ten polaroids

mahoney

2008-06-05T00:56:00.002-04:00

mahoney, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

Mahoney just moved out of 337, signifying the end of an era. Granted, it was an era I only saw the tail end of, but it seemed to be an altogether excellent era. This picture was taken a long time ago in their kitchen, while Mahoney was really excited about his Panko breadcrumbs. I can't remember if this was a Project Runway or a Top Chef night, but I'm sure something delicious was made. Mahoney always makes delicious things. I'm not quite sure how he does it, but I'm awfully glad it happens. I hope it continues to happen even though he won't be living in the apartment anymore- Wednesdays would never be the same.

all the 337 guys are now up on the blog. They're some of my favorite people I've become close to recently. I can't say enough about them, and everything I think of seems to fall short. So here they are. In this post,

here, and (of course) here.

oh, and a fundraising update- I'm at over 50% of my goal, so thanks so much to everyone who has helped out! I still am trying to raise about $1500, so follow the link in my "links" section and make a tax-deductible donation to an incredible cause.

self-portrait

2008-05-23T16:30:00.002-04:00

selfportrait, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

The last Austin picture, taken in the trailer before I made my feature film debut. I also thought it would be a better picture than the last self-portrait, which was something like my second or third post on this blog.

Now, while you're all looking at half of my ridiculous face, I'm going to talk about some pretty awesome personal news....I'm participating in Broadway Bares again this year.
For those who aren't familiar, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids is an amazing charity that has been supporting research, community outreach, and so much more for those currently living with the HIV/AIDS pandemic. They put on a few huge events every year to culminate and celebrate the progress for fundraising periods, and Broadway Bares is the summer's big event, a huge burlesque show featuring 200+ amazing dancers in very little clothing rocking it out on the Roseland stage.

There's a personal fundraising component to the show as well, and I'm trying to raise as much money as i can- I'm currently the top woman, and need your help to stay there!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE click here to go to my personal fundraising page and click on the "Support Nikka" button below my picture- donate anything you can- every tiny amount brings me closer to my goal, is tax deductible, and will make you feel awesome knowing you've helped someone in need.

This organization is so important to me...please support me and this incredible community that does so much to take care of its own. Your support means so much to so many who are suffering all over, especially in this economic climate.

I'll be performing in Broadway Bares again as well- in the "Chess" number...so if you're in NYC, come check it out.

thanks so much for your support and help!

texas stairs

2008-05-16T17:03:00.001-04:00

texasstairs, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

One of the last polaroids from the Austin set, these are the stairs leading out of Joe's apartment. They're completely uneven and worn, so we were constantly falling up and down them every time we went somewhere. They were so cool, though. So much character.

It was so warm in Austin. It is so disgusting and rainy in New York right now.

old cars

2008-05-14T10:16:00.001-04:00

austincar, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

I'm sitting on jury duty, so I figured blogging might be a decent way to pass the time...

Another photo from the Austin set. There are tons of amazing old cars all over the city, many of them impeccably restored and gorgeous. I've always had a thing for big old cars- one of my major life goals is to restore a late 70s Coupe de Ville, filed under the "When I'm Rich And Famous" to-do list. It probably stems from my father's Cadillac obsession.
I know old cars guzzle gas and are nightmarish to park and can oftentimes ride like tanks, but I find modern cars to be a little too homogenized in body style. You can't tell what anything is anymore, and though I am a staunch supporter of technological advances and making cars more environmentally friendly and breaking our dependence on foreign oil, I still sigh with a nostalgia I'm not quite entitled to for an era I never lived in, but can imagine every time I look at the cars.

joe

2008-05-03T14:44:00.001-04:00

joe, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

I'm not exactly sure what Joe was going for in this picture- he wants YOU to...make movies? Or maybe just a "get that camera out of my face" pose- after all, I did make him share a bed with Mike for four days, and he is a straight man. And it was a small bed. Another photo from the Austin set- this is Joe's apartment. Joe is my uncle's assistant, a daunting but not thankless job. He's quite awesome, with one of the most distinct voices I've ever heard, a brain for film trivia like few I've seen, and an incredibly high tolerance for people and their crap. I have no idea how he does it.

mike

2008-04-26T13:24:00.001-04:00

mikecuomo, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

This is Mike, sitting in a chair in Texas on one of those whirlwind nights during the "Will" shoot. We were in Austin for about four days, carousing and having an amazing time. Mike thinks this picture looks like an old photo of someone's dad vacationing in the Catskills circa 1970. I kind of agree with him. Mike is driven, incredibly talented, focused, and a really inspiring friend, what with his enormous capacity for life and his amazing attitude. We wandered around Austin vintage shopping and babbling about music, and I gave him some computer pointers. He's just started his own production company, and is going to be starring in its first feature this summer. I can't wait to see what happens.

