YanksGiving Eve

Man, I thought things would be MENTAL today. And don’t get me wrong…it kind of was. All the peeps (or rather the 8 people who showed UP for work today) were giddy with anticipation. The streets were MOBBED. Plus, every single one of those folks were carrying a GIANT bag. Perhaps someone can help me out with this. There must be some new fashion wave called “Grandma Chic” cause all these sassy looking girls are carrying around these hideous quilted bags. Please turn to exhibit A.On the train, subway, airport, it doesn’t matter. These gals will drag these monstrosities anywhere. I’m still waiting for one of them to pull out their crocheting while in transit. hehehhee

But back today’s task at hand…FLYING! Uugghh, the newspapers, the newscasters EVERYONE has been freaking out all day, so I sharpened my elbows early and prepared for full contact. Thankfully, it wasn’t necessary. The train to Newark was civilized, busy but not stupid. Then the AirTran (a monorail that takes you from the New Jersey transit train platform to the terminals) was again, busy, but not dumb (as a side bar…I love the AirTrain cause I’m convinced they got the guy who played Data on StarTrek did the voice, it’s an uncanny resemblance. See what you think. Just play the first 10 seconds of the below clip over and over again)



Now for the coolest part of my YanksGiving travel plans…flyin’ Bidness Class! Hells ya people. This is the way air travel SHOULD be. Free food, free beer, comfy chairs and all the CNN can you handle. Tasty. Actually, I’m writing this post from United’s lovely lounge, taking full advantage of all the snacks available to me, not to mention the ones I’ve already stuffed into my bag. Geez, better save some room for some Executive Class fare on the plane. I wonder what they can serve up for a 58 minute flight?

Tomorrow Rich and I are off to Montebello for my “not really a surprise” birthday present. We’re having dinner and spending the night in the log cabin inn. I even bought a sassy new dress for the occasion. Yes, our second honeymoon! Looking forward to it, although I hear there’s going to be 20 cm of snow tomorrow…perfect driving weather n’est pas? Uugghhh.

Anyway, will try to write during the holidays (how I’ve adapted!) but might be a bit sketch. So…if you’re celebrating, Happy YanksGiving. If not, happy “almost” weekend.

Take Care
LisaC

P.S. Did get the hair "done" but sorry, don't have my cable for my camera, so will upload a pic next week...for a proper before/after evaluation!

Can you feel it?

P.S. 50 seconds in is where it really starts to kick ass!! HeBen (thanks)

My favourite part is when Michael opens up his hands and all that glittery crap comes out. Ahhh, MJ…why does it hurt so bad to love you? Side note – I was/am (it’s tough to say, the Michael of today isn’t the boy I feel in love with all those years ago) a HUGE Michael Jackson fan. As a kid I had a MASSIVE poster of him from the Billie Jean video over my bed. I had the glove, a sweat suit skirt thing that looks like his red leather get up from the Thriller video (it was the 80’s nuff’ said) Oh and somewhere Dad found the Thriller video (on VHS of course) including behind the scenes making of footage. WOW…I nearly died. And of COURSE the albums, tapes (which I rubbed all the writing off of since I listened to it so much). You get the picture…but onto the post at hand.

Something is in the air. And I’m not just talking about the ordinary funky smells here in NY, this is HUGE. YanksGiving is just around the corner and the city couldn’t be more pumped…or agitated or spazzy. Yep, all the joys of the season are palpable. The best part is I get to enjoy the full Yankee Citizen experience when I fly home tomorrow. Ahhh, good times. The delays, the crying children, the crowded airports. Just when you think your day couldn’t get any worse, think of me festering for at Newark for 4 hours, praying to the Gods of Air Traffic Control. My only saving grace is that I got my ticket on points and it’s Business Class. WooHoo!! Lisa 1. YanksGiving Hell 0 (so far). This way I can eat sweaty cheese in the lounge and drink crappy wine. Umm, just like a Public Library mixer. Lovely!

But before the fun begins I’m off to get my hair did. Gotta look good for the anti-holiday n’est pas? Plus, it’s my birthday coming up (it’s no biggie, I’m trying to keep it rather low-fi). I suppose that’s the only thing we’re celebrating this weekend (driving up to the O-town on Thursday for some family fun – which has now been translated into Guitar Hero time. AWESOME!)

