WebJournal - The blog will set you free

WebJournal - The blog will set you free
News of no interest whatsoever except to very close and patient friends and family members and maybe people with no life

Thursday, March 31, 2005

Some people need to get a life

From the CNN website: Veronica Puckett becomes emotional outside the hospice, and is comforted by Laurene Temple and David Vogel.

Stay away from the Veronica Pucketts of the world. Nothing is too personal, too tragic or too grave for them.
It reminds me of the people dancing or singing in Union Square after Sept. 11th. Their silly little performances had nothing to do with mourning, nothing to do with expressing feelings. It was all just a great opportunity for self-promotion.

I find this picture, and these people, profoundly offensive.

3:37 PM

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Busy

No time to blog lately. I've been buzy but mostly I've been lazy.
I am frantically trying to get everything done at work today so I don't have to come in tomorrow. I have so many things to do before Saturday that I really need a day off.

Tonight's Derek's birthday bash! The blow by blow will have to wait until tomorrow.

For those of you who have been trying to reach my high-school reunion website, the SQL databases were down yesterday but they are up and running again now.

1:34 PM

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Sunday, March 27, 2005

The Energizer bunny

Saturday night dinner plans were canceled and Pam and I stayed home. One piece of advice: if you need anything done around the house, give Pam a coffee. She could not stop. She assembled a bookcase that had been laying around for 3 weeks by herself. She went on until 3 AM. Nor margaritas nor wine would tame the caffeine effect. My apartment looks so much better now!

Today we met Brigitte and her friends for a walk around 5th Ave. and the bonnet parade before heading South for lunch at TeaNY and some shopping downtown. Fabian has just left after a quick dinner at home and we are getting ready to watch a movie.

My mother better take good care of that wheelchair

I must make sure to pack a hundred thousand activities next week, especially after reading about my possible bleak future (70% of paralytic polio survivors, and 40% of nonparalytic polio survivors, are developing post-polio sequelae...)

11:36 PM

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Saturday, March 26, 2005

Privacy

I walk in with Pam tonight at around 10 PM. The doorman greets me with a: "No party tonight?"

12:08 AM

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Friday, March 25, 2005

Good ol'times

Wednesday night was a throw back to the summer of two years ago. There I was, shlepping my margarita paraphernalia to a party and shlepping it back after the party. Only it was not summer. It was snowing.

Busy long week-end

Pam arrived yesterday. She is trying to sell some items to Chistie's at the moment but as soon as she gets home we will go shopping downtown (I have to buy presents to bring home). Brigitte arrives this afternoon and we should be meeting her and her friends later on. I also have to find some time to see Melissa this week-end because I will not be around for a couple of weeks afterwards. I've got to take tons of pictures and finish the Life Poster for my mother by Sunday night. I am also thinking of rasterbating a picture and mounting it on a foam board. I have to finish the chairs. Assemble the bookcase. Try and clean the rugs. And lots of other stuff I can't remember now.

Celebration!

I do not need to change my ticket to Uruguay. Derek is celebrating his b-day on Thursday, not Saturday. I would have hated to miss it.

11:13 AM

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Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Counterbalancing

Thank God for underage bike messengers and their non discriminating hormones. They compensate for body posture specialists who, when you are trying to explain your back problems, react with an enthusiastic “Oh yeah!” after a perfunctory glance at your poor fully clad body.

The disadvantages of not being married

There are some, though not many. One of them is being perceived as not having a life. So now that I do not have a valid reason not to stay at my mother's it was “suggested” to me that I could maybe spend a few days with her, instead of staying with my friend Liliana. My answer was swift and clear: absolutely no way.

2:28 PM

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Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Things that make me go ahhhh

The light is coming in through the blinds. My almost-white bedroom is awashed in it. It's the start of a day that will end with a dance class. Could I ask for more?

9:28 AM

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Monday, March 21, 2005

Home sweet home

I did go to Oscar's party. And then I went dancing to Kanas. Just got home, after a stop at a diner. My bed looks wonderful. By the way, David, from Senegal, you smell absolutely delicious.

2:17 AM

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Sunday, March 20, 2005

Belly laughter

I hadn't laughed as hard as yesterday in a while, and believe me, I am the kind of person who tends to laugh hard every day.
We tried to go see the show. Only it was not a dance show. It was Chekhov's Three Sisters played at the Manhattan Country School. There were a few people from the dance class there who already had tickets. Mercifully the show was sold-out. We were put on a waiting list but I immediately started lobbying to get outta there as fast as possible. I was relentless. I had no intention of spending my Saturday evening watching a three-hour artsy-alternative production of a depressing play. Nothing against culture, but not when I was looking forward to fun, not drama.

