Roget's Strumpet

I just stumbled across this and it is totally fricking amazing. Online graphical dictionary and thesaurus.

If you heart vocabulary words as much as I do (and especially if you like amazing UI's) you have to go here!

Move stuff around, double-click on other words, try the random ones...

I'm obsessed. Truly.

Which also leads me to a realization, after having read a book review for THE MAN WHO MADE LISTS: Love, Death, Madness, and the Creation of Roget’s Thesaurus, that there is a hidden joy in exploring a thesaurus that this interface magnifies. I'm a person who explores a thesaurus or a dictionary by chain-reaction... a strange story unfolds from that approach. Sometimes its a fragmented history of sorts, other times pure entertainment. Never a dull moment. Specifically, this excerpt from the review:

'Never quite intended as a book of synonyms (Roget thought there “really was no such thing,” given the unique meaning of every word), the Thesaurus was constructed as a crystal palace of abstraction, each of whose 1,000 lists pushes a reader, often antonymically, to the next, “certainty” leading to “uncertainty” leading to “reasoning” leading to “sophistry.” '

... Gramercy Park Hotel

... was the most amazing experience EVER. I'll write more later, but I will go there again and again and again. Absolutely amazing, and just my style.

The Hudson

... was amazing. I'll edit this later and backfill the deets, but I highly recommend it!

Unlucky number 44

Yesterday walked around SoHo... lots of expensive handbags and such. I bought a $7 pair of amazingly garrish earrings and a Mr. T one-sy for Missy who is 6 months preggers. Stopped into a bar called Zia and had some vodka and some whiskey. Yummers. Stopped my feet from hurting because I wore my fabulous-but-not-practical-for-walking boots.

Checked into the Royalton. I thought it would be another harbinger of good luck since the hotel is located at 44 West 44th street, the restaurant is called Bistro 44 and the Bar is called Bar 44. Yaaay I thought to myself. Was I ever wrong. So wrong I could not have possibly been wrong-er-er. The lobby was just as pictured... dark, soft, swanky. The curbside service was friendly and personal... those guys hustle and work hard. Later that evening, the lobby bars were not so friendly and personal. The bartender didn't visit our table even once. Nearby tables could be heard complaining and asking for a waitress. Later, we were told after ordering another drink at the bar itself that it was closed and our tab had been closed as well and billed to the room. I told her I wanted to see a receipt and she said she didn't have it. (She was a bitch). So I demanded that she show me a receipt. (I was pissy).

So the manager came out and showed us the tab... she had closed it out and given herself a generous tip. So anyway, the manager had two drinks sent up to our room by an even bitchier bitch. As soon as the door closed she said something incomprehensible but mocking... sounded like 'Well, that was exhilirating!... ha ha ha... whisper whisper'.

The room had a fireplace and it STUNK. Not like woodsmoke, but like old assy chimney from the turn of the century. The lighting was sooooo incredibly dim that you could hardly see yourself in the bathroom mirrors... and no way to turn the lighting up. Me no like.

The front desk was calling the room at 11:45 to make sure I was aware of the 12 pm checkout. I don't like the Royalton. Don't stay there. For over $700 at a boutique hotel, I should not leave feeling so completely unwelcomed. Blech.

Lucky Number 44

So... I was disappointed about the delays and the View restaurant being closed before I was scheduled to arrive at the Marquis. And I totally made peace with that.

Well, the fantastic woman I talked to on the plat. reservation line must have took pity on me. All I requested was a late checkout and a higher floor room so that I could have some little bit of a view somehow. When I checked in, they told me that they had also given me a free upgrade. The room was on the 44th floor and I was very happy about that. So I get to the room (room 4444) and it was the Presidential Suite! Immense... marble entryway, a grand piano, 3 different sitting areas, a dining room, a separate wet bar area, 2 bathrooms, a jacuzzi and a shower, a bidet (hee hee), huge wall of windows down the whole way.... and a bedroom view directly overlooking all of Times Square. Color me completely blown away. And it was free. Completely free.

The bed was amazingly comfortable, the linens, the soaps, the extra touches. See, that's the reward for just going with the flow. Wow.

Sidenote... walked around a deserted Times Square at 3 am and got cannoli.

I'll add pictures soon, the connection here is slooooooooooooooooooooooow.

Deeeeeeeeeelayed

Pooey. JFK is on a two hour ground delay because of poor visibility or something. This makes me sad for several reasons:

1. What was originally a 4 hour layover now becomes 6. Airports are not my favorite places to eat, drink, shop or sleep. However, I will do one or two to excess to make my eternity here at Dulles as entertaining or embarassing as possible. Should I hang with Mr. Jamesons or the Grey Goose?

2. Had things gone to plan, I would have had juuuuust enough time (about an hour 1/2) to hang in the View lounge and watch Times Square rotate slowly by at night. So I called the plat. reservation line and requested a high floor and late checkout instead. Breakfast in the concierge lounge will be ok, I'll express my disappointment by eating extra pastries and having one top many mimosas.

The good news: this was good strategery on my part to use my Marriott miles. I don't feel like ive lost anything but a few photo ops... I have no bitching rights. In fact, how awesome that I can even stay in a five star hotel for free in the first place. I rule!

Oh, and I think I'm gonna wash my hair and face in the ladies room here at Dulles. That will feel good.

Here we go!

Up at 3:30 a.m. for some last-minute packing and kitten petting and left for PDX at 4... Woo!

Last night Anselm hacked my iPhone some more so now when I upload pics through iFlickr, they'll also geolocate. So... my pictures will be pinned to the location on the map where they were taken. Coooooooooooooool!

And he also put another feature on there but its a secret. Thanks Anselm!!

I rented a movie (Michael Clayton) through iTunes and downloaded it to my iPhone so I can watch it on the plane. Aaaaaaand I also loaded tons more music to my phone... lots of ELO, Shins, Bee Gees... you know, stuff what I likes.

I got in trouble a few nights ago while out fo rdrinks with friends. It seems that I am attached to and absorbed by my iPhone. So much so that people felt me rrrrrrrrrrude. I agree. Now I must find more subtle ways of paying attention to my sleek new appendage without arousing suspicion. It so shiny!

Goodbye for several long hours!