LupRocks Gossip

(Modest) Qualities of a "Good" Summer

When I was growing up in the land of over 10,000 lakes, a couple of my summers were spent on boats at "the lake" with my friends.  I'd get picked up in the morning, we'd bake all day under the sun, and then we'd hang around wherever we might see guys in the evenings.  As I've gotten older and taken on more and more responsibilities, I've started to gauge my summers by a different set of standards.  Since I can't spend all day every day in a swim suit, and it looks like yet another summer has passed me by without the possibility of a hot summer fling, and seeing as it rained for 20 + days of June, I've become less discriminating about what constitutes a "good" summer:

• Being somewhere that is NOT New York City over 4th of July weekend (unless of course you have access to a fabulous high-rise apartment with a view of the East river, a.k.a. Mr. Smelzer's place two summers ago, OR you happen to be in a car going over the Brooklyn Bridge after a really great BBQ at Prospect Park just as the fireworks are going off and everyone stops driving and gets out of the car to watch the display). 
• A deck, some wine, some friends and a cool breeze on a warm night.
• A walk on a boardwalk.
• A swim in the ocean.
• A drive (or train ride) home from the beach, the salt in your hair, the feeling of the sun still on your skin.  
• A ride on a boat with the wind whipping through my hair.
• A float in a pool, preferably with some sort of fruity frozen beverage in the flotation device's cup holder.
• Pool Noodles. 
• Taking advantage of "summer Fridays" even if you don't get them; hey, we've all got to escape a little early on a Friday and belly up to a cool bottle of Sauvingnon Blanc with a friend once in a while!
• A much needed, humidity reducing rain (from the O.E.D. "Petrichor, n: the pleasant smell that often accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather in certain regions").
• A swing in a hammock. 
• A good table at an outdoor restaurant.
• Finally tracking down Big Gay Ice Cream Truck and getting one of these (thanks Blondie and Brownie!):

 

And I think that about sums it up.  If I can get most of these things checked off my list, even once, Summer '09 will officially qualify as a good summer.  More than once, I'm in heaven!  I'd love to hear anyone's "Summer Standards" and feel free to point out any glaring omissions! 

What's Your Dream Job?

Like many people, I spent a lot of my childhood wondering what I wanted to be when I grew up.  I tried to figure out a way to get paid to sit around and read books, but when I realized that probably wasn't going to happen, I went through a nurse phase, then a teacher phase, then a writer phase, then a politician phase, and finally, I settled on writing again.  After a long career as a bartender, I wound up here, in branding, public relations and product placement, go figure. 

I envy the countless number of people, mostly designers, who knew what they wanted to be from a young age and, several years later, are still doing what they love.  One thing I never anticipated was the fact that at, ahem, 30 something years of age, I would still be asking myself what I want to be when I grow up.  As much as I love what I do, I haven't given up trying to figure out a way I can get paid to sit around and read books, and with the rapidity with which our world changes, new ideas come into my head every day, and I'm constantly inventing jobs that don't exist that I'd like to get one day. 

One lucky friend of mine however, doesn't have to invent a job that he likes...it's been invented for him, and all he needs is for people to vote for his video and a dream job is his for the taking.  A former wine buyer in New York City (and my former boss during my bartending days), Greg Corbin is applying for A Really Goode Job with the wine company Murphy-Goode.  This job is a 6-month paid gig ($10K/month, sweet!) plus accommodations in the gorgeous wine country of California and requires an applicant that knows and loves wine (Greg), is creative (Greg) and is familiar with Web 2.0 technology (Greg).  Basically, if he get's the gig, Greg will get paid to drink wine and talk about it to the world.  His video is proof that he's clever and knows web 2.0, and take my word for it, this guy LOVES him some wine and is amazing at helping novices (me) discover what they love as well. 

So take a moment and help me and everyone who is still trying to discover her dream job live vicariously through Greg, go to the site and vote for his video.  Come on, do it...do it.  Do it.

Rain Rain Go Away!

