Mission: star bucks

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mission: thanksgiving 2010

it's the most gluttonous time of the year...

this is one of my favorite holidays because it is a time to reflect over your year to see what you have done, where you have been, and give thanks for the blessings in your life. but, holidays like this need to become more than a mere feast followed by crashing on the couch to watch some football. it should be about taking care of those in need and helping them through a time that can be quite depressing or sorrowful.

this year, i would like to challenge my readers to go beyond and give...not just say thanks for what you have. give your time, your food, your money to your community. seek out volunteer opportunities and see how your life is changed for the better, because when you set out to change the world, you find out that it actually changes you. and what can be more fulfilling and humbling than that?

i also challenge you to pause during this season of rushing around, trying to find the best holiday deals, and recognize what God is doing around you and in you. He is the One who gives us life, and to Him we should offer our thanks and love. this allows us to actually experience our God, who created us and loved us first, even when everything else around us is whizzing by, too busy to acknowledge Him.

so, now i am off to pack up and head on a plane to tucson, az to spend time with patrick's family. happy thanksgiving to you all.

this is beth signing off.

mission: let the holidays begin!

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mission: dawn patrol

warning: the dawn patrol show is not for the faint at heart. why, you may ask? for starters, if you want to catch a bus from the park and ride, which comes highly recommended, one must wake up around 4:30 a.m. (and that was so we could make it to the park and ride at 5 a.m. which was 5 minutes down the road). mind you, it is still very dark outside at this time of day, and the sleep still very much overtaking your body.

so we hitch a ride to the balloon fiesta site, and we wait in the freezing cold until dawn was upon us. as we waited, we did eat some super spicy but ever delicioso breakfast burritos, complete with green chile sauce. this kept our mouths blazing hot and in return kept the rest of our bodies toasty. i was sad when i was completely stuffed with burrito that i could not finish the last two bites for some extra warmth. aunt sue did have some specially delivered kona coffee to last us a little while longer, however.

finally, the moment arrived, and the dozen of hot air balloons began to inflate. they even glowed (still dark) and all of the pilots were announced. one by one, they set off, and thus began the next event, the morning ascension. this is when all 600+ balloons are sent off into the atmosphere one by one and usually takes a couple of hours to complete. it was yet another amazing sight as we gazed into the sky watching the large balloons turn into tiny droplets as they drifted away from the field.

a great experience about this fiesta, as i mentioned in the prior post, is that you get to walk amongst the balloons and capture the entire process of an ascension. you get to see the pilots with their chase teams (the people who pick up a balloon after it has landed somewhere) unload the basket from a truck bed, spread the yards and yards of balloon fabric into its designated area, observe the flame being tested (bring your marshmallows), and finally the inflation. if you have never watched this process being done, let me tell you, it is extensive and takes a great team to pull it off without a hitch.

after the several hours of watching the balloons take off, the adrenaline wore off and sleep took us over once again. we had to nap so that we could take on one more balloon glow in the evening. that one is not worth blogging about because the wind conditions were too high to really have a proper glow. a good dozen or so were inflated, but the rest remained on the ground. i do want to say that the very last fireworks show of the festival was fantastic, even better than the night before, not to mention the amazing sunset we had. all in all, it was a good way to end the 2010 balloon fiesta.

patrick, aunt sue, and i did other things in albuquerque during our stay, and so in my next post i will give you the top 5 things you should do on your next visit to this quirky yet fascinating city.

this is beth signing off.

mission: accomplished

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mission: albuquerque balloon fiesta

every year in the city of albuquerque the largest congregation of hot air balloons during the first week of october. it is the highlight for new mexicans and fellow lovers of balloons from around the world! this year, big apple beth got the chance to go, and boy did i have a wonderful time.

i kind of have it easy making arrangements because my aunt susan lives and works out there, and with her as our guide, we didn't have difficulty maneuvering what events to attend, when to leave, and having the knowledge to take the bus rather than driving ourselves to the fiesta site. and might i add, the bus drivers and volunteers at this massive event were all kind and helpful!

after walking around the grounds for a bit, checking out the food options (lots and lots of fried delights and of course turkey legs) and take home souvenirs, our first fiesta activity was the friday night glow. the glow is when the balloonists inflate their balloon and firing them up so that it actually glows. this is all done while the balloons are tethered to the ground, and the guests can freely walk around the grounds taking pictures and walking beneath them. it is quite incredible, and i felt so small as i walked beneath the massive shapes. the glow that i went to consisted of all the special shaped balloons such as: spongebob, a cow named airabelle, a haunted house, two large boxing kangaroos, and family of bees! each new balloon that was inflated we exclaimed with glee, "is that a lady bug?" or "wow, it's darth vader's helmet!!!" it was so awesome, and there is no other word for it really. simply awesome.

as soon as it became dark, and the night air cooled off the desert, we settled into our folding camping chairs and watched a fireworks display. for those of you who don't know me, i LOVE fireworks! it was a fantastic show, but i was ready to head to bed, knowing that i had to wake up the following morning for the dawn patrol.

keep reading tomorrow as i explain how amazing the dawn patrol was! until then, this is beth signing off.

mission: accomplished.

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mission: almost like beginning again

tonight i watched julia and julia again, the movie that inspired me to write my food and travel blog about a year ago. i was hoping that within a year i would be able to write everything i did everyday so that i could gather my own following of people who were interested in my life in new york city and the travels in which i would partake. alas, my following is few, my blogs are sporadic, and writer's block has set in.

i wish i could write about some of the amazing things i have done in the past several months, like the over the rhine concert i went to at city winery or buying apple cider doughnuts at stew leonard's (which is the most awesome grocery store ever). but instead of back tracking and hoping for more consistency, i am going to begin anew.

so from this day forth, i will give you new adventures with full steam (until, as i predict, it will run out in a few months from now...again, but i will try not to let that happen).

this week is going to bring me lots of wonderfully exciting travel and possibilities. the first thing is happening tonight! my friends from college, josh and mandy harpold, are coming to visit us. it will be a short one, lasting roughly 12 hours for them, but it will be wonderful to see their smiling faces. funny how time flies so quickly the older we get. i haven't seen them in three years, the last time being at their beautiful kentucky wedding, but i suspect we will pick up right where we left off. that's what good friends do, and i should be so lucky to have some in my life.

the next thing going on this week is a trip to albuquerque, new mexico, to visit my aunt sue for the balloon fiesta! this fiesta happens every year, and i hear it is a most amazing sight to see. my aunt has us fully booked from dawn till dark, seeing the hot air balloons take off in the morning, glow in the twilight, and watching the fireworks light up the sky at night. not only that, we will hike, eat LOTS of mexican and drink some specially ordered kona coffee. i cannot wait.

to those who have been following my blog, thanks for hanging in there with me. i shall make my return a lasting one.

this is beth signing off.

mission: thank goodness for grace.

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mission: goodbye summer

fall is in the air, and i cannot wait to begin doing all of the fun fall things that i enjoy oh so much! but, before i can divulge any information on my recent goings on, let me tell you about the rest of my summer.

before moving, i got to visit some wonderful friends in the south. my first stop was to visit the wyllyses and the straits, who are patrick's family, in wilmore, kentucky. for those of you who have never heard of wilmore, that is okay, let me enlighten you. wilmore is a little college, ahem now university, town located about 30 minutes away from lexington. it is the place where i myself received my undergrad education and had the best four years of my life. it is also the place where i fell in love with the man i married, and so it will always have a special place in my heart.

the reason for visiting was to attend a baby dedication for little zoe grace wyllys, daughter to our best friends carrie and daniel. this beautiful service was held outside, at their friends' home, as the sun was setting and cows romping around in the meadow behind the yard. it was emotional and perfect, as dean wyllys, dan's father and methodist pastor, prayed over little sleeping zoe and offered her life to God. with many friends and family members gathered round weeping, i knew in my heart that zoe's life will be filled with love and support from so many caring people.

so, with that as our main purpose for the ky visit, we also got to enjoy spending time with patrick's aunt, uncle, and cousins (the straits) as well as some added time for the wyllyses, sans friends. it was relaxing and completely enjoyable to be around people about whom we care so deeply.

