New photos

Haven't posted in a while, but I wanted to let you all know that there are a lot of new photos up on my Picasa site, including photos of Matt's and my new apartment. Enjoy!

http://picasaweb.google.com/MsJoannaShaw

Short night, long day

Tuesday I did some work in the morning, then went to actual work in the evening. Didn't get home until 11:30, then spent too long figuring out travel plans. The good news is I'll be in Minnesota from the evening of the 22nd through the early morning of the 27th. The bad news is I didn't sleep nearly long enough Tuesday night.

Wednesday morning I had to open, which was hard on not enough sleep. Then, I had to serve Laura Cunningham, who is the Service Maven of TKRG (and also Chef Keller's significant other). Luckily she was really nice and everything went well, I think. I was pretty beat after work, though. Went home, had soup, then went back into the city to meet Matt. We went to see Ben's band, Station 23, play a show, which was fun, but I started to feel the affects of my cold and not enough sleep and by the time I got home I felt pretty awful. Blech.

(A note: I feel better now)

I identify too much with this character

Monday I slept in, and it helped me to feel better (still fighting this cold). Hung around the house a while, went into the city to do errands and get an immunity boost Jamba Juice, then back home. I brought veggies over to Matt's to contribute to fajitas for dinner, and we watched "Election." Now I realize the Reese Witherspoon character is supposed to be really "out there," but I identified with her, and she's definitely a composite of some people I went to high school with.

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo

Sunday we did something many of you will not believe I did: we went to the zoo. Now, I know I have a reputation for not liking zoos, but Ethan works at the Bronx Zoo and assured us we would have a good time, so we took the hour plus subway ride up to the Bronx and saw the zoo! He got us in for free and immediately took us on the monorail, which is where you get to see elephants (they have two!), rhinoceri, and some other crazy stuff. Then we went to the Congo exhibit and saw gorillas. Ethan had to go back to teaching zoo patrons, so Matt and I wandered around and saw lots of other cool animals, like a grizzly bear, a polar bear, a red panda (THE CUTEST EVER), snow leopards, and tigers. We met back up with Ethan at the Butterfly house and then headed home. He had told us to pack a lunch, so all in all it was a very fun, cheap day for us. Matt and I came home to the brisket I'd been cooking in the crock pot and had a delicious Sunday dinner.

A really good day

Saturday was a really good day, despite my burgeoning cold. I went to work in the morning and we had a really great shift. Everyone did what they were supposed to do and I didn't have to stress out about anything. Amazing. Hannah and I met up after I was done and we went downtown to get coffee, but on our way to coffee we passed a Red Mango frozen yogurt place that was giving out free frozen yogurt, so we got some! We still ended up getting coffee at Grey Dog and chatting for a while, which was really nice. Matt arrived and Hannah left, and Matt and I checked out Halloween costumes. We got some tea while we killed time until Ben was ready to meet us for dinner at Zaytoon's. This was a really good day, except that by the end I was worn out because I definitely have that cold. Boo.

Comfort Food

Friday I went to work, and we started our pre-service meeting as usual. Then, all of a sudden, Chef Keller appeared, and the pressure level went WAY UP. I had to lead a meeting in front of one of the most famous chefs in the U.S., who also happens to be my boss. Luckily, everything went well, but I'm sure I was pretty red in the face. The rest of the shift was easy compared to that. Did some shopping, then met up with Matt to head home and make corn chowder and biscuits. He's getting over a cold, which I am now coming down with, so we had an easy night and watched "3:10 to Yuma," which I would recommend to anyone who likes Westerns and doesn't mind violence.

Debates and Apple Crisp (new debate, new dessert)

Thursday I worked again in the morning, but I was at the bar so it was a really nice relaxing change. The shift flew by with minimal stress, which was a great break. Picked up my CSA share on the way home, and I got:

-Corn
-Leeks
-Bok choy
-Fennel
-Apples
-Carrots
-Turnips
-Peppers
-Eggs
-Garlic
-Salad mix

I also picked up local honey and a grass-fed beef brisket, which I purchased separately through a program associated with the CSA. The honey is for Matt, who has heard that eating local honey can help with allergies, and the brisket is for the crock pot tomorrow. The approximate cost this week was $33, not including the brisket and honey.

Put away my veggies, then worked on the show with Ethan. We did our first full run-through, which was really exciting. Still more work to do, but so cool to see it coming together. He went home, then Matt came over and he, Randy, and I watched the VP debate, which was as good as I'd hoped. Made apple crisp with CSA apples and finished up a good day.

Two days of working

Tuesday I did some chores, but mostly wasted the first part of the day. Then I went into work, which was pretty slow, and we got out really early, so it was fine.

Wednesday I was working a double, thanks to some, how shall we say, sudden staff changes at work, and I'm not built for doubles. Getting there at 11 and working until 8:30 is just not fun. I did ok, but I had a pretty terrible headache by the end. Went home and had grilled cheese and tomato soup and some ice cream, and that made me feel better.

Also, two questions have been asked recently in the "comments" section. Thing one, what will Randy do now that Matt and I are moving in together. He will be staying in our current apartment and finding a new roommate. How he'll replace ME I don't know, but he'll find someone almost as good, I'm sure. :)

Thing two is how much is my CSA costing per week, since I've been posting the approximate values of each week's yield. I'm paying about $23 a week for my veggie share, egg share, and fruit share. My CSA has a sliding scale for the base veggie share, and I am at the lowest level.

A good art day

Monday I slept in, although not as late. Spent the day getting really good stuff done, both chores and creative work. Then, went into the city to meet Matt and Randy to go see [Title of Show], which is a Broadway show about two guys writing a show about two guys writing a show. Very meta. It's a four-person show, no flashy lights or big sets, but as a person who is trying to figure out how to write and make a life in the performing arts, it was pretty touching. My favorite line was from one of the last songs, and it was, "I'd rather be nine people's favorite thing than a hundred people's ninth favorite thing." Good to remember. We went to a diner after the show, then headed back to Brooklyn.

The Apartment Hunt Begins

Sunday I slept in, which was much needed. Then, Matt and I began The Great Apartment Search of 2008. For those who haven't heard, we've decided to get a place together starting in December. The market moves so fast in New York that we can't really start looking until at least Oct. 15th or so, but we happened to see an ad for a place in Park Slope that was for Dec. 1, so we decided to take a look. We went to the management office and the broker took us to see the place, which it turned out was way too small. It's hard to know how square footage actually looks until you see it. Anyway, it was still good, in that it helped get me back into my Real Estate Game Face, where I take no prisoners, and it helped us get an idea of how much space we need. From looking at Craig's List, it appears that what we want does actually exist, which is reassuring :) Anyway, we headed into the city to do some shopping, then got dinner at Yummy House. Went home and watched "Ghost Busters," which is a really weird movie.

Debates require Ben and Jerry's

Friday I worked during the day, then came home to a rare evening by myself. Relaxed a while, made ratatouille with CSA stuff, then ate it while watching the presidential debate. I could only handle about an hour of it, after which I had to turn it off, grab a pint of Ben and Jerry's, and eat it while watching "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

Saturday I worked, then went home and chilled until going to Matt's and meeting up with Ben and Atsuko. We four went to Two Boots in Park Slope and had dinner and listened to G.R.A.S.S., the ska band Ben's former piano teacher, now parent of two of his students, plays in. That was a terribly contructed sentence, sorry. Anyway, good food, good music, good company.

I would marry you in the eye of a hurricane in the middle of a snowstorm on top of a monsoon.

Thursday I worked in the morning, then went to pick up my veggies. This week I got:

-Apples
-Carrots
-Yukina Savoy cabbage
-Corn
-Eggplant
-Peppers
-Lettuce mix
-Summer squash
-Celeriac
-Eggs

The estimated grocery store cost: $38.00

Went home and relaxed, then went to Matt's for Indian food and the season premiere of "The Office," which is the source of the title of this post. That show is so funny.

I was expecting a MONSTER ORCHID!

Tuesday I walked myself to the Botanic Gardens in search of this really rare orchid that was blooming in "captivity". It was supposed to be like 12 feet across, so I figured I'd better check it out. It was a lovely day to be outside enjoying some nature, but it turns out that while the orchid plant is big (maybe 6 feet across) the blooms are regular sized. Everyone seemed disappointed, which was pretty humorous. Still enjoyed myself. Got groceries on the way back, had lunch, and went to work. Late night, and then I wasn't paying attention and missed my transfer, so I ended up just going above ground and catching a cab. Doh!

Wednesday morning was hard, since I had to open, but I made it ok. Had a good day at work, came home and crashed, then made dinner with Matt and watched TV with Randy.

