albany is where the heart is.

I'm in love with a Sucklord

2011-11-04T15:01:00.001-04:00

Has anyone been watching this season of Work of Art on Bravo? There’s just…something about one of the contestants that makes my heart flutter. He calls himself, “The Sucklord.” This is hilarious on so many levels, most of all because the very serious gallery owners/art critics/industry luminaries that judge on the show have to refer to him as such. As in, “It’s time for your crit, Sucklord,” and

Wedding Singing!

2011-10-06T13:58:00.000-04:00

This is super duper old news, but I keep forgetting to post it. Here's a video of my first foray into wedding singing! It was one of the loveliest wedding venues I've ever seen (The Saratoga Museum of Dance) and Chelsea and Nick are the sweetest. A delight all around. Leigh from Clark+Walker Studio on Vimeo

(Mori)Bus Philosophorum: Two Morals

2011-10-06T11:10:00.000-04:00

A few days ago I was on the shuttle by myself and struck up a conversation with one of the regular drivers. We chatted about colony collapse disorder, the plight of small farmers and ecological sustainability. Then he told me a story from a documentary he’d seen. I don’t know the title or how faithful the story is to the film, but it made me smile so I’m going to tell you: There was a man who was

One Nation Under Gaudiness

2011-08-31T11:47:00.000-04:00

I've been sick as a dog for the past few days and have spent an embarrassing amount of time channel-surfing. Apparently there are allllll sorts of crazy digital cable channels I didn't even know I had, like Fear Net which is all horror movies, all the time. Awesome. While wrapped up in a Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman marathon (don't judge me) I kept seeing infomercials for a piece of "art" called '

Albany used to be WAY more fun, apparently

2011-07-27T15:32:00.000-04:00

This was forwarded to me by one of my bosses. I present it to you without comment. Click to enlarge:

Must be...ALIVE

2011-06-16T12:08:00.000-04:00

My friend Tricia passed along this hilarious retro job posting.* I love these things. Can you imagine seeing this in a newspaper and thinking, "I'd be perfect for this job! 16 years old...alive...DELECTABLE. Point me towards your HR department, sirs." One of the many reasons I'm thankful for having been born in the 80s. (Click on the image to see a larger, readable version.) *Is it real? Don't

Too Long for Twitter...Too Lazy to Abbreviate

2011-05-03T15:14:00.000-04:00

This is a non-story. Forewarned. So last night I was in the mood for a take-out dinner of some sort. I just didn't feel like venturing into the kitchen (probably because of the leaning tower of dishes in the sink) and the first thing that popped into my head was Bombers. I've recently become ob-freaking-sessed with their tequila wings. Extra extra crispy. That sounded delicious to me, but then

Exciting News

2011-04-08T14:27:00.000-04:00

I'm super excited to share that I'll be contributing to All Over Albany's Sunday Soapbox series. My first piece will run this weekend, so get ready! Since I started blogging a few years ago, Mary and Greg have been unflaggingly kind and supportive, which I appreciate more than I can say. I'm absolutely thrilled to be able to work with them, and look forward to a long and happy collaboration! Be

(Mori)Bus Philosophorum: Desactivar la Perra de Radio

2011-03-23T14:32:00.004-04:00

My new self-improvement goal is to stop bitching about stuff that I can’t change. I’m trying really really hard to adjust my own reaction to things when people are impolite or the world doesn’t do exactly what I’d like it to. Last week when I saw someone throw some trash on the ground at the bus stop, instead of giving them an earful, I just picked up the wrapper and tossed it into the trash can.

The Ballad of Big Daddy, the Anatomically Correct Bull

2011-02-23T10:17:00.002-05:00

It’s probably been fifteen years (at least) since I’ve set foot into a Ponderosa Steakhouse. Growing up, my mother, grandmother, and one of my aunts all worked as servers in the East Greenbush restaurant, so we spent a lot of time there. Many many bowls of ice milk were greedily spooned into our teenaged maws, and we always went back for more dinner after dessert. I remember being in love with

Good God!

2011-01-26T12:13:00.000-05:00

I’ve been thinking a lot about God lately. We grew up in a pretty religious house. My mom was heavily involved with the Catholic church, and we were raised to be devout little versions of her. We prayed a lot. I remember praying for all sorts of things: clear skin, more confidence, for my parents to finally give in and let me go to the MC Hammer concert with my fourth grade best friend. It was

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T13:44:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! Welcome to 2011. One time, years ago, I actually made a New Year's resolution and stuck with it for six whole months. It was exercise-related and was the only time in my adult life I was under 150 pounds. This year, for some reason, I feel like I can conquer the world. It may have something to do with a successful professional leap I took over the weekend (beginning my

