my aunts, but Aunt Ann in particular. Aunt Ann never met a ledge that couldn't be decorated or a glue gun that couldn't be put to constant use. With her boughs and bows and florist wire, she turned many of my childhood holidays into sheer magic. God bless you, Aunt Ann. You will be missed, but I know heaven is better decorated with you there.

Be-dazzled

2008-01-11T11:24:00.001-05:00

Back from Vegas, and my thoughts about that place have not changed one bit. It is a miserable place (at least, the strip. I cannot speak for what it is like off of the strip. Never been). I still have not won anything gambling. I went through $100 on the roulette wheel in about 15 minutes, and another $30 on the slots. I finally started making tiny bets just to get free drinks in some sad attempt to get my money back from Caesar's.

I can report that Vegas has been attacked by the be-dazzler. Every store, from the high-end True Religion stores to the Luxor gift shop, displayed clothing with some metallic or bejeweled detailing. $500 jeans, $150 t-shirts, or $5 fanny packs. If it didn't have a little dazzle on it, you can bet it had a skull on it. Or gothic lettering. Or stitched detailing. Or, most often, all four types of detailing...on the same shirt. Don't get me wrong, I have some of this stitched, tattered-edged clothing. But after seeing it in every store, and on every single person, I must say, it is high time for this faux-rocker trend to end. That and untucked shirts under a blazer.

A quick report on the Consumer Electronics Show:

Most amazing: Wireless flat-screen TVs. To be able to set up a flat screen and surround sound without one single wire....that is advancement.
Most overwhelming: The 150" plasma screen TV. I mean, really?
Most overdone: iPod accessories. Little rolling balls, barking dogs, a zillion types of speakers, telephones, TVs, game consoles...Do we really need yet another thing to plug the ubiquitous iPod into?
Most frightening: The taser gun that also played MP3s. For the girl out jogging...who runs into her cheating ex-boyfriend, I guess.

For the first time since I moved here, my plane landed on time, and the trip was without delay.

And, for the first time since I moved here, it felt like I was really coming home. I had missed New York.

Money, Money, Money

2008-01-07T10:50:00.001-05:00

I am off to one of my least favorite cities in the world, Las Vegas, for the Consumer Electronics Show. No offense meant to anyone from Vegas, but I find Vegas much like cotton candy. The first few bites are full of sweet satisfaction, but, in no time, you feel sick. It is impressive to see all the casinos, but upon closer inspection, I always get a bit depressed. I guess if I had ever won anything, I would change my tune. Instead, I always seem to lose a hundred bucks or so, and then wonder why I did it.

Speaking of a hundred bucks, it seems that is about the cost of leaving my apartment in New York. Admittedly, I am a bit stressed about finances right now, given that my condo in Atlanta has not had one single offer in five months on the market, and I just made my first New York apartment rent payment. It seems that I have about the same odds selling a condo in Atlanta right now as I do winning the big one in Vegas. So it comes as no surprise that I am trying to watch my spending. Not an easy task to do in New York, especially when you also are trying to meet new people, put yourself out there, etc. It is hard to meet new people when you are heating up a Lean Cuisine at home.

So you get creative: skip the meal, meet for drinks? Drinks are $7 to 15/each, so it is still not always cheap option, especially if your friends want to check out the latest hot spot. How about a no-cost stroll through Central Park? Not when it is 15 degrees outside. Movies? More affordable option (still $12), so that moves up the list. Cooking a dinner at home? Not many people do that here, and given I have not acquired all the basics (e.g., spices, etc.), I first have to buy all the basics, then order the food three days in advance (from Fresh Direct...unless I have time to make three trips to the grocery store), and, adding a few bottles of wine, that can easily top $200.

Certainly I am not complaining. Ok, just a little. I am just observing that this is a town that takes money from your pocket at every turn, whether getting to dinner ($7 taxi, or $2 subway), taking off your coat ($2 to the coat check), opening the door (year end tipping to the doorman), to simply working here (the 6% city tax out of your paycheck). When moving here, I thought about all the savings: no car! no gasoline! But you quickly make up for those savings in a thousand little New York expenses.

I may feel like I am going broke right now, but I still wouldn't trade it for the world.

The New York magazine had an issue over Christmas about all the reasons to love New York now, and I agreed with almost all of them. The magazine featured a series of quotes from readers about why they loved New York. This weekend, as I reviewed my rather large AmEx bill and my surprisingly small bank account, frustrated with the cost of the city but thrilled with being here, I thought about, and related to, one of my favorite quotes in that issue:

“I love New York. I refer to the city as my abusive boyfriend.

