Sunday, July 17, 2011: It’s Been One Week

            It seems like during the week has fallen into a cycle of being somewhat uneventful. Monday was a usual day at work. Jen wasn’t in but she had already told me what needed to be done. After I got out of work I headed over to Brooklyn for an informational interview with someone from Ariel Publicity (the one from the alumi panel who is involved in the music industry, and I also got to meet the owner of the company).  He answered all the questions I had about working in the music industry and how publicity within the industry works. I really enjoyed meeting with him and was glad that he was willing to provide me with insight.

            I really didn’t feel like doing much of anything Tuesday. I walked around for a little but it was so hot I ended up going back inside to read. Our final seminar was last night, and Heather Hall talked to us about networking. Overall I really enjoyed it, and still find it fascinating how so many people are connected to one another.

            Wednesday at work I did a lot of running around because we had a big show that night. Turns out our NolaFunk banner wasn’t where it was supposed to be so we had to make do with just one. The venue was really nice, right on the water at South St Seaport. I had gone around with chalk to direct people from the subways to Beekman, however it started to rain about a half hour after the show started (so it all got washed away). The night was really long, and after standing for 7ish hours my feet were killing me, but apparently we had about 1,000 people come out to the show and they all seemed to enjoy it.

            I spent a lot of time outside on Thursday. I went back to South Street Seaport for a bit to get presents for people, and ended up getting “lost” a few times on the way there (I eventually found my way).  Once I got back to NYU, I ended up going to Union Square Park and reading for a few hours. It wasn’t overly hot out and there was a breeze so it was quite comfortable out. I’m worked another show again that night, and it was fun (even though I’m missing the Harry Potter midnight premiere).

            Friday, I finally finished my week long Harry Potter marathon, concluding with seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2. It was really good, though there were a few parts that I wish they had done a little differently. It’s hard to believe that a series that I’ve followed since I was 8 has completely ended (yes the books finished awhile ago, but now that the movies are done it seems more official). That night Kate, Nadia and I ended up going to a bar with a couple other people. It was fun to hang out with everyone, but the bar was a little boring (I found it entertaining that it was called Brother Jimmy’s BBQ).

            Yesterday during the day Kate, Nadia and I went to a beach in Queens. The weather was beautiful, but it took awhile to get there (over an hour). I ended up only staying for 2ish hours because I had decided to go to the 100 Monkeys (and The Assembly Line) concert at Gramercy Theatre. Even though I ended up going alone, I met these 2 women while waiting in line, and hung out with them during the show (and then during the show we met up with another 100 Monkeys fan). The Assembly Line was amazing, and I’m definitely glad I got to see them perform before I left NYC (they’re from Brooklyn). The third opener, The Bleeding Horse Express, was also very good. I had never heard of them before, but will be buying their album very soon.

Finally, the 100 Monkeys; I had heard wonderful things about their shows before, however I still wasn’t entire sure what to expect. Part of me thought that more than half the audience wasn’t going to be actual 100 Monkeys fans but would just be there to see Jackson Rathbone (yes, I’m aware he’s one of my favorites too, but I went to the concert for the music; him being in the band was just an added bonus). The show ended up being a lot of fun. The energy the band has on stage is ridiculous and you can honestly tell how much they are enjoying themselves and how they feed off the energy of the crowd. I also loved the fact that they always switch instruments; I don’t think there were two songs in a row that didn’t involve some sort of switch. This was probably one of my favorite shows that I’ve seen, and will be making more of an effort to see them in the future. After the show was over, the band had an after party at Angels and Kings in alphabet city, where Jackson was going to be the DJ and Ben J., Ben G., and Jared were going to bar tend. I went with one of the women I had met and don’t remember exactly when we got there but the band didn’t end up showing up until 12:45 (we ended up talking to two girls who were already at the bar). It was ridiculously crowded, and of course when the band came, most of the people flocked to where they were (same thing when the band made their way over to bar tend). I ended up hanging out with one of the girls we had met at the bar, and it turns out that the non-profit she works for works with Pine Ridge (the Indian Reservation I went to over Spring break and the one I’m going to in a few weeks). The night was amazing, and I don’t know if I could’ve had a better last Saturday night in NYC.

Today, all of us went to Central Park for a picnic! We didn’t really do anything specific, just hung out on the lawn near the fountain, listening to music and enjoying each other’s company. A few of us ended up renting rowboats, and that turned out to be a lot of fun (though I know my arms are going to hurt tomorrow). I can’t believe that we’ve been here for 7 weeks! It seems like just yesterday all of us were dressing up to go to the polo match on Chandler’s and my birthday (when in fact that was 6 weeks ago). I have a feeling that this week is going to go by entirely too fast, though I do miss being home and everyone from school.

Sunday, July 10, 2011: Welcome to the Jungle

            This weekend was definitely more eventful than during the week! Yesterday we aimed to get several things off our NYC bucket list. The first stop was Goodburger for lunch, as it was a movie from our childhood that all of us fondly remember. I got the classic goodburger and fries and it was a lot better than I was expecting (though looking back I wish I had gotten orange soda as my drink). After lunch we headed down to the financial district to do a few things down there.

