Shrewd

The best compliment I ever received was being called "shrewd". Some would call it negative, but I'm pretty sure it's a superlative compliment.

(It was in New Zealand, at the dinner table, by a English doctor. I went to my room and looked up the word and was immediately flattered.)

If I can possibly explain the benefits of living in New York, one of them would be observing shrewd, strategic business women. They are smart. They are charming. They use the tools they have available to their benefit and they draw strong boundaries.

These are important lessons in life. And they can happen anywhere in the country. We, as women, and as men, have to utilize these opportunities to our benefit.

I encourage, hope and demand that everyone use their tools to the best of their abilities. It is your duty to the world.

xoxo

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1) - Cite This Source
shrewd? [shrood] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective, -er, -est.
1. astute or sharp in practical matters: a shrewd politician.
2. keen; piercing.
3. artful.
4. Archaic. malicious.
5. Obsolete. bad.
6. Obsolete. shrewish.
[Origin: 1275–1325; ME shrewed, in part repr. shrew1 + -ed3 (cf. dogged, wicked); in part prob. ptp. of shrewen to curse, v. use of shrew1 (see -ed2)]

—Related forms
shrewdly, adverb
shrewdness, noun

—Synonyms 1. quick, discerning, perceptive, perspicacious, sagacious, keen; discriminating, intelligent. See acute.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source
shrewd (shrd) Pronunciation Key
adj. shrewd·er, shrewd·est
Characterized by keen awareness, sharp intelligence, and often a sense of the practical.
Disposed to artful and cunning practices; tricky.
Sharp; penetrating: a shrewd wind.

Luck's Run Out?

This weekend was minorly insane and most assuredly intense.

Today I feel pretty out of it, mildly confused and can't stop thinking about dogs, life, death and Boots.

Sunday was supposed to be a day about town with friends. Either I was going to go to the Berkshires with Alyssa or I was going to go to a swim meet and skee ball...thing...with Stefanie and Jamie. When we crashed at Stef's we had no idea what that day was going to become.

Stef took Vegas, a dog she was taking care of for friends, on a walk. An hour later she ran into her apartment saying Vegas ran off his leash and she's been looking for him the entire time. Jamie and I were off running.

Jamie found him first. Surrounded by police and an angel named Rosemary, laid Vegas. I called 311 (a service of NYC, which I have found endlessly useful, if not completely insensitive to the human condition) and they said they have a dog that was hit by a car on 58th and 5th Avenue. I ran as fast as I could. When I got there, Jamie had left to find me and then came back. We stood. Rosemary saw Vegas get hit, a police officer picked him up out of the street. She said he was alive for about 5 minutes and then died.

We dealt with city BS all day. Finally, when 311 said that the Department of Sanitation would be out to pick up Vegas, I shuddered in horror. No possibility of that happening. Can you imagine, your dog is killed while you're out of town and it's been dealt with by the Department of Sanitation? Forget about it. We found a private hospital and brought Vegas there. Rosemary (the aforementioned angel) brought Jamie, Vegas and me there. The hospital was great. The best people we dealt with all day. They were the first ones to understand.

Now what's messing me up is why it's affecting me the way it is. I was so angry at the city yesterday; grateful for Rosemary; grateful that this man I had met the night before turned out to be solid and capable; in pure wonderment at the ephemeral nature of life; so grateful that it was Vegas (sorry Vegas), not my parents, Stefanie, or my cat. And I can't get it off my mind. Let me highlight: I didn't even know this dog when he was alive. It may have even been a female.

That's what I've got for now. Wanted to write it down so I could try to get Vegas and a terribly disorganized and insensitive city out of my brain...

If you're reading this, I most likely miss you very much!

When the World Ends, It'll Be Just Beginning

A recovery of the planet after humans cease to exist...



Nod to my bro for this one. Click the image to make it larger.

Still No Hot Water

Or hot action.

I've made it abundantly clear this is not contractually acceptable. You know what? Contracts, only good for sueing. Not great for getting me hot water before I go to work.

I depend on the kindness of strangers. (Thanks Blanch)

I yearn for the rainforest...

Cold; Hot. Temperature When It's Not.

I've been without hot water now for three days. My landlord likes to quibble and say, "well you called on Sunday!". We sure did! And that is: Sunday, Monday and Tuesday! Please. Count differently for me. Dicks.

Actually. Maybe I said 4. Maybe I said four days, extrapolating into the future of tomorrow, Wednesday, when I wake up and either I a) wait two hours (LIKE I DID TODAY) for repair people to show up or 2) I end up taking a COLD F'ING SHOWER just like I did today. I am not a happy camper.

I know that it's part of my rights as a renter to have hot water EVERY day, regardless of weekend or not and I'll be damned if I'm going to stand for some bullshit take on what it is to be clean. I feel disgusting.

I had one hot go at cold showers. It was amazing, actually. I embraced it and was happy about it. I learned something from it. I learned A LOT from it.

I was in Costa Rica. Not a bad shot at a country, I might add. My very good friend, Emma, and I had ventured out into the land and had a go at some volunteerism. Now let me tell you, I was the first to go on these adventures. I loved this shit. Throw me out somewhere in a desert, in a jungle, with friends, family, strangers. I don't care. The more random, the better.

My first real experience with cold showers was, as I mentioned, in Costa Rica. We were in the Monteverde Rainforest (Cloud and Children's), rebuilding hiking trails so they would have less impact when hikers used them. We were staying in a failed commune's building. I was bunking with Emma, one of my best friends from life, and we together, with 10 other people (or so), shared 90 minutes of generator provided elecricity every evening.

No electircity, no gas, no hot water. The water we bathed in was collected from rainwater. Which is really gorgeous and romantic. Especialy when in the rainforest. But when you were showering in overnight rainwater, it was god damned cold.

We did it. We did it while breathing la mas style. We did it while screaming out loud. I remember the shattering cold it was, and the necessity it was, too, that we took showers after digging, drudging and hiking.

It was cold. But when you're in the rainforest, that's OK. When you're in Brooklyn, it's not.



Going to bed in hopes of a less frigid morning.

Thinking of all of you with all the warmth in my heart. Of which there are a few metric tones.

xoxo

Cats

Boots is my one and only ever cat. He is the perfect feline: aloof and loving, omnicient and omnipresent. He's on my mind. He's really old (turned 21 this year) and is living with my aunt Susan while my folks are in Siberia. Pandora, Cassie's cat, is loving on me for the first time since I moved in (since June!) and I can't help but miss the Tootser.

So, shots out, kitty cat! I miss you!

(and thanks for sending Pandora my way to cuddle, if you did-there are few felines whose hair I'd let in my bed and you two are it!)

Crazy cat lady? Only for two. So I don't qualify! :)

Iraq for Sale at Larry Lawrence in Brooklyn!

I'm hosting a screening of Iraq for Sale at Larry Lawrence in Brooklyn this Sunday at 6:30pm.

If you're interested, come join me!

RSVP Here.

I watched the film yesterday and it's a pretty amazing deal. Some of it is stuff main stream media is paying attention to, but somehow, has not been made the issue that it should be. The privitization of the war on Iraq is unlike any other we've seen and all accountability has seemingly been lost.

I hope to see many people there-if you know anyone who might be interested, please pass on the RSVP site!

Now to try to sleep a bit more!

Can We Please Talk About Architecture?

Yes, Susie, you can talk about architecture.

Good. Because there's a dearthof knowledge on the subject on this corner in Brooklyn and that pothole needs to be addressed. Thanks!

I was introduced to Ezra Stoller last night at a gorgeous apartment on the south side of Central Park last night. They were originals. The opposing original? A Warhol print of Beethoven. I realize I love art and artists, this is no surprise. I sometimes think I can feel the energy flowing through these people and subsequently out of, or between, or bouncing among the outcome and the consumers (the only one whom I can speak for is me, clearly).

I got my haircut by a master last night by accident-that was amazing, too.

Architecture, Susie. That was the only script approved for this scene. Good lord.

I'm back. Ezra Stoller. The inventor of architectural photography.

I'll flesh this out later-off to comedy with Ceri in Brooklyn-busy weekend for the Sooz. I hear she's very excited that she has a weekend at all. Let alone two days in a row and a third where she'll be working from home because she has a LOT of work to do.

Garrison Keillor Learned His Lesson With Norm Coleman

Speak out now or write about it on Salon later.

Garrison calls move by Bush Admin a move toward "totalitarianism".

Totalitarianism. It's the new Republican.

Nod to old friend Matt Miley for this article. You can come in the Revolution Mobile Bob, Rob and I have planned. We were looking for someone with good sound effects, anyhow.

NoCa...I'll Never Get Out Of The Bar Scene...

From Thrillist about Impulse Productions (my new work place) new bar, NoCa.

Should be cool. If you're around NYC tonight, come to the opening :) Open bar 9-11; 323 W Broadway b/t Grand and Canal Streets.

Word em up!

AND if you or anyone you know is interested in having a party, or any kind of event, for that matter, of any magnitude, get in touch with me!

Wednesday Afternoon Joke (Truth)

President Bush, First Lady Laura and Dick Cheney were
flying on Air Force One. George looked at Laura,
chuckled and said, "You know, I could throw a $1,000
bill out of the window right now and make somebody
very happy."

Laura shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I could
throw ten $100 bills out of the window and make ten
people very happy."

Cheney added, "That being the case, I could throw one
hundred $10 bills out of the window and make a hundred
people very happy."

Hearing their exchange, the pilot rolled his eyes and
said to his co-pilot, "Such big-shots back there.
Shit, I could throw all of them out of the window and
make 56 million people very happy."

(Ed note: the only thing I would change is the number: to 6.5 BILLION people...)

From NYT: Collision at 37,000 Feet. Wow.

Colliding with Death and Living

Musahboom, The Current

The Current is a radio station founded by Minnesota Public Raido. This is their playlist, but with a little exploration, you can find how to listen to it. And I deeply, strongly, encourage you to do just that.

I found Mushaboom by Feist (Album version if you're buying on iTunes) yesterday while listening to The Current, which I've known about, but have not listened to, until I went home last weekend for the wedding. It's a great station without the trappings of corporate radio-and here are the lyrics to a song I love at the mome. I hope you'll take the 99 cents to listen to it!

Her website is like nothing I've seen before either...Feist. She's apparently part of Broken Social Scene, which I've neither payed attention to nor fallen in love with yet...Working on it!

xoxo

Helping the kids out of their coats
Oh wait the babies haven't been born oh
Unpacking the bags and setting up
And planting lilacs and buttercups oh

But in the meantime I've got it hard
Second floor living without a yard
It may be years until the day
My dreams will match up with my pay

Old dirt road,
(mushaboom, mushaboom)
knee deep snow
(mushaboom, mushaboom)
Watching the fire as we grow
(mushaboom, mushaboom)
o-o-o-o-old

I got a man to stick it out
And make a home from a rented house oh
And we'll collect the moments one by one
I guess that's how the future's done oh

How many acres, how much light
Tucked in the woods and out of sight
Talk to the neighbours and tip my cap
On a little road barely on the map

Old dirt road,
mushaboom, mushaboom)
knee deep snow
mushaboom, mushaboom)
Watching the fire as we grow,
mushaboom, mushaboom)
o-o-o-o-old
(mushaboom, mushaboom)
Old dirt road rambling rose
(mushaboom, mushaboom)
Watching the fire as we grow
(mushaboom, mushaboom)
well I'm so-o-o-o-old

--Susie again:
Start new job tomorrow morning. Life is good. I've carved out something here I couldn't have anywhere else. Thanks New York!

Job, Art, Marriage and Minnesota

Good evening ladies and gentlemen!

I'm back after a long hiatus. A whole week!! A lot has happened and was going on, that's where I've been. I'm sorry I've been absent!

Last Wednesday was my last day at my fancy pants job at a private member's club in Manhattan. My last day I stayed three hours late and felt crushed by upper management. Whew! No more of that!


Then Kate and Matt succeeded in having the greatest, most fun parties all weekend long. I was honored to be a bridesmaid in the affair and was impressed by the breadth and depth of the people who surround and love them. When I get my hands on some pictures I'll be sure to put some up. It was GORGEOUS at The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis with many other events at the new and amazing Chambers Hotel. Was just taking a gander at the art at the original Chambers Hotel, which, of course, is in Manhattan and it's pretty amazing: Chamber's Art. I've put some of the art throughout this post, too!


It's funny, after working in a hotel/restaurant/bar/event spaces, events will never ever be the same. The hotel is gorgeous but I got the sense immediately that they're still feeling new at it and trying to figure it out. The same bartender who was there til 2am last night was there again at 11am this morning-which, actually, reminds me of my former place of employ. Whew.


Got a couple really cool dresses for the wedding-I had one lined up, but when it arrived it became apparant very quickly that it just wouldn't do. For the Rehearsal Dinner I got a great number from Anthropologie and then for the wedding I got a classic cocktail dress that will last me as long as I fit in it! I'm very excited about them :)


(Rehearsal Dinner)

(Ceremony-we all got to choose our own black cocktail dress, which I think is SUCH a good idea!! The detail on this dress that I really like is the strap on the left is wrapped through a hole in the dress. It's cool...I think I'll wear this forever!)

New job starts Wednesday-this one I can talk about more freely than my last! I'll be the Events Director at a small event production company. That confuses people a little because we're not in film, but, that's what we do: produce events. I'm coming in to build a corporate events department and I'm really excited for the challenge. Our company is also opening a bar this week, which should be cool, too. The guys I'll be working with are experienced, fun, young and committed to "being honest in a dishonest business"- a motto that I love!



Finally, about Minnesota: it's one of the most beautiful places in the world, I think. I actually called to change my plane ticket to stay longer, but decided that $100 was too much to pay for just one more day. I wish my folks were home-then it would have been worth it! But they're in Siberia. Of course. HA! Check out my parent's blog Whit Web Wanderings. It's really cool and they're kicking it hard core over there! So envious, and proud of them!

Must go to sleep now. The wedding was great, but it took everything I had! More soon, I hope!!