boco kids

2008-04-22T12:02:00.001-04:00

outsideposh, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

This is what happens when you hang out in midtown....worlds collide. I was out with Soos the other night, and of course we ran into a bunch of kids I went to school with...Ravi, Travis, Ryley, Nic, and Anich....we wound up going along with them over to Posh for a drink, where I pulled out my polaroid. I'm amazed at what happens when you pull out a Polaroid in front of musical theatre kids- this happened with absolutely no direction whatsoever. Everything from supermodels to confused messes, an accurate cross-section of the boco.

moogie

2008-04-15T14:09:00.001-04:00

moogie, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

This is Sarah. Her polaroid was taken on the same night as Dewey's, obviously very near the expiration of this pack of film. All that hair is her real hair. Sarah just returned from a very long engagement in Vegas doing "Mamma Mia." We went to college together, and I hadn't seen her in ages, but found her at our friend's sketch comedy gig. Sarah and I had nearly every class together for four years, and certainly have some insane memories. It was nice to reconnect at the show and know that another member of our class has turned out okay.

On that note, I need some coffee.

rocking giraffe

2008-04-11T15:02:00.001-04:00

rockinggiraffe, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

I saw this put out with the trash the other day and it was so cute I had to take a picture. And then I became slightly sad that it was put out with the trash....but I hope it got a lot of use and love. I find a lot of weird things put out on my street, as everyone does, but this is definitely in the top three, joining the ranks with the giant maps of Queens and the treasure trove of discarded record albums. They pre-date the blog, or there would have been pictures. Some of the record albums are in frames on my wall, reminding me of dream roles I want to play someday.

I vividly remember how much I loved my rocking horse and what it meant to me- it's still in my parents' house being loved by my two-and-a-half year old cousin. I hope it's one of those things that continues to be passed down in my family.

phil

2008-04-08T22:23:00.001-04:00

phil, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

This is Phil just after he arrived in the city. He never really liked it much, but it's starting to grow on him now that he's working all the time. Phil is a great lighting designer and electrician. We met almost two years ago at Bay Street Theatre when he was an intern, but now he's a hotshot at Santa Fe Opera and theatres all over NYC. He occasionally insists on being called Philip, but I never do, since I maintain that he first introduced himself to me as Phil.

he begged me not to post this picture. I told him to suck it up.

delivery computer

2008-04-06T13:50:00.001-04:00

computer, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

Waking up at 7am on a Sunday should be illegal, especially when new mattress pads are involved that turn beds into evil snooze-button magnets.

Since I'm at work (and frustrated) right now (for a change), I thought I'd post a test shot of the delivery computer. This picture was actually a mistake I made while trying to photograph another one of my managers, but the Polaroid freaked out and I needed to figure out what was wrong. This computer is oftentimes the bane of my existence, aggravated by people who don't know how to order delivery. Having also just gracefully exited a phone conversation with a customer who apparently thought I was not good enough to scrape the gum off the bottom of his shoes, let alone put an order for his precious food into the kitchen, I thought I'd blog this computer.
The restaurant business is a freaky animal. I would never want to own or manage a restaurant, especially such an insane high-traffic one as this.

On a more exciting note, I seem to have gotten a fabulous summer theatre job at a wonderful regional theatre doing "The Producers." Yay! I get to be a tap=dancing showgirl, which is what I do best. Hopefully they will let me buy my shoes from them so I won't be dancing in the same tap shoes I've been rocking since the ninth grade.

Two more hours.

posh

2008-04-04T12:57:00.001-04:00

poshwatchesover, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

My roommate Rebecca and I watched "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" recently, and it scared the bejesus out of us. We were screaming at the television and clutching each other like the pansies we usually aren't....but oh well. Nothing's scarier than a child actor, except maybe an ex-child actor who can't move on.

In an effort to continue to scare the bejesus out of me, Rebecca cut this picture of one of Posh's Marc Jacobs ads and stuck it on my curtains, which are very near to my bed. The idea of having Posh hanging over my bed watching me sleep was almost more terrifying than being locked in my bedroom and left to starve to death- although then I might be as skinny as Posh and be able to borrow her clothes. Hmm....

I didn't notice that Posh was hanging over my bed until the morning, whereupon I screamed, but mostly with laughter. Mostly.

dusty

2008-04-02T17:23:00.001-04:00

dusty, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

In honor of Brayden's link today (thanks again for that) and his mention of Soos in his blog, The No-Spend Zone, I'm putting this photo of Dusty up today. Dusty is Soos's cat, who was also present at the party a few weeks ago. He's a massive cat, but terribly sweet and only slightly shy. James this photo somewhere towards the end of the night, after we made him put pointe shoes on and dance around his own living room. I was helping Elise to support his weight, so I sadly have no pictures of ballerina James.

