October 31, 2007 - 11:46 AM | Comment
I have to admit, I still get all giddy inside when any type of holiday rolls around. It gives me something to look forward to.
Like many other Buffalonians, I celebrated Halloween last weekend. And yes, I wore a costume, well, two actually. I dressed up as J.P. Losman on Friday night and the Queen of Hearts from "Alice in Wonderland" on Saturday night. The Losman costume didn't really work out because most people confused me with Doug Flutie. Regardless, seeing everyone running around in costumes on the Chippewa Strip and getting ready with my girlfriends is always exciting for me. I think it's exciting for a lot of people.
I stopped at Party City last Thursday so my boyfriend could pick out a last-minute costume. It was jam-packed with lines of people that seemed longer than I had the patience for. But it was fun to see adults and children scrambling around the store in search of the perfect costume.
It's always this time of year that I feel exhilarated and overwhelmed at the same time in preparation for the upcoming winter months (and, what seems like one holiday after another).
Although Halloween isn't over quite yet, I have already started buzzing about Thanksgiving. Where are we celebrating it? What should I make? Which family members will be attending? I can't wait.
Loading up on turkey, watching football and the parade, and napping on the couch are things that take me back to my childhood. The only difference is now I sip on a Bloody Mary instead of apple cider.
--Kelly Boquard
October 29, 2007 - 12:16 PM | Comment
Here's just a quick post for you to chew on while I sort out all the Halloween mayhem:
Saturday's Globe & Mail (A New York Times analogue for Canada, if you didn't know) had a column calling for Torontonians to recognize their city not as a backwater boomtown, but as a full-fledged cosmopolitan megacity/region.
Buffalonians know Toronto is the valedictorian of our regional high school, but the column makes an interesting case for regionalism. This idea isn't the Metropolitan Buffalo/Erie County merged government that's been bandied about in recent mayoral and executive elections - this is bigger.
How would you feel about your hometown if you lived in a region that is, in terms of economy and population, ranked in the top 12 in the world? Say you were in Europe, explaining where you were from, would you cringe explaining that you weren't from that New York, that you were from Western New York, as though Buffalo were the boonies?
Well here's an excuse: say you're from Tor-Buf-Chester. That's the economic region that encompasses, obviously, Toronto, Buffalo and Rochester (along with Syracuse, NY and London and Guelph, Ont.).
Check it:
Tor-Buff-Chester is bigger than the San Francisco-Silicon Valley mega-region, Greater Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai, and more than twice the size of Cascadia, which stretches from Vancouver to Seattle and Portland. Its economic might is equivalent to more than half of all of Canada's. If it were its own country, it would number among the 16 biggest in the world, with economic output bigger than that of Sweden, the Netherlands, or
Australia.
While I'm not serious about the above headline, it makes one really think about what we really have here in Buffalo, and how we need to differentiate ourselves from traditional regionalism, and to reach our potential. Obviously we need a solution to safe and practical border crossings. I also think we need to establish a better mass-transit link between the two cities (and even Rochester - another fast ferry?), more shared media coverage and some way to encourage cross-border employment.
-- Evan Parker Pierce
October 29, 2007 - 12:08 PM | Comment
... And all hell breaks loose. At least that's what I imagined happened at myriad Buffalo bars this past pre-Halloween weekend. I unfortunately couldn't make it out this weekend, with work holding me down, but I heard from multiple sources that every Buffalo bar strip was packed.
Above are my friends Sandy, Laura and Katie, and they are three of the best examples of what was (is?) a common costume theme for women: sexy everyday professions. (Except the cat. I don't know any professional cats.) While I'm all for originality, I'm perfectly OK with ladies simply throwing on some whiskers or a Red Cross hat to complement something spandex.
My fellow men, however, are decidedly less daring. From what I saw, and from what most of my friends saw (and did), at least two-thirds of guys went costumeless to the bars this weekend. BOO HISS TERRIBLE! I think the rule of thumb for most guys is this: if you're built, follow the ladies and bare skin. If you're like me, with loads of lovin, go for laughs. It's not hard - a fake mustache adds life to any party.
Anyway, what's anyone doing for Halloween proper? I'm thinking of dressing like Santa Claus and hitting Allen. Any one out there want to be my elf?
-- Evan Parker Pierce
October 24, 2007 - 11:53 AM | Comment
To celebrate the completion of the Webb Building and the furthering of downtown Buffalo's development, we're going to hear a report from our temporal correspondent, Future Evan Parker Pierce, a 30-year-old professional of some kind living in downtown Buffalo in the year 2012. Pierce has returned to Buffalo after a few years "finding" himself and was impressed enough with his old town to wax poetic. His words are below. Trust us, in five years you'll recognize these pop culture references.
I'm a big believer in karmic signs. For example, when Britney Spears divorced K-Fed for the third time, it was a sign it was never meant to be. Or when Michael Vick was permanently banned from the NFL for running an illegal cockfighting ring. I guess some people are blind to the orange detour signs of life.