Actually…here’s a pic of my sister raiding my “give away clothes pile” and rockin’ out Hulk Hogan style. Brings a tear to my eye…my budding prodigy.
Before I forget peep the pic, so you can properly evaluate tomorrow’s style. The before (extra crappy so the after will look extra wicked!) Tomorrow the magic.Till then, Happy Tuesday.
LisaC

A Wonder Autumn Night

Breathe in. Breathe out. Holy Crap. There aren’t enough words to describe the enormity of the event I witnessed this weekend. Let’s rewind.

Picture it, Saturday night. NYC. Jeff, Rich and myself all have tickets to go see the sold-out show, Stevie Wonder at Madison Square Gardens. HUGE! I’ll try my darndest to give you a clear mental picture of what it was all like since there was no photography CLEARLY printed on the ticket and I was too much of a namby pamby to actually smuggle my camera in. Last thing I needed was for it to get confiscated by “The Man.” But I digress…

Stevie was AMAZING. He sounded just like the albums, but better. Plus, he only played the kick ass old tunes. (No offense to his new stuff, but seriously Superstition blows away any other song he might have penned in the last 10 years!) There was so much soul in his voice and his playing, it brought my love and appreciation for the man to an even Higher Ground! (sorry, couldn’t resist).

Nuff’ said…the show ruled (complete with audience participation, like making the men and the women in the crowd sing different harmonies on Ribbon in the Sky and he even asked us them to join in on a countri’fied version of Signed, Sealed, Delieverd). So cool!!!

Sounds like a pretty amazing show eh? Well, this is Mr. Wonder and you certainly don’t get a name like that for just being mediocre. Un huh. Just when you think it couldn’t get any more awesome…Stevie dials the amps up to 11. Let me explain.

The entire concert was an homage to his recently deceased Mother. So he started the show by dedicating his performance to her (along with taking a moment of silence to recognize the 9/11 victims). Midway through the concert Stevie begins to tells us a bit more about his Mom and how she had two favourite signers, Ella Fitzgerald and our next guest…TONY BENNETT! Yeah, the crooner himself came on stage and sang For Once in My Life with Stevie. He’d just performed the song at its proper tempo, but when Mr. Bennett came on stage, they reprised it with a slow, smooth, jazzy quality. Pure magic!



(not the best quality, but hey...at least gives you an idea. Thanks YouTube and jvphish)

The show continues with one hit after another. Then, as we’re nearing the finale Stevie, fires up the keyboard with an EXTRA funk’tified version of Superstition. The crowd goes mental. Suddenly, out of nowhere, PRINCE shows up playing the guitar. SERIOUSLY! Symbol guy…Purple Rain…WOW! Check out the clip!



Needless to say, it was one of the best (if not securing the top spot) concerts I’ve ever seen in my life. And it all ended as beautifully as it began with a poem written to his Mom and a plea for everyone to put aside their difference and remember the importance of family, love and compassion.

Stevie Wonder is love and Saturday night was a shining example of it.

WOW.
LisaC

P.S. Wanna get the snooty? Here's the NY Times take.

Ils Pluie

Despite my homesickness (hey, we all have our days) there are a lot of things I really like about New York. One of them being watching New Yorkers when it rains. PRICELESS! As you can imagine, any minor varient in an otherwise normal day will inevitably throw the city into complete chaos...so funny. I had no idea a few inches of rain were so tramatic...but apparently subways shut down (more due to poor infrastructure, but still!) and it's IMPOSSIBLE to get a cab. So here's my top 10 reasons I love NY when it rains....

10. Watching people use ANYTHING for shelter
Garbage bags, newspapers, dogs...WHATEVER...you'd think it was kryptonite falling from the sky. SERIOUSLY people??!?!


9. Dogs
Heheheheh there's nothing funnier than seeing this perfectly put together person (men or women, because they BOTH put a lot of effort into their daily attire here.) And as they're fashionably sauntering down the street their designer muts are COMPLETELY soaked...heheheheh. But I guess at the end of the day, it's the maid's problemanyway. Sigh.