**for those of you who are going to attend the world equestrian games in lexington, check out these fave haunts of ours: pazzo's pizza pub, joe balogna's pizza, triangle park, graeter's ice cream, and ramsey's diner (best fried chicken ever!!!!!!!!!!!)**

after ky, i was off to charleston, south carolina for the remainder of my week to visit my friends laura and adam. these two new yorkers recently moved there so that adam could attend medical school at the university of south carolina. while i was there, laura was intent to introduce me to all things charleston, as this was my first visit there, and i was happy to oblige (as i am typing this, scarlet o'hara's voice is ringing through my ears).

my first full day there we went on a carriage tour around the city. now, in charleston, they like to do things a little differently. since there are so many carriage tours occurring at the same time, we cannot all go to the same places and see the same things. so, the tour guide must stop and find out where the tour is going. he is then given a number either 1,2, or 3 and that determines what section of charleston the tour is going to see. and! you never know what your are gonna get. our tour was 2, so we meandered down the center of charleston. it was fantastic and educational! the houses there are so beautiful and the history is so rich. i highly recommend this for first time visitors.

the next day we went to the beach on kiawa island, where adam's parents are in residence. so mostly that day was all about relaxing and getting burned. i also had an enormous amount of sand stuck in my bathing suit due to the fact that laura and i decided to lay down in the water while working on our tans (i mean tan for laura, burn for me). i can hear my mother's voice now..."some things never change bethany. you always had a load of sand in your bathing suit..." some things never do change :)

our agenda then proceeded to boone hall the following morning. this is an old plantation and is still working to this day. it was an interesting place, and we learned a lot about the gullah culture (derived from the african peoples who came over to america as slaves), and life as a slave. many slaves' quarters are still erect and have been turned into an exhibit all about african american history, from slavery to present day.

my last night there, laura, adam, and i decided to go out, and i wanted fried chicken! so we chose to go to virginia's on king. it...was...AMAZING! i highly recommend this place for some true low contry cuisine. try the fried chicken of course but the shrimp and grits is also fantastic! the price is right and the food will have you comin back fo mo.

the next i had to leave, but i left with some great memories. laura and i did many other things (adam was mostly in class and every night he shared all of the interesting things he was learning..he is going to be a great doctor. of that, i am sure), but i fear if i write anymore this post will become boring.

this is beth signing off.

mission: accomplished.

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mission: moving day!

good morning all! it has been yet another month in between my postings, but have no fear, big apple beth is sure to get back on track shortly. you see, this month i have been packing and getting ready for this very day...moving day. though i have been in denial, and on vacation, this day has finally arrived, and i am up and at 'em! packing the last of our things and sending them to our new apartment, which is on the upper west side of manhattan. it is a great neighborhood we with lots to do and see, plenty of running trails to explore, and no more riding the D train to get to work!!!!

i must confess, though, that i am sad to be leaving brooklyn. i love our dyker heights nabe, especially from halloween to easter when everyone decks out their house for all the holidays. christmas is the best here, and i will be coming back to visit the lights whenever i can.

i will also miss our wonderful neighbors that we have lived near these past three years. whoever moves in here next is going to be blessed and feel like part of special family. thanks meredith, especially, for the great person you are. we have loved living next to you, and you will be missed greatly (although we will get together in the city after work, so that makes me happy).

most of all, i will miss my first home i made with patrick. we have had wonderful memories of living in this apartment, filled with love, tears, and joy. it was a great first home for us, and i am sad to say goodbye to it.

but onward and upward we go...making new memories in our new place filled with new adventures and new missions for big apple beth!

so i am off to finish packing.

this is beth signing off.

mission: it has been great!

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mission: where have i been?

well a lot of places actually! my poor blog has gone to the wayside ever since i have been on a resume (and cover letter) rampage. looking for a social work job in this economy has been challenging, but i am still on it, ever pursuing a career.

ok so here is the whole kit in caboodle for you- a summary if you will to catch up where i have been and what i have done since going to gramercy tavern for my anniversary.

june

great adventure- patrick and i rode the rides and got some thrills at this six flags destination in jersey. it is a fun, family adventure although it lacks the disney charm. lots of big coasters are an attraction to the young adult crowd for sure. if you don't like waiting in lines when it's hot, the park is open until halloween!

the intrepid sea, air and space museum- awesome! located on 46th and 12th ave (pier 86) this landmark museum is a great place to take the kiddos here in nyc. there are lots of interactive exhibits and it is super fun to tour the submarine (the growler) and the intrepid to see how the navy has served on the high seas!

luna park and the wonder wheel at coney island- well if you can't make it to the jersey shore this summer, head down to stillwell ave where the subway dumps you right at the beach! ride the new amusements at the re-opened luna park and take a swinging trip around deno's famous wonder wheel! it is definitely a good time, and to avoid the lines get there around 11 a.m. when the park opens. oh! and don't forget to have your nathan's hotdog!

july

this month began with a trip to harbor island in south carolina. for a good 5 days, patrick and i enjoyed a wonderful family vacation. it was peaceful, relaxing, and patrick got some good golf in with his uncle dan at sea pines, located in hilton head. there was lots of family time, eating, and playing on our private beach!

destin- a florida panhandle resort paradise! with the frenzy over tar balls and oil leaks, this usually over crowded vacation spot was so fun. the water was surprisingly clear (until bonnie the storm brought some seaweed in her wake) and the beaches were still pristine. if you decide to head there and aren't scared of clean and empty beaches, go to mcguire's restaurant, located on highway 98 (the main road that goes through destin). it is a funky and fun place, and you can get a bowl of 18 cent soup. great irish pub fare and crafted beer with some interesting decor that will definitely keep the conversation going (there is over $900,000 of $1 bills stapled to the ceiling, walls, fans, and animal heads)!

this weekend lil' mommy (my mom) is coming to visit. we are going to see american idiot the musical and possibly visit the doughnut plant and american museum of natural history! should be a good one!

until then, this is beth signing off.

missions accomplished.

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mission: gramercy tavern

there are many great restaurants in new york city to appeal to one's particular taste. top chefs from around the globe find a home here and make tourists and locals mouth's water. one can find a place that shows off french techniques like eric ripert's le bernadin or if it's cucian classica that you desire, mario batali's del posto offers fine italian cuisine. i have yet to visit these places, and i am sure i will blog about them when i finally do, but i have found my foodie niche in the new american style.

what is new american food, you may ask? well, allow me to explain! we all know and love comfort foods that we have grown up with: mac and cheese, meat loaf with a side of mashed potatoes, chicken and dumplings with peas. the flavors we all recognize and makes us feel at home. well new american, essentially takes the concept of these types of foods and reinvents them constantly. new american is also reliant upon the "farm to table" idea, which means that all fresh ingredients are locally farmed and then used to prepare the meal you see in front of you. that way, everything is ripened and ready to eat pretty much all in one day! finally, new american takes the classical techniques of french and italian cooking, combined with new techniques that are ever emerging to make your farm fresh comfort foods taste like something you never have before, and yet you have. it is a paradox for the culinary world, and i love it.

