Happy....

It's Offical!

I am fucking old. One of my all time favorite bands is having a reunion show one time in Chicago and i found out about it the morning after tickets went on sale and more than likely sold out. I have heart palpitations because i want to go to this and am so bummed i missed out on it. God i feel old, and now i officially feel like i dropped out of this music scene. today is a sad sad day.

Needed: A Vactaion from my Vactaion

It was quite a trip! We piled into the car at 8 pm Wednesday night and proceeded to push it through all the way until 10 am the next day stopping only to suck down more coffee, fill up the tank, and occasionally switch out who was cramped but sleeping in the back with who was propping up their eyelid open to drive in the front. The driving was only interrupted once at 9 am Thursday morning for an obligatory breakfast at Waffle House. And oh the patrons of Waffle House, I don’t know which was more impressive; the lady smoking next to the new born infant or the one handed/one hooked hunter dressed in all camouflage. Then again the dude sitting at the counter with the pastel shirt and suspenders was up there in the running as well. My egg and (barely melted square of) American cheese biscuit was a perfect counterpart to my grits. The first of many meals that have probably added to the feeling that my cloths are fitting a little too tightly now that I am back up north.

-outside view of the hotel we stayed in from the back-

We were zombies all Thursday due to less than enough sleep in the car. We ate lunch at the South Carolina Yacht Club after seeing Eric’s dad’s house. It was delicious and very fancy pants. Then we went and took a look at his boat, very nice. It felt a little weird to be sauntering around a yacht club and looking at a boat I in my lifetime could never afford to purchase, it was somewhat a little out of body. Then again that could have been a slight hallucination of sleep deprivation. Thursday was a pretty laid back day, little bit of napping, big family dinner, then an early bed time.

-Eric's Dad's boat-

Friday- We hit the beach and the pool and relaxed a bit. Then headed in and cleaned up to go have what Eric kept referring to as a low-country-supper. Well they had something called either low country stew or frog-more-stew. Whatever it was we were having it for dinner. It was funny to get to meet some of Eric’s southern family, definitely was not expecting to have conversations about Hell’s angels, Americade, and finding out you are somewhat related to your husband at a family reunion when you are 7 months pregnant (ah cousins!). Needless to say…hilarious! It was another pretty early night.

-View from the Plantation Room where Friday's dinner was held, an alligator kept swimmming by all night-

Saturday- Eric went to help unload chairs for the wedding in the morning so I joined the ladies by the pool. I lucked out and Eric’s sister in law Diane was hoping to hit the outlets. You know this trying to dress a little more like an adult at work takes some new cloths…and cloth are way to damn expensive. So we took a quick ride and spent an hour, which was a good time to pick up some new lady like duds and head back to get ready for the wedding.-Laura coming down the aisle-

The Ceremony was at their house in Hilton head and was mostly just family. Here are some of the pictures. It was short and sweet but absolutely lovely.

Then we headed over to the yacht club for the reception. We got there a little early so Eric and his brothers Steve (yes, we both have a brother named Steve…its gets confusing) and Jeff and Julia (Steve’s lady) and Shawna (Jeff’s wife….have I got everyone yet.. hope so) walked around the grounds of the yacht club a bit. So so so pretty!

-Two Views from the grounds of the South Carolina Yacht Club during the reception-

We had to stand in the receiving line, and I can’t tell you how many people assumed I was Eric’s wife. It got a little tiring constantly correcting. Other than that we just hung out and had an amazing dinner and headed back to the hotel for the evening.

-the reception room-

Sunday morning woke up at 6 am to a very pretty sunrise, I think it was Friday morning when we work up and saw dolphins swimming in the ocean from the balcony in out hotel room.

-6 am sunrise-

We climbed back into the car at about 9:30 and drove and drove and drove. Stopped in Virginia for some Cracker Barrell..at this point I think I had definitely reached my saturation for country food/ southern food. At the end of it we finally after dropping off and driving around for a spot got into bed at 2 am. The time there was definitely worth it but I don’t think opting for driving will a consideration in future trips.

