wendywrote

it's official: i'm addicted

2006-09-26T23:28:00.000-04:00

. . . to Chipotle burritos. so addicted in fact, that my almost daily visits to one of the locations gleans me a free meal from time to time, and almost always a free drink. (the cashiers know me well enough by now that they don't charge me sometimes.)

in case you haven't heard of Chipotle, it's a burrito joint that started in Denver and spread across the country. it's set up like Subway Sandwich is, where they make your burrito (or taco or salad) in front of you according to your specifications. i highly recommend Chipotle if there's one in your area. it's affordable, fresh, and delicious. their homemade guacamole is heavenly. and if you're in a hurry, you can order your meal online and pick it up at the counter instead of waiting in line. (this is ideal if you're at work and can't take a long lunch break, or if you're a busy mom and don't want to drag the kids inside.)

there are several locations in NYC, but Chipotle is not in every state yet (look under "find" on their site for locations). i predict that it's just a matter of time before Chipotle is nearly as accessible in the U.S. as Subway is.

next time you see me i'll probably be wearing my new "Addicted" T-shirt (see above). one of the employees gave it to me as a gift. that's just how addicted i am.

my Met watch

2006-09-09T00:15:00.000-04:00

i finally own a watch, after at least a decade of not wearing one. i decided it was time (punny), because it's not very conducive to psychotherapy for the therapist to hold her cellphone in her hand after discovering that somebody took the clock that was in her office to another office at the clinic. so, i gave in and bought a watch.

i bought the one with the silver band from the Metropolitan Museum of Art store. it's called a Color Magic Watch, and the second hand is a transparent but colored disk that turns and creates 60 different colors as it goes around. i love it. i also love the kids' versions above. the kids' ones are less expensive and i think still cool for adults.

for those of you in New York or coming for a visit sometime, the watches are a bit cheaper if you buy them at the Met. i always recommend a visit to the Met, and if you can get a great watch while there, why not?

back-to-school busy-ness

2006-09-07T23:20:00.000-04:00

i'm writing to let my (two) raving fans (you know who you are) know that fall semester is in full force, and that means fewer posts per week for me.

my goal is a post a week, but that may be optimistic considering the mounting piles of readings, papers, presentations, and other obligations on my plate. the good news: this is my last year. but check back about once a week; i hope not to disappoint.

Bottle Rocket

2006-09-03T01:44:00.000-04:00

this first movie by Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson (and co-starring Owen and Luke Wilson) is one of my favorite movies of all time. if i had talk show with an episode called "Wendy's Favorite Things," this would definitely be on the list. and each member of the audience would get a free copy.

calendar hunt continued

2006-09-03T01:03:00.000-04:00

so far i've found 2 calendars i really like: the circles one, and the handbag one, which is from the Museum at FIT. there are 2 drawbacks to the handbag calendar: it's a mini calendar and i can't find any views online of what each month looks like (definitely a calendar-search pet peeve!).

calendar criteria

2006-09-02T23:32:00.000-04:00

it's only September and i'm already on the hunt for my 2007 wall calendar. i LOVE calendars. i consider them changeable/affordable art on my wall. above is my 2006 calendar from Graphique de France. it's of vintage fashion illustrations; the colors and expressions make me happy.

my criteria for wall calendars are:

1. colorful but not too busy

2. NOT prints of real art (if i want to see impressionistic paintings, i can go to the Met)

3. anything that could be hung in an art gallery, but isn't well known or your average "art."

4. each month has to make me feel something different. ideally something related to the respective season or holiday of that month.

5. finally, i just have to like it--like each month enough that i won't get tired of looking at it before its time is up.

so, if anyone has any leads for where to find/get such a calendar, i welcome the info. i'll let you know what i end up choosing.

subway story #1

2006-08-31T11:06:00.000-04:00

i was on the train going home one Friday evening and a lady came into the subway car and asked for money. she got half-way through the car and i guess no one had given her anything, or not enough if they had. so she yelled, "Come on people! it's Friday; it's payday! i know you have something!"

i'd never heard anything like it. and it made me smile. a guy next to me who i think was a native New Yorker said that in all the years he's lived here he'd never seen that. only in New York.

cool website

2006-08-31T10:49:00.000-04:00

this is a website worth adding to your favorites. it analyzes the content of movies for explicit material--so people of any age can know what's in a movie before they choose to see it. it was just named as one of TIME's 50 Coolest Websites, and has been one of my coolest for some time now. (okay, for about as long as i've dated Bryan, since he introduced me to it.)

Jill & Javier's wedding

2006-08-29T20:55:00.000-04:00

my sister Jill got married on July 21st in Orlando, FL. the highlight: her gown--oh yeah, and the ceremony of course--and the spontaneous toasts made at dinner (mine was especially choice :). it was a very small wedding, basically immediate family and a few friends who live in the area. they're having a reception in October. i think they're a fabulous couple, and that Jill's dress is beautiful.

what was more beautiful than Jill's gown? Jill in her gown.

