Call For Artists for the Breukelen Coffee House!

Oh, it's on.

Time to find some artists for the Breukelen Coffee House and their first art opening and reception!

There's a Call To Artists out on CL -- contact person is yours truly!

Please pass this on to interested parties! As the ad lists, I'd like the first show to be in like with Brooklyn, but it's ok if it's not! I would prefer artists residing and creating in Brooklyn for the first show as well, but, again, if it turns out it can't be that way it's fine!

Either way, we're gonna see some sweet art!!


Namaste.

I Love Saturday Mornings on the 2

Seriously.

I don't know what it is about my timing on Saturday mornings -- but I always wind up on the train with the man... well, let's just refer to him as The Most Amazing MTA Operator on the Planet. Works for me.

Anywho.

This man, without fail, feels the need to announce every single stop, and every single connection to every stop! And yes, this is even on the trains with the automated boice that does all of that on it's own. NOT ONLY THAT -- He gives literal directions on how to get to the connection points.

For instance:
(Really thick Brooklyn accent,)
"Good morning, Brooklyn! Next stop will be Chambers Street, if you need to catch the South Ferry, go up the stairs, down to the left and be on the RIGHT side of the platform, Brooklyn, if you want to catch South Ferry!"
(This, of course, should not be used as a source for directions on how to get to South Ferry -- this is basically a sad, aborted version of what the man really says.)

The best part is if there are service changes on the route.
"Good MORNing, Brooklyn! We have some SERVICE changes to announce. Just GET ON THE TRAIN WITH ME, I will tell you where to go and what you have to do to get to where you need to!"

He's hilarious. He changes what he calls the train based on where they are coming from, and where they are going. I've heard him say Manhattan, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and, my personal favorite, Neeewwwwwww Jerrrsey (that's how he says it. Amazing.)

There is no better way to start a full day of work on a lousy Saturday than being greeted by this anonymous voice over the subway intercom. He always makes me laugh.

Namaste.

Trying to Live Green?

I don't find Christmas trees very "green." Do not misunderstand me; I absolutely adore Christmas trees and think that fake ones are an abomination to the sparkly and colorful face of this dramatic holiday. It's just that... I live in NYC -- I don't really know what happens to the trees after you're done putting shit all over them. Do they just end up in the landfill? That's all I can assume -- that I will look out the window a couple days after Christmas and will see trees abandoned next to the mountains of black trash bags and blue recycle bags.

ANYWAY.

Aaron and I are taking a different approach!

May I introduce to you... THE CHRISTMAS HI-HAT STAND! That's right folks.

Complete with tree skirt (hi-hat skirt, really,) and garland -- surrounded by little gifts of joy.

Best thing being: it goes back to being part of a drum kit after the holidays. Which is totally just as awesome.

Word up.

Internship to the Max

Wednesday was my "interview" for my internship for artonair -- a radio station run on the 13th floor of the Clocktower Building in Manhattan. (Picture by Aaron!) I went on the roof. The interview went well. I will be writing the intros and outros to certain visual artist or musicians interviews, as well as reading them online and being able to produce the show. And, of course, as an intern, baking many cookies.

So well -- that I am also going to be a production assistant for DJ Jeannie Hopper when she puts on certain Liquid Sound Lounge events. Which essentailly means I get in for free, and direct people to the green room. Sometimes I will probably have to lift and move things.

THIS IS ALL VERY FUCKING EXCITING.

That is all. For now.

This Just In: Cold & Snowy Nights Lead to Silly Entries

You know, before I even moved here I remember jokes about people's "New York apartments" -- Aaron and I are having trouble figuring out the issue -- we live in the marvelous and ever-changing Crown Heights, Brooklyn and have a pretty good sized space for a pretty reasonable price. And we absolutely adore it.

It was decided early on that if there was ONE thing we HAD to do right -- one thing that we had to absolutely love about being in New York (if it turned out we were totally wrong for it here,) -- so we put all of our extra time, extra money, and work into our home. We're proud of it. It's not bragging -- everything was found second hand (except the bed, which we found at the discount shop for 350,) and the television was a gift for my birthday/our housewarming gift for our first apartment together. The paintings are mine, so the cost was materials, all of the linens (minus the curtains -- 9.99 each at the discount store,) we brought with us, most of the books we brought with us, pretty much all of the clothing we brought with us -- ANYWAY -- you get the picture. We worked our asses off to build this apartment -- and I want to show it off, DAMN IT. :]

We found the green paint on the street for free one of our first nights in the apartment. All the rugs were from the discount shop for next to nothing.

The couch was 60, delivery was 40. The red table was free -- both from Craigslist. The brown table, from the antique shop up the road, was a mere 35 dollars. The Christmas lights -- discount shop for 1.99.

Anyway, you can check out the whole thing here.. if you're totally bored and honestly have nothing better to do.

This exceedingly self-indulgent entry brought to you by:
The people of LA Ink and their insipid banter.
Boredom After Work
And,
Me Waiting for the Scotch Guard on My Boots to Dry.

A Word. (Or Six.)

Enjoys: Patterns and colors. Dislikes: Bah-Humbugs.

The Imperial Court of New York

Who is the Imperial Court of New York?

I'll tell you who. It's the amazing new group of people I'll be joining to fight got LGBT rights in all walks of life. From research to the right to be treated as equals.

The Imperial Court throws fundraisers and other charity events and donates the money to a number of well known LGBT friendly non-profit groups. I would link to more of their pages, but their site is entirely flash (AND FABULOUS!!!) so I can only link to the main page. Definitely check out the membership area and see what it means to become a part of the Imperial Court.

