A Blog To Live By

Once upon a time there was a blog called http://barrettall.blogspot.com, and a TV show called Sex And The City. After reading and watching the combination of the 2 creative mediums, I was inspired to start this blog. Now since then, this very blog which you are reading, has inspired numerous OTHER blogs!

Today I walked into work, and my boss Penny stopped me and told me that she began a blog! I have a link to it if you're interested, and you should be, she's a ray of lemon drops, it's the Penny + Penny blog. She told me that I inspired her to start blogging. Now I don't want this to sound pretentious or arrogant, because I'm not like, hell yeah, I'm an inspiration to do things. Her words just really made me proud, because now I feel like I've helped to spark more creativity and writing and thinking!

This chain blog reaction began with Stefanie, you remember Stefanie right? She's my 23 year old co-worker that I made cry because she's getting braces and I'm a dink? Remember? SHE started blogging about her adventures with getting braces as a grown up. Even though that blog came out of tears which I inflicted, it nonetheless was formed, and is now helping others in a similar metallic situation.
http://bracingmyself.tumblr.com

Next came Derrick. Derrick is also one of my bosses. You remember Derrick, right? He's the one with a ferret and we walked to my place drunk, through the Gardens, and he crashed on my tiny couch? Remember him? Well he started TWO blogs! Count em! TWO! We were talking about blogs, and my blog, and he said he had ideas for blogs, and I said, BLOG, so he did! Even though that blog was started from my command, it nonetheless was formed, and he now, voluntarily, creates new posts. I particularly enjoy the randomness of Derrick's first blog. It's not so much about him and his life. The other blog is equally clever. He reviews things, but only gives positive feedback, even if he dislikes something. He finds at least ONE thing positive, and blogs it.
http://derrickandyou.blogspot.com
http://glasshalffullreviews.blogspot.com

THEN came Derrick's friend Josh. Josh ALSO began 2 blogs after Derrick started his blogs! SO, ipso facto(?)... these blogs would NEVER have been created had I not made Derrick begin his blogs.
http://bowlofgranola.blogspot.com
http://thingsiinvented.blogspot.com

And finally there's Penny's brandy new blog. I have no idea how it's going to go. Seems like she's going to do a lot of venting through her writing in an attempt to cleanse her soul? So how nice is that?!
http://www.pennypluspenny.blogspot.com

Look at all of the writing that I helped to inspire! 6 blogs!

(... and of course indirectly this all spawned from Patty and Sex And The City...)

But YAY me!

Whiskey Talk, With Nick Wilson

21 BUT HE STILL LOVES GOODY'S !

Nick W: Do you swallow?
Me: Depends on the guy.
Nick W: Yeah me too

Nick W: I'll pay you $150 to grow a beard.

Nick W: Kiss me, those Mexicans think we're gay.

Nick W: (squishing his fat around his belly-button) You like my bagel?

Me No Feel Smart?

Do you ever feel like everyone around you knows SO much more than you do? Lately I've encountered that bit of paranoia. It isn't that I don't feel intelligent, but I think I have just come to this realization of things that I know nothing about, particularly when it comes to history. I really know nothing about the Roman Empire, World War I, and honestly, I don't know a great deal about American History. History is just one part of it too, I wish I knew some general knowledge about... EVERYTHING. Little facts about science, and the way things work, engineering, art history, architecture, and I guess even math. Maybe I should try reading?

I think that a big flaw with higher education is, once you move beyond the few core requirements of math and science and history, you focus on your major. If you're a journalism/production major, then learning more about all of those other things falls on your shoulders!... my shoulders!

Luckily I own this book:
If anyone owns this and has read it, let me know if it's just a novelty, or if it is actually worth glancing at.

I own a bunch of history books though, and I want to read them, but anytime I look at them with the intent to read and inwardly digest their knowledge I go, "hmm... reminds me of a text book...school...yuck!" SCHOOL IS LEARNING! I need to embrace the concept of being self-taught, and well-read! It's not like I don't have the time, I mean... a journalism major?... come on. I have time. So, I shall read these non-fiction thingy things, and hopefully soon, I can say things like, "oh well The Republic became enormously rich on the spoils of empire..."


Me fail English? That's unpossible!

