Month: January 2008

This was in the window at Bergdorf’s. Gorgeous, no? That neckline would not work well for me, but still. It’s pretty to look at.

The pictures yesterday were of my friend Howard. He needs an author photograph for his next book and so I took a bunch in Washington Square Park. Thank you you for voting! (My favorite is 48.) Now that everyone has seen them, I’ll probably take them down later today.

I’m going to the ballet this afternoon! I got tickets for that free dress rehearsal I posted about earlier. Can’t wait. Never go to the ballet, so something new! Should be good. And pretty to look at.

Oh dear. I have to fill the rest of this space to get down to the bottom of the photograph. Random thoughts:

– I wonder who picks the songs for Friday Night Lights. I love every song they chose.

– Why does it seem like everywhere else in the country gets snow but us in New York City? Come on country. Share.

– I can’t wait until American Idol gets past the auditions and to the real competition, starting in Hollywood. Love the kindler, gentler Simon. He still tells the truth, but is not so cruel about it. What can I say? I’m a wuss.

– Have you all see Cloverfield yet? Because you should.

– I’m hoping I get to go to the FBI’s Quantico to do an interview.

I’ve been looking into various volunteer opportunities and yesterday I called the Central Park Zoo. They called me back right away because a training session starts on Saturday. So now I’m going to run up to the zoo before calling them back because it occurred to me that working there might upset me, depending. I forget what the Central Park Zoo is like! I don’t remember if it’s an upsetting zoo or not. The Bronx Zoo used to be but they’ve been fixing that over the course of my lifetime.

Meanwhile, in other news, my editor said they’re moving onto the line edits, which means they are happy with the draft I handed in! YAY!!

In other other news, did you know that when you call the Secret Service they actually answer the phone, “Secret Service.” I felt like saying, “Come on. You’re not even trying!”

(The picture is of a red panda at the Central Park Zoo.)

Update: My Shot of the Red Panda. The little furball was asleep while I was there, alas, and I didn’t want to wake him.

I’m seeing it twice. Apparently I can’t get enough of a good monster movie.

Other Recommendations:

Read this blog post. Although I am the opposite of this guy. I am drawn to just what he is probably more appropriately horrified by. Although I too respond by not wanting to own things. But this guy’s post is beautiful. I’ve bookmarked his blog.

Here is a website that would make that guy want to kill himself on the spot, but this is a perfect example of just what I am drawn to. This is just the kind of thing I love to find and wallow in. (It’s the contents of suitcases left behind in a former insane asylum.)

Also, my sister-in-law Karen was right about the book, Eat, Pray, Love. Part of me wanted to hate it on principle (it had “pray” and “love” in the title, “eat” is okay though) but I am enjoying it so much. Thank you, Karen. I like it because the people at the Ashram make fun of her. “Oh, what a pity you are the only person in the whole world to have that problem,” one of them says when she tells him she has a hard time concentrating during meditating, her mind goes all over the place. (I loved his response because of course we all have the exact same problem.)

What else? Thinking, thinking, any music I’ve heard that I loved … TV shows? I’m enjoying The Cashmere Mafia (although can’t they have a show about poor, less successful New York women like me??) Also The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Neither of these shows are great, but they are entertaining me just enough in these desperate, new-TV-less times.

Everyone’s talking about Heath Ledger. On Echo there’s a little bit of a debate about whether or not people should speculate about how he died, and why we should even care in the first place. None of us knew him. We go through this every time someone well known dies.

I remember reading about how Heath was the one who suggested they use the David Bowie song Golden Years for the dance scene in A Knight’s Tale. It was such a happy, exuberant scene. And I always loved that song. But it’s all about the fact that these are the great years. Kinda. Because it ends with this:

Don’t let me hear you say life’s taking you nowhere, angel
Come get up my baby
Run for the shadows, run for the shadows
Run for the shadows in these golden years.

A bit of a mixed message there. (And so typical of Bowie.) I don’t see how one can help feeling a little sad about Heath Ledger’s death. No, I didn’t know him, but death now has a face, and such a pretty face, not that that should matter. Anyway, feelings are not logical, and I’m sure a psychologist could explain our collective reactions better.

This is Wendell Stradford, one of the detectives I wrote about in my last book, coaching a high school basketball game. I’ll never forget the first time I met him. Looming and quiet. The commanding officer called him over to introduce us, and Wendell was polite, but didn’t say much. He was just big and looming, that’s what I remember.

In this shot, doesn’t it look like he saying, “What the hell was that??” I went to one of his games and had a lot of fun. But the coaches get very emotional. The guy on the right was on his feet screaming for a good deal of the game (very entertaining when you’re not a player and just watching). Wendell did more of a quiet smolder. Wendell is tough, but he’s also basically a sweetheart (thank god). I’m sure the other guy is, too. They love their basketball playing kids.