If the suit fits...

I promised a certain someone I would use the title in my blog today. Yes, I received my suit in the mail yesterday from Lands End and the pants fit perfectly. The jacket isn't bad, but I'm going to have it tailored so it fits just right. I'm delighted with it and encourage you to check out Lands End.

Have you used Google Maps recently??? They have a new feature called "Street View" that takes you onto the street and gives you the ability to look around. You can see people and license plates and animals. It's pretty amazing. Type in NYC and check it out!!!

Accord...Civic...Civic...Accord

I've decided it's time to buy myself a car. I want something that is going to be reliable, has good gas mileage, is safe, and has a good repair record. Elissa and I went to look at Hondas last night and now I'm feeling very conflicted. I have narrowed my choices to either a used Honda Accord or a new Civic. I need to think it over some more and do some research so I can go in knowing exactly what I should be paying. There will be laughs, negotiations, maybe even cries when I go in to purchase my car. Negotiating is a huge part of the process and I think car dealers were created to help us learn how to negotiate. Here's a typical exchange:

Dealer: Okay Evan, have a seat...want candy? cigar? free pen?

Evan: I'm fine, thanks.

Dealer: So, let's work out the numbers. Now, did you say you wanted leather interior?

Evan: No, cloth.

Dealer: Extra cupholders?

Evan: No.

Dealer: Spoiler?

Evan: Definitely not.

Dealer: GPS? Great for all of those roadtrips, never get lost again.

Evan: No

Dealer: Okay, so you want the basic model. Let's see.... so that will come to a total of $17,543 with tax.

Evan: Oh..is that the best you can do.

Dealer: Well I could probably knock off $1,000, bringing the total to $16,543.

Evan scrunches his mouth, bites his lip, looks as if he still isn't thrilled with the price

Dealer: I'll even throw in floor mats, a $500 value.

Evan: Okay. Deal.


Now, here is how we only wish this deal would end. Choose your own adventure style.

Dealer: I'll even throw in floor mats, a $500 value.

Evan: Is that all you've got Marty??

Dealer: Okay, $15,200. That's my best and final offer.

Evan: Marty, I know you need this sale and you know that I would be willing to buy this car here today. You've got a wife and child at home who love you very much and who need you to sell this car. Do this for them. Make them proud.

Dealer: Okay, $10,000.

Evan: Good doing business with you kind sir.

Handshake

Everybody Providence Now...

As you already know, my sister graduated from Brown this past weekend. The weather was beautiful, the activities were plentiful, and much fun was had by all. We arrived in Providence on Friday and got ourselves ready to attend the big Dance. They blocked off the main green and set up tables and a dance floor. There were thousands of alumni, parents, graduates, and faculty. It was so crowded you could barely walk without bumping into someone. They had two bands on opposite sides of the green, one playing oldies the other more recent tunes. This event began the entire weekend and people seemed to be having a great time despite the hot and humid weather that night. The rest of the weekend was filled with graduation ceremonies, speakers, food, celebrity sightings (Dustin Hoffman, Danny Devito, Masi Oka (who plays Hiro Nakamura on Heroes) Susan Sarandon, Kate Burton...and many others). We were treated to a special song sung acapella by BB King at the all school commencement ceremony which was a very special treat. I will hopefully get around to posting some of the photos I took later on this evening. We ended the weekend with a workout, moving all of my sister's stuff out of her dorm and into the car. Many parents were helping their children move out and much arguing could be heard. Ahhh, the days of the egg crate. I miss those days.

I'm baaaack

Back from the Brown Graduation..so much to blog about and many photos to share. Stay tuned....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOAZ!!!

He doesn't like people making a big deal over his birthday, so I've decided to dedicate a whole post to Mr. Frankel on his big day!!! Happy Birthday Boaz.

Aquapoo

I know that this may be old news, but some of the spring water companies have put out a little droplet shaped bottle of water called Aquapod. They introduced this size and shape in order to get kids to throw away their juicebox and beg mommy for the bottle of water. Everytime the Poland Spring delivery truck is in front of my office in the morning, there is an advertisement on the back featuring a little kid and an Aquapod bottle. I've seen the truck there a few times before and everytime I see this ad, it looks as if the bottle says Aquapoo. The font is sort of wacky and the "D" and "O" look really similar. What do you think? Do you think kids are buying into this?

