Vocab Lesson

Unfortunately, I can't take credit for coming up with these clever new NYC slang words, but I can take credit for being cool enough to read about them on DailyCandy and now share them with you. The first of you to actually use one of these words in an everyday conversation wins a prize - my undying respect and admiration. So post a comment when you do.

DailyCandy Lexicon XII

The seductive, steamy, sublime New York night. Words cannot describe. Or can they?

alphabet pity
n. Awarding extra points or praise to venues east of First Avenue solely because of geography — and not actual merit.

barnese
n. 1. An obscure religion based on a devotion to Barneys New York and the belief that spiritual well-being can be found on the store's upper floors. 2. Followers of this religion. (Smart, funny, and so good-looking — if only he were barnese!)

boroughbred
n. The rare New Yorker who was actually born and raised in Manhattan.

bungaho
n. 1. A species of men and women (you know who you are, kiddies) who frequent Bungalow 8 with staggering regularity. 2. Those whose love of Bungalow 8 stems entirely from the fact that they can get in.

gansevoria
n. The haze that comes over one when sitting on the Gansevoort rooftop in the summer, characterized by a willingness to buy $18 cocktails and a lack of care when said drinks take 30 minutes to arrive.

l.i.e.r
n. In casual conversation, one who claims to have grown up in NYC, if by NYC one means Long Island.

marislime
n. The clientele who fill the Maritime Hotel's courtyard and bars at night. 2. Nighttime scenes characterized by thick clouds of smoke and sweaty faux hipsters.

p.u.i.
n. Planning under the influence. Plan-making late in the evening, especially with friends, for next-day activities, such as SoHo shopping and brunch.

Saturday night fever
n. The overwhelming desire to ask a taxi driver to blast his radio, as if the cab could magically transform into a disco.

A few added tidbits of information....Kristen is a nearly certifiable bungaho (and she said I was allowed to post that). And John and I and Hubbel and our friend Dana were most definitely guilty of p.u.i. last night as we finished off our third bottle of wine at 4am and seriously planned on waking up at 9am, going out to breakfast and then going to watch Dana's fiance, Joey's soccer game. And what happened? Ha! We all slept until close to noon and never really left the house all day.

Santiam River, OR

Got out of town a bit yesterday - not to the beach because, as it turns out, John and I will be going on a beach camping trip next weekend with all his Frisbee peeps - but we did head to the Santiam River, a bit east of Salem. It was BEE-YOO-TEE-FULL! So, without further ado, enjoy the (camera phone) photos of the afternoon:






I wish it had been warm enough to actually wade in the water. But alas, the usual schizophrenia of Oregon weather set in and a day after the temp hit 90 and had us all dripping in sweat, the clouds rolled in.


The human touch - inevitable, I suppose. I did not put that there, by the way, just noticed it. I ain't no litter bug!


Hubbel was a bit sick, trying to get over a nasty cold or something, but the trooper never complained (like I would have!).


John hates to have his picture taken, and I was lucky enough to capture that with perfect timing. I LOVE this picture.


I am white trash. Expecting scorching sun, I wore my bathing suit, a tank top and cut off shorts (that I think have shrunk since last summer!), but in desperation (I hate to be cold) had to add this old poncho that John had in his car. I felt like Britney Spears.


My attempt at "meaningful" photography with a camera phone! I call it "Pensive." Ha ha.


John and Hubbel reenacting the scene in Dirty Dancing when Johnny and Baby dance on the log. Contrary to what you may think because of his name, I'm pretty sure that John has taken on the Baby role.


Look at that water! I was so taken by its clarity I couldn't stop blabbering about it, so I'm glad you can kind of see that in the picture. These kayakers came down a bit of rapids into the placid pool while we were watching and it made me want to go rafting sooooo bad.




Something about the wilderness brings out the kid in John. Here's the monkey boy climbing another log.


This is what I looked at most of the hike. Of course, I'm not in any of the pictures because I'm the crazy picture taker.


Cute little log bridge over a stream that flowed into the river. See below...




I went down the edge of the water and so wanted to wade in...Maybe next time.

