Rochester: A Year Later

It has been a whole freakin' year! since I was unceremoniously booted out of Brooklyn by the crappy economy and moved back to what I consider my hometown, Rochester, NY. Rarely do I say this, but time surely does fly.

A recent visit by my friend Fran opened my eyes to what was around me, and gave me that little burst of appreciation of the city that I needed. This really is a lovely place to have been booted to. And not for nothin', but the neighborhood I ended up in isn't too shabby. Plus, after YEARS of living with someone, I finally can afford my own place. Heading home to a quiet little apartment all my own is super nice.

Yes, Rochester isn't as cosmopolitan as other, bigger cities, but I am close enough to many bars and restaurants that I can get my drink on like a New Yorker, and walk my drunken ass home, while enjoying bunnies, deer and wild turkeys wandering around in my backyard. Best of both worlds!

Having a car for the first time in 12 years has been an adjustment. I have to remind myself about things like gas, oil changes and I seem to have acquired a lead foot in all those car-less years. Not to mention I have had to carve out time for reading, something that consumed much of my commute time back in Brooklyn. It was quite the shock to realize how much reading I was doing on the subways, and how little I have been doing since I've moved here. I have a huge stack of books to be read mocking me from the corner of my bedroom. In New York, it seemed like there was never enough to read.

Another benefit of having a car and being so close to the country is roadside stands. Oh my, nothing like stopping on the way home for some freshly picked blackberries, eggs freshly laid that day, or spry and crunchy lettuce cut an hour earlier. Plus, Mom had some fantastic tomatoes and gigantic garlic that busted out of her garden this year, and I got to enjoy some. Along with lush bunches of basil and mint! Next on the list is to find a good dairy that isn't afraid of raw milk and cheese. Mmmmm...

So, yeah, there certainly isn't the same immediacy here, and there are days where I miss NYC terribly, but Rochester has a lot going for it, and I am getting used to the vibe once again.

Things I Miss...

I left my beloved Brooklyn a few months ago, and I wanted to make a list of the things I will miss about living there. More than anything, it is a celebration of the 12 years I have spent in Brooklyn in that little apartment on 17th st. That picture above is of a free beer I enjoyed at Steinhof during last years Sound of Music Sing-A-Long. One of the many things I will miss.

Here's my list, in no particular order:

Celebrity tag - Whenever one of us see a celebrity in their natural habitat, we text each other regarding the sighting. I think the most sited celebs would be Robert DeNiro, Bebe Neuwirth and Alec Baldwin. Fun for the whole family. Now that I am in a relatively celeb-free city, my participation will be limited.

Reading on the commute - A guaranteed hour or two a day of reading on the subway ride into the city. Also a great way to ignore the the crazy of public transportation.

The crazy - Whether on the subway or walking down the street, I have seen all kinds of crazy. Some very entertaining, some very scary, but all right in your face. A variety that always appealed to me.

Cute boys! - The city is crawling with cute boys. Unfortunately, many of the hottest are gay, but that didn't stop me from admiring the view. Honestly, you could find them everywhere.

The seasons - Spring and Fall are amazing in New York City. These are my favorite seasons in general, but the change is always welcome from the dirty dreariness of winter, or from the sweaty heat of the summer.

Impromptu drinks at Steinhof - Many a night I would get a call from one of my neighborhood friends to meet them at Steinhof for a drink. I love that place, christened by me and Fran after 9/11.

Delivery! - Basically every restaurant, cafe, deli, diner and market will deliver pretty much anything you want, including a cup of coffee or a cup of soup. An especially awesome thing when you are home alone and sick as a dog.

Seeing the Statue of Liberty every day - Something very comforting about seeing her out there. A good view from down the block, a even better view from the Smith & 9th elevated subway stop.

Being a New York City snob - I know everyone outside of the city hates it, but being a NYC snob is fun. Can't help it, I loved being one sometimes.

Pizza & bagels - An extension of the above. NYC has ruined me for pizza and bagels anywhere else. There are good bagels and pizza in other cities, but I honestly feel like there really isn't any comparison.

The neighborhood - From the deli guys to the crew at my favorite coffee shop, they all greet me with a smile and a quick conversation.

Hanging out with Joanne - The awesomest roommate ever! We bonded over our love of television and Yankees baseball, and spent many an evening drinking booze, watching TV and generally having a good time. I will especially miss watching baseball, Big Brother, Lost, BSG, The Amazing Race, Survivor, Buffy (over and over) and all those stupid but hilarious movies together.

Babysitting/walking Maggie - Rhonda and Paul put their trust in me to take care of their doggie more than once. The best doggie ever, and one of the only dogs I think I could ever actually live with.

I am fine with where I am living now. There are plenty of lovely things here, and a great group of friends too, but I still get a pang every time I see a movie or TV show that shoots in New York. It was a huge part of my growing into the woman I am right now, and I will always have a big ol' spot for it in my heart.

It's Finally Here!

After weeks and months of chomping at the bit, I finally got to vote today! Any of you who have even glanced at this blog know who I voted for, but today, that is beside the point (mostly). Because today, there was voting!

I have been voting at my polling place for over eleven years, and I have never seen anything like what I saw today. I went at 11:30, right before lunch, and there were lines and crowds all over the place. And my fellow neighbors were pretty cheery about the whole thing (the bake sale out front may have helped with that. I bought a brownie!).

After voting, and running some errands in my neighborhood, I stopped at the local liquor store to get a bottle of wine for the election party I am going to. The guy behind the counter told me it was the busiest Tuesday he had ever seen. We both figured there would be a lot of celebrating this evening. The woman in front of me was buying bottles of champagne. I happen to live in an extremely blue neighborhood in very blue city in solidly blue state, so there is much hope here.

