Wednesday, April 28, 2010

meat me






m and i had a little catch up dinner last night. we worked together at gotham. not the best days of our lives, but a good experience. it was a rough place to work. thank god that hr hired amazing women to toil the days and nights away with.

m and i are both super adventurous eaters. there is a new place on hudson called takashi. it's yakiniku style, which is japanese grilled meats. you grill yourself at the table. we went for the seasonal pickled veggies, the tongue experience (really), the hear and the vanilla bean ice cream with the works. it was all so yummy! oh, i almost forgot that we have the cow's third stomach for an appetizer. it had the texture of calamari and with the spicy sauce it was fantastic.

i know that many of the above sound a little out there...but trust me, so yummy! at least go and try the skirt steak, veggies and ice cream. now i have to figure out dinner for this evening...

today is k's birthday...he's older than me now. he thinks a man should be older than a woman. so funny and cute. i guess as long as we act the same age it's all good. i made him a pillow case and plan to take him out to dinner...where though...YELP!

Monday, April 26, 2010

sometimes we stare so long...






at the open door that we don't even notice the window that has opened...or something like that.

so, i have been a little mia. i am sure that my 13 followers have noticed. 33 is pretty good so far. there was a bump or a glitch or a snag...or something that now was such a blessing. i was a typical girl looking for the unavailable guy when there was an even better guy who was right in front of me. luckily, dating experience has stuck with me and i realized what i was missing.

they say it's supposed to be easy...i don't know who "they" is...but, i think the mysterious "they" are onto something. my weekend...it was pretty fantastic. i needed to decompress a little. last week was super busy and emotional. i took on a lot. my heart had to work overtime...which was completely fine. i know that the universe takes good care of me and that i get more than my fair share of love in return. it feels good to put it out there.

i was happy to have a relaxing couple of nights. k and i both needed some downtime. between his allergies and my back being all stressed out we were a terrible pair, but were able to laugh at each other and ourselves for being so lame. here are some pictures of us unwinding. enjoy! don't worry this rain won't last forever. xx

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

sometimes...






i spent much of my weekend with quite possibly the sweetest human being ever. i am going to let my images tell more of the story than words today. enjoy the colors...that's how i feel.

Friday, April 16, 2010

what's that you say?

you say today is saturday? nah, it's not...but through all of my doom and gloom i totally forgot that i get to hang out with one of my most favorite people tonight! l and her fiance are in from la. they are two of the funniest folks i know. just what i need! we are going to have sushi and they say it's for my birthday, which makes me happy because i thought that my last birthday dinner was on wednesday! bonus night. i love a bonus!

and then tomorrow it's movie day with k! things are looking up. how good is 5:08 on friday? it's really good.

i'm not sorry

i don't really feel like writing today...all i have to say is that i am not sorry for who i am, i am not going to apologize for wanting more and i am not going to wait around.

i can tell you that i am really lucky to have amazing friends who listen and make me laugh. i have an amazing mom that i can call at crazy hours...and my parents rock! i still love that they each get on a phone and talk to me.

so, love, love, love...i've got it and i am giving it away for free.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

tired of saying please...

i had the last of my birthday dinners last night. it was lovely...c brought me to red cat. it was funny i ran into b, s's sister. i hadn't seen her in over two years! she's married and looks so happy. it was nice to chat with her a little and catch up. i love seeing people happy. b didn't have an easy time of dating...i can empathize...or maybe she can empathize with me.

back to dinner and c...it was our first real dinner out. we usually meet at a bar or have a burger or some other quick food. this was nice...we chatted and and i genuinely like him, but i am at a loss. i don't know why. i couldn't even tell you that anything is amiss...he is incredibly busy with work and i get that...i guess i just can't figure out if there is a possibility that it will progress into anything. i am not sure it even matters...

let's move away from my demons...tonight i am going to see jlo and the girls for an opening and maybe head to the bar and toast the april birthdays...that sounds nice...i also have plans with k for saturday and we always have a great time. i am sure we will come up with something fun to do, even though it is supposed to rain...grrrr...maybe even shop for a bike? nooooo...maybe!

enjoy this weather! it is truly spectacular...oh, i also wanted to say that i have discovered genius mixes on itunes. loving it. try it!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

this is me starring...




dd and i went to see the freelance whales at bowery last night. i loved their new album...it's their only album. dd introduced me to them about a month ago and i have been hooked ever since.

i used to go to so many shows...usually one a week, sometimes two...i haven't been as up to date on the music scene in the past 6 months or so. life has gotten the best of me between traveling, work, dating, craft night...i still always have the ipod in the dock and playing. i'm just not as familiar with what the kids are listening to.

