V is for...

victory: scoring the gold beaded flats from zara that i saw in early december and fell in love with but wouldn't let myself buy because they were $90, now on sale for $35.

 

vancouver: ted's client is sponsoring the olympics. they have a condo in a trendy area of town with plenty of space for an extra body so i'm headed out there for a long weekend. it was an impulse buy, but i found a direct flight on cathay pacific for $450 RT and when is the next time i'll be able to go to the olympics with a free place to stay? so now to figure out where to eat, what to see, what events i want to try to scalp tickets for. anyone with vancouver recs: send 'em over!

 

village: (west village, to be exact)...where my new office is. i've done the math and figured out that i will actually end up with a net loss while working down here because there are so many awesome restaurants. i've stopped into the grey dog cafe every morning for overpriced lattes and breakfast. on monday, bernadette and i discovered movie mondays at cabrito. we drank with the bartender until last call and i see myself becoming a regular there quickly. i mean, i've been there once but i think i might be a regular there already.

 

violin: And to underline his point he has chosen to make music for us on Live From Lincoln Center with, among others, singer-songwriter Jane Monheit; composer, conductor and musical wit, Marvin Hamlisch; and renowned baritone, Nathan Gunn – all of whom can be identified as "Joshua Bell and Friends." Singer/songwriters Frankie Moreno and Regina Spektor are on the bill, as is trumpeter Chris Botti and bandoneon virtuoso Carel Kraayenhof. Joshua will add his violin's voice to the Latin sounds of Tiempo Libre, soprano Renée Fleming, and Sting will be with us to sing music by John Dowland! How amazing would it be to know whomever it is you'd need to know to get into this private little concert dealie?! i will never kick my childhood crush of joshua bell. unless he comes out as a scientologist or against gay marriage or something. that might do it.

 

very small world: ran into exactly 7 people i know walking around in the city over the past few days. 2 of which i hid from because i didn't want to stop and talk. 1 of which i was sitting next to at a bar but she had her back to me and never saw me. she waited tables with me while i was in law school and even way back then she was a crazy ass bitch who used to cry ALL the time about stupid things. she'd spill a drink and get flustered and cry. over a spilt vodka soda. i'm serious. so i sat next to her and listened to this nutcase talk about all these men that are in love with her. one that she dumped because he didn't even live here and she "didn't see a future with him" and then there was the irish guy who dumped her and she went on and ON about how he'd regret it because she was his ticket to a greencard and how her parents would have paid for his family to fly over and blah blah blah. point is, this girl isn't cute and is kind of batshit and i was really enjoying eavesdropping on her convo until my friend showed up. i can't go anywhere, really, without running into someone i know. i know a lot of people. i get that. but there should be enough room and enough places for me to go without having to chat with random people i knew years ago every time i leave my damn house! on the upside: she's one of those people that makes me feel so unbelievably grateful to be me. and, you know, hours and hours of reading reports and looking at photos of haiti will do that too. speaking of: DONATE. it's better to do it directly instead of via text because there's a billing lag.

 

verde: truffle monday at locanda verde! black truffles this time. am bringing colin with me, again. i feel i've been cheating a bit on locanda with joseph leonard. i'm a woman torn between two lovers. locanda has the ricotta. joseph leonard, the brussels sprouts. locanda, the gorgeous open space. joseph, the cozy bar. locanda, the cute hosts. joseph, the chatty bartenders...what's a girl to do?

 

Vaekstfonden: the danish venture captial firm that funded this AMAZING thing. YES.

 

ourscenetV: (okay, a stretch, whatever)...my gays, reporting from gay aspen ski week!