Fall Visits

I had two back-to-back fall visits last week. I went up to Boston to see Paula for Northeastern's Parents/Family weekend. Mom was already there so she and I got to see the sites of Northeastern and shop with Paula. The little one realized that between the cold weather and business casual dress code in classes, she needed a lot of new clothes.

Then, Mom and I took the bus from Boston to New York, where we hung out and played a bit in the city. I took three days off of work to enjoy the time to relax and hang out. We went to some needlepoint stores, went to the little Italy area of the Bronx, hit a museum, and tried out a couple of new recipes.

During both visits, it was a lot of eating, shopping, and hanging out. Fantastic time was had by all! I can't wait for the next opportunity, but I think the next visit will be in California at the beach for Christmas.

Happy Halloween!

I don't always get into Halloween. I will for sure get candy corn and other treats for myself every year, sometimes hand out candy to trick-or-treaters and sometimes get into costume.

This year, I had an idea about 10 days before Halloween that seemed relatively inexpensive and easy, but I wasn't sure if I had the guts to do it. Once I started telling people the idea, they were in such disbelief that I would even consider it, I felt like it was a dare.

And so, I donned tights and a leotard to channel my inner Beyonce, matching her outfit from the Single Ladies video.

So here we go; totally out of character, but totally fun.

And I owe the hair to a friend who teased it for 20 minutes, plus the Bumpit for long lasting "oomph" and height.

Charge It

I have a pink credit card. Yes, it is a little Barbie style. More girl power to me for shopping, etc.

I didn't really intend to sign up for a pink card, but once it arrived, I figured it was too much of a hassle to replace the card with something sleek and black, which was my preference.

The reason I mention the pink card is because every time I use it, people comment on it. I've decided that maybe the infamous card is safe because anyone ringing me up notices it, comments on it, and I'm sure would note a red flag if a guy were using it, so if I get mugged, it needs to be by a woman. J/K...mugging isn't something I laugh about.

It is also not breast-cancer pink, though that would be a great pink card option. Instead, it is good old Discover, in it's hot pink glory.

If you want a card people notice, for whatever reason, I highly recommend pink.

Fresh Fall Apples

About three weeks ago, some friends and I trekked out to the suburbs to go apple picking! This was my third annual trip and I really like the fall tradition we have going. Though the first year when we went, I was actually surprised that you got to pick the apples right off the tree. I thought it was more about visiting the farm/orchard and then buying a bag to take home.

I now depend on these trips to get a nice crop of apples to munch on and cook with in the fall. So, this year, I picked 14.5 pounds! But aren't they gorgeous.

I finally got around to making something with my apples and made dumplings. I'd never made apple dumplings before and the recipe looked simple enough. I thought these would end up looking pretty sloppy because I didn't fold the pastry as nicely as I should have, but once the dough browns, they looked great.

Taste wise, I didn't love them. I think the filling was too simple. It was just cinnamon and sugar dropped into a peeled, cored apple. I think if I try these again, I'd add a little butter and maybe some nuts and brown sugar too.

Until then, I'm enjoying an apple a day and some homemade applesauce.

Hi, remember me?

I know...it's been over two weeks since I've posted. Where is the time going? Here's a little recap of Fall 09 so far and I promise, a legit post will come soon.

Been working a million hours (you don't want to hear about this)
Went to St. Louis (you heard about that)
I met a boy (not sure if there is anything to tell yet)
Went apple picking (pics and recipes coming!)
Started tennis again, adult level two! woo-hoo!

So that's about all for now, I've got an awesome vacation to Vegas this weekend and then I hope to get caught up on things like laundry, blogging, and cooking once work settles down.

Glam Monday

This picture makes me smile. There is something glamorous yet also silly about it. Thought I'd share.

Happy Monday!

Lining Up

There's a joke that in college and NYC, if you ever see a line of people, just get in it. Ask what you are waiting for once you've staked your place.

In college, the theory is that there is free pizza or a free t-shirt at the front of the line. In New York, it's anyone's guess.

Occasionally, I've been in line for a party that advertisers or sponsors get invited to and people will ask what we're waiting for. I'm not usually in the touristy lines for tickets to a show or for some club that has a huge wait, so I don't deal with the queue-query too often.

But yesterday, we had an off-site meeting for our whole office at the bar/restaurant next door to our building. As we were lined up to enter the space and showing company IDs to get our free drink ticket, two people stopped while I was in line (probably in the queue for about 3 min) to ask what we were waiting for/what the event was.

Needless to say, when they heard it was a State of the Union style meeting, they weren't too interested. It is funny though that you never know what may be at the front of the line.

Happy 100 Posts!

I just realized that this is my 101st post. That's quite a milestone and for those keeping track, I have not been to the gym 100 times.

Oh well. I enjoy blogging way more than the elliptical and I'm in okay shape.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

I love baseball and enjoy "the great American past time" in all different cities, though my allegiance lies in the Dodgers and the Red Sox.

Tonight I'm off to a Cardinal's game in the great baseball city St. Louis. I have friends here and thought it would be nice to visit and enjoy a fall evening at the stadium.

I've been to a few of the great stadiums in the US, not all of the big ones, but I'm young and plan to keep on visiting different stadiums. Here's where I've been so far:

Dodger
Mile High (CO Rockies)
Candlestick (where the Giants used to play...haven't made it to the new one)
Fenway
Yankee (both old and new)
Shea Stadium
Citi Field
Wrigley

Until then, I'm enjoying my beer and hot dog at Busch Stadium on free fleece blanket night!

Must See TV!

New TV is back this week! The very first batch of shows are starting up again for the new season. I'm realizing there are too many I want to watch because I've enjoyed the summer of not watching TV every night and doing things like catching up with friends, in person and on the phone, and reading.

But none-the-less, I love TV and the list below is all of the shows I plan to watch at least once to determine if they are worth my time.

What are your favorites coming back or starting up this fall?

September 8:
90210, 8 p.m. (The CW)

September 9:
Glee, 9 p.m. (Fox)

September 14:
Gossip Girl, 9 p.m. (The CW))

September 17:
Survivor: Samoa, 8 p.m. (CBS)

September 21:
Castle, 10 p.m. (ABC)
House, 8 p.m. (Fox)
How I Met Your Mother, 8 p.m. (CBS)

September 22:
The Good Wife, 10 p.m. (CBS)

September 23:
Cougar Town, 9:30 p.m. (ABC)

September 24:
Grey’s Anatomy, 9 p.m. (ABC)

September 27:
The Amazing Race, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Brothers & Sisters, 10 p.m. (ABC)
Desperate Housewives, 9 p.m. (ABC)

Missing College, Missing Boston

The "baby" of the family has her first day of college today. She moved in on Sunday, had convocation on Monday and is off to classes today.

She happened to pick one of the best cities to go to school in- Boston. Thinking about all the fun and excitement of starting college made me go down memory lane. Here are some pictures of "My Boston".

The T, running straight through BU's campus, heading into downtown Boston.

The Prudential Center (aka The Pru) cheering on the home team.

Sailing in the Charles River with downtown in the distance. I took sailing as PE one semester.

My freshmen dorm after one very big snowstorm.

A Wonderful Holiday Weekend

One of the great things about not being in school or having kids in school or working in a school is that Labor Day weekend has no back-to-school connotation. Instead, it is just a last blast of summer long weekend. There were a couple of friends in town so the usual group got together for all sorts of fun. The highlights were a picnic on Governor's Island and going to the US Open.