Lesportsac baby bag

2006-08-29T20:29:00.000-04:00

(this post is for all my peeps who have little peeps.) i love this baby bag by Lesportsac. it's pricey, but looks functional and stylish. it comes in other fun designs as well, but i like the polka dots the best. i saw a mother in Chipotle--my favorite burrito joint in the city--with it strapped over her stroller. she had one of the flowery ones. i wanted it and then i realized what it was. another advantage of this bag: it doesn't look like it holds wipes, onesies, and rattles. now that's what i call a diaper bag.

Betty's video clip

2006-08-26T08:01:00.000-04:00

last night my best friend in the city, "Betty,"* introduced me to my new favorite video clip. i made her play it for me 3 times; it's that hilarious. (click on "Think about It, Think Think about It" here. it might take a little while to download, but it's well worth the wait.)

the guys in the clip are a band from New Zealand called Flight of the Conchords. they're coming to NYC in September, and i'm gonna try to go. these dudes crack me up, yo.

*Betty and i have called each other "Betty" since she dubbed me that after hearing i had a chick band in college called "The RockStar Betties." Her real name is Kristen, but she also goes by "KP." i love her. every so often she'll bust out with, "Will somebody please remove these cutleries from my knees." see the video for just how hysterical that line is.

Lucky Charms

2006-08-26T07:51:00.000-04:00

it's Saturday morning and i'm thinking about cold cereal. remember all those sugar cereal ads during Saturday morning cartoons as a kid? well, anyone who's ever lived with me knows i have a weakness for sugar cereal. my latest love is Lucky Charms.

and i just have one question: why is Lucky Charms so dang good?

Jaymay: happy music

2006-08-25T12:49:00.000-04:00

if you love female vocalists, you might love Jaymay. i do. she's a local NYC singer/songwriter/guitarist/xylophonist. her music makes me happy. i often find myself skipping down the street listening to Jaymay on my ipod. you can hear her music here. you can also get my favorite song of hers for free; it's called "What Happened?"

she's got great style too. i love the art on her website. the design of her latest album is similarly compelling.

i found out about Jaymay b/c my brother-in-law Jason interviewed her on his podcast about NYC called GothamCast. i highly recommend it for local New Yorkers or those enamored with New York. or both. Jason is my super cool music resource: i find out about all my favorite new bands through him. like Regina Spektor. she kind of sounds like Jaymay, is also from New York, but has wider distribution. i prefer Jaymay but own both their music; i love a good local artist.

Bryant Park with Bryan

2006-08-25T11:48:00.000-04:00

okay, so part of the reason i may have fell instantaneously in love with the movie "Rocky" this week, could be because i was watching it in Bryant Park with my awesome boyfriend, Bryan. i mean, who wouldn't love any movie under those circumstances?

here's why watching movies in Bryant Park rocks: it's free, it's every Monday night in the summer, it's directly behind the beautiful New York City Public Library (in midtown by Grand Central), and you watch it under the light of the Empire State Building--which looks gigantic and so close you feel like you could reach up and touch it. there's nothing better than watching a movie under the stars with a bunch of New Yorkers. okay, i can think of a few things, but not many.

so, if you're ever in the city in the summer and have a free Monday night, head to Bryant Park with a blanket and picnic dinner. but get there early; it's a small park and fills up fast. they open the lawn up at 6 and the movie starts at 8. but well worth the wait! i brought a book, chatted on the phone with my sister Melanie (who's summering in Alaska with her hubby Jason), and had some awkard moments with the peculiar lady sitting right next to me--almost on my lap--who kept asking everyone around her what time the movie was supposed to start. then at one point she told me i had a piece of grass on the back of my shirt and without hesitation got it off for me. like i said, being in close proximity to hundreds of New Yorkers is awesome.

oh, and in the winter they set up an ice-skating rink where you can skate for free (but there's a skate rental fee). however, if you have your own skates like my sister Jill, then you're home free. plus, Jill's got some sweet moves on the ice.

shout-outs to my blogger muses

2006-08-24T12:57:00.000-04:00

yo, Gabby
yo, Jordan
yo, Kamilah
you guys inspired me to blog, you know that?

well, you did, and you rock. Gabby and Jordan are long-time friends of mine, and Kamiliah is my roommate. see their blogs here, here, and here--respectively.

keep on bloggin' girls!

top ten reasons "Rocky" is the best movie ever

2006-08-24T12:03:00.000-04:00

10. Because Rocky says "yo" all the time.
09. Because Rocky wears a sweet gray jumpsuit.
08. Because the movie has sweet running scenes with rad music.
07. Because Rocky loves Adrienne.
06. Because Adrienne loves Rocky.
05. Because Rocky tells off his future coach through a door.
04. Because Rocky fights like a champion and loses with dignity.
03. Because Rocky "goes the distance."
02. Because Rocky gives a little girl in the hood a life lesson.
01. Because Rocky punches raw meat.

BONUS: Because this movie has heart, man. if you haven't seen it or haven't seen it in a long time, i highly recommend this classic and Best Picture 1976.

my next rentals: Rocky II, III, IV, and V. and i can't wait for the new one to come out in December!

why "wendywrote"?

