happy new year's eve! the last day of 2009 is here and i am sure lots of people can breathe a sigh of relief that this crazy year is over. with each new year upon us there are new hopes, so let's hope 2010 brings us something a little better.
i have taken my balcony position again this morning to blog about yesterday;s adventures, and i believe i have found a friend. a dove has landed on the railing of my porch and is quietly minding his own business. i don't think there will be an attack on me today. anywho, yesterday began with a taxi ride to dolphin cay at atlantis resort. holey moley is atlantis incredible! for those of you who have stayed there, i am slightly jealous and can only wish to go there myself someday for a stay. the dolphin cay attraction is also amazing, and i learned quite a bit about dolphins and got to play with one!
patrick, emily, and i were the only ones in our crew who did the shallow water dolphin experience, and so we suited up in our wet suits, went through an orientation, and then waded through a large pool (meant to resemble a dolphin's natural habitat) and met wee tee, a 23 year old male dolphin. he was quite the quirky one, not really doing any of the behaviors his trainers desired him to do, but it was not disappointing to us at all. he was funny and very lovable. we all got a chance to kiss and hug him (we bought the pics to prove it) touch his rubbery skin, and feed him fish when he did listen. we also found out that wee tee has a crush on jill, a 45 year old dolphin who has no interest in him whatsoever. maybe he is too immature for her, who knows?
for those of you who think that this type of place is a way to keep dolphins in captivity for a profit, think again. most of the proceeds go to marine life research, and it also helped save the lives of 16 displaced dolphins during hurricane katrina. we also learned that dolphins live a lot longer in human care than they do out in the wild, almost twice as long! jill would surely not be around if she was not living at the dolphin cay. it is an amazing experience to encounter these beautiful creatures and see them show off their skills for us. thank you to everyone at dolphin cay who made it a great morning for us!
after the dolphins, the five of us wanted to eat some true bahamian fare at a fish fry. our restaurant of choice was oh andros! there is a whole row of these places, so you can have your pick of restaurants in just one spot. now, when you eat at these places, do not expect to receive that fast american service that we are used to. that is not the bahamian way. when they say a time multiply it by 4 and then you will have a better idea of when your food is coming. so we waited about an hour for only 3 entrees to come out (the food is heaped onto the plate so we had more than enough food for all of us). as our meals finally arrived, we were so hot and hungry it wasn't funny. oh and judy was impatient for the food to come out that she went inside the restaurant and brought it to our outside table herself! she does not mess around, let me tell ya!
patrick and i ordered a snapper/ conch combo with rice, plantains, and macaroni and cheese. everything tasted so good and was a little spicy! my favorite part was the rice and peas though. it was so flavorful, perfectly seasoned. the mac and cheese was quite good, and it too had a kick as it was made with jalepeno peppers. the snapper was tasty, although a little dry for my liking, and the conch was fried up and very tender. i also tasted judy's grouper (by far my favorite protein) and chicken combo. the fried chicken was semi-moist but tasted so good in the famous bahamian spices that they smothered on everything! i have to say that i thoroughly enjoyed a traditional meal and might try to find a bahamian restaurant in the city. does anyone know of one?
when we returned to the sheraton, we took a dip in the pool to cool off from our meal, then relaxed for a couple of hours in our respective rooms. around 6:30, the fam congregated in the lobby to have some drinks and to figure out what to do for dinner. none of us could agree on what to eat, and when we finally did, the restaurant was completely booked! so we ordered dominos pizza, and some salads, drank decent wine (a beringer cabernet) and enjoyed the sea breeze out on a deck. we then went out to the pool area to partake in a little karaoke!!! i was so excited because i didn't think anyone else would want to do it with me, and when they said they would i was ecstatic! patrick asked me, "are you happy now?" and i replied with a YES!!!!
all the ladies (judy, amanda, emily, and i) sang earl had to die by the dixie chicks, and it was a funny rendition for sure! patrick and i sang summer nights, also hilarious, and to wrap up our selections emily and i sang mercy. yes i sang all three songs because it is so fun. there were some other funny performances, but nothing could beat a mom with her two daughters singing boom boom pow by the black eyed peas! it was soooooo great!
so then we headed to bed, and now we are waking up slowly to the new day ahead of us. on our agenda today we have some kayaking, sun soaking, and new year's fireworks!
hope everyone has a happy new year's eve and rings in the new year with much joy!
this is beth signing off.
mission: day 2 accomplished.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
mission: bahamas day 1
day 1 of our trip has come and gone, and we have had a great time so far. the weather here is a fair 70 degrees, which is just fine for me (it is not 20 with a biting wind like in nyc). i am sitting on our little porch which faces the ocean, and last night patrick and i left our door open to allow the delicious breeze to waft in our hotel room. we could also hear the constant ebb and flow of the waves gently lapping the white sands, and that sound is better than any other white noise i use to help me fall asleep. what a perfect setting to reflect on my travels thus far.
so yesterday, when we arrived, the customs process was relatively easy for us. except for patrick, who wearing his brooklyn t-shirt, was asked for his id more than once. but at least there were no pat downs or bag searches, so that was good. then we grabbed our bags, hopped into a cab, and set out for the sheraton beach resort. the short, 10 minute drive along the coast was beautiful. everywhere were brightly colored houses and hotels with names like paradise speckled with flowers equally as bright in color. we could all smell the salt wafting through the air, and my mother-in-law, judy, declared that our vacation has officially begun.
upon entering the hotel, we did our exploring and found that the resort has three pools, lots of rentals for water activities, a casino, a few restaurants, and a dance floor in the lobby! everyone piled all of their luggage into our room (while the other was getting ready) and decided to eat at the restaurant outside. during our meal (i had the tuna steak sandwich with a soy glaze and it was quite tasty) the bees decided to attack me. now, when bees come, i freak. my reaction led to emily cracking up at me which made everyone else laugh as well. it is ok, i know i am crazy. upon the bee situation, i began to tell my many stories of being attacked by seagulls at the jersey shore. once again i was laughed at for my nonsense, but not for long when a flock of the devil bird gulls began hovering over our table threatening to swoop in on our food at any moment. as soon as this happened, emily and amanda jumped up from the table screaming and laughing. they were more aware of being attacked by the birds than they normally would have been had i not shared my horror stories. emily then decided that i was cursed.
after lunch, emily and amanda went to the beach, and patrick and i went to find sunglasses (we totally forgot ours). we eventually made it out to the pool and beach area, but emily and amanda were done by then. the wind was too much and made it too cold to enjoy the outdoors. however, patrick and i decided to brave it and cuddled up in towels while sitting on lounge chairs reviewing our year of 2009. we decided that it was a very fun year with lots of great travels and triumphs.
emily eventually came to look for us as amanda and judy had a manicure, and she watched patrick and i brave the pool (it was heated). this pool has a swim up bar where we all got something fruity to drink. my mai tai, even though it was yummy, caused me to have a headache (too much sun and not enough water combined with alcohol is never good). the headache progressed into a migraine and unfortunately i was out of the game for the rest of the night. meanwhile, the rest of the fam went to the italian restaurant here in the hotel, and they had a wonderful dinner (they saved some food for me when i woke up too!) after i ate, patrick and i took a romantic stroll along the beach. it was amazing with the moonlight cascading over the water, and on our way back to the hotel, we found two stray cats digging in the trash looking for some food. we tried to get them to come over to us, but they were not interested due to our lack of food offerings.
and that is how we ended our night. today the plan is to go over to the dolphin cay at the atlantis resort and meet the sea mammals who were displaced in hurricane katrina.
this is beth signing off.
mission: day 1 accomplished
so yesterday, when we arrived, the customs process was relatively easy for us. except for patrick, who wearing his brooklyn t-shirt, was asked for his id more than once. but at least there were no pat downs or bag searches, so that was good. then we grabbed our bags, hopped into a cab, and set out for the sheraton beach resort. the short, 10 minute drive along the coast was beautiful. everywhere were brightly colored houses and hotels with names like paradise speckled with flowers equally as bright in color. we could all smell the salt wafting through the air, and my mother-in-law, judy, declared that our vacation has officially begun.
upon entering the hotel, we did our exploring and found that the resort has three pools, lots of rentals for water activities, a casino, a few restaurants, and a dance floor in the lobby! everyone piled all of their luggage into our room (while the other was getting ready) and decided to eat at the restaurant outside. during our meal (i had the tuna steak sandwich with a soy glaze and it was quite tasty) the bees decided to attack me. now, when bees come, i freak. my reaction led to emily cracking up at me which made everyone else laugh as well. it is ok, i know i am crazy. upon the bee situation, i began to tell my many stories of being attacked by seagulls at the jersey shore. once again i was laughed at for my nonsense, but not for long when a flock of the devil bird gulls began hovering over our table threatening to swoop in on our food at any moment. as soon as this happened, emily and amanda jumped up from the table screaming and laughing. they were more aware of being attacked by the birds than they normally would have been had i not shared my horror stories. emily then decided that i was cursed.
after lunch, emily and amanda went to the beach, and patrick and i went to find sunglasses (we totally forgot ours). we eventually made it out to the pool and beach area, but emily and amanda were done by then. the wind was too much and made it too cold to enjoy the outdoors. however, patrick and i decided to brave it and cuddled up in towels while sitting on lounge chairs reviewing our year of 2009. we decided that it was a very fun year with lots of great travels and triumphs.
emily eventually came to look for us as amanda and judy had a manicure, and she watched patrick and i brave the pool (it was heated). this pool has a swim up bar where we all got something fruity to drink. my mai tai, even though it was yummy, caused me to have a headache (too much sun and not enough water combined with alcohol is never good). the headache progressed into a migraine and unfortunately i was out of the game for the rest of the night. meanwhile, the rest of the fam went to the italian restaurant here in the hotel, and they had a wonderful dinner (they saved some food for me when i woke up too!) after i ate, patrick and i took a romantic stroll along the beach. it was amazing with the moonlight cascading over the water, and on our way back to the hotel, we found two stray cats digging in the trash looking for some food. we tried to get them to come over to us, but they were not interested due to our lack of food offerings.
and that is how we ended our night. today the plan is to go over to the dolphin cay at the atlantis resort and meet the sea mammals who were displaced in hurricane katrina.
this is beth signing off.
mission: day 1 accomplished
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
mission: bahamian dreams
right now i am awaiting my travels to the bahamas where i will be spending the next several days with my in-laws, judy (mom), emily and amanda (sisters)! we are all super excited for this trip, not just because we are getting away from it all, but because it is WARM!!!
our travel plans will include some kayaking, hitting up the straw market, seeing the dolphins at atlantis, and of course laying around on the beach. all of these are close by our hotel, the sheraton nassau beach resort located on the white sand beach of nassau, the island's capital. i plan to eat some true bahamian fare and soak up the local flavor beyond the comfort of our resort, as well as take advantage of as many amenities as i can from our hotel. patrick also brought a lot of card so that we can partake in some quality family time in our lobby.
my favorite part about any trip i take first arriving to the hotel and exploring its grounds. everything is new, exciting, and full of possibility! what will i be doing for the week? where will i eat? how many activities can i plan? when can i get a nap? it is all about the unknown, and that brings wonder and high expectations to any of my travels.
so, i will be blogging my day to day activities as i experience the way of the bahamians (via the sheraton) and let you know all the fun things my family and i will be doing throughout the week.
this is beth signing off.
mission: waiting to be accomplished.
our travel plans will include some kayaking, hitting up the straw market, seeing the dolphins at atlantis, and of course laying around on the beach. all of these are close by our hotel, the sheraton nassau beach resort located on the white sand beach of nassau, the island's capital. i plan to eat some true bahamian fare and soak up the local flavor beyond the comfort of our resort, as well as take advantage of as many amenities as i can from our hotel. patrick also brought a lot of card so that we can partake in some quality family time in our lobby.
my favorite part about any trip i take first arriving to the hotel and exploring its grounds. everything is new, exciting, and full of possibility! what will i be doing for the week? where will i eat? how many activities can i plan? when can i get a nap? it is all about the unknown, and that brings wonder and high expectations to any of my travels.
so, i will be blogging my day to day activities as i experience the way of the bahamians (via the sheraton) and let you know all the fun things my family and i will be doing throughout the week.
this is beth signing off.
mission: waiting to be accomplished.
