A Recipe for Laughter

Hey Summer, Thanks for the Memories! (part 1)

2013-10-03T18:02:00.001-07:00

Well, the good news is that I survived my first DC summer. The bad news is that I've fallen very behind in my blogging duties, as evidenced by the fact that it is now October & I'm just getting around to recapping all of our adventures.

So here are some highlights from what was one of the busiest, craziest, HOTTEST summers
I can remember in a very long time.

June

June was action-packed!!

We said adios to our NY jobs, hosted a going away picnic in Central Park during a record-setting heat wave....

and coordinated not one but two moves down to DC. We also somehow squeezed in time to celebrate a few milestone moments, including Brian's birthday - which also happened to sync up with our final move out of our NY apt and the wedding of our good friends, John & Corinne.

It was like one big emotional roller coaster. Allow me to set the scene...

Brian had suggested that we spend our final weekend as New Yorkers in our apartment, despite the fact that we had already moved all of our bedroom furniture out. I went with this idea because a) I'm working really hard on my spontaneity - which, I suppose - is a not-so-spontaneous move and b) I thought camping in our living room sounded kind of romantic.

sure, this looks like the perfect area for camping!

That plan all fell apart when our beloved AeroBed sprung a leak, half way into the night. Three hours of sleep later, I woke up with a stiff neck on the couch & my poor birthday boy was curled up on the floor, under what I'm pretty sure were two washcloths he had somehow fashioned into a blanket.

Then it was time to pack up the rest of our things into this fun, mobile storage unit. It didn't go quite as smoothly as we hoped -- apparently my measuring skills aren't what they used to be -- so we literally had to pack & unpack our apartment on the middle of the busy sidewalk. Only in NY!?

We jammed our favorite things into this storage unit & sent them to their new home in Brooklyn. Goodbye old friends!

Somewhere in the midst of the madness, I was able to convince Brian that we should go stay at Harrison's apt, where there was a working air mattress with our names on it. So off we went to the UES with a quick stop at Mt. Sinai to pick-up the keys from Dr. Linder.

seriously, can you believe my brother is a REAL doctor?!

After that, it was time to begin the celebration portion of the weekend. We enjoyed some well-earned cocktails at the Fallon rehearsal dinner that evening, followed by some much needed diner food the next morning.

Cheers to the birthday boy! Nothing says happy birthday better than a greasy omelette, right Brian?!

Then we were off for wedding prep. Brian went to get ready with the rest of the groomsmen, while I enjoyed some beautification at DryBar with the then, ready-to-give-birth-at-any-moment but-still-looking-fabulous, Rennie.

The wedding was a blast - complete with Greek dancing & a cotton candy bar!!! And of course, we visited the photo booth where we may or may not have 'accidentally' ended up with some of the props.

some fun with the birthday boy

Silence Isn't So Golden

2013-08-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

I've always dreamt about what it would be like to move to a new city. I sort of did it in college (if you count the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania as a new "city") but I've never really taken the plunge -- like when Stacey & KPN took their "sabbatical" in San Diego or Jenn & Jay "detoured" from Astoria to Seville for a few months. I've always envied them for taking that time away & now that I find myself living in a new city, I'm not sure how I feel about it.

We all know that I tend to romanticize things & perhaps even, I don't know, set unrealistic expectations!? Knowing this tendency, I decided to embrace this next chapter without a real "plan" because heck, I was being offered a chance to explore a new city with my favorite person on the planet - all on a subsidized allowance, no less! How could we say no?!

In some ways, I'd say this whole no expectations thing has been great. Most days, I feel less stressed out & certainly less crazed than I was in NYC. But there's been just one small, teeny, tiny detail I wish I had given some real thought to...

And that is how much I'd miss being close to all of YOU! I took for granted how lucky I was to be just a few blocks or quick train ride away from an impromptu lunch date or happy hour drink on a moment's notice.

Don't get me wrong, D.C. isn't so bad. I really love our new apartment & am having fun learning the in's & out's of a new city. The Metro is convenient, the city is easy to navigate & there are a ton of great restaurants in our neighborhood.

But Brian's hectic work schedule means I'm alone, A LOT! And given my natural abilities as a chatterbox, I think it's fair to say that the hardest part of the move for me - so far - has been the never-ending SILENCE!

Some days, I feel a whole lot like Bridget Jones...ALL BY MYSELF!!!

It's strange not having a real social circle here. It's like being the new girl in class, everyday!

Suddenly I find myself smiling at strangers longer, hanging out at the gym hoping to make small talk with fellow spinners before class & Lord help the poor, unassuming barista who asks how I'm doing without expecting to hear my long-winded diatribes about life in D.C.

To combat this, I'm trying some new ways to help bring a little more conversation into my day-to-day life. I've joined a few Meet-Up groups & have started taking solo expeditions to get to know D.C. better. So far, I've checked out the Botanical Gardens, strolled the Mall from the Capitol to the Smithsonian & even ventured into Alexandria & Arlington for some shopping too.

But perhaps my biggest "all by myself" moment so far was when I went on a movie date, ALONE. It sounds ridiculous, but I've always been kind of afraid of doing that for some reason. Turns out - it's still fun. I didn't have to share my popcorn & I was able to see a movie Brian never would have wanted to see, The Heat. (Which, aside from a few minor chuckles, was pretty bad!) Still, I'd say it was $10 well spent!

I'm not going to lie, it hasn't been easy. But I'm looking forward to seeing what else D.C. has to offer & hopefully, meeting some new folks along the way.

(Oh, and did I mention...I MISS YOU?!)

Oh hey Mr. Capitol, it's me Ilyse!

Birthdays, Babies & Baking!

