It's HOT in NYC

Last night waiting for the R train in Brooklyn.

Pier foot

Pier foot
Originally uploaded by Ingrid!

My entry for the I heart faces photo challenge: feet week!

Pride Parade

A series of shots taken with my Fujifilm Instax instant camera. Like a Polariod, but with a different aspect ratio. Click on the images to see them bigger, and enjoy!

NYSC sucks and here's why

I sent an Email Executive Carpet Bomb a la The Consumerist to about 15 people at NYSC about an incident that happened last week. Their personal trainers need to really learn some gym etiquette.

Here's a copy of what I sent, please to enjoy:

"I’m writing to inform you of a recent incident at your 8^th Ave and 23^rd Street facility.

Recently this location has started roping off one area of the gym and trying to keep other members out while one or two people who have hired personal trainers use the area to exercise. Unfortunately this is the area where all the Swiss balls are stored, along with a rack free weights, stretch bands, medicine balls and other equipment. On Tuesday June 2nd, I was in this area using one of the pieces of equipment (the hip flexor machine) that is located there. When I finished on that machine, I wanted to use the blue Swiss ball (of which there is only one in the entire facility) and, seeing no one else near the ball, picked it up to take it out of the Personal Training area. When I walked past the only personal trainer in the area on my way out, he snatched the ball out of my hands and said, “This is for MY CLIENT.” I replied that neither he nor his client was making use of the ball, as they were at the other end of the area from where the ball was sitting unattended. He responded that he had placed the ball there for his client to use later. Even if the Swiss ball was the personal property of the trainer, there was no reason for him, someone much larger and stronger than I, to physically pull the ball from my hands. He might have maintained a civil tone of voice and explained that they would be using it in a few minutes and asked me if I could wait, or he might have followed what is standard gym/health club etiquette throughout the world and offered to let me work in between their sets. I was then told to leave the area by both this trainer and his client.

I proceeded to the front desk and approached the General Manager, Gerry Gutierrez. I told Gerry that if I was going to lose the opportunity to use certain pieces of equipment during peak gym hours (which is the only time I can use the gym), then I expected to have a reduction in my dues. Gerry smirked and said “that’s not going to happen.” I then explained the incident that had just occurred with the personal trainer and asked why I was not allowed to use the blue Swiss ball, even though the trainer and his client were not using them at the time. He said that I was allowed to use the ball, as long as they were not. I asked him to please explain this to the trainer and Gerry and I and another gym employee walked over to the Personal Training area. The trainer again said that his client would be using the ball, but again the ball sat, unused, in a corner. Indeed the ball sat unused for much of the time that I observed the trainer and his client over the next 15 - 20 minutes. I insisted that I only needed to do two sets of twelve using the ball, and would be done quickly, but still was not allowed to have access to the ONE blue Swiss ball in the entire facility. Although Gerry and the other gym employee assured me that they would “take care” of the situation and speak to the trainer, no attempt was made to get any contact information from me in order to follow up and let me know what the outcome was. Gerry seemed extremely uncomfortable having to deal with someone who was complaining and refused to approach the trainer at that time, so as not to “interrupt his time with his client” even though my workout had already been disrupted and rendered incomplete by the arrogant attitude of your employee.

I would suggest that if this area is to remain an area for personal trainers and their clients that you remove the equipment that is stored there so that the other paying members of your facility have access to them and have the trainers be the ones to retrieve each piece of equipment as needed, rather than monopolizing all the gear stored in that area and/or roping off access to it.

Furthermore, it seems that you have begun a new policy of catering to one or two members who have chosen to buy personal training, while ignoring the needs and expectations of the other members whose dues make up the majority of your income. It is obvious to even a lay person with no training in business management that catering to the two people in the gym that evening that were with trainers versus the 60-some people filling up the rest of the facility is foolish. I’d advise you to check your revenue streams and reorganize your priorities accordingly. At the very least, some customer service training for all your employees is in order before another incident like this occurs and another member like me takes her business elsewhere."

TTMF!

"I don't really know what kind of girl I am."

"I don't really know what kind of girl I am."
Originally uploaded by Ingrid!

I've spent quite a bit of time at the NYPH so far. My company (AdoramaPix) sponsored a group of artists and did the printing for the show of last year's winners of the NY Photo Awards. You can see both shows in the Tobacco Warehouse and NO festival pass is needed for Tobacco Warehouse shows!
Overall, I'm impressed with the show, it's a lot of hard work by the men and women who work pretty much all year to put it together. I'm going back Sunday NOT to work, but just for ME to enjoy everything I haven't had a chance to see yet.
Now for this. I have to say, this is the second year for the festival now, and I am so surprised to see how the local businesses do not seem to be prepared for the crowds and attention.
I dropped into the VIP Green Room, located downstairs in the Water Street Restaurant. First, not to sound like a big fat complaining snob or anything, but I expected a bit more from a VIP lounge. There was a coffee station but they were charging for the coffee and muffins, and no bottled water any where in sight. Though I'm not a TRUE vip (got the pass as a result of working with the Festival) I was surprised again to be ignored for a good five minutes while two employees three feet from me fiddled with the TV/audio hookup. I mean, they had no idea who I was, I could've been anyone from anywhere and much, much more important than I am (which wouldn't be hard!). And then I was given a dirty cup for my tea. WTF? With all the advertising and lead up to the Festival, did they really get so caught off guard?
Anyway, enough of my whining. The show is outstanding, again, and if you get a chance get over there.

Yes, another accident at 23rd and 9th.

This is getting tiresome. ANOTHER accident at 23rd and 9th, SW corner.

I didn't see what happened, but can you imagine standing on the little island, waiting to cross the street, and seeing this car headed straight for you? There was another car involved, its entire front bumper was torn off, license plate and all, sitting in 23rd Street, facing west.

I guess it was lucky there was no one in the bike lane! A few more feet and this driver would've gone through the window of the Chelsea Square diner! It didn't look like anyone was hurt, no EMTs at the scene at all, just cops. I'm wondering if this has anything to do with the delayed light, etc. at the intersection, or was just an accident.

Flu Shout-Outs!

In case you haven't heard, I got on the plane and went to Vegas despite having a fever of just over 101. Just how long are you contagious anyway? Just in case:
Shout out to Adam Aguilar, who helped me to open my foil pack of Motrin with his teeth, after I had handled it with my flu-sweaty hands.
Shout out to everyone I played craps with that handled the dice after I blew on them and tossed them, shout out to all the dealers who handled my chips.
Shout out to the nice couple who sat next to me on the plane, against whom I was pitted in the in-flight trivia game and who cringed every time I coughed, which was often.
Shout out to the baristas at Starbucks and the cashier at the buffet who took my money, the germy-est thing there is.
By the time the tradeshow started I probably wasn't contagious anymore, as the fever seems to have broken sometime Saturday night, thank goodness I don't have to give shout-outs to the 600 and some people I talked to there, do I?