I wanted to post some beautiful pictures that Elissa took while we were in Vermont. Looking at these makes me want to be there right now. The suit saga continues...I just called Land's End to order a suit (thanks Mr. and Mrs. Williams). The woman on the phone was very nice and treated me like I was her son. Either she was opening up to me or she says the same thing to every person who calls, but she began telling me all about her daughter who recently ended a relationship with an abusive man who was stealing her money, etc. The lady on the other end of the phone then asked me how old I was and told me she wished I lived closer so she could set me up with her daughter. Umm..wait a minute. I knew Land's End sold just about anything, but I didn't know about their mail order bride business. I had to break the news to her that I was taken and that her daughter sounds like a really great woman and that I'm sure things will work out for the best. After she gave me the total, I should have given her a bill for my time. Is this what happens when you call Land's End? I just hope the pants fit.

Want to go for a swim?

I was thinking today about the cancelled game show, Show Me The Money, hosted by the multi-talented William Shatner. The show was so horrific it was funny. I actually think Billy was boozed up for most of the episodes and apparently it has been picked up by the Game Show Network. Here's a tv spot for the show that aired on ABC. Count how many times they show Mr. Shatner dancing.

The Empire Strikes Back

This is a photo I found from the sudden storm that came through town the other night. There was rain, thunder, and lightening oh my! The Empire State Building was struck by lighting which apparently occurs approximately 100 times a year.

Are you excited for Apple's iphone? Well you should be! The FCC has approved the iphone which is scheduled for a June release to the public.

I've been wanting to purchase one of those universal tv remote watches that kids used to play with in High School. Some kid would change the channel while we watched a film in class and the teacher wouldn't realize why the channel was flipping. I want one to use at the gym. Dean is constantly having to change one of the tv channels to please someone and I just want to change the channel with my watch to see what sort of chaos ensues. And look at this!

This little universal remote is the newest (secret) weapon in the Ninja's arsenal and we assure you in the right hands it can be used to quickly assassinate dangerously annoying TV shows. Simply point the Ninja Remote at the intended target (a television set) and press the mute button for a few seconds - once the TV mutes the remote is now ready to assume full control of its victim. Innocent bystanders will be frozen with fear (or very animated with anger) as the volume and channel change magically in front of their eyes, seemingly controlled by some mysterious force.

The Ninja Remote's powers will work on a wide variety of televisions (Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, Toshiba, Sanyo, Aiwa, Mitsubishi, Philips, JVC, Sharp, etc) and its small size will safeguard you against discovery.

Hmmm...perhaps I have to buy myself one of these instead.

Elissa and I are heading up to Vermont tonight and I am so looking forward to it. You'll get the report on Monday. Have a great weekend and if you haven't seen it already, go out and rent Pan's Labyrinth, now on DVD.

Up For Breakfast

I got a call this morning from Boaz saying that he was listening to The Splendid Table last night before bed and he heard authors and food connoisseurs, Janet and Michael Stern, raving about Up For Breakfast, this quaint breakfast eatery in Manchester, Vermont. You can listen to their review here. The outlet shops, Mrs. Murphy's Donuts, and Orvis all get a special mention, but I'm guessing they didn't see John Irving when they went. He is a frequent diner at Up For Breakfast. Many thanks to Boaz for telling me about this!! Elissa and I are heading up to Manchester this weekend and perhaps we will have to go to Up For Breakfast to try the Wild Turkey Hash or my favorite, their blueberry pancakes (Unlike Janet Stern, I don't count the blueberries). If you are looking for a great weekend trip, I encourage you to head up to Manchester, VT. Gee, I'm sounding more and more like those tv ads encouraging you to come to colonial Williamsburg. On second thought, please don't come to Manchester, VT. I don't want to have to wait for a table at Up For Breakfast nor do I want any car traffic.