Anyway....friends' cats seem to be a running theme on this blog. My friends have some pretty cool cats, though. Seriously. How many cats do you know who would be willing to look directly at the camera and pose for a picture? Well played, Dusty. Well played.

dewey

2008-03-30T23:11:00.001-04:00

dewey, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

This is Dewey in a nutshell. I don't believe we've ever had a conversation that included more nice words than fighting, yet he's one of my closer friends. Dewey is an amazing photographer, a master of sarcasm, and a formidable performer. We lived across the hall from each other freshman year, and he used to sit on the back stairs and noodle on the guitar while we talked until 4am. We later played husband and wife our senior year in the one and only play I've ever done. He'll never let on, but he is a truly great guy. When he's done telling you what a screwup you are.

nickmaalox

2008-03-24T00:56:00.001-04:00

nickmaalox, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

This is Nick. He's one of my closer friends at work. As a manager and maitre'd, he deals with even more insanity than I do, and on the kind of basis that causes him to drink Maalox out of the bottle (a good solid four-count sip), give me the kind of smile that has daggers behind it while I make him pose, and then head back upstairs into the fray. Nick is no-nonsense, incredibly generous and loving, and absolutely will not take any crap, which is why we get along so well. He has a penchant for diamonds, furs, and all things Dior, Chanel, and YSL. He is probably the most fabulous straight man i know.

taken in the cave.

soos

2008-03-22T14:55:00.001-04:00

soos, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

This is Soos. Her real name is Susan, but I rarely hear people call her that. Granted, I hang out with a lot of people she went to high school with, and we know how well those nicknames stick...

Soos is a newspaperwoman, so we posed her in one of Elise's many hats with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth. If only there was a large "press" card sticking out of the hat, then everything would be complete. Soos and I have become fast friends since she moved back to the city a few months ago, and I'm incredibly happy about that. She has one of the sharpest wits I've ever encountered, a gigantic heart and the kind of ease with people that makes you very glad she's your friend. Plus she just took a gigantic pile of clothes off my hands, so my overstuffed closets thank her.

taken at James&Elise's apartment in brooklyn.

trying

2008-03-19T14:31:00.002-04:00

Seriously, when did it become March? Out of nowhere, and definitely not enough springy weather to show for it. This rain is a serious downer. So is audition season at the moment. I'm at that point where I'm wondering why I get out of bed in the morning if all the theatres only have two Equity contracts, both of which will probably go to men...and nobody on Broadway is actually looking to hire anyone new. It's difficult to stay optimistic and continue to pep-talk myself into putting on dance clothes and beating my face every morning....and yet, somehow I do.

I think I'd be in some serious trouble if it weren't for my friends and family right now. They are a thousand different kinds of amazing.

So....now I go back to feverishly cleaning menus, fielding phone calls and continuing to chop legal sized paper down to letter size.

What do you do to lift your spirits?

2008-03-18T20:54:00.005-04:00

This is David. He's the IT guy for the company I work for. David is holding a ruler that had something funny written on it, though I don't remember what it was. David also has some pretty awesome cameras, one of which he brought into work the other day. We keep thinking that we're going to run around new york taking pictures, but neither of us has any time off. David is always in a fight with one of our managers or our head buyer, but mostly it's love. However, he has made me deliver some pretty vicious threats on more than one occasion. it's pretty funny. So is David.

barczys

2008-03-15T14:04:00.001-04:00

barczys, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

To continue on with the funny open-mouthed polaroids that have dominated this blog as of late, this is barczys. He was the master electrician on a show I did almost two years ago (!!). It was one of those experiences where everyone was just in the right place at the right time, and I'm actually still in touch with most of those cast members, which is rare. An environment was created within the cast and crew that was truly familial and unlike anything I've ever been a part of. Barczys moved to the city shortly after the season ended at the theatre, and we stayed close. I haven't seen him as often as I would like lately, we've both been so busy.

What a week this has been.

j.wu

2008-03-11T14:06:00.001-04:00

j.wu, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

miss thing has just finished a week in "a chorus line" on broadway. i am so unbelievably proud of her. she is one of my audition buddies who actually turned into a real friend, and i'm so glad she did. she is compassionate, caring, a supportive colleague and fantastic dancer. i can't wait to work with her in a show soon.

congrats, jess!

back from hiatus

2008-03-09T16:52:00.001-04:00

Sorry about my unintentional writers' strike there...so much life stuff just happened all at once and I had to drop off the face of the planet for a couple of weeks. I'm back and better than ever now, though. Thanks to the friends and family who pulled through.

many more polaroid posts to come soon. I have been remiss with my scanning and posting, and I'm sorry. I need ideas to take pictures. I also need to not be afraid to pull out the polaroid at random- I'm missing the most amazing people I see on the street.

Daylight savings makes me feel totally jet-lagged. Anyone else feel this way?

keith

2008-02-18T00:54:00.001-05:00

keith, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

and this is keith. keith is loud, likes to contribute to my rampant beer consumption, makes me use wrenches i don't know how to use, and is generally a drama queen. he's also fiercely loyal, a great friend, and totally hysterical.

taken in stephanie's apartment.

alex

2008-02-14T21:44:00.001-05:00

alex, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

this is alex with a lime in his mouth. it was his birthday yesterday. alex is my very good friend from high school, and now he's completing some kind of ridiculously ambitious degree at columbia. He's in new york now, so that's all that matters to me.

taken at the ship.

395

2008-02-13T02:45:00.002-05:00

395, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

This is in the kitchen of the new apartment. Cousin-Jack-the-architect-on-the-graff-side and I aren't quite sure what it is, but we think it's really cool and we want to try and keep it there.

also read that Polaroid is going to stop making instant film. Help me stock up. Please.

i thought this was interesting: an old article in new york magazine about only children.