Friday, December 25, 2009
mission: merry christmas
with only five minutes remaining in the day, i would like to wish everyone a merry christmas!!!
these past couple of days have been so great, full of food, time spent with family, and lots of fun. this is my first christmas ever being with patrick's family, and i am glad to be here, even though i do miss my family in new jersey and pennsylvania. but new memories have been made for sure!
yesterday, on christmas eve, we went skiing at wolf ridge in north carolina, only 45 minutes from patrick's dad's house. it has been a while since i had last skied, but after a couple of runs down the bunny slope, i felt confident to hit a bigger hill. i think i made myself fall about 5 or 6 times because i go so fast that i begin to lose control and i get scared. so i sit and roll down the hill until i am safely lying in the snow. my first fall was the worst, though. i was stuck on a steep hill, and i couldn't get up. if i tired to put my skis back on (they had flown off my boots), i would begin to slip and slide without warning! and then i had the dilemma of deciding if i wanted to walk down the hill a bit, potentially crashing into a little girl who was in the same predicament as i was (with a father yelling at her not to cry...ugh) or walk down until the hill leveled off with skiers zooming past me. i chose the latter of the two choices and trekked down to where patrick had been waiting for me, quite patiently i might add, for about 10 minutes.
i finished the hill with a few more wipeouts, but that did not stop me from trying again. by my final run, i was able to ski with ease and control! i didn't fall, not even once...until i reached the bottom where i dug my ski into the snow a little too much and tripped myself. i was so disappointed that i began to whine saying, "no, no, no! I almost made it!" patrick just looked down at me and laughed then helped me to my feet. overall, it was a fun trip, and i will definitely have to go skiing again soon. oh, and did i mention that it was patrick's second time ever skiing (last time he was 8) and he was better than me? yeah, that hurts the ego just a bit.
so then after we (i) licked my wounds and went to sleep dreaming of sugar plums and the baby jesus, i awoke to help out patrick's step-mom with our christmas lunch. then, her whole family came to join us to share in a big ole southern christmas (and by that i mean there were lots of southern accents flying around the room). patrick's sisters, emily and amanda, also came and eventually we exchanged presents between each other and read the christmas story from Luke 2.
emily and amanda got me the coolest (or shall i say coldest) present!!! i get to create my very own ice cream from ecreamery.com after i choose my flavors and mix-ins, i get to name it and have it packaged! then i will get it in the mail to enjoy! if you have suggestions of what my creation should be, let me know!!! i would love some feedback!
after presents, patrick, amanda, emily, and i played the new super mario brothers on wii until right before midnight. now i too must go to sleep. i hope every had a lovely christmas!
this is beth signing off.
mission: holly jolly accomplished!
these past couple of days have been so great, full of food, time spent with family, and lots of fun. this is my first christmas ever being with patrick's family, and i am glad to be here, even though i do miss my family in new jersey and pennsylvania. but new memories have been made for sure!
yesterday, on christmas eve, we went skiing at wolf ridge in north carolina, only 45 minutes from patrick's dad's house. it has been a while since i had last skied, but after a couple of runs down the bunny slope, i felt confident to hit a bigger hill. i think i made myself fall about 5 or 6 times because i go so fast that i begin to lose control and i get scared. so i sit and roll down the hill until i am safely lying in the snow. my first fall was the worst, though. i was stuck on a steep hill, and i couldn't get up. if i tired to put my skis back on (they had flown off my boots), i would begin to slip and slide without warning! and then i had the dilemma of deciding if i wanted to walk down the hill a bit, potentially crashing into a little girl who was in the same predicament as i was (with a father yelling at her not to cry...ugh) or walk down until the hill leveled off with skiers zooming past me. i chose the latter of the two choices and trekked down to where patrick had been waiting for me, quite patiently i might add, for about 10 minutes.
i finished the hill with a few more wipeouts, but that did not stop me from trying again. by my final run, i was able to ski with ease and control! i didn't fall, not even once...until i reached the bottom where i dug my ski into the snow a little too much and tripped myself. i was so disappointed that i began to whine saying, "no, no, no! I almost made it!" patrick just looked down at me and laughed then helped me to my feet. overall, it was a fun trip, and i will definitely have to go skiing again soon. oh, and did i mention that it was patrick's second time ever skiing (last time he was 8) and he was better than me? yeah, that hurts the ego just a bit.
so then after we (i) licked my wounds and went to sleep dreaming of sugar plums and the baby jesus, i awoke to help out patrick's step-mom with our christmas lunch. then, her whole family came to join us to share in a big ole southern christmas (and by that i mean there were lots of southern accents flying around the room). patrick's sisters, emily and amanda, also came and eventually we exchanged presents between each other and read the christmas story from Luke 2.
emily and amanda got me the coolest (or shall i say coldest) present!!! i get to create my very own ice cream from ecreamery.com after i choose my flavors and mix-ins, i get to name it and have it packaged! then i will get it in the mail to enjoy! if you have suggestions of what my creation should be, let me know!!! i would love some feedback!
after presents, patrick, amanda, emily, and i played the new super mario brothers on wii until right before midnight. now i too must go to sleep. i hope every had a lovely christmas!
this is beth signing off.
mission: holly jolly accomplished!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
mission: tennessee part 1
my end of the year travels have officially begun! yesterday, patrick and i flew to tennessee to visit his dad for a tender tennessee christmas week! when we arrived, my father-in-law's wife, judy, came to pick us up and the first thing we did was grab some lunch from pal's, an amazing fast food restaurant only found in these here parts of the country. patrick used to work at pal's when he was in high school, and so it was a must-do activity on our list! for those of you who visit the northeast corner of tn (kingsport/ johnson city area) make sure you stop by a pal's for some sweet tea and a frenchie fry. you will not be disappointed.
after lunch, we mainly hung around the house, took a nap, and ate a family meal of lasagna. there is not much to blog about right now, but this week is sure to provide us with more tennessee fun to write about later on. we plan to bake cookies, go skiing, maybe ice skate (no promises this time though), and of course divulge in a true southern family christmas! it is going to be a great week for sure!
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
after lunch, we mainly hung around the house, took a nap, and ate a family meal of lasagna. there is not much to blog about right now, but this week is sure to provide us with more tennessee fun to write about later on. we plan to bake cookies, go skiing, maybe ice skate (no promises this time though), and of course divulge in a true southern family christmas! it is going to be a great week for sure!
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
mission: merry christmas you old building and loan!
this weekend i am down in south jersey to spend a pre-christmas weekend with my family. right now, i am at my dad's waiting for everyone to wake from their slumber to begin a festive day of gift giving, sledding, and spending time with one another. i am not asleep because i am really a five year old who couldn't stay in bed because i was too excited about the snowfall that began last night. i wish everyone would wake up to enjoy the view, a winter wonderland, but i guess i will wait for now in the quiet and stillness of the morning, watching the snow swirling in the wind and listen to the wind chimes play a twinkling tune that is too perfect for words.
tomorrow we are all heading over to my mimom's house, which is conveniently located 5 minutes from my dad's house. everyone is going to be there, my brother with his wife and son, my sister and her fiance, my mom and kirk with jack their dog. it will be another perfect night of family, so that will make two in a row for patrick and me!
monday we are heading back to brooklyn to get ready for a whirlwind of more christmas adventures! beginning the following morning, our first stop will be tennessee to visit patrick's dad and his wife judy. we have some great things planned including: bowling, checking out the planetarium at mt. rhone, and possibly (if the snow stays a while longer) tubing!!!! after we leave tennessee on sunday, we are going to kentucky for a day and then it is off to the bahamas! i will be blogging about all the fun things we do there, for it has been some time since i had an actual travel blog entry! i am super excited!
well, that is all for now! have a blessed weekend to all my readers.
this is beth signing off.
mission: accomplished
p.s. i will try to get some pics of us sledding and capture our winter wonderland here in millville, nj!!!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
mission: rewind
so yesterday i did not do any of the things i had planned. oh well. i do want to still go ice skating, so that will have to be one of those spontaneous date nights i decide to have with patrick. i hope it actually happens this year because we have been saying that we will go for three winters now. i have hope.
instead of macaroni and ice skates, my sis, tori, brought more friends than i thought and so pio pio was the perfect place to go! everyone seemed happy about our favorite restaurant in the city, except those who did NOT get their amazing chicken. boo to them, including tori! but i did meet some interesting and super fun people last night (matt, wakita, sarah, and nick). so holla to ya'll!
after dinner, patrick and i ventured off to the holiday market at bryant park (at least i got to see the rink) and found some last minute gifts. we then left because my bed time was approaching, and i hate being on the subway past 10:00 because that's when it can get a little unpredictable (the people i mean). however, our ride was quiet and we got home safe and sound.
today has been a nice relaxing day (even though my apartment is freezing!!! my nose is running as i type it's so cold) and i have thought a lot about the holidays. like the fact that a yahoo article had to remind me why i celebrate christmas...JESUS! then i thought about one of my favorite christmas eve memories from when i was a child. my brother, josh, tori, and i had decided to stay up as late as we could. i was probably 10 or 11 so this was an easier task than when we were just wee little children. as my brother sneaked into tori's and my room, i suggested that we put on a "show" singing about christmas for our mom and dad. we knew that they would be exchanging their own gifts to one another before christmas morning mayhem began. so the three of us practiced our made up song and choreographed it until it was perfect enough to remember for five more minutes. christmas eve became christmas early morning and we crept down the stairs and put on our song and dance for our parents. we all laughe, checked our what our parents had gotten for each other, and watched the yule log on tv until our eyelids could not stay open any longer. i love that memory, and i think i am the only one who really remembers it because it was my ridiculous idea. but it meant something to me to spend time with my siblings and parents before we got lost in wrapping paper, new video games, and people coming in and out of our house...family and friends alike.
i encourage you, my faithful readers, take the time to pause during the craziness of this week to remember the things that mean most to you...things you cannot purchase or find anywhere else except in your heart.
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished
instead of macaroni and ice skates, my sis, tori, brought more friends than i thought and so pio pio was the perfect place to go! everyone seemed happy about our favorite restaurant in the city, except those who did NOT get their amazing chicken. boo to them, including tori! but i did meet some interesting and super fun people last night (matt, wakita, sarah, and nick). so holla to ya'll!
after dinner, patrick and i ventured off to the holiday market at bryant park (at least i got to see the rink) and found some last minute gifts. we then left because my bed time was approaching, and i hate being on the subway past 10:00 because that's when it can get a little unpredictable (the people i mean). however, our ride was quiet and we got home safe and sound.
today has been a nice relaxing day (even though my apartment is freezing!!! my nose is running as i type it's so cold) and i have thought a lot about the holidays. like the fact that a yahoo article had to remind me why i celebrate christmas...JESUS! then i thought about one of my favorite christmas eve memories from when i was a child. my brother, josh, tori, and i had decided to stay up as late as we could. i was probably 10 or 11 so this was an easier task than when we were just wee little children. as my brother sneaked into tori's and my room, i suggested that we put on a "show" singing about christmas for our mom and dad. we knew that they would be exchanging their own gifts to one another before christmas morning mayhem began. so the three of us practiced our made up song and choreographed it until it was perfect enough to remember for five more minutes. christmas eve became christmas early morning and we crept down the stairs and put on our song and dance for our parents. we all laughe, checked our what our parents had gotten for each other, and watched the yule log on tv until our eyelids could not stay open any longer. i love that memory, and i think i am the only one who really remembers it because it was my ridiculous idea. but it meant something to me to spend time with my siblings and parents before we got lost in wrapping paper, new video games, and people coming in and out of our house...family and friends alike.
i encourage you, my faithful readers, take the time to pause during the craziness of this week to remember the things that mean most to you...things you cannot purchase or find anywhere else except in your heart.
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
mission: macaroni and cheese with a pair of skates
tonight my sister and some friends are coming into the city for a fun time. what is on our agenda? first, we are going to grab some grub at pinch and s'mac, a dual restaurant that serves pizza by the inch (that's the pinch part) and gourmet mac and cheese (s'mac it to me i say!). i have not been to this place as of right now, but here's hoping that we get that chance later on in the day! after consuming some comfort food, we will then make our way to the holiday market at bryant park. i am hoping that i can get some ice skating in because it is free there! you just have to pay for your skate rentals, which is a pretty good deal i think.
i remember going ice skating at rockefeller about 7 or 8 years ago with my brother, the girl he currently had a crush on, my sister, and maybe a few others who wanted to try it out. it was a bit expensive, but we had a ball. it's just one of those activities you have to do once in your life to create a memory so special that you will never forget it. i felt like i should have been in an old movie, like miracle on 34th street, skating around to the music in the air and the gentle swishing of the fountain by the iconic golden statue.
since that time, i have avoided ice skating in nyc (actually in general...that might have been the last time i went!) because of the cost, and i am pretty terrible at it. i am that girl who pretends to know how to skate on one leg and ends up falling on her butt. it's ok, i have no shame when i am having a good time.
so here's to a good time with some good people!
this is beth signing off.
mission to be accomplished
i remember going ice skating at rockefeller about 7 or 8 years ago with my brother, the girl he currently had a crush on, my sister, and maybe a few others who wanted to try it out. it was a bit expensive, but we had a ball. it's just one of those activities you have to do once in your life to create a memory so special that you will never forget it. i felt like i should have been in an old movie, like miracle on 34th street, skating around to the music in the air and the gentle swishing of the fountain by the iconic golden statue.
since that time, i have avoided ice skating in nyc (actually in general...that might have been the last time i went!) because of the cost, and i am pretty terrible at it. i am that girl who pretends to know how to skate on one leg and ends up falling on her butt. it's ok, i have no shame when i am having a good time.
so here's to a good time with some good people!
this is beth signing off.
mission to be accomplished
Saturday, December 12, 2009
mission: nyc during the holidays
before i venture out to tackle some christmas shopping of my own, i thought i would give some holiday info and hotspots to visit. now we all know that rockefeller center is the place to be right now. you have the tree, the rockettes, and the skating rink all right there. we also know that the macy's window display is on everyone's holiday must-see list, and this year it is super cool! it is interactive, showing us how santa claus receives his letters from children all around the world. however, the holiday fun does not end there. here are my top five things you should see right now!
1. the holiday markets- there are four of these located throughout the city: union square at 14th st, bryant park at 42nd, grand central station, and columbus circle at 59th st. these markets sell beautiful gifts ranging from one of a kind chocolates, to knitted hats and scarves, to handmade jewelry. there is something unique you could find for everyone on your list, and while you shop in these outdoor markets, be sure to drink the hot cider and eat homemade ginger bread. the waffles and dinges cart found randomly around the city usually has a permanent spot at the union square market. i recommend the waffle with nutella on it. oh man is it so good.
2. the holiday star show- if you are visiting the market at columbus circle, head over to the mall for the star show. the first show is around 5:00 p.m. and the gigantic stars light up and change colors to music. to end the show, a flurry of snow falls from the ceiling to create some true nyc magic.
3. 5th ave store fronts- macy's isn't the only place with awe-inspiring window displays. you could start at rockefeller center and watch the snowflake show on saks 5th ave.'s building and then head north (follow the huge snowflake that is down by the apple store). check out cartier, tiffany's, dinsney store's, and bergdorf goodman's displays. they are all amazing!
4. the bronx zoo- true most of the animals are hibernating, but some are still out to see. there is a light display that you can take the kiddos to, but for a real treat, some of santa's reindeer have strayed from the north pole! that's right, you can see real live reindeer located by the mouse house. they are so cute and yet again the magic of christmas comes alive!
5. dyker heights christmas lights- for those of you who have never heard of dyker heights, it is located in brooklyn. actually, it is my neighborhood and we have the BEST lights around. if you are wary about coming to brooklyn, fear not! you can take a bus tour to view these spectacular homes covered in christmas lights, inflatables, animatronics, and even a 50 foot santa! this is no joke and you will not be disappointed. the neighborhood is also easy to get to by car, so get directions and come visit! after viewing the neighborhood, grab a slice of brick oven pizza at bella luna, located on 86th st and 7th ave.
so there you are! i hope that when you come to nyc you too will find your own holiday surprises and cheer!
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
1. the holiday markets- there are four of these located throughout the city: union square at 14th st, bryant park at 42nd, grand central station, and columbus circle at 59th st. these markets sell beautiful gifts ranging from one of a kind chocolates, to knitted hats and scarves, to handmade jewelry. there is something unique you could find for everyone on your list, and while you shop in these outdoor markets, be sure to drink the hot cider and eat homemade ginger bread. the waffles and dinges cart found randomly around the city usually has a permanent spot at the union square market. i recommend the waffle with nutella on it. oh man is it so good.
