Hanukkah Time

It is starting to feel like winter in the Big Apple. No snow, but it is chilly. The season isn't the only change that has been in progress. Work has been crazy this semester. We were short staffed and I was filling in with students from a different program. It turns out that I enjoyed working with this group of students so I asked to switch offices and advisees. Friday was my official last day with my old department. I am now advising students in the Associates in Fashion Marketing program. This move also a change in location. I have moved from the mid-town office near Times Square to the main campus, which is located near Union Square in the Village.

I have also been busy with the writing. I had an essay in the American Theater Wing's Play That Change My Life contest. My essay was in the top three of the public voting. You can read it at http://americantheaterwing.org/contest

Hanukkah is here. I had a lovely party with Sandy, Terry, Esther, Michael, and Mrs. C. (My neighbor). Sandy made latkas and brisket. Esther made holiday cookies. I am currently wearing the funky split toe socks that Esther and Michael brought me back from Japan. They are surprisingly comfy. :)

Occations

Lots of special occasions and events have been keeping me busy over the past month. The biggest event was my sister Esther's wedding to Michael. It was beautiful. You can check out some pictures of the event at www.sarahpostma.com/blog . I can't wait to see Esther later this week to hear about her honeymoon in Japan.

Most of our family was in town for the wedding. This was the first time my mom had visited me since I moved to NYC. I took her and Sarah around midtown, the upper east side, and the flatiron district. We went to Madison Square Park, Dylan's Candy Bar, FAO Schwartz, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and Bryant Park. We went to my neighborhood in Brooklyn and Sandy and Terry took us on a driving tour of Brooklyn. We went to Red Hook and had coal oven pizza. We then went to Brooklyn Heights and walked around the promenade.

In other events I went to Washington D.C. to spend Thanksgiving with my Uncle Ed and Uncle Richard. Sarah and mom were also in town as well as my Aunt Isabelle, Uncle Charlie, Cousin Mark, and Aunt Veronica. We had a wonderful time. We went to the Smithsonian Museum of American History and the Newseum.

The holiday season is in full swing here. This so far has included some gatherings with NYC friends and holiday shopping. Today I went to the BUST craft fair with Heidi, Jen, Krista, and Gina. We had brunch at a great new find for us in Chelsea, The Green Monkey. Later Jen and I continued our shopping. We went to Fishes Eddy which is a great store that sells flatware and glassware. Jen introduced me to Subtletea a tea house in Murry Hill. We then went on to browse the holiday vendors at Grand Central Station.

Theater Time

Work has been nuts but I have managed to see a couple of shows over the last few weeks. My friend Justin took me to see Bye Bye Birdie. We first had Cocktails and Appetizers at The Blue Bar at the Algonquin Hotel. The show was not wonderful but it was okay. John Stamos is adorable and Bill Irwin was amazing.

I was also invited to see In the Heights with Justin but couldn't go because I was working on an assignment. I had to interview two children's theater groups in the city for The Villager's annual Theater Issue. http://thevillager.com/villager_340/limecatandliterally.html

My friend Ragan was going to come in for Halloween weekend but unfortunately she was feeling under the weather so we postponed the trip. She did treat to Opera tickets for Aida which was amazing.

I went to see Whip It with Carrie and Tiffany after our office party. I also snuck in for the tail end of Esther and Mikie's photo shoot in Gramercy Park. We then went for me to be the test subject for the 24 hour make up place across from the hotel. They did a nice job considering the subject was no Venus.

Yeah...I'm Not So Good About Updating My Blog

Other then being mega busy at work. I have been a writing machine. Although apparently not on this blog. I had a piece published last week in The Villager. You can read it at http://www.thevillager.com/villager_337/bookshineslight.html.

I also have a piece that will be coming out in several weeks through InterFaithFamily. I will send that out once it is in print.

I have a weekly writing group I meet with. We read and comment on each others work. I sometimes bring essays but generally I bring chapters from a novel I am working on. I don't talk about my novel writing too much. I started it about four years ago, although it has become something very different from what it started out as. The only reason that I mention it is because I actually finished a workable draft of it this summer, which for me is quite an accomplishment. I bring a chapter every week to my writing group and they give me feedback so I can re-edit. When I have a copy I am happy with I will send it out to literary agents. With books its sort of like being an actor. You have to have an agent so publishers will read your submissions. We'll see what happens, but I'll keep you all posted.

In non work and writing related news, I have had some fun experiences over the past month. I went dress shopping with Esther, Michael, Sandy, and Terry for Esther's dress for her upcoming wedding. I can't believe it will be here in less then a month! I finally found the right accessories for my dress for the event, cause I know you're all really concerned about what I'll be wearing. :)

I went to a really fun birthday party for my friend Tiffany. It was at Dinosaur BBQ in Harlem. It was tasty but I was so full afterword that I walked with my friends Phil and Joe all the way from W125 street to W 57t street. It was pretty fun though. Joe and Phil have artistic backgrounds so they pointed out all of the amazing architecture on Riverside Drive that I had overlooked in the past.

