peanutbutter should be one word

I’m taking a vacation, here in New York City.  I handed in the Straight Up & Dirty manuscript yesterday, and now, after a noon appointment (more on this later), I will be free, for at least a week.  In that time, I plan on attending comedy shows, seeing an absurd amount of movies, having even more wine with friends I haven’t seen all month.  I will go to Sapa for their $5.00 Martini and $1.00 oysters happy hour!  I will go there often.  Yum.  5:30-7:30, and no, they are not paying me to say it.  That place is damn good.  I’m going to dust off my leather-bound travel journal and hit up a few museums, for the sketching.  In college, I took the Drawing In The Museum class, where we really only ever visited The Museum of Natural History (which is by far the most boring thing going in New York).  However, there’s good drawing to be had there.  Animals, urns, instruments, bones.  Gives a girl a reason to wake up and sharpen her pencils every day, it does. I will finish a drawing I started two years ago.  I will read again.  I will get a manicure and shop for colorful waders to wear when it rains.  By God, I will most certainly get my eyebrows threaded and bikini waxed; I feel like an animal.  I will go to Serendipity and have a frozen peanut butter hot chocolate (it’s much better than the classic, and I don’t even like peanut butter).  I will explore and try a new restaurant for lunch each day.  First stop, somewhere in the east village to get all the e-holes off my back who feel the need to tell me there’s a city beyond W 14th Street.  Yes, yes, and I’ll be walking to Brooklyn with the Lineman, camera in tow.  Okay, Linus isn’t coming because I want Grimaldi’s pizza.  They won’t sell it by the slice; who’s coming with me?  Now I’m hungry, and I don’t even like pizza.  Ah, the crazy things we do while vacationing… you’ll hear about it when I get back.

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COMMENTS:

  1. Congratulations on finishing your manuscript, Stephanie! Enjoy your "vacation" … you deserve it. I'm looking forward to seeing your book on the shelves. :)

  2. I know it will still be awhile, but I can't wait to grab your book off the shelf and dive into your "other" writing self.

  3. That sounds like a great f'ing time. Seriously, I would love to do something like that. Then again I have vacation time to use so I just might do that around Christmas time. And I completely agree about the Museum of Natural History – yawn. Too bad I don't have any days off next week, I would SOOO meet up with you, I totally could use a martini….or 5.

  4. I actually saw Sapa during an inspection of a building I attended a few blocks away (a new project on 24th Street). We've thought about heading over more than once but the best laid plans…

    I think Serendipity, along with the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, the Planetarium, etc., is one of those great landmarks that don't get the attention they deserve from native New Yorkers. Then again, it could also be that the throngs of tourists (mostly whining yoots under four feet) keep us away.

    And finally, your peanutbutter is on the same list as my girlfriend's "eachother" — nowhere near grammatically correct, but makes a lot of sense. I've actually caught myself doing it once in awhile, dammit. Not in business correspondence — letters, e-mails, txt messages — but I try "running around the backhand" and use "one another" instead. It's sorta cheesy, but then again, even focusing on it for this long says plenty ;)

  5. Funny, there was a really relevant episode of Sex and the City on last night – the one where Carrie is "dating" New York City instead of dating men. Enjoy your vacation/city-date.

  6. Sounds like you've got everything in order! Just reading this make me feel lighter. The simple pleasures of life are the best ones and they also matter the most. Congratulations and Have fun!!

  7. Weirdly, after reading this post I, inexplicably, clicked on "White" under the Favorite Posts list to the left. Don't forget your sunglasses, scarf, and accent on your vacation!
    Before I moved away from the city, I made a list of touristy things I had never done while I lived there. Ellis Island, the Cloisters, the Circle Line, Museum of Natural History (yes, boring). The things I didn't get to I can always do on a visit, as a real tourist!
    Congratulations on the book. Big accomplishment, you should be proud. And I hope your "appointment" went OK.

