Asics

I haven't really had much time to blog lately. Other than working three or four days a week we've just been staying very busy hanging out with friends and enjoying NYC. Pup is doing well too and loves when people come over.

Jen's aunt and cousins have been in NY and came to visit, then B.I.L. John and his g/f Alisa spent a few days with us while they're in NY for about a week. Jen took them to all the good sightseeing and tourist spots like the Brooklyn Promenade, Chinatown, and (although it's always packed and annoying) Times Square. I showed them my restaurant and got them Beignets and the Double Chocolate Brownie for dessert. Today Jen, John, and Alisa headed up to White Plains to visit family and then going to a pool party in Connecticut on Saturday. I work Saturday, need to get some stuff done, and spend time with Puppers so I decided to stay behind.

My running shoes have been worn out for a while but, like with most things, I have expensive taste. I made a deal with myself that if I made a certain amount in one night at work then I could splurge on a new pair of Asics. Well, this week I hit that goal and I'm going to go all out and have my foot/ run analyzed and buy whatever I want. My heel has felt bruised for weeks and it's impossible to let it rest when you walk everywhere and work on your feet. Maybe some new cushioning will help.

DUMBO

Spent the day in Brooklyn Heights/ DUMBO (down under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) area of Brooklyn with my two favorite ladies. Pup took her first ride ever in the subway and then I got poop on my hands while cleaning up after her. That was Jen's favorite part of the day. She's laughing about it right now actually.

The view from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade was phat. You could see a lot: Lady Gaga, I mean Liberty, the Financial District, Governor's Island, and the glorious Brooklyn Bridge just to name a few (pic).

We wandered our way to a cool bookstore and chocolate shop in adjacent DUMBO. Of course we had to sample a few chocolate treats at famous Jacques Torres. Pup had a grand time being out and about (pic). Jen mentions, again, that I got poop on my hands and laughs.

Our least favorite part was when we faced a subway security tyrant (we'll call him Hitler) who would not allow Pup back on the subway to get home. We knew you're supposed to keep your dog in a carrier but see people with their dogs out on the trains all the time. Anyway, we took a cab back to LIC in time for another fun Tuesday night BBQ with pals.

Bread and Bacon

While I've been out winning bread, finding bacon to bring home (or whatever you want to call working) Jen's been getting a chance to hang out with some girlfriends. Friday night she went to Williamsburg, Brooklyn for a Moroccan dinner and a classic Carey Grant movie. Although I don't know if I’d want to live there due to the commute to Manhattan from Brooklyn, I really like it and look forward to exploring it when it's not so hot and humid out.

Then this morning she was up with me and as we were waiting for the train into Manhattan, me to work and her going to check out the East and West Village, we ran into more friends. I really don’t mind her getting to have all the fun while I’m at work. I don’t hate my job (yet) and I like it when she goes out in the city (during the day and in a group).

Tonight we had our first home cooked, organic meal in a while which was needed, then went to the dog park with friends Kara and Ryan and their dog Dunkin. Pup and Dunkin didn’t really get along well at first but after a few mild assaults they mellowed out and were like old friends. The weather cooled off a little and the view of the sunset behind the skyline wasn’t too bad either.

Green in the Park

Monday nights are usually pretty slow at work and I didn’t predict I would make very much. I was pretty siked, though, to learn we had two big parties upstairs which are usually a lot of fun to work because you just pass appetizers and try to get people to drink a lot. The first was a post golf fundraiser event for the owners and their friends and the second was for the cast of Broadway’s Avenue Q. Long story short, on a night that I usually wouldn’t make much I walked out with around $400. Woo!


Tuesday we ran some errands, marinated some shrimp and made peach cobbler for the BBQ that night. The cobbler was awesome and probably the biggest hit on the dessert table. Good times.

