Hanging Curtains

Jesus. Still not done. Getting closer, though. I will either have curtains hung by the end of the week, or I will hang myself.

I bought the wire cutters I needed today. I went back to Pottery Barn to find some lighter (in weight) curtains. Since I'm hanging my curtains on a wire that's being stretched for 12 feet, I think I need to find something that doesn't weigh much, but at the same time blocks out light.

Plus, I think I kind of have a crush on the saleswoman at Potter Barn. She immediately recognized me (thank God.) I made it a point of emphasis to mention that Kelsey was my friend's wife. Yeah, I know, if you start something with a lie, you're bound for trouble. But, what the Hell? I'm sure this will go nowhere anyway. She is a cute, Asian woman, though. Anyway, I need to go back to Pottery Barn tomorrow to return the velvet curtains.

I'm going to hang the wire tomorrow.

Worst Songs Ever

My girl Ang has a great post about the Worst Songs Ever. She even name-checks my company, Vh1, which really does do this kind of shit ad nauseum. The comments that her readers contribute are hilarious.

I have to say, I don't hate any of Ang's choices. In fact, I rather enjoy the Fine Young Cannibals and "You Light Up My Life."

I can't even think of five songs I hate. I do know, however, that I hate "Every Rose Has A Thorn" by Poison. I don't like jingoistic country music. Can I vote for a genre?

Read Ang's post... and get your thinking cap on. I'm pretty sure my brother can come up with a list of 100 in about five minutes.

My New Favorite Site

Do you have a fast internet connection and speakers? If so, check out RocketBoom. It's a daily, three-minute video of, well, stuff. The content is really well written and funny. Check it out.

Now THAT Was a Weekend

Wow, Kelsey and I had a busy weekend. Where to begin? I'll start with the end.

Today, we went for about a 3.5 mile run in Central Park. It was great, but she runs at a quicker pace than me, so it was quite exhausting. After the run, we went to breakfast at a little bagel joint.

After we took showers, we headed down to the Museum of Modern Art. My friends Kat and Adam (and spouses) got me a membership as a going away present. As a member, I can bring guests for $5. We hung out at the museum for a couple of hours. They have some AMAZING works of art. I want to go again and spend a little more time. We pretty much breezed through it so we could see everything.

On both Friday and Saturday nights, we had fantastic dinners. Friday night we went to a place called Rosa Mexicano. Tricia Iboshi recommended the place for the guacamole. Josh had recommended the place last summer for the Pomegranate Margarita's. This was probably the best Mexican food I've ever eaten. P.S., the guac and margarita's were even better than advertised.

Last night, we went to Italian food at a place called La Vela, on the Upper West Side. It's a really cute little place with red checkered table cloths. The food is out of this world. I had a seafood linguine in a red sauce.

Saturday we went downtown to Soho. Kelsey was looking for purses, so we ended up being 'picked up' on the street by Chinese "importers" who took us through these crazy mazes until we ended up in tiny warehouses filled with counterfeit designer bags. Prada, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Coach... all of the biggees were represented. The bags ran from $15 for a small bag to $75 for larger bags.

In Soho, we also shopped for my apartment. Kelsey bought me a garbage can and drinking glasses from a Chinese store called something like the Pearl Market. If Uwajimaya had a bargain basement, it would look like this store.

I'm completely spent. I can't wait to sleep in my bed. Being the gallant gentleman that I am, I let Kelsey sleep in the bed, while I slept on couch. I actually like my couch, so it wasn't a big deal. The real reason I let her take the bed was that the 'clean' sheets were on the bed.

I love New York.

Bed Arrived!

It fits nicely. I think I can take a picture of my apartment now... you'll just have to visualize a TV stand. I'll have pictures this weekend.

Now just waiting for Kelsey and the weekend can start. Wait! Don't make correlation between me getting a bed, waiting for Kelsey and starting the weekend! Get your mind out of the gutter.

Even without the TV stand, dresser or table, my place is now officially ready for guests. So, if you want to come visit, let me know. The sofa is interesting, it's this one... really better for sleeping than sitting. See, I'm not selfish all of the time... just most. It rolls easily into a twin bed, but also folds out into a King. So, if you're part of a domestic couple, you can sleep on it.

