Rainn Wilson and SoulPancake

Last night Eric and I went to a very cool author event at the Barnes and Noble at Lincoln Square. The featured author was Rainn Wilson, a/k/a "Dwight" from The Office. Eric and I were late jumping on The Office bandwagon, but recently through the magic of Netflix have nearly caught up on the entire series and are hooked. How did we resist this show for so long?

We always try to keep an eye out for interesting authors/celebs coming to bookstores in Manhattan, and when we heard Rainn Wilson would be promoting his new book SoulPancake (the book version of his website), we thought that sounded like an interesting one to see. The event certainly did not disappoint.

They were handing out wristbands for the 7:30 p.m. event at 5:00 yesterday, so Eric and I met then to buy the book and get our wristbands. We planned to leave then to run errands and get some dinner, but ended up sticking around because we had a great spot in line to get a good seat for the event. So, we spent a couple hours hanging out on the floor of Barnes & Noble, reading through SoulPancake.

Let me tell you, I love this book. It's not a novel or anything like that, but rather sort of a hodgepodge of quotes, art, questions, and activities that inspire you to think about life, philosophy, religion, spirituality, science, love, etc. It is divided into nine chapters: The Brain & the Soul; Art & Creativity; Experiences & Emotions; Love, Sex & Relationships; Virtues & Vices; Introspection, Reflection & Identity; God & Religion; Science & Technology; and Life, Death & Living. Each chapter contains interesting challenges and activities to get your creativity flowing (example: in the Brain & Soul chapter, you are challenged to sum up your philosophy on life and scribble it on the sidewalk with chalk); thought-provoking questions about life, what you know, what you don't, and who you are; inspiring quotes and artwork from over 90 different artists from all over the world.

 

Sample page from the book, asking questions about love

Another sample page, with an activity: sketch your self portrait!

To give you a better idea of what this book is about than my poor explanation is probably doing, let me share some of my favorite questions I've found in the book so far:

List 5 questions you hate not having the answers to.
What is one thing you learned that blew your mind?
What would you try if you knew you couldn't fail?
What would you say if you had 60 seconds to talk a stranger out of taking his or her life?
What single experience in life most transformed you?
List 5 non-physical traits that turn you on.
Does your family see the real you?
How are you selfish?
List 5 things you would literally chop off your little toe for.
Would you want to know the exact moment you are going to die?
If you only had one hour left to live, how would you spend it?

And a few of my favorite quotes I found in the book:

"Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it."
- Michelangelo
"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions."
- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
"It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable."
- Moliere
"Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. And it will leave you unfulfilled."
- Barack Obama 
"Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new."
- Brian Tracy

And I have only found these quotations and questions in a quick flip through the book as we waited to be seated in the event space - I can't wait to dig a little deeper and see what else is in there!

In addition to the book being so interesting, the event itself was great. We were seated in the event space around 7:00, and had a great spot. We waited for a bit while the store employees laid down the law (no flash photography, no pictures at the signing table, etc.) and then Rainn finally came out, posing for a "photo op" or two with his book first thing!

Waiting to see Rainn

Rainn posing with his book

Rainn read a bit from his introduction to the book, and talked a lot about how it all came to be and his philosophy in life. He spoke quite a bit about finding creativity, art and beauty in the everyday - for example, art does not just exist in museums, but even in what we do with our lives on a day-to-day basis. An accountant, mathematician, or scientist may express themselves through their work just as much as a painter, sculptor or musician, just in a different way. He talked about the importance of asking life's big questions and the fact that these questions are something we all have in common, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs or political affiliation. We all want the same basic things out of life, we just have different approaches. It was a very interesting talk.

Rainn at the podium

Discussing SoulPancake

Showing off some of the artwork in the book

He took a couple breaks during his talk for music performed by co-author of SoulPancake Devon Gundry and Devon's former roommate Andy Grammer. (For the last song, Rainn accompanied them on the tambourine.)

