My perfect man would be a military hero by day (Marine, Army or Air Force), a fireman by night. He would play the guitar and the drums exceptionally well, and sometimes his hair would be short and other times, long. He would be a surfer, handyman, skater, and great with children and old people. He would be tall, slender, slightly muscular, multi-lingual and look good in a beanie. He would enjoy traveling, concerts, shopping, talking, not talking, hanging out with my friends and family, eating, cooking for me, vacuuming, ironing, needlepoint, going to the movies, and reading Jane Austen novels. He would encourage me to eat bread and chocolate-all the time. He would be a good guy, but also a bad guy, and be able to cry without seeming like a girl. He would be a mixture of Prince Eric and Daniel Larusso, with a tad of Pacey Witter thrown in for good measure. I am not needy, nor am I asking for the world here.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
I love my family!
First of all, I would really like to know why they never made a “Family Reunion Vacation” where Clark and Ellen Griswold take Russ and Audrey to grandmothers house (obviously well before Summer Vacation where she is dead on the roof of their car) to see family they haven’t been around in years. Wouldn’t this have been a perfect addition to such a series? Complete with introductions to cousin Eddie’s parents and Griswold family tree t-shirts. And of course, Aunt Bethany would recite The Night Before Christmas as a blessing and Lewis would potentially have his real hair.
My family reunion was nothing like the train wreck that would be, thankfully. The only noteworthy thing I have to mention about the trip down is the gentleman who decided to stick his huge, harry, naked belly in my face as he was loading about ten pieces of luggage above my head on the plane. He was only about three inches from my face, and his shirt was obviously not long enough to cover his food baby. I guess you could say he belly blocked me. I also would like to add that I love the Baltimore airport. Not only is it one of the cleanest, most spacious ones I have ever flown in to, they also have good ole fashioned rocking chairs in the waiting area. It’s almost like a classy Cracker Barrel.
Everything went smoothly at the actual reunion, most notably the food. Last year there was a tiny mishap with the ribs, but this year they were on point. I probably ate my weight in them, as well as about twenty different varieties of casseroles. I love a good casserole. It’s not something I get often anymore. Whenever I mention the term in NY, people automatically assume I am referring to a potpie. The more my food is combined, the better. I have been known to create a mean mashed potato/black eyed pea/cream corn/baked bean concoction on more than one occasion.
One of my favorite things about being around family are the conversations that take place about my dating life. There always seems to be a new kid on the block that they suggest I reach out to, or even consider marrying (before I've even met the guy of course). And the older I get, the more interesting their selections become. In my early to mid 20’s (when the pool of available men was at its peak), they were tossing around ideas of doctors, lawyers and engineers. More recently, it has become those that just have a job, have all their teeth or are breathing independently without the assistance of a ventilator. Also, they are full of suggestions as to how to attract the attention of someone of the opposite sex. “Cross your legs”, “don’t sit like a man”, “don’t unbutton your pants at the dinner table after you’ve eaten a big meal” are just a few of the nuggets of wisdom I have been offered. I am surprised there is not a dating website where family members manage the search on your behalf.
It was great to see everyone, including my great aunt from New Mexico who I haven’t seen in probably 20 years. She is in her mid 80s, and such a joy to be around…very laid back. I think we ended up having around 50ish people there, and thank goodness for the fans! I believe it reached 100 that day, so we were grateful for some sort of relief. Two days later, it’s 60 and guess who decided to only pack summer clothes? Also, we definitely had remnants of a hurricane, and guess who forgot to pack an umbrella? I looked like a real peach this morning as I walked in the rain, with a garbage bag over my head, to a nearby office park to pick up a car I was borrowing for the day. Regardless, it was such a great weekend and I almost hesitate to go back. But part of me is just a little excited about it…
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
A Black and White Cookie, a Girl and a Dream
I must tell you about two recent discoveries I have made in the city. Last week I promised to provide breakfast to a client of mine, who I desperately wanted to impress. So I googled "best bagel places in midtown east, new york city", and Ess-a-bagel was the first result. It happened to be only three blocks away, so I headed to 51st street with high hopes and a company Visa. Turns out it is quite popular, because the line was out the door. An 80 year old male greeter (I thought I was in Wal-Mart for a minute) told me to wait in a certain line, which ended up being the wrong one. Eventually I ended up in the "bulk order" section, where I got talked into buying $70 worth of bagels and coffee. The platter looked divine, and when my client saw the label, her eyes immediately lit up. Thank you, Ess-a-bagel, for making me a winner that day.