Enjoying the last of the weather

Sunday I slept late, then Matt and I got bagels for breakfast. Met Rafi and took some snacks to Prospect Park and enjoyed the beautiful day. Walked back and watched some cooking shows, which are so relaxing. Then we ate leftovers (I'm finally cooking enough to need a "clean out the fridge" night) and watched the Emmys, which were only exciting because Tina Fey won a lot of times.

Monday I did my laundry, answered emails, did some writing, and hung out. Worked on the show with Ethan, and we're really closing in on the first draft, which means having to deal with some of the hard parts we've been putting off. Grabbed an eggplant and went to Matt's for eggplant parmesan.

Family Dinners

Friday I worked the morning. We've gotten a lot busier in the last couple days, it's like fall has finally arrived. Went home and chilled, then Randy, Matt, and I made dinner. We had enchiladas, corn on the cob, and salad. Mmm.

Saturday I worked in the morning and had a really good shift. Just felt really on top of things. Had some sushi so I would make it, then went downtown and met Ali, Phil, their two friends, and Matt at Bianca for dinner. It was great to see her/him/them, and we had a lovely dinner. Too soon we had to walk them to the train. Thanks for seeing us! Matt and I wandered around, I bought some tights and he bought a sweater that actually fits him, and then we met up with Rafi, Sarah Pumroy, and her boyfriend Travis at Crocodile Lounge. Eventually moved to Telephone Bar, and enjoyed catching up.

Matchless indeed

Thursday I worked during the day, then went to pick up my CSA share. This week I got:

-Celery
-Eggs
-Corn
-Peaches
-Turnips
-Parsley
-Peppers
-Onions
-Green beans
-Lettuce
-Swiss Chard
Approx. grocery store cost: $30.00

Put away the veggies, made myself squash pancakes for dinner, then met Matt and headed up to Greenpoint to see Hannah play a show at Bar Matchless. It was her best show yet, and over 30 people were there, and it was a wonderful night. Make an album, Hannah!

Veggies!

Here are the veggie photos from the last couple weeks:
I have no idea how this is going to format, but there's the photo evidence, at least.

Highlights

Since the beginning of September,

-I had a lovely dinner with Kim, which gave us much needed catch-up time
-I had a great audition, a callback that I did a great job at, and then...nothing.
-I went to the dentist, and my teeth look good.
-I went to see shows three nights in a row: "Spitfire Grill," my friend Kate's solo piano show, and Matt's friend Jackie's band's rock show.
-I did a theater piece in Battery Park, which involved me dressing up like a newsie and yelling things in public. Then photographers took pictures of me, and the director is going to make them into a comic book.
-I had dinner at Bouchon with CC and her sister Cara.
-Tony Kushner ate at Bouchon and I brought him his coffee. This was the same night it was announced that he'd won a $200,000 prize for playwrighting. This is in addition to his Pulitzer, his Tonys, and his Oscar nominations. I was the only one who recognized him and knew what had just happened to him. I was so excited I couldn't handle it.

Apologies

Sorry I've been so terrible about blogging. If it's any consolation, I've been getting a lot of other things done. I will try to be better about this.

Highlights

Here are the highlights for the past two weeks, aka the things I remember.

Thursday the 28th we went to Hannah's new apartment in Sunset Park to help her paint. The place is a steal, but it is also entirely electric blue. Even the bedroom ceiling. We helped start the priming process and checked out the new neighborhood.

Saturday the 30th I worked in the morning, then went to a barbecue in the evening in honor of Austin's birthday. It was fun to meet some new people, since Matt and I pretty much only knew Austin and Anja out of the guests.

Labor Day Matt and I got bagels and went to Prospect Park, where we spent quite a bit of the day reading the Times and listening to the very loud parade happening at Grand Army Plaza. Got frozen yogurt, grilled with Ethan.

Long walk, no pier

Monday I slept in, then went for a really long walk. I walked to Prospect Park, walked all the way around the park, and walked home. It was really nice, the park is so beautiful. Got home, then turned around and got some much-needed groceries. Had late lunch and relaxed a while, then headed to Williamsburg to see my friend perform at Public Assembly. Derek joined me, and we had a really fun night.

Impromptu BBQ

Sunday Matt and I went on an adventure to Fort Greene, the neighborhood right above where Matt lives. We walked a few blocks and went to brunch at The General Greene, a new restaurant that New York Magazine gave a great review. Matt had french toast with granola on it, and I had eggs with mashed potatoes, herbs, and short ribs. We both liked it a lot, really nice atmosphere and good food. Then we went to poke around at the Brooklyn Flea, this big new flea market held in a school basketball court or blacktop or something. Saw lots of fun things but didn't buy anything. We parted ways and I talked to Granny on the phone, did my laundry, and set up Mint.com, which is this really super cool free money management site. If you don't already have a system to keep track of all of your financial stuff in one place, I highly recommend you check it out, it's really easy and helpful so far. Went back over to Matt's and we had an impromptu BBQ, which ended up being really well attended. Ben and Atsuko arrived first, followed by Anja and Austin, who were just returning from their honeymoon in Canada. Then, Hannah, Derek, Kristel, Randy, and Sophia all came over, and we had a really fun time, just hanging out and enjoying the weather.

What do YOU mean, "you people"?

Saturday I worked the morning, which was a really good shift until it was time for me to count out everyone's money. It took me a long time because the bar bank was screwed up, and if anyone's ever tried to fix money mistakes after waiting tables all day, you can guess about how well my brain was working. Finally got it worked out and went home to crash. Eventually Matt made me get up, and we had a really nice dinner at Miracle Grill. Then we went to see "Tropic Thunder," which was funny, although not as funny as "Zoolander." Nice relaxed night.

CSA Cost

I've also decided to start calculating what it would have cost me to buy my CSA share's worth of veggies from a grocery store. This is approximate, of course, and it's probably a low estimate, since I didn't take the time to choose organic products, but this week's approximate total is $38.84.

Getting back in the groove

Thursday morning I went to work, and I felt a little less sickly and a little better at my job. Picked up my CSA share on the way home, and it included lots of good stuff this week:

-Tomatoes
-Cabbage
-Baby lettuce
-Onions
-Peaches and nectarines
-Fennel bulb
-Basil
-Italian frying peppers
-Carrots
-Eggs

Went home to relax, then went to Matt's to make dinner. We had CSA pizza, with the tomatoes and basil and green peppers and onions. Also had a salad with CSA supplies.

Friday I worked in the morning, then it was Ethan's birthday, so he and Matt and I made dinner to celebrate. We had pesto made with CSA basil, a CSA salad, and garlic bread made with CSA garlic. Could we BE any more local? Had a lovely dinner on Matt's patio, enjoying the cool weather. We had to get birthday treats, so we walked to Baskin Robbins for ice cream, then called it a night, since Ethan and I both had to work the next morning. Happy 24th, Ethan!

Un-Pack, Re-Start

Tuesday morning Randy and I got up early to be at work by 8:00 to unpack everything they had to pack up for closure. It took about three hours, nothing too terrible. We all had lunch at a diner afterwards, then went home to relax. I took a three hour nap, which was awesome, then puttered around before making dinner and watching Olympics with Matt, a common theme this week.

Wednesday was my first day back at the restaurant. It went fairly well, although we all felt a little rusty. It didn't help that I'd come down with a sudden and nasty cold that made it hard for me to hear. Anyway, things went fine, but I was glad to go home. I made Matt bring me soup and bagels and Vitamin Water, and we watched Olympics.

And the winner is...

Monday was All Staff Meeting day, where all of the Bouchon and Per Se staff have a shmancy meeting to talk about the company and its focus and kick off the new season. This one was particularly exciting for me, however, because they announce their Outstanding Employee awards, one for front and back of house each for Bouchon and Per Se. And I was the front of house for Bouchon! Even better was when I got back to my seat and they announced the prize...

DINNER FOR TWO AT PER SE!

For those of you who don't know, that means food and wine pairing at one of the best restaurants in the world. Really, an $800 meal. Something I could NEVER do if I had to pay for it. I am SO EXCITED! Matt was too, when I told him about it. He says we're even now for all past and future Broadway tickets he's gotten me.

After the initial excitement, I helped set up for the company picnic in Central Park, which was nice. Went home to relax for a while, then I think Matt and I made dinner and watched Olympics.

Journey to the Past

Sunday was Renaissance Faire day! Kim and our friend Pearce from work are both working at the New York Renaissance Faire this year, so a bunch of us decided to take a day trip to see them. Matt and I went to pick up the ZipCar, then met up with Hannah, Randy, and Derek. The hour and a half drive took us through New Jersey just to get back to another part of New York, but it went pretty well and I navigated us there successfully, which is always a miracle. The Faire was really fun! We ate giant turkey legs, and the boys did archery and threw knives at things, and we saw a magic show, and Kim was in a production of Lysistrata, so we saw that. Pearce plays one of Robin Hood's merry men, so we saw him fight in a live chess match against the Sherrif of Nottingham. The day ended with a jousting match and a singalong. We were pretty beat after a day out in the sun, and the drive back took quite a bit longer, thanks to traffic, but we got home safe and sound, if a little headache-y.

