NYC , May 2007: A Photographic Time Capsule.

Ah, the Danielsons. God, they're cute.

Yes, yes, ya'll - - that IS a double-decker tour bus upon which we are perched. I'm sorry -I'll just say it - TOTAL BLAST. Really, it's a great way to see the city, comfortably (especially when gritty, city heat is involved), and distanced. Now, I'm not saying to see the city (any city, really) exclusively comfortably and distanced... but it's just one angle. And it's nice.

NYC lends itself to some seriously fantastic, tiny photographic moments. What a lovely thing for a lovely city.

Pure homage to one of my great g-ma's most infamous stories, involving a stolen chair, a fur coat, a crazy-ass BFF named Margaret McCloud, New Year's Eve and, I'm guessing, a few Tom Collins.

Okay, seriously, this is enough to make bring a girl to tears. This is at the MOMA - - I snapped this shot very quickly, thru a tiny window on the second floor, on the way to the bathroom. As I said, very photogenic, this city.

Too. much. to look at in this one... let's all just look at Girl Hog, in her spontaneous and natural beauty. As gorgeous a snapshot NYC takes, Amy bests on a bad day.

To-go margaritas + amazing, cheap, Cuban corn on the cob + blond buddies = good times in the East Village. Manda showed us a hell of an afternoon.

Street food, haaaay!! Gyros are awesome. Mel and I had a wonderful street-built gyro just blocks from where we indulged in the single best lunch of our foodie-wannabee lives at Le Bernardin. Another fanfuckingtastic thing about NYC.

Just another nice, and apropos, NYC shot. The controlled chaos of the busiest of NYC intersections is a sight to behold.

Back at the MOMA. Sweet Jebus, there it was, one of my favorite Chagall pieces, right there, all up in my face. The tour guide saw me chillin' on the periphery of her little schoolkid group, probably as thrilled-looking as they were, and motioned for me to sit right down with them. I did and it ruled.

HUNG over on the Staten Island Ferry. THE most flattering picture of me ever, yes, I agree.

It was "Fleet Week" in NYC. The only thing that really meant to us was to serve as a reminder that Sex in the City was just a television show.

This is right after Tech almost died in Brooklyn. Apparently, Techie was drunker than we thought and in no shape to handle the ladder leading to the rooftop. Somehow, after trying to descend the ladder, he ended up five feet from the top of said ladder, on his back, precariously close to the edge of the rooftop.

Totally sober, obviously.

Again, totally sober.

Jesus, clean yourself up, seriously.

You tell me.

Noted fashion photographer, Nigel Barker! okay, I know it's next to impossible to confirm, but I SWEAR, it's Nigel.

Fierce! (For Nigel. Rahr.)

As much as I love NYC, I know we would have had as much fun in Burnsville. Or not, I know, I know... I just mean -- buddies are awesome.

Ciao, buddies, you're awesome.
-Nina.

Not cool.

One in four adults read no books at all in the past year, according to an
Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Tuesday. Full story.

Shit, people, come on!

...which means "throw momma from the tambien."

Summer's end isn't the worst thing in the world.

... a nasty, naughty, bad boy. spank. spank.

Man, I fucking love these pathetic republican closet-cases... these guys just keep getting better and better.

Maynards and Cougars and Lap Dances, Oh My!

You guessed it - - I'm talking about a Saturday night on Lake Minnetonka. My first time - really! I have to say, I thought I would be feeling super old, partying in that scene... but I didn't. I felt lots of things, but old wasn't one of them. It was entirely thanks to the preying packs of cougars and the creepy old guys. Classic.

My favorite exchange of the night:

Maid of honor, to some hot, random guy at the bar:

"Give her a dollar - come on - and she'll give you a kiss."

Random guy's short, goofy-looking friend:

"What can I get for 17 bucks?"

Photographic proof:


This photo pretty much sums up the festivities for the evening: Missy, looking sexy and adorable at the same time (as a general rule, this an irresistible combination), surrounded by a herd of rich, drunk whiteboyz.


This is your typical "Cheers, ladies!" photo - but yet a tiny bit frightening. Look at blond son of satan in the background!


And my personal favorite moment of the night...

"Hip-hop," as Mel very appropriately named him, was a cute little pseudo-Timberlake who was willing (I mean drunk) enough to give the bachelorette an impromptu and free lap dance.

This is Hip-Hop bringing sexy back. Missy is the dirrrrty babe in the back, preparing to remove Hip-Hop's clothing.

She got him as far as topless...

and then this fool came along and kicked Hip-Hop out because, apparently, only chicks can be topless at Lake Minnetonka bars. No I did not really see any topless chicks, but it was cold and rainy so the girls were bundled up in halter tops made of cotton instead of lace and jean skirts that covered their upper thighs instead of just their upper ass cheeks.

I kid, I kid! It was a fun time, all in all. Oh, and I forgot - Rod Stewart popped by to wish the drunken bachelorette all the best. Or something.

Ciao, buddies.
-Nina

P.S. I always think it's very funny to refer to shirtless males as "topless."

Fun for the whole family.

Sometimes I forget about The Onion. Don't forget about The Onion.

