Mouse Trap

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When I was a kid I had the board game "Mouse Trap," which had you set up an elaborate trap (Pee Wee Herman's Big Adventure breakfast maker-style) while marching your mouse around the board by rolling the die. Little did I know that later in life I would again be marching around setting up traps for mice...this time around I wouldn't call it fun. I've always heard in NY you were almost guaranteed to have a mouse in your house at least once. I thought that time for me was in my first apartment in '06. My neighbors moved out and they renovated the apartment causing a little mouse to lose his home and come into my apt under the door. He was a little guy and he died a horrible death at the hands of my super after getting caught in my shower tub. Poor little guy...it really is a horrific story that I cannot repeat, but feel free to ask me if you are truly curious.
So, two years later in my new upgrade apartment, there's an economic crisis and about 4 apartments in my building become vacant from move-outs. I am currently blaming the moving, but ask me in another week or so as I might think my building needs to be condemned! So, before my roommate and I left for the holidays we caught 2 mice that we suspected were hiding (well actually fighting) behind the fridge. One had the ugliest mug I have ever seen...he was an evil version of Jerry with big ears who has haunted my dreams ever since I had to throw him and his trap out! For a while there was about 10 traps lining every wall area soaked with pied piper mouse-juice I was recommended by another NY mouse catcher.
I thought surely I was safe from these filthy little rodents and free to go back to doing things like walking around barefoot. But oh no, yesterday in the bathroom as I'm brushing my teeth, I caught something from the corner of my eye and realized that I was trapped with another mouse in my own bathroom! Determined to catch the little bugger, I left and locked him in there while I armed myself with shoes and a broom...and roommate "support." When I came back in the mouse was gone! Obviously there is another pathway behind my laundry machine that is providing a Grand Central Station like tunnel for all these creatures! Unable to get the super to come until Tuesday, I came home tonight to find another baby mouse in my bathtub (I know it is not the same one from yesterday...my guess is that this one is the newbie and he got suckered by the bigger mouse to go out there and test the waters). After some freaking out and setting up a game plan for this mouse trap, we suckered the mouse out in a trash bag and I ran him out. It was a traumatic experience and somehow I fear it's not over. It's time for my super to get on board, I'm tired of this game!!!

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Me assessing the situation - I have a pic of the little guy but it grosses me out to even post it!

So this is Christmas...

For the first time ever I am not ready for Christmas this year! For one, what the hell happened to the time? Wasn't it just Thanksgiving and today it's two weeks from Christmas Eve? Second, as most of you know, I lost my sweet Grandma Hudson a week ago today. Christmas Eve was always the day we would go out to her place - I can see her now with her apron on sneaking her own Christmas fudge while finishing up the food for dinner. Her 1945 tree is by the window standing a proud 3 feet tall with multi-color stranded bulbs as big as an egg. A lot of us forget the true meaning of Christmas, but it is because of this story that my Grandmother is celebrating in Heaven as we speak. Although it doesn't feel like a time for cheer, it's really a joyous occasion!
So in the battle of Crystal vs. the Grinch, I am slowly winning. I took the first step by purchasing a tree, a haggled $35 tree from the corner of 49th and 9th. My roommate and I decorated it tonight while listening to Christmas tunes, a two-year tradition for us. I think I'm on my way to holiday cheer...next up "It's A Wonderful Life." Hell, maybe I'll try that Christmas fudge again this year - got to do Wilma proud!
Happy Holidays friends and loved ones!

Can't take the heat...got to get out of Hell's Kitchen!

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For the second time since I have lived in the HK, there has been a building fire on my street. Around 11am on Sunday morning (no judgement on my sleep patterns...) I awoke to the smell of smoke from my open bedroom window. I was actually thinking about the smell in a dream and then my conscious was like "wake up, there could be a fire!" When I looked out the window a huge billow of black smoke came toward me and I was sure that my building was on fire. No fire alarms going off and no smoke in my hall, I went back to the window and realized it was coming from the corner building on my block (I'm about 2 building down from 10th Avenue). As the fire trucks wailed on my street I threw on some clothes/shoes, grabbed my purse (and Ricky), went wake up my roommate and then flew out the door. The adrenaline running through my body was so intense! I went across the street and watched the building en fuego...I was shaking, watching it was frightening. I knew it wouldn't spread into my building, but I was more concerned with the people waiting on their fire escape to be rescued by the FDNY. Thankfully, no one was hurt and everyone made it safely out of the building! My grandma has this saying "jaimes deux sans trois" which means "never two without three"...needless to say I'll be purchasing some fire insurance on my apartment!

