Amber & Remote Intel

Contributing photographer Peter sends this proof that buses are indeed not the way to traverse the city today.

Amber & Confirmation of Precipitation

I can confirm that it snowed here.

However, I cannot confirm these facts outlined by the old gray lady's website.

"The storm’s timing was diabolical — too late for a white Christmas, but just in time to disrupt the plans of thousands of people trying to get home after the holiday, return unwanted gifts or take advantage of post-holiday bargains at stores. Public schools were not in session, much to the dismay of many children."

Really?  Were the children in dismay?

It is diabolical of the storm to hit on the first day I am well enough to be out of bed.  I might be able to make it to the office to pick up my laptop if that didn't involve trudging through snow and fighting the wind.  You devil snow, you!

Amber & Back In The Day

A often forgotten fact about me is that, for a brief time, before I left the island (only to come back in season 6 because, well, life was better for all of us on the island, even with the smoke monsters and ridiculously crowded 1 trains) I lived uptown.

My LaSalle Street apartment was lovely and significantly less expensive than Avenue B.

There was a large, lovely kitchen.

There were lovely French doors to the bedroom which was a totally different room than the living room, unlike Avenue B.

And there was a lovely claw-foot tub in which I took many, many bubble baths...
 

...and sometimes, kitties took naps under.

 

And then there was the "second bedroom."  Now, by most standards this was a closet.

True, a closet big enough to fit a computer desk, but it was a closet.  The rods for hanging outfits and the shelves gave it away, as did the fact that it was too small for either a couch (living room) or a bed (bedroom).  But the real estate lady insisted it was a bedroom.  When I pointed out it was too small for a bed, she explained, "You can put your baby in it."  And that, I certainly could have.

One not-forgotten-about thing about living on LaSalle Street (other than the fact that real estate agents lie like sound-absorbing rugs in rent-controlled closets that you can put your baby in) was that it was super close to Dinosaur BBQ.  They've recently moved across the street (to a new site which seats 30 more hungry clients and will have outdoor seating in better weather) and are now in that weird area under the bridge on 125 near Fairway (don't even get me started on how awesome having Fairway as my main grocery store was--except for the walk back up the Tiemann Place hill carrying way too many impulse purchases).

Dinosaur is definitely a place I would take visitors who craved ribs.  I can't tell you if the brisket is any good because I just get sucked in by the ribs every time.  The sides are awesome, too.  I love the sauteed greens (which are vegetarian, vegetarian people!) and the mac & cheese and the Syracuse Salt Potatoes.  And they have a super beer menu.  And it is festive; there is a painting of pigs, a steer, a goat and some dinosaurs playing cards!  (That seems like the very definition of festive.)

And did I mention the ribs?

Sigh.  I miss living way down on 125th.  James took this great photo of me at Dinosaur once, and you can tell I am super happy (even though I lived in Wisconsin at the time and am probably just happy to be in NYC).

He also took this one of CRD, but CRD looks more pirate than happy.

Happiness means different things to different people.

Amber & Geography Lessons

I bet that when you think of what lies to the north of you, if you are in the U.S. (and Google Analytics tells us many of you are not-- Hello, one person in Thailand!), you think of Canada.  And then maybe your imagination stops there, reflecting on the value of the loonie and how they still read up there.  But, maybe you are forgetting that even further north than Canada is The Arctic!  And maybe they have great brunch places there.  On what's left of the ice.

Likewise, even farther north than where I live is Inwood.

(On that map, I am way way down below the bridge.  Sooo far south.)

That's right, people who think I live in the Bronx, there is a whole neighborhood above me, complete with another 40 or so blocks of Manhattan.  And an amazing brunch place.

And, somewhat ironically, maybe you learn about this brunch place from your friends who live downtown, because maybe it takes someone from Oklahoma to plan a trip to The Arctic.  For brunch.

And maybe it's an international expedition with a friend from Sweden, a place further north than even Inwood, but so far north that it's like you crossed the north pole and came out on the other side.

And maybe you liked your reuben so much that you will definitely go back sometime soon, but maybe not today because the weather conditions are too severe for an expedition to the north.

I mean, look at those menacing flurries.  And that Feels Like.

Amber & Juicy, Alright

So, Juicy Couture is the latest high-profile Fifth Avenue tourist shopping destination to be invaded by bed bugs.  And our friends over at Racked had this amazing photographic evidence.

There's a joke there about how bedbugs suck blood and it says JUICY on the butt of those annoying sweatpants, but I am too busy being smug about the whole thing to articulate it.

