emily everywhere!

I left my heart in Reno

2011-10-29T21:35:00.000-06:00

The BF and I headed out to Reno to visit his fam. Although we chowed at Capriotti's and I had a wonderfully fantastic shopping spree at the Legends Outlet Mall, the highlight of the trip--and the reason we visited--was to meet the BF's newest niece. Doesn't this girl encompass all things adorable?

I couldn't get enough of her. Other highlights from the weekend:

- I nearly ruined the cakebites (and my reputation) by accidentally buying unsweetened chocolate
- I saw friends who made me laugh
- I met a new friend who loves reading as much as I do. Check out her online book club: http://thevirtualliterarysociety.blogspot.com/
- I got to go to bed one night at 9:30. FAB!
- I finished the Hunger Games on my new Nook. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.
- I packed all my clothes in a bag that I can carry on my shoulder. It was a tight fit, but I was soooo proud of myself.
- I almost had a heart attack when we arrived at the airport 30 minutes before our flight left
- I gave the BF the stink eye when the plane hit turbulence and he wasn't sitting next to me to hold my hand because we arrived at the airport 30 minutes before our flight left and thus couldn't sit next to each other.

I'm still here

2011-09-28T23:06:00.000-06:00

My poor blog's been neglected. It happens, you know, when you blog for fun and not for a living. Here's a recap:

Memorial Day in Bear Lake--It was relaxing, beautiful, and adventurous at times. (The boat's battery died as we were about to go back to the dock on Saturday. We had to be rescued and tugged back to shore. The whole process took a couple of hours, so I was just glad I had some snacks and a good book.)

A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

Pork tacos--Tacos are delicious-ness. One Saturday as I was channel surfing and secretly hoping to catch an episode of Teen Mom, I stumbled upon Kelsey's Essentials. (A little less drama and a lot more substance.) Well, that show put me in the mood for exactly what she was making. I went to the store that afternoon and made these awesome tacos for dinner the next day. They were nothing short of heavenly. Click here for the recipe. Thanks, Kelsey! For being so cute, you make a mean taco!

Work--I have taken on two extra jobs. One is teaching an online writing class, which I'm loving. The other is ... are you ready for this? Assistant director of a one-month study abroad to Europe next summer!! I'm already planning the trip, which will have stops in England, France, Germany, Luxembourg (where, incidentally, my blog is quite popular), and ITALY! Land of my forebears. Between these extra responsibilities and my new-found obsessiveness with being organized, cleaning my car, and using those $10 off coupons Kohl's mails me every week, you can understand the aforementioned blog neglect.

Speaking of Italy--The BF's aunt and uncle installed a wood-burning pizza oven in their backyard. It is one of the coolest (yet hottest) things ever. The pizzas they've created in there have been FANTASTIC. I sometimes try to watch what I eat, but whenever I'm around that oven I have ZERO self-control. I better buy some stretchy pants for my European trip next year.

My custom pizza: alfredo, pesto, onions, fresh tomatoes, basil

The pizzas cook quickly because it's 500+ degrees in there

Powell's Sweet Shoppe

2011-08-31T22:19:00.000-06:00

I wish I could live on a beach. Or near one at least. The J. Crew catalogs always make lounging on a beach look so lovely. We spent a perfect day at Capitola, California, which included eating some pesto pizza from Pizza My Heart on the beach. Our sun-kissed little selves even picked up chocolate ice cream on our way home, which I doubt is how the J. Crew models spend their days at the beach.

We spent some good water time in Cali. The beach one day; boating on the lake the next. But one of the coolest things we did while we were in No Cal was go kayaking on Monterey Bay. At first the kayak seemed the wobbly, but by the end it was only my arms that were a little wobbly from the paddling. We saw otters, sea lions, a jellyfish, and pelicans. It was better than a day at the zoo!

Another fun discovery in the area was Powell's Sweet Shoppe, an adorable store with all sorts of candy. From old-school treats like Pop Rocks to foreign chocolate (Cabury's) and even obscure things like Bacon soda (nasty, I tried it!) and chocolate-covered crickets.