Here's a video I found online of the fire that day!

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

Dinner at Shea

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As summer comes to an end, New Yorkers have only a month left (not counting playoffs) to enjoy two iconic borough staples: Shea Staduim and Yankee Stadium. Both ballparks will be made into parking lots after this season to make way for new, shinier and smaller stadiums that will no doubt costs more to visit. Wanting to say goodbye to one of her favorite bars, Marisa got the girls together for one more night of Mets Juice. Unfortch for us, Friday night was getting its ass kicked by Hurricane Ike and we suffered the consequences! As the rain poured down we still make the trek on the 7 train hoping that "rain delay" really did just mean that. Two hours later, just as I'm mid-hot dog, the game is called and the dream is dead. Looks like I should start saving now for the $10 hotdog next season.

From Blogger Pics

Adios Shea!

From Blogger Pics

Mets Meat!

Nike Runs the World

I was so enthralled with this Times Square advertisement and was almost run-over while while staring at it and crossing 8th Ave. So naturally, I have take a picture and share! How did I not hear about a world-wide 10K run put on by Nike? The concept - 25 cities around the world will hold a 10K race on the same day. The outcome - over 1 million runners will compete as a city and raise money for the charities Livestrong, Onemillion.org, and WWF. Being Nike, their website is full of cool training gear, training tools like Nike+ Coach, music for your running playlist, and runners profiles. A must see for marketing campaign lovers like myself!

The run is 08.31.08 and I just happen to be in Kansas that day and not able to witness it with my own eyes or participate...oh, who am I kidding...I would not be able to run this thing in 5 days! I can barely stomach the thought of my Turkey Trot 10K coming up on Thanksgiving - got to get back in shape. Registration closes on Wednesday the 27th if you are in the participating US cities: New York, Austin, Chicago and Los Angeles. Good Luck Runners!

Gaf-bye Zach!

By the end of this month my best friends and couple-icon, Zach and Carren, will be moving to the Big D - a.k.a Dallas, Texas. On the eve of Zach's departure, we headed out in the HK for one last drink - IN! Now, while I'm sure Zach was sad to say goodbye to me, I'm pretty sure he was more sad to say goodbye to The Gaf! To pay tribute, I give you pics from our last night all together in the best bar in NYC!

Zach - Best of luck buddy! I am still due a dead-leg and pretty sure you still owe me my winnings from the KU National Championship bet!


Darts! Can you see my winning score in the background? Bring it!


CB & Z!

Fake Plastic Trees

Like most people, I was rocking out to the song "Creep" in '92 (Radiohead's first single), but I can't say that I ever gave the full album a chance. Later in my high school years OK Computer was released and I fell in love with songs like "Karma Police" and "Paranoid Android", but again, I never really got into them. Fast forward to Fall of '07, sitting in Inkstop Tattoo on Ave B watching my dad get his ink worked on and listening to Radiohead's new album In Rainbows - start to finish, I was hooked!

So when I heard that Radiohead was headlining the All Points West 3-day festival in August, I had to find a way to go. Lucky for me, my co-worker and Royal Flush Publisher/Art-Design-God Josh Bernstein (many thanks) was able to hook a sister up with tickets to the Saturday show! I really didn't know what to expect...I honestly didn't want to get caught up in the hype and left disapointed. The verdict: best live show I have ever seen. I was amazed by the stage lighting, how unbelievable they sounded and how many great songs they have. Afterward, I immediately started to download albums that I have missed through the years, like The Bends and Kid A.

In case you want to take a listen for yourself, here's the set list from the Saturday August 9th show:
SET LIST
01 "Reckoner"
02 "15 Step"
03 "The National Anthem"
04 "Kid A"
05 "All I Need"
06 "Nude"
07 "Weird Fishes"/"Arpeggi"
08 "Where I End And You Begin"
09 "The Gloaming"
10 "Faust Arp"
11 "No Surprises"
12 "Jigsaw Falling Into Place"
13 "The Bends"
14 "Bangers & Mash"
15 "Everything In Its Right Place"
16 "Exit Music (For A Film)"
17 "Bodysnatchers"
----
18 "Pyramid Song"
19 "Videotape"
20 "Airbag" (for Kings Of Leon)
21 "Fake Plastic Trees" - About cried, this song was so great live!
22 "There There"
----
23 "House Of Cards"
24 "Planet Telex"
25 "Idioteque"


