NYC Success Story

Photo: Vysyn Photography

Last year there was an open call for the Raising The Bar NYC Stories talk. They were looking for New Yorkers or "people in NY" who have a NYC story - anyone who's made a name for themselves, succeeded in New York City.

"If you’ve lived here you know that once you succeed in New York, you can succeed anywhere. Whether its starting your own business, performing with your favorite musician, falling in love, or simply getting to the nearby subway station just in time for the train; winning in New York is a feeling unparalleled by any other. If you’ve lived here you’ve experienced the highest peaks and the lowest pits, and we want to hear your stories."

-- Raising The Bar 

Here's what I wrote in hopes of being able to share my story. It got me to the 2nd round - the Skype interview:

Le Flâneur Et Son Pain

Re-working of Paul Gavarni's Le Flâneur from 1842 by Spenot

Here's the latest vignette I wrote for my French lessons. I started early last month with I met Anthony Bourdain. He was bound to inspire me. A few years ago a friend was reading a book about a wandering man, le flâneur. It's stuck with me ever since, even if the term isn't a common one in French (according to my French buddy). My imagination continues to flourish. My French is... coming along.

Dear Mr. Anthony Bourdain

Of all the sidewalks in all the world he showed up on mine.


It was a bright, Thursday afternoon and I was heading back towards Columbus Circle from CBS Broadcast Center. As I passed my old stomping ground, the Time Warner Center, I looked up from my phone and there he stood.


He was there. Nerves bubbled up inside me but I didn't stop walking, I didn't alter the course. I knew I had to say something. Never mind that I was carrying two man grooming products in my hand. He moved his cell phone from his ear just as I got to him.

Feeling Great About Work

I've been working a lot lately. Native Creative Concierge™ and all the things related to it have kept me busy over the past month. And I've loved it. The obvious reason would be my business is gaining traction, so why wouldn't I feel good about that? Exactly. The work is meaningful to me.


But also the process of the work -- the paperwork (which I usually procrastinate on, got done), the inquiries and referrals that I have to respond to "seal the deal" have me flexing my communication muscles, designing my business cards and having those delivered, spending a few days with a corporate client while they were in NY being able to take photos and eat where Anthony Bourdain ate are all pluses. The planning of my Boozy Treats Tour, the food events in the "event proposal stages" and the networking needed to have those events become a reality are all rolling right along.

DJ Abbie Debut (Recap)

Ten days removed from my DJing debut. I've since come down off the high to the point that I haven't listened to music since. Which is astonishing for me. But I guess, subconsciously, my body and brain knew a detox was needed. I had a lot of fun controlling a room with music. In the weeks leading up to it, I organized most of my "world" music onto one playlist to make it easy. Then I organized them based on their sound or the mood they set. It's all about mood for me.

The Delicious Nasty Bits

If anything can make you fall in love with a man it would be reading him wax poetic about the tastes, sights, sizzles and textures of food from around the kitchen and around the world. That's what Anthony Bourdain did to me. I recently finished reading The Nasty Bits (which I bought a few weeks ago). Good lord, he's diddled my culinary travel nub exquisitely. He doesn't consider himself a writer? Well damn. He must have really good editors. I watched old episodes of No Reservations while I read it, adding to the experience.


Food is wonderful. It's a necessity. Yet I also love the process of cooking and preparing, presenting and consuming. Sharing a meal with someone is so enjoyable and bonding. I'd recently met someone and I have yet to see him eat. I later found out he eats one meal a day or a little over every 24 hours. We may never be able to "go to dinner", "share a meal" and that idea physically upset me.


Bourdain: good food does lead to good sex. As it should. 


On an subconscious level maybe I'm anticipating my time in dry dock will continue. But consciously, I know damn well I like to eat with people I like. The way someone eats is as telling as what someone eats (remember the Neanderthal?). I'll see if I can have a meal with said male to figure out what, if any, attraction there is between us.


Anthony Bourdain is releasing a chocolate bar. If it's dark chocolate, I may jizz in my pants. Yeah, baby. The love continues.

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Great Finds from bookbook

 

 Went to a bookstore today and bought 3 books. Topics: travel, food and sex. Hey, you love what you love.

I tweeted that on Saturday evening.


It felt good to be in a bookstore, to see the covers, to read the blurbs, to flip through the pages. I was at bookbook on Bleecker. These are the 3 titles I walked away with.

Smile When You're Lying: Confessions of a rogue travel writer by Chuck Thompson

The Nasty Bits: Collected Varietal Cuts, Usable Trim, Scraps, and Bones by Anthony Bourdain

Bonk: The curious coupling of science and sex by Mary Roach