The store is packed with sweets, plays sugary music, and pays homage to Candy Land and Willy Wonka. There are multiple California locations and even one in Oregon and Boise, Idaho. Sweet! (Pun very much intended.)

Sandwich time in Reno

2011-08-27T22:37:00.005-06:00

I do love me a good sandwich. Although one of my biggest pet peeves is when people call them samwiches--hello, there's a d in there for a reason!

Pet peeves aside, the BF's dad introduced us to two great sanDwich shops in Reno. First we tried Beach Hut Deli. Going to the beach after eating there is probably the last thing you want to do because I was so stuffed that I couldn't even think about putting on a swimsuit and sucking in my gut. I ordered a turkey bacon avocado sanDwich, which also includes cream cheese for an extra special touch.

The second spot we tried was Capriotti's, which apparently is a decent-sized chain that I've never heard of. I ordered the sweet sausage with hot peppers; it was delish but my sinuses were cleared and my ears were on fire after a few bites. Who can resist a messy Italian sanDwich with some marinara and onions on it? Not me, but then again, I rarely meet a sanDwich I don't like. However, yesterday I read this article on CNN, and it didn't whet my appetite. Peanut butter and onions on wheat? No gracias!

Lava Hot Springs, Idaho

2011-08-26T07:18:00.001-06:00

The BF kept talking up the Lava Hot Springs, which are located in the middle of nowhere Idaho. I envisioned the hot springs to be a few small, dirty and smelly holes in a forested area. I was so wrong! Turns out they've built a really nice pool facility around the large hot springs, and they're right off the freeway. (You can see the semi trucking along the road in the picture below.) Parts of the pools were covered by red canopies, the water didn't smell like stinky eggs, and it was so nice and clean. It was such a great stop, that a tour bus full of Koreans came just as we were getting there.

We decided to avoid the crowds a little bit after we bought our hot springs wristbands, not only because it was in the 90s but also because we noticed that all the locals were floating the river next to pool area. They seemed to be having a lot more fun than the Koreans. We rented a four-person tube and followed the locals into the river. The ride was about 5-10 minutes and was a lot of fun. The best part was when we came around a corner and a chubby toothless guy sitting in the river with his dog started squirting and laughing at us as we floated by. Awesome. We had rented the tube for an hour, which earned us three floats down the river. It was a lot of fun, and I only lost my contact in my eye once.

After our river adventure, we spent some time at Hot Spring facility. It was still pretty warm, so we didn't hang out there a ton, but it was fun, and I want to go back in the winter to experience the 100+ degree water among the snow. Click here for info on the hot springs.

The Bunnery in Jackson, WY

2011-08-25T07:18:00.000-06:00

For brunch in Jackson Hole, we ate at The Bunnery, thanks to the helpful recommendations on Yelp, which is probably one of the best traveling apps (not to be confused with traveling pants) that I know of. This place is capital C Cute! Based on a Yelp recommendation I ordered the strawberry and cream cheese croissant for starters, which was so sinfully good I'm pretty sure it will be served in heaven.

In true cowgirl style (I was in Wyoming after all) I bucked the breakfast trend that everyone else was following and ordered a hearty quesadilla for lunch. (Breakfast is my least fav meal anyway--hope you sleep better tonight knowing that.) I totally scored. It was exactly what I wanted, and I think my meal was the envy of the table.

And here are a couple shots of downtown Jackson. Such a cute little place!

But we didn't stay in Jackson for long ... we had a couple more adventures planned for the day. TBC.

Yellowstone, day 2: Old geezers

2011-08-19T18:09:00.005-06:00

Here are a few more pictures of the Yellowstone adventure. First, Old Faithful. We were lucky to only have to wait ten minutes for Mr. Faithful to do his thang. Funny enough, the geyser behind Old Faithful went off longer and higher than O.F. did. But at least he's predicable!

There are tons of good walks in the park where you can explore (but not touch) the boiling and colorful ponds. They're gorg to look at, but disgusting to smell. Unless you like the smell of sulfur or rotten boiled eggs, which apparently is a fav smell of one of our friends who was with us.