Trying to get a close up of Thom Yorke


View of the festival (in New Jersey) with NY in the background


Josh and I at the show


And, of course, check out Josh's article and the Royal Flush website:
http://royalflushmagazine.com/2008/08/16/a-tale-of-two-festivals-mayhem-vs-all-points-west/
http://royalflushmagazine.com/

Closet Chaos

I've been meaning to blog about my amazing time at the Radiohead concert (two weeks ago!), but it's been pretty chaotic lately. Busy at work, busy with friends, family, life, drama, the usual things that get us stressed out. It can always be worse and to prove that point in a non-life threatening comedic way, I give you a picture of what chaos looks like in a day in the life of my closet.

About 2 months ago the bar broke in my closet and left me with this mess. You could say it was the straw that broke my closets' back. Dear Closet, what had gotten you so stressed? Do I weigh you down with unnecessary jeans that I still have since college? Are you upset that you have to live with my hamper filled with sweaty yoga clothes? I am so sorry and have gotten our uber-creepy Cuban super Abraham to come fix you up and reinforce your bar. Ah, just think of all the new clothes possibilities now!

The moral to the story is 'don't stress or you'll end up a mess!' Hope everyone is having a good week! xoxo

Almost Famous at Mayhem

Team Revolver!

This September will mark my 3-year anniversary at Future US working on Guitar World and Revolver. There have been some pretty good perks working on these music titles, such as free CDs, Guitar Hero in the conference room, and late hours of arrival to work (love that I get to sleep in). For me, one the the coolest things is to see and sometimes meet musicians in the office like Lenny Kravitz, Dave Mustaine, Buckethead, Down, Charo, and (my favorite run-in) Rev Theory. On Wednesday, I experienced the biggest perk of all time at the Mayhem Festival in Uniondale, NY.
The Mayhem Festival has over 30 show dates featuring a line up of 13 different bands playing on 3 different stages and this year Revolver is a sponsor. So when I was asked if I wanted to join the staff outing to go to the NY show, I was immediately IN! We took off around 2 pm (my boss in California was very willing to let me leave to join in this fun, which I was very grateful of) in our rented van and hit the road. We checked in and headed over to the Revolver Tent to see our marketing guru Mario who's been on the tour for over a month now. Next we took advantage of our ALL ACCESS PASS and watched the Walls Of Jericho show from back stage. Before they took the stage we met their lead singer Candace and I remember thinking to myself "she's sweet" and then moments later she gets on the stage and wails on the mic like a badass! I'm talking the metal stereotypical "raahhh" screaming - it was impressive and their fans get so in to it! Afterward we took a look at the tour bus which was pretty decent, minus the coffin like bunks they have to sleep in. We went to the main stage to watch the Mastodon show (again from backstage) and then back outside to watch Machine Head.
The heat and beer finally started to get to us, so we headed down to the VIP area to the catered (and delicious) food for the bands and promoters. This whole time I was having a bit of a Wayne's World moment as we flashed our All Access Passes to get into these locations and get by the security. Recharged, we went back to the main stage for the headlining shows Disturbed and Slipknot. For those not familiar with the later band, it consists of 9 guys (from Iowa) who play all of their shows with these crazy masks. They put on quite a show and have a huge fan following. We were in the back hall of the stadium on our way out for the show when Slipknot made their way to the stage with their bodyguards. Silence fell upon all of us as backed up to the hallway wall and watched these 9 (and some of them huge) masked dudes walk by...it was intense! We moved to seats on the right side of the stage to literally watch the Mayhem. Even though most of these metal bands are not on my regular playlist, I have to say that I enjoyed ever show. Afterwards we went to the after-party BBQ with the bands to eat and drink some more. A special shout out to Mike from Walls of Jericho, my new best friend. Overall I had such a blast and the greatest concert experience of all time! I hope you enjoy some of the pictures from the show! Rock on!


Kids hanging out by the tents (the bright yellow one is the Revolver tent)


Backstage watching the Walls of Jericho show


Last outdoor show of the day - Machine Head


Mastodon!


Disturbed!


Taking a break outside and making friends with the Uniondale PD


Corey Taylor (lead singer) and the rest of the masked men of Slipknot!


Afterparty with Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Bill Kelliher from Mastodon!

You'll never forget your first!

