Friday, June 22, 2007

SAVE PEREZ!!


Check out the post from 6/22/07 on Bicoastal Bosom Buddies for a sad update on our beloved Gossip Gangster.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Shakespeare in the Park






So my boyfriend is crazy. He told me he wanted to get Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare in the Park tickets. Shakespeare in the Park happens every summer. The Public Theater puts on a couple productions each summer in this great outdoor theater in Central Park. Last year, Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline were in Mother Courage which Scott saw. This year, Lauren Ambrose and Cameryn Manheim were to play Juliet and her nurse respectively. Scott was excited. So excited he convinced me to get up at 5 am to meet our friend (and his classmate) Sing and get in line at 6 am for these tickets. Little did I know when he convinced me to do this that they didn't hand tickets out until 1 pm. We would be sitting in line for 7 HOURS! However, despite my grumbling, Scott convinced me to go, and we had a great time! We were behind about 10 people so we knew we were going to get tickets. It was just a matter of waiting. The man in front of us was sleeping (as many were) and he was snoring like a freight train. We were in line for about 15-20 minutes when a group of 3 kids and 2 adults got in line behind us. I had a bad feeling about this...and it turns out the (apx) 9 year old girl that belonged to the man was an absolute terror. But we still managed to enjoy ourselves. Here are some pics of the memborable morning:



This is our friend Sing. Honestly, who looks this cute at 6 am??



Obviously not us.... :) Btw, we're eating Ritz crackers here....the only food we thought to bring. Luckily, the people from The Public had this deal worked out with "Andy's Deli" (some mediocre deli that delivered to the line in the park). Phew! We were hungry by the time we got our food around 10:45!!!



This is the dog we deemed a "weiner fox". (Looked like half weiner dog, half fox). Scott couldn't believe how many of these dogs kept walking by us....until I pointed out that it was the same dog. His excuse was that he was tired. Psh. Whatever. ;)


This picture is a little hard to see (and I need a new digital camera because my zoom feature no longer works). But this is the line. And it goes way beyond what you can see in this picture. (Past those trees in the back). Good thing we were in the front!
And here we are...7 hours later with our 4 tickets to Romeo and Juliet. (We went w/ our friend Huling as well). And the show was fabulous. As Huling said, this is what Shakespeare is supposed to be. It was moving and fresh. (And both Lauren Ambrose and Cameryn Manheim were great, as were the guys who played Romeo and Mercutio (the latter of which we saw last fall in "The Pain and the Itch" off broadway. Another fabulous play). Despite the exhaustion I felt Monday morning, I'd say the experience was well worth it. We may even do it again next month to see A Midsummer Night's Dream. Yes....we're nuts.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Law and Order SVU episode waiting to happen

I've got a great New York story for you. SOOO Law and Order SVU (see link...its worth it). So the wife of an acquaintance of Scott was on one of those subway cars that was packed like a can of sardines. Let me just say from experience that those cars SUCK. You're around a bunch of dirty, smelly strangers and you have to be like skin to skin with them. So this woman manages to step into the car as one of the last passengers who fits and is close to the door. She is annoyed to see a "dirty looking" man heading towards her from the platform. He makes it onto the train too, the door closes and while she's standing there, she feels this man grinding up against her. SICK AND WRONG! I told Scott that at this point my elbow would have been in his gut and he would be doubled over in pain. However, this lady apparently doesn't have my violent nature, so she just queasily put up with it until she got off the train.

When she got off, she sort of glanced back to look at the guy and asked herself if she should do anything about it. She had just chalked it up to one of those crazy New York experiences when she gets tapped on the shoulder from behind. She turns around and this very large black man wearing chains is standing behind her. She's thinking Jesus Christ, what now? The man asked "Was there someone on that train who was bothering you?" And she said there was, surprised that anyone had taken notice.

Turns out this guy is an undercover cop and he and his partner have been tracking this sick dirty grinding-strangers guy all day! They first found him suspicious when he would wait at the subway stops and let a bunch of trains go by until a really crowded one pulled up. Then he would get on. Ewwwwww is all I have to say about that. So this wife of my boyfriend's acquaintance (who will remain anonymous) will be testifying at a trial for this guy and they're pushing the trial up because she's moving out of the state in a few weeks. Crazy shiz I tell you. Also, we learned that there is approximately 1 undercover cop on every subway train, most likely (in Scott and my opinion) looking for terrorists. But if they catch guys like this, that's an added bonus. Hotcha! Who would have known??
I thought that story was so great, I had to share it with all of you.