here are a few snaps from last night's show. it was good, not great...the lead singer had some issues with the vocals, but the band was unreal and the back-up singer was a gem. i really love the freelance whales and hope to be blown away when i see them next. they are the perfect mix of sufjan and postal service with a little of their own thang mixed in.

check out "starring." sony removed it from youtube...here's ghosting. i feel like i have posted it before? you can slap me upside the head if i have. xx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx847_zeiss

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

sleepyhead

i dragged j to a passion pit show nearly two years ago...was it two years, j? i know you are reading and i love you for it. we went to see the french kicks and passion pit was opening for them. i think it was one of their first nyc shows. it was at bowery ballroom. they maybe had 5 songs to play...as in they had only produced 5 songs. there were maybe 50 people on the floor and j and i were just bouncing up and down. it was one of the happiest shows i have ever seen. it's making me giggle to even think about.

we went down to have a drink between bands and decided that passion pit had done it. we were happy and full of music. we didn't need to see french kicks and we just wandered a little together. i loved that night.

so, this is all relevant because i bought tickets to see passion pit on governor's island in june and then a sweet boy (man? i don't know...what is it that they liked to be called these days?) sent me passion pit covering cranberries "dream" this afternoon. it is so beautiful. unfortunately, i can't find a good version of it to post. so go and buy it! it's on itunes and it just released today along with acoustic versions of sleepyhead and moth's wings! gorgeosity!

here is sleepyhead. it was my favorite when i first started listening to them and now that i am older (tee, hee) this is a mellowed out version.

as you know by now, i am blogtarded and can't figure out how to post live links...please don't be offended by my use of blogtarded...k, thanks...just enjoy the music!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6TVE_QDV8o

ah-ah-allergies


my sinuses are slowing me down and making me a tad grouchy. okay, maybe so grouchy that i should be green and popping in and out of a garbage can.

my acupuncturist gave me these mysterious chinese allergy pills...hmmmmm....i have been considering them since saturday, but not mustered up the courage to take them. just because they are herbal doesn't make them okay. i mean, what the heck is in them? why are they that crazy shade of yellow? why do they look homemade? oh, what's that? because they ARE!?!

i am in rough shape today and might just take them. supposedly after taking 4 of these mystery magic pills for 10 days my allergies will vanish...is that because the pollen will have disappeared too? hmmmm...suspect.

i guess mystery allergy pills are better than pharmaceuticals...at least i would like to think so.

i do like that color yellow. down the hatch! wait and see...

Monday, April 12, 2010

here we go...



today is my first full day of 33. my birthday weekend was so lovely. the friday festivities of dinner and drinking were a success and the turnout was beyond what i thought it would be. i really am so blessed to have such amazing friends. it's no wonder that i consider so many friends my family.

saturday was a little rough with a slow recovery in the morning. thank goodness i had acupuncture. it gave me an excuse to lay on a heated table with lavender over my eyes for an hour. i was not a fan of having the needles stuck in my scalp this time, but somehow relaxed.

saturday afternoon we had a little birthday happy hour for a, dd's beau. i didn't last all that long and treated myself to a gluten free pizza for dinner and a super early bedtime! i needed the rest and mugi seemed to need some love too.

sunday was "the day!" i got up super early, took mugi on an amazingly long walk. we purchased a bunch of lilacs on the way home. i am patiently waiting for them to bloom. i then headed to the gym for a birthday spin class and pushed myself to do 45 minutes of weights. it felt good and i rewarded my efforts with a long steam. heaven...

my sunday afternoon was spent with my friend k. i was greeted with 2 dozen of the most beautiful pink roses. such a nice surprise on a sunny day. we wandered around for a bit and then found a cozy cuban restaurant. yum! k knows so much more about the soho area than i do. i think he has eaten at every single restaurant we passed along the way. we wandered back up to the wv and bought a bag of mochi on the way. we played a game where we just sat and watched people and i pretended that i was invisible...we went back to the place where we originally met for a coffee break then noticed that HUB, the bike shop that used to be on morton, was setting up on charles! lucky me! they were giving free tune-ups so we grabbed my neglected bike from the backyard and hauled it over. the only thing they could really fix was the air in the tires. i am thinking that my birthday gift to myself is going to be a silver biria. ahhhh! it is so beautiful! we'll see...but here's to hoping.

dd took me out to moustache for dinner. i even got to blow out a candle! we had such a nice time chatting and she wanted to know what i wanted in my 33rd year. i shared all of my hopes with her...we shall see...