Devon and Andy

If you're interested, you can listen to Andy's first single here. I really like it!

Rainn also took quite a bit of time to answer questions from the audience. He got a lot of great questions about SoulPancake, music and philosophy, and of course also got some questions about The Office. My favorite Office question was the one that requested he make a "Jim-looking-at-the-camera" face. Not sure what that means? Check out the compilation of "Jim faces" below (thanks, YouTube!) followed by Rainn's interpretations, both on the show and last night:

VIDEO: 70 Jim Halpert Faces in 70 Seconds (I love Jim. Isn't he adorable?)

Video: Dwight impersonating Jim on an episode of The Office

"Dwight" making a Jim face last night at the signing

After the Q&A and a final song, Rainn took his seat at the signing table to autograph our books. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed at the signing table, so we couldn't get a picture with him, but he did sign our book and we told him how much we enjoy both the show and the book.

Our autographed book

All in all, it was a very fun night! Be sure to check out SoulPancake!

Baby Mode

I just wanted to share with you one of my new favorite videos of Achilles, taken a week or two ago. It's very different from the Achilles videos I usually share - in this one, he's not outsmarting crates or performing acrobatic feats, but rather, just being really cute.

We had maintenance in our apartment doing a repair and Eric was in charge of containing Psycho Achilles. He did so by putting him in "baby mode," and the ensuing noises were just too much.

VIDEO: Achilles expressing his displeasure with both maintenance and baby mode.

Is that not just the saddest little dog noise you ever did hear?

There Is Always Someone Crazier Than You.

I have mentioned in the past that sometimes, living in New York can really wear on me. It's so noisy, it's so crowded, it's so expensive, etc., etc. There are some days where I just can't deal with the people and the noise, and I wish I could just go sit in a quiet house on a quiet street (one where I don't have to pause the TV every time an ambulance passes because I can't hear over the siren).

But more often, I do love this city. I have always wanted to live here and there is just no place like it. I'm so thankful that Eric's job has given us this great opportunity, and I certainly don't take it for granted. What an incredible two years we've had! And no matter where we end up in the future, I will always be glad to have spent this time in this great city.

The holiday season especially brings out my back-and-forth love for New York. This city is just unbelievable at Christmas, and I have certainly shared that with you the past two years. I just love it, and when I walk around among all the festive holiday decor, I wonder how I will ever spend the holidays in any other place. It's just so magical here. Yet, the crowds also descend upon this city with a vengeance this time of year, so it can certainly try your patience.

Just last week this article appeared in the Village Voice, entitled "50 Reasons to Be Pretty Damn Euphoric You Live in New York City." While I may not agree with everything in that article, I loved so much of it and thought it was a great reminder of why I am pretty darn euphoric to live here. I thought I would share it, and hope that some of these things (along with the incredible Christmas atmosphere) will help me maintain my patience on the crowded streets this holiday season. Because really, the bottom line is that New York is freaking awesome.

I would love to repost all 50 things in that article here, but instead I'll just share some of my most favorites, the ones that made me emphatically nod my head and say YES:

[FYI, my comments are in italicized brackets.]

47. There is always someone crazier than you. ALWAYS. [I always tell our guests this if they are worried about how they look, etc - if you are the craziest thing people see today, they have not had a very interesting day in New York.]
46. The view from the Brooklyn Bridge. [One of my most favorite places in NYC.]
45. The view of the Brooklyn Bridge.
44. The epic feeling you get running to catch a train and succeeding...just before the doors close.
43. Bored to Death. 30 Rock. SNL. And a million other things that film here and we love. RIP Law and Order.
40. That horrified look on our parents' friends' faces when we tell them we live in "Hell's Kitchen." [And I love living in Hell's Kitchen, frankly!]
36. Whatever you need, whenever you need it, there is someone who will bring it to you for a price, which may or may not be negotiable. (Or legal.) [You can honestly get anything you want delivered - fresh cookies at 3 a.m., a bag of dog food, McDonald's, liquor. It's glorious.]
35. By the time the rest of the nation has bedbugs, we'll have figured out how to get rid of them. In the meantime, we'll mock them by dressing our dogs up as bedbugs for Halloween. Laugh in the face of fear, New Yorker!

