Hurricane Sandy

Pin It now! It's been over a week since Sandy came through the area and although things are starting to get back to normal, there's a whole lot of devastation.  There's really no other way of describing all the destruction, ruin, tears, lives lost and lives displaced.  My office (of my new job!) is now downtown (and I'll leave how dearly I miss Midtown for another time) and because of the flooding and blackout, I was out of work for over a week.  Most of my time was spent watching the endless TV coverage of the storm.  It was like a car accident - I wanted to turn it off, but couldn't stop watching.  I felt like I had to tweet and FB all the updates I saw to others who didn't have power (or a house anymore) and send through messages of how massive the lost and destruction was.  Our building luckily was spared and didn't lose power, but it was still scary and surreal Monday night when the East River surged and sent water all the way to Kent Ave.  The next morning there was an actual rainbow over Manhattan.  I don't really get Mother Nature's sense of humor.

I'm particularly sad about how the Jersey shore is no more.  It's sad to see the places where you spent your youth completely gone.  I know that they'll rebuild, but when you see the entire Seaside boardwalk gone, it's hard for me not to reminiscence about spending the weekend after junior prom there or all the times Jenn and I went out there in high school during our Friday nights.

 (A neighbor's photos of the Rockaways and Staten Island)

There was a little levity in all of this though.  SNL had a hilarious sketch showing Mr. Robotic Bloomberg and his now-famous signer, along with Christie and a Jersey equivalent.  Yeah, sometimes you gotta laugh a little bit.

Oh, and there was an election.  All I can say is Yes!

Lately

Pin It now! Sorry everyone, I was gone for the last few weeks (if you didn't already notice!).  I was overwhelmed and unmotivated, a terrible combination for someone who blogs.  I kept reading through other blogs that are over the top fabulous and I wanted to be just as creative, but everything I put together seemed blah and forced.  I felt like I lacked direction, so I stopped writing (to spare you too!).  I'm back, I think...Let's just get back to what I know and like to do and not care how pretty it's all supposed to be because at the end, what you love is what is best.

So what's been happening lately... Kentucky Derby at Maison Premiere, our ridiculously relaxing vaca in the Dominican Republic, BBQs, wonderfully hot days for the Memorial Day weekend, the best fried chicken dinner at Brooklyn Star, Madison Square Eats, having my semi-homeless sister as a house guest for a couple of weeks, finally putting up the perfect Etsy Brooklyn prints in the entryway, two weddings in Long Island, Cafeteria with Alysse, Turkish with the NJ girls, less buying and more spring cleaning, and saying good-bye to the house we grew up in.

The Weekend

Pin It now! I was back in NJ at my parents' house helping them clean out a fews things I still had in the house, actually an entire closet full of old photos, momentos, my wedding dress, outdated clothes that are making a comeback.  We're going to try to sell a lot of things in a yard sale in a few weeks but I kept a few things that I can't let go of.  My Cabbage Patch doll (straight from the 80's!), my flute, a 1977 American Tourister suitcase hiding in the back of the closet, among others.  Oh, and I had to throw in a photo of Wawa.  You know you're a Jersey girl at heart if you still love your Wawa.  (I'm a little slow to the Instagram party and am only now starting to use it.  One day...)

52 Weeks: Week 51, Hoboken

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The Weekend Recap

Pin It now! I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend.  It was nice to have a long weekend although I technically worked from home on Friday.  Thanksgiving Thursday was a full day of the Garden State.  The usual hour-long ride took us almost three hours from the city to hubby's cousins house - an hour from the parking lot to the Lincoln Tunnel alone.  When we finally got to their house, it was nonstop eating (thank goodness!).  After trays of stuffed mushrooms, proscuitto wrapped breadsticks, pulled pork and the first Thansgiving dinner of the night, we headed to my parents' house the next town over for our second dinner.  Don't judge!  My sister and her boyfriend did the same although they were in Philly first and had a few hours to digest on the way to my parents'.  My mom was amazing and made everything herself this year since we had our obligations earlier in the day.  She made some of the same (cream of mushroom soup, candied yams, garlic string beans) and a few new additions (a delicious new stuffing recipe, homemade cranberry sauce and chinese bbq spare-ribs).  I made smitten's spiced applesauce cake for dessert and took a horrible photo of the turkey...