-[oldest-youngest for the siblings] Brent, Leslie, Jeff, Eric's dad, Steve, and Eric-

Eric's Family is just slightly bigger than mine (consisting of mom, dad, me Steve) and this isn't including wives, kids, and girlfriends in this picture.

13 hours

After work today we will pack up the car and drive 13 hours to South Carolina for Eric's dad's wedding this weekend. I am looking forward to being out of teh city for a few days but I don't know how excited I am to be in a car for 13 hours tonight.

i ate one of these today

Watermelon Flavored Sigmund Freud Head Lollipops

Strippers and a Steak

How was your weekend? Mine? Well, It had a fairly adventurous start.

Friday: I began with a huge mistake of heading to the discount department store Century 21, which might not be the mecca of NYC that people think, it is actually plain hell. Its ten thousand people crammed into tiny spaces between racks and everyone is grabbing, trying on, and throwing on the floor when it’s not right. I leave that place shaky from the anxiety rush it has produced. So after 30 minutes of consumer insanity I walked out of the store with nothing in hand. I headed to the subway station and decided to get out early at Bergen and stop by a cheese shop on Smith Street called Stinky. It had been a while since Eric and I sat down to a snack date. So exhausted and worn out I finally got home and relaxed for about and hour with Eric. Then I headed down to my old apt to have dinner with Kirsten, Cate, and this girl Kim whom I have met through Cate. Dinner was good, you know nothing massive just some pasta and tofu sauce while watching a bit of the Jesus Camp documentary. This was our meet up point for the rest of the evening to unfold from. At 10, after losing Kristen from the party we descended onto Manhattan to go see Cate and Kim’s friend in a burlesque show. Now I have been to a few burlesque shows in my time but nothing prepared me for what happened. We got in a taxicab that swiftly took us across the bridge into what I shall now refer to as No-Man’s-Land Manhattan (i.e. Wall street and below post 9pm). After a few wrong turns we finally found the club where the show was being held, and with a name like the pussycat lounge I should have been weary but I suppose I was not thinking about it. With about 20 minutes to the start of the show we get in a line which I suspect is for checking ID’s…. oh was I so incorrect. It happened that nothing was happening we were all standing there with the time ticking away waiting to get into the club and these pretty large bouncers with thick accents and definitely flexing their muscles and not letting anyone in due to confusion as to where the show was to be held (down stairs or up stairs) and management (who looked like a bad description of a cross between a mob dude and a massive Chicago bears fan..ie “da bears” circa SNL….shiny jacket and broom mustache too boot). So I turn to Kim who is standing next to me as the tension raises between 20 or so people there for the show and 2 (did I mention they were large) bouncers who have no idea what is happening but who know to refuse anyone to get in until money is offered, so I turn to km and realize while saying out loud “ I now understand how people have been killed in this city by bouncers.” With a flick of $10 and a promise that we are “only “ going down stairs (not where the show is) we slip in. Cate heads to the ladies room and I am standing there realizing a full 10 minutes after being in the room that oh! There are strippers above the bar. Not only Strippers but the most defunct, disinterested, drug coma induced people I have ever laid eyes on. And oh my luck “ smack that ass” is the next song on! Now I get to watch these barely breathing entertainers struggle to lift their hands to, well.. .smack their asses. Needless to say this was not my idea of what my first strip club experience would be like, or that I would be watching the intent patrons of the pussycat lounge having their pizza delivered to the bar. I guess they were hungry and had been there a while. Now that’s devotion my dear man.

