Sweet Blog O'Mine

Category: Music

  • Laren: The Soundtrack

    I recently had a discussion about theme songs.  This always reminds me of Ally McBeal, who often had a theme song that reflected what was going on in her life and that generally gave her some sort of inspiration to make it through her various trials and tribulations.  One of my favorites was Ooh Child — always soothing and inspiring during troubled times.  I think theme songs are a good idea, but couldn’t think of any that were as uplifting as some of the ones that came up as examples — Tubthumping, All-Star, Proud — so I turned to my iPod for guidance.  I found one that made me laugh out loud — it was so good, yet so inappropriate:  Good Girls Don’t, by the Knack.  So that was my temporary theme song until another came to mind.  It’s still not quite the uplifting and inspiring mood that I’m looking for, but it never ceases to make me smile:  All the People, by the Monroes.  "All the people tell me so, but what do all the people know?"

    Any thoughts?

  • Cheesy Poofs and Billy Joel

    Sometimes I take a moment in the middle of what I’m doing to realize how incredibly lucky I am.  I had several moments like this over the past few days.  First, what was going to be an ordinary night (gym, home, bed) ended up with a lovely dinner with Rob at Bar Carrera (If you haven’t yet made it there, it’s worth a trip).  Comfortable and inviting despite its awkward space with a great 80’s centric soundtrack, Bar Carerra serves up tapas in style — my favorites that night were the shrimp & chorizo followed by the pate with truffled mushrooms.  Yum.  After a bit of Dodgeballing with Kim and some dessert negotiations with Rob, we headed to Otto for gelato where we met up with Nic, David, and ulimately Kim.  We ended up making a pit stop at ‘ino for nutella panini and dessert wine before landing squarely at Mas (farmhouse) for late-night carousing.  Now Mas has a legendary late-night menu, offering everything from oysters & steak tartare to short ribs.  We weren’t particularly hungry, but still made room for their gougeres, a.k.a. cheesy poofs.  Despite being a tad tired the next day, it was well worth it to spend time with good friends over food and wine.  At some point at Mas, I looked around the laughing, smiling faces at the table and took a moment to cherish it all.

    Saturday, after helping my sister buy some interview clothes, we met up with our brother, his girlfriend Sarah, our cousin Sara, and Bill’s friend Sebastian for dim sum at Golden Bridge.  Although we got there on the late side, we still managed to taste all kinds of steamed dumplings, some short ribs, and some Chinese broccoli with a drizzle of oyster sauce.  I’m looking forward to going back a little earlier at some point.  After paying the bill ($11 per person — woo hoo!), I realized again how lucky I am to have both my siblings and my cousin living in the same city for the first time in ages, even if we don’t see each other as often as we should.

    Finally, Mark and I went to see Billy Joel last night at Madison Square Garden — a belated and very thoughtful birthday present.  I don’t even recall mentioning to him the fact that I like Billy Joel except for one fairly brief conversation a while back .  Some may scoff at him, but as we sat there last night, I realized how rare it is to sit through a 2+ hour concert and literally know every song.  Sure, some I knew more than others, and some I liked more than others, but to be able to sing All for Leyna at the top of my lungs because the words are seared into my brain from childhood (Glass Houses was one of the first albums I owned) I realized anew what a great gift it was for me.  Thanks again, Mark.

    After the concert we went to ‘inoteca for dinner — a perfect cap to the evening.  We sat in the cozy warmth of the restaurant watching the snow swirl all around outside while we enjoyed our gamberetti with pancetta and truffled egg toast (someone was kind enough to let me dominate the ordering, it being a birthday celebration and all).  As we bundled back up and headed out for a cab, the city was covered in a tranquil blanket of white, (which I find so beautiful and peaceful every time it snows) and as we headed home, I soaked in the beauty of it all and took another moment. 

  • On My New Commute . . .