Tiffany, Carrie, and I also went to see Where the Wild Things Are. Pre-movie we had dinner at Patsy's which is an inexpensive Italian chain throughout NYC. Sort of the Big Apple version of Olive Garden. I also had an amazing dinner at Bay Leaf, a midtown Indian restaurant that Esther treated me before I took us to see Coco Before Chanel at the Paris Theater.

I reconnected with my friend Shannon and her brother John. Shannon and I were in school together from 2nd grade through high school. John was two years ahead of us. John is in law school at Columbia. Shannon used to live in NYC but moved to California right about the time I moved here. She just moved back this summer and has started monthly dinners with friends from all her different circles. Last month we went to Becco which is an Italian place on Restaurant Row in the Theater District. Now that her place is no longer infested with Squirrels we are going to have monthly dinners at her apartment in Hoboken.

I also enjoyed Jazz in the Park with Heidi, David, and Yari. Heidi and David just returned from their wedding and honeymoon. I was sad I couldn't go but the photographs looked amazing. They are Ohio natives too and had their wedding at Middle Bass Island on Lake Erie. Heidi and I went to college together so a ton of our Michigan friends were there.

Fall is flying by. I can't believe some of the stores and shopping districts are already decorated for the December Holidays. I have a full end of October and November. It is packed with visits from out of town friends and family, a lot going on at work, and a wedding. I will try to be better about posting though.

Yay Autumn!

I celebrated the high holidays in Florida and NYC respectively. In between there were some other fun celebrations. My friend Bridget introduced me to The Moth. It is a weekly story telling event. People who wish to tell a story put their names in a hat and then have five minutes to tell a true story based on the evenings theme. It was very fun.

I finally bought some fall clothes thanks to a shopping spree with Carrie and Tiffany. For those of you not familiar with midtown W34 street is basically like a giant outdoor mall. There is Macy's, Old Navy, Fossil, H&M, etc. It is always crowded with tourists but still its kind of nice to be able to do all your shopping within two blocks.

This weekend I went to my friend Paul's Oktoberfest which was a blast. I wore my Bar Wench costume for the occasion but it wasn't as cool as Paul's Lederhosen I also had dinner with my Cleveland friends Shannon and John who live in NYC too.

Now I am just trying to enjoy the beautiful autumn weather! It is my favorite time of year in NYC or anywhere else.

Time Flies

The sad thing about blogs is that if you don't update every week, you forget what has been going on. Here are some highlights from the past month...at least what I remember.

-I eventually celebrated my actual birthday. Esther and I went to Bliss Spa in SoHo for Manis, Pedis, and Facials. We then had a decadent dinner at Savoy which included splitting a slice of Plum Upside down Birthday Cake.

-Sarah, Joe, Paula, and I went to the Japanese Street Fair in Midtown East. Afterwords we had drinks at Ginger Man and went to Williamsburg (Brooklyn not Virginia) for dinner.

-Esther, Michael, and I went to Cleveland for a quick visit. It was great to catch up wiith family.

-Jen, Susan, Bridget, and I went to a charity event at Housing Works Books which is a really awesome store in SoHo. The books are donated to the store, the cashiers are volunteers, and the money earned from sales goes to people in NYC living with HIV/AIDS.

-I attempted to buy fall clothes multiple times with no success. Don't worry, I will eventually buy new clothes. I have too, most of mine are too big now. :)

-Joe, Sarah, Paula, and I had a great labor day cookout at Joe and Sarah's house. Followed by a mad Euchre session and watching the 4th Indiana Jones film.

-Went to a comic book signing for Models Inc. The debut issue features Tim Gunn.

My Very Merry Unbirthdays

Things are starting to pick up full steam at work, school starts in just a few weeks. One way I have been enjoying the last days of summer is the Brooklyn Free Concerts at Coney Island. Last week was Hall and Oates. It was a blast and I got to meet John Oates (meeting Daryl Hall would have been cooler in my book but it was still pretty sweet). This week was Blondie and Pat Benatar. My friends surprised me with a cupcake and by getting everyone sitting around us to sing Happy Birthday before the concert started. Having Nathan's hot dogs and a beer on the boardwalk was also fun.

Last weekend I went to game night with my new group of Brooklyn friends at Mary's Park Slope apartment. It was very fun and my team kicked butt in Celebrity (a taboesque game). Heidi threw a great party at the Frying Pan in Chelsea for Yari, Mark, and I since our birthdays are close together. It did get chilly on the top deck so after it got dark, Joe, Sarah, and I went indoors to the Chelsea Brewery at the Piers.

