tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42367460979517021832024-03-05T06:20:31.632-05:00The WhyBy: Britney Fitzgeraldbritney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.comBlogger272125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-83213988968245957472013-10-12T12:45:00.002-04:002013-10-12T12:48:24.026-04:00The Blog Has Moved<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">This is a bit of a sad post. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And I'm not sure I'm giving this blog a proper goodbye. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">To put it simply, the The Why Blog has moved. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">You can find all the old (and new) content at <a href="http://britney-fitzgerald.com/">britney-fitzgerald.com</a>.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Please stop by and check out the new site!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">RIP, Blogger. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">You've done me well. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> </span>britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-32838719489292893532013-07-22T01:12:00.000-04:002013-07-22T10:07:43.904-04:00The Definitions of Summer <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">A bead of sweat rolls down my back. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We’re sitting outside, and someone is attempting to strike
up a conversation with me, but all I can think about is how Grandma used to say,
“Ladies don’t sweat; they glisten.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Well… I must be the shiniest, most glistening being under </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">New York’s summer sun. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Dear Grandmother, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I think I’m <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sweating.</i>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Sweaty, sweat.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Shiny faces, slimy seats. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Everyone looks like blotchy-faced zombies as they emerge
from the subway during the morning commute. I pity the men, wearing their
undershirts and button downs; their khaki pants and socks—Lord, help the poor
gents in blazers. My spaghetti strap <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dress</i>
feels like one too many layers. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Humming, humming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">AC units and open windows. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I love the sound of fans—the white noise that silences a
city. It reminds me of when my sisters and I would sleepover at the Erdmann’s
house, and a ceiling fan in their playroom tucked us into our dreams. Sleep
often escapes me, but in that house, I was always out like a light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Food frying. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Sizzling, smoldering. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">One staple of our city streets is the halal cart, serving up
hot chicken and lamb with tzatziki-covered rice. But damn that smell in the
summer, the heat wave of greasy meat that smacks you in the face. It’s too hot
to eat. It’s too hot to woof down pungent lamb. Worst of all, it’s too hot to
prepare food outside—where do you think all of that sweat from the man’s
forehead, dicing up your roasted onions, is going? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Sunlight, stinging. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Never ending days and electric nights. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">It feels like there’s more time in the summer, perhaps
because it doesn’t get dark until after 8 o’clock. So we go to work, we go to
dinner, and there’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">still</i> more time.
Time for ice cream, time for drinks. Time before the darkness gobbles up the
sky. How lovely to walk home at midnight, knowing we squeezed </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">everything and
more</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> out of each golden hour. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So yes…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The utility bills are higher. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Makeup melts in my room. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Candles melt in the apartment. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Bread is kept in the fridge. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Hair sticks to your face. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We sleep in sheets. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We take cold showers. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We search for central AC. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But of course (if you know me) you’ll know I wouldn’t change
a thing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I wouldn't change the Bryant Park movies,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Or the fireflies.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The fresh fruit stands,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Or the brilliant blue skies. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">New York is viscously vibrant in the summer, and it’s during
this season the city feels most alive—like a bustling, breathing creature,
ready to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">explode.</b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Maybe that's how it is everywhere.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Maybe all warm nights are heavy with expectation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And how could you not love
the suspense? </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z7dTs7R_N9U/Uey9v0ELqsI/AAAAAAAAE-k/ilPr9q2biT0/s1600/photo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="540" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z7dTs7R_N9U/Uey9v0ELqsI/AAAAAAAAE-k/ilPr9q2biT0/s640/photo.PNG" width="538" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
<!--EndFragment-->britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-2070485824994585532013-07-15T00:08:00.001-04:002013-07-15T09:45:12.365-04:00Sleepless Strolls and Sherbet Sunrises <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">There she was… New York City. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I sat on the Brooklyn Bridge with two friends, unsure of
which way to look. Manhattan was on my left, Brooklyn to my right, and the East River beneath my tired feet. The bold, summer sun was about to peek over
our city’s horizon. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We hadn’t slept, but adrenaline and caffeine moved us
forward. As Kristin, Heather, and I had neared the Brooklyn Bridge’s entrance,
our conversation had dropped off and we walked in a quite line toward our destination.
Now we stood in between two boroughs, silently watching the clouds move over
our peaceful city as she snoozed (because she never truly sleeps). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I was in awe.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">It was 5:30AM Friday, July 5</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><sup>th</sup></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> 2013, and I felt
lucky; lucky to be living, and breathing, and seeing the city like I was seeing
it for the first time. All the different buildings were poking up toward the
sky, like manmade flowers reaching for an elusive sun. I couldn’t help but
think of the men and women who’d lived and died here before, in this
extraordinary garden of good and evil.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">As I watched lines of light tear through the sky, I felt a certain pride one only
feels for a place they’ve truly connected with—a place you might even call
home. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And that’s what New York is, right? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">A place I call home. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">Home. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Which led to another thought… a statement I jotted down on
an envelope several years ago in a particularly frantic moment. I’d written
myself a small reminder about life, while eating a microwaved potato and
drinking cheap wine. The note said: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Home isn't where the
heart is because my heart's all over the place. Home is where I’m living—not
where I’m residing, but where I’m actually living. Home is the place where I
stay up late, and wake up early, because I’ve just got to keep <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">living.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">(Editor’s Note: In the
original text, I believe I spelled “residing” wrong. The word has been altered
for your convenience.) <i><o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">There’s nothing fancy about that quote. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">It’s no mark of literary genius. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But it’s a genuine, hand-written note that I still carry around</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> with me in my purse.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">In two weeks, I will have officially <b>lived</b> in New York for three busy, insane, lovely, ridiculous, draining, amazing years. And when I watched
the sun rise over our city, something happened. Something came full-circle,
like I’d always known I would end up standing on the Brooklyn Bridge watching a
sherbet-colored sunrise in mid-July. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So as rays of light grazed Manhattan, I thought about that
girl from a few years ago. The one who moved up here from Virginia with six
plastic bags of clothes and a sleeping bag. She didn’t know anything about
retail, but she landed a job at Bloomingdale’s for 12 bucks an hour—and that
was good enough for her, because she was already head-over-heels in love with
this city. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The best thing about that girl? There are millions of people
just like her, who move to New York with nothing but an unshakable thrill to
begin an </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">adventure</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">. Those people, the tons of them, are all bent on being <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">here </i>and sharing the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">now.</i> We (the New Yorkers) are a
collective force that hold a special place in my heart. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Just then, the sun erupted over the horizon. A jogger ran past us, and traffic on the
Brooklyn Bridge increased. Taxis rushed people home from bars, while commuters
crawled in from distant states. An almost tangible shift interrupted the hushed
atmosphere…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Another moment was beginning. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Another adventure was underway. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Another story was starting. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">It was the birth of a brand new day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlP4qndgG_PlDtDI7hKDVDBFnwIoocfIrD37udblOfWKPy3K9317VKo3hHNrv9yUoQGQGLrocIK1e-W60d0FywpSx02CGYNH5a_QTJ1e1SbEktgE17aq4KzDb187xfbd56u-oWpDaY_mg/s1600/IMG_7800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlP4qndgG_PlDtDI7hKDVDBFnwIoocfIrD37udblOfWKPy3K9317VKo3hHNrv9yUoQGQGLrocIK1e-W60d0FywpSx02CGYNH5a_QTJ1e1SbEktgE17aq4KzDb187xfbd56u-oWpDaY_mg/s640/IMG_7800.JPG" width="540" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9uUyzSmTzZI/UeNtJ1CCoiI/AAAAAAAAE9I/3YqBtHwvwBw/s1600/IMG_7906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="325" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9uUyzSmTzZI/UeNtJ1CCoiI/AAAAAAAAE9I/3YqBtHwvwBw/s640/IMG_7906.JPG" width="540" /></span></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lg3AcbqtCLU/UeNyBn1GyWI/AAAAAAAAE9o/cZE75oDKAdY/s1600/IMG_7806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lg3AcbqtCLU/UeNyBn1GyWI/AAAAAAAAE9o/cZE75oDKAdY/s640/IMG_7806.JPG" width="540" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uZCAKQquFoY/UeNtRW50azI/AAAAAAAAE9Y/i_4vx9lsTuw/s1600/IMG_7913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="325" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uZCAKQquFoY/UeNtRW50azI/AAAAAAAAE9Y/i_4vx9lsTuw/s640/IMG_7913.JPG" width="540" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>And thank God we were able to witness it. </i></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-68325379018553217362013-06-24T00:39:00.000-04:002013-06-24T00:52:34.356-04:00A Special Proposal <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“I’m going to go try and flirt with this guy.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Even as I said it, I knew my sister would barely buy the flimsy excuse. Kathryn looked at me with a strange expression on her vacay-tanned
face and cocked her head. “Really?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Yeah, yeah… I’ll buy a drink or something.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">My youngest sister Grace chimed in quickly. “Oh my gosh, I’m
coming too. I can’t believe you talked to him!” We ran off toward our condo’s
outdoor bar, looking like idiots—but we were out of options. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The awkward exit left Kathryn alone with her (uncharacteristically
nervous) boyfriend, Hector. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“We’ll catch up to you!” I called back over my shoulder.
They were already walking toward the quiet beach, with its imminent sunset. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Good. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Grace and I ducked behind a column near the bar. We waited
there for a few minutes, got questioned by an excitable security guard, and then
headed to the outdoor courtyard where our semi-stressed parents were setting up
tea light candles. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So far, the Fitzgerald family collective plus Hector and
company had faked a condo rental, improvised a nerve-wracking dinner, and planned a surprise post-engagement party for a somewhat suspicious Kathryn.