    • I stopped to say hi to Rick at the Greenmarket in "condiment alley," where he told me that he met someone I know while DJing in his silk pajamas at a bar in the East Village last weekend (does this ring any bells to anyone?).
    • I noticed some very beautiful buildings on 19th between Irving and Third, several with mosaic tiles and a few with NY Public library-esque mini-lions (or other creatures) out front.
    • I fell even more deeply in love with my now-antique iPod (and its shuffle function).

    I’ve decided that "An Open Letter to NYC" by the Beastie Boys is the perfect song to hear on your walk to work
    on a crisp sunny day during the transit strike.  Other favorite parts of my commuting soundrack included "Rapture" by Blondie and "All in a Day" by Joe Strummer and the Mescalaros.  I’m sure if I were more of a techno-dork I could figure out how to link to clips of each of those songs . . . any hints from the dorks experts out there?

    And by the way, I have kept up with my gym regimen on top of my walking to and from work for the past two days, so I’m a bit pooped at the moment.  Off to bed for me.

  • The Weekend Wrapup

    After the Vendys and a whirlwind of a week, I stayed in Friday night.  I must have been exhausted because I slept for 12 hours.  Saturday I went to the gym, visited the Dosa cart, then headed up to Westchester to spend the afternoon with a group of my high school friends and their kids.  It’s quite overwhelming as the one single, childless person the group, but it was great to see everyone.  The kids I had met before had gotten huge!  I’ve got to tell you though, there’s nothing like spending an afternoon with your friends who are married and/or have kids to make you realize that there’s absolutely no rush to get there.  All in due time. 

    I came back to the city to spend a mellow night with my cousin Sara, who’s a sophomore at Barnard.  We went to see Shopgirl (my advice is to wait for the DVD), then had a late night snack at Village Yokocho.  Every time I go there I remember how much I love it.  Late night yakitori, dumplings, and other Japanese small plate dishes.  Mmmm.  After that, I finally took my friend Brian up on his offer to come over and sing karaoke at his apartment.  Brian, who I met through my work at Gothamist (he represents cookbook authors and was with me the night I was out with the author of The Vodka Cookbook), was recently featured in an article in the NYT real estate section — he’s got a karaoke stage in his apartment.  So Sara and I headed over and sang until the wee hours of the night.  Can’t wait until next time.

    Today I had a delicious brunch at Augie & Lauren’s and had about two minutes to breathe before heading out to Brooklyn for Katie’s mom’s beer stew.  Stuffed, I spent some time cleaning my apartment tonight, gave myself a quick mani/pedi, and am heading upstairs to give Augie a little blog tutorial.  After that it’s a good night’s sleep before my last session of boot camp.  Woo hoo!

  • Who Knew?

    That I liked John Fogerty so much?
    That Jimmy Buffet sings "Son of a Son of a Sailor," which to this day reminds me of a long lost love?
    That Bill Clinton makes me swoon as much now as he did when I got to shake his hand 6 years ago?
    That Ed Bradley knows all the words to "Margaritaville" and plays a mean tambourine?
    That Cyndi Lauper still kicks some serious ass?
    That I would enjoy hearing Dave Matthews sing Neil Young?
    That seeing Simon and Garfunkel singing "Bridge over Troubled Water" live gives me goosebumps?
    That Bette Midler has the balls to tell it like it is?
    That I would be lucky enough not only to attend from the Big Apple to the Big Easy as a guest of my firm, who was a corporate sponsor, but to enjoy the show from the floor of MSG?

    Somewhat blurry pictures to come, if they’re actually worth posting — I still have to sort through them.

  • Fall Ahead

    Kismet lighthouse

    I spent my last "official" weekend out in Kismet this past weekend.  I was actually happy that the house was quieter than usual — a perfect pace to wind down and truly enjoy every ray of sun, each grain of sand, and the welcoming waves mellowed by the presence of the full moon.  I couldn’t have asked for a better conclusion to a great summer.  I won’t even get into the food, except to say that the fried turkey and deep fried oreos were even better this time around than they were Memorial Day weekend (having the proper equipment helps).  I didn’t take many pictures, and certainly couldn’t capture the gorgeous red moon that was so huge and perfectly illuminated that it looked like part of a stage set, but a few pictures are up on flickr for your enjoyment.

