challenge #2 (post 30): trapeze

"he'd fly through the air with the greatest of ease

that daring young man on the flying trapeze"

has it seriously been almost 3 months since i updated the blog? good lord, how time flies. i'm back in new york for a bit working out here and staying with friends (thank you holly!) on their couches and/or housesitting where i can. the fact that i have amazing people on both coasts who are willing to put me up while i'm "in transition" is simple incredible to me. i am lucky.

while working back in new york, a friend at an audio house asked me if i would want to take a trapeze class with her (duh!) to complete on my challenge list that still remains with about 7 challenges uncompleted. thank you sasha @ heard city for making this challenge come true!

Streb is a trapeze + tumbling school in the south side of williamsburg. sasha has been going for about a year now, and our other friend dana has been going for about 7 months. our class had about 8 people in it, all with varying levels of expertise ranging from n00b (moi) to this amazing girl who didn't even have to be strapped in to do a catch. sheesh. we had 3 amazing instructors - josh, ace, and thaddeus. since i had never done this before, i had a little private instruction beforehand on the logistics - how to grip the bar, how to swing and use momentum, and some terms for the trick i was going to do - the knee hang. they strapped on the tightest belt imaginable around my waist and we practiced a few times on the low bar before i had to climb the ladder to the platform and do a jump. i started to get extremely nervous during this point, mainly because my hands really hurt after gripping the bar and my first instinct was just to let go. apparently i am not supposed to do anything without hearing the instructor call it out first, including letting go. noted. nervously, i awaited my turn to jump.

i climbed the ladder to the platform and chalked my hands a few times since i was sweating so badly. i held onto the side of the ladder, and placed my toes so they were hanging over the edge of the platform like i was told. they pushed my hips forward so i was full on leaning over the edge, which is not a natural position you instinctively want to do. double noted. i took the bar in my right hand. i let go of the side of the ladder and i gripped the bar with both hands. i brought it to eye level. my hips were forward, my chest was out, they called "ready" and i bent my knees. the instructor yelled out:

"and HUP."

and i froze.

i heard some laughter from the group (and maybe me too?). i was so scared i couldn't convince myself to jump.

"let's try again meg. and HUP"

and i sucked it up and jumped off. and whoa, i was FLYING. i was TRAPEZING! i mean, i didn't wait for any instructions and pretty much panicked. but i jumped! i am pretty sure the instructor saw the terror all over my face but he said some encouraging things anyway and said i would get it next time. i believe at this point, body shaking with terror, i said i was going to make the trapeze my bitch. while i am not sure that i really got to "trapeze is my bitch status," i think i was able to do 3 complete knee hangs. which i am told is pretty ok! i wouldn't go calling the circus just yet, but it was a solid attempt. and i really did something that scared the shit out of me. i mean - full on shaking. even when i convinced myself i was ok i couldn't stop my body from shaking. i think i might be a little afraid of heights? whatever. i freaking did it and it was awesome. and i have some proof!

what's that quote about doing one thing ever day that scares you? is that a thing? or just one of those inspirational plaques you get at cost plus said by "unknown." regardless. i am a firm believer in trying new things, even if it's pretty much the scariest thing besides ziplining that you've done in 2013. no joke.

our instructor ace, sasha, me, and dana post trapeze (note the chalk)

would i do it again? if you would have asked me on saturday, i would have told you absolutely not. once is enough for me thank you! but i couldn't stop thinking about it all weekend. i think i've had a taste of the other side - the side where fear doesn't dictate my life. and i think i might have maybe, just a teeny bit, actually liked it.

and next time, i will make the trapeze my bitch.

challenge #2 (post 30) - complete!

xoxo
meags

.attitude adjustment.

one of the challenges of living in LA and working in post-production is finding the time to fit in some exercise. in new york, if i couldn't find the time to work out - i would walk home from work. or walk to the restaurant or my friends house or wherever i was going just to be a little active. in LA, we go from cars to desks back to cars and then home. where's the beef exercise?

because my work schedule in the evenings is mostly unpredictable, i spent the majority of last night researching exercise classes in santa monica that i could take in the morning. and what my research told me was that unless the class starts at 7:30a and basically lasts for 15 mins, i have no interest. 6am? next. 7a but you have to get there 15 mins early to reserve your spot? hahaha - NOPE. so i found one that sounded interesting, even going so far as to sign up for a spot in the class - until it asked for my credit card information. and then that was a whole other can of worms - oh, well that would involve me finding my card in my purse and my purse is in my room and that would require me getting off the couch. *close computer*

but i don't feel good when i don't work out. and unless i have a class to go to that i've previously paid for, i'm really really bad at forcing myself to get up. so last night, i was like how can i make myself get up tomorrow morning to go running on the beach - sans class. i looked at my alarm schedule on my phone and thought - ok, well one thing i can do is write "GET UP AND MOVE IT" so when it rings, i'll see that. check. and then i noticed that you can change the tone to a song from your itunes - so i decided to change it to "blurred lines" by robin thicke + pharrell, because that song instantly puts me in a good mood.

cut to this morning, 7am - alarm goes off and the first line of the song is "E'REYBODY GET UP" - and i just start busting up laughing. and let me tell you - that is a phenomenal way to start your morning-laughing. so i snoozed once. i did. but robin thicke wouldn't let up - "E'REYBODY GET UP." fine robin, fine pharrell. you win. e'reybody will get up.

and i did! i got up, i ran, i did an hour of cardio, on the beach, in the glorious sunshine, and i feel AMAZING today. and all it took was a little change in the routine and trying a different approach. they say the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results. today i worked to break the pattern - i changed my attitude and the results were different.

go figure.