It slaps me around a lot, but I know I’ll never leave it.”

—Gillian Kocher

True words, Gillian. We should meet for a drink....You know, I heard about this great new hot spot....

What you have been waiting for...

2008-01-03T13:02:00.000-05:00

I know you have all been waiting for this...family photos! Seriously, some pics from our family Thanksgiving.

Baby It's Cold Outside

2008-01-03T09:09:00.000-05:00

It was 13 degrees on my 2 avenues and 8 blocks walk into work this morning. Those furry hats with the flop-down attached ear muffs ain't looking so silly to me now.

Black Eyed Peas in Chelsea

2008-01-02T10:28:00.000-05:00

I had a wonderful holiday season. Truth be told, though, I have never been more glad to see it over. It is not, of course, because I did not have fun, or that I did not thoroughly enjoy seeing my friends and family. Instead, it is because, in my mind, it caps off five months of the long process of moving, starting a new job, getting settled, ramping up on a new job, and getting acclimated to this city. I think that layering a holiday on top of all of that was a bit much. But it's not like you can put off the holiday like I have been putting off opening all that stacked-up mail.

My New Year's Eve in New York was like New Year's Eve everywhere else, stuck wondering what would be the best option. After hearing nightmare stories from co-workers, Times Square was definitely out. My good friend Rob was up from Atlanta, and we debated what to do right up until we walked into the G Lounge. Believe me, there were many, many choices, many more than I have ever had in front of me. Yet, New Year's is one of those evenings that, no matter what you do, you feel like you could/should be doing more. We did enjoy some great music, and a festive New Year's toast with hundreds of my new Chelsea friends at G, so overall I was happy.

New Year's day was spent, in part, looking for a diner that served black-eyed peas. As you know, eating black-eyed peas and collard greens is a Southern tradition to bring good luck and money in the new year. I wasn't pretending I would ever find collard greens up here, but hoping for some black eyed peas. As far as I can tell, at least around Chelsea, the tradition doesn't really translate. I would have had better luck finding Santa still delivering presents than finding black eyed peas.

Finally, I went into the Dallas BBQ on 23rd hoping they would have some, but no luck. So, here's hoping that cole slaw works its own special magic in 2008.

Happy New Year!

John

Unpacked, Pounced, Politics, and Holiday Greetings

2007-12-17T11:08:00.000-05:00

Done. Well, at least present-ably done. Thanks to the tremendous assistance of my friend Cal, I am unpacked, set up and fully ready to be a New Yorker. We worked around the clock over the weekend (OK, we did take time for a few Christmas parties...it is Christmas, after all). Cal was a trooper. We unpacked, unloaded, put up shelves, and hung pictures until it was done. Now, I am fully set up for living. I still have plenty of weekend projects like hooking up the electronics, touching up the 3 a.m. sloppy paint job, and organizing the desk, but the place looks pretty good. Thank you, Cal.

With all the focus on getting settled, Christmas has not only sneaked up on me, it has pounced. I must apologize to all friends and family, as there will be no cards this year. I promise a cool NYC-themed one in 2008. My family have all agreed that due to the trip to New York at Thanksgiving, we are not to exchange presents this year. I hope they have stuck to that agreement, because I have not done a lick of shopping.

Even without having to shop, you can't escape Christmas on the streets here. Cal and I saw the tree up at Rockefeller Center last night. Across the street, the music-timed giant snowflakes on the front of Saks are enchanting. The windows, the shoppers, the bustle...it truly is like all of the Christmas songs.

Except this year, flush with oil cash, it is mostly Russians you see (hear) shopping on Fifth. I must admit, I tire of all the Europeans running around screaming how "cheap, cheap, cheap" everything here is. They are buying up half of Manhattan, while all the Americans shudder at the ever-increasing prices. Even the Canadians are jumping for joy over parity between the loon and the buck. Thank you, President Bush, for the run-away deficit spending that brought such a weak dollar, seemingly making us the world's Dollar Store.

But back to Christmas...I think my favorite thing in the city has to be the stands selling Christmas trees on the streets. The pine smell as you walk through the mini-forest of cut trees really sets the mood. The string of bare bulbs lighting your choices, and the bundled, gruff man screaming out "trees" and "good morning" to every passer-by combine to create a real feel-good moment. Families, couples, and kids are always plucking through the bundled trees, helping one another as they carry their favorite pine several blocks to home. And, it all happens right on the street. This past weekend, the scene got the added attraction of some snow, and it really felt like fleeting moments of true holiday spirit. You cannot help but smile when you walk through one of these tree stands.