Evetually Marc, Rommy and I left the UES for St. Mark's Place and too many Lychees Sake to count at Klong's. We had to wait over an hour for a table but finally got a good one. Food was excellent. So were the drinks. And the belly laughter. We were planning on going dancing afterwards but the alcohol kicked in and with it the yawning and sleepiness. After a brief stop at Paprika to say hi to the owner and his very friendly Brazilian girlfriend Rommy hailed a cab and Marc and I shared a ride, and uncontrollable giggles.

In a little while I will be off to a party at Oscar's. There will be live jazz and a photo exhibition.

More friends in town

Brigitte is arriving next Friday.
Pam on Thursday.
Annie will be here on April 2nd.

1:56 PM

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Saturday, March 19, 2005

Snippets of a phone conversation

Mother: How are you doing?
Guess-who: Great. Just came out of this class. It was really good. Then I am doing this. Then I am doing that. Everything is great. What about you?
Mother: Well, I had a terrible night (insert 10 minutes of detailed complaints)
Guess-who: I had lunch with this old friend. He does this. He does that. It was great.
Mother: Is he married?
Guess-who: Yes but we did not talk about his wife. He has two children.
Mother: Why do they bother having children? (Pause) Are you still fat?
Guess-who: Yes
Mother: Why don't you do anything about it?
Guess-who: Because I don't want to
Mother: Your sister lost a lot of weight
Guess-who: Good for her
Mother: Are you coming for my birthday?
Guess-who: No
Mother: When are you coming?
Guess-who: Later on. Your birthday is at the beginning of the month, I'll be there at the end.
Mother: You always say that

Can't wait till next Saturday.

2:12 PM

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Train or cab?

Went for the Uptown 6 yesterday night. A bunch of drunk guys got on the train. One white dude with long hair is particularly drunk. Two black guys and a white girl were with him. Then one of the black guys punched the particularly drunk white guy right on the face and the drunk went down. And stayed down. We all kept going as if nothing had happened, although I took out my cell just in case I had to dial 911. Never mind that there's no reception underground.

11:07 AM

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The week-end!

I am lingering in bed, working on the high-school reunion website. I added a chat-room but I need to work on the graphics. My friend Daniel should have been here a while ago but I guess he got stuck in traffic. Eventually I will have to get up, get to the gym, meet Nicolas in the afternoon for some "creative time" (we are getting together to paint, in his case, and work with polymer clay in my case) and then go see Marc Santa Maria's show in the evening (Marc being the guy whose class at will be taking today at noon).

Yesterday after work Fabian and I went to a very friendly Mexican bar in the Meatpacking District for a healthy margarita and then joined Carmen, Monica and Benjamin (another girl with a name so complicated I won't even try to remember was of the party too) for another drink at a not-so-friendly Italian bar on Houston. Then the girl left, Fabian too and the four of us had dinner on Mulberry and Houston, at an Ethiopian restaurant. I remember the first time I went to an Ethiopian place and wondered whether we would be eating Red Cross packages. Actually the food is not bad. Personally I think the accolades on the webpage are a bit of an exaggeration. This is not sophisticated cuisine, but tasty spicy fare that's fun to eat in group.

I still haven't blogged a word about meeting with Alessandro ...

9:16 AM

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Thursday, March 17, 2005

Back from lunch

Had lunch with Alessandro. Loved it! More later, much later as I have a dinner early in the evening at Cecili´s and maybe drinks with Fabian later on.

2:16 PM

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Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Cutting the bullshit

I visited a colleague with cancer today. She is not doing well at all and has been house ridden for over a month. She is in severe pain and while at first I was taken aback by her appearance I also found her inexplicably, compellingly beautiful. A brutally honest yet very real beauty.

Plans

Lisa is coming to NY and crashing at my place tomorrow night. Thursday I am having lunch with one of my old high-school friends. I also have been invited to dinner at Cecilia's that evening. The rest of the month will be pretty busy too, what with Brigitte in town and Pam coming over. Somehow I have to finish organizing my house and I also have to shop for presents before leaving.

Shit! Once again it's the middle of the night and I am wide awake! It's mind boggling how the hours fly by as soon as my fingers hit a keyboard.

