Christmas

-home sweet home-

There isn’t too much to report on. Murphy and I took a week off and went on vacation to upstate New York just outside of Albany where I grew up. We hung out since Eric went on his way down to Tennessee to see family, we had a very stressful week of going shopping and watching movies, and although Murphy didn’t join my brother and I did make a quick trip to Manchester to spend a little bit of holiday time with my dad. Now it’s back to the grind, well at least for two days until the 4-day weekend and New Years.

Merry Christmas Charlie Brown

And some how I fell into the black hole and its Monday again.

Friday, we had real adventure on our way to Bob’s apartment for his birthday party. We miss calculated when we should have exited the b61 and got out way to early in a neighborhood that the two of us should probably not venture in to any time of day let alone 11pm. We were saved by a night in shining yellow armor when a cab pulled around the corner of two quiet streets that we had gone to phone and call to find out where we were and how to not be where we were. We made it to the party and just kind of hung out and met new people. I totally had one of those moments when this guy walked by me and I was like “ I know him, but how?” then after a while of being a creeper and looking over and trying to figure it out I realized he was a good friend of and ex and I had stayed at his apartment when me and that then boyfriend had come to NYC from Rochester where we were at college together, this was probably 5-6 years ago. Strange stuff. We headed out of bob’s semi early and went home and got right into bed.

Saturday, we got up and I went to the store to get some oatmeal and fruit and got things together in the house so that later we could go see James. James is an awesome guy that Eric works with at the restaurant, he has been in the hospital with the super bug/staff infection/spider bit for about a week now. It all started with a pretty bad spider bite that he had gotten, originally they thought it was a brown recluse that had bitten him but I am not sure if they had made a definitely decision on what it was that had bitten him. But you know even my boss at work recently got a brown recluse bite and it just seems like cases of those spiders being over here in the city are on the rise, freaks me out. Those bugs are no joke! So we made some cookies for James and got all ready with coats on to visit him when Eric got a text message from James to come later since he would be in the middle of tests for a few more hours, they were scanning his bone mass because they thing the infection has spread in to the bones of his feet. Its really scary stuff, really in some weird way makes me grateful that the only really bad thing I did was break my arm this summer and there were fairly few complications from that. So since we had our coats on already we decided to go up to Atlantic and go see what they had for Christmas trees (psst, don’t tell anyone but Atlantic is a good place for good prices).

I had really gone back and forth about getting a tree for two reasons. One I think I have residual guilt from growing up in a family whose matriarch (mom was in charge of getting the decorations done) was very absolutely against fresh trees. And two because I felt like it was an extra that we could think twice about since we had dropped a decent amount on the new couch and since both Eric and I will be out of town during actual Christmas. But in the end once we got it home after swinging by the discount store to get decorations, lights and a tree skirt for a whopping $14 for everything (ok the tree skirt was what killed it, $10 for a trashy one….well I never! Next year I’ll sew my own!) I was happy that we have him. He smells wonderful and it’s so nice to have him all lit up. We were scared Murphy was going to pee on it if we got it, but he was so disinterested in the whole matter. The only time he perked up was when we opened the bag to get decorations, he thought we were getting a present for him. I am learning a lot about having a new tree, Eric keeps laughing at me when I said “we have to put water in him right?” and he just responded with “ you really never did have a real tree did you”.

After we visited with James we went to the movie to see No Country for Old Men. I was very impressed. Pretty Crazy movie. Then we headed home since Eric had to work Sunday Morning. We watched some TV and tried to drown out the neighbors downstairs who were having some people over and from what we could tell had to be playing video games and screaming at the top of the lungs. I seriously thought they were standing right in front of our door yelling. Seriously it was annoying, I felt like I was their mom while I was contemplating going down to say something and/or asking them to shut the f up, but luckily at about 1 am the screaming ceased.Oh! Those down stairs neighbors that moved in around October are awesome, between this and almost burning down the building while creating a gourmet meal of burnt steak at 5 am. i am so happy to be living in the same place with them (barf.)
Sunday, Eric worked and I was in "stay at home mode" so I pretty much kept myself busy by cleaning and doing all the things that have been put off when we were away so much in November. I even cleaned all the windows inside and out, now you can see our tree from the bedroom window- crystal clear! Even if he is kind of short and you can only see the top peaking over the windowsill, i promise you it is a beautiful tree. I went and dropped off laundry and went to the grocery store, which is NEVER a good idea to do Sunday afternoon. I thought I saw my life flash a few time before my eyes while I had 6 shopping carts barreling towards me as I leaned over to get some fresh thyme. Eric came back kind of late, it a bummer…. He is going to be working a lot of double shifts this week and maybe next. With James out and the other manager sick he is picking up their normal schedules. Good side is its going to be a good amount of extra time and he can maybe actually really think about getting a smaller HD LCD TV, I mean he has only been salivating over them for about a year now. Bad side, I wont see him very much and I am sure it will take its toll and wear him out.


I still cant believe Christmas is getting so close. Just have to get through this week then i am using the rest of this years vacation time and taking a week to go a relax and catch up in Delmar. I think I'll need it. I had a scratchy throat this morning, I just have to hold the sickness at bay another week.

Would you be willing to say that on Camera?

So here is the story on NY1 news.