 xoxo
meags

day #1 (post 30): karaoke challenge

the night started out innocently enough. i worked until 8p and there was a post-work gathering at a bar not far from the office. it was fun to spend some quality time with some of the peeps outside of work - get to know everyone a little bit more. we ordered a round of drinks and people came and went, and at 9p it was evident that the bar was turning into karaoke night. the first person to sing was an older guy, and you could tell he lived for karaoke night at this place. i don't remember what his song choice was but it was something that didn't immediately scream "fun karaoke song - get the crowd pumped." i think it was long and depressing. the next person to sing was our server. she also sang something long and depressing - one of the songs from les mis. she had a good voice - but she was singing les mis in a sports bar on a wednesday night. no.

most people were paying attention to the hockey game on TV, some people were watching the karaoke. and we were all egging each other on..."you sing" "no you sing" "ok what song would you do -if- you sang." i started telling someone that i wanted to do it, but i just never had and i get nervous. and next thing you know, i found myself walking over to the table and signing myself up. what. the. hell. there were 3 people ahead of me. victoria. devon. the first guy again. and then they called my name. i mean well they sort of called my name - they called me "mee-gan"- but it was close enough.

and this is what happened:

OH MY GOD. i did it. i had a blast. i was nervous. i was excited. i sang my JAM that i had sang so many times in the car, in private karaoke rooms with friends, in the shower. but never ever, in front of strangers. and i did it. i conquered one of my most prominent of fears - stage fright. and did i do it perfectly? nope. was i shaking the whole time? yep. and it didn't matter in the slightest. nobody cared. NOBODY. i was able to get over myself and just freaking do something i enjoy doing without thinking about what anybody thought of me. my coworker friend who doesn't hug for anything even gave me a hug after i was finished. we both conquered our fears :)

if this is any indication on how great my 30s are going to be, sign me up. there are 8 days unaccounted for on the challenge, and i'm so happy i have started back up on the other side of this decade. one small step back for fears - one giant leap over them for meagen.

more to come.

xoxo
meags

day #5: STREET

as you might have noticed, the blog has been silent for the past few days because....well. you know. life happens. part of the challenge was a challenge within the challenge (!), which basically was that i was inevitably forcing myself write everyday, no matter how late, how early, how tired i was to get down the previous day's challenge. alas, my sanity depended on abandoning it for a bit. but now i'm back! and it's good to be back! yay blog! great big blog hug! ::reunited and it feels so good::

i've also come up with a solution to make up for those lost days. and i'm really excited about it since there are still things on my list that i'd like to accomplish. so that'll be addressed in a future blog post. but for now, we'll pick up with day#5 - Tuesday.

all of my LA friends have been posting about a restaurant in hollywood called STREET. and i knew that when i got here, it was a must do for the LA part of the challenge. it's a restaurant that serves dishes from around the world tapas style, so you could be eating from a different part of the world with each dish you order. and they have plenty of vegan and vegetarian options to choose from, which is awesome.

on tuesday, i had to head out to the east side to try on a bridesmaid dress for my best friend's wedding (her actual wedding, not the movie in case you were wondering which I'M SURE YOU WERE), so i grabbed my friend chris and we made the trek to the east side to get a little STREET.

there are some key differences between LA + NY dining, one being the time you eat and the other being the reservation factor. it seems like 7/7:30p is the ideal time for angelenos (correct term?) and 8/8:30p is the ideal time for NYers, and in LA you need a reservation and in NY most restaurants don't accept them - so if you aim for 8:30, you usually end up eating around 10. so needless to say, when chris and i waltzed in to STREET around 9, the restaurant wasn't super packed - much to our hungry tummies' delight.

we were seated and given the schpiel, and give some delish indian-inspired crunchy chip thingys with some yummy salsa. win. then, they brought us their infamous kaya toast - which, let me describe this to you.

KAYA TOAST Singapore toast filled with coconut jam; soft egg, dark soy, white pepper 

STOP IT RIGHT THERE. coconut jam? i die. it was so good and so weird and so sweet and salty all at the same time. i would like more, please. and then we ate a greek artichoke, heirloom tomatoes with balsamic, sashimi with some amazing sauce, and this:

chicken and bacon croquettes-aka fancy chicken and waffles. but oh my god was it delicious. i wish i would have gotten more photos, but we sort of dug into everything before i got a chance to. chris also had one of the best cocktails i've ever sampled - some sort of oatmeal moonshine something? whatever, it tasted like rootbeer and it was sooooo yummy.

i'm happy to be back in LA and getting to do some fun things while out here as well. it's been really fun getting back in touch with a city i used to live in, and i'm so excited that i get to spend my 30th birthday with my family (and LA friends) for the first time in 4 years!

more challenges to come, but for now - day 5 complete!

xoxo
meags

day #9: viva mas

ok, i admit. this challenge is ridiculous. but i really did want to try the doritos locos taco from taco bell and i'm about to embark on a (fairly) healthy eating regime. so i knew it was now or never.

friday was spent tying up a lot of loose ends. returning cable boxes at time warner, picking up dry cleaning, paychecks, dragging my mattress out into the street (NY has weird rules about when you can place bulk items on the sidewalk - i get it, but it's maddening), etc. and when you're running around so much, often times 4p can creep up on you and you're like "oh, i haven't eaten lunch yet." so in the midst of running all around town, i passed the taco bell on 14th street and knew today was the day.