2. the holiday star show- if you are visiting the market at columbus circle, head over to the mall for the star show. the first show is around 5:00 p.m. and the gigantic stars light up and change colors to music. to end the show, a flurry of snow falls from the ceiling to create some true nyc magic.
3. 5th ave store fronts- macy's isn't the only place with awe-inspiring window displays. you could start at rockefeller center and watch the snowflake show on saks 5th ave.'s building and then head north (follow the huge snowflake that is down by the apple store). check out cartier, tiffany's, dinsney store's, and bergdorf goodman's displays. they are all amazing!
4. the bronx zoo- true most of the animals are hibernating, but some are still out to see. there is a light display that you can take the kiddos to, but for a real treat, some of santa's reindeer have strayed from the north pole! that's right, you can see real live reindeer located by the mouse house. they are so cute and yet again the magic of christmas comes alive!
5. dyker heights christmas lights- for those of you who have never heard of dyker heights, it is located in brooklyn. actually, it is my neighborhood and we have the BEST lights around. if you are wary about coming to brooklyn, fear not! you can take a bus tour to view these spectacular homes covered in christmas lights, inflatables, animatronics, and even a 50 foot santa! this is no joke and you will not be disappointed. the neighborhood is also easy to get to by car, so get directions and come visit! after viewing the neighborhood, grab a slice of brick oven pizza at bella luna, located on 86th st and 7th ave.
so there you are! i hope that when you come to nyc you too will find your own holiday surprises and cheer!
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
mission: chocolate truffles
every christmastime i endeavor the task of making holiday treats for patrick's bosses and coworkers, and if there is enough left over the treats then head to my neighbors, landlord, and family. each year i have made chocolate truffles, a simple and easy, and way more inexpensive than godiva, delight. whenever patrick comes home after giving the gifts, he tells me how everyone ate them right away at their desks. these truffles are quite rich, and even i, a sever chocoholic, have a difficult time eating more than one at a time. yet, i cannot judge, and they do love them.
this year my chocolate truffles include: raspberry almond, mint chocolate, and caramel with ginger.
to make the delectable treats simply make a chocolate ganache out of:
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1 (12 oz) bag of chocolate chips (i buy ghirardelli 60% cacao for an extra indulgence).
melt the butter and stir in cream over medium low heat until the mixture begins to simmer. remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips. the heat from the pan helps to melt the chocolate, so don't pour the butter and cream mixture over the chips in another bowl. that will be a waste of your time. to add flavor i add 1/4 cup of alcohol of my choice. so for the raspberry truffles i added chambord and then 1 tsp of almond extract. for non-alcoholic chocolates just add in flavored extract and that will taste yummy too. after freezing the ganache for about an hour, take a small ice cream scoop (the size used to scoop out cookie dough) and make chocolate balls. then roll them in anything you want! i rolled the raspberry almond ones in almonds and drizzled them with white chocolate. yummy! feel free to use any candy or nut or cocoa powder of your choice. for the caramel ginger truffles, i am rolling those in ginger scented sugar. each batch yields about 30 truffles, and it can be a bit time consuming. however, the results are divine and sure to please the chocolate enthusiasts you may know!
i still have to finish my mint chocolate and caramel ginger batches before vacation. i will try to get pics up to show you how beautiful they are! check out more recipes at the williams sonoma website, which is where i got my ganache recipe from. thanks williams-sonoma!
this is beth signing off.
mission: 1/3 of the way accomplished!
this year my chocolate truffles include: raspberry almond, mint chocolate, and caramel with ginger.
to make the delectable treats simply make a chocolate ganache out of:
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1 (12 oz) bag of chocolate chips (i buy ghirardelli 60% cacao for an extra indulgence).
melt the butter and stir in cream over medium low heat until the mixture begins to simmer. remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips. the heat from the pan helps to melt the chocolate, so don't pour the butter and cream mixture over the chips in another bowl. that will be a waste of your time. to add flavor i add 1/4 cup of alcohol of my choice. so for the raspberry truffles i added chambord and then 1 tsp of almond extract. for non-alcoholic chocolates just add in flavored extract and that will taste yummy too. after freezing the ganache for about an hour, take a small ice cream scoop (the size used to scoop out cookie dough) and make chocolate balls. then roll them in anything you want! i rolled the raspberry almond ones in almonds and drizzled them with white chocolate. yummy! feel free to use any candy or nut or cocoa powder of your choice. for the caramel ginger truffles, i am rolling those in ginger scented sugar. each batch yields about 30 truffles, and it can be a bit time consuming. however, the results are divine and sure to please the chocolate enthusiasts you may know!
i still have to finish my mint chocolate and caramel ginger batches before vacation. i will try to get pics up to show you how beautiful they are! check out more recipes at the williams sonoma website, which is where i got my ganache recipe from. thanks williams-sonoma!
this is beth signing off.
mission: 1/3 of the way accomplished!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
mission: christmas party part 2
it has taken me four days to get to this blog, what with recovering from the party, working, and getting sick all preventing me from writing, but i finally get to write.
prepping for the party began on friday night, as i made a scrumptious apple toffee cake while watching up. that is one great movie, a little sad, but heart warming all the same. i went to bed around 12:30 a.m. which is two hours past my usual bed time, yet the cake had to be done for the next day.
i woke up the next morning at 6 to the sound and blazing heat of my radiator that is located two feet from my side of the bed. this is not a good situation for me, because i hate being hot while i am sleeping. i have always preferred being cozy inside my bed with a nice cool temperature around me. i even stick my feet out from the covers if i am too hot. my dad does this too, so i must have gotten that from him. anyway, i tried to fall back asleep, but my mind began to reel with all the things i needed to do for the party! this trait i get from my mom. i began making mental lists then forced myself to stop. i couldn't, so i finally got out of bed around 7:30, made coffee and read a bit.
at 9 a.m. i started searching for some serving dishes and knocked a fleet of travel coffee mugs off of our refrigerator, which consequently woke up my poor sleeping husband. good thing i had the coffee going to ease any potential irritation he might have had, but when he moseyed into the kitchen, there was only a look of confusion across his face. "sorry for the noise," i explained to him. he accepted the coffee with delight and we ate our breakfast.
from that point on is a total blur of grocery shopping, cooking, washing dishes, cleaning the apartment, finding decorations, and trying to get myself ready and cute for my company. it was non stop for me the all day! i mostly had to do it by myself because patrick ended up working a bit from home. but i didn't let that ruin my christmas spirit! i sang songs and danced my way through all my party activities. the really fun thing that happened that night was it snowed! the weather had been a drag all day, but flakes began to appear and made it feel a little more like christmas.
when 5:30 rolled around, the supposed start of the party, no one had shown up yet, except for my neighbor who lives across the hall from us. side note: she was such a big help, offering food, drink, help, and dishes if i needed any or all of those things. it was so nice of her! anyway, the snow had slowed down my guests but eventually everyone had made it.
we drank really good wine and everyone loved my menu. my friends said martha stewart had nothing on me, which was probably one of the best compliments i have ever received...so take that martha! after eating and conversing for a while, a white elephant gift exchange took place. there were some really good gifts given, but the best was when my friend michael received a neon green christmas boa with a christmas tree necklace. good thing he has a little girl who adored them right away.
by 9 p.m. the party started slowing down. kids had to be tucked into bed and my friends had to travel far and wide to return to their homes. after all was said and done, it was a beautiful and joyful party. i am thankful for all the wonderful friends i have been blessed with and am glad they could come to my home and start off the holiday season with us.
i think this will be a lovely holiday tradition for years to come!
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
p.s. i wish i had pics of the night, but my camera is still broken. hopefully pictures will return soon.
prepping for the party began on friday night, as i made a scrumptious apple toffee cake while watching up. that is one great movie, a little sad, but heart warming all the same. i went to bed around 12:30 a.m. which is two hours past my usual bed time, yet the cake had to be done for the next day.
i woke up the next morning at 6 to the sound and blazing heat of my radiator that is located two feet from my side of the bed. this is not a good situation for me, because i hate being hot while i am sleeping. i have always preferred being cozy inside my bed with a nice cool temperature around me. i even stick my feet out from the covers if i am too hot. my dad does this too, so i must have gotten that from him. anyway, i tried to fall back asleep, but my mind began to reel with all the things i needed to do for the party! this trait i get from my mom. i began making mental lists then forced myself to stop. i couldn't, so i finally got out of bed around 7:30, made coffee and read a bit.
at 9 a.m. i started searching for some serving dishes and knocked a fleet of travel coffee mugs off of our refrigerator, which consequently woke up my poor sleeping husband. good thing i had the coffee going to ease any potential irritation he might have had, but when he moseyed into the kitchen, there was only a look of confusion across his face. "sorry for the noise," i explained to him. he accepted the coffee with delight and we ate our breakfast.
from that point on is a total blur of grocery shopping, cooking, washing dishes, cleaning the apartment, finding decorations, and trying to get myself ready and cute for my company. it was non stop for me the all day! i mostly had to do it by myself because patrick ended up working a bit from home. but i didn't let that ruin my christmas spirit! i sang songs and danced my way through all my party activities. the really fun thing that happened that night was it snowed! the weather had been a drag all day, but flakes began to appear and made it feel a little more like christmas.
when 5:30 rolled around, the supposed start of the party, no one had shown up yet, except for my neighbor who lives across the hall from us. side note: she was such a big help, offering food, drink, help, and dishes if i needed any or all of those things. it was so nice of her! anyway, the snow had slowed down my guests but eventually everyone had made it.
we drank really good wine and everyone loved my menu. my friends said martha stewart had nothing on me, which was probably one of the best compliments i have ever received...so take that martha! after eating and conversing for a while, a white elephant gift exchange took place. there were some really good gifts given, but the best was when my friend michael received a neon green christmas boa with a christmas tree necklace. good thing he has a little girl who adored them right away.
by 9 p.m. the party started slowing down. kids had to be tucked into bed and my friends had to travel far and wide to return to their homes. after all was said and done, it was a beautiful and joyful party. i am thankful for all the wonderful friends i have been blessed with and am glad they could come to my home and start off the holiday season with us.
i think this will be a lovely holiday tradition for years to come!
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
p.s. i wish i had pics of the night, but my camera is still broken. hopefully pictures will return soon.
Friday, December 4, 2009
mission: christmas party
tomorrow patrick and i are hosting our very first party since moving to nyc in 2007. it's about time! i have been preparing the menu for weeks, tweaking it, changing it, and finally deciding on what we will be eating.
my first thought was to host a dinner party and roast my first turkey. however, i realized that being only a week after thanksgiving, i should forgo the turkey and focus on fun party foods. so this is my christmas party menu:
we will begin with cheese and crackers/ crusty bread. but not just any cheese. i will have baked goat cheese to spread on bagel chips topped with an italian style tomato basil salsa. also, baked brie and a cranberry white stilton will be served with herb crackers, bread, pears, and grapes. i also plan on having chips and dips for my guests to nibble on, and my neighbor, meredith, is bringing spinach dip in a bread bowl and prosciutto bread...yay for lots of bread!
my all hors d'oeuvres main course will include: mini meatballs in bertolli sauce, mini mac and cheese, grilled lime and cilantro bbq shrimp, pot stickers of all sorts from trader joe's, quesadillas, and cheese and onion pastries. i will also be making grandma's waldorf salad and provide an all green and red veggie platter. all of the delicious foods will be paired with cakebread wine, a variety of beers, and punch.
for dessert, my favorite, i will be making an apple toffee cake, ginger snaps, and laura is bringing her famed mint chocolate chocolate cookies. peppermint bark will be lingering the party scene as well!
after eating our food, my guests and i will have a white elephant exchange, play games, watch christmas movies, and have a good yuletide time.
this is beth signing off.
mission: to be accomplished tomorrow night!
my first thought was to host a dinner party and roast my first turkey. however, i realized that being only a week after thanksgiving, i should forgo the turkey and focus on fun party foods. so this is my christmas party menu:
we will begin with cheese and crackers/ crusty bread. but not just any cheese. i will have baked goat cheese to spread on bagel chips topped with an italian style tomato basil salsa. also, baked brie and a cranberry white stilton will be served with herb crackers, bread, pears, and grapes. i also plan on having chips and dips for my guests to nibble on, and my neighbor, meredith, is bringing spinach dip in a bread bowl and prosciutto bread...yay for lots of bread!
my all hors d'oeuvres main course will include: mini meatballs in bertolli sauce, mini mac and cheese, grilled lime and cilantro bbq shrimp, pot stickers of all sorts from trader joe's, quesadillas, and cheese and onion pastries. i will also be making grandma's waldorf salad and provide an all green and red veggie platter. all of the delicious foods will be paired with cakebread wine, a variety of beers, and punch.
for dessert, my favorite, i will be making an apple toffee cake, ginger snaps, and laura is bringing her famed mint chocolate chocolate cookies. peppermint bark will be lingering the party scene as well!
after eating our food, my guests and i will have a white elephant exchange, play games, watch christmas movies, and have a good yuletide time.
this is beth signing off.
mission: to be accomplished tomorrow night!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
mission: radio city and blue hill at stone barns
there are times in my life when i recall a day that was meaningful, exciting, fun...memorable. yesterday was one of those days. it was a day that i got to spend with my mom, step-dad, mimom, and, of course, patrick. the day started off with my family stopping by our apartment to look at our tree, new bed, and new tv. they oohed and aahed over our holiday decorated place, chatted for a few minutes, and then we were off to the city! but before we left, patrick accidentally locked mimom in our apartment! he thought we were all out, but we weren't. it was quite funny.
when we arrived, we first stopped to eat some lunch at heartland brewery. i have mentioned this restaurant previously, but the one we went to this time was near rockefeller center on 51st between 6th and 7th. this time i had the tortilla soup, and boy was that delicious. it was loaded with veggies and shredded chicken, savory and and slightly spicy. i complemented my soup with their buffalo chips, homemade potato chips with a ranch buffalo dipping sauce. also a very tasty choice.
after lunch, we headed to radio city music hall! this was very exciting for me because the last time i actually went inside for a show was when i was 10 to see the easter show! i didn't remember much, so everything felt new to me...the glittering christmas decor, the art deco architecture, the dueling organists playing the pre show entertainment, the beautiful stage. i was 10 again for sure. the show was great too, and i told patrick that if i had longer legs, i would have made an excellent rockette. he just laughed at me.