enjoy the silly pics from some of my wandering this weekend and enjoy this insanely amazing spring weather! it was the nicest weather i have ever had on my birthday! it was perfect and i feel hopeful about the coming year.

love to all who made my birthday so incredibly special.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

love, love, love...

it's all around...this week has been such a reminder of that. last night was another craft night.

i love getting together with everyone. ah is funny because she doesn't craft, but that's okay because she is there and that is the important thing. j was our surprise guest, the other j was our embroidery leader extraordinaire, l and l were doing there own thing amazingly well and making us laugh simultaneously, boyfriend j was a total trooper with 7 women in the house. he sat with us the entire time and cheered his girl on. m was hilarious with her perfectionism and her pillow case looks adorable. i think b will treasure it for years to come. and dd was so focused! can't wait to see the tattoo t-shirt!

craft night has turned into a night to just be amongst friends and chat. i think there was maybe even a little networking going on last night. love it! it's so nice that other folks are starting to join in. it's fun to meet new people and get to know them in a calm setting. it's also really satisfying to make something with your hands after pounding away on a keyboard all day and sending all of your work into outer space. it's also nice to be able to show up with your hair looking like a bird's nest and not really care. don't worry m, l & j, i totally brushed it out today and j, you keep that picture of the "really crazy" hair to yourself!

i hope everyone else enjoys it as much as i do. i adore being surrounded by such an amazing group of friends. yes, i yelled at both j's for riding their bikes without helmets, but it's because i love them and want them around for many years to come. all i can say is love, love, love...

i just threw up in my mouth a little...this post is a little nauseating. sorry, can't help it!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010



this past weekend i was able to catch up with my grandma katie. she is one of the most influential and inspirational people in my life. spending time with her is huge gift.

my grandmother hasn't had the easiest life. the love of her life, my grandfather, died when my mother was six...my grandmother was left with 3 children under the age of 8 and not much else. she remarried and her second husband died unexpectedly when my mother was 16. i really can't imagine...but the stories i her from my relatives, including grandma and mom are just amazing. snakes in sinks, skirts made from curtains (how sound of music), boats made in basements, myriad stray dogs...the list goes on and on...

my grandmother held four jobs at one point. the crazy thing is that grandma katie is in her mid eighties and still works a 40+ hour work week as a receptionist. she is not on any medication and the only glasses she wears are purchased at the pharmacy.

i love spending time with her. i try to call her regularly and i am always trying to coax her into the city. i live exactly one block from where she grew up. walking around the west village with her is incredible.

some of my favorite grandma memories are walking jones beach as a little girl collecting jingle shells, playing mini-golf, bowling (she was in a league for years), picking out easter dresses at reed's department store...more recently, having her come and see every apartment i have lived in in nyc, helping me pick fabric for curtains, laying in a puddle of tears in her arms at the end of a long relationship and having her rub my head and say, "always remember that you come from a long line of strong women", having her tell me that my 350 square foot apartment "would do her just fine", and having her by my side when i blew out my birthday candles this year...

i feel so lucky to have this relationship in my life. and when i feel like a day is not going well i think of my grandma and her life. the things that make her happy are a single glass of rose and chocolate, which she pronounces chaw-co-late. pretty easy, huh? grandma never complains...she can get cranky...i think she deserves to be a little cranky. i know the quick fix...it's to sidle up next to her and hold her hand. works every time.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

open your eyes...






i woke up a little earlier this morning so i could take a wander through the village and capture the trees in bloom. two of my favorite weeks of the year are when the trees are just bursting with new color and my birthday lands right in the midst of them! so blessed!

i never really count january first as a new year. i count april 11 as the beginning of my year. i really love that my birthday is in spring which signifies renewal. yes, it often rains on my birthday...but for this year i have even learned to embrace that! it's been a year of learning and acceptance.

so, back to my morning...i got up, read my email...and there, in my inbox was a note from my father! i haven't spoken with my father in nearly a year...maybe more? as i said yesterday, we just aren't that close. maybe that will change? maybe it won't...either way it's okay. i always know that i am loved. here is an excerpt from my father's note:

"When you were born, you didn't cry! The room was darkened, and you were so tranquil, serene, curious and quiet when you were born.. Your eyes were wide open, and you were looking around at your new world. You were too curious to cry. I knew then that you were going to be able to handle anything that came your way. Even the doctor and nurses were amazed at your composure. We were also slightly concerned about not hearing your voice, but then a nurse opened the door, and a beam of light was cast upon your little face and you showed your displeasure by crying. I recall holding you right then and there, and saying softly... "it's OK, it's Dad," and you immediately calmed yourself.. Amazing!