Pretty!

Yellowstone was a ton of fun, and we were lucky to pack it all in within two days. (Which I wouldn't recommend if you had kids with you.) It's crazy to think about all the pyrotechnics that are underground, and all the millions of people who visit there every year.

PS--We used the following web site to guide us through the park--it helped us hit all the highlights! http://www.yellowstone.net/topten.htm

Young in W. Yellowstone/Wild West Pizza

2011-08-01T18:40:00.000-06:00

I felt really old the other night when I was watching "Nick and Vanessa's Dream Wedding." I couldn't remember what boy band Nick was part of for the life of me. (It was 98 Degrees, by the way.) Shame.

After our first day in Yellowstone, we ate the most delish pizza place in W. Yellowstone, Wild West Pizza. Half of the place is a bar and the other half is a restaurant, with some pool tables in between the two. I was famished after our eight-hour day touring and hiking in the park, so I declined to join the pool game our group started while waiting for our table and sat on a barstool to watch. Apparently the pool tables are part of the bar since the old guy with the words SECURITY printed on his black tee walked up to me and asked to see my ID. This was completely unexpected since I've been legal for almost ELEVEN years. It was also the highlight of my day. Ha ha ha! I may not remember what made Nick Lachey famous (well, besides Jessica Simpson), but in the dim lighting of a pool hall I look awesomely under-aged.

Our Yellowstone excursion was fantastic--we saw bison, elk, bears, geysers, etc. The BF found a link online that listed the ten must-see places in Yellowstone, which we followed religiously (plus a few little stops of our own). We did the north loop on the first day and the south loop on the second.

Here's a video of an old geyser at the Norris Basin in Yellowstone.

Here's a pic of some diva elk who were hanging out in the people-infested Roosevelt area of the park.

We got up close to some bison--this one actually crossed the road in front of us:

We experience this waterfall up close in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone:

And saw this awesome manly elk:

And that was just the first day ...

Henry’s Fork and Big Juds, Idaho

2011-07-30T17:49:00.002-06:00

Henry's Fork=Gorg!

It's been awhile since I last blogged, and believe me, I've had my reasons. But that excuse is an entire blog post or two itself.

But for now, my latest adventure. This time we journeyed through the lands of potatoes, cowboys, and big skies. The BF organized a trip for us and some friends, and although I was looking forward to it, I didn’t realize how fun it would turn out to be. (The trip plan just sounded so outdoorsy.) First stop: Island Park, Idaho, to canoe down Henry’s Fork of the Snake River.

One of my sweet friends had heard how high the Snake River was running, and she sent me a text that made me a little nervous, but the BF assured me that the part we were going to be on was completely safe, and he was right (except for the horsefly that attacked one of our friends). In the 2+ hours we canoed down we even hit bottom a couple of times. It was pretty shallow throughout and was completely beautiful. (It was so pretty I almost started to sing showtunes ala Julie Andrews.) We rented the canoes at Mack’s Inn, Idaho, and the company employees drove us up the river a few miles and dropped us in.

After a lovely float down Henry’s Fork, we decided it was time to get a real fork and have some dinner. We drove 20 miles south to Ashton, Idaho, to a clunky burger joint that’s infamous in Idaho, Big Juds. (It’s actually gotten a little more famous since its Boise location was featured on Man Vs. Food.)

This place is seriously in need of an upgrade—like sticky tables and posters with black babies wearing sunflowers on their heads—but there’s no denying that the burgers are big. If you eat a burger that’s about the size of a pie, along with fries and a shake, you win. And you get your pic on the wall or something. We decided to stick with more “normal” sized burgers, which were still huge. I ate a blue cheese bacon burger, which was really good, and it gave me the energy for the next day's adventure: Yellowstone.

NY, day 21: Leaving the Empire State

2011-06-04T13:23:00.001-06:00

In front of my NY apt.

I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror at JFK this morning, and it was not a pretty sight. Not only was I exhausted (seven hours of sleep just isn’t enough) and my hair disastrous, but I had also been fighting the urge to barf for the last hour. I got a shuttle to the airport and between the potholes, the jerky driving, and looking out the window, I felt motion sick and didn’t think I was going to make it without something terribly embarrassing happening.