Great view of lady liberty from the island.



My friend got us incredible seats at Louis Armstrong stadium at the Open (the second largest stadium there) and we saw some great tennis.

Del Potro serving...he's 6'6" and Argentinian; very good looking and fun to watch play.


Venus Williams serving




Williams sisters playing doubles. I caught a ball one of them hit and there is a streak of purple/pink on it from one of their skirts. Pretty cool souvenir!

The September Issue

There is a really interesting documentary that comes out nationwide today and I highly recommend. Because I already saw it....

One of my favorite things about living in NY is that the movies that begin with "limited engagement or select cities only" begin here. I'll admit that I'm a little smug about that. But, to be fair, growing up in Bakersfield, there were some movies that never came or came very late. Not even only "controversial" movies, but also movies considered non-blockbusters.

Anyway...I digress. The September Issue is a documentary about putting together the 2007 September issue of Vogue, featuring the infamous Anna Wintour, who The Devil Wears Prada is allegedly based on. I think anyone who is interested in fashion, magazines, or documentaries will enjoy.

September fashion magazines are the biggest, most important issues published in the year. That's partly why they are so thick, everyone wants to advertise in it.

I had a certain affinity for the movie because there are a couple of scenes that reference projects I worked indirectly on through my job. Very cool to have a little trip down memory lane. And of course, I love beauty, magazines, and the glamour of it all.

Anyway, it is a smart movie that makes everyone feel glamorous and feel like they are a part of the glamorous fashion industry.

The last days of summer...

As Labor Day approaches, I'm a little nostalgic for the summer. It seems to have been too short and flew by too quickly, despite being the longest summer possible if you measure summer from Memorial Day to Labor Day (which I do).

We had a slow start to summer weather wise with the coldest June in NY history and record breaking not hitting 90 until late July. And now, in the last few days before Labor Day, I'm getting in all my whites and will enjoy our last early closing for a while at my office this Friday.

The only trips I really took were to DC, Boston, and CA this summer. I know on the surface that sounds like big trips, but I go to those places all the time so it wasn't adventurous, more like comforting.

I also read a ton, not everything deep or well written, but I was entertained. Here's a list:

Commencement
The First Assistant
The 19th Wife
sTori Telling
Must Have Done Something Good
On Mystic Lake
Certain Girls
One Fifth Avenue
City of Thieves
Ten Big Ones
And of course....all the Harry Potters!

I'm currently reading Free Food For Millionaires and figure I'll finish by the end of the long weekend.

It's been a good summer, a lot of time to myself but I've enjoyed the peace and quiet and gearing up for a very fun and busy fall.

Nectarine Cake

I promise I am not trying to make this a food blog. However, I am a big fan of trying new recipes and figure, if they are a success, it is nice to share. If they are a flop, I'm always good to laugh about it.

Also, when things get hectic and stressful at work, I like to cook to keep myself balanced. It is very true what some people say that when things feel out of control, having a recipe work out makes everything feel like it is back on track.

One of my favorite food bloggers made this nectarine cake from Gourmet magazine and it looked super easy. All I needed were nectarines and I was good to make tonight. I got 4 of them for $2 on the street from one of the little vendors; they were perfect, a little tart but not too hard and not too juicy or mushy. I bought 4 just in case they weren't good, weren't the right size, etc. I also passed up doing laundry to make cake, but I don't think I'll regret that decision.

When it came out of the oven, my kitchen smelled like a donut shop I remember from childhood, with memories of pink frosted and sprinkled cake donuts that came in pink boxes tied with string.

It tastes a little big like a dry version of peach cobbler. The fruit is sweet and cooked perfectly to be tender and the cake is a little bit like a pound cake and has a definite "crust" to it, browned a little on the bottom and sides. A little whipped cream or ice cream would be great to soften this a bit. The one improvement I'd make is that I used slices of nectarines and though they cooked perfectly in the cake, eating it, I ended up not being able to sever the slice with my fork, so I just pulled it out. Diced nectarines would distribute better I think, so that you get fruit with nearly every bite.

Assembly and baking took about an hour, then about 20 minutes for cooling.

Here is is! (recipe is below)

Nectarine Golden Cake from Gourmet Magazine, September 2009 and The Amateur Gourmet
Serves 8
1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

Rounded 1/4 tsp salt

1 stick unsalted butter, soft

3/4 cup plus 1/2 Tbs sugar, divided

2 large eggs1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/8 tsp pure almond extract (I omitted and just did a smidge extra Vanilla)

2 nectarines, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges (see note above about dicing)

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg (I omitted, didn't have)

Equipment: a 9-inch springform pan

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F with rack in middle. Lightly butter springform pan.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Beat butter and 3/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in extracts. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined.
4. Spread batter evenly in pan, then scatter nectarines over top. Stir together nutmeg and remaining 1/2 Tbsp sugar and sprinkle over top. Bake until cake is golden-brown and top is firm but tender when lightly touched (cake will rise over fruit), 40 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove side of pan and cool to warm.

Well Heeled

I don't wear heels. The day ballet flats and driving mocs hit the style radar, I may have bought 3 or 4 pairs. My coworkers are forever encouraging that I should work the height and go for heels, but I just can't bring myself to do it. There are a few simple reasons for this:

It is not good to walk around NYC in heels; it hurts my feet, the shoes get worn down, and it isn't that safe for navigating construction sites, subways, and grates on the ground.
I'm 5'11"- enough said. Okay, maybe not, but ultimately, I don't like to tower over everyone when we're out at the bar, going to dinner, at work, etc.
Work- I'd love to be one of those women who has sexy, powerful pumps in her desk drawer to wear in the office. But, I am frequently moving between my office and my clients, many times hurrying for a meeting, so there isn't any practicality to the heels.

Therefore, I love flats and my office allows sandals, nice flip flops, ballet flats, etc.

But, the other day, I saw a girl wearing low wedge heels that looked a lot like my favorite flats. Sure enough, same brand. I bought a pair on the spot.

When I broke out the wedges I work, no one noticed. I called my coworkers out on not noticing after all the encouragement and this is the conversation that followed:

SM: That just proves our point that you aren't that tall and should wear heels.
AL: Don't you have those same shoes in flats? I didn't notice them.

There really isn't a point to this story except that it is funny and I am trying a bit harder to wear low heels since people are encouraging, but I am still all about comfort and practicality when navigating the cement jungle.

Mad Men

Every now and then when I meet someone and tell them I work in advertising, they ask two questions:

1. Do you watch Mad Men?
2. Is it anything like Mad Men?

To answer the first question, I watched season one when it first aired and thought it was a pretty depressing show. The tone is very serious, all the women are secretaries and the men all cheat in the city before returning to Connecticut to their wives.

Season two I basically missed because I had a boyfriend at the time and we were pretty interested in each other, not in TV. However, I caught a random episode from season 2, fell in love with the show (since I didn't love it at first) and am currently catching up on season two while simultaneously recording season 3 on DVR.

To answer the second question, NO. Let's start with the point made above: all the women are secretaries and the men all cheat in the city before returning to Connecticut to their wives.

Also, the glamorous lunches and client outings and the drinking in the office are from another era. But I think that's true in most industries.