Do you doubt yourself? Worry that you're a failure? Then you may be suffering from Imposter Syndrome - just like EVERY OTHER 20-something out there!

So sometimes when I'm bored at work I troll through the bulletin boards at mediabistro just to see what people are up to in the "media world" in which I revolve. How self-indulgent, I know.

Anyway, came across a post from a freelancer looking for "smart young women who doubt themselves," discounting their achievments - something she informed me is called "Imposter Syndrome." Hmmm, I thought, sounds like me - and all my friends for that matter! Maybe I have some insights to share. So I wrote her and actually came out with this very cathartic email, which I thought I would share with all of you dear readers. A blog is, after all, something of an online "journal," right? I thought maybe some more introspective posts were in order, so here it is.

After reading your email, I'm not sure I necessarily "suffer" from the Imposter Syndrome - i.e. I do give myself credit when I do well and enjoy my successes - but I do often doubt my abilities to "make it" in the real world and question how successful I will really be.

I guess it's just been such a big adjustment being in the working world; I graduated from college a year ago and it's taken that long to really feel comfortable and confident going to work everyday.

More than anything, I wonder if I'm making the right choices in my young career. I was an ASME intern in NYC the summer of 2003 and definitely on the magazine editing track throughout college, but after graduation money was tight and I wasn't able to move back to New York as I had hoped (I went to school and am still living in Portland, OR). Consequently, I couldn't apply for any editorial assistant positions (which is what all my close ASME friends are now doing), and I was stuck working as a receptionist at a law firm for 6 months.

Since November, I've been lucky enough to have found an entry-level position with a small PR agency (small as in just me and my boss) here in Portland working with a handful of lifestyle and fashion and beauty clients. At least in this job I am still connected with the magazine world that I had aspired to, albeit in a more "outside" role.

I never planned on doing PR and I still struggle with worries that my peers will think less of me for doing this (as you probably know, PR people aren't always so well-liked by magazine editors). And I miss New York and I wonder if I'm throwing away the opportunity to live there while I'm still young.

I was a straight-A student through college, got tons of scholarships, worked as a research assistant for one of my professors for three years, held four internships in newspapers and magazines, got published.....and yet, sometimes I think maybe I would be happiest just being a housewife one day, avoiding any chance of career failure or disappointment. I know I am smart and capable - my parents, my boyfriend, my friends have always told me that and voiced their admiration of my talents - but I still worry that by making the wrong choices, I will end up a professional failure.

And like I mentioned, I'm not the only one of my friends to feel this way. One of my long-time friends from HS is moving to NYC to attend The New School and get her master's in Media Studies, and yet sometimes she fantasizes about dropping out of her climb toward academia to just let her boyfriend support her. Another friend is an EA at a national magazine, and yet she wonders if she's on track with the rest of our ASME friends, getting enough chance to write, etc and opportunity to advance.

We've also all had a hard time adjusting to the maxim "Don't take it personally." Used to being praised constantly with good grades and supportive professors in college, when I get constructive criticism from my boss (which I am learning is inevitable in any job), I often obsess over it, berate myself for not knowing better, wonder if I'm going to be fired and then go home in an icky mood, desperate for some reassurance from my boyfriend that I AM smart and capable and a good employee. What an icky feeling!

It's extra hard for me because I work one-on-one with my boss everyday, so she immediately knows if I do something wrong and I immediately hear about, as opposed to getting a cushion of time to try and smooth things over before the boss hears about it through the grapevine.

Anyway, slowly but surely, I'm learning that just because I get a "You should do this from now on..." from my boss, it does NOT mean that she thinks I'm an idiot who should be fired. And I DO get praise when I do things well, and when that happens I feel good about it and don't usually downplay it in my head. Though I do worry that if I don't temper it with a bit of humility ("I got that client in that magazine just by luck, not my doggedly persistent following up"), I will become overly confident and stop working so hard. Weird worry, I know.

Anyway, I hope some of this helps...I don't know how coherent it is or how on-topic, but it was fun and insightful to write, so thanks! As for the basic details, my name is Liz, I'm 23, I live and work in Portland, OR in public relations - I guess my title is PR Assistant.

