Sunday, December 31, 2006

happy new year, you're my only vice

I'm heading to MB's tonight for a little NYE get-together of uncertain proportions. I made tiramisu and some baguette-based appetizers, along with a salad. I even managed to emulsify my dressing properly, so no oil separation. I am a food nerd. Oh, and of course Cava and Chambord for cocktails.

There is talk (well, just between MB and myself) of heading to the Liberty Pole to join in the absurd-yet-true Rochester Kazoo Massive organized by our mayor. In all reality I think I'll be more inclined to head out to the bars as the evening progresses, but we shall see.

My outfit this year is best described as "A Georgian Gentleman in King Louis XVI's Disco." I'll post photos on my Flickr.

Anyway, I really just popped in to say "Happy New Year!" Here's hoping that 2007 is a little more impressive than 2006 was...

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

43 things

Someone directed me to the site 43 Things, and since I've decided to join I thought I'd share. The concept is to choose (up to) 43 things you'd like to accomplish in your lifetime. They can be short-term or long-term goals, but you can write little entries to track your progress and you can also find other people who are working on the same things. I think it'll be a great way for me to not only track stuff like my resolutions but also keep in mind bigger-picture aspirations. Or, more likely, I'll grow bored of it in a month and never update it again. We'll see.

I only have 4 things right now but I need to go to bed because a) I am still sick, and b) today was exhausting. These next few weeks are going to be a whirlwind of social activity, so hopefully I'll be healthy enough to plow through by the time the craziness kicks off on Friday.

Anyway, you can find my "things" here. Let me know if you sign up so I can subscribe to your list!

Sunday, December 17, 2006

when you walk without ease on these streets where you were raised

Some of you may recall last year in Connecticut I was appalled to witness the trend of fastening full-sized Christmas wreathes to the grills of SUVs. If I, at any moment, naively claimed that nothing could be more tacky... I apologize. Because this weekend, driving through Pittsford, I saw not one but TWO behemoths that had--and you have no idea how much I wish I was kidding right now--Christmas lights woven around the little rack part on top. Fully-lit garlands of Christmas bulbs. On cars. I mean, I can somewhat appreciate the kitsch factor of garishly decorated houses, even though the enormous inflated snow-globe trend is a little hard to stomach, but this is just crossing the line. I hate Hummers in all their naked glory, so dressing them up in Christmas cheer makes me want to drive sharpened candy canes through my eyeballs.

If you want an indication of how much something as petty and ridiculous as this bugs someone like me, let me admit to you that even now, nearly 3 years later, I still feel a small knot of horror and irritation constrict in my rib cage every time I see one of those absurd ribbon magnets.

All this seasonal pet peevery has almost distracted my from my daily annoyance with bad grammar, incorrect word usage (don't even get me started on 'literally'), or when people say things like "exspecially," "probally," and "acrosst." I haven't been watching enough TV lately to rile myself up over advertising tripe, although I've no doubt that it's particularly odious at this time of year, as usual.

Anyway, there's a little bah humbug for you. I'm going to take a deep breath, put on a little Der Bingle, and have a soothing mug of mulled cider while I try to conjure the Christmas spirit. I actually do adore Christmas, I just wish people didn't have to be so awfully tacky about it.

snuffleblog

I have caught some sort of cold twice in my 3 months at this job. I never used to get sick this often... usually one relatively obnoxious illness each year (flu, tonsillitis, etc) but never a cold every month. Today's special is a head cold combined with a dodgy tummy... not so much that I am throwing up as the thought of most foods turns my stomach. I will accomplish the most essential of my chores (laundry, cleaning) and spend the remainder of my Sunday either pawing through some magazines or reading more of The Historian (I can't decide how I feel about this book. It's addictive but not particularly compelling, if I may make the distinction. That is to say, while I am reading it I find myself rapidly turning the pages, but once I put it down I have little desire to pick it up again).

I ran into MB at Barnes & Noble yesterday. It's uncanny how MB and I are forever and always simply 'running into each other'. Anyway, we had a wonderfully long discussion in the used book section and decided that we should make New Year's Eve plans. I am usually a little fan of NYE, but I know that doing something with MB & Co. will be decidedly chill and civilized.

Winter has apparently been placed on hiatus by some benevolent deity. 40F+ for the foreseeable meteorological future, as it has been for a little over a week now. Considering that we generally have a 'White Thanksgiving,' the possibility of not having a 'White Christmas' is very strange. In fact, according to the weather map, it's colder in LA than it is here. In Rochester. Unsettling. That said, I have never, never looked a mild winter in the mouth. I am more than happy to not have to trudge through shin-deep snow every day on my way to work, thankyouverymuch.

It's nearly noon, so I suppose I should start my day. Hopefully this is just a passing bug and not a harbinger of some full-blown illness.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

i know i'm blog-happy today, but...

I should also add that I just found out that iTunes sells what I believe to be every episode of 'This American Life' for a mere $0.95 each. I just spent the entire iTunes gift card my brother gave me for my birthday. If you must download only one, please take care that it is 'Christmas and Commerce' (including not only the now classic 'Santaland Diaries' by David Sedaris, but also a holiday piece by David Rakoff). Also keep an eye out for any episodes featuring Sarah Vowell.

