March 2008
84 posts
The Case of the Leasing Agent
Mysteriously repeated apartment listings on Craigslist, over-aggressive brokers with outrageous fees (and even more over-the-top tactics to “motivate” you to rent) and perfectly orchestrated apartment viewings in which four other home-seekers are viewing “the last available apartment” simultaneously are part of of the rental game in NYC. When I was in college at UC Santa...
TKTS is awesome
For those unfamiliar, TKTS (which I’m assuming stands for something other than being a Rebecca-like way of mispelling the word tickets) enables people to buy same-day theater tickets at up to 50% (and maybe higher). There are only two in the city (and one is actually across the street from my house.) Ben and I decided spontaneously (well really he came up with the idea I just followed suit)...
Holy Canole!!!!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I just (I need to take a deep breath so I can type properly) got a really exciting email from a really exciting person from a really exciting magazine at a HUGE publishing house. That is all I am saying. I don’t want to jinx a thing but HOLY EFF BALLS!!!! I am really excited. (Exhale).
Just call me Snoopy
There’s a position open at Seventeen and I want it. It’s an amazing position actually. Junior level positions RARELY get posted, if ever. Associate Editor of Seventeen Magazine — Health and Fitness. HELLO? I only have my Master’s Degree in Kinesiology and Sport. I have gone through three people over at Hearst already, and now I’m waiting to hear back from the top dog,...
Full Day of Work
Put a fork in me. Fresh meat is done. I’m gonna leave work now and meet Ben on the subway…oh and my cell phone is about to die, so this should be fun considering I’m on 58th and he’s on 37th. How do you meet on a subway? Sounds disasterous.
Fresh Meat
No, I’m not referring to the odor sprinkled throughout the city (and that would be rotten anyway). I am the fresh meat. Today is my second day of work. I feel strange really saying that primarily because I don’t have a desk or workspace, and secondly…well yah that is why. I work around the intern’s schedule, so when she is not in I get to use her space. Today is a full...
Manhattan Math
11, 6,3: The most amount of time I have ever had to wait for a subway, the number of vagabonds I counted on my car this afternoon, and the number of asses that accidentally backed into my face as I sat (while they stood) on the subway today.
Hermes Sample Sale
Hermes had their sample sale last week and I forgot to go! I blame the cough syrup! Wahhhhhhhh
My Deepest Apologies (and my first entry on Mr....
I understand that a great deal of my blog followers have been lost this past week and I must express my utmost regret for having let you down. I will give a quick rundown of the past week before I hit the sack. Last Weds — my mommy came into town! Yay for mommy’s! She stayed at the Hudson on 58th, which is a very Euro and sleek boutique hotel in Midtown. We spent most of the day in...
Birthday Blues
The plan: dinner at BLT Prime, followed by some sort of dessert that I had made, keeping birthday balloons in tow the whole time. What happened: I got really sick last night (and today), so the delicious steak that I had hoped to devour in celebration of Ben’s 25th was instead a pot of chicken soup that I made. Instead of dessert, there’s cough syrup. Instead of balloons,...
Swapping Perez for CNN
Up until two months ago, I understood the market to be a place for me to buy Light & Fit Dannon yogurt. When I arrived in Manhattan, it became something I paid close attention to (and by close, I mean I took a loosky), but after yesterday’s big crumble I have to admit, that I feel the need to give it more than a glance. It is a lot weirder now to read that Bear Stearns has gone bye-bye...
My Third Gen Art Pulse Clip →
Back In the Day
An old college buddy of mind, Jayson, asked me today if I still did open mic nights. Boy was that a flashback. At some point in my journalistic pursuit I stopped writing spoken word and started reading books like, "Eats, Shoots & Leaves, The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation". Snooze.
I then began to discuss this with Deena
Deena: You need to keep writing poems, I have not forgiven u for stopping by the way.
Me: The way I write changed I sup.pose. I was writing like if I was speaking/yelling at someone.
Deena: Yah you were angry before, no one wants to hear a happy poem.
Me: I'm a freelance writer in NY making less than the men selling umbrellas outside -- I hardly think I would write a happy poem.
Really Frustrated
Yesterday my editor was supposed to call me to discuss my new position. I have yet to see a contract, discuss budgets for my freelancers, or even sign my John Hancock on anything. She emailed me late last night, apologized, and said that she would call me today. Well, let me say that this day has been grueling. I specifically sat with my phone glued at my hip (yes that means no jog in Battery Park...