I heard back from the writer last night....my quote (whatever bits she may choose from my email) is going to be in an article in an upcoming For Me (new lifestyle magazine for a younger audience from Woman's Day). I'll of course post a link to it or something when it comes out. Am a being a bit too revealing, not private enough with these feelings? Oh well, I've never been a reserved person before, so I guess I won't start now. And any of these feelings sound familiar to you? If you want to share, please post away (I love to know I'm not alone!).

PO to the NY

Yep, that's right, I'm headin' back to the east side, NYC. For the weekend at least. June 10th - 14th.

My itinerary: Fly into Newark at 10:45am on Friday, head into the city and drop my stuff at Mari's subletted closet on the Upper East (East or West?), then meet John's mom and aunts (for the first time!) for lunch, wander around (but more likely go nap in the closet), then finally dinner (by which time I will surely be in need of a stiff drink) with the ASME girls after work, just like the old days.

Saturday I'm going to be on a panel of PR newbies at a one-day PR mini-conference called "So You Want To Be A Publicist?" (this is the legitimate excuse for my trip), where I will network my butt off (just for you Mom!). And then perhaps a play that evening with Mari and whoever else is interested - we're thinking either Avenue Q or HurlyBurly. I should surely get tickets from TKTS on Friday or make Mari do it on Saturday. In either case, there will be some bar-hopping for sure after the show!

Sunday should surely involve reading the Sunday New York Times (love those wedding announcements) in Central Park and some shopping (H&M here I come!! Can I really wait that long?), and Monday will probably entail some more shopping tucked in around a visit to the new MOMA. Oh! And the girls and I should surely hit up the ritual $1 beers at Off the Wagon that night! Brunch on Tuesday will be the perfect send-off before I head to the airport and come on back to my P-town 'hood (where an upcoming move will await me). Sounds glorious to me! Only two weekends away, yo. Watch out.

As for this upcoming long weekend, I'm starting to become obsessed with the idea of going camping at the beach...we'll see if I can work that out with John, who is the expert in that area. I'm not sure how happy I will be about sand in my pants in the end, but doesn't it sound romantic? I'll try and post some pictures if we get there - the Oregon coast is magnificent!

Now that I'm actually going to be back in NYC in the very near future, I'm really liking really living the PONY lifestyle.

get ready....dodgeball for the 21st century

Ch-ch-ch-check it: I'm taking on the role of early adopter and really really want everyone (whether in Portland or New York or whereever, though it will only work when we're in the same city - NYers, that will be the case June 10-14!) to join dodgeball with me! Imagine: I go out to 820 for a yummy happy hour lamb burger, and when I get there I send a text message to dodgeball that says I'm at 820 ("@820") and then dodgeball pings that text message around to everyone in my dodgeball network so they can meet up if they want. Comes in especially handy in loud bars and clubs and concerts where yelling into the phone "I'm at Doug Fir...Doug Fir....DOUG FIR!!!" over and over again can get quite annoying.

So wanna hit it up with me? Click on the dodgeball link above and sign up and then look for me (using my email - lizhummer@comcast.net - or my phone number) and add me as a friend. Once you're "in the know," you can invite your other friends who want to be just as cool as us, and then we start to have a friends-of-friends network a la Friendster, but way more practical because you know where people are hanging out and can actually meet up with them in real life. What a concept! And if you don't feel social one night (God forbid!), just don't "check in" with dodgeball by sending them a text message and no one knows where you are - as usual. Want some more info? See the FAQs below... Come on, all the cool kids are doing it (and if you need some more validation, Google just bought dodgeball, so it's about to get crazy popular)!

Q: What is it?
A: dodgeball.com is a social networking site built specifically for mobile phones.

Q: What does it do?
A: The idea is simple: tell us where you are and we'll tell you who and what is around you. We'll ping your friends with your whereabouts, let you know when friends-of-friends are within 10 blocks or alert you if any of your crushes are nearby.

Q: Give me an example.
A: Okay, so you're having drinks at Luna Lounge. Send us a text message telling us where you are and we'll fire off a text message to all your friends telling them where they can find you. If we find any friends-of-friends within 10 blocks, we'll ping you with their whereabouts too. If you have a camera phone, we'll even send you their picture.

