When did fortune cookies stop telling fortunes?

Pic #121 - 4/30/12

Before you ask, no, I didn't eat all of the cookies that housed these "fortunes". Seriously - not a single fortune in the bunch. If you're going to give me a proverb cookie, at least add a little humor to make it worth the calories. 

Best one I ever got was "You will get a fortune (cookie)." 

What about you? I foresee that you will comment on my blog and tell me your favorite fortune cookie blurb....

Kitten Namesakes

Pic #120 - 4/29/12

For those of you who don't already know... my cats are named after this Salinger book. It's not necessarily at the top of my shortlist, but I had recently read it before getting the kittens, so the title characters' names and personalities were fresh in mind. Plus, you know, with the whole librarian thing... of course I would have cats named after book characters!

Another fun fact: Franny and Zooey were originally named Zelda and Pandora by their rescuer. Mmmmm no. 

And another: Though the book characters are female and male (respectively), both my cats are girls. 

SayhitoBeccaPants

Pic #119 - 4/28/12

Becca is visiting from Chicago for a few short days! We introduced her to Earl's Beer and Cheese tonight... it's a meeting she won't soon forget.  

Ugh.

Pic 118 - 4/27/12

I took the day off to stay home and do school work. It's the final weekend of the semester, and I've got more homework than any dog could ever eat. While I did get a lot done, I also took a lot of naps and snapped a lot of cat pictures. I did avoid turning on the TV (until now...), which I consider a huge accomplishment.

I Blame Time Warner.

Our Internet is not working due to an outage in the area which Time Warner is "diligently working on," according to their customer support. Riiiiight.

Really awful timing since I took the day off tomorrow to stay home and do school work, which I need the inter-webs for. Who knows when it will be back? Ugh. Now I'm going to have to find clean clothes and leave the apartment to go find a wireless connection. I'm so spoiled!

Unfortunately the lack of connection also makes it hard to post my pictures here. I've been keeping up with the project on Twitter and Facebook... Don't worry. My phone has an app to publish blogger posts, but it's not super easy to format or include photos. I'll retroactively post once I've rejoined the 21st century.

Did I mention that I'm spoiled?

All natural tarps

Pic #117 - 4/26/12

I'm not sure I've ever seen Fulton St. completely free of construction. I pass these tarps every day... and I just don't understand who they are trying to fool (impress?) with these leafy pieces of plastic. Anyway, I was a bit out of it today, post eChalkapalooza, and therefore allowing myself these simple thoughts :). 

eChalkabaloonsa

Pic #116 - 4/25/12

I just can't stay away from a giant bouquet of balloons — or out of it, apparently. Tonight was eChalkapalooza, Team NYC's big in-house event of the year. The ladies did a great job, as per usual, and the after party got weird, as expected :).

Only Megan could photobomb the Paparazzi...

Pic #115 - 4/24/12

Caught Megan while she was perched on a ledge in our office taping these Paparazzi to the window. She is the queen of photobombs, so this seemed perfect. Not familiar with a 'photobomb'? Check out this blog: http://www.photobomb.net/2012/03/

Bonus Pics (eChalkapalooza preparations):

My new neighbor is a chubby little cubby

Pic #114 - 4/23/12

Winnie moved in next door, and he brought a party store with him! It's super tiny and only seems to be stocked for wedding and baby showers right now... but still. YAY!

I love a party with arts and crafts.

Pic #113 - 4/22/12

Went to Rebekkah's baby shower today — t'was classy and cute and delightful! One of the activities involved decorating onesies.  This is my Babybot. I also crafted the mature front/back "onesie/twosie" situation below. Everyone's designs were incredibly cute and creative. Jack is going to be quite the stylish babe. 

Bonus Pics:

A Birthday Break

Pic 112 - 4/21/12

Happy birthday, T! We celebrated Tali's 26th at Break in Astoria. Nice photo bomb, Maury.


Bonus Pics: 

Roger that!

Let's forget for a second that it's only 9:45 on a Friday night and I'm curled up on my bed about to do homework. You all know I'm a nerd (and not even the cool, hipstery kind), so this shouldn't surprise you. Let's focus, rather, on the fact that a little over a year ago I met an amazing eChalker/friend/mentor type person, and today was her last day at the 'chalk. Nancy is one of the most inspirational people I've ever had the pleasure to know — one of those people that makes you want to climb a mountain, save a kitten from a tree, feed a thousand children, or you know, whip the K12 education system into shape. I shall miss her dearly! 

Pic #111 - 4/20/12

Positively glowing :). Nancy and me at Keg 229.


Bonus Pics:

What fun would an eChalk gathering be without smuggled marketing materials? Just two of the several buttons made in honor of the great Ms. De Vore. And BTDubs - I super want a button machine. Please make it happen. 

Time stops in Pathmark.

Pic #110 - 4/19/12

This is ONE line. Worst place in the world.

Procrastination at its best.

Pic # 109 - 4/18/12

I mean.... I'm not sure I need to say anything about this.

I found my soulmate

Pic #108 - 4/17/12

Penguin reading a book. He is perfect. 

Nothing says Summer like Delicioso Coco Helado

Pic #107 - 4/16/12

So it's not actually Summer... but it sure felt like it today! These kiddos were scrambling to find change to pay for their delicious treat. 

Springy Sunday

Pic #106 - 4/15/12

Went for a walk around the block and found a tree I never knew existed. Yay for pretty days. 

I wish these life-sized gummy bears were edible

Pic #105 - 4/14/12

"Art" in Midtown. Nom nom nom.

All this has happened before...