I'm exhausted, but can't sleep. Just wish I was with my family right now.

taken in the new apartment.

steinway basement

2008-02-11T13:17:00.001-05:00

steinway basement, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

It's kind of blurry and hard to see because it was so dark when i took the picture, but this is the basement of the Steinway showroom on 57th st. Row after row of pianos, all different sizes and key weights and colors. Hundreds of different people have played on these pianos, some of them are signed on the inside.

My father talks about wandering through this basement, picking the piano he wanted to play for his recital at Carnegie Hall. He wound up using the piano they already had, as the pianos there were out of his price range at the time.
I have rarely seen my father as happy as I saw him the night I took this picture. There was a party for an old recording studio he worked at quite frequently during the 60s and 70s. He was surrounded by old dear friends, some he hadn't seen since his wedding, laughing and drinking and having a wonderful time, reliving old stories and creating new ones. He played a little bit that night, and dazzled everyone (of course).
Few people who meet him ever forget my father. He has a profound effect on his family and friends, and though sometimes he's not sure why, I understand. One day I'll find some decent words and explain it.

taken on 57th st.

mags

2008-02-08T20:18:00.001-05:00

mags, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

this is Maggie, my very best friend from high school. She is one of the most brilliant people I have ever met in my life, which is why harvard is paying her to go there right now. She has the innate ability to make you feel like you're the only person in the room when she talks to you. We know eleven years worth of our secrets, most of them whispered in dark rooms in the middle of the night with music on- the way gangly awkward teenage girls tend to share secrets. I love her more than words.

mitz

2008-02-06T13:43:00.001-05:00

mitz, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

mitz's first big night bartending at the ship. i had to document it. and then there were cheese fries. you can never go wrong with cheese fries.

82nd and 2nd ave.

properly ordering delivery

2008-02-04T20:14:00.000-05:00

To anyone who orders delivery, here are a few tips to expedite the process- from your friendly phone-answering type.

1. Know EXACTLY what you want, modifications and all, before you pick up the phone. Don't put me on hold to scream across the apartment at your wife. Write it down if you have to. I won't waste your time if you don't waste mine.
1a. Have a backup or two in mind in case the kitchen is out of something.

2. If you are paying by credit card and you do not have your number memorized, have the card out and ready BEFORE you pick up the phone.

3. Speak clearly into the phone. Do not sound annoyed if I verify some information, because the last thing I want is your whiny high-maintenance ass calling me back to scream at me because I couldn't understand what you were saying. I have a very loud air conditioning unit, six other phone lines ringing, the prep kitchen BLASTING music, and managers screaming at each other in a myriad of languages all going on behind me. Speak up.
3a. Put your children in another room before you order. I can't hear you mumble over their crying.
3b. Don't be offended when I put you on hold. I'm the only person answering phones down here, and everyone on the phone is as rude, whiny and high-maintenance as you are. Get over it.

4. I do not control the speed at which your food comes out. That is entirely up to the kitchen. Do not order something complicated, like lasagna or steak, and then call me back ten minutes later wondering where your food is. Don't lie to me about how long it's been, either. I can see on my screen exactly when your order went in. You don't know how busy the restaurant is or how backed up the kitchen might be. When I tell you it's going to take 30-45 minutes, don't give me a long whiny sigh and then ask me to "tell them to hurry up because I'm hungry." If you're that hungry, go to McDonald's.
4a. I also do not control the menu. Don't yell at me because of something we no longer have on the menu. I'm sorry that it was your favorite, but it is not my fault. Call corporate and bitch at them if you care so much.

5. Have a sense of humor. I'm a real person on the other end of this phone. I have a college degree and ambitions of my own. I don't do this job because I love it, I do this job because I need a job. They barely pay me enough to cover my electric bill, let alone deal with your crap. My hair is grey enough already at 24, please don't make it worse.

6. Last, and certainly the most important:
Tip your delivery guys. Tip them in cash, preferably. Tip them well. They're supporting families on what you give them, they're bringing people into this country who want desperately to be here. They're hardworking and wonderful. They are, in essence, your servers for this meal, only they're running many blocks through all kinds of HORRIFIC weather and freezing cold to bring you your dinner. If you make enough money to order $170 worth of food, then please tip your delivery guy more than that crumpled $3 you had at the bottom of your pocket. Treat them like the decent human beings they are. Some of the tipping I've seen is atrocious and nearly heartbreaking. I talk to these guys every day, I hear their stories. Every delivery guy has a story, a family, a reason to work hard. Give them the respect they deserve.

that said, you'll get your food in 30-45 minutes. thank you!

anthony david adams

2008-02-03T18:14:00.001-05:00

anthony david adams, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

here's your damn polaroid, anthony.

everyone else go to creditcovers.com!

anthony is a pioneer. his brain moves faster than anyone i've ever met. a million ideas a minute. he's gonna run the world one day- moreso than he already does.

taken at elmo.

red tights

2008-02-01T17:11:00.001-05:00

red tights, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

this is me, pretty much in classic embarrassment mode. i hide my face in my hair a lot.

i think i've had those tights since the sixth or seventh grade. i don't know why they still fit, either.

taken by mitzi in her living room. that's her sweater, too.

brian!