8. Rain Boots
OMG where do they come from? As soon as there's a cloud in the sky every woman in town has her rain boots on. And they're not some big, ugly, green wellys. We're talking cute little fashion boots in plaid, polka dots, zebra strip, whatever.


7. Umbrellas
O.k. this is not a problem unique to NY but thought it was worth mentioning anyway. What makes people think that's it's cool to use a GOLF UMBRELLA on city streets? Seriously...we're not walking the back nine here people...it's midtown Manhattan, why must I dodge your 7-foot wide umbrella when you're only 5'1 and 112 pounds? So annoying!


6. It's glisteny
When it rains at night, or actually when it's just stopped, the whole place is under this gossimer sheen. So cool To witness this effect you need to see it at night, when all the lights play off the reflections. Who new a street festooned with garbage could be so beautiful?


5. The sounds
Sure this isn't unique to the city, but listening to the sound of the rain hitting your umbrealla (or car, or window or nearly anything for that matter) is quite relaxing and when you sit back to enjoy it, gives you a peaceful feeling like none other.


4. The Rivers
Actually this is another thing I despise, but worth noting that NY must have the WORST storm drain system in the world. Like clockwork as soon as the showers begin, the massive floods of water start pouring down city streets. It's like a mini tsunami, which takes some fancy footwork to get around. Uugghhh.


3. News Reports
Maybe it's me, but growing up in Saskatoon THEN in Ottawa I'm no stranger to bad weather. But here, if it's gonna rain, you're gonna hear about it. And not just in passing ("Oh and we'll see some showers today"). No no. It's like going to def con level 4. Sirens, red alerts. It's like the weatherman turns into an army general, preparing his troops to go into battle. Man, I can't wait to see when it snows. Teehheeee.


2. Time
If it's raining you can bet that EVERYTHING will be late. People coming to work, subways, car services you name it. But the cool thing is, no one really gets too anxious about it. After all, it IS raining!

1. Staying Inside
I know, I'm lame, but staying in when it's all crap outside is the absolute best thing in the world. Especially when you get to enjoy it with someone grand (Miss ya Rico!) Pop some popcorn, open up your latest NetFlix envelope and let the storm clouds pass.

Hope the weather is great where you are. Stay warm.
LisaC

OMG ANTM & PR BEST TV NITE EVER!

OK I"ll admit it, I'm a wee bit excited about sitting in front of my wee little TV set and enjoyed a plentiful 3 hours worth of quality programming. (God bless my free cable!) The fun begins with ANTM (in case you're not as much of an addict as I am...that's short for America's Next Top Model). Yes, it's drivel and yes, I don't care. The silliness, the anorexia, I love it all.

9:00 is kind of my interlude, that's when Gossip Girl starts. Also another highly entertaining CW contribution, but not on my "Must See" list, but have enjoyed tuning in when I can. If you haven't watched it, it's Hollywood's version of New York City (as told through the eyes of some seriously rich little twits). But it does make me giggle, especially when they do such impossible things, like open a cab door into oncoming traffic (a death sentence if I've ever seen one).

THEN...10:00 is when the REALLY big show starts. Project Runway. CAN'T WAIT!!! Man, LOVE that program. I like to think that when I'm addicted to reality shows that actually require some SKILL it's a wee bit more respectable than the other crap out there (sorry to all you other crap watchers). Hopefully will be just as entertaining as the previous seasons.

So that's it, my sad little world of work, sleep and TV. What can I say, I'm living the New York dream (heheheh). YanksGiving is just around the corner. Looking forward to going home (shouldn't you get BETTER with homesickness the older you get?) And yes, that leads us to our next subject...AGE! I'm looking down the slippery slope to 30. I know...still young...I shouldn't complain ( this is NOT an official greivance...yet). But it is a bit freaky to have to change BOTH numbers. I've been so comfortable with that "2" at the begining of my age for so long, to have to notch up to a 3 is gonna take some practice. At least I've still got a few weeks to get my head around it. Will keep you posted.

Stevie Wonder concert this weekend, and Rich is coming into town, so I promise some fun NY stories soon (I fear they've been sadly lacking lately...sorry).

Oh, one little piece of news. I saw Chris Rock the other day...AT WORK!? Yeah, he walked right into the big O and past me in the hallway, very bizarre. Might start a running tally of all the celebs I've seen so far (which really isn't that many, unless you count Nick from Project Runway Season 2 - I think I saw him on the street). Anyway, will keep my eyes peeled.