There had been a few hiccups (“No! You can’t keep the ring in your pocket… I
SEE IT.”) but, overall, I was impressed with the family’s ability to remain
nonchalant. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Detaching from Kathryn was always going to be the most difficult
part of Mission Engagement. When the sisters are finally together, in one place, at the same time, we
don’t often separate. It was relatively easy for
the parents to slip away and sign fake condo papers with a fake realtor named “Anna”…
but Grace and I were trapped. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So there we were, pretending I had a prepubescent crush on a
bartender probably three years my junior. Whatever. We were almost in the
clear, and I knew that ring was practically jumping out of Hector’s pocket. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But it couldn’t. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The ring needed to stay hidden at least another 30 minutes. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dHYqi1auaj4/UcfHw8M5CiI/AAAAAAAAE7o/5-mDOGs1wFI/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-06-24+at+12.14.19+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dHYqi1auaj4/UcfHw8M5CiI/AAAAAAAAE7o/5-mDOGs1wFI/s320/Screen+shot+2013-06-24+at+12.14.19+AM.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“DO NOT COME BACK UNTIL 8:45,” I texted him. Then I
imagined poor Hec looking at his phone, and breaking into a second monologue
about what life would be like together. (I later discovered he already had a
fabulous speech prepared. His dilly-dallying was instead in watching the sun <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fully </i>set and walking back toward the
condo <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very</i> casually.)<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Horrible
traffic on I-95 had delayed almost all of our guests, so only about 9 out of 20
were present. But even as I frantically typed on my phone, cars zoomed into the complex and disheveled friends began running toward our "Best Wishes" decorations. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">By the time Kathryn and Hector had arrived—giddy and
relived, respectively—nearly everything was in its place. The night turned into
a happy celebration of the married couple to-be. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And <i>I</i>, for one, couldn’t be more excited. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The Fitzgerald girls will finally have a brother. We will be
more complete as a family, and Kathryn more complete as the beautiful
individual she has become. Giving away your younger sister is a difficult
endeavor, especially if you’re raised the way we were. But Hector is already
someone who understands our family, someone who actually can keep up (and put up) with the excitable,
endearing, and at times overwhelming Fitzgeralds. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So welcome aboard, brother. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We already love you so much. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-onKqRIryflg/UcfJlEUuLHI/AAAAAAAAE74/UusTSBX-hpo/s1600/IMG_7360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-onKqRIryflg/UcfJlEUuLHI/AAAAAAAAE74/UusTSBX-hpo/s640/IMG_7360.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-64590142200379789482013-06-13T23:41:00.001-04:002013-07-03T00:49:17.871-04:00A Note to Self <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I cannot sit still in summertime. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Let me explain this fact further: I am
literally over-stimulated from May to September, as warmth and excitement
blankets our city. The constant need to move, move, move and bounce from one
thing to the next grows in humid weather, like metal expanding in the hot,
sticky sun. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So yes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The blog has been silent these
last several weeks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But I’ve been out of town!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And I needed to play in the resurrected, summer sun!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">< Insert numerous excuses with
dramatic punctuation here! ><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">It’s also worth mentioning that my
current job has me writing and editing streams of exclamation point and
emdash-filled paragraphs for most of the day. Obviously I love what I do, but
I’m rarely enthused to rush home to my computer—you wouldn’t be either
(emdash!).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Still, I opened up that daunting white,
blank Word Doc tonight because summer has already started; stories are continuously unfolding; New York keeps turning whether I want to write about it or not. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And then I remembered. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">(After some poking and prodding…)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i>
want to record this city’s narrative—and our narratives—even if it means finding
the time at 3AM to jot down an idea, or type up that ever-elusive prequel to a
“brilliant” thought. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">As E.B. White once said, when talking about New York City
no less, “[C]reation is in part merely the business of forgoing the great and
small distractions.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Hey, you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">One of you special 400 to 500 who still read
this dusty ol’ blog. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Don’t let me forget what I just typed.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">*****</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The conquering of summer has already started! Here's what's been happening in my neck of the woods:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">
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<!--StartFragment-->
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Pianos have been played.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hNSFV7ZOQ3M/UbqL_RJeyRI/AAAAAAAAE6g/9CmxcvQac6w/s1600/photo+1CROP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hNSFV7ZOQ3M/UbqL_RJeyRI/AAAAAAAAE6g/9CmxcvQac6w/s400/photo+1CROP.jpg" width="327" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Goodbyes have been made.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-msizSzWHe-Q/UbqMTjnBunI/AAAAAAAAE6o/yV_7SKqhbm8/s1600/photo+2crp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-msizSzWHe-Q/UbqMTjnBunI/AAAAAAAAE6o/yV_7SKqhbm8/s400/photo+2crp.jpg" width="305" /></a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">
I’ve gotten my first sunburn of the
season,</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wGXtGriyYwA/UbqMuuaOpqI/AAAAAAAAE6w/fjKv9Mf9mFs/s1600/photo+3cop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wGXtGriyYwA/UbqMuuaOpqI/AAAAAAAAE6w/fjKv9Mf9mFs/s400/photo+3cop.jpg" width="283" /></a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"></span>
</span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">
And sat on countless rooftops for no
good reason.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">
</span>
</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iayMxHXcDyc/UbqK7DFYDnI/AAAAAAAAE50/p-hQc5l2CEE/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iayMxHXcDyc/UbqK7DFYDnI/AAAAAAAAE50/p-hQc5l2CEE/s400/photo+4.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We all took a jazzy step back in time, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g1GqhrhdUVg/UbqK2urRbZI/AAAAAAAAE5k/UB2_8NHETqI/s1600/photo+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g1GqhrhdUVg/UbqK2urRbZI/AAAAAAAAE5k/UB2_8NHETqI/s400/photo+5.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And visited our favorite dive
bar—covered in grime.</span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o71UuXu7hVg/UbqNelVlOaI/AAAAAAAAE68/2dFOtg8MkL0/s1600/photo+6crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o71UuXu7hVg/UbqNelVlOaI/AAAAAAAAE68/2dFOtg8MkL0/s400/photo+6crop.jpg" width="350" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">
</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">There were Tony Awards to watch in Time
Square,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfBIMmxOZ29UszlnWkYdUns89fcqz7xCSjlI2zarPgPAaF5a89iJYdhLo9w1v_rhIQyZDRgQu6lMnVOriZaaV4SKNTs513BA_szNxuLoUNYKg-w-CrfL44_zYzg1V_JdyaeRJNiVnOJE/s1600/photo+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfBIMmxOZ29UszlnWkYdUns89fcqz7xCSjlI2zarPgPAaF5a89iJYdhLo9w1v_rhIQyZDRgQu6lMnVOriZaaV4SKNTs513BA_szNxuLoUNYKg-w-CrfL44_zYzg1V_JdyaeRJNiVnOJE/s400/photo+7.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">
</span>
</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">As well as Shakespeare to hear in the
glorious night air.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M2oyIQQS7O4/UbqLBopHk_I/AAAAAAAAE6U/Vl5_QU3MqUE/s1600/photo+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M2oyIQQS7O4/UbqLBopHk_I/AAAAAAAAE6U/Vl5_QU3MqUE/s400/photo+8.JPG" width="356" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We danced on a boat,</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C8t-XAmqW9g/UbqLBXuzo_I/AAAAAAAAE6Q/OWSqCZdYFkI/s1600/photo+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C8t-XAmqW9g/UbqLBXuzo_I/AAAAAAAAE6Q/OWSqCZdYFkI/s400/photo+9.jpg" width="303" /></a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And read a sidewalk quote,</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">
</span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--xWfnHsmhd4/UbqKr77bfdI/AAAAAAAAE5U/4G7vAIy0qq8/s1600/photo+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--xWfnHsmhd4/UbqKr77bfdI/AAAAAAAAE5U/4G7vAIy0qq8/s400/photo+10.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And realized there is always something beautiful
to note. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XvMFjvMQxB4/UbqKkBnrsZI/AAAAAAAAE5E/f_k_-yVEU8I/s1600/photo+11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XvMFjvMQxB4/UbqKkBnrsZI/AAAAAAAAE5E/f_k_-yVEU8I/s400/photo+11.JPG" width="398" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-33131649636438955872013-05-04T12:39:00.000-04:002013-05-04T12:51:02.533-04:00Best Text Message Ever<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">This text was sent at 8:43am on May 3, 2013 after I’d accidently called a
friend, and left an awkward "sorry-I-butt-dialed-you" voicemail. Their response might be the best recorded text message in history. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Editor’s Note: Paragraph spacing and certain commas have been
added for your convenience, as the words below actually came in one, long stream
of consciousness thought.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">*** </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">"Butt dial? Butt dial on the iPhone… are you putting your
butt directly on your phone? What? It needs skin contact. So this is my theory:</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">You were between that stage of being weird and crashing from
the end of too much coffee, sweating but not hot, focused but could pass out,
and you reach for your phone. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Possibly in a delusional state, you grab it just to feel
something other than a keyboard and you start tweeting </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">#fml, #omg, #nycwriter,
#semihipster, #bittyfitz.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> Then as you are tweeting you realize you need some
sort of human interaction. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">You scan through your friends and family, but they would ask
too many questions and your priorities are on entertainment and an insurgence
of energy into your mundane, NYC late night writing sesh. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So you call yours truly for some entertainment, and I don’t
pick up. You then freak out, throw your chair across the room (it’s not that
big) and yell, “AAAHHHH!!,” and you begin to tweet, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">#AAAHHH</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">!</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">After your rampage, the energy supply in your body is
limited and you close up shop and leave for the day. Walking as if you were
drunk to your subway, you stop, get a slice and move on. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Stumbling onto the train, you find a seat that doesn’t
require you to make eye contact with a single person and you crash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eyes opening slowly, blurry views of
black, tan, and brown emerge predominant, and you are in bed looking at your
newly acquired One Direction poster wondering how you got home. What’s that in
your pocket...!!??</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">To be continued..."</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">*** </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I’m posting this story because I decided it was way better than the one
I was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">going to tell you this week. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KU2iOfK2r9M/UYU2p2zJRcI/AAAAAAAAE3M/huuZXgMoJxY/s1600/photo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KU2iOfK2r9M/UYU2p2zJRcI/AAAAAAAAE3M/huuZXgMoJxY/s640/photo.PNG" width="360" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>#lolz</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-50594388115682285942013-04-28T12:15:00.000-04:002013-04-29T00:00:38.123-04:00When New York is Most Splendid <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Occasionally, it’s nice to be home before 3AM.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">On more recent weekends I’ve enjoyed hitting the hay by
2—but only after traipsing around the city for hours on end, using my precious
liveliness to its full advantage and checking out “this or that.” (Being an
energy-filled extrovert is probably quite a handicap for a writer, so I
appreciate your graceful understanding.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Except, now May is right around the corner. With this month
comes boozy brunches and freckles; Central Park picnics and visiting vacationers;
open windows and exasperated AC units. There are broken sunglasses, broken
sandals, lazy naps, the long, extended night, and the seemingly endless light. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Our prologue of summer embraces New York City, and, if
you’re perceptive enough, you can feel a tangible change in the reckless air.
That electric pulse I crave all winter creeps slowly out of hibernation and
explodes by mid-June. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The unfortunate thing about summer in New York is that you
move so quickly for months, and then one morning you wake up and the electricity
is gone. Spent. Fizzled out, like the broken streetlights on the corner of 41st</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> and Steinway. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Now, of course, this energy I speak of <i>does</i> bleed slowly
through some of autumn, and yes, the holidays possess their own specific
spirit. But nothing taste and feels (or smells) like New York City in
summertime—and I’m hopelessly addicted to this season, for better or for worse.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So maybe I’ll be home before 3AM. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Or maybe I won’t. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Or maybe we'll sit on rooftops for hours and count barely visible stars as the sun disintegrates into the moon. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Time is about to blur, as it always does during
this part of the year, and I’ve been waiting not-so-patiently since last October.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But a few moments ago, in the midst of a glorious late-April Saturday, I began to feel that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">buzzing, buzzing, buzzing</i>
pulse of the city once more...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lR_o62ASmI4/UX1FHGMyXeI/AAAAAAAAE24/tGjSaeFjDDw/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="540" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lR_o62ASmI4/UX1FHGMyXeI/AAAAAAAAE24/tGjSaeFjDDw/s640/photo.JPG" width="540" /></span></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>"I love New York on summer afternoons when everyone's
away. There's something very sensuous about it - overripe, as if all sorts of
funny fruits were going to fall into your hands."</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>- F. Scott Fitzgerald</i></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-64042725416986967012013-04-23T00:38:00.005-04:002013-04-23T08:59:43.929-04:00When You Fall In Love<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">You never know when love will strike. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And what a perfect descriptive word that is—strike. Verb.