I enjoy Mad Men for the fashions of working women in the 60's, I like seeing how advertising and coming up with "the big idea" played out at that time, but I am much happier working in advertising circa 2009.

Mad Men is on AMC Sunday nights if you're interested. :)

Spic and Span

I'll admit, I didn't do a lot of cleaning growing up. But, I do have memories of specific times when we cleaned the house as a family. At least a couple of times, we'd come home from school on a Friday and my mom would have a list of the things that needed to be cleaned around the house: vacuum, mop, dust, family room, guest room, etc.

We filled the then-fancy 5 CD changer with CDs to listen to while we cleaned and each person picked something on the list to tackle. We stopped when the list was done and I think there was usually some small "prize" for completion.

Today I decided that I needed and wanted to clean my apartment from top to bottom. I turned on iTunes to shuffle, took one vacumming break to talk on the phone (but still dusted while chatting), and I got the whole place clean.

Now that it is super clean, I want to maintain so that I don't have to dedicate a full Sunday to chores again. That will hopefully work out...especially since dusting and vacumming regularly are important and I've been lax.

However, as a reward to myself (I think my mom used to reward us with pizza and a movie) I bought flowers at the deli across the street. This is after I restocked my cleaning supplies :)

Here are the flowers, a lovely $12 reward for a busy day of cleaning.

Defrosting in August

Last week I decided it would be a good time to clean out the freezer. So I made it a challenge to see if I could eat all week by making things from what was in the freezer and eating food that I'd already cooked and frozen.

It was successful, the freezer is organized and only about 1/3 full. I realized some things I don't want to purchase again and some good freezer favorites. Here's the list of what I ate per day, not too shabby if I say so myself.

Mon:
Toaster waffles
Bertolli pasta with asparagus and shrimp
Butter pecan ice cream

Tue:
Pound cake with frozen blueberries and whipped cream
Chili and cornbread

Wed:
Leftover Bertolli pasta
Chicken stir-fry
Coconut Popsicle

Thur:
Pound cake
Leftover chicken stir-fry (not really good the first time, worse the second)

Fri:
Blueberries
Stromboli
Chili Dogs
Brownie topped with Butter Pecan ice cream

Sat:
Brown and Serve sausage (+ eggs from the fridge)
Leftover chili dogs

Sun:
Bacon
Banana pancakes (cheated on the pancakes, but the banana was frozen)

So, mission accomplished and my favorites were: Bertolli pasta, my chili on top of hot dogs, and brownie with ice cream. Not so favorite: chicken stir fry and the thick cut bacon.

Theme Night!

In an effort to add excitement to August my friends and I had a little theme night. We went and saw the new movie Julie & Julia and then followed it with dinner at the French Culinary Institute.

I had read the book that the movie is based on and really enjoyed it. Once learning the cast of the movie, I knew it would be good. We were not disappointed, it was so cute and Meryl Streep channeled Julia well. Although I found the modern character, Julie, a little more likable in the book because it was entirely her point of view.

Every now and then when I talk about my kitchen successes and disasters, I feel like I'm channeling Julie Powell. :)

And having dinner after the movie was a great idea, because after watching all the meals and the preperation and the people truly enjoying the food, we were hungry for something delicious!

The French Culinary Institute restaurant may be one of my favorite places to eat in NYC. The kitchen is run by students in the professional program, so it is gourmet at a reasonable price. We had the 5 course meal (appetizer, fish plate, meat plate, digestive salad, dessert) and it is $42. Excellent deal considering I had gnocchi with fresh tomatoes and eggplant, halibut with a delicious salad and sauce, steak with a couple of sauces and a side of oxtail ragu, plus a fresh peach tart with creme fresh ice cream. Wow; rich and delicious!

My friend took the non-professional class last fall, so that's how I got turned on to the restaurant. And her instructor, Chef Justin, was in the kitchen that night so he brought out a couple of extra desserts for us to try.

Needless to say, it was a wonderful night of good friends, good French food, and we felt like we made Julia proud.

The dog days of August

I was talking to a coworker the other day who had been out of the office for a few days and she asked what was new with me. All I could say was that I was tan after the beach.

We laughed about my lack of news, but I realized, summer is a slow time, especially when you get down to August. There isn't a lot that is new. Once one takes their vacation and gets back to the routine, the stories are usually pretty short.

I'm not complaining, just observing.

I am still at my job, which at the moment is unchanged (a blessing these days!), I am not dating anyone, I'm in good health. All good things (well...I'd rather be dating) but not exciting things.

I'm trying to mix my August up a little for some more excitement, but I think it'll just be some reading, movie-seeing, and staying cool in the AC. I have some very fun plans for Sept and Oct so there is definitely things to look forward to.

Beach Weekend

It's 7 o'clock Thursday and we're off to a Girls Beach Weekend at the Jersey Shore!

We are celebrating one girls birthday by invading her parent's house for the weekend. We have beach time, tennis and bike riding planned. Plus BBQing, a nice dinner out, and checking out the fabulous Jersey Shore cover bands at the bar.

I'm sure there will be some good stories and pictures from Cape May come Monday.

A Stitch in Time

My mom is a great cross-stitch. I can't remember her not crossstitching. She made our Christmas stockings, designs on sweatshirts, and lots of beautiful pictures around our house. Then, one summer, when my older sister and I got a bit older, we learned how to cross stitch.

Mom was a good teacher and we loved being able to share in her hobby. I remember her telling Anna her stitches were too tight but mine were too loose on that first day. We both started with simple projects and have stuck with it.

It took me 7 years to finish a big project. I had done some small and simple projects but this is by far the one that I love the most, in part because of the time and the level of difficulty. Though I still relied on my mom to help me wash it, iron it, and take it to be framed. She's an expert at that as well.

Here it is:

Unframed, it is in CA being framed and I'm planning to retrieve it my next visit out there.

And here is scan of the new project I found when I took my last one to get framed. The woman at the store laughed when I told her the last one took me 7 years, she said my goal should be to finish this before I get married. I think that's a good plan.

A Request

I have a prayer request for you all. One of my co-workers is 9 months pregnant, due next week and her father passed away on Saturday after losing his battle to cancer.

She is checking with her doctor to see if she can make it down to GA from NY for the funeral. It is a lot of stress and sorrow right now, both with the passing of her father and the logistics of if she can travel.

So I just ask you to keep her in your prayers, for strength to get through a difficult time and to make it through to the positive, with the birth of her little girl soon.

Thanks!

Cooking streak: good/bad

I was on a bad cooking streak last week. I made a pasta dish on Tue that didn't turn out very well and wasn't any better leftover, though I still packed it for lunch.

Then, on Friday, I tried to do a Sandra Lee-esque Semi-Homemade style BBQ in the crock pot, combining a recipe from a friend of mine with one of my mom's recipes. Well, that didn't work out at all. It burned badly and I spent Friday night soaking and scrubbing the crock pot and eating Papa John's pizza.

Saturday morning, I tried to use the leftover ricotta cheese from the not-so-nice pasta to make ricotta blueberry pancakes. However, when I took out the Bisquick to use, it had a bug in it. Ewww!!! That is not good.

So I totally improvised a recipe for the pancakes, in part because I had already mixed the cheese with the eggs and I was super hungry. It was a success!!

I won't probably make again (in part because I don't remember exactly how I did it) but they were edible both Sat and Sun morning for breakfast.