Remember the trip we won to Disney World? You loved to travel even back then, and when we were at the hotel you ordered a shrimp cocktail. You liked it so much that you asked about having another one. We were, "oh boy, here goes the budget," but you asked the waiter and he said, "You can have all you want and there's no extra charge. It's all part of the trip you won." You literally lit up and ordered another one, or was that two more? I think we still have coupons from that trip too. Disney's coupons don't expire. The point here is that you weren't afraid to ask for what you wanted, and that's a terrific trait.

When you were born I was 33, the same age as you will be this April 11th. For a few months you will also be half my age. I prefer that to saying I will be double your age."



it seems that everyone i speak to has something exciting to say about 33...who knows...i am just enjoying the flowers right now.

Monday, April 5, 2010

something special...

so, i don't have the strongest relationship with my dad and step-mom. they moved to celebration, florida a number of years ago...and we just grew apart. i have really different values and morals and sometimes it was difficult for me to communicate with them.

a surprise just arrived in my inbox and i got a little teary. i only have a few days left of being 32...and i have to say, i don't mind. i am really looking forward to 33. 32 has been a tough one. so many bumps, false starts and disappointments in the past year. that's not to say that i haven't learned so much and had some amazingly enjoyable experiences too. i just wouldn't say it was my favorite year.

well, i wanted to share a little bit of the note i just received from my step-mom...we aren't very close, but i will say she does have some valuable insights on life. she has always been an eternal optimist, as was her dad...my only grandfather figure. he was a great man and not a day passes that i don't think of him and my nana. they were two of the most amazing people in my life to date. they taught me so much...including the gift of "table manners for teenagers." i guess sometimes you need to look beyond what you aren't getting and see what you already have.

here it is....i hope you can see the beauty in it too.


"Have fun turning 33; I think it is a lucky number.
It's when I married Daddy, trimmed my dream of being a Commissioner of
Education into more realistic goals; introduced you and K to travel
beyond New England (Oh E - you loved the adventure of traveling
right from the start - no fear and talked to everyone); and learned
how much care the lawn I thought was so pretty took at 15 Woodstone
Road! As you get ready to greet your birthday, remember, life is a journey of
surprises, happiness, challenges, and occasional sadness, and you are
made of what it takes to greet them all."

xo Mum
Dad says "HI!" and xo

summer is the new spring

what a weekend! mugi and i headed out to ct on saturday. it was the nicest weather. we sat on the porch for the rest of saturday and the patio all of sunday. it's nice to have a little escape like that and i am so lucky that my parents have a great little spot a mere hour and half away.

it was a busy few days full of siblings, nephews, grandma, uncle, old family friends, new friends and three dogs...whew! it was a lot, but in such a good way.

since i come from a large family we try and make every event cover multiple birthdays/holidays. this visit was easter/april birthdays. so, we had a, m and myself! we had cakes, cookies and brownies. i blew out my first birthday candles with my grandma by my side. it was super fun.

my grandma is an incredibly special person. i adore her. she is amazingly strong and has not had an easy life. she is in her 80s and still works a 40 hour work week as a receptionist. she is incredibly inspirational. we have such a good time together. when i arrived in ct there she was at the train station waiting for me. we each had a glass of wine on the porch and then i declared that i wanted to go to target. she was the only one who said she would go. we had so much fun perusing all of the target treasures. something about target if you live in the city. it's a treat to go and actually shop in one!

hope everyone is enjoying this amazing weather!!!

Friday, April 2, 2010

too much fun...



is maybe not a good thing. i met jlo, l, c, and a new j out yesterday...it was one of the first beautiful days and we hit up a rooftop pool for some r&r and cocktails.

well, cocktails turned into 3 hours. maybe took advantage of the nice weather a little too much? i went home to take a nap before my 8pm date and almost slept right through it!!! i woke up at 8! i through a headband on, my new jeans, and some really strange top combination, hailed a cab and met him about 30 minutes late. i felt awful and still do. i am not the girl who doesn't respond or shows up late! i am usually early and at the very least on time.

i am still feeling rather guilty and didn't sleep much due to my long nap. oye! this would be an example of not choosing happiness. it all seemed like a good idea in the moment, but i am paying the price emotionally today. i hate to let people down. hopefully he has a sense of humor. i think he does.

the good news is that the sun is shining and i am headed to ct for a little family time tomorrow. i need to dry out!