so, now that you have a brief idea of what new american food, let me explain why i share this with you, readers. i have written about some great places in the past such as blue hill and craft. these are new american restaurants, with the great chefs of dan barber and tom colicchio. but it all began at gramercy tavern. in fact! tom and danny meyers began the beloved tavern as a way to introduce new american food to new yorkers. it was their brain child, and it has succeeded immensely since it's inception. since then, colicchio has moved on to his "craft" enterprise and has done well for himself. the food he presents has his own flair to it, with a precision of flavors that only a discerning palate can produce. so bravo to him. but gramercy, i must say, has that comfort level that makes one feel at home, and meyers has maintained that beautifully at his restaurant. as i ate my food there, i looked over at my husband and said, "i feel so special here because the food is so wonderful, but there is something about it, too, that makes me feel that i belong here." that is what is important to me about a place that will keep me coming back for more!

ok, enough with my soliloquy on food. let me tell you about what i ate!

patrick and i opted for the three course menu this time around instead of the tasting menu. our waiter, steven was so wonderful (ask for him and tell them bigapplebeth sent you), and also added to the homey atmosphere of the tavern. he welcomed us with a complimentary glass of sparkling white wine, as we were celebrating our anniversary. it was lovely.

it did not take me long to peruse the menu, because i already knew what i wanted! i had been studying the menu online for days, and i was ready to make my decision. so, i ended up with a soft-shell crab as my first course. it was so buttery and full of flavor. it was complimented with fingering potatoes cooked and seasoned to perfection. i was in heaven already.

the main course was a filet of halibut (my favorite fish) doused in a green garlic broth that contained fresh snap peas and leeks. the fish was so tender that i practically melted in my mouth. by far, this is the best piece of halibut i have ever consumed. ever. the broth added to the flavor of the fish, and the fresh peas were sweet and crisp. there was nothing wrong about this dish, only that i wanted more!

for dessert, i had the mango cheesecake. gramercy's cheesecake is actually what lured me to them. a couple of years ago, i went to the food and wine festival's sweets event where i sampled some of the most tempting desserts this city has to offer. but one stood out it my mind: gramercy tavern's pumpkin cheesecake with a lime infused whipped cream topped by a candied cranberry. yes, i have never forgotten it. so i just had to have the mango cheesecake to see if it was comparable to the pumpkin one...and it was. their cheesecake is very creamy and not too sweet. the mango takes care of the sweetness and balances out the tartness of the velvety dessert. it was paired with a fruity mango mint sorbet. it was the perfect ending. patrick and i had received a "happy anniversary" chocolate message on each of our plates, and then we were given a strawberry tart with almond ice cream as another anniversary gift from the restaurant. that dessert was also amazing!

patrick's meal was very different from mine. he had for his three courses: spinach salad with an orange vinaigrette, pork tenderloin with fresh peas, and chocolate bread pudding with cacao nib ice cream. his food also tasted yummy.

so, please check out this restaurant if you are celebrating a special event or just because. they also offer a less expensive tavern menu rather than the main dining menu, which is what we had. also, if you want to experience the tasting menu there, steven the waiter said to come at lunch. it is a better value for your money, but you still get to eat the quality food you should expect.

this is beth signing off.

mission: foodie worthy.

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mission: arizona adventures!

patrick and i visited his family a couple of weeks ago out in tucson. our reason? emily, my sister-in-law, graduated from high school on the 26th of may!!!! congrats to her and all of her catalina foothills friends. graduation is a time of celebration and accomplishment for those who are planning on the next phase in their lives. so go gettem emily! you are going to do well at the university of arizona and we are all so proud of you!

so, while we were out there, the activities proved to be a plenty! mostly it involved hanging out in the pool, eating lots of good food with a cook out and s'mores, and spending quality time with each other. patrick and his dad went golfing twice on the trip, and emily, her boyfriend chris, and my sister-in-law amanda's boyfriend jeff each took in one round with them. i am glad i didn't have to receive the pressure of sitting in the golf cart waiting around for four hours in the sun. no thanks! i was able to get the chance to keep up with my running, and ran a four mile loop around the neighborhood instead. and let me add that running at about 3,000 feet above sea level is a lot different than what i am used to (which is sea level) and i thought my lungs would burst trying to take in more oxygen than the air was actually giving me.

there were lots of moments where the whole group of us (me, patrick, mom, emily, amanda, chris, jeff, dad, and his wife judy) got to enjoy each other's company. we had the chance to go to the sabino canyon where we took a lovely tram ride to take in the sights. although it reached 100 degrees, we took a hike up a trail for a bit to get some photos of the beautiful scenery. this was my first time, so everything was new and exciting, except for our lack luster tour guide who put an extra syllable before most of his words. for example: "welcome to the ah sabino a-canyon!" yes, this is what we had to deal with the whole 25 minute tour. i sat next to chris and emily, and clearly it was not their first, second, or third time they have been on the tram ride. they could practically quote everything the tour guide was saying. it was funny, and we all joked about the guide's interesting talking technique, possibly imitating him the entire time.

after the canyon tour, we came home hot (it got up to 100 degrees yesterday) and ready for a dip in the pool. so for the next several hours we swam and ate snacks, enjoying the sunshine and the company. for dinner we ordered pizza and then hung around the house until 8 p.m. dad and judy said goodnight to us, and so what was left of the group went to the fred astaire dance studio to celebrate emily's graduation with a night of dancing. we even received a dance lesson for the rhumba, swing, and the two-step! the instructors, who are professional competitors and know many of the dancers we see on our favorite shows, showed off their stuff with several demonstrations! it was fantastic, and we all had so much fun. it makes me want to take more...maybe i will when we return home :)

more arizona adventures to come soon!

this is beth signing off.

mission: accomplished.

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mission: jersey shore and half marathon pics

first thing my family does on the ocean city, nj boardwalk?

eat pizza at mack and manco's!!!

tori and dylan

celebrating mother's day with my mom and mimom

the beloved and most delicious pizza at the shore

oh yeah, i devoured my slice...or two!

fudge sample man outside of the fudge kitchen...he kind of looks like christian soriano to me

dylan, kirk, and patrick hanging out on the boards

the iconic 9th street music pier...it's where you can go hear music or use a restroom

there is nothing like an overflowing bucket of warm, caramel corn

big apple beth eating a big apple before the brooklyn half marathon

my bib...i was all the way in the back

the now retired shoes...they have served me well

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mission: brooklyn half marathon

this morning i woke up to the sound of my alarm at 4:30, and yes it was still dark. the phrase, 5 more minutes, was in my head hoping i would return to my slumber, and therefore miss my half marathon. however, i sluggishly forced my body to sit up, slip out of bed, and feet hit the floor to begin my day.

i began to wonder, how did i get myself into this mess? can i really run 13.1 miles? let's go back a couple of months. many of you may remember my quest to find new and interesting things to do in nyc, things you would like me to write about on my blog. a few suggestions were given to me, but only one challenge was placed before my life that would test my physical abilities of running. seth baruffi told me he wanted me to participate in the nyc half marathon. may i inform you, reader, that i only started to really run last summer. sure, i had a few bouts of it here and there, but i became more serious about it due to my sister getting married, and i wanted to be in shape for her wedding. anyway, i took on the challenge, but realized that the nyc half had already closed it's registration, and i thought it was too soon anyway to really train for it. so then i saw that the brooklyn half was beginning the registration process, and so i signed up along with patrick and my friends sarah and michael weissman.

thus, my training began. i had a new gym membership and spring was beginning to show it's face so that i could take long runs outside on the weekends. it was a tough 8 weeks, but it proved to do it's job. i could say, if only i had another month i could have done better. and be that as it may, i was still running the half marathon today four weeks shy of a more prepared body.