Today we spent the day in the city with the Cappello’s. We had pizza at my F.I.L.’s friend’s place in Hell’s Kitchen, visited the Intrepid aircraft carrier that’s docked on the Hudson (pic), had some dessert in Little Italy, then ended the day with one final meal at my restaurant. There seems to be a lot of filming going on, maybe for fall shows. There was filming for something in LIC before we left at a restaurant on our street and in SOHO today for Curb Your Enthusiasm (pic). From Grand Central we sent them on their way back to White Plains and we headed home to LIC

My favorite part was when we got home and I took Pup to the small park by our house and found $160 in twenties just lying on the ground. I was like OMG but there was no one around to claim it so it was mine! Now I can’t stop looking around all over the ground when I take her for a walk.

Jen's Day Trip

By the time I was done with with my volunteer duties at church it was pretty late and I still had alot to do so we decided Jen should go upstate without me. I really like the train ride up to where her family lives which snakes along the Hudson River where you can see boats, beautiful homes, and even a castle. The pics below are a few that Jen took on her phone while the train was moving slowly.

Not too much work for me this week (and none for Jen :) ha ) as business is a little slower this time of year. It's good and bad but we'll focus on the positive and look forward to a few exciting NYC outings!

Push or Pull?

When I say today was long I don’t mean it in a bad way. We started at 5 AM by attempting to see Lady Gaga perform at Rockefeller Center for the Today Show. There was a record number (about 20,000) that came to see her so after exhausting all possible options, we headed home. It worked out because after we left it rained and was pretty muggy and the best view of all was from our couch in the a/c. Hey we tried at least!


A funny thing happened on our way back when Jen stopped for a smoothie at Communitea. They’re supposed to open at 7 but the door seemed to be locked at 7:15. Jen looked at her watch, tugged the door, looked at the girl, and all she got was a blank stare. After some exaggerated gesturing Jen gave up and went home only to realize, later, that she was pulling on the door that she should have been pushing to open. HA! I love that story. Oh, I wasn’t with her if you’re wondering why I didn’t figure it out.

Around noon we took a Pilates class, had lunch, and hit up Herald Square for some shopping. That Macy’s has a big selection but it’s just too much of a tourist trap.

After a little breather in LIC, we got cleaned up to head into the city for the third time in one day! We felt like Chinese food and said hey, we live in NYC so we can go to Chinatown for dinner and so that’s exactly what we did. Dessert was Italian cookies just a few blocks over, in Little Italy of course :)

Happy 21st Birthday Michael!

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th! Today after church Jenny took Jen and me to French restaurant Tournesol which is on our street, close to the train stop. Not very patriotic, I know. It was ok, high calorie fo sho! I really don't want this to turn into a food blog but it's kind of hard to avoid with all the great restaurants in the 'hood. Anyway, in this pic is their cool French delivery car out front. The girls didn't want to be in the pic but I got them later cooking in the kitchen (2nd pic).

Speaking of great food, we went to the Shoff's for a BBQ and to watch the Macy's fireworks in HD and A/C. I'm a little disappointed that we didn't see them live since we're so close and it's our first 4th here but everyone said it's super crazy and crowded. There's no place to go to the bathroom too which is a no go if you're married to someone who has to go every 30 minutes. :). The show was pretty amazing from the couch but we went outside for a bit and could see colored smoke and hear the big booms. They look so high on TV but actually aren't even high enough to clear the NYC skyline. Next year they should bring them back to the East River so that LIC and Brooklyn can see something.

F.N. Good

Jen and I have had a great time with friends the last couple of nights. Yesterday we went to dinner and later on a dessert adventure with PJ (who's real name we found out is Vernon, also the street he lives on oddly enough) and Jenny (who's like an old woman trapped in a young girls body). Our dessert adventure took us to 16 Handles in the Union Square/East Village area. It's 16 kinds of frozen yogurt with a giant toppings bar that's open for you to get crazy with. Tasty!
Tonight we stayed in LIC. After work I came home to change, pick up Jen, and then head over to Ryan and Kara's for Kara's suprsise b-day party. It was good to see everyone and for Jen to meet some new peeps. We stayed after all the couples with kids had left and I was forced to play a card game called Dutch Oven, ha, or something like that. Dutch Blitz!-Jen just informed me. Luckily Phil and Susan dropped by and saved me from a fourth round :).