2008-02-01T00:09:00.001-05:00

brian!, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

brian called me the other day. he was supposed to be in memphis, but he was at the barney's in my neighborhood instead. we went to pinkberry in the freezing rain, then curled up in my room and caught up, since i hadn't seen him in many months. i once had to catapult myself over brian's head into the splits in a show. that bonds two people.

taken in my bedroom.

michael scott

2008-01-29T00:41:00.001-05:00

michael scott, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

Yet another fantastic broadway star. Words cannot describe him. He's been everything from a pirate queen to a jersey boy. Mostly, I love the on-the-spot choreography on the street and in the voicemails. If you're very very lucky, maybe he'll leave you one.

taken on 45th st.

melissa

2008-01-27T18:51:00.001-05:00

melissa, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

In the interest of keeping it in the 3E family this weekend, here's Melissa. Melissa is Margot (of the two polaroids directly below) and Mitzi's roommate. She doesn't have a blog, or else i would be pimping it right now...but we still love her anyway. I'm so glad Mitzi moved into this apartment- these girls are truly wonderful people.

On another note, I'm really bored at work tonight. I wish broadway would call already and take me out of this office.....
If you're even just passing through, leave a comment. They make my day.

double polaroid margot

2008-01-26T17:14:00.001-05:00

this is margot miller of icedgrandesoylatte. you can find her blog in my friends list to the right.

margot made me take two pictures, which i rarely do. she also insisted on posing for both of them, which is something i almost never let my subjects do. there is something about margot that made me not care about my silly rules. she designed the shirt that she's standing on the couch wearing. i think she might even sell it.

margot is incredibly talented, infectiously enthusiastic, has more energy than anyone i know, and manages to make the world seem like a little bit more of a hopeful place. she's a joy to be around.

so here are your polaroids, margs!

cha-cha and katherine

2008-01-24T20:16:00.001-05:00

cha-cha and katherine, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

broadway stars, both. you can find them in "wicked" and "a chorus line," respectively, where they light up the stage with their vivacious personalities and awesome talent. plus, they're adorable and sweet and definitely the kind of people you're happy to have sushi with on a late tuesday night.

taken in midtown manhattan.

86th st.

2008-01-23T14:44:00.001-05:00

86th st., originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

This is my subway stop. It has been my subway stop for the last two and a half years. This is a terrible picture of it, but i was quite bored waiting for the 1 one night at about 11.

strange days indeed.

rest in peace, heath ledger.

anthony and leila

2008-01-22T00:48:00.001-05:00

anthony and leila, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

yet another boring-ass night in the cave. the owner came into the restaurant, so naturally everyone went all atwitter and then sent the host(esses) downstairs to avoid crowding at the podium. it was nice to have company for awhile between the phone calls and delivery orders.

we were clearly all quite bored, as is evidenced by the look on leila's face.

i can has cheezburger?

2008-01-20T02:02:00.001-05:00

i can has cheezburger?, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

it was just too perfect to have chairman meow sitting on that box, staring at the plate of mini-cheeseburgers dan was making before project runway a couple of weeks ago. i had to stop chopping lettuce into perfect circles with the top of a cup to grab my camera.
the best part? chair doesn't even really like people food that much. he's a pretty kickass cat, for a communist dictator.

taken in brooklyn.

adam

2008-01-18T19:09:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids001, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

This is my high school sweetheart. He hates this picture, but i don't care. he is an absolutely stellar human being and i'm incredibly grateful for his presence in my life.

taken in LA on christmas day, watching the yule log on DVR, looking through issues of penthouse from the early 80s, and listening to neil diamond.

holdenn

2008-01-17T19:01:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids006, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

This little boy is the light of my life. His favorite song is "Body Movin'" by the Beastie Boys. He's obsessed with flushing the toilet, winding clocks, and figuring out new ways to crack us up. He requests Arcade Fire when he gets into the car.

coolest kid ever. he's my two and a half year old cousin.

zac in a tree

2008-01-14T16:03:00.001-05:00

zac, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

....is ridiculous. However, the backyard orange cake that came out of his midnight shenanigans in my parents' backyard was worth falling out of said tree (don't worry, he didn't fall).