I actually had to return the carafe the coffee came in that afternoon, so I made the trek over in between meetings. While I was there, I made my second greatest discovery of the week-the black and white cookie. Now, I know that these little discs of wonder are nothing new to most of America, and that they are sold just about everywhere. But to me, it was like going down a road I had never gone down before. I also ordered a glass of milk to go, as I had to be on the E train shortly after. I thought I could wait until I got to the office to partake, but there it was...the cookie...just staring me in the face. So I did what any chocolate addicted woman would do. I ate it. Devoured it, actually. Right there in front of everyone. It may have lasted three stops. YUM!
In other news, I am so excited to go to Tennessee this weekend for our Labor Day family reunion. I must say that I am looking forward to just about every part of it, with the exception of one thing. The sleeping situation has not been a pleasurable experience since my sister got married. Before that time, we would team up to get a bedroom. Sisters unite! We made a great case about us being grown women and needing our privacy. But now, it is a battle I must fight alone. The options have been as follows: the sunroom pull out couch where I can be assured to be woken up by young children before sunrise, the floor in my grandparents walk-in closet (right by the guns), and most recently, my aunt's house about a mile down the road (she does have a pool though). I know there is power in numbers, and since I am just a party of one currently, that gets trumped every time by those in a state of wedded bliss. But my question is this...when will it end? When will all sleeping arrangements be equal? If I am 65 years old and still single, will I be sleeping in a tent in the backyard when I visit family? Or perhaps a hammock in the corner of the basement? At that point, one could only hope for one of those Tempur-Pedic Advanced Ergo Adjustable Base beds that you see on television. A girl can dream...
I actually had to return the carafe the coffee came in that afternoon, so I made the trek over in between meetings. While I was there, I made my second greatest discovery of the week-the black and white cookie. Now, I know that these little discs of wonder are nothing new to most of America, and that they are sold just about everywhere. But to me, it was like going down a road I had never gone down before. I also ordered a glass of milk to go, as I had to be on the E train shortly after. I thought I could wait until I got to the office to partake, but there it was...the cookie...just staring me in the face. So I did what any chocolate addicted woman would do. I ate it. Devoured it, actually. Right there in front of everyone. It may have lasted three stops. YUM!
In other news, I am so excited to go to Tennessee this weekend for our Labor Day family reunion. I must say that I am looking forward to just about every part of it, with the exception of one thing. The sleeping situation has not been a pleasurable experience since my sister got married. Before that time, we would team up to get a bedroom. Sisters unite! We made a great case about us being grown women and needing our privacy. But now, it is a battle I must fight alone. The options have been as follows: the sunroom pull out couch where I can be assured to be woken up by young children before sunrise, the floor in my grandparents walk-in closet (right by the guns), and most recently, my aunt's house about a mile down the road (she does have a pool though). I know there is power in numbers, and since I am just a party of one currently, that gets trumped every time by those in a state of wedded bliss. But my question is this...when will it end? When will all sleeping arrangements be equal? If I am 65 years old and still single, will I be sleeping in a tent in the backyard when I visit family? Or perhaps a hammock in the corner of the basement? At that point, one could only hope for one of those Tempur-Pedic Advanced Ergo Adjustable Base beds that you see on television. A girl can dream...