Entering: Davis Square

The apartment saga/crisis is OVER! Last weekend, my dear friend and co-worker, Rewan, offered me a room in her 4 bed room apartment in the lovely, Davis Square. When she asked me, I literally squealed with excitement, and for those of you that know me, I RARELY squeal... Anyway, I was shocked, so couldn't give her a final yes until I talked to my financial advisors... parents. The rents said go for it, so I did! I'm so glad that I get to live on a subway line... well not literally, but you know what I mean. I'll be close to almost all of my friends in Central Square, and Rewan is really great! This is Rewan in my current kitchen eating food I cooked!
Rewan and I now work together at a store in the North End, so I will still have reason to return to my all time favorite neighborhood. It's a very girly store, but pays very well, so mock me all you want, but Ima be rollin' in bills y'all!...ehem, excuse me.

The one catch is, I might not get to see the apartment before I move in. There's a chance I can see it tomorrow, but who knows??? Apparently, "it's very cute," according to Rewan, however, I have learned through apartment hunting experience, that 'cute' usually means tiny. Like me... I'm cute and tiny.......

She actually described a very large apartment: 2 floors, moderately large bed rooms, dining room, living room, large kitchen... you know, an apartment. I think I'm most excited for having stairs in my apartment. We're going to turn the dining room into a multi-purpose room/office/photo studio! Oh youth and their art.

I have no idea what Magpie is other than an adorable word, so I just chose the first map with Davis.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being Nick Wilson

This is Nick. Nick was my very first friend here, and we met during auditions for Seriously Bent our Freshmen year. For some reason, out of everyone from the audition, he singled me out, and we became very fast friends. I of course thought he was gay, as most do, but he had a girlfriend, and was just looking for a friend in the big city. Nick and I spent a lot of time together our freshmen year... like... A LOT of time. He could often be found sleeping on the couch of my Chester Street apartment after a night of drinking vodka and spooning. I'm sure my roommate was confused, but he was literally my only and best friend, as I was a commuter, didn't have Seriously Bent yet, and didn't spend a lot of time on the Suffolk campus. On Halloween we tried to go to a cigar bar in the North End, but you had to be 21, because they require that you order a drink. So it was a big show, Nick didn't have ANY I.D. so we took a cab back to the dorms, where he got his underage ID, only to then be asked to leave. To this day, I don't understand why that waitress didn't initially deny us when I showed her my ID. Anyway, we bought a couple cigars, and smoked them on Hanover and thought we were on top of the world.

For the last 2 years Nick and I have "shared" an apartment together. I put the quotes on shared because really he lives with his lover, and I have had our apartment to myself until recently. The 2 of us of grown immensely... well maybe more me than him... and not in a physical way. I'm not making sense....um we've matured. Moving on, I'm now on Seriously Bent with him, and actually have more than 1 friend, which is great, because him and I sort of drifted apart. However, there will always be a bond between the two of us that's different from any of my other friends here.

For example, he was the first person that I told I was gay. I had only know him a few months, and I have friends that I've known, basically my entire life, and I shared with him this major detail of my life, that really no one knew. He was the first friend I have ever had that I felt I could confide in, and be completely honest with, without fear of judgment. Of course, over the years he's become more of a d-bag, but...we had one good year!

This is Nick molesting his own girlfriend:

I also love him for his grandparents. Their names are Ed and Jean. They are SPECTACULAR. I have never met such warm, inviting, caring, loving, and funny people. They make me feel as if I'm family, and I actually do think of them as family. We went to dinner at Bricco one night, and it was very expensive, but none of us liked the food. Anyway, while looking at the menu I noticed some steak dish that was $85, so I said, $85? Does a hooker come with that? Ed laughed SO hard, I mean he has an enormous laugh to begin with, but he cracked up, and when Gramma Jean returned to the table she said she could hear him all the way in the back of the restaurant. Ugh, I adore them.

Why am I talking so much about Nick? Well, he turned 21 the other day, FINALLY, and the occasion brought back all the memories that I have with him. Going to the Cape in the winter and trying to smoke cigars on the beach after seeing the Nutcracker with his grandparents... SO GAY. Going to my first show at Improv Asylum. Having Christina brought into my life. Going to my first college party at Julia's and then leaving because a bloody fight broke out, but it was fine, because we had Dan as a body guard. Smoking for the first time!

So many firsts with Nick. He's also the best kiss I've ever had... what? I'm just saying. After the year that I have had with losing a dear friend from home, I have learned to cherish the friends I am closest with, so through all the pompasity that is Nick Wilson, he is, and will always remain, one of my closest friends.

Happy birthday Nick.

Arrivederci North End

I've lived in the North End for 2 years, and in 2 weeks, I will move. This saddens me more than you know, because for the first time, I became really connected with my neighborhood. Freshmen year I lived in Allston, and there's nothing to connect with there except homeless ninjas with no teeth who communicate by grunting. Not my crowd. The North End is just so wonderful, it will always be my favorite neighborhood in the city. Beacon Hill is quaint, but can be a bit pretentious, South End is well manicured and rather gay, but again, a little snobby, the North End just has SO much, and remains comfortable and welcoming. I think I'm also rather partial to the Italian way of life, or at least the American version of the Italian way of life. Although the neighborhood is now mostly Suffolk students and young professionals, you can still hear the natives speaking Italian and enjoying an espresso on the street in their lawn chairs. It's also still a real community of people that know each other. I know Bobby, the owner of Polcari's, we greet each other on a first name basis, and it's wonderful. I buy my coffee and my herbs from him when I make sauce, and yesterday, when I told him I was moving, he was genuinely a bit sad to hear that. He knows that I'm not just another student invading the neighborhood creating tom foolery. I appreciate the neighborhood and its rich history and culture. In fact, I did a documentary on the businesses on Salem street, one of which was Polcari's, and Bobby was SO happy to be a part of it. He started working at that store when he was a kid, and Mr. Polcari told him if he stuck with him, one day the store would be his, and that came true just a month before I shot the documentary. As I paid for my tin of tea, bulbs of garlic, and small bags of dried herbs (which always look like weed) he shook my hand and wished me all the best in my future. I will miss that, and the food, and the festivals, and Modern Pastry, and running around the waterfront, and the narrow one way streets, and the candlelight dinners from my red kitchen.

Thanks North End for a great 2 years, and don't you worry, I will be back!

Live From Studio 73

So last Thursday I hosted a late night style talk show! I loved every F'ing minute of it, mainly because that is my dream job. I want to be Conan. I want the height, the hair, and the flat face. The show was the final production in a 6 week TV production course. During a pre-production meeting we were assigning roles, and when our producer asked who would host, no one volunteered, and I didn't volunteer because I didn't want to be "that guy"... whoever that guy is... um but I WANTED TO HOST SO BAD, so luckily Gustave volunteered me. Of course as the host that didn't mean that I didn't do anything for the production itself. I had to write the show, help design lighting, I had to shoot outside footage for roll-ins, and I had to recruit some extra talent (Wilheim).

I don't mean to be an ass, but I really really like the way I look behind that desk, and I can't explain to you how much fun I had. Every night I watch Late Night with Conan, and in my head I hear, IT'S LATE NIGHT WITH NICK MANDELLA! ...oh dreams...

Wilheim came in as our announcer/field reporter where he talked to random people on the streets of the North End... sound familiar?...including an old woman selling hot dogs smoking an 8 inch cigarette, a young man with bad teeth from Malaysia, and some pubescent hooligans that knew where to buy coke in high school. So that was fun! I felt sort of like a jerk, because the first couple people he talked to were boring and not very funny. So I went up to him and was like, um, so can you be funny? Remember? You used to do this all the time and you were um... funny! He warmed up, and brought the humor, I wasn't worried.

The show turned out to be about 30 minutes long, and that includes the commercials we shot in the class, which bt-dubs, I was in 75% of them, so this was really the Nick Show.... and I'm fine with that. All in all, I think the shoot went very smoothly, aside from some initial technical difficulties. I hope to post the video of the show soon, if I ever get my hands on it, or if it ends up online. Also, I have a fun idea for a podcast, and will hopefully get that up in the next week. That's right... soon you'll see a live blog from yours truly!

Bye Bye Jodie and Bobby!