Since 90% of my New York Facebook buddies have posted status updates relating to the weather--from the mundane ("Ugh.  This rain is bringing me down.") to the clever ("Just spotted Noah floating down the 4th fairway at Bethpage."), I figured I'd blog about the rain today.  I know, not much to be said about the rain other than, well, it's wet, but I've been focusing a lot on the most effective rain-combating styles since clearly my puma/jeans choice was the wrong one. 

One of the most popular city-slicker rain looks is the rubber rain boot.  The boots shown below can be found at J.Crew from $50-$115, but you can also pick up a more standard pair at an Army Supply store for around $25.  Sure, the industrial ones won't have cute characters on them, but no matter how you spin it, these things are always pretty ugly.  Capable of plowing through the giant pools that form on street corners, but ugly. 

While the below look might seem like an impractical choice, any New Yorker can tell you that one of the most disturbing things about the rain is having the bottoms of your jeans dragging on the wet ground, picking up all kinds of nastiness on your way to wherever you're trying to go (ideally to the doctor for a tetnus shot).  This look prevents that nastiness, even if you do need to precariously hobble.

The O.E.D. defines "Inadvertist" as "One who persistently fails to take notice of things."  I'm sorry this word has fallen out of popular use, especially when I want to scream "Inadvertist!" to any number of people who know nothing of umbrella etiquette and fail to notice, well, my head while weilding their unweildy umbrellas.  As effective as they may be, the ubiquitous golf umbrella should be avoided unless one is on a golf course. 

I think the best way to establish the most effect rain-combating attire is by looking at those who are forced to be outside, no matter what the weather, for extended periods of time.  Messengers, traffic cops and food delivery guys usually opt for the simple, classic poncho look.  At just a few bucks in any drug store, this seems to be the best rainy day choice.  Either that or a taxi!

LupRocks Father's Day Wish List

The fact that it's Father's Day this weekend nearly escaped my notice.  No, I am not a bad daughter, I just have an, um, eccentric father who never believed in commemorating mandated holidays but rather believes that we should love each other equally 365 days a year. 

But for all of those normal dads out there who like phone calls on birthdays and all that sentimental crap, I thought it would be fun to look through LupRocks.com for some truly spectacular Father's Day Gift Ideas:

If yours was one of those dads screaming enthusiastically from the sidelines at your hockey game or track meet, maybe it wasn't that he wanted bragging rights among the other dads, but that he is a Darwin enthusiast that believes in "Survival of the Fittest."  That's right, it was for your own good that he berated you for missing that pass...Why not embrace his beliefs by getting him EDUN's ethically and environmentally sustainable "Chuck D" t-shirt?  Added bonus that this company was started by Bono, and what dad doesn't like Bono???

 

Remember those lazy summers rafting down the river with your entire family, the "beer tube" attached by a string to your dad's inner tube?  Make sure dad remembers the good old days by getting him a wallet made of recycled inner tubes by English Retreads.  Not only will he be cooler than all the other dads, he'll have a story to tell his friends to prove how thoughtful his favorite child is...

While you may have felt guilty trying to pass yourself off as "under 12" until you were 17 years old, you really were saving your dad some serious bucks!  $2.45 for a kids meal at Sizzler?  $12 for a child's lift ticket?  That kind of bargain can totally be justified!  So what if your posture now suffers from trying to make yourself look shorter all of those years?  That blue eye-shadow you had to remove to pull it off really did look ridiculous.  Give your dad something that will show him you appreciate all the life lessons with Blum Lux's exquisite "Integrity" watch.  Definitely not your grandfather's watch...

My dad carried the same golf bag for at least 20 years, and he made me caddy that 100lb bad boy every chance he got!  His current "man bag" is about that old, and if I were planning on getting a gift this Father's day, I'd go with this sustainable Hollister Satchle canves tote from Ellington Leather.  It's perfect because it's cool, comfortable and hip but still has an old-school, classic style that wouldn't offend my dad's sense of frugal chic. 

So what if your dad never served in a war, he's still YOUR hero, right?  Show him he's still the one you rely on to keep you safe from the big bad world with a hip "dog tag" necklace from Black&Blue. 

When it Rains, It Pours....

I'm just going to put it out there and say, this has not been a very easy month for me.  Okay, it's not been a very easy year so far.  Like everyone else, the economy has affected me, not in the "oh my God, I have to move into my mother's basement but she lives in an apartment and doesn't even have a basement!!" kind of way, but in that everything just seems so much more difficult all the time.  It doesn't help that some people, who shall remain nameless, don't seem to feel obliged by legally binding contracts which has put us in a bit of financial turmoil, not to mention April 15 hit us hard and I'm still trying to catch my breath from writing that...gulp....giant check.  On top of it, I've been hit with a romantic trial here and there, some really sad friend problems, and some mild to extremely annoying physical issues. 

But what am I gonna do about it???

While I might want to spend many mornings cowered under my covers, I really don't have that option, do I?  And besides that, experience has taught me that there is a damn good reason that when it rains it pours.  The reason is that if I continue to dwell on every little thing that goes wrong, even more sh!t is gonna go wrong.  Without fail. 

I reported here that I recently got back from a trip to Las Vegas.  So there I was; I hadn't seen real air in several days, hadn't eaten a vegetable in at least as many days, was working on an average of 4 hours of sleep a night, with several nights to go and loads of pressure to make new connections, nurture existing connections and drum up new business, I hadn't read a sentence of a book, talked to my family, worked out, or spent more than 10 minutes alone, I was missing one of the biggest Orman weddings of the century where my entire family was having a blast that they'll be discussing for the rest of my life, and frankly, my entire world felt like it was crumbling around me.  Any chance I got, I was sneaking off for a moment to cry before applying more black eye-liner and carrying on with a big smile plastered across my face.  Then I got a call from my doctor telling me I needed more tests to establish if I had a serious problem, or merely an annoying one.          

It was then that I realized...I'd been tuned into this self-pitying misery channel for far too long.  It took me a couple of hours--hours that I had to force myself to give to myself--to work my way out of this mood, off of this channel, and tune into something else.  I realized that while I desperately missed my family and vegetables and exercise and books and sleep and AIR, they would all be there waiting for me when I got back to planet earth.  And so would my problems.  In the meantime, I have a solid family that loves me unconditionally, great friendships, while possibly struggling, a thriving business with a great reputation worth fighting for, and most of all, a healthy intellect, a great sense of humor and my old reliable feistiness.  Sitting in my room (or the ballroom bathroom) crying wasn't doing me any good.  At all.  And dwelling on my problems while I was just so tired wasn't going to solve anything.

So I decided to change the channel, count my blessings, try to recognize my moments of grace, make a call to a sibling and let him/her tell me about his/her issues or tell me a joke rather than venting about the minutia of my daily existence, spend as much time as possible with people I genuinely like, and, well, hit it big at the blackjack table.  And guess what!  I ended up having a really, honest-to-God good time.

So, my dear friend Masuo, when I say "change your mindset" and you respond "Bahhh!  Change your mindset!  What the hell is THAT supposed to mean!  You can't just change your mindset!!!"  Know, in fact, that you can.     

Whatever Happens in Vegas….Never Happened?!

I’m a few days back from my annual pilgrimage to Sin City, traditionally the biggest, most stressful, most important, most miserable and most enjoyable business trip of the year.  It colors my life for months preceding and following it; basically, my life revolves around Las Vegas. 

I’ve long described Las Vegas as “The most awful, awful, wonderful, wonderful place on earth.”  The “awful, awful” part is evident.  The constant ding ding ding, the complete absence of any concern for the environment (all of that trucked in water and non-indigenous plant life!), the lack of exercise, family, reading, cooking, and any other activity that normally sustains me and my mental well-being, the stench of cologne and cigarette smoke and pumped in perfume a constant companion, the endless string of meetings, events, parties and impromptu get togethers that one is obliged to attend, making your way from the Platinum Pavilion back to the Design Center 320 times a day... 