We set up a pup play date for Monday with Kara and Ryan's dog Dunken. They actually wanted to name the dog Frederic Nathanial since their last name is Good. Then the dog would be F.N. Good. Get it? I'm worried Pup won't get along with him because he looks a lot like the dog in Palm Harbor that Pup used to despise.

Tomorrow's the 4th of July so I hope to get to see some Macy's fireworks. They shoot them off by the Hudson now so we can't see much from the East River; aparently the skyline blocks the view :(.

Oh, the filming in LIC the other day was for Silvercup Studios (they do shows like 30 Rock, Sex and the City, and pretty much every NYC themed movie). They bought out the restaurant Masso for the day and had some serious lighting equipment. No celebrity sightings, although there were a couple big trailers/ RV's. Not only were we not invited to be in the movie, we were actually asked to move so we wouldn't be in a shot! Didn't want to be in their stupid movie anyway. There's some speculation that it might have been the movie being made about The Who.

Playing to NYC

Yesterday sister-in-law Jackie and Jen’s cousin Jill came to LIC to visit. After taking them on the grand tour of the apartment we walked a couple blocks to Blend for lunch and then to check out our neighborhood. Everything at Blend was great but the server. I am one and can tell you that when you only have a few tables there’s no excuse for crappy service. He was so slow, getting a refill was like pulling teeth, and then he ran our checks to the wrong cards after we labeled it for him on the receipt. Anyway, Gantry Plaza State Park is a must on any LIC walking tour and we got to play (if you can call it that) some pianos that were out as part of a city art project. Later I headed to work as the girls headed into the city to shop… and eat ads Jen.

I have today, tomorrow, and Friday off from work which is great… just costly. We were good today though as we just took a Pilates class at the gym and ran some cheap errands in the city. Coming home we noticed signs posted all over the neighborhood that Vernon Blvd will be closed for the filming of a movie tomorrow. If we can’t see what’s happening from our bedroom window we’ll have to do some snooping for celebrities.

Dinner on the Hudson

We are finally done getting the apartment the way we like it! We added a swirl on the wall in the living room and a chalk board wall in the kitchen. Right now it's pretty warm in here; I don't think our window a/c can beat the high temperatures outside.
Today I don't work until 4:30 (which I need to leave for soon) so Jen and I went to see Toy Story 3 this afternoon. I always like Disney/ Pixar movies.
Yesterday after church we went upstate to Jen's cousin's graduation dinner. The restaurant was very nice and right on the Hudson which I realized flows the opposite direction than I thought. Our neigbor was nice enought to take Pup out while we were away. Good thing because we got home pretty late.
My MIL and SIL are in town and my FIL will be here next week.  Then my BIL and his g/f will be here later in July.  Those Cappello's just follow us everywhere!

Adjusting

The last few days we've been doing alot of work on the apartment and I've been trying to help Jen adjust to her new surroundings. She's getting better at navigating the subway system everyday. I walk much faster than Jen so I'm usually carrying a slight lead but have to hold myself back so she can figure it out on her own, ha.

As far as the apartment goes, we'll see something in a magazine that we like and say, "hey lets do that." It's kind of random but really worked out in the bedroom (pic). We're still working on the rest of the place but almost done. You'll just have to come here to see it for yourself! Tonight our big outing was into the city to visit it's Home Depot. The one in Sunnyside is better if you have a car but the one in Manhattan, 59th and 3rd, is so nice! It's surprisingly big and had English speaking employees... in America, imagine that.
We found a gym that's actually in Grand Central Station, just one stop from the seven train stop down the street. It's part of the New York Sports Club chain so it's very nice and pricey, naturally. We get to try it for a week and then decide if we want to join.

Pup seems to be adjusting well. She's learning to "go" on the street when there's not too much grass around and got a much needed bath from Jen today.

