...just the Spill

Back in New York, I accidentally poured coffee on my new vintage* pants, and an idea was born. When I yelped in double unhappiness (stain + hot coffee on self), Rochelle asked, "What's wrong?" And I grumbled, "Nothing, just the &^$%?!ing daily spill." Something about that resonated with me. The Daily Spill. The Daily Spill, with your host, Anna Weltner. I commented that it would make a good blog name. I had just moved back from Germany and I was thinking of changing up my blog anyway to reflect the changes I was experiencing.

I kept this in mind, but soon got distracted with work, house-hunting, writing, and school. But now I am on top of everything again, and my life is taking yet another turn with my new Arts Editor gig, so the time is right! But I can't be the daily spill because then you guys would have to read my scribbles every day, and what's worse, I'd have to scribble them every day! So I am just the Spill. Welcome to the Spill! Now back to you in the studio.


Author's notes:

1. 'New vintage' is not an oxymoron, it refers to the newly acquired vintage slacks I spilled on. 
2. The stain came out in the wash. 

Scarf wars

Lieber Martin,

danke für den schönen Schal. Ich habe ihn stolz durch ganz New York getragen. Leider hat er meiner Freundin Rochelle so gut gefallen, dass sie furchtbar neidisch auf mich war (wie alle), und wir haben die ganze Woche nur über den Schal gestritten. Diesen Streit habe ich zwar gewonnen, aber wie du siehst hat es mir unsere Freundschaft gekostet. Also danke nochmal. Wirklich.

Liebe Gruesse,

Anna Marie

Anna and Rochelle's fight to the death

Schlepping through SoHo

Best parts of today:

Brunch at the Artisanal Fromagerie, highlighted on the Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate--Cheesy Episode." We broke our fast with gouda and stout fondue, blackberry and mango mimosas, crème brûlée and coffee.
(By the way, brunch is such a scandal! Why is it okay to roll out of bed, show up at eleven (thirty...), stuff your face with all of your favorite things about breakfast and lunch, drink alcohol in the morning and be treated like a queen? Fantastic all-American invention.)

A dragonfly alighted on Lady Liberty and then proceeded to catch and eat the head off of an inferior normal-fly, resulting in a nature shot which ought to be published in the Natty Graf.

The dragonfly's cute little face (the black is housefly leftovers).

Walking to SoHo, we admired the Flatiron Building.

Chris and Rochelle by the water

First glimpse of the real Statue of Liberty...

The dragonfly was that cute!! Look at him smiling for the camera.

Sundown by the water.

Nighty night, New York. I am beat from walking all over you.

Culture shock continues

Coney Island with ChrisnRochelle, Erich, Fouad, and Jimmy today. What is this place?? Hahaha.

They are counting the seconds until they can gluttonize on hot dogs again.

Rochelle makes a difficult decision

Cooling her toes in the Atlantic

Said goodbye to Erich today!! No way. Now we have to wait until September to be ridiculous, dance to electro in the kitchen and have heart to hearts at six in the morning.

Learning to ♥ NY

Really tall buildings. AC. Ice water. Free bathroom usage. Amis* on the streets, Amis in the U-Bahn,* Amis on the television. What a weird place!!

Drinking on the street isn't a thing, but you can see the calorie count of your muffin before entering the bakery. That's handy, to finally use this word correctly.*

I feel like a foreigner!! And not just because (as I've quickly realized) I associate all officialdom (hotels/the bank/police/service industry) with the German language and keep having to stop myself from talking to shop clerks, tellers, waiters and strangers in German.

ChrisnRochelle, first night in town!

Look at this nonsense. Funny that the number on the label is not the price.

Furry...?

What? Was macht der Kölner Dom auf Manhattan?

Eiffelturm, gleiche Frage.

Erich and Fouad, the ying and yang of coolness.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, great place to spend a humid afternoon.

Siren Music Festival on Coney Island tomorrow, I think. That will make fun.

Yeah.

Chin up.

I really just want to go back to Germany. Oh, how I miss you, love.

Author's Note:

1. Ami: slightly judgmental German nickname for "American"
2. U-Bahn: subway
3. In Germany, cell phones are called Handys, leading to the common German misconception that the word handy means cell phone in English.

Almost home

Arrived in New York. First chance to post. Keep almost talking to strangers in German (Entschuldigen Sie...).

Fabulous time in Manhattan with Chris and Rochelle, of course. Moving to a place in Brooklyn today.

San Francisco on Wednesday. 

I miss Germany.