Now I'm blogging 30,000 feet in the air. I have a tension headache from the stress the turbulence has caused me; I'm thirsty and hungry, and my back is sore and my feet are cold.

I used to pride myself on being an awesome traveler (and for the most part, I still think I am), but now I'm just whining. But I think living out of a suitcase for (nearly) a month would do this to anyone. Thirty minutes to landing, and I can't wait!

PS--I did get free internet from Delta, so that's helped me survive this flight. I'd also like to thank Pandora and whoever chose to show an episode of The Middle sitcom. That little boy is way too cute!

NY, day 20: Baked by Melissa

2011-06-04T12:59:00.000-06:00

There were a lot of people who asked me what I was doing my last night in NY. I proudly responded: “Watching a movie in my pjs!” I was so tired and needed to do some last-minute packing, so a movie was exactly what I wanted. After work I needed to pick up some souvenirs, so I headed to Soho again and met up with Jami. We shopped a bit, grabbed some delightful mini cupcakes from Baked by Melissa, and took the train home. We made paninis, watched a chick flick as planned, and I said goodnight to NY for the last time.

My three weeks in town and at the NY magazine was awesome. I had some great experiences, worked with some rad people, and enjoyed being part of Manhattan. It was fun seeing and exploring with my friends out here, but I’m exhausted, miss the BF terribly, and am ready to return to my full wardrobe.

If I've counted right (which actually doesn't happen much), I've been gone 25 days. Mercy!

NY, day 19: The best of the best

2011-06-03T12:41:00.003-06:00

The ragweed in town has been miserable. My nose is constantly itching, and I’m constantly wiping it, and consequently it’s sore. Other than that things have been good. I got my last cheap mani after work (maroon this time), got on the slowest 6 train, and ended up in Soho. While I was walking around, I was standing on the corner waiting to cross when I let out a sneeze that probably rattled China. “Bless you!” I heard and looked up to see a smiling UPS man, waiting in his van at the stop light.

Jami and I met up and wandered around a bit and realized we were starving. What do you know? La Esquina was just a couple blocks away. Jami hadn’t eaten their tacos yet, so I again felt it was my duty to introduce her. After our fab dinner at the taco bar, we found an adorable place around the corner called The Best Chocolate Cake in the World. We were sold! We enjoyed our scrumptious treat and chatted until it was time to head uptown again and go to bed.

NY, day 18: Anything Secret Goes

2011-06-02T12:19:00.005-06:00

One of my biggest fears happened today (next to wearing the same thing as a co-worker to the office): a tornado watch. (About half of my nightmares involve tornados … analyze that!) I ~~checked the weather radar online every ten minutes~~ kept my eye on the forecast throughout the afternoon. Fortunately, NY didn’t get hit—not even by rain. Although I did feel a few drops as I was walking to Jami’s later that night (I think that was rain … )

After work, Megan and I went to the secret Burger Joint. I’ve blogged about this spot before, but I actually haven’t been in years, so it was fun to revisit. Basically (and I wrote about it much more creatively in my previous post), you walk into the lobby of the Parker-Meridien Hotel on 56^th Street. Once you pass the lobby, you look to the left and you see a neon burger sign. Follow the sign (and your nose) and you walk into this burger joint that is so opposite to the swanky hotel lobby that you just were in. I always feel like I’m in a speakeasy when I’m there—so fun! Their shakes are delish too (even better than the uber-popular Shake Shack, in Megan’s opinion.)

The well-autographed wall of the secret Burger Joint.

After our din, I jumped on the train down to 42^nd Street. It was finally my night with Sutton! Her newest show, Anything Goes, is a lot of fun. It’s a little campy but still entertaining, and she is simply amazing. I’m almost positive we’d be friends if we had the chance to hang out. Speaking of friends, I became buddies with one of the ushers there. He called me Lady Gaga because I was sitting in row GG. I love the random people I meet around here.