Tomorrow night I go back to work after a randomly scheduled three day break. The time off was nice but I need some money to pay for our fun! :)

We-Hual

If there is one thing that has been consistent in the last few days it would be our U-Hual adventures. We will have had it for almost a week when we return it tomorrow. I feel oddly comfortable driving it, considering driving in NYC is like being in an obstacle course. Once it was unloaded we could use it to buy large things that we needed like a sofa, storage, or whatever. Our first outing was to The Home Depot to buy copies of keys that don't work. Then we went to Brooklyn to buy a wardrobe that the seller, Clifford, measured incorrectly so we didn't realize that it wouldn't fit into our bedroom until we got there and measured for ourselves. A couple good things came out of this trip though. The views of the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge from the highway were amazing.  Plus, we ended up meeting a couple of dudes at the sale that needed help getting a sofa back to their place so we made a little money taking it for them.

Tonight we bought an Ikea wardrobe from Mary Anne who lives in Harlem. If you can believe it, Jen already has it packed full of her clothes and bags. This craiglister's 'hood was a little ghetto but she was nice and helped us shlep it down two flights and into the uhual. She's from St. Pete FL, what a small world!

What else... our downstairs neighbors are loser fifty-year-olds that smoke pot ALL THE TIME. Oh, and I lost my unlimited metrocard which had another ten days left on it.

Jen's here with me now so I guess I can take down my countdown clock. I asked her to edit this post for me but she's tired from all the unpacking she did today and got grumpy about half way through.

I'll try to add some requested pics of our bedroom wall now that it's finished. The living room and kitchen are not even close to being done, although we are U-Hauling it to pick up a sofa in the morning.

Driving Mrs Rexrode

It's been over a week and a half since I last posted, how did that happen? Well, for one I had to work Thursday then pack for Fridays flight to Florida where we didn't have internet. Plus, pretty much all my time there was spent packing for the move. I did get to visit and celebrate my birthday, June 14th, with family and do some serious overeating. I ate almost all of my favorite cake, The Banana Dream from Two Jays (pic). What makes it so good is that it has so many flavors: banana bread, banana cream, chocolate, nuts,  butter cream icing and so much more ha.

We left for NY this morning and were on the road by 8. Traffic was light, the uhual is driving well, and Pup is being so good. Jen's being good too :). The biggest hiccups occurred before we left like when the refrigerator door broke off in my hand or when the washer started leaking the night before we were supposed to sell it. I never got a call from the buyer so I guess it worked out.

I'm writing this from a Best Western in Emporia, VA where we decided to spend the night after about twelve hours of driving. It has free wi-fi, allows pets, and serves breakfast in the morning. Tomorrow might not be as long but the directions get a little more complicated as we get closer to NYC.

I hope lots of friends come over tomorrow night to help us unload this beast!

Farewell Sunnyside

Sunnyside has been good to me, but it's time to move on to better things. As I spend my last few days in this neighborhood of Queens I thought I'd list some of the things I'll miss the most.
- All the green! No, not money but all the trees, birds, and gardens.
- The gym AND supermarket within view from my driveway.
- French Bakery La Marjolaine, yum!
- Aubergine Cafe which was a great place to grab a coffee and read/study
- Cool shops like Stray Vintage and the chockablock dollar stores
- The sweet old Greek lady, "Yaya," and her family that lives above us.

What a Teal

The combination of the heat and all I got done today has left me with a headache. I ran into some friends on the way home from the new apartment who were nice enough to lend me some Aleive. Our bedroom accent wall (pic) was quite the process but it turned out pretty well. It needs a few finishing touches so don’t judge. I did at least get to sleep in today, and then went for a run before Nicole and Ricky were kind enough to take me to home depot. From around noon to 8 we painted doors, trim, the bedroom, and one coat on the ceiling. The place feels huge when you have to paint every square inch of it, ha.


Tomorrow is my morning to help setup at church so I need to hit the hay early, just not before 48 Hours Mystery. Maybe I can recruit some more painters and get a lot knocked out. The move is really flying at us and we have so much to do!