2:26 AM

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Tuesday, March 15, 2005

Event planner madness

I finally got news from Andrea Califano. He was pissed at me because I had not answered his e-mail. I was pissed at him for the same reason. We'll work it out over dinner.

I wrote to Paola Albanozzo yesterday and today Raoul sent me several new e-mail addresses to which I already wrote.

Adriana, when you read this, remember Paola Orsini, Riccardo and Davide Chiesa, Barbara and Linda Ferri, Carla Bruni and her sister. Andrea Califano will get hold of Luca Bonetti. And please guys, go to the website, register and participate.

12:04 AM

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Monday, March 14, 2005

Procrastination

Two in the morning and I am not sleeping nor doing the million things that need to be done. Instead, I am reading fascinating secrets.

2:02 AM

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Sunday, March 13, 2005

Hey, Bloomberg, over here!

Forget Sapphire, there's not a soul there. Head over to Opaline for they gay Friday night. Good thing Giuliani is not in charge anymore and that our current mayor is otherwise busy. Being a girl I had to pay double to get in (blatant discrimination, in my humble opinion) but the place was worth it. Fun. And there's plenty of live sex. Well, it was intended to be live naked massage but the masseur got overexcited. Not that I blame him. The massagee was an extraordinarily beautiful specimen. Handsome face. Amazing body. Pretty feet. He, as the ones before him, fully undressed and hopped on the massage bed propped on stage. The massage started, turned into pumping, went back to massaging. It went on and on. And on and on. And ond and on until full erection was achieved. The crowd cheered.
Not only that but the music was good too. And it was so packed I didn't even bother to try and get to the bar. Some water on the way out was all that was needed for a night of therapeutic dancing.

8:16 PM

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Friday, March 11, 2005

So trendy it hurts

I am waiting for Nicolas to come over and have a bite of pizza with me. Later on I am meeting Marc at Sapphire for a funk night that might end, if we are in the mood, at Galapagos in Williamsburg. I am sporting my brand new Ufo pants. Yup, this is as bad as it gets.

9:38 PM

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On a roll

After lots of back and forth e-mailing I decided we needed something more practical, so I spent quite a bit of time creating a web site for the high-school reunion. Then a forum. Then a photo album. It's not yet what I want, but I think it would do for the moment.

Clawing my allergies

I am getting to the point when I might consider seeing a dermatologist. This itching is driving me crazy and when I scratch I get huge bumps. Sometimes I get them without scratching. When it gets really bad, I take pictures, on the assumption that one day I will show them to a doctor. But don't worry, I am not about to upload them here. I just wish I could sleep because tomorrow it's "therapeutic dancing" night and Marc and I are hitting at least a couple of clubs.

2:29 AM

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Thursday, March 10, 2005

Holidays?

I used part of my miles to get a ticket to Montevideo. I couldn't add insult to injury by paying for it. I am leaving on the 2nd of April and coming back on the 16th.
Now I have a few weeks to prepare myself psychologically. Gimme those tapes!

12:25 AM

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Wednesday, March 09, 2005

That's my boy

Nicolas called me early this morning from Montevideo. He likes it better than Buenos Aires. A man with taste.
They are going back to Argentina today (and coming back to NYC on Thursday) but maybe they will manage to meet my friend Liliana for lunch. I hope they do. I love it when new friends meet old friends.

10:25 AM

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Mid-life celebration?

Most of my adolescent years were spent in Paris, France, where I attended an Italian high-school. I will not mention my academic achievements which were certainly not impressive (I was a lousy, lousy student) but I can assure you I had a highly active social life and plenty of friends. Through all these years I have kept in touch with a few of them, some consistently, some on a less regular basis. Others I have no clue as to their whereabouts, although I remember them fondly. Of course there is also a small number about whom I couldn't give a damn and an even smaller number whose existence I don't even recall. But here I am now, getting old and growing nostalgic. I envision meeting them all again, finding out about their lives and criticizing their mates mercilessly. I am thinking of organizing a big party in Paris for all of us to gather and reminisce.

I made un my mind a couple of days ago and wrote a guy from school who has recently discovered my blog (yes, you, Zeno) and confessed to having been toying with the same idea. The ball is now rolling. I have sent and received quite a few e-mails in just a couple of days and the response so far has been encouraging.

I know that for me it is, among a number of different other things, also a way of reclaiming at least in part the person I was before I met JP. While I am obviously not the same exact person now, nor would I want to be, there are aspects of my personality that have not changed that much. Like here I am, forever organizing social events ...

1:21 AM

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Monday, March 07, 2005

Power napping

A gadget I have been coveting for some time is now a Mac program too. I swiftly downloaded it and gave it a try. I am hoping it will really work so I can feel rested with as little sleep as possible. Matter of fact, I will listen to it now. Fabian will be calling me early in the morning to join him at the gym and after work I'll hit another gym for Derek's class. I can't afford to be tired.

By the way, for those dying to know: hubby-on-the-way-out did not come and did not bother to call and let me know of his change of plans. A familiar scenario.

On a happier note, this is what my chair makeover looks so far:

11:01 PM

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Sunday, March 06, 2005

I should send this to Ray Romano

It was Saturday yesterday and as such it was call-your-mother's day. I called from my cell, while waiting for Debra on the street. It was cold, I was soaked from the gym . She sort of asked it a whiney voice when could I go see her. I reacted in my usual mature, controlled way. Totally lost it. Her answer? Straight out of Marie's mouth from Everybody loves Raymond: "Don't shout at me. It reminds me of when your father was alive and we were a happy family". Sometimes she manages to outdo herself.

The outer boroughs

I had never been to the Brooklyn Museum yet so when Marc told me about their First Saturdays event I jumped at the idea. After spending the afternoon with Debra buying fabric (she for curtains, I for the seats of my revamped chairs) and then pigging-out at the Red Lobster I barely made it home in time for a shower before going out again. I ended up going to Brooklyn with Fabian and Peter and briefly meeting with Marc over there. He was there with friends who were not in a dancing mood. He was not happy. But I was. It was great. Loud disco music from back-when blasting among works of art. Lots of people. Little black kids dancing. Older people. Babies. Families. Friendly smiley people having fun. Some were fantastic dancers, like a girl with a fantastic body to boot. I can only hope her feet stank.
We danced until it was over and then left to have dinner at a local BBQ restaurant. Well, Fabian and Peter had dinner. I was still digesting my lunch so I stuck to a corn-on-the-cob and about a gallon of Diet Coke.

There's something about this Peter guy I noticed and appreciated: he goes out of his way to be kind and friendly. To me and to everybody else around him. I really like good manners and thoughtfulness.

More home improvement

I spent some time this morning painting the chairs but I need to run to Home Depot to get a few items.

1:22 PM

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Friday, March 04, 2005

Oh, boy!

Today I took the day off from work and as soon as I get enough caffeine into my system, I'll tackle this mess.
I hear a lot of hammering coming from some neighbour's apartment. It's good to know I am not alone.

Yesterday I managed to get rid of almost all the old furniture and we did assemble one drawer and started another. In any case this is what it all looked like by the time I was ready to go to sleep:

10:11 AM

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Thursday, March 03, 2005

Women at work

Shmuck-in-a-truck delivered my stuff this morning while I was already at work. So far the guy's been impeccable. He called me several times from Ikea yesterday to make sure he bought the right items and to see whether I needed anything else. A guy like this in NYC is worth his weight in gold.

So tonight Elena, Monica and maybe Carmen will be busy assembling more furniture. With no help from no man. Fuck'em.
Tonight's garbage night for big items too, so I will get rid of more old furniture. With a little luck my apartment will soon look like an apartment again. Then I will throw a girls-only party! Plenty of ice-cream and fruity cocktails.

1:58 PM

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Tuesday, March 01, 2005

A tool is just a tool

I've just hired the services of a guy who runs a business called, rather brilliantly, A SHMUCK IN A TRUCK. He will go to Ikea, buy some stuff for me and deliver it at home, probably tomorrow at noon or Thursday. Friday I will be busy assembling the pieces and maybe using the screwdriver to murder my on-the-way-out-husband who has called me today to announce his visit. I promised Nicolas, Pilar and Pamen, who are now on a plane flying to Buenos Aires, to blog the details of the encounter. Being the very private person that I am, I will make sure to publish the gory details.

11:15 PM

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Procrastination

The list of things I ought to be doing is quickly expanding. The apartment still looks like a war zone and I have work piling up so I ignored it all and spent about 8 hours on the computer this evening, chatting, surfing, trying out new programs. Brilliant. I am counting on a mild case of panic to eventually push me into action.
I hate it when I fall into one of my totally undisciplined moods and get absolutely nothing done. Such a waste of time.

1:29 AM

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