and that leads me up to this morning. patrick and i had planned out how to get to prospect park, which is located in the middle of brooklyn and was the start of our race. we were to meet up with sarah and michael at the baggage area to drop off our stuff, get our racing numbers that michael had picked up for us, and just wait in our corral until the race began. this became somewhat of a difficult task because there were no signs for the baggage area at the place where we entered the park. patrick asked one of the volunteers where it was, and she pointed us in the general direction. once we got to the supposed place, they said it was a mile away. this was only 10 minutes before the race began, and i began to freak! another mile? i can't go another mile out of my way when i have 13 in front of me. patrick suggested we jog over to the corrals and forget baggage to find our friends, and so i started to do so, even though i didn't want to. but then i stopped and began hyperventilating and was on the verge of tears. i was pissed and felt like i really couldn't do this thing. finally, we caught up with the weissmans, and as michael went his way (he is a MUCH faster runner than the rest of us, so he went to catch up with his group) we walked and talked until the starting line.

patrick went ahead of us ladies, but sarah and i were committed to being with each other the entire time, no matter how fast or slow we needed to go. so our first 7 miles were in the park, and we had to loop around twice before leaving. the two of us were feeling pretty good the entire time we ran this section of the race. there was one killer hill we had to attempt to run up, and we did quite well the first time, but the second time we ended up walking a section of it. it was just too much and we didn't want to over exert ourselves at mile 4! after leaving the park, feeling good and feeling strong, we then had to run along ocean parkway. they shut down the highway just for us runners, and it was pretty cool! especially running down the exit ramp.

around mile 9, sarah and i had to begin walking frequently. it was getting hard and our bodies were really feeling it. i kept encouraging sarah to keep going, and so we set up our pace again until mile 10. this continued, the walking/somewhat jogging through mile 11. we kept seeing that our pace was still pretty good according to the race clocks, and we listened to our bodies' need for a little rest until about 3/4 of the way through mile 11. i kept pushing sarah saying that we only had about 11 minutes left of the race, and we had to finish this thing strong. so at the over pass right before the curve to run along the boardwalk, we picked up our pace through mile 12. i was feeling good again, and in my mind i told myself that i had to end this thing running, no matter what. once the two of us got onto the boardwalk, the adrenaline kicked in again, giving us the momentum to run the rest of the race. people were cheering us on and music was blaring inspirational tunes. that soon faded, until i saw the 13 mile marker. i was speeding up, smiling my way to the finish line. sarah and i decided to hold our hands high in the air as we finished our race. we heard our names being announced, i let out a wooooooot, and i never felt better about myself for being able to do this!

bagels and gatorade were given at to us as a way to keep the runners from passing out. i ate it with joy in my heart and pain in my knees. thank you to seth for this challenge! he is overseas serving our country, and so i dedicate my run to him, his family, and all of our troops out there who have to run in the heat of the desert just to keep us safe back home. thanks to sarah for being my running buddy, i could not have done this without you! and thanks to patrick and michael who supported us through this every step of the way.

this is beth signing off.

mission: accomplishment above all others!

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mission: jersey shore

last weekend patrick and i hit up the good ol' jersey shore to celebrate mother's day with my mom and grandmom (aka...mimom). now for those of you who did not grow up with me, i don't want you to begin imagining this trip like some MTV reality show version of what the jersey shore is. i can state that there were no fake tans, boobs, or nails involved in our "situation." there were no brawls or drunken make-out sessions in a nasty hot tub. it was merely a good time hittin' up the boards and partaking is some good eats, delicious treats, and a round or 6 of skee ball!

before i reveal my top favorite things to do on the boards of ocean city, nj, let me take you down my memory lane, so that you can picture this wholesome family resort. my very first memories of the oc go way back to the time when i could ride on my dad's shoulders. every summer, my parents took us to the favorite destination for some fun in the sun and surf during the day and to ride the rides and eat funnel cake at night. the drive to the beach was always boring, until we could smell the salty air and we knew we were getting close. as soon as we crossed over the 34th street bridge, our excitement really began to mount, especially when the "big wheel" was lit up in all of its rainbow glowing glory! as little kids, our inside happiness would well over and we would shout, "i can see it!!! i can see the ferris wheel!!!!" once we found an almost impossibly located parking spot and climbed the ramp onto the boardwalk, it was as if summer had officially begun. and as we know, summer is the best time of the year as a kid.

we would then proceed to buy tickets for our selected rides, usually including the blue choo-choo train that encircled "wonderland" pier and the carousel. this particular carousel is super fun because when i was about 8 or 9 they began to have the game where you sit on the outer circle of horses and try to grab a ring from the long wooden ring holder. if you got the golden one, you received a free ride. it was such victory when one of us got the golden ring. from there we would peruse the restaurants, usually ending up at mack and manco's for the best pizza in town, followed by a kohr brother's custard, and a take home bucket of johnson's popcorn.

if we could convince our parents, we also got in a round of mini golf or an extra ride on the choo-choo train down at "playland" pier.

the older we got, the bigger the rides became. soon wonderland had a log flume and the "twister." we also were allowed to go on the boards by ourselves, which was always the cool thing to do had we spent a week or two in a rental beach property. yes those were good times.

my favorite memory of all, though, is the time we spent a couple of weeks in this little third floor rental. i was fourteen, my grandparents from florida stayed with us, and of course we had friends in and out for that time. i had to share a room with my sister, which was fine, until i realized that i could fall asleep on the super comfortable couch located on the front deck. it was nice falling asleep while reading the "chronicles of narnia" to the sound of the surf hitting the shore line and feeling the cool breeze that did not enter my shared room. i felt safe and woke up with the sun every morning. to this day, if i am staying near a beach, i have to have the windows or doors open so that i can hear that same sound from my youth.

ok, so that is ocean city in my mind. now this past weekend, of course we ate mack and manco's, licked up a cone of custard, and wandered around the amusements, only to play skee ball. i would like to say that i rock at skee ball! i earned patrick and i 2 free games! i decided to skip the popcorn this time around, but i did sample my free piece of fudge outside of the fudge kitchen! i even got a second free piece when i entered the store to watch my sister purchase the melt in your mouth goodness. my mom had requested this shore adventure for mother's day, and i was a one well spent. we were all happy to celebrate the women in our lives who have provided so many good times for us...down at the shore or anywhere else we have been!

so those of you who want to avoid the perversion of the "jersey shore" mentality, check out the real shore and have a great time reliving or making new memories.

this is beth signing off.

mission: accomplished

i will post pictures of the ocean city, nj boardwalk as soon as i can!!!

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mission: asian food invasion!!!

i have returned to do some blogging, since i have been lacking in this area for a couple of weeks. whenever i am under a lot of stress, and i have the 10 new wrinkles on my forehead to prove it, i tend to have serious writer's block! but now i am stress free and ready to talk about my amazing birthday dinner at morimoto in philly (nyc also has a location as well...check it out new yorkers if you haven't already)!

so last weekend, i went to visit my mom and step-dad, kirk, because they wanted to do something special for patrick's and my birthdays. kirk said he really wanted us to go to morimoto together and thought we would enjoy it. well, anytime a good restaurant is mentioned, there is never a second thought in my mind whether or not we should go...so we did. tori and dylan also joined our foodie ranks and so her birthday was also celebrated that night as well. it was the trifecta of birthday celebrates!

upon entering the restaurant, my excitement began to mount (or was that the 2 vodka shots i had at mom's before we left...maybe both). the place was chic and modern, with funky lighting and a structural architecture that made you feel like you were beneath a wave of bamboo planks with swirly dry walled foam. the booths changed colors from green to blue to purple adding to the marine like ambiance. the staff added to the uber coolness to the atmosphere, having the right amount of pretentiousness and friendliness, giving you that feeling that you, as the consumer, were privileged and yet a pal.

so patrick and i indulged in the omasake, which is their 7 course tasting menu. everyone else got sushi. oh, tori had the kobe beef fried rice, it was melt in your mouth tasty!