We have our route planned and as the bouncer turns around we jolt past him up the stairs, now at this point I am figuring out what a bad idea this is. No amount of batting ones eyelashes is going to get you out of this one. We make it upstairs in time to see the show begin, it was a good show although the theme was all the performances were done to a Jimmy Hendrix’s song. After foxy lady it leaves very little to take ones cloths of in any sexy manner. It was interesting. Especially when I turn around to Kim yelling at an older man in a business suit (judging from his surrounding I would suppose that even in the business man suit this guy was as shady as they come) she is pushing him telling him to back the fuck up, later I was informed she noticed he had his hand all the way down in Cate’s purse without her knowledge. So after all of the like any normal person I am done, Kim and I catch a cab home and I get into bed with Eric (who was the smarter one and had stayed in). I close my eyes at 2 am… fast forward to 5 am. Murphy is barking barking barking, and I am so not amused. Next I hear a taping on the front door, shaking Eric awake I let him know someone is there. He gets up to be met by our upstairs neighbor who has come to tell us the building is full of smoke. Once Eric opens the door to our apt it is more than obvious that there is something going on. We get up and stuff wallets and cell phones into jacket pockets and leash up Murphy to head outside. As we reached the door the landlord (who lives down the street) darts to the downstairs apt. Now NO ONE else in the apt building is aware that anyone has moved in there, but apparently we have new neighbors who like to make steak at 5 am and fall asleep/pass out/ fall into a k hole or drug induced coma and forget they are cooking a fucking steak which burns and fills the WHOLE BUILDING with smoke. Awesome you have lived below me for 2 weeks and already have tried to burn down the building. The next day I looked for an apology note to be taped to the door but was only met with the smell of charred meat (which kind of has a sight undertone of urine…. Believe me I think its weird too)

Saturday- Eric worked and Cate and I went to Woodbury commons since I have the car. Later met up with Becky, Sara, and Andrea for dinner and then met up with Eric, Phil and Kirsten for Kathy’s birthday. Went to bed way to late.

Sunday- slept, girlie afternoon with Kirsten getting nails did, and then dinner at two boots with Eric in Park Slope.

Nothing for a while will trump Friday night!

tonight

This.....

and then this....And some of this....


I need a vacation! way too busy at work!

US Postal Service

That's funny cause 15 days later I don't have said package, the worst part about it is that this isn't the first time this has happened. agitating!

i.heart

Double Issues at work leave no time for anything else!

Super Busy week, just wanted a quick catch up from the weekend.


Friday- Came home from work and stopped by Kristen’s for a bit, Eric went out with his friend Jason and I went home early to bed since I was meeting my dad at 9 am the next morning.

Saturday- my dad came in to town to drop off his “winter car” with us. Now don’t you go thinking that we have anything in common with the trumps and I know that it sounds way more fancy then it should- the story is: he had gotten a very good deal on a car from a family friend that is a mechanic in Albany. The only problem was that it is a 2 wheel drive…not great for PA winters so we had been swapping my Ford back and forth so that he could have a car that was good for winter. Well when the Ford bit the dust earlier the summer it left us with quiet the dilemma. So, my dad leased this beauty below with his new company and didn’t need it for a few months since there was no snow. He called us up and asked if we wanted to have a car for a few months becasue he had to work in the city and could arrange it to work out and bring the car down to brooklyn. Phew! All of this wasn't expected at all but it came just in the nick of time since we need something the haul us all the way down south to Hilton Head SC next Wednesday. Perfect timing!

So we headed to Second Street in Park Slope for Brunch with Steve. Dad and Steve went back to Steve’s apt to relax and bit and Eric and I strolled along and checked out some target (well what was left on the shelves from the usual weekend pillage of the Atlantic Center). I also got a new pair of shoes because I have decided that people who have “real jobs” should probably not be wearing flip flops to those “real people jobs” what I am trying to do is actually dress like I have graduated college 3, not like i am still there with a wardrobe that consists of tee shirt, jeans, and flip flops. Very far from even somewhat professional; I give this new found sense of trying to dress better a good week maybe 2 before I regress and go back to the comfy ways.
After Target and DSW (cause I only shop fancy stores) we met up to watch Rugby at an Australian bar on 4th. France beat New Zealand. Even though I am not much of a sport voyeur, I have to admit it was kind of fun to be sitting there and watching the game while each teams supporters would yell during good plays.

The Good Fork
(Photo: Kenneth Chen)
We finished the night off with a very nice dinner at Good Fork in Red Hook and the I was in bed at 1030…yes you heard me right 10:30 on a Saturday night.

Sunday- drove my dad to the airport at 8 am! Then hit up the farmers market for some Cinderella pumpkins (one for us and 4 to bring to 2nd street) all to make some very delicious pumpkin soup (ok lets be honest Eric made it and I took a nap on the couch, I meant to help but I just kind of passed out).

