In New York...

In New York the weather is always unpredictable. You dress up in a warm coat and scarf and then it is 70 degrees all day. You get stepped on in the streets and then you yourself end up stepping on people later on in the subway, so you figure you'll just call it even. Some guy stops you to ask about your hair and tries to sell you some salon product and (maybe) you tell him he's annoying....

But in New York there is always something fun and new to do—a free concert, a television show taping or a book signing.

Yep, I went to the Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt book signing on Monday night. They were at Borders Columbus Circle promoting their new book How To Be Famous. I love going to Columbus Circle, especially during the holidays. They have the most beautiful Christmas decorations! And Heidi and Spencer were friendly and talkative with every fan and crazy press person and photographer there.

Heidi, twittering.

Spencer told Heidi to twitter me at @Katiecat!

I remember all of what first led me to watch The Hills on MTV. 1 - I had cable. 2 - Lauren and Heidi are my age and were in the same year of college as me and experiencing their first internships and jobs as well. 3 - I loved seeing the L.A./Hollywood backdrop.

Now that I don't have cable anymore I don't get to watch the shows unless I struggle to catch some scenes in between all the buffering that my slow internet connection offers, but I will always love The Hills and Lauren, Speidi—whomever!

Birds and chocolate in Bryant Park!

Finally, I went to Bryant Park to enjoy the holiday shops and ice skating–except that it rained all day Saturday and so my Valene, Kim and I didn't actually get to go ice skating and we barely event got a chance to eat! We did our best, sans rain boots and sturdy umbrellas to enjoy some of the holiday vendors and some wich'craft sandwiches followed by Max Brenner's chocolate pizza!

This chocolate pizza was the best you could ask for. Their milk and white chocolate toppings made me say outloud, "This is a chocolate sin." I ate the whole slice minus a few of the crusty corners. Those went to the birds we met under an umbrella...

Two little birds came up to us and seemed to be looking for food, so I took some crumbs from my pizza (it was a dessert dough, not actual pizza crust) and placed them on a chair nearby. They came right up to me and ate them, then started eating them straight from my hands! Valene, Kim and I stood there for a while feeding them and photographing them. They were so cute and trusting!

We couldn't stay long because of the rain. After our chocolate pizza and get together with the birds, we went (window) shopping in SoHo, had dumplings in Chinatown, had drinks at Beauty Bar (it's a bar that does manicures), wandered around Gramercy reminiscing on summer fun and watching Gossip Girl filming, and gladly called it a night before midnight. That was a enough walking around in the rain for one entire day!

Holiday events to look forward to!

..
Bryant Park's The Pond & Holiday Shops

now through Jan. 24

Bryant Park, located on 42nd Street between 5th & 6th Avenues has free ice-skating (plus $12 for skates) this winter through the end of January! I don't know that I'll actually want to go ice-skating, but it's nice to know that it's there for me if I want to. I will definitely stop by the shops to try some snacks including crepes, apple cider and chocolate pizza at Max Brenner's Chocolate By the Bald Man.

The Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony in Rockefeller Center
Dec. 2

Every year a show is put on for the lighting of this famous and famously big Christmas tree in Rockefeller Plaza. I went last year but couldn't make my way through the crowds to see anything. It was crazy! Miley Cyrus was there performing and so were the Jonas Brothers — supposedy! (They actually taped a few days before the show. I found out thanks to cops with microphones announcing it on the streets so that everyone would calm down!) This year the ceremony and show are on December 2nd, 7-9 pm.

Santacon
Dec. 12

Another annual holiday event here in New York is Santacon - a mass gathering, parade, bar crowl, convention, or whatever you want to call it. Everyone has to dress up as Santa. And be nice to kids. I don't really see myself dressing up as Santa, so maybe they'll let me participate wearing all white and some snow-flake like gear.

