Oh, Tree

There was a tree behind my apartment. I liked to look at it and mark the changing seasons. It was nice to see some green outside of my bedroom window. And then I re-read “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” and I felt even more connected to that tree. My cat liked to watch the birds who lived in its branches and sometimes he would get excited and make hunting noises and click at the birds. This morning I awoke to a man inside that tree, lopping off branches with a chainsaw. We made eye contact as I hurried to pull down the the shade. And now that tree is gone. Why did you cut down my tree, whoever owns the land behind my apartment? I liked that tree a whole lot. It was a lovely maple tree and it was pleasant to lie on my fire escape and read a magazine and watch the sun streaking through its leaves. What did you have against that tree, land owner? Now the people who live behind me have a direct view into my bedroom window. And now there is no tree. The cat and I are both pretty sadtimes about this development. I miss you already, tree.

Dropping Some Science on Your Butt

Did you know? Benadryl (or the generic) and Nytol (or the generic) are the EXACT SAME THING?

They are both Diphenhydramine — typically 25 mg, in the case of Benadryl or Nytol.

Diphenhydramine is the thing in Tylenol PM that makes you sleepy. If you want to take just the sleepy-stuff without the acetominophen, then you take Simply Sleep or Nytol or Unisom or whatever.

When you have itchy eyes or hay fever or you’re sniffy because you stuck your face in a cat, then you take Benadryl. And it usually makes you feel sleepy. BECAUSE IT IS THE EXACT SAME THING AS THE SHIT YOU TAKE TO GO TO SLEEP.

So if you are sleepy, you could actually just take Benadryl. And if you are itchy, you could actually just take Simply Sleep. Because they are THE SAME.

And here is one more exciting bit of science — Diphenhydramine is ALSO Dramamine:

“The effects of dimenhydrinate are very similar to those of diphenhydramine. The main differences are a lower potency, and a longer latency. 50 mg dimenhydrinate contains 27.2 mg of diphenhydramine, so it is less potent at equal doses. Also, dimenhydrinate must dissociate into diphenhydramine and its counterion in the body before it is active, so it produces effects more slowly than diphenhydramine. The drug typically takes a minimum of 4 hours to fully take effect.”

See? Dramamine is is Dymenhydrinate which turns into dyphenhydramine so it makes you less sleepy but still has that sedative effect, which is why your mom gave you so much Dramamine on car trips and airplane rides so you’d just pass out instead of crying and humiliating her in front of all the other nice passengers flying to Florida to see their grandparents.

Maybe you already know this? I just learned this on Saturday night when a good friend of mine BLEW MY MIND by revealing that Benadryl is Simply Sleep. I wanted to share.

BLIMP LIFE

Tickling my new best friend, Blimp.

BLIMPIN'

When you are being a blimp pilot, it is important to study your maps so you can plot your way to your office building and say hi to all your work friends.

Pop Up Chapel video

Popup Chapel July 30th 2011 from Gustavo Campos on Vimeo.


amazing video by Gustavo Campos. THE BEST.

Pop Up Chapel Love from Logo!

Tags: Gay Video & Lesbian Movies, Logo: Fierce TV

Love you, Logo!

A supercute video of Pop Up Chapel

Awwwwww. Those with eagle eyes will spot several of your favorite tumblr-ers in the background.

PS I can't believe none of you told me those mic packs were affixed to my bra. HOT.

Mazel Tov to John and Jay

I am not going to work today so I can do all the other things I haven't done for the last month. This photo is making me happy.

photo from L Magazine

Hello! Are you a famous superstar?

Would you like to speak or sing (with your own accompaniment) at POP UP CHAPEL on Saturday? Pleeeeeease? 7/30, Merchants' Gate at Central Park. Somewhere between 11 and 6ish.

hit me at bex AT popupchapel DOT com.

Amanda Palmer serenades Pop Up Chapel

Amanda Palmer Serenades The Pop-Up Chapel Couples from Pop Up Chapel on Vimeo.


HUGE thanks to Amanda Palmer!

Pop Up Chapel - updates

Our site is updated!

Save the date! Saturday, July 30th! Merchants' Gate, Central Park! 10am - dusk!

Check out all the press we've received!

Anyone have any xanax?

KIDDING, KIDDING (not really.)

Magical Scallions

Once upon a time, I was watching Next Food Network Star and Melissa d’Arabian said that a good money-saving trick was to put the white end-bits of your scallions into a glass of water, because your scallions would magically regrow! (Without being planted in dirt or anything!)

I do this all the time now, but whenever I share my Magic Scallion trick, people are always shocked. So I wanted to share: these are scallions growing in glasses of water in my bedroom (next to the catnip. don’t ask). These scallions were cut down to their endy-bits just a week ago, when I used them for garnish on Bittman’s recipe for cold sesame noodles (modified with tofu and extra chili paste). And now: behold, they are scallions anew!

Just make sure the water level stays at the top of the glass, and change the water if it gets narsty.

Pop Pop!

1). Have you seen the new Pop Up Chapel site? It is TO DIE FOR.

1a). Follow us on twitter!

1b). Like us on facebook!

 2. Are you an architect? Do you know any architects? Maybe they would like to enter this competition! Because Architizer is THE BEST and I love them so much.