Also, here is an informative video about bed bugs and their reproductive cycle that kept me awake for at least one night.

I don't know which would be worse: having bed bugs or having to wear those awful fuzzy track pants.

Amber & Top Foods Challenge: Day Three

A must-have: coffee from the Mud Truck.

 

Hot or cold, but definitely from the truck-- no need for a café in my opinion.  How do they get those rich chocolately undertones in there?  And definitely not from the cheap rip-off Love Truck.

Not fancy, not really a meal, but a requirement for any trip.

Amber & Top Foods Challenge: Day Two

I love brunch.  I love not eating first thing I wake up, and I love making a mid-morning meal into a social event (even if "social" just means me and a book at Plum Pomidor).  And, readers of this blog know how much I love La Palapa.

My visitors are sure to be treated to a meal at La Palapa--either the eastern or western options, depending on how much said visitors enjoy walking and how tolerant of east village youth I am feeling.  (Also, there is a waiter at the east one with the most beautiful hair ever.)  All of the breakfast options are great but must be accompanied by café de olla, the orangey sweet deliciousness that makes, if you can believe it, coffee even better.

My favorite brunch option is to get the brunch special and upgrade the coffee to the café de olla on my second cup.  The brunch special also comes with a bloody mary (or bloody maria if you have a better relationship with tequila than I do) or michelada, fresh fruit (you can have my pineapple and mango), and then your choice of entrees.  I recommend the huevos rancheros con salsa verde.

Eggs, just perfectly runny, on delicious fresh tortillas with tons of queso fresco and crema, swimming in a sea of the most delicious salsa verde ever (I could just eat a bowl of the salsa verde and be happy).  If you visit NYC for two weekends, we might have to go there twice.  I wish they were serving brunch right now.

Amber & Top Foods Challenge: Day One

Long, long ago, and in a galaxy about six hours by direct flight away, Erl (aka Isaac) issued a challenge to create a list of my favorite New York eats.  Herewith, my first entry to that list of things you absolutely, positively should not visit New York without putting in your mouth.

1. Ramen, especially the Akamaru Modern variety, from Ippudo.

(Photos by James)

Yes, the wait can be ridiculous, but it's worth it to skip lunch and get there right at five.  The ramen are that good.  Frankly, I think it's a better bowl than Momofuku (if you want David Chang, go to Ssäm Bar for lunch.)  The appetizers are good, yes, but the ramen are amazing.

 

Also, you may want to bring James since he takes such great photos of ramen.  And since you are bringing James you may want to bring me since I eat such great ramen.

Amber & Art

If there is one thing you know about me, it's my answer to the question, "Do you like art?"  Why, of course, I do!  I can't get enough of it.

So, imagine my surprise when I came home tonight to find a stack of this postcard on the sharing table in my lobby.

On the front, as you can see, there is Art.  Really, really great art.  Art that really makes you think.  I immediately was thinking, "Why are these doggies and kitties so colorful?  Why is that one kitty wearing a mask?"

On the back is information about this event, Art Dogs and Cats of NY Exhibition & Benefit, which is a benefit for  a group of local animal rescue groups.  It also has a really descriptive name.  And it is sponsored by a pet store in between where I live and where the rest of my New York universe lives.

I sure am excited about all the art I will be viewing.  I need to get me down to the Upper West Side and check out the exhibition.  Like, right now the art is making me think.  Like right now, I am thinking, "When am I going to be motivated to take the local train to the 80's to see kitty art?"  and "What is that mousey guy doing with that robot kitty?"

I love art.

Amber & I Love You, New York

Now, more than ever, New York is my city boyfriend.

Amber & BFFs

I know it's a shoe commercial, but it has the sweetest friends I have ever seen and lovely shots of my home town and an awesome cover by The Ravonettes.



And it's so darned happy making.

It reminds me of me and CRD.  Or me and Kevin.  Or me and Diana.  Friendship.

(Plus I get to use the rare "smoking birds" tag.)

Amber & Emergency Evacuation

My commute was two hours long this morning.  WTF, MTA?  I switched to the F at 49-50th Street only to have it stop in the tunnel.  For 30 minutes.  The automated robot voice kept saying we were stopped "while the train crew is investigating track debris."  But then the real live conductor came on and told us that there was a problem with the emergency brake.  I didn't pull it.  I swear.

Anyway, about 20 minutes into the stall, they announced we could leave the train through the front car and walk along a little ledge onto the platform at 42nd Street.  This was a scenario I had not planned for. I mean, I am ready if the Cloverfield monster comes, but I am not ready to go meet those little bug guys on their turf.