Q: How do I use it?
A: Whenever you're out, use your mobile phone to send a text message to "portland@dodgeball.com" with a "@" and then the name of the bar, restaurant or park you're at. e.g. @Luna Lounge, @Bowery Bar. When we get your text message, we'll check to see if there's anyone you know nearby.

Q: So, how do you know who my friends are?
A: You need to tell us who your friends are, just like you did with those other social networking sites.

Q: So how is this different than those other social networking sites?
A: dodgeball.com is designed to help you meet up with friends and friends-of-friends while you're out, not while you're sitting at home in front of your computer. Try "checking-in" the next time you meet up with friends for drinks and see who you end up meeting up with.

Q: Now what?
A: To get started:

1. Head back to http://www.dodgeball.com
2. Browse around, find your friends and invite them to be your friend.
3. Send invites to your friends that haven't joined dodgeball.com yet.

We broke 100!!

Check out the bottom of the page - we're at 101 visitors! Wooo-hooo. They like us, they really like us! (I'm sure at least 80 or 90 of those visitors are me and my dad)! Okay, that's enough exclamation points for now...

like sands through the hourglass, these are the pictures of our lives

I'm too tired to write the more involved post I had planned for today, so instead I'm posting a few photos giving you a glimpse into the lives of Kristen and Liz, PONY girls.


See that girl with the chunky necklace and bracelet (so on top of the trends!). That's Kristen schmoozing with the best of 'em at one of the Ed2010 Happy Hours in NYC earlier this month. Ed2010 is a well-known (in the media world) resource for young magazine superstars, hosting happy hours for networking (and meeting fellow media types to sleep with - this is an incestuous business after all!), answering newbies' questions (all of which are pretty much different forms of "How do I get a job at a magazine?"), and posting "whisper" job openings that have yet to be officially posted on the traditional boards. Kristen looks ADORABLE in this picture, and I wish I had been there with her. I don't know who those schmucks are in the background, but the guy she's talking to on her left is Chris, a writer at People mag.

**CORRECTION: I am an idiot (and was pretty tired when I posted this last night), and upon closer inspection of the above picture, I realized that my friend, Emily (one of the three amigos during the NYC summer - me, Kristen and Emily) is in the background behind Kristen - and she's not a schmuck. Just wanted to clarify.



Meanwhile (well, not really "meanwhile" since this picture was taken at least 10 days after the one up there, but anyway...), I was in Seattle with the boys this past weekend for a Mariners baseball game (which I really enjoyed, by the way!) and we stopped by the Pike Place Fish Market (the infamous place where they throw around whole fish), which is pictured in the stunning camera phone photo here. I took this for Kristen to remind her of when we were in Seattle together last March ('04) and spent several hours, in a hangover daze, hanging around the fish market watching (and trying to flirt with) the cute fish mongers. There weren't any cute ones there this past weekend, which was for the best since this time I had my adorable boyfriend to pay attention to (had to say that just in case he's reading this, which he will be since I make him!).

So that's what we've been up to. Don't you wish you were us? Ha!

Portland has arrived!

Well, if you consider Glamour magazine "arriving." No matter, it was still pretty cool to stumble across a mention of good ole Portland when I was reading their "Summer Must List" last night. There I was, frantically taking down notes so I can make sure to be in the cool crowd this summer (apparently, I must remember to paint my toenails neon pink and order green iced teas and French 75 cocktails), and then bam! Nestled amongst Pucci bikinis, teal eyeliner, Isaac Mizrahi for Target khaki pencil skirts, and weiner dog corn handles (these are actually kinda cute), was the very place I call home. If Glamour had a better website that actually contained any content, I could link you to the very article, but alas, you're going to have to make do with this direct quotation:

go somewhere fabulous:

$ PORTLAND, OREGON Full of pretension-free galleries and bars, it's the anti-Miami. Stay at the Kennedy School Bed & Breakfast. From $84 a night, kennedyschool.com.