This, ladies and gentlemen, is what celebrity chefs do on their off-time. Climb trees to make cake.

michael

2008-01-11T14:30:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids004, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

is usually on the phone. or online. He has more facebook friends than any sane person should. I made him pose in an atm vestibule on the upper west side after we saw "Juno." He's a wonderful wonderful friend.

more funny politics

2008-01-11T14:21:00.000-05:00

Apparently, the new fun thing to do during this crazy political time is make politicians pose with crazy props. Here's another one.

thanks to dan for the link.

babies as political props

2008-01-09T13:47:00.000-05:00

This article from Slate Magazine was too many different kinds of brilliant to pass up. Check out this guy's photo essay where he uses his five-month-old for some amazing photo opportunities during the New Hampshire primaries.

eggplants

2008-01-09T12:21:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids002, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

My parents' refrigerator was home to about 40 or so eggplants for a short while before christmas eve. That many eggplants in one place is a pretty hilarious sight, especially when they're wedged between a gigantic jar of olives, egg cartons, and some chinese food containers. taken in LA.

lauren

2008-01-07T12:05:00.001-05:00

lauren, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

don't know where i've been recently. but i'm around.

this is lauren. she has remained one of my steadfast best friends for the last eight or so years. she is brilliant and beautiful in more ways than i can describe. she is also very cold in this picture.

servers...

2008-01-03T18:16:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids003, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

...are funny. they have to fold a lot of napkins. my favorite crime-fighting team is at the top. i want to write them an hour-long single-camera comedy where they fight crimes. it would be huge. we would make millions. my favorite snide commentor jamie is in the middle. and cutest couple goes to cesar and alissa, making faces in the foreground.

incidentally, i just taught blythe danner how to use the automatic paper towel dispenser in the bathroom at work.

never a dull moment.

jeremy

2008-01-02T17:20:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids005, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

jeremy can twirl his moustache now. i think that's hilarious.

taken in downtown LA before spending many hours in a shitty diner.

rebecca and karl

2007-12-29T20:21:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids019, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

this is my kickass roommate rebecca (of the earlier floor cake post) and her kickass boyfriend karl. i like this picture because they're both making the same face about something cute the other said. karl spends a lot of time staring incredulously at us acting ridiculous. i think he and dan developed a strange bond in that way the other night.

view

2007-12-27T15:47:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids014, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

this is what it looks like out nick's living room window.

maura

2007-12-26T19:48:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids018, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

taken in the middle of her nightly "you-don't-need-me-upstairs-so-i'm-gonna-help-nikka-with-menus" whirlwind. i love when she does that.

good party, kids.

2007-12-25T18:06:00.000-05:00

Last night was amazing, as nearly 120 people waltzed in and out of my parents' house last night, talking and laughing and eating and drinking. It's great to see people I never see, and to remember what unconditional love and family are really about, even if you don't share blood. The vibe in each room was familial and wonderful, watching people catch up and scream and laugh from my spot behind the bar, standing between my uncle and my cousin as we made drinks for people- i didn't even have time to get my digital camera out, let alone the polaroid.
so much love. it's too beautiful for words.

byron

2007-12-25T15:00:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids015, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

is sleepy.

taken on nick's moving day.

neb

2007-12-23T15:21:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids012, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

taken at his i-booked-a-cruise-ship-for-the-better-part-of-winter-so-haha party at dave&buster's times square. we won a LOT of tickets playing trivia. not so many playing skeeball.
he gets on the ship today. hope he's having fun.

gio

2007-12-22T20:52:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids011, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

his lazors are charged and ready.

he is the best.cat.ever.

jet lag

2007-12-22T20:44:00.001-05:00

...is not too much fun. I'm exhausted for what feels like no apparent reason. My body is kind of killing me, but I shouldn't be complaining since I didn't have surgery the other morning. Again, I look around at how strange LA is during the holidays, considering there hasn't been any snow here since sometime in the 1940s....then again, being in LA as an adult is always pretty strange. I still have no idea how people move here and somehow manage to carve out lives for themselves- it's such an isolating place.
There is, however, something to be said for sitting at a crappy diner you've been going to your entire life with an old friend at three o'clock in the morning, rehashing and debating and debriefing.

you should be reading margot's blog.
i'll beat you up if you don't.

bawlz

2007-12-22T15:55:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids013, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

because mitzi's always bawlz.

I'd go into more about mitzi, but really...how can you describe your best girlfriend? she's more family than anything at this point- we love each other, we hate each other, we're too involved in each other's lives...but i know she'll be there always, as will i.
love.

boys on couch

2007-12-21T01:24:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids017, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

this is (L to R) Lorrel, Joe, James, and Mike. They are not short boys. they range from 5'9" to about 6'2" or so. The couch in my uncle's living room is just that big. It's a stellar couch. Giant. Leather. Good for sleeping and getting lost in. All four of them were organized pretty comfortably on it this past movie night, and adorably, none of their feet were touching the ground.

mike

2007-12-19T13:24:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids016, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

payback's a bitch, wang. i believe this was shortly before i handed your ass back to you by sinking the 8 ball.

also note: jim and andy d in the background, hamming it up.

but seriously, mike's pretty awesome. he doesn't laugh too much at me when i wander around his apartment looking confused at all hours.

many thanks to dan for help with the lighting.