Friday we took advantage of The Gap and Rite Aid's Black Friday sales (good basics and toilet paper, respectively).  It was a low key night and we stayed in to watch the original Swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo.  I haven't read any of the books, but why didn't someone tell me the movie is not for the faint of heart.  I was expecting Borne Ultimatum, but instead (spoiler alert!) the movie is full of sexual violence and serial murders.  It was a good movie, but a little terrifying.

Saturday, while hubs was at the gym and taking his friend's Crossfit class, I was off to TJMaxx (again!).  I bought a couple more toys for my office holiday toy drive and then hovered over the Le Creuset table for a long time.  5-qt Oval French oven for $199 (retail $$225), 5.5-qt Round French oven for $159 (retail $235).  If I didn't have all the toys with me and didn't have to lug the heavy pot home, I would have rationalized buying one.  I imagine myself cooking roasts and stews like Giada de Laurentis in a gorgeous Le Creuset... Where the old Filene's Basement was on 6th Ave, they put in a new Marshalls.  The home section is fabulous and has great designer finds, something I didn't find at TJMaxx.  I saw a Vera Wang Wedgewood Sable Duchesse teapot for $99 (retail $216) and teacups for $11 (retail $30).

** Celeb alert!  We saw Harvey Keitel outside of Amity Hall last night.  Anyway, yay for four day weekends.  By the time Sunday arrived, it felt like I was on a mini-vacation.  Today was all about the chores though.  Laundry, supermarket, baking (smitten kitchen's pear bread) and cooking dinner.  Ahh, almost done, just need to do a little ironing and I'll be finally done.  I'm ready for Amazing Race and Walking Dead tonight and then back to work.

Hope you had a fabulous weekend too!

Birthday Boy

Pin It now! it was hubby's birthday and we went out to nj to his cousin's house for bbq to celebrate.  his cousin's house is the best place for kids - they have everything.  they have a huge trampoline, a batting cage, a huge inflatable water slide with mini pool, water guns...i can go on and on.  after having lots of bbq burgers, hot dogs, chicken and steak, pasta salad, and passionfruit beer, we washed it down a whole lot of desserts, including a pina colada donut (apparently not as good as it sounds).

happy birthday my love!

 

  

Back in Jerz

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i went back to nj for a birthday dinner for my brother.  it was just me, my bro and my parents celebrating tonight.  hubby had a friend dinner and my sister had a lame excuse with work.  anyway, it was nice and chill.  we hung out at the apartment and ordered chinese food from down the street.  i made some sangria and brought crumbs cupcakes for dessert.

here's dad with his cappuccino cupcake (he didn't want a glam shot).  baby bro had his favorite pb&j, and my mom and shared a pistachio one.  delish!

i had to add this picture too...hubby and i went food shopping at whole foods earlier in the morning.  apparently emu eggs are edible.  they look like freakin' dinosaur eggs.  i'm curious on how it tastes, but i'm definitely not daring enough to try.  if you've scrambled up some emu eggs lately, let me know!

The Longest Day

Pin It now! do you ever feel completely accomplished after a really long and full day?  maybe i'm just glad i made it through all the way.  i was at work at the crack of dawn and worked until 2pm.  jumped on the 7 train out to flushing to meet one of my bride and grooms.  headed back into manhattan to meet clara and june at the frying pan for drinks.  dragged the two of them to zeppelin hall beer garden in jersey city for birthday drinks for my brother.  i've finally made it home and i'm excited to just pass out on the couch and watch tv (after writing this post of course).

i've been trying to take advantage of all the outdoor spaces during the summer and frying pan is on all the local magazine lists for best outdoor drinking.  if you haven't been there yet, GO!  it's fun...it's an old ship that's been converted into a big outdoor bar, and is docked right off the west side highway by 26th street.  i remember a decade ago it held late night dance parties...am i just dating myself now?!  the crowd was definitely young, but it was still a fun place to sit and drink.  i get seasick very easily though so even though the ship is huge and was docked, i still got a little queasy. 

zeppelin hall beer garden was even better.  even though we had to take the path and cross the river to jersey, it was worth going.  plus i was obligated since it's my brother's birthday tomorrow.  lots of good beer on tap and there is outdoor and indoor seating.  the place is perfect to watch world cup since they have a huge screen.

ok, my darlings...time for bed.  get ready for the heat!  it's going to be hot this weekend!