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.
Friday, May 30, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
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.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
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 t
o 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.
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 t
o 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.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
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.
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.
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!
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!
Friday, May 16, 2008
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!
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.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
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.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
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.
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.
Friday, May 9, 2008
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
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!
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!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
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.
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!
Friday, May 2, 2008
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.
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.
Disney Day!
Saturday was Disney Day in a big way. Julie, as I may have mentioned before, works for Disney playing Nemo in "Finding Nemo: The Musical", so she was able to get 
Matt, Jordan, and me each a one-day park hopper pass for free. Thanks, Julie! The four of us started the day by going to the Magic Kingdom. I was surprised how many things I'd forgotten, like the fact that you have to take either a boat or the monorail to get from the parking area to the actual entrance. Spent the first part of the day doing a lot of stuff that reminded me of trips we took when I was little, like "Snow White's Scary Adventure," the Peter Pan ride, Pirates of the Carib
bean, the Haunted Mansion, and Space Mountain. At three we had to leave the Magic Kingdom and head to the Animal Kingdom, where Julie's show is. She left to get ready, and Jordan, Matt, and I got in line for the show, which is hugely popular. I can see why: the performers are great, the music is fun, and they use puppets for all the sea creatures, and they're all amazing. Wish I could have taken photos for you. Went to talk to Julie after the show, then we rode Everest, the newest rollercoaster there, and got ice cream before Jordan had to leave for work. Matt and I spent some time just walking around the park, which is really beautiful, and then did "It's Tough to Be a Bug," which I remember vividly from our family trip there nine ye
ars ago. Met Julie and headed over to Epcot. It was getting late, so we didn't do all that much there; Spaceship Earth, which is all re-done, and some Nemo gift shopping, where I got really cute Nemo ornaments. Then it was time for fireworks, so we each got a churro and a margarita at Mexico and watched the fireworks. We were exhausted but hadn't eaten dinner, so we stopped at Perkins on the way home. Then we totally collapsed.
Matt, Jordan, and me each a one-day park hopper pass for free. Thanks, Julie! The four of us started the day by going to the Magic Kingdom. I was surprised how many things I'd forgotten, like the fact that you have to take either a boat or the monorail to get from the parking area to the actual entrance. Spent the first part of the day doing a lot of stuff that reminded me of trips we took when I was little, like "Snow White's Scary Adventure," the Peter Pan ride, Pirates of the Carib
bean, the Haunted Mansion, and Space Mountain. At three we had to leave the Magic Kingdom and head to the Animal Kingdom, where Julie's show is. She left to get ready, and Jordan, Matt, and I got in line for the show, which is hugely popular. I can see why: the performers are great, the music is fun, and they use puppets for all the sea creatures, and they're all amazing. Wish I could have taken photos for you. Went to talk to Julie after the show, then we rode Everest, the newest rollercoaster there, and got ice cream before Jordan had to leave for work. Matt and I spent some time just walking around the park, which is really beautiful, and then did "It's Tough to Be a Bug," which I remember vividly from our family trip there nine ye
ars ago. Met Julie and headed over to Epcot. It was getting late, so we didn't do all that much there; Spaceship Earth, which is all re-done, and some Nemo gift shopping, where I got really cute Nemo ornaments. Then it was time for fireworks, so we each got a churro and a margarita at Mexico and watched the fireworks. We were exhausted but hadn't eaten dinner, so we stopped at Perkins on the way home. Then we totally collapsed.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Get me to Florida!
Friday I worked in the morning, and all I wanted to do was get it over with so I could leave on my vacation! I was on the floor serving, and it had been a while, so it felt probably busier than it really was. Work ended, and I finally felt like I was actually leaving. I ran some errands on the way home, finished packing, and took the train to the airport. Met Matt at the terminal, got some dinner, and hopped on our plane, which left on time. It was JetBlue, which I'd never flown before, and it's fun because you can watch TV while you fly. I watched TLC, Matt watched Comedy Central, and we happily stereotyped ourselves all the way to Orlando. Arrived around 12:30 in a deserted airport, got our bags, and found Jordan! He came to pick us up in his shmancy new Prius, which is totally awesome. We went to IHOP, where we met up with Julie for late night second dinner. It was so great to see them! We caught up until Matt and I nearly fell asleep in our pancakes, and then we went back to their apartment. They live in a beautiful very "Florida" development in a two bedroom, two bath apartment. We got a room and a bathroom to ourselves, which was amazing. The place is so nice, all decorated like a place adults live. Plus, they have an adorable, if anxiety ridden, puppy named Sandy Plankton. Anticipating a big day at Disney, we hit the hay.
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