My editor at Villager invited me to see his cabaret show at Don't Tell Mamas. It was a great show and it was nice to meet an editor for a change. (I usually just e-mail and exchange phone messages with my editors). He is hoping to have some fall assignments for me which is great. In other writing news I am working on a piece for an editor for an on-line magazine. I have also gone to some events for the author I profiled last month and she introduced me to literary agents interested in what I am working on, so stay tuned. :) In an effort to be productive I joined a writing group with some former classmates and other freelance writers.

This weekend Michael, Esther, and I all got new coifs. To celebrate we met Mark at the Blue Bar at the Algonquin Hotel for a cocktail. It was lovely. I have been dying to go there for ages because the Blue Bar has original work by my favorite artist, Al Hershfeld. One of my favorite author's Dorthy Parker was a regular at the hotel. I got to see the famous Round Table and Matilda the cat who lives in the lobby.

After Mark left we met Sandy and Terry at Anthos a Greek restaurant for my birthday dinner. The Best part was they actually served us cotton candy with our coffee and tea after dinner.

Yesterday Michael, Esther, and I went to NJ for a dinner party at Arthur and Jane's. Arthur grilled, Esther made dessert, I made mint pea bruchetta for a starter, and it was a relaxing evening. On the way back to the city Michael, Esther, and I stopped for Cappichinos in Fort Lee.

This birthday celebrations have been great although my actual birthday hasn't even passed yet.

Thank You For Being a Friend

Last weekend I had an inpromtu visit to the Cleve. It was great to spend time with Sarah because she is moving to North Carolina in two weeks.

We went to the West Side Market, Outlet Shopping, and even met up with my best friend from high school LeeAnn at one of our hang outs Gene's Place. It is this really cool restaurant near my high school that is 1940s themed. They play war era songs on the juke box, have posters from popular movies of the time, and all of the dishes are named after actors and movies of the 40s, 50s, and 60s. LeeAnn thought I was all exotic when I ordered the Dr. Zhivago until she realized I just ordered a hamburger.

This week I had a book review/author profile published in The Villager. You can check it out at http://www.thevillager.com/villager_326/villageauthor.html.

Yesterday I had acupuncture for the first time. It was actually quite relaxing. Anna, the acupuncturist is really nice and she went to college in Ohio so how could I not like her? We Midwest chicks have to stick together. In other Midwest news I guess I am now official a New Yorker. I subjected myself to the horror of waiting at the NYC DMV and they just sent me my new card. Sorry Michigan ID last night was your last use...

...But what a use it was! Despite it pouring buckets yesterday, my friend Paula (yes I have another friend named Paula who is also from Michigan, felt I should explain that in case you thought I was talking about myself in the third person) met me for dinner at Mason Dixon on the Lower East Side. This is a southwestern themed restaurant and bar that does have a mechanical bull. We were not there to reenact Urban Cowboy though...no it was much better then that.

After dinner we made our way to the Dixon theater for "God will get you for that...a tribute to Bea Arthur. The theater was serving a drink called Bea Arthur's Underpants. We saw the show advertised and knew we had to go. It was hysterical because their were more people then the theater could fit. Paula and I were only two of maybe six girls in total that were there. But it was fantastic. There was a mix of performers singing Bea's songs and they showed clips from the Golden Girls, Maude, and the 1979 Bea Arthur TV special.

Yours truly did go on stage and had to read the line, "My cupcakes are moist. Men love my cupcakes" during a Bea impersonation contest. I did not feel too bad loosing to a drag queen. The night ended with everyone singing the theme song to "Golden Girls". I am not sure about an afterlife but I decided I would like to think it will be me in a room with a bunch of gay guys singing, "Thank You for Being a Friend" because I gotta tell you it was so much fun!

The Great Outdoors

Last weekend was a jaunt out of the Big Apple to Upstate New York. I went with my friends/co-workers Carrie, Tiffany, and Theresa and Theresa's wife Katie. We went to Ithaca to catch up with our former co-worker Julia who took a job up there about six months ago. It was great seeing her again. We went to Felicia's Atomic Bar where we had amazing hot dogs because Felicia makes her own condiments.

We camped up at Buttermilk Falls which was beautiful. On a scale of 1-10 for how rustic a camping gal I am I would rate me a 5 which made this site perfect for me. I am all about camping in tents which is what we did (don't get me wrong, cabins and hotels are nice too). I am also a fan of indoor plumbing and showers being in walking distance which it was. All in all the perfect Paula idea of camping.

In town we also went to the Farmers Market, the commons, and Moosewood which is a famous vegetarian restaurant. Before heading back to the city we went to Corning which is...you guessed it...where corning wear comes from. We toured the glass museum and Carrie got to blow a glass ornament in the studio.