What Aboot a Movie?
I love Sharon!
Hi Meeks!
My friend Michole, who will also soon be a resident of NYC if all goes well, invited me to join her in Austin this week for SXSW. I hurriedly tried to secure some sort of freelancing opportunity (perhaps there was an elephant that needed nudging), but I couldn’t get it together in time. She has gone without me. She sent me this picture, I don’t know where she is exactly but it is...
Radar's New Columnist →
Slightly insulting.
Interview Attire
People always ask (and by people, myself included) how to dress for an interview, especially if you are going to meet with creative people (editors, designers, etc). Do you do the suit when you know the environment will never call for such a stale presentation of oneself? This guy really should have asked his friend, “Are you sure I shouldn’t wear a button-up?” before heading to...
My water is better than yours...
My mom called me the other day (see frantically got me on the phone) to warn me about drinking water. I can’t decide if my water is better than LA water, which contains anti-epileptic and anti-anxiety medications. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to have a watered-down dose of anti-anxiety meds.
Look Familiar?
My friend Monica just sent me this. I don’t have any rights for this image, but it is the cover of the book I published in 2004. viewerType = ""; var fetchedImages = {}; var imgThumbArr = []; var imgThumbMarkerArr = []; var zoomLevel = 0; var zoomFetches = {}; var NUMZOOMLEVELS = 5; var zoomViewerHTML = ""; var numberToPreload = 8; var...
There is seriously something wrong with me
I have no sense when it comes to money-making opportunities. Correction: I obviously would never demean myself, strip, dance, etc., but if a man asked me to move an elephant for him across the Triborough Bridge for money I would probably do it (assuming I had nothing else going on and that I already got my workout in for the day). My point is that I consider the wackiest things, which I attribute...
Rise and Shine
I’m awake and alert and it’s 10 a.m, and if you think about it, the clocks just went back so it’s really 9 a.m. I’m running out the door to a few appointments which I will not disclose until I return. It’s nice and sunny today, I am going to don my sunglasses (except I’ve noticed that New Yorkers never wear shades).
Taking Bets
I bet $20 that when I call Mangia e Bevi (think Bucca di Beppo) tomorrow to re-confirm they won’t have me down.
What has happened to the service industry? Does...
Phone call 1:
Me: Hi Id like to confirm a reservation I made on line for this Saturday for 10 people
Reservation receptinoist: OK please hold
8 minutes and 23 seconds go by, I hang up.
Phone Call 2:
I call back
Me: Hi i was placed on hold, I'm confirming a reservation for 10 people for this Saturday
Reservation receptinoist: OK bella I need to put you on hold.
3 minutes pass
Reservation receptionist: Hi Mangia e Bevi, you would like to make a reservation for tonight?
Me: NO! I want to confirm a reservation for this Saturday ( I give him details yet again)
Reservation receptionist: No..I don't have you here.
Me: OK well then put me down for 10 people Saturday at 930
Reservation receptionist: Your name?
Me: I'm Rebecca Brown but the birthday boy's name is... (crap did I say birthday boy?)
Reservation receptionist: So what time?
Me: 930 (fuming)
Reservation receptionist: And your name? Mary?
Me: No Reeebeccaaaaaa R-E-B-E
Me: (cuts me off) OK Bella, This Saturday see you then.
Journalist Bombs It →
Poor thing. Does anyone have footage of this? I want to watch.
Hello Monday
So many things on my to-do list right now, some of which are not that important (buy pillows, etc). I’m anxious to start working. Since I accepted the Style Editor position last week I have been waiting to get started. Now I am waiting on paperwork and further instruction. In the interim I have been actively pitching other outlets (I just wrote a story last night on Turks & Caicos),...
I want a new computer!!!
I can’t decide if I should get a Mac or another PC. I’ve never used a Mac, I’m probably the only working editor (yes I can say that now) that doesn’t use one, but at the same time, I don’t design, and now that I most likely will not be trafficking artwork I can’t imagine needing a Mac. But for some reason, I feel like I SHOULD have one. I think I’m gonna...
Celebration Dinner.
Ben took me to dinner tonight to celebrate. A toast, to the newest employed resident of New York City.