And then I made my mom's real recipe for BBQ in the crock pot and it turned out perfectly. Paired with boxed brownies, and I'm back in the cooking business- happy and confident again.

But, I am taking a break on trying new recipes, sticking to the tried and true for a little bit.

Here's the crock pot barbecue recipe:
Saucy Barbecued Beef - from Southern Living Cookbook
2 lbs. stew beef
1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 - 10 1/2 oz. can beef consomme, undiluted
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 c. ketchup
1/8 c. cider vinegar
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. chili sauce
2 T. chopped fresh parsley (or 1 T. dried)
2 T. frozen orange juice concentrate, undiluted
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. paprika
2 t. chili powder
1/4 t. dried oregano
1/8 t. garlic salt
dash of hot sauce (like Tabasco)

Place all ingredients in crock pot. Cook 8 hrs. on low. Use a slotted spoon to remove meat, shred in a bowl, put back in crock pot with sauce. Serve on rolls.

Taking Out The Ball Game

I have a very strong opinion about this.

It is a really good article from the New York Times you should read regarding the Baseball Steroid Issue.

Basically, the story picks up from the announcement that Ortiz and Ramirez are on the list of players who tested positive for steroids in 2003. That same season, they helped bring the Red Sox to World Series Victory.

First, I was in Boston for this season and that series. Amazing! By far, one of the coolest experiences of my life and I will forever love the Sox.

But secondly, there is a point made in the article that if everyone was using steroids, or every World Series Champion team in the past has known users, then should we asterisk their victory and question if they deserved it. Conversely, if all teams had known steroid users, still only one triumphed to the championship in 2004, which means they were still the better team.

A while back there was an opinion piece in ESPN magazine about allowing known steroid users into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The question is that if all of the great players of this generation are using, then are they equal and therefore still great?

Also, it is known that generations prior were using their own form of performance enhancing drugs (Babe Ruth, etc) and they are all in the hall of fame, so is it a question of being great given the climate you are playing in?

I happen to think that we should let known users into the Hall of Fame because they are still doing something great and noteworthy and setting themselves apart. But obviously, only for players who are outstanding enough to be considered.

The second thing I agree with from the NYT's article is that the whole list should be revealed. The names are all coming out, but going in a trickle, interrupting the off-season, the end of season, etc. Just get it over with, make it known, and give people a chance to have a clean slate going forward.

This is all just my opinion, but I think that baseball, being the great American pastime, has some work to do on their image and their expectations of players. But as I said, I still love my 2004 Sox and I will never pass up any baseball game.

Snail Mail

"The Postmaster General announced this week that he expects the Postal Service annual deficit to reach a whopping $7 billion, and he continued to push for five-days-a-week delivery — which would save $3 billion a year."

This makes me sad. Mostly because I love mail. Real mail, delivered to my box, 6 days a week. I get magazines, catalogs, junk, bills, and the occasional note or thank you card from people. But it is the highlight of my day, checking and getting the mail. Even when it goes straight into the recycling, I still like to get it.

I also love to send mail. I frequently send people random articles I've found in magazines that make me think of them. I try to send nice notes and cards without specific occasions to people. The Forever stamps are perfect for me, its all I buy and then I never have to worry about not having enough postage. As a result though, I have no idea how much stamps are now and no idea how much it costs to send all my fun little cards.

I don't really get a lot of articles or cards in return, but that's okay with me. Sending the mail is just as fun for me as it is to receive it.

I also laugh about what the mail delivery people must learn and know about us. I assume they take notice of interesting/unusual things, similar to the way you notice the odd grocery purchases in line next to you (that's a blog for another day for sure!). For instance, my mail carrier must know that I'm a young single woman, the staples in my mail are: catalogs, magazines, Netflix and the occasional wedding invitation or thank you card.

Back To The Routine

After a fabulous vacation, I'm back to the usual day-to-day, including work, grocery shopping, dishes, and of course blogging.

I'll keep the stories short, but basically I had a wonderful time and stayed very busy. I am tan and took lots of pictures. My nephew is the cutest kid ever. We went to Disneyland, followed by dinner at Bennihana. Went to the beach, a Dodger game, I spent part of the weekend in Santa Monica, and we had a big family bbq on Sunday.

The only thing I ran out of time to do was get an In n Out Burger and play cards with the family. But the good news is, I'll be back :)

These are some of my favorite pictures:

Momma, me, Paula, and Sara waiting in line for the Haunted Mansion

The whole family at Bennihanna. We filled a whole table.

Goblets of Beer with Sara and Claudia at a bar at the beach.

California here I come...

...Right back where I started from.

The title and first line are lyrics from Phantom Planet's California, which is the ringtone I use for my family on my cell phone. Apparently, I'm into music as blog titles this week.

And I'm off to CA for the rest of my vacation! Flight leaves NYC at 6am and I get to the golden state at 11am. We have lots planned and I'm sure I'll have some pictures to post next week. Going to see the family, my good friend Claudia, and hopefully get a little bit of a tan.

Restaurant Week

Twice a year, New York has Restaurant Week, where for 2 or 3 weeks, a lot of high end restaurants offer a prix-fix menu, $25 for lunch and $35 for dinner; you get an appetizer, an entree, and dessert. I always use these weeks to try out cool restaurants that are not normally in my budget.

This year, I did dinner at Butter, which is a strange hybrid of a nightclub/restaurant. The first time I heard of it was about 4 years ago and it was a place where the Olsen twins liked to hang out. So, it is a place to see and be seen. Not exactly my style. However, as a restaurant, it was great. The food was amazing. I had a grilled octopus salad, duck confit and raspberry beignets for dessert. All were delicious.

Yesterday, I was a lady who lunches, since I am on my staycation, and met a friend at the Oak Room in the Plaza Hotel. We both had a delicious salad to start, which was enough food to be a normal sized lunch. Then we had burgers, which I know, a burger from the Plaza? But, the waiter recommended it and when we saw people eating them, think beef on a perfect roll with crispy fries, we knew we had to try them. Delicious! And giant. I finished off my lunch with a strawberry and mascapone cheese tart. And then went home and wanted to nap.

Tonight is Mesa Grill, Bobby Flay's southwestern restaurant. This may be my favorite restaurant in New York. I have been twice for Restaurant Week and once for my birthday with my mom. So I'm excited for it tonight and already have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to order, since they post the restaurant week menus online.

And after all this eating out, I need to stick to salad and hit the gym, but it is so worth it!

Lady in Gray

This screenshot is like heaven to me. I love gray sweaters. I could wear one every day in the winter and hardly be bored. I love that they go with jeans and black. It just means multiple options of how to wear. I even have a gray and white scarf that matches all of my sweaters perfectly.

All of my gray sweaters = ?
Without actually unpacking the sweaters from storage and counting I am confident I have at least 6.

So, these sweaters from Banana are very exciting to me. Honestly, they are not all my style, but I just love having options of new gray sweaters.

My mom has told me she won't buy me anymore gray ones. She likes to pick out a sweater for me for Christmas and I'm now in the reds/pinks/magenta category. Which is fine by me, I love those colors too, but gray is definitely my preference.

Just talking about it and thinking about it, I hope we have a cool week so I can wear the 3/4 gray cardigan to work soon.

Vacation All I Ever Wanted (the Go-Gos)

Instead of the usual Sunday gloom, bemoaning the end of the weekend and starting to think about work, I am enjoying the bliss of being on VACATION.