NY, day 17: Movin on out

2011-06-01T12:10:00.001-06:00

Tuesday wasn’t terribly exciting … I even had leftovers for lunch. After work I made a quick trip through H&M because I was sick of wearing the same ol’ things from my suitcase. (I walk by a couple of the greatest stores every day on my commute … daily temptation!) My spree was successful: I found a shirt and cute orange skirt there for under $30. Score! (Although when I wore my skirt to work, one of the interns said she had bought the same skirt, and we’d almost had a “Who Wore It Best” moment—but fortunately she decided to wear something else to work. Phew! Seriously one of my biggest fears.)

I headed up to my place and packed up my room with the amazing view of GW Bridge and moved ten blocks south—with the help of my friend Jami—into her spare room. (I had rented the first room only until the end of May, and crashing with Jami and her hubby for the rest of my trip.) I fell asleep listening to the neighbor washing dishes and listening to loud Dominican music. I tried to enjoy and appreciate this authentic NY experience, but it was actually kind of annoying. This city's giving me an edge. :)

NY, days 15/16: Concrete zoo

2011-05-30T21:12:00.001-06:00

Memorial weekend has turned NY into a concrete zoo--peeps everywhere! Here are some of my pit stops during the last couple days:

Dinner with Megan--I visited her adorable apartment and had a great chat and a yummy dinner/dessert. The good thing about her place is that if dinner got burned somehow, we had the fried chicken shop below her apartment as a back up.

In a pickle--I was introduced to the Pickle Guys, which is basically a room with red barrels of pickled things--mainly cucumbers but there also was pickled garlic and peppers. (See pic at right.) Fun place, but be on your toes with the workers there who will tease you mercilessly.

Brat snack--A group of us walked into The Lexington Candy Shop for a sandwich to go. (This place has been around for 85 years and is charming.) Star sighting: Andrew McCarthy--the hearthrob in Pretty in Pink--enjoying a leisurely lunch with his friends. Duckie would be so jealous.

Central cooling--Monday was H-O-T, but for some reason Central Park was calling our names. We chatted in the shade, ate ice cream, drank water, and read gossip mags. I highly recommend this combo.

Nice to Met you--Our group went to the Met specifically to visit the Alexander McQueen exhibit. It brought a whole new meaning to tortured artist and also made me want to go shopping. Fortunately our wait to get into this exhibit was only 30-40 mins. The line was twice as long by the time we finished.

Tongue Thai-ed-- Ate at the Upper West Side's Land Thai for dinner on the sidewalk (this is my friend Jami's fav Thai place in the city). Jami and I ordered the same thing: drunken noodles, which she had before, and they came out spicier than ever. My mouth was on fire!

NY, day 14: Cloisters and Earnest

2011-05-28T22:23:00.000-06:00

Tonight my quiet little neighborhood turned into a place of mayhem. Lexy and I met up to see The Importance of Being Earnest--it was delightful. On the train ride home I was too busy flirting with a cute little five-year-old to notice that it was unexpectedly full of twenty-somethings. Then when they ALL got off at my stop and starting cheering, I clued into the fact that something was up. "Are you going to the 40 ounce bounce?" one of the more normal ones asked me as we were climbing the stairs. "No ... what's that?" "Free beer," he replied, "In the park." "Which one?" I asked. "I don't know. Just following the crowd."

And what a crowd it was. There were seriously hundreds of people getting off at my stop; the street was more packed than Times Square. As I made my way through the crowd, I noticed some official-looking guy yelling at the crowd, "The 40 ounce bounce is canceled!" This was met with a lot of swearing. I didn't stick around to see how this disappointment turned out, but it kind of sounds like there's a riot going on outside. I guess I can understand their disappointment, but still ...

My afternoon was much more peaceful as Sister and I walked up to the 60+ acres Fort Tyron Park and visited the Cloisters museum up there. The park is a gem of the city--nice gardens and beautiful trees that overlook the Hudson. (It's also the site of a battle during the American Revolution.) The Cloisters is an extension of the Met museum and has some pretty cool medieval art and gorgeous architecture. It's kind of like being in a European castle (although I've never been in one, I can tell thanks to Rick Steves on PBS). Here are my pics!

