Archive for ‘Photos’
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So, a while back, I posted pics of my undecorated new apartment, but I sort of flaked about posting ones once it was decorated.
Well, it’s been one month since I moved in, and while I could use a little more furniture, things are shaping up to be pretty swell:
(clicky the link to see photos on my blog!)
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For my birthday, my parents took me on a tour of the Tuthilltown Distillery in Gardiner, New York.
The story of whiskey in New York is a funny one. You know what a Manhattan cocktail is, right? The Manhattan was called a Manhattan for a reason– because New York state was known for their abundant rye whiskey.
But then Prohibition came along, and the distilleries closed. When Prohibition ended, in many other parts of the country, the stills went back to work, but in New York, they stayed shuttered. Tuthilltown Distillery didn’t open until…I think 2005? I might be wrong on the year, but around then, and that was the first distillery in New York to produce whiskey since Prohibition ended. It is a tiny microdistillery inside an old mill granary on an 8-acre farm (which appropriately grows hops), but they make some of the best whiskey I’ve ever tasted. So when we found out they gave tours, I was really excited.
Click the link for massive awesome pictures of the distillery!
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For those of you who have known me for a while, you may have realized that I’ve moved at least once a year since 2004.
In 2004, I moved twice, once across state lines. In 2005, I moved three times, all three times across state lines. In 2006, I had a sort of mini-move that lasted all of a few weeks, then back, then another move. In 2007-2009, I moved once a year.
I really like my current apartment, and I was hoping and expecting to stay here longer, but my landlord tried to raise my rent $200/month with less than six weeks’ notice to the end of term (and yes, for those who might ask, this is legal, if obnoxious).
Sick of horrible Manhattan landlords, and suspecting that Manhattan brokers deliberately put people in apartments that will turn out to be short term so they can get another fee the next year, I decided that maybe it was time to move to Queens.
I started looking in Astoria, but Brendan, my boss and friend, suggested the neighborhood where he and Rina live, and gave me the number of the brokerage they used when they found the home they currently live in.
I made an appointment, and went out looking at apartments. It’s about a half-hour from Manhattan, but with that you get bigger spaces, cheaper rents AND cheaper groceries. I liked the first place I saw, and though I looked at some others (one so big I had no idea what I would do with it), I settled on in quickly.
Let me tell you a few things. My bedroom will be bigger than my current living room. My kitchen will be the size of my bedroom. My bedroom will have more windows than my entire apartment. I look out on a quiet, tree-lined street instead of an airshaft. My electric bill will be included in the cost of the rent.
And for all of this, I will actually be closer to a movie theater and closer to a grocery store than I am now in Manhattan.
So, ![[info]](http://stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
shaenon and andrewfarago left today, bringing an end to my Extended Week of Reubens Fun. On Monday after the Reubens, we saw goraina and yaytime and had dinner and looked at all their purty art in their labyrinthine apartment, and they shared with us leftover birthday treats!
Then on Tuesday, Shaenon and Andrew came to King Features and we went out with Brendan, and then they were bestowed with many King-Featuriffic Gifts. On Wednesday, we went out to the Carnegie Deli with their friend Jessica. On Thursday, we just got sushi and hung out, and Shaenon retired undefeated from Wii Boxing:
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When questioned about her meteoric rise to Wii Boxing supremacy, Shaenon answered, “I have a lot of rage.” She then returned to pummeling her virtual opponents.
On Friday, Shaenon and Andrew left to go to Vassar! I had a quiet evening at home but I also decided, after playing Wii games for the first time in a while, that I really needed to make a more conscious effort to get in shape. I’ll tell you more about that in a different post.
Saturday was a quiet day where I ran some errands and worked valiantly on this week’s comic for thirteen straight hours. On Sunday, though, I rested! Well, technically, on Sunday, I went to lunch with intrepia and her boyfriend, Lawrence, and we chatted about comics and poetry and LJ and all kinds of things. They were totally awesome and I am super excited that they only live a few blocks away. Hooray new pals!
Me & Connie!
Then Shaenon and Andrew came back, and we went downtown, stopped in at Forbidden Planet for comics, and then went to Lombardi’s for pizza and Rice to Riches for rice pudding. They are seriously the best houseguests ever and I will miss them! They even left me an awesome card that was waiting for me when I got home at lunch.
Tonight, I went out to Long Island to watch my mom get recommended for tenure as principal of her school. Everyone there was so nice and so kind and had such wonderful things to say about her. It was really touching. I am so proud of my mommy! She is amazing.
So this is a bit delayed but last weekend I went to the NCS Reuben Weekend for the first time and it was kind of awesome. For the uninitiated, the Reubens are like the Oscars of comics, and pretty much the only comic event that people have to dress up for. It’s in a different city every year, and this year, it was in Jersey City, right across the Hudson!
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The highlight of the weekend for me was really getting to meet all kinds of people whom I talk to on the phone every day for the first time! That was kind of amazing. I finally met Hilary Price, whom I have been working with on stuff for a year and a half now, and I was sitting next to her when she won her award for best comic panel! And I met dozens of other people who were all totally awesome (I am not listing out lots of folks for fear I might forget people) and had an amazing time. (By the way, King Features cartoonists swept Best Comic Panel, Best Comic Strip [Zits], and Cartoonist of the Year)
My friends Shaenon and Andrew came in from California and I got to see them for the first time in two years, and then they spent the week with me, which was pretty great!
Friday was a cocktail party which was mostly full of introductions and cookies! Then Saturday, Brendan, Rina, Alex, Alex’s boyfriend Duncan, Terri and I went into the city, had a nice walk around and went out for really amazing pizza.
Then we went back to the hotel, got all dolled up and went to the Reubens, which started off with an hilarious Godfather parody starring lots of famous cartoonists, and ended with drinks at the hotel bar and then the afterparty, where I mixed drinks and stayed up till a very embarrassingly late time of night, mostly hanging out with Jay and his girlfriend Kate, who were both super awesome.
Then Sunday, Rina, Brendan, Jay, Kate and I went for a nice walk along the Hudson, and went back in time for Rina to participate on the Six Chix panel. And then we went home!
All in all, it was a really cool weekend and I got to dress up and meet all kinds of awesome people and spend time with awesome friends!
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More pics after the cut!
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