I also have the air mattress that I slept on for the first five days of my move. Wingerson gave the mattress a thumbs up.

Cool Website

I'm definitely going to be checking out some of these spots. This site, New York in the Movies, has a map of famous New York locations used in the movies. The map is fairly interactive and fun to use. Check it out.

The map isn't all that comprehensive, but it's still pretty cool. I think I'm going to head uptown this weekend to check out the Seinfeld diner.

Waiting for a Bed

Slowly, very slowly, the apartment is coming together. I'm home now waiting for a bed to be delivered. Once the bed is here, I'll still need a TV stand, dresser, small dining table (for 2) and chairs.

I told Bridget earlier this week "My apartment is basically done. All I really need is a bed, dresser, tv stand, table and chairs. Hmmm, I guess all I really have is a couch, chair and TV. Really, all man needs to survive is a TV and chair. The rest is all just for decoration."

Getting Around Times Square

I have to admit, my first day of work I was really excited about working in Times Square. All the video, advertising, lights and people were so cool. Well, that lasted all of one day.

Actually, the video boards and lights are still cool. The hordes of people? Not so much. When I leave work, I just want to get my ass onto the subway, but because of all people standing on the sidewalks taking pictures, reaching the subway can be a chore. Unless you know the secret.

You wanna know? Walking on the street. Sounds dangerous, right? Well, the cars seem to know that they need to stay out of the lane closest to the sidewalk. Not all streets are like this, but in Times Square, it's the only way to get around.

Dinner with Kelsey

I met Kelsey for dinner tonight. We went a place called the Moonstruck Cafe, somewhere in Midtown East. Also went to a candy store for desert. We had cupcakes made by Crumbs. Mine was Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, Kelsey's was Snicker Bar. We each had about half. I have two half-eaten cupcakes on my counter if anyone is interested.

Pictures Coming Soon

I plan on taking my camera out this weekend, so I'll try to get plenty of pictures posted.

Weather Not That Horrible

So, I must've slept through the Nor'easter. Actually, when I got up to run, it was horrible, so I rolled over and went back to sleep.

I ran 3.5 miles after work. It was a bit chilly and windy, but the rain wasn't that bad. I'm digging this park that runs along the Hudson. There were lights the entire way. There's also a bathroom, which I'm sure will come in handy some day.

New York Road Runners

Yesterday, I went for my first official run in New York. Just three miles, but it felt great. I ran along Riverside Park, heading north. Tomorrow morning, in the middle of the shit-ass weather, I'm going to head south... unless there's lightning.

Today, I joined the New York Road Runners. By joining it, if I run in nine qualifying races next year (after January 31), I'll be automatically entered into the 2007 New York Marathon.

I'm not sure if my back will even allow it, but I want to give it a shot.

If nothing else, by joining the NYRR, I'll meet other runners. I may also try to join a running club... if they'll have me. The way races are scored, only the top five finishers count towards the standings, so I can't really drag a team down. But, as someone wiser than me once said, "I would never join a club that would have me as a member." Still, I think it may be fun to run with a team.

My First Nor'easter

I don't even know how you spell Nor'easter, but there's one hitting town as we speak. There's supposed to be over an inch of rain tomorrow, with wind gusts up to 45 mph.

I realize that's nothing compared to the hurricanes down south, but it still sucks. It's going to SNOW in upstate New York. Weird.

Hanging Out with Reality TV Stars

My friend Kelsey invited me to a party thrown by her company, Screenlife. Screenlife makes the DVD board game Scene It. They also do TV Show games, an ESPN branded game, Disney Game and more.

Tonight at the party she introduced me to Jasmine, from American Idol. She was really cute and friendly. I told her I had family on Maui and she mentioned she had just performed in Wailuku. It was her first trip ever to Maui! How crazy is that? She's never been to Big Island.

Rob and Amber, from Survivor and Amazing Race were there, too. I didn't talk to them, but Amber was WAY better looking than she looked on TV.