Monday, August 29, 2011
Irene, I hate you
Top 10 Favorite Hurricane Irene Moments
10. Pre-hurricane party at my house, with a screening of Top Gun and Dirty Dancing
9. Waiting in line at the grocery store in a line wrapped around the grocery store
8. The drive to Binghamton at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning when my parents convinced me to evacuate
7. Cracker Barrel and a movie on a Saturday night
6. Wal-Mart
5. PF Changs for lunch while working in our Stamford office
4. Seeing three great movies! (Win Win, One Day, The Help)
3. Staying in two raunchy hotel rooms where the prices were double what they normally would be
2. Cracker Barrel, PF Changs, Sonic and Wal-Mart (all places I miss dearly)
1. The fact that I should never have left New York, where power was never lost, the streets were never flooded, and the skyscrapers next to our building never shot shards of glass at our windows at 100 mph.
This list pretty much sums up the last 72 hours of my life. With no intention to flee the city on Friday night, I braved my local Trader Joes for some items for the “Bring it on Irene” party to be held in my apartment that evening. Actually it was just a movie night for the girls in my small group, who thought it a crime that I had never seen Top Gun or Dirty Dancing. So we did just that. Pigged out and watched our blasts from the past. As we were all sitting there, we continued to get text messages from our friends and family expressing their concern about the danger promised to the area by the media. I promised my mother I would reassess in the morning.
When I woke up (early I might add) on Saturday, I just decided to call some hotels in nearby cities. What I quickly discovered was that they were all sold out, which made me panic a bit. When I finally found a HOJO in Binghamton who had a suite remaining (which she didn’t even reveal until I told her I was a hurricane evacuee) I immediately booked it. My roommate opted out of the trip, so I loaded up my stuff and headed to Connecticut for my car. I honestly think I was more concerned about it than my own safety. The trip was just a tad over three hours, I was able to check in upon arrival, and head straight to bed for a much needed nap. That night I explored the area, went to Cracker Barrel and to the movies after. Of course, all we had there was rain.
Yesterday after shopping a bit (Wal-Mart has become a favorite since moving to NYC…absence makes the heart grow fonder I guess) and my second movie of the weekend, I ventured back towards the city. Driving through the Catskill Mountains was quite an adventure, one which I preferred much more pre-flood. I made it as far as Middletown, NY where the state troopers were blocking the road and re routing us away from the Palisades/Westchester area. Everything was flooded and blocked. I panicked. All of the hotels in the area were sold out for the evening, and it was getting dark. To top it all off, I was being asked to work the next day! I frantically drove to Newburgh, where the only place I found with vacancy was the Knights Inn. And boy, oh boy, was that unfortunate. I know I should have been grateful to have a room, but I guess it was the leaky ceilings, the smoky smell or the fact that it looked like a crack den that turned me off. At least the air worked! I slept like a baby after shoving two chairs against the door and leaving the bathroom light on like a five year old.
Not knowing what to expect this morning, I got up and left the hotel driving in the direction of Norwalk, CT. Got there with no problem, but the trains to the city still weren’t running. So I found our office located in Stamford and “worked” from there for a few hours. And by worked, I mean continually monitored the MTA website for updates. Thankfully, they reopened the Metro North train around 4:00, and I am currently making my way home now. What a weekend!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
The Jackhammer Lullaby
Sunday afternoon is the perfect time for napping, and it has been a tradition that I have carried on for years. Usually there is the sound of rain outside my window to lull me to sleep, or perhaps background noise of a golf match or Bob Ross episode playing on the television. But today was a first for me. The second my head hit the pillow...boom...jackhammer right outside my window. Apparently someone on 3rd avenue thought that prime sleep time was the only time to use such an instrument. And also, Tuesday night of this past week around 10 p.m. Once it started pouring down rain, I thought they would stop...but no. I was determined to not let this interfere with my afternoon plans, so I just laid there and eventually realized that it was having a calming effect on me...sort of like a vacuum or dishwasher may have on a baby. Within minutes, I was out like a light. So mothers, if your child is having trouble sleeping, I will gladly send you a soundtrack of New York City street sounds that may cure the woes of a restless night.
