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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