the show ended with a beautiful nativity scene and then we shuffled out to meet a bustling street. kirk wanted to take a quick stop to go inside st. patrick's cathedral, and so we all went in to admire the beautiful and sacred space. we spent about 15 minuted to enjoy the cathedral and then loaded into kirk's suv to drive up to westchester county for our dinner at blue hill at stone barns. <-- click on link for more information.
i was very excited to come back to this restaurant, as it is a favorite of mine and patrick's. it is a special restaurant for special occasions, and this night we were celebrating kirk's birthday (along with mom's because i messed up her present back in may, and mimom's birthday too which was only a couple of weeks ago).
when you walk into the restaurant, you are met with a rustic yet modern atmosphere, lit with a dim glow of candles and soft lamp lighting. the exposed rafters of the barn add charm, and everything for the center pieces to the place setting creates a the warmth of this exquisite place. the wait staff are attentive and helpful, and they descend each course as if they practiced a synchronized dance.
as a table, everyone decided to have the farmer's supper, which is a three course meal that included dessert. we ordered our drinks, and i had a lovely macari 2008 sauvignon blanc, which was light, semi-sweet with hints of melon and kiwi. it paired well with my striped bass that was cooked to perfection and covered in a green creamy sauce. patrick had an amazing belgium beer that washed down his venison very nicely. i must say that the venison at blue hill is the only one i have enjoyed thus far. it is a must try if it is available. my favorite course however, was my first one. it was a lovely fresh green salad (all the veggies are grown on the farm at the stone barns!) with that morning's egg. the egg was AMAZING!!!! chef barber soft boiled the egg (to perfection...perfectly gooey in the center and the white was soft and creamy) and then dipped it in batter and fried it! genius i say! it was the best egg i have ever tasted in my life. as we waited for each course, we sampled several amuse bouche. we were offered beet burgers, a root wrapped in pancetta and coated in sesame seeds, deluxe deli meats, as well as the best bread served with cottage cheese and freshly churned butter, both made on the farm. compliments of the kitchen also included savory and hearty calypso beans and sweet and salty peanut potatoes during our dinner course. for dessert i had tiny chocolate cakes with ginger ice cream; however, i like patrick's dessert better, which was a poached pear, a yummy cake and chestnut ice cream. the kitchen sent out a dessert with maple ice cream and chocolate crunchies that we all shared, as well as pumpkin seed brittle, yogurt marshmallows, ginger chocolates, and apple slices. i paired all of my desserts with floral oriental beauty oolong tea and honey. a perfect way to end the meal and a great day!
this place is not for the picky palate or the tight wallet. prepare yourself for some pure indulgence as you experience your meal like you never have before. i give this restaurant my highest praise and i thank chef barber for another amazing meal! if you are in the city and would like to try out blue hill, there is another one located in greenwich village. the food is impeccable there as well.
this is beth signing off.
mission: accomplished
when we arrived, we first stopped to eat some lunch at heartland brewery. i have mentioned this restaurant previously, but the one we went to this time was near rockefeller center on 51st between 6th and 7th. this time i had the tortilla soup, and boy was that delicious. it was loaded with veggies and shredded chicken, savory and and slightly spicy. i complemented my soup with their buffalo chips, homemade potato chips with a ranch buffalo dipping sauce. also a very tasty choice.
after lunch, we headed to radio city music hall! this was very exciting for me because the last time i actually went inside for a show was when i was 10 to see the easter show! i didn't remember much, so everything felt new to me...the glittering christmas decor, the art deco architecture, the dueling organists playing the pre show entertainment, the beautiful stage. i was 10 again for sure. the show was great too, and i told patrick that if i had longer legs, i would have made an excellent rockette. he just laughed at me.
the show ended with a beautiful nativity scene and then we shuffled out to meet a bustling street. kirk wanted to take a quick stop to go inside st. patrick's cathedral, and so we all went in to admire the beautiful and sacred space. we spent about 15 minuted to enjoy the cathedral and then loaded into kirk's suv to drive up to westchester county for our dinner at blue hill at stone barns. <-- click on link for more information.
i was very excited to come back to this restaurant, as it is a favorite of mine and patrick's. it is a special restaurant for special occasions, and this night we were celebrating kirk's birthday (along with mom's because i messed up her present back in may, and mimom's birthday too which was only a couple of weeks ago).
when you walk into the restaurant, you are met with a rustic yet modern atmosphere, lit with a dim glow of candles and soft lamp lighting. the exposed rafters of the barn add charm, and everything for the center pieces to the place setting creates a the warmth of this exquisite place. the wait staff are attentive and helpful, and they descend each course as if they practiced a synchronized dance.
as a table, everyone decided to have the farmer's supper, which is a three course meal that included dessert. we ordered our drinks, and i had a lovely macari 2008 sauvignon blanc, which was light, semi-sweet with hints of melon and kiwi. it paired well with my striped bass that was cooked to perfection and covered in a green creamy sauce. patrick had an amazing belgium beer that washed down his venison very nicely. i must say that the venison at blue hill is the only one i have enjoyed thus far. it is a must try if it is available. my favorite course however, was my first one. it was a lovely fresh green salad (all the veggies are grown on the farm at the stone barns!) with that morning's egg. the egg was AMAZING!!!! chef barber soft boiled the egg (to perfection...perfectly gooey in the center and the white was soft and creamy) and then dipped it in batter and fried it! genius i say! it was the best egg i have ever tasted in my life. as we waited for each course, we sampled several amuse bouche. we were offered beet burgers, a root wrapped in pancetta and coated in sesame seeds, deluxe deli meats, as well as the best bread served with cottage cheese and freshly churned butter, both made on the farm. compliments of the kitchen also included savory and hearty calypso beans and sweet and salty peanut potatoes during our dinner course. for dessert i had tiny chocolate cakes with ginger ice cream; however, i like patrick's dessert better, which was a poached pear, a yummy cake and chestnut ice cream. the kitchen sent out a dessert with maple ice cream and chocolate crunchies that we all shared, as well as pumpkin seed brittle, yogurt marshmallows, ginger chocolates, and apple slices. i paired all of my desserts with floral oriental beauty oolong tea and honey. a perfect way to end the meal and a great day!
this place is not for the picky palate or the tight wallet. prepare yourself for some pure indulgence as you experience your meal like you never have before. i give this restaurant my highest praise and i thank chef barber for another amazing meal! if you are in the city and would like to try out blue hill, there is another one located in greenwich village. the food is impeccable there as well.
this is beth signing off.
mission: accomplished
Monday, November 30, 2009
mission: it's beginning to look a lot like christmas!
after a fun filled weekend visiting my family, patrick and i returned to our beloved brooklyn to relax, eat pizza, and put up our christmas tree! every year we head over the knights of columbus, located on 86th street between 13th and 14th ave, to pick our perfect tree. this year we decided to go with an 8 foot fraser fir. it is absolutely gorgeous and smells so wonderful, and even though it was a bit expensive, we love having a real tree up in our apartment. it makes us feel grown up...or childlike? i can't decide.
i would love to post pictures to show you how beautiful our tree is this year, but my camera is on the fritz right now. after a good six years my sony digital camera has given up. sadly, we have to wait to buy a camera because we just purchased a new flat screen tv from p.c. richard and son (the best place to buy electronics here in the city). so if anyone has any suggestions of what type of camera we should look into getting, i would love to hear your thoughts!
the rest of this week is full of holiday treats! not the kind you eat. my mom, step-dad kirk, mimom, patrick and i are going to see the christmas spectacular at radio city followed by a delicious dinner at blue hill at stone barn. their food is fabulous and the head chef, dan barber won the james beard award for best chef this year. i will let you know what i ate and drank so that you too can check it out! then, this weekend we are having some friends over for a christmas party. it is the first party patrick and i have ever had at our apartment since we have lived here...i know that it is crazy we haven't done this sooner, but we are excited to have our friends come and kick off the holiday season.
well it is time for me to head into work.
this is beth signing off.
mission: jingling all the way till christmas accomplished!
i would love to post pictures to show you how beautiful our tree is this year, but my camera is on the fritz right now. after a good six years my sony digital camera has given up. sadly, we have to wait to buy a camera because we just purchased a new flat screen tv from p.c. richard and son (the best place to buy electronics here in the city). so if anyone has any suggestions of what type of camera we should look into getting, i would love to hear your thoughts!
the rest of this week is full of holiday treats! not the kind you eat. my mom, step-dad kirk, mimom, patrick and i are going to see the christmas spectacular at radio city followed by a delicious dinner at blue hill at stone barn. their food is fabulous and the head chef, dan barber won the james beard award for best chef this year. i will let you know what i ate and drank so that you too can check it out! then, this weekend we are having some friends over for a christmas party. it is the first party patrick and i have ever had at our apartment since we have lived here...i know that it is crazy we haven't done this sooner, but we are excited to have our friends come and kick off the holiday season.
well it is time for me to head into work.
this is beth signing off.
mission: jingling all the way till christmas accomplished!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
mission: get through this day
i know life should not be lived as just getting by, but i feel that today is one of those days. it is difficult to focus on the task at hand (being the fun-loving nanny that i normally am) when i have bigger things on my mind...turkey. yes thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays of the year, and so i just keep telling myself to get through this day that stands in between me and time spent with family and friends.
so you may be wondering what my plans are for thanksgiving! well here they are. first we are driving down the nj turnpike (we are traveling again...woo hoo) to the pa turnpike to visit my mom. we will spend all day wednesday prepping our dinner for thanksgiving. so this means anything that can be made up the day before, like green bean casserole, we will do. i love to cook with my mom for thanksgiving. it is a tradition that i would like to continue with my own children some day because it is one that most american families have in common. we laugh and talk and share memories of thanksgivings past. after hanging out on wednesday, we will begin thursday with dressing the fresh turkey and letting that occupy the oven until dinner, prepare the remainder of the food and appetizers, watch the macy's thanksgiving day parade, then watch some football, eat, play games, and finally allow the trytophan to finally settle in and fall asleep.
on friday, we will head down to my dad's house in millville, nj (that's where i grew up) for jim's lunch to eat the best cheesesteaks on earth and then go watch the Christmas parade in downtown millville. this is a special treat for us since we have been going to this parade ever since i was a wee little girl. unfortunately, my brother and sister will not be there to watch it this year...they have grown up things to do.
saturday will be a day to relax and hopefully i will get the chance to go see new moon!!! i can't wait to see it. i have read the entire series and became addicted to the story line. even though bella is a bit of a wimp (laura agrees) vampires are super cool. oh and for those of you who love vampire thrillers read "the historian" by elizabeth kostova. it is a great read, and actually this book got me into vampires, not the twilight series.
on sunday, i will have my matron of honor dress fitted for my sister's wedding which will take place february. and after that more family time then back up to brooklyn. once we are back home, patrick and i are going to get our Christmas tree and finish up our holiday decorating! i can't wait.
so as you can see, i am having difficulty being in the moment of today. oh well, i will try my best. and to all my readers, i hope you have a happy thanksgiving!
mission: well here's hoping for the best!
so you may be wondering what my plans are for thanksgiving! well here they are. first we are driving down the nj turnpike (we are traveling again...woo hoo) to the pa turnpike to visit my mom. we will spend all day wednesday prepping our dinner for thanksgiving. so this means anything that can be made up the day before, like green bean casserole, we will do. i love to cook with my mom for thanksgiving. it is a tradition that i would like to continue with my own children some day because it is one that most american families have in common. we laugh and talk and share memories of thanksgivings past. after hanging out on wednesday, we will begin thursday with dressing the fresh turkey and letting that occupy the oven until dinner, prepare the remainder of the food and appetizers, watch the macy's thanksgiving day parade, then watch some football, eat, play games, and finally allow the trytophan to finally settle in and fall asleep.
on friday, we will head down to my dad's house in millville, nj (that's where i grew up) for jim's lunch to eat the best cheesesteaks on earth and then go watch the Christmas parade in downtown millville. this is a special treat for us since we have been going to this parade ever since i was a wee little girl. unfortunately, my brother and sister will not be there to watch it this year...they have grown up things to do.
saturday will be a day to relax and hopefully i will get the chance to go see new moon!!! i can't wait to see it. i have read the entire series and became addicted to the story line. even though bella is a bit of a wimp (laura agrees) vampires are super cool. oh and for those of you who love vampire thrillers read "the historian" by elizabeth kostova. it is a great read, and actually this book got me into vampires, not the twilight series.
on sunday, i will have my matron of honor dress fitted for my sister's wedding which will take place february. and after that more family time then back up to brooklyn. once we are back home, patrick and i are going to get our Christmas tree and finish up our holiday decorating! i can't wait.
so as you can see, i am having difficulty being in the moment of today. oh well, i will try my best. and to all my readers, i hope you have a happy thanksgiving!
mission: well here's hoping for the best!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
mission: playing catch up
oh man i have not been on my game with blogging this week. it has been a crazy busy one, but now i am ready to sit down and blog at last! so let me tell you about what has been going on here in the big apple.
since i last left you, i was unprepared and facing the weather with not enough layers. so on wednesday, i got up and got ready to go spend the day with my sister down in collingswood, nj. this time i was totally prepared for a chilly day, and i wore my coat (although i almost didn't because i thought it was going to be a mild day...but the coat was needed and here's why). as i a driving down the new jersey turnpike, i call my sister (i was getting gas, so i was not talking on my cell while driving) and she tells me she has to go pay a traffic ticket in court before i get there. she thinks she will be done by the time i get there. however, the new jersey court system is a little overwhelming and quite inefficient, and thus i wait...and wait...and wait. i did get a chance to take a walk around a lovely park near tori's apartment and talked to my sister-in-law lauren. that is when i decided to go visit her and my new nephew zeph! that was a fun surprise and zeph is so cute and getting so big. i hadn't seen him since the beginning of october! after my visit, i finally caught up with tor and dylan for some chick-fil-a!!!!! they treated me to some chicken nuggets (i like to call them chickie nuggies...and so does tori) and i treated tori to a brownie. i love that place, probably my favorite fast food restaurant, and we don't have one in the city. nyc can you do something about that? after lunch tori and i did some wedding stuff, and then i went home, singing to glee all the way!