This week was rough. Everywhere I went, I seemed to encounter rudeness, which doesn't happen a lot to me here oddly enough. The breaking point was Friday night when I had at least three disgruntled employees of the Bowery Ballroom (music venue) speak to me as if I were the most hated person in America, and one actually ripped...and I do mean ripped...a drink out of my hand for no apparent reason. Saturday was beach retreat/alone time day, and ended with a dinner with a new friend from North Carolina. She is my age, single, southern, works for Sony and is involved with the charity I work with. We went to the newly opened Neelys on the upper east side, and had the best ribs I have ever eaten. Apparently they started in Memphis, have a location in Nashville, and New York was their third location choice, and I am so grateful. Ribs, mac and cheese, fried pickles and red velvet cake. Yum, yum, YUM!
On a much more serious note, I wanted to share something that has been weighing heavily on my mind and heart. I recently learned something about a friend of mine from small group (we will call him Samuel) that I did not know. Something that is incredibly disturbing and eye opening. Samuel started coming to our study/dinner nights about six months ago, and no one really knew much about him. He told us he was from Nigeria, and had just moved to the states. He has been a great addition to our group, and we have grown to love him. This past weekend, he decided to make everyone aware of his past and current situation, and I felt compelled to share it through this blog.
Samuel came to the United States to seek safe asylum as a victim of religious persecution in Nigeria after suffering physical assault on multiple occasions and numerous threats of harm and/or death for his involvement in the proselytizing/conversion of Muslims in the northern part of the country. In 2000, in the city of Kaduna, religious conflict stemming from evangelistic outreach and political strife led to a boiling over of tensions among fundamental Muslim groups and resulted in many churches being burned (including Samuel's church) and the deaths of multiple Christians. Samuel was assaulted on several occasions during this time, including one assault where he was burned with hot irons on his arm and chest. After some time, Samuel left Kaduna for the city of Lagos in the far south where he continued to receive threatening phone calls and was assaulted on a few occasions by men affiliated with a tribe known to be predominantly Muslim. Shortly thereafter he received a threatening phone call from a man that stated that a fatwa had been issued against him calling for his harm and/or death. Although Samuel had a good job in personal finance, this final threat was the last straw. He made the decision to go to the United States on a visitor's visa and claim asylum once he arrived.
Maybe I don't watch the news enough, or just choose to be naive, but this was the first time this type of thing had been reality for me. New York is the first port of entry for many of those in Samuel's situation, so it is nothing new to the people of this city. There is a group called Sojourners whose sole mission is to provide shelter, food and care for those seeking asylum. Unfortunately until their cases are heard and completed, they are not granted work visas and are dependent on charities and churches to provide the basic necessities until then. This is all after they are released from the detention process of course. It could be months before Samuel is granted a visa, or is sent back to Nigeria. His case will be presented for the first time the first week of September, so we are hopeful that it won't be months before a resolution is reached. As a Christian living in the U.S., it is almost impossible for me to put myself in Samuel's shoes. I certainly hope I don't ever have to. We are so blessed to live in a country where rights and freedom exist and are fought for. But if that ever changes, I hope that I have the courage and conviction to proclaim Jesus, to not falter under fear and to look up to the One who this life is all about anyway.
Please pray for Samuel, and all others in his situation.
This week was rough. Everywhere I went, I seemed to encounter rudeness, which doesn't happen a lot to me here oddly enough. The breaking point was Friday night when I had at least three disgruntled employees of the Bowery Ballroom (music venue) speak to me as if I were the most hated person in America, and one actually ripped...and I do mean ripped...a drink out of my hand for no apparent reason. Saturday was beach retreat/alone time day, and ended with a dinner with a new friend from North Carolina. She is my age, single, southern, works for Sony and is involved with the charity I work with. We went to the newly opened Neelys on the upper east side, and had the best ribs I have ever eaten. Apparently they started in Memphis, have a location in Nashville, and New York was their third location choice, and I am so grateful. Ribs, mac and cheese, fried pickles and red velvet cake. Yum, yum, YUM!