An actual summer weekend day

Saturday I slept until NOON! Matt and I went and got breakfast and peaches at the Greenmarket, then headed off to Coney Island to go to the beach. It was a perfect beach day, warm but not too hot, and we sunscreened veeeeeeeery carefully before we went this time. Had a lovely few hours lazing about, then went home and made Moroccan Eggplant with Couscous, since I had that big beautiful eggplant from the CSA. Neither Matt nor I is a huge eggplant person, but this recipe was actually really good. Not probably that healthy for you, but not the worst in the world either. Watched Olympics with Randy and relaxed.

Summer in the city means RAIN!

Friday I slept in, went grocery shopping, and puttered around until the afternoon, when I went to Ben and Atsuko's and met them and Matt and headed up to Williamsburg to see a Regina Spektor concert at the McCarren Park Pool. The Pool is this absolutely gigantic old pool that had fallen into disrepair. My guess is it was a WPA project. Anyway, a couple summers ago they started holding concerts there, which is pretty neat. This is the last summer, though, because they're turning it back into a gigantic pool. Which is also neat. Anyway, we got in and watched the opening act, Albert Hammond Jr. from the Strokes, which was fun for me because he dates a supermodel and I spotted her right in front of us. Then, it started to rain. A lot. We stuck it out, but we got pretty wet. It was worth it, because Regina was AMAZING! If you like her even in the slightest, I really recommend you go see her live. I've seen her 4 or 5 times in a lot of different venues, and she is always incredible and charming and just so impressive to watch and listen to. Her latest album was more rock-y, with a full band, but she played this show just her and a grand piano, with the addition of three string players for a set and two beat boxers for a couple numbers. So awesome. Also, so wet and cold. Matt and I took the bus home, got dry, ordered a pizza, and vegged out.

The rest of vacation

Wednesday I spent the morning packing, then went to the Mall with Mom to have lunch and do a secret errand. Got dropped at the airport, and my flight was delayed because of traffic at JFK, which was a bad sign, because if they're not even letting you take off because of traffic where you're going to land, it's bad traffic. Anyway, finally landed an hour and a half late, got my stuff, and got home around 11:00pm. Matt brought me dinner, which was muuuuuuuch needed and appreciated.

Thursday I spent the day around the house, unpacking and prepping for my showcase performance for my Coney Island class. Went to Target and went to pick up my CSA, which was really impressive this week. I got:

-Radicchio
-Green beans
-Celery
-Scallions
-Tomatoes
-Green peppers
-Eggplant
-2lbs of yellow plums (!)
-Onions
-Eggs
-Basil
-Something that I think was labeled Japanese Tripple, but I don't know what it is.


Ate omelets with Matt, then went to Coney Island. The show was really fun, everyone did a really good job and the audience was full and supportive. I had a small but wonderful contingent of Matt, Ethan, and Mike, and they all said it was a great time, so I believe them :)

Week at home

Since the primary readers of my blog were with me this week, here are the highlights from my trip to MN.

Wed: Had a very smooth flight home, on time and everything. Lunch with Mom, family dinner out on the deck. Went to Randy's for his birthday BBQ (he's home too) and saw a bunch of high school buddies.

Thurs: Went to the Mall and Target during the day. Dinner out on the deck again, followed by a walk to Dairy Queen with the Haswell Todds.

Fri: Got up early for manicures and pedicures at Aveda with Mom. Brunch at Egg and I, followed by a nap. Got take-out Chinese from Crystal Garden and watched the AMAZING opening ceremonies for the Olympics.

Sat: Went for a family bike ride around Lake Nokomis, went to see cousin Christina and Alex, and went to Fringe shows in the evening.

Sun: Late morning, walked to Lunds to get groceries, made dinner for Mom and Dad. We went to see "Yankee Doodle" at the Ordway, which was entertaining, though not brilliant. Went to the Grand Ole Creamery for ice cream.

Mon: Slept in, went on a long neighborhood walk, then went up to say hello to Matt's parents. Had a lovely catch-up session. Home, then out for dinner with the Sandersons, who are doing well.

Tues: Slept in, did laundry, then walked to Shish with Stephen for lunch. Good lunch, good walk. Had leftovers for dinner (delicious leftovers, I may add) and walked to DQ again so I could get my Blizzard fix. Watched Olympics.

In Between Days

Monday I slept until 9:00, then felt like getting going (which is odd for me), so I did. Made breakfast, sorted out what I needed to get done in the next couple days, and went into the city. Got a haircut at Dramatics, went to the bank and Walgreens, and went to a store in the Fashion District to buy buckram, which is a hat making material I'm using for costume construction. I also got snap tape, which is really cool, it's just snaps on cloth strips so that you can sew snaps into things. Went home, then took my laptop to Abigail, which is a cafe and soon-to-be wine bar on Classon. Had a panini and used their wireless and wrote for a while. It was nice, but the place is too expensive for the neighborhood. Got some good work done, then came home and relaxed a while. Matt came over and we had turkey burgers and roasted CSA beets, mmm. Went for a walk to enjoy the cooler weather.

Tuesday I slept until 10, then got working on more things, like laundry. Did some costume work, made lunch, then met with Ethan and worked on the show for a while. Sent him on his way, changed clothes, and went into the city to go to Ben's pop band's CD release party at Birdland. The band is called Station 23, and they just put out their first album. Enjoyed listening to them, then went to a diner for dinner with Matt and Jade. Headed home and made Matt entertain me while I finished packing.

LAST DAY OF WORK!!!

Sunday was my last work shift before closure, hooray! I opened, and I was so excited that I got there 15 minutes early. Had a good shift, started slow and ended busy. Then, by 3:30, I was done for TWO WHOLE WEEKS! Celebrated by getting foccacia and a CB&J at retail, which I ate on the subway home. Took a nap, then went to Matt's for a BBQ with Ben and Rafi. We were eventually joined by Anja and Austin, and the weather was really nice, and a good time was had by all.

Glitz and glitter

Spent Friday morning on a shopping trip for everything sparkly and fringy. Had a blast looking through all the crazy trimming stores on 38th street. Had a Jamba Juice and sushi at Whole Foods, then went to work, which was really quiet for a Friday night. We're definitely hitting the summer slowdown, although not too bad. Better than last summer, I think.

Saturday I worked in the morning, which was easy, because I was training Sophia to serve and she took half of my tables all day. Sweet deal! Re-recorded the Bouchon voicemail messages, then met Matt and Rafi on their way from moving Rafi into a big complex in my neighborhood that used to be The Jewish Hospital. Saw his place, which is nice and really big, then got groceries and the three of us made CSA-inspired pizza. Delicious, but really filling, plus I ate too much. The boys went to a movie and I had an enjoyable evening relaxing by myself. Only one more day of work and I'll be on VACATION!

Two very different shows

Wednesday I had the day off (yay!) so I slept in, which I really needed. I know I did some valuable things, but I don't remember them. Went into the city to eat dinner with Matt, then met up with Randy and we went to go see "Walking With Dinosaurs" at Madison Square Garden. For those of you who don't know, this is a huge touring show that features giant animatronic dinosaurs. Matt got free tickets through work. Only problem was, we got there at 7:30 thinking we were half an hour early...and we were actually half an hour late. Oops! Luckily no one cares if you come in late at an arena, so we enjoyed the rest of the dinosaurs. Went to the Chocolate Room for dessert.

Thursday I did more planning and scheming. Made a crazy stir fry with zucchini and chard for lunch. Picked up my CSA stuff, and I got:

-Green beans
-Tomatoes
-Beets
-Yellow onions
-Savoy cabbage
-Green peppers
-Cucumbers
-Blueberries
-Eggs
-Lettuce

Put it all away, then met Matt for dinner in Bryant Park. We went to see "The Marriage of Bette and Boo," which is both funny and terribly depressing. Left in a glum mood, so we got yogurt to cheer up.

History Lessons in Theatrical Form

Sunday I had to work in the morning, which was a little tough because we were out late, but I knew it was coming, so I just made the best of it. Had some alone time after work, then met Matt and went to see Ethan's show in the Midtown International Theater Festival, which was about Dorothy Parker. Very informative, and it reminded me that I actually knew some of her stuff already. Had dinner with Ethan afterwards, then headed home to do a little work.

Monday I worked in the morning, then met with Ethan to work on the show. Rode home, did laundry, did more work, and made squash pancakes for dinner. These are actually delicious.

Tuesday I worked, then went to my last burlesque class. That went fast! We worked more on our numbers, talked a while, then reluctantly left. Went to Matt's and ate leftover squash cakes.