NY only has a handful of taco bells (thank god, really), so it's almost like you have to make a  destination of it. i walked up to the counter, weighing my options on the 'viva mas' menu, and i decided to only order the nacho cheese one 1. because listen, i needed to be at least a little kind to my body and 2. because i never really liked cool ranch doritos. i'm a bit of a purist, especially when it comes to my doritos. i also did not get it surpreme because i don't really like sour cream either...whatever. it's my challenge i'll do what i want!

i got it, unwrapped it, and took my first bite. was it everything i wanted it to be and more? i mean. it tasted like a regular taco bell taco. it was pretty delicious, but the shell being "doritos" pretty much meant it tasted like all the other shells. idk. i mean. i'm glad i ate one? but really, it's more to know i never have to eat one again.

later that night i spent my last night in new york with some good friends at decibel sake bar, which, if you haven't been is a really neat spot. later we grabbed sushi, i said my goodbyes, and headed home to await the 5am alarm signaling my departure to LA.

day 9 - complete!

xoxo
meags

day 10: susie

earlier in my blog adventures, i think i briefly referenced my neighbor susie. susie is one of a kind, man. when i first moved into my apartment, i had no idea how to work my gas oven and didn't understand that when the pilot light went out, it meant that gas was leaking (electric ovens FTW). i think thanksgiving 2009 was the first time i had noticed this phenomenon as i was trying to bake yams and had no idea why my oven was working, and had to call the gas company to relight the pilot light.

a short time after it happened again, and again i called the gas company and this time the lady said "LEAVE YOUR APARTMENT IMMEDIATELY" like the whole thing was going to blow up or something. so i went to my friend autumn's until they called and told me they were on their way. when i showed up at the apartment building, i was greeted by the sight of 4 fire trucks -and- the gas company. it didn't really register at first, but i heard the guy on his radio saying that there was the gas leak and i sprang into action and said "that's me! i have the gas leak, but i already called the gas company - they're here too." the fireman started to tell me that my neighbor had called to report it, when i see said neighbor barreling down the stairs. cordless phone in hand. rollers in her dyed reddish-orange hair. slippers. it was too good. and in her new york accent she says:

"oh hiiii, i smelled tha gayass. i cawlled the fiyah depahtment to make shore they cyame in case. i'm susie, i live upstayahs in apt 6"

the next thing i know, 3 firemen, the gas company man, and susie are all in my apartment. the firemen make sure the levels of gas are ok, the gas guy disconnects my oven, and susie comments on the decor of my apartment.

"where'd you get this tayble."
"how much you pay for this apahhhtment"
"you cawll me wit anything you need, i live right upstayahs"

over the years, i've learned that her husband ben sells jewelry "beautiful silvahh" at the flea market in fort greene on saturdays. they have a grown son, whom they constantly argue about in the apartment lobby. they've lived in the apartment for 37 years and have seen the neighborhood change and become gentrified, some of it welcomed, some of it not. she's thrown water on the girls waiting in line for the bar below the apartment building more than once if they were being too loud. and the craziest tenants were a "bunch of italians about twelve years ago on the top floor, who were havin' orgies. and smokin' grayass! i mean a constant smell of grass. the girls would climb up the fire escape to their balcony where they had a mattress laid out....for the orgies."

so the challenge today was going to be to write susie a thank you card. i don't think i've known any neighbors since i graduated high school and left bigstone place in westlake village, and it's rare to have one so genuine and so involved and concerned about your well being in the building. she's helped me through more than my fair share of apt difficulties, has called the super when i was unable to reach him, and let in maintenance men when i wasn't able to be home. she's pretty amazing, and as much as it weirds me out to say it - i'm totally going to miss her.

as i was leaving yesterday, i saw her in the stairwell and she threw her arms around me and said if i was ever in the neighborhood, to "ring her bell and come up and we'd have cwaffee and catch up." and i think i will. even if she did tell me that her husband was having surgery later that week because "his testicles were the size of grapefruits."

thanks susie, for making my stay in LES just that much more awesome.

day 10 - complete!

xoxo
meags

day #11: burgers, beers, and the big move

i moved. and it went smoother than i thought it was going to. the movers were hilarious and pleasant, and somehow they fit all of my belongings into a 20 sq foot room in manhattan mini storage. when i expressed doubt, the foreman said "we got you." and they did. they did got me.

we were done by around 1p, and then there was everything that i had to do after. all of my stuff was gone and packed away, but i had things i still needed to donate, suitcases and bags of spices/groceries to get to chris' in greenpoint, time warner cable boxes to return. all of this stuff is so difficult in manhattan without a car, so i decided to rent a zipcar which was the easiest way to go about everything. of course, somehow i picked a time of day to drop things off when school was letting out, no parking, etc etc. all i could do was laugh. i would be done soon.

after that long day, i needed a treat, so i met up with my friend carly to accomplish my day 11 challenge - dumont burger.

oh. my. god. DUMONT burger. why has it taken me 4 years of ny living to get to you? i literally am in brooklyn every weekend. and my friends have even invited me to go with them a few times but for some reason i could never make it work. but tonight, it was the perfect night to accomplish this challenge. it's been unseasonable warm the last few nights, but there's been a bit of a breeze which makes it bearable. carly and i decided to sit outside and have a beer while waiting for the burgers. we both ordered the dumont burger, and i just ordered it as is - no add ons like bacon, avocado, cheese, aoli, etc. mainly because i'm a purist and wanted to taste it in it's simplest form, but also because i didn't know if i was going to be able to finish it with all that stuff on it.

burgersssssss

the funny thing is, i wasn't able it finish it anyway. it's a biiiiiiig burger. and it tasted so good that i really really wanted to finish it. but i couldn't.

so glad i was able to get a brooklyn burger favorite in my belly before jetting off to LA. thanks carly! thanks dumont!

day 11 - complete!

xoxo
meags

day #12: times, they are a changin'

ugggh, i'm late again! but i'm still doing it, still keepin on writing, and it makes me feel good that i can continually keep this promise to myself (goals!). for my challenge on tuesday, i had planned to go to staten island to have dinner with a few friends. i did a little research and narrowed it down to beso (spanish tapas) or enoteca maria (italian made by grandmothers - literally. not chefs, grandmas.), and had also planned to MAYBE stop by the drunken monkey, big ang from mob wives' bar. the staten island ferry ride is free and it's a great way to see a different angle of NY - the NY skyline, the statue of liberty, ellis island, etc. it's GREAT for visiting guests, a highlight on the trip to do something new yawk-y. and they even have a bar on board. keep it classy, staten island. 