thursday was a fun day! after work, i got to visit with my dear friend laura and have dinner at thai basil! i decided to try something new and got chicken and veggies in a garlic sauce. laura and i also shared some chicken spring rolls, which are so yummy. i love this place because the food is good, cheap, and it is a cozy place for friends to catch up on each others' lives. after dinner, we walked down to 46th and 9th to amy's bread. there we both indulged in their devil's food cupcake that has the most amazing chocolate frosting. i know i rave about crumbs cupcakes, but in my opinion, amy's bread has the BEST cupcake in the whole city! it is worth trying if you live here or are just visiting. laura and i also got a loaf of sourdough bread. it was buy one get one free and we couldn't resist! so we said goodbye from there, and i went to go find patrick who was at a goodbye party for stacy defino, the wino bee. she is leaving patrick's work for something new in the field of public relations. they were celebrating at DiVine, a wine bar on 54th between 8th and broadway. it was a fun place with a nice wine selection. i didn't drink anything because i still had cupcake lingering on my palate, and as i tasted patrick's glass of conundrum, it was too sour. although this is a nice wine, don't eat a cupcake with it. but while i was there, i talked with another co-worker of patrick's, amy, and we talked about blogging. her blog is all about a gluten free diet and she suggested that i find a niche...any ideas? i am still thinking about this and if any of you readers have something you would like me to focus on, let me know!
friday was a long day at work. so patrick and i headed off to dinner at bourbon street grill, located on restaurant row (46th between 8th and 9th). i made it my goal to go to this famous street and pick a new restaurant to eat at each week. so this week we picked this new orleans style sports bar and it was a good time! the atmosphere is fun and loud, and the food is good. we started off with some happy hour drinks. i had the bourbon street sweet tea, and it was yummy and refreshing. for my meal, i had catfish, candied pecans glazing steamed green beans and jalepeno hushpuppies. it was decent, but i wouldn't recommend it. i do however urge you to try the open face bbq beef sandwich. this was way more tasty and satisfying than the fish.
saturday, i spent all day cleaning and did some Christmas decorating in the apartment. i wanted to get it done before we left for thanksgiving. it was nice to spend a day here in brooklyn, cleaning and watching lots of movies (we had the pirates of the carribean trilogy on all day...jack sparrow is the best).
and so that leaves me with today. not too much on my agenda, just heading to church and then off to do some laundry. this is beth signing off.
mission: all accomplished!
since i last left you, i was unprepared and facing the weather with not enough layers. so on wednesday, i got up and got ready to go spend the day with my sister down in collingswood, nj. this time i was totally prepared for a chilly day, and i wore my coat (although i almost didn't because i thought it was going to be a mild day...but the coat was needed and here's why). as i a driving down the new jersey turnpike, i call my sister (i was getting gas, so i was not talking on my cell while driving) and she tells me she has to go pay a traffic ticket in court before i get there. she thinks she will be done by the time i get there. however, the new jersey court system is a little overwhelming and quite inefficient, and thus i wait...and wait...and wait. i did get a chance to take a walk around a lovely park near tori's apartment and talked to my sister-in-law lauren. that is when i decided to go visit her and my new nephew zeph! that was a fun surprise and zeph is so cute and getting so big. i hadn't seen him since the beginning of october! after my visit, i finally caught up with tor and dylan for some chick-fil-a!!!!! they treated me to some chicken nuggets (i like to call them chickie nuggies...and so does tori) and i treated tori to a brownie. i love that place, probably my favorite fast food restaurant, and we don't have one in the city. nyc can you do something about that? after lunch tori and i did some wedding stuff, and then i went home, singing to glee all the way!thursday was a fun day! after work, i got to visit with my dear friend laura and have dinner at thai basil! i decided to try something new and got chicken and veggies in a garlic sauce. laura and i also shared some chicken spring rolls, which are so yummy. i love this place because the food is good, cheap, and it is a cozy place for friends to catch up on each others' lives. after dinner, we walked down to 46th and 9th to amy's bread. there we both indulged in their devil's food cupcake that has the most amazing chocolate frosting. i know i rave about crumbs cupcakes, but in my opinion, amy's bread has the BEST cupcake in the whole city! it is worth trying if you live here or are just visiting. laura and i also got a loaf of sourdough bread. it was buy one get one free and we couldn't resist! so we said goodbye from there, and i went to go find patrick who was at a goodbye party for stacy defino, the wino bee. she is leaving patrick's work for something new in the field of public relations. they were celebrating at DiVine, a wine bar on 54th between 8th and broadway. it was a fun place with a nice wine selection. i didn't drink anything because i still had cupcake lingering on my palate, and as i tasted patrick's glass of conundrum, it was too sour. although this is a nice wine, don't eat a cupcake with it. but while i was there, i talked with another co-worker of patrick's, amy, and we talked about blogging. her blog is all about a gluten free diet and she suggested that i find a niche...any ideas? i am still thinking about this and if any of you readers have something you would like me to focus on, let me know!
friday was a long day at work. so patrick and i headed off to dinner at bourbon street grill, located on restaurant row (46th between 8th and 9th). i made it my goal to go to this famous street and pick a new restaurant to eat at each week. so this week we picked this new orleans style sports bar and it was a good time! the atmosphere is fun and loud, and the food is good. we started off with some happy hour drinks. i had the bourbon street sweet tea, and it was yummy and refreshing. for my meal, i had catfish, candied pecans glazing steamed green beans and jalepeno hushpuppies. it was decent, but i wouldn't recommend it. i do however urge you to try the open face bbq beef sandwich. this was way more tasty and satisfying than the fish.
saturday, i spent all day cleaning and did some Christmas decorating in the apartment. i wanted to get it done before we left for thanksgiving. it was nice to spend a day here in brooklyn, cleaning and watching lots of movies (we had the pirates of the carribean trilogy on all day...jack sparrow is the best).
and so that leaves me with today. not too much on my agenda, just heading to church and then off to do some laundry. this is beth signing off.
mission: all accomplished!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
mission: always prepared
always prepared should be any new yorker's mantra. you have to be on your "a" game at all times, ready for whatever comes your way...especially the weather. so today is a beautiful sunny day, just like it was yesterday. the only difference is that it is about 10- 15 degrees colder today. when i checked the weather, chris, the nbc weatherman, told me that the high was going to be 58. so i rejoiced inwardly and left the house in my jeans, t-shirt, and hoodie. what i should have included in my outift was a scarf, hat, and another layer, something with long sleeves. this was my reasoning for leaving the apartment the way i did: i thought i could brave a bit of chilliness because i knew that i was going to take a cab home tonight, due to working late, and i wouldn't have to walk home from the subway. i didn't think about all the outside time i would be spending with the kiddos in the mean time (i already was outside at the playground for and hour and a half).
one would think that at this point in the new york game, i should realize that i always need to be prepared. i usually carry my umbrella with me, sunscreen in the summer, always have my sunglasses, metro card, keys, and lip gloss (what? i'm a girl who loves her lip gloss). usually i do have a scarf and hat to keep me warm, but today i thought i wouldn't need it. i was utterly wrong, and my lesson has been learned...again. i know to carry all my other stuff (see list above) because there has been a time or ten when i went without that particular item. so from now on (until warm weather comes in the spring) i will be prepared for whatever cold weather comes my way, even if weatherman chris tells me otherwise.
a lot of people ask me how i can live here. how do i do it? now i will reply with, "i am always prepared." if you think you can handle the elements, the people, the craziness, the wonder that is new york, just make sure you have a good bag that can carry all your essentials with you throughout the day. even patrick has a good backpack that he takes into work so that he is always prepared.
this is beth signing off.
mission not accomplished...maybe tomorrow.
one would think that at this point in the new york game, i should realize that i always need to be prepared. i usually carry my umbrella with me, sunscreen in the summer, always have my sunglasses, metro card, keys, and lip gloss (what? i'm a girl who loves her lip gloss). usually i do have a scarf and hat to keep me warm, but today i thought i wouldn't need it. i was utterly wrong, and my lesson has been learned...again. i know to carry all my other stuff (see list above) because there has been a time or ten when i went without that particular item. so from now on (until warm weather comes in the spring) i will be prepared for whatever cold weather comes my way, even if weatherman chris tells me otherwise.
a lot of people ask me how i can live here. how do i do it? now i will reply with, "i am always prepared." if you think you can handle the elements, the people, the craziness, the wonder that is new york, just make sure you have a good bag that can carry all your essentials with you throughout the day. even patrick has a good backpack that he takes into work so that he is always prepared.
this is beth signing off.
mission not accomplished...maybe tomorrow.
Monday, November 16, 2009
mission: visit friends
this past weekend patrick and i drove up to see friends of ours who live outside of albany. they recently had a baby boy, judah, and so we went to go meet him. it was such a fun visit, catching up and chillin out. i have known the mom, lindsay, for almost five years. she was first my mentor and leader for a ministry internship i did in the summer or 2005. ever since then, we have been good friends, and it is so great to see her in this new role as a mom.
so when we first got there, patrick, lindsay, judah, and i went to watch lindsay's step son play some ymca basketball. we met up with linds's husband chad and cheered for one of the funniest and cutest games i have ever watched. after the game, the we went out for some lunch at red robin. patrick wanted to go because we don't have a red robin in nyc, at least we are not aware of one. so we ordered our basket of endless fries and then our meals. it was a good time, until we realized that we had gone through 5 baskets of fries with no burgers to eat. it took them about 50 minutes until they arrived with the rest of our food, and our waiter's excuse was that the kitchen was taking a long time making the specialty burgers. we all knew he was lying to us because we saw every table around us getting their orders! what ever happened to honest service? and it took the manager a long time to come to our table to apologize to us, but there was no consolation offered for our waiting. were we to receive a free dessert, fries, anything? it was frustrating, but when we got our bill they did take $15 off, so at least that was good. but i say to you red robin...boo! i was seriously let down and upset with the lack of attentiveness. i could understand if the wait was only 20 minutes, maybe 30...but 50? for burgers? thanks for nothing.
even though lunch left us greesified and not too happy, we moved on and had a great visit with lindsay, chad and their crew. the guys spent their night playing poker at a friend's house, and lindsay and i baked some amazing pumpkin muffins with cream cheese filling. time spent with the ones your care about is what is important, and i feel blessed by my visit. and judah is just so cute! thanks halse family for the amazing time we spent with you..hopefully we will see each other soon!!!
oh! and if you are ever going to visit the albany area, make sure you take a drive along the ny thruway. it is a beautifully scenic drive in the catskills, and you can even go skiing, visit a winery or two, or check out the state capital.
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished november 15
Friday, November 13, 2009
mission: poop patrol
oh the joys of being a nanny in nyc. the things that i have to endure every once in a while, like being on poop patrol, or doody duty, is one of my least favorite things. i only have to do this every once in a while, because usually the mom takes care of it (i really love this family too...so sacrificing some time is no big deal. and if you were wondering, no, my life is not like the nanny diaries. it is way better than that!!)
so what does poop patrol entail? let me explain. the toddler i watch goes to school every other day, but this is a school not a day care, which means they are not supposed to change soiled diapers throughout the school day. the school day lasts no more than a few hours, but the little guy thinks it's a game to poop at school. that's right! he knows what he is doing and he thinks it's funny! we, his mother and i, do no think he is so funny, although we agree that he is a clever little fellow.
while i was waiting for the expected call, i decided to go to the post office to buy some holiday stamps. i was there 5 minutes when my phone began to ring and thus had to exit the line to go change the little one. 15 minutes later i arrived at the school, and there he was smiling up at me, so happy that i came to visit.
so i changed him, and doody duty was over a lot sooner than i had anticipated. afterwards i headed over to the new michaels at 100th and columbus to see what fun holiday decorations i could buy on sale. while i was in there, Martha was there! as in martha stewart! i only saw the back of her head and heard her voice wafting in the air as i perused the aisles for Christmas delights. it was quite exciting for me because i never see celebs...ever! this is only my 3rd sighting in my life and 2nd here in the city. pretty neato!
so poop patrol ended up being a good thing for me, as martha would say.
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
so what does poop patrol entail? let me explain. the toddler i watch goes to school every other day, but this is a school not a day care, which means they are not supposed to change soiled diapers throughout the school day. the school day lasts no more than a few hours, but the little guy thinks it's a game to poop at school. that's right! he knows what he is doing and he thinks it's funny! we, his mother and i, do no think he is so funny, although we agree that he is a clever little fellow.
while i was waiting for the expected call, i decided to go to the post office to buy some holiday stamps. i was there 5 minutes when my phone began to ring and thus had to exit the line to go change the little one. 15 minutes later i arrived at the school, and there he was smiling up at me, so happy that i came to visit.
so i changed him, and doody duty was over a lot sooner than i had anticipated. afterwards i headed over to the new michaels at 100th and columbus to see what fun holiday decorations i could buy on sale. while i was in there, Martha was there! as in martha stewart! i only saw the back of her head and heard her voice wafting in the air as i perused the aisles for Christmas delights. it was quite exciting for me because i never see celebs...ever! this is only my 3rd sighting in my life and 2nd here in the city. pretty neato!
so poop patrol ended up being a good thing for me, as martha would say.
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
mission: my top 10 travel places to visit
patrick and i often dream about where we want to travel to around the world. we think about where we want to stay, what we want to eat, and the different things we want to see. travel is a passion of ours, and this is our top 10 list of places we want to visit someday!
1. ireland's causeway- this is top on my list because of our irish heritage. patrick has never been, and i went on a mission trip back in 2002 to work with kids in belfast, northern ireland. ever since then, i have wanted to return and drive along the coast, stopping at charming bed and breakfasts or castles. i love the rugged land, the serene rolling hills of green spotted with white dots of sheep, and the people are so great!
2. india- this place has always been somewhere i wanted to go. the culture is so fascinating, bright, and full of life. even though curry is not my friend, i would love to get the chance to experience the wonders india has to offer. after watching the movie slumdog millionaire, i also think it would be a great opportunity to serve over there and learn something from those who live in different areas of india. even though i have not visited yet, india does hold a special place in my heart because patrick and i support a little girl there...i send my love to my daughter b jekalayhashmi.
3.thailand- so yeah i want to go to southeast aisa! i would love to go here and eat all of their food! thai is one of my favorite types of cuisine. i, of course, would not only go for the food, but to learn about their culture and check out the beauty of this country.