Fall 2009 shows on ABC

There are so many shows on ABC this Fall. I miss the good old days when it was just Grey's Anatomy and Lost. But some of these new shows are so funny, you have to watch (Modern Family, Cougar Town). Some are confusing or seem like knock-offs of Lost, but you end up watching anyway (V, Flash Forward). And some are unbelievable, in a good way (Eastwick)!

Modern Family
Since it's only a half hour, I have no excuse to miss this show during its live airing on Wednesday nights (I don't like watching episodes online). This new series definitely started off right with diverse characters and funny situations. It's a great new concept - showing three families all at once and poking fun at their characteristics and relationships. My favorite character is Gloria - the supposed Gold Digger or "Coal Digger" as her son mistakenly calls her. The first and second episodes were the best - between the Lion King music and the wannabe cool Dad.

Cougar Town
Cougartown is another half hour comedy that I won't miss, mainly because I'm a FRIENDS fan and a Florida fan (it takes place just south of Sarasota). It has Courteney Cox, the hot cheating doctor from Private Practice and Busy Phillips from Dawson's Creek! I like a lot of the concepts - I like the positivity of Jules after her divorce, the closeness of her and her neighbors and co-workers, and the fact that she's running her own business.

Eastwick
If only this new hour-long show didn't air at 10 pm on Hump-day! Most Wednesdays I stay up and watch because it's THAT good, but I will most likely miss out on the mystery every now and then. In Eastwick, I like Rebecca Romijn, Lindsey Price and Cybill Shepherd, though I don't like topics of witchcraft and magic—I don't like things I can't believe in. But unlike past shows of a similar subject, this one is tastefully done and despite being totally make-believe, it focuses enough on what's real in the plot - like friendships, family, health, relationships, intuition, etc.

Flash Forward
This show and the next (V), had so much marketing put into it, it's hard to avoid know what happens even if you don't watch the full episode every week because the commercials are everywhere. I've only enjoyed half of the episodes so far. I'm sort of a Lost fan but this show loses me for a lot of the same reasons that Lost has throughout the past 4 or 5 years. There are too many highs and lows and the lows can be drawn out. I just want to find out who did it and how they did!

V
I actually didn't watch the first episode, but I'm intrigued by the Lost association and the star role going to one of the cast members from Lost. I heard that you learn a lot about the "Visitors'" intentions during the first episode and that only 4 episodes will air this fall, with another 9 or so starting back up again in March after the 2010 Winter Olympics.

So that's just a sample of the new shows this Fall. Grey's Anatomy is back to being as good as it was in the first few seasons, and Private Practice is for the most part back to being interesting. I just wish they would bring back the hot cheating doctor for Addison!

Fall 2009 TV shows I'm addicted to on the CW

On Mondays & Tuesdays, I can't not watch!

I think this particular fall season has way too many good TV shows on. The problem is, shows that are losing it, such as Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill, are still on. And I haven't even watched Vampire Diaries or America's Next Top Model this season. But I've been a loyal fan of One Tree Hill for 6 years, and of course I love GG, so I can't not watch those even though I'm already overloaded with all of the fun new fall shows on here and also on ABC (next post):

Gossip Girl
Everyone knows this season is boring. Even season 2 was boring. Nothing will top season 1 and this show will end like the O.C. The thing is though, all of the hype and interest in the show continues to grow—between spotting the cast on set locations in NYC and seeing them at every Hollywood event. I'm still excited for this show, but I miss old school Blair, Nate, Jenny and Serena.

One Tree Hill
This show is on its 7th Season. I love it and have watched for 6 whole years but unless every episode can be thrilling while also being nostalgic and sincere, I can't keep up with it anymore! I don't want to see anymore of Dan and I don't feel close enough to these new main characters: Quinn and Clay who are supposed to take the place of Lucas and Peyton.