After the Farmers market I met up with Cate to venture over to Union Square to do Pilates for Breast Cancer. Shape magazine was holding 5 Pilates classes in the area right in front of Barnes and Noble, basically you signed up for a $25 fee for a class and went with 75 other people in your class and did Pilates for 45 minutes. Other than the tent being a little toasty I had a lot of fun, I also have no idea what I am doing 1/2 the time when I am attempting Pilates and I think that entertained me as well (i.e. laughing at my unbalancable-self). We got to keep the mats from the event as well as a big tote bag, granted it was all pink but I don’t mind it too much! The Sponsors had said that just that day with the classes they had raised $10,000 for breast cancer research. It made me feel good to do something positive. I mean I like learning new things like Pilates, working out is good for me, and it makes me happy to give since I lost my grandmother to breast cancer complications when I was 16.
Sunday night we headed to Cate, Phil, and Kristen’s to have a nice growed up evening of dinner. The menu:

Pumpkin soup
Brussels sprouts (my absolute favorite how Eric makes them)
Gouda Mac and Cheese with Veggies.

Capped off with some Bret Michaels rock of love reunion for dessert!

Tonight I am going to see a preview of Ben Affleck's directorial debut: Gone Baby Gone.

Dorchester, one of the toughest neighborhoods in all of Boston, is no place for the weak or innocent. It’s a territory defined by hard heads and even harder luck, its streets littered with broken families, hearts, and dreams. When one of its own, a 4-year-old girl, goes missing, private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro don't want the case. But after pleas from the child's aunt, they open an investigation that will ultimately risk everything -- their relationship, their sanity, and even their lives -- to find a little girl-lost.

busy today

Eric and I went to see Elizabeth The Golden Age with Cate Blanchett and Clive Owen, other than providing a good hour and half of something interesting to look at, a memorable history lesson, and perpetuating my crush on Clive… I would say that we walked away with the opinion that it was an “ok “ movie. Possibly the most amusing part of the evening in concurrence with the movie was when Eric were at home bantering back and forth over whether or no Raleigh NC was named after Sir. Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen’s character). And of course after getting out of bed to get my laptop and looking it up on wikipedia, I was right that it was.

congrats

MARY!

I bless the rains down in africa

I was sent this photograph of my uncle's new gallery room (which was where his 50th birthday party was held last December_ at that time they had just put the roof on it before it down poured 1/2 of the night.) they have since moved from the farm house (which is next to this building and have since started construction on the actual house to turn it into a bed and breakfast) to this Room called the "Gallery". I can't wait to take Eric and show him all of this in Feb 08!

How is it already October?

Today I am incredibly sleepy from the sugar shock I had last night that kept me up past my bedtime.

Friday: I came home from work and did a quick clean of the house. We have been kind of busy the past few weekends and with Murphy in the apt the dust bunnies tend to over power us. After sucking them up with the massively over powered vacuum, Eric and I took a walk to Chicory in the neighborhood and enjoyed a very dirty and delicious dinner of French fries with truffles mayo, salad, bbq setain and cole slaw sandwich (for me), wings (for Eric), and Mac and cheese. Needless to say I am not sure it covered any of the four food groups other than damn good. I was ready to pack it in and climb into bed for the night but Eric convinced me to come with him to park slope to meet up with bob and eventually Kristen. So we headed out and met Bob at the subway stop. The night turned into being a “can we have an early night” to getting home and looking at the clock and shaking my head when it read 2 am. But it was good. The night started out on the back deck with 3 of us and grew as the night went on to something I would say close to 20 of us with people coming and going. I got to see Bri and Holland for a few minutes when they stopped by on their way home from a show at southpaw. They were telling me about their trip to go see a friend of theirs in Puerto Rico and I was sold. I want to save some money and go down there! They made it sound like the best place on Earth, and had also mentioned maybe getting a house for a week down there with a few room and having everyone split it. From what they are familiar with it seems like if enough people went for it then lodging would only be $200 each for a whole week. They told us about Vieques Island and the bioluminescent bay, and promised me that there were no sharks in the bay… even with this knowledge its going to take a lot for me to heave myself over board into the water at night… I have seen the beginning credits to JAWS I am not dumb, drunk, or about to have sloppy stranger sex in the water.