Pack It Up

Today is a good day for reading. On Wednesdays the Queens edition of the Metro NY paper is released and the Village Voice, which has tons of entertainment and event information hits the stands. It's also laundry day, again already?
If I haven't mentioned it already, we got the apartment in LIC and are siked. The new floors were a huge improvement from the grody, ancient carpeting. I work tonight, tomorrow, and Friday but then have the whole weekend off so I can't wait to get in there, clean, and start painting. We have some pretty interesting colors and wall designs picked out so look for before and after pics in a couple of weeks. Just 9 days until I fly to Florida to pack up!

Screech

What can I say, lots of work. I have a move and upcoming clinicals to save for so I'm on a mission. We have been VERY busy, one of our patrons including the actor that played Saved By the Bell's Screech (guy with his back to camera in this really slick pic). Yesterday my 12-9 became a 12-12 because of business and a schedule mistake and I had to get up at 7 to help with church setup. I feel ok but can't wait to sleep tonight. Some of the church crew came to my hood this afternoon for a Korean BBQ lunch. Oh, and then I helped a friend move from Manhattan to the neighborhood. Lots of Sunnyside action today... and stairs, lots of stairs.

Natural Frontier

A natural grocery store just opened in my soon to be new hood, Long Island City. Just look at all that organic fruit, sweet! I’m known to research things, maybe a little too much, and have been taking walks and runs around LIC to get to know the area. Specifically, I’ve been looking for green areas for Pup to “go” in. There’s honestly nothing but concrete for a good block surrounding the apartment but about two blocks are a couple nice parks that have grass. We’re going to need some serious poo-bags soon; our FL apartment provides them.


Today was a scary taste of what the summer may be like. I think it got up to a stagnant, humid 92 degrees… ok I’m exaggerating, but just a little. I wanted to get some sun but with no water around to cool off (you don’t swim in the East River unless you’re dead) I had to stick to the shade. I’ve had the last two days off from work which I really needed after this past weekend. Although I didn’t really watch Idol this year I think I’ll stay in tonight, rest, and catch the finale. I know, I know, my wild life in NYC.

Beautiful Street

So the last few days have been nothing much but work. Yesterday, for example, because we were so busy the manager begged me to come in early and work from 12pm to 12am which I did and it was exhausting. I can't say I'm not getting what I prayed for, geez. Saturday though, I did get to have lunch with a few friends in LIC before work. Ryan and Kara just rescued a yorkie, Dunkin, so we ate alfresco at Bella Via with the new pup. This place is voted one of the best for pizza in NYC so we needed no better excuse to try some.


I think we got the apartment in Long Island City, on the same street as Bella Via, but I’m not 100% sure. According to the background check, while I have been away my wife has managed to be charged with a pending misdemeanor and felony, ha! Needless to say they had the wrong girl. The landlord is doing some updating like new wood floors and fixing a few things for us before we move in which is great. Today the blog count-down clock says three weeks until the move, woop woop.

Butter

It's officially time for me to move from Sunnyside, I'm becoming addicted to our neighborhood French bakery, Le Marjolaine. There's always something baking so I just ask what's fresh and try different things. Everything is so tasty and flaky, and why you ask? See the picture below of about 100 sticks of butter being divided for different goods. One day I even scrambled eggs at home, wrapped them in foil, and picked up a croissant on the way to class to make a sandwich, yum! My roommate is French but has actually never been.

If we get the apartment in Long Island City we'll be about a block from Manducatis, an Italian bakery that's open late. How am I supposed to resist a fresh cannoli at ten at night!?

The Amazing Race

Flight drama aside, it was a great weekend. We packed it full of apartment hunting in LIC, Sunnyside, and Manhattan. The highlight was definitely our time-out for dinner and a show Saturday night. We ate in my work neighborhood, Hell’s Kitchen, and then went around the block to see Broadway’s In the Heights. We had great seats for half the price (pic) and I liked it more than I thought I would. The lead is played by Corbin Bleu, Jen’s favorite character from High School Musical which I like to refer to as her boyfriend for some reason. Anyway, I recommend it!