On Thursday, after my volunteering shift at MSKCC, I decided to enjoy the evening and take a stroll down 2nd Ave to my old hood before getting on the subway to return to Hell's Kitchen. Most of the new additions are trivial to most, but to me a year ago they would have been life changing: a working and non-sketchy laundromat, a place to get my eyebrows groomed, a dunkin donuts, etc. I took a moment to take in the nostalgia of my old hood in the finally finished park area across the bridge entrance. The picture you see is looking east toward the 59th street bridge to Queens. If you look at the right between the trees, there is a white building next to the orange construction signs. The top two windows from the right are my old apartment...tear...how I miss that place! My first New York apartment! It was ridiculously small, up a killer flight of stairs, with a leaning foundation and a non-existent closet, but I heart it still! I hope someone else is loving it as much as I did.....even if it is for 40% more than I paid - suckers!

Can I get a witness?

As some of you may know, I was summoned by New York Country two weeks ago to serve jury duty. No doubt this entry into the selection pool was due to my registration to vote - damn you Democratic election! Anyway, I went in thinking I would sit around for 2 days and get dismissed like most of my fellow NY friends had told me from their experience. But since my luck ran out a long time ago after a little win on the Price is Right, I was of course selected for a trial! To my dismay, this meant a full week and a half of court during one of the busiest times in our fiscal year at work - boo. There was no way out of it, so I sucked it up and did my civic duty! Even though the trial is over (not-guilty, in case your wondering), I won't publicly post any details. I will say that after it was all said and done (in less time then expected), I was really glad that I had this experience. Not to get too politically sappy, but I love America and to see our justice system at work and to be a part of the process was pretty cool! I feel 100% sure about my verdict vote. And while there were disappointments exposed regarding our legal structure, I'm still glad we have the right to fair trial of our peers....even if that meant me spending a week trucking it down to City Hall and eating Chinatown noodle soup for lunch every day. I leave you with a few pics of downtown from the first day (after I was reprimanded for bringing a camera into the courthouse)....a beautiful area if you are around during the Mon-Fri daytime. I love the building and history of it all and I might have to come back to explore some more!

Seeing all the signs

When you're in Times Square it's hard not to check out the advertising in the area (even if that puts you at risk of looking like a tourist with your head up and your camera out). I think there are some old school New Yorkers out there that hate the bright lights and commercialism that has taken over the 42nd to 49th street triangle. Me, well...I love it! I think NY has some of the coolest examples of advertising! When I was in college studying "strategic communications" we planned our ad campaigns with the following media: t.v., radio, and print. While those mediums still hold true in the big city, there's additional avenues to take those campaigns. I have seen ad campaigns specific to a subway cars, bus stop benches set to a t.v. theme, CD sampling stations in the waiting area of a subway, ads on the sidewalk, ads of my coffee cup, and even petty-cabs dressed like a great white to promote shark week (man, I wish I could have got a picture of that one!). What I'm saying is that NY isn't the only place for innovative ad campaigns, but it's definitely a mecca for it. So, a new post category of my blog will be designated for ads that I think are funny, unusual, awful, or just plain cool. The first I start you with is a Times Square billboard that made me do a double take because I actually thought they men were real hanging up the "R". If you've seen a chick-fil-a billboard you know this isn't really breaking the mold, but I definitely think it gets points for creativity. Enjoy!

Celebrity Stalking on the Bale Trail

Where do I begin?  I guess to start you must know that I love celebrity sightings!  It's not like I run up to these celebs and try to get their autograph, it's the idea that my life co-exists with theirs in this great city.  I don't know if my fascination of celebs stems from my involvement in the publishing world or something else (a secret desire to be famous? a love of gossip? a deeper interest in psychology and sociology?). The second thing you should know is that every year two of my favorite peeps (and my movie buddies) have a film premiere obsession!  Last year, we were counting down the days to HP5 (Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix).  This year, it's the Dark Knight - a well deserved movie for all the hype that surrounds it!

So when I got the call to "fucking get my ass up here" for the many celeb sightings at the premiere of the Dark Knight at the 67th and Broadway IMAX theater, I couldn't resist.  I can't resist the shame of admitting that my main reason for going were to just catch a glimpse of Christian Bale...unfortch, he had already arrived and gone through the red carpet before I arrived...tear....but the dream still lives.  I did have the pleasure of seeing famous peeps such as Penn Badgley and Blake Lively (not so cute in person)...Josh Hartnett (long haired and throwing on a fedora as he arrived late to the red carpet - mucho caliente!)...Edie Falco, Patrick Wilson, and Regis Philbin ("hey Reg, the red carpet is that way!").  Overall a new and fun experience, minus the non-CB sighting, but hey...HP6 in November - already planning to take the day off for that one!  Until then, I leave you with a picture of the Bat-mobile parked out front of the premiere.  Thanks to J-Mo for scooping us on the premiere sight and encouraging the stalking!

