Hoboken Halloween

Kevin and I got home late from his gig last night. (Thanks to all the folks who came out to Ace of Clubs to support him - including my dad - yay!) We got all the equipment into the house from the back of the truck and then went to the 24-hour diner for some grub.

We had a beautiful day together - slept late, had a delicious lunch, lounged in the park, watched kiddies in their costumes trick-or-treating along Washington Avenue.

It has been ages since we took this much time to just enjoy each other's company with no distractions... Such a beautiful day to do it!

Now he is on his last leg of 100 Songs in 100 Days, I'm working on a couple personal projects, our birthdays are coming up next week, and I'm heading out of the country soon to visit my mom on her boat.

Life's purdy good.


(Saw this store window on our walk through Hoboken today. If I had kids, they'd prolly wear stuff like this.)

100 Songs in 100 Days: Live Recording Session!

My super-hot talented boyfriend is having a performance Tuesday night. You should all come. It's gonna rock.



Tuesday, October 30, 2007
ACE of CLUBS
9 Great Jones St. NYC
(3rd St between Broadway & Lafayette)
http://www.aceofclubs.com
$5 cover
7pm: Doors open
8pm: Singers/Songwriters/Musicians interpret the songs of the 100 Songs in 100 Days catalog
9:15pm: Improvisational Jam

The show will be videotaped and recorded LIVE.

Featured participants:
Kevin Bertotti, Greg Ribot, Alicia Rau, Kurt Ritta, George Inhulsen, Andre Fratto, Dave TheTwoHandsTapping, Jon Bozeman, Britt Neal, Zef Noise, Scot Weiner, Mary Ann Farley and more!

Quotes

There have been many times over the years when I've found quotations that I've liked and have jotted them down in journals/diaries. Some stick with me over time and others are only important for that particular stage. (There are almost always several from Mark Twain.)

I just came across some from a couple years ago...

"We write frankly and freely, but then we 'modify' before we print."
- Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi

"Of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable."
- Plato, Theaetetus

"A baby is an inestimable blessing and bother."
- Mark Twain

"It couldn't have happened anywhere but in little old New York."
- O. Henry, A Little Local Color

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear."
- Mark Twain, Pudd'nhead Wilson

"There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self."
- Aldous Huxley, Time Must Have a Stop

"To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance."
- Oscar Wilde, An Ideal Husband

"He was a self-made man who owed his lack of success to nobody."
- Joseph Heller, Catch-22

"The Irish are a fair people - they never speak well of one another."
- Samuel Johnson

"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg."
- Samuel Butler, Life and Habit

"Thank heaven the sun has gone in and I don't have to go out and enjoy it."
- Logan Pearsall Smith

"Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it."
- Mark Twain

"Eats first, morals after."
- Bertolt Brecht

"Vanity is only being sensitive to what other people probably think of us."
- Paul Valery

"Procrastination is the thief of time."
- Edward Young

"The devil can cite scripture for his purpose."
- Shakespeare

"If we resist our passions, it is due more to their weakness than our own strength."
- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

"Contraceptives should be used on all conceivable occasions."
- Spike Mulligan

"All the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal, or fattening."
- Alexander Woollcott

"All you need in this life are ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure."
- Mark Twain

"Technology...the knack of so arranging the world that we don't have to experience it."
- Max Frisch

Blogging from the car

photo.jpg
Originally uploaded by Brooklyn Hilary

I just stopped at Stew Leonard's with my dad. Every time I go by I wanna stop but no one ever wants to to. I was determined to find out why!

It's fun taking pics, uploading to flickr, and blogging from my phone in the car!

It's also fun eating pumpkin soft serve ice cream. Or as we'd day in Vermont...creamies.

Bowie by Keanan Duffty

I had the opportunity to work with Keanan Duffty on the Marc Bolan / T.Rex Celebration. He's super-cool!

Keanan now has a new clothing line available at Target. Check it out!