Even though it looks good for my guy to win, I am actually really and truly impressed in the amount of Americans voting this election. I was raised to believe that voting was important, and I hope that we now have a whole new group of people, young and old, who feel like their voices do matter. That maybe, we can have a say in how and where our government takes us. I am an optimist at heart, so I can't help myself.

So, I hope all of you get out there and vote. And keep voting in years to come. Okay, I can't help myself, I gotta post this pic! Looks like fun!

UPDATE! 1:14am November 4th, 2008: Hooray!! President Barack Obama, our 44th President of the United States of America. I am thrilled.

Fun in The Slope!

Last weekend we saw a couple of fun fun fun things going on here in Park Slope. The annual Seventh Heaven street fair happened, even though we were dodging raindrops (ok, downpours) for the bulk of the morning, lots of people showed up to join the festivities. There were artists and crafters, t-shirt and baubles sellers, lots of different food vendors and music. The fun of a good street fair here in New York City is the diversity of goods. From the schlockey tables of discount goods, to the cheezy t-shirts, to some really astounding jewelery and art. Everyone loves to walk 7th Avenue and hang out with their neighbors, buy some stuff and eat some good food. I am glad that the weather clamed down and let us enjoy the day.

Then, over on 5th Avenue, I stumbled across the latest public performances of the Artichoke Dance Company. They had four locations along the avenue that were marked by colorfully knit markers, like this one on the railings leading into Ozzie's coffee shop. Once I went inside (to get an iced coffee), I realized that there was a perrformance going on right then! Two women at one of the tables performing a piece silently. Seems that if i had known about this beforehand, I could have gone to their website and downloaded the music to my iPod, and listened along. It is a brilliant idea, giving everyone a peek into their dance project, but not bothering those who weren't interested by blasting music into their day.

Once I realized what was going on, I went back up the avenue to see the other spots where performances were going on. One was in the display window of a clothing boutique, and the other was inside The Gate, a local watering hole that I used to frequent in my younger days (it is a bit of a haul from my apartment).

After checking out their website, I see they are gonna be out this Sunday once again. I may just have to check them out!

One of my favorite things about living here is stumbling upon random stuff like this. And this weekend is the Gay Pride parade here in Brooklyn. Now that is always a kicker!

Sometimes It's Just Junk

This table has been sitting on the curb for two days. TWO DAYS!

Those of you who live here in NYC know that people put their junk out on the curb all the time. Everything from shoes and toys to computers and toilets. Usually, the stuff disappears within hours. I have stuff in this apartment that I have scavenged from the curb, and I have left stuff for others to take. But if your crappy table has been sitting out on the side of the road for two days, then it was probably a good idea to get rid of it in the first place.

Poor, lonely, piece of junk table...

See The Sites!

I need to practice my linking skillz, so here are some of my favorite sites, and some silly ones I have just discovered.

Thanks to a shout out on Digg, I found this place: Bad Spock Drawings is just a bunch of... bad drawings of Mr. Spock. Hilarious. May the owner of this place Live Long and Prosper.

Anyone who has lived with a kitty knows they can be pretty funny. LOL Cats has funny pics of cats and a lot of them are subtitled with silly little things. I like to go there and just hit Random over and over. Excellent time killer.

Overheard in New York is popular with my New York pals, but they have stuff overheard from all over the country. Beware: This site is very much full of dirty words and racy comments. Not for the squeamish or easily offended! Here's the link to the Current Favorites, voted by the readers of the site.

I am a big ol' fan of Three Thieves wine. My favorite is the Pinot Grigio that comes in a one liter box. The stuff flies out of the two wine stores in my neighborhood that carry it, and the site has some funny videos about the winery and their wine. I'm pretty sure you can buy the stuff from their site, so give it a try!

Lastly, here is a silly video I found on YouTube, Guys Jumping Into Jeans. YouTube is fun, isn't it?

Bring On The Crazy...

I have lived here in NYC for 10(!!) years. It was bound to happen...

I talk to myself while walking down the street. Well, it probably sounds like mumbling to passersby, but I am having chats with myself out loud.

When I first moved here I noticed the people talking to themselves. I tried to ignore them. "That's crazy" I used to say to myself. Quietly. Inside my head. But after all this time, the words are now out loud. There is actual volume.

It started innocently enough a few years ago, when I was walking to the train from work one night. I worked the 3pm-11pm shift. It was raining. I was pissed about something work related, I'm sure, and I caught myself talking out loud under the protection of the night and my umbrella (see: I Miss You, Totes Umbrella.. from June). Once I realized what I was doing I quickly looked around to see if anyone had heard me, and I sheepishly moved along.

As the years have passed, I've caught myself doing it more and more. At first it would be when I was walking after dark, when I thought no one was around. But this being New York, there is always someone around. I'd catch sight of someone sitting on their stoop, or sitting in their car, windows open. Every time I caught someones eye, I would blush, and kinda shrug it off. The more it happened though, the easier it got to ignore the fact that someone might be hearing me. Today, I was doing it while walking down 5th Avenue, during the morning rush to work... and I could have cared less. There I was, one of the mumbling people.

It's not like I have arguments with myself. I'm usually rehashing a conversation I had, or making up what I would have said, what I'd like to say, in a certain situation. Some things need a sounding board, and I like to get things straight in my head. Seems I like to hear them as well.

Now, to be fair to myself, back in the day, when I lived where driving is the only way to get anywhere, I used to talk up a storm by myself in the quiet inner sanctum of my car. If someone saw me, I could just chalk it up to singing with the radio. So apparently, I've always been a self-talker. But now I have joined the ranks of the street mumblers.

Does this make me a real deal, bona-fide New Yorker? Well, just to make myself feel better, I vote YES!