//Neuroses
A Very Serious and Hilarious Complaint
“It is ridiculous to be forced to tell a man not to come into a ladies room during operating hours.”
From: Hauck, Cari
To: _____, William
Subject: FW: Dining Services Feedback
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:48:28 -0500
I believe it happened to me almost exclusively at lunch time. The make-up incident happened today at around 12:14? The other times ranged from noon to 2:45. Today it was the gray-haired gentleman, but it has been several different men/custodians who have done the same.
On 12/17/08 1:41 PM,
“_____, William” <William._____@mtvn.com>; wrote:
> Understood. You mentioned that this has happened 4 times. At what times of the day, to the best of your recollection, did they >occur?
> Bill _____
> Manager
> Facility Maintenance
> MTVN
> 1515 Broadway
> New York, NY 10036
> 212-258-_____
>
> —– Original Message —–
> From: Hauck, Cari
> To: _____, William
> Sent: Wed Dec 17 13:30:11 2008
> Subject: FW: Dining Services Feedback
>
> Hi Bill,
>
> I got your VM and tried your extension but you are away from your desk. I
> cannot really speak freely on the phone regarding this issue as I am in an
> open bay area with about 20 other people in my immediate vicinity.
>
> I will gladly answer any questions via email.
>
> Best,
> Cari
>
>
> —— Forwarded Message
> From: “_____, Donna” <_____@RestaurantAssociates.com>
> Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:32:31 -0500
> To: <cari.hauck@mtvnmix.com
>
> Conversation: Dining Services Feedback
> Subject: RE: Dining Services Feedback
>
> I will forward this issue to the building maintenance department as this has
> nothing to do with the dining service in the Lodge.
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: cari.hauck@mtvnmix.com
[mailto:cari.hauck@mtvnmix.com]
> Sent: Wed 12/17/2008 10:54 AM
> To: _____, Donna; _____, Jace
> Subject: Dining Services Feedback
>
>
> From: Cari Hauck
> Email: cari.hauck@mtvnmix.com
> Tel: (212) 846-_____
> Cafe & Location: The Lodge – 1515 Broadway
> Comments:
>
>I do not know if this is you or 1515 maintenance, but it would be
> nice if the bathroom custodial work could either be done after The Lodge
> closes or by a female, so I do not have to repeatedly yell from the toilet
> to a man knocking on the door that Yes, someone is in here. This has
> happened at least 4 times and most recently, I was applying make-up at the
> mirror and the custodian simply opened the door without knocking, saw me,
> closed the door and knocked. It is ridiculous to be forced to tell a man
> not to come into a ladies room during operating hours.
> Contact Required: No
>
>
> Presentation: No Comment
> Quality: No Comment
> Value: No Comment
> Staff: No Comment
> Cleanliness: No Comment
>
>
> DISCLAIMER Important! This message is intended for the above named person(s)
> only and is CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. If you are not the intended
> recipient of this e-mail and have received it in error, please immediately
> notify the sender by return email and then delete it from your mailbox. This
> message may be protected by the attorney-client privilege and/or work
> product doctrine. Accessing, copying, disseminating or re-using any of the
> information contained in this e-mail by anyone other than the intended
> recipient is strictly prohibited. Finally, you should check this email and
> any attachments for the presence of viruses, as the sender accepts no
> liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.
> Thank you.
>
> —— End of Forwarded Message
Is This Seat Taken?
“Stephen Merritt was obviously high or was just his usual high-seeming, random self.”
Stephen Merritt (far right) telling you that someday your dog or cat will die. I could see the band much better than my crappy cell phone lens could.
I bought two tickets in August to see Magnetic Fields play at Landmark Loew’s Theatre in New Jersey on Thursday, October 23rd. Landmark Loew’s is a gorgeous, cathedral-like movie theatre across the street from the PATH Journal Square Station. Then, the day of the show, the person with whom I was going fell ill. Literally fell. Unconscious. On the subway. (He’s okay now.)
I posted an ad on CL, FB, MySpace and sent emails asking if anyone wanted to buy my extra ticket. No cigar. Then I thought maybe I could sell the ticket at the show. Yes, it was me and eight other people out front trying to offload tickets, including a surprisingly bitter scalper. Part of the problem: Jersey. Other part of the problem: assigned seating. Result: show not sold out. Due to recent good luck with opening bands, I have been trying to go to shows on-time, so ten to 8 I went inside, ticket unsold.