Tuesday night I organized a going away party for my 2 friends/colleagues, Bobby and Jodie. The venue, The Beehive. Such a great place, such great short rib grilled cheeses, and such odd absinthe cocktails! That's right, I said absinthe, relax I didn't hallucinate, however, it did give me one of the biggest buzzes I've ever had despite it's hideous flavor of black licorice. It was SUCH a successful evening, as practically EVERYONE from the box office showed up, both new and old. When Kathleen arrived, she was waiting in line outside, so I ran out and waved her in, and the bouncer stopped us and allowed two people in before us. He then asked me, rather sarcastically, if I was a manager or owner of the place since I kept letting people in. Look, just because you're black and the width of 2 of me, doesn't mean you can be a jerk to me! Alright, I was a little frightened, but even more so embarrassed. Anyway, we got her in, and by the time EVERYONE showed up, there wasn't enough chairs. So we cramped together, Kat-rina and I were engaged for the evening which involved her sitting with her arm around me. Then people started to trickle out and more room became available.

I love love love going out with these people. Particularly the group that was in attendance. They're very fun people, and how great is it to drink with people that hold hiring/firing power over you?! I was just really glad to give Jodie and Bobby a send off that they deserve. I will miss them tremendously, and with their departure, I am now one of the senior box officers. That of course doesn't mean anything other than I look INCREDIBLY stupid if I make a mistake, so I guess no more drinking on the job! Kidding. Am I? Yes?

At 12:35 Derrick and I decided it would be wise to try to catch the train back to Haymarket. Now, for anyone that is not familiar with the local subway system here, trains stop running at about 12:35. So we got to the station, and of course the last train had already come and gone. Now I have to also explain that this isn't as grand of a dilemma for me, as it was Derrick. Derrick does not live IN the city, as I do, so he couldn't walk home, as I did. So I said, Hey Derrick, let's walk to Haymarket and just see what happens. And he said, "Ok Nick". So we walked past Copley, down Newbury, through the Public Gardens, through a natural tree archway which both Derrick and I decided to have our weddings under, up through Beacon Hill, and finally down towards the North End. It was at this point that Derrick made the decision to crash at my place since he had no way of getting back to his ferret in Everett. RHYMES! This is Derrick and his ferret:


Before we got to my place we had to pick up some diet gingerale for Jeremy who was apparently incapable of walking around the corner to the 7-11 by himself. We got to my place, Derrick was awestruck by the cuteness of my neighborhood, and my apartment, and Jeremy continued to judge my cluttered lifestyle. Meanwhile he was drinking Pimms and gingerale by himself, so how dare he judge my life decisions?! Derrick then curled up into a fetus position in order to fit on my tiny iKia couch, and drifted off to dream of cake, video games, iPhone applications, and pet rodents.

Good night Derrick! I'll return your belt to you eventually!

GAYME Night

So just to start, I want to let everyone know how disturbed I was to see this image on the screen when I logged into my blog. Baby 1 is drunk, baby 2 is getting a prostate exam, and baby 3 is from Rt, 1 Saugus (fake orange tan). I didn't even want to read the reason for this picture, it freaked me out so much. I mean, could they have found newborns in any creepier positions than these?!

Ok, we'll begin the new entry... NOW
Sunday night, after saying "Bye Bye Justin!" I went to a game night hosted by an HTC co-worker. His apartment was lovely, and his friends were amusing and easy to get along with. It was nice to meet new people. We played a new version of the game Cranium, which I LOVE. I was first introduced to the game by Jared when we played at El, Al, and Anne's. This new version allows you to choose the medium in which you give clues to your teammates. I brought cupcakes from Lulu's to Gayme night, and they were a hit. Josh was particularly intrigued by the red velvet cupcakes. When he asked me what the flavor was, all I could say was... they just tasted like red, and Heaven. Derrick has a ferret named Lola, and she loved my plastic bags. I would have been more fond of her if she didn't have an unpleasant odor.

After Cranium we played a questions game, where we each wrote 3 questions that could have many answers, and placed them in a cup. Then each person picks a random question, we all write down our answer, and the answers are read aloud, and the person that asked the question has to guess which answer goes with which person. Confused? So was I, but I figured it out rather quickly... I mean... I go to Suffolk! One of the questions was "What is the title of your favorite porno film"? I answered "Titanic Wang", but apparently my 'A' looked like an 'O' so Noah read it as Titanic Wong, which just isn't funny. Thanks Noah, thanks for killing my porn pun! Honestly, I didn't know names of porn films, because I generally don't pay attention to the titles!

