Latest purchase.

Yesterday I made an impulse buy. Actually, I don't think it can really be considered an impulse buy, since I've been wanting a new digital camera for a really long time now. And yesterday afternoon I found a really awesome deal, so I jumped all over it.

Don't get me wrong, I love my old digital camera. Even though it's over 4 years old and sort of big and boxy and the LCD screen is tiny and the "zoom" is laughable, it still takes some great photos. And it's documented fabulous times: two stints in London, four Christmases, two Hawaiian vacations, friends' weddings, a cruise, Harry Potter midnight showings, graduation, moving to New York City...But now it's time to say goodbye, camera. We had a good run, but we always knew this wouldn't last forever. I'm trading you in for a younger, sexier model:



Sleek design, image stabilization, better zoom, double the megapixels, and a nice LCD display. And the best part is, this camera cost less than half of what I paid for my old one 4 years ago. Technology!

Edit: OMG IT JUST ARRIVED! I ordered it yesterday, with regular (free!) shipping. My life is a totally kick-A fairytale.

Equinox.

Today marked the official beginning of Autumn. I decided a while back that autumn is my favorite season. I don't especially like extreme temperatures (so why I left California for Utah, Colorado, and now New York is beyond me), so Summer and Winter are both out. And Spring seems to get a lot more rain, which wreaks havoc with my hair. Autumn means crisp air, beautiful colors, cute outfits, and the return of sweet, sweet television shows. A few days ago, autumn cemented its place in my heart when I woke up in the middle of the night - windows thrown open, a sheet barely covering me, as has been my wont all summer - and I had a peculiar sensation. I was COLD. I marveled at the feeling for a moment and then reached for my long-scorned duvet and snuggled down in a moment of pure bliss. I will say this: I am proud of having somehow survived an entire sticky, humid, oppressive New York summer without air conditioning. But I will never do that ever again.

Today I celebrated the new season by registering to vote in the state of New York. I thought of an autumn four years ago when I sent in an absentee ballot from London. I thought of last year's autumn spent living with my bebes. I thought of countless beginnings of school years that were inexplicably exciting even though they would inevitably become torturous all too soon. That feeling of possibilities still manifests itself, and is, I think, yet another reason why I love autumn (that, and caramel apple cider). I'm looking forward to seeing how the season turns out this year.

"Autumn" doesn't even look like a word anymore.

"Sexaaayyyyy! WOO!"

If you ever feel like maybe your self-esteem is going downhill, all you need to do is come visit my neighborhood and take a walk from my building to the subway. Satisfaction guaranteed!

Weekend jaunt.

This weekend I took a 4-hour coach ride down to Washington, D.C. to celebrate the arrival of a true champion and BFF (and one of the few people who loves TV as much as I do), Timothy Bruce Whiting. After nearly a year of separation, Tim opted to sufficiently reduce the 2,000-mile distance between us. I encourage all of you to do likewise. We gallivanted around his new city, and I have to admit, I fell a little bit in love with it. I'd been there once during my senior year of high school, but I'd forgotten how nice it is. Too bad there's not exactly a booming music industry in D.C. I love New York, but it was nice to get away from the intensity, at least for a weekend.


I also got to see another long-lost friend, Cory Cozzens, though I apparently didn't think to get a picture of us together. The White House will have to suffice. The Cozzens lived in the Bay Area for 3-4 years when I was in elementary school, and Cory and I hung out occasionally at BYU as well. back in the day, Cory and I had great fun getting into trouble for talking during class all the time. I got a B in citizenship in 5th grade because of him. But honestly, if socializing with your peers doesn't make you a good citizen, I don't know what does.

On Sunday, I went with Tim and his roommates to church, and I think I knew more people in that ward than they did. Heh. At least now I'll have many more excuses to make the trip. And since the coaches have free wi-fi, you can look forward to future blogs en route.

Condolences.

Being in New York City today felt, in a way, like being at a funeral for a friend's loved one. I felt sad for the loss, acknowledging the tragedy that occurred 7 years ago. But I was only ever an intruder on someone else's grief, because I couldn't truly have any idea how it must feel.


I'm sure everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news. I wrote in my journal that night - a journal that had gone neglected for months prior, and was forgotten again soon after. Over pages and pages, I related a detailed account of the day's events and the way the world felt at that moment, because I knew on that day that it would be changed forever.


I was 3,000 miles away on September 11, 2001, watching history unfold on a television screen. Tonight I stood at Ground Zero and looked up, knowing that I will never really know what those towers looked like up close, or the horror that gripped the city that day. But as I did my best to remember, I was able to experience a small part of the mourning of a city and a nation, as well as hope and the resolve to rebuild. And for that I am grateful.

OMG! (the remix)

Forget Michael Phelps, my stalking energies will now be focused in a more red-delicious-eating, kebab-buying, business-timing, bird-flipping, awesomely-accented direction: Flight of the Conchords has begun filming its second season here in the city.

Endings.

I found out this weekend that Rent ended its 12-year Broadway run on Sunday. I kept meaning to go see it, but I never got around to it. This makes me sad.

Another thing that closed this weekend was the Astroland amusement park at Coney Island. Luckily, I managed to get a piece of that action on Labor Day. Mariah, Rachel and I trekked down to the southern border of Brooklyn to bask in the wonder of carnies (Rachel won two goldfish!), Shoot the Freak, Nathan's hot dogs, the beach, and an 81-year-old roller coaster. It was everything I hoped it would be.

More.

Oh, and thanks to all the people (including my anonymous book fairies) who recommended stuff for me to read. I went to Barnes and Noble and wandered around for the better part of an hour, reading the backs of a lot of those books and others that looked interesting, and got entirely overwhelmed. I decided it would be prudent for me to look into a library card, so until I get around to that, I fell back on an old favorite. Any additional recs are still appreciated - now that I'm out of school and actually have time for leisure reading, it gives me great satisfaction to add to my list.