The show was awesome. Stephen Merritt was obviously high or was just his usual high-seeming, random self. No, he was undeniably high after the intermission. He and Claudia had this odd banter like he was a crotchety, old man merry prankster and she was his exasperated, long-time companion, half humoring him, half laughing with him, half wanting him to shut it. Wait, that’s too many halves. She sang a lot of the songs he sang on the albums. But he sang, too. The vibe of the show was very low-key. I overheard a woman outside saying that she almost fell asleep at one part, but really they had just played some really delicately beautiful songs. You sometimes forget, with the funny lyrics and romping music, how gorgeous and deeply sad his songs can be.
It happened that there were two empty seats next to me, the seat for which I had the ticket and the one next to it. On my right was a very nice lady and her fellow. So, I piled my scarf, hoodie, coat and purse onto the seat next to me, and ended up sitting half yoga style with my left knee on the empty seat and leaning on the armrest.
At some point during the intermission, a woman behind me asked if anyone was sitting next to me, and because in times of inattention I can be oddly literal and oddly honest, I said, “No.” thinking they wanted to put their coats on the seats or on the backs of the seats, which one of them had already done and it was quite fine with me. However, I overheard her excitedly telling her friends on her cell phone that there were seats open in front of her and they should come on down.
Okay, here’s the thing. I do not want to be a selfish bitch. Nor do I want to cause trouble. But it is one thing to be made slightly uncomfortable by people sitting next to you in close proximity, such as in a movie theatre. It is quite another to pay $42 for the privilege. I did not want to stuff my purse under my seat, nor hold my coat, hoodie and scarf on my lap, nor sit on them. I did not want have to sit pressed between two other people. The way I saw it was, I had paid extra so my purse, coat, scarf, hoodie, left knee and left elbow would have a nice place to sit. I would like to think, too, that the woman to my right was more comfortable due to me leaning on my armrest and leaving the other for her exclusive use.
So, I turned around and told the woman that actually, I had paid for this seat, so only the other seat was free. She had this frozen smile on her face and I overheard her saying on her cell phone that she guessed she was mistaken because the seats were not open. Then after the show started again, I heard a lot of whispering, which may or may not have been related to me. But really, I had paid an extra $42 so I should be comfortable. Right?
Was I wrong? Am I a total bitch? My elbow and knee do not think so. I am inclined to agree with them.
ShareThe Book of Regrets
“This dick in front of me…accused JH of making him miss his dinner.”
The Hodg reads from his new book, More Information Than You Require
10:35pm Paul
somebody got contacts today
and that somebody is me
haircut tomorrow
i’ll be like a new man
10:36pm Cari
Woo!
Sexy time for the Paul!
How short are you going or what style?
10:36pm Paul
pretty short
but it’ll just look like when i got here
10:36pm Cari
I think I’m an alcoholic because this week, I feel like I really need alcohol.
Like if I don’t get some at night I want to curl up into a ball and cease myself.
Also, the cigs don’t help.
I never saw you when you got here.
I met John Hodgman tonight.
10:37pm Paul
[snipped]
oh nice
10:38pm Cari
I couldn’t afford his book but now I think I should have made him sign my address book or something.
Then it turns out my friend, with whom I did not stand in line, totally is like his drinking buddy and they all chatted for like 15 minutes.
Now I’m thinking I should have gone back up there and partaken.
Tonight has been very regretful for me…i.e. full of regrets.
I just feel all outside of everything.
And a black hole of what not to do.
Sorry to vent.
10:40pm Paul
s’okay
10:40pm Cari
It’s like we met for a nice chat and I just vomited my angst all over your nice new xmas sweater.
10:40pm Paul
i never liked this sweater
even though it’s new
10:40pm Cari
Well, you can still give it to a homeless person.
He or she won’t mind.
Might not even notice.
Now it’s like I vomited all over the homeless.
10:42pm Paul
way to go, cari
it’s not a big deal
it’s just john hodgeman
you’ll meet better celebrities than that
[snipped]
10:45pm Cari
[snipped]
it’s not the celebrity, it’s that he’s really funny, and nice and I like him.
And I have nothing funny or original to offer spur of the moment.
If I could write him an email, maybe something would surprise me.
But you can’t send emails at book signings.
10:49pm Paul
right
most people don’t do well in those situations
so don’t beat yourself up
10:50pm Cari
I just don’t want to be one of those assholes who asks what their favorite cereal is.
Or this dick in front of me who accused JH of making him miss his dinner.
And JH was pretty gracious all things considered, and said he’d come from a taping (The Daily Show) so he hadn’t eaten dinner either, and did that guy want to stay and sign all these people’s books so JH could go eat a steak?
Hahaha, that was awesome.
