Can I touch your hair?
I’ve been wanting to share my recent crazy cab ride from the airport story with ya'll. I had landed at JFK airport from Cali at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday and immediately raced with my carryon to the taxi line outside, when a guy in a suit asked if I needed a taxi. I said yes, but wisely asked the price first. It was the same as the yellow cabs and he had a sedan, so I thought “why not?” He quickly took my bag and put it in his trunk then told me to sit in the front. I was like “the front?” and he nodded and left to see if he could get another passenger. I was annoyed sitting there, it was late and I had work the next day and now the yellow cabs were zooming pass me on their way to Manhattan and the boroughs with their single passengers riding comfortably in the back. The driver finally returned just when I was getting ready to pop the trunk and leave. We finally pulled away with Indian techno music blaring. The music was fun, but it was really loud, especially when I wanted to sleep.

Tony--that’s the driver’s name--didn’t match his music though with his blueish eyes and minimal accent, but while I was forced to hear his life story I learned that he came here by himself from New Delhi at the age of 16 1/2 without knowing any English. He was nice, but super talkative and chummy. I do like talking to cab drivers and they usually like confiding in me but at least then I have a front seat/back seat barrier. So Tony starts asking me personal questions, it started off simple finding out we both are Sagittarius, thus loyal and outgoing people. Then he asked how old I was and he was surprised saying I looked barely 18, not that it seemed to deter him any since he next asked if I was single and went on to tell me about how his last girl was after his money. As a result, he is going back to India for five months this summer to find a wife and save up for a Benz. Honestly, I can go on and on and tell you a lot more about Tony here from that 20 minute ride, but the most memorable part was during a blissful lag in conversation when he turned to me and asked, "Can I touch your hair?"

Yup, you read me correctly. Here I was trapped in the front seat, Bollywood techno music blaring, Tony chattering on about his love life and him reaching out to touch my hair. I was only a block away and didn’t know what to say. I was like "um ok." Yes, I know. So he tugs on the end of my hair and goes "wow, so silky," then goes on to say how everyone is so different in this world. True that. Finally my apartment was in view but he still managed to give me his card to call if I needed a ride again or if I’m no longer single. Yeah, I’ll do that *rolls eyes* What a welcome back to New York, huh?

Moral of the story don't sit in the front seat of a taxi and wait in line at the taxi stand.

News: Bad Breath Detector

Travels with Tara
So we did the cross country trip across the US in 6 days and it was really wonderful and worthwhile. We visited 13 states, saw 6 baseball stadiums plus one national monument and presidential library. Take a look at our route (yes, I'm a dork and made this map in Paint Shop Pro):



Day One:

Left New York City's the meat packing district around 2ish and sat on the West Side Highway and in the Holland Tunnel for an hour. Drove through New Jersey past Newark and into Pennsylvania stopping in Pittsburgh for dinner outside the PNC stadium as a game was being played. Then headed on to Cleveland Ohio to rest for the night.

Day Two:

Hit up a farmers market in Cleveland and had breakfast and traveled to Chicago, where we stayed the night at my cousin's awesome high rise with a great view of Lake Michigan and downtown skyline. He kindly cooked us Seafood Fra Diavolo for dinner, which was so good and spicey, my white pants seemed to want to try it even :(

Day Three:

Drove from Chicago, IL to St. Louis, MO and rode up the famous arch in a very tiny capsule. It's America's tallest national monument by the way and in the museum part we caught an interesting documentary film on Lewis and Clark. Here we had our fanciest meal during the trip at Dierdorf & Hart's steakhouse, yum. We then drove to Arkansas for the night.

Day Four:

Briefly went though Memphis, TN in the morning then to Little Rock where we visited President Clinton's Library--wow what an amazing man. Then we drove all the way past Dallas to Odessa, Texas and spotted a rainbow along the way.

Day Five:

Got up very early and headed to El Paso to celebrate 4th of July.

Day Six:

Left El Paso and traveled through New Mexico and Arizona. Stopped in Phoenix for dinner with friends and arrived in Los Angeles around 2 a.m.

Baseball stadiums visited:
Pittsburgh Pirates, PNC
Cleavland Indians, Jacobs Field
Chicago White Sox, U.S. Cellular Field
St. Louis Cardinals, Busch Stadium
Texas Rangers, Ameriquest Field
Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field


LA high points:
Roller bladed from Santa Monica to Marina Del Rey
Sipped a martini at The Abbey
Relaxed on the beach and got a tan
Meeting new people
Checked out 3rd Street Promenade and much more
Here is the view from only a block away of where I stayed in Venice Beach *sigh*

The Ultimate Road Trip
So I've been seeing someone special for almost five months now. I know, I didn't write about it sooner, what can I say? I'm sneaky like that. In my defense though he's been mentioned in my blog, just not directly, you probably assumed I went to that trip to Philly with Stef or some other girlfriend. Here's the catch though, because of course there has to be one, he's moving to Los Angeles this week (I know, everyone seems to be moving lately). His company is going to make him partner, but only if he's on the other coast. At least he's lived there before so he has friends out there and he's rented a place right near the beach in Venice.