 (Photo from here)

30. The fact that one-bedroom apartments cost an average minimum of a half-million dollars means we think nothing of spending $12 on lunch.
29. Restaurants are as common as single men and women. And equally diverse. And you never have to see either of them again after the initial awkward encounter.
28. The omnipresent opportunity to Gaga-ify yourself. And the chance that it will seem, just, normal.
26. Smart people are the norm, not the exception. (Which doesn't mean they're sane, but at least no one's boring.)
24. When you fly back into the city after a vacation or business trip, no matter how long you've lived here, you get that butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling.  [Absolutely!]
22. How easy it is to find doughnuts, pizza, Chinese food, or any other snack your drunken self desires at 4 a.m. Or to continue to drink. Responsibly!
21. Broadway. Museums. CULTCH-AH. Even if you never actually go to see anything (though you should, at least once).
19. There's no shame in sticking your fingers in your ears like an anal weirdo when an ambulance goes by screeching.
11. Complain about the MTA, but you can get anywhere in the city for just $2.25. Or $2.50 single ride, come 2011. Still pretty damn cheap.
10. Subway rage. Bike-lane rage. Walking rage. Random rage. These are our therapy. Although we all go to therapy, too. No judgments! We bitch, therefore we are. [I totally have walking rage.]
9. Jaywalking is an art form. [Just ask Eric, whose motto is "if you go, they won't hit you."]
7. Subway "prewalking," in which you walk to the exact right spot on the platform to board the train car that will save you the most time upon exit, exists and has a name. Gotta respect.
6. You can be alone, but never feel lonely. And vice versa. But if you die and aren't found until a year later, you won't be the first.
3. Finding your "local" is that much better here.
2. There is absolutely no reason to ever drink and drive. Added bonus: Spontaneous, fascinating conversations with cab drivers.
1. If you can make it here, you really can make it anywhere. But why would you bother to go anywhere else?

(If you want to read the rest of the list, click here.)

Man, I do love this city.

Fall Foliage

As I mentioned a couple days ago, while Eric was in Florida, Achilles and I went to Central Park to check out some fall foliage. We enjoyed a nice, long walk, and got some not-terrible Blackberry pictures of the scenery (since Eric had our camera with him in Florida):

 

 Not bad for a Blackberry picture!

When Eric got back to town with our actual camera, however, I knew we had to go back for some better shots. Sunday, we did just that and the trees did not disappoint us in the slightest. There were some incredible sights to behold. Allow me to share some of my favorites with you:

Some of the scenery that welcomed us when we first got into the park

Achilles seemed to enjoy frolicking in the leaves!

Looking back towards the SW corner of the park (those two towers are the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle)

The Pond - how beautiful is that sky reflecting in the water?

Sitting on the Bridge with Achilles

The sunlight filtering through the leaves was spectacular.

Eric by some of the more vibrant trees we saw, at the north end of the Mall

Pretty colors

Amongst the leaves with Achilles

See the bride and groom in the background? What a beautiful setting for wedding portraits!

The Falconer

Close-up

And my most favorite photo of the day:

Our family in front of the Pond

If you want to see more of our fall pictures, I'll put them on the photo share site this afternoon.

Happy fall, everyone!

Megamind Premiere

Yesterday, through the magic of Twitter, I caught wind of the fact that Brad Pitt was going to be making an appearance just blocks from my apartment, at the AMC Lincoln Square Theater (our usual theater!) for the NYC Megamind Premiere. You know by now how Eric and I enjoy the art of celebrity "stalking," and we've been looking to add more A-listers to our celebrity sighting list, so we figured we would check it out. Eric met me there right after he left work, and we kept our eyes on the blue carpet as best we could.