Back in NYC my writing class has finished for the summer. I am debating which course to take in the fall. David had two art gallery openings in one night so I got to tag along with him, Heidi, Yaritsa, and Mark for a exhibition in the Village and one on the Lower East Side. We celebrated by having dinner at one of our favorite LES spots, The Pink Pony.

This weekend I had a nice Shabbat dinner with Esther, Michael, Sandy, and Terry. I did some more exploring too. I went for a really long walk through Prospect Park. I caught part of the African Music fest and discovered the Harmony Playground which was really cool. They had a sprinkler in the shape of a harp and the water came through like the strings. They also had stations where kids could hit bars and they would play different notes.

I then went for a walk through Park Slope and Prospect Heights and did some window shopping in the vintage stores on 5th Avenue.

Today I met Heidi and Mark for a fun picnic in Central Park and it sounds like another camping trip may be in the works before the summer ends.

New Turfs

It has finally stopped raining in New York. I have made a resolution this summer to explore new neighborhoods and places that are new to me in familiar areas.

Last weekend Tiffany, Carrie, and I went to see "Away We Go", before the movie we had a tasty dinner at Max Brenner's in the village. I have spent a lot of time in the village lately. Some cool stores that I have recently discovered are Mxyplyzyk which is a really cool store for window shopping for home decor items and Partners & Crime which is a small book store specializing in crime and mystery novels. If I ever need to pick up a first edition of Cujo, I now know where to go.

I also went to Tutor City for the first time and love it. Tutor City is located at the far east end of Midtown, near the UN. It is made up of Elizabethan looking apartment buildings. If anyone else ever saw the short Disney cartoon "The Little House" which is about a little house that ends up getting sandwiched between big buildings, I believe that house really exists in Tutor City. The gardens there are beautiful. It is so quiet that it truly does feel like you are in some English village as apposed to Midtown.

Near Tutor City, Esther and Mikie took me to the most amazing sushi restaurant that is hidden under an office building. Sakagura has an incredible food and saki menu. Although I have to say I was really memorised by the bathroom (which I know is weird) but they had a remote controlled heated toilet.

This Independence Day I went to a party on Staten Island. I have been to the front part of the island before, where the ferry, ballpark, and Snug Harbor are located. This time I went to the back of the island where you can only get to by car or bus. The houses are amazing back there. Everything is on rolling hills and built like villas so it feels like Italy.

Today I was at my local rouge coffee house, Vox Pop. It was open mic reading and the first time I have shared my writing with an audience in public. It is funny I am so much more nervous sharing what I write then I ever was acting. I think I love theater so much because its a chance to be someone else. When I write, even if it is fiction, there is always a bit of me in there. It is like being exposed naked. But it did go very well. It was a good mix of writers some had books or poetry published, others had articles published, and some people have not published yet. I got a lot of nice compliments (which always make my day) and invitations to go to readings. All in all a very good Sunday.

Vacay and Back Again

I went on a much needed vacation to Michigan. It was wonderful seeing everyone and I have a great time that can basically be summarized by the following: coffee houses, hanging out with friends, festivals, Entourage, and pontoon boat.

Back in New York, I went with my friend Joe to see "Shrek the Musical" which was very cute. My writing class has started up for the summer and I also took a one day seminar on how to get published.

I won a free happy hour at Public House so some friends and I partook in some free beverages which were followed by some great pub grub at the Park Hotel.

Other then that not too much exciting to report. I have incidentally gone on a number of bad first dates over the course of the past few months. I won't go into details because I don't kiss and tell...(well I do tell Regan but hey you have to have a trusted gal pal to tell these things too). Needless to say I think (as I have suspected for years) that I may be better off single and you know what that really is okay. We shall see what the summer brings though.

Summer is Here

It finally feels like summer. I have recently gone to some book readings with my writing professor and some students that were also in the class. This included a reading at a soup kitchen. My professor and some other writers do 12 week writing programs at the soup kitchen with the people who eat lunch there. The participants shared their pieces with us.

Sarah came in for memorial day. We did a diner comparison of Juniors vs Lindy's...Juniors wins hands down. We also went to the South Street Seaport, discovered the East 6th Street Community Garden, and found that you can still by Cracker Jacks in a box at Economy Candy.

We had drinks and appetizers at Firebird with Esther and Michael. This is a Russian restaurant in the theater district. We then met up with Susan, Bob, and Audrey to see the Danny Kaye musical at St. Luke's Theater. This is an old church that was turned into an off broadway theater. After the show we had drinks and snacks at Bar Centrale where we saw Barbra Walters and Patricia Clarkson.

The next day we had an amazing brunch at Compass with Sandy, Terry, Esther, and Michael. Esther, Michael, Sarah, and I then went to Sleepy Hollow/Terrytown to see Washington Irving's home. Sarah and I also fit in a trip to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden before she had to leave.