the cave

2007-12-17T21:23:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids010, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

when i say i'm working in the cave, this is what i mean. this is a very small office. it lives behind the prep kitchen. there are no windows and a very large too-loud air conditioning unit that provides the only ventilation. it is either swelteringly hot in here or ridiculously freezing. there are any number of loud people screaming while i'm trying to be as polite as i can on the phone, telling mostly mean and crazy people that no, you may not come to the restaurant until 8pm. there is always too much work to do and there is never enough time to do any of it and never enough people to help. i'm constantly frustrated, but there are certainly worse things i could be doing.
i'm in the cave at the moment. it makes me want to scream.

glowing kittens

2007-12-15T13:12:00.000-05:00

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=071212210021.3u7d8gpx&show_article=1

omg. WANT.

pictures coming soon.

colin and nick

2007-12-13T09:41:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids003, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

Nick likes this picture because his arms look huge. Nick's arms always look huge. We once determined that Nick's arms are actually the size of my thighs. I'm a dancer (and clearly not a photographer), so that's a little scary. there will be more pictures of Nick in the future.

I like this picture because Colin is giving a very typical Colin smile, and he is gone in Vegas doing Mamma Mia for the next nine months or so and I will miss him a lot. I already miss him. Colin is one of my closest friends and one of the most together people I know, even though his energy is always up on a 10. The joy he brings to everything he does and the people around him is infectious and wonderful, and his demeanor is so caring and sweet and jumpy and fantastic. College would have been a very different experience had I not had this incredible person there with me. He's one of those people who you can't forget because he wiggles into your heart and just...stays there.

spiral staircase

2007-12-11T23:32:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids009, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

I'm housesitting for my uncle this week so i don't have to go up and down these stairs seventeen times a day...but normally I do, since my bedroom is down that staircase. I've only fallen a couple times, and only sober. of course. just another slice of life in the heaven that is new york city. There's a spiral staircase in my parents' house too, but it goes down to the basement and nobody ever really goes there. I took a similar photo to this one in the ninth grade or so in a stupid black-and-white film phase that every ninth grader has to go through. that photo is long gone at this point, but i like this one better anyway, since this is a spiral staircase i found on my own.
there's a cat sitting in front of the keyboard making it very difficult to type...so i think i'll run off now.

tree branch

2007-12-11T12:43:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids002
Originally uploaded by tenpolaroids

Reminds me of the overgrown tree branches from the run-down weird house next door that used to hit my bedroom window at night. The Santa Ana winds would blow like crazy in the winter ("winter" by LA standards) and make those skinny branches whistle and whip my window like they were out to get me- it terrified me as a little girl. Now it's sort of comforting, a homey change from hearing the workers yelling outside my window at the crack of dawn or listening to my neighbors blast terrible music and scream at all hours of the night. I go home now and lie awake in bed, hoping the wind will blow and the branches will whistle me to sleep.

awkward

2007-12-11T01:27:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids007, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

totally awkward requisite blurry washed-out self portrait. i'd say i was cuter than this, i just don't think it's all that true.

menorah

2007-12-10T16:28:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids004, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

i lit candles the other night, pretty much for the express purpose of taking a silly picture. although there is some kind of comfort in lighting them for at least one night, feeling like i'm part of something bigger than me. not in a god kind of way, since god and i aren't really too down with each other...but just knowing that my aunts and uncles are doing it too, and hoping they're well and happy even if i don't talk to them as often as i should.
the holidays are fast approaching, and i'm excited about going home for more than two days this time.

i hate brunch.

2007-12-09T18:23:00.001-05:00

I'm not necessarily a huge fan of children as a concept. They're occasionally cute and sometimes fun to be with... sometimes. I know that children can be quite annoying, especially at brunch. Brunch brings out a side of children that makes me want to tear my hair out. The children at brunch today weren't too terrible, most of them were just really excited to go see the Nutcracker- little ballerina girls in their fancy dresses giggling excitedly about seeing the sugar plum fairy.

Children being the size they are, they move a little more slowly- what with the short legs and all. It's not really fun to follow behind them, especially when you have to be somewhere ten seconds ago to deal with yet another in a long line of unsatisfied people. However, it takes a special kind of miserable person to put her hands on and then shove other people's children out of the way, yelling "URCHINS!" at them- to then breeze through to a table which is so unsatisfactory they come running back to scream at me?

You never understand the true nature of people until you've had to work in the service industry. The behavior I've seen by many patrons who dine at my restaurant is appalling and quite the double standard for the amount of money some of these people have and the kind of organizations they are a part of, the boards they sit on, the money they donate. Most people's true colors are muddled in the almost cruel way they treat the "invisible" people who bring them a meal. Tipping a delivery guy two dollars on a $60 order after he's run twelve blocks in 30 degree weather or just not at all- insane demanding customers on the phone who don't understand what I mean when I say "I'm sorry, we're fully committed at that time" and want to fight with me about it because don't I KNOW WHO THEY ARE? People who make me run a marathon and show them six or seven tables before they grudgingly agree to one?

no. i don't know who you are. and frankly, the more rude you are to me, the less i care. and i didn't really care all that much to begin with. all i ask is that you treat me and my coworkers with the respect and decency we deserve.

and one more thing- i am not your server. i cannot get your check. i cannot fetch you a drink. my card does not allow me to do such things. pay attention to who serves you and find them when they come back around, but do NOT snap at me. that is not my job, and they sure as hell don't pay me enough to deal with it.

floor cake.

