Monday, January 30, 2006

touch and go

lady liberty



Okay, I’m back. It was very touch and go for a while. Like, we’re talking scraping rock bottom. It hasn’t been that bad for years. It was horrible, and a little bit scary.

Last week was incredibly rough [only managed two days at work] and it all peaked on Friday night and Saturday so I apologise if I saw you then and seemed like a complete head case or space cadet or something. I just felt wooden all week, and surprisingly and horrendously homesick. Like, if I didn't have these tickets booked for Texas already, like I would have just gone home or something. Saturday was a beautiful day which made it much harder because I kept feeling like when it’s so springlike and lovely I should be reflecting that but just couldn’t. I hung out in Central Park for a little with La Lauren [on a break from work right nearby] then headed downtown where I was meant to go cover the Idiotarod for someone. I just couldn’t do it – luckily they’d hired a proper photographer so it didn’t matter too much.

I walked from Delancey down to Battery Park, and there was a ferry just waiting there so I carried on walking, right on to the Staten Island Ferry, where I caught this amazing sunset and idly wondered what it’d be like to just put my bag down on deck and jump overboard. Then I was kind of like ‘what the hell am I thinking’ so made myself sit downstairs for the rest of the journey, admiring the sunset and reading Richard Brautigan [one of my literary heroes. J’adore].

012806_statenislandferry_002

Friday, January 27, 2006

leith

hunter gatherer


"If you feel sad again, call me and we can sing"

Sometimes good friends know the best things to say.

[photo taken by, and thus stolen from, James, in Canada, a couple weeks ago]

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Current obsessions

Julie_Andrews



* Julie Andrews. After January got to me a little too much yesterday, causing me to bail on work, I ended up watching Mary Poppins and my love for Julie Andrews [don't get me started on The Sound of Music or Thoroughly Modern Mille] reached new heights.

* Blueberries. Tastee and apparently healthy.

* We Are Scientists - Can't Lose
The Longcut - Transition
The Oohlas - The Rapid [finally checked 'em out after Sarah's been raving about them for so long, and this song has become, evidently, one of my new obsessions]

* Finally having my own room

* Buffy series three [The Prom episode is guaran-fucking-teed to make me cry every single time]

* The perfect hot chocolate.

* Counting down till spring. I, for one, cannot wait till Jan. and Feb. are over.

* London. I'm a little homesick at the moment.

* Finding a better job. I may be homesick but I don't really want to go back. Even if my 'hood can look this beautiful:

friday evening sunset

Sunset over the Thames right near where I live, West London, last March.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

how the weekend was ever so slightly redeemed

hot chocolate



escaping the apartment and hanging out in the pink pony with christy and birthday boy sam, drinking hot chocolate, sharing a sandwich, making lists entitled Monsters of Rock [focusing on guitars - hendrix, page, slash...] and, at the crepe shop where there was a birthday crepe [more original than a cake, right?], Moments in Music We'd Rather Hadn't Happened [jamie cullum, joss stone, james blunt, john legend, 50 cent...]

sam



then seeing everyone's new favourite band, ivy league at the delancey and being blown away, but their last song, london bridges making me choke up because it made me think of london [duh] and not helping with the whole lonely/homesick thing i seem to have going on right now

Saturday, January 21, 2006

that dude's wasted

so after a shitty week and anticipating a crappy weekend, and the fact that it's january and jan.17th just went by, abusing an open bar, doing a shot of sambuca [aided and abetted by cc and suarez] and generally drinking to excess to forget about it all seemed like really good idea last night

only, i still remember last week, i still remember eight years ago, i don't remember much of last night, i still have to live through this weekend and i have a hangover from h e l l [like i haven't had in a good few years]

really clever. well done me. forgive me if i slurred at you last night...

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Straight Outta West London...


View this clip on Vimeo

Got a baaaaaad case of the Januaries right now, and been feeling a little homesick [brought on, I think, by seeing Leith and James last week]. Last night I went to the Bowery [yeah, the show I was lamenting a few posts back - someone gave me a spare ticket, bless their cotton socks] to see Nine Black Alps [for the second night in a row, weirdly, after L. took me to see 'em at the Merc. Lounge. Much better set at Bowery. Hot singer and drummer. HOTT.], Nightmare of You - the boys were fab as ever, highly amused by Jenne acting out the lyrics to some of the songs - and Hard-Fi. The Staines Massive. West London [more or less] reprazentin.

I guess they were pretty tight. I did occasionally wonder how much coke the lead dude was on [much taller than I thought he'd be], and their schtick felt a bit old sometimes, but gotta give 'em props for biggin up West London [in case you hadn't realised by now: my parta town] and for singing about Feltham Young Offenders Institute and the Great West Road. Seriously. Geeeeenius.

Plus, this song, kinda makes me think about my moving to NY. Especially as we actually do take the GWRoad to get to Heathrow...

Oh where I come from
I just don't conform
Get me out of here!
Leave the boredom behind
Wanna see the bright lights
Get this thing in gear
Yeah...
Soon I'm riding in my car
Follow the star
Drop on empty town
With the stereo lit
Take the Great West Road out

You get your boots on...
You get your boots on...

And all the boys and girls sing
(Na na na na na na)
Straight out of West London
(Na na na na na na)
Just like a loaded gun
(Na na na na na na)
The cognoscenti don't like us
Don't like us!
(Na na na na na na)
We'll hit the strip tonight
(Na na na na na na)
Your eyes are burning so bright
(Na na na na na na)
Can't you feel the blood rush, baby
Tied up too tight!

Tell me can you feel it
Feel the city breathing
Feel its beating heart
No superstition
Just cold ambition
It's time to make our mark
Oh...

You get your boots on...
You get your boots on...

And all the boys and girls sing
(Na na na na na na)
Straight out of West London
(Na na na na na na)
Just like a loaded gun
(Na na na na na na)
The cognoscenti don't like us
Don't like us!
(Na na na na na na)
We'll hit the strip tonight
(Na na na na na na)
Your eyes are burning so bright
(Na na na na na na)
Can't you feel the blood rush, baby
Tied up too tight!

You get your boots on...
You get your boots on...

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

[time out]

Enough of this party-journal bullshit [because, let’s face it, that seems to be more or less what this has disintegrated into]. I don’t think that’s what I started this thing for. Although to be honest, I don’t remember precisely why I started it now.

Fuck. I can’t even write properly now. That bodes really well for my Friday deadline…

Can’t stop listening to Patrick Wolf or The Radio Dept.

Who, incidentally, win my prize for best titles that ironically relate to my life right now. In particular, It’s Been Eight Years and Why Won’t You Talk About It. With Where Damage Isn’t Already Done thrown in for good measure.

Although, if we’re just talking about The Radio Dept., I Don’t Need Love, I’ve Got My Band is my favourite song – maybe just because it makes me think of the summer. Although I just listened to it and it makes me feel kind of heartsick.

I hate January.


I wish they gave mental-sick-days at work.

Monday, January 16, 2006

Oh. Fuck. Yeah.

We just booked plane tickets to Austin for SXSW 2006

Can't. Fucking. Wait.

Live from New York City...

So there could have been the Tiswas relaunch or Misshapes or drinking at Suarez's... but there really is something to be said for sitting in a homely Brooklyn apartment with cups of tea and homemade cookies and a slightly crazy cat, watching Saturday Night Live...

...especially when you wake up the next morning with no semblance of a hangover and there's snow all around and there's fresh coffee and omelettes made for you, then a walk to N9th in temperatures so cold your face hurts to rummage around in Junk and Buffalo Exchange, then hot chocolate and squirrel brooches and then discovering "your" magazine being sold in a store on Bedford Ave...

...and even arriving back in JC isn't so bad initially when the sunset is reflecting off Lower Manhattan and it looks breathtakingly beautiful [or maybe that's just the painfully low temperatures and wind whipping off the Hudson] but then you step back into your apartment, where you've barely spent any time this week, and the washing up is still stacked up and the place is a tip and again you remember why it never feels like home and you try to be out as much as possible...


new pictures 132

Friday, January 13, 2006

i tell myself that everything's in shape - but me

Things that rule:
* Losing my fluffernutter sandwich virginity while sprawled on Lauren's bed watching The Simpsons in Spanish

* We Are Scientists

* Finding cheap, good pizza a couple minutes walk from Bowery Ballroom


* We Are Scientists

We Are Scientists 1.12.06 008

* Our new plan for me to stay in NY: I marry Lauren. Is gay marriage legal in NY state?

* We Are Scientists


We Are Scientists 1.12.06 007


* Finding a tambourine and maraca that had been left on stage at Rothko when we headed down for the after party, and Lauren and William jamming along to whatever the DJ was spinning at the time


jam on it


* We Are Scientists


We Are Scientists 1.12.06 020


Things that don't rule:
* How facking tired I am

* The fact that for about three quarters of the show last night Lauren and I were sat on some couch somewhere falling asleep [or escaping to go get pizza and trying to wake the eff up]

* Umm, okay I'm out. Not much to complain about, other than that I'm painfully tired right now. I'm pretty lucky.

- -
Because it's Friday, a video clip for you all. The Great Escape, as sung by - who is it again? Oh yeah, We Are Scientists... I fucking love this song. Such a good album. I think it's out really soon, go buy it y'all.



View this clip on Vimeo

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

i haven't slept yet

The beginning...

Meet Prince Paul. Prince Paul is tacky ceramic horse from Duane Reade - on sale at $2. Prince Paul was a gift from myself to Christy-Claire - a belated house-warming/Christmas/birthday.