Coolness...get the popcorn ready, it's gonna be an EPIC night of nothingness!!!

Talk soon,
LisaC

Third Times a Charm

Yes, this is my third Monday in a row that I've dragged my sorry behind into work and tried to be productive. But The 4AM wake-up is a bitch! Although I am getting used to it, in some sick demented way. God...how bizarre is that.

Props to Witold for showing me all these different blog sites, might look into moving my little slice ofthe Interweb over there, but no worries, will let ya'll know what I'm up to.

Right...so what did I DO all weekend...well, hung out with Mr. & Mrs. Andrew (Rich's folks). Good times. They came down to visit for the weekend (thanks for makin' the trek guys!) We ate, drank and were merry. AND we even hit up the TSO for a concert and visited George's old classmate - from the "Old Country" (Scotland) in London (ON...of course! It's funny doing that distinction here in NY...people just kind of look at you weird. Anyway, the peeps were super nice and we had a great lunch in Jolly London Town (and a nice 4 hour round trip in the car, weeee).

When we got home we were so rev'ed by all the tunes on the radio (not really, but makes for a good segue) we felt the need to ROCK OUT with some Guitar Hero! Hellls Ya!!! It's truly a game that bridges generations. Perhaps GH is the solution to all the world's problems. Mr. Pakistan...pick up a Fender and play a little Guns n' Roses, I promise it'll make ya feel much better!

George Givin' Er. Notice Happy in the background. He's playing the game too...with his LASER EYES!)

Honestly, that's the weekend in a nutshell. Nothing too much more on the go. This week...more good times. Workin' with Ms.CiCi (awesome) on some Six Flags (double awesome) so life is good!

More chats later, thanks for cutting me some slack. A lame post, but it's a Trans-Border Monday...so your patience is appreciated!

Cheers All,
LisaC

Merry Friday

OMG, why do I find these pictures so damn funny? I've made an executive decision (yes, the power. The control. It's all mine to abuse!) Whenever I can't find an appropriate picture for a post, I'm gonna head over to icanhascheezburger.com and find a pic that makes me giggle, like this one....oh my sides. (thanks for the pics "ican"...hope you don't mind?)

Meanwhile back in people land...it's that sweet, wonderful time of year (and week). First, let's get the business out of the way first. Heading home (tonight). Hanging with Rich, Happy and his folks (not necessarily in that order). Yeah! But flying out of JFK (booo). It's funny...this is actually the first time I'll ever be flying OUT of that airport, hmm. I'm guessing the experience will be just as heinous as flying INTO the place. Joy!

Onto the fun stuff. It's that magical time of year and since it's just around the corner, I thought I'd start taking pictures of all the fun "holiday" things that are popping up all around the city. Last night, I was walking through Columbus Circle (if you're unfamiliar with this area, it's just next to Central Park, around 8th Ave & 62nd'ish street). I love, love, LOVE it around there!

So on my promenade back home from the gym, I took a few snaps of the twinkly trees outside the "mall" (or at least the closest thing you get to one in Manhattan) as well as come decorations inside. Ahhhh....
In the next few weeks I'll get shots of Rockafeller Center (the Tree lighting is Nov. 28 - thanks for the heads up Mom!) as well as other spots throughout the city. Got a place in mind, or heard of a pretty holiday display. Drop me a comment and let me know, I'll run by and take a pic to share with everyone.

Have a great weekend ya'll. And before you leave for your fun...I'll give you my Friday Confession. Walking home last night, bundled up in my new red coat (thanks for the hook up Jaime, let me know when that Macy's bill comes in!) I had a moment of bliss, a sense that maybe I can hack it out on this insane island. Life suddenly felt a little more comfortable and a little less spooky. I was the same rush I felt when Mark and I stepped off the plane in January (coming here for work). Who knows, maybe it was the cold, (after all, cold = home) but things are just a bit easier now. I'm definately not a New Yorker (and will never be one) but for today, at least I feel a little less like a visitor.

Enjoy the weekend. Stay warm and talk to ya post 4AM wakeup call on Monday - oi!
Lisa C