When Tara Met Blog: June 2006

The Ultimate Road Trip

Friday, June 30, 2006

So I've been seeing someone special for almost five months now. I know, I didn't write about it sooner, what can I say? I'm sneaky like that. In my defense though he's been mentioned in my blog, just not directly, you probably assumed I went to that trip to Philly with Stef or some other girlfriend. Here's the catch though, because of course there has to be one, he's moving to Los Angeles this week (I know, everyone seems to be moving lately). His company is going to make him partner, but only if he's on the other coast. At least he's lived there before so he has friends out there and he's rented a place right near the beach in Venice.

I'm going to miss him and have been dreading his move date for months now. I'm taking the holiday week off and driving with him cross country to his new hood though.

We leave this afternoon in a Sebring Convertible, hitting Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago (seeing my cousin), St. Louis and heading down to El Paso again for 4th of July and then up to LA plus all the places along the way. Yes, it's ambitious, but we hope to be in LA by Thursday the 6th and I'm flying back on Sunday the 9th and will be back to work on the 10th.

I am excited for the trip despite the bittersweet circumstances. Although, I do fear I might get killed along the way for talking too much, which could easily happen--me talking a lot I mean, not him killing me.

Even though I hate when people compare me to Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City since her character annoys me at times, especially the desperation part, yet I'm actually going to make a SATC reference to my life. I feel like when Mr. Big leaves for California and although Carrie wants to join him she says she loves New York too much and I also worry if I do go If I'd be lost and lonely like her when she went to Paris, *sigh* time will tell--I'm the Queen of wishful thinking.

Anyway, happy thoughts, I will be recording parts of my trip and keeping you updated on the trek when ever I can. There's a phone blogging feature with my blog host, I just have to figure it out, not sure if it will post photos that I take too, but we'll see. I'm sure we'll pass Internet cafes and stuff too though.

On a happy note: I'm doing a trip that I've always wanted to take and am seeing the nation plus having an adventure.

Sad note: My friend is moving to California.

One 'Howie' of a 'Day'

Tuesday, June 27, 2006
My friend Stef is unfortunately moving to Florida this week. I've often mentioned her on this blog like when she did my eye makeup, was there when I lost my cell in Hoboken, when we went to the fortune teller, caught U2 or when we attended the sex class together. Her moving is only unfortunate for me though and great for her. She's going to be teaching down in Ft. Lauderdale area and living in a great new apartment with two bedrooms and paying less than my discounted NYC studio. Her family is moving down there too and I think the change will do her the world of good, especially to be away from her ex cop boyfriend. Yet, I'm also selfishly upset to see her go. She's the kind of friend who would call me at 10:00 at night and say that she felt like a Magnolia cupcake, so she'd jump in her car and drive over from New Jersey, pick me up, eat a cupcake and then head back, *sigh* good times.

So this weekend Stef called saying that she had won tickets from 95.5 WPLJ to see an up close performance by Howie Day at the China Club on the same night as her drive to Florida and as the radio station boasts, "The only way in, is to win." First let me set the scene, she is obsessed with Howie and knew of him way before his recording career and radio hit "Collide." I remember seeing her AIM icon with his face on it at least five years ago and wondering who it was. She's now seen him over a dozen times and so far I had managed to escape seeing him at the many signings and concerts that she's attended and invited me to. But now that I knew she wouldn't be in the city again for awhile, I accepted her gracious invitation to join her at the show. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Howie, I just didn't know any of his other songs. Thus, I wasn't expecting to have a good time while Stef and Jay were, as you can see here:

ha ha no we actually staged that photo, I wasn't really reading while sitting on the stage, that would just be rude.

To my surprise and relief I had a great time and that's not the Baybreeze I had talking either. We stood right next to the stage and witnessed first had Howie's contagious passion and skill. At his feet he had a piano of foot peddles where during his songs while singing and playing the guitar he'd pound on the peddles and record his own singing and beat and then have it repeat in the background. So although he was singing solo without any back up musicians or singers it sounded like he had a complete band. I enjoyed almost all of his songs even the new yet to be released ones and the covers. He also made a some funny jokes in between songs and overall it was a very intimate and mellow atmosphere. Stef is burning me his CDs.

On a happy note: I'm now a Howie Day fan.

Sad note: My friend is moving to Florida.

