Who is that man?

Well pals – that man – or at least that voice is none other than my pal Bill Cramer – and he is knee deep in voice over work. A quick aside – normally I would have made up a silly name like ‘none other than Marsupial Taffy-Eater,’ or ‘Cannonball Lemonade Sally’ or whatever – but since his actual name is up top on his website – then everyone here at editing (yes – there is an editing department) decided that the road that we took was the best road to take.

Anyway – this is the niftiest thing – and if you ever need some serious SAG voice over work – then he is for you. Socks and I are going around the neighborhood today looking for dropped change and any cans/bottles that we can find so that we can hire good old ‘Cannonball’ to read us some choice words from our current favorite novel – not sure what the name is – but it involves a tiny brown bunny with a little white tail hanging out on the front yard of a big house.

Go to his website (www.billvo.com) and watch (or just listen to) his stuff!

Snowflake #81

,

Daisy May's BBQ

,

For my big style birthday secret party eating jam I was taken to Daisy May’s BBQ way over in the hinterlands of 11th avenue in Manhattan. While I had heard of it – I had never been there and was totally shocked to find out just how close to my work local that this gem of a restaurant is.

After a bunch of hemming and hawing with which kind of ribs to get – the nice girl behind the counter offered me the choice of an off the menu mixture of the two. My decision was made for me. I would be eating both the Kansas City Sweet & Sticky and the Memphis Dry Rub Pork Ribs (I ended up preferring the Dry Rub – as they had a nice spice to them) as well as the little army of sides that were must haves . . . the Rustic Creamy Corn with NY State Cheddar (the creamed corn had cheese in it – yum!), the Baked Beans with Burnt Ends (whoever invented burnt ends is on my short list of heroes, the Mashed Potatoes with Red Eye Gravy (you could probably put the gravy on a shoe and I just may eat it – or at least gum it a little bit) and the Golden Spicy Corn Bread (so – so tasty).

I had enough food to last for days – literally, I just finished it all today (three days later) – and I haven’t even gotten around to telling you about the sweet tea – that comes in a mason jar (that you get to keep!) – that has mint in it – that is the best sweet tea by far that I have had in many many moons.

The prices were kind of normal prices for a BBQ place in these and many other parts that I have been to and are pretty indicative of what I feel like I should be paying for food that is so time consuming to make – and which requires so much love to make . . . that cooking love is some expensive stuff. The only thing that was a bit rough was the $4.00 sweet tea – but again – since it was brewed in tea heaven in pitchers held by ancient gods that used cherub tears to get it to that perfect sweetness and sprigs of mint delicately harvested from the untouched (by dirty human hands) mint fields of legend to infuse the taste with an extra special level of depth . . . I really can’t complain – I mean criminy – how much is gas these days?!

Anyway – if you can get there – then go and eat as much as you can. Try not to fall into the boat that I did – which was going a little too far past my eating threshold . . . as you will have to walk quite a ways after your meal to get back to the mean streets of midtown – where I highly recommend that you maintain your wits at all times.

Because they are probably out to get you . . . that’s why.

Here is the info:

Daisy May’s BBQ

Restaurant: 623 11th Ave. (at 46th St.), 212-977-1500.
Cart: 50th St. between 6th and 7th Avenues, No Phone.
http://www.daisymaysbbq.com/

So I bought an iPhone

,

Misery is my mistress and she has a hold on my heart.

I have been giddy about the iphone since I got a first generation ipod and decided in my head that it would one day make a nifty phone. When the actual device was announced a year and a half ago – my giddiness grew exponentially. I even made a cartoon about it . . .

Being the wizard of finance that I am – I decided to hoard apple gift cards until my cell phone contract had expired. This was a move that pushed me directly into the “wait for the second generation” window.

When the 3g model was announced – which came out on my birthday no less – I knew that it had to be mine. I had waited all that time – I had the gift cards – and the whole birthday thing . . . it was a match made in retail heaven.

I couldn’t even really sleep the night before and am not in the least bit ashamed to tell you that anytime that I did fall asleep – I was greeted with dreams starring iphones in various guises. In one dream – the iphones were dancing about. They seemed very well practiced. I can’t remember a more sleepless night for the sake of buying something – or christmas morning – or whatever in my life – and am happy that I still have the capacity for such reckless dorkiness.

When I got to the mall at 6:45 am – I was amazed at how many people were there – but didn’t mind as I had a book, a blueberry scone and a chai tea latte. The day took it hard to the nose at 7:15 am when a little bird called alarmed that she had been locked in her cage. I had to leave the line – drive home – unlock the cage – walk around the world with Socks – and then get back to the line as quick as a flash of light in a tin can – which by-the-by is pretty quick.

I got back to the mall at 8:30 am and almost did an immediate about face when I saw that there were a couple of hundred more people in the line. Then – I saw the woman that was sitting behind me – and I decided that I was going to do something that I have tried to get better at not doing . . . I would have a conversation. Here is how it went.
“Excuse me miss.”
“Yes”
“Do you – by any chance remember me? I was sitting in front of you earlier.”
“No. I’m sorry I don’t.”
“We were sitting over there. You got here at about 6:55 am or so.”
“No. I don’t think that I have ever seen you . . .”
“Alright.” (and this is where I got weird) “Your daughter (who was gone at this point) was wearing green shorts, had curly hair and you had a conversation with her about how she should text you because your cell phone battery was running out . . .”
Stunned (and probably horrified) – she looked at me and said that I needed to ask the kid behind her if it was okay. The kid could care less – and I was back in my place in line with only the tiniest bit of awkwardness extended.

I got the phones one for me and one for the little bird (we are a family) and everything went pretty well. Here is where the heartbreak comes into play. I get no reception. I drop calls all over the place. If I turn the 3g part of the phone on – I get no bars. If I turn the 3g off – I get up to 3 bars that mock me – because I know that if I trust them and try to take a call – then they will just pull the rug out from under me and waggle the “No Service” sign under my nose.

I love the phone. I love how it syncs up to my computer with my calendars and photos and music. The app store is a jolly good time – and now that I have figured out the ins and outs of the battery life – that isn’t even a terrible issue. But what is the point of having a phone if it isn’t even a phone?!

I have joined forums talking about the problem – and tried the little tricks that people swear by (“toggle off airplane mode!”) and have even swapped out my sim card, restored the phone and had at&t run a diagnostic test on the little bugger. All to no avail. My next step is to go to the apple store tomorrow – switch this one out – in hopes that something will change – and go from their.

Oh pancakes (my iphones name) you are indeed a cruel lover . . .

Snowflake #80