The bus can be a dangerous place

I was assaulted on the bus this morning. I guess ASSAULTED is a strong word to use, but I'm going to use it anyway. The guy sitting next to me, about 35, fell asleep and must have had one of those falling dreams because all of a sudden his elbow made a quick jab into my side. Was it something I said? No, I didn't say anything. I was just minding my own business, trying to relax. After the sharp jab, I pretended nothing had happened and he started to apologize, embarrassed from his assault. "It's okay", I assured him. It was at that point that I should have faked a deep slumber and leaned my head over on his shoulder w/some fake drool. The funny thing is that I also had an incident on the ride home last night as well. The man sitting next to me fell asleep with a folder in his lap. About halfway into the trip the folder was poking my side and I sort of pushed it back onto his side until he woke up and I pretended I was asleep. I hope the bus designers at Lakeland Bus are reading this and that they'll take my stories into account when they start designing some new buses. How about some sort of divide between me and the person next to me? Give me a little button I can push that will give the rider beside me a little shock if their head or elbow is getting too close? I'm just a phone call away if you want to run some design ideas by me. I'll wait for your call but leave a message if I don't pick up as I am also waiting to hear from the guy holding my suits.

And now, I'd like to leave you with a new Wednesday feature on this blog, a random photo found on google image search.

Snake on the plane.

Did you hear about this snake on a plane? Things got so bad with this mile high couple that they had to be handcuffed and the plane diverted. THERE ARE HORNY PEOPLE ON THIS MOTHER****ING PLANE. Where's Sam Jackson when you need him?

Out on DVD today...Guillermo del Toro's PAN'S LABYRINTH which bears a similar resemblance to Jim Henson's version. This is a Must See! I also recommend Darren Aronofsky's THE FOUNTAIN, starring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz.

Have you seen the trailer for the new Hairspray? John Travolta creeps me out these days.

That Suit Suits You Just Fine...Shall I Ring You Up?

I hope you had a great weekend! I was busy on Saturday working Alumni Reunion Weekend and the Gala went very well at the Grand Hyatt. It was well attended and the music, food, and open bar were a hit! Even Congressman Charles Rangel (NYU Alumnus) was in attendance! I'm going to suggest that next year they let me put together a video on Alumni Reunion Weekend. That would be a really fun project and would be a great way to show alumni how much fun the weekend is.

Elissa and I did a little shopping yesterday and I stopped into a store which shall remain nameless, to look at and try on suits. The store was empty and the salesmen were actually standing outside, one with a mustard yellow tape measure around his neck discussing the weather. We walked in and they immediately followed telling me about the buy one get one free suit sale! I said that I was indeed there to look at suits and one of the men sized me up with his eyes and said "46?". Where were we? A Carnival? Was he going to guess my weight next? I'm sure he's fitted enough men that he knows these things. Next thing I knew, he was pulling out suits for me to try on and selling them to Elissa. Did he think I was going to buy two suits on the spot? I only came in to LOOK at ONE suit, not to BUY TWO. There was more pressure in that store than in an overinflated tire tube. I kept on throwing out hints that we had to go, that I was only starting to look, that I had to think it over...he didn't seem to be budging, he just kept on pulling out more suits. I think Elissa used a Mother's Day line which finally led to his asking me if I wanted to put the two suits we liked on hold for 7 days. He told me that he didn't want me to come back to find that the two suits I wanted had been sold. How nice! He cares about me! Waaaaaiit a minute... "Okay, sure" I said, just glad that we were one step closer to getting out of there. Of course, his next line was, "They'll be on hold for seven days and if I don't hear from you, you'll be hearing from me". I didn't even catch the guy's name but now he has my number and he'll be calling soon I'm sure.

Happy Monday.

Driving Mrs. Marks.

As I'm sure you know, yesterday was NYU's 175th Commencement which took place in Washington Square Park. The place was packed and Wynton Marsalis played a tune that filled the air with joy and put a smile on every face. My assigned duty was to escort Lillian Marks, the oldest alumna (100 and sharp as a tack), around from place to place. I picked Lillian up at her apartment in the morning and brought her to the Pre-Commencement Breakfast, an event for those Alumni who have graduated 50 or more years ago. I then brought Lillian to the Commencement Stage where she would sit for the entire ceremony and be introduced to the graduates. It was quite touching and if you'd like to see this moment, check out the video. ( Skip to 1:31:12 on video) After the ceremony was over, I took Lillian home and I learned all about her amazing life and her husband who passed away a few years ago at 93. Lillian still lives alone and manages just fine. She is an extraordinary woman. Here's a little information on Lillian. Today begins Alumni Reunion Weekend!!

