Things I Love Thursday

The one, the only, the original Things I Love Thursday! Roll up, roll up, step right in!

New York anticipation! So, I was going to go back for three weeks — have a birthday shindig & hang out a bit & then return to New Zealand — but I was talking to my father about it & he said, “Well, I don’t see why you’d come back if that’s where you want to be”. Of course, he is right. So on Tuesday, I bought a ticket… with a return date of mid-November! Eeeeeee! I will have Christmas in New Zealand, because Christmas in summer is always really awesome, & then I will move to NYC in early 2009… Super-fantastico-insane-excitement!

Additional NYC things I love: Beastie Boys – An Open Letter To NYC (Chew Fu Refix) — honestly, every time I listen to this I get major tingles & I think my heart is going to burst out of pure rapture. It is THE BEST. Support Chew Fu, he is awesome & I love him (& we are totally going dancing when I get back)! Getting tattooed! Coney Island! Sugar Sweet Sunshine! A whole bunch of amazing fabulous people who make me smile! Rooftops & porch swings! Central Park! Pumpkin picking in New Jersey! The Egyptian Wing at the Met! Decadent hotel room slumber parties! Energy on the streets! Hip hop karaoke! Strangers who compliment you out of the blue! Insane cab drivers! Etc. !!!

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week — Hello, I am going this year! With a video crew! Gasp! I’m going to the Betsey Johnson, Erin Fetherston, Zac Posen, Anna Sui & Miss Sixty shows, & will be talking to people about their outfits, running around, & appearing on camera giving my impressions of the collections! & of course, it will all be going live on iCiNG! I’m so excited, & I hope you are too!

Awesome offers — At the time I’m in NYC, my friend is going to Canada & I was invited to go too! But unfortunately I had to go to a Betsey Johnson show. Unfortunately! Had to! Betsey Johnson! How amazing is that?! I am kind of bummed because I have never been to Canada & would really really love to visit, but, well, you know, there will be other opportunities! (I will make my way up there soon!)

Karaoke — On Tuesday night I went to karaoke with my friends Jo & Tim, & my brother. It was so much fun. I haven’t sung karaoke since I was about 6 years old, & now I am a confirmed addict! I want to go all the time! At first we just sat in the room feeling embarrassed & then I decided we needed to sing one at the same time to get over our stage-fright. Well, after that, it was ON! We were flicking through the books, choosing songs, shoving microphones at one another & “singing” at the top of our lungs! God, it was so good! Some of our hits? Forgot About Dre (complete with high whiny Eminem parts), I’m A Slave 4 U (complete with breathing & talking intro! … “I know I may be young…”), Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O’Connor, Would by Alice in Chains, Malibu by Hole, Encore/Numb by Linkin Park/Jay-Z, & many more. It was totally awesome. If you have never been to a karaoke booth, I urge you to go this weekend. Seriously. Amazing.

Planning the Virgo Extravaganza — Yup, still! It is going to be taking up plenty of my brain power until it happens! The most exciting thing to me at the moment is the amount of people who are flying in for it! Talk about rallying the troops… It is mind-blowing to me! Doki doki! I can’t wait to see you all!

Hallowe’en in the USA! Okay, I think if you’re American you might not understand this. But for those of us who grew up in the antipodes, where hallowe’en was pretty much a non-event, hallowe’en always seemed like the pinnacle of awesome Americana. Especially if you were a voracious devotee of Sweet Valley High & Babysitter’s Club books… Oh Francine, oh Ann M. Martin, how you have ruined us for life! Anyway, my point is, I AM GOING TO BE IN AMERICA FOR HALLOWE’EN & my inner 8 year old is having a huge glee-induced heart attack! I don’t know who I am going to dress up as, the primary contender at the moment is zombie Little Edie. I would talk about being a s-t-a-u-n-c-h woman & dance with an American flag, it would be amazing!

Atmosphere in New York City! Oh baby. Life just gets better & better, I swear. Atmosphere are playing in Brooklyn on the 13th of October (a month to the day after my birthday!) & in NYC on the 14th. I am so there. Slug told me to email him for tickets but now I am too embarrassed… Hahaha. Regardless! They are playing all over the States so you should check the dates & get on it! Anyway, YAY! My favourite group in my favourite place. Picture me with a massive smile on my face & that is a fairly realistic approximation of how I am right now!

Honourable mentions: Surprise long-distance phonecalls; Int’l Players Anthem (& Andre 3000, of course!); luring people to New Zealand; reconnecting with old friends; IAMX; plotting birthday presents; 25 kisses (I want one kiss each from 25 people for my birthday!); “NYC misses you” emails; taking ridiculous photos; forming the secret society girl mafia; kneesocks; eating Mexican food with Rosie; getting my brother to sign up for dating sites (he is my pet project!); my mother’s wedding ring; the fact that I already have a bunch of events written down to take place during my NYC sojourn; sleeping for 11 hours (sometimes you just need to); organising for my parents to come to NYC in late September (!!!!!!!!); my favourite Turk; stretching & drinking orange juice!

“When I count what’s wrong with my life, I get totally depressed. When I count the good things, I feel like smiling and I do. Then I think, “well, it’s not all that bad.” Life is just a bowl of cherries. But when I see myself smiling in the mirror, I like myself more. Well, life is a roller-coaster. That’s what I now think. Recently, I got a message that I was a king, and I should stop the battle, and appreciate my victory. Well, I should listen to this one. And you, too, my friend. We are all kings. The battle is the battle of goodness winning WORLD PEACE. At all times, find something that makes you laugh. Laughter is the best workout! Chimpanzees are wise to it. Are you?” — Yoko Ono

Your turn, babycakes!