2013-07-24T11:14:00.004-07:00

It has been a busy few weeks here at Casa Wittenberg: South!!

We've celebrated Brian's birthday, our nation's birthday & now today - the 1st birthday of the tiniest Wittenberg - little Miss Everett. We may be biased but we think she's the cutest!!

Happy Birthday Brian!

Happy Birthday America!

Happy 1st Birthday Everett!

On top of that, we've been consumed (!) by the Royal Baby Watch -- no, no, not the future heir of the British throne but the long-awaited arrival of an Upper West Side Princess. And we're so thrilled for John & Rennie that she's finally here.

Welcome to the world Miss Kady Evelyn Krajnak!!!

We love you Kady!

Now you might be wondering, what else have you been doing with yourself in D.C.

Well...let me tell you!!

Brian's new job has kept him VERY busy & I have to give him props because he's been a real trooper about it. As the reigning "King of the Snooze Button" -- I had my doubts that he'd be able to adjust to life at HQ. But that boy is out of bed everyday by 6:45am while I'm still off in dreamland!! And as if getting up early wasn't bad enough, he then has to battle the sweltering DC humidity in a suit. Ugh!!

I, on the other hand, have been living a more leisurely existence since we got here -- spending my days with the other unemployed Washingtonians at the gym, doing laundry (it's so exciting having our own washer/dryer) & visiting Whole Foods way too many times a week for someone on a limited budget!

That's right ladies & gents, I'm officially a housewife...at least for now.

Although my initial plan was to take the summer off, I've decided this whole not working thing isn't for me so I'm on the hunt for a new job & hoping to get back into the swing of things ASAP. This girl needs a paycheck!! And more importantly, someone else to talk to (besides myself) during the day!!

In the meantime, I'm having fun in our newly renovated kitchen, trying out all the recipes from Pinterest that I always wanted to make but never had time for. Last week - I made brookies (http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/dessert/cake/brookies.html) which were delicious & easy & gone in 2 days -- hence my rekindled relationship with the gym!

yum!

So things are moving along & we are slowly, but surely settling in to our new life in D.C. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some vacuuming to do ;)

Packing it up!

2013-07-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

30 days!!! That's all it took to turn my cushy NYC life upside down.

Yes - Brian & I had talked about making the {temporary} move to DC for his job someday, but that was all in a land of "maybes" and "what ifs." So when the official call came in May, I went straight into planning mode because, well - that's what I do. It didn't seem right to focus on the things we'd be leaving behind - family, friends, our lovable but bizarre doorman Dino - when there was so much work to be done in less than a month's time.

The first step towards our new life was quitting my job, which was surprisingly harder than I thought it would be. Sure, taking some time off sounded like a great deal but what would I do with myself every day? The natural choice, of course, was to obsess over the details and so I did -- spending way too many hours reading through Craigslist apartment listings, researching furniture rental options & getting lost in Yelp reviews.

In the sprint that led up to our move, Brian & I squeezed in dates with our amazing friends, visited with family & ate at some of our favorite neighborhood spots, repeatedly. Brunch every day at Good Enough to Eat & dinner every night at Cotta, why not?! I found myself suddenly appreciating things I once despised or took for granted in NY -- like waiting to take part in the horrible morning commute on the E train each morning or the ability to walk out our front door & have every delicious treat we could ever want within a block in any direction.

Brian's solo move

Although we had watched our fair share of House Hunters, I don't think we were prepared for the craziness that awaited us. Turns out all the headaches & anxieties that come with moving are not as easily edited out of real life like they are on TV.

And as with most moves, things did not go entirely as planned, which as you know, drives me crazy!! Instead of winding down, Brian was unusually swamped with work & barely had time to catch his breath. Oh - and did I mention - he was leaving for DC a week ahead of me AND was also going to NOLA for a bachelor party weekend in the midst of our move?

Cue panic mode here!

Where did we get all of this stuff???

In the end, I had to pack up the entire apartment by myself. (Except for the afternoon when HSLP graciously came over to help pack our kitchen in her usual meticulous style!) While I did enjoy some fun trips down memory lane in the process, packing was exhausting...and also really sad. We had so many great times in that apartment - getting engaged, watching the Giants win the Super Bowl, Wii dance parties, celebrating holidays together.

I was not loving life & was honestly starting to second guess this whole thing. As usual, Brian was there with a smile on his face -- trying to make the best of the situation.

(He's so much better at that then I am!!)

Wittendog enjoying the spoils of our move!

When moving day finally arrived, I was ready with the plan - who was doing what, what was being moved when, etc.

Of course, Mother Nature had plans of her own & so, in between downpours, we abandoned order & were forced to sprint back-and-forth from our building with our most precious belongings in hand. My father-in-law, who is a true packing genius, provided some much needed help & comic relief along the way.

Thank goodness for Wittendog!!!

R2 is better than any GPS!

A few hours later, we were heading South on I-95 in our bright yellow Penske truck. We had all the road trip necessities with us -- an R2D2 bank filled with change for the tolls, Tate's chocolate chip cookies & lots of good tunes on the iPod. Brian drove that truck like a champ, through a legitimate mini-tornado in Baltimore & horrific traffic on the Beltway.

After 5+ hours on the road, we finally pulled onto our new street as - you guessed it - more torrential rain hit! We were soaked, as were our movers & all of our boxes. I wanted to cry but instead, as we stood dripping all over our new apartment, I just had to laugh!

Was it perfect...not even close! Did it go as planned...not even a little bit!

My expert driver & resident comedian

But somehow, it turned out to be a pretty fun adventure (as life with Brian tends to be) & I'm guessing there's plenty more ahead!