2007-12-08T22:22:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids005, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

This is what happens when your roommate decides it's a really good idea for you two to bake a cake at three in the morning and you screw it up...by dropping it frosting-side-down on the kitchen floor. I like this picture because it's all washed out and looks like it's from the 70s, between the color of the picture and the color of my kitchen floor.
My roommate Rebecca and I occasionally bake cake from a box. I make the cake part, she frosts it. It works out nicely, for the most part...because, well, there's cake at the end of it all.
The cake was already frought with humorous disaster, since the eggs we used in it had a sell-by date of October 25th (and it was well past Thanksgiving at this point) and we cracked them outside, shivering in our socks on the stoop in case any of them were rotten (since we didn't want to stink up the apartment). Reality show cameras should have been following these two crazy girls as they tossed eggshells off the stoop and sniffed the blue ceramic bowl for any telltale sulphur smells. Either way, the eggs weren't rotten and the cake was eventually baked, although I didn't put enough butter in and I don't own a whisk or an electric mixer, so it was a little weird-looking. Leave it to me to screw up cake from a box. And then drop it on the floor after my roommate frosted it so nicely.
Gravity sucks. however, that night was the first night that floor had been cleaned in an awfully long time, so some good came out of it.
poor poor floor cake.

dan

2007-12-07T19:56:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids006, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

this is dan. and that's all i can say about that.

christmas trees

2007-12-07T19:01:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids008, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

It's the holiday season on the upper west side, and that means that the christmas trees are out in full force. These guys stand with them every single day for many many hours at a time in the bitter cold. they smoke cigarettes and try to keep warm by the van they've got running behind them.. They're out there 24/7.
I love walking by them and smelling the trees- great piney smell permeating broadway, making the first snow the other day feel really special. I know this photo is too dark to really see anything, but it is what it is. i never claimed to be a good photographer.

tenpolaroids001

2007-12-07T01:06:00.001-05:00

tenpolaroids001, originally uploaded by tenpolaroids.

This photo was a complete screwup. I was playing around with the polaroid and accidentally pressed the flash bypass button while the cover was closed. clearly since there was nothing to take a photograph of, the polaroid came out blank. and black. so i found an old silver gel pen and, rather than waste a picture, doodled the blog title. I'm either resourceful or incredibly foolish. I'm more inclined to go with incredibly foolish with a layer of trying to look cool.

hard drive woes

2007-12-06T15:48:00.000-05:00

My poor hard drive is on its last legs and making it abundantly clear to me that it no longer wants to be an active member of my computer. I, however, continually force it to go on by taking it on field trips to the Apple store and making them disk repair it with the triage drive, since I wasn't smart enough to partition my external and install Leopard on it. I just need this baby to hold out for another month or so before i get another computer...once i see what kind of cool stuff gets announced at macworld (yes yes, i know, i'm a really big nerd.). That's why i've been sort of absent lately.

picture post will come soon. very soon.

yes.

2007-11-29T15:47:00.000-05:00

Other than coughing up a horrible storm as of late, something that's still actively not thrilling me in the slightest (quite the opposite in fact, but we'll get to that later), things are moving around. My dear friend Colin is going to leave me for many mnay months to go to vegas and do Mamma Mia, and i'm very happy for him but quite sad that he'll be gone for so long.

I haven't been to work in a week and i've been totally fine with that. i'm over work. i, of course, have to be there in an hour. and then for the next four days in a row (HORRIBLE). i think i'm just over the restaurant. i either want to go back to retail or seriously try and do something else that involves a lot less insanity. going in for Chicago for the seventh time yesterday kind of revitalized my over-the-day-job thing.

not too many other good things to say. started Paul Auster's book The Brooklyn Follies the other day...i just adore the way that man creates a world and the people who inhabit it.

god damn, i wish i weren't coughing so much. everything hurts. maybe they'll relegate me to reservationist duty the rest of the week (yeah right, i should be so lucky). time to get things done and change and go.

cold and rainy monday

2007-11-26T18:37:00.000-05:00

this first batch of film isn't turning out brilliantly. but i figure i can let the first one be a mess and figure it out as i go, right?

think i'm starting a new music kick...my uncle gave me Oliver Future's album Pax Futura while i was in LA for thanksgiving. it's pretty wonderful. need to give it another few listens, but of course this is inspiring me to buy a whole bunch of new albums. most of them old news, but whatever.

new york just feels better in my skin. more alive, more present. just correct. although, not having a fever and chills anymore also feels pretty good on my skin. maybe the only time it's good to wake up in a pool of sweat. well...maybe one of the only times.

2007-11-24T21:31:00.000-05:00

welcome to the blog. i'm not even sure what i want to do with it yet, though i know that there are ten pictures in a roll of polaroid film. and i just found old polaroid cameras in my parents' house when i was home for thanksgiving. so the idea is maybe once a week to post the ten polaroids that have defined the week. other than that, i will just...blog. how does that sound?