Swing Things

Friday I made a big shopping trip for both costuming stuff and stuff I need around the house. Had a lot of success, but got very shopped-out and had to go home and crash. I think Matt and I must have made dinner, but I forget.

Saturday I worked in the morning, came home to rest, then ate leftovers with Matt before getting all dressed up in 1940's swing garb and going to this 1940's swing ball at a place in Williamsburg. We got an email because Ben's Big Bang Big Band was playing, and it turned out my burlesque teacher was performing too, so we had to go! It was super fun; nearly everyone was in costume, and there was music and fire eaters and dancers and lots of craziness. (In this picture, I look unsure about Matt, but I'm not. He looked fabulous in his fedora!)

If life gives you zucchini, make zucchini bread!

Wednesday morning I think I did some writing, then I went to work in the evening. Don't really remember much special about it.

Thursday was my Saturday, so I slept in and then made zucchini chocolate chip bread and muffins, using zucchini from the CSA, as well as eggs. They are SO GOOD! I can hardly stand it. How can zucchini be so yummy?! Did some other things I've been wanting to get done, then went to my first work shift at the CSA. The deal is you pay for your share and then work two two-hour volunteer shifts to help keep the process running. I was 4pm to 6pm, so I found the delivery truck along the side of the school, helped unload the boxes upon boxes of veggies, rolled them inside, and checked people off the list as they came to pick up their stuff. It was nice to get an idea of who else is in the CSA, since I usually only see a couple people at a time. Lots of mid-twenties to mid-thirties Brooklyn couples, several with kids under 10. Turns out picking up your CSA share is a great counting exercise. Brought my stuff home, then made sausage, peppers, and onions with Matt. It was so good! Used peppers and onions and basil from the CSA. It was really delicious, and not very hard. We watched "Once," which is the movie the Oscar winning song was from last year. Sweet story. Oh, almost forgot! This week in my CSA share, I got:

-Swiss Chard
-Salad Mix
-Cabbage
-Blueberries
-Onions
-Cucumbers
-Zucchini
-Sweet Italian Peppers
-Eggs

You can also see my bread and muffins in the background.

It's been one of those months

Even when I'm doing a good job blogging, I seem to be a week behind. One of those months, I think.

Sunday the 20th (one week ago) I worked in the morning, then went to Ben's 29th birthday BBQ. They had a really nice set up in the garden, with the neighbors' tent on the deck and two grills and lots of good food. Hung out until about 8:00, then went home and did some work. Went over to Matt's and he helped me use GarageBand on my MacBook to edit together my music for my class.

Monday I slept in, did more work, then went to work. Don't remember anything else interesting.

Tuesday I worked in the morning and went to class in the evening. We started working through our acts, which was really fun. My idea is really solid and everyone laughed when they were supposed to, so I'm excited about it. It was a long night, though, because our guest speakers were willing to stay late and talk about makeup and hair and other stuff, and when experts are willing to share, you don't leave early. I was pretty beat by the end, though.

Disney, but LIVE

Friday I got up early and went to a dance audition for Disney Live, which is...some sort of touring Disney thing. It was a dance call, and I danced well, but I think they were looking for someone a little more...not white. So it was one of those "good experience" things. Went home and made pasta salad for the next several days, then went to work.

Saturday I worked in the morning, which was fine but left me tired. Went home and napped, then ate pasta salad with Matt before heading back into the city to see the Pinchbottom Burlesque, which is a show produced by the first two guest speakers we had in class. The theme was war, and they had a really clever script with political jokes that somehow didn't seem tired, and the acts were super fun. Having never actually seen a full burlesque show, it gave me a good idea of what New York neo-burlesque is all about. Also, I already knew or recognized a bunch of people there, so that's cool.

When Zucchini Attack

Thursday was my second day off for the week, so I did laundry in the first part. Did some writing, and some lying around, then went to get my CSA stuff for the week. I got:

-Beets
-Blueberries
-Zucchini
-Broccoli
-Cucumbers
-Scallions
-Lettuce
-Eggs

Got everything put away, then met Matt for dinner and we went to see my friend Haley's production of "Pippin," which featured my friend Chris, among other CAP alums. I'm really excited for them that they got it off the ground and running, which is no small feat. Matt and I had Tasti-D in Union Square, then headed home.

Paying debts in dumplings

Tuesday I worked in the morning, then went to Coney Island for my class. It was so hot that it was hard to focus, but I still got some good ideas.

Wednesday I had the day off, but I can't remember what I did with most of it. I think I went to Target and got things I needed, like a new dish drying rack, and things I wanted, like popsicle molds. That evening I took Derek out to dinner at Chinatown Brasserie to thank him for earning me a bunch of money in the referral bonus I got for him at Bouchon. We had a really nice dinner, then met up with Matt, Rafi, and Rafi's friend Melissa at Soda Bar.

Panic Sunday

Sunday I worked in the morning, which was kind of crazy because Randy was scheduled for a double but was too sick to come in. We ended up being ok, but it was a high stress shift. Came home and Mom ordered me to nap, which I did. Got up and we went to get groceries, then made dinner for the two of us plus Matt and Randy, who was finally able to eat something. Had a relaxing evening in.

Monday I had to send Mom on her way, sadly. Basically got up in time for breakfast and goodbyes, which didn't have to be too sad, since I'm going home soon. Did some work, then went to work, which was incredibly slow.

Stuffed to the gills

Saturday I worked until around 4:30, then went to Union Square to meet up with Mom. Ate a small late lunch at Whole Foods, then went to DSW, where of course we both bought a pair of shoes. Did some more looking around, then headed back to Bouchon for dinner. The chefs sent out salad du jours with burrata mozzarella, roasted beets, Serrano ham, and peppercress, and soup du jours with gingered mushroom broth, lobster, and Thai basil. We ate our entrees, and they sent us mini hot chocolates before dessert. We were so full! It was a really nice dinner. Then we had to waddle back to Brooklyn.

Out with Mom!

(Preface: this was my away message Friday. Dad sent me an IM saying, "In with Dad!")

Friday morning Mom and I got up, got ourselves together, and walked to Joyce Bakeshop for breakfast. We then made our way to the Botanic Gardens, which were beautiful as always. Saw some crazy waterlilies and lily pads. Once we made it to the bottom of the gardens, we crossed through Prospect Park and ended up in Park Slope, where we had a really good lunch at Miracle Grill. Walked back to my place just in time to change and head into the city to meet Matt at the Seaport, where we caught the Circle Line tour of the Waterfalls art installation on the East River. They're these man-made waterfalls that are set up in different locations along the water on the east side of Manhattan and the west side of Brooklyn, and they were really neat to see from the water, not to mention the perfect weather and the city views. Got back to dry land and went back to Brooklyn for dinner at Franny's.

Mom Time!

Thursday morning I got up and did some cleaning, then went into the city to meet Ethan for a working lunch. And work we did, for over two hours. We made some great progress on putting an order to the show, but by the time we finished my brain was ready to explode. Stopped to pick up my CSA on the way home, and I got:

-Blueberries
-Kale
-Savoy
-Bok Choy
-Lettuce
-Purple top turnips
-Broccoli
-Squash
-Eggs
-Cucumbers

Came home and did more cleaning while waiting for Mom to track down her baggage at JFK, since it ended up taking a different plane than she did. Matt came over to help make dinner, and by the time Mom got here it was almost ready. Yay Mom! We had glazed ham with apples, mashed turnips and potatoes, and broccoli, with chocolate ice cream for dessert. Good food, good company, good conversation.

Hurry up and get some culture!

Monday morning I returned a book at the library and did some prep for my class in the morning, then worked in the evening. Nothing too life changing.

Tuesday I worked in the morning, then went to Coney Island for class. It was really hot in the museum, but we had interesting speakers and learned lots of stuff. Afterwards we went downstairs to see what the Sideshow class was learning, and they were pounding nails into their heads and swallowing swords. Cooooool. Got sushi and blood orange gelato and made Matt eat it with me.

Wednesday morning I went to the Brooklyn Museum to see the Murakami exhibit, which is closing on Sunday. Saw lots of crazy animae style art, but my favorite part was in the cartoon video where the alien bounces down the hall, and instead of saying "boing" he says "byong byong byong." That tickled my funny bone. Anyway, it was cool to spend the morning seeing some art. Got groceries, went home, wrote a bit, and went to work. It was busy because the show at the Rose Theater upstairs this week is "The Bacchae" starring Alan Cumming, which got a great Times review, so lots of people hurrying for an 8:00 curtain. It went fine, and hopefully we made decent money. Ran errands, then went home.

To work, then to China

Saturday morning I had to work, so I left Ali to her own devices. Came home and waited for her to come back from meeting Mary and some friends, then she and Matt and Randy and I went to dinner at Amorina, followed by dessert at Cocoa Bar. I think it started to set in that Ali was flying to China in the morning, because she started making a list of all the things she hadn't done yet. We went home and took care of some of them, then called it a night.