Other "fabulous destinations"? Mexico City ($$), Thailand ($$), and Porto Ecole, Italy ($$$). Not bad company, right? I'm not sure yet how I feel about the whole "anti-Miami" label...I guess I just don't like putting a label on Portland, period, but as long as people don't equate "anti-Miami" with "anti-cool" and boring, and instead think laid-back, down-to-earth, fun, energetic, edgy excitement, than I guess it's okay.

And Kennedy School. Not a bad choice - especially if you're going for the whole "anti-Miami" vacation - but if I was coming to Portland for the first time I might stay at some place more central, in the thick of it (Hotel Lucia (hip, modern), The Benson (classic, old-school elegance), or the Jupiter Hotel (east-side cool)). Then again, Kennedy School is a very "Portland" place to be. Curious about it? Especially since Glamour gave you so little in the way of actual information? Well, consider Liz and the PONYtales blog your knight in shining armor coming to your rescue. Below are some pictures of Kennedy School, so all you New Yorkers can get a feel for what Glamour's talking about. Come out for a visit some time, ya hear!



The lovely exterior. Kennedy School is really an old elementary school that the McMenamins brothers bought and renovated (along with pretty much every other old building in Portland - McMenamins are more prolific than McDonalds around here!). The restaurant is the old cafeteria, the hotel rooms are old classrooms and the movie theatre is the old auditorium. The courtyard, gym and bathrooms all remain the same.



One of the guest rooms/old classrooms, complete with chalk board.



The movie theatre shows second-run movies (out of the main theatres but not yet on video) for just $3, plus you can drink beer or wine and eat yummy pizza all the while. John and I like to make sure we get a comfy couch to snuggle up on - sorry, was that too much information?



The Detention Bar rocks. Dark and smoky, serving cigars and whisky to a soundtrack of moody jazz. The Honors Bar is on the other side of the school, serving fruity cocktails and playing classical music. For the first time in my life, I want to go to detention.

Toss your salad? Toss MY salad!

Sorry guys, I couldn't resist. Kristen, remember that Oprah episode about teenagers' sex lives with the teaser right before the commercial break in which Oprah said, "Do you know what your teen means when he says 'toss my salad'?" Ewwwww. Does any teenager say that to their parents - to anyone at all??

Anyway, to the meat of this post...err, the veggies, I mean. I realized on my drive home from work today, as my tummy rumbled, that I have a few VERY favorite salads at restaurants around town, and for all you Portlanders (and all you New Yorkers and others who decide to visit), I thought I'd share my recommendations. These salads are SO good, I'm telling you. SO GOOD that I'm blogging about them, which is really just ridiculous, so you know they have to be good!

Green Salad with House Raspberry Vinaigrette
at The Italian Joint
3145 SE Hawthorne
(It's the dressing that makes this salad. The perfect blend with hint of sweetness in the tangy vinaigrette. This concoction is so good that I asked for some to take home with me and ate salads for dinner the rest of the week - NOT a very typical diet for candy- and carb-loving me.)

Side Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette (sensing a trend here - I like vinaigrette dressings)
at Rock Bottom Brewery
206 SW Morrison
(I know, it's a chain - ick. And frankly, I haven't been there in almost a year, but now that I'm writing this I really want to go get this salad. As their website attests, this is more than a side salad, covered with cheese, egg, bacon, croutons...oh, and maybe some veggies in the form of lettuce, tomatoes and carrots.)

Greek Salad
at Vincente's
1935 SE Hawthorne
(I feel a bit sacrilegious saying this Greek Salad is better than the one at the Greek Cuisina, but I'm taking the risk. A huge bowl of salad covered in kalamata olives and feta cheese. Mmmmm... You can usually find John and I fighting over the last big chunks of feta!)

Field Greens House Salad
at Henry's 12th Street Tavern
10 NW 12th
(Another restaurant I'm ashamed to include simply because the bar is such a meat market scene and I avoid it all costs, but this salad is just too good. I really love the bite size cherry tomatoes (marinated in basil!) and the cornbread croutons, which are just soft and sweet enough. Yummy! If you're getting dinner, you're in the dining room anyway and away from all the grossness in the bar - which would otherwise hijack your appetite.)

And now I am officially starving.

It's official!

