Monday, August 25, 2008

Camping in NY

Camping a few hours away from NYC was a completely new experience for me. Past my quite California and European camping trips, there's something to be said for NY camping. Here's my positive spin on it....

 
  • You show up at midnight and your campsite is already brightly lit by your neighboring campers ultra bright lantern.
  • You set up your tent to the base of rap music coming from the campsite 2 sites down, with a metal swing set on it.
  • You meet George, the firewood delivery guy who manages this campsite, and is somehow living your quasi-dream-life.
  • You watch in amazement as your friends swiftly build a fire, a talent you never knew they had.
  • You can hear a slight babble from the creek you sleep beside, over the music and crackling fire.
  • You realize that the motor homes on the campground may have been there longer than just a few days, as their Christmas lights and turf lawns spot the landscape.
  • You can walk to get another bag of ice when you run out.
  • The local store you buy ice at is also the town's DMV.
  • Your hike for the day includes of a mile and a half long walk along a highway with no sidewalks.
  • You hike up to the top of Mt. Temper Tantrum, which takes about 2.5 hours, exposes beautiful views of the entire Catskills Park.
  • Your dip in the creek after your hike feels a fresh and cold, but it doesn't quite "clean" you off.
  • Waterfalls are note the easiest places to pee in the water.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Why don't they just leave sports broadcasting up to the experts?

I've been trying to catch every last bit of the Olympics that my schedule allows. Sadly, I love the coverage but can't seem to stand the commentators. Aside from a few past athletes that are reporting on behalf of NBC, many of the reports seem to lack any hope or aspiration for the game. The negative tone, and lack of knowledge leave me saddened, and missing my ESPN sports reporters.

Unfortunately, I usually end up so frustrated with the commentators that I have to turn the sound off and watch the swimmers motor through the pool to a Jack Johnson tune, or gymnasts tumbling across the floor to the sound of Rancid. Life is usually better with a unique soundtrack anyway.

Screaming at the TV makes the Olympians work harder

Maybe it's because I was raised as an NFL fan and althlete, but I'm part of that special slice of Americans who believe yelling at the TV will make a diffrence. Luckily, I wasn't raised to scream slurs at the opposing team or player, but I certainly feel like hollering at my own team to "go, go, go," gets them there faster. Despite some tough losses, I don't think anyone can disprove (or prove) my theroy....so I'll keep doing it until my throat is sore and my lungs hurt. Just be happy you're not in the room with me when it happens.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Rancid - Round 1

I survived a Rancid, Sick of it All, and Bloodclot concert last night. Of course, that was only round 1. Round 2, which includes one of my all-time favs, Westbound Train, is tonight. Round 3? That's Sunday. Hopefully I'll live to blog about it.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

The Lock Out

So, for the first time since moving to this wonderful city I locked myself out of my apartment last night. Technically, I didn't lock myself out, my brain damaged mind locked me out.

So, I bought a new work-out bag on Monday to encourage more frequent trips to the gym. But, on Tuesday while giving the bag a trial run I decided to test out all of it's many pockets and cubby holes while rushing to get ready for my spinning class. Obviously, not the best idea in the world...but really, who would be stupid enough to loose something in a bag they are carrying on their shoulder?

I would.

So, after a fun-filled work-out I jumped on the train home (yes, sweaty and all) and barely climbed the subway stairs out of the 125th Street station. By the time I made it to my door at 8:45 the exhaustion that I'd been fighting off for hours swept over me. I unloaded myself on to my stoop stairs and began searching for my keys. I searched through my day purse and continued searching through: the outside mesh pocket, the inside mesh pocket, the outside long pocket, the inside small pocket, the hidden key pocket, the water bottle holder pocket. No keys.

I tried buzzing my neighbors to no avail. I called my boyfriend who didn't answer. I even called the gym to ask if they had my keys and they didn't.

I sat on the stoop and waited. 20 minutes later some of my braincells started firing again and I decided to shake my bag and listen for my keys. I heard them (enter shining light music). I poked and prodded around my new bag until I found another zipper. The large side pocket zipper. I opened the pocket and found my keys....feeling like a complete idiot.

So, at 9:30 I walked up my stairs and began my evening at home. I found an amazing recipe in Jerome's Food and Wine Magazine for a triple tomato sauce (sun-dried, fresh and paste) that actually complimented our watermelon and feta salad amazingly well. And of course, watching the men's 4X800 relay in under 7 minutes made the evening even more divine.

So, it turns out my evening was not a complete waste :)

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Fall in August?

Fall-like weather took over NYC this morning. Although the streets still give off their very own heat, I think I'll exercise outside today instead of heading off to spinning class with my colleague as planned.

Perhaps I'm just a bit stir crazy. I moved into a new office last week, a window-less office. It has all the perks my last office was missing like foot-traffic, my own space and a full-sized desk but lacks the ever important...sunlight.