A few weeks ago when Eric and I returned from the Cleve when I went to see my dad for the weekend and check out the Rock and Roll hall of fame we came back to the apt to Kristen and Phil hanging out keeping warm and Murphy in good company. They had been kind enough to Doggy-sit for Murphy while we were away for the weekend and when they headed back to their apt they found out that the heat in their apt was shut off frm a gas leak and they had no hot water. No problem for us we told them to come hang at our place and take shower and if they needed to they were welcome to spend the night. Well, to get back on track they came in and asked us if we had noticed the SUV parked out in front of the apartment in the bus stop. We didn’t really think much about it since everyone and their mom illegally parks in the bus stop in front of the bakery we live about so that they can run in and get their coffee and cookies. Its actually quiet annoying, Eric and I actually witnessed a truck that had been delivering supplies to the bakery back into a car parked so far up its ass that of course the 18-wheeler would not be able to see it in his rear view mirrors, well I guess the dude that was “quickly stopping” to get his coffee and whatever got a lot more than he bargained for. Anyway, they asked us about the car and then told us there was this Acura in front of the stoop with bullet holes all on it's side. So we all ran out to see what the hell was going on, and there is was with the back window shot out and holes in the side. They were labeled so we all assumed it was police evidence and I saw a couple of cops hanging around (not sure if they were watching the car or just hanging out, the station is about 1/2 a block from the apt). So I figured it would be gone pretty soon since It looked like evidence. Nope 3 –4 weeks go by and it still there every morning.

Then this past Tuesday I came home to walk Murphy and get changed to go to the gym, Eric was working Tuesday night so I was in charge of the Murphy Dogs. We were finishing the walk and I was approached by this lady, not a big deal, but Murphy gets excited with new people and tends to kind of jump and pull. So I get him to sit and she asks me how I feel about the police keeping evidence on the side of the street for so long. I gave her a half assed answer that I had lived in the neighborhood for a while and have seen impounded vehicles and post accident vehicles around, I was used to it. So she then asks if I will say that on camera. Hmmm let me think about that, granted my opinion on it was not that negative towards the police force of nyc, Brooklyn, and/or Carroll gardens for that matter. But when you live in a fairly close knit Brooklyn neighborhood about 100 ft from the police department station for your area I don’t think I am going to put my face on TV with any opinion about what they are doing. Just not something you don't do. So there you go an entry with a little bit of something to it rather than just numerous photos of the new couch.

phew! the couch fit.

Not really a ground moving entry ( well in all honestly neither have like the last 5 but you get what you get) but the couch came this morning and after three attempts finally fit! Its exciting to have new things sometimes.

in the store

at home

oh and i treated myself on my bday too

with a snazzy new coat in grey

Mondays are ok sometimes

I had a wonderful pre-birthday weekend! And to top it all off it was nice to come into work and have it be my birthday on Monday. Birthdays definitely make Mondays much better.

Friday: Eric and I went up to Corey and Alex’s engagement party. It was a really good time. Some cheese nibbles were laid out and there were a lot of really nice people to meet and converse with, plus lots of co workers to hang out with outside of work which is always a great thing. The party had such a really nice feeling to it; unfortunately I got a case of the Fridays and was falling asleep by 11:30 so we decided to head home for an early night

Saturday: I had a case of the insane I was up and about by 8:30 am. This however did no make Eric very happy since he had intended to sleep in. So out of courtesy (and remembering that I had probably ingested about 6 pounds of cheese during my party nibbling) I decided to take a spinning class at 9:30 am. This usually wouldn’t be a bad decision expected it was taught by the head of the spinning program at my gym. Sure it was a great work out, but for the love of god I swung between wanting to lose my breakfast and keeling over to my death. All in all it wasn’t that bad, but I don’t think I was expecting it. I came back and we had some oatmeal and did some cleaning. Eric got kind of excited and wrapped my presents and wanted to give them to me early. I had asked for the wallet, but the necklace was a very nice surprise. And so beautiful! A boy who cooks and buys jewelry ..I am pretty sure I hit the lotto on this one! Here are the photos:

After presents and some cleaning we were hungry. The other day while walking to this restaurant called Bartobac on Smith Street to have dinner with Caitlin I passed a new place that I hadn’t noticed before called the Boerum Hill Food Company. I grabbed one of their to-go menus and decided I wanted to try it. So, Eric and I had lunch there. The service was a little spotty but the again it was packed. I will definitely be a repeat customer, the food was delicious. And their dinner menu looks so tasty!After that I went to get my hair done and got ready for my birthday party at B-Side bar. I really had such a great time. So many people came, I was so nervous about the turn out because the weather had gotten COLD! But I was so happy and had an amazing time with everyone that came out, my only regret and bummer was that I felt like I had so many people to talk to that I was all over the place all night trying to see everyone!

Sunday: It was awesome to wake up to the first snowfall of the winter the day after my birthday party. We slept in and relaxed, had an awesome breakfast of French toast (I like mine with Worcester sauce or a veggie alternative without the anchovies in it and Eric does the regular syrupy sweet ones) after breakfast and a phone call from my uncle and cousins in Africa to send some birthday wishes; Eric and I braved the snowy streets and went to midtown to do some couch shopping. And well I made my first big furniture purchase (pic below, except the color is this really rich brown called “espresso”…swanky!). He is supposed to come Wednesday; I have fingers crossed that he fits through the door to the apt.

Today at work I got a sweet little dress from Alex for my birthday and an awesome lunch at ThaiNY.

Tonight my mom is in town and I am having a few people come over to the house to have small birthday dinner to stuff ourselves with tostadas! 26 is looking like it’s going to do me well!