To celebrate the end of the school year we had a party at my friend Paul's in Bushwick. We grilled in his backyard/beer garden.

Today was beautiful and I had some fun out at Rockaway Beach. I am looking forward to a long vacation in Michigan which is coming up later this week. I also start some writing classes for the summer.

Possession Obsession*

I really have to be better about posting updates. Once a week has gone by I honestly do not remember what I have been up to. Let's see if remembering backwards helps. Well tonight I went to Five Napkin Burger with Joe, Phil, and Phil's mom for dinner tonight. We then grabbed frozen yogurt from Red Mango. In my option of frozen yogurt take outs in Manhattan I rate Red Mango above Pinkberry and tied with Tasty Delight. I can't really compare those two since Tasty Delight tastes more like ice cream but Red Mango has stronger flavors.

We then went to see August: Osage County. It was an amazing play that I think hits a nerve with most people because it is so realistic of the minor and major dysfunctions that can happen in families.

Yesterday I had my final writing class. We met editors from Wall Street Journal Magazine, Psychology Today, and Time Out New York. The class was amazing, my instructor was amazing too. I plan on taking more writing courses in the Fall. This summer I think I am just going to buckle down, write, and submit pieces.

This weekend I went to Roosevelt Island with Sarah and Paula. We took the sky tram over, had a picnic at lighthouse park, and explored the island. Once back in Manhattan we did stop at Dylan's Candy Bar since they have never been. I am a big fan of nostalgic candy and I think the staff at work liked their care packages for the final week of classes.

Last week Jennifer, Esther, and I went to the Museum of Art and Decor which recently opened at Columbus Circle. After the museum we saw "Every Little Step" a documentary about casting the 2006 revival of a Chorus Line. We then had dinner at Sushi A GoGo.

Yep that is about as far back as I can remember. I am getting old.
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Everyone has obsessions. They tend to fall into two categories either a forever obsession or a fling/fare weather obsession. For example I have been obsessed with musical theater since I was three but embroidery was something I was into for several months and then it sort of tapered off (honestly I think it was because I just didn't have the time). Here are some recent obsessions of mine (many of which I am sure I have blogged about) only time will tell which are here to stay.

-Trader Joe's (I know it is sad the my love of a grocery store franchise tops the list)
-Home Manicures (This started off as a way to save money but I have become obsessed with perfecting my technique)
-Hall and Oates (always likes them have been listing to them a lot lately)*
-My Acer Aspire One
-Sylvia French-my tailor (not really obsessed I just go there a lot lately)
-etsy.com
-veggie burgers
-The Color Purple (not the book, the actual color)
-comfortable walking shoes (say it isn't so!!!)
-searching for the perfect trench coat (after months of searching I have yet to find it)
-Trying recipes from the Food Network
-Letting my hair grow out

Despite the Bad Economy I Still Apparently Eat Well

Thank goodness I had my flu before the swine flu or I would have been really paranoid about it. Last weekend I celebrated the end of registration with some co-workers at Don Giovanni's in Hell's Kitchen. The wood fire pizza was good but not as good as the amazing brunch we had for Sandy and Esther's birthday. We went to Bobby Flay's Bar American in Midtown. Hank Azaria was also having brunch there that day.

After brunch I met up with Sarah and Paula at Washington Square Park. We went to the Village Street Fair before stopping at Burp Castle for IPA and Pomme Frites. After Paula took off, Sarah and I went window shopping on the Lower East Side and had a treat from Babycakes. They may be my favorite NYC bakery. Their cupcakes are sugar free and many of them are gultan free so you don't feel so guilty when eating them. I highly recommend the Key Lime Cupcakes. We walked from the East Village to the West Village and listened to some Jazz at Bar 55. The bar was an old speak easy during the prohibition era. We ended the night with salads at Good which is one of my favorite restaurants in the Village.

Last week one of my essays was published by the New York Press. If you want to check it out go to nypress.com and look at their 8 Millions Stories Column. Mine was for the week of April 22-28.

This past weekend Sarah, Joe, and I went to a Met's Game at the new Citi field. The Mets won which made it more fun. We then had dinner in the East Village followed by Beer Bar Hopping which was fun since Joe brews.

Esther and I spent last Sunday in North Brooklyn. We had brunch at Provence En Boite in Cobble Hill. Esther then took me spring clothes shopping at Lee Lee's Valise in Carrol Gardens. We walked through Borum Hill and did some antique window shopping before heading to Park Slope. We had appetizers at Miriam (an Isreali restaurant) and split a burnt orange ice cream sandwich at the Chocolate Room.

This week Esther, Sandy, Terry, and I went to the Paley Center for a tribute to Learner and Lowe Musicals. Donna McKeckinie and Leslie Caron were both there. We then had an amazing dinner at Bosso 56.