first course: i am trying to remember what fish it was...tuna (i think) tartare with a crispy onion, doused in a fish broth and accompanied by wasabi. it was sweet, salty, and spicy. it definitely had the food feng shui going on! to cleanse the palate, the dish had a japanese peach, which is the size of a raspberry. it was very tasty.

second course: black cod, seared and drenched in an olive oil sauce. it had an asian flare to it, of course, and it tasted like fishy heaven.

third course: more fish!!! i can't remember what it was, i guess it wasn't too memorable.

in between our beginning courses and the entree like ones, we had a palate cleanser, which was a fizzy sweet drink that tasted a lot like sprite. i thought it was pretty good, but not very impressive.

fourth course: my favorite of the night, was the chilean sea bass with a black bean puree, shaved ginger, and hot oil. this particular item is found on the regular menu (the rest weren't) and i highly recommend it. it was perfectly cooked and the flavors were very balanced, once again.

fifth course: duck with foi gras and pickled ginger. the duck was very tender and had a lovely asian flavor to it. the foi gras was the most flavorful i have had to this date, but i had a difficult time eating it again due to the too velvety texture (which is a good thing if you love it).

sixth course: 5 pieces of sushi that began with the most mild fish and ended with the most fishy. i was so full at this point that i had a difficult time finishing this plate. i did manage to take a bite out of each piece so that i could covey how wonderful their sushi is to all my readers. i have to say that tuna is my favorite kind to eat.

seventh course: a chocolate cake topped with a strawberry gelled mousse. it had honey and bee pollen on the plate as well, making the dish look very pretty. there was also a spoonful of white chocolate mousse that was simply divine, sweet and smooth that complemented the cake very nicely.

for those of you who go there to order from the menu try these recommended items: ramen noodle soup (a favorite of the restaurant and my mom), any of the sushi or sashimi, and the chocolate pot de creme. that dessert will make you forget every other course and just have that to eat. it is decadent, not overly chocolately, creamy, and unforgettable. oh man is it perfection!

my other asian food invasion experience is the rickshaw dumpling bar food cart that travels around the city for lunch and early dinner. the flagship restaurant is located in flatiron, but you can follow them on twitter, @rickshawbar, to find their whereabouts throughout the week.

patrick and i had the chicken thai basil and the pork dumplings. each type of dumpling comes with its own dipping sauce, and you can get other things like edamame or salad to go with them. they were so freakin yummy that i wish i could them every day! rickshaw also has some vegetarian options for those who don't eat meat, and i am sure those a some pretty tasty dumplings as well. check out their website for menus and locations.

this is beth signing off.

mission: accomplished.

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mission: nice day in nyc

i am taking a small break from writing about my trip to greece in order to blog about this beautiful day. just to let you know, spring is my favorite season. life has once again returned after the cold dark days of winter, showing its face in the colors of the tulips, the buds blooming on the trees, and the care-free attitude breaking free in every child holding onto the hope that summer is right around the corner! yes, it is a grand time indeed.

i also love the spring because it means my birthday is almost here (two days as a matter of fact). i have been a little more blue than usual about my b-day because i am now entering my late 20's and i feel that life is flying me by! but after a good cry on patrick's shoulder, i have bucked up and am excited about all that is life for me. so bring it late 20's! i will show you what i am capable of.

to celebrate the day of my birth, i am going to take a couple of days and have some fun. patrick always makes fun of the fact that i like to drag out my birthday events for several days. i have now gotten him liking this treatment as well! so friday night we are going to my favorite (and cheap) thai restaurant, thai basil and then maybe followed by a crumbs cupcake (i mean definitely). afterward, we are going to see kristin chenoweth and sean hayes in the revival of the so nice they named it twice "promises, promises!" i can't believe i am going to witness firsthand both of those actors on stage, but to hear kristin sing...oh man is it going to be great!

on my actual birthday, i am going to have some friends over to play games. i am going to force my faves on them (balderdash and maybe some beatles rockband for the wii) and have a grand ol' time. i also ordered a lemon mousseline cake from amy's bread! it is going to be a fun-filled night.

until then, i get to enjoy my day today, filled with sunshine and warmth. i also get to see my friends alison and laura tonight to enjoy our fave burritos from chipotle while cheering on patrick at his very first softball game for his work. hope everyone enjoy's their tax day. and if you are having a difficult time with that, go grab a free coffee from starbucks when you bring in your own reusable cup!

this is beth signing off.

mission: takin it ease today...takin it ease.

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mission: greece days 3 and 4

right now i am awaiting a package that is to be delivered by the (in my opinion) unreliable and unpredictable ups man, and so as i listen to smooth french jazz of madeleine peyroux, i find it the perfect time to blog about athens.

even though blogging about this trip is taking me a long time to get through completely, i am finding that it is the only way to stay connected to the greek ways of taking my time. also, i get the chance to relive each moment one singular memory at a time, and i hope you are enjoying my process as well. patrick says i should write everyday to keep my readers engaged, and yet with everything else going on in my life right now, i blog when i can. thus i begin.

day three was all about the sight-seeing around athens, riding in

a mini-bus while stopping at the most significant ruins of the greek golden era. our companions on the tour were the ever engaging 10 year old lochlan and his wonderful mother linda from sydney, australia. our first stop on the tour was zeus's temple. in the middle of a green field, stands erect 15 of the original 104 columns of the greek god's temple. one has fallen down, making 16 in total. this is not a greek temple, but rather a roman structure built for zeus, and if you would like to read more about this temple click here.

we took our pictures for about ten minutes,and then were herded into our mini bus to continue the tour where our next stop was the old olympic stadium. our guide, maria, informed us that the greeks don't call it the old temple, but the temple that is made out of marble. everything the make is glorified, and of course the best. this st

adium is still used as a finish line for the yearly marathon, and is also used to begin the olympic games passing of the torch race around the world!

our final stop on the tour, was the acropolis (acro meaning edge and polis meaning city gives you the greek word for the site of the parthenon). along the way to the acopolis, maria pointed out many interesting sites around athens, such as the parliament building and the president's home. so we get to our destination, and hiked our way to check out the heart and soul of the greeks (when i say hike, i mean climb a lot of stairs, but it's not too exhausting). we learned that it only took 17 years to build the entire complex of the acropolis which includes the parthenon, the propylaea (gateway), the temple of athena nike, and the erectheion (another temple). the temples were beautiful to look at and all were very photogenic, but the views of the city were simply breath-taking. you could see the entire city of athens all the way to the sea port village of pireaus.

when we had seen everything and taken all the desired pictures, we headed back to our hotel. stelios, our trafalgar guide of athens, wanted to show us around plaka. stelios, in my mind, it your stereotypical greek man, just like the father from my big fat greek wedding. he gives you the entire history of the greeks along with the meaning to every word...ever without being asked. i found him very endearing.

so, even though we had ventured to this part of town already, we indulged him and gave him the chance to talk about everything that we saw. i cannot recount many of his stories, mostly because i zoned out and patrick was busy being entertained with the millions of stray animals and wanted me to take part in his excitement. (side note- there are no squirrels to be found in the city of athens, but in their place are hundreds of stray cats and dogs. i mean it, they are everywhere!!!) patrick and i were feeling quite hungry, and so as soon as stelios's plaka tour was over we headed to a cafe for some gyros! they are a lot different than the ones over here because the meat was not difficult to identify. however, they did not have many lamb gyros around, mostly chicken and pork.

we napped in the afternoon, checked out the acropolis museum, and then ate at an italian restaurant near our hotel. i think we needed something other that greek food that night. it was actually really good, so good we ate there again before we left. i had a farfalle pasta dish with shrimp and red peppers in a

tomato cream sauce while patrick had the cheesiest lasagna i have ever seen!