Sunday morning Ali and I got up, finished the list, then put her into a car that arrived right on time at 8:00am and sent her off to Newark Airport to head to China. Weird that she could wake up in my apartment and finish her day halfway around the world. After seeing her off I went back to bed, then Matt and I had brunch and I did some writing at his place while he did some computer work. Went back home and worked on music, then met with Ethan to work on the show. Got good stuff done, then went back to Matt's for Indian food.

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of barbecue

Friday was the 4th of July, so of course we had to spend the entire day celebrating. Ali, Randy, Matt, and I all had breakfast at Tom's, then Randy had to go to work. The rest of us gathered at Matt's for an all-afternoon-and-evening barbecue. We started at two, actually had guests by around 3:30, and Ali and I were some of the first to leave at 10:30pm. Whew! Lots of Bouchon folks, Ben and Atsuko, some of their friends who we also know. It was a mixed and fun crowd. We did two sets of grilling, and by the end of the night I had hot dogs coming out my ears. A fun time was had by all, but I was ready to be done with parties for a while by the time we left.

Race you to the end of July!

Monday I worked in the morning, then met with Ethan in the evening. Ate leftovers for dinner.

Tuesday I worked in the morning, then headed to Coney Island for my first Burlesque Master Class. It was a total blast! My instructor knows so much and obviously loves to teach, and she has all these friends coming in as panel speakers, and the class is held in the Coney Island Museum so there are old bumper cars just sitting around. Very cool. Anyway, had a blast, then hopped back on the train and went home.

Wednesday I think I slept in and then cleaned things. Worked in the evening.

Thursday I worked behind the bar in the morning, which was great except I had to throw a guy out for the first time, which was weird. Had lots of support from the rest of the staff, and it was nothing terrible or dangerous, but it gave the shift a weird feeling. To make up for it, around two my bar included two guys who were totally in love with everything they ate, two people who it turned out were from Minnesota and had grown up across the Ford Bridge from me, and Matt, who came in after getting out of work early for the holiday weekend. How nice! Also, it turned out one of the food-loving guys knew someone I knew I high school. Weeeeird. Met up with Matt and went to pick up my CSA, which this week included:

-Strawberries
-Bok Choy
-Eggs
-Red beets
-Swiss Chard
-Head of lettuce
-Salad mix
-Giant turnips

Went home, finished building my night stand, then found Ali on my doorstep! She was very tired from lugging her bags, but we dragged her to the grocery store and then had a very very late stir fry dinner. Welcome to New York, baby sister :)

Back from Vacation Panic

Sunday morning we got up and had B&B breakfast with the two other couples, who we'd also eaten dinner with the night before, so we knew each other a bit, which was nice. Ate delicious quiche and coffee cake, then headed back to the city. Had a pleasant drive back with a stop at a diner, then hit some crazy rain coming back into the city. Still had time left on our car rental, so we decided to stop by Ikea. However, we didn't think about how long we'd have to wait in line and ended up dashing through the rain to return the car on time. Ooooh well, at least I got a new nightstand. "New" as opposed to "the pile of boxes I've been using since I moved in." Came home and started to freak out a little about the coming week. Interesting how only 36 hours out of town can still give you that "back from vacation" panic. Matt and I made dinner, then watched "Mighty Aphrodite," which was really funny.

The Wedding

Saturday the 28th was Austin and Anja's wedding! We started the day by meeting Flora, a friend of Austin's who had taken a bus in from Toronto overnight and was catching a ride to Connecticut with us. We had bagels, then hit the road in our Zipcar. Matt drove and I navigated, which is the best combination for us by far. We didn't get lost once, and with a brief stop for lunch dropped Flora at her B&B and made it to ours around 4:00. That gave us just enough time to get pretty before driving to Tyrone Farm, where the wedding was held. The farm was totally gorgeous, great views of rolling hills and all that. The ceremony started right at 5:00 and was really fast, so before we knew it, they were married! Had a cocktail hour with snacks under a tent, then dinner in the barn. We were sitting with some friends of Austin and Anja's, some of whom we'd met before, all of whom were friendly. Had a great dinner and danced the night away.

Waaaaaaaaaaaall-eeeeeeee

Friday I worked in the morning, and it was a crazy shift. Almost every table wanted crazy special orders, and I just couldn't get in the flow. Oh well. Finished up and took myself out for coffee to read and relax a bit, then talked to Mom on my way to meet up with Matt and some folks from his office for dinner. We ended up at a nice Thai place, then walked down to the movie theater in Times Square to see "Wall-E." Everyone who reads this blog, no matter who you are: Go See This Movie. Right Now. It's the best movie I've seen in ages. Hilarious and touching and awesome in every way. And the short they play beforehand caught me so off guard I couldn't stop laughing. Seriously, I don't care what your plans are, drop them and see "Wall-E." So good. Went home and packed for our weekend away.

Week in review

Monday the 23rd I worked during the day, which means I probably made dinner with Matt at night, but I honestly can't remember.

Tuesday I worked in the evening, and I can't remember much about that either.

Wednesday I worked in the morning, had sushi at Whole Foods, then met Matt and went to the Botanic Gardens. You normally aren't allowed to picnic there, but they have Members Only Picnic Nights in the summer, and this one was "Bring a Friend," so I took Matt. We had a lovely picnic in the gardens, watching 10 million kids run around. Walked home and met with Ethan to work on our show.

Thursday I worked during the day, and then I went to pick up my CSA share for the week. This week, I got:
-lettuce
-turnips
-eggs
-strawberies
-more garlic scapes
-two little bok choys
-Swiss chard
-scallions
-parsley
-flowers

Now that I had scapes from last week and this week, I decided to put them to good use. Went over to Matt's and we made garlic scape pesto, which we then fed to ourselves and Ben out on the patio. A lovely dinner was had by all.

Working Weekend

Saturday I worked in the morning, and it's kind of sad to have Saturday be your Monday. Oh well. Matt and I took it easy that evening, and we made potato pizzas and watched "Lars and the Real Girl," which was a weird and good movie.

Sunday I worked in the morning again, but Sunday mornings go by nice and fast. Due to a scheduling snafu, I was the only opening server. Oooooops. Everything worked out ok in the end. Met up after work with Hannah and Kristel, who is back in between going to Guatemala and teaching at a summer camp. We went to the Westway Diner and caught up, then I went home and Matt and I made CSA Kale and Potato soup for dinner, which was mega good. Then I made homemade strawberry shortcake with CSA strawberries, which was also mega good. Hooray for the CSA!

Cooking and Opera

Friday I spent the morning planning things to make with my CSA share. Around 1:30 I went to Chavella's to have lunch with Ethan in order to discuss us putting together a show. We got some good ideas and have given ourselves homework, and it feels good to be working on something. Took my grocery lists and headed to the store, then came home and made pasta salad and green salads to take on our picnic to go hear the Metropolitan Opera in Prospect Park. Matt came over with the cooler, which we packed and then walked to meet Atsuko, Ben, and friends in the Long Meadow. They'd gotten a great spot, where we could still sort of see the stage but had a great view of the Jumbotron TV projection. It was a beautiful night, and it's one of those only in New York things, getting to see stars from the Met perform in your neighborhood park for free with 50,000 other people.

Veggie Time!

Wednesday I went running in the morning, then did things around the house until it was time to go to work. Worked the evening.

Thursday was exciting. I had the day off, so I went running after I got up, then went on an adventure to check out the new Ikea in Red Hook, Brooklyn. It just opened Wednesday, so it was super new. They have a shuttle service from a subway stop near me, so I hopped the bus to Ikea Adventure. Walked around and looked at everything, and managed to get away only buying a new set of measuring spoons, a salad spinner, and a glass jar for storing pesto. Also, Mom, turns out most Ikeas sell that sparkling peach juice you like. The bus system has some kinks to work out, but it was fine. Came hom, then turned around to pick up my first CSA share! I got:
-a bouquet of snap dragons
-a head of lettuce
-a head of bok choy
-kale
-radishes
-garlic scapes
-salad mix-
-a little basil plant
-a pound of strawberries
-6 eggs

Cool! Brought them home, repackaged them for better storage, then went into the city to meet Matt for dinner. Then we went to see "Gypsy," where all three leads had just won Tonys. It was such a privilege to see Patti LuPone play Mama Rose, she's just the best of the best in her field. We both had a great time.

One week behind...

Sunday the 15th was two important days: Father's Day and Tony Day! Worked the AM, called Dad, got groceries, and made asparagus and goat cheese quiche for a Tony party I had for Matt and family. I had fun watching the show, and I was excited for "In the Heights." Matt's job had several winners, which is great for them.