Volume 12, Edition 2: Ankle Update


New York Happenings: Volume XII, Part Duex, ANKLE UPDATE


Hey everyone,

As I'm sure you've all been losing sleep over the status of my ankle injury, I wanted to relieve some of your worry with an update. I saw an orthopedist yesterday who was quite nice and attentive, and it turns out there is no gap between my tibia and fibula (which is a good thing!) That means no ligament rupture. Just a regular ankle sprain that was probably exacerbated by walking around so much. Do you think my insurance will cover cab rides? Cause I sure as hell can't and that's really the only way I could minimize my walking right now. But it is good news. It means no surgery and no more boot!! Acually he was ok with the boot but gave me an aircast instead (see pic above) so that I wouldn't have to lug that heavy boot around everywhere. Honestly, between that and my heavy rolley backpack w/ my anatomy and physiology books in it (3 of them!) I felt like the ghost of Christmas past...lugging my chains behind me. Ok, I can't take credit for that joke. A doctor friend of mine thought of it. But I thought it was quite clever. So there you have it. I will have 4 weeks of physical therapy starting next Friday (God only knows when I"ll fit in 2 appointments a week), and then I'll be as good as new...hopefully. So thanks for your worries, well-wishes and prayers. I am still in one piece!!

Since I have your attention, I have to give an another shameless advertisement for my blog w/ my friend Meredith...our bicoastal cultural comparison blog entitled Bicoastal Bosom Buddies. Mer has been MIA for a week or so for personal reasons but you can still read the NY updates from yours truly including an interesting story involving a man with a bloody eye on a Bronx bus. Lovely. The site is
http://bicoastalbosombuddies.blogspot.com/.

Hope you check it often!Hope all is well with all of you! Keep away from that crazy uneven concrete! Much love everyone and happy summer,
Lauren

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Crazy New York

I was waiting for the bus last night for about 10-15 minutes and was quite annoyed it hadn't come. I hadn't had the best day: I went to see an asshole orthopedist who basically said nothing was wrong with me and as Scott says "made it sound like you were making it up" (see this article for some possible info why); then from E96th street, it took me over 2 hours to get to work (it should only take about 45 minutes) due to multiple train route changes (typical during summer construction) and because I got on the Bx32 going the wrong way, which I didnt realize until I had been on the bus for 15 minutes or so. I got to work with only 3 hours left and had to go directly to my 3.5 hour class. Needless to say, it was time to get home.I finally saw the Bx9 coming. It didn't make it through the stop light before my stop. I waited...(im)patiently, and finally the light turned green. The bus didn't move. Instead, it opened its doors and let someone off. (Picture multiple cars honking angrily at this point.) Finally, the bus pulled through the intersection and up to my stop. The driver put his hand out as to not let anyone on, and allowed people to get off. Sometimes drivers do this so people don't get too greedy and start to get on before others leave the bus. But this guy didn't put his hand down. Instead, he turned his head to the seat behind and across from him and asked a man sitting there (who's back was against the window I was looking at) if he needed medical attention. Medical attention?? This is where I come in!...I think starting to switch into future-emergency-room-nurse mode. The man must have said yes and the driver made an announcement to the other people on the bus that this was the last stop and they had to get off. Then I hear the guy with his back to the window say onto his cell phone "My eye is bleeding all over!" Sure enough, he turned around and there was blood running down his face from his eye. He had blood on his hand and his shirt. I'm thinking Direct pressure! I should tell him to put direct pressure on it! Not that it was even gushing...but I wanted to be involved! Soon, the guy started yelling at the other passengers who were exiting the bus "Quickly! Quickly!" I thought this was going to cause a fight as the last passenger in line to exit the bus was a buff, short short wearing jock type who just stared the guy down as he yelled directly into his face.Finally the last guy gets off the bus. All the passengers (and me) are crowded on the curb around the bus. (I was actually standing in the street as the bus was a few feet from the curb). The bleeding man steps up into the door way of the bus, a few feet above everyone, and starts yelling "FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! I am the man! You are nothing!!" This guy is so adament that his spit actually hits me in the face as he's yelling. (Then I got smart enough to step up onto the curb like everyone else, and I dropped my hero fantasy. I wasn't going to get involved with this one!) All this time he is still on his cell phone, still bleeding. At one point he said something to the crowd like "I would die for all of you!" or something psychotic like that.Another Bx9 FINALLY pulled up behind the first bus and everyone hurried over to get a seat. The poor first bus driver was left alone with a possibly crazy or drugged-up man, though the driver seemed cool and collected as can be. I tried to listen to a lady who was telling the story of what happened but she was only speaking Spanish. Damn Spanish 6 didn't get me anywhere. Where are my Spanish skills when I need details like this?!? So I turned to the lady next to me and asked her what happened and all she said was "He got into a fight on the bus." How helpful and detail-oriented...NOT. But then I put it together. The person who got off the bus at the intersection before my stop must have been the other guy in the fight, and I would assume he was kicked off by driver. I was shaking my head in wonder when we were about to pull up to my stop where I get off to go to go on the subway into Manhattan. THEN 2 ladies walk directly in front of the bus I was on and when the driver honked, they flicked him off! Apparently it was disgruntled bus driver night because the bus driver yelled out the window at this "THIS IS THE FUCKING BUS!"...as in, why are you walking right in front of this vehicle when you're holding up dozens of people from getting home. Jerks. I told the driver I sympathized with him and all other drivers that night, and he mumbled for me to take care.Oh sigh, how New York amuses me. In other news, expect a blog from Mer soon. She's taken a brief leave of absence from blogging to deal with some not-so-fun personal stuff, but will return in great form ASAP! The "Eye"-Witness,~LB