            Our first stop was the Trinity Church, the church from the movie National Treasure. It was a little bit smaller than I was expecting, but still very beautiful inside. We stayed there for awhile and looked around. Once we left there, we went to the Wall St Bull, and it was packed with people around it. Nick, Shelby, and I each jumped up and sat on the bull’s head/neck for a picture. We wandered toward Ground Zero and even though I’ve seen it before, it seems a lot bigger when you’re standing on the ground (as opposed to driving by in a bus). Shelby had been to the 9/11 Memorial Preview when her mom and sister were here, so we decided to check it out. The plans they have are amazing, and I fully intend on visiting when they’re done (projected 2012).

For dinner, we checked out Vapiano’s, a restaurant that we always walk by on our way to Kimmel or Weinstein. The décor was different than we were expecting, but the food was pretty good. We stuck with the Italian theme for dessert and went to a little place down the street for Gelato. Once we got back to NYU, we went down the the TV Lounge in the basement and, to Chander’s delight, had all agreed to watch Justin Bieber’s movie Never Say Never. As much as I don’t want to admit it, it wasn’t bad. While I still don’t have Bieber Fever, I do respect him much more as an artist (I still refuse to embrace the extreme hype around him though).

Today we tackled the Bronx Zoo. We attempted to get there for right when it opened, however failure to notice that the 5 train wasn’t running during the month of July (and finally realizing we should take the 4) and having to take a bus instead of transferring to the 2 train resulted in us arriving about an hour and a half to two hours behind schedule. Once we got there we had a lot of fun though. It was Tyler’s first real zoo experience, so that made it even better. We were able to go to the majority of the exhibits, but as the day went on the heat (and all the walking) really wore us out. 

The Dreamer Talk Box was tonight (fellow dreamer Robbie’s event) and it exceeded my expectations. There was humor, music, and guest speakers all tied into one. The highlight though was when Shelby went on the stage to participate in an activity and accidently guessed that 10 billion people lived in NYC instead of 10 million (it was also pretty funny during one of the video reels when Robbie was asking a question about Abraham Lincoln and Tyler was like “I don’t know, I’m Canadian”).

On a side note, in honor of the final Harry Potter movie coming out on Frida, I have decided to watch one Harry Potter movie each night leading up to it (obviously in sequential order) and then Friday morning watch HP7 part 1 right before going to see part 2 (I can’t go to the midnight premier because I might have to work).

Friday, June 8, 2011: This Time Around

            Ok so I hadn’t realized that I didn’t write since Tuesday, but nothing really eventful happened. Well I did get 3^rd row seats to see Hanson in MA and then the next day got tickets to see them in CT, so that was eventful for me (but no one else).

            Wednesday nothing out of the ordinary happened at work. I did a lot of promotional things through Facebook and various other forums. We have our Summer Jazzfest next week and then the Summer Reggae Fest the week after so I’ve been looking at different places to especially promote those shows (as well as other ones we have just announced). The only other thing that really happened on Wednesday was that the fire alarm went off not only once, but twice (we literally got back in from the first one and the 2^nd one went off). We still aren’t entirely sure what caused it, but at least I now know that FDNY can get to NYU fairly quickly (on a side note, I found it entertaining that one of the fire trucks had a little dinosaur attached to the top of it…which of course was during the first fire alarm so I didn’t have my camera with me).

            Yesterday I ended up reading at the High Line again. I only ended up staying for a little over an hour and then wandered around Columbus Circle for a bit. I debated on going back to the High Line, but I had a reaction to a bug bite (not as bad as usual, but still enough to make me not feel well) so I headed back. About 10 minutes after I got back, the skies opened up (so I’m very glad I came back when I did). After dinner a few of us did some laundry and it was the most crowded I’ve ever seen the laundry room (I guess Thursday night at 9:30 is a popular time to do laundry).

            Today I went into the office to make up for Monday being a holiday and it ended up just being me, Carly, and Jen the entire day. I got to chose the YMLP winner for the Kermit Ruffins show next week, help make adjustments to show posters, as well as promote the Groundation show that’s coming up in a couple weeks. It started raining again at about 3ish, and lasted throughout the night. We went to go see Horrible Bosses, which I didn’t really have any expectations for, and it turned out to be a pretty good movie.

            I can’t believe that there are only 2 weeks left. Time really does go by faster the older you get. I think the plan is to jam pack this weekend with things on our bucket list, so hopefully that means I’ll have something a little more exciting to share with everyone.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011: Give a Little Heart and Soul

            So Sunday, I ended up feeling sick all day. I woke up with a really bad headache that just wouldn’t go away. Therefore, the entire day was spent in bed catching up on movies that I have been meaning to watch for awhile (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Brokeback Mountain, etc). The good thing about not feeling well on Sunday was that it was iffy weather out all day so it wouldn’t have been a day to really go out to do anything.

