The R train is the best!!

Hey, speaking of The R train, everyone I know who lives in Astoria and rides the R train has had their portrait drawn by this artist. He just randomly draws pictures of people on the subway, hoping that people will tip him for them. But I do like his pictures, and mine is the only one I've seen that he's done in color. I guess he just felt like using color that day.

The R Train is my BFF

I'm mildly afraid of tunnels, which I blame a little on those tunnels when I was little and sitting backwards in a car and my sisters wouldn't warn me (yah, that's right I just blamed you two! Deal.), and a little on that seconds from disaster that I watched on The Chunnel, and all the numerous ways you could die at any second any day (DO NOT WATCH THAT SHOW. Especially if you live in New York. They love to talk about each and every weird way something could go wrong in New York. ). So sometimes when its super crowded at rush hours and kinda claustrophobic, or when there's water dripping in the car, or when Kelly whispers into my ear "We're under water right now..." I start to freak out a little. I'm usually ok if I'm with other people. And seriously, who doesn't get a little antsy when the car stops in a tunnel for 20 mins and they dim the lights and you're just sitting there with no way of even knowing what's going on? So, through much trial and error, I have found the songs that for some unknown reason seem to calm me down. No clue why, but here is my panic-reducing-while-stuck-in-a-subway-playlist:

Won't Get Fooled Again by The Who
Furr by Blitzen Trapper (thanks to Matt for that one)
For No One by The Beatles
You Like Me Too Much by The Beatles
Mr. Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan
The Times Are A-Changin' by Tracey Chapman (thanks again Matt)
Martyr For My Love For You by The White Stripes
Lucky by Jason Mraz
Let Me Go by Cake
Tears Dry On Their Own by Amy Winehouse
Carol Brown by Flight of the Conchords

And if you've never been on a New York subway, this video is pretty acurate. Including the fact that I have seen people both sing and dance on the subway (today some kids were even trying to choreograph a dance that involved taking off their shoes and bouncing them to each other. On the subway. It seemed like a not-well-thought-out plan.).




We use metro cards instead of tokens now, but I appreciate them teaching me the difference between express and local. I could have used this video a few months ago.

country summer

So, I decided to put up some photos from two summers ago, the time that I worked at Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan IL.
I reference this summer a lot, but I never really talk about it, and I never put any photos up from it. Partly because I broke my camera that summer, so all of my pictures are from Caitlin. Partly because I had a lot of problems with that place. I'm glad I went there, but I'm really glad I went to New London last summer, which was an all-around better experience.
However, I had a lot of fun when not working. That's where I first met Caitlin, and we became great friends. I also hung out a lot with Tim and Dave, who recently were visiting in New York.

This picture was taken by Caitlin while I was doing a normal, everyday, channel check:

who promptly labeled it "Portrait of Despair". Which is why all my photos from this summer are of us not working.

So here is a very abridged version of that summer.

Once after Dave made us mad we made his favorite pie and followed him around eating it all day.

I brought back corncob pipes for Tim and Caitlin after a trip home and this was the result (those cupcakes were red velvet and really yummy).


At the park on an extended lunch break one day. Best things about this park: the christmas lights on top of the caboose, the stage coach and horses for kids to play on.

This was actually on the 4th of July, but everytime it was pretty out we were all shocked. Sometimes you forget even a place like Sullivan can be really pretty. Although, I really didn't mind living in a small Illinois hick town as long as I knew it was temporary.

One of our favorite activites: getting some drive-thru amish food (I promise this is true. The best was you could get a pie. An Amish pie in a drive-thru!) and eating in the back of Tim's truck down by the lake.

Bagelfest!! In past years Bagelfest had included t-shirts and bagel-related activites, this year it only included one free bagel per person and a couple of un-bagel-related rides. I think Caitlin summed it up best: "More like mild-dissapointment fest."

We had every other Monday off. You had 3 choices, you could go to Mattoon, you could go to St. Louis, or you could go out on a boat. And yes, that is Tim swimming in overalls.

Me, Caitlin, Jason, and John (an actor and an actor/director) decided to take the boat for a spin around the lake while everyone else was swimming. It was a slow getaway since none of us had ever driven a boat before. We figured it out eventually.

Umm, the restraunt next door emptied out all their greece into the alley we shared, which the actors then walked thru and got all over the stage that they were about to go tap dance on. It was a toss up if it was more funny or just awful, but it was for sure one of the grossest days of my life.

Just some random activities.

The steps on the slide say America. That's hella patriotic!!

The sunrise after staying up all night to paint the floor. About halfway thru the summer I started spending more time on paint crew than electrics crew.

The sunrise on the town square as I stumbled home at 6am to take a nap before having to be at tech. Strangely, I miss nights like that.

It was always so great to see St. Louis.

The carnival came to town and I don't think anyone was more excited than Caitlin and I. We didn't even ride on any of the rides, just ate a lot of bad Carinval food.

I'm not gonna lie, this was one of our proudest moments. Eating foot long corndogs and funnel cake on the site where Abraham Lincoln once gave a speech.

We are so patriotic.