Yesterday Joe, Sarah, Paula and I went for a taping of the Jon Stewart show. You wait in line longer then you actually get to sit and watch the show but hey its Jon Stewart so I can't complain. We went to Hallo Berlin afterwords for Brauts.

Celebrations, Surprises, and Celeb Citings

In the beginning of April I took Esther out for Brooklyn Restaurant Week/her birthday. We had dinner at this restaurant that we love in Park Slope called TEMPO. I also tried a Sicilian Ice Tea for the first time which I have to say is much better then a Long Island Ice Tea (I refuse to drink those).

My boss's boss Joe, invited me to join him and some friends at the Rubin Museum for a Cabaret Cinema. We saw Superman on the big screen which was so much fun. It was even more fun because all of his friends work in the comic industry and one had even worked with the director of Superman. Joe's head was actually used as a model for a Superman comic cover and an action figure.

Sarah decided to take advantage of a last minute fare to NYC. The surprise was she bought her friend Maggie. I refer to Maggie as my BFF. Sarah and I like to hold ridiculous contests with each other. So this year we have decided to steal each others friends. I know this sounds silly but it started out as a joke when Maggie became my Twitter friend. Sarah is anti-twitter in fact she is anti most technology. Needless to say she was shocked when Maggie planned visiting Sarah around my being in Cleveland this winter. I was accused of friend stealing when I reminded Sarah that she had actually stole my friend Chris years ago.

Chris was my friend in high school. We met during a school play. I was two years ahead of him. He met Sarah at my house because I used to throw a lot of parties in high school (not drinking or illegal type of parties, more like parities where we played Trivial Pursuits or had a Karaoke contest in the basement). Anyway when I moved to Michigan, Chris and Sarah were still both in high school and became close friends.

Not being satisfied Sarah is now trying to steal my best friend from high school, LeeAnn. She also has threatened to visit Michigan without me in an attempt to steal more of my friends. Her best friend from Cleveland, Jessica does e-mail and text me on occasion. Who will win this battle of stealing friends? It is hard to tell, although I do love to rub in Sarah's face that I have more friends for her to steal so we should really keep score per capita instead of total. What can I say, I'm a sweet sister. Wow what a long tangent.

Back to their visit.... We had a walking tour of the East Village and Lower East Side. I was the guide. We also managed to fit in a street fair before a late lunch at Cha Cha's in Little Italy. We managed to score student rush tickets to "Guys and Dolls". It was a lot of fun. I have a new opinion of Craig Birko who played Sky. In every TV show and movie I have seen him in he always played the bad guy or a jerky character so after seeing him play someone charismatic, I have a much higher opinion of him.

After the show we went to my favorite celeb citing spot, Bar Central. We sat next to Cheyenne Jackson (huge theater star). Oliver Platt and Lauren Graham from "Guys and Dolls" were there too.

Okay now for the cool citing. At one point I had to say, "Maggie, Sarah don't turn around because Jerry Seinfeld is sitting behind you." He was with Matthew Broderick. The funniest part was that Jerry Seinfeld talks so loud that we heard their whole conversation. (He was giving comedic advise to Matthew Broderick if you were curious).

Later that weekend I walked Sarah and Maggie through all of Central Park. We ended up at FOA Schwartz where I thought the girls would pass out. We then went to Tiffany's so that Sarah could show us what type of engagement ring she would like for the future. They girls were so tired of walking that I consented to a Duck Tour. This consisted of Sarah getting her picture taken with a man in a Duck Suit. We then were given whistles that made Duck sounds (that was my favorite part of the experience). The Duck Tour really doesn't show you much, you drive down through Time Square, the library, the Empire State Building, and Far Chelsea till you get to the Hudson river. The bus then becomes water born and you float on the river for about ten minutes. Then it drives through Hell's Kitchen and the Theater District before dropping you off. We ended the weekend eating Famiglia (some chain in NYC that Sarah is obsessed with) and watching Baby Mama.

I celebrated passover with Sandy, Terry, and their friends. It was really nice. This past week I have been sicker then a dog with the flu. Today is the first day that holding my head up has not required all of my energy. Although I have to say it was an easy way to drop five pounds without exercising. I had no desire to eat anything except for soup broth and oreos...go figure.

Boat Rides and Bus Rides

Last weekend I went to Chez Napoleon with Esther, Michael, and our cousin Gale. We then saw "33 Variations" on Broadway. It was a very powerful show staring Jane Fonda, Samantha Mathis, and Colin Hanks (Tom's son). Later that weekend I took the Ferry to Staten Island to see the Staten Island Botanical Gardens. They are much smaller then the Bronx and Brooklyn Gardens but it is also much less crowded. Their special features are the Chinese Scholars Garden and the Secret Garden which is modeled after the book, "Secret Garden".