Gay Pride Parade

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Today I wiggled though the crowd up to the barricades along 5th Avenue for the annual Pride Parade. It's a real communal experience seeing all the nationalities and sexual preferences both in the parade and clapping along the sidelines in support. Like any parade there were floats, music and bands, plus walkers giving out candy to the crowd. Just add in some wigs, cross dressing, rainbow flags and Trojan's being tossed out to the on lookers then you got the Pride Parade.

Here are some photos:

News: Parades celebrate gay pride nationwide

Shop till you drop

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Last night three brave girls went to another Shecky's Girls Night for cocktails, shopping and yes, a free goodie bag (which was even better this time). Despite their efforts to keep their wallets shut and credit cards unswiped they failed miserably. Here are their purchase adventures.
Karen:
Was all about the circles and purchased gold cascading circular earrings from Lola Bean and an almost matching necklace from a vendor named Circa 610. Take a look:

Shirley:
Had the most willpower of all three shoppers and despite liking several necklaces and earings that her friends declared looked gorgeous she would willfully put them back down and move on to the next vendor. She finally purchased a shirt on sale by Candid Couture, which reads "I Have Misplaced My Crown" (Tara bought a shirt from them last time with a heart on it that reads "You Break It You Buy It"). Shirley's big purchase came just as the trio were leaving when she returned to the first booth that she had visited, Fashion Doll Accessories to buy a fun fabric purse with big circular plastic handles perfect for the beach. What do you think?

Tara:
Bought a pair of blue jean capris by James Jeans Cured by Seun, which retail for $170 and were purchased for only $60, thus Tara figured this wasn't really a purchase--it was a steal. They also have fun stitching on the butt and look pretty fine on.
Then she tried on two different pairs of earrings by MLevinson and because she couldn't decide which looked best and her friends were just as indecisive she bought both, but only $25 each compared to the fifty and change ones at all the other vendors. Tara blames the fact that she had a small bottle of red from Little Black Dress Wines making her sillier than the other girls and more loose with the purse strings. These are the earings.

Oh and every shopper received a large bottle of Dove Energy Glow, which all were delighted to try.

Special Delivery

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Look what I received today at work:

Sorry, mums the word. I once was sent a teddy bear but never flowers...and plus the bear was from my step dad :-P

The flowers above also happen to be the first photo that I've sent from my new Verizon LG VX-8300 cell phone that I got this week, and now that I finally have a camera phone do expect more photos accompanying my posts.

Fainting Adventure

Monday, June 19, 2006

On Sunday, the hottest day this year in New York so far, I headed to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jersey for some roller coaster riding. I hadn't been since my 9th grade school trip back when the only big ride there was Batman The Ride.

While standing in the long line for Kingda Ka--the tallest, fastest roller coaster in the world or as a friend said Galaxy--I fainted from the extreme heat combined with lack of sleep and water. And when I write faint, I don't mean those dainty swoons that you see in old movies, I mean my body shuts down and I fall right there and then, with only a 20 second warning. I've once landed on my chin without even bending my knees. The scariest part for those around me is that I go extremely white and my eyes stay open without blinking, thus I look dead.

So this time I wake up on the cement floor to the words, "she's coming back," since my hearing is the first sense to come back to me causing everything to be super loud at first, then my sight, speech, feeling (which hurts the most since it feels like all my nerve endings are being turned back on at once) and then smell and for some reason I always end up smelling the scent of blood. Luckily my terrified friend Raphael was with me since I couldn't even walk over to the medics who were waiting beyond the fence. I don't remember falling just telling him that I was going to faint then waking on the ground to his words and much embarrassment and pain. Some guy in the line apparently gave me his water and another man offered to help carry me, which was all very considerate. Extremely embarrassed I rushed getting up to only get a few steps when I dumped the water over my head in order to snap out of it, but to no avail. I had to slump back down once again as I saw pairs of feet try to step around us on the line. I was then brought to the park's hidden air conditioned medics area, which resembled an army barrack. I was given a "grape flavored Gatorade derivative" (the EMT's words not mine) and ice to put on my temples and behind my neck to cool my body down.