            July 4^th (aka yesterday) was beautiful all day. Steph, Katherine and I went to Greenwich Village for lunch and it was pretty good. On our way back we were going to stop to get fried Oreos but the place was closed so we stopped by Baked by Melissa for mini cupcakes (about the size slightly bigger than a quarter) instead. It was a little pricey, but they were very good (I ended up getting Firework, Cookies & Cream, Cookie Dough, Chocolate Chip Pancake, S’more, and Red Velvet). We hung out for a bit down the hall before going out to dinner and heading over to watch the Fireworks. The crowd for the fireworks was insane, some roads were blocked off and we ended up not being able to go as close to the water as we were hoping, but it was still fun. We saw 4 of the 6 sets of fireworks and it was the most fun I’ve had watching fireworks in a long time. Afterward we walked back and Steven and Chandler started singing the National Anthem and before we knew it a huge group of people joined in; it was a lot of fun.

            Today was pretty laid back. I still didn’t feel 100% so I didn’t go exploring like I had planned. Instead I read my book, did some laundry, and ran a few errands. However despite still not feeling well, this morning was by far the best part of my day! Hanson announced their Musical Ride Tour! They will be at Toad’s Place in New Haven during Columbus Day weekend! Therefore, for once in my Hanson fan life, there isn’t a conflict with seeing them! Not only that, they will be in Northampton, MA the night before (only about an hour and twenty minutes away from school, and an hour and a half away from home!). I have an issue and am planning on going to both shows (I’ve been trying to see them for years, and tickets aren’t too expensive, so why not?). Plus they are having the fans vote on the set for each show, so I’d be seeing a different show each night. I fully embrace my Hanson obsession and the only thing that would make each of those nights better is winning a meet and greet pass.

            Anyway, back to New York life. The weather was nice so after dinner we hung out in Washington Square Park and Steph M. and Steven played in the fountain. It was highly entertaining, especially when Steven forced Steph to go through the huge jet in the center (completely drenching both of them).

            Also, Happy Birthday Jimmy! Can’t believe you turned 19 today! No you will not be getting a cruise for 4 from your older sister as a present, but I’m sure I’ll find you something in NYC before I come home that will be acceptable (and not as expensive).

Saturday, July 2, 2011: Dance the Night Away!

            Ok so a lot to catch everyone up on. Let’s see, Wednesday was a fairly typical day at work (I can’t recall anything out of the ordinary happening). I’ve gotten the route down to a science now, so it’s gone from being something I didn’t like doing to something I look forward to. After work, Dream Careers had a Music Industry night, and it was really good. The discussion was a lot of stuff that I kind of already knew (through the panel I went to a few weeks ago and the book I’m reading), but it was still good to hear. And the two performers, Susan Cagel and R.I.C.O., were extremely talented and it was the best part of the night.

            Thursday I spent a lot of time preparing for the possibility of doing informational interviews and made a list of questions that I have about the industry and about different things I could be doing. Over all it was a pretty relaxed day. A lot of people have other things going on this weekend between friend’s visiting, going to visit friends, and family visiting. After dinner we went to Little Italy for dessert! It took longer than we expected to walk there but we finally ended up at Ferrara. Ironically, Tyler and his friend had been there maybe a half hour or so before we got there, and just after Chandler, Nick, Katherine and I sat down, Shelby and her family walked through the door. In as big of a city NYC is, all of us somehow ended up at the same place. I got Tiramisu, and it was definitely worth the long trip. 

            Ok so yesterday, I ended up going to The High Line. It’s probably my favorite park so far. It’s basically an elevated walkway that is built along where the old railroad tracks are. There are plants everywhere and a beautiful view of the water. There is even a section of the walkway that has a strip of about a ¼ inch of water that you can walk through off to the side of the normal walkway. I went from 14^th St to the end and then back, and ended up staying to read for about an hour. Once I got back to NYU, I did a little research on the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and am considering doing that for a year when I get out of school (hopefully in either LA, Nashville, or NYC). Last night was a pretty slow night; Nick, Chandler and I went to go see Larry Crowne, which was a decent movie. Afterward we had planned on meeting up with Steph M. (Chandler’s direct roommate) and Katherine to go to Serendipity, but we wound up hanging out in their room instead and just talking.

            Finally, now on to today: This morning we ventured to Chinatown, which was definitely and experience (I didn’t end up getting anything though). After lunch, Katherine, Steph M., and I went to Central Park and rented bikes. I loved it. We rented them for an hour and got to see so much of the park (a lot more than I expected we were going to). We got slightly confused when it came to heading back to finding a path that cut across the park so we could head back to the bike rental place, but we eventually figured it out. 

            Once we got back we had to get ready for the Dinner Dance Cruise. It was phenomenal, probably the best event so far. We got all dressed up, went to Chelsea Piers, and got on the Spirit of New Jersey (the entire night we sailed around the harbor). The food was better than I was expecting, and we finished eating before the ship even left dock, so we were able to hang out on the top story when the boat took off. The view of the skyline was breathtaking and we got to watch the sunset. We spent the night dancing and just hanging out, and it was just an amazing night. The only unfortunate thing about the night was that Steven and Tyler weren’t able to come. We were only out on the water for 3 hours, but it definitely seemed a lot longer (which was a good thing).

            I’m not entirely sure what the plan is tomorrow, but I’m sure we’ll wind up finding something fun to keep this 4^th of July weekend going greatly.