For myself, signs started directing me to return to Buffalo from a self-imposed exile after the Sabres won their second Stanley Cup in 2010. Signals really became urgent when Trent Edwards and Marshawn Lynch led the Bills within a Wide Left field goal of their first Super Bowl berth since 1994 (ESPN thinks they could win it all next year). I know one shouldn't base residence choices on sports, but I've learned the change in Buffalo sports fortunes mirrored the renaissance the city experienced in the past five years.
My first brush with the New Buffalo was on the taxi ride from the airport to my hotel. As the skyline loomed ahead, I was stricken with how much it had changed: giant cranes! Buffalo's skyline was beginning to take a symmetrical shape, with the HSBC tower to the left, the Buffalo City Tower taking shape to the right.
I asked the cabbie to give me a quick scenic tour of my old haunt - he drove me by City Hall, taking in the impressively urbane Niagara Square, all bustling with shoppers and visitors to the Statler Towers and sidewalks filled as cars unloaded Buffalo Place Mall shoppers in front of M&T Plaza on Main Street. All this on a Saturday! I had lived down here just five years earlier and remembered walking the streets alone regularly.
Needless to say, I was sold. That following Monday, I signed a lease on a new downtown apartment (alas not the Webb - too long a wait list.). I didn't even have to look that hard to find a job - within a couple weeks I'd secured a job that I think will keep me here for life. Now I'm just looking for my own Buffalo girl to settle down with - maybe have kids and get one of those gorgeous renovated homes down on the West Side.
Hey, it could happen.
October 24, 2007 - 11:51 AM | Comment
I'd like to think I'm a responsible, altruistic consumer.
My bedroom is almost completely furnished with garage sale and thrift store finds that are aesthetically pleasing, environmentally-conscious (reusing furniture, clothes), beneficial to local folk (Amvets, any number of Elmwood shops) and cheap as hell.
From my oak dresser with sweet leather straps for drawer handles to my ongoing search for a second hand desk to DIY into an industrial monster, I take immense pride in my off-the-beaten-path consumerism. In other words, I'm not a mall shopper, and I never pay full price. OK, so maybe I'm just cheap.
Anyway, that picayune idealism goes out the window when I walk into an Urban Outfitters. I love - no, lurve - the stuff in there. From the clothes to the housewares (God I sound like a chick) to the oh-so-ironic trinkets, I'll lose a couple hours and more than a couple bucks there. Last time I was in Toronto, I went into the UO to kill time and walked out with an overpriced hat, an overpriced shirt, a Rambo-style Jesus action figure and a book of Victorian-era obscenities. Fortunately UO was native to hip urban areas, and WNY hadn't yet been deemed worthy. Until now.
Buffalo's Urban Outfitters opened recently, near the chrome mannequins of BeBe and the gaudy food of the Cheesecake Factory, and of course I checked it out this past Saturday. And, uh, Sunday. It is what it is - it has the same urbane design cues as any other UO, and a lot of the same merchandise. It is a good store though - big, bright and the kids they employ give pretty good service. In the short time they've been open, they already have a clearance rack!
But before everyone jumps on me for this love letter to a corporate behemoth, here's the point: is it OK for me to betray my consumer responsibilities? Am I a raging hypocrite? In this day of homogenized style, does it even matter?
-- Evan Parker Pierce
October 23, 2007 - 2:25 PM | Comment
It may be a cemetery, but Forest Lawn is full of life.
The cemetery between Delaware Avenue, Main Street and the 198 is the perfect place to enjoy the beauty of an autumn day, especially when it's still 70 degrees at the end of October.
As stated on its Web site, The Forest Lawn Group, Forest Lawn Cemetery was "designed to serve both the dead and the living." The cemetery is a visual treat, featuring various works of art throughout the cemetery, including statues indicating the grave sites of historically important figures like Red Jacket, a Seneca Indian chief during the 18th and 19th century. And lets not forget that Buffalo native and King of Punk-funk ,Rick James, was laid to rest at Forest Lawn.
The October Storm struck hard and did damage to several trees throughout the cemetery, but the beauty that still remains overshadows the loss. Still standing tall in Forest Lawn are more than 100 species of trees and even more kinds of birds.
So go check it out, but don't go alone. Take a friend along for a walk or run on the roads that curve along the creek that runs through the cemetery. Stop for a minute to appreciate a place that is truly a "diamond in the rough." Smack-dab in the middle of urban chaos is a peaceful piece of country that more than 152,000 call home.
-- Lauren Mariacher
October 22, 2007 - 2:36 PM | Comment
I am the type of person who is always on the go. I like having plans and feeling busy. Everyone likes the occasional day on the couch, but usually that leaves me feeling overtired and unproductive.
But, being as active as I am, I hate working out. Although I love the feeling of accomplishment after I do exercise, I usually find myself getting bored with running for a half hour or watching Billy Blanks show me "self defense" moves through Tae-Bo in blue spandex.