On a much more serious note, I wanted to share something that has been weighing heavily on my mind and heart. I recently learned something about a friend of mine from small group (we will call him Samuel) that I did not know. Something that is incredibly disturbing and eye opening. Samuel started coming to our study/dinner nights about six months ago, and no one really knew much about him. He told us he was from Nigeria, and had just moved to the states. He has been a great addition to our group, and we have grown to love him. This past weekend, he decided to make everyone aware of his past and current situation, and I felt compelled to share it through this blog.
Samuel came to the United States to seek safe asylum as a victim of religious persecution in Nigeria after suffering physical assault on multiple occasions and numerous threats of harm and/or death for his involvement in the proselytizing/conversion of Muslims in the northern part of the country. In 2000, in the city of Kaduna, religious conflict stemming from evangelistic outreach and political strife led to a boiling over of tensions among fundamental Muslim groups and resulted in many churches being burned (including Samuel's church) and the deaths of multiple Christians. Samuel was assaulted on several occasions during this time, including one assault where he was burned with hot irons on his arm and chest. After some time, Samuel left Kaduna for the city of Lagos in the far south where he continued to receive threatening phone calls and was assaulted on a few occasions by men affiliated with a tribe known to be predominantly Muslim. Shortly thereafter he received a threatening phone call from a man that stated that a fatwa had been issued against him calling for his harm and/or death. Although Samuel had a good job in personal finance, this final threat was the last straw. He made the decision to go to the United States on a visitor's visa and claim asylum once he arrived.
Maybe I don't watch the news enough, or just choose to be naive, but this was the first time this type of thing had been reality for me. New York is the first port of entry for many of those in Samuel's situation, so it is nothing new to the people of this city. There is a group called Sojourners whose sole mission is to provide shelter, food and care for those seeking asylum. Unfortunately until their cases are heard and completed, they are not granted work visas and are dependent on charities and churches to provide the basic necessities until then. This is all after they are released from the detention process of course. It could be months before Samuel is granted a visa, or is sent back to Nigeria. His case will be presented for the first time the first week of September, so we are hopeful that it won't be months before a resolution is reached. As a Christian living in the U.S., it is almost impossible for me to put myself in Samuel's shoes. I certainly hope I don't ever have to. We are so blessed to live in a country where rights and freedom exist and are fought for. But if that ever changes, I hope that I have the courage and conviction to proclaim Jesus, to not falter under fear and to look up to the One who this life is all about anyway.
Please pray for Samuel, and all others in his situation.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Bite me
Just this past week and weekend, I was reminded of one of the reasons I am so glad I live, work, and play in New York City. Mosquito bites in the summer had become a thing of the past. I had thrown away every bottle of Off spray I had in my bathroom, but did so prematurely. I have spent the past few days outside, and my legs have definitely paid the price. I believe the final count was nine. And I have scratched some of them to the point of scarring. None of them were obtained in the city, and I am so glad to be back so my skin can breathe a sigh of relief.
Every Thursday night I attend a small group Bible study in someone's home with a group of about fifteen-twenty of my closest friends here. Most of the time our hosts live in Harlem or downtown, but this week we decided to branch out to Brooklyn to watch Breakfast at Tiffanys. There are weekly summer movies presented at the Brooklyn Bridge Conservancy, which is located right next to the Brooklyn Bridge. In Nashville, these types of activities have historically always had a massive turnout and New York is no different. There were people everywhere, but our group leader was kind enough to arrive about four hours early to secure a blanketed area right in front of the screen. After strategically and successfully making our way to the group (and managing to step on only one pair of feet) we sat down to our view of the east river, Statue of Liberty and the financial district. It was such a great night of fabulous weather, outstanding company and a spectacular view. My only complaint was that this was my first encounter with these little winged blood sucking monsters. Bites number one and two.