90210
Very good this season - I love Liam and Naomi, but I don't like that they got rid of one of the main characters from last year - Ethan, and bumped Annie's lead character down to supporting character of Naomi. But I guess that ironically mimics what happened in the original series with Brenda and Kelly. Other than that, I feel like too many plot points aren't resolved. What about the issue between Annie, Naomi and the sext? And Liam hooking up with Naomi's sister? Silver's obsessive love for Dixon? Kelly & Ryan? They've let go of all the good stuff!

Melrose Place
I like this show and can't believe it's off to a slow start ratings-wise. And I agree with critics that Ashlee Simpson isn't the greatest actress in it, but I don't think they should let her go. I also don't think Auggie's character should be let go just because 'the drug addiction stuff is too heavy.' So is the prostitution thing with Lauren—they should get rid of that! David's character is pointless. Pointless! Ella is dry and boring because her character is too stereotypical. Still, I really like this show. Let's see what happens with Riley and her cute fiancee!

What I like about New York and things I've noticed here

While building an events related e-blast while at work, I came across an old image of New York, showing Times Square and the Statue of Liberty as they were many years ago. And sometimes when I'm in restaurants or stores I'll see posters of Columbus Circle from when it was literally just a circle with horse and buggies, carraiges and trolleys strolling through the dirt, making their way up Broadway.

That's something I like about New York—that there's a history here that we would never know of if we didn't see it in an old black and white photograph. There was a time when it wasn't so commercial and colorful. It was simple and traditional.

E.B. White said that "No one should come to New York unless they are very lucky." Though I worked very hard to get here and had to practice lots of patience while finishing up school in Florida, I was definitely very lucky to come here. I'm happy to be a part of such a great place.

Forget the opportunities and possibilities. I would like New York even without those.

I like the way that we communicate and socialize here. We form friendships that we cherish after only a short time, and cling to those friendships because they're really all we have since we've left our families and hometowns and even our countries to come live here.

But why do we do so much and give up so much just to be here?

Just because...

Halloween in NYC...

....can sometimes lead to dancing with Teletubbies—every young woman's dream!

It's funny how things work out. I had just been reminiscing on how I spent my first Halloween in New York at a house party on Canal Street before heading to the village for a costume party at Professor Thom's.

I ended up back on Canal Street this year after a failed attempt at trying to see the Halloween Parade on 6th Avenue. A group of us left for Chinatown after it started to rain and all of the time we spent wandering around down there reminded me of two years ago when I was wandering around in my Stepford Wife pearls and sweater.

This year was all about the costume - I didn't want be something boring. I tried to mimic the famous Chat Noir but the fake bangs, mask and stuff all over my head was just too much, so I only wore that to the office and to a costume party on Friday night. Saturday I switched over to a Hawaiian beach bum with some leis, flip flops, beach dress and Hollister beach bag. Minus the fact that it rained and became freezing cold at the end of the night, it was a very comfortable outfit!

The best part was dancing with the teletubbies and witnessing some of the most creative costumes I've ever seen inside Pianos bar down in the Lower East Side: someone dressed with a giant billboard Facebook Wall, a guy with a baby in a pouch from the Hangover movie, and Johnny Depp's character from the upcoming Alice in Wonderland film.

At one point I just had to say, "Halloween is the best night of the year!"

New Roommate

After three weeks of searching (it felt like more), I finally found a new roommate for my 2 bedroom apartment in Astoria. My current roommate moved out in July because she got married, and the person subletting her room is only here temporarily for an internship.

Because I was very confused about my job situation for a while, I was considering moving back to Florida (but really didn't want to), so I didn't know if I would need to worry about staying in the apartment past the lease date (Nov. 1) and finding a new roommate to share the rent.

When I started my job in late September I started searching for a new roommate as I planned to stay for another year, but there weren't enough interested candidates! I was limited since I could only take in a female with no pets.