Monday, June 4, 2007

Volume 12: May 07 (1 Year Anniversary!!)


Happy June! May 30th marked my 1 year anniversary of moving the NY. Can you believe it!! 1 year ago, I left my loving parents (tearily) and got on a plane w/ a one-way ticket to NY. I was ditched by super-shuttle and shared a cab with a guy named Monte who lived in Washington Heights. And today, I am sitting in my comfortable job at the Bronx VAMC, about to start class for my nursing prereqs (in T minus 75 minutes) with a big ugly boot on my foot (the taller of the 2 in pic below):

"WHAT?!" You say. What is this horrid addition to Lauren's up and coming New York wardrobe?

Yes friends, I have sprained my ankle. Possibly pretty badly (so the podiatrist thinks). It all began like this:
Almost 3 weeks ago now, I was walking down 43rd around 9th and 10th (on my way to the stupid UPS headquarters for reasons I won't get into now but that involve a well-intentioned though idiotic neighbor) and all of a sudden my leg buckled under me and I started to fall over. Though I caught myself, I felt a distinct wave of pain in my foot/ankle because the outside of my foot had inverted and I think I actually stepped o n it with the top of my foot, as if the outside phelange had folder under the rest of my foot...if that makes any sense. I turned around to see what had caused my semi-embarassing-quasi-fall, and saw some concrete that had eroded (like if a weed had grown out of it) and was about 2-3 inches above the rest of the sidewalk. I had stepped directly on it and my ankle had "inverted" , etc. Boo, who can I sue? So I was limping around the next few days but just figured it was a strain or a sprain. I tried to get back to working out, which I had been doing 4-5 times a week since January/February. I've lost 10 pounds so you can imagine my dismay when week 1 went by, and then week 2, and my ankle still hurt when I used it too often, despite my efforts to ice, wrap, elevate, and down bottles of ibuprofen (ok...I had a few a day...pills, not bottles.) So I finally went to the podiatrist on Friday and low and behold there is a gap (called diastasis) between where my tibia and my fibula (the 2 shin bones) are supposed to over lap which is suspicious of a ruptured ligament ( high ankle sprain). Unfortunately in the state of New York, a podiatrist can't treat anything above a certain part of the ankle so I have to see an orthopedist tomorrow to find out if I really did rupture my ligament and what I'll need to do to fix it. Worst case scenario: Surgery. Sick. So keep your fingers crossed that the podiatrist was completely wrong and didn't know what she was talking about and gave me this silly boot for no reason at all.

In other news, Scott got a job this summer working for Stephen Chaikelson, the head of the theater department at Columbia and a broadway producer. He's working doing lots of busy work type stuff but its in the industry that he loves so he is content. He gets to read new scripts, meet some theater-industry people, and hangout with some apparently friendly Canadians.

We have seen lots of great theater lately and will be hosting our 2nd annual Tony viewing party on Sunday after my last choir concert in which we'll perform Bach's B-Minor Mass (beautiful!! If you're in town, come see it; 6/10 at 2pm at Christ of St. Stephen's church on W69th at Broadway). Last year when we hosted this party, we had to rush to put all of our IKEA furniture together in about 4-5 days and in our rush, I put part of our IKEA coffee table on backwards so we couldnt' even use it. It was enjoyable though and I got compliemnts for making a mean taco. This year, we're thinking homemade pizza...and cheering for Coram Boy, Spring Awakening and Grey Gardens (the latter 2 have GREAT music which I highly reccomend).