That is all.

ode to the 585

[I just found this entry in my drafts, unfinished from July, so I decided to complete it and post it to remind myself of all the things I don't hate about enduring another winter in Rochester]

A clarification.

Recently a few people have told me, rather unexpectedly, that I 'shouldn't be so hard on Rochester.' Oh! I honestly didn't realize that I was hating on the 585, but if I ever implied that I dislike it here it was probably in reference to being unemployed and living at home. Nothing personal, Rochester!

Yes, I had (and, to an extent, still have) itchy feet to run away to a bigger city for a while. Living in London made it clear that I need all those trappings around me for a while longer, particularly after being without them in New Haven. Not to mention that I grew up here, so of course certain aspects of it seem a little stale after 20-something years.

This time, perhaps because I know I'll be here for a definite amount of time instead of 'until I can get out,' the familiarity is unexpectedly comforting. I felt so tired by the end of my time in New Haven--tired of thinking about my life, tired of dealing with decisions--that reverting to something familiar felt like crawling into bed after an extremely long day.

That's not to say there aren't things I dislike about Rochester. 80% of them pertain to winter. The remaining 20% consists of the pitiful job market, the stupidly high violent crime rate, its remoteness, and garbage plates.

So, since it seems I've been unfairly turning my nose up at Rock City, here are just a few of my favorite things:

1. The George Eastman House. An unparalleled international museum of photography and film, housed in Eastman's East Avenue mansion (which one can also tour). I'm a particularly big fan of the gardens, which are a beautiful place to read. The museum's movie theater often runs small films, or directors cuts of classics, for a mere $6 (or $5 if you're a student).

2. Speaking of gardens, there are small public gardens scattered all over Rochester, but you have to know where to look for them. One of my favorites is the garden of fragrance (a garden of herbs and roses) tucked behind the Rochester Museum and Science Center. It's very tiny, there are only two benches, but it's almost always empty. Sculpted hedges surround it and it's far back from the street, so it's a lovely and cozy place to read or just sit with coffee and a sandwich.

3. I'm trying to avoid gushing too much about food, because that's usually what saturates my 'favorite things about...' lists. So I'll simply slip California Rollin' in here with the Village Gate. The Village Gate was once a factory and sometime in the 80s (I think) it was renovated into a sort of indie shopping mall. The top floor is artists lofts (although now I think there might also be a karate studio up there too) and the bottom floor is peppered with independent stores and restaurants. It goes through phases, really. Sometimes it seems on the brink of desertion, but then it bounces back again with new businesses nestled among the old standards like Ricky's Place (surprisingly good vintage clothing) and Yankee Peddler Book Shop (used books, ephemera, and vintage maps and postcards). There's always a tattoo parlor there, although I think the place where I had my second one done is gone. I love that there's no spit and polish to the place; no directory to guide you through the maze of corridors, nothing but brightly-colored paint to disguise the fact that it's a converted factory.

4. The Inner Loop. Everyone seems to despise it but I think it's nothing short of genius. When I was first learning to drive and navigate my way around the city, I'd always be able to find my way home as long as I ran into the Inner Loop. Also, if you miss your exit... it'll come back around again! As teenagers we used to have contests to see who could make the complete circuit in the shortest amount of time, like our own little race track, although I think that might be a little bit of an indication of what it was like to grow up Upstate.

5. The Geography. My Lake can beat up your lake. I think growing up on a peninsula has made me feel a little claustrophobic when I'm not around a significant body of water (even a Finger Lake or a sizeable river will do...). Plus, our river flows north and there are waterfalls in the middle of downtown.

6. I still haven't seen a cemetery as stunning as Mount Hope. It's like stumbling upon Victorian ruins in the middle of a forest. The statues and carvings on the monuments and mausoleums are a gallery unto themselves (as you can tell I love looking at photos of the place).

Oh, I suppose that's enough to keep me happy for the moment. I also found this nice little article about visiting Rochester from the New York Times, which notes some other things I love about the city (charbroil and the Public Market for starters).

ruiners!

Damn you, Television Without Pity. I used to think Jamie Bamber wasn't too hard on the eyes until you had to go and point out that he looks like a muppet. Now when I see him, all I can think of is that episode of Angel where David Boreanaz was turned into a puppet.

'House' tonight! We get to find out what happens when Wilson grows a pair. Kind of.

There was a deal on Amazon yesterday where they were selling all 3 seasons of 'Arrested Development' for $33.79. So I bought them (clearly). I've missed that show something terrible, so I'm excited.

Right, I suppose I should be off to work then...

Saturday, December 02, 2006

in the morning in the wintershade

Two things that have recently increased my geekitude factor: 1. I am frighteningly addicted to the Yahtzee widget I downloaded. 2. I stayed in last night and watched tons of Battlestar Galactica DVDs (damn you J and G! I was a little slow to get on board, but I just finished disc 1 of Season 2 and am quite officially hooked).

But! Tonight I have been invited to a Christmas party by some work people. It's quite refreshing to have coworkers who are in their 20s (or, at the very least, not married with teenage children). I eat lunch with this crew, but this will be the first time I've socialized with them outside of work. They're a nice bunch, though, so it should be fun.

Anyway, I should go pick up some booze for the party (we're supposed to bring either food or beverage, but it seems that a lot of people are bringing food so I'm opting for the latter... probably some sort of apple cocktail). It's starting to get cold now... I guess winter is on the way!