OK, so no family is as dysfunctional as the Fockers, but certainly having two get-togethers with more than 15 people at each (in our first 3 days in California) was a baptism by fire for Serena. How did she handle it? I would say with flying colors, i.e., she didn't change her flight for an early return to London.
Just took the E train to JFK, and this ad for a self-help book/cd called Law of Attraction caught my eye:
The author apparently has a three-step plan to improving just about every aspect of your life. The author's name? Michael Losier. Sorry, dude, but anyone with a name that close to Loser shouldn't be writing self-help books.
I don't usually take requests for posts, but Mary Beth's idea of posting a 'drink of the month' (actually, the idea was 'beer of the month' or 'wine of the month', but I figured 'drink' gave me a little more lattitude) was so good I thought I should do it.
When? In the UK they have a series of Pimm's advertisements that say 'It's Pimm's O'clock', meaning that any time is a good time for Pimm's. While this is probably true, a Pimm's Rangoon (or any Pimm's drink, really) is best enjoyed on a warm summer day. Then again, if it's winter, you could turn up the heat in your apartment and it would be just as refreshing.
Why? Because sometimes you want a cocktail that tastes good (i.e., not like alcohol), isn't pink, and doesn't come in one of those wimpy little martini glasses.
How? With caution. This drink really does go down easy, and if you want to get up before three O'clock the day after Pimms O'clock, you might want to take it easy.
If you go for a walk in Manhattan in the spring/summer, you'll periodically come across a large metal tank that has 'Nitrogen' written on the side (although it's usually worn and barely visible). New Yorkers just walk by these large metal tanks as if it's completely normal to have them on street corners here and there, but my friends who have visited have all asked the same question - 'Why are there liquid nitrogen tanks on the street?'
The reasons given on various newsgroups range from the electric and telephone companies using liquid nitrogen to 'pressurize cables' to 'cooling transformer vaults'.
When I was younger, I swam with a kid whose family owned a small chain of hot dog shops in Chicago, called Fluky's. So, when I heard of a bar that you entered into through a secret door in Crif Dogs, a hot dog shop in the East Village, I was totally up for it... especially if I could grab a dog on the way in.
Turns out, the bar SERVES the hot dogs from the shop next door! I'm sure my description won't do justice to just how crazy it is to walk through a phone booth (just opposite the table top Ms. Pacman) in a hot dog shop, into a swish cocktail lounge, so I'll just say that if you visit soon I'll take you there.
There's a type of New Yorker that is obsessed with fitness, and many of you might be aware of the ridiculous fascination with dogs in this city. For the gym-obsessed, dog-loving New Yorker, I give you... Doggy Gyms.
Even with my (very) short commute to work - a 5 minute walk around the corner from my apartment - the sidewalk congestion can be a little overwhelming. I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling annoyed about having to bob and weave my way down the street. Here are some suggestions which, if followed, would make the commute a bit more pleasant:
1) Stay to the right, pass on the left. It works for cars, why not try it with people? OK, so some people may be a bit too big to pass on the left without hitting oncoming traffic, but those HUMMER limos seem to manage...
2) Walk your dog on a shorter leash. There is nothing more frustrating than having to negotiate a rat/dog on a long leash that spans the width of the sidewalk. Unless you have the strength of a two-year-old, there's no reason you can't control a dog weighing less than 5 pounds.
3) Don't walk and talk on your phone. There are laws about driving and talking on the phone, and perhaps they should be applied to walkers. I'm not saying people need to use a hands-free set, but if they're not able to have a phone conversation while walking to work, stepping out of the way to make/take a call would be nice. Don't even get me started about texters.
4) If you see someone you know, and want to talk, move out of the way. This is just common sense. Carrying on a conversation while stopped in the middle of the sidewalk equates to chatting with your buddy in the next car after the light has turned green. We've all done it, but it doesn't make it right...
Christina and Uli were in the city on Saturday, which gave me a chance to try a couple of new places.
Otafuku 236 E. 9th Street New York, NY 10003 212-353-8503
Otafuku is Japanese for moon-faced or homely woman. I have no idea what that has to do with this little takeaway place, where you can get one of two types of food - Takoyaki or Okonomiyaki. The Takoyaki come in three varieties, Plain, Cheese, or Octopus, and the Okonomiyaki are topped with your choice of Corn, Squid (Ika), Beef (Gyu), Shrimp (Ebi), or Pork (Buta). I went for the Takoyaki, and was told by the guy behind the counter to try Octopus (his favorite). Christina and Uli went for the cheese. For $5 I got 6 pieces, topped with some kind of dipping sauce, mayonnaise, and dried fish flakes. Other than being super hot (temperature, not spicy), they were delicious, and a perfect grab-and-go snack for a walk around the village.
Otafuku
Mé Bar 17 W. 32nd St., 14th floor New York, NY 10001 212-290-2460
My lab-mate Jo told me about this bar after her boyfriend Oli did an online search for rooftop bars in New York. Varioussitesdescribe this place as a 'hidden gem' or a 'wonderful find', so my expectations were really high. Perhaps too high. Yes, it's hidden (it's actually the bar at the La Quinta hotel in Koreatown). Yes, there is a roof terrace. Yes, you can see the Empire State Building. But calling this place 'no frills' would be an understatement. Our drinks (we settled on gin and tonics after asking for a mojito and being told they don't have mint) were served in plastic cups. Not big plastic cups, but those little clear ones you get at the water cooler at your doctors office. The 'view' of the Empire State Building (see below) is no different than the view from the street, i.e., if you look up, you see it. I'm not saying I'll never go back - this place is fine as a post Korean bbq spot (there aren't many bar options in K-town) - but I can't imagine it as a place I would think of for an evening out. I like the idea of a bar with a view, and am looking forward to trying some other bars with views of the New York skyline.
Google just launched their latest feature on Google Maps - Street View. Now when you search for an address you can 'zoom in' and see an image of the location (as a 360 panorama). Pretty awesome. Right now they only have Street View for a few places in the US (New York, Miami, Denver, Las Vegas, and San Francisco), but hopefully more will be added quickly. Don't worry, these pictures aren't live.
But if you see the Google van around taking pictures, make sure you smile.