After a little while my strength and color returned with the help of the grape liquid and a salty pretzel. Now I was pissed my day would be ruined and that we had missed the ride, plus also afraid we wouldn't know how to meet up with our other friends since we had all left our cell phones in the car. A water bottle later we headed back to the ride to see our friends just getting off of it. Feeling much better and determined to go on the fastest roller coaster in the galaxy (I'm still thinking there might be something cool on Uranus tho ;) I went to the security guards area to see if we could go back to the head of the line. Maybe not the wisest choice given my health, but that's me. Actually we ended up cutting, since they didn't even notice us go up the ramp to the loading carts area. My faint ended up lasting longer than the ride itself, it was that quick. So some good came out of my humiliation and ickyness, we didn't have to continue to wait on that line in that heat. After that I kept standing on the bridge near the water ride to be soaked by the big wave that results from it.

I've fainted since childhood many times, usually 2 to 3 times a year, due to seeing blood, feeling extreme pain, being dehydrated and now it seems from heat exhaustion as well. It runs in my family on my dad's side. After many many tests in college like an EEG, EKG, MRI, stress test, etc I was finally diagnosed with vasovagal, a.k.a. the classic faint syndrome or neurally-mediated syncope. Meaning I'm a fainter plain and simple and it's my bodies response to pain or my body being off. People with low blood pressure like me are more likely to have it too. "A vasovagal attack happens because blood pressure drops, reducing circulation to the brain and causing loss of consciousness. Typically an attack occurs while standing and is frequently preceded by a sensation of warmth, nausea, lightheartedness and visual grayout." (WebMD).

Luckily I don't pass out from fear or anger which can happen to some cases with vasovagel. The only thing the doctor recommended was that I avoid stressful situations. I was like "yeah, ok I won't live then." I can try preventing my fainting sometimes by drinking a lot of water and eating more salt in my diet. WebMD also writes: "Some types of fainting seem to run in families. While fainting may indicate a particular medical condition, sometimes it may occur in an otherwise healthy individual. As many as half of people faint at least once in their life. Three percent of people develop it repeatedly." Of course I have to be in that 3%!

Strike a pose

Thursday, June 15, 2006

there's nothing to it? Um I think not.

Last week I played "model" for a NYCPortraits Project that budding photographer Jenny Yee is doing. To build out her enviromental landscape portraits portfolio she reached out to me and several other people & couples to capture them in a NY envrioment that is important to them and/or to showcase their personality. I thought why not and figured I could also use the final photos for my writing bios and for all the conferences that I speak at. I was joking about the latter.

For my enviromental portraits I chose Chelsea Market--one of my favorite places in the City. It's near where I live and a spot that I love to visit, eat at and people watch. When I'm there I feel like I'm not really in the city. I'm always relaxed and at ease there too. It's also the home of The Food Network, NY1, and the Oxygen channel, plus the original Nabisco factory where the first Oreo cookie was made. Inside you can, see bakeries like Amy's Bread baking their breads behind clear window displays; sample awesome brownies from Fat Witch bakery; taste wine at Chealse Wines and pick up fruit, flowers, italian spices, kitchen supplies, jams and even fresh seafood. I especially enjoy the market's industrial artistic look of exposed pipes, brick and steel mixed with yummy food smells. Given my background in journalism I'll often read the paper inside on one of their stone benches or where ever I can find an available spot. I also like introducing the market and area to outsiders too, thus where I went for my photo shoot with Jenny.

Unfortuantely the weather was terrible, massive amounts of rain was coming down making for poor lighting, a bad hair day and wet clothes, plus creating the need to have to protect her camera while outside. On the upside, most of the photos she took were indoors and I got to show off my bright umbrella.

I posed, or tried to, for an hour and a half. It's so much harder smiling for a camera when you're not with friends or doing something in particular, plus even more so when a camera is being pointed right at you in close proximity.

Here is the final photo gallery that she put together. She really did a great job with the lighting that was available and keeping the photos itimiate. Keep in mind that she was working with such a difficult subject ;)

New DVD Review: Something New

Take Pride

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Here's a plug for my artist cousin Ryan who is working on a project with some other high-end NYC designers to create a series of meaningful t-shirts that support a good cause.

Each tee design was inspired by the experiences of an individual American who is serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. So they're also a symbol of support. Plus 20 percent of the profits are donated to charitable causes that assist veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Political? Not its intent. They were designed to give people, especially younger and more fashion-conscious Americans a new way to show that they recognize and appreciate the efforts of Americans serving in combat. He personally designed the shirts "The 2nd of February" and "One Land, Two Missions."