Blue carpet set up at the theater

A peak down the blue carpet - photographers and reporters on the left

And...success! It was sort of a mess of people (much less organized than premieres at the Ziegfeld), but we were able to spot three stars of the show (Tina Fey, Ben Stiller, and the even-more-gorgeous-in-person Brad Pitt), and some other celebrity attendees (Stephen Baldwin, Rachel Dratch, and we're told some guy from One Tree Hill, but I don't watch that show so I had no idea who he was). We were able to see both Brad and Ben twice: both coming and going. Ben Stiller actually left shortly after the movie began, because he had to get to the set of his next movie, Tower Heist (which we have already seen filming around town). Brad left after the movie, with sons Pax and Maddox in tow. So cute!

Tina Fey arriving at the premiere - she stopped to sign a few autographs for fans

Brad arriving at the blue carpet

Stephen Baldwin coming in the back entrance

Ben Stiller sneaking out the back, to go back to work on his next movie

Also, while we were waiting for all these various people, we met a real life celebrity stalker. Sure, Eric and I joke that we "stalk" celebrities. But I wouldn't really call it stalking - we just go to where we know various celebs might be and see if we can sneak a peek. Okay, maybe that sounds like stalking a little...but not compared to what this girl does. She was a bona fide Tina Fey stalker. To start, she drove four hours to New York to follow her around the city all day: on a morning show, on Letterman, and at the premiere. Okay, that's a little weird, but if she's a big fan and this is her one chance to see Tina, maybe it's okay? Well, no. She also said she has seen Tina tons of times, has tons of photos with her, tons of autographs, etc. She also bought tickets to some thing in DC next week, where Tina will be receiving an award, and will be driving down for that. She kept saying things like "oh, Tina knows me" (prompting me to think "yes, because of the RESTRAINING ORDER") and "Tina never says no to me." To further prove my point that this girl was a little crazycakes, she DIDN'T CARE ABOUT SEEING BRAD PITT - only Tina Fey. I mean, I love Tina Fey as much as the next girl. But DUDE! It's Brad Pitt. Let's get our priorities in order.

But, it stands to reason that with all our "stalking," sooner or later we were bound to run in to an actual, literal stalker. So, check that one off the list!

The only bummer of the night was that we didn't get a chance to actually see the movie. The last couple of times we staked out movie premieres at the Ziegfeld, they have given away any tickets to the show that weren't picked up by the time the movie started. We haven't had a chance to take advantage of that yet, so we were really hoping they would do that again at this premiere. Sadly, no such luck. No movie for us. Still a fun evening, though!

Fall Favorites in Action

I just thought I would post a quick update about how I am handling fall. I know you all have been super worried about me since my meltdown over the Rockefeller Center Ice Rink, but really, I've been doing okay. The weather is cooling down quite a bit, all the city ice rinks are operational, the shops in Bryant Park will be open by this weekend, and the big Christmas tree has even gone up on the front of Radio City. Yet, I'm coping surprisingly well. Yesterday I even watched The Nutcracker on TV. I'm giving in to the holiday spirit, people.

I think my resolution to focus on what I do like about fall has been paying off. Want to see some of my cool weather favorites in action?

First, Gator football. Okay, so that has been sort of a letdown this year, but hey, it's a rebuilding year. And this week we're coming off an overtime victory against Georgia on Saturday so I'm feeling pretty positive at the moment. Eric and I went to Gin Mill to watch the game with the rest of the Gotham Gators, which is always a good time. It's so fun to be in an atmosphere with fellow Gators, doing all the chants and cheers. We even made noise while the Bulldogs were on offense...because you know, that makes a big difference all the way from New York. Totally.

At Gin Mill this past Saturday. You may recognize this as our Halloween picture, sans masks!

VIDEO: Gotham Gators singing the fight song after a touchdown

It was fitting that this tense overtime game was during Halloween weekend (as it always is), because I watch close Gator games in much the same way as I watch horror movies - with my hands over my eyes, just barely peeking through my fingers. I just can't handle it.