My least favorite ESPN anchor of all-time, Kenny Mayne was there to introduce the sports game. What an idiot. Is he even on the air anymore? I think he single-handedly killed the "dry humor sports news" genre perfected by Craig Kilbourn and Dan Patrick. Keith Olberman took it one step too far, and Mayne completely stomped the life out it.

No Mo' Sumo

Wingerson and I had a long day. We started by headed down to Soho. We had brunch out there and Brent bought some stuff for his wife Michelle. Soho is great, but I always get lost down there.

After Soho, we made our way up to Madison Square Garden and purchased tickets for the Sumo Wrestling championships. Tickets in hand, we went to see a movie... mostly to get out of the rain and rest our feet. We saw "Domino." I didn't like it, he did. More on that later.

We then went to Sumo at the Garden. It was horrible. So boring. The guys were fat, but they weren't huge. We wondered if the promoters just went out and found some fat guys and taught them the rules in the back. The judges were almost all Japanese, but only three of the fighters were. Anyway, it was boring and we left after an hour.

We grabbed a cab and headed down to Little Italy for some dinner. I had a great dish of rigatonni w/vodka sauce. At that point, the skies opened up and we had serious lightning and rain.

A Night with Wing

I met up with Brent Wingerson last at the subway station. We walked around Times Square, I showed him the office. We then went uptown to my apartment, and finally to dinner.

I'm so bad at this... I forgot the name of the restaurant, but it was delicious. We ordered the porterhouse steak for two. It was $38 a piece... 48 ounces. Good! We finished dinner at 11:00, and the restaurant was still packed.

Today, we're going to head downtown to Soho. We may catch sumo(!) at Madison Square Garden.

Kelsey gets into town today, but I probably won't see her until Monday. She's here all week for work, then next weekend she'll be staying here.

Hanging Blinds

For God's sake. What kind of apartment doesn't come with blinds? How about the kind with a cement ceiling. Ever tried using a screwdriver in cement? Not so much.

I've put the word out here at the office that I need a drill.

Cable and internet get installed today. Finally.

First Real Day of Work

Different city, same job. Actually, now that I'm gone, I can see some things I'll miss about Microsoft. Mostly, just tech stuff... like the new computers, mice, etc. I'll also miss my office, as I'm now a cube dweller. And the free juice. Definitely the free juice.

On the plus side, they actually have women working here. I was in a Managers meeting today, and 80% of the people in the meeting were women. Having come from Microsoft and two sports franchises, that kind of thing just didn't happen.

Overall, there's fun vibe here. People seem to work hard. But, I can tell they all play hard, too. I'm pretty good at working hard. But, I don't play hard too well. I'll have to work on that.

First day of work. Finally.

I Miss My Shoes

Idiot! I packed away all my running clothes and shoes and had them shipped (with four other 100 pound boxes) to New York. So, I've run-free for over a week.

My stuff should be arriving tomorrow.

From my window, I have a view of the Hudson River. It appears that there's a running trail along the river. I hope to be on it on Tuesday.

Moving In

Moving into a new place is expensive. Other than my bed, it's not the big stuff that I'm sweating. I wanted a new couch/chair/kitchen set. But, I'm getting nickel and dimed to the poorhouse.

I've made two $100 trips to Bed, Bath and Beyond so far... and I have to go back today. Though, after today, I should be done with the 'necessities.'

I'm currently sleeping on the air mattress my dad lent me. I like it, which is good, because if you come to stay with me, you'll be getting to know it quite well. Did I mention that I'm currently sleeping in my kitchen? Well, I am.

My apartment didn't come with shades or curtains. What the fuck is that? So, I'm headed to Bed Bath and Beyond for some window dressings. The catch is that my window isn't a normal size. It's 12' wide and 5'6" tall. Hopefully I'll be able to piece together two or three shades to make one. Or, I'm going to need to go door-to-door to see what other people are doing. God forbid I'll need to meet my neighbors, though.

I have some furniture coming on Wednesday. I'll get cable/internet on Saturday. I'm currently going with rabbit ears, and they seem to be doing OK.

Since the initial downpour, the weather has be gorgeous. First day of work tomorrow.