Monday I worked a double, and I had the craziest series of VIPs. First, Randy and Libby sat in my section. Then, Nancy, Dave, Ben, and Atsuko came and sat in my section. Just as they were leaving, the wives of our C.O.O. and the head chef at Per Se sat down at one of my tables, and the parents of our head pastry chef sat down at another. AHH! I finally went on my break, came back half an hour later, and who should appear but Pat Haswell, her sister, and Grandma Ruth! What a surprise, since I didn't even know they were in NY. It was great to see them, and a hilarious cap to a surprising shift. Went to Matt's for amazing Dave Healy Strawberry Rubarb Pie, then said goodbye to Nancy and Dave, since they left the next morning.

Tuesday I worked in the morning, then raced home to try and catch the last attempted delivery of my mysterious UPS package. By some miracle I got home in time, and it turned out to be my replacement Minnesota 150 yr anniversary sweatshirt, which is a much better size. Thanks, Mom and Dad! Wore it over to Matt's house, where we had a quiet night in.

Lots of Guests

I'm going to try and summarize, because a lot has happened in the last week.

Wednesday I went to work, went to yoga, and did laundry.

Thursday I worked during the day, then met up with Matt, Ben, Atsuko, Dave, and Nancy. We left Ben at rehearsal and wandered around Times Square. Eventually met up with him again at Zen Palate for a vegetarian dinner.

Friday I met the Healys for brunch at Tom's, then walked to the library to return a book and get a new one. Went to the Lincoln Center library to return a CD, then went to work.

Saturday Randy, Libby (his sister, who is also visiting), and I went to the Greenmarket, where we ran into...the Healys. Parted ways, then met up with them again at Ben and Atsuko's for a mini piano recital. Matt's been taking lessons from Ben, so he played a Bach piece and a piece he wrote himself. He and all the 10-year-olds did a great job :) They had a BBQ for all the students and families afterwards, which was fun but tiring. Went home to rest, then went to Amorina with Libby for dinner.

Why didn't you just ask for trees?

Monday morning I went to a dance call for the Wizard of Oz tour. Turns out they were only really looking for tall skinny girls, which I discovered when we went to do our combo and they said, "Be sexy trees." Great. I was a fabulous tree, but apparently they think all trees are tall and thin. Oooooh well. Went home and got some stuff done, then went to work. It was still incredibly hot, so I was glad to be in the A.C.

Tuesday I had planned to run in the morning, but the heat made that pretty impossible. Did some stuff around home instead, started watching a movie (about Enron, and I know that makes me a giant nerd), then went in to work to do a two-hour catering event. It ended up being crazy because they didn't get enough food, and then when they saw how much they'd under estimated, they wanted us to magically produce more for them. Sigh. Anyway, it was only two hours, and then I met Matt for dinner to officially celebrate my promotion. We went to Resto, which is a somewhat Belgian place I'd been wanting to try. Had a nice dinner, and when we left we were pleased to find that a rain storm had FINALLY cooled it off to a manageable temperature. Hooray!

Heat wave!

Saturday was the beginning of a heat wave in New York. Luckily for me, I spent most of Saturday in the air conditioned Time Warner Center, working. The shift was fine, as far as I can recall. Had lunch with Kim in the circle, stopped at home, then went to Matt's to BBQ with him and Ben. We had a good time, but all of a sudden two early and long days caught up with me and I had to go to bed.

Sunday we decided to take advantage of the weather and make our first trip to the beach for this summer. We got picnic supplies to put in our new cooler, collected Ben, and headed to Coney Island. Spent the afternoon on the beach, including a couple minutes in the still VERY COLD ocean. Ben went home, and Matt and I spent a while walking through the amusement parks. Got ice cream, then headed home. Got Chinese take-out and bummed around, trying to stay cool.

Lots of work

Thursday I went running in the morning and worked in the evening, and I don't remember much else about it.

Friday I got up at 5:30 because I had to be at work early for a catering event. The event was boring, but I get paid a lot to do it, so it's fine. Took a 15 minute break, then worked the morning shift. No matter how much I tell myself it'll be different, doing this always makes me crabby, and I was sure ready for it to be 4:00pm. Got myself a big Pinkberry yogurt as a reward, then met Matt at a bar in midtown for a going away party for one of his coworkers. He and I left and went to dinner at Le Gamin, then met Mike at the 4th Ave. Pub to catch up after not seeing each other for months.

Taking it slow

Wednesday I didn't get up until late, but then I took care of some stuff I had to do, like scheduling my work shifts for my CSA. Went to work, which started slowly but picked up quite a bit around 6. Hopefully that means we made at least a little money.

My coworkers are bad influences

Tuesday I got up and went to an audition for a show my friend Haley is doing. Unfortunately, it did noooooooot go well. The accompanist was, as far as I could figure out, playing another song entirely, and there was really nothing I could do to save it. Oooooh dear. Went to lunch at Grey Dog Coffee to console myself and saw my friends Dorian and Tristan. Went up to Central Park and read my magazine, then went to work. Work was extremely slow, but people did a good job of not getting lazy. After work I was planning to go home, but I got roped into going to Coliseum instead, and Randy and I didn't get home until pretty late. We had a good time, though. I'm always so glad I have fun, inclusive coworkers.

New laundromat = amazing

Monday I had the day off, so it was time to do some serious laundry. Went for a run first, which was pretty toasty, since it's been warming up here a lot. Then, I headed over to try out the new laundromat, which is just a block from my house. It's amazing! All new machines, lots of them, clean space. Plus, it's so close to my house that once I got my wash started, I went back home and ate my lunch and made a grocery list before going back to switch to the dryer, which I didn't even have to pay for because DRYING IS FREE!!! I'm convinced this is some sort of hoax, but I'm going to take advantage of it because it makes doing laundry so much better. Got groceries while drying my clothes, then got home and did some prep for the chicken and wild rice I was making in the crock pot for dinner. Headed into the city to run some errands and do some shopping, then came home and read the Sunday Times I stole from work until Matt came over. We ate dinner, read some more, and watched more SNL dvds until Randy came home from his weekend in Vermont with Oliver from work. Got caught up, then went to bed.

The summer's first outdoor brunch

Sunday morning Matt and I met Diana and Shira, two friends of his from Madison, for brunch at a place called Cheryl's. I'd been meaning to go there ever since I moved to this neighborhood, and now I wish I'd discovered it sooner. The food was awesome, and we ate in the backyard garden area, which was soooo nice. Definitely a good addition to our brunch list. Went to Shira's apartment just to see it (it's very nice, and I'm very jealous), then ran home before running back out the door to go to work. It was very slow, which was probably good, since it was my first day supervising and we had a couple people call out sick. Anyway, things went pretty smoothly, although I still need a couple things, like a key to the office and an email address. Went to Matt's and was offered a choice of four different desserts that either he or Anja were trying to foist on other people. Decided to go with the peanut butter pie, mmm.

Accidental party guests

Saturday I worked in the morning, then went home and chilled a bit. Went to Matt's to make tacos, and Hannah joined us once she got done at work. The plan was for the two of us Bouchoners to go to a surprise going away party that Sage's roommates were planning for her. Around 10 we were ready to go, so we called her roommate...no answer. Called Sage...no answer. Oh well, we figured, we'll just head down there. Hopped the R train to Sunset Park, got to their place, and although we could see lights on in their apartment, no one answered the doorbell, so we just started shouting Sage's name. She peered out of the window and said, very confusedly, "You're...here?" "Surprise?" we said, just as confused. We got upstairs and Melissa, Sage's roommate, says, "Hannah, didn't you get my phone call?" Hannah had left her phone at home all day. Turns out they had called her to cancel the party because no one could make it and weren't expecting us. In fact, we were the only guests. Surprise! They were happy to see us, though, and we ended up having a makeshift party and playing Apples to Apples. What hijinx we get into here.

Impromptu dinner party

Friday I worked in the morning, then was looking for something fun to do for the evening, so I decided to have a dinner party. It ended up being just four of us: me, Matt, Kim, and Kristel, but boy did we eat. We had cheese and crackers, Caesar salad, homemade pesto, and a pizza with potatoes and rosemary. And THEN, Kim brought raspberries and sponge cake and whipped cream for dessert. We were all so full we couldn't move. Pretty good for a party planned at 5pm!

LOST in Prospect Park

Thursday I slept in pretty late to make up for being out late at Hannah's birthday. Got up and washed dishes and took out a ton of trash and recycling that had been sitting around way too long. Decided to go enjoy the weather, so I went to Prospect Park. Ate the lunch I packed myself, then took a really long walk which took me through a part of the park I'd never seen before, so that was neat. Went almost all the way around the entire park, which is far. Stopped at the grocery store, then came home and relaxed. Made some chicken curry for dinner, which Matt and I ate while watching the two hour season finale of LOST. I probably don't have to say it again, but that show is soooooooo good.