unfortunately, i didn't make it. i am a procrastinator and i found out on tuesday afternoon that the only time slot for the movers to come was between 11a-3p on wednesday morning. so i had to forgo the challenge to be able to go home and finishing packing in time for the movers. sometimes, you just hafta be an adult (30s!). so what i did do, was order in from one of my favorite places (tre), and catch up on all of the DVR i had recorded while i packed. tuesday night would be my last night in my apartment.

i really got nostalgic packing up the last of my things. deciding what i wanted to keep and what i felt i could now live without. i think i've outgrown living in the LES, but i still get a little teary thinking about leaving. times, they are a changin. i'm writing this entry from greenpoint, as my friend chris was kind enough to let me stay at his place while he's gone. and i'm looking forward to exploring the neighborhood and gathering info on what it would be like to live here. and thus begin-eth my greenpoint vacation.

day 12 - complete.  

xoxo

meagen

day #13: in memorium

yesterday my dad sent us an article written about his father, captain robert f. carroll, receiving the silver star award after his act of gallantry during WWII. he survived the war, but he lost the battle with cancer long before i was born. i never had the pleasure of meeting him, so it was nice to take time out yesterday to honor his life and legacy, and remember all of the fallen heros who have fought bravely for our country and our freedom.

ROBERT F. CARROLL - AWARD OF SILVER STAR

ROBERT F. CARROLL, 0662744, Captain, Air Corps, 762^nd Bombardment Squadron, 460^th Bombardment Group, United States Army. For Gallantry in Action as pilot of a P-24 type aircraft. On 18 May 1944, Captain Carroll was leading a formation of aircraft assigned to bomb an important enemy communication center in Italy. Prior to reaching the target, an engine became inoperative and the aircraft began losing altitude. Captain Carroll was forced to leave the protection of the formation and he turned towards home. On the way back, his aircraft was attacked by five (5) enemy fighters, severely injuring and setting fire to the already crippled airplane, mortally wounding a pilot with him, and severely injuring Captain Carroll in the neck and left arm. Despite the great pain and loss of blood, Captain Carroll fought to maintain consciousness and to control the plane thus enabling the crew to destroy one (1) enemy aircraft, probably destroy another, damage one (1), and drive the remainder off. Captain Carroll directed the crew in putting out the fire and with his navigator as copilot; he brought the aircraft to a friendly field in Italy, whereas, despite the severely damaged condition of his plane, he made a perfect landing without further damage to the plane or injury to the crew. By his extraordinary courage, leadership, and professional skill, Captain Carroll has reflected great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

Residence at appointment: Brooklyn, NY.

thank you grandpa. and thank you troops who continue to protect us. 

day 13 - complete!

xoxo

meags

day #14: change

ok ok, so i didn't really do a challenge on sunday. ssshhhh. sometimes i think i must have been crazy to take on this challenge while in the midst of moving and going to LA. but then it wouldn't be a challenge right? right. soo, because i didn't get to anything yesterday, i decided to make up my day 14 challenge early on monday morning (this morning!). so i'll write while it's still fresh in my mind.

a lot of places are closed today for the holiday, so imagine my delight in finding that 88 orchard was open for coffee! thank GOODNESS. i've packed away all of my dishes, so making coffee at home is not an option, and not having my morning coffee is also not an option. so yay 88 orchard! and did i mention what an absolutely beautiful day it is today? it's one of those rare new york spring days (73 and sunny) that you hold onto and keep close to your heart because you know that very soon (thursday) it's going to be 88 and humid and you might have to sleep with ice packs on your body to keep from overheating. and yes, i have done that and yes it's necessary and not at all ghetto. but i digress.

so 88 orchard has great pastries and coffee, but sometimes their employees can be a little.....grumpy. maybe they're tired, maybe it comes with being a little hipstery...i don't know. but i feel like i go in there all the time and rarely get a smile. so i ordered my morning coffee, i paid with a $10 bill, and I decided to leave all the change in the tip jar. it's just something little, but it's sooo nice outside and i was feeling so great that i couldn't help myself from wanting to do it. and it made me feel great! so great, that i couldn't help the fact that the words "enjoy the day!" also awkwardly came out of my mouth as i put the money in the jar. and i couldn't tell if he was giving me a surprised look or a dirty look as i did it. but you know what? no one can rain on this positive parade! i feel great.

my speech teacher in college always said to start off or end a speech with a powerful quote. and so, i leave you with this, because it has to do with change and in my case...change. like physical change from a $10 bill. WHAT...double entendre bitches! so, i'm going to quote ghandi because that's how awesome i'm feeling. deal with it!

"be the change you wish to see in the world" - ghandi

day 14 - complete!

xoxo
meags

day #15: nailed it

everytime i log onto the internet, i feel like there's a new trend. orange is the new pink, red is the new black, last years vajazzaling is this years vajacial (what). and with nails, everyone is getting nail art and i decided on that day 15 i wanted to be a part of that world. 

i did some research on nail spas in manhattan that specialize in kind of thing, and came across one called sakura that's in my neighborhood. i called a few days before and made an appointment for saturday, and they said they didn't have time for gel (never done that either) but could do a regular polish mani with some simple nail art. ok!