Go check them out at www.takepride.com

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

The Lone Star State

The wedding last weekend in El Paso--the sun city--was a good time and most importantly provided me with the chance to sample some real Tex-Mex at KiKi's (Hispanic Magazine named it one of the nation's 50 Best Hispanic Restaurants) as well as riding on the back of a motorcycle while visiting the state of Texas for the first time. The heat (hitting 101 degrees on the last day) provided a great escape from the constant rain and unseasonably cold weather we've been having in New York and the desert mountains were majestic. I experienced some of the local night life too and had a great workout while dancing to Techno and House music at OP for a couple of hours after pre-dancing at the wedding reception earlier.

We also hit up chains like Chicos Tacos, which one reviewer wrote "If you go to El Paso without eating at Chico's Tacos at least once, I fear you will have missed the point of your visit entirely" and Whataburger. I can now see why Texas is considered one of the most overweight states in the nation, there are just way too many good food chains across the huge state.

We ended our trip by doing a quick jaunt across the border to Juarez, which was a lot nicer than my previous Mexican border experiences of Tijuana, where there was more poverty. I also drank too much there due to their 3 for 1 drink specials and was almost denied entrance back to San Diego (long, fun story for another post). Anywho, it was an interesting time to be in Mexico since the World Cup was going on and many cars sported shaving cream messages saying "#1 Mexico" on their back windows, plus lots of enthusiastic people were waving their countries' flag.

As for Texas being a red state and me being from a blue state, I actually didn't notice much difference, although it's not like I talked politics with anyone. In general I saw just as many Support the Troops car ribbon magnets here and there, but noticed the lack of rainbow bumper stickers and flags. Yet the number of Texas state flags flying were uncountable and literally everywhere, even tacked on restaurant walls. In contrast, I can't say I've ever seen a NY State flag outside of a court house or some state run facility. I guess we rely more upon our I Heart NY shirts and Yankees hats for state pride instead. Oh and I did spot a Budweiser truck in camouflage colors, which I have never seen here, but then again we don't have a military fort in Manhattan like Ft. Bliss.

Moving to the hot political topic of border control, I saw the fence that ran along the Rio Grande with the occasional Police car or truck patrolling by along the great stretches--no national guard or wall...yet at least.

Office Space

Thursday, June 8, 2006

Here's a view of the quirky stuff that I have on my desk at work.

I'm a firm believer in having fun oddities on your work desk, gets the creative juices flowing. Whenever one of my friends gets a new job or office I always give them something to put on their desk like a mini 8-Ball, Rubik's cube, bendable Gumby figure, strawberry stress ball and even a shoe fund ceramic pot, which I hear is collecting quite a bit of money by the way.

So what's on your desk? Besides paperwork and a computer that is.

This weekend: I'll be in Texas for the first time ever. I'm heading to a wedding in El Paso and we may head over to Mexico too!

Two Bachelorette Parties and a Gay Club

Monday, June 5, 2006

Nope the post title is not a setup for a corny joke but my recent weekend. My friend from high school, Anjali is getting married in July with a traditional Indian wedding. I love telling this part, guess how many people are going? Come on guess...700 people! That is just 75 people more than our very large graduating class.

Anyway, her cousins and friends came into the city this Saturday for her bachelorette party. We had champagne at her hotel and applied beads, removable kiss mark tattoos and presented her with gag gifts and then headed out to dinner. As we crammed into the small hotel elevator with an unsuspecting and may I add very lucky dude, we so sweetly asked him to take our picture, which came out pretty good. How he managed to get us all in it is beyond me. Well, a few girls were down in the lobby otherwise I doubt it would have been done. After some great pasta and more champagne drinking from erotic paper cups we then headed to Beauty Bar, which is a bar that looks like a very dark beauty parlor and of course along with drinking we hammed it up under the dryer seats that are in the bar. I especially love the photo since it reminds me of a Gail Goodwin photo that I like. Oh and we impulsively bought tees with the bar's logo on them. They are very cute.

Another friend, Divina (in red below), was in from CT to go to Anjali's bachelorette too and for a sorority sister's bachelorette party as well. So the two of us then headed to her friend's gathering at Prey and roped in my friends Ryan and Mike to join as well. After we blew that pop stand we went in search of some music, checked out Aspen, where we enjoyed the ski lodge like atmosphere but hated the Mojitos and sadly left them still half full or yes, half empty.

Finally we ended up at the very large club The Roxy, which my mother remembers as a roller rink--and it still is one but only on certain days apparently. The Roxy is also a gay night club which left three out of four of us out of the loop. However, the music was indeed much better as was the eye candy. Divina two shots later, made herself right at home talking away to the exotic dancers and even met a new friend in the bathroom. (Eddy you didn't read it here!) It was all good fun. She even was able to dazzle the DJ, who had a sign that clearly read NO REQUESTS, to play the new Mary J Blige song that we kept trying to hear. Around 3 a.m. Divina and I stumbled back to my apartment and I somehow made it up my ladder to bed.

Here's some of the evidence...the stuff I'll share that is:

Friendly Encounters

Friday, June 2, 2006

are what I love about New York City. Sure there are plenty of un-friendly encounters like this one, but I do enjoy that on any given day you could meet anybody and I don't mean just celebrities, which can happen too but just anybody. It makes life interesting.

Much to my friends constant worry and warnings when it comes to me talking to strangers, I still do it. I'm not saying I'd go up to someone sketch and say top of the morning, I just mean speaking innocently to people around you if the situation is right. For example you both witness something bizarre it's fun to say to something snarky to the person next to you or hear their comment.

Today as I was running a bit late to work and strolling to the subway. I felt someone next to me on my right, so I moved to the left to let them pass, but I could still sense the person hovering. I look up and over and there's this guy looking at me. Not in a creepy way but it was still weird that he walking in stride with me. He smiled and said something but Cyndi Lauper was playing in my ear, so I popped out my earphones and eloquently said "What?" and the scene unfolds...

Stranger in a polo shirt: "Just wanted to say you're lovely, that's it."

Tara caught off guard: "Oh, um, thanks?"

Stranger laughs and declares: "We live on the same street."

Tara a bit suspicious: "We do? Which street is that?"

Stranger acting a bit cocky but still smiling and walking in time with Tara. "On ---."

Tara impressed but still cautious: "Then I guess we do, howdy neighbor."

Stranger holds out hand and says, "Hi my name is Otto."

Tara spots that the light is flashing do not walk and that she has to cross the street despite Otto leading her straight and cutting off her path. "I'm Tara, sorry gotta catch that light, have a good one."

Otto calls out: "You too." I assume he keeps walking, since I didn't look back. End scene.

The encounter reminded me of the Sesame Street song that my cousin Selena used to play in the car when she was younger, "These are the people in your neighborhood, the people that you meet each day."

Generally I do pass some of the same people on my route to the subway, like the french guy that always has his daughter on his shoulders or his back, a guy who looks like Cedric the Entertainer and a large American Indian homeless man who my mom swears is the actor from One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest who may have fallen on hard times. She keeps saying she's going to go ask him and I wonder how that conversation will play out and what his crew of street sleepers would say. I looked it up though and the actor, Will Sampson, passed away in 87, but the homeless guy does resemble him in sheer size.

Also a movie called I Think I Love My Wife with Chris Rock was filming on my (and Otto's) street yesterday, but I only saw the production aftermath.

Just read: Match Me If You Can

Currently reading: Why Do Men Have Nipples?

Cafe Nervosa

Thursday, June 1, 2006

There's a Starbucks located at the base of my office building, temptingly enticing me as I walk by each day. Sadly that same place stopped serving the Cinnamon Dolce Latte. I'm not sure if it's a widespread Starbucks thing or not. I hope that's not the case, because those are my favorite, since they are very un-coffee tasting and more like a hot vanilla cream but with cinnamon. I guess I'm back to the Tazo teas.

On a positive note it's great to finally be able to walk outside for quick errands and leave the jacket behind.

UPDATE from Starbucks:

Dear Tara,

Thank you for contacting Starbucks Coffee Company.

Unfortunately, the Cinnamon Dolce Latte has been discontinued. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.

We will share your desire for this item to be reintroduced into our retail locations with the appropriate individuals within our company.

Again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact us at info@starbucks.com or call (800) 23-LATTE to speak with a customer relations representative.

Sincerely,

Gerard L.
Customer Relations Representative
Starbucks Coffee Company

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