I think I am a workaholic. I haven't had two consecutive work days off since Christmas. I've had some long weekends but those aren't the same as multiple business days out of the office.

The first part of my week off is a little NY staycation. I have the AC repair guy coming and I need to get my living room window put back on track, but I also have some fun planned: lunch with a friend, seeing the new Harry Potter, getting my nails done. Plus tennis, catching up on some TV, and just enjoying having my own schedule for a couple of days. Then, it is off to CA for some family time.

Maybe it is better to work super hard and be desperate for a vacation, because then it is more enjoyable.

Um...no way.

I need to just try harder to enjoy the days my company gives us, there is no carry-over to the next year and no prize for working more than the rest of the team.

In the mean time, I'm having fun until I absolutely have to think about work.

When to worry?

I was waiting for the subway the other day at rush hour (which I normally do not do, I am fortunate and walk to work) and noticed quite a few police officers on the platform. Then, when the train came, they poked their heads in the car, looked around and remained on the platform.

My friend assured me this was normal, especially at Grand Central at rush hour. However, it raised a question in my mind- when do you start to worry?

Are cops on the platform something to be alarmed about? How about cop cars on my street? That doesn't happen very often, usually only when something big is going on at the UN, but when do I pay more attention?

I know my mom won't watch NY "tragedy" movies (like Pelham 1,2,3 about hostages on the subway) because it makes her nervous. But as I once told my sister, New York City is always getting destroyed, attacked, etc in the movies; you become slightly unfazed.

The police by the subway didn't alarm me because they weren't searching bags, getting on the train, or radio-ing to anyone. So, I guess those actions would make me nervous.

I also have faith that if something happens and I'm trapped in it, then God must have included that in the plan. But it is good to be aware and to not just assume I'm safe.

Obsessed

I became anti-social, only eating things that could be prepared quickly with very little cleanup and missed a serious amount of sleep last week and weekend. The reason? I was obsessed with Harry Potter.

I had read all the books before but wanted to re-read them this summer so that I could go consecutively and pick up clues and remember things the characters referenced. My thought was that I'd go slow, enjoying them, not reading them in a frenzy like when each book came out and you had to find out who died on page 75 before someone spoiled it for you or whatever.

But those books are not written that way. They are not made to be enjoyed over time, picking up the book when you have a free moment. Even though I knew in the end what would happen, I couldn't slow down. I stayed up until nearly 2 in the morning most nights reading, I read the 7th in less than 24 hours. I became obsessed, even more so than the first time I read them.

I made good time, considering I have a full time job and somewhat of a social life. All 7 books in three weeks. My initial goal was to finish the 6th before the movie came out. I surpassed it for sure.

And to help feed my obsession, ABC Family ran the first four movies over the weekend, so I DVRed them and will re-watch in anticipation of the new movie. But once I see the new movie, I think it will all be out of my system and I'll be able to move on, to read books above a 4th grade reading level, to not think of how wonderful it would be to have magic in my life and to get a decent night's sleep.

But in the mean time, I really do love the world of Harry Potter; those three weeks of his books were great. When I finished reading, I truly felt like I had lost a friend. The good news is, those 7 books are still on my shelf and I bet when it comes close to the 7th movies (2 parts, so technically 7 & 8) come out, I'll want to reread a bit again.

Gotta love NYC

This picture sums up what I love about New York City. People in general are unfazed by the randomness that is all around the city.

Though, the unfortunate thing is that if you get too used to ignoring stuff, you miss some pretty cool things. I try to find the balance, but I think I am more like the texter in this picture than a tourist who absorbs it all.

PS- not my photo; saw it on Gawker, it is from Flickr.

French Cooking on a Tue Night? Yes!

A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine had us over for dinner and dessert, saying she wanted to make a cherry dessert for us all. I will admit, I was not super excited about the dessert because I thought, what a waste of good cherries; when they are in season, you can just eat them, you don't need to bake them with anything.

Well, that was until I had tried Cherry Clafoutis. I've been pronouncing it ka-flute-y but dictionary.com says klah-foo-tee. You all know that reading for pronunciation is not my strong suit. But anyway, it is a super simple French dessert.

And after having it at Diane's I became sort of obsessed. I wanted to make it again, especially as I continued to see beautiful fresh cherries in the store. Diane used The Joy of Cooking recipe, surprisingly a cook book I don't own, but as I googled the recipes, I realized this is a heavily blogged about, talked about dessert.

Basically, the clafoutis it is cherries baked with a slightly sweetened egg batter. Very easy to make, tastes delicious and isn't too sweet; I found it to be a perfect breakfast dish, more so than a dessert.

The most time consuming part of this dish was slicing and pitting the cherries. Traditional French recipes call for them to stay with the pits so that when it bakes, you get the pit flavor (or something like that) but I though it would be easier to eat to pit them. My hands are still a bit stained, but it was worth it.

Here are some pictures and then the recipe I used is all the way at the bottom.

Gorgeous fresh cherries, pitted by hand.

Hot out of the oven and all puffed up.

After it has cooled and sunk down a bit.

Recipe (from The Joy of Cooking via a cool new food blog I just found)

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh cherries
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon spiced rum
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
pinch of salt
1. Slice and Pit Cherries
2. Place pitted cherries in greased pie plate or shallow casserole pan
3. Blend together the eggs and sugar for about 2 minutes until they’re frothy
4. Add the milk, rum and vanilla. Blend that together and then add the flour and salt
5. Pour the batter over the cherries
6. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350, bake another 35 minutes Let cool at least 15 minutes

Teresa in Threes

Okay, hopefully you won't think this is a cop out of a post, but this is something I saw on Facebook and thought it'd be fun to share here. It is all different threes:

Three names I go by
1. Teresa
2. Reese
3. T bone

Three Jobs I have had in my life
1. marketing intern
2. RA for Boston Ballet summer program
3. Account Executive (advertising)

Three Places I have lived
1. Bakersfield, CA
2. Boston, MA
3. New York, NY

Three Favorite drinks
1. blended margarita
2. mom's iced tea
3. pinot noir

Three TV Shows that I watch
1. Good Morning America
2. Brothers and Sisters
3. Gossip Girl

Three favorite movies
1. Sound of Music
2. Raising Helen
3. John Tucker Must Die

Three places I have been
1. London
2. Hawaii
3. St. Louis

Three places you want to go
1. Russia
2. Alaska
3. Italy

Three of my favorite foods (apparently I'm not a healthy eater....)
1. Hot dogs
2. Chips
3. Doughnuts

Three favorite years of your life
1. 2006...graduated college
2. 2004...was in my sisters wedding
3. 2009...so far, so good....

Three things you would change about yourself
1. stress less
2. smaller feet
3. perkier boobs

Three Things I am looking forward to
1. vacation in late July
2. fall/autumn in NY
3. finding the one I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life with

4th of July

I am a big fan of the 4th of July. It is one of my favorite holidays, but the nice thing is that I don't have any traditions that need to be fulfilled each year besides fireworks. As long as I can wear red, white and blue and be with friends and family, I'm good.

This year was fantastic. I went up to Boston where the weather was perfect, nicer than it has been there or here in NY in a while. I stayed with college friends and spent the weekend hanging out with them. Then, my parents got in Sat afternoon so I saw them for fireworks on Sat and then brunch on Sun.