so i showed up on saturday at 12:30p, and was greeted by the friendly receptionist who asked me to pick my colors and offered me some green tea (yes please!), which was especially welcomed due to saturday's second coming of winter. wtf was up with that? winds, rain, and 40-50 degree temperatures. so bizarre. my nail technician was really friendly and made some conversation while she filed my nails. she asked me what i wanted, and the receptionist came over to try and translate what i had in mind. unfortuntately, what they didn't tell me when i made the appointment was that MOST (if not all) of the nail art that is out there is done with gel. which they didn't have time to do for me. bummer. determined to take advantage of my appointment, i looked through their sticker book and chose a few different colors so i could do at least something a little different than a normal manicure. sooooo.....what i came out with was one of the most schitzophrenic manicures i've had to date. BUT, i love it and it definitely suited for what i was doing on saturday night for my birthday evening. 

that night, my friend holly had organized a little get together with some of my NY friends for my 30th birthday, since i will be in LA on my actual birthday. she took care of EVERYTHING, despite my best efforts to try to butt in and control all the plans (thanks holly!). and i couldn't have asked for a more beautiful evening. we met at macondo for some drinks and bar snacks, and then headed to private room karaoke where we proceeded to sing (scream?) the hits. 

here are the best of the pics + vines from the evening. (ps, OBSESSED with vine now). yes, that is me lying down singing and yes, i am wearing my party pants. 

thanks to my friends for coming out to celebrate. day 15 - complete!

xoxo

meags

day #16: famous for over 125 years

i've gotten all sorts of thrown off with my day count after the janeane garafolo post was late. and since i was back working this week, the exciting factor of doing things has been at a minimum. so, i am just going to go right into day 16 - and i'll make up day 17 in a two-fer post when i'm not working next week so i am able to get back on track. ok? ok.

since i have lived in new york, i've wanted to try peter lugers. it's been open since 1887 and has been named best steakhouse in ny 28 years in a row. we all know how i feel about reviews, so this was a no brainer for the new york bucketlist part of the challenge.

my "i'm going to peter lugers" smile

oh man. where to even begin? i'm still dreaming of the steak. let me just say, it was the most mahvelous of evenings. my friend angela was gracious enough to accompany me on this challenge, even though the only reservation i could get was at 10:45pm. we decided to go early just to see if they could seat us, so around 10p we grabbed a cab and headed over the williamsburg bridge to lugers.

greeter

as we walked in, we were greeted two bartenders in white shirts and black bowties behind a long wooden bar. further in, we spotted the host - a dapper gentleman with a curled moustache and grandpa glasses. he found my reservation, and we decided to order a drink at the bar while we waited (glass of red, naturally. not 10 mins later, we were whisked back to our table in the front room. the waiter presented the menus with fanfare, and i couldn't stop staring at everything. the bavarian beer influences, the bare wooden table, the clientele. the lights were incredibly bright. the waiter came back with bread, and asked us if we were ready. he tried really hard to push the steak for two (at $97), but since we wanted to get sides we each decided to get the small steak (at a more reasonable $34), german hash brown potatoes, and broccoli - you know, to keep it healthy.

when the waiters brought out the steak, the sauce/juices were sizzling on the plate. the steak was brought pre-cut, and was served onto our plates along with the potatoes. and oh. my. god. it was INCREDIBLE. tender, juicy, flavorful, omg MEAT. clearly, i enjoyed myself as you can see in the clip below.

i kept telling myself i was going to save some of the steak to eat in the morning (steak and eggs - yes!), but i ended up eating it. the whole thing. we were going to stay and have a glass of wine for dessert, catch up, talk more, but i was so full i didn't think i could fit anything else in my stomach.at the end of the night, i really wanted to take a pic with our hosts, but when we left they were enjoying a steak of their own at the bar, as it was almost closing time. damn! here are the pics i did manage to snap:

this is the small steak. what. 

what are we doing? 

moooooooo

golden chocolate coins for desert

classy

QUEEN OF LUGERS

one of my favorite challenges yet. day 16 - complete!

xoxo

meags

day #18: disaster relief

when hurricane sandy hit last year, i was without power, heat, hot water, and cell service for a week - and i had one of the best case scenarios. the damage to the rockaways, staten island, and other parts of the east coast were devastating. people lost friends and family members, houses, belongings. below 25th street was completely dark for a week - we kept joking that it looked like a zombie apocalypse. we're all still recovering.

but the amazing thing that came from sandy was the sense of community. my friend kat was visiting from LA at the time, and we were taken in to friend's hotel rooms and apartments in brooklyn without question. we shared cabs with strangers, were grateful for the shop owners, restaurant workers, cab drivers, and everyone else who was still working to help provide goods and services for everyone affected even though they too were affected.

there are a million things you think you've planned for, but you can't predict how a storm is going to affect you or your neighborhood. you don't think that it's going to be so bad you're going to have to throw out everything in your refrigerator because you're not going to have power for a week. you can't predict the following cold front that would make your apartment unlivable without the building's heat. you don't know that the people you love you can't contact you because you don't have cell service, and even still you're trying to preserve your phone battery because there is no electricity to recharge it. you can't shower. and when you're hungry, you have to figure out a way to get food since no stores are open in your neighborhood, the subways aren't running, and there are no cabs. so you assess the damage and try and make a plan to move forward.

on the third day without power, i completely lost my shit on an employee of a restaurant above 25th street for only taking cash. "WHERE WAS I SUPPOSED TO FIND CASH" I screamed. "THERE ARE NO WORKING ATMS." he just stared at me, and asked if i still wanted the burger. i realized i might need to change my attitude, i was just hangry (angry because i was hungry). i later apologized to him when i found some cash, and also apologized to kat for screaming at her that THEY WERE ONLY EFFING TAKING EFFING CASH as she silently handed me a $20. it wasn't his fault. it wasn't her fault. he was just trying to get me a burger. she knew i needed food. everyone reacts differently.

for today's challenge, i donated to the red cross to help those affected tornados in oklahoma. my heart goes out to everyone affected by the tragedy.

if you would like to help, the link to the donation website is below or you can text REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief.