Lastly, I'd like to introduce all of you to a new blog I am a part of called "Bicoastal Bosom Buddies ". It is a joint blog with my friend Meredith Cain-Nielson (my friend since we were about 3) who lived across the street from me on Ann Lane until she went to college in Cincinatti. I always thought Mer would end up in NY but low-and-behold, she is now living in LA (and staring in an Opera this month!) and I am in NY. So we are writing an experiment in comparitive pop culture and though we've been a bit slow in writing, keep checking back cause we plan on making it a big deal ( http://bicoastalbosombuddies.blogspot.com/) . :)

I hope all is well and if anything interesting becomes of this ankle injury, I'll keep you updated.

Love to you all,

Lauren

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Volume 11: April 07

To my dearest friends and family,

Hello everyone! 11 months into New York living and things are going swell! I have basically moved into my new position as Research/Staff Assistant for the VISN3 MIRECC (I say basically because I am still training my replacement for my old position who happens to be a very nice girl from Buffalo, NY). I have registered for summer classes and am taking Physiology and Anatomy I and either Anthropological Perspectives of Men and Women or Physiology and Anatomy II. The first session begins no June 4th so wish me luck! Scott is rounding out his school year with style…stylized performances that is. I saw a night of Absurdism (Ionesco and Pinter) and a night of Commedia dell'arte (Moliere and Goldoni). Lots of hard work went into those performances and just about everyone was brilliant (especially my little Arlecchino [a character created for Scott, I swear!]).

Quite frankly my friends, I have been so busy the past month or so, I haven’t had anytime to worry about not enjoying New York, which in turn has made me like it! I made a trip home to see my family from April 18th-22nd and wish I got to see them more. While my mom says it’s all part of growing up, I sometimes feel a bit guilty living so far away from them. Though I suppose she’s right. And this is where my sweet heart is going to make it big (and we will get very very rich ;) ). So I know they understand. My dad is doing well considering the consequences, keeping his spirits up while struggling with fatigue which he is very unused to. He’s almost halfway done with chemo so keep him in your thoughts and prayers until the end of August. After that, no thoughts and prayers are needed. Jk. But you know what I’m saying.

As usual, I’ve experienced a couple interesting things this month including the following:

For those of you who have never ridden on or seen a subway train, you’ll need to know that in between cars there is a space, where people can walk from one car to another. They’re not supposed to do this while the train is moving, but like most inconvenient rules in NY, that rule is broken quite often. So I was sitting in a subway car one day (why do so many strange things happen to me on the subway??) and saw a guy walk through my car and set down a few bags on the seat at the end. He proceeded to walk in between the cars and stop, turn to the side and from what I could tell, he urinated off the side of the train. The awkward thing is that the train stopped part-way through his business so he was sitting there peeing while people were staring straight at him from the platform. He didn’t seem to notice. He came back into the car where his bags were and rode the train as if nothing strange had happened. The most disturbing part of this story: there was no hand washing involved! EWW!! (I’ve become big on hand washing since moving to NY and using public transportation.) If you ever wonder why NY always smells like urine, there you have it.

Also, on Monday of this week, I went to a taping of The Late Show with David Letterman with my friend Ben (who kindly invited me along with him). Apparently because of our “dazzling smiles” and “charming personalities”, we received “audience upgrades” and got to sit in the 2nd row with a straight on shot of Dave at the desk. Crazy! (This is especially crazy because when we went up to get our tickets, the lady asked us if we watched the show often and I bluntly told her I rarely could stay up late enough to watch. *Shrug*. The guests were Ray Romano, an impressionist named Reggie Reg (who was pretty frickin funny) and Dennis Haysberg (the All State Insurance guy!). Man did I feel safe when he was there. The sad thing was that when the guests were on, I just kind of felt like I was watching TV, not like these famous people were right in front of me. Oh desensitization. How you plague us. The show airs THIS Friday night (that’s tomorrow night people), 5/4 (also my parents 34th wedding anniversary so you better call them before the show), so watch it if you want to see my national debut!

On a sadder note, I'd like to express my condolences to the family (and friends) of a high school classmate of mine at Hopkins, Josiah Danielson (and also a U of Mn student), who shockingly passed away earlier this week. The cause of death is unknown and quite tragic as Josiah was a super sweet kid with a big heart and who had a loving family from what I understand. Please send your thoughts and prayers to Joel and Lori Danielson and their family.

Finally, what I think you’ve ALL been waiting for, I will be sending a link to a gallery of mine from kodakgallery.com which includes photos of areas of my daily activity. I hope you enjoy the pictures (and the captions). By the way, you DO NOT need to register for an account in order to see these photos so feel free to look! (This website has been Alex-Bachnick-approved for copyright content ;) )

Love to everyone,

Lobo