Mowing the Green at Madison Square Park 5/5/08

One day, while talking on the cellphone to my grandmother, I was walking to a restaurant job interview. My grandmother asked what I was doing: "walking the streets of Manhattan for work." "Working the streets? Now Jennifer, if you need money, grandma will send you some, there's no need to walk the streets." And so the joke began about what little Jennifer is doing for work in the Big Apple.

One year has passed since the conversation with my grandmother, and now it happens that my job is to walk the streets-- no joke.

I am a brand ambassador for several hand-crafted, premium spirits and beers. My job is to identify new accounts in Brooklyn, placing brands in restaurants, bars and wine and spirits stores. The placement typically occurs after I have discussed the products, and conducted a tasting. I like to think of my job as making friends, taking notes and sharing the stories of each product that my company represents.

One of the perks of my job is that I get to experience some great, passionate people on their turf: fantastic Brooklyn restaurants and bars and shops! Though I don't live in Brooklyn, it is very familiar to me-- it's very similar to Portland Maine. People are using fresh and often local ingredients, and they are psyched to share their time and creations with other people.

What fun I am having!

In an attempt to keep up with my blog, I am going to start writing about the places and people that I visit for work. Tomorrow I will tell you about Jack the Horse, a lovely restaurant and bar located in Brooklyn Heights. Now, I am going to get out the door to enjoy the Sunday sunshine. Coffee at the Broken Cup, then a trip to Brooklyn to visit with friends, then a stop at a new bar in Williamsburg, Oulo.

Happy Mothers day to you and your mother!

Broken Cup Reviews

Oulu: Williamsburg

Food and wine and spirits, oh my.

It seems that I can't escape the work world of food. It started back when I was a kid working for my grandparents at their diner. I was in charge of making Texas toast in the four hole toaster, and pouring coffee for the Kiwanis members on Friday mornings. I remember watching my grandmother at the stove, stirring the huge pan of scrambled eggs. And testing the bacon when the sheet pans came out of the oven. Bacon, scrambled eggs and coffee: my favorite meal.

My new job finds me on the beverage side of the counter. Now I talk with people about spirits. The company that I work for represents a handful of boutique, hand-crafted spirits. This job is a good fit for me as a result of my experience working in restaurants, my people skills and my interest in the story behind products. The thing that I like best about my new position is how I get to experience passion. The passion of craft that is employed by the maker of the spirits. The passion of craft that is employed by the bartenders that create cocktails with the spirits. And the passion for experiencing passion that is employed by my co-workers.

Saturday night I went to dinner with 8 ladies. A French woman that sat next to me works in the cosmetics industry. I asked her about the perks of her job. Her eyes sparkled as she spoke about her job, and though our work perks are different, I knew exactly what she expressing: passion.

An expense account, a company jet, paid vacations and retirement plans are all great things to have. It seems that having a sparkle in your eye when describing your job is an excellent thing to have too! That's not to say that I'd turn down the jet:)

Pipeline Brand Ambassadors

Last week, while working in Williamsburg, I saw a friend from the past. I was standing at the bar, talking with a co-worker about a new whisky that we are adding to our portfolio, when in walked Guy. I haven't seen Guy for more than three years. He and I know each other from when I played Ultimate Frisbee in New Hampshire. It was like a movie scene when he walked in the door: the glow of video games reflecting in the background, me in mid-sentence, him illuminated in the glow of the light from outside the bar.

Today is a rainy Monday. A perfect day to reflect on the whys and whats of life. Why am I here and what am I doing with my life. It's after midnight, now it's Tuesday, and I still haven't found answers to my questions-- guess it'll have to wait until next Monday.

There's a line from a song that a friend wrote that comforts me on rainy Mondays, and Tuesdays too: the waiting is for faith.

Guy was in town to perform with his band. Check out his myspace page, and if you have a myspace account, please tell him that JC says hello.Two Ton Santa

Today my friend was jumped by two men on the staircase inside the entry of his Harlem apartment. He went to get cream for our coffee, and as he climbed the stairs to the sixth floor, the men told him to hand over his money and the contents of his pockets. My friend kept his wits about him, as best he could, and handed over the only thing on him besides the newspaper and half and half, his cell phone. That wasn't enough for the trespassers, and they pushed him down the stairs. My friend, wanting to get them out of the building, ran out to the street, telling them to just stop! One of the men pulled out a box cutter. Luckily my friend used his head, choosing flight, instead of his ego, thus foregoing fight.

