the most confusing building in america.

(i can't take credit for this glorious picture.)

the other day i had to pick up three vip tickets for monday's oprah taping in new york. i walked down to 8th ave, and walked up to this gigantic and intimating building. when i entered, there were long escalators with water fountains flowing down the sides. i turned right as instructed. 'hearst publications' was written over the welcome desk, and i stopped over. they called up to sarah, the person i was supposed to meet on the 36th floor. i heard the guy next to the lady i was talking to say, "yeah, it's pretty confusing," but my lady didn't elaborate on this for me. she handed me this, and told me to go upstairs, call the number and ask for the girl:


easy, right? wrong. i started to put it on, but refrained. i had to scan it first. these weird metal doors opened, and i had escalator access. i went up, and turned to find the elevators. after finding them, i stood there for roughly 30 seconds. there was no button to push. i went over to this kiosk-looking thing. i stood there. then a woman walked up and typed a number in. being human, and having lived 22 years, i obviously watched and then tried to mimick her actions. it didn't work. she was nice enough, however, to say "yeah, this place is extremely confusing." and tell me what to do. the elevator opened for both of us, and we went up. we had a short conversation. she said that because of those elevators, she gets on other ones and does nothing. at the hearst tower, it's done for you. i stepped off on the 36th floor, and walked around for a moment. i was in the middle of two glass walls with 'O' on one side and 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' on the other. i walked over to the phone (which took me much too long to find - as everything else in the building, it did not look like a typical phone). sarah answered and walked over to meet me. we went in and i got the tickets. she asked if i had an idea of how to leave, and i just shook my head. she had to push a button for me to leave, and then i walked over to the elevator kiosk. this time i knew what was up. and then i went down. after going down the escalator, i started to walk out of the door. i was confused at first. i had to walk through the same metal turnstile, and it was automatic.

i walked out on the street and took a breath. the crazy, technologically advanced, and completely unnecessary building was behind me.

you're nobody til somebody loves you

my apartment is a safe haven. i'm friends with joe, our neighbor. i'll have to take a picture of him later. he's an older dude from croatia. we talk a lot. he's friends with everyone in the neighborhood. i feel like i've retired here. here are pictures our cute little apartment...or at least some.




i hate this picture, mainly because i took it of myself, and i have a pet peeve against people doing that, but i really like this picture at the same time. i look how i feel. okay... i look a little bit more angry than i feel, but you get the picture...ha, get the picture. this is my room. the green is the best color in the world to have on your wall.





for the first time since i moved, i'm lonely. it's a revelation i had last night after i saw brett perform at the ucb for his graduation show. i was sitting on the subway, reading a book, and i looked around. no, there wasn't cute couples holding hands or anything....there were just a few people, and they were all alone. and they looked really tired...and a little sad. there was an asian lady who didn't look up. she kept her hands in her lap and was staring at something on the floor of the subway.

i decided i needed something, so i stopped by the natural market and picked up double chocolate brownie ice cream (soy of course...because that's all the have). on the way home, i saw a cat with one eye, and a little boy run to his sister and throw a hula hoop at her. my empty apartment welcomed with open arms, and for the first time in a loooong time, i cried. then i stayed up til 5 watching 'six feet under.' i'm completely and totally addicted to their craziness. it makes me feel better for some reason. and it's a good reason to cry. after all, someone dies every episode.

my sleeping and eating schedule are completely screwed up. if i can get my life in order, maybe they won't be. i turned down the position at the museum of the moving image. i supposedly got the better, higher paying job at central talent booking, but i haven't heard anything from her since friday - the interview. who knows. i suppose it will work out for the best, right?

additionally, i have realized many things about mr. white. without garlic powder and parmesan cheese, he would not be alive today. without his vast supply of chocolate syrup and dark chocolate m&ms, he wouldn't be happy. and without his comics, he would be bored.

this is the aftermath of his half milk/half chocolate syrup/m&ms explosion.



god, i love living with him.

start spreading the news

when i first arrived here a few days ago, i was sure that i was still in murfreesboro. it wasn't until i went into the city the next day that i realized i had really moved. after all, i moved in with brett on the cutest street in the world. and even more so, when we first got here, we threw everything in my apt. and ran to walmart and ikea. then we came home assembled all of the furniture. it took forever. i put together everything except my desk from ikea (that would be the futon, tv cart, cabinet thing and bookcase), while my mom washed dishes and my dad fiddled with my fourth "wall," which is really just a curtain. when we settled down to sleep, it was approximately 107 degrees, and i felt bad. my parents slept in my "room" without the curtain up and no sheets. it was hot.