Namaste New York

For anyone who knows me, getting up at 7:00 am on a Saturday is NOT my idea of a good time. But on June 21st I participated in the Mind Over Madness Yoga Summer Solstice in Times Square.  As far as amazing New York experiences go, this one is at the top of the list. Several yoga classes were held from 8am to Sunset at the cross section of 7th Ave and Broadway at 43rd Street.  Many people know that Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, but it is not typically celebrated in Western society. Some believe that on this day when the sun is at its full force of energy we are at the height of our creative powers, femininity and fertility. This of course was not my first thought about that day...I was more worried about the cab driver popping the curb and busting in on my sun salutations!

When we got there the line was long and I was positive there was no way we were all fitting in that tiny triangle separating 7th from Broadway!  Thankfully we made it in, got our goodie bag (including a mat, t-shirt, food/drinks, etc), found our spot and began our practice.  I don't know about the other 100 or so people there, but I was completely unaware of the taxis flying by.  It was a nice practice; a good pace and energizing start in the morning of the longest day of the year.  It was amazing to feel present in the experience, but I couldn't help to stop and come back to reality of where I was. I would get into Warrior II and realize that people were standing on the opposite sidewalk taking my picture. Or realizing when I was in shoulder stand that I was lying in the middle of Times Square looking up at the sky and buildings surrounding. At that very moment the song "The Sounds of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel (maybe best know for Will Ferrell's drowning song in Old School) came on and I couldn't help but smile. I knew that I would always remember that moment.

My friend Paige and I both had an amazing experience that I hope to repeat again next year!  Here are some images from that day - click on a photo below to see more in my album. I hope you enjoy and are inspired to join me for the next Summer Solstice!  Namaste New York! 

You forgot your gorilla suit!

Earlier this month I was on my way to yoga headed west on 36th street.  As I turned on 8th Ave to head north towards my studio I was stopped dead in my tracks by the complete chaos in front of me [middle pic].  I had an idea that something was up when I heard the helicopters above me and sirens getting closer.  No cars moving, crowds of people in the streets and tons of people looking up.  First thought was "oh shit" followed by: is a building on fire? is someone going to jump? I'm a few blocks away from this "happening" at the Times Building [top pic] and finally I had to ask a guy taking pictures "what the hell is going on?" And he looks at me like I'm the crazy one and says "there's a guy climbing that building!"

Um, excuse me? Like Spidey? I got out my camera, which is a permanent item in my purse for moments like this, and tried to zoom in on this daredevil.  Sure enough, I see a dude in orange pants [bottom pic] climbing up 52 stories with no safety rope.  Of course I was worried for his life, but at the same time I was about to miss yoga because of this nut-job so I was hoping he would hurry up already and get to the top.  After my wish was granted, everyone kind of shrugged, gave a "well, that was interesting look" and the 8th Ave crowd parted like the Red Sea - just another day.

Upon further investigation, the man I saw was a copy cat climber and Brooklyn resident Renaldo Clarke.  The original climber earlier that day (yes, there were TWO) was a Frenchman named Alain Robert. He was climbing the building while dragging a sign that read "global warming kills more people than 9/11 ever week."  Too bad the sign was illegable from the streets.  Oh, and probably not the best thing to pull a stunt that reminisces Sept. 11th while insulting the people who lost their lives that day. Mother Earth: zero, Aspiring Spidermen: 1.

 Click Here for the story in NY Times.

Chapter 1

Hello and welcome to my blog!  I moved to the most amazing city in the world, New York, about 3 years ago and the moment I got here I knew I was home.  There are so many fascinating stories, interesting people, unique experiences, horrible ordeals and unforgettable moments that are the reason why living here is so great for me.  After constantly repeating my stories to friends and family back home, I decided to take their advice and start a blog.  A precursor: I am not a writer, nor will I try to be so no judgement.  This will just be a spot to share the latest happenings in my life and the city.  More specifically "See Em Hudson" will be dedicated to life the way I see it as c(rystal) m(ichelle) hudson!  So, I hope you enjoy and start to heart New York as much as I do!

-cmhudson