4. the mediterranean- italy, spain, greece...you name it i want to go! this has been a dream of mine for several years now. i think my sister and i talk about going on a med cruise every year. so far, it hasn't worked out, but i think it will happen one of these days. talk about food...i think i would just eat my way through each of these countries and would be content. i can't forget to mention all the history, art and architecture, and scenery that would also be fabulous to experience! to walk the roman roads, visit ancient ruins, and tour through some of the oldest cities of the western civilization sounds like a blast to me!
5. alaska- who would not want to go and see some dogsled racing? the mountains, the whales, the icebergs...even though it is frigid, i still want to check out this beautiful state. and maybe i could get a glimpse of russia while i'm there (i couldn't resist the joke).
6.niagra falls- i live only a half a day's drive from this natural beauty, and yet i have never been! can you believe it? i know that it is a very touristy, but i want to ride the maid of the mist too!
7.california wine country- napa valley would be such a great time...i can just picture it now. sampling the great chardonnays, sniffng and swirling, sipping and..eh hem...swallowing. drinking wine with the sunshine and sloping vineyards is where i want to be.
. the hoh rainforest- located in the olympic peninsula, this temperate rainforest is one of a kind. i first read about this place a few years ago in national geographic. now, with the twilight craze, this area has become a tourist destination. and yes, even though i do admit that i love the twilight series as much as the next person, i do not choose this place for that reason. i have just wanted to go for years, that's all.
9. peru- what can i say? i am inspired by one of my favorite restaurants in nyc, pio pio, which has some amazing food. i love latin culture and so i think this would be a fun place to visit. i would like to check out its capital, lima and trek through the nearby andes mountains and villages in the area.
. fiji- this is the place where patrick and i first wanted to have our honeymoon. we ended up in maui instead, not a bad substitute...i love that place soooooo much, and are still planning to head there for one of our anniversaries. it seems so peaceful and rejuvenating. yes, hut on the water...get ready. we are coming someday.
so this is it..the top 10 place patrick and i want to visit. we are open to anything and always look forward to wherever our travels take us. our next big trip will be right after Christmas to nassau in the bahamas. i haven't been yet, but patrick says it will be a nice warm and fun break from the winter weather here.
this is beth signing off.
mission: to be accomplished throughout lifetime!
1. ireland's causeway- this is top on my list because of our irish heritage. patrick has never been, and i went on a mission trip back in 2002 to work with kids in belfast, northern ireland. ever since then, i have wanted to return and drive along the coast, stopping at charming bed and breakfasts or castles. i love the rugged land, the serene rolling hills of green spotted with white dots of sheep, and the people are so great! 2. india- this place has always been somewhere i wanted to go. the culture is so fascinating, bright, and full of life. even though curry is not my friend, i would love to get the chance to experience the wonders india has to offer. after watching the movie slumdog millionaire, i also think it would be a great opportunity to serve over there and learn something from those who live in different areas of india. even though i have not visited yet, india does hold a special place in my heart because patrick and i support a little girl there...i send my love to my daughter b jekalayhashmi.
3.thailand- so yeah i want to go to southeast aisa! i would love to go here and eat all of their food! thai is one of my favorite types of cuisine. i, of course, would not only go for the food, but to learn about their culture and check out the beauty of this country.
4. the mediterranean- italy, spain, greece...you name it i want to go! this has been a dream of mine for several years now. i think my sister and i talk about going on a med cruise every year. so far, it hasn't worked out, but i think it will happen one of these days. talk about food...i think i would just eat my way through each of these countries and would be content. i can't forget to mention all the history, art and architecture, and scenery that would also be fabulous to experience! to walk the roman roads, visit ancient ruins, and tour through some of the oldest cities of the western civilization sounds like a blast to me!5. alaska- who would not want to go and see some dogsled racing? the mountains, the whales, the icebergs...even though it is frigid, i still want to check out this beautiful state. and maybe i could get a glimpse of russia while i'm there (i couldn't resist the joke).
6.niagra falls- i live only a half a day's drive from this natural beauty, and yet i have never been! can you believe it? i know that it is a very touristy, but i want to ride the maid of the mist too!
7.california wine country- napa valley would be such a great time...i can just picture it now. sampling the great chardonnays, sniffng and swirling, sipping and..eh hem...swallowing. drinking wine with the sunshine and sloping vineyards is where i want to be.
. the hoh rainforest- located in the olympic peninsula, this temperate rainforest is one of a kind. i first read about this place a few years ago in national geographic. now, with the twilight craze, this area has become a tourist destination. and yes, even though i do admit that i love the twilight series as much as the next person, i do not choose this place for that reason. i have just wanted to go for years, that's all.9. peru- what can i say? i am inspired by one of my favorite restaurants in nyc, pio pio, which has some amazing food. i love latin culture and so i think this would be a fun place to visit. i would like to check out its capital, lima and trek through the nearby andes mountains and villages in the area.
. fiji- this is the place where patrick and i first wanted to have our honeymoon. we ended up in maui instead, not a bad substitute...i love that place soooooo much, and are still planning to head there for one of our anniversaries. it seems so peaceful and rejuvenating. yes, hut on the water...get ready. we are coming someday.so this is it..the top 10 place patrick and i want to visit. we are open to anything and always look forward to wherever our travels take us. our next big trip will be right after Christmas to nassau in the bahamas. i haven't been yet, but patrick says it will be a nice warm and fun break from the winter weather here.
this is beth signing off.
mission: to be accomplished throughout lifetime!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
mission: get some things done
ah wednesday. it is my middle of the week day to relax because i don't have to work. sometimes i go out and run errands, sometimes i clean like a mad woman, sometimes i shop, but today i did some catch up on the things that i have been putting on my to do list for a while.
item 1- finish my rose painting. this has been staring me in the face since the summer, mostly because i had it up on my bedroom wall in the meantime. this painting first began as an abstract piece of poo that i painted in the spring. i hated it. i would look at it thinking of how i could make it better. so one day i made a card with a rose on it, and decided to paint a big one. this is the final product.
item 2- finish a present for my husband's family pollyanna. i started this two weeks ago, and now it is finally done! i am proud of it...now can you guess what it is?
sorry for the poor photography...i need a new camera. and the three paintings are supposed to be lined up next to each other. just try to visualize it.
item 3- fold the laundry. ewww....this is the bane of my existence. i hate to fold laundry and that loathing stems back from my childhood. that was my one and only chore, to fold my family's laundry. every time i think of it i cringe. but it needs to be done (even though i know in reality all my clothes will eventually become a ball after trying on many different outfits each day...being a girl is difficult).
item 4- tackling the closet!!!! i think i hear a horrified screech in the air. we only have three closets in our pre-war apartment...three (hence the ball of clothing, i rest my case). organization is key, and i had none in my one particular closet. so i straightened it up and now it is functional again. yay.
item 5- cleaning under the guest bed. because of item 4 i continued the frenzied organizing, and it actually was not as bad as i thought it was going to be.
item 6- the dishes. ugh...i usually reserve this chore for patrick, but i know he rationalizes in his head that he can get away with NOT doing them throughout the week because i work part-time. fair enough, i will try to finish them up without further griping.
all in all it was a nice day to myself. i got to watch 17 again without patrick making comments about zac ephron, and now with everything done i can look forward to watching glee tonight!
this is beth signing off.
mission totally accomplished!!!
item 1- finish my rose painting. this has been staring me in the face since the summer, mostly because i had it up on my bedroom wall in the meantime. this painting first began as an abstract piece of poo that i painted in the spring. i hated it. i would look at it thinking of how i could make it better. so one day i made a card with a rose on it, and decided to paint a big one. this is the final product.item 2- finish a present for my husband's family pollyanna. i started this two weeks ago, and now it is finally done! i am proud of it...now can you guess what it is?
sorry for the poor photography...i need a new camera. and the three paintings are supposed to be lined up next to each other. just try to visualize it.
item 3- fold the laundry. ewww....this is the bane of my existence. i hate to fold laundry and that loathing stems back from my childhood. that was my one and only chore, to fold my family's laundry. every time i think of it i cringe. but it needs to be done (even though i know in reality all my clothes will eventually become a ball after trying on many different outfits each day...being a girl is difficult).
item 4- tackling the closet!!!! i think i hear a horrified screech in the air. we only have three closets in our pre-war apartment...three (hence the ball of clothing, i rest my case). organization is key, and i had none in my one particular closet. so i straightened it up and now it is functional again. yay.
item 5- cleaning under the guest bed. because of item 4 i continued the frenzied organizing, and it actually was not as bad as i thought it was going to be.
item 6- the dishes. ugh...i usually reserve this chore for patrick, but i know he rationalizes in his head that he can get away with NOT doing them throughout the week because i work part-time. fair enough, i will try to finish them up without further griping.
all in all it was a nice day to myself. i got to watch 17 again without patrick making comments about zac ephron, and now with everything done i can look forward to watching glee tonight!
this is beth signing off.
mission totally accomplished!!!
Monday, November 9, 2009
mission: fun on a beautiful day
the high today is 70 degrees!!! what the heck? it is november, but it's warm. i better soak it all in before the snow comes rolling in. so as i sit here awaiting to go outside and enjoy the weather, i will reveal my 5 favorite outdoor things to do in nyc!
1. eating al fresco at shake shack: this place is no joke that i have eaten one of their tasty shack burgers in freezing cold weather. however, it is more enjoyable on a nice balmy evening or afternoon, like today. located in the madison square park (around 23rd and madison..take the R W line to 23rd street to get there) the shake shack offers burgers, dogs, the best fries in the city (i think), and delicious frozen treats like custard, shakes, and concretes (think mcflurry but 10 times better). they also offer treats for dogs and have specialty items for those who don't eat meat (my friend alissa adores their shroom burger). while you wait in a super long line, you can enjoy the sights and sounds of the city around you. the flat iron building is there, and the you get a fantastic view of the empire state building. the atmosphere is fun and lovely. i take all my visitors there, and some ask for more! my poppop said that he had one of the best chocolate shakes in his life there...and trust me, he has had a LOT of shakes from all around the country. so check it out, and look for their season custard flavors to try.
2. walking along riverside park: i go here quite frequently because i work only a block or so from it. if you get to where the bike path is, you can view the river with all the sailboat gently drifting along on the water. it is a peaceful walk and the scenery is very pretty.
3. playing in the leaves at central park: you can do this now, because not only is it warm, but the leaves have mostly fallen making it perfect for jumping and scampering in them. if you don't go for that kind of thing, take a walk around the reservoir for a beautiful panoramic of the city and the park's fall foliage. to locate the reservoir, check out one of the park's maps when entering. it is around the high 80's and can be reached either on the east or west side, as it is located in the middle of the park. just south of the reservoir is the great lawn, perfect to set up a blanket to rest and relax. bring a frisbee or a good book along for further enjoyment.
4. the bronx zoo: this place is huge, and celebrating it's 100th birthday! there are all types of animals, and if you have little ones (or just a big kid yourself), go visit the children's zoo for a more interactive experience with farm animals and go burrow through a tunnel with the prairie dogs. there's lots to do and see, and every wednesday it's free!
5. walk the brooklyn bridge: this is not for the faint of heart. it is windy and you are right above moving traffic. however, the view of south manhattan is breathtaking, and you can see lady liberty in the distance. pedestrians do have to share the bridge with bikers, but stay in your designated lane and you won't get run over. there is also a sense of accomplishment you might feel once you have crossed it...safely. the bridge is beautiful, and one of the first big suspension bridges engineered! so you too can be a part of history as you walk across it! if you start in brooklyn and end up in manhattan, treat yourself to my favorite beer, farmer jon's oatmeal stout, at the heartland brewery at the south street seaport. if you start in manhattan and end up in brooklyn, go get some homemade ice cream at the brooklyn ice cream factory. i recommend the butter pecan!
well, there you go! a short list of my favorite things to do in nyc on a beautiful day. hope you enjoy yours today.
this is beth signing off.
mission will be accomplished soon :)
1. eating al fresco at shake shack: this place is no joke that i have eaten one of their tasty shack burgers in freezing cold weather. however, it is more enjoyable on a nice balmy evening or afternoon, like today. located in the madison square park (around 23rd and madison..take the R W line to 23rd street to get there) the shake shack offers burgers, dogs, the best fries in the city (i think), and delicious frozen treats like custard, shakes, and concretes (think mcflurry but 10 times better). they also offer treats for dogs and have specialty items for those who don't eat meat (my friend alissa adores their shroom burger). while you wait in a super long line, you can enjoy the sights and sounds of the city around you. the flat iron building is there, and the you get a fantastic view of the empire state building. the atmosphere is fun and lovely. i take all my visitors there, and some ask for more! my poppop said that he had one of the best chocolate shakes in his life there...and trust me, he has had a LOT of shakes from all around the country. so check it out, and look for their season custard flavors to try.
2. walking along riverside park: i go here quite frequently because i work only a block or so from it. if you get to where the bike path is, you can view the river with all the sailboat gently drifting along on the water. it is a peaceful walk and the scenery is very pretty.
3. playing in the leaves at central park: you can do this now, because not only is it warm, but the leaves have mostly fallen making it perfect for jumping and scampering in them. if you don't go for that kind of thing, take a walk around the reservoir for a beautiful panoramic of the city and the park's fall foliage. to locate the reservoir, check out one of the park's maps when entering. it is around the high 80's and can be reached either on the east or west side, as it is located in the middle of the park. just south of the reservoir is the great lawn, perfect to set up a blanket to rest and relax. bring a frisbee or a good book along for further enjoyment.
4. the bronx zoo: this place is huge, and celebrating it's 100th birthday! there are all types of animals, and if you have little ones (or just a big kid yourself), go visit the children's zoo for a more interactive experience with farm animals and go burrow through a tunnel with the prairie dogs. there's lots to do and see, and every wednesday it's free!