“To hit or dash, to inflict, to collide.” It’s sudden and sporadic but
overpowering, almost forceful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I could tell you exactly when it happened, what I was wearing,
and how the city smelled (like hesitant spring, if you must know.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">My love story unfolded like this: A friend and I were
weaving in and out of the East Village’s community gardens. It was warm enough
for a leather jacket, but sitting in the shadows would give you a shiver. As we
exited the little rough-and-tumble park, there he sat—my one and only. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8cAEc2uzfG4/UXYN1l7q-CI/AAAAAAAAE2g/aahP6R-ksLE/s1600/photo-33.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8cAEc2uzfG4/UXYN1l7q-CI/AAAAAAAAE2g/aahP6R-ksLE/s640/photo-33.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I laughed with the couch.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I took pictures with the couch. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I even inquired about bed bugs from the couch’s previous
owner. (There were none… finger’s crossed.) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But ultimately I had to walk away from him. How would I
bring my love to Queens?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Except. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Maybe he didn’t have to make that journey… I quickly texted two guys
I knew who lived on that block. Wouldn’t they just love to have a couch from the
side of the road?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Those poor gents—I do feel a bit bad for what happened next. I didn't really ask to keep the large piece of furniture but... but you should understand I was blinded by love! This couch was the urban form
of that lost puppy you begged your parents to keep. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And they must have seen some persistent glimmer in my eye.
There’s no other way to explain why two men would lug a golden chaise lounge
down the block, and up four flights of stairs to their fully furnished
apartment. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">It happened all too quickly. But we were bored and the
weather was warm, so that’s how the story goes. That’s how a large retro couch
made a new (albeit understandably brief) home in a random living room on 6<sup>th</sup>
Street. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I won’t claim to know the fate of my love. As far as I’m
aware, he currently sits in his Alphabet City apartment, probably uncared for
and utterly degraded. I’m fairly certain he’ll be forced back out on the street
any day now, waiting in golden desperation for the next idealistic passerby.
(In fact, his tragic ending may have already occurred!) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The moral of this story, my friends? Love can strike at the
wrong time, and passions may become fickle as they’re
tainted with practicality. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">(Also, never answer a text from me when I’m looking at bulky
furniture on your street.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But, oh, isn’t parting such sweet sorrow?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3r0SDcQlxtI/UXYOB5JNpqI/AAAAAAAAE2o/O6TkWb9_cz0/s1600/photo-35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3r0SDcQlxtI/UXYOB5JNpqI/AAAAAAAAE2o/O6TkWb9_cz0/s640/photo-35.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-58465451013165954062013-04-14T23:49:00.002-04:002013-04-15T00:11:25.338-04:00Why We Should Never Shower <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Today greeted me with a new experience. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I was rushing to get ready Sunday morning; frantically figuring
out what jacket/dress/shoe combination was going to get me through the day.
When leaving my apartment in Queens, I most likely won’t be back from Manhattan
for another 10 to 12 hours—and in spring that means NYC could have experienced 4
different types of weather. (Oh, you fickle season!)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">After finding the magic outfit, I began blow-drying my hair,
brushing it repeatedly to get the right poof, puff, and part. As I worked, I contemplated about maddening morning tasks: Think of the time wasted
perfecting how much blush is on each cheek; which strand of hair should be
pinned up?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I flipped my auburn locks over my head and continued the
process. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Brush, dry, brush dry. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">At one point I held the blow dryer against my brush, trying
to dry the long pieces of hair near my eyes. Maybe I should have just curled my
hair… How long had this taken… What time was it anyway? I moved the brush,
hoping my bangs were dry. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And BAM. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">5 inches of hair fell from my head. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Let me repeat…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I BURNED 5 INCHES OF HAIR OFF MY HEAD. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“NO!” I yelled at the hair dryer. “No, no, NO! How did you
DO that!?” What smelled like tragically burned popcorn leaked from the bathroom into my apartment.
Fused pieces of hair stuck to the brush and bathroom floor, while a stream
of curse words clouded my brain. DAMNIT. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Looking in the mirror suddenly seemed like a horrifying endeavor.
I stood slowly, with both eyes closed. First the right eye squinted open to assess
the damage. When he was confident my left eye could handle such trauma, I
opened both baby blues and began plucking at the fringed pieces with a grimace. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">All these years blow-drying my hair and not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">once </i>have I burned it off. Still
confused, I gathered a clump from off the ground and held it up to my head.
Could I glue it back on? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">After deciding that was not
practical (and probably more messy) my hands worked quickly to tuck, spray, and
hide the new, eye-length DIY haircut. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">This is why we should never shower, and instead, live like cave
people. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Getting dolled up is just too much effort.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">In fact, it’s downright dangerous. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Case closed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xrSKXWFrgT0/UWt39Ki8IRI/AAAAAAAAE2Q/kyTLc2FY5gU/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xrSKXWFrgT0/UWt39Ki8IRI/AAAAAAAAE2Q/kyTLc2FY5gU/s640/photo.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Part of the damage... May my bangs rest in peace.</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">PS - Enjoy the cliche mirror/bathroom selfie. I assure you they don't happen often. Alas, this was the necessary documentation. </span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-18063914896518917132013-03-24T12:15:00.000-04:002013-06-28T23:27:36.690-04:00Signal Malfunctions<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“You come here in 1995 and you could shack up, and live
life, and that was that. But now? New York—it's f*cking Disney World.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I was sitting on a Queens-bound N train, trying desperately
to read my magazine. But a man, who looked like <a href="http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Jared-Leto--Fight-Club-jared-leto-464831_500_347.jpg" target="_blank">Jared Leto</a> from Fight Club, and
a woman who sounded like a <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEQeZmm7IOzwfkOQ2Lr_rpNaiKZRDVSxb9SZwecyUpurluOsXNoUVhAmRXHVP6yL4rtezJBOldQ2_pAkm43Dd0BcRiNlCbPIQLUCrxkj_i1u0iqENpgegjavuuh2ZkvZVZdiinBdb8Ig/s1600/021709-1318-jeanharlow3.jpg" target="_blank">mobster’s wife</a> from the 1930’s, were far too
entertaining… and loud. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“The whole city can go f*ck itself!” she chimed in with her squeaky,
character voice. They both sounded like disgruntled actors, ready for a change.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“I just hate America's mentality. And New York's mentality?
No, it's all goal-orientated. Everyone’s hung up on something. But then where
is the community?” said Fight Club Wannabe. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Doll Face bobbed her blonde head up and down in agreement. “Yeah,
yeah,” she said. I couldn’t help but think her accent was a fake, unless maybe
she’d grown up in New Jersey. No one moves to New York City and suddenly sounds
like a character from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">42<sup>nd</sup>
Street. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“When is it enough?” Doll Face continued. “I keep thinking I'm
going to make it—what's making it? What is that?<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">” </i>Then more quietly, she asks, “After years of the same shit, I
think, ‘Is this it?’” Her question sounded like a sad, defeated statement,
weighing down the air around us. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I’ve always told myself the moment I start to hate New York
more than I love it, the time to leave this both exasperating and enchanting
city will have presented itself. You see, NYC will save you from the horrors of
boredom and normalcy. You’ll achieve more, do much, and see it all—but such
frantic liberation from the dreaded “ordinary” comes at a price. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">New York City will break you; she’ll beat you to the ground,
eat you alive, and then spit up some redesigned version of your former being. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">This
will happen.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> It is inevitable. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">You will lose yourself</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> for better or
worse, for a moment or a lifetime. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And yet, how you survive is sometimes based on what you were
fighting for in the beginning, when you first stepped foot in Manhattan. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>Do we remember what that was?</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I’m not sure these subway riders did. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“I could leave this damn city and have a half-decent life
somewhere else,” the brilliantly blonde man continued. It was obvious something
had pushed him over the edge today. His eyes were angry and a sneer lined his
lips, making him appear cruel. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“You can't just keep raising prices on everything and not
raise salaries. We can't live,” Fight Club said in exasperation. By now, I was
no longer attempting to read my magazine and, instead, waiting for them to
confirm my assumptions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“There’s no money is Broadway!” they both said in unison, as
though it was their morning mantra. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Assumptions confirmed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“I feel guilty for eating. I SHOULDN'T feel guilty for
eating... But I do because I'm over budget,” he continued. “I'm always over
budget and I don't know how to save. How did we make it when we first got
here!?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I could ask myself that same question. But the days of
plastic bag suitcases, and surviving off eggs in the sticky, summertime heat are
maybe still memories in the making. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“I’ve just had enough.” Ironically, our train arrived at the
Broadway stop in Astoria, Queens. I wondered if this sign mocked them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Aaaaattention, attention! Everyone, listen up!” the
conductor’s voice spurred an audible groan from the entire subway car.
Conductors rarely offer tired commuters any good news. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Because of a signal malfunction at the Astoria-Ditmars
stop, this train has been instructed to wait here. More details to come momentarily.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Damnit! Are you kidding me, New York?!” Fight Club Wannabe
shouted in vain. The city probably didn’t hear him, but he shouted anyway. “This
is what I’m talking about. I can’t take this! I can’t TAKE THIS,” he said. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What he really meant (and what we were all thinking) was, “There
is nothing worse than knowing your complete lack of power.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Let’s catch a cab,” he said to ever-agreeable Doll Face.
They stormed off the train with a wave of angry riders, and I followed half-intrigued, half-restless. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We were down the first set of stairs when the conductor’s
voice reappeared, louder than before. “Wait a minute! Get back on this train!”
he said in a (genuine) New York accent. “It’s a miracle! They fixed the
problem!” he continued, with more enthusiasm than I’ve ever heard from a subway
conductor. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Now, quite suddenly, something about life had become amusing
to Fight Club and Doll Face. They started laughing as they ran back up the
stairs, racing each other and sliding into the first subway car. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">They laughed, and laughed, until there was no sound, and
they were doubled over in joyful pain. I ran past their tear-streaked faces and
sprinted to the next car down, wondering if, maybe, they still had some small
shred of love left for this city. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Because New York can be quite a redemptive </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">little </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">witch, when
she wants to be. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But most importantly:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">She’ll always make you laugh. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Or cry. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Or just feel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">something.</i></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxmRTgFG_oCy3xFLo_vkOx6PUymqrjUQuwXSBBR0T-8aPrvZcw96n4QW6lNeD7tv6snciruF5OiVr_3-fjZ8g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CZEQVlzWYQE/UU8hU8EihRI/AAAAAAAAE1s/yh2Upk_dPNM/s1600/bk+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="540" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CZEQVlzWYQE/UU8hU8EihRI/AAAAAAAAE1s/yh2Upk_dPNM/s640/bk+2.JPG" width="540" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-9672759225040586212013-03-16T14:44:00.000-04:002013-03-17T13:49:35.063-04:00Let Your Feet Do The Talking<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I’m not a dancer. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I can hop around and rave at concerts, or mingle at some
seedy club—but let’s be clear: I don’t know actual steps, and while
occasionally I have rhythm, the lack of knowledge about professional dancing
leaves me rigid and confused when I’m reluctantly pulled onto any dance floor. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">(You’d think after 22 weddings and middle school cotillion,
I could handle myself more gracefully. Alas…)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So please imagine my insecurity as I walked toward a
swing dancing club in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen. The weather was moderate, but an angry wind made the air feel more like impending
winter than spring. Still, I sat outside wrapped in my red coat for a lingering
moment, looking the swanky joint up and down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Urgh.” A small twinge of discomfort floated around my
stomach. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But as soon as those butterflies appeared, I knew <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> dancing was no longer an option.