First Night Out

Last night I met Tricia for a drink at the Paramount Hotel bar. We quickly got caught up on everything. After about an hour, Kelly swung by and we went to dinner.

We tried to get into Nobu, but no luck. And Nobu Next Door had a private party... so no Japanese food for us. Instead, we went to the Tribeca Grill. It was really good. Tricia ordered a New York steak, Kelly got the salmon and I had some amazing raviolli.

I want them to move here... especially if Tricia continues to pay for everything!

Wi-Fi Not Fixed

I've got something messed up. But, I'm here at Barnes and Noble... PAYING. I needed to update my fantasy football teams (one's in first place, the other is in last.)

If there's anyone that knows anything about wireless, call me...

Wi-Fi Fixed

I wonder if I left my brain at Microsoft. I've just been assuming everywhere else was broken, as I couldn't connect to wireless. Finally, tonight, I took a look at my settings. Yeah, I had screwed them up somehow.

I'm back, baby.

Welcome to New York... Be-Yotch

So, the City says: You think moving to New York is easy?

Me: Seems to be

City: Yeah? How'd you like finding an apartment?

Me: OK, yeah, that was rough

City: How about I make it a little more difficult?

Me: What do you propose?

City: How does a little rain sound?

Me: Rain? Are you kidding me? I was raised in Seattle. Bring it on.

And the City and the Gods conspired to make my first day in New York one for all eternity. I swear to God (the good God, not the one that spites you with rain) I've never seen such rain. I had to wear three different pairs of pants today. I literally ruined my wallet. Nice Coach one... the leather became deluged and ripped.

My flight was delayed yesterday for TWO hours as we sat on the plane while they fixed the shocks. That sucked. I don't know why they can't let you off the plane. On the plus side, they gave us a free movie (Fantastic Four... not so much) and a free drink.

At JFK, they have a covered taxi stand, but it's not enclosed. By the time I got my cab, my clothes were completely soaked through from the rain.

I think tomorrow will be dry. I hope so.

One Last Day in Seattle

So, tomorrow is it.

I'm headed into the city to get my haircut. I've been seeing Sherri for about 12 years now. It's going to be kind sad saying good-bye. I've never had a relationship with a woman last anywhere near that long!

I'm also going to do some general walking around. I'll head to Pike Place Market, the Westlake Center area, and up to Pacific Place/Nike Town. I'll also head over to Queen Anne.

I'm going to miss Seattle.

The Going Away Party

I had the BEST going away party ever. It was truly one of the greatest nights of my life. My friends Kelsey and Bridget secured a back room at an Irish pub called Fado, in Pioneer Square.

Once there, all of my friends showed up. In all, I would guess about 50 people showed up throughout the night. It was great because as people left, other people seemed to arrive. The room never got too crowded.

I am blessed to have such wonderful, caring friends. I'm going to miss all them.

My life in New York will be great. Fabulous. I just wish I could take my family and friends with me. Hopefully, I'll have plenty of visitors.

The going away party was truly a perfect night.

Dinner with the "International Producers"

Had a going away dinner with a few of my friends. We went to Wasabi Bistro in Belltown. Delicious sushi of the 'fusion' variety. We ordered rolls with names like Catepillar, Ichi-Roll (get it?) and Las Vegas. I also ordered a couple of pieces of Ikura (Salmon Eggs... I love them!)

Sold the Condo

That was quick. It took less than 24 hours to sell my place. It's nice that it got done prior to my move on Thursday.

Congratulations Portland Marathon Runners

Another Portland Marathon came and went this weekend. I want to congratulate my friends Tom and Vivian for running ANOTHER marathon.

I also want to congratulate my friend Stephanie for completing her FIRST (and hopefully not last) marathon. I'm very proud of her.

The time and dedication it takes to run a marathon is off the charts. From the fastest runner to the slowest walker, finishing 26 miles is a chore. Congratulations to all that completed the Portland Marathon!

Long Weekend

Beginning Saturday morning (with a slight hangover... more on that some other time) I've been non-stop moving. Have I told you how much I hate moving? I hate it THHHHHIIIIISSSSS much. Ugh.