Another thing I mentioned that I like about fall is hot apple cider. Well, Eric and I polished off a nice half gallon of cider spiked with brandy this weekend while we carved our pumpkins. Yeah, buddy.

Stirring up some spiked cider (pardon the messy counter in the background)

Another thing I love? Boots. I have finally brought my boots out of their summer hibernation. I'm still trying to wear flats (a/k/a shoes that leave my feet somewhat exposed) when I can before the weather gets too cold, but I am excited to see my boots again.

My boots on their inaugural 2010 outing, at Queens County Farm last month

On a related note, another thing I love about cooler weather that wasn't directly mentioned in my "things I love" post is coats. Granted, I get pretty sick and tired of wearing them by late January, but as the weather starts to cool down I do love coats. I have about a million coats, and I love buying new coats. Do they have rehab for coat-buyers? I might need it. This year, I have already bought two new ones: a nice warm navy blue one from Express, and a lightweight purple trench from Target. I'm trying to control myself but if I had my way, I would not be done yet. (In my defense though, when I spend all winter walking around the city, my coat is the only thing people see - it's like my "outfit." You wouldn't expect a girl to go a whole season with just one or two outfits, would you?)

My new Express coat

My new purple trench from Target

(Also in my defense, I only buy coats if they're on sale. So at least I'm a financially savvy coat addict.)

Another thing that I love about cooler weather that I failed to mention before is that Achilles gets really cuddly and cute as it gets chilly in our apartment. He has a knack for finding soft, warm spots to lay - usually on a pile of blankets, or cuddled up as close to a person as he can get. It's very sweet. Also, as he is getting up there in years, he seems to have forgotten how to keep his tongue in his mouth, so that's fun, too.

A look at fall Achilles, clockwise from top left: cuddled in blankets with his tongue out; snuggled up against a pillow; sprawled out among blankets on the couch; and climbing up on me, demanding attention.

And of course, I can't not mention the changing leaves. While Eric was in Florida, Achilles and I went for a nice long walk in Central Park to check out the fall foliage. It was so beautiful, we took Eric back with us again this past weekend. I have a whole post about the gorgeous scenery coming up later this week (so stay tuned!) but here are a couple of teaser pictures for you:

 The Pond

Family photo under a random tree

Beautiful, no?

So really, I'm doing okay with this changing seasons thing. I'm hanging in there. For now. We'll talk again in February, I'm sure.

Ahoy! Our Halloween 2010

Without further ado, allow me to present to you the official W. Family Halloween photo, featuring Captain Achilles:

That dog just loves to dress up. He's a natural!

But let's back up! Did everyone enjoy their Halloween weekend? We had a great time! Last year we went all out with costumes and hit up the Village Halloween Parade, but this year we were a little more low-key. It was nice, actually.

Our celebration began on Friday night. Last year we had heard that Trinity Church does an "All Hallows' Eve" event, including a happy hour in the cemetery followed by a screening of a silent movie with live organ accompaniment in the cathedral. Last year's movie was The Phantom of the Opera, which would have been incredible to see. But, we missed it last year, so we made plans to check out this event this year. And it was so worth it!

We started with the Haunted Hamilton Happy Hour in the cemetery. They had spooky decorations up, free spiked apple cider, music playing, and creepy characters walking around. We got our cider and spent some time wandering through the cemetery, looking at all the very old headstones, including the grave of Alexander Hamilton (hence, the name of the happy hour). It was spooky and fun!

Eric in the festive Halloween atmosphere

Spooky look up at the church

The cemetery

Alexander Hamilton's grave

Enjoying cider in the cemetery

More happy hour fun

Looking up at the church from the cemetery

After happy hour we went into the church for this year's silent movie, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. I am no movie expert, but Wikipedia tells me that this 1920s German Expressionist film is credited with having introduced the twist ending in cinema, and this movie is often considered one of the greatest horror movies of all time. I had never heard of it, so I enjoyed seeing a new (old) movie - it did have an unexpected twist ending, and the set design seemed to be a precursor to Tim Burton's style. The most incredible part, however, was the organ accompaniment. They set up an organ at the front of the church next to the main movie screen, and Trinity organist Robert Ridgell played along with the show. He did a fabulous job. It was such a cool thing to see, and hear!

