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!

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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

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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.

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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!

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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!!!

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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 :)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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