Boring Titles

2010-12-25T22:37:00.000-05:00

I almost had to stand up and cheer after reading this article from Popeater about 2010's most boring movie titles. I'm always complaining about how stuuuupid movie (and book) titles are these days. Like, "Because I Said So," "The Happening." What the eff is that? The Happening. That's not a title. That's anything. Going out to get your mail could be the happening. My main problem with book

Five Christmas Lessons

2010-12-25T22:20:00.000-05:00

OK, so Christmas is basically almost over (thank god.) Here are a few things I learned the hard way this year. Electric toothbrushes and black dresses aren't good friends. Turn on the toothbrush once it is safely inside your mouth, or do not turn it on at all. Wear a bib. Don't get dressed until after you've brushed your teeth. Anticipate these things. Don't be such a spazz. Spoon flour into the

Serious Business

2010-12-03T12:46:00.002-05:00

I keep forgetting to mention that a dear, childhood friend and I have started doing an online radio show on the site, blogtalkradio.com. It's probably going to take us about a year of doing the show before we have the professionalism and composure to refrain from giggling for the entire hour, but, we're working on it. We started out calling it, "Serious Business with David & Sissy," but there was

(Mori)Bus Philosophorum: Move Your Feet, Give Up Your Seat

2010-12-01T11:34:00.001-05:00

There are times when I really feel like I'm about six fist shakes away from being someone who says, "People these days! No respect!" and is exasperated. Well, I'm exasperated pretty much all the time, so maybe I'm only five fist shakes away. I swear, there is a porch and a garden hose in my future. The level of respect our society has for the elderly and disabled among us is depressingly evident

Biased Milk Hotel

2010-11-30T12:56:00.001-05:00

(This post meanders, and has no real point. Consider yourself forewarned.) If I hear an Albany resident under the age of 40 say, "That is my favorite. album. EVER." I immediately know what they're talking about, without even looking. 'How could you possibly know that?' you say? You only talk to people who have the same taste as you! you say? Nah, because it's always the same. (I say.)

Good News

2010-11-30T10:49:00.001-05:00

Back in June there was a violent mugging outside my apartment and the offenders were caught pretty quickly. Two of them were also involved in a beating that left a man fighting for his life. Sad to see people so young lose their freedom, but I'm incredibly glad that they've been convicted. 20 years is a long time to think about what you've done, for sure. I hope they learn something. http://

(Mori)Bus Philosophorum: Bus Graffiti

2010-11-29T19:01:00.001-05:00

You guys, get ready for the most offensively hardcore bit of bus graffiti I've ever come across. It's so tough, I'm putting it after the jump. Prepare yourself for... 'BLUES CLUES ALL DAY' Dude, I am sooo going to watch Blues Clues ALL DAY and nobody can stop me. That Steve is my BOY! Holla! (I'm actually really hoping that this isn't some sort of code for a violent and/or sexual act that I'm

And for That, I'm Thankful

2010-11-29T14:48:00.000-05:00

I'm going to try to dip my toes back into the blogwater, here, with a little reflection on what has made me thankful this year. The interwebs, seriously. No other time in history has been so democratic, thanks to them. You can rant, rave, or have a radio show. No one or everyone may be reading or listening, and that's OK. My friends and family, who are all intelligent and devastatingly

Together Again...FOR THE FIRST TIME.

2010-11-29T14:45:00.003-05:00

You've probably been wondering, "Is Leigh in rehab again or something?" Surprise! No. But you're sooo funny. I was, in truth, taking a...sabbatical from the blog. It was getting to be a little too heavy for me, and a little too specific. Back when I started writing it, everything was just off the cuff, whatever came to mind and there was a freedom to it that I really loved. Then I started feeling

(Mori)Bus Philosophorum: Bus Graffiti

2010-08-17T14:13:00.000-04:00

My message to this rather uninspired graffiti, "artist," is: You have certainly mastered the literal. Well done.

Simpler Living Interview

2010-06-29T12:36:00.001-04:00

The wonderful Naomi Seldin of Times Union's Simpler Living blog interviewed me for a series she's doing on local folks. Check it out! And here's the actual link, just in case hyperlinks aren't your bag: http://blog.timesunion.com/simplerliving/car-free-in-albany-an-interview-with-leigh-cummings/23899/

(Mori)Bus Philosophorum: Bus Tips Part II (I Think)

2010-06-21T12:53:00.001-04:00

It's time for another round (I think) of my practical, time-tested bus tips! Don't say I didn't warn you... Use $5. The new fare system allows you to put larger bills into the column. If you're purchasing a day pass with singles, you have to feed in four bills which, if they're not mint-crisp, will be spat back out at you (a la the snack machine) who knows how many times. Worse yet is trying to

A+, APD. For real.

2010-06-18T09:06:00.009-04:00