After an amazing [and pretty pricey] dinner at Lucien on First Ave with my wonderful friends from London, James and Leith, and our friends in NY, Christy and Jenny, we all headed over to Dark Room, where Jason Dark Room is an old friend of Leith's from London.

Prince Paul came too.

A while later, the bar has filled up some, a few rounds have been bought, and Prince Paul gets in a playful mood...

jenny


CC

grumpy

jimmy
[James]

omri

a little later

not today thank you

that dude's wasted

rawk

alex suarez

karenplusone

ultragrrrl

rob hitt

mikey way

...The End

Kate Moss and La Lohan were in the booth next to us, but no one quite had the nerve - or had drink quite enough perhaps - to go ask them to pose with the pony.
But it would've been awesome if they had...
Later, when Prince Paul decided it was time to gallop off back to Brooklyn; he, CC, Leith and James [who were staying with CC] kidnapped me back to the Burg with them. I managed to not fall asleep - well, maybe I drifted off for forty minutes or so - get up, get the L and the PATH back to mine, shower, change and only be about fifteen mins late for work.
And here I am, slowly feeling the insane tiredness seeping in, but determined to last the day as I have a dinner party to attend this evening [have to go, unfortunately] and wondering how on earth Prince Paul managed to last the whole night without being smashed or chipped.

[full set of photos here]

Monday, January 09, 2006

i'll let the pictures do the talking

Friday night: Happy Endings - open bar, way too crowded, weird mix of people so we left; Max Fish; Dark Room; Orchard Bar where I talked to a million people, took a ton of photos [actually, many were taken by others as I was just handing out my cameras], tried to help in coat check and had a lot of fun.

Umm, Saturday morning wasn't so much fun though...


omri & lauren

smokin'

they made these sweaters part 1

magic eye

lauren & brandon

makeout!

tart of pleasure ahoy

no idea who these kids are

love this photo

lauren & brandon

love this photo too

dance dance

geordon

Friday, January 06, 2006

I'm so over Friday afternoon...

Today has been dead.

This week has been dead.

This is what I just did to kill the past fifteen minutes or so. I decorated the back of an envelope that's got stuff in for my friend. Don't think I'll mail it anymore though. Say hello to Jarvis the Unicorn and friend [and enemy...]

Jarvis the Unicorn

I think sometimes I forget I'm not still in primary school...

Roll on Friday night.

i'm glad it's friday

One of the things I love best about when MisShapes finally updates its photo pages is the spate of updated myspace pages that follows in its wake...

Thursday, January 05, 2006

grrrrrr

So Hard-Fi are playing the Bowery Ballroom on January 17th.

Nightmare of You are supporting.

Sounds like a fucking awesome show, right?

Yeah, 'cept by the time I've managed to scrape together some money for a ticket, it's fucking sold out.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

my backup plan:

Although if everything falls through and I do have to go back, I'm moving to East London [James is already working on kicking out one of his roommates for me] and opening a speakeasy - to which you're all invited, of course.

the countdown begins...

After reading this posting by the Imaginary Socialite, I did something really stupid and added up how many days it is till my visa [as in the thing that lets me work here, not the credit card] expires. 135 days.

135 days.

Sob.

Time to launch Operation: Find Hannah A Job So She Can Stay in NY very soon...

Sunday, January 01, 2006

and it's out with the old...

as the clock struck midnight i was...

... onstage at MisShapes at Don Hill's with Faran and Quinn, Ian Cogneato in front of us, all the other familiar MisShapes faces around, thinking
I don't belong here
and thinking
but I've had some of the best nights of the best summer at MisShapes surrounded by these people
and thinking
but there are a few faces missing who should be here
and thinking
I'm fucking shattered but if I leave early I'll miss Fall Out Boy


and an hour later I was thinking
Fuck Fall Out Boy, I can barely keep my eyes open; as much as I'd like to stay to say H.N.Y. to people that are on their way, I have to go home and crash

and then I got home and the alarm clock on my UK cell phone went off, that's set for 7am. I've been up for over 24 hours, managed about one meal and four vodkas.

So long Oh-Five.

Hello Oh-Six. I hope you're as full of surprises and adventures as the last year has been.

Happy New Year to you all.

xo

311205_misshapes_NYE_001

311205_misshapes_NYE_002

311205_misshapes_NYE_003

hot ladies ahoy

the return of hot scott

311205_misshapes_NYE_007

311205_misshapes_NYE_009
cam was on the wrong setting [d'oh] but i photoshopped this and quite like how it came out [misshapes leigh & geo]

311205_misshapes_NYE_010
another one with the cam on the wrong setting but i still kinda like the effects

311205_misshapes_NYE_013

midnight, fuck yeah!
midnight, fuck yeah!

311205_misshapes_NYE_017

311205_misshapes_NYE_018