I’ve learned over the years how to read that unsettling feeling; certain anxieties must simply become the next challenge or adventure. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Besides, who doesn’t grow tired of the same bars and
repetitive evenings? With this thought, I walked inside. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Ten or 12 friends were already circled up, learning how to
“rock step” in time to a big band beat. The room was full of nervous faces,
excited feet, and tiny tables illuminated with tea candles. Wine colored walls
and a wooden dance floor gave the club an antique touch. The band was tuning on stage as our
teacher counted out movements…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>Whoops.</i> <i>What did he say?</i> I should've been paying better attention, but my
mind was taking in details. Thank goodness Kristin, an avid swing dancer and friend,
could give me a private lesson. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Always rock step with your right foot. It’s like the period
of a sentence; it’s always the same,” she said, moving back on her heel with
ease. I appreciated the grammar metaphor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fsV3WBjtheQ/UUS_ODfBCoI/AAAAAAAAE1c/Bc9hMeOOSkE/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-16+at+2.48.47+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fsV3WBjtheQ/UUS_ODfBCoI/AAAAAAAAE1c/Bc9hMeOOSkE/s400/Screen+shot+2013-03-16+at+2.48.47+PM.png" width="440" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">After mastering this <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very
simple</i> step, I rewarded myself with a glass of wine. But standing on the
sidelines is dangerous at a swing club: Well-practiced dancers are always
looking for partners. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“May I dance with you?” a man asked, offering his hand. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Oh. Um, yes…” I heard myself mutter. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">Simultaneously, my mind was whispering </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">something </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">along</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"> the
lines of, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">“<i>Bad [bleeping] move Brit.”</i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“But I actually can’t dance!” I exclaimed with true fear. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">He turned me in a perfectly executed twirl, and then
another. “Sure you can,” he replied.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“No, really,” I said, suddenly unable to remember anything
about the dumb “rock step.” But my partner just smiled. He twirled me again,
and I wondered if my dress might be revealing a bit too much?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Okay, well… uh, I’m just following you then,” I said
with a little shrug. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“That’s what you’re supposed to do,” he smiled, effectively
ending my anxious inner dialogue. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And may I just say… I think it was the best dance of my
life. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spin, spin, rock, dip; </i>this guy
could truly dance! I became something like to a pile of spaghetti wearing a
dress, and stuck closely to his every move. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we ended in a dip so low my hair touched the floor, I
laughed in relief. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">After both feet were back on the ground, I promptly hugged
Best Dancer Ever (which may or may not be kosher) and made him promise to dance
with all my friends. He gladly accepted the challenge, whisking away one girl after another.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">As I sat there in the dim lighting, watching the room
twist to and fro, I remembered something important: How wonderful it does, in
fact, feel to let New York City take lead, and occasionally choreograph
life. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Just for us. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The lucky 8.5 million. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzBrpI47WaGdHFivllFeVijLAsnd2TV7TAyIdnjf1c2CIRS0g6L1wxFkJ0rVPjFitAXS2kTQ8jHzYICpe1w1A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-86932878637178673782013-02-24T15:26:00.000-05:002013-02-24T15:37:41.834-05:00Fake It Till Ya Make It<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">There are some harebrained schemes you come up with in life
because you desperately want something. There are also schemes you formulate,
just to see how far you can go—you want to test the boundaries. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">While the former is often more romanticized, I’d argue that
the spontaneity of a “let’s just see where this takes us” kind of endeavor can
be exceptionally freeing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">With that in mind, let’s flashback a few months:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">A friend and I met for drinks, and somewhere in our
discussion the band Imagine Dragons was mentioned. “I like them,” I say, “but
not enough to spend serious money on one of their upcoming concerts.” My new
job was just beginning, cash was low, and while I’d enjoyed the band’s EP in
2012, I hadn’t even heard the new album. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Agreed,” the friend replied (who shall remain a mystery to
the internet, per her request.) “But…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">She had a thought. An intriguing thought. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">For the next 15 minutes, we discussed how we could use her
connections at a national magazine to get free tickets to this concert. What if
she pitched the story to her old boss, as a freelance assignment? Don’t
teeny-bobbers love this band? With approval, she could reach out to the PR
people. Maybe they’d give us tickets—but why would she need two tickets? Ah,
yes! Because I’m her photographer, of course.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I’ve got a camera. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I can take pictures.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Kind of…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Yes, it was a vague plan with many variables. But Friend
made the pitch anyway. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Now flash forward to last Wednesday. I’ve all but forgotten
about this concert, much less assumed I’d still be playing the role of
professional photog. Yet, an adventure was in the making: Friend emailed me
that night with conformation we had successfully secured tickets for [insert
infamous teenage zine here]. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">First reaction: Yes! Free concert. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Second reaction: No! Don’t know how to take pictures. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Final thought? Meh… It’ll be fine. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So we traipsed to the Roseland Ballroom on a rainy Saturday
in February. Friend marched up to the box office and coyly used the phrase I’ve
always hoped to utter since watching “Almost Famous.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We’re with the
band.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Scratch.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Scratch. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The hipster crossed both our names off a list with a yellow
highlighter, mine of which was under “Professional Photographers,” much to my
chagrin. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We smushed into the large venue, weaving in and out of
excitable fans until we had a decent vantage point. Of course, the fight to
view the stage was persistent during the opening acts. But after blockading one
dude with my book bag, refusing to let some brat take our spots, and making
friends with our neighbors—the show began. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And it was actually quite awesome. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The band was especially excited<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>to be playing in New York City, and their energy bled into the
audience. Hit song <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu-xFvLaE68" target="_blank">"Radioactive"</a> was explosive, and coupled with a 5-minute jam
sesh of straight percussion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Needless to say, my pictures aren’t brilliant works of art. These
guys were happily flailing around, and we weren’t exactly front row. Plus, (believe it or not) this "professional photographer" doesn't even own Photoshop. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But, as Friend reminded me, we only need one picture. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And that picture will be pretty </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">small</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So here are a few shots from our journalistic evening (of sorts):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l_OaGmb4wf8/USpul1QIqkI/AAAAAAAAEy8/50VSXIOKBYA/s1600/IMG_7065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l_OaGmb4wf8/USpul1QIqkI/AAAAAAAAEy8/50VSXIOKBYA/s640/IMG_7065.jpg" width="524" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gv_hgorJJMo/USpuyUkMbDI/AAAAAAAAEzM/DTGpqQq3FZI/s1600/IMG_7089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gv_hgorJJMo/USpuyUkMbDI/AAAAAAAAEzM/DTGpqQq3FZI/s640/IMG_7089.JPG" width="540" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCJJJnnm9XhxDJKCtclO7D-WAwIpm8GwJ2vIDAZB_4nYZY1kZjj1_8dz_fG_2BL4oCbAqK3j5de07sRabE7Wwl8lxEnBhnoFlDVICMaPRoVSXO7QffTyYfd2y4NgbTOxzdvU9fTfyR5w/s1600/IMG_7134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCJJJnnm9XhxDJKCtclO7D-WAwIpm8GwJ2vIDAZB_4nYZY1kZjj1_8dz_fG_2BL4oCbAqK3j5de07sRabE7Wwl8lxEnBhnoFlDVICMaPRoVSXO7QffTyYfd2y4NgbTOxzdvU9fTfyR5w/s640/IMG_7134.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-51623794144673091022013-02-10T16:11:00.000-05:002013-02-10T16:26:59.461-05:00Hum A Little Tune<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">There are certain songs that remind you of a specific time
in life. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">For example, whenever I hear Penguin Café Orchestra’s
“Perpetuum,” I’m thrown back to senior year of college.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>It’s well past 2am. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>Three of us are slouched over laptops in Katelyn’s room. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>We smell like stale coffee. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>And as I glance at my lit review, I realize it’ll be another
all-nighter. I won’t sleep until after my first class. So I play this upbeat,
wordless song on repeat, knowing the tune will get me through the next hour of
research. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Another example: During my first year in the city, “Like a
G6” blared from every grimy Lower East Side bar. The beat was guaranteed to
make people dance, and the lyrics were easy enough to remember. (I also recall
one friend drunkenly screaming “Like a CHEESE STICK!” to a crowd of
uninterested onlookers while dancing her way to another drink. Said friend
shall remain anonymous…)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I remember Death Cab for Cutie’s “Expo 86” while riding a
stuffy N train to Coney Island in the summer. My hair was piled on top of my
head, and I happily tapped my foot to the beat, relishing in an endless
Saturday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I remember playing “Good Ol’ Fashion Nightmare” over and
over again on my way to work after ending things with a boy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I remember moving to New York and blasting The Avett
Brother’s “I and Love and You,” while driving up I-95N. (But then that became
too depressing, so I switched to “Empire State of Mind.”)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">There was this one song by Ra Ra Riot that played in
Bloomingdales – and I loved it so much, I’d avoid customers for a precious 2
minutes and 43 seconds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You could
find me in the dressing room, humming along with my eyes closed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I first listened to Mumford and Son’s new album while walking
in the Flatiron District with a leather jacket and a cheeseburger. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The Great Lake Swimmers sung their soft lyrics to a
frustrated writer in her kitchen throughout a gusty fall day, while The Naked and
the Famous announced the arrival of spring. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">M83 “owned the sky” in 2011 (and probably in 2012 too). This
band produces epic I-have-to-walk-miles-to-work music.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I danced my way through the <i>Parents</i> magazine internship with
Passion Pit, and dubstepped my way through the eight-month </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>Huffington Post</i> gig.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Ray Lamontagne walked with me around Washington Square Park,
while Bison’s “Switzerland” played on road trips to Newark. Edward Sharpe took
on the East Village and the Shins maintained their persistent role in my life
via an outdated iPhone playlist. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But that’s not even half the songs, or half the stories. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">In fact, I’m already forgetting some of the details. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">There were plenty of lyrics; plenty of remarkable rhythms
that matched my mood as I was freaking out and making out and falling down and
looking up and trying to remember to laugh, laugh, laugh. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So I thought I’d write a few down… for memory’s sake. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Because each street has a cadenced beat. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Each avenue
possesses a subtle symphony. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And, what music we make. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:user:122291594:playlist:0ImAw9WFu92SexWWn4RhBW" width="300"></iframe></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-80337047854175227262013-01-09T22:55:00.000-05:002013-01-09T23:14:43.007-05:00You Know You’re STILL Poor In New York When… <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">You send text messages like this:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9fAYQ2R6O70/UO46_mkkUUI/AAAAAAAAEw0/eLrlb6Mwqdk/s1600/A_PXFgFCcAMst9C.jpg-large.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9fAYQ2R6O70/UO46_mkkUUI/AAAAAAAAEw0/eLrlb6Mwqdk/s640/A_PXFgFCcAMst9C.jpg-large.jpeg" width="360" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">You dispose of Christmas trees like this:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzSCQEjEDaJkdU0ZpvE_RVQdDwhu7c6sLDT2TH053-bBwn8wD6VMBN7FSiI1g09emMgPYheXV1h2Nx7ND1f_w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And you light candles with your stove burner – like this: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fx65VwMnqCY/UO47ar9ZXzI/AAAAAAAAEw8/ozdecKiLKko/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fx65VwMnqCY/UO47ar9ZXzI/AAAAAAAAEw8/ozdecKiLKko/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">(Cuz ain’t nobody got money for matches!)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-16371113616815825732013-01-06T14:27:00.001-05:002013-01-08T11:44:12.979-05:00"Could I Trouble You For A Photo?"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">My friend Laurie and I typically wind up in the most amusing
situations. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We’ve crashed a few parties, gone to numerous book signings,
and weaseled our way into some fascinating scenarios. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But for this particularly cold Saturday in January, we had
simple plans: Attempt to purchase student rush tickets to a Broadway matinee,
and then enjoy a reasonably-priced brunch. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So we waited in line at the box office of <a href="http://www.theheiressonbroadway.com/" target="_blank">The Heiress</a>,
completely frozen, though high in spirits. There were only two people in front
of us, meaning our chances of grabbing discounted seats were greater than
usual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Forty-five freezing minutes later, we had two tickets to the
show (but, admittedly, we had lost all feeling in our fingers and toes).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYYmIGdILQQcR04o1vy9JPLUpS1r5-rCVUkaFhmnmvodlWAYvN78phUwyCoTygxZ-lVhhyphenhyphenZRQse1Bs7-x7OcJFaEQ-QS0DaeddW8PDZdRzERMyqjmd14K2F1h0H7g8D8clG9epUt_XIQo/s1600/box+office.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYYmIGdILQQcR04o1vy9JPLUpS1r5-rCVUkaFhmnmvodlWAYvN78phUwyCoTygxZ-lVhhyphenhyphenZRQse1Bs7-x7OcJFaEQ-QS0DaeddW8PDZdRzERMyqjmd14K2F1h0H7g8D8clG9epUt_XIQo/s400/box+office.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The rest of the morning was spent at a diner in Hell’s
Kitchen, where we warmed up over coffee and eggs. Next we found ourselves
traipsing through Soho, amongst the discounted stacks of books at Housing
Works. Finally, by 1:45 Laurie and I were ushered into the Walter Kerr Theatre
on West 48<sup>th</sup> Street. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">A man checked our tickets.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Oh, first row,” he said, pointing down, down, down, toward
the stage. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Laurie and I exchanged excited glances. We had noticed our tickets were listed as "orchestra," but we hadn’t realized our good
luck until seated approximately a foot away from the stage. If I had reached my hand out far enough, I could have grabbed the velvety red curtain – and all for a lovely
$30. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NRfDXogqUxc/UOnHCgCeiBI/AAAAAAAAEtw/2dVKNJOYNYw/s1600/curtain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NRfDXogqUxc/UOnHCgCeiBI/AAAAAAAAEtw/2dVKNJOYNYw/s400/curtain.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The play starred </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Jessica Chastain</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Help, Zero Dark Thirty)</i>, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Dan Stevens</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Downton Abbey)</i>, and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">David Strathairn</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lincoln, The Bourne Ultimatum). </i>It was a well-done show with ornate
costumes and a lavish set that was even more fascinating from the front row.
I’m certainly no theater critic, but I was most impressed by Chastain’s flood
of real tears in Act II and Stevens’ ability to completely snuff out his
British accent, transforming himself into an earnest Yankee. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">After the curtain fell, Laurie suggested we find the stage
door to see if any of the actors appeared. As you might guess from previous Facebook
posts and squeals of delight via Instagram, the performers did indeed grace us
with their presence. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Somehow I found myself relatively close to Dan Stevens, or
Matthew Crawley as you might know him from the British miniseries, Downton
Abbey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">(And let’s be honest… he’s the main reason I wanted to see The
Heiress.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I passed our Playbills over a girl’s head so that he might
quickly sign them. Suddenly, space opened up, and I was standing right in front
of the actor, congratulating him as he initialed our programs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Picture. I… I need a
picture, </i>I thought to myself while fumbling to pull out my cell phone. He
just stood there and looked dashing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Don’t act crazy. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">You are starting to
look a little crazy.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Just focus on opening
the camera app.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Laurie asked if I wanted a picture with Stevens. No, no… I
didn’t want to bother him, I replied in haste. Meanwhile I attempted to snap a photo
of the actor while he signed another fan’s playbill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But panic ensued. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">My phone…my brand </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">NEW</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> iPhone… was completely frozen.
Apparently, he too was star struck by the great and admirable Downton Abbey
character. I silently cursed all the technology ever created in the world.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Click, click… CLICK! </i>Nothing.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Now you really look
crazy, </i>my mind politely told me. But augh! I needed a picture of Dan
Stevens, aka Cousin Matthew, aka the sudden love of my life. I’m not crazy!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Click, click… </i>nope.
It wasn’t happening.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Right then, I almost chucked my iPhone at Dan Stevens’ head.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">WHY NOW!? Whhhhhhy!?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Luckily, Laurie remained calm. “Just ask him for a picture
Brit,” she said with her camera ready. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Uh… could I trouble you for a photo?” I hesitantly questioned,
with as much poise as possible. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“No trouble at all,” he smiled. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">You should know that Stevens has a perfect British accent. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">You should also know
that while I have a picture with him, my heart is not beating in said photo. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">What a good ol' New York kind of day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">[</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Editor’s Note</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">: I promise I am not as bananas as this blog
post may suggest, though I do have a certain weakness for all things British.
Also, my bashful iPhone and I are on speaking terms again.]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DWDICLkC1pufuOHNweR4nbQJf04NKjXea67jyEtAq_E2ej7SYjPTcTwuEK3l8JzY67tYvmszBroRbH3wU4iL828Ji6ACCLotCx3qWyxliRLuWX2I5IiUs5EopioqS3rH3Iy9NVvAnKQ/s1600/IMG_4404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DWDICLkC1pufuOHNweR4nbQJf04NKjXea67jyEtAq_E2ej7SYjPTcTwuEK3l8JzY67tYvmszBroRbH3wU4iL828Ji6ACCLotCx3qWyxliRLuWX2I5IiUs5EopioqS3rH3Iy9NVvAnKQ/s400/IMG_4404.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> <i>Laurie and I pre-show. </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ugtBBQXaUeE/UOnJpf-tIUI/AAAAAAAAEvM/cYKe0GGqoH0/s1600/playbill+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ugtBBQXaUeE/UOnJpf-tIUI/AAAAAAAAEvM/cYKe0GGqoH0/s400/playbill+2.JPG" width="398" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> <i>The cast was uber sweet and signed a ton of</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>Playbills, despite the temperature outside. </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zZRZsJ9Xor8/UOnJqakF_vI/AAAAAAAAEvU/O2TPpi1035E/s1600/537425_1847167550143_130358661_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zZRZsJ9Xor8/UOnJqakF_vI/AAAAAAAAEvU/O2TPpi1035E/s400/537425_1847167550143_130358661_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>Dan Stevens, Matthew Crawley, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">Morris Townsend; </span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">whatever you best know him as</span>. </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>(I really did try to be cool. *Try*) </i></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-34097415750670817552013-01-01T23:59:00.000-05:002013-01-02T00:39:54.173-05:00Well, Hello 2013<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We all drift. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Slightly touching, slightly bruising – we move through
periods of life at an undetermined speed, where the future becomes hindsight
and the present slips quickly into the past. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I was at a New Year’s Eve party near Washington D.C. only
hours ago, and noticed this so-called “drift.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">It was approximately 11:52 when I carefully climbed the back
of a couch in heels, and perched on a ledge above the chaos. My friends and I
held our champagne in noisy expectation, surveying the packed room. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The large crowd below us was also prepared. Everyone held
some sort of beverage while haphazardly watching the television pan Times
Square’s cold faces. (I silently thanked God I was not anywhere <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">near</i> Midtown, Manhattan.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">New Year’s celebrations are always slightly bittersweet.
Yes, it’s the beginning of the next chapter, and a good ol’ party is certainly
appreciated. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>“Ten, nine, eight…” </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But it’s also the birthday of time. And time seems so vastly
limiting. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>“Seven, six…”</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Take for instance, this party: Old friends, long ago
acquaintances, new faces, names I’ve forgotten… they’re all blending together
for this one moment in time. But it’s not enough! Within hours of midnight,
I’ll be back on a bus traveling to New York.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>“Five, four…”</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And then what? On January 2, time is more or less forgotten.
We retreat to our routines pre-holiday season in anti-climactic huffs. Another
year has passed and we’ve drifted in and out of jobs, relationships, and homes.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes it seems as though we’re counting down toward the
end, and not the beginning. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>“Three…”</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">(Am I bringing you down? Well, I warned you about my
bittersweet thoughts on the New Year.) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>“Two…”</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The less sour side of my opinion reveals a more optimistic
outlook:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">How extraordinary the connections we form; how fascinating
our webs of finely-weaved hellos and goodbyes. Are there not so many people still left to
meet and so many intriguing opportunities left to conquer? The thought of
harping extensively on what’s already happened suddenly seems cruelly stifling.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The clock may be ticking loudly in our ears on January 1,
but it certainly never stops. So embrace this fluid motion. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Slightly touching, slightly bruising, or full-on crashing
into one another…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We drift on. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>“One!”</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Happy New Year. May 2013 lead to some of your </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">greatest adventures yet. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hSszXBMhsXE/UOPEwTVDpOI/AAAAAAAAEsQ/rFoc821oZ2s/s1600/IMG_4782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hSszXBMhsXE/UOPEwTVDpOI/AAAAAAAAEsQ/rFoc821oZ2s/s640/IMG_4782.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-92196644535244876302012-12-15T10:40:00.000-05:002012-12-15T11:54:43.247-05:00Something Closer To What We Call "Stability"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I suppose it’s time to tell you about my new "big girl" job. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I’ve owed you this blog post for quite a few weeks but, as
you might understand, the dust from my last shaky jump into the unknown needed
to settle before I blasted any inner thoughts over the internet. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So let’s flashback to New York’s mild days of mid-October:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">That’s me. I’m sitting at my desk in the vast Huffington
Post newsroom. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most likely on
deadline, and probably a little bit hungry, I’m frantically typing something
tech-related. There’s two disposable cups perched on the edge of my shared desk
– one full of water; the other drained of coffee. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Someone nearby is smashing a sandwich into their face, and the
noise becomes distracting. While I struggle to find the correct turn of phrase about
Apple’s latest whatever, all I can hear is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">smack, smack </i>of lips. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Then a phone rings. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Then two reporters start talking. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Someone’s laughing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The TV blares above my head.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">My Gchat pings…. and pings, and pings, and pings. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I quickly grab my headphones and stuff them into my ears,
praying I can block out the nasty sound of what is probably a mild form of OCD.