"Target Debuts 'Bowie by Keanan Duffty'. Rock legend David Bowie is inspiration behind limited-edition men's collection. More information at www.slinkyvagabond.com. © 2007 Harley Sears - www.hdsears.com"

Legacy Recording Studios

Kevin Bertotti has been plugging away at 100 Songs in 100 Days!

I've been able to get into the studio with him over the past couple days, which has been lots of fun!

We spent Sunday night at Legacy Recording Studios.



It was a gorgeous spot and so fun to hang out in! Here are some photos of thefolks who participated in the song.

Kevin with sax player Beth Schenck:



Alicia Rau on trumpet:


Rebecca Buxton on flute:


Brian Lawlor on bass and piano:

Tour de Bronx! Tour de Bronx!

On Sunday, I got up nice and early and took the train to the Bronx with Matt, Sam, and our bicycles.



Once there, we met up with Alexis, Lucy, and Richard. We all got our little packets of information (they'd run out of official numbers and things) and waited around until the ride finally began (about 45 minutes late?)




We decided to take the 40-mile route.

The ride was fun and the weather was gorgeous! Unfortunately, by the time we got to any of the rest stops all the food/drink was gone. And some people got t-shirts, but we never saw any. Can't complain, as there was no registration fee, BUT had I known there would be a lack of supply, I probably would have packed some snacks for myself.

Our ride was cut short when Matt took a spill. Ouch! He totally landed on his face! (Doesn't he look dangerous?)



So Matt and I made our way to the 6 train (near Orchard Beach), bought some medical supplies and food, and headed back to Brooklyn.

Still...I'd probably try it again!

Photo Meetup: Central Park

Lee found out about this cool photo meetup in Central Park today, so we joined dozens of other photographers and attempted to take a few original shots... :)










See my set here.


See Lee's set here.

Pirate Shapes

I didn't plan on getting Cap'n Crunch's Crunch Berries. I didn't plan on getting cereal at all.

A few days ago it came up in conversation with Kevin. We both ate this as kids, although I always had the berries and he didn't. We talked about how it kinda scratches up your tongue and the roof of your mouth.

Today at the store I walked right by it. And then I thought "well....maybe". I picked up the small box first, but then I saw the large box had PIRATE SHAPES. And who can resist a "limited edition" cereal?? (I think this is the first time I ever noticed a cereal being described as such.)

So I spent the $5.09. (?!?!?!?!) And I ate a bowl. And, eventually, I'll probably finish the whole box.

One person's garbage...

People discard pretty things in Park Slope. I don't take them, but I do take pictures of them. :)

Protect yourself.

Today I received the third (and final) dose of the HPV vaccine. It guards against certain types of the human papillomavirus, which can cause cervical cancer.

Although it is primarily recommended for women age 26 and under (I'm 33), after speaking to my doctor (and testing negative for HPV) I felt that I may still benefit.

For more information on the vaccine, go here or speak to your doctor.

Haven't had a Pap test in the past year? Make your appointment now.

Choose Your Own Adventure.

Seriously.

Do it.

Fun-filled fall festivities: Sunday

After taking jumping pictures at Matt's last park picnic, Sam & I thought it's be super-fun to jump on the beach. So we (well, mostly he) planned a Sunday afternoon trip out to Coney Island for just that.

Sam, Matt, Alexis, Doug, Julie (our first meeting - yay!) and I met at Grand Army Plaza with our bicycles and pedaled our way out there.

Here is a photo Doug took of Julie, me, and Matt:


Lee, Meg, and Miguel went by train and we all met up at Nathan's upon arrival.

Mmmm. Hot dogs. I had one plain and one chili cheese. So good. AND good for us!


We took inventory of our cameras and then hit the beach.


We jumped...


and jumped...


and jumped!


And then we jumped some more!


It was a super-good time.

You oughtta check out all the pics!