day four was a national holiday, and not just any holiday...THE holiday! it is the day that the greek celebrate their independence, march 25. this meant that everything was closed, and so we had little options for sightseeing. we began the day with stelios taking us to the military parade. it was so over crowded and so hot, i thought i was going to hyperventilate and pass out. thankfully i made it through the entire thing, and then patrick, linda, and lochlan and i took the metro back to the hotel. we decided that the metro system in greece is pretty amazing. it is clean and mostly made out of marble. i think that the mta should take note of this!

after some more napping and a change of clothes, and another round of gyros and tzaziki, patrick and i ventured out vis metro to faliro (i think) which is along the coast on the outsk

irts of athens and situated near the olympic complex. we walked along this one street and were amazed. the entire row was restaurants, one right after another. you could find any type of fare you wanted, from traditional greek to cuban to seafood! what i found interesting about these places were half of the restaurant was on one side of

the street overlooking the harbor and the other half was on the other side of the street. we deduced that the kitchen was on the non harbor side as we saw wait-staff lugging trays across the busy street. we were longing for some food but were not quite ready for a full dinner. so we settled on the haagen dazs cafe where we had a delectable dessert and freddo cappuccinos! between the view, the sweets, and my sweet, i was in heaven. it was so relaxing, and so perfect.

to get back to our hotel, we took the tram this time to experience that form of transportation. what can i say, us new yorkers have to know how to travel around each place we go! it was a long trip, but relaxing as we got to see the coastline and parts of the city we hadn't seen yet. our stop was quite close to our hotel and so we trudged back to our room to relax. for dinner that night, we thought we would try some greek fast food at their nation chain called goody's. we got some burgers and fries, and were happy to not spend hours at a taverna for dinner (although greek life agrees with me, i am still very much american).

patrick and i ended our night watching madagascar in greek. it was funny, and the amount of commercials was ridiculous! the same 30 second ads were played over and over for about 20 minutes! i am not exaggerating. i tried to count them at one point, but by commercial number 40, i lost interest in the game and fell asleep.

this is beth signing off.

mission: accomplished.

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mission: greece day 2

day two began with patrick and i hailing a cab to the center of athens. as part of our trafalgar tour package, we stayed at the divani palace acropolis. we checked in around 1 p.m. and then headed out to explore the city. our first stop had to be food since we were getting hungry. patrick wanted to find the ancient agora (agora is the greek word for outside or open space) so we followed the map to that general area and stopped at an outdoor cafe called tepina. we had some traditional greek food including a salad with fresh goat cheese, bread with tomatoes and feta, and kebab that we smothered in tzatziki sauce. we finished our meal with a freddo espresso, which is iced coffee that has a creamy foam floating on its surface.

from there we explored the flea market and the old part of the city called the plaka. you can find all the greek souvenirs your heart could ever desire in this part of town. the buildings in here have a classical feel to them and are much more pleasing to look at than in the more modern places around athens.

after plaka, we hiked up a hill which led us to the acropolis, although we waited till our tour to actually go up to see the parthenon, and we also saw the ancient agora from above and took pictures. we wound our way around the streets until we ended up back at our hotel where we got ready to meet up with maria loi, a greek celebrity chef and personality, at dionysus zonar's acropolis. i think this was my favorite part of the whole trip because we had a great time with maria and the food was phenomenal! this restaurant could rival any upscale place here in nyc and it is a foodie delight. if you travel because you love food, or love food and travel to find it, go here!

we had a several course meal that the chef carefully prepared just for us! we began with salmon sashimi with a thyme sauce. it was fresh and a great way to start off the meal. then we had a traditional fish soup that was creamy, savory, and full of flavor. the next course was by far my favorite, crayfish in a fava bean puree drizzled with olive oil. in between these courses we enjoyed bread and goat cheese and olive oil. our waitress gave us butter at first to accompany the bread, but maria loi sent it back asking for olive oil instead...she said she hates butter. course number four was shrimp in a creamy rice, very similar to risotto. our main entree was a perfectly cooked angus filet in a red wine sauce topped with foi gras. last time i had foi gras i did not like it, but attempting to not be rude i tried it again, and surprisingly enough i enjoyed it. the meal ended with a vanilla custard tart and a delicious vanilla gelato.

throughout the course of the night, patrick and i met the head chef, the head of wait staff, and the owner of the restaurant. we tried to convince everyone that nyc needed!!! a greek restaurant like this one. we sang praises to the owner and chef urging them to come to us (i don't think we got too far with them on that idea. maria will have to work her magic to convince them any further). our meal was also met with a challenge by our waitress. she was telling us how whenever americans come to the restaurant they say how wonderful it is there and describe it as "heaven" or "it's view is like a movie." she then told us how she wanted to start writing all these things down and post them on the internet. so i told her i would come up with the perfect sentence for her. i looked out the window, taking in the breathtaking view of the parthenon lit up in all it's glory. i had also just eaten my steak that was so perfect, and thus i was inspired. my sentence was, "food that will melt in your mouth, and a view that will melt your heart." it took a total of 30 seconds for me to come up with this line, shared it with patrick, and finally with our waitress. well, you would have thought i said the most earth shattering sentence ever created! everyone loved it, and maria loi was deeply affected by what i had said. she told me that i understand the greek way of life, and she began to tear up. everyone wanted me to record my words, and soon the whole restaurant had a copy of my sentence. i didn't know how to react, and so i tried my best to remain humble about what i had said. it was fun, and i am honored to have had the chance to be recognized by maria and the staff for understanding the greek culture. so if you see a cook book with a title similar to this sentence by maria loi, you will know where it all began!

after our dinner was over (three hours later...i love greek time, it is so relaxing. you can stay at your table as long as you want. you will never feel like you are being rushed out of a place) we said our good byes to maria and staff. it was a delightful dinner full of fun and good conversation. thank you to maria and everyone at dionysus, it was the most amazing time we had in greece and we hope to visit your beautiful country again soon!

this is beth signing off.

mission accomplished.

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mission: greece day 1

the entire time i was in greece, i had no access to the internet (and to be honest, it was kind of nice being disonnected for a while. so now i get to recount all of the fun adventures patrick and i had in the big olive for the next several blog posts...hope you enjoy them!

day one began after a long overnight flight. this, in theory, would have been nice if i were the type of person who could sleep on a plane. alas i cannot (subway, yes any day of the week...plane never), and so i hazily made my way through customs and baggage

claim wanting so desperately to snuggle up in a bed.

anyway, our first stop on our trip was the westin at astir palace, located on the vouliagmeni penninsula, which about 15 miles

away from downtown athens. while we were waiting for our room to be cleaned, we were served some complimentary coffees and cookies and enjoyed soaking in the gorgeous view of the surrounding beach and resort property. the lobby of the westin is located at the top of a cliff, so we could see pretty much everything in the surrounding area.

after our coffees, we further explored the hotel, chilling out in some lounge chairs while listening to the soft lapping of the waves against the rocks. it was so serene, and so perfect i could have stayed there all day. but patrick wanted to check out more of the area, so we walked up a path and found a little field overlooking the agean sea. patrick climbed down some of the way, and i took this picture of him.

when we were finally able to go to our room, the first thing on my agenda was to take a bath, bubble of course, and the second thing was to take a nap. upon waking up, we felt refreshed, got ready for our dinner, set up by greek celebrity chef maria loi, and took another walk. this time we walked along the road and found some beaches (we didn't go to them because we had to pay and it was too cold outside), and finally arrived at our restaurant, ithake (pronounce ee-tha-kee).

dinner was lovely and the perfect introduction to greek cuisine, and the view from the restaurant was divine. we could see the resort coastline and with the moon high and bright, everything romantically glimmered. anyway, the food...patrick and i shared a nice salad and some calamari. my entree was a filet of grouper that was cooked to perfection and seasoned very simply. it was fresh and clean on my palate, and i ate it alllll up. our dinner was paired with a delicious white wine from santorini (and later on we got to see the vineyards there). dessert was a traditional greek pastry with honey and phyllo dough, but it wasn't baklava. similar but not the same. i think we were there for about three hours total because the greeks really value taking time to enjoy a meal, to be with the ones you love and truly enjoy the food and good times. this way of life could really suit me, and i wish that nyc was more like that at times rather than feeling pressured to leave as soon as my meal has been consumed.

patrick and i then left for our hotel, sauntering all the way back. the rest of our vacation was ahead of us, and i couldn't wait to experience more of this beautiful country.

this is beth signing off.

mission: accomplished.