Grad Alley!!!!

Today is Grad Alley and it's going to be crazy! Unfortunately I didn't have time to plan out a fun, exciting, humorous, intriguing, thought provoking blog. There are going to be thousands of seniors and their families at Grad Alley today, NYU's big Carnival Extravaganza! I'll be handing out free stuff at one of the booths, so if you are in the neighborhood stop by! Oh yeah, and in case you were wondering what I made for dinner last night..drum roll please...

Lemon pepper Tilapia with mushrooms and parsley, sauteed in a lemon/white wine sauce.

Looking forward to the next dinner night with Elissa. I haven't mentioned her name for a few posts now so I figured I would drop it in here.

MOVE...THAT...BUSTED!!

I always found Ty Pennington, host of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to be very annoying. He's always screaming into the megaphone, giving families a new home while making them deaf in one ear. Keeping the fad going, Ty was arrested for investigation of drunken driving. I have a feeling he's been wasted on the set of that show as well and that the "special project rooms" that he has built for families should be checked out by building inspectors. We've installed air purifiers throughout the house so Suzanne can breathe better but I was drunk and forgot to install some beams in your master bedroom suite. MOVE THAT BUS!!! I'll admit that I watch this show from time to time and will even get teary eyed. They do an excellent job of pulling those emotional strings.

And while we're on the topic of emotions and booze, are you Hooked on a feeling? I am, and so is our good friend David Hasselhoff, who has been banned by a Los Angeles judge from seeing his two daughters after a video showed David drunk. Now get this, he had his kids shoot a video of him while he was drunk so he could see how he behaved while intoxicated. Great idea Dave! Wait, wait...before I say anything more about this take a look at some of the video. McDonalds has a new spokesperson.



How about that? I knew he was on Baywatch, but Burgerwatch? I'll leave you with my themesong, you know we all have one. What's yours?

Let the games begin!!

This week is Commencement week at NYU, the week leading up to the big Alumni Reunion Weekend Extravaganza! As this may be my only post this week I will try to make it satisfying. Walking by Washington Square Park this morning, I noticed that they have already begun to clean up and set up for Thursday's activities. Enough about work though, I have to share my weekend with you.

Friday night Elissa took me to her school for their Literary Arts Fair...there was food, music, games, skits, movies...all the kids worked really hard putting everything together and they were adorable. It was fun being in middle school again and I think I'm ready to go back. Doesn't that scream reality show?

Saturday was such a beautiful day that I just wanted to sit outside and stare at the newly blossoming trees. We were off to Elizabeth, NJ to have Shabbos Lunch with Elissa and Melissa's friends, Yaelle and Marty. They were very nice and their 5 children were adorable. The food was delicious!! Afterwards, I rested up for a bit before we had to go to our Cinco de Mayo/April's Birthday celebration in New Brunswick at Maritas Cantina. We ate and then got drinks and there was even dancing and free Corona toys. After the mexican food, one would think there would be enough gas to get home, but we soon found the gas tank on empty and prayed that we would see a 24-hour gas station sign. After a mile, we saw the sign we had been hoping for and quickly took the next exit to the Exxon station. Even though they have polluted waters and killed wildlife, Exxon saved us that night...Thank You Exxon!

Sunday came next, and I headed for a workout in the morning with Dean so that I would be finished and showered in time to meet Elissa's parents. I was looking forward to meeting them and I really had a great time and liked them a lot. I got a tour of their beautiful home in the Parsippany/Randolph hills (who knew there were views in Parsippany?) and they took us out for Chinese Food and served some delicious homemade desserts afterwards at their home.

I really want to write more about everything as I just gave a very abbrieviated rundown as this is the busiest week of the year at work I have to get the day started. Have a great one!