I really love that people will refer to me as "Lady Candice"....

All of this came about after an evening with Tree Sequoia -- one of our favorite drink-slangers this side of the Mississippi -- at The Stonewall Inn, a favorite local spot of ours. Saturdays are our favorite nights to head over there -- Aaron is usually off work just early enough to meet me as I get off work at 5PM. Tree only works there until 9 or so, so we high tail it up the road to the bar.

Started out normal as ever.

Until we would up at the 12 Drags of Christmas party -- one of the charity events of the season thrown by The Court -- so we hobnobbed with the Emperor (who is now TOTALLY my Facebook friend,) and a huge group of some of the most amazing drag queens I've ever seen. We were witness to a spectacular show, and had a marvelous time.

ARTonAIR.org -- Audio Work in the Mix!

Holy crap, bitches.

I had an awesome patient at Moscot yesterday. Turned out she was an audio engineer and this launched a conversation that has me proudly with my foot in the door for my first audio internship -- finally, after who knows how many hours and how much money paid to the Community College system in California -- finally, after stinky nightclubs and drunk bands who don't know how to handle their liquor, FINALLY -- an internship at a legitimate radio station.

Cool enough as is, but what - there's more! Not only will I be working on air and helping around the station, but it's a very cool operation. It's all about culture and art and exposing people to music and different things that they don't normally come across.

Here's part of their profile from their website:

"AIR, Art International Radio is an Internet radio station and free online audio archive for cultural programming. AIR’s Performance Gallery hosts ten major performances annually as well as installations, cultural symposia, and workshops. The studio rooms provide production and development facilities for audio art and music, radio theatre, spoken word projects, interdisciplinary works and new media innovation."

The patient just happens to be the station manager. We wound up chatting and hanging out at my work for about a half an hour as she picked out some new Moscot glasses.

I've emailed her already -- and she emailed me back. We're looking at a Thursday noon meeting. Wish me luck.

Stinky Pooper Strikes Again!

Again!!! Followed the stinky pooper at Stonewall Inn! God dang it!

Holy God.

The current temperature is 26.7° F (High 29.2° / Low 22.7°).
The wind is out of the West Southwest at 6.2 mph, gusting at 22.0 mph.
Winter The windchill makes it feel like 17.6° F.
Current Weather in my Neighborhood

I'VE NEVER FELT 17 DEGREES BEFORE!!!! I'm from CALIFORNIA, MAN. It gets freezing there. BUT 17?!

I'm scared. Seriously, scared. After the bouts of cold, flu and bronchitis I've already been through in the few months we've been here (going on 9..) so I'm really terrified that this might kill me.

Jesus Christ.

I am alive!

Sorry I haven't been around, Internet. I've been trying not to die. So most of you are perhaps mildly aware that I've been quite sick for the better part of 6 weeks, now (cold, ear infection, flu, flu, flu, bronchitis? maybe pneumonia...) -- if you weren't aware, now you are.

ANYWHO.

SO looooooooong story short -- I wound up in the ER yesterday. My boyfriend got to the point where he was pretty terrified that I couldn't stop coughing for about a half an hour straight or so, I wasn't sleeping at night, been sick for so long -- any number of totally valid reasons, really. But, I digress.... So he gave me cab money and insisted I go to the ER.

First of all, this was quite possibly the most dehumanizing moment in my entire life. The looks they gave me when I told them I didn't have insurance, the act of sitting in that waiting room and literally watching every SINGLE person get seen by the doctor before me..... maybe everyone feels like this in the ER waiting room -- but I watched that room fill up and empty out twice -- and not just people leaving, people getting admitted. People seeing doctors. Everyone's named was called but mine. See, I was placed on what was called "Quick Track" which is just the first 3 tiny rooms inside the entrance to the actual ER. The meanwhile, watching giggling, kissing couples get admitted, crazy old people who screamed at other people in the waiting room and cussed others out for no reason, they took everything ahead of me. Medicaid, Medicare, it was blatantly obvious.

I'm sitting in the waiting room, coughing my brains out for close to 3 hours, crying on and off the entire time because I have a migraine and the lights were awful and I wasn't getting seen, shaking because I was so fucking cold, and they KNEW I had been sick for well over a month. Nothing. Fucking horrible.

Secondly, did you notice that part about no insurance? Yeah. So I'll get a lovely bill in the mail -- and paid 65$ out of pocket for generic medications.

But it turns out that I was on the brink of pneumonia. The doctor did chest x-rays and was extremely insistent that I return in 2 days and get seen again. She was like, "I'm really surprised you aren't in pneumonia at this point, you NEED to come back in 2 days and have a follow up to make sure it's getting better," SO that's all very exciting.

But that's been what's been going on. I've been sick as all get out and unable to really want to do anything other than lie on the couch and fade in and out of consciousness.

Entries will resume shortly! As soon as this azithromyacin kicks my ass.

Exciting Times 'Round the Moscot Way

Two days ago Will Arnett came into the shop and worked with yours truly! He was extremely nice, and I kept him laughing the whole time he was here. He's even more handsome in person.

I came in this morning not 15 minutes before he came in to pick up the glasses we had picked out together -- So I got to dispense the glasses for him as well, which was AMAZING. Katya and Jose were both here, as well -- we laughed and had fun and goofed around (Mr. Arnett was the only one in the store at the time, of course --)

Not 20 minutes after Will leaves Tim Robbins calls on the phone to place an order for contacts that need to be shipped to LA -- Amazing.

I love my job.