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mission: greece

today is the day patrick and i are traveling to greece....opa! we are super excited about this trip, going to a place that is new for us and exploring all the great historical sites while enjoying everything that is relaxing. we are taking a tour through trafalgar, and it is a "free and easy" tour group, which means we get to just do and see the things we want when we want.

so the first half of our trip will be spent in athens. we will get to go to places like the acropolis, zeus' temple, delphi, etc. etc. then we will embark on a cruise around the cyclades islands, i.e. crete, mykonos, and some other ones i can't remember the names of right now. we even get the option of going to ephesus which is in turkey, and because we have heard great things about the once port town, we are totally checking it out.

after the cruise we have one more night in athens and then we will be heading back to the states. i will try to keep up with what we are doing day to day, because this trip will be the best adventure yet!!!

well it is time to do some last minute packing.

this is beth signing off.

mission: beginning.

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mission: wedding part 3

ok, i have soooo been slacking on my blog lately, and i apologize for not yet sharing with you all about my sister's wedding. there is no excuse, but i would like to say that i thin the sunshine has cleared up my cloudy thoughts and am now able to write about my sister's wedding day.

so i last left you the night before the wedding with the bridal party and some friends singing and dancing. i tossed and turned for a good while, thinking of all the things that i needed to do to help tori have a most perfect wedding. finally, i drifted into deep sleep only to be awaken five hours later by a very excited bride. tori bounced into our shared hotel bed, grinning widely (well i couldn't see the grin, it was still dark in our room, but i could hear the grin) exclaiming,

"i am getting married today."

so i was up because i immediately joined in her excitement.

"yeah you are!" i yawned.

we talked and shared some sisterly moments before we turned on the tv. then we all began to get our showers so that we could have a girls breakfast down in the lobby. it was a very relaxing morning, and tori was as calm as she could be. before long, the hair stylist came to make us look beautiful. tori was first, and her hair looked absolutely stunning. it was beginning to feel real. my eyes began to mist as i watched her transform into the princess she al

ways wanted to be. flashbacks to our youth began to flood my mind, playing with barbie dolls and dress up, but i kept it all inside, taking new mental photographs for this time and place.

time was going by so quickly, but we all had everything going like clockwork. we were trying to stay on time as much as possible, and with the help of tori's maid of honor, marie, telling us all how beautiful we looked, everyone felt happy and ready for the rest of the day. when mom arrived to the hotel, tori wanted to begin getting dressed. mom, marie, and i helped tori put on her beautiful gown, which was ivory with silver beading and a gathered a-line skirt. she looked like belle from beauty and the beast. after mom went downstairs, the rest of the girls put on their lovely blue dresses and then gathered around my sister to spend time praying for her and dylan. it was my favorite moment of the day.

next on the agenda was heading to the church on time!!! the limo driver came to pick us up, and was he ever the most attentive driver i have ever seen! he would not let anyone else help him with getting tori in and out of the stretch suv. this made it easier for her though because it had just snowed and he didn't want her dress to get all dirty.

so we get to the church, and we waited in the chapel room until the ceremony began. dylan's mom, terry (hi terry!!!!), came to see us all and she pointed out that th

e sun was shining, just for them! the excitement began to really build up and then, it was show time.

tori could not have looked more beautiful, and dylan could not have looked more in love! i watched his face as he saw tori in all of her bridal beauty walk down the aisle to meet hi

m, her groom. the ceremony was perfect and before we knew it, they kissed and now my sister is mrs. dylan albright!

after taking loads of pictures, inside and

out (boy was it freeeezing) we ventured over to lucien's manor for a great party. the hall was beautiful and, with romantic candlelight centerpieces, enhanced by blue lighting over the dance floor, everything was breathtaking. before the reception actually began, i have to tell you that i totally wiped out on some steps there. my arm was sore for days, but my pride was hurt most of all. dylan's best man dave kept making comments to me the rest of the night, but i deserved them.

the reception then commenced as the party was announced. dave and i irish jigged our way in, and i have to say it was the best entrance ever! tori and dyl then came in and danced. from there speeches were made, food was eaten (the most food i have ever seen), the dj got the party going, dances were danced, cake was cut, and goodbyes were made.

it was a wonderful wedding, and probably the most fun i have ever had as far as wedding goes (the fun factor even beat my own wedding). much love and blessing to the happy couple!!!

this is beth signing off.

mission: phew...accomplished.

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mission: wedding details part 2

after the rehearsal dinner at charlie browns, tori hopped into the car with lauren and i, and the three of us were on our way to the residence inn. the rest of the bridal party, as well as a few more friends, were waiting for my sister's arrival, and when she stepped into the room, she was excited to see it decorated just for her. we put on our pj's and donned the bride with a hot pink bachelorette sash, tiara, and a classy penis lei. oh yeah...it was time to party!

we began the night with tor opening up her lingerie presents right away because my mom was there for only a limited amount of time. marie, tori's maid of honor, and i came up with a game for the purchase and opening of the gifts. each girl was given an adjective, such as "vixen" or "bridal beauty," and we had to buy a piece of lingerie according to that word. we thought that this would increase the variety of fun things for tori to wear on her honeymoon. then! she had to guess who bought her what based on the adjective that was labeled on the package. i have to say that everyone did a great job buying for her and it was fun watching her try to guess the person behind the word (she got most of us right).

after the presents were opened and admired, we began the real party. this was not a typical bachelorette party because we did not have any real plan to go out. marie and i thought that it would be fitting to have a dance/ pajama party where girls just want to have fun! and that iswhat we did. we celebrated and toasted tori's final single night with sparkling wine and schmirnoff. tori had to drink hers from a penis shot glass...once again, super classy.

mom then left us and from there we all danced, laughed, and sang at the top of our lungs for the next couple of hours until we realized we better head to bed and get our beauty rest. we turned the music off and talked a bit about the next day's events when we got a phone call. marie picked up the phone and chatted with someone from the front desk. apparently people were complaining about the noise level from our room (or so they thought), and marie was asked if the noise was bothering us. she replied with a, "noise? no it hasn't bothered us at all...thank you." we all cracked up, feeling we did our job at having a super fun night with the bride!

now, i cannot share some of the other exciting details of the night...what happens on bachelorette night stays there!

this is beth signing off.

mission: accomplished...and details part 3 still to come.