And all this will happen again! 

Pic #104 - 4/13/12

I finally finished Battlestar Galactica. That is all. 

12:12 on the 12th - An Ocean of Memories

If there's anything I love more than the number 12 (and penguins and Leonardo DiCaprio), it's the movie Titanic. I remember learning about RMS Titanic for the first time in Mrs. Farnsworth's 2nd grade class. It's the same day I learned that a classmate I hated had the same birthday as me (I never forgave her). I know the two things are completely unrelated... but it's strange how memories are stored. 

Anyway... the Titanic's tragic fate is one lesson that's hard to forget. That's partly why it's SO horrifying that there are apparently people out there old enough to use Twitter that were not aware the ship was anything more than a plot device for the movie. Check out their posts on Gothamist if you need a reason to consider donating to public education. 

I've been wondering for years if James Cameron would do anything special for the 100th anniversary of the ocean liner's voyage, so I was stoked to learn about the movie's re-release in 3D. I must have seen it 6 or 7 times in theaters when it was originally released in 1997. I kept going back because at the tender age of 12, I could not hold my blue raspberry icy for an entire three hours and would thus end up missing a different scene each time I saw it. I wanted to make it through uninterrupted just one time. That, and Leo was my boyfriend. Obvi. 

So of course I went to see the 3D re-release on opening day (as you may remember from April 4th's post: "Smell the ice, can you?!"). Despite the fact that I am 15 years older, which now makes me five years older than the leading actors were when they shot the film, Titanic is still the most romantic, tragic, epic movie of all time. 

But Titanic is much more than a blockbuster film. And the real tragedy was much greater than Rose letting go of an icy Jack from a piece of debris floating in the middle of the Atlantic (that was totally big enough for both of them, for realz). In fact, right at the Seaport near where I work, there is a Titanic Memorial Lighthouse that was mounted atop the Seamen's Church Institute on the first anniversary of Titanic's sinking (April 15, 2012) to honor the memory of those who perished at sea. 

Pic #103 - 4/12/12 @ 12:12 pm

The Titanic Memorial Lighthouse is literally steps from where I work. I dragged Mike down at noon so he could take my 12:12 pic of the month :). 

Bonus Pics: 

View of the lighthouse from eChalk. Around 10am, we heard bagpipers beginning to play. 

Around 11:15am (ish), a large crowd had joined the bagpipers.  

Mike, looking sullen for the victims of Titanic.

If you're looking to learn more about the Titanic (or perhaps educate America's youth...), check out some of the ways she is being remembered this week: 

• 100 Years of Titanic's History in photos from the Washington Post
• Free Access to Ancestry.com's new Titanic Collection (only until 4/15)
• The MS Balmoral Titanic's Memorial Cruise (SERIOUSLY?)
• A twitter feed (@TitanicRealTime) "live" tweeting as if on the original voyage - I admit, following this feed is a sick thrill of mine. 
• ScoutingNY.com's "Titanic Guide to NYC", indicating points of interesting having to do with either the ship and/or its passengers: Part 1 and Part 2. 
• The NY Times Titanic Topic, listing notable web resources, including links to their own archived news coverage from 1912. Check out this article from April 28th, 1912: "The Tragedy of Titanic--A Complete Story." If you can squint long enough to get through it, it's worth the read. 

Sigh. And so, 100 years ago today Titanic was somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic. Sadly, there she still remains. 

-LB 

Sometimes, it's just a simple, pretty city

Pic #102 - 4/11/12

Trinity Church near the World Trade Center. 

Only in New York City. Or a horror film...

Pic #101 - 4/10/12

Spotted this outside a store called the "Demolition Depot" on 125th street. Hm...

Would have been cool if I did something special for my 100th pic...

But I forgot about it... until right now!

Pic #100 - 4/9/12

Doesn't this seem like a store you want to hang out in? On Lexington between 116th and 117th.

Think it's too late for me to train for the Yankees?

Pic #99 - 4/8/12

Going through some old files while at home for Easter. Found this gem :). It's almost as great as its follow-up, below. Also, for any doubters out there, even 20 years ago, I was obsessed with #12. 

Bonus Pic: 

It's true - I was thrilled! 

Wildlife that doesn't warrant a call to the exterminator

Pic #98

At least the Upstate rodents are cute!

Bonus Pic:

Ashley got engaged! I should have expected this... but I was unprepared for how expensive my mid-20s would be, what with everyone I know getting hitched. 

Baby Shower Cupcake Wars

Pic #97 - 4/6/12

We've got three expecting employees right now, each awaiting a late Spring/early Summer arrival of their first baby! We threw a small baby shower yesterday, and two eChalkers contributed homemade cupcakes, Cupcake Wars style. They were both super delicious. As red velvet is my favorite type of cake... this one won Pic of the Day.

I wish I could eat this for dinner.

Pic #96 - 4/5/12

Working late while THIS is only feet away from me is dangerous. Today I resisted. Tomorrow, though... I will do some damage. 

"Smell the ice, can you?!"

Epic day - Titanic day! I like to think that even though 12-year-old Mike and Lauren didn't know each other, some how, deep down, while watching Titanic on the big screen, they knew they'd be watching it together fifteen years later... in 3D! Kudos to James Cameron and team, as the 3D rerelease was just as amazing as the original. And of course I can't forget to mention that it's also been100 years since the Titanic took its first and last voyage. What a century it has been...

Pic #95 - 4/4/12

Yes. Titanic is too good for generic 3D glasses, so it got its own collectible pair. I'm keeping them forever. 

Bonus Pics: