Albert Einstein

Good quote.

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

—Albert Einstein

That's Mrs. Eminem To You

Last night I had a dream that I was dating Eminem.

My Sunday

So I didn't make it to the Brooklyn flea market yesterday. I forgot that I had a birthday party to go to for a friend's baby who just turned one.

A birthday party for a one-year-old is really just a reason for his parents and their friends to get together and celebrate, so that's what we did. We met in Central Park for champagne (even though it was chilly) and then went to Serafina for lunch. After this, we went to La Goulue for wine, and then a friend's apartment for a drink, and then we ended up at a place in Chelsea singing karaoke until the wee hours of the morning. (More like 11.)

This is what happens when you start the day drinking champagne in Central Park.

Oh... the baby went home after Serafina, in case you're wondering. By himself. We sent him packing with nothing more than a can of mashed peas and a diaper bag. Sure hope he made it.

So, about karaoke songs...

• I'VE NEVER BEEN TO ME by Charlene = Bad
• DELTA DAWN by Tanya Tucker = Better
• FREEDOM by George Michael = Best

If anyone in Boerum Hill or Cobble Hill was awoken last night by a girl singing "Take Me Home Country Roads" by John Denver really loudly on the street, my sincere apologies. I was still in a singing mood when I arrived back in the 'hood and was unaware of just how much I was projecting because I was wearing my noise-canceling headphones.

(To the girl I passed who was walking her dog [a big black one], you told me I sounded good and I thank you for that.)

Oprah's Puppy Mill Show

So Oprah aired the puppy mill show today.

I recorded it but I don't know if I can watch it.

Mark is yelling at me right now, saying I have to.

Who watched?

UPDATE: Okay, now Mark is pissed. As I was publishing this post, he got all serious with me on the IM, saying he's not joking, I need to see it, it's important.

I know it is.

I should watch it now.

Maybe I'll watch it now.

UPDATE 2: Okay, I just started the show and Oprah said, "Our show today is for anybody anywhere who loves a dog, has ever loved a dog, or just cares about their basic right to humane treatment."

I already have tears in my eyes. I mean, just from that.

UPDATE 3: I'm a mess.



UPDATE 4: From Oprah's website, the following organizations and resources offer additional information on adopting animals and fighting back against puppy mills.

Main Line Animal Rescue

The Humane Society of the United States

Lange Foundation

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Petfinder
Adoption service associated with the Animal Planet television series, including links to shelters across North America.

Dogs in Danger

Pets 911
Features searchable lost and found dogs and information about neutering, adoption and training.

World Animal Net
Search for local shelters and adoptable pets.

PetHarbor
Search for local shelters, rescues and adoptable pets.

Best Friends Animal Society
Largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the country

Time Capsule

I'm so exhausted today. I couldn't sleep last night and I'm hurting now because of it.

Anyway...

I went to the Apple store yesterday, the Fifth Avenue one with the cool glass entrance.


I was in the neighborhood so I popped in to buy an external hard drive (I take too many pictures and movies and my current one is filled up) and ended up leaving with a Time Capsule.


In case you don't know what a Time Capsule is, let me explain because it's the coolest thing ever.

First, it's an external hard drive, which is what I had originally planned on buying. It's available in 500 GB and 1 TB capacities; I got the 500 GB one.

Next, it's a wireless modem. Since I already have a wireless modem, this is kind of a replacement for me, but it's better than the one I had and should make my Internet connection stronger and faster.

Third (and this is where things get cool), because it's a wireless modem and external hard drive in one, I can back up all of my files and move things over to it without using cords. (Duh, right?) In the past, every time I wanted to do this, I had to bring my laptop over to my external hard drive, find the cord, plug it in, turn it on, wait for it to register—bottom line, it was a pain in the arse. I mean, the last time I backed up anything my computer was three months ago, maybe longer. With the Time Capsule, I won't ever have to think about it. Once I do the initial back-up, the rest will happen quickly, automatically, daily, without me really even knowing.

Third, and how great is this, I can plug my printer into my new Time Capsule and print wirelessly from here on out. Again, just as with my previous external hard drive, I used to have to bring my laptop over to my printer, find the cord, plug it in, turn it on, and wait for it to boot up just to print something. Anyone with a laptop who prints a lot knows how irritating this is.

Gosh, I love Apple. They make life so much easier.

Anyway, back to the Fifth Avenue store... The place is open 24 hours a day and was a total madhouse when I was there. I asked the guy who was helping me what the crowd was like at 2 AM and he said, "Celebrities usually come in then because no one's here to bother them."

Neato, huh?

Celebrity Sighting!

My friend Mark called me earlier to tell me about a celebrity sighting he had in LA. Here's how our conversation went:

Mark: I'm at the Mayfair Market right now and the guy from Entourage is here.
Me (way excited): Really?! Who? Turtle?
Mark: No, no... the other one. The main one. The one with the hair.
Me: Vinnie Chase is there?!
Mark: Yep, that's the one.
Me: Oh! Will you please take a picture of him for my blog?
Mark: Hun, no! I'm not a paparazzo!
Me: Oh, come on! Please?
Mark: No! I have to go.

He hangs up.

A few minutes later, he calls back.

Mark: Okay, I saw him again as I was leaving and got a picture for you.
Me: Oh, yay! Thank you, thank you!
Mark: I just emailed it. You should get it in a second.

In a second, I get it. I open the email and then the attachment:

Me (confused): Wait, this is it? This is the picture you took?
Mark (proudly): Yep!
Me: But where's Vinny? Is he the—
Mark: Little black blur in the distance, yep.

I don't say anything.

But then I do.

Me (quietly): Lucy Spiller would so fire you if you worked for Dirt.

Mark laughs.

Me: So, it's raining there, huh?
Mark: Sure is...

Mr. Smith Went To Washington

And Beverly went to BookCourt. She found some food and met a cat.

PS - BookCourt is my favorite bookstore in Brooklyn. They carry my book now.

PPS - Yes, I know Beverly's in desperate need of a bath and trim.

PPPS - I also know my camera work blows. I need to work on steadying my hand.

"Give my daughter the shot!"

Entertainment Tonight is counting down the top tear-jerking movies and they just showed a clip from Terms of Endearment.

Gosh, I love this movie. If you haven't seen it in a while, you must watch it. Jack Nicholson is at his absolute best; every word that comes out of his mouth is amazing. And Shirley MacLaine... oh, how I love her. This has to be her best performance ever.

Funny story... When my sister was in labor with Nora, the nurses didn't want to give her an epidural when she arrived at the hospital because they thought she was too close to delivery. In an Aurora Greenway moment, I started screaming, "Give my sister the shot!" hoping to both make them cave and make my sister laugh to take her mind off the pain. It worked—my sister ended up getting the shot and a laugh. (For the record, Jack was delivered au naturel. Go, sissy.)

Later on, however, just as Nora was about to come out, I had a Salt-n-Pepa moment and started singing, "Push it... Push it real good!" My brother-in-law joined in. My sister shot us a nasty glare between huffs and puffs. Doing this is not recommended. I repeat: not recommended.

PS - I couldn't find a link to the tearjerker countdown on ET's website, but I came across this one on TNT's website while searching.

One of These Things...

"One of these things is not like the other looking the same way as the other..."


Aw, damn. That dog's cute.

Spring Has Sprung More

One flower is in bloom!



"Here Beverly... sit next to it."



"Okay, you can play now."



"Say cheese!"

Brooklyn Flea

Brooklyn Flea, a new weekly flea market organized by the lovely folks who run the Brooklyn-based blog Brownstoner (say that fast five times), is opening this Sunday in Fort Greene.

The market will occupy a 40,000-square-foot lot and will be the largest outdoor market in all of New York City. Isn't that exciting?

In case you're interested in going, here's the info from Brownstoner's website:

Brooklyn Flea will take place every Sunday from 10am to 5pm—rain or shine—starting April 6, 2008, at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, on Lafayette Ave. between Clermont and Vanderbilt Ave.

The Flea will feature 200 vendors of vintage furniture, clothing and antiques alongside new designs by local makers of everything from jewelry to textiles.

Even though it'll be a total madhouse, I'm going. Hope to see you there!

PS - Beverly got Brooklyn fleas before (three times, actually) and it wasn't pretty.

The New York City Waterfalls

Oh, I'm so excited. A cool art installation called The New York City Waterfalls is coming to New York in July.

Spring

Bev and I are going to go back to the park tomorrow to check on the progress of the tulips.

Divorce Court

Do you all know who Juanita Bynum is? She's a big-time televangelist, author, actress and gospel singer whose bishop hubby beat her in an Atlanta parking lot last August. (Here are a couple TMZ articles about it.)

Well, I don't know if you know this, but my friend Mark is the executive producer of Divorce Court, and Juanita's going to be on the show April 24th and 25th counseling a couple who have had some domestic abuse issues. Inside Edition is doing a piece on it tonight, so tune in!

Ooh... and guess who's also going to be in Divorce Court soon. Gary Coleman and his new wife!

Yowza! I can't wait! Like, I ask Mark about it every single day.

PS - I think they're going to talk about their sex life.

Happy April!

From the October 2006 issue of Elle magazine:

I'm f*cking scared! And that's what I want. I want to be terrified. I want to do what I think I'm going to f*cking fail at miserably. Go down in flames like a fighter pilot, totally screw everything up, be an incompetent, sabotaging asshole. I want full-tilt, 80-miles-an-hour heading into a brick wall. That's what I want.

— Drew Barrymore

2008 is already 1/4 gone, so go through all those new year's resolutions you made and get back on track. Take chances, be daring, live life. Don't let dreams and goals pass you by because you became intimidated, scared, or even lazy. Do what you think you're going to fail at miserably... you might actually succeed.

Cheers!