Lack of Blogworthy Things

It's almost 2008 and I am having a blog dilemma ... I have nothing to say. Well, I always have lots to say but I never know what's interesting to say and what people might want to read. So I'm going to start throwing caution to the wind (we can call it a New Year's resolution) and just blog about whatever freakin' topic fancies me.

So I'll think about what to write but for now and wish everyone a happy, healthy new year.

Check out what's happening in Times Square for New Year's Eve here: http://www.timessquarenyc.org/

Absolutely Adorable!

Hopefully my discovery isn't too late to spread the word. A blog I fancy, Angry Chicken, has the most adorable and funny gift tags.


Click here for the pdf version.

Holiday Heresy!

This has never happened before or at least I've never heard of it. I don't like it.

I helped my father-in-law decide and purchase the gift (let's call it "gadget version 100") for his son, my husband. We were on the phone together when I ordered it and my FIL chose the in store pickup option. We both get the email saying the item is ready for pickup (yay!) and off my FIL goes to get the gift. He shows up at the store, hands his printed email over and they hand him "gadget version 99" and say that they ran out of version 100 and version 99 is $15 cheaper. WHAT?! FIL, who doesn't take any ish like that, refuses version 99 and promptly calls me to tell me the story. I was flabbergasted. In the end I found version 100 at another retailer and it arrived well before today.

Another similar story, my mother-in-law ordered a gift from Kohls and when her package arrived one of the items didn't look familiar to her. Figuring they sent the wrong item, she went to the store to return it for the correct item. She was told by Kohls that they had run out (or backorder) of the item and sent something of similar value "so that the recipient would have something to open on Christmas." Again, WHAT?!

I don't know if it's just me or everyone else, but I think that substitutions should be my decision rather than the retailers'. Just tell me you don't have it and let me figure out where to spend my money. I am guessing that retailers are in a bind now with the dollar being week and spending expected to be down so they are trying every tactic to "cross-sell" the customer. I'm sure about half the people out there offered the substitution route is going for it because (1) it gets the shopping done (and the recipient has something to open) and (2) sometimes the substitution will save you a few bucks. Regardless I still feel it's heresy.

Kenneth the Page

Who else out in the world is one of the "dozens and dozens" of 30 Rock viewers? If you are one, you'll be just as excited to hear/read as I was to see in front my own eyes, Jack McBrayer, who plays Kenneth the NBC Page.

I went out with a co-worker to pick up lunch from 49th and Broadway and on our way back, on 49th, Jack McBrayer passed by us. I focused in on his face, because it was familiar, and I slowly realized who it was and could feel my eyes getting wider and a giddy feeling rising up inside me (a goofy grin was probably involved). Jeez! I must have looked like a total crazy to him! Unfortunately, my co-worker was not as excited because she isn't one of the dozen fans of the show. So far, seeing Kenneth is my #1 celebrity city since beginning to work in New York. I've seen Rachel Dratch of SNL fame and Christopher Gorham from the short lived show, Out of Practice.

Rachel and Jack (yes, we are BFF now) all work in Rockefeller Center where NBC Studios is located and the building, 30 Rockefeller, is the origin of the show's name, 30 Rock.

If you don't watch 30 Rock, please do. The writing and the cast are so amazing and very hilarious. It's on NBC Thursdays at 8:30pm.