Luckily, after this traumatic experience, which also involved me discovering one of my significantly-located shirt-button-holes was too large and was venting my chest on its own, I had my new Eileen Fisher catalog to comfort me.  It's 72 pages on lovely over-sized paper with close ups of fabric.

Thank you, catalog porn.

Amber & Surprise for Kevin's Cats!

Surprise, kitty boys!

Erl baked you a cake!

But, since you live in New York and your cake is was in San Francisco, and also since you don't eat chocolate cake, she gave it to Alison for her birthday.  (Happy Birthday, Alison!)

But, just pretend, boys, that you got cake when you eat your wet food tonight.  Nom nom nom.

(James photo)

Still: Surprise!

Amber & Days of Yore

Yesterday, I became Facefriends with my college-freshman-year roommate Jamie.

Sure, this is the thing about Facebook; people from your past come out of the woodwork.  But, it's really kind of amazing.  Jamie and I actually hadn't spoken since we parted on not-great terms at the end of freshman year.  There's this amazingly good feeling that comes from recognizing just how far behind you those differences are and being able to share in those happy, happy, happy memories.

There's also a sense of wonder, both at the outfits that I chose (that is a Banana Republic skirt from back when they were actually safari-style gear and the name sort of made more sense), and at how very young we once were.  I am a baby in these photos!  Waaaa.  But I still have those pillow shams.

Jamie was hugely important to my transition to college which in turn was hugely important to who I am today.  I have so much appreciation for Facebook today, and for Jamie for making the effort to find me so that we could bask in the warm of nostalgia.

P.S.  And how wonderous and lucky is it that I have made the journey from babyhood to where I am now with James as my friend?

Or that he still has those crazy long toes?

Amber & The Great Fork Massacre of 2010

On my way to the office this morning, I passed the tragic site of The Great Fork Massacre. Lo!

On the corner of Madison and 29th Street, there were, for no reason I can offer, thousands of shredded and mutilated little plastic fork corpses.

I tried Googling ("weird forks in street madison ave new york," "broken forks road madison ave new york") but came up with no explanation for this senseless waste of fork lives.

Our thoughts go with you, brave little plastic fork soldiers, slain in battle, I can only imagine, with a giant  order of To Go Lo Mein.  Our brave heroes!  Remember our fallen fork brethren.

Amber & Oppression

Summer?  I am over you.

CONDITIONS WILL BE EVEN MORE OPPRESSIVE TODAY THAN ON SUNDAY... AS TEMPERATURES RISING INTO THE LOWER AND MID 90S... WITH DEW POINTS 65 TO 70... PRODUCE HEAT INDEX VALUES OF 95 TO 100 THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A HEAT ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN HIGH HUMIDITIES ARE EXPECTED TO COMBINE WITH HOT TEMPERATURES TO MAKE IT FEEL LIKE IT IS OVER 95 DEGREES FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS... STAY IN AN AIR- CONDITIONED ROOM... STAY OUT OF THE SUN... AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.

Relatives?  Are you all okay?

I know my neighbor is fine.  He sitting in his kitchen with his foot sticking out the window.

Amber & The American Passtime

Baseball, rain delays, beer in plastic cups and friends. So fun.
Although could have done without the downpour and resultant wetness.

Amber & Civic Pride

Is it so wrong I love this song?



It chokes me up a bit.  Not the third verse so much, but the sentiment about this city I love. Some mornings you just wake up in love.

Amber & More Triangle Factory Fire Remembrance

And, James sends this photo from the site of the fire.

I really find this memorial very moving.

Amber & Remembering

On this day, 99 years ago, tragedy struck New York.  And on this day, today, once again, we remember thanks to some anonymous but very familiar-looking, chalking.

I used to take classes in the building where so many young garment workers lost their lives.

It strikes me as very important and weighty to remember the events that took place and the lives lost.

Those lives remind of us a New York now gone.  These names and their ages and addresses, give us a snapshot both into a particular labor heritage we share as New Yorkers, and into an ethnic history now rapidly being erased by Lower East Side bars and NYU undergraduate class rooms.

And, it reminds us of the struggles of modern workers for the very basic right of safe working conditions.

And it reminds us how lucky we readers of this blog are to have fire escapes and unlocked doors and posters reminding us of our NEW YORK BREASTFEEDING rights.

Thanks, anonymous chalkers, for not letting us forget where we came from, of what's important, and how to make nice capital G's.

I'll be working on a dance for the 100th anniversary next year.  Stay tuned.