I love Boston and seeing my college friends and being back in the area just makes me happy. I really feel like I've left a little piece of myself there.

Here's a few pics from the weekend.

Getting in the red and blue mood with berry cobbler (this is the before).

With the wonderful Laura!

Quick shot of the parents in the public garden; gorgeous sunny weather!

With "the baby" who is in town for college orientation! Crazy!

These Are A Few of My Favorite Links...

Just thought I'd pass along some of the blogs that I keep in my google reader that I love to read every day.

Cake Wrecks
Pictures and sarcastic comments about professional bakery cakes that go awry. Seriously, most days I laugh out loud at the disasters people find and send in.

The Amateur Gourmet
I wish I could be a food blogger because it seems like so much fun and you get to share your love of cooking and experiences in the kitchen, but I don't have the discipline to cook new and interesting recipes all the time to share.

Smitten Kitchen
Second fav food blog, gorgeous pictures!

Nanifesto
This is the gal who blogs about the Bachelor/Bachelorette, as well as her personal life. I feel like I know a little bit about her and she seems cool and fun, and her commentary is spot on for the famous/infamous ABC show.

Let's Go Ride a Bike!

After what feels like the longest, rainiest June ever, Saturday was gorgeous. Luckily, we had reserved bikes (for free!) for the day. So a friend and I picked up our bikes at South Street Seaport, the southeast tip of Manhattan, and rode bikes around the island, up the Westside Hwy.

It was perfect. An absolutely wonderful day. We saw the Statue of Liberty, rode by the WTC construction site, Battery Park, tons of cute little picnic spots, the water, sailboats, kayaks. We stopped for a beer and hot dog break, but otherwise rode for about 2 and a half hours straight.

I was even a total nerd and wore the helmet. Mostly because I couldn't figure out to attach it on the back of the bike with my purse and the provided bungee cord, but part of me felt safer anyway...considering I once fell off a bike and was knocked unconscious. But that's a story for another day.

Hope everyone else enjoyed a lovely weekend!

Snowball in the kitchen

I wanted to make a friend of mine dinner Saturday night because I knew she was having a tough day and I was in total nesting mode since we've had a cool, wet, not-summer like June. I went to the store for everything, I cleaned the kitchen before I started, basically, I was pumped. I also bought ingredients for cookies and coconut bars to make on Sunday to take to work on Monday.

I begin with dessert; a lemon raspberry shortbread tart. Basically, you make a shortbread crust, then add frozen raspberries and a lemon custard and bake it. The shortbread didn't look perfect when I baked it, but I figured it would recover when I added the fruit and custard. So, I assemble, put it in the oven and hop in the shower.

I get out of the shower and go to check on the cake. It is leaking onto the oven- I was kicking myself for trusting the springform pan so I put a cookie sheet on the lower rack and figure problem solved.

Problem not solved! It continued to leak all over the oven which of course makes the oven smoke. I open the window in the living room, take the cake out and shut the oven off. Okay...its going to burn off and cool down, which makes a ton of smoke for my poorly ventilated apartment, but nothing is on fire, so I'm feeling okay. Even thinking maybe later I can put the cake back in and try to finish baking it.

Then I'm doing the dishes and realize that I measured wrong for the crust. Where I should have used a 1/2 cup and 1.5 cups; I used 1/3 and then three 1/3s. So, I have way too much butter, not enough flour or sugar. I was so sad; I'm normally a good baker because I like to follow recipes and measure. I think that was part of what caused the big leak.

I spent all day today running the self clean cycle on the oven and soaking the racks in the bath tub to try and clean all that sticky sugary liquid. Needless to say, no dessert with dinner and no cookies for coworkers.

So many lessons learned in this adventure, all I can say is that the problems just snowballed yesterday.

Small World and Six Degrees

I've commented before about how small town NYC can feel sometimes. But I have a story that really takes the cake.


When I went to the wedding in the DC area, I took the subway early Friday morning to JFK. Sunday night, landing in New York, I was contemplating taking a cab home because I'd pretty much had enough travel and wasn't feeling up for the subway at 10pm. But it is hard to beat the $7 trip on the subway...


Turns out, someone was having the exact same feeling. A girl had noticed me waiting for the subway Friday, realized I was on both of her flights Fri and Sun and grabbed me when we deplaned to see about sharing a cab.


I felt like a jerk for not recognizing her beyond seeing her Fri AM on the subway platform, but since she lived 3 blocks from me, sharing a cab sounded perfect.

We made small talk while waiting for the cab and on the ride into the city and agreed to try and meet up soon. She is from the VA/DC area and had been visiting family, I told her I went to a wedding for a college friend. She found me on Facebook and turns out, knows the girl who's wedding I went to. Super small world!

She's sweet and we're going to keep hanging out, but it is just so crazy to meet a friend at the airport and realize that you already have mutual friends.

Oh Shoes

Sex and the City taught us that NY women love shoes. And that some crazy women will pay anything for shoes. But what real life teaches you is that you really never have to throw out shoes in New York.

The shoe repairmen in this city are incredible. They are inexpensive but so skilled. And everyone has their guy. Break a heel at work and a co-worker will recommend her guy near the office. Have a tricky designer pair, a fashionista friend will recommend her best guy. I went to the place closest to my apartment years ago and haven't had a complaint. I've taken my sisters shoes there when she was in town.

I've never heard of someone who's shoes couldn't be saved by her guy.

I just got two pairs back (delivered!) today and for $38, I got all four reheeled, polished and cleaned, plus a flower reattached. Considering one new pair of black shoes for work would cost twice that, I'm a happy customer.

Check out the pics below, you can't even tell the flower pair are 4 years old and are usually my rain work shoes.

Best $18 Spent In a While

I'm back to blogging! Had to take a few days off because I got hit with strep throat on Sunday. Though, on Sunday, I didn't know that was my problem, I just thought I had a nasty cold.

But Monday morning I woke up and knew this was no ordinary cold. I called the doctor, worked until my doctor's appointment...and then spent the next day and a half alternating between the couch and the bed.

Antibiotics are truly miraculous, 3 days (faster than a z-pack!) and I was done and feeling tons better.

In true MasterCard fashion:
doctor's visit: $10
prescription for antibiotics: $8
feeling better and back to work in 1.5 days: Priceless

This Day in History:

1885 - The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York City aboard the French ship Isere.

The Statue of Liberty is one of my favorite landmarks in NYC. I never get tired of seeing it, and if I'm out on the water or down at the tip of the island, I always take a picture. There is something about Lady Liberty that just moves me.

On our first (and only) family trip here, we were able to go inside the crown. Definitely awesome. They are reopening the crown in July, with a lot of limitations about number of people who can go up at a time, etc. but it will be nice for other people to get to experience something so fantastic.

Anyway, just thought today is a good day to enjoy our gift from the French.

Plans

A good friend of mine once pointed out how nice it is to have benchmarks of plans in place. Things like trips and holidays to count down to. After a couple of busy weeks at work, I have organized myself for some trips and holidays of my own and I already feel more motivated! Look at what I have to look forward to...

4th of July Weekend in Boston 7/3-7/5
Vacation 7/20-7/24
Cape May with the girls 8/7-8/9
Vegas with the girls 10/8-10/11
Christmas in CA 12/23- 1/2/10

And things I'm still working on....
St. Louis in Sept
CA anytime before Christmas

And yes, I am a crazy person that already has plans for 2010. What can I say? When the mood strikes to plan, I go all out!