At the end of the summer they always throw one last party that is always a mini-golf contest. We heard that they not only give out prizes to the winners in mini-golf, but also to other random things we made it our goal to go home with prizes. We actually ploted out which ones we wanted (We decided on Best Dressed for me, and after recruiting Jason Cutest Couple for Caitlin), worked on our outfits over the course of the week, and just in case, secretly talked to one of the judges. We did not want to fail. Of course we won, and my prize is that great trucker hat I'm wearing backwards.

Chopping Hairs

Today I woke up and it was snowing outside and my first thought of the day was: I'm gonna punch someone.

Instead of punching, or at the very least delaying punching, I went to the West Village in search of a free haircut. Apparently Bumble and Bumble, the hair product company, has a teaching thingy they do. About once a month hairdressers from all over the country pay money to come to their salon for 3 days and learn all these fancy hair-cutting techniques from some really great hair people. I don't really know. Anyway, I applied to be a hair model. All you have to have is healthy hair down to your shoulders that fit the texture of what ever type of cut they were doing. So I came in and was evaluated for a razor bob, and they liked me (and weirdly told me I have a nice hairline and my hair smells good) so yay - free fancy-schmaney haircut!!

Umm, this place was in the meatpacking district, which is so rich and fancy looking that I only took pictures of the graffiti because I already felt really out of place. All these really nice places are in old meat warehouses...rich people are weird. Anyway, the streets were cobblestone, and this place was nestled between a Diane von Furtenberg and an Alexander McQueen store. Like I said, Fancy!
I'm really digging this dancing toast.

Hey, here's before, it what I called my "half-hearted fraggle" style and Kelly would just shake her head at.

So, this was really cool because like I said it was a teaching place, so it reminded me of one of my favorite things from Webster, being a makeup model. Also, for something as simple sounding as cutting your hair, and for how simple it turned out, I did not understand a word the teacher said to the girl who cut my hair. Glad she did.
Me as a makeup model:

Hey who doesn't like before and after pictures (I dyed my hair a few days ago).

I look pretty cute, I think.

The sun came out, so I didn't have to punch anyone.

Sunshine is where it's at

Not feeling so well today, antsy and unproductive and really unfocused, so I grabbed my pile 'o sketchpads and decided to head to the met museum, which is located on the edge of Central Park, in an area I've never been to. Once I got there, the chance to explore just a little bit of the park seemed like a good idea, it being so warm and all. And then I just got sucked in because it looked so much like Forest Park (no big black rocks to be seen!). And then it got even better-open grass!!! People were just sprawled out on the ground!! I quickly forgot about the Met and instead grabbed the best tree for myself and got a book out of my purse and just sat there for a loooong time.

I felt so much better afterwards. Absolutely just what I needed. If I didn't know any better I could have been in Tower Grove park doing my homework (or, on more than one occasion, falling asleep while Caitlin did her homework). I've missed being outside, and I've missed having a lawn to lay on.

Looks just like STL to me.

My mortal enemy, and the reason I was shocked to see people on the grass. These signs and fences are up all winter long.

Dry dirt!! Flowers!! No need for a coat!! Things I have missed!!

I eventually started to get cold and hungry and it was starting to get dark, so I picked myself up and walked home the scenic route.

More people laying in the grass!!

Ok, not the best picture, but not only does Caitlin own those pants that boy is wearing, I happen to be obbessed with them. They're such a great color!!

My usual corner of the park is way more crowed, which I like to think is because it's so pretty, not just because it's easy to get to.

People on grass!! Empty spaces!! I've apparently become a creepy stalker taking pictures of random people, but I just don't think I've ever been so happy for spring!!

Sculpture park

Feeling a little antsy today and wanted to take a walk, so I decided to go down to the Sculpure park in Queens. Here's what the website describes it as:

Socrates Sculpture Park was an abandoned riverside landfill and illegal dumpsite until 1986 when a coalition of artists and community members, under the leadership of artist Mark di Suvero, transformed it into an open studio and exhibition space for artists and a neighborhood park for local residents. Today it is an internationally renowned outdoor museum and artist residency program that also serves as a vital New York City park offering a wide variety of public services.

Well, it wasn't as great as the one in St. Louis, but it's a neat idea and a nice little place for reading or relaxing on a sunny day.



huh, just realized none of these pictures are actually of the sculptures, just the river.

C is for cookie!!

I baked cookies today.
I really thought I would make more than 4, but it turns out when you only have sprinkles to work with I give up a lot quicker. Eh, I just lost patience.

Before baking: That green face was supposed to be Godzilla, but he doesn't translate too well into sprinkles. (the other ones are Kirby, a cup of coffee, and a walrus. I gave up on the cat and zebra stripes half-way thru. I didn't really have a cohesive idea for these cookies.)

And after baking:

Photoshop this and that

I'm been playing with photoshop lately. I love taking lots of pictures, but I hate having to scroll thru all of them on this blog. I could put a little "click to read more" thing, but that still doesn't really solve the problem, so I've decided to try photoshoping some pictures together and then uploading them. We'll see if I like it.

Also, I made these for my friends. Kayrn bought Caitlin and I matching shirts as a present, so here is the 3 of us wearing our shirts:

And for those of you who are Simpsons fans, this was for Alli, who wanted a t-shirt of Caitlin's melting face, like the Marge melting face t-shirt on the simpsons (It's free if they mess up!). So here is what I came up with, it just needs to be put on a t-shirt.