My back is sore. My hands are sore.

On the plus side, I'm done. I hired a person to come clean it tomorrow... my first cleaning lady! I'll try not to make it a habit.

I'm shipping four huge boxes back to New York. I'm dropping them off at UPS tomorrow morning.

Can't Sleep

I hate when this happens.

... And I Thought Just His Movies Sucked

Are you kidding me? Gizmodo reports that Steven Seagal has a new Asian Experience energy drink. Uh, what?

You can buy it here... this is the 'official' product description:

This long lasting energy elixir is made with key ingredients from all over the globe. With a healthy dosing of Tibetan Goji Berry, Asian Cordyceps, B-Vitamins, Green Tea, Yerba Mate, Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba, Guarana, and Policosanols

Hey Suck Ass, I mean Seagal, I've got an Asian Experience Energy Drink for you right here buddy... and it tastes a lot like dick!

Good Time to Move to New York

Just read this on MSNBC:

New York City police and Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thursday alerted the city's residents to a possible terror threat to the subway system. They said information on the threat, which was passed on by the FBI, was being evaluated for its credibility, but that it was specific enough about a target and timing to warrant advising subway riders to be vigilant in coming days.

Wow, how's that for a "Welcome to New York" greeting? I'm going to have to assume that everything is cool. I've never lived my life scared, and I'm not about to begin now.

Everything Must Go!

Free couch. The catch? You have to come and pick it up.

Free Table and Chairs

Want it? Come get it... it's all yours.

Got a Place!

Well, OK, I have to sign the lease at 1:30... but everything is in place. Thank God.

It's the high rise along the Hudson. I'm a little disappointed about the location, but I love the actual apartment. It's fairly "large" (OK, not compared to the real world, but Manhattan is its own planet) so guests are welcome!

The last time I looked at my clock last night it was 5:15. Was very stressed about finding a place. Hopefully this building is OK, because my next move in New York will be out. I'm not going through that shit again!

Watched a Movie Shoot Today

I watched something being shot today on 91st and Broadway. Sydney Pollack was overseeing the shoot, but in doing a little research, nothing came up as to what it could've been.

I watched for five minutes. The scene was basically a girl (about 12) crossing the street. I then walked around and had breakfast. When I came back to the hotel an hour later, they were still shooting the same thing. There must've been 30 people on the production.

Will This Ever End?

Looks like I didn't get the second place either. This is KILLING me. So, it's on to the swanky high rise. Hopefully that's a done deal. It's a perfect apartment. But the location is just a little bit off. I guess it's a tradeoff. It's the nicest place I saw.

That Needle? Stick it in My Eye

So, I put a deposit down on a place... only to learn it had already been rented. So, I just went through the process again. Tomorrow is a holiday in NY, so I may not learn whether or not I got the place until Wednesday. Which kind of sucks since I'm supposed to fly back tomorrow.

If this place falls through, I'm going to apply for a high rise on the river at W 64th. The only downside to it is that it's about a 10 minute walk to Broadway and the subway. It's fine when it's 75 degrees (like today)... but I imagine it would suck in the winter and summer. There is a shuttle bus that runs before and after work, but still. I think I prefer to be closer to the shops and restaurants.

This process is killing me.l I can't wait until it's over.

Finding an Apartment

Hmmmm... not as easy as I thought.

I took a red eye in on Friday night. When I arrived, I immediately checked into the Days Inn on 94th and Broadway and went to bed. Got up at noon at headed down to meet my broker.

We looked at about 10 apartments. I'm going back this afternoon to check out the first two again. Outside of the first one we looked at, everything else was a studio. I need to see the first two again since I now know what to expect.

I'm also looking at two other apartments. I did find one, a high-rise on about 89th and Broadway that works. It's a large studio with brand new appliances. However, the thought of paying $2100 for a studio apartment makes my stomach turn. But, if that's the way it's got to be, then so be it.

I'm sitting just just oustide of Central Park right now. This city seems to have a lot of free hotspots... unfortunately my hotel doesn't have an internet connection of any kind.