2006-08-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

because "wendywrites" was not available. and because i love alliteration. and because i would love to be a legitimate writer someday and hear somebody say, "have you read the book Wendy wrote? it's phenomenal."

me and Goldie

2006-08-24T07:29:00.000-04:00

today i came face-to-face with Goldie Hawn. i'm still buzzing from the high i got from being so close to someone that famous. it's wierd. i kind of feel like i know her now. here's how it happened:

i'm in the lobby of my supervisor's high-rise apartment building near Central Park South just before 1 p.m. i'm early for my appointment with her, so i'm reading in one of the plush leather armchairs they provide in such luxurious buildings--not like the big black, smelly trash dispensers that welcome me each time i arrive on the ground floor of my walk-up building. then, i hear a familiar voice. i look up only to stare at the back of a too-tan blonde woman who'd just come in from walking her two dogs. she was examining the stack of suitcases she'd had brought down for her and was talking to herself about whether she had everything. the doorman asked her what her dogs' names were and she answered as anyone in a good mood would respond to such a question. this woman was all-to good natured, chatty, and loud for your average New Yorker. maybe that's why she caught my attention, even though i was engrossed in my book. it soon dawned on me that i was listening to Goldie Hawn talking to herself and her doorman. i was in shock.

as she continued in her friendly repartee with the few people in the lobby, i gawked. luckily her back was to me most of the time or it would have been simply awkward. (i wonder if my mouth was open while i watched her every move, like it was in slow motion.) so i stared on. i mean, you would have too. her presence was captivating. she was warm, gregarious, open, sophistocated yet hip (wearing capris of some sort (jeans? cutoffs?), two hippy-like layered tank tops, those trendy flipflops with jangly jewels on them, and big black sunglasses). in short, utterly charming. and it all seemed so effortless.

as she started making her way to the elevators, i decided i would too. i mean, wouldn't you want to have a few seconds alone in a confined space with a celebrity and see what they'd say or not say? so i decided i could be 5 minutes early to my appointment and started to follow Goldie to the elevators when she turned. away from the elevators but toward me--and we were face to face for an instant. i smiled faintly and looked into her completely opaque sunglasses and was mesmerized. i couldn't see her eyes but i'm sure mine had "I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU!" written all over them. i think she had a grin on her face, too, but i could be editing my memory at this point. (and it's now over 12 hours since we faced-off.)

so Goldie turned back toward the lobby and i continued toward the elevators and got in one alone only to realize that Goldie had lost her grip of one of her dog's leashes. he was headed to the elevator too, without her. he apparently wanted to ride with me, even if she didn't. (okay, so another resident's dog caught his attention.)

at any rate, i had a moment with a super famous person, and somehow i think it made me feel famous. i was still beaming when i arrived at the 20th floor for my supervisory session. when i burst into the room to share the news of my encounter, my wise old supervisor said in a knowing voice, "Oh yes, Goldie's had the penthouse here for years. And you'll see Robert De Niro from time to time, too." The penthouse. Uh huh. Yeah, I have one of those too . . . in my dreams! i can't imagine what THE one penthouse looks like in a building like that--a few blocks away from Columbus Circle, Trump Tower, and the TimeWarner buildings. heck. i'd even take a studio apartment 5 flights up that i could afford in that neighborhood.

who knew i was such a Goldie Hawn fan? not me? but then again, maybe i'm not. maybe i'm just a fan of famous people. they're awesome.

(NOTE: i've lived in New York for 3 years now, and this is my first celebrity siting. This only adds to my enthusiasm--and i thought i was such a calm, cool New Yorker. it turns out i'm not. i'm a total sucker for anyone famous.)

why "wendy"?

2006-08-24T05:25:00.000-04:00

because my parents named me that for no apparent reason. but in 10th grade we had to make a book about our life for Ms. Smiley's class and comment on "How I Got My Name." after reading my paragraph about how i was named for the Beach Boys song "Wendy" and for the character in Peter Pan, my mom said, "You weren't named for those things." it was only then that i realized i had unconsciously edited the truth. then it donned on me that i never asked why i was named Wendy, so i did then. my mom said something like, "i don't know. i just liked it. and Dad didn't object. so i named you it."

no wonder i made something up. who wants to write that in their 10th grade memory book?

p.s. i also thought "Everyone Knows It's Wendy" was the official name of the song that has that line in it. in fact, it's not. it's simply called "Windy," like the wind. i was also mistaken about who wrote it. in case anyone's wondering, it's by The Association. (my guess was the Byrds.) i also probably thought i was named after this song. i liked that fantasy too. i want to have "stormy eyes that flash at the sound of lies" and trip down the street, smiling, while capturing moments. (lyrics here. get song here.)

why all lowercase?

2006-08-24T05:24:00.000-04:00

because i think it looks cool and e.e. cummings-esque. and because i'm lazy and think internet chat should be totally cas'. (short for "casual.") but mostly because i'm lazy.