Since Christmas has all but pounced on me, I am doing no real shopping, and I won't have time to put up my own tree, this year the tree vendors selling trees on the sidewalks will probably be the strongest memory of my first Christmas season in New York.

And that, as they say, is my Merry Little Christmas.

Have yourself one, too.

Searching....

2007-12-14T17:50:00.000-05:00

Google announced its "Zeitgeist 2007" search survey results this week, and the findings (based on the popularity of various searches for 2007) are fascinating. For example, among the top 10 "what is"-type searches, the most popular was "What is love", but rounding out the top 10 was "What is gout"!

The fastest-rising search terms for 2007? iPhone and Webkinz, those online-linked stuffed animals that my nieces love.

Check it out the interesting search results here.

The Weather Outside is Frightful

2007-12-13T10:46:00.001-05:00

Crazy is not a strong enough word for how hectic the past few weeks have been. A day after my family left, I dashed off for a week in California for work. That was followed up by a week back in Atlanta to pack all of my belongings and "officially" move to New York.

Being back in Atlanta brought very mixed emotions. It was nice to feel the comfort of old friends and familiar haunts. I had many walks down memory lane as I purged myself of nine years of Atlanta life and two storage units.

As soon as I got back to New York, however, and the movers unloaded my artwork, my bed, and other stuff, it started to feel like home. A busy, hectic, exciting, strange, over-priced, and small home, but home nonetheless.

Today in New York, I face the thrill of my first New York snowstorm (predicting 2-4 inches of ice and snow) and the frustration of this:

Boxes, boxes everywhere. Moving is hell. Moving from 2 bedrooms, 1250 square feet and two storage units to 500 square feet, 1 small bedroom, and two tiny closets is....well, hell.

Having to touch and find a place for each thing I own has driven me to make panicked phone calls to my family and friends, begging them to fly to New York to help me unpack and organize. Luckily, one friend from Atlanta has heeded my call, and Cal is coming up this weekend to help me get my home settled.

Thank you, Cal. Old friends are heaven-sent.

This city is MAGIC

2007-11-21T11:52:00.002-05:00

I know that certain of my friends will continue to call me "Earnest John" after this posting, but this last week has made me realize that New York can truly be magical. Real, make-you-smile-and-feel-your-toe-curl magic.

My whole family (8 of 'em) came for Thanksgiving in New York (more on that later). My nieces, age 8 and 6, were here for their first visit. Upon arrival last Sunday, and on sort of a fluke, we went to watch the unveiling of the Christmas windows at Macy's.

After walking through the store bursting with 30,000 poinsettias, we staked a spot in front of the store right as they closed the street. Broadway stars from Mary Poppins sang, Santa made a surprise visit from a balcony on high, and life sized toy soldiers unveiled the sparkling windows. At just that moment, the entire front of the store lit up, and silver confetti cannons blanketed the street with shiny shreds of paper. Christmas carols boomed, a slight snowfall started, people sang along, and the lights on the Empire State Building changed to red and green.

In the middle of it all, I looked down at the eyes of my nieces, and I saw real wonder in their eyes. Their smiles were literally un-containable. Their faces darted around, trying to take it all in, and I could actually feel the joy in the air.

This city, I believe, can really be magical.

Coffee Creation

2007-11-16T13:45:00.000-05:00

So today at work, we had a Latte Art Demonstration by our friends at Gorilla Coffee. The barista could make all kinds of pictures just with the pour of the frothed milk....and real pours, not using a special squeeze bottle. Here is one of his creations on my desk. It is now in my belly.
I love my job. :)

Happy Friday.

List Day

2007-11-15T11:05:00.001-05:00

So, I have a ton of things on my mind as the holidays are fast approaching. In the spirit of my friend John B. (akafrankgreen), A LIST!

1. When you see glamorous New York on TV or the movies, and its raining, they never show that every single person has soaking wet pant legs. This morning's walk into work was beset with torrential, stand-five-feet-back-from-the-corners-so-you-don't-get-splashed rain. The kind that turns your umbrella inside out, and in which it is hopeless to stay dry. Everyone....and I do mean everyone...shows up to work dripping wet. It is just a fact of life here, but not one you ever see in the movies or TV.

I made the rain manageable by breaking my personal rule of "No Christmas Music Until the Day After Thanksgiving" and played the new Starbucks "Stockings by the Fire" album on my iPod on the way in. Rufus Wainwright's "What are You Doing New Year's Eve" is a haunting thought-provoking take on one of my favorite holiday songs. It fit the rainy chill perfectly.