On Friday night, I was invited to attend a charity gala in the Hamptons, Bridgehampton to be exact. The event was to benefit the Soledad O'Brien foundation, which raises money for girls in New Orleans who cannot afford a college education. The event cost $1000 per head, but my friend, who represents the band that was performing, was able to get us in for free. I was able to get off of work two hours early to catch the 4:00 train from Penn Station, in order to arrive by 6:30. I cannot even begin to describe how amazing the location was. It was the 6500 square foot, 6 bedroom 6 bath, somewhere in the neighborhood of ten millions dollars estate of Keith Reinhard. Keith was most recently the CEO of DDB Worldwide, which is a subsidiary of Omnicom, which he had a hand in founding. Among the guest list were Star Jones, Russell Simmons and of course Soledad O'Brien from CNN. It was appropriately planned as a New Orleans themed night, with the ten piece jazz band straight out of N.O., typical cajun cuisine served family style (which gave me heartburn pretty quickly) and dancers and decorations that completed the ensemble. I met politicians, journalists, musicians and designers, and was even invited to one of the designers private shows in the upcoming fashion week. The night was so much fun, that I didn't even mind the three mosquito bites I picked up from being outside in that tent all night.
After only getting four hours of sleep, I woke up early on Saturday to catch a bus with four of my girlfriends to Bloomfield, New Jersey. One of the girls was housesitting in this suburban area, and we decided to spend the day and night out there. Eventually we made the two hour (should've only been one, but thanks to traffic) commute to the Jersey Shore and parked our beach towels on the fabulous Long Branch beach. It was definitely the nicest beach I've seen up here, and the crowd wasn't too "Jersey Shore-ish". There were plenty of families and children to make it pretty low key, which was appreciated. We spent about five hours there (I slept for probably three of them) and then made the trip back to Bloomfield. To say traffic was bad is a definite understatement. I think my favorite part of the weekend was the fact that we all chipped in and made a fabulous grilled dinner together in a real kitchen, with a real dining room, an actual grill and plenty of space. Such a nice change from my airplane galley kitchen. We grilled chicken, hamburgers, corn and made salad, brownies and topped it all off with a watermelon. As we were outside making this wonderful meal, no one was aware that New Jersey (with 63 different species) is sometimes referred to as the Mosquito State. Enter bites six, seven, eight and nine.
It has been such a crazy busy but incredibly exciting few days, and I am looking forward to having absolutely nothing to do for the next few. Thankfully I'll have some time to nurse my wounds!
Every Thursday night I attend a small group Bible study in someone's home with a group of about fifteen-twenty of my closest friends here. Most of the time our hosts live in Harlem or downtown, but this week we decided to branch out to Brooklyn to watch Breakfast at Tiffanys. There are weekly summer movies presented at the Brooklyn Bridge Conservancy, which is located right next to the Brooklyn Bridge. In Nashville, these types of activities have historically always had a massive turnout and New York is no different. There were people everywhere, but our group leader was kind enough to arrive about four hours early to secure a blanketed area right in front of the screen. After strategically and successfully making our way to the group (and managing to step on only one pair of feet) we sat down to our view of the east river, Statue of Liberty and the financial district. It was such a great night of fabulous weather, outstanding company and a spectacular view. My only complaint was that this was my first encounter with these little winged blood sucking monsters. Bites number one and two.
On Friday night, I was invited to attend a charity gala in the Hamptons, Bridgehampton to be exact. The event was to benefit the Soledad O'Brien foundation, which raises money for girls in New Orleans who cannot afford a college education. The event cost $1000 per head, but my friend, who represents the band that was performing, was able to get us in for free. I was able to get off of work two hours early to catch the 4:00 train from Penn Station, in order to arrive by 6:30. I cannot even begin to describe how amazing the location was. It was the 6500 square foot, 6 bedroom 6 bath, somewhere in the neighborhood of ten millions dollars estate of Keith Reinhard. Keith was most recently the CEO of DDB Worldwide, which is a subsidiary of Omnicom, which he had a hand in founding. Among the guest list were Star Jones, Russell Simmons and of course Soledad O'Brien from CNN. It was appropriately planned as a New Orleans themed night, with the ten piece jazz band straight out of N.O., typical cajun cuisine served family style (which gave me heartburn pretty quickly) and dancers and decorations that completed the ensemble. I met politicians, journalists, musicians and designers, and was even invited to one of the designers private shows in the upcoming fashion week. The night was so much fun, that I didn't even mind the three mosquito bites I picked up from being outside in that tent all night.
After only getting four hours of sleep, I woke up early on Saturday to catch a bus with four of my girlfriends to Bloomfield, New Jersey. One of the girls was housesitting in this suburban area, and we decided to spend the day and night out there. Eventually we made the two hour (should've only been one, but thanks to traffic) commute to the Jersey Shore and parked our beach towels on the fabulous Long Branch beach. It was definitely the nicest beach I've seen up here, and the crowd wasn't too "Jersey Shore-ish". There were plenty of families and children to make it pretty low key, which was appreciated. We spent about five hours there (I slept for probably three of them) and then made the trip back to Bloomfield. To say traffic was bad is a definite understatement. I think my favorite part of the weekend was the fact that we all chipped in and made a fabulous grilled dinner together in a real kitchen, with a real dining room, an actual grill and plenty of space. Such a nice change from my airplane galley kitchen. We grilled chicken, hamburgers, corn and made salad, brownies and topped it all off with a watermelon. As we were outside making this wonderful meal, no one was aware that New Jersey (with 63 different species) is sometimes referred to as the Mosquito State. Enter bites six, seven, eight and nine.
It has been such a crazy busy but incredibly exciting few days, and I am looking forward to having absolutely nothing to do for the next few. Thankfully I'll have some time to nurse my wounds!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
29 is fine!
This weekend marks the last of a series of four weekends where I have been privileged enough to have out of town guests, and I must say that I am exhausted. It has been so great to see everyone, and experience New York with some dear friends for the first time. It's like my two worlds have collided, and I just wish we all lived closer so we could have many more of these memorable times together. I know that me (and my credit card) are looking forward to a few dull nights ahead, of staying in and working on dwindling down the DVR, that is currently full. Some of the highlights for me have been the Alexander McQueen exhibit with Jill at the MET (2 hour wait-worth it!), the second trip to Maine with Sophia (shopping!) and seeing Aretha Franklin for free at Coney Island with Laura (solid!).
I must tell you about my birthday week. It all started with a Stone Temple Pilots concert on the Williamsburg Waterfront on Monday night. My friend from work and I jetted over to Brooklyn right after we got off, and decided to grab a quick bite to eat before heading to the venue. Williamsburg has so much to offer in regards to culture, art and food. It is regularly referred to as the "hipster" neighborhood in Brooklyn. Luckily, we found a pizza place as soon as it started raining and headed in for a slice. I would be doing you a disservice if I did not mention a staple in all New York pizza places, affectionately known as the "garlic knot." I actually had my first knot two months ago while eating lunch with some people after church, and have now made them a necessary addition to any pizza that I order. They are essentially balls of pizza dough, rolled in butter and garlic, and baked to perfection. This particular pizza place had the best knots I have had to date. My friend has grown up in this city, and is Italian, and would rate them the same. If I ever get married, I am seriously considering having a pile of garlic knots instead of a cake. The next time you come to NYC, you must partake!