Report: Iran Less Than 10 Years Away From 2016

Best graduation present ever? Yes.

You can't really see the show too well, but I am quite sure you can imagine it. If not, it went like this... I was taking a little nap at the table (because I was so sober that it made me tired) and then suddenly the freaking king was there. And he sang to me, accompanied by an electric guitar plugged into nothing.

And he made me dance and say things.




And I loved him. But I love Tawny more... seriously, sending a singing Elvis whilst in Memphis? Oh, that is good stuff.

Ciao, buddies.
-Nina
(I promise more photos of the big day to come. And photos from cabin weekend. Oh, shite, and NYC, too.)

I just love her answer to this... no doubt, indeed. Damn, girl.

Perspective

Hi, kittens.

Ya know, when life is getting you down and you feel blue, when you feel like things just can't get any worse, well... it's important to put things in context and remember that other people have it so much worse than you. One almost feels guilty for complaining when you know others are dealing with such devastating situations:




Ciao, buddies.
-Nina

What if everyone I know sent me five dollars?

Aloha,

Summer is just not the time to blog, eh? I feel a little relieved that some of my other blog buddies seem as unmotivated to do so as I. And it's certainly not that I don't have things on my mind (which you, as a reader, must be interested in... that's the nature of blogs/blog readers, right?), because I do. So there, suckas.

• POLITICS SECTION: What a fucking hypocrite.
  
  

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) acknowledged Monday night that his number appears on
telephone records of the alleged D.C. Madam, Deborah Jeane Palfrey, and issued
an apology. (AP)

"This was a very serious sin in my past for which
I am, of course, completely responsible. Several years ago, I asked for and
received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling.
Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there-with
God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have
disappointed and let down in any way," Vitter said.

Now, this fella, if indeed I know my full-of-shit, neo-con-tools as well as I think I do, is one of the most hardcore social conservatives out there, right? And he has said, repeatedly and patronizingly, that marriage is THE most important thing in the whole wide world and that those immoral gays, sin machines that they are, have no right to even look in its general direction. Oh, and also, wasn't he one of the loudest idiot Clinton bashers - demanding impeachment not so much for the lying (which, now seems almost quaint and precious when compared to Bushie), but for the immorality of infidelity?

Yes, is the answer, that's the guy. I repeat: what a fucking hypocrite.

This is not a photo of David Vitter. This is Tom Delay. Apropos and, I think, really funny.

• SPORTS SECTION: I need to start betting on things.

I could be retired right now. Seriously, last week's All-Star goodness (which I totally love, although I understand it's not for everyone) could have brought me some fat cash if I would have bet (assuming that I actually would have had anything to bet. can you wager with good will and a nice smile?) with my gut. I totally called the HR derby winner (My second favorite non-Twin, Vlad Guerrero) AND the game MVP (my third favorite non-Twin, Ichiro). I did, I'm not kidding; people heard me and everything.

• SOCIETY SECTION: East & West Coast All-Stars

Last weekend was a fun one: out with Courtney from NYC one night and Tatum from LA the next. I don't have a whole lot to say about it except that it was super fun, not very sober and that I spent all my money for the month.

But, well worth it:

Who needs to eat and buy gas when you have sweet memories of afternoon chardonnay(s) and pretty blond kisses.

Ciao, buddies.
-Nina

I'm here on orders from my bird

Hi, love bugs.

I know I have so many other things I should be blogging these days, like... NYC weekend photos, grad party photos (complete with a real, live Elvis Presley), Scooter Libby and how he's taught us that this administration can truly do whatever it wants and there is not a thing we can do about it, the Sopranos finale (which I thought was a lazy, offensive mess), John from Cincinnati (which I think is a lovely, oddball allegory) and the fact that I realized that, before, when I used to actually be a good blogger, I was very much using it as a procrastination technique.

But, instead, I give you this:



Ciao, buddies.
-Nina.

Does anyone remember this movie?

Made in Heaven with Timothy Hutton, Kelly McGillis and, I think, Ellen Barkin as a raspy-voiced dude named Emmett?

I would like to see it again but can't seem to track it down anywhere. It must not be out on DVD. I don't recall that it was the best movie ever, but something was really special about it. Something besides Ellen Barkin as a raspy-voiced dude named Emmett.

Ciao, buddies.
-Nina.

P.S. Ellen Barkin is smokin' in Ocean's 13. Her boobs seem to be in sort of a strange, roving around her chest independently of each other kind of a mode in a couple of scenes - but she's still smokin'. And quite funny.

Someone's witty...

oman, this is funny. sleeper hit of the summer?

Ciao, buddies.
-Nina

O! And p.s., if you haven't seen it yet - check out miss arkansas' new blog! I"ve got her linked, to the right, under "buddies & stuff," so we can all follow along. miss you, Tawny!

Salmon and the City

I'm such a bad, bad blogger these days. I'm sorry, duckies.

I would love nothing more than to show you a delicious menu of fun in the sun photos from my NYC trip last weekend, but - boo - I left my camera on a rooftop in Brooklyn. Sad, and strange, but true. Hopefully, it's en route back to momma, and soon I should have some photos from Mel's camera as well.