We are into the thick of things at work from now until May so unfortunately my weekdays are not that exciting. They usually involve working late, getting a work out at CURVES in if I am lucky, and crashing at home.

This weekend I met Sarah and Joe's friend who is also named Paula. We took the bus together over to Sarah and Joe's home in Rutherford. They have a lovely home. It was fun to finally have a chance to play Euchre. Joe also let me taste a sample of his home brews. If Joe opened a Brewery, I would be a regular, very tasty.

Old Friends

This past weekend was spent in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I can not get over how much a place changes when you move away. Places open and other places close. Fortunately if you are lucky your friends don't change, or at least how much you mutually care about each other doesn't.

On Saturday I had lunch with Adam, Tommy, Anna, and Elissa at Gaia (perhaps my favorite restaurant in GR). Later a large group of friends gathered for a wine and appetizers party.

Sunday I hung out with the Brad, Megs, and their girls. We had dinner with Seth and Amy before Chad took me out for wine and cheese with his mom.

Monday Elissa and I went shopping all around town, had lunch with Becky, and then made a Jersey Junction trip with Tommy. Tommy made Brinta Soup with Nifflies...yum, yum, yum.

No trip to Grand Rapids is complete without visiting East Town Salon for a hair cut. Elissa took me to Greenwell a new restaurant which was fantastic. We had a quick driving tour of the ever changing downtown before one last walk around AQ.

Seeing old haunts and discovering new places was fun but honestly the best part about the trip was spending quality time with good friends. I love New York and the friends I have made here but my Michigan friends are my family. That is something that will never change.

Back in NYC I celebrated St. Paddy's day by having Thai Food with Esther and watching Big Love (since she gets HBO). :)

The First Signs of Spring

March came in like Lion but this past weekend it was much more like a lamb. Melissa and I celebrated the good weather by having an early after work dinner at Aceluk which is a great Hell's Kitchen Thai restaurant and bar. They have unique cocktails too. Melissa enjoyed the Lychee Martini and I enjoyed the Plum Saki Martini. 9th Avenue is an amazing stretch in Hell's Kitchen (note this will come up multiple times in this post). Every ethnic food you could imagine is there in a 20 block radius and it is so affordable. It is more like going to dinner in Grand Rapids then Manhattan (I mean that as a compliment).



My friend Mark was in town this weekend. Sarah and Joe drove in from NJ. After meeting up at St. Patrick's Cathedral we had brunch at Elmo with Mark and his cousin Alex. Joe and Sarah drove us up to Fort Tyrone Park to visit the Cloisters. It was so beautiful and peaceful there. We enjoyed a little driving tour of midtown, The Upper West Side, Harlem, and Washington Heights on the way up. Joe and Sarah dropped Mark and I off in Hell's Kitchen. After hanging out with his sister and family we went to Galaxy Diner on...9th Avenue for sandwiches.



This week as part of my writing course I met Frank Flarhety the City Section Editor of the NY Times and Ben Greenberg from the New Yorker. Later in the week I met up with Mark again for dinner at Hallo Berlin a German Restaurant on...9th Avenue. :)

Volenteering and Creepy People That Try to Pick Me Up

Last weekend was busy with volenteering. I was working with Transportation Alternatives to get people to write letters to the New York State Senate so that the MTA does not cut services and raise fares by 23% as they have planned. We were stationed in Park Slope and it was freezing which was disappointing since the day before was 60 degrees. The upside was that we were in front of Gorilla Coffee House so it was easy to duck in for some warmth and fair trade goodness.

After we closed shop I headed to the East Village to meet up with Justin. We went out for a progressive dinner. That involved appetizers from Momofuko, Japanese Fusion and brusetta and pizza at Three Cups, a Sicilian Restaurant. Although the old man sitting at the table next to us did feel the need to slap my butt when we were leaving (creep-o uno of the weekend). We then headed back to Justin's apartment and played with Zack's new Rat Terrier. Dessert was vegan Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream from One Lucky Duck.

Sunday during my weekly Trade Joe Run I ran into Sam from Dearborne (aka creep-0 duo of the weekend). Seriously why do guys think it is okay to blow on your ear after knowing you for about 10 minutes? Moments like that convince me that the majority of single men out their are creepy and therefor I should never marry. Which is ironic since my other volunteering has to due with passing marriage equality in the state of New York.

Sunday I trained facilitators for a marriage equality event. After that I had dinner with Esther and Mikie. Monday was a Snow Day! Tuesday was the marriage equality event. It was a huge success. I had to introduce comedienne Judy Gold, which made me nervous but it went well. The ultimate complement for me was that I had two people come up afterwords and ask me if I ever thought of becoming a performer. (Pipe Dream!)

