this sums it up

the actual music video had embedding disabled which worked out to my advantage as it caused me to scroll down and find this.

I am anxious for a time when this song doesn't describe my feelings.

w...t...f...?!?!?!?!

thank you reddit for bringing this to my attention.

I would like an explanation please, thanks.

thoughts after finishing Ape House

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I liked it.  I wonder what my impressions of it would have been had I not already read Water for Elephants as I find myself compelled to compare the two, though they are extremely different.

In the earlier post I did after only having read the first few chapters I said that I liked that Ape House wasn't as based in historical fact as Water for Elephants was, but after reading the Author's Notes I realize that there was some history in Ape House as well.  Apparently most of it was just in the conversations between the bonobos and the humans, which explains why it wasn't so apparent.  I guess when half of the dialogue is sentences like, "want candy coffee.  isabel go.  hurry gimme" you don't notice it being disjointed from the narrative as much.

I also think this story line played more to Gruen's interest in human nature than Water for Elephants did.  In that novel I felt like she was applying 21st Century thinking to characters living at the beginning of the last century, which I would argue is inaccurate.  I mean I understand that there are certain human emotions that we have always, and will always have, which is what makes Shakespeare still relevant today.  But at the same time it seems to me that humans have evolved to a place now where so much of our basic needs are met without effort that we are left with nothing to do but contemplate our own existence from dawn till dusk.  Or at least from dawn until we pass out from mid-afternoon drinking.

This is why I felt more connected to the storyline of Ape House, being that it's set in present time and also deals heavily with these very issues.  How we are looking to our next closest species to help explain ourselves.  What happens to these bonobo's when they are put in the Ape House and given everything they want immediately when they want it.  And just like with Shakespeare, it's only a handful of people that ask the questions and study the results, everyone else just happily sits at the bar watching the reality unfold on the tv screen in front of them.

I like Gruen's characterization, though just like in Water for Elephants I felt kind of uncomfortable with her version of what men think about or how men react to situations.  At least with Ape House she has enough other (female) characters to offset it, but in Water for Elephants I found myself continually annoyed with her assumption to know the ins and outs of a mans psyche.

That being said I really enjoyed the female characters in Ape House and how they all served as parallels for each other as well as parallells for the bonobos.  The whole thing about plastic surgery and superficiality was brilliant, and though it was focused primarily on the female characters, was written in an almost non-gender specific way that made it easy to relate even though I've never been involved in a disfiguring explosion.

Mostly I would say I was more lost in the narrative of Ape House than I was in Water for Elephants.  I can remember specific events from Water for Elephants but was never really compelled to turn the page by anything besides a desire to just finish the book.  With Ape House I was forcing myself to put it down so I wouldn't finish it all in one sitting.  Am I the only person that doesn't like finishing a book in one sitting?  But I came close, and I'd definitely say the final half of the book was finished this morning between coffee and lunch.

Speaking of, I need to go get lunch now.  Her ridiculously long and descriptive chapter about eggs benedict got me super hungry so I am off to barnyard for a bacon egg and cheese sandwich.  How are they so good?!

an afternoon with my favorite cheese monger

While waiting for Lilly to meet me I was staring at this corner and trying to figure out why it looked so strange.  I finally realized that this was where the Virgin store used to be.  What a sign of the times that it's a bank now eh?

It was really nice getting to reconnect with Lilly.  Who knew that you could find a flower filled enclave in Union Square to sit and have a juice?

After a thorough discussion of my life and its lack of direction we made our way to Anthropologie where Lilly was looking to burn through a gift card.  I think she should have gone with this torture chair:

Perfect for handcuffing a person to, and it's open bottom is perfect for when your victim loses control of their bowels from the torture.  I can't imagine what else this chair would be for since it was the least comfortable thing I have ever sat on.  And i've sat on some uncomfortable things.

The biggest thing is just that I got to reconnect with an old friend, which I think is really important for me right now.  I'm feeling very "I remember me" these days.  Or more like "I need to remember me".  Too many dumb people trying to make me do things that I don't want to do.

Mmm, I think it's time to have a jam out to J-Hud.  Thank's Meghan for giving me the run of your place so I can lip synch in my underwear to my hearts content.

counterintuitive

He has his waterless hand sanitizer clipped to his backpack so he can disinfect at a moments notice, and yet he walks down 14th street barefoot.

I think he's missing the point.

beyond amazing

Last night Craig took me to Korzo Haus for dinner and it was off the chain!  It's essentially a burger that's wrapped in dough and then deep fried.  In reality it's so much more than that but I was sold as soon as I heard "deep fried burger".

Besides the food being incredible we managed to score seats at the bar which meant we got a front row seat to the real action:

When we were walking Craig commented that the bar is the best because you get to interact with the chef/waitstaff, and he was right.  It was like dinner and a show.

My only regret is that I was still pretty full from brunch yesterday, I want to come back some time when I'm ravenous.  I guess we'll see how long I'm going to be here in ny, maybe I can make a return trip later this week.

rabbit rabbit rabbit

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FINALLY!

I thought July would never end.  But it has, and I for one am happy to welcome August and its holiday free days.  I'm thankful for friends like Jon and Meghan who facilitate me running away from my problems and hiding until things cool down though.

I certainly have enjoyed waking up and walking to 9th St. for coffee and then sitting at meghan's table to write.  So much better than starbucks in every way possible.

It makes me anxious to find out if I get to call Ft. Lauderdale my home or not.  I can certainly get used to living alone.  Well not entirely alone, I have missed kitty while I've been here in NY.  It's just not the same waking up of your own volition.  I've come to enjoy the feeling of heavy little feet pressing in to my face as he stomps all over in the wee hours of the morning.

I'll just have to be happy with all the nice doggies in nyc while I'm away from my precious angel.  Like this guy:

I feel like having a dog that large in ny is just your way of saying that you have an apt big enough to be home to a dog that large.  I mean, that dog is HUGE!  It seems like the east village is overrun with great danes too.  It makes me wish I could walk Bella and make friends.

Instead I'll just enjoy people watching in the park and pretending that I live here for real for reals.