I was getting discouraged, especially when someone would tell me they were interested in taking the room, then I never heard from them again. I started looking at other places in case I had to move out, but at the last minute I showed to one last person and she decided to take the room! It's a huge relief because I love my apartment, but now I'm realizing I'll get bored living there for another year :-/

It's always something—New York is so challenging and complicated!

Halloween Idea

Since I was sick with a cold last year on Halloween, I only have boring and uncomfortable memories of dressing up and heading down to Greenwich Village to see the famous Halloween Parade along 6th Avenue. I looked terrible in my Gossip Girl outfit, trying to imitate Blaire Waldorf with a thick headband and plaid skirt, so when it came time for planning this year's outfit, I wasn't feeling creative or inspired.

Until I thought of being Chat Noir!

Chat Noir was a famous cabaret in Paris back in the late 1800's. And there is a bistro here in NYC just off Madison Avenue that is named Chat Noir. I had lunch there for my 21st birthday a couple of years ago and just ice-cream one other time.

So I'm thinking of wearing all black with black furry boots, a tail, cat ears and a red halo to match the poster. Also, some extra black eyeliner and maybe some gold eye shadow to match chat's eyes! But I don't plan to look like a scary swamp monster like the one in the iconic Rodolphite Salis poster above.

Stress at the gym

Most people go to the gym to release stress while working out—I go and acquire even more stress than I came in with! Sometimes it's an asthma flare up or some guy with weights will be screaming very dramatically right next to me, or one of the doors that's broken will fling open and hit me or someone else.

It's a cheap gym - I was only paying $38 a month but recently had the manager lower my monthly rate to $29.99 to make up for so many discomforts and inconveniences.

One that occurred last night has me especially annoyed:

The instructor showed up to teach the usual Tuesday night aerobics class 15 minutes late and he had his girlfriend following him around. Then he took forever setting up and playing around with the music. Right before class finally started, an older lady walked up to him and asked if he could lower the volume because it hurt her ears.

From there, the instructor spent 5 minutes arguing with her and saying that he couldn't teach the class without loud music. 5 MINUTES!!! So class was now 20 minutes behind and we were all listening to him go on and on about how if someone doesn't like the music they should leave and that this was how he'd been doing it for two years (wow, he sounds as stubborn as a woman)!

I was getting really sick of it all so I spoke up and said I agreed that the music was sometimes too loud. The lady had mentioned that she was over 50 and that loud music could really effect someone’s hearing loss at this age, but also that she loved his class and could he just “lower it a little,” so I felt sympathetic. Then the instructor continued to go on and on about how he wasn’t going to do that for her.

This was such a waste of our time so I stopped him and pointed out that he was already 15 minutes late to teach our class (he's actually 10-15 minutes late every week), so could he at least respect the wishes of a customer and move on with the class. He then started arguing with me so I walked out and got the manager who took care of it and finally class started about 30 minutes into the hour >:/

Anyway, I guess I just wanted to say that it’s important and decent to respect someone’s wishes when they are a paying customer and when it comes to their comfort and health. And it never hurts to stand up for someone when they’ve been put on the spot in a negative way.

^All when appropriate of course.

Missing Summer!?

I didn't complain outloud, but who has to when it's obvious that a heat wave is making you miserable? I know I had many negative thoughts about the weather during the late summer months of July and August - especially August because that's when the heat wave took place - but I'd glady go back to that wet, sweaty, frustrating state over the feeling of ice-cold that fell over New York City this past weekend (and to think I was considering going row boating again!).

I definitely wonder, how did it go from that to this? It feels like mid-February out there and it makes me miss summer for the first time ever.

My closet is already overflowing with regular clothes and shoes, how am I going to fit scarves, gloves, hats, boots, socks, leg warmers, long johns, jackets, coats and slippers in there too?

I know a lot of people out there love the cold weather and getting warmed up. I'll count on you to rub off on me this year (last year I loved it too) -- and I'll count on lots of fun pumpkin spice food and drinks since those are the cheery/popular/trendy things already this fall!