Sunday Jen was able to experience my church and it’s a good thing we went because friends Nicole and Ricky informed us of an available place, what might become our new apartment—I’ll keep you posted. Next, while in the city to view more units, we wandered into a huge street fair (pic) where we might have bought a bag of deep fried Oreos. Sunday night we went to a rooftop BBQ on the LIC waterfront which was beautiful, and a chance for everyone to get to know Jen a little better.

Monday morning was a blur of apt hunting before getting Jen to the airport around one and then home to get changed and rush to work. I got home from work pretty late for a Monday and then got up early for class. I will definitely sleep tonight! Four more weeks until our move!

>:(

The regular blog use of emoticons is not my thing, but this situation calls for the angry face for sure! Jen's flight last night was delayed, moved from 7pm to an 11pm, and then cancelled all together because of supposed bad weather and crew overtime. She spent the night with her parents who took her back to the airport today for an 11:50am flight. We, of course, had a full day of appointments with brokers which I'm trying to reschedule. So much flight drama! The weather is beautiful here by the way and it didn't rain a single drop. I'm about 15 minutes from the airport. Anyway, I'll let you know how the rest of this weekend plays out. So much to do and so little time.

The Pond

I took the 7 and N trains into the city this morning after class for an appointment with Brian from church who owns a real estate company. He set me up with one of his brokers who chose a few places for Jen and me to see while she’s up. I took this pic on the way and is of the pond, Central Park, right across from the Plaza Hotel. It was chilly today but still pretty nice. Where’s that summer weather we had?

We also have an appointment with a broker in our back-up location, Sunnyside, on Saturday morning. After class and the gym tonight I did some more emailing to try to squeeze as many apartment viewings as possible into the weekend. Hope it all goes… swimmingly ha.

SoCo

It bothers me when all people talk about it work, which would make me a hypocrite. Tonight, though, is worth a mention! Southern Comfort bought out our restaurant from 6-10 for the national premier of their new bottle, image, and surprise release of SoCo Lime. We served SoCo sangrias, hurricanes, and promotional drinks. It was a fun party to be chosen to work and easy money. Southern Comfort's Louisiana heritage and new look matches our restaurant's theme exactly and it's pretty cool to be the first in the country to see something, no matter what it is. I now have a SoCo bar towel, bottle opener, and t-shirt that I don't know I will ever use, ha. Good times.

Jen's flying up to visit this weekend, the last time before our move! We're getting pretty excited now that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Definitely looking at some apartments this weekend in Manhattan, LIC, and Sunnyside. Only one test and one paper due this week for school. Mine and what seems like everyone elses allergies have been driving me crazy. I'm becoming that annoying throat clearer in a quiet room or subway car. I hope I don't keep the roomy up at night. I guess I should buy some drugs.

BBQ

The last three days have been nothing but work, hard work. I had the night off, though, and got to see some friends.

Church peeps Matty and Chelsea took advantage of their rare-find patio and had a BBQ tonight. Everyone was talking about how cold it was but this Floridian thought it was quite nice out. So here's another reason I love LIC: I get off the train just a few blocks from their first floor walk up and on the way, because LIC is cool like that, I pass many shops which are all open and full of people just out and about. I stopped by Vine Wine shop and picked up a bottle for the dinner. So convenient! All with the lights of the Empire State and Chrysler buildings within view, beautiful (pic). If you can't tell already, as long as I'm not working I love it here. Church setup in the AM. Happy Mothers Day to all the baby-mama out there!

Smarty Cat

Happy Cinco de Mayo! It’s such an authentic and valued holiday that I feel silly not going out tonight, ha. I did go out last night after class which was needed after spending most of the day in the library. Molly (left in pic) had a housewarming party at her and her brother’s new apartment just a few blocks from work in Midtown West. Definitely the nicest place I’ve seen yet in the city.