The main movie screen at the front of the church, with the organ to the left

Show time!

The organist

VIDEO: A few seconds of the movie with organ accompaniment

The only disappointing part of the evening was knowing how much fun we would have had at this event last year, but we missed it!

After the movie, we continued our awesome night. Now, this part doesn't have anything to do with Halloween, but our night as a whole was such a fun New York evening I just have to clump it all together. The movie finished at 8:30, and at that point we just didn't feel like going home. Since we were downtown anyway, we decided to walk down to Battery Park and check out the Statue of Liberty at night.

As we made our way there, we passed the Bull, which was surprisingly not surrounded by tourists. We took full advantage of the situation and each hopped on for a photo! I have no idea how I got up there (except that I had a lot of help from Eric) and I definitely got off by sliding down his nose, which is not ideal. Eric, however, seamlessly climbed up and hopped down. Impressive!

Bull-riding!

We then made our way down to Battery Park, which was also very deserted except for some fisherman along the water. As we made our way south, we saw a Staten Island Ferry approaching, so we decided to run and catch it so we could take a quick nighttime ride. We made it just in time, and found a seat outside (in the cold!) so we could check out lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty all lit up at night. It was beautiful.

The best shot we could get of Lady Liberty at night

Huddled together to stay warm on the ferry!

We ended up getting held up in Staten Island for a half hour before we could ride back, but we were plenty entertained by the many costumed people waiting for the ferry to Manhattan for their Halloween celebrations. Great people watching!

When we got back to Manhattan, we took the subway back to our neck of the woods. On the way home, Eric was hungry, so we decided to finally stop for some street food from the vendor next to our Blockbuster. Weird as it sounds, we've been wanting to do that for months, because every time we pass by there that food cart smells so good. We finally tried it, and it was tasty!

Mmm, street food!

It was just such a cool New Yorky night, because the event we had planned (at Trinity) was fabulous, plus we did so many awesome things just on the spur of the moment after our planned event! I love those nights, when you never know where the city will lead you. There's just no place like New York.

Anyway, back to Halloween. Our celebration continued yesterday on Halloween proper with our annual Pumpkin Carving and Dog Humiliation rituals. Achilles was gifted a pirate costume this year, and in furtherance of the theme, Eric found a great pirate ship design for us to carve into our pumpkin. We did the usual routine: Eric found the design, I printed it, Eric cut the top off the pumpkin, we both scooped the goop, I poked holes in the pumpkin to outline the design, he carved it, and I cleaned up the pumpkin shavings afterwards. Then light, step back, and admire. Eric did a great carving job, as always!

Scooping the goop

Our little family sitting around the table, planning our pumpkin design

Eric carving the pumpkin, and Achilles looking tortured yet festive

Hard at work

Our pirate ship pumpkin!

Halloween decor

As we carved our pumpkin, we also sipped hot spiked apple cider (yuuuummmm) and watched It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Is that festive or what?

Mmmm, cider!

I love this movie.

When the pumpkin was finished, that meant it was time to get the dog into his costume of the year. Of course, he wasn't just satisfied wearing the pirate costume with only the shirt and hat it came with. No, no. This dog is detail-oriented. He also needed an earring, an eye patch, and a treasure chest filled with loot. We also considered giving him a bottle of rum, but he's only 7 years old, after all!

Captain Achilles with his treasure and pirate ship

I'm sorry, but is he cute or what???

And just to prove that we don't torture him with no reward, Achilles got a Halloween treat after the photo shoot was finished:

Treats for his tricks!

And that was our Halloween! Another fun one for the record books!