Following dinner, we headed down to the venue with much apprehension since the rain seemed to be set in for the evening. However, once we got down to the east river where the stage was set up, the rain stopped and it ended up being about 75 degrees. This was a much needed, and appreciated break from the border line 100 degree weather we had been having. The weather couldn't have been better, the band was absolutely amazing (and reminiscent of my high school days), but the best part was the view. As they played, you could see the entire sky line of Manhattan with a breathtaking sunset outlining it. It was such a great night, and kick off to an even better week.
Tuesday night I attended a birthday party thrown for me by my coworkers, old and new. About fifteen people came, and stayed for hours! The entire restaurant sang happy birthday to me as they brought the best chocolate cake out that I have ever had. It was so great catching up with those who have moved on, and it truly warmed my heart that they were all there (and that some had come from an hour and a half away). I left feeling really lucky to have made such meaningful relationships in such a short time.
Wednesday was my actual birthday, and I wouldn't have changed anything about it. Not only was I excited to see all the facebook wishes, texts, calls and cards, but my wonderful father sent my flowers and my coworkers flooded my cube with balloons, gifts and cards. After work, my amazing roommate took me to dinner at my favorite bar-b-que restaurant (Brother Jimmys) and to see a movie. Thursday night, Sophia had come into town, and took me to dinner at a sushi restaurant next to Columbia University. Afterwards we went to small group, where they had cupcakes and birthday singing for me! I definitely felt the love from everyone here and back home, and realized that I am one lucky girl.
I must tell you about my birthday week. It all started with a Stone Temple Pilots concert on the Williamsburg Waterfront on Monday night. My friend from work and I jetted over to Brooklyn right after we got off, and decided to grab a quick bite to eat before heading to the venue. Williamsburg has so much to offer in regards to culture, art and food. It is regularly referred to as the "hipster" neighborhood in Brooklyn. Luckily, we found a pizza place as soon as it started raining and headed in for a slice. I would be doing you a disservice if I did not mention a staple in all New York pizza places, affectionately known as the "garlic knot." I actually had my first knot two months ago while eating lunch with some people after church, and have now made them a necessary addition to any pizza that I order. They are essentially balls of pizza dough, rolled in butter and garlic, and baked to perfection. This particular pizza place had the best knots I have had to date. My friend has grown up in this city, and is Italian, and would rate them the same. If I ever get married, I am seriously considering having a pile of garlic knots instead of a cake. The next time you come to NYC, you must partake!
Following dinner, we headed down to the venue with much apprehension since the rain seemed to be set in for the evening. However, once we got down to the east river where the stage was set up, the rain stopped and it ended up being about 75 degrees. This was a much needed, and appreciated break from the border line 100 degree weather we had been having. The weather couldn't have been better, the band was absolutely amazing (and reminiscent of my high school days), but the best part was the view. As they played, you could see the entire sky line of Manhattan with a breathtaking sunset outlining it. It was such a great night, and kick off to an even better week.
Tuesday night I attended a birthday party thrown for me by my coworkers, old and new. About fifteen people came, and stayed for hours! The entire restaurant sang happy birthday to me as they brought the best chocolate cake out that I have ever had. It was so great catching up with those who have moved on, and it truly warmed my heart that they were all there (and that some had come from an hour and a half away). I left feeling really lucky to have made such meaningful relationships in such a short time.
Wednesday was my actual birthday, and I wouldn't have changed anything about it. Not only was I excited to see all the facebook wishes, texts, calls and cards, but my wonderful father sent my flowers and my coworkers flooded my cube with balloons, gifts and cards. After work, my amazing roommate took me to dinner at my favorite bar-b-que restaurant (Brother Jimmys) and to see a movie. Thursday night, Sophia had come into town, and took me to dinner at a sushi restaurant next to Columbia University. Afterwards we went to small group, where they had cupcakes and birthday singing for me! I definitely felt the love from everyone here and back home, and realized that I am one lucky girl.
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