5. walk the brooklyn bridge: this is not for the faint of heart. it is windy and you are right above moving traffic. however, the view of south manhattan is breathtaking, and you can see lady liberty in the distance. pedestrians do have to share the bridge with bikers, but stay in your designated lane and you won't get run over. there is also a sense of accomplishment you might feel once you have crossed it...safely. the bridge is beautiful, and one of the first big suspension bridges engineered! so you too can be a part of history as you walk across it! if you start in brooklyn and end up in manhattan, treat yourself to my favorite beer, farmer jon's oatmeal stout, at the heartland brewery at the south street seaport. if you start in manhattan and end up in brooklyn, go get some homemade ice cream at the brooklyn ice cream factory. i recommend the butter pecan!
well, there you go! a short list of my favorite things to do in nyc on a beautiful day. hope you enjoy yours today.
this is beth signing off.
mission will be accomplished soon :)
Sunday, November 8, 2009
mission: buy a bed
the visit of my sister and her fiance not only meant time spent together, but it was also the time that patrick and i had to give up our bed. why you may ask? the bed belonged to my sister, given as a Christmas present by my mom several years ago. since tori was still in college and either living at home or in an apartment that could not fit a king sized bed in a shared room, we were able to borrow it for two and a half years. it is such a lovely bed, and we were so sad to give it up. but being the amazing big sister i am, i gave it up without a fight. afterall, it rightfully belonged to tori.
so this meant we had to get a replacement, and fast! i searched on the internet for weeks trying to find a mattress that would match my sister's, but everything became so expensive once delivery was taken into account. the bed frame i could care less about, but i did want something that was nice. ikea popped into my head; however, the prospect of putting together yet another piece of furniture from that place sounded too daunting. if you have ever bought anything from ikea and tried to decipher the hieroglyphics they give you as instructions, you would run away as fast as you could! with that being said, 95% of my furniture is actually from ikea...good stuff but not for my bed
then i set my sights on bob's discount furniture store, especially their pit clearance center. i saw some things that were pretty nice there last weekend when i was visiitng the sleepy hollow area. my friend danielle introduced me and i was hooked! bob's is great! you can get a lot of really amazing furniture for less. a 7 piece bedroom set can cost as low as $799! not too shabby.
i only wanted a bed and mattress, and so patrick, tori, tori's fiance dylan, and i set out to yonkers, ny, to find what we needed. the plan was to get in there as the store opened its doors at 10, get the bed we want and leave by 11. well, that didn't happen. maybe we fooled ourselves into believing that we could find something perfect in the clearance center of a discount furniture with no qualms...yes we were fools for sure!
however, after dealing with one of the craziest sales ladies i have ever met, we finally decided on the bed ( with a few minor defects) and a super plush mattress (still getting used to it...it's like sleeping on a cloud). and then this morning patrick and i headed out to home depot to get some ply wood as extra support for our bed (it didn't come with support slats at all...jerks wouldn't give us a better price. crazy sales lady). but now we are happy with our choice. my favorite part is that the headboard has shelves and reading lights, and also i don't have to give this one up until it breaks!
thanks to tori and dylan for your help! we could not have done this without you. thanks to my brother josh for lending the trailer to transport all the beds! love you guys!
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
so this meant we had to get a replacement, and fast! i searched on the internet for weeks trying to find a mattress that would match my sister's, but everything became so expensive once delivery was taken into account. the bed frame i could care less about, but i did want something that was nice. ikea popped into my head; however, the prospect of putting together yet another piece of furniture from that place sounded too daunting. if you have ever bought anything from ikea and tried to decipher the hieroglyphics they give you as instructions, you would run away as fast as you could! with that being said, 95% of my furniture is actually from ikea...good stuff but not for my bed
then i set my sights on bob's discount furniture store, especially their pit clearance center. i saw some things that were pretty nice there last weekend when i was visiitng the sleepy hollow area. my friend danielle introduced me and i was hooked! bob's is great! you can get a lot of really amazing furniture for less. a 7 piece bedroom set can cost as low as $799! not too shabby.
i only wanted a bed and mattress, and so patrick, tori, tori's fiance dylan, and i set out to yonkers, ny, to find what we needed. the plan was to get in there as the store opened its doors at 10, get the bed we want and leave by 11. well, that didn't happen. maybe we fooled ourselves into believing that we could find something perfect in the clearance center of a discount furniture with no qualms...yes we were fools for sure!
however, after dealing with one of the craziest sales ladies i have ever met, we finally decided on the bed ( with a few minor defects) and a super plush mattress (still getting used to it...it's like sleeping on a cloud). and then this morning patrick and i headed out to home depot to get some ply wood as extra support for our bed (it didn't come with support slats at all...jerks wouldn't give us a better price. crazy sales lady). but now we are happy with our choice. my favorite part is that the headboard has shelves and reading lights, and also i don't have to give this one up until it breaks!thanks to tori and dylan for your help! we could not have done this without you. thanks to my brother josh for lending the trailer to transport all the beds! love you guys!
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
Friday, November 6, 2009
mission: warm fuzzies
i am awaiting patiently for my sister to come and visit me this weekend. her visit is going to be short, but at least i get to see her. i realized that from this moment on i will be visiting with friends and family for the next couple of months. it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside as the holiday season approaches and the craziness begins.
the holidays are not just about the presents (which are great and i love to open them..hehe), nor are they just about spending time with the ones we love (this is also enjoyable). for me the holidays mean that there is a whole season to step back and look at what God is doing or has done in our lives. it is a couple of months to pause and be thankful for His love, His gift of life, His Jesus.
my pastor, pete scazzero at the new life fellowship church in queens, talks a lot about pausing to recognize God throughout our day. this isn't always easy, but i find when i do this i can handle life better (most likely because i am letting God be the center of my life). so i encourage those of you who read this, to daily let God be a part of your life. give Him the recognition he deserves and spend time with Him, whether in prayer, thought, or study. let Him love you unconditionally and experience the grace He gives to us each day.
this is beth signing off.
mission, a work in progress.
the holidays are not just about the presents (which are great and i love to open them..hehe), nor are they just about spending time with the ones we love (this is also enjoyable). for me the holidays mean that there is a whole season to step back and look at what God is doing or has done in our lives. it is a couple of months to pause and be thankful for His love, His gift of life, His Jesus.
my pastor, pete scazzero at the new life fellowship church in queens, talks a lot about pausing to recognize God throughout our day. this isn't always easy, but i find when i do this i can handle life better (most likely because i am letting God be the center of my life). so i encourage those of you who read this, to daily let God be a part of your life. give Him the recognition he deserves and spend time with Him, whether in prayer, thought, or study. let Him love you unconditionally and experience the grace He gives to us each day.
this is beth signing off.
mission, a work in progress.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
mission: in search of yankees tickets
last night i was working late when i got a call.
"i found tickets for the game tonight," he said as i listened to the message he left on my voicemail. i rolled my eyes and braced myself as dialed his number. i was anticipating the tone of voice, pleading with me to go with his plan all the while picturing his puppy dog face waiting in hope that i would say yes.
"how much?" i asked right away. patrick laughed nervously and said, "$400." i sighed in disgust and mulled over the idea of $400, but i conceded and thought that going to the possible last game of the world series would be fun...expensive, but fun. so i gave the okay to my husband and as we talked about what $400 meant, i told him he could forget a new camera any time soon. then he realized my misinterpretation of what he meant by $400...he forgot to say each.
"$800!" i gasped in horror. "no way...no..no! no...no. no."
patrick's nervous laugh increased and the begging and manipulation began. "this is a once in a lifetime opportunity...you can see the phillies! the seats are great and this is the lowest price i have seen."
i told him that i would think about it if he continued to find a better deal. a glimmer of hope settled into patrick's brain and so he reeled with ways to get me to say what he wanted to hear...yes let's get those tickets! after much thought on a subway ride to catch up with patrick after work, i decided that we would go to the game if he could get his guy to lower the price. i called patrick with this news and he was elated, but i thought i was going to be sick. then we found out that we could have the tickets for $700. i gave patrick another glimmer of hope and said if we could get the cash out of the bank then we could go. at this point i was relying on the fact that the magnetic strip on patrick's debit card was on the fritz. by this time, about 7:00, we were nearing game time and the decision was in balance. finally around 7:10ish patrick made his withdrawal and we went to go meet the ticket guy on the corner of 58th and 8th.
now my head was reeling, and so i conveyed my skepticism with patrick by letting him know that he could not hand over the money until the tickets had been inspected. i told him that i was not in the mood to be taken in for a sucker or i would sucker punch the guy. patrick laughed at my comment as we hurried over to the aforementioned corner. as we arrived, we hoped. patrick hoped for a game. i hoped for a decent meal and then maybe a crumbs cupcake while looking forward to watching the game at home.
7:30 came around, and my hopes were in reach as the ticket guy never showed up. poor patrick. we gave up on waiting around for him and went over to one of our favorite restaurants, thai basil. i love that place! located at 56th and 8th, this thai restaurant is small, cozy and has some amazing food. i got my usual, the pineapple fired rice with chicken and patrick had his, chicken pad thai. we we ordered the summer roll appetizer, which was light and full of fresh veggies and a piece of shrimp, that we dipped into the delicious sweet and spicy peanut sauce. yum!
cupcakes were next, and they were like a soothing medicine to a wounded soul. patrick had the reese's cup and i settled for a classic chocolate.
so we watched the game at home and when the yankees won, we were able to listen to the rejoicing sound of our neighborhood and even watch a decent firework display that was set off a block away from our house. we slept soundly knowing we did not have to endure the horribly long subway ride from the bronx down to brooklyn so late at night.
so baseball is over for the season, and we still have a decent amount of money in the bank with the promise of someday spending it on a st. louis cardinals world series game ( i would have to say yes to that...it's his team. i can't squash that dream nor would i want to).
this is beth signing off.
my mission accomplished...patrick's not so much.
"i found tickets for the game tonight," he said as i listened to the message he left on my voicemail. i rolled my eyes and braced myself as dialed his number. i was anticipating the tone of voice, pleading with me to go with his plan all the while picturing his puppy dog face waiting in hope that i would say yes.
"how much?" i asked right away. patrick laughed nervously and said, "$400." i sighed in disgust and mulled over the idea of $400, but i conceded and thought that going to the possible last game of the world series would be fun...expensive, but fun. so i gave the okay to my husband and as we talked about what $400 meant, i told him he could forget a new camera any time soon. then he realized my misinterpretation of what he meant by $400...he forgot to say each.
"$800!" i gasped in horror. "no way...no..no! no...no. no."
patrick's nervous laugh increased and the begging and manipulation began. "this is a once in a lifetime opportunity...you can see the phillies! the seats are great and this is the lowest price i have seen."
i told him that i would think about it if he continued to find a better deal. a glimmer of hope settled into patrick's brain and so he reeled with ways to get me to say what he wanted to hear...yes let's get those tickets! after much thought on a subway ride to catch up with patrick after work, i decided that we would go to the game if he could get his guy to lower the price. i called patrick with this news and he was elated, but i thought i was going to be sick. then we found out that we could have the tickets for $700. i gave patrick another glimmer of hope and said if we could get the cash out of the bank then we could go. at this point i was relying on the fact that the magnetic strip on patrick's debit card was on the fritz. by this time, about 7:00, we were nearing game time and the decision was in balance. finally around 7:10ish patrick made his withdrawal and we went to go meet the ticket guy on the corner of 58th and 8th.
now my head was reeling, and so i conveyed my skepticism with patrick by letting him know that he could not hand over the money until the tickets had been inspected. i told him that i was not in the mood to be taken in for a sucker or i would sucker punch the guy. patrick laughed at my comment as we hurried over to the aforementioned corner. as we arrived, we hoped. patrick hoped for a game. i hoped for a decent meal and then maybe a crumbs cupcake while looking forward to watching the game at home.
7:30 came around, and my hopes were in reach as the ticket guy never showed up. poor patrick. we gave up on waiting around for him and went over to one of our favorite restaurants, thai basil. i love that place! located at 56th and 8th, this thai restaurant is small, cozy and has some amazing food. i got my usual, the pineapple fired rice with chicken and patrick had his, chicken pad thai. we we ordered the summer roll appetizer, which was light and full of fresh veggies and a piece of shrimp, that we dipped into the delicious sweet and spicy peanut sauce. yum!
cupcakes were next, and they were like a soothing medicine to a wounded soul. patrick had the reese's cup and i settled for a classic chocolate.
so we watched the game at home and when the yankees won, we were able to listen to the rejoicing sound of our neighborhood and even watch a decent firework display that was set off a block away from our house. we slept soundly knowing we did not have to endure the horribly long subway ride from the bronx down to brooklyn so late at night.
so baseball is over for the season, and we still have a decent amount of money in the bank with the promise of someday spending it on a st. louis cardinals world series game ( i would have to say yes to that...it's his team. i can't squash that dream nor would i want to).
this is beth signing off.
my mission accomplished...patrick's not so much.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
mission: paint a picture
look what i did! two more to complete the set. can anyone guess what i am painting?
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
mission: relaxation and a burger
after a long and difficult day dealing with the kiddos at work, i finally get to sit down and relax. as i am blogging, the sounds of the church bells are chiming through the brooklyn night air. oh how i love that sound. it is so comforting to me, and makes me think of my alma mater, asbury college in wilmore ky. every night right around dinner time, the bells tolled a lovely hymn lulling all the students to the cafeteria. strange how ingrained that has become a part of my soul, and i am definitely grateful for it tonight.
speaking of dinner, my quest tonight is to go get a burger. i have had an insatiable craving for one for days now, and i hope that i finally get it tonight! oddly enough, though, my craving is more for the texture of a burger rather than the taste. i have only had one other texture craving in my life, about a month ago, and it was for something soft like taking a bite of an entemann's rasberry danish or a crumbs cupcake. if i do not get my burger i will just have to wait yet another day and settle on a bertolli frozen meal (which i love...don't get me wrong! those things taste yummy and are easy to make! my weekly lifesaver i like to call them).
after dinner, my plan is to begin a new art project while listening to some soothing music...i can't wait.
oh and score for me! i just found out that i am totally getting my burger tonight. woo hoo!!!
this is beth signing off.
mission: burger accomplished...working on the relaxation portion still.
speaking of dinner, my quest tonight is to go get a burger. i have had an insatiable craving for one for days now, and i hope that i finally get it tonight! oddly enough, though, my craving is more for the texture of a burger rather than the taste. i have only had one other texture craving in my life, about a month ago, and it was for something soft like taking a bite of an entemann's rasberry danish or a crumbs cupcake. if i do not get my burger i will just have to wait yet another day and settle on a bertolli frozen meal (which i love...don't get me wrong! those things taste yummy and are easy to make! my weekly lifesaver i like to call them).
after dinner, my plan is to begin a new art project while listening to some soothing music...i can't wait.
oh and score for me! i just found out that i am totally getting my burger tonight. woo hoo!!!
this is beth signing off.
mission: burger accomplished...working on the relaxation portion still.