    I’m now starting to gear up for fall — shopping for warmer clothes, welcoming the incoming class of associates at work, and generally feeling like I should go out and buy school supplies, even though I totally don’t need them.  As I mentioned, I truly want to slow down a bit this fall and take more time for myself, as I feel somewhat overloaded, but this week is already lining up to be a doozy.  My one mandatory staying-in night was just displaced by the Katrina benefit concert, and then I’m booked solid with social engagements for the rest of the week.  I’m looking forward to all of them, but between work, writing, and my social calendar, there is no real down time.  That said, I’m off to read some Harry Potter and go to sleep so I can get an early start in the morning.

    PS — for those of you who haven’t been getting your email updates, I think it’s fixed now.  Bloglet never tells me when there’s a problem . . .

  • There Are Times

    when I really wonder about my own sanity.  Like when I find myself with Abracadabra by the Steve Miller Band stuck in my head.  It’s times like these when I really wish I had some sort of mind-eraser that would zap it right out of my brain.  Come to think of it, a gizmo like that would also come in handy for erasing the pain of bad breakups and possibly for re-training myself not to repeat the same romantic patterns over and over again.  Hmmm.  Maybe I can find one on eBay.

  • Elvis Alert!

    Okay, internet.  I know I’m asking a lot of you.  In addition to sending good karma my way for the hunt, I’m asking another favor.  If you can only handle one, however, the aforementioned good karma is MUCH more important than what I’m about to ask.  I have an extra ticket to see Elvis Costello at the Beacon tonight.  The ticket’s a little steep: $80 — it’s in the orchestra), but I’m willing to negotiate.  If you’d like to buy it from me, send me an email and tell me how much you’re willing to spend. 

    Bltfish_oystersAnd in other news, I ate at the bar (downstairs, not the three-star upstairs) at BLT Fish last night and thoroughly enjoyed myself (although I have to admit, I still think I prefer the fried oysters at Pearl).  Several years ago, I never would have eaten alone.  Now, eating by myself, particularly at the bar rather than a table, is one of my favorite pastimes.  I had my New Yorker out, as did the woman next to me.  We started talking, and then she asked, "are you Laren?"  "Yes," I replied, stunned to be recognized by someone who looked completely unfamiliar to me.  Turns out it was none other than Ms. Maccers!  We chatted away about friends and acquaintances we have in common, she gave me handy tips about performing at WYSIWYG, and eventually she and her dining companion were whisked away to their table upstairs.  I asked her to email me to tell me all about the meal, since it’ll probably be a while before I can afford to dine up there, but for now, the bar is just fine.

  • Comfort

    I was talking to a friend yesterday about comfort.  She and I are both going through a job search right now, and the emotional drain that goes along with that is major.  Add to that the grey, dreary weather this past weekend, and you end up seeking comfort.  Thankfully, comfort can be found in so many places — close friends, a movie that you know will always make you laugh, no matter how many times you’ve seen it, a song that perks up your mood, a favorite pair of pajamas.  It can be physical — a yoga class, a hot bath, a long walk, a pedicure.  It can certainly be found in food — the phrase "comfort food" exists for a reason.  For me, it’s generally carb-o-rama: carbonara (mmm), mac & cheese, barbecue, cheeseburgers, soup dumplings — whatever it is, it’s amazing how your body and soul seek it out when you’re feeling a little gloomy.  What’s your "comfort food," literally or figuratively?

  • Addicted

    Okay.  It’s getting a little out of hand.  Every single time I turn on my iPod, I have to play Only You.  Not the tried-and-true Yaz version (which I still adore), but the Michael Moon version.  I don’t even know where it came from (I’m guessing it was from when Lauren was messing around with my iTunes in preparation for her wedding), but I absolutely love it.  Makes me smile every time I hear it.  As does the super-cheezy (yes, the "z" is deliberate) ringtone I’ve got going on my cellphone that sounds like some Casio-keyboard 80’s Velveeta of some sort.  Hey — I’ll take my smiles where I can get ’em.