http://www.redcross.org/charitable-donations

day 18 - complete.

xoxo
meags

day #19: janeane garafolo

i just want to start this off by saying - if you would have told me that janeane garafolo would have something to do with the transition into my thirties, i would have said - what? but also at the same time "well, i mean i get it." because why not? why wouldn't janeane garafolo factor into my birthday? life is weird like that.

i thought that growing up in LA would make me way cooler about encountering celebs. but it didn't. at all. sometimes i get nervous, and then i act like i'm all cool and like "whatever" which probably means i come off not cool and like "whatever" and i actually come off like a douche or like i'm too good for them. or shy and quiet. or a snob. maybe it's all in my head and no one is actually thinking anything about me at all because they're too busy thinking about themselves. but the point is, i get nervous.

when i was 22, i had a terrible experience with bruce willis. i was young and it may or may not have involved quite a bit of wine (spoiler alert: it did). my friends were in a band and they had a hotel cabana at the roosevelt hotel in LA, which meant that you could party in your hotel room but also mingle amongst the bar patrons by the pool. so basically i thought i was the bees knees that night. paris hilton and lindsay lohan were there, and i was there too. and in my mind, that meant i could DEFINITELY go up to bruce willis and talk to him.

so i walk up to him and i tap him on the shoulder. and without even turning around he gives me the "wait a minute" index finger. now, any normal person would have walked away at this point - but i was committed. it was bruce willis! so i hung around, clinging to a poolside heater, waiting for him to finish his story and talk to me. so he finally turns around surprised that i'm still there, and says gruffly:"what." and it was at that moment, i realized i had no idea what i wanted to say to bruce willis. i didn't even really like him all that much. i'd never seen die hard. in fact, i think the only thing i'd seen him in was the sixth sense. and at that moment, i wished i was a dead person he couldn't see. so i blurted out the only thing i could think of:

"um. i just want to tell you i think you're fabulous."

"thanks," he said as we shook hands, and i retreated back to my friends, laughing and humiliated. but at 3am when i thought it would also be a good idea to invite paris hilton to our cabana, i remembered bruce "wait a minute finger" willis, and decided against it. lessons!

my friend kerri hosts an amazingly funny internet show called "geeking out"where she interviews her favorite celebs and geeks out all over them. which is very similar to my own behavior, except for i don't have an internet show because that would involve celebrity interaction and well, bruce willis incident. one of the celebs she interviewed was janeane garafolo, so kerri had invited me to see her perform at a storytelling show in brooklyn called "jukebox." all of the performers were HYSTERICAL. seriously, if you have a chance to see this show - it was great and it was only $5, and it involves the performers telling a story and then karaoking a song that pertains to the story. genius.

Kerri with the poster for her show Geeking Out!

David Wain, performing a card trick story

Our lovely hosts for the evening - theme was Prom

 

Peter Krauss

janeane!

so after the show, kerri and i waited to say hi - but janeane got swept up in deep, deep conversation almost immediately with a girl that could have been her mirror image, armed with a notebook and a healthy dose of sarcasm. so we decided to catch janeane on her way out. as she was making a beeline for the exit, kerri called out "JANEANE" and waved her over. i shook her hand, and said it was nice to meet her, and how great the show was. and for my challenge, i was going to throw out all of my "too coolness" to ask her to take a picture with me. AND I TOTALLY FAILED. hahahaha. i could make all kinds of excuses about the fact that it was weird timing, she looked like she was in a hurry, she wanted to get out of there, blah blah. and kerri could totally back me up - or probably tell me i should have just taken the damn picture. but it turns out i STILL have things in my 20s that i can't seem to shake just yet. gaaaa. 

maybe it was for the best, maybe i avoided another bout of humiliation ala bruce willis. or maybe janeane's karaoke song was a taunt to the next time i come in contact with her.

either way, day 19 - complete!

xoxo

meags

day #20: LES living

i know. i know. i didn't do an entry for day#20 yesterday. i'm the WORST. but - i do have a bit of an excuse. i had half written the post and i was going to finish it when i got home from day#19's challenge. but when i got there, i had no running water, my toilet didn't work, and it appeared as if someone had been in my apartment. the trash can was moved, the shower curtain pulled back, and my spare key was missing my from the entry table. the funny thing is, even after all of the law and order: SVU that i've seen, the first emotion i had wasn't fear - i just was PISSED. ha. guess i'm one of them new yawkas now eh? 

so i called my super alberto, who informed me that there was a leak in my shower that was trickling down into the pickle guys so he had to shut off the water. but - how did he get in? oh, the brokers who have my keys let him in, and because he didn't want to rely on them to let him in today to fix it, he took my spare key. i had received no phone calls about this matter, and it was extremely disconcerting that someone was able to enter my apartment without my permission. grrrrr. but - i'm only living there for another week, so i'm working on letting it go. but it does just further the fact that i'm making the right decision in moving.

the ironic thing is, today's entry was all about being nostalgic about my neighborhood. jokes on me i guess - haha. and this is exactly why i freaking love this challenge. it's really been opening my eyes more to everything that's happening around me. i feel like i've almost been in a constant state of wonder and amazement since this all began. i am so grateful.

so anyway, day#20. since i am leaving my neighborhood, i wanted to try and pack some of my favorite LES things into the day. i had some business to attend to up in the flatiron district, so i decided to walk home (2 miles) before popping into the falafel shop to get an amazing sandwich. and as i was chowing down, i started thinking about the restaurants and shops i was really going to miss after i move. i don't even think i covered them all, but here are a bunch of my fave spots in the LES:

Dudley's - one word: fried chicken sandwich

The Whiskey Ward - LES sweet tea is the best drink ever

Meatball Shop - anything and everything, tho i'm partial to the spicy pork

Spitzers - burger, fries, beer. 

The Fat Radish - great little spot

169 Bar - really fun music, good mojitos

Essex Restaurant - brunch deal is the best in the neighb

The Falafel Shop - just a really good, cheap falafel sandwich

Home Espresso Bar - really sweet owner, good everything

88 Orchard - a fave breakfast spot - they have tofu cream cheese for lactards like me. 

An Choi - decent pho, but i live for the 1/2 bahn mi 1/2 pho combo 

Lil' Frankies (sort of east village, but it's my favorite) - ROASTED EGGPLANT. i die. and everything 

Katz's Deli - the pastrami really is as good as they say

Mole - great fish tacos + margs

Pala - they have pizza with dairy free cheese and can also make it vegan and/or with gluten free crust. 

Tre - super great neighborhood italian. also has the option of GF pasta

Tiny's Giant - HOT TURKEY SANDWICH. yum. 

September Wines - the best wine shop i've come across - helpful and priced amazingly.

Ten Bells - oysters, wines, and meats. love. 

Barrio Chino - amazing margaritas + tacos as well as a host of other things. probably my favorite neighborhood mexican

Epsteins - a surprising favorite for bar burger. decently priced drinks - a fun place for a saturday afternoon

Beauty and Essex - ok, it's really not my scene. BUT, they have free champagne in the ladies bathroom. so they're ok in my book.

Doughnut Plant - hands down, best donuts. tres leches cake donut is like a drop of heaven

Clinton Street Baking Company - see post referencing pancakes here

and that brings me to the last spot i am going to miss terribly - rockwood music hall. there are two rockwoods right next door to one another -one with free shows every hour and one with some free and some ticketed shows. and i've never seen a bad act here - all the talent who performs is really amazing. so when my mom called and told me her best friend from high school and business partner kiki ebsen was in town and performing here on monday night, i knew what i needed to do wasn't something new, but rather something i loved. my friend angela graciously agreed to accompany me, and we had a nice low key night listening to some free live music. perfect, ny evening. that's us in the bottom photo - i think we kind of look like a theatre mask no? we're ridiculous.

LES, you've been my home for 4 years and i love you. and even though i am getting nostalgic (standard), i am keeping in mind the amazing things that are coming as well. and i am focusing on living neither past nor future, but appreciating the present. this is day 20 and it is COMPLETE.

xoxo

meags

day #21: i hear 30 is a good year

did i mention that during this 30 day challenge, i am also preparing to move? in less than 2 weeks, i'll be moving out of the apartment i've called home for the last 4 years and heading out to LA for the summer on a freelance gig. i'm not moving back to LA - it just happened that the job coincided with my lease ending and i knew i didn't want to re-sign. so i've decided to sell a bunch of my stuff and put the rest in storage.

it kills me how timely and poetic this all is. like i'm selling off little pieces of my 20s, while still holding onto a few key items that can transition with me into the next decade. the bookshelves i bought at crate and barrel can stay. the dresser with the drawers off their runners and a knob missing, cannot. adult! of course, i'm already getting nostalgic about everything. leaving my only NY apt i've known, leaving the lower east side, the pickle guys, the stupid bar next door that i hate, the really unfriendly chinese bodega down the street, and how could i forget my nosy neighbor susie (she almost deserves her own entry). i keep telling myself it's not goodbye forever - just goodbye for now. but it's still hard.

all that said, i had a minor freakout yesterday thinking about everything and thinking about all the work i still needed to do, so i didn't really accomplish a challenge. meh. but in keeping with it's spirit, i did try and do small acts of kindness where i could. i said hello to my neighbors, held doors open for a strangers, donated to a few online causes that friends were hosting, smiled a lot, and in general just tried to keep a pleasant attitude to put out some good vibes.

after the freelance job ends this august, i'm headed to kauai with my sister for a week, and then off on a cruise to mexico for my best friend's bachelorette party. and then we shall see where work takes me after that. will i stay in LA a little longer, or will it take me back to NY? wherever i end up, i know that a lot of good things are coming. i think i'm really going to enjoy my 30s.

as my good friend ali says - i hear 30 is a good year.

day 21 - complete(ish)!

xoxo
meags

day #22: brooklyn brewery

it was the first saturday in a long time that most of my friends had the weekend off, so we decided that this would be the perfect day to accomplish one of my new york bucket list challenges - touring brooklyn brewery. 

we had planned on taking the 2pm tour, so we met at 1:45p. but it was apparent from the long line wrapping around the corner that we were not the only people with this plan. fortunately, the brewery does tours every hour, so we decided to grab a beer, catch up, and wait for the 3p tour instead.

the tour on the weekends is more of a history lesson on beer and the brewery, since the brewers take the weekend off from production. i think you can take more of a tour during the weekdays, but to be honest i really ended up enjoying the lecture from our cute, bearded hipster man.

he started by telling us about the ingredients of beer - malt, yeast, hops, and water. he had little cups filled with two different kinds of malts, explaining that the lighter color and the darker color indicate how long the grains have been roasted, not the alcohol content (who knew?). he let us sample the different grains and smell the hops, explaining that the hops flower is actually part of the cannabis family, and no there is not weed in beer and no, you cannot get high from smoking hops.

he then explained the production process of beer and gave a history lesson about the brewery itself - explaining how the founder was a war correspondant for the associated press who decided he wanted to make craft beer after sampling some home brews in saudi arabia. how the label was designed by the same designer who did the iconic "i heart NY" logo. and then he explained that the chandelier above his head was a reminder that this was a classy establishment.

after the tour was over, we decided to cash in the rest of our beer tokens, and we had a few more friends trickle in for the hangs. 