No, I do not have a diamond on my left ring finger (or anywhere else on my person for that matter). But John has finally been officially accepted to Lewis & Clark's Graduate School of Education! Once the excitement has worn off (and it hasn't yet), I think I will get a little scared about John having to do things like "study" and "go to class" and "write papers." I think it's gonna be weird to have someone else doing that while I'm not, ya know? But I love him and support him and know that he's going to be the most AMAZING high school teacher ever (next to this guy, of course - remember that show "Head of the Class"?) so I couldn't be happier. And now we're both going to be LC alum (not that they're going to get any more money out of us)!

If you feel so inclined, you can send congratulation messages here (I highly encourage it as John loves to have his ego stroked, and the more all of you do it, the less I have to!).

gold PONY shoes

Many a time Kristen and I will yell at each other, GET OUT OF MY HEAD! You see, we just think a like so often that it gets eery - especially when we're across the country from each other. Today, we were in each other's closets, apparently, because we're both wearing gold shoes from Target. They aren't identical - that's mine in the crappy cell phone camera shot and Kristen's are the shot grabbed from the Target website - but still....damn! Gold shoes from Target on the same day.




Mossimo Corinne Gold Birdcage Pumps $16.99 (!!) at Target.com


Speaking of Target, does anyone else check out Target.com's Red Hot Shop? They've got exclusive cool, nifty, handy, cute, "designed" items that are the very definition of Target-cool.


Veiled Conceit

Am I the only young woman not looking to get married any time soon who is fascinated by The New York Times Sunday Weddings section? First of all, let's not even pretend that when I used to get the Sunday NY Times (been on hiatus thanks to budgetary cutbacks at the Hummer household) I would read the front page section or even the "Week in Review" news. Hells no! I jumped right to Sunday Styles (also pulling out the magazine and Arts section for good measure, but more often than not never getting around to reading them either) and licked my lips in anticipation of satiating my voyeuristic addiction to the wedding announcements.

I'm not sure what it is that so interests me about these mini-peeks into other people's lives...I love to read about where their parents live, what colleges and grad schools they went to, where they work and where they live, trying to piece these facts into some vision of what their life has been like, what has brought them to this point. It's not that I'm envious of what they have or unhappy with my own life, just curious about the decisions other people make in their lives and how they find happiness, I guess. Of course, how can I really know that from the few sanitized and polished up tidbits the Times prints? I mean, shit, this is what my life would boil down to right now in the NY Times Wedding section:

Elizabeth Lauren Hummer, daughter of J. Thomas Hummer of Portland, Ore. and Nancy Milton of Elk Grove, Calif., was married yesterday to _______________ [I'm not going to freak John out by including him in this purely hypothetical wedding announcement that's really all about me anyway], son of ____________. Officiant and location TK.

Ms. Hummer, 23, is an assistant account executive for PR-at-Large, a public relations agency in Portland, Ore. She graduated magna cum laude from Lewis & Clark College.

Her father retired from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in Sacramento, Calif., where he was a staff research attorney. Her mother retired from family law mediation and now works for the Catholic Diocese in Sacramento. The bride is the step-daughter of Joseph Milton, staff counsel at the California State Department of Fish & Game.

Groom's info goes here.......

Jeez, what does that tell ya about me? A whole lotta nothin'! But that's what it would say about me following the NY Times format. Let's just say I won't be getting married until I have more achievements under my belt to include in a wedding announcement! Ha.

Anyway, the point of this post is that I have found a blogger who is equally as fascinated with the NY Times Wedding announcements as me, and posts merciless comments and judgmental inferences about the couples for me (and hopefully you) to enjoy at Veiled Conceit.com. Have fun making fun of all those blissful newlyweds!

Updates

I'm famous! The pic of me jumping into the RedBall at Pio Square is posted on the RedBall website. Check it out!


It will be mine. Oh yes! It will be mine. The racehorse duffel bag, that is. Yes, I made the purchase and I will soon be carrying around this adorable, quirky bag on my shoulder. Thought you all should know.


Oh yeah, duh, how could I forget? [Did I just use "duh" in a written sentence???] I got myself a camera phone, too. Here's the first photo I took of John:


Isn't he a cutie??


Life is good. I need some Rice Krispies.