They have two cats, two dogs, and a fish which, for the city, is a zoo. Sam and Thumbelina (pic) really wanted some of my dinner and made me wish for Pup. Molly’s bro plays in Broadway’s Avenue Q so tons of artists from the show were there which is cool, but cooler if you actually appreciate theater. By the way, it’s amazing how good fries from White Castle taste when you add truffle oil and rosemary.

Today, after finishing my Pathology exam early, I wandered the halls to waste some time where I found this old school advertisement for my college. I like it, its blog-worthy. Yoga and the gym tonight were hot, but good. Class, errands, and work tomorrow. Adios.

STUDy

Sorry folks, nothing exciting today. I had class this morning, and a paper do in tonight's class. Oh, and two tests tomorrow morning. With that being said, I'm a slave to the library today but by tomorrow afternoon I will be a free man!

Peyroux

I have been so busy! Not the fun kind, but work busy. Too busy to even blog. I've worked the last four days and work tonight. The weather was warm so we overwhelmed with guests at the restaurant. Other than work, though, I did get to see Madeleine Peyroux at the famous Blue Note Jazz Club Saturday night. Even in standing room only we could see and hear her well and she was amazing. Later, we walked from Washington Square into the West Village for drinks. It’s a very distinct area with interesting people, a.k.a. freaks.

It was nice to see some more people that are not my co-workers on Sunday morning at church. I was late because of these bikers in the top pic that were in LIC all day. I stood at the crosswalk for a good ten minutes and still got yelled at by the cop when I eventually just ran for it. I skipped out on lunch afterward and went to the park to get some sun and do some homework (pic).

Today I’ll be studying and hitting up the gym for the first time in a while before I have to go into work. It's too bad you have to work, to make money, to have fun. Work is fun until we get slammed, which is no fun at all. I hope to have time to talk to you soon! :)

Chilly Willy

The weather here is unusually cold and windy for this time of year and is turning me into a recluse. Work was the only thing that took me into the city this week and not much has been going on outside the ordinary. Eighties this weekend! Today is Wednesday, though, the day that the Village Voice hits the stands. It’s a free paper that claims to be, “the definitive source of information for news, music, movies, restaurants, reviews, and events in New York.” It’s pretty good and gave me some ideas for the weekend, during which I will try to make up for the lack of fun this week. In about two weeks Jen will be up again to visit one more time before the BIG move. I’d like to take her to see our first Broadway show so I’ve been reading lots of reviews. I hear the most about Wicked, but naturally it’s the most ridiculously expensive with, I'm told, not a chance of SRO (standing room only) or lottery tickets.

Most likely, a combination of the fickle weather and my lack of stretching have made my back stiff lately. I took yoga at eight tonight and feel much better. I really need to remember to do that at least once a week and recommend it to anyone who has musculoskeletal issues! I actually work with many yogis, because servers know what's up. Namaste.

Chase Bums

Like I said, nothing much going on. Today was Sunday which means church, lunch, and usually work. Tonight was an unexpected blessing . It was slow-ish and then as soon as the other server upstairs with me was cut (told he could go home because it seemed slow) it picked up and didn't have to split the dough, woo!

I left work around midnight and was going to treat myself to some new shoes but they didn't have my size, their loss. I took a hybrid cab home which was cool, so quiet. I think I'll try to take hybrids only from now on, not just because they are green but generally newer and hopefully cleaner in the backseat.

Tonight's pic is of a lovely homeless person I spotted after work tonight (or this morning). Nothing says thank you for banking with Chase like this creeper next to your ATM. You would think she'd at least lay down and get comfortable while breaking the rules, I mean her neck must be killing her. Oh well, I guess if I was a bum I would do things a little differently... Matt for president.

$Free.99

The next couple of days are going to be pretty... monotonous. I'm still trying only spend on what is absolutely necessary, which means no going out, and I work the next four days. I made sure not to use the word dull because Bourbon Street is anything but that, but it's nothing worth blogging over.