Big Brother Amazon?

I don't mind when Amazon.com send me recommendations for books or movies I may be interested in based on past purchases. I actually appreciate finding out when an author I like comes out with a new book or that blu ray disks are on sale.

There is that episode of Sex and the City where Charlotte is embarrassed about buying a self help book in the store, so she turns to Amazon. Then, she becomes even more embarrassed with all of their recommendations they send her. I don't have that problem.

But this little email, screen grabs below, was not very helpful and really not items my past purchases would lead me to buy. I think I'm about 20 years too young for these shoes, even though the free overnight shipping is a deal. But they are good for a laugh!

Perspective

I am a perfectionist and I take my job seriously, but I am trying very hard to not sweat the small the stuff, to put my stress into perspective.

Today was a good example; my supervisor and I were working on a deck and trying to find a new way to say, "shiny puckered lips." And we just had to laugh because we were thinking really hard about that.

All the problems in the world, and I ended up saying, "shiny, vibrant lips"- just made me take a minute and smile.

Happy Anniversary Apartment

This weekend, I will have been in my apartment 3 years. Time really has flown. Every now and then, I think I just moved here like a recent college grad. But then I talk to people who have lived here all their lives, and in their eyes, I really did just move here.

But the apartment is my baby and I've enjoyed taking care of it and making it my home over the last three years. Here's some moving day pictures from Wed June 7, 2006.

First night dinner; pizza eaten on the empty TV box because a piece was missing on the dining room table

The living room is coming together; no cable or lamps...but it feels more like home

Makeshift furniture for a TV stand in the bedroom

My bedroom has never looked this clean since! Loved the "new home" flowers from Mom and Dad too

Goin' to the chapel

It is wedding season and I'm off to the first of my friend's weddings today. I'm so excited, the bride is a great friend from college and the groom is a West Point grad. They are the cutest, sweetest couple. And I am so lucky to be a part of their special day, reading Corinthians (love is patient, love is kind...) during the mass/ceremony.

I'm feeling very grown up again, taking a trip on my own, renting a car and staying in the hotel. And yes, being grown up having friends that are married. Though I know in some parts of the country, I'm kinda an old maid being 25 and not having any married friends. But we're mostly city girls and it is different here...sorry, got a little off track there.

My facebook friends have tons of wedding pics posted and I'm glad to be able to join the fun. Here's to a great day of love and tradition as well as food and fun!

And you can check out the bride's blog here; she is my inspiration for keeping my own blog :)

Support your local favorites!

I am a firm believer in supporting local restaurants that you like, because otherwise, they may close down. Especially in NY where I'm sure rent is ridiculous for them too.

Right when I moved in, a new burger place opened a block away- Zip Burger. They had made to order burgers, Belgian fries and delicious shakes. I was a big fan, stopping on the way home from work, going for a late lunch, and when people came to visit, we usually got dinner there one night.

Last summer, Zip Burger closed for renovations. This is always a scary sign in New York because a lot of times when a place is shut down for health violations, they close for "renovations". Or, it means whatever the place is, it will no longer be the same restaurant when it reopens.

This was the case with Zip. It re-opened as 99 Miles to Philly, a cheesesteak place with gooey, cheesey sandwiches, sour pickles and delicious waffle fries. Again, I was a fan. And I did my part; I took people there, I have a frequent sub stamp card....

Alas, this week I discovered 99 Miles has closed. It must be bad luck in that particular location. But as my mom so wisely said, it could be something really great coming in to replace the cheesesteaks.

Though if you come visit this summer, I don't have my favorite "down the block" takeout place to share with you.

Wine in Europe

I found this article on another blog I read and was compelled to share because it is both crazy and scary. It is just an interesting approach to trade and the culture between the US and Europe.

Cheers!

Europe Bans Wine Words

Decanter.com reports that wines which display labels containing any of 14 prohibited words will be banned from the European Union (EU).

The so-called "traditional terms" are specified in a 2006 agreement with the EU that was terminated in September 2008. The EU notified the U.S. that the language would no longer be allowed after March 10, 2009.

The terms include: chateau, classic, clos, cream, crusted/crusting, fine, late bottled, vintage, noble, ruby, superior, sur lie, tawny, vintage and vintage character.

Earlier in May, 26 members of Congress signed a letter (PDF) to United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk asking that the Obama administration take steps to allow American wineries and vintners using the terms to continue to sell their wines in the EU.

According to Decanter.com, U.S. wineries -- like Clos du Val and Chateau St. Michelle -- that use these terms in their trademarks are particularly concerned about how the ruling may apply to them.

Rose Ceremonys and Awesome Dates, Must e the Bachelor

So I really love the Bachelor and its sister show The Bachelorette. I'd even consider going on this ABC gem because I think that it is just so entertaining. Plus they go on some of the best dates I've ever seen.

This is a way funnier blog about the show (it is her regular blog but her commentary on the show is spot-on and hilarious) but I have a couple of observations about our Bachelorette Jillian this season, as well as some thoughts on the men in her life at the moment.

**spoiler alert, this comments through Mon 6/1's episode. Don't you love how dramatic I am being?

Jillian-
She likes to drink and have fun. There have been times where I think she is a little tipsy, and it is kind of fun. Normally it is only the girls on the first night of the Bachelor who show their drinkin' personality.
I think it would be a fun drinking game to drink (a big sip of wine?) every time J says "totally". Chances are, by the rose ceremony at the end, you won't be able to count the "totally"s. It is pretty annoying...
She kisses A LOT. And she apparently has no problem kissing one guy in front of the others. I know that is how the show works...but a little subtlety would be nice J.

The Men-
Foot fetish guy has to go. Even after Jillian learned he has a foot fetish, she kept him. Strike for her.
Jake, the pilot, I hope he gets his heart broken by ABC so that I can date him; he's the nicest guy on that show since Lt. Andy Baldwin, from Bachelor fall 06, "An Officer and a Gentleman".
Wes, the singer, enough with the song! Or should I say, the refrain of a song. If you want to be discovered, fine, I get it. But...spare us your puppy eyes and sing another song.

Anyway, those are my thoughts thus far. I have a list of the top 3 plus a wild card; meaning people I think are going be around for a while. So far, they are all still there: Jake, Juan, Kiptyn, and wild card Wes. Can't wait to see the drama unfold next week. And to read the Nanifesto blog for her thoughts.

Mispronunciation

I hate to be wrong about things. I love to be right. I mean, most people probably feel this way. But I am terrible about reading and pronouncing things correctly so I have to admit being wrong. I am an avid reader but the laws of grammar that make vowels long or short and hard or soft must be lost on me.

Last weekend I asked my family if they had read the article in Reader's Digest about the people who run the Snoops website. Yes, I said Snoops, like a person who is nosy. Picture Nancy Drew snooping and sleuthing. To me, this makes perfect sense. The website exists to debunk Internet myths.

The response, of course, was "snopes?" What? Snopes does not make sense for a name of a website that snoops.

But it is funny that I was so sure I was right, even though a room full of people and grammar rules tell me otherwise. Below are some other words I have struggled with in the past. The correct word is on the left, how I chose to pronounce it follows. I can laugh at myself which is why I am sharing. :)

Gubernatorial election = gubernational
Mailer Daemon = mailer demon
Snopes = snoops

This list isn't very long but I'm sure my mom remembers more...