They sure loved their unicorn tapestries.

NY, day 13: Daniel Radcliff on Broadway

2011-05-28T14:45:00.001-06:00

Last night Sister, Lexy, and I went to see How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. We were able to get $30 rush tickets the morning of and sit in the third row. Granted, we were on the far right side and there were a few things we couldn't see, but for the price we paid, it was totally worth it! (Go to playbill.com for info on Broadway rush and lotteries.)

From the beginning when Daniel was lifted out of the orchestra pit, the show was a lot of fun! (Fact: he and I are the same height.) It was a lot more slapstick than I expected, and I was also surprised by the great dancing. I loved Rose Hemingway's voice (she's a newcomer and I bet she'll be on Broadway for awhile). John Laroquette was hilarious. Also funny: the stampede to the women's bathroom at half-time. It was like the opening of the doors at a Walmart sale on Black Friday, except the women were in heels.

For dinner we had Indian food--a place called Minar that I had read about in the Delta in-flight mag. (I don't like eating anywhere that hasn't been recommended somehow.) My usual complaint is that there aren't good spots to eat around Times Square that are quick too, but this one is a great option--especially if you like tikka masala.

This is my Indian crepe I ordered for dinner.

Work ended a little early in honor of the long weekend. I found a sunny spot to finish reading The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (which, interestingly enough, ends in NYC).

Then I did a little walking and shopping around and I ran into these cool fiberglass rose art thingys in the middle of Park Avenue.

NY, day 12: Meg, mac, and mani

2011-05-26T21:33:00.002-06:00

It's been a magical day! After work, I was waiting for Sister to meet up with me, when a guy on the street approached me. "Do you want to know the funniest thing?" he asked.

Yes, Mom, I usually still follow your advice and don't talk with strange men, but I was intrigued, so I said, "Sure" (but probably with a little hesitation in my voice).

"Look at my shoe," and then he pulled it off right there on the corner of Lexington and 42nd and lifted up the part that used to be the heel. "I was walking down the sidewalk and it exploded!" Sure enough, that shoe was a goner. "But the even crazier thing ... my other shoe exploded at the exact same time!" He pulls off his other shoe to show me. "I gotta go buy some new shoes right now. It was so weird; I was walking along and I was like what the ...? Is this a freakin' terrorist attack?" (Of course he had a NY accent too.)

I laughed, wished him luck at finding new shoes, and encouraged him to post his shoe explosion story on Facebook. "It was so funny I just had to tell someone and you were the first person I saw." Glad our paths crossed, buddy!

So my manicure from last week had started to chip terribly, so Sister and I planned on stopping at the nail place after work. As a couple of my co-workers were heading out of the office, they mentioned they were going to a book signing featuring one of my fav authors: Meg Cabot. (Princess Diaries, anyone?) So I had a big decision to make: a mani or Meg? I decided I was going to shoot for both!

Sister and I went to the 9 dolla place. It probably would have been cheaper just to go get a thing of nail polish remover to remedy my chipped nails, but then I wouldn't have had the chance to get my nails polished in Essie Angora Cardi (a rosey purple color I'm totally in love with now). We jumped on the 6--still shaking our hands to ensure a dry top coat--and made it to the bookstore in no time. I bought my book, accidentally knocked over a promotional sign, and got in line. It was supposedly an event for teen readers, but there I was a good decade plus past my teens and totally giddy. Meg was so nice and it was great to meet her!

Then we (Sister and I, not Meg and I) went to Cafe Gitane for dinner--a Frenchie place where the waitresses wear cute green Kate Spade-esque shifts. We shared the avocado toast, the baked pasta (aka mac n cheese with tomatoes and prosciutto), and the couscous. It was great--the mac n cheese was my fav.

I spent the subway ride home reading The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and reveling in my fun and quick night on the town.