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mission: wedding details part 1

i cannot believe it has been over a week already since my sister became mrs. dylan albright! i also cannot believe it has taken me this long to actually blog about the event, but as my husband, employer, and myself know, i have not been on my "a" game this week. so i am finally ready to share the fabulous details of a most beautiful winter wedding.

the wednesday night before the wedding, patrick and i headed down the pike to stay at my sister's apartment, for the following day we had a lot of last minute things to do! we spent the night playing rock band, and tori's friend, sarah, came over for a bit to chat. the boys (dylan, his best man dave, and patrick) went out to celebrate one more time together before the big day. we girls took it easy and went to sleep at a reasonable hour.

thursday was a whirlwind of a day. tori and i began it with a doughnut run to dunkin, which became disappointing because tori's had mold on it! she was too disgusted to eat anything else for a while, so we got ready and headed out to five below to buy some last minute gifts. then, we headed over to walmart where tori got a nail fixed as i shopped for a list of makeup, pantyhose, and other girly items, making sure we were using our time wisely. after our shopping, we took the time to get a sandwich from subway, also located in the walmart. that place kept us a little more sane because it was a one stop shop for sure! however, the time was flying by, and i knew that i had to get over to the residence inn to set up for tori's bachelorette/ lingerie party. not only that, i had to get myself ready in time for the rehearsal at the church!

when i dropped the walmart items off at tori's, i had to catch up with the boys to find out their plans. patrick told me he needed our car to take to the reception hall, lucien's manor, so that we would have a ride home from there the following day (we were all going to be in a limo to the the church and then to the reception, but not afterwards...so that became a dilemma). i told him i needed the car because it had everything in it for the party, and i didn't want tori to see it until later that night. our argument was going nowhere, until dyl solved it for us and decided that they could drop the car off at lucien's after the rehearsal dinner! great...i was off.

now, i was running 30 minutes behind my schedule, and my brother, josh, called me on my way over to the hotel. he told me to calm down and to remember that this was not my wedding (never thought that, but it was sound advice nonetheless). he made me laugh, i felt better, and i ended up having plenty of time to set up for the party. lauren, my sis-in-law, came over to help me add the final touches to the room, which was a lovely two bedroom and bathroom suite, perfect for five girls getting ready at the same time! we made it looked pink, and girly, complete with a bachelorette sign, 3 dozen pink roses, and fun games already to play.

i then got ready as quickly as i could, and lauren and i headed over to the church where we had the rehearsal. it was probably one of the funniest rehearsals i have ever been to. old man rivers (the assistant pastor) stood in for the head pastor who would lead the ceremony on the wedding day. he told us many unnecessary and slightly strange stories throughout the night. my favorite was when he was a youth pastor and the kids would call him daddy, and then when they got older they would call him grandpa. now, i thought that was a little odd...i have never referred to a youth pastor as daddy, but i guess that is what happened to him. hmmmph.

my mommom said we all acted horribly up there, but it was just too funny, and i think we kept the whole family as onlookers laughing. it was free entertainment for sure! the wedding crew then ventured down the street to charlie browns for a wonderfully fun dinner. i had the steak and mashed potatoes. i couldn't finish my meal, nor could my sister, so joshy came over and took both of our plates only to return them completely clean. he then polished off two or three pieces of cheesecake for his dessert. good thing he didn't have to worry about fitting into his outfit the next day. it was a good time with never a dull moment, and tori and dylan were chraming hosts. the bridal party and the parents were given their gifts by the happy couple, and then we were said goodbyes to head over to start the real party!

part 2 will recount the bachelorette party. stay tuned.

this is beth signing off.

mission: accomplished.

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mission: wedding week!

that's right! my sister is getting married this friday, and i am ready...well almost. being the maid(tron) of honor, i have been a tori's beck and call, waiting to help out, planning and organizing, trying to keep her as sane as possible. i am at the point where i have just about reached my limit of sanity, and my stress has began seeping out of my pores awaiting a gigantic wave of hilarity and madness to come rushing, no longer seeping, out of my very being. for now, it is at bay. fortunately, my sister-in-law, lauren, has helped me, for she is the most organized person i have ever met and so detail oriented she asks me things i never even think of!  my mom also has been a help, making sure everything is getting done and keeping me laughing all the way. so with this powerful band of super women, this wedding is going to go on without a hitch (except for tori and dylan...they can get hitched).

until then, my to-do list is at home, staring me in the face every time i sit down on my lovely red couch. lime green with pink polka dots, the cutesy-ness does not fool me. i have what seems like a daunting amount of things to accomplish before tomorrow night. most of those things consist of cleaning and organizing my own apartment, a wreck of a place that is usually neat and tidy. i think it has become a reflection of what my mind looks like right now. let's just say, good thing i have off tomorrow, and also, good thing i have a husband who is willing to help me out, more so to keep me happy than anything else (because who really wants to take out a mound of recycling that has been collecting for quite some time...sarah and michael, you know what i mean).

i am getting a few things accomplished before i leave manhattan tonight, so that helps. and! this morning i did clear off my coffee table from the clutter of mail and magazines. was that a blockbuster video hiding????

so enough with the complaining, i am super excited to party it up! my mom told me she is going to dance the entire time at the reception, and i said that's all i do! there is a leashed dancer within me, and it only gets to really come out at weddings. i take that back, i dance all the time. dylan, my soon to be brother-in-law, laughs at me while asking if there is ever a time i am not dancing. no. there is not. and i sing all the time too. but! weddings are the times i get to dance with my husband, so that makes it extra special for me :) this will loosen us up for the bollywood lessons we are going to take in the spring!!!! woot woot! 

i will keep you readers updated with the wedding and get some pics up on here by the end of the weekend. cheers to tori and dylan!!! happy wedding week!

this is beth signing off.

mission: oh crap...the matron of honor speech...

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dream: i stole from bloomberg

whenever i take nyquil before i go to sleep, i am consciously aware that i will have a crazy dream. so as i took a dose last night, as i still fighting off this ridiculous cold, i looked at myself in the mirror and declared, "here is to a funky dream." pill swallowed, chased with cold water. out cold in five minutes.

my dream began in a cabin, and there was lots of snow outside. my dad was there and so was my mom and her mom (mimom...oh dear this will be a funny dream). my parents are no longer married to one another, and so this bizarre reality has begun. i am talking to my sister about a money scam i participated in. it was something like, i get a fraction of a cent every time someone, who i don't know, spends. they never even know i am stealing from them (isn't this from a movie...oh yeah office space!) my sister tells me she was involved with the same thing, and she was stealing from michael bloomberg, the mayor of nyc. she said she almost got caught, but it was no big deal. that is when i began to panic. i hopped into a car with my dad driving it and i told him what i was involved in. he was willing to help me escape, and as i was saying goodbye to him, the fbi found me. i was shaking with fear and dread of what they were going to do to me. they told me i had stolen $500,000 and i wasn't going to get away with it.

i was taken into a room, and a lot of people were there waiting for me. i finally saw a man who looked like mark twain, and come to find out, it was bloomberg trying to hear the truth from me. i said that i was tricked and scammed. i didn't mean to steal form anyone. and through my tears, bloomberg felt sorry for me and told me that i had until midnight to get the check of $500,000 to him so that i could be set free. if i didn't get it to him, i would be sent to prison. i rushed back to the cabin and was trying to find the check everywhere. it was in my purse, but a dog had taken it to play with it. i tried to find the mangy mutt but could not to no avail. i told bloomberg what had happened, and so he set out to help me find the check, trusting that i was telling him the truth. i also let him know that if i knew he was in that room when i first met him, i would have given it to him right then and there.  anyway, we searched high and low for the dog and i was running out of time. i was getting so upset with my family because they refused to help me out. i was freaking out, noticing how time was slipping so quickly from me. it was 11:39 last i checked, and suddenly! patrick woke me up from my dream. thank goodness.

strange...here is my analysis.

patrick and i have been able to spend a little bit more money that we normally would because we both have had decent bonuses and patrick just got a raise. we haven't been out of control, but if we continue on the path we are then we will! i guess i am subconsciously worried that money will take over my life instead of enjoying the things that i already have. we need to be wise with what we have been given, not be careless (or steal...haha) about money. 

this is beth signing off.

mission: laying off the nyquil for now.

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