NYC, just a small town

When I first moved to New York City from college, I thought that it was a huge city and I knew I'd have to work hard to meet people and find my group. My coworkers at my job had all these stories about how they run into people everywhere and you always know someone and I was in disbelief. My New York felt big and lonely.

After all, NYC has 301 million residents, 1.6 million in Manhattan.

And yet, here I am, a resident for 3 years and I see people all the time. It is both good and bad, but I love it. It makes me feel like I did growing up in small city Bakersfield where you saw people at the grocery store, the movies and you'd stop to say hello.

This past week, I ran into a friend at Penn Station, a coworker on the subway platform, and a friend on the street. These are small things, but they make me feel like NYC is a hometown instead of just a metropolis.

And here's a trivia question for you all, can you name the 5 boroughs that make up New York City? Leave guesses/answers in the comments. I'll give you a hint- Manhattan is one.

Jon & Kate hate

The TLC show Jon&Kate + 8 has been in the news tons lately. And I am SO over it. These people signed up to do reality TV, they have become mini-celebrities and are now on the cover of every weekly magazine.

I do read my share of the weekly magazines and I like to read Perez during the day, so to be fair, you could say I'm seeking out their stories.

But I'm not. And even more so, I don't care. If you are having marital problems and you want to save your marriage, get off of TV, magazine covers, the Today show, GMA, etc. No one is forcing you to spotlight your life at this point; you are doing it for profit and because you like fame.

I like reality TV shows like the Bachelor, The Amazing Race, Survivor, Apprentice- because on those, you may or may not be famous after it airs. The Hills, Jon&Kate...shows like these bank on the "real" people being famous.

Anyway, I'm just ready for people to move on. There are real news stories out there and even in celebrity news, there are better things to feature and discuss than a family of 10 that is falling apart. It makes me sad but it also makes me angry because they could probably fix things if they wanted, but it would involve a private life, not reaping the benefits of TLC. (not to be confused with this TLC of course.)

Okay, venting over. But I'm also not watching that show!!!

Pomp and Circumstance

I love graduations. I love the music of pomp and circumstance, the caps and gowns, all the smiles people have, the big diplomas tucked under their arms and flowers in their hands. I got teary watching the Gossip Girl characters graduate and it wasn't even a real ceremony. I smiled when I saw a random girl carrying her Columbia gown down the street this morning. This is my favorite time of year.

My college graduation was nothing like I imagined, there was no champagne with the roomies before the big outdoor ceremony because it was freezing rain and we hadn't decided if we were actually going to go. I didn't wear my cute dress (for the same reason) and in fact, I wore yoga pants and my BU flip flops.

But it wasn't bad- just different than I expected. There were amazing moments, like my favorite advertising professor handing me my diploma and one of my best friends being the commencement speaker. And being super comfortable in my yoga pants :)

Its a priceless day, as these pictures show. How hot are those ponchos?

And now I'm off to Sara's college graduation, where I know she'll make her memories and have a great time. I just hope the rain stays away. :)

The worst commercial during morning TV

I am a quirky person and certain things drive me crazy. Like this. I have another little annoyance and it only bothers me when it is on the air.

During morning TV (I'm an avid Good Morning America watcher) about every two months, the sleep aid commercials are on. You know, Ambien/Lunesta, prescription drugs to help you stay asleep all night long.

But they kill me when they are on in the morning because I am fighting to wake up, willing myself to get out of my warm, cozy cocoon under the covers and I hear the most soothing voiceover talking about staying asleep.

Aahhhh! How's a girl supposed to get up and at 'em with this on the mind?!

Granted, I don't have a sleep problem except that I really like to sleep and don't really like to get up in the morning. I also could not turn on the TV until I am out of the shower (no guarantee I'm not back in bed...that may be a blog for a later day) but sometimes I like to listen to the weather before I get out of bed.

Either way, I have empathy for those who have trouble sleeping, but for those of us who just have trouble waking up, we need more Folgers commercials and less Ambien :)

A-choo!

Allergies. A quintessential part of spring for most people. I used to be very fortunate and never had allergies. Yes, growing up in farming Bakersfield, where there was dust and crops, and some of the worst air in the state, I was unfazed by the allergens everyone else complained off.

Now, here I am in NYC and they are killing me. Have been for nearly a month. The weatherman so kindly reports on what is highest in the air each day so I've figured out I'm a tree pollen/mold allergy sufferer.

Irony is not lost on me and I think it is really funny that in the valley of CA I was fine and in the big cement jungle of NYC, I am miserable. But Claritin and lots of tissues help, and everyone is commiserating. At least now I finally appreciate what everyone was so miserable about all those years.

A-choo!

Goodbye House

Today is moving day in Bakersfield. My parents are officially moving out of the house where I grew up. We moved in when I was almost 8 years old and I lived there until I went to Boston for school, but I always went back for the holidays and was really home.

The new house in Seal Beach is awesome; it is such a cute area and a beautiful house, but there is something sad about saying goodbye to the rooms I know, especially my bedroom that overlooks the pool, my palm tree decorated bathroom, the entryway where we performed plays and dance shows. There is the closet under the stairs we used as our barbie room and the laundry chute that lets out into "the Christmas closet" a closet that doesn't even really contain Christmas decorations.

I never really said goodbye to the house, I was there last May and knew that it was likely the last time I'd be there, but the housing market wasn't great, so I figured I'd have one more Christmas or one more swim in the pool. Alas, that was my last trip and I remember everything in its place, just like home is supposed to feel.

So, I'm making today my "thanks for the memories" day. And someday, I'll go back to the house in Bakersfield and check it out, to make sure the new family is enjoying as much as we did growing up.

Goodbye 8901 O'Meara Ct!

Summer food

I think warm weather puts me in the mood for Mexican food. I could think very deeply about this and say it is a psychological way of connecting with growing up in hot Bakersfield and there being a plethora of fantastic Mexican food in Bako.

Or it could be that when the weather warms, I just don't want soups anymore.

Either way, after a ridiculous amount of rain it finally warmed and dried out and in the past 5 days, I've had 5 meals that are Mexican based.

Friday lunch was fantastic Chiptole, Sunday brunch was a delicious breakfast burrito, eaten outside with the girls at brunch, Monday lunch was a fiesta bowl salad (basically take the bowl of lettuce at the salad bar and top it with burrito filling instead of veggies and salad dressing) Monday dinner was homemade enchiladas (okay...the sauce is from a can) and then lunch was leftovers.

Lots of spicy food and guacamole. Gotta love warm weather and Mexican food!

Breakfast in Bed

I have a lovely little tradition on weekends watching old 90210 episodes while enjoying breakfast and coffee in bed. The funny thing is, I've been doing this for about 2 years and then SoapNet started marketing their reruns on Sat and Sun mornings as "breakfast in bed" with SoapNet.

Sometimes breakfast is pretty sad, like a lone yogurt left in the fridge, but other times I make something rivaling breakfast out.

I made this coffee cake recently and it was fantastic; perfect way to start a weekend!

It was super simple and yet another throw-back to childhood recipe; this time, the coffee cake recipe from the Bisquick box. When we were kids, I remember making it early Saturday morning, usually before Mom and Dad were even up.