NY, day 11: A beautiful day in the neighborhood

2011-05-25T21:28:00.002-06:00

I was on a roll today. The weather was beaut--the first day I didn't take a coat or umbrella to work even! I confidently gave an out-of-towner directions to 59th and Park Ave. Had good projects and writing time at work and ordered Mexican food for lunch.

The only problem was that as I was eating my lunch, a piece of my chicken fell off my fork and rolled down my shirt and white pants. Of course this couldn't happen yesterday when I was wearing dark clothes. A little water and some paper towel scrubbing in the bathroom got rid of most of the stain. It wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't mysteriously gotten a grease spot on my trench yesterday. Sigh. I don't know why my klutziness still surprises me.

Met up with Sister after work ... tonight was Greenwich night and a slice of Joe's Pizza. (The BF was extremely jel with this move, since Joe's is his favorite NY pizza.) I made Sister get a cupcake at Amy's Bread, which I've heard great things about, but I was too sugared out from the sweets I ate during the day, which is saying a lot because my sweet tooth almost always wins out in situations like these.

The nights go by so quickly here! It's already past my bedtime, and all I want to do is blog and look up places to eat at this weekend! Until tomorrow ... xoxo.

NY, day 10: Two Little Red Hens Cupcakes

2011-05-24T20:53:00.001-06:00

Lunch today was from Prevti Pizza--a sandwich though, not pizza, but I'm planning on going back to get a slice from there too. They even gave me a free Diet Coke for buying a sandwich--score!

My roast beef is fallin off its bun!

Then a little stroll through the upper east side with Sister after work. We ended up snagging some cupcakes at Two Little Red Hens--a place I found when searching for good NY cupcakes online. It lived up to its reputation: the red velvet and Brooklyn blackout (rich chocolate with pudding in the middle) were delish. The cupcakes were my main course for dinner ... um, yeah, this is just the second time I've done this. It doesn't qualify as a habit ... yet!

It was actually hot today--no rain either! (Although I have a feeling I may be willing to swap the humidity for the downpours ... )

NY, day 9: La Esquina repeat

2011-05-23T20:04:00.001-06:00


A touristy shot 'cause I couldn't think of anything creative.

My sister flew into town today for a conference. We met up after work, and I realized it was my older-sibling duty to introduce her to La Esquina and its amazing tacos. (I might have been craving them too a little bit.) While we were waiting for our order, I looked down the counter and saw two of my former co-workers from a few years ago--so random! This happened to me on my first trip to NY (like 8 years ago) when I was in a tiny Italian restaurant and saw a friend from high school two tables over. There may be 8 million peeps in this city, but I sure can hunt my friends down. (Although the BF says that if they're not my friends on Facebook, then I can't really claim them as friends anymore. :) )

Work was pretty typical today. The weather was pretty typical today. I went to a place called Macchiato for lunch and had a pretty good halloumi cheese sandwich. Didn't take a pic because I didn't have my camera on me. I'm actually feeling pretty good today too--not as lightheaded as I was last week. Fingers crossed that I'm on the mend for reals. Bed time!

NY, day 7/8: Weekend update

2011-05-22T18:30:00.000-06:00

There have been a quite a few moments the in the last day that have made me smile: the man singing opera to himself outside my building, the person practicing the cello down the hall, my picturesque walk to the corner grocery store, and the Egyptian cabbie who was so excited to find out that I lived across the street from his optometrist! He even gave Dr. Hector a call at 10:30 p.m. just to let him know and to say hi as he was driving me home.

Unfortunately, the reason I was in a cab and not taking the more economical subway was because I was feeling a little sick again. I even left my Broadway show, Catch Me If You Can, about ten minutes before it ended because I was nervous about having an episode in the middle of the theatre. I had spent most of the afternoon walking/shopping between Columbus Circle and 42nd, with plenty to eat but probably not enough to drink. (I really just didn't want to have to hit the insanely busy bathrooms during the show's half-time.) I left at the perfect time, catching a cab just as the theatre across the street let out.

Catch Me got mixed reviews, even though it's nominated for a Best Musical Tony. Could it have been better? Sure. But it was entertaining, made me laugh, and the actors has great voices. I was actually more bothered by the woman next to me and her fifty-year-old musty perfume than I was by anything in the show. That's probably what made me light-headed.