2. My family (all 8 of 'em, ages 6 to 86) is coming to New York starting this Sunday. We have a full week of activities: dinners at places like Pastis and The Cookshop, shopping (Macy's 30,000 poinsettia runway), THE PARADE, Thanksgiving dinner at Tavern on the Green, Hairspray on Broadway (I am holding out hope the strike ends), Ice Skating in Rockefeller Center, walking the Holiday windows on Fifth Avenue, a ballet performance at the Joyce...I CANNOT WAIT!

3. Moving day is fast approaching, so I will be headed back to Atlanta the first weekend of December to get my stuff. Because delivery vans are not exactly fast, I will have the joy of staying in my new place without any furniture for...get this...2 to 10 days. That is the delivery window they gave me. You thought waiting from 12 pm to 4 pm for the cable guy was bad. I am thinking about getting the blow up mattress, putting up a small Christmas tree and re-enacting the scrawny tree scenes from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

4. Barack Obama spoke at Google yesterday, announcing his technology initiative where he will commit to investments in green fuels and technology, broadband connections for every school, library, and every American, and the creation of a searchable database of all Federal spending. I love that he supports the idea that more information, and access to information, creates real change and real accountability. I bet that government procurement officer will think twice about paying that fat cat contractor $5,000 for a hammer if he knows that every citizen with a broadband connection can find that out with a simple search term. Today, Obama has my support over Hilliary.

5. I say it again, my family is coming to New York. I cannot wait.

Some things are always funny.

2007-11-14T11:40:00.000-05:00

For my friend Chris R. who needs some good ol' laughs.

Hope for the Bullied

2007-11-07T11:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Oprah featured a full program about my favorite website, YouTube. For those who missed it, it featured some of the people who have become famous due to YouTube, like the skateboarding dog. Oprah has also launched her own channel on YouTube, available here.

But by far the most breathtaking segment was with the cell phone salesman-turned-opera singer, Paul Potts. He was discovered on Britain's "Britain's Got Talent" show, a show he only did after flipping a coin. Honestly, take a minute and watch this. If you do not get overwhelmed with emotion, then you have no heart.

The most beautiful part of the Oprah show was when Paul discussed how he got started singing opera. He said he did it as a refuge from all the bullies that used to harass him at his school when he was young.

I am amazed over and over by this world we live in, and the fact that something so beautiful as this man's voice is born out of something so horrible as being bullied. Anyone who has been bullied in their own past (or now), be it because of your looks, weight, or sexual orientation, can take faith in Paul Potts. As he has sold a million copies of his first record, and as his fame will only continue to grow after his exposure on the Oprah show, I have to wonder where those bullies are now. Something tells me their life is but a shadow of Paul's.

Hear, hear!

Good clothes open all doors

2007-11-06T13:15:00.000-05:00

When you commute to work with your foot, it is amazing-and freeing-how you don't worry about the price of gasoline. I used to watch those plastic numbers go up or down on a daily basis. Now, I have not really seen a gas station in two months. I understand it is now over $3/gallon thanks to speculation, war in Afghanistan and the weak dollar.

But it is not like not having to worrying about gasoline prices has left my mind free to do more useful things. Instead, I find myself obsessing more about my clothes, in particular, certain accessories.

I have been desperately searching for the perfect satchel bag (a.k.a. messenger bag, "man purse" or "murse") and the perfect umbrella, two necessities I had not really thought about before the move.

In Atlanta, bags didn't really matter for guys. In fact, the slightly offensive name "man purse" certainly comes from middle America where they don't worry about having to carry around all the modern necessities on their person, all the time. They can just throw it in their car. Here, I am afraid, the bag is a necessity. Otherwise, your pockets bulge with wallets, blackberries, keys, Purell, gum, gloves, hats, pass cards, IDs, money and more.

But, what kind of bag? I have a good bag for work, but that is different than what I need for the weekend/nights out. I have looked at Jack Spade, looked at Gap and John Varvatos, looked at all the small shops along 8th Avenue. I want something casual, useful, and at least somewhat stylish (although too stylish, and you end up with all these unnecessary snaps and buttons). Leather or fabric? One big pocket, or lots of individual compartments? Big enough for workout clothes, or smaller so that you actually carry it around?

And, umbrellas. Again, something I never worried about before. I had a big one at home, and a back up in the car. Here, I suddenly need to consider size: too big, and the people on the street glare at you as if you are driving a Hummer to the Green Party Convention. I also need to consider strength. The flimsy one I currently have turned inside-out twice on the way to work this morning alone. But, it cannot be too expensive. Having lost two umbrellas at bars already, I realize that some people don't pay much attention whether that black folded umbrella is theirs or not.

Next up, hats...gloves...scarves...ear muffs?