I did, though, get to run around Central Park for about 30 minutes yesterday before it started raining. It was quite crowded for an early afternoon on a weekday but once I got deep into the park, where you feel like you're lost in the woods with no high-rises in sight, it's so beautiful. The winding running paths are neat, but it makes it really hard to keep your sense of direction. I ended up on the west side, convinced I was still on the east side. 

I might do some research on free events for tomorrow night. There are always free things going on in the city, on the weekend especially.

Go Team(s)!

Mets Citi Field

Last night, Wednesday, I went to my first pro baseball game and NYC sporting event, the Mets at home against the Chicago Cubs. About twenty friends from church and I headed out to the really nice, new Citi Field in the rain. It did clear up a little but then got REALLY cold. Half of us left in the 7th inning because the Cubs had the game, but mostly because of the weather. I think the other half of us were actually all Cubs fans. As you can see from the pic, the seats were so close to the field on the first base line and in the foul ball zone for sure; I had to pay attention so I wouldn't get hit in the head! I'm going to try to get my hands on some more pics from the game by the way.

I aced yet another test, this time in psychology this morning. If my clinicals in January are as easy as my current classes, I'll be good to go.

Happy Earth Day, which happens to be 40 years old. AM New York told me to pat myself on the back today for using public transportation and recycling (which is required here) so pat pat. Not that it's directly related to being green, but I have decided not to spend any money today. I haven't worked in 3 days and need to slow my NYC-style spending. For example, a hot dog, fries, and hot chocolate at the game last night was around twenty bucks. Yea, and I don't even like hot dogs. The weather is nice here so maybe I'll do some free things outdoors like check out one of the running trails in Central Park or one of the free Earth Day events.

Banana Dream

Sorry for the silence, I was in Florida for the weekend and just now getting a chance to write a bit. Ahh, the weekend… Friday afternoon Jen picked me up from the airport after getting home from her cruise just hours before. That night Jen and I went to dinner at one of our fav’s, Grillsmith, with Mom, Dad, and Michael, Nana and Papa, AND the dogs. It was a great night and I regret not getting a pic with everyone. Oh, and Mom brought us a couple HUGE slices of my favorite cake, the banana dream from Too Jays. So good! Saturday we went to the beach (pic) and then did some walking around downtown Dunedin. Jen really wanted to buy these glasses but I talked her out of them, too dark. Sunday night we had fish and sweet potato fries (upon my request, yum) at the in-law’s and Monday morning I flew back to New York in time for work.

Today during my between class break I headed to SOHO for lunch and some warm weather clothes that fit. I might go to a Mets game tomorrow. Although it’s hard for me to get excited about watching others play baseball, I want to experience NY sporting events. Hey, I’ll try everything once! Well that’s not true either ha. The last pic is of neighborhood Aubergine Cafe which me and my white a$$ head try often.

UES

The 7 train wasn’t going to my stop after class this morning due to more rail work. It was running to Manhattan though and I needed no better excuse. With my Not for Tourists Guide I headed to the Upper East Side to check it out. From Grand Central the 4 train took me up to 86th where I walked across Lexington, Park, and Madison Avenues then up around 95th and back. I could definitely live there! This first pic is of Park Avenue and that lady on the corner using someone’s wheelchair to haul random things.

This was a very pricey area with tons of household things for rich households like Dean & Deluca, William and Sonoma, and european imported goods shops like this one where I grabbed a quick bite. We'll probably never call it our neighborhood but there are some unique stores worth visiting, nonetheless. You really have to live here to take in the real NYC. Over a month under my belt and there’s still SO much more fun to be had. I should start visiting the museums, maybe next week.

Tonight I decided against running in the cold and instead, ate. At least it was a healthy dinner; chicken, sweet potato, and zucchini. I got a 55cent/minute email from Jen tonight from her cruise. She’s having fun in the Bahamas and at some of the same places we visited on our honeymoon. Last pic is of the 7 coming into the station to take me home for the night. Goodnight New York!