Now we can see me glance at the clock. Did you catch that twitch? Yes, I’ve got
30 minutes to make this article into something publishable.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B6hbyQO6ZXs/UMq8SyluAcI/AAAAAAAAEqg/S8ifXR5k_lk/s1600/67770_10102517100901463_804782635_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B6hbyQO6ZXs/UMq8SyluAcI/AAAAAAAAEqg/S8ifXR5k_lk/s400/67770_10102517100901463_804782635_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Oh... that face. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But before continuing, I stare at the empty, coffee-stained
paper cup still sitting on my desk. Can you see those wheels turning? That’s
right… I’m thinking about the promise I made to myself in 2010. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Many temporary jobs ago, I decided I wouldn’t bring a coffee
cup to work until I had a salaried, fixed position within a company. This
future mug was my secret reward, while this cynical thought was my slight
motivation and persistent reminder that every publishing job I’d obtained thus
far had been as stable as that damn paper cup. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">It’s not that I wasn’t happy. In fact, the longer I worked
for good ol’ Huffy, the more I appreciated my experience. I was getting paid to
write! I had national bylines, and relevance, and editors tearing apart my
work, and deadlines to make, and valuable lessons to learn – that’s the dream,
right? “THAT’S why you’re HERE,” I would think to myself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But the truth is, loan payments loomed. PB&J sandwiches began to make my stomach revolt. I craved a certain responsibility, and maybe even the next
experience. I also knew there wasn’t a permanent position for me at HuffPost. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So I left. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lgb-DRlRsmw/UMq9FFPel6I/AAAAAAAAEqo/OZO-As8jegI/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lgb-DRlRsmw/UMq9FFPel6I/AAAAAAAAEqo/OZO-As8jegI/s400/photo.JPG" width="298" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Last day on the job. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I won’t lie; the process wasn’t quite that easy. There was a
series of interviews and edit tests that dominated my evenings, while a growing
pit in my stomach reminded me that I’d become quite fond of my home at AOL
headquarters. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Still, there’s never been a job I haven’t enjoyed, and already
I’ve happily immersed myself back into the world of print publication. I’m now
the official web editor of Kiwi Magazine. (An editor? An editor! Insert silly squeal of delight here.) Social media growth, blogger platforms, daily site updates,
quick copy – these are my pet projects I’m more than thrilled to develop. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But let’s flashback to New York’s not-so-mild days of late
November: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">That’s me. I’m standing in the lobby of 770 Broadway,
receiving my first job offer. It’s raining, so my hair is probably a mess, but
then again so is everyone else’s. Boots are squeaking across the marble floor.
Umbrellas are opening and closing on cue, like life has been previously choreographed.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I’m all genuine smiles as my next boss tells me the good news,
though I know my departure from Huffington Post will inevitably be bittersweet.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But do you know the first thing I thought? Over salary negotiations, and vacation days, and contracts -- t</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">he very first thing to cross my mind as a full time
employee was this:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">"I can</span> <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">finally</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"> bring a coffee mug to work."</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And so I did. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lzfq9TRe73o/UMq9ZPNYPEI/AAAAAAAAEq0/nptPgyCmTO8/s1600/kiwi.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="397" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lzfq9TRe73o/UMq9ZPNYPEI/AAAAAAAAEq0/nptPgyCmTO8/s400/kiwi.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>The new office, located in mid-town.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-56656089957344085112012-12-06T01:27:00.000-05:002012-12-06T09:39:36.366-05:00"Yes" To The Dance Of Conversation<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I was standing on the balcony of a penthouse apartment,
located deep within New York City’s gentrified East Village. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a seasonably warm Monday night in
December, and the town sparkled like stars under our noses. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The man to my right (whom we shall call </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">M</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">) and the woman to
my left (whom we shall call </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">B</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">) appeared to be actors, or at least the “theater
type,” with their perfect diction piercing the night air alongside the clink of
half-filled wine glasses. Our hostess was The Reverend – a striking and dignified
woman – who joyfully stated that “the choir came over every week for dinner.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">My new friend B had a high-pitched voice and cat-eyed
Kate Spade glasses. Her hair was cut short and her clothes fell just right,
giving the actress a casually posh appearance. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">To put in simply, B was the kind of
go-getting gal you’d write a book about. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Then again, nearly every person who
occupied that penthouse had the look of a fascinating story about them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>“How’d I get here?”</i> I thought to myself as M and I discussed everything
from art exhibits to hurricanes to the sheer brilliance of some new flick. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Oh, I do so love a random soirée! How we dance that
conversational waltz, attempting to briefly bond with strangers, never to be
seen again... It’s fascinating to care about the trivial or noteworthy, half in
jest and half for the challenge of greeting humanity’s neediness with a sure quip
and clever grin. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Not to mention the captivating tales of life one can uncover. If I had
the time (and if you cared enough) I’d write down the dozens of observations my
brain clung to as M, B, and a whole cast of others glided effortlessly around
the apartment -- sequins, cheese platters, and all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But I suppose the true story is that my friend Kortlyn has a
set of benefactors, or “sugar parents” if you will, who graciously bought us
poor girls tickets to see a show. The performance was <i>something else</i>, with
music written by Larry Hart, a few songs preformed by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Hart" target="_blank">Linda Hart</a>, and a little ditty
by The Reverend herself that had something to do with “stomping your Prada for
God.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gyg2Tckm5ms/UMAxdSzENsI/AAAAAAAAEpE/uTIUDWwnE8U/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="397" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gyg2Tckm5ms/UMAxdSzENsI/AAAAAAAAEpE/uTIUDWwnE8U/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Sneaking pictures</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Then, before we knew it, Kortlyn and I were led to the cast's after party by the generous upper crusts of New York. To the northeast we walked -- bubbly in hand, patchwork makeup on our faces. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Finally, up an elevator we went. As our motley crew stepped into the apartment, the greeting ritual
commenced with a few “I’ll take your coats,” and several “The food and
beverages are right this way.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
top floor apartment was humble by city standards but the space and view were
something I rarely witness. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So that’s how we got to the balcony of penthouse in New York. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">On a Monday night. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">In December. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And all of this just to say…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">There will be those quixotic moments in life when
you’ll want to say “yes” to any offer that comes your way. And then there will
be those sulky periods of time when you’ll simply want to say “no,” "no way," or "hell to the no" at even the best of requests.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I suggest refraining from the later. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">
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</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><o:p> *****</o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>Here was my favorite clip from the
performance:</i></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">
<!--EndFragment--></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy1_urTpubTp5F_qGnqoI0qZQ1lkpUJKFLdN3Ffrl2QycQ037liB4wf3M3SNjH8_O-gdU9Knx8CHYssSv5hCQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>"Big hair" gets you closer to "Gaauhd." </i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>Yeah.... it was like </i>that<i>. </i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-83192999166099170402012-11-28T01:34:00.000-05:002012-11-28T01:44:15.678-05:00Ask All You Want, But I Don’t Have The Answer<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Which way is home?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I thought about this while barreling up the East Coast
toward New York’s Penn Station. Pebbly roads and snaking streams cut the
surrounding landscape, like a post card from some old country store. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I was leaving home – or I was going home? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We passengers stared silently out of our individual windows,
all of us likely trying to peg down a certain emotion. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Richmond, Ashland, Fredericksburg</i>… the train continued north as winter’s
hesitantly sunny skies kissed any remaining flecks of red and orange in the
barren treetops. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">With each year I live in New York, it becomes more difficult
to imagine residing anywhere else. The addiction of city life is all
encompassing; that ever-present spark in the night air, the endless
possibilities each hour might bring, the hoards of people you’ve yet to meet,
touch, know….</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But oh, how <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">easy </i>it
is to be home (which, in this case, I’m defining as that familiar place
harboring your most distinct memories of childhood). The normalcy of life is
comforting and triggers a specific type of relaxation unobtainable in any other
environment. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Home has the smell of coffee in the mornings.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Kitchen stools, lined up in a row of three. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">A Weezer CD left in your car since high school. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Dogs barking, cars parking,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">That revolving side door of continual visitors. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">These things are native. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Natural.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Normal. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But now, too, are the rooftops and subway stops of New York
City. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Home has a crack in the pavement that you always trip over. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Bars you know, friends you meet. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Italian bagel guys who make you laugh. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">People walking, cars honking,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">That perpetual feeling you’re living, being, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">doing.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">These things are native. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Natural.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Normal. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">These things are home - that place where you </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>were</i>, and where
you must go <i>back</i>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">With these oh-so insightful thoughts brought on by obvious
train boredom, I decided stubbornly (if only at my own indecision) that I was,
in fact, allowed to have two “homes.” Who doesn’t fancy a little
juxtaposition anyway?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So you can keep asking me to pick one place over the other. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Ask all you want!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But I won't choose because, at least for now, I simply don't have the answer. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And I may never have one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f5iie0z4MOE/ULWtNNt9DOI/AAAAAAAAEns/znw4w-qP-y8/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="502" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f5iie0z4MOE/ULWtNNt9DOI/AAAAAAAAEns/znw4w-qP-y8/s640/photo.JPG" width="510" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>The great American railroad -- where, incidentally, my train was delayed due to a man on the tracks who was "armed and dangerous" outside of Philly. But, that's another blog post. </i></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-28903052331066826162012-10-30T23:18:00.003-04:002012-10-31T00:56:04.542-04:00New York And Hurricane Sandy, Part Two: We Are Hit<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6fLFbaar5u8/UJCNlDBZTnI/AAAAAAAAEjw/oGohyLyybPg/s1600/sandy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="326" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6fLFbaar5u8/UJCNlDBZTnI/AAAAAAAAEjw/oGohyLyybPg/s640/sandy.JPG" width="540" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“Unless you own a submarine, there is no way you are getting
out of New York City,” a frantic reporter stated on television. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">My roommate and I looked at each other, slightly wide-eyed.
It seemed as though the island of Manhattan was on its own tonight. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Hurricane Sandy officially made landfall in New Jersey
around 8pm on October 29, 2012. Wind gusts reached 90 mph, as a 13-foot storm
surge encompassed lower Manhattan. By 9:30pm, news anchors announced that
nearly every building located under 39</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 20px;">th</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> street was
without power.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So why did the glistening lights of our city flicker out? Some
of the blame can be attributed to the explosion that occurred at a Con Edison
power plant on East 14<sup>th </sup>and FDR. The video footage is shown below:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="415" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZAqYZ433TeQ" width="520"></iframe></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">New York’s subway tunnels (not all that surprisingly) were
also damaged, but the murky water rose </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">higher than expected. Our 108-year-old underground system has never before "faced a disaster
as devastating as what we experienced last night," MTA Chairman Joseph
Lhota recently told several news sources. And air traffic isn’t looking much better,
with over 15,000 flights cancelled throughout the last several days.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k9WZW3wevgk/UJCJtD1ya5I/AAAAAAAAEiY/Dz8D6wv3zko/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-10-30+at+10.17.01+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="372" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k9WZW3wevgk/UJCJtD1ya5I/AAAAAAAAEiY/Dz8D6wv3zko/s400/Screen+shot+2012-10-30+at+10.17.01+PM.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>I thought the subway would flood but... </i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>Source: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">ninjapito</span></i></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So, in essence, everyone is stuck. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">This also means, by the time you’ve read this post, I
will be uncontrollably stir crazy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Still, where I reside in Queens, we were relatively
untouched. Sometime around 5pm yesterday, when storm winds were just picking
up, the largest tree on our block snapped and took several power lines down
with it. Lucky, the sporadic electricity lasted us through the night. (Because
let’s face it: Without the local news mishaps, sensationalism, and awesome
accents, Hurricane Sandy just wouldn’t have been as fun. And was anyone
watching <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/29/ali-velshi-hurricane-sandy-media_n_2041444.html?utm_hp_ref=media" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Ali Velshi</span> of CNN</a>!?)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Entertainment aside, what transpired in Breezy Point, Queens (<a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&oe=UTF-8&q=Breezy+Point,+Queens&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x89c243fb03bb012b:0x2206897e5c9ba874,Breezy+Point,+NY&gl=us&ei=FYqQUNnnFsy60QGHqICYBw&ved=0CJYBELYD" target="_blank">located here</a>) was
pretty petrifying. A massive 6-alarm fire </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">reportedly </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">wiped out 80 to 100 houses in one
flooded neighborhood, with some pockets continuing to burn through morning. <a href="http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/30/14797289-breezy-point-whatever-is-not-flooded-is-on-fire?lite" target="_blank">The unexpected, ashy pictures</a> were pretty unnerving.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I also received a short message from Ivy, Harlem
resident extraordinaire, during the middle of our epic storm. Apparently, one
of her windows was flung open from the gusts, shattering a nearby vase. But not
to worry -- after exclaiming that Sandy “better not mess with this Floridian!”