***Let me apologize in advance for any grammatical mistakes in this email. I am not proofing as I type.***

Bruce, Demi, and Ashton..one big happy family

Is it possible that Bruce, Demi, and Ashton are really this happy family? Annie Leibovitz is a master photographer although it's photos like this one that make me question whether or not photoshop was somehow involved. This photo can be found in the new Vanity Fair issue which hits newsstands today. Ashton and Demi are cuddling while Bruce reels in what appears to be a shark from his Die Hard expression. Is this real? Is he acting? Are they really on a boat? Was the water rough? What is Ashton drinking? Is that his or Bruce's? I'm hoping the article answers all of my questions. All I know is the following:

Miss Moore, 44, and her film actor husband, 29, had joined 52-year-old Willis at his home in the Turks and Caicos Islands for a holiday to celebrate the completion of Live Free or Die Hard, his fourth film featuring hard-bitten detective John McClane.

Also present in the Caribbean were Willis and Miss Moore's daughters Rumer, 18, Scout, 15, and Tallulah, 13. Celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz was invited along to record the break for the latest edition of Vanity Fair, which goes on sale today.

You're acting awfully Tesh today, Evan

I don't know about you, but I've spent some restless nights wondering what John Tesh has been keeping busy with lately. I didn't know he had a radio show until I flipped past it yesterday on my way home from the bus. This guy does everything! He's a reporter, a pianist, singer, author, blogger, father, husband..the list is endless. And now, he's John Tesh, radio host of "The John Tesh Radio Show: Music and Intelligence For Your Life". It's actually quite funny and I encourage you to tune in for a laugh. What follows is a blurb from John's website.

“I like to call it ‘purpose-driven radio’,’” says Tesh of his award-winning daily and weekly show that is heard on over 240 stations nationwide by more than 8 million listeners. Tesh created the show for his wife, actress Connie Selleca, because “her nightstand was covered with the last 20 months of the Oprah magazine.” The show is owned and distributed by The TeshMedia Group and airs in all dayparts, on multiple formats.

“We wanted to create a show for that person, the person who doesn’t have time to find all that stuff, but is interested in being better in everything that he or she does,” explains Tesh. The show is full of genuine advice and tips - nothing pretentious or haughty - with a mix of humor and earnestness. “We appeal to people who want to make a change in their life, whether it’s to be a better parent or a better pet owner.”

Some of these tips: Always wear blue to important meetings as it is a subversively powerful color; throw dishwashing sponges (a haven for germ breeding) into the dishwasher or microwave oven for sanitizing every other day; and, the amount of time one should spend brushing his own teeth is the same duration of the song “Yellow Submarine.”

Good stuff. I wonder what other Beatles songs I could brush my teeth to...oh,oh..how about Strawberry Fields? When I'm 64? I can't wait to brush my teeth again tonight. Oh, John, I don't know what we would do without you. Your "genuine advice and tips-nothing pretentious or haughty" makes our lives that much easier and I'm glad I found you again. I thought I lost you forever after you left Entertainment Tonight. Then you started playing your piano and making sweet, sweet music. They made fun of you, of your hair, your inspirational melodies...but you showed them John, oh yes you did. And I applaud you for that. Now keep up the good work with your radio show and whatever you do, don't pull an Imus, John.

Spider Man Weak

There's a lot of excitement surrounding the release of Spider-Man 3 this week and everyone is going to flock the theaters. If you don't like crowds, I suggest you wait awhile before attempting to see this movie. I enjoy the Spiderman movies but have a grudge against anything Sony/Columbia Pictures puts out, for the people who work behind the curtain there are pure evil as I experienced first hand. They put on a good show though, and in case you haven't heard, this week is Spider-man week in NYC. They have events all around the city and even have set-up a website complete with interactive map. Go visit Peter Parker's neighborhood or take part in a number of events around the city. I'm boycotting Spider-man week. I love how Sony makes it seem as though this week is meant to create community and fun activities for the people. It's just a big publicity stunt! They don't care about you. All they want is your money and for you to see this movie. I personally think a group of people should dress up as other superheroes and crash some of the spider-man events. Now that would be fun.

This weekend is shaping up to be a very busy one and it's almost Commencement! I'm going to start using my digital camera more and upload photos to the site. Today's shoutout goes to Melissa and Andrew. Thanks for reading!

Senior Class Legacy Video

Here's a little video I put together for the NYU 2007 Senior Class Legacy. It's the first time I used my new editing software and the number of things I can do with this software is overwhelming. I kept this video very simple. Many, many thanks to Boaz, Mike, Andrea, Liz, Noemi, Debra, Angela, and the guy on the bike at the end.