PrimoSpot

When I visit the city -- anyone who lives outside Manhattan call it that -- I'm generally visiting my Mom in Chinatown. I drive my car and know where I can park for free on the streets or in a cheap parking garage--$10, can't beat that in the city. When I have to visit anywhere else in the city, I would park my car in Jersey and take the bus into Port Authority.

I got adventurous last year for a book launch at Border's in Columbus Circle and drove my car into the city. As it was my nephew's neighborhood, I asked him what the parking situation was up there. I got there, drove around for a bit and found a spot to park. As there was another book launch at the same place last week, I had no qualms about driving in a getting a spot.

Last year, when I attended NY Comic Con, I did my park and bus thing for two days and had my BIL transport me back and forth on Sunday as he drives to work on Sundays. This year, given my success with parking for the book launch, I wanted to drive my car into the city.

I did some homework on the internet to see if there were cheap parking garages around Jacob Javit Center and came across this brillant site -- PrimoSpot. It gives all the parking signage for the areas in Manhattan I'm interested in. I was able to find free parking on the street for all two of the days I spent in the city. The first day I parked and took the ferry across.

PrimoSpot kind of helped me out again when I went into the city this week to see Wicked. The spots I looked at were not free. As the parking spot I used for the book launch was midpoint between the theatre and the bookstore, I was able to find the same spot free.

In these times, gotta find a way to save the dollars for something else.

Note: NYC is constantly changing it parking regulations so PrimoSpot is good as people helping them keep up to date. Since NYC has starting using those dratted Muni-meters, they can change a block into paid parking very quickly. You have to paid the Muni-meter to get a parking slip to put into your car. City is gradually moving away from inidiviaul parking meter.

Opening Day

This is my first day on Blogger.

No, this is not the first time I've written a blog. I've been blogging for a several years. I just did it on MySpace. I've become unhappy with MySpace as there are advertisers there that are sneaky and not safe. I think I've gotten a couple of dangerous trojans from that site, and it has in the past driven my laptop bongers. I'll be keeping my MySpace account, but just to keep in touch with MySpace friends.

I'll be moving my MySpace Blogs over here. If I should ever want to get rid of my MySpace account, at least my blogs are over here.

To keep my MySpace friends who like to read them, I'll post a link back to here.

This will also enable me to post a link in Facebook and Twitter. Yep, I do those, too.

Going Graphical

Happy Friday the 13th -- the first of three to come.

It's been a while since my last blog. This month must be graphical one. I just attended New York's Comic con. I volunteered at Sherrilyn Kenyon's booth and ran up and down the aisles of the Exhibition Hall picking up loot for my brother, my nieces and nephews and a peer. Yes, I got some goodies, too. Many of the publishing houses had a presence and were giving out free books. Gotta love FREE. You can check out the minimal pics I took here: NY Comic Con 2009.

In order to capture a new audience, many authors have had their novels retold in graphical form. Christine Feehan had one of her short stories depicted into a manga -- Dark Hunger. Marvel Comics is releasing Sherrilyn Kenyon's Lord of Avalon in comic form. Sword of Darkness was done last year, and Knight of Darkness, Issue #4 will be released in two weeks. Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series is also in comic form by Marvel. They are up to the Laughing Corpse. In late April/early May, we get to look forward to Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series come out in Japanese manga form. It's being produced by Dabel Bros and distributed by St. Martin's Press. The DH Manga will start with Night Pleasures, Kyrian and Amanda's story. Though we will only get the first half of the novel in April/May and have to wait until September to get the other half. Keep an eye out for it at your local book and comic store. If you're interested in seeing sample of pages, you can check them out in Sherrilyn Kenyon's DH Manga Picture Album.

Dabel Brothers is a very interesting company. They have taken many well-known authors in the science fiction/fantasy arena and retold their stories in graphical form. The company has had its ups and downs. Due to a breakup from Marvel Entertainment, they've lost the rights to Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake Vampire Hunter, George RR Martin's Hedge Knight, Orson Scott Card's Tales of Alvin Maker and Wyrms, Raymond Feist's Magician Apprentice, and Kinley Macgregors' (aka Sherrilyn Kenyon) Lords of Avalon. They are back with Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, Patricia Briggs' Mercedes Thompson, Dean Koontz's Frankenstein, George RR Martin's Wild Cards, Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time and the newest one, The Warriors. I love the movie.

However, this author is different. Marjorie M. Liu does not have any of her novels going graphical. Instead, she writes for Marvel Entertainment. She has written a novel called X-Men: Dark Mirror. I recently was able to obtain a copy. Marjorie will be finishing up the Marvel series NYX: No Way Home this week. Announced this week at NY Comic Con, Marjorie will continue working with Marvel on a new series Dark Wolverine. Go Marjorie!!! And, Marjorie continues with her Dirk & Steele series and her new series Hunter Kiss.

My Day

I did not go to the Macy*s Thanksgiving Parade this year. It was a bit too cold to stake out a spot for 2+ hours. It was great sleeping late. Though my brother woke me up at 9 with some Black Friday shopping news and a request for me to be a dutiful daughter.

Got lots of buzzing from my phone all wishing Happy Thanksgiving. They sure love texting. Thank goodness I purchase a text plan or they will continue to cost me a pretty penny -- 20-25 cents a message. I'm definitely thankful for the friendships I have and have made this year. They know how to put a smile on my face.

All of us, 17, gathered together two weeks ago to celebrate Thanksgiving. I and Pointy was going to spend the day at home. Mom would be by herself. I decided this one time to be dutiful (I guess it can't always be about me) and dragged Pointy down to Mom's with me. My brother was so proud of me as I rang him to be sure he did not go. If he did, I was not going to. Gotta figure out what he can do for us as pay back. Just kidding. We got lunch and surprised Mom. She was sleeping in, too :D Now you know where the daughters have learned to sleep in. Though Pointy got up in time to watch the parade on telly.

We brought in lunch and watched WANTED with Mom. She, like us, love action movies.

A large coffee in Chinatown is smaller than a large Starbuck/Dunkin Donuts/McDonald coffee. And nearly costs as much. Got some Chinese buns for the next couple of days -- baked roast pork, custard, and others

As I was driving home, it gave Pointy and I time to shoot the breeze, especially waiting to get into the tunnel for New Jersey. At home, we generally do our own thing which is usually in front of our own laptops and tellies.

I told her a story of a TSA and a consultant. The consultant, not I, forgot his passport and driver's license at home. He needed to provide some form of ID before the TSA would let hiim pass through airport security. He took out his client ID and the TSA accepted it -- both ways which mean there are two idiotic TSAs. Why idiotic? The ID has his picture, "Government Contractor" and his name. No where does it say what government he works for. No government logo. Nothing. Anyone can produce this ID on a printer and laminate it.

Pointy figured out correctly that the Florida car in front us did not really want to go to New Jersey. Poor person. He had to pull over as soon as it got out of the tunnel. Hope he got the help he needs to get where he needs to go.

We dropped by KMart. All the buy game get one free were gone. Breezed through the store and came out with nothing.

Nope, not doing the Black Friday shopping. I'm sleeping in again :D and catching up on my work backlog :( and laundry -- though not 6 months worth ;)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING however you spent it!