I'm going to miss him and have been dreading his move date for months now. I'm taking the holiday week off and driving with him cross country to his new hood though.

We leave this afternoon in a Sebring Convertible, hitting Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago (seeing my cousin), St. Louis and heading down to El Paso again for 4th of July and then up to LA plus all the places along the way. Yes, it's ambitious, but we hope to be in LA by Thursday the 6th and I'm flying back on Sunday the 9th and will be back to work on the 10th.

I am excited for the trip despite the bittersweet circumstances. Although, I do fear I might get killed along the way for talking too much, which could easily happen--me talking a lot I mean, not him killing me.

Even though I hate when people compare me to Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City since her character annoys me at times, especially the desperation part, yet I'm actually going to make a SATC reference to my life. I feel like when Mr. Big leaves for California and although Carrie wants to join him she says she loves New York too much and I also worry if I do go If I'd be lost and lonely like her when she went to Paris, *sigh* time will tell--I'm the Queen of wishful thinking.

Anyway, happy thoughts, I will be recording parts of my trip and keeping you updated on the trek when ever I can. There's a phone blogging feature with my blog host, I just have to figure it out, not sure if it will post photos that I take too, but we'll see. I'm sure we'll pass Internet cafes and stuff too though.

On a happy note: I'm doing a trip that I've always wanted to take and am seeing the nation plus having an adventure.

Sad note: My friend is moving to California.

One 'Howie' of a 'Day'
My friend Stef is unfortunately moving to Florida this week. I've often mentioned her on this blog like when she did my eye makeup, was there when I lost my cell in Hoboken, when we went to the fortune teller, caught U2 or when we attended the sex class together. Her moving is only unfortunate for me though and great for her. She's going to be teaching down in Ft. Lauderdale area and living in a great new apartment with two bedrooms and paying less than my discounted NYC studio. Her family is moving down there too and I think the change will do her the world of good, especially to be away from her ex cop boyfriend. Yet, I'm also selfishly upset to see her go. She's the kind of friend who would call me at 10:00 at night and say that she felt like a Magnolia cupcake, so she'd jump in her car and drive over from New Jersey, pick me up, eat a cupcake and then head back, *sigh* good times.

So this weekend Stef called saying that she had won tickets from 95.5 WPLJ to see an up close performance by Howie Day at the China Club on the same night as her drive to Florida and as the radio station boasts, "The only way in, is to win." First let me set the scene, she is obsessed with Howie and knew of him way before his recording career and radio hit "Collide." I remember seeing her AIM icon with his face on it at least five years ago and wondering who it was. She's now seen him over a dozen times and so far I had managed to escape seeing him at the many signings and concerts that she's attended and invited me to. But now that I knew she wouldn't be in the city again for awhile, I accepted her gracious invitation to join her at the show. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Howie, I just didn't know any of his other songs. Thus, I wasn't expecting to have a good time while Stef and Jay were, as you can see here:


ha ha no we actually staged that photo, I wasn't really reading while sitting on the stage, that would just be rude.

To my surprise and relief I had a great time and that's not the Baybreeze I had talking either. We stood right next to the stage and witnessed first had Howie's contagious passion and skill. At his feet he had a piano of foot peddles where during his songs while singing and playing the guitar he'd pound on the peddles and record his own singing and beat and then have it repeat in the background. So although he was singing solo without any back up musicians or singers it sounded like he had a complete band. I enjoyed almost all of his songs even the new yet to be released ones and the covers. He also made a some funny jokes in between songs and overall it was a very intimate and mellow atmosphere. Stef is burning me his CDs.

On a happy note: I'm now a Howie Day fan.

Sad note: My friend is moving to Florida.

Gay Pride Parade
Today I wiggled though the crowd up to the barricades along 5th Avenue for the annual Pride Parade. It's a real communal experience seeing all the nationalities and sexual preferences both in the parade and clapping along the sidelines in support. Like any parade there were floats, music and bands, plus walkers giving out candy to the crowd. Just add in some wigs, cross dressing, rainbow flags and Trojan's being tossed out to the on lookers then you got the Pride Parade.

Here are some photos:


News: Parades celebrate gay pride nationwide