Monday, November 2, 2009
mission: a bit of marital rivalry
for those of you who haven't realized it yet, baseball is a religion here in the northeast! even if you do not particularly follow the full season of baseball, one cannot help but be sucked into the enthusiasm that the world series brings. as well all know, the phillies are battling the yankees this year, and my husband and i are each siding with the team we like best.
growing up in south jersey and going to many a phillies game every summer, i naturally am cheering for the defending world series champions. i remember going to the games, sitting next to my poppop (the greatest phillies fan i know) and asking him for information on each player that stepped up to bat. "is he any good?" i would wonder aloud to him. "sure, he's good," poppop would reply patiently as i did this every inning just to make sure. so of course this series is exciting for me because after being the losingest team of all time, the fighting phils are making up for it by providing the fans with two consecutive seasons of greatness.
patrick on the other hand, a tried and true st. louis cardinals fan, is cheering for the yankees (his second all-time favorite team). i think he has chosen the yankees for second place in his heart because they are a more prestigious ball club and one that wins...every time! this could be their 27th world championship win. the phillies have only a few under their belt!
needless to say, the tension between patrick and i has mounted over the past few days. while at a friend's house to watch the saturday night game, i was the only philly fan in the room! patrick tried to keep me quiet in the first couple of innings when we were crushing the yankees. i would have to sit benignly on the couch suppressing my inner happiness as the others sulked and complained about the yankees lineup. then when the tables turned and i was the one who ended the night in a pout, my friends, gloated about the glory of the yankees.
whatever. even as i sit here on the couch blogging while simultaneously watching the game, there is about a foot and a half between patrick and i. of course this tension ends as soon as the tv turns off and we enter back into the world of reality. i told him that it is a good thing that i don't let my life revolving around sports or this would be a serious problem to our marriage.
so sorry to all the ny fans out there...i hope the yanks go down! i know i live here in the big apple now, but i will always be loyal to my philly teams and wear their shirts proudly around the neighborhood in spite of the dirty looks i get.
so go phils and i am signing off.
let's hope that thethey will accomplish their mission to win the world series.
growing up in south jersey and going to many a phillies game every summer, i naturally am cheering for the defending world series champions. i remember going to the games, sitting next to my poppop (the greatest phillies fan i know) and asking him for information on each player that stepped up to bat. "is he any good?" i would wonder aloud to him. "sure, he's good," poppop would reply patiently as i did this every inning just to make sure. so of course this series is exciting for me because after being the losingest team of all time, the fighting phils are making up for it by providing the fans with two consecutive seasons of greatness.
patrick on the other hand, a tried and true st. louis cardinals fan, is cheering for the yankees (his second all-time favorite team). i think he has chosen the yankees for second place in his heart because they are a more prestigious ball club and one that wins...every time! this could be their 27th world championship win. the phillies have only a few under their belt!
needless to say, the tension between patrick and i has mounted over the past few days. while at a friend's house to watch the saturday night game, i was the only philly fan in the room! patrick tried to keep me quiet in the first couple of innings when we were crushing the yankees. i would have to sit benignly on the couch suppressing my inner happiness as the others sulked and complained about the yankees lineup. then when the tables turned and i was the one who ended the night in a pout, my friends, gloated about the glory of the yankees.
whatever. even as i sit here on the couch blogging while simultaneously watching the game, there is about a foot and a half between patrick and i. of course this tension ends as soon as the tv turns off and we enter back into the world of reality. i told him that it is a good thing that i don't let my life revolving around sports or this would be a serious problem to our marriage.
so sorry to all the ny fans out there...i hope the yanks go down! i know i live here in the big apple now, but i will always be loyal to my philly teams and wear their shirts proudly around the neighborhood in spite of the dirty looks i get.
so go phils and i am signing off.
let's hope that thethey will accomplish their mission to win the world series.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
mission: sleepy hollow
as i stated in my last post, friday october 30th i visited sleepy hollow, ny to partake in some halloween festivities. every year, the town of sleepy hollow, famed for its tale of ichabod crane and the headless horseman, recreates the legend by taking the curious on a haunted hay ride. so i, along with patrick, headed up to westchester county after a long day of work in the city to catch up with our friends josh and danielle samuel for dinner and the hay ride! our plan was to eat out at a mexican restaurant, guatalajara located in briar cliff manor, where i had a delicious chicken chimichanga, authentic salsa, and a tasty strawberry mojito. the restaurant also had a mariachi band playing music as we sat and ate our dinner. the place was a little crowded and service was slow, but the atmosphere and food were worth the wait. after dinner we then headed over to sleepy hollow, only minutes away, hoping that around 9 p.m. the line would have slowed down a bit.
boy were we wrong! that place was hopping with music and was still very crowded. as we arrived on the main street, there was much confusion about where we should go and what line we needed to be in. after asking someone who worked at the hay ride, our group was directed down the street to the end of the line. so we trekked a couple of blocks away, knowing that we were going to wait quite a while before our ride. at first, we did not mind. halloween themed music blared and a group of children and parents danced in the middle of the street. characters from the ride, who looked like vampire tramps (trampy vamps is what we dubbed them) posed for pictures and scared onlookers waiting in the ridiculously long line. at least we were entertained.
after about an hour and a half went by, we realized there was a shorter line we could go to. i was a little upset, blaming the trampy vamps for not directing us to the other line. as we drew closer to our ride, ichabod came over to keep our spirits up. we also tried to keep his up as well after working a long night. then is was our turn!!!!i get a little freaked out by these types of things, but i felt i was up for a challenge. about 20 of us were loaded onto a truck bed filled with hay. our tour guide with creepy makeup on read us a historical legend of henry hudson mixed in with ichabod's tale. we entered through the old dutch church and graveyard, est. in 1685, and proceeded through the winding path of the deep cemetery. the story combined with knowing that i was in an actual graveyard totally gave me the heebee jeebees. and that was the scariest part of the ride. from that point on were were spooked with cheep thrills and timely screams. the tunnel with floating heads (captured by the headless horseman) followed by a scary lady popping out of nowhere gave patrick quite a fright. the costumes were elaborate, but the ride was over before we knew it and left many without the thrill they were seeking.
was it worth $15...maybe. i would go again for the scary ghost story and ride through the historical cemetery, but the rest was just ok. i think most of their budget goes to props (which were really good) and gas for the trucks running the hay rides. we thought that more thrills could be had if you had to walk through the different scenes and be a little more vulnerable to those jumping out at you. over all it was fun and a little scary, and i think i would go again in the future. sleepy hollow does a good job making the experience family friendly, and so i would recommend it to them,
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished october 30
Friday, October 30, 2009
mission: halloween eve
tonight i am going on an adventure to sleepy hollow where i will take the haunted hayride tour that follows the last footsteps of ichabod crane! this hayride goes through washington irving's tale as well as henry hudson's trek to find a northeast passage along the river. i will be meeting up with some friends to take this tour and then hopefully grab a bite to eat at our favorite haunt (pun intended) lefteris gyro in tarrytown. read about the full adventure tomorrow as i recap all things scary!!! have a happy halloween eve.
this is beth signing off.
mission will be accomplished tonight....or not!
this is beth signing off.
mission will be accomplished tonight....or not!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
mission: enjoying the fall weather
fall in new york city is one of my favorite times of the year. the trees are bursting forth with color, the temperature is brisk, and i can't get enough of the seasonal flavors of pumpkin, apple, and yummy spices! so after being stuck inside for the past few days, due to the rain (lots and lots of rain), i saw the sun begin to shine again. i just had to get outdoors and enjoy the beauty of the day, and so i took one of the kids i babysit (the other was in school) to find our adventure. we walked along riverside park on the west side and ended up at a little playground on 105th street. there was no one else there, and i saw that many leaves had fallen from the trees. while my little guy was playing on the playground equipment, i was gathering up a pile of leaves for him. he finally noticed what i was doing and immediately started picking up the leaves and tossing them in the air. then he was jumping in the pile, rolling around, laughing and getting so dirty! this is the best part of fall. being a kid, jumping in those leaves, throwing them up in the air and not caring that other people are looking at what you are doing. so, take a moment out of your week to just let loose and roll around in the leaves because before you know it winter will be here.
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
Monday, October 26, 2009
mission: jack-o-lantern
last night, after a long (and emotional) day, i needed to relax! one of my favorite things to do during the fall season is to carve a pumpkin. i know that it is way cooler to get one of those pumpkin carving kits where you end up with obama's face on the side of your pumpkin. however, i like to kick it old school by sketching my own jack-o-lantern, which makes it more personal. so patrick and i geared up with newspaper, knives, and a spoon to begin our project. what ends up happening, as it has in years past, is patrick cuts out the top and we together begin to scoop out the seeds and stringy pumpkin pieces. then, i draw on the face, and shortly after patrick tells me i made the face too small. i remind him that he can cut around the lines i have made even though i think it will be ok. then i begin to carve a part of the face that is really too difficult for me. then patrick swoops in and says, "let me do it. i'll do it." i look at him with some disdain and reluctantly hand over the knife (even though secretly i am glad he wants to take over). after patrick has pretty much done all the hard work (hahaha) i place the candle in the pumpkin and look upon the it with pride. it is truly a good time for some marital bonding and i felt much more at peace with myself after this project. i think our pumpkin needs a good name. throw me some suggestions in your comments!
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
mission: bedell winery part 1
this is an adventure wine lovers, or anyone who needs a relaxing weekend, should take! the bedell winery is owned by michael lynn, a big name in the film industry, with kelly urbanik over-seeing the wine-making process at the present. bedell is situated on 78 acres of vineyards that i, along with patrick and my friends adam davie and laura jacobs, had the pleasure of strolling through and tasting some of the fruits of the harvest. we were able to do this because adam was once an intern at this beautiful winery, and so he gave us access to our behind-the-scenes tour.we first checked out the merlot grapes that were waiting to reach their peak flavor. the vines grow in a way in which the grapes hang freely and are completely exposed to the sun. i will post a video in the coming days to further explain this process. so stay tuned because it is fascinating.
next we went to the chardonnay grapes. these were my favorite because they were a little sweeter than the merlot grapes. however, the skins of these grapes are more bitter than the merlot and the texture was slightly squishier. still it was wonderful to pick a grape here and there, sampling them before they turned into wine.after walking through the vineyard, the four of us headed back to the cellar where kelly and her crew make the wine. this warehouse type facility has a permanent wine aroma and makes you want to drink a glass right then and there. adam showed us where they sort the grapes (the berries) from everything else like leaves and stems and eventually seeds. we also got to see how they remove sediment like dirt or other elements that happen to cling to the grapes, called lees, from the wine. lees is eventually placed back into the wine to add character. we saw some barrels where wine was fermenting, and other barrels where the wine was sitting and flavorizing to get the desired oak flavor that makes this wine special.
as adam was explaining each step of the way to us, i began to gain an appreciation for how much care and time the crew at bedell puts into making the perfect bottle of wine. those working there can put in around 75-100 hours a week during peak harvest. this is to ensure that a precise level of care is given to the grapes to produce a product that is the highest quality. and it is quite amazing if you ask me. the wines we tasted were so smooth and delicious. try the white taste '08 if you want an earthy yet light wine that pairs very nicely with brie and crostadas (available at the tasting bar). we also sampled the '07 chardonnay, '06 musee (a red blend that is very pleasing to the palate). but! if you want a wine that will knock your socks off, you must have the '07 reserve chardonnay. it is my favorite-buttery, oaky, with hints of citrus. it is smooth as rose petals falling from the sky like in american beauty says patrick. i say it is like drinking a glassful of perfection. for more information about the wines that i have mentioned or the others that bedell cellars creates go to www.bedellcellars.com. plan a trip today or make a weekend out of it. i recommend staying at the bartlett house b&b located in greenport, which is only a couple of miles away. while in greenport you can check out the frisky oyster for a delicious meal, have tea and scones at the greenport tea company, walk the charming streets of the downtown area, or take a ferry ride to shelter island. fall is an ideal time to visit because the foliage is spectacular and the harvest is in process. on the way home check out one of the local farmer's stands where you can purchase the last fruits of the season.
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished october 25th.
special thanks to kelly urbanik, adam davie, and the bedell staff
Friday, October 23, 2009
mission: where the wild things are
what can i say? this beloved classic now turned into a feature film will captivate your heart. this movie was more emotional than i thought it would have been, but it was still fun loving and completely child-like. it brought me back to my days when i rolled down hills, played in leaves, built forts, climbed trees...oh wait! i still do those things.
maurice sendak's book was beautifully portrayed, and enhanced by the added dialogue (the book only has 10 sentences) and the whimsical soundtrack. i do not want to give too much away, but trust me, and the critics, when i say that it is worth seeing. you will fall in love with all things wild and you might shed a tear or two as you empathize with max and his monsterly subjects. so let the wild rumpus begin and go see this heart warming film.
if you live in the nyc area and want to grab a bite after your movie, my pick for the week is pio pio. there are a handful of these peruvian gems in the city, each unique in their own way. try the chicken pio and dip it into their famous green sauce. wash it down with the best sangria around. the pio pio i visited tonight is located on 10th avenue between 43rd and 44th. i felt like i was walking into the "wild things" fort! i frequent this restaurant and am never let down by the deliciousness of the food.
tomorrow i am off to the bedell winery located on the north fork of long island. i will be taking a back stage tour, thanks to my friend adam davie, to see how the wine is made and do some tasting right down in the cellars. i am excited to go back to this winery, which is my pick for the best on the whole northfork wine trail.
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
maurice sendak's book was beautifully portrayed, and enhanced by the added dialogue (the book only has 10 sentences) and the whimsical soundtrack. i do not want to give too much away, but trust me, and the critics, when i say that it is worth seeing. you will fall in love with all things wild and you might shed a tear or two as you empathize with max and his monsterly subjects. so let the wild rumpus begin and go see this heart warming film.
if you live in the nyc area and want to grab a bite after your movie, my pick for the week is pio pio. there are a handful of these peruvian gems in the city, each unique in their own way. try the chicken pio and dip it into their famous green sauce. wash it down with the best sangria around. the pio pio i visited tonight is located on 10th avenue between 43rd and 44th. i felt like i was walking into the "wild things" fort! i frequent this restaurant and am never let down by the deliciousness of the food.
tomorrow i am off to the bedell winery located on the north fork of long island. i will be taking a back stage tour, thanks to my friend adam davie, to see how the wine is made and do some tasting right down in the cellars. i am excited to go back to this winery, which is my pick for the best on the whole northfork wine trail.
this is beth signing off.
mission accomplished.
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