On another note, there are a few more pictures up on my photo site. Check 'em out, link at left.

Birthday Banana (Hannah)

Wednesday I worked in the morning, which was the most normal work shift I've had in a while. Ate lunch in the park with Jess, Sage, and Derek, then Jess went to class and the rest of us met up with Hannah, who was turning 25. Happy birthday Hannah! We got a drink at a place across the street from work, then went to Sushiya, one of Hannah's favorite restaurants, for birthday dinner. There were 10 of us all together, and the food was good. I'm growing to like sushi. We said goodbye to a couple people and went downtown to Sing Sing, Hannah and Derek's favorite karaoke bar. We sang the night away, and we were eventually joined by the Bouchoners who worked the evening shift. A lot of people came, which was really fun. I sang a few numbers, I must admit, and didn't embarrass myself too much, I think.

The humidity begins

Tuesday by the time I woke up it was hot and humid, definitely New York summer. Hung around home a bit, then went into the city to meet my friend Ben for lunch. He was in CAP with me, and now he's playing Boq in "Wicked" on Broadway. Very cool. We caught up for a while, then I went to yoga. I didn't care for this particular teacher, but that's sort of how it goes. Went home, got groceries, made casserole, and Matt and I watched more SNL dvds.

Memorial Day

Monday I worked in the morning, and it was also my last day of supervisor training. We had four servers because we expected it to be really busy, but it was only moderately busy so it was a fairly calm shift. I counted everyone out, then went home and vegged. Met up with Matt and we walked through Park Slope until we found a place with outdoor seating and we ate dinner there. Continued our walk to the movie theater and saw "Iron Man," which was really cool. I highly recommend it, Robert Downey Jr. is amazing and the technology stuff is cool too.

Perfect weekend, part. 2

Sunday Matt and I made blueberry muffins, then headed to Prospect Park for some more outside time. Got lunch at the Boathouse and read our books in the sunshine. Walked across the park and into Park Slope, then went to YogoMonster, which as far as we can tell is a total rip off of Pinkberry. Oh well, it's closer to home and cheaper and delicious, so who cares. Got groceries, then went to Matt's and made pasta salad to eat with Austin and Anja. Chilled out the rest of the night.

A perfect weekend

Saturday Matt and I went to Tom's for brunch. Oh, also, it was beautiful outside. After brunch, Matt went to his piano lesson and I went to the Greenmarket at Grand Army Plaza and totally blissed out. There were fabulous looking things everywhere! I managed to get away only having bought two peppers, a bundle of asparagus, and some fresh cheese, and it made me so excited to start my CSA this summer. I recently decided to get an egg share too, so I'll be getting veggies, fruit, and eggs starting in just a few weeks. Came home and did some emailing, then Matt and I set out to try and get a bike for me. We planned to take the train to DUMBO, which is the part of Brooklyn under the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. Only, we got a stop away and it turned out the train wasn't going there, so we got out and walked. Took a while, but we found the bike place, only it turned out they didn't really have what I wanted. Went to a design store around the corner and got a birthday present for Hannah, then we walked over to Fulton Landing by the Brooklyn Bridge. It's the 125th birthday of the Brooklyn Bridge, and they have this crazy "telectroscope" set up that supposedly lets you look through a long-lost tunnel between Brooklyn and London (it's actually a live feed through the internet). Lots of people there to wave to the Brits. We got pretzels, walked on the Brooklyn Heights promenade, and took the train back to my house. Vegged for a bit, then went to Ben and Atsuko's for the First Official Summer BBQ. A ton of people were there, and there was SO much food. I took on the job of Vegetable Griller and made some excellent veggies, if I do say so myself. A fun, filling day.

TGIF

Friday I slept in, went for a run, then left for work early so I could go up to Lincoln Center and pick up a CD from the library. Walked to work from there, which was nice since we're finally getting some good weather. Trained with Oliver, which was fine, I'm getting a handle on things now. Finally finished around 10:45pm and was on my weekend, after 10 days of work in a row. YES! Went to Matt's and we took a walk around Park Slope and ate some ice cream.

No rest for the wicked

Tuesday morning I was mostly lazy, then I went to work in the evening.

Went straight back to work Wednesday morning, then went to yoga after work. It was a really good class, and I hope to get myself going more regularly, since it leaves me feeling so positive about life. Went to Matt's and ate soup and bagels, watched some SNL clips, called it a night.

Thursday I worked and trained in the morning, only everything was messed up because we had a server call out, so I ended up on the floor instead of behind the bar. Things went ok once we got going, but it was a tiring shift. Treated myself to shrip bisque at Whole Foods, then picked Matt up from work. Hung out at his house talking to Austin and Anja for a while, he played piano while I read emails, and then we got groceries and made perogies at my house and watched SNL DVDs Matt gave me for my birthday. Then I started falling asleep, so I sent him away and got right into bed.

Florida Photos, Finally

Sorry it took so long, but I finally got our pictures from our trip to Florida up on my photo site. Check them out, there's a link on the left side of this page.

Sunday night concerts make for sleepy heads

Saturday I worked in the morning, then went to Ben and Atsuko's for a nice relaxed bbq. We got chased inside by a rain shower, but a good time was had regardless. We helped them eat some of their wedding cake top layer, since they had their first anniversary recently.

Sunday I worked in the morning, made stir fry at Matt's, and then we went to go see Hannah play at Bar Reis in Park Slope. A ton of people from work were there, and Hannah was great as usual, and we had a lot of fun. However, I didn't get a lot of sleep.

Still made it to work early on Monday for my first day of supervisor training. (Since my trainer was at the bar later than I was, I figured I was in ok shape). Learned about my morning tasks, had a kind of crazy shift, then had lunch with Randy at Le Pain Quotidien, since we haven't seen much of each other lately. Picked Matt up at work, then parted ways so I could do laundry. Met back up with him later, and he, Randy, and I checked out a new bar in our neighborhood called "Plan B". (It's the owner's second place.) Nice, not a ton of personality yet but very clean, which is a rarity in Brooklyn bars. Also, good food menu.

Work and fun, in that order

Wednesday Ali and I headed into the city and I sent her on her way back to school. Went to work, met up with Matt, then went to Fresco to have dinner with Matt's aunt and uncle and Ben and Atsuko. They treated us to an absolutely fabulous dinner, and I think we all were totally stuffed to the gills before we even got our main course. It was so nice of them to include me. Now I will never eat again.

Thursday I worked in the morning and watched TV with Matt in the evening. All our shows are ending again, which doesn't seem fair but is probably good for our health.

Friday I went to work, then had dinner at Whole Foods with Matt before going to see "Sunday in the Park With George" on Broadway at Studio 54. Those of you who know me know this is one of my favorite shows, so I was so excited. I came out feeling mixed. I wasn't crazy about the leads, which is funny since they both got Tony noms. What I was crazy about was the projections they used to basically create a dynamic set. I can't really describe it, but it was fantastic and made me cry within the first 30 seconds of the show.

Ali's Visit

Sorry so slow again, I was doing much better. Anyway, Monday I slept in and ran errands and things, and then Ali was deposited on my doorstep. Hooray! She was pretty wound up still from finals and general "college things," but we sat and drank tea and calmed down for a bit and then she worked on her papers while I made enchiladas. We ate dinner, then she worked and I played and we ate ice cream and all was well.

Tuesday we both got up early, Ali to go to the Chinese consulate and me to go to a wine class at work. At 9am. One thing I may not have mentioned is that I recently got promoted to supervisor at work, so I'm trying to show up at these kinds of things. Had an informative class with Paul Roberts, who is the wine director for all of Thomas Keller's restaurants. He reeeally knows about wine, and the best part was he took the wine I've always thought was bad off the menu. Met Ali for lunch at Spice, then went with her to the consulate to pick up her visa. It was insane in there, good for her for figuring it all out. We walked to a Pinkberry so I could make Ali try it (she liked it, for the record) and tried but failed to buy some clothes. Went home and rested, then she and I met Matt at Franny's, which is a nice pizza place on Flatbush, sort of similar to Punch at home but a little New York-ified. We were there to celebrate her 21st birthday, so we drank sparkling wine and had great pizza. Then we went to the Chocolate Room for dessert, and then, since it was her 21st birthday and all, we went to the 4th Avenue Pub, although by that time we were so full we could barely have one drink before we had to call it a night. Happy birthday, little sister!

Happy Mama's Day!