the next day i woke up at approximately 6am, which i had been doing for the entire week before that. when i get nervous, i don't eat and i definitely don't sleep. it's how i stay in shape, really. but we woke up, showered, and ran to bed bath and beyond and home depot, narrowly avoiding walmart again, considering it was about 30 minutes away. we got home and i continued to construct my furniture while my parents tried to put up my curtain. after a lot of screaming, fighting, and hugs, my parents and i set off to explore astoria. it's pretty much adorable. there are bars and cute cafes everywhere, not to mention donuts and organic food stores. we got back around 8pm, and my parents left.

i then headed to manhattan to meet someone that i kinda knew from the boro. i arrived at this fancy restaurant/bar somewhere on 70th near central park at around 9, and immediately ordered a jack and coke. $11 later, i decided that's all i would be drinking for the nite. it was super fun, and i met a ton of people, but the entire time all i thought was "how am i going to get home?" at about 2am, we set out on the street to find an atm so i could hail a cab and go home. problem was, no one would go to astoria. so we went down to the subway, and i said my slightly nervous goodbyes to the dudes that were nice enough to help me out. i then ventured downstairs, and just as i expected, there was one person. and he was a dude. he didn't look at me, so i thought i had it pretty good. then i realized why he wasn't looking at me. he was staring at boobies. in a porn mag. "sweet," i thought as i backed up slowly. "i'm going to be raped and thrown on the track." but then something wonderful happened - the train came.

the ride to astoria was a slightly confusing one. the train i normally get on wasn't running then, so i was definitely trying my luck on this one. luckily, i'm not afraid to ask questions, because after i had sat down, a girl who speaks broken english politely explained to me that we were headed to brooklyn. unluckily, that is the exact opposite way to my apt. i hopped off the train, ran upstairs, and ran over to the other one. i did my best remembering and got off at 30th ave, and walked the 17 short blocks home. no really, they're short blocks. i then realized that 30th ave is the coolest place in astoria. there were gobs of people outside (need i remind you it was 2:45 in the morning), all drunk and dancing. there was cafes on the street, which is something i've always wanted to see/be a part of. i made it home sans scrapes and bruises, but i did see a dude on my street passed out on the steps in front of his door.

the next day brett and i went to best buy and michael's, which is apparently not too far from my apt. then he went into the city, and i got ready to meet him at 6pm. we ate barbeque in midtown manhattan, and i was so happy. we explored h & m and then walked over to the ucb. we got into the first show for free, but i paid for the other 2. they were great. "mother" and "reuben williams" performed, along with brett's friend katey. comedy is something i'm not used to, so when we went to mcmannus afterwards (a bar), i tried my best to keep up with all the names of the groups and people and performances. i felt like everyone was constantly performing, and i had nothing to say but a few puns. i did get a high five for one though, so it made me feel better. i chatted up some cute gay dudes (dammit), and brett's friends were nice. then brett, hal and i split a taxi home.

yesterday i got up late and met those dudes from the boro in midtown at blockheads, known for its burritos and $3 margaritas. i was slightly uncomfortable, but the tequila helped that quite a bit. i then realized there was no need to be uncomfortable - the dudes are awesome. i got a little drunk (off 2 tasty margaritas - pretty sure i'll always be a lightweight), and we went over to a virgin megastore and this other store that sells sheet music. we jumped on the subway and ended up where i was wanting to go all day - the quad theater. paris je t'aime was playing, and even though i had already seen it, i loved it so much i wanted to again. the movie ended and the dudes agreed that it was an absolutely amazing flick (thank god, cause that was definitely my first impression on them). austin went home to practice (he's auditioning for saved! the musical some time today), and ben, chris, and i went to trailer park, an amazing bar. honestly, i loved it there. i took pictures, which are actually the first i've taken since i moved here, but i don't have internet on my computer, and i don't want to put a bunch of shit on brett's. i'll post them later.

okay, so job prospects? i have an interview sometime this week with brett's boss, as her personal assistant, and an interview at a museum in astoria as a sales assistant. i really want the job with brett's boss, but who knows if i will get it at all.

now i have to go back to working on dishmag stuff. i'm still freelancing for them, and i have some work to do. i'm not sure i'm going to manhattan today. i think i'm going to make bean burritos for brett and me instead.

xoxo
jennifer