I do have my spurts of motivation where I'll work out everyday for a couple of months, but usually it gets to the point where I find every excuse in the book to procrastinate stepping on the treadmill.
Recently, I have been battling with the idea of joining a gym. I was a gym member a few years back, but it seemed like people were going there to socialize instead of shed calories. Even when I went into the women-only part of the gym, friends would be shouting through the door. I felt like I wasn't getting my money's worth.
I have also been thinking about joining a racquetball league or purchasing a membership for some nice indoor courts in the area. I have Googled it many times but still come up with nothing. I'm really looking for a fun, seasonal adrenaline booster that my friends and I can participate in.
Any ideas?
- Kelly Boquard
October 17, 2007 - 10:45 AM | Comment
After writing my previous blog about living with my parents, I see I have struck a nerve with many readers of this blog.
Although I understand most of your points, I think a lot of you missed mine. The piece was written light-heartedly. My parents thought it was entertaining mostly because they know my personality and understand the tone I was writing it in.
I think a big problem was that most of the readers failed to see the gray area. I am not unemployed, nor do I sit on the couch all day. I am a 24-year-old aspiring journalist who does her own laundry, buys her own meals, and pays her own bills. I have a car, a 401K and a decent full-time job with benefits. Whether I live at home or not doesn't make me any less qualified careerwise than anyone else.
I didn't procrastinate after college; I found a job in my field and jumped right on top of preparing to build myself a prosperous future. In a way, I am very similar to most of you.
For me, living at home is my way of keeping on top of the money I owe for the education I wanted to have, or for saving up to buy a house instead of a paying too much rent for an apartment. But if it is keeping me ahead of the game for the future, it's pretty obvious to me what the smarter option is.
Although the comments made were at my expense, it's good to see that there's still passion in the area. Hearing over and over again that the job market in Buffalo is a waste of time can be frustrating. Thanks for your opinions, and I hope you keep on reading.
- Kelly Boquard
October 16, 2007 - 11:50 AM | Comment
Years ago (or not so many), personal diaries were put under mattresses or kept in the closet hidden from parents or siblings. They were not written for others, but rather served as tools of therapy; diaries helped some release stress, record their fondest memories, or simply kept a good secret.
In the modern world though, the secret's out.
It is no longer uncommon to see someone's diary entries voluntarily posted in public places. Public Internet communities (I hesitate to call such a large, vast group of people a community), like MySpace or Facebook include personal profiles of individuals from all across the world.
While not every member of these Web sites chooses to make their profiles a billboard for their thoughts, there is still a good number of them who love making their daily, drama-ridden stories available to all.
I don't see a problem with listing your hobbies, favorite movies or sports on these personal pages, although I would not choose to make every detail of my life available for millions of people to see. But when MySpace profiles include information about a recent fight with one's parents, romantic relationship details and even go as far to answer survey questions like, "What underwear are you wearing?" I think it's time to stop typing and go find that diary buried under the rug.
What is often worse are the personal photo shoots. There are only so many self-photographs (obvious by the titled camera angle) I can bear to look at, especially when there is a kiss face involved. Take pictures with your friends, post them online, and enjoy sharing memories with each other. But lets try and steer clear of the albums consisting of 60 pictures of yourself making various poses in black and white and sepia versions.
The Internet can bridge great distances, allowing almost instantaneous communication. Privacy used to seem like a luxury. Now, some Web pages are providing a public display case for those who would rather hang their dirty laundry out for the world to see.
-Lauren Mariacher
October 12, 2007 - 3:53 PM | Comment
It's embarrassing, stressful, exhausting and even very trying at times - but at this point, it's all I can afford.
Don't get me wrong, I adore my parents, and couldn't ask for two better people in my life. But, as much as I care about them, I can't wait to move out of the house.
In college I lived in a cute four-bedroom house with four of my closest girlfriends. It was great. There's nothing I love more than having girls' night with tasteless reality television, making dinner and drinking wine on Sunday nights. There's also the joy of strolling in at 2 a.m. with no one to answer to.
I have my freedom at home, but it isn't the same. I have to tiptoe around the house after a night out; my parents open my bills occasionally; and finding even five minutes of privacy often seems impossible.
But after paying my car insurance, two student loans, a cell phone bill and my personal expenses, being able to afford monthly rent is still out of the question. Not to mention I'm not about to sacrifice the trendy $80 jeans, nice dinners in restaurants and tickets to sporting events that seem affordable to me now.
I'm sure the fact I'm living at home isn't a picnic for my parents, either. Sibling rivalries, the financial drain of supplying food and other expenses are things they could do without.
Sometimes I think it's rude that they actually consider charging me room and board. I tend to laugh it off and make some sarcastic joke that completely changes the topic, but they really have every right to ask.
My real problem is struggling to grow up. As much as I want my independence, I love being able to rely on my parents. Sure, I've come a long way from being a teenager, but I'm not ready to become a full-time adult. Call it laziness, but I think I'll keep playing the poor college graduate act for a few more years. It hasn't failed me yet.
- Kelly Boquard