9 days left

On Friday, June 24th, 2011, Governor Cuomo signed the historic legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in New York. The bill becomes a law on July 24th, 2011. Now it’s time to get married. Pop-Up Chapel with TheKnot.com is hosting a day-long marriage ceremony in Central Park. They are providing the wedding, the photographer, the officiant and the cupcakes, now all they need is a chapel! Architizer and The Knot are asking designers to submit designs for two temporary structures to be erected for the day long ceremony.

heh heh. “erected.” heh heh.

July 30th is Popping Up All Over

Oh goodness gracious, Pop Up Chapel hits the big league (chew) with coverage in The Observer!

Treat Buckets With Bobby

Chatting with Bobby Finger at the end of a long work day.

We're internetfriends/workfriends!

(Based on Bobby's tumblr about a "chocolate snack pack" in the office fridge.)

Bex: DUDE. what is a chocolate snack pack? and why is it in the fridge?   

Bobby: it's just pudding. but it's the best pudding because it has the best name 

Bex: why is it called a SNACK PACK? a pack of snacks? i see no pack

Bobby: WHY WOULDN'T IT BE

Bex: i see a ... a tub? SNACK TUB

Bobby: WOULD YOU EAT A TUB? i only eat packs. 'tub' makes you feel like a tub.

Bex: i guess tubs are full of gross things. a tub of margarine.

Bobby: packs make you feel like you have a six pack. aka you're healthy.

Bex: do they come in vanilla?

Bobby: they come in all the traditional pudding flavors 

Bex: is pudding a snack? i always thought it was more of a treat. a snack is like some goldfish crackers 

Bobby: a snack is any small serving of a food that isn't considered an entree. like you can snack on fries. but you couldn't snack on a burger. a treat is a bite-sized version of a dessert. ok so maybe snack pack should be in the treat bucket. i'm writing these rules and contradicting myself. they're treat packs. you're right. they're basically treat tubs. 

Bex: wait. i think the snack pack should be called a treat bucket. i think you just named it 

Bobby i'm convulsing right now. treat bucket. 

Bex: TREAT BUCKET

Bobby: omg. i'd buy them 

Bex: why does that make me feel so dirty? i'd buy them and strap them to my face like a feedbag. "i'm sorry, i can't talk to you right now, i am busy enjoying my treat bucket." 

Bobby: "hold my calls" "r'ohm rorry, rah canghtralkyourow. riamburryenroyingmyreatbrucketrrrrrr" 

Bex:  snerk. now i want a treat bucket SO BAD. let's go steal the one in the fridge. 

July 30th - EVERYONE CAN GET MARRIED

OMG, best weekend ever, right? I am still slightly drunk (I think) from celebrating MARRIAGE EQUALITY so very hard!

So -- hugetastic news:

Some friends and I have been hard at work on NYC's first Pop Up Chapel. From our site:

On Saturday, July 30th, the first weekend after same-sex marriage becomes legal, we will host New York City’s first pop-up chapel in Central Park (or a designated space, if interest outpaces capacity.)

We provide the wedding! And the photographer! And the officiant! And witnesses! And cupcakes! And music! And everything you’ve always dreamed of! A free and legal wedding... We will perform your wedding ceremony, sign your license, and process the paperwork.

Please check out our site, and follow us on twitter, and like us on the facebook.

Also, we need your help! Want to volunteer? Want to sponsor us? Want to provide cupcakes? Play guitar? Set up the altar? Provide flowers? PLEASE let me know! You can email me at:
Bex AT popupchapel.com

Look! Gothamist is already covering us!

EVERYONE GETS MARRIED

Do you want to get married?

(Not to me, per se. To the person you love).

If you want to get married, especially once it becomes legal for EVERYPERSON TO GET MARRIED in NYC, I have the power to wed you. Here, in my fingertips. For I am an ordained minister with the ULC, and I am legally registered with the City of New York as a wedding officiant.

You just need to be very much in love and excited about getting married, and then you'll just need to get a marriage license. I will do whatever sort of ceremony you'd like. (You want some Hebrew? Sure thing. You want an original song parody about your relationship? I can do that, too. You want the whole thing to rhyme? SURE THING. You want it to be Star Wars themed? OKAY! You'd like your wedding to be all interfaithedly atheistic? GOOD THING, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW I ROLL. You'd like to enter the ceremony riding an elephant? YOU WILL NEED TO FIND THAT ELEPHANT.)

The point being: if you want to get married, I will ordain your wedding. I will sign your marriage license with my very special New York City wedding officiant information and then I will send your license to the city clerk and they will process it, and then you will be all married and shit like that.

BEAR IN THE BATH

All I want in the world is to take a bath with a bear.

Real Talk with the Captain

I’m so sorry. I have made myself laugh so hard that I am crying my eye makeup off. And then every time I stop laughing, I look at this and then I laugh again. I am just sitting here WEEPING. WEEPING. WEEPING. Maybe it's because I was awake until 6am, but this is the funniest thing I have ever written.

My Parents are SO FAMOUS

My parents are SO FAMOUS! They’re on a fancypants website!

Hearts and stars to Eliot Glazer!