We had a totally kickass trip: some sightseeing, some shopping, some hanging out with buddies, some art, some literary and live music action and even a little bit of burlesque. But really, it was all about the food and the drink. I'm sure, between Mel and I, we drank ten bottles of chardonnay and ate twenty pounds of seafood. Fluke ceviche, seared salmon in a wasabi/sweet pea sauce, tandoori shrimp, sushi, paper thin salmon, wild striped bass, more sushi, shrimp pad thai... oh and even a little lamb and beef, for good measure.

It all flew by very quickly, as has this short week home. I've barely had time to experience my mandatory few days of post-vacation blues. Fun weekend plans help as well. Speaking of:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WENDI !!

HAPPY MOVING TO ARKANSAS, KIT!! Wait, what?

Ciao, buddies.
-Nina

P.S. Sorry about the title. I know the proliferation of "whatever and the city" references are annoying... it's just that it's a tiny bit irrestistable when talking about NYC. 80% of the time, walking around any given 'hood in NYC, I'm singing the "doot do doot" from the S&TC intro. Or "start spreading the news..." Or "love in an elevator..." which is actually kind of inexplicable.

For no reason whatsoever:

Ciao, buddies.

-Nina.

What A Super Day.

Mother's Day was a blast this year. I was afraid it would be very sad, as it's right around the one-year anniversary of Nanny's death. Of course we gave our shout outs (and poured some out for Biggie), but the general mood was of total merriment and, apparently, starvation.

I arrived at The Vickster's and Wendi's ("casa caliente," by the way. hee) around 1:00 and we started the day with cosmos (cosmo makings and a shaker: The Vickster's Mother's Day present), and moved on to the the vino and champagne and the holy feast.

We grilled the crap out of mother's day. Check it out:

Grilled steak, shrimp, crab legs, asparagus and mushrooms. All healthy & fantastic. Mwah!

Then The Vickster and I headed downtown to the Twins-Tigers game, which, surprisingly enough, was a total blast. (If you have been following the Twinks the last month, you know why it's surprising to go to a fun game.) I think I might be good luck though - - I've been to two games and they were probably the two best games of the year so far.

Hubert's before the game. NOTE: Do NOT order a cosmo at Hubert's. That fact may seem obvious, but, whatever - it was the theme for the day. It was so strong, it was actually undrinkable.

The game was great. The Twins won 16-4. The hits just kept coming to the point it almost became old. So, I decided to play around with my camera and try to capture some cool action shots, which is actually a lot harder than I thought it would be. Timing it right was a challenge and I only got a couple of good ones.

CrazyArms Neshak with his side-winder action. I had to snap the picture before his glove got to his chin in the windup. I really dig this guy. He's one of the only Twins bullpen guys I completely trust these days.

Louis Rodriguez hamming it up. The pitch was nowhere near him; a strike even. I like this shot though.

YAY.

And then the Summit people attacked, in their hovering space travel device, and squished poor CrazyArms. It was weird.

Ciao, buddies.
-Nina

What are they thinking?

Micheal Moore to Justice Department: Thanks, fellas!

Excerpted, from the AP:

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore is under investigation by the U.S. Treasury Department for taking ailing Sept. 11 rescue workers to Cuba for a segment in his upcoming health-care documentary "SiCKO," The Associated Press has learned.

The investigation provides another contentious lead-in for a provocative film by Moore, a fierce critic of President Bush. In the past, Moore's adversaries have fanned publicity that helped the filmmaker create a new brand of opinionated blockbuster documentary.

"SiCKO" promises to take the health-care industry to task the way Moore confronted America's passion for guns in "Bowling for Columbine" and skewered Bush over his handling of Sept. 11 in "Fahrenheit 9/11."

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control notified Moore in a letter dated May 2 that it was conducting a civil investigation for possible violations of the U.S. trade embargo restricting travel to Cuba. A copy of the letter was obtained Tuesday by the AP.

Seriously? A week before the film debut at Cannes? What a strange decision. I mean, at a time when Bushies approval rating is - what, 28% or so? It's like they want "Sicko" to be the summer blockbuster.



Ciao, buddies.
-Nina

Those little scraps of paper, post-its and bev naps, scribbled with tiny moments of brilliance: things of the past.

Well, well...and well.

Guess what, kids, I'm done with my thesis project. You know the one- the travel writing business I've been carrying around with me for the better part of two years.


How do I feel? Great. I really do. It's been a long haul and there were several times when I thought... I just might not finish this thing. The last few months have been especially rough, with nearly every free minute spent writing, revising, writing, banging my head against the wall, and then writing more.


Yes, I feel good. This good:




My gratitude goes out to, well- everyone. All my beloved buddies have offered endless support and I really appreciate it. Mel, my coach and my biggest cheerleader, I thank you the mostest of all.

Now, you'll have to excuse me, I have piles of books to read, Netflix rentals that have been sitting here for months, laundry to do, legs to shave, big fat cats to cuddle with, blogs to read, and such. AH, free time, you pretty little thing.

Ciao, buddies.
-Nina