The light is produced by trillions of micro-organisms that become luminescent when disturbed. The concentration here is an astounding 720,000 per gallon. Waving your arms in the water makes angel wings appear. The stronger the movement, the brighter the glow. Enter the world that time forgot, the last of its kind to still maintain such a high level of luminescence. Because even though this phenomena occurs elsewhere in the world, nowhere is it nearly as bright as in one of the bioluminescent bays in Vieques, known as Caño Hondo or Puerto Mosquito.

Saturday we got up fairly early and had some breakfast at home. We took a walk through Brooklyn heights so that I could go to the bank and so Eric could indulge. He bought this…
(Although in his defense he had been carefully considering the purchase for a few weeks now).

We walked through the farmers market and headed home. I took my usual 4 pm spinning class and then came home and had some dinner (it’s nice to eat a home so much, and I am definitely a fan of saving money by doing so). After a quick shower and turn around Eric, Kristen and I headed up to Saved Gallery on Hope Street in Williamsburg for a Tattoo Art show. This was for a Calendar that has recently come out where all of the proceeds from sales go to Breast Cancer Research. There was so really great work that was up. We took a stroll around, had some awkward photographs of us taken while we were “looking at the art” (or pretending to after the photographer asked permission to take our photographs). Ran into Jay and Melissa who were there checking it out since one of the featured artists had recently completed a sleeve tattoo on Jay last year. Bob and Mike L came out and at that point we were done. I forget how art shows are sometimes. You get there all excited to see everything, you do your lap around the room checking out what is there (sometimes you do a second lap just to see what you have missed), then you stand around talking to people, running into people you haven’t seen in a while, and then awkwardly deciding if you are going to stay or not (we were about done after an hour and the fact that the room was nearing 200 degrees it perpetuated our desire to go!)
Jay and Melissa went to get dinner and the rest of us wondered around Williamsburg. Eric, Kristen, myself, Jay and Melissa, hopped the train at about 11:30 and headed back to Carroll Gardens for an early night. Home and in bed by 12:30.

Sunday had a little bit of a lazy morning. For some god forsaking reason Eric woke up at 630 am and was unable to go back to sleep. So he got out of bed in hopes that a few minutes of infomercials would help him pass out. I on the other hand stretched out on the queen size bed and relished having all that space to myself all the way until 9:30. When you have 2 people and a 70lb dog on the same bed; space becomes an extremely important commodity seconded only by having enough blankets. WE got up and headed to the lower-lower east side and waited to meet up with Bob for some Veggie Dim Sum. We then walked off our breakfast (followed by breakfast desert at the Chinese Ice Cream Factory around the corner) over the Brooklyn Bridge to the Atlantic Antic. It was a fabulous time. I went to the Atlantic Antic last year for the first time and had a great time. I was a little concerned that we would have the usual street fair problem where you have a group larger than 3 people (we met up with a good number of people. And also ran into my little brother at one point) and you walk about 10 feet then have to stop for everyone to catch up or for someone to go check out the chachskies at this table and that. But it wasn’t too bad; we indulged in Falafel from Sahadi’s and some delicious Samousas (since chip shop had run out of the veggie Shepard’s pie by the time we got to that end of the street fair). I would say we were on a pretty good run until banana pudding was mentioned. Why in my head did that sound like the worlds best idea and something I HAD to have and would probably die without. Unfortunately when we reached the tent they were packing up, so in my quest to find the deliciousness Eric and I went to the Met and bought the ingredients to concoct the dessert. After it was all mixed and I had a quick visit with Cate we sat down to Rock of Love with the pudding. But after just a few spoonfuls I think my body went into complete sugar shock compounded with the smorgasbord for fair food junk already in my system. I was not feeling so hot and I had to will myself away from eating the delicious banana delight (that is now sitting in my fridge at home next to me spaghetti lunch that I forgot to bring today taunting me with its goodness). And that my friend was my weekend.

Tonight hopefully the gym to combat some of the damage that was done at the Atlantic Antic, but first and foremost I am headed to our Intern Elleser’s first art show.