  8. I always want to take one of those double decker bus tours around the city, heck I'd go for the All Loops pass! I like the Museum of Natural History, especially the Hall of Biodiversity, I love looking at that slice of 1,000 year old tree (it always makes me contemplative and sad), and the Minerals in the Hall of Meteorites are dazzling. My favorite stop is "Lucy" the hominid. I like the story behind her name: the research team had been looking for hominids for ages, camped out in Eastern Africa and when they finally found her they celebrated all night at the campsite underneath a canopy of stars. The only record they had on hand was the Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" which they played over and over. Okay, okay, I'm such a geek. I my defense I spend much more of my time at Moma…

  9. Congratulations Stephanie for your script….it will be translated in italian? I advise you the exhibition on "Fra Angelico" at the Met……and good Pizza!! Vito Antonio, an italian admirer

  10. envy says it all, *sigh*. congratulations, enjoy the limelight, give yourself a pat on the back, I know I could never do anything like write a book, *sigh*, oh well.

  11. Ironically, thats the exact sort of thing I've been doing on my week off. Tomorrow its into London to the Tate and any museums that take my fancy.

    Congratulations on finishing your manuscript, from your blog entries you've definitely worked hard on it so you totally deserve the rest, the martinis, the oysters and the beauty treatments!!

    Bx

  12. I've always wanted to check out Grimaldi's, but (I'm ashamed to say) was afraid to go to Brooklyn. I didn't realize it was just under the bridge! So all the times I venture into "the big city" I could take a cab or something for a pizza adventure! It's on my list! Congrats on your manuscript!

  13. Enjoy your week, Stephanie. You deserve it. You make me want to move to New York so I could go to all of those great places. Must be like walking in a wonderland.

  14. Hey! Great news about your book! I hope it sells big.

    Now let me get this right… You don't like peanut butter, but you are going to have it anyway, …….you don't like pizza???????????—-But you're going to have it anyway? Hmmm….

    I never met anyone who didn't like pizza! :)

  15. congrats, stephanie!
    can't wait until that book comes out.

    your vacation sounds wonderful. whenever i get a week off, i tell myself to do similiar things – get out, explore, catch-up, etc – but i somehow always end up in bed until 2pm and then just idling around the apt with excuses not to get out of pajamas. :(

    ok, now i must ask, i was wondering where you get your eyebrows threaded? i've always wanted to do that since i'm so sick of tweezing and i'm no good at it. i'm so afraid of going to someone who'll mess it up. can you recommend a place?

    thanks, stephanie!

    have fun with your week off!

  16. Congrats and much happiness! I love taking a vacation in my own little towne-I know most of the people, but I like to do the touristy things, and then I am reminded that my job is to make people like me happy(as I watch other people like me do a piss poor job of making others feel welcome). And yes, it is complete with a trip to all of the local bars.

    Can't wait to read your book, and may all of your oysters be from Brady's Oysters in Westport, Washington. They are the best-suspended culture, no sand, just cocktail sauce and victory!(plus, a generous helping of Crater Lake Vodka, no olives)And actually, the same company makes a great gin(I remember the hockey player, sorry) that is produced in the PNW too! Enjoy.

  17. Congratulations for your book!!! I'm so happy I can get it in Italy and read it in italian!! (that's cool, I'm finally going to understand even the slang words…)
    can't wait to grab it!

  18. Stephanie,

    I'm so very proud of you. I know how much work you've put in and the focus it has taken. Enjoy your time off.

  19. mazel tov! i like the enjoy nyc concept – i recommend the guggenheim right now, and take the camera to the LES – so photogenic, and the moma/moma cafe, and Doma cafe, and… and… i'll shutup, but enjoy nyc 100%, im away for a while…

  20. Congrats! I'm sure it's a great relief to finally be finished with your book. Have a cocktail for me & enjoy the week off (i am so v.v.jealous…)

  21. Hi,

    Well I really like what ive read so far. This might sound dumb, but where does your blog start? I would like to see how it has developed to what it is now.Congratulations on everything!

  22. Thank you all very much. I'm sure the book is far from done, once revisions are requested, but it's a process… which lends itself to a vacation. I did get threaded at PINKY'S SHAPES threading salon. It's $6.00 and they're located on 6th avenue near 38th Street…go to the street level one, not the one where you need to walk upstairs (They're horrible). I did get them done, asked for her to create an arch but not make them too thin… they are perfect.

    To read the "beginning" of my blog… just use the dropdown menus to search by date, and choose January, 2004.

    Thanks for all the warm wishes!

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