after the tour, we decided to get some amazing bbq at mables next door, and to go over to my friend wade's house to hang out in his backyard for a few hours. we ended up staying all night, dancing to britney and big freedia and that 'rhythm is a dancer' song. singing taylor swift at the top of our lungs. eating bacon pizza (wut) and munchies. and just having a truly great day. thanks for sharing in this day with me friends - i love you all. 

day 22 - complete!

xoxo

meags

day #23: happy birthday nick carraway

i was half as old as i am now when i read the great gatsby for the first time. i was 15, and i couldn't think beyond my 16th birthday (driving!!) let alone my 30th. it was 10th grade and i was in mrs. stanley's english class. i had bangs, braces, and a learners permit. i had my whole life ahead of me with a past rooted only in childhood, and the promises of a future beyond the awkward walls of adolescence.

the great gatsby is riddled with complex themes that go far beyond what most high schoolers can understand, because 15 is not long enough to have experienced them. obsession, drinking, money, self-delusion, lies, love. to have had something you so desperately wanted that didn't pan out. to experience raw and deep emotions: happiness, disappointment, love, and loss, maybe wanting at some times to manipulate the past to know then what you know now so you might be able to change it. but the beauty of life lies in the fact that we learn to adapt and move forward. i once read a beautiful quote from author tom stoppard that sums this up:

“We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered.”

the downfall of gatsby comes in his desire to recreate the past. i admit that at some points in my life, i have felt this way. i mean i feel like we all have those thoughts at one point or another. if only i had done this instead of that, turned left instead of right, dated him instead if the other guy, maybe things would have been different. maybe i'd have 3 kids and a house in the burbs, or maybe i'd live in another country, or maybe something whacky would have happened like i'd be in jail or something. but life has given me amazing things. new york city, freelance, travels, and everything on that list before beginning this challenge and beyond, fulfilling dreams i had and those i never knew i wanted. 

so today, i really didn't accomplish a 'challenge' per se. but sometimes, the best thing you can do for yourself is to see a great movie with a great friend, and reflect on the amazing week of experiences that you've had so far in this countdown to 30.

"I was thirty. Before me stretched the portentous menacing road of a new decade...Thirty-the promise of a decade of loneliness, a thinning list of single men to know, a thinning brief-case of enthusiasm, thinning hair." - Nick Carraway, The Great Gatsby

day 23 - complete.

xoxo
meags

day #24: better the devil you know, than the devil you don't

i have wanted to go see book of mormon since it debuted on broadway back in 2011, but the tickets have been sold out/too expensive/ok fine i haven't really tried to get any, pretty much since that day. in doing research on how to get discounted tickets, i came across their rush tix policy and decided that my day 24 challenge was going to be about trying to get (cheap) tickets to book of mormon.

there are three ways to get cheap tickets on the day of each show:

1. enter the book of mormon ticket lottery: show up at the box office between 2.5 and a little before 2 hours prior to showtime, write your name on a slip of paper and indicate if you would like 1 ticket or 2 tickets. at 2 hours prior to showtime, they draw names for the 20-22 seats they have available. tickets are $32 each.

2. standing room only tickets: show up at the box office about 2.5 to 3 hours before showtime and wait in the SRO line until show performance. the announcer said if there are more than 20 people in line already, you probably won't get in. tickets are $27.

3. cancellation line: show up at the box office about 2 - 2.5 hours before showtime and stand in the cancellation line until show performance you might have a chance of getting a ticket if someone doesn't show up for their seat. tickets are face value, usually around $150.

i knew any of these were a longshot, but i decided i would try for the lottery and let go of the results. if i got in, AWESOME. if not, then i would just get to see what the experience was all about so i could try again next time. i showed up at 4:30p, 2.5 hours before the 7pm show and entered my name into the lottery for 2 tix. as it turns out, they accept slips of paper up until 4:59p, so there really isn't any benefit to coming early since it's all a random drawing. NOTED. i asked a few people in line if they had done this before, and there was a couple that was visiting from london who had tried the day before but hadn't won, and today was their last chance to win before they left. to be honest, i was rooting for them more than myself.

standing room only line - already people lined up at 4:30!

announcing what the procedure is, cracking jokes

at 5pm, i came back to the box office and the crowd had grown exponentially from 1/2 hour ago. i snapped a pic of the crowd - and this is just one side! there were as many if not more people on the other side of the box office as well.

all in all, there were about 300 people who had entered their name in the lottery and only 22 seats available. my hopes were high, but i knew that it was a long shot. every time the announcer said it was someone from new york, there were whoops and hollers, everyone hopeful it was their own name. and every time a person won regardless of who it was, the group cheered and clapped for them, silently hoping that good karma would come back around and theirs would be the next name called. when the last name was drawn, i smiled. it wasn't mine, but i had done what i set out to do - and tonight wasn't my night to win. sadly, the couple from london didn't win - but i did see them make a beeline for the SRO line so hopefully they were able to see it before going home.  the whole experience only lasted about 10 minutes - not bad for such an amazing discount.

before i go out to LA for the summer, i have 3 more chances to win the ticket lotto - and you bet your ass i'll be trying again. i'm definitely more prepared for next time, knowing to bring a snack and a friend in case the lottery doesn't pan out so we can get a chance at the standing room tix. either way i WILL see this play before i'm 30.

i can't remember who told me this story, or if i read it in an article somewhere, but there have been quite a number of actual practicing mormons who have seen the show. in fact, there was even someone from utah in my ticket lottery group who won, and i kept thinking - i hope she knows it's a satire. but anyway, the story goes that there was a guy who was sitting next to a few of the mormons during the show and he kept thinking how strange it was to see them at a play that was basically poking fun of their religion. after a while, he leaned over and said "excuse me, i just have to ask - why did you come to see this play?" and the mormon guy pursed his lips, and said back:

"better the devil you know, than the devil you don't"

day 24 - complete!

xoxo
meags