Sunday was Mother's Day, but since I couldn't have brunch with my mother, Matt and I headed into the city to meet up with Uncle Pete instead, since he was in town to play at Carnegie Hall with the SPCO. We ate at Bouchon, which was much less crowded than I'd anticipated, plus they were holding a table for us. They're so good to me when I've worked 11 days in a row :) Had a really nice brunch, catching up and getting very full. We wandered through the park a while, then said goodbye and let him get ready for his concert. Matt and I went back to his house, where I promptly fell asleep. He made me wake up and watch "30 Rock," then we went to dinner at Amorina. Headed over to the 4th Avenue Pub and met Ben and Atsuko. As a side note, a big thanks to all the mothers who read this blog. If you're reading this, you've probably mothered me at some point, so thanks! And a particular "shout out" to my Mom, since she...is my actual mother. Thanks Mom!

Home stretch

Saturday was my 11th day in a row. I was serving on the floor, which is probably the only thing that got me through the day, because it meant I had to pay attention or I would screw everything up. Made it to the end of the shift, ate, then went to an audition for a children's theater touring company out of Minneapolis. Got seen early since I got there earlier than I'd signed up but no one else was ready. Did fine, talked about Minnesota, then left to start my weekend. THANK GOODNESS! On the way home I texted Ethan because I was pretty sure he was back for the weekend from his tour. Turns out he was, so he and Matt came over and we made dinner and drank wine and caught up. Walked to the Chocolate Room for dessert, and who should come in after us but Ben and Atsuko. The table next to us eventually opened up and we became one big happy dessert family. What a lovely way to start my weekend.

Happy birthday Ali!

Friday was Ali's 21st birthday, but since she was in Swarthmore and I was in New York, I had to spend it working instead of celebrating. Went to work, came home and prepared for my audition, fell asleep, went to Matt's in the pouring rain and ate corn chowder. We watched LOST from the night before, then I walked home in the pouring rain, talking to Mom and Dad to distract myself.

In the Heights (but on Broadway)

Thursday I worked during the day, and by that point I was really starting to burn out. Only two more days until weekend... Ran into Brad Broman on my way out of work, and I hadn't seen him since he left on the Hairspray tour months ago. Then, walking down to meet Matt, I ran into Hermit Justin from my freshman year dorm. Crazy! Matt and I had dinner at a sort of Irish place, then went to see "In the Heights," a new musical about the Washington Heights neighborhood. We were really high up, but apart from having a little trouble understanding lyrics, it was fine. (Dad and Granny, it was the same theater where we saw Cyrano, I think the acoustics aren't that great in there.) We had a really good time, fun to see new stuff.

Making the apartment a little more adult

Tuesday I did laundry in the morning, then went to work. I don't remember there being anything special about it.

Wednesday I worked in the morning (this "working" thing is getting old), then went downtown. Got a big beautiful old "Singing In the Rain" poster for my room, then met Randy and got some new stuff for our bathroom: a new shower curtain and liner, new bath mats, a soap dispenser that matches the bath mats, and a fogless mirror so he can shave in the shower. Met Matt, got rid of Randy, got dinner stuff, and went home to make dinner. Talked to Kate Knutson on the phone, then Matt and I watched "Mad Hot Ballroom," which was adorable. It's a documentary about this program in NYC public schools where 5th graders learn to ballroom dance and then compete with each other for a city-wide championship. Little kids dancing = adorable.

BBQ AMAP (as much as possible)

Sunday I worked in the morning, which left me pretty tired after closing the night before. Oh well, the money's good. Went home and did some things around the house that hadn't gotten done all week, like cleaning the bathroom and unpacking my suitcase. Went over to Matt's and grilled with Austin and Anja, enjoying the patio and the nice weather. Then Matt and I caught up on LOST, 30 Rock, and The Office from last week.

Monday I had another check up at the doctor (I look pretty healthy, thankfully), then had lunch at Bouchon. Had delicious quiche, mmm. Then I went to work, which was eventful because Kim was my bar back, only she'd never done it before and I was supposed to be training her to bar serve. This may not make sense to you. It didn't make sense to me either. Oh well, we figured it out.

Where'd the weekend go?

Friday I worked in the evening, but I can't remember what I did in the morning. Oh yeah, it's coming back to me. I got tickets to see "In the Heights," a new Broadway show, and practiced for my callback on Saturday. Went to work, which was busy.

Saturday I went to Tom's with Matt, then went home, got ready, and went to my callback. There were nine girls there for two roles. First they had us sing one of the songs from the show. Then they had two people leave. Then they had us do dialogue from the show. Then they had two more people leave, which left five of us for the two roles. Then we sang a duet, and after that they said I was done for the afternoon. So, I don't think I ultimately got either role, but I still felt good about making it that far. That's a step in the right direction. Went to work, which was busy, and went out for half an hour afterwards with nearly all the staff that was on that night.

The long streak begins

Wednesday was the beginning of my 11-day work stretch. Ooooh boy. Woke up and went running in the morning to break in my new shoes. I went very slowly and stopped a lot, but the shoes are great! Went to work and was in a bad "back to work after vacation" mood, but I eventually snapped out of it.

Thursday morning I went for another run, but this time I ran to the Botanic Gardens to see the cherry blossoms. I became a member, so I got in for free and walked around enjoying all the spring flowering plants. Beautiful, but sneezy. Made me think of this time last year, with graduation and Ben and Atsuko's wedding. Went to work, then met up after work with Matt, Sarah Diaz, and Drew Salisbury, who was in town. Sarah lives in the city but I hadn't hung out with her there until this occasion. Weird! Short but sweet visit, and we have an estimated one year to wait before Drew moves out here too. Hooray! (for Drew, not the waiting).

Added: the photo Ali pointed me to of the Brooklyn Museum and the cherry blossoms. Enjoy!

The only bad thing about Florida...

is trying to leave it. Not just for sentimental reasons.

Tuesday Julie had to work, so Jordan, Matt, and I had brunch at Panera (which reminded me of Swarthmore) and headed to the outlet mall near their place. Turns out that in Florida your mall can be open air, because it's warm there. Weeeeeeeird. We looked around at all the still-expensive outlets, but ended up getting pretty practical purchases. I got a pair of running shoes, and Matt got a pair of shorts and TWO pairs of sneakers, which is nothing short of a miracle. Tip for the tall folks out there: the outlet mall in Florida has a Puma outlet store with a "size 13 and up" shelf where everything is 50% off. For Matt, I think that is what heaven looks like. Anyway, got TCBY and headed back, but it turns out we didn't have to go back so soon because our flight was delayed. It got delayed a couple more times, but eventually it decided on a time, so Jordan and Julie and Sandy drove us to the airport. It was hard to say goodbye to such wonderful friends, but we made them promise we could come back. Thanks again, Julie and Jordan! No thanks, however, to the Orlando airport, which proceeded to be nothing but annoying and stressful. I won't even get into it, but we eventually got safely to New York. Took the LIRR home, which I'd never done. It's pretty fast, and more comfortable than the subway. Not as easy to get to from my apartment, though. Took the bus the rest of the way, and there you have it. We had a wonderful vacation, much needed. Soon I'll post the full set of photos, I promise.

Relaxing part of vacation

Monday was the relaxing part of our Florida vacation. We slept in, swam, and lay out by the pool. Ahhhhh. Went to the grocery store to replenish the groceries Matt and I had eaten, since Jordan and Julie made this an amazingly inexpensive vacation for us, then the four of us headed out to dinner at Brick and Fire, a gourmet pizza place. We ate outside on the patio and had a ton of incredibly delicious food and drink. It was so wonderful to be able to spend time with Matt, Julie, and Jordan, to be able to have a leisurely meal with people who are so interesting and funny and good hearted. Wonderful. Next stop was Jordan's softball game. Apparently Universal has a league and Blue Man has a team, and we cheered them on to their first ever win!

Blue Man Day

Sunday we let ourselves sleep in a bit, which was much needed after a short night and a really long day. When we finally got up, Jordan was outside with his parents, who were in town. They work with a shelter for dogs and part of what they do is bring dogs from their shelter to places where they'll get adopted faster. However, something went wrong in the communication this trip and they ended up with a van full of 20 dogs and no where to leave them. They managed to take care of 12, but they still had 8, so they came to Jordan's to clean out the van a bit and let the puppies run around. We played with them for a while, then had breakfast and headed to Universal Studios. We didn't spend that much time in the theme park parts, but we rode the Mummy and the Men in Black ride, and The Hulk rollercoaster, which was scary and totally awesome. Julie, Matt, Jordan's parents, and I had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, then we went to see Jordan in the Blue Man Group show. This is my third time seeing the show, and it was very cool to see it in a bigger space, and obviously to see Jordan, who did such a great job. My friends do cool stuff! After the show we said goodbye to Jordan's parents, then went to Pleasure Island, Disney's "nightlife" area. We went to the Adventurer's Club, which is essentially a comedy club, and drank silly drinks and watched silly shows. Matt, as usual, was chosen for the audience participation section. When the show ended we checked out a couple of the other clubs in the area, then headed home.