It wouldn’t have mattered if I hadn’t been feeling so unmoored this week.
Lessons in Sociability
“If the majority of people are social technocrats, I’m socially Amish.”
For a long time growing up I felt supremely transparent, that everything I thought or felt was pretty obvious to everyone around me. I still feel that way to a degree, though some people mistake my shyness for aloofness. On the other hand, a good number of people are irritating and I genuinely don’t like them. So…I’m not sure what my point is there.
On top of that is my tendency to conserve energy, not engaging in debates with blowhards, not talking at length on the phone, and at my very worst, not bothering to project or enunciate when I’m talking to someone. This is my favorite mode of communication, the one where I feel most
comfortable and most confident, these pixels appearing on monitors near you, or making ink shapes on paper. If I could communicate with more people, especially men, in writing, I would have dates all over the place.
At work I’ve been making a special effort to say “hi” to people, just to show that I like them. I think I felt like if I like a person, he or she would just know it and I wouldn’t need to say anything by way of confirmation. But then I realized recently that I just walk right by people I like and don’t even acknowledge them. I tend to get so goal-oriented with my communication that I overlook really basic, obvious social cues and gestures. This also ties in with my tendency to feel overwhelmed by too much stimuli.
Saying hello is a another one of those things that other people just do off-hand and it requires little to no thought for them. Not so with me. If the majority of people are social technocrats, I’m socially Amish.
The good news is, I’m aware of it and I’m learning and I’m doing better. I think I may have squandered some social capital and goodwill that I had previously earned because I was socially unaware, so I am determined not to let that happen again. And we all know how far my determination gets me.
ShareWe As a Society Are Electronically Out of Control
“Marriage: it’s the new going steady!”
Okay, it was bad enough learning that P. had broken up with his girlfriend when he changed his status on Facebook and therefore everyone saw the announcement with the broken heart icon. He and I had been previously discussing it so I was not completely surprised when it happened.
But today, D. told me he and his wife are splitting up, not just on Facebook, but on the message board of our Scrabulous game on Facebook! And I was surprised! The worst part, I mean besides the splitting up, is that D. is not a Facebook kind of person in the first place. Christ-a-roni people. What’s next?
[And just to head him off at the pass, Adam, I know you're going to say- Marriage: it's the new going steady!]
Share
Now listening to:
Now reading:
//RECENT
Water Water Everywhere…. “Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.”
- The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
An extended version of Bon Iver’s La Blogotheque Take Away Show of “For Emma, Forever Ago” with three versions of the song and some very startled tourists. I think this is one of my favorite things in the whole world. Not just that the song is so beautiful, and is so beautifully sung, but that [...]
So, This Stephen Malkmus-looking Guy Who Went to High School with My Boss Wrote a Children’s BookA man once said, “Childrens do learn.” and I believe childrens should learn to dream big dreams. Even better is to dream arty dreams like a hipster might draw. This hipster author’s name is Dallas Clayton. Although I do not know for sure that Dallas Clayton is a hipster, he looks like this: And, I [...]
Matilde UrrutiaIt isn’t simply that you are loved gloriously, or loved beautifully. But rather that a pitch perfect expression of love for you sounds and sounds, Rises into the very air. Though the love itself may fade, I do not know, The poetry you inspire ascends, ascending Becomes stars and you, who are so loved, Look [...]
I Left My Heart in Bon Iver“However, this was one of those shows that blows you quite away and I felt privileged to have gotten to witness it.”
//FROM THE ARCHIVES
The Job I Need to GetAfter a very creative and productive discussion over lunch with Richard today, I strongly feel I need to have a job where I get paid to have ideas all day. And I may or may be involved in the execution of my ideas, depending upon my mood and demands on my time. So far, I [...]
What’s the Point?A perspective we should all hope to remember a little more often. Now I’m going to play some golf.
Oops, I Think You’ve Got a Little Libertarian on Your ShirtTime Magazine has an article about New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and California’s own Arnold Schwarzenegger which is certainly worth a read. What’s particularly interesting to us is the unmistakable appearance that these two guys (along with Ron Paul in the current Republican Presidential Primary field) sound much less like Republicans, and much more like [...]
Since It’s Gonna Keep Coming UpThis is, hands down, one of the great moments in punditry. And since we’re gonna keep hearing about this subject of appeasement at the hands of plenty more talk radio buffoons and 527 groups targeting our man Barack, a little refresher course seems timely:
I Am (iTunes Shared Library) Famous“My shared library is named “Cari and the Foxy Boxers” from the timeless Homer Simpson quote…”