It was good for me to go out to Everett since I'm going to live there next year.

Oh hey Patty, I'm moving in with you!!!

P.S. Thanks for Gayme Night Derrick! I like word play puns!

P.P.S. ...nothing

"You're a Judgemental F@!$"

Hello again! Did you all miss me?? I haven't gone anywhere, I've just been in non-writing mode for a few days. My life has been moderately eventful since I last posted. I'm sure you were all wondering what I had in store for myself last weekend as I had mentioned how excited I was. (That's Justin and I from a dance in high school) WELL, allow me to satisfy your hunger for knowledge of my life:

Friday Day: I was in, quite possibly the greatest mood I have EVER been in at work... and I've worked there for over a year. A lot of it had to do with the knowledge that I was going to spend the weekend with one of my best friends from high school, and we were kicking off our weekend with a Red Sox game! The other part of my good mood had to do with a new bond that really began to take shape with a colleague at work. So that was nice.

Friday Evening: Red Sox game, which bt-dubs, my mom ended up being at, so that was random and fun. The game was intense as it went into extra innings, though Justin and I left after the bottom of the 11th in order to party. So first went to a highlighter party at an Allston apartment, thrown by Justin's roommate from PC. This party consisted of 65 muscley jock like 18-20 year old man-boys. So even though I knew no one, and felt a lot out of place, there was a nice view. Following the dude-guy show, we hiked across Harvard Ave to Brighton to attend Trevor's birthday party. Here I was subject to a gay-off between myself and Clarence. Despite the fact that I was wearing a Red Sox T-shirt, and am, in general, not-fem, I lost, and was proclaimed gayer.

Saturday "Morning": Breakfast at Theo's with Justin

Saturday Afternoon: We walked around aimlessly through Boston. Visited Christina at her paper store where she oogled Justin's new muscles. After leaving the store, Justin called me a judgemental f@!$ as I complained about a woman that came into the store and returned some paper to Christina. He doesn't know the half of my judgeypants. I'll admit that I've grown a bit juegemental and cynical since I've lived here. Deal with it. Then we went back to the North End and ate gelato and watched a big ass thunder and lightning storm and talked to mom and daughter from San Francisco. The gelato apparently contained no butter fat, which meant no heavy cream, or egg yolks, and this confused me. Then Justin and I parted for a few hours while I worked at my new job. He went to a cafe and drank for 4 hours, so when we met back up to go to the Asylum, he was good and drunk.

Saturday Night: Drinks at Cafe Paradiso followed by the Midnight Show followed by Patty's farewell party, as it was her last night working. She wheeled her way around the stage during the midnight show, didn't really get to play like she wanted to, but only because she was physically challenged.

Sunday "Morning": Bye bye Justin!

So Let's Talk About Christmas

Last night I attended a performance of Sondheim's black comedy musical, Assassins. One of my managers, Penny, was in the show, so I was looking forward to seeing her perform, especially since I told her that I strongly disliked musicals. Now, the majority of her theatrical career is dedicated to... that's right, musical theatre. So I basically told her I hate her career... again, I have no filter. It's ok though, because she hasn't let me forget that. When I told her I had planned on seeing this show, she said, "Oh good, you'll like it, because there's guns, and killing, and swears, and it's dark, and not so musically." Anyway, I really did enjoy the show, it was very smart, and Penny was delightful.

Afterwards, Dahlia (my "date") and Penny and I went to Delux for a drink. I LOVE drinking with my co-workers. Penny bought our first round, and we discussed love, life, and Christmas trees. Delux has a year round plastic Christmas tree on their bar, so after we finished discussing the rather dark topic of young death, Penny gave the great non sequitur of, sooo how about Christmas?! It was amusing. I just enjoy going outside of the office with co-workers.

We're listening to Mama Mia right now. Everyone gets this joke except for me!

I'm going to the Red Sox game tonight with Justin!

Dahlia keeps making, your mom was...last night jokes. I like her!