I got some good sleep last night, but was still so tired when I woke up that I tried washing my hair with body soap. Nice. I dedicated this afternoon to doing my laundry (it only took me ten minutes to figure out how to make the washer work) and resting (looking up places to eat and watching Modern Family online). It will be another busy week, so I want to make sure I'm hydrated and feeling top notch. (And the weather outside is cloudy and cold--it's really a day just begging for sweat pants and naps.)

Lunchtime view.

Had a Bouchon Bakery sandwich and cookie

Flowers outside the Lincoln Center

NY, day 6: Best tacos ever

2011-05-20T20:53:00.000-06:00

This may be one of the prettiest picture I've ever taken. :)

After work I got a $9 Manhattan manicure in cool gray. It was kind of an accomplishment because I didn't hardly understand what the nice manicurist was saying to me. I also managed to smudge my thumbnail on the way out the door and the owner was sweet enough to do a touch up. Phew! I jumped on the train and 15 minutes later was standing in front of La Esquina, my fav Mexican food east of the Missisippi. I ordered my usual carnita taco and branched out to try the avacado/vegetarian one, which fortunately I didn't regret. My goal is to eat here a couple more times before I leave--maybe I'll even reach the status where they know my order when they see me walk in.

I took the scenic route along Broadway and did I little browsing before I got on another train. I stopped at Uniqlo,which is best described as the Japanese GAP, but didn't see much there. (Does anyone know why their dressing rooms are ALWAYS roasting?) I was so worn out from this week, that eating and a little window shopping was about all I could hack. I'm def looking forward to the next 12 hours, which I plan to spend in bed being blissfully lazy. (I'm still using the doctor's orders excuse ... and probably will for the rest of the year really.)

As a side note I really hate that I've had to ruin my outfits the last two days by wearing athletic shoes when I'm commuting. I know it looks terrible, but I have this cut on the back of my foot and don't want to make it worse. I know I'm being judged even though it's a little acceptable because that's what people have to do around here, but I'm mortified every time I look at my feet. If this dang rain would stop, it would just solve a bunch of wardrobe probs. Fingers crossed for a better forecast next week.

NY, day 5: The most swankified place in town!

2011-05-19T21:15:00.000-06:00

The sun finally came out today! I was so excited I had to take a pic to remember this glorious moment of vitamin D returning to my life.

This was my lunch. A cute and quick to-go pasta place.

After work, I went to an event for the American Cancer Society's Choose You program. which was fun and inspiring. Not only did I get my first swag bag but also Hillary Swank was there. She had the prettiest dress on too. :) The Choose You campaign is cool--they estimate half of women's deaths from cancer can be prevented, and they're encouraging women take the steps to reduce the disease.

Ok, I'm exhausted. Nighty night.

NY, day 4: Cupcake for dinner

2011-05-18T20:48:00.000-06:00

I saw the most incredible mane today when I was walking on 40th Street after work. It was a man whose name is probably Stephano. He had a platinum blonde, super-thick mane of hair, swoopy bangs, mullett and all, down to his mid-back. His hair stopped me in my tracks, and he caught the attention of another woman on the sidewalk too. "Is he for real?" I whispered. "I think so!" she responded. If only I had my camera handy, it would have probably been the best pic of my life.

Work went really well today. My editor liked the stuff I was writing so that is a relief. Megan and I went to a yummy place called Just Salad for lunch and had a great chat while munching on our leafy greens. My healthiness at lunch was negated when I stopped by a Crumbs bakery on the way home and had a red velvet cupcake for dinner. I had to grab something--I was famished from the window shopping I'd done after work (Lord & Taylor, H&M, and Zara!). Don't worry, I had a bowl of cereal (which I bought at the neighborhood market for almost six bucks) when I got back to my apartment to give me something a little more substantial. I've read about a couple of other good city cupcake spots online, and I'm excited to check them out sometime.

Another big and busy day tomorrow. It's raining outside now (surprise), but that should lull me to sleep in no time.

My red velvet deliciousness