What a day. The police came to take a report-- I called 911. My friend spent hours at the police precinct, having his photograph taken, and looking over mug shots. I stayed in the apartment, avoiding any thoughts of the fear the blew in with the crisp, Spring air. When my friend returned, I stayed present to bear witness to the feelings that came up for him.

Now, as I sit at home, I recognize that there are some things that I can do to be better prepared for an attack: cab money in my pocket; keys or pepper spray in my hand; taking a cab if I am in shoes or an outfit that render me vulnerable. The good thing is that I am not afraid. This kind of thing can happen in any place, at any time of day, to any person. Like death, victimization can happen at any moment.

My heart goes out to my friend. Pragmatically speaking, it was just his phone that was taken; his cuts and bruises will heal. From the heart, his sense of fear, and the replay of the event will linger; the head can't think its way out of the feelings that arise after being victimized.

Spring in Bryant Park

Spring is finally settling into the city. Yesterday was the first day that it felt like Spring: the air was warm, and people were walking around with a twinkle in their eye and no jackets! I kept my coat on, but Spring was in my step.

The past month was a busy one. I entertained two sets of friends in the city on back to back weekends. The ferry ride to The Statue of Liberty was a great time. The weather was cold and rainy, but my friend and I huddled together in the belly of the ferry, sipping tea, and enjoying the view of the city from the harbor. I am so glad that we visited Lady Liberty. When I first moved to the city I could see the statue from the street that I lived on. The oxidized lady became my own personal beacon as I forged my way in the city.

Walking around the statue, I remembered that I wrote a paper about the statue of liberty in 2nd grade. I think that I won an award for the paper. And in my early teens, I dressed myself, and my pony, Candy Lady, as Lady Liberty for a horse show. Unfortunately, another entrant, dressed as a belly dancer with bells, scared my pony, who tossed me from my precarious, crossed-leg perch. Were it not for a visiting friend from Australia, I would not have made the trip to Liberty Island, nor would I have walked down memory lane.

The next weekend I attended a Broadway show with guests from Maine. At the suggestion of a friend, I purchased tickets from TKTS, a discount ticket broker. Our first choice, Wicked, wasn't available, so we opted for A Chorus Line. The show was fantastic! Working with actors on catering jobs, I felt that I had an insight into the premise of the show. Stars glimmer on the stage and the screen, but indeed, they are regular people that come to the big city to fulfill a dream.

The next guest that comes to visit will tour New York Harbor on a Circle Line Tour. Who's my next visitor?

The Statue of Liberty

TKTS: Discount Theater Tickets

New York Boat Tours

www.costcaptain.com

When is the last time that you purchased Microsoft Office? If you were sitting here with me, we would 'discuss'. I have spent the last few days looking for the best price and best suite for Microsoft Office 2007. After chatting with friends, I decided not to get Microsoft Vista. Further, I found no comfort in products sold on discount sites as it seems that many don't come with certified proof of authenticity. I did, however, come across a great site with which to purchase the Microsoft suite that suits my needs. CostCaptain, or Cost Captain, better,www.costcaptain.com This site provides authentic Microsoft products at reduced rates for people that are in college. I am taking two classes during the first summer session, so indeed, I am a student. Why the blog entry? First off, I want to thank my friend Fred for sitting with me as I explored the options of where to make my purchase-- thanks Fred. Secondly, Cost Captain is giving away an iPhone and iPods to people that answer the following question on their blog. “How do you plan to use the Microsoft products to enhance your productivity?” Outlook will allow me to streamline my personal, work and school emails and contacts. Excel will allow me to generate an efficient database of clients and notes about our meetings. Word will allow me to compose entries for the journal in which I write to make space in my mind in the midst of the mayhem of Manhattan. Productivity will be further enhanced when I access Microsoft Office 2007 on the iPhone that I win.