Where are you from?

I am glad to say that when I'm in conversation with new people, they don't immediatly ask me how things were back on the ranch or if I rode a horse to work. Growing up in Texas didn't taint my speech to a ridiculous degree, thank jebus. I don't hate the state... I grew up there... but I never really had an enormous amount of Texas pride. I don't dig country music, I don't think anyone should wear Wranglers, and I have no interest in cows. I'm not one of those "my state is better than your state" people. All of you with the Texas flag shower curtains or iron stars and deer antlers adorning all your walls and light fixtures- calm down. I respect that that is your style... don't get all puffy because it is not mine. So, I like the fact that people have to ask and can't just guess. Get over it.
Do you know how many people here are actually from Texas? Lots. I know of 3 in my building and I haven't even met everybody. Hmmm looks like the Alamo and unforgivable humidity aren't for everyone...
It was a while before I heard someone with a hard core New York accent. I love it. Everything that comes out of their mouth just sounds so serious- like they really mean it, or they are really angry, or someone is questioning just how much they love their sports teams.
Something that really cracks me up and entertains me to no end is the way people just air all their business out on the street. Girls bitching about their shoes, "Oh my god Shelly, I paid like $300 for these and I just broke an f'n heel in a sewer grate! Ugh! Do you think I can get the city to pay for it? They better!" Truly tragic. Then there was hungry girl, "Oh girl! Did you see the new commercial? Fresh cut potatoes with sea salt! Girl we goin to Wendys! Mmmm Hmmm- yeah girl we goin." Wow. I hope she got her fries. Oh then there was drunk guy getting kicked out of a fried chicken place at 11 a.m. His words were quite jumbled but I'm pretty sure he was denied fried chicken and that upset him greatly. I'm sure on some level we can all feel his pain. Sometimes people just need fried chicken. What's better than the shoe breakers and the hungry folks are the fighting ones. Boyfriends and girlfriends arguing over cabs, his shirt, who is going to carry her bag, where they are supposed to meet her girlfriends, him not wanting to meet her girlfriends, her crappy cooking, his mother, her refusing to go to Long Island, he didn't hold the door long enough, he took a tone so she hit him and he wants to smack her back, he was walking too fast, she ripped his favorite gold chain from his neck, he didn't notice her highlights, she wants him to take more pictures of her in Time Square, it smells outside and she is getting a headache so he needs to shut his Guido mouth up... It is priceless. And loud. 
One day I hope to be causing a care-free scene on the streets of Manhattan and I hope someone gets a kick out of it as I have. Maybe they will blog about it.

Out and About

We were walking around our neighborhood one afternoon and passed a place that had a flyer out front for trivia on Monday nights! My heart went all a-flutter! We went and played that night. We met awesome people and came home with some fine glassware and a 2nd place title :) There happened to be a Cowboys game on that same night so after trivia we headed over to the bar, where our new friends happened to be as well. Lots of pitchers, lots of laughs, lots of new facebook friend requests later... we got an invite for an OK GO concert. We went. Fantastic!
So with a Monday night activity down... just had to fill in the rest of the week! This problem was quickly solved- come on, it's New York... Our neighborhood bar, Piper's Kilt, does trivia on Tuesdays and karaoke on Sunday. Karaoke is one of the best ways to meet people- think about it. If they sing and are great, you yell things like "hell yeah!" and hold out hands for high fives. If they suck, you pretty much do the same thing... Instant friends!
Funny thing about karaoke in this city though... most of the people that participate are musical theater stars or singer/songwriters or opera performers. Makes all us "common folk" just a little weary of getting up there and belting out a tune, but dammit, we do it!