Mine
Sam
Julie
Matt
Lee
Meg
Doug
Miguel
Alexis (no pics from Sunday, but you can check out her other photos!)

It's me!

Hilary Soars
Originally uploaded by matt semel

Matt took this photo of me. It's one of my favorite photos EVER.

Fun-filled fall festivities: Saturday

The weekend was ultra-busy and super-social!

Spent Friday night in Hoboken for some quality time with Kevin before he had recording sessions all weekend and I had, well, all the stuff you're about to see!

Saturday Matt rented a Mini. He, Emily, Shawn, and I all piled into it and went on a little road trip to Connecticut.

Matt & Shawn & the Mini:


It was a gorgeous day and it felt great to get out of the city for a few hours.

We did such cheezy things as going to a corn maze. It took us over an hour and a half to get out.

Emily, Matt:


Shawn, Hilary:


We saw cows and turtles and twenty-sided die!






Finally, we made it to Victory Bridge and high-tailed it outta there.


It was a lovely day with lovely friends!

Subway Story

Couple sitting on Q train with 2 year-old girl in stroller.

Girl content, eating cinnamon raisin bagel and effortlessly lifting one leg above her head.

Mother stands up and walks to other end of car to look at subway map.

Girl begins to scream and cry "Mama!"

Father looks amused and says calmly "She's coming back".

Mother completes her mission and turns around.

Girls screams lessen as mother walks back and sits down.

Girl returns to her regularly scheduled bagel-eating and leg-lifting program.

Loser's Lounge Tribute to the Jacksons

Royce Peterson performing Rock With You:


All I had was my camera phones, since I went straight from jury duty to the show. Wah! But yay! Fun show. You can still catch it...

www.loserslounge.com

And so begins the weekend of fun!

Game Night

Last night Matt, Miguel, Doug and I went to a bar and played Scrabble. It got increasingly difficult as the night went on. Not sure why. ;)





And then we played Wii. I'm really bad at it!! Even before alcohol.

Stuff I did Thursday

So far today, I've:
- served on a jury
- bought new shoes that feel almost like slippers (after wearing heels all day)
- dyed my hair
- baked cupcakes

And I'm still goin' out with friends tonight.

YAY!

Oh, yeah, and I bought a $1 moustache.

Oy.

I was picked. Again.

And that's all I'll say about that.

Hmmmm.

art and underwear
Originally uploaded by Brooklyn Hilary

I am currently on jury duty.

You're now allowed to bring a laptop with you.

And they provide wifi.

I was about to write a post about how you can "blog from court" and what a bad idea that might be.

But when I went to blogspot, I was totally denied!

But look how sneaky I am - doing it through Flickr.

The end.

openhousenewyork: Tom Otterness Studio

The second place Matt brought me and Lee on Sunday was to Tom Otterness' Studio in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.

If you don't know his name, you probably know his art...



Mr. Otterness was there! He talked a bit about his process, showed us some sculptures he was working on, signed posters (I got one!) and even posed for a pictures. Nice, bright artist & businessman.

I couldn't wipe the smile off my face after such a fun day. (Thanks, Matt!)

See full set of photos here.

Tom Otterness:


Matt & bear:


This frog is being donated to a Brooklyn school playground. The kid climbing it said to me "Take a picture and put it on the internet so I can be famous!" Okay, kid!


Me & Tom:

openhousenewyork: Ellis Island's South Side

Today was ridiculously fun.

Matt invited me and Lee to two openhousenewyork events. The first was a 12:30 tour of Ellis Island's south side. We got to walk around grounds and buildings that are off-limits to the public, including a hospital where a million immigrants were treated from 1900-1954. The tour was given by the National Park Service - our guide was Morgan Smith. They're working to restore everything, but it's going to take many years and lots of fund-raising.

And we got to take photos - lots and lots of photos. So cool to be able to photograph abandoned/rundown buildings.

ohny.org

ellisisland.org

Here are a few of my favorite shots. See the full set here.