I think it’ll be fine

Loretta Lynn.  Patty Loveless.  The Judds.  Billy Ray Cyrus.  Miley Cyrus.  Aside from illustrious music careers, what do they all have in common?

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Every single day, I’ve seen at least one melt-your-heart precious dog, one person who’s too beautiful to look at, one moment so tragic/stunning that it should be on film, and one pair of awesome, covet-worthy sneakers. I’ve eaten amazing burgers in parks filled with art; I’ve sipped $2 PBRs and watched famous and soon-to-be-famous comedians perform brand new shows in a theater under a grocery store; I’ve paid for insanely expensive vodka tonics at clubs where men wear ties and women wear stilettos but you can tell who the dealers are because they’re allowed to wear orange crocs and parachute pants (jealous!). I’ve been harassed in every way possible by taxi drivers, strangers on the subway, Upper East Side frat boys and unidentifiable loiterers. I’ve paid way too much for EVERYTHING, and I’ve gotten way too angry way too often at people I don’t even know. There were definitely operas, concerts, museums, gardens, outdoor movies and sidewalk cafes, but there were also manic fashion publicists, roaches, scary moments, failed attempts at 80s-chic drug use and crowds so claustrophobic I risked diving into oncoming traffic if it meant even one full breath of air that wasn’t just exhaled by someone 5 inches away from me.

So! Yeah, my feelings are clearly conflicting, and I haven’t even been here very long.

People who’ve been in New York their entire lives may be even less sure what they think of the place, but they do seem to get better and better at expressing themselves and less and less able to leave. Below are clips from Woody Allen’s Manhattan and Spike Lee’s 25th Hour (Mom- you may want to skip this second one. It’s not violent or anything but it’s way vulgar and angry). Once I get some distance between me and Manhattan, it’s hard to say whether I’ll forget what was so great/awful about it all or whether I’ll forever feel some magnetic force dragging me back. Only time will tell? Enjoy the clips!

This clip is from Muppet Treasure Island (amazing). Even if you’re not really into the muppets (WHO ARE YOU?) I think within the first 10 seconds you’ll realize this is totally worth your time:

Right?? Gorgeous. Thought provoking. I see it as a continuation of the “quitting” thought from yesterday. Jim is such a kindred spirit.

Bonus clip after the jump!

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In my struggle to pack, learn how my camera works, buy a car and get out of my apartment before the end of the month I’ve gotten pretty worn down. Cleaning is hard! I want to play outside! And so on. Recognizing my distress, my amazing future roommate sent me this awesome note of encouragement.

I know things are New York-style heinous right now…but do as I sometimes do and just think about July.

Unfortunately she sent it to my work email address (oops!), so I nearly missed it, but luckily for both of us, a) my company is too lazy to have shut down or limited access to my account yet and b) I’m bored enough to decide to check my ex-work ex-email. Just in case? I’m not sure why. Regardless, below I’ve reproduced the list she sent me of

10 Things that will rock about July!

1. Swimming in pools (every. day.)

2. BBQ’s

3. My birthday

4. Best ever 4th of July pool party

5. Paying 400 bucks a month in rent…maybe 425?

6. Parks

7. Dogs in Parks

8. Day trips/weekend trips

9. Sunshine

10. Shakes

SHAKES!! Awesome. Daydreaming about this list reminded me of my favorite summer movie of alllll time. There are a lot of excellent films about being young and how much it rules to not have to go to school during the summer. [see Rookie of the Year, Wet Hot American Summer, Heavyweights, etc.] These are all TOTALLY sweet, but there’s one that stands out as even more awesome. There are no decent video clips of it on the internet (what kind of internet is this…), so you’ll have to guess the movie based on this audio clip:

You’re right! That’s Christopher Lloyd’s voice!

If you haven’t seen that movie, then you DEFINITELY need to go back to childhood. This will help you get there: