An Interview with My Favorite Glamorous Redneck

Glam Redneck offered to interview anyone who asked, and I love to answer questions, so here we go. She's obviously been doing her reading on me, since these questions are both intuitive and interesting! I hope my answers do them justice. If anyone would like me to interview them please post a comment and I will dutifully oblige (and I'd be happy to be intervewed again as well).

Five Questions for Meg:
1. What was the hardest adjustment you dealt with when you moved to NYC?

I moved to NYC on Labor Day weekend in 2004, and I have to admit that most of my "adjustments" and life lessons learned since then are not directly because of (or even related to) my move to New York. I had my heart broken (while I was writing this blog), lost and gained a few friends, and learned to move on from my former Midwestern life while still holding on to what I loved about that life (and some of the people as well).

But I do remember seeing my first cockroach in an apartment, as well as in a restaurant (ew) and I distinctly recall not knowing what certain items were on restaurant menus (sometimes I still don't know!). But truly, the hardest adjustment was not having any built-in friends and a lack of social networking (unlike college, where you meet people everywhere) that I had to overcome and build a whole new group of friends. Now I have some of the greatest friends I've ever had, but for the first six months I was really lonely--and quite bored.

2. If you were going to show someone who had never been to NYC a day in the life (not just the tourist attractions), where would you take him or her?

I actually try to avoid tourist attractions with my friends who come to visit me. I usually ask them to make a list of three or four things they absolutely have to see and spend the rest of the time doing "normal" things. Most of my friends arrive on a weekday afternoon, so I'll bring them into work and show them my desk and offer them books off of our free shelf (and ship them to their home!). Then I take them to happy hour or to dinner at fabulously affordable places that my friends & go to; or somewhere that I've heard great things about. I tend to pick places that have cool decor or unique food; Vnyl in Hell's Kitchen, Room Service in Chelsea, or Grimaldi's in Brooklyn Heights are faves. Then, in typical Meg fashion we go out drinking with whoever of my friends I can round up. Usually we go out to a neighborhood bar and then to a hot spot to pick up men. I also offer to take them to a show/concert while they're in town--on me.

My friend Alison is coming to visit in a few weeks, and the plan for Friday night is a dinner at Vnyl or Carmine's, then we're going to see COMPANY, a Broadway show, and then we'll head to Pough's neighborhood in BK to go out on Smith Street (a bar street) and to my fave bar there, Lido, where I know Molly the bartender and sing karaoke. When we wake up Saturday with hangovers, we'll go to Everything Bagel on Henry & Union for sustenance, just like Pough & I do every weekend we spend at his place.

3. What do you miss most about where you grew up?

I'm going to sound like Willa Cather, but I miss the land itself. Everywhere I've lived I have a special connection to the physical geography of the place but at "home" (Merrill, Wisconsin) every inch of that land has a memory to me. When Pough and I go camping this summer, we'll be at a campsite where my friends celebrated my 18th bday and where Alison & I got drunk in the middle of the day the summer after I graduated from college.

My absolute favorite thing to do at home now is go for a long run/walk/workout with my fam's dog, Coji. He doesn't need a leash so we walk down the gravel roads together, and he runs in and out of the woods...I only come home twice a year, but when I get home he will whine until I take him. Dad takes him for walks, but he doesn't go as fast or as far as I do.

4. Do you think that growing up in the Midwest helps you or hinders you in your day to day life now that you’re out of here?

I definitely think it helps. Not to insult my friends that grew up in the city or the 'burbs, but I think I have a different perspective than a lot of people do. I grew up among blue collar people and snotty small town judgment from those who were "white collar." I never really fit in either group, and so I think I developed a good sense of self through that isolation. I also believe that being a country girl helps me to be focused on what really matters: friends, family, and faith.

Plus, I can handle any NYC bug, and I have a better sense of direction than everyone I know!

5. Any famous people sightings? If so, what was your favorite one? If not, who would you LOVE to run into and why?

Although I didn't really see her (I was too focused on avoiding the subway grates with heels on and wondering why a photographer was crouched down next to a newspaper stand to notice), Sarah Jessica Parker once checked me out in the West Village near her apartment. It was so obvious that she was checking me out that my exboyfriend saw it and then told me about a block later. Apparently I met with her approval.

On my way to a bar I realized I was behind Jeffery Dean Morgan (Denny Duchette from Grey's Anatomy) I've also met Anthony Rapp (Mark from Rent) quite a few times, mostly relating to his book, WITHOUT YOU ---which is an amazing read. I really like him and his work, so I was really pumped every single time I met him.

I would adore to run into any country musician on the street. Although I'd love to run smack into Mary J Blige or Beyonce, I have a sneaking suspicion that its a lot more likely to run into country artists, who aren't really going to get recognized outside the touristy areas since no one here likes or knows country music. One of the members from my favorite country bands: Nickel Creek, Sugarland, The Wreckers, Rascal Flatts---or hottie extraordinare Brad Paisley would be awesome. I would totally buy Sugarland numerous drinks to keep them in my company.

I hope I did all your questions justice! I've been spending a lot of time online this week, and check out my MySpace page. It reaped the benefits!