The “wonderful, wonderful” part?  The people.  Walking through the Venetian on the way to the Sands, or walking down the halls of the more subdued Wynn, and knowing a good 50% of the people whose paths you cross, and genuinely liking many of those people?  That’s pretty crazy, right?  I typically get hit on all the time in Vegas (by non-industry people, of course!) whereas in New York City, nobody ever looks twice at me.  Ever.  I suspect that’s because in Vegas, I’m smiling 99% of the time, even when I don’t feel like smiling.  In New York City, I’m a scary scowler.  In Vegas, I’m hot! 

Okay, back to the business of Las Vegas, here are some highlights, as clearly as I can recall and in no particular order:

• The opening party of the Luxury by JCK Show—Outdoors, at Tao Beach, small, intimate crowd, good chat with Desiree over a bite, and me and Phyllis Bergman both in pant suits.
• Discovering my new secret hiding spot.  No, I won’t tell you where it is because then it wouldn’t be secret!  
• Lunch with Brooke, Talya and Jessica outside at the Wynn.  Yes, we probably shouldn’t have splurged, but it was so nice to get a moment of loveliness with those lovelies. 
• Bob Moeller—I was tweeting some of his nuggets of wisdom throughout the show, but this man is officially my new favorite person in the industry.  And his wife is a total hotty and super sweet as well….about his wife, “How did you land her, Bob?”  His response?  “Get ‘em drunk, get ‘em jewelry, and you’re done!” 
• WJA DIVA Gives back to D.E.F. press conference and party at LAVO on Monday night.  Everything went off without a hitch and Miss Africa was lovely.
• The launch of Wintour Watches at the Wynn Tower Suites.  Private appointments and a fabulous party that was a “must-attend” for industry big wigs (and Miss Africa!)
• Getting to know the folks at D.E.F.  Not only do they have an amazing mission and are really good people, but they make me feel closer to Russell…
• The five minutes of alone, ding, ding, ding-free time Matt Rosenheim and I had to chat on the back patio at the party for the newly established GenNext.  Me taking an offered sip out of a strangers martini glass on my way to the next event.  Thanks for that, random jewelry industry person, whoever you are! 
• The photographer LOS' doing a spectacular job shooting for us…..pricey but worth every penny.  No joke. 
• Bill Furman.  'Nuf said. 
• Having a relatively quiet moment with Ann and Yancy on Yancy’s birthday.
• Running into Eddie Griffin at the new, unofficial “late night lounge,” the Palazzo casino bar, and chumming around with him and his crew while he and Dave Bonnapart became BFFs (see below picture).  
• Crashing the dinner party of a large group sitting outside at Morel’s.  It was the first time I'd breathed real air in over 36 hours. 
• Running into Anna Martin, fresh off a plane from London, at 3am at the Grande Luxe to-go window.  I burst into tears. 
• The cocktail party at the Jewelers for Children gala.
• Lars and I having a long conversation while both wearing our "friend hats."  Such a welcome respite! 
• Getting a little lovin' from "Mama Kami" over at the AGTA Pavilion, just when I really needed it.
• David Brown telling me "Some black girl up in Harlem is going 'where's my butt?!' Michelle has it!!" 
• Dirty Vegas night at Casino Royale.  Tanya, Frank, Monica, Yancy, James, Susan, Lesego, Jordan, David, Mark and many others in attendance, Alex Alvarez and Amanda Gizzy were deeply missed.  My favorite line of that night was from Susan Killkenny to the dealer at the blackjack table, “I was just one over, I thought maybe you wouldn’t notice….”
• Getting off the strip for a quiet dinner at Raku with vegis and healthiness galore (well, relatively).  It completely revived me.
• Being around $400 UP on my way out of Vegas.  Sweeeeeet! 

And that's all that comes to mind right now!  Please remind me in the comment section if I've missed anything, and don't be mad if I come back with yet another installment of Vegas 2009 Adventures!