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!)