Ivy covered her window with two chairs and a vintage boat propeller (phew). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And me? Well, the internet and cable have been off the
majority of the day so I did what I do best. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I went and bought bagels.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Because you KNOW New York didn’t
run out of those.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>For some legit pics, check out <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2012/10/hurricane-sandy-after-landfall/100396/" target="_blank">The Atlantic</a> or <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/30/hurricane-sandy-damage-photos-superstorm-unthinkable-aftermath_n_2044099.html" target="_blank">The Huffington Post's</a> coverage of the storm. Here's what we Queens kids have been up to...</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5EJQkrtxCUo/UJCO_u1YuRI/AAAAAAAAEj4/PiHrPlJNfVw/s1600/sandy+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="325" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5EJQkrtxCUo/UJCO_u1YuRI/AAAAAAAAEj4/PiHrPlJNfVw/s640/sandy+2.JPG" width="540" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Our street in Queens, with multiple trees down. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s1P2dQ37Rp4/UJCPF5v_oyI/AAAAAAAAEkA/HwbpPI6L4I4/s1600/sandy+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="325" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s1P2dQ37Rp4/UJCPF5v_oyI/AAAAAAAAEkA/HwbpPI6L4I4/s640/sandy+3.JPG" width="540" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Internet = Out. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRVo3yhZy-WtMDxNXeMTeQq0Zbq_dMPtVrm6rTxVUPC82wUQyHNPdoXl4PKzIs4gcRJYe4VZAvGvxVQ7aXX5lj9GkWZVlJ1VQpeQ7_qTRNPLI53gyU-q6t9_y-g_JrRLSBnYxxibl98I/s1600/sandy+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRVo3yhZy-WtMDxNXeMTeQq0Zbq_dMPtVrm6rTxVUPC82wUQyHNPdoXl4PKzIs4gcRJYe4VZAvGvxVQ7aXX5lj9GkWZVlJ1VQpeQ7_qTRNPLI53gyU-q6t9_y-g_JrRLSBnYxxibl98I/s640/sandy+4.JPG" width="540" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Steinway Street storefronts had some damage.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0HURHPCBIRE/UJCWOicskLI/AAAAAAAAEls/iWOKyoU-HVQ/s1600/3+photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="504" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0HURHPCBIRE/UJCWOicskLI/AAAAAAAAEls/iWOKyoU-HVQ/s640/3+photo.JPG" width="510" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Hanging out the window during the storm. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c1QvAmi5LKs/UJCWPY8SVXI/AAAAAAAAEl0/PnhgObU61iY/s1600/4+photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c1QvAmi5LKs/UJCWPY8SVXI/AAAAAAAAEl0/PnhgObU61iY/s640/4+photo.JPG" width="510" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">RIP "Big Tree." The neighborhood shall miss you. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nr0kQH-1Hhs/UJCWSNqCpFI/AAAAAAAAEl8/3N6hiSlhutw/s1600/5+photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="510" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nr0kQH-1Hhs/UJCWSNqCpFI/AAAAAAAAEl8/3N6hiSlhutw/s640/5+photo.JPG" width="510" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Two of the trees down on our street. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ud2GLI_xUXA/UJCQSiCJkFI/AAAAAAAAEkU/vr3gW6Ts4bA/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="540" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ud2GLI_xUXA/UJCQSiCJkFI/AAAAAAAAEkU/vr3gW6Ts4bA/s640/photo.JPG" width="540" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The dark city skyline from my rooftop. </span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-88837444185919349192012-10-28T23:16:00.001-04:002012-10-28T23:55:14.827-04:00New York And Hurricane Sandy, Part One: We Wait<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“No bread. We don’t have any bread. No buns, no biscuits, no
bread!” the manager of Key Foods was shouting to a group of unlucky customers
on Astoria’s 30<sup>th</sup> Ave. Lines at the grocery store were invading the
produce aisles, while queues at Duane Reade wrapped toward the rear of the
building. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Such Sunday hubbub could only mean one thing: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">It’s hurricane
time</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">New York is an odd place to inhabit when one of these gales
unexpectedly blows through the East Coast. Our fluidity of the city is interrupted
by a new excitement. The 8.5 million people of NYC spastically shop for
supplies, grab last minute “hurricane survival kits,” and then, quite suddenly,
disappear. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Never will you feel more like the apocalypse occurred -- and you
were infuriatingly left behind -- than when you’re standing in front of a shining, glistening, completely empty Time Square. It’s an eerie sensation to
see one center of the universe so vacant of human life. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ff4CUpMm5VE/UI3z8dHinNI/AAAAAAAAEhA/xoBKRFv804Y/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ff4CUpMm5VE/UI3z8dHinNI/AAAAAAAAEhA/xoBKRFv804Y/s400/photo.JPG" width="299" /></a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>At 2pm this afternoon...</i></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But people love storms too. That same energy New York grasps
on a daily basis is bundled into a shared excitement that spreads faster than
the flu in February. News anchors become superstars, meteorologists become
gods, and we common folk? Those of us not living under a rock quickly ban
together against what might as well be dubbed the “impending doom.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">As I ran down Steinway to pick up two more bottles of wine
before the liquor store closed, I saw a few old women jumping up and down in the
street about their “sleepover,” a rolling office chair fly down the sidewalk
and smack into an SUV, as well as a group of guys who wanted to know if me and my
roommate would attend their “hurricane party of the century.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I think it’s safe to say we take ourselves seriously in times of distress… but
not that seriously. And that's probably best.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">If Hurricane Sandy’s current trajectory pans out, storm
force winds are expected to occur around lunchtime tomorrow in the New York City
area. Already the subway, busses, and other forms of public transportation have
been shut down and evacuations of “Zone A” ordered. The majority of businesses
(including Wall Street) are closed for tomorrow, and schools were cancelled early
this morning. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So what will the supposed “Frankenstorm” inflict? Maybe Hurricane
Sandy will bring a whole lot of nothing… or maybe the worst weather to have
swept this area in decades will stubbornly</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> commence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Either way, I’m staying (safely) in the city. And I’m a
little excited to see what tomorrow will bring. Let's hope I don’t eat my
words...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dnFnx8_ED-A/UI3z8CFucDI/AAAAAAAAEg0/6V2-s3Hv_6A/s1600/photo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dnFnx8_ED-A/UI3z8CFucDI/AAAAAAAAEg0/6V2-s3Hv_6A/s400/photo.PNG" width="266" /></a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Be careful out there kiddos. </span></div>
britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-79395167291275623072012-10-16T21:49:00.000-04:002012-10-16T21:56:16.825-04:00So You Want A Birthday Post, Grace?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">It's my little sister's birthday. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And she, in jest, asked for a blog post. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">im not begging but like if you need to inform your blogger followers then feel free to do so</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;">," she stated on my Facebook wall. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">BAM. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Inform them I shall. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">First, let us celebrate G-race (pronounced gee-race in sister talk) by showing off this gem from 2006. Believe it or not, this photo has lingered on Facebook all these years. It's also one of the oldest digital pictures we have together. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Of6x_5Pumuk/UH4DgIHp4vI/AAAAAAAAEc4/n9HZ5GQg9Y0/s1600/648_1053210404320_1018_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Of6x_5Pumuk/UH4DgIHp4vI/AAAAAAAAEc4/n9HZ5GQg9Y0/s400/648_1053210404320_1018_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Aren't you glad you asked for a post, Gracie? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Alright, alright... </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I'll add few more favorable (and ridiculous) pictures too.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Happy Birthday little sis!</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DUzVA47QG2o/UH4DXNefGKI/AAAAAAAAEbY/E6fTYAaW1E0/s1600/1403_1040767373252_257_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DUzVA47QG2o/UH4DXNefGKI/AAAAAAAAEbY/E6fTYAaW1E0/s400/1403_1040767373252_257_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">When we were just tourist in NY. (2008)</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SS_ImuuV8LQ/UH4KN2SecAI/AAAAAAAAEe0/tLjfme9LBVs/s1600/648_1053223404645_3078_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SS_ImuuV8LQ/UH4KN2SecAI/AAAAAAAAEe0/tLjfme9LBVs/s400/648_1053223404645_3078_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> Who says we don't look alike? Grace's 16th birthday. (2009)</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-15A8LsqqiEI/UH4KV3LnmTI/AAAAAAAAEe8/ZPkXpRe2xak/s1600/394615_10151172233137195_1713015893_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-15A8LsqqiEI/UH4KV3LnmTI/AAAAAAAAEe8/ZPkXpRe2xak/s320/394615_10151172233137195_1713015893_n.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Oh, those girls. (2012)</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9RFgBS77BN0/UH4KWodtxwI/AAAAAAAAEfA/mlQOfKY_030/s1600/398734_10150574339042195_1504830148_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9RFgBS77BN0/UH4KWodtxwI/AAAAAAAAEfA/mlQOfKY_030/s400/398734_10150574339042195_1504830148_n.jpg" width="275" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Something is weird about this. (2012)</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4a2QBN-YbFc/UH4DYDUeVEI/AAAAAAAAEbg/39IBv_1Ru9I/s1600/1403_1040768133271_5542_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4a2QBN-YbFc/UH4DYDUeVEI/AAAAAAAAEbg/39IBv_1Ru9I/s400/1403_1040768133271_5542_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">To reiterate... we were tourist in NY. (2008)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUfs1nN-E3HPQAogmDSa-aK8Es8suTOZDqyCxT0caLwClnQAdM6VZ6Bmnf6NyOOaaAJ-Srw4q5Jpgx6bYNztFCW8PAU6ofGqTfB1lxc8JHi1NGohMADs5xOcFhYztLxAnTXVfw4bVuBgQ/s1600/224801_5009604746_3429_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUfs1nN-E3HPQAogmDSa-aK8Es8suTOZDqyCxT0caLwClnQAdM6VZ6Bmnf6NyOOaaAJ-Srw4q5Jpgx6bYNztFCW8PAU6ofGqTfB1lxc8JHi1NGohMADs5xOcFhYztLxAnTXVfw4bVuBgQ/s400/224801_5009604746_3429_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Downtown Richmond with the Spicer clan. (2007)</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UB-tnz8iUAc/UH4DaBXHnuI/AAAAAAAAEb4/LOt5e1AWcVc/s1600/228339_1134153805245_3069913_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UB-tnz8iUAc/UH4DaBXHnuI/AAAAAAAAEb4/LOt5e1AWcVc/s400/228339_1134153805245_3069913_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Oh, the beginning of jumping pictures. (2009)</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-40YwsFTDNOg/UH4JDJh7PII/AAAAAAAAEek/KqGrZfwQY18/s1600/154959_10150103519087195_7491180_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="373" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-40YwsFTDNOg/UH4JDJh7PII/AAAAAAAAEek/KqGrZfwQY18/s400/154959_10150103519087195_7491180_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> We get really excited in our family. (2010)</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PiocRDrLSvE/UH4DbPuj6bI/AAAAAAAAEcA/F5b0V5lbhSU/s1600/268952_2152158037324_1150663_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PiocRDrLSvE/UH4DbPuj6bI/AAAAAAAAEcA/F5b0V5lbhSU/s400/268952_2152158037324_1150663_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">With Kathryn on Tour. (2011)</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dEiOeaV7-0U/UH4JDkg9NSI/AAAAAAAAEes/gBEtFUnaeXM/s1600/37175_486488732194_7806932_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dEiOeaV7-0U/UH4JDkg9NSI/AAAAAAAAEes/gBEtFUnaeXM/s400/37175_486488732194_7806932_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Such a doll. Halloween? Spirit week in high school? You decide. (2010)</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hZGdsnaNC8M/UH4Li1bnUqI/AAAAAAAAEfM/Kp3SyJYwcvY/s1600/488393_4021109399151_89681556_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hZGdsnaNC8M/UH4Li1bnUqI/AAAAAAAAEfM/Kp3SyJYwcvY/s400/488393_4021109399151_89681556_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The classic college kid pic. (2012)</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ee0McWU5V4g/UH4Db3TPktI/AAAAAAAAEcI/VF-prNdZI68/s1600/3187_1072896455670_3788077_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ee0McWU5V4g/UH4Db3TPktI/AAAAAAAAEcI/VF-prNdZI68/s400/3187_1072896455670_3788077_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">With both sisters, at Passport Camp. (2008) </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FFLDSJVjYKE/UH4DcY86krI/AAAAAAAAEcM/GuS-rzZ5pxU/s1600/3187_1073836119161_3765937_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FFLDSJVjYKE/UH4DcY86krI/AAAAAAAAEcM/GuS-rzZ5pxU/s400/3187_1073836119161_3765937_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> Easter at Uncle and Aunt's place. (2009)</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HnNokiq4lz0/UH4DdBaKB1I/AAAAAAAAEcU/OfT3Ne8-DhE/s1600/356_524150271809_4184_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HnNokiq4lz0/UH4DdBaKB1I/AAAAAAAAEcU/OfT3Ne8-DhE/s400/356_524150271809_4184_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> When you were just visiting CNU, G-race. (2008)</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Ynu5wYvAIA/UH4DfL_Y5PI/AAAAAAAAEcw/K_ETxzn1O3w/s1600/553536_3535566340878_118102552_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Ynu5wYvAIA/UH4DfL_Y5PI/AAAAAAAAEcw/K_ETxzn1O3w/s400/553536_3535566340878_118102552_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> Kathryn's graduation from CNU. (2012)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I mean... I have to throw one more in there. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We look about the same ;)</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-49vB7m5wEMg/UH4DgzkoL9I/AAAAAAAAEdA/HMwxTwBwXms/s1600/648_1053210564324_2251_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-49vB7m5wEMg/UH4DgzkoL9I/AAAAAAAAEdA/HMwxTwBwXms/s400/648_1053210564324_2251_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">High school graduation. (2006)</span></div>
britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-49083321253994995252012-10-03T00:10:00.000-04:002012-10-03T01:23:19.994-04:00Um, "That's Mine"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We were sitting at an elevated table toward the western side
of Bryant Park, a few quiet blocks over from Times Square.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Ivy and I wore casual clothes and discussed casual topics,
because on Sunday, one can afford the time to be casual. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">A random rainstorm had cleared the park of its many weekend
inhabitants, but the decidedly stubborn sun had just made its second appearance
of the day. We relaxed amongst the rays of lucky light, taking in a quintessential New York autumn afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“What are you doing the 20<sup>th</sup>?” Ivy asked. Her
belongings were scattered on our green metal table; she fidgeted with her
phone. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“I donno,” I said. “Let me look.” I reached for my own
mobile, and flipped open an omnipresent force in my life: the iCal. Meanwhile,
my bag rested an arms length away, propped in another chair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">In the midst of our weekend planning, a slow moving woman
passed near our table. She wasn’t old, but probably older than us, wearing
orange flips-flops and a blue hoodie. I might have pegged her as homeless, but
then it’s truly impossible to tell at times. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Either way, she slowly (very slowly) walked over to the
chair where my bag lay. Immediately my senses were heightened, and I considered
what this woman was contemplating. Was she about to say something? People talk
to you all the time in parks. But no… she tilted her head a tiny bit, and
slowly grasped the top of my bag. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">It was almost as if she were asking permission. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“May I…?”
her eyes questioned. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>No. You may not. </i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“That’s mine,” I replied matter-of-factly. Then I angled my
head to match her own and snatched the bag away from her hands. She gave a subtle
nod, and then looked calculatingly at my friend. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Things seemed as if they were about to get a whole lot less
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">c</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">asual.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Ivy had a moral dilemma: If she reached for her items
sitting on the table, it would obviously be an offensive gesture and the
woman’s prerogative was not yet solidified. Maybe she was confused? Ivy stared at
the woman, but didn’t make any moves to relocate her phone, credit card, keys,
etc. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Then <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">BAM</i>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The
woman’s hand jutted forth at a pace much faster than her previous attempt in
grabbing my backpack. Her fingers stretched across the table, clutching for Ivy’s possessions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“JESUS CHRI--!!” Ivy yelped, scrambling toward her coveted
items. She scooped up everything in one quick move, and then glared at the woman.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Nope. Not casual. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">In the midst of their scuffle, a Louis Vuitton wallet had flown from the woman’s sleeve and landed unceremoniously on the table. Our uninvited
visitor suddenly forgot about future spoils, and reclaimed what was hers. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">(Although, let’s be honest… that wallet wasn't <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hers.)</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And now it was awkward. She stared at us, particularly at
Ivy, as if waiting for something to happen. I had not a dollar on me, or even a
piece of gum. Only my computer, empty wallet, cell phone, and personal space
were hers for the taking. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“We don’t have anything,”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> I said, not with anger but with certainty.
Ivy looked at me with the “I-can’t-believe-this-is-happening” face, her eyes
bulging out of their sockets. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The woman accepted our words with another subtle nod. She
and I? We had come to a mutual understanding: Neither of us had much. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So she walked away. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">While of course I had sympathy for this odd woman, I was
also struck by the sheer irony of nearly being robbed. And of all places! After
every possible dangerous spot I’ve inhabited, freaking Times Square is always
the worst! (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That’s</i> your lesson for the day, folks.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“It's so funny to almost get robbed in broad daylight at the
speed of a snail,” Ivy said as she stuffed her items away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We laughed and laughed at the sheer
oddity of it all. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">But then, this is New York. Everything is slightly ironic, a
wee bit contrite, and certainly absurd. Yet even here, sometimes all we need are
a few words from a stranger to ensure that we’re still <i>alive</i>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So I wish I’d said a little something more.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lLcb3mnFrNQ/UGut1WsqMOI/AAAAAAAAEaE/nozYZxcirqY/s1600/photo-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lLcb3mnFrNQ/UGut1WsqMOI/AAAAAAAAEaE/nozYZxcirqY/s400/photo-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>[Editor’s note: Despite my conflicting inner thoughts, this "attempted robbery" was pretty awesomely hilarious. If only you could have seen our stunned faces... ]</i></span></div>
britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-84809236383425041772012-10-01T00:40:00.000-04:002012-10-01T00:44:15.275-04:0010 Best Quotes About New York City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Ah, New York. The city of all cities -- a playground for the
rich, famous, and utterly destitute.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">In honor of our mighty urban epicenter, here’s a list of
some choice New York City quotes by the literary geniuses who’ve previously
inhabited these very streets. They too have tasted that ubiquitous
juxtaposition of complete satisfaction and constant unrest… which, by the way,
just so happens to keep this city <b>thrilling</b>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“And New York is the most beautiful city in the world? It is
not far from it. No urban night is like the night there... Squares after
squares of flame, set up and cut into the aether. Here is our poetry, for we
have pulled down the stars to our will.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">-- Ezra Pound </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as
much in five minutes as in five years.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">-- Tom Wolfe</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“When you leave New York, you are astonished at how clean
the rest of the world is. Clean is not enough.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">-- Fran Lebowitz </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New
York of the man or woman who was born here, who takes the city for granted and
accepts its size and its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is
the New York of the commuter — the city that is devoured by locusts each day
and spat out each night. Third, there is the New York of the person who was
born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">...Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness; natives
give it solidity and continuity; but the settlers give it passion. ” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>-- E.B. White, </b><i>Here Is New York</i></span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for
the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and beauty in the
world.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;"><b>--</b><b> <span style="text-decoration: none;">F. Scott
Fitzgerald</span>,</b> <i><span style="text-decoration: none;">The Great
Gatsby</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“I look out the window and I see the lights and the skyline and the
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greatest chocolate chip cookie, and my heart does a little dance.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">-- Nora Ephron</span></b><span style="color: #eeeeee;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;"><b>-</b><b>- Simone De Beauvoi</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“New York walking isn’t exercise: it’s a continually showing
make-your-own movie.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">-- Roy Blount Jr. </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">“New York is an ugly city, a dirty city. Its climate is a scandal. Its
politics are used to frighten children. Its traffic is madness. Its competition
is murderous. But there is one thing about it - once you have lived in New York
and it has become your home, no other place is good enough.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">-- John Steinbeck</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">"I can't believe it now, that the city opened before us
like some land of dreams, but it <b><i>did</i></b>." </span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>-- Mary Cantwell,</b> <i>Manhattan, When I Was Young</i></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DAYdBhpjFv8/UGkcIZiVmGI/AAAAAAAAEY4/Wpui6VkIkHQ/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-10-01+at+12.28.29+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DAYdBhpjFv8/UGkcIZiVmGI/AAAAAAAAEY4/Wpui6VkIkHQ/s400/Screen+shot+2012-10-01+at+12.28.29+AM.png" width="398" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Happy Monday!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236746097951702183.post-80095331308457774532012-09-26T00:42:00.002-04:002012-09-26T00:51:44.204-04:00Developing Obsession <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">No words needed... 'cept these lyrics. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><iframe ...="..." font="font" frameborder="0" height="298" src="http://www.hulu.com/embed.html?eid=lo_vlckqsyac2pttlfrk-w&partner=aol&uri=http%3a%2f%2fwww.hulu.com%2fwatch%2f404170" width="522"></p>
<p>
<font class="Apple-style-span" face="Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif" size="5" color="#eeeeee"><br></font></p>
<p>
<i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif" size="5" color="#eeeeee">Mumford & Sons performing "Below My Feet" on last week's SNL. </font></i></p>
</iframe></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>Mumford & Sons performing "Below My Feet" on a recent SNL. </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>britney fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10317456508277180150noreply@blogger.com0