In other news I have lost almost 70 lbs and was cloths shopping since all my pants are falling down. I have not found anything I like but because of the economy stores are practically giving clothes away.

Vintage and Grocery Shopping (why do I think these are interesting topics?)

Let me just say how much I LOVE Trader Joe's! They opened a larger store in Brooklyn recently. They are amazing! I can buy two weeks worth of groceries for under forty bucks and I still find that to be incredible. Plus Bob (my usual check out guy) did give me a rose on V-day weekend. No wonder I am a regular.

My friend Chris Flowers, moved here recently. A couple weekends ago we met in my neighborhood and had lunch at Cinco De Mayo. We then decided to go bumming around town. We must have visited every vintage store in the East Village and Lower East Side during our power window shopping trip. We later strolled around Union Square and had tasty Crumbs' cupcakes.

This weekend Jen and Paul introduced me to Reservoir, a lounge in the Village. I am a fan of places that feed you for free during happy hour and their chicken tenders were pretty good. Esther and I went to see Rachel Getting Married right before the Oscars. We felt we needed to see another film that was nominated for something.

Yesterday Jane, Esther, and I saw Ruined at City Center. It was an incredibly powerful play based on the playwright's interviews with women refugees from the Congo.

Museumaholic

Sometimes life gets so busy that I honestly forget what I did three weekends ago. Sorry if my updates sound boring but a girl can only retain so much of her life.



I do remember that Brian and Jen introduced me to Art Bar It is a quiet restaurant and bar in the West Village. Later that weekend my friend Bella had my friend Lisa and I over for dinner and a movie night. She made Borscht from scratch which was incredible.

Other recent activities have included trying a fairly new restaurant with Esther and Mikie, called Bloomingdale Road. It is a tapas restaurant but all comfort foods like deviled eggs, grilled cheese, and sliders. We also checked out the Museum of the History of New York. They special exhibit on Paris and New York in the 1920s and 1930s was excellent but I fell in love with the permanent exhibit about the history of theater. They have costumes, props, and set pieces from past Broadway productions. I also went to the museum of Jewish Heritage for the first time. I was there for a leadership training but we got to look around after out meeting.

Carrie had an amazing supper bowl party at her loft. She is an amazing cook. I brought my buckeyes which are exotic in the northeast because no one here has heard of them.

Sandy, Terry, Mrs. C., and I went to the Brooklyn Chinese New Year celebration. The food and entertainment were great. We also met some interesting people, including a crazy (in a good way) artist from DUMBO.

I fulfilled a life long dream of seeing an Opera at the met. Eugene Onegin was an amazing production. Lincoln Center has always been one of my favorite places in NYC. I just love that ballet, musical theater, opera, classical music, and jazz are all housed together there. It is everything I love best.

Last night we had a goodbye party for Julia since she is moving upstate. We all had dinner and drinks at Woody's which is a dive bar in the village. Afterwords Brian and I had cosmos at the K2 Lounge in Chelsea. The K2 Lounge is part of the Rubin Museum of Himalayan and Asian Art. If you have not guessed by now, going to more museums is one of my New Year's resolutions.

Once in a Lifetime Experience

The past few weeks have been busy at work. I did manage some time with friends last week though. Esther and I have not had time to meet for dinner at a normal hour lately so we had a 10PM Stuffed Cabbage dinner and sleep over at her apartment one night.


After a meeting at work I experienced one of the oddest bar/restaurant hoppings of my life. Carrie, Tiffany, Brian, Paul, and I had some after work drinks at Park Bar. This is a mostly wine/beer bar. It is more the late 20s-30s crowd then the college kid crowd. We then went to Blue Water Grill. This is a really nice, semi-fancy restaurant at Union Square. I am now hooked on Cauliflower Bisque. Tiffany and Carrie called it a night. I was about to do the same but then Brian asked if I would go to Splash. Splash is a Bar where the servers wear only briefs. We hung out there for a while. Then we went to one of Paul's favorite pub's, Flanerey's. A very fun evening but getting home really late is not fun when you have to wake up at 5:00AM to head out of town.

I went to DC for a long weekend. Sarah came in from Cleveland too. We stayed with our Uncles Ed and Richard. We had a fantastic time. We rode out to Virginia to have lunch with our Aunt Veronica and cousin Caroline. We went to a ton of museums. Richard is an amazing cook so we had some mighty tasty dinners including a fun dinner party with some of Ed and Richard's friends.

We saw the main events of Tuesday at the Newseum. This is right by the Capitol and also on the Parade Route. Ed and Richard went to the Human Rights Campaign Ball. Sarah, Caroline, and I went to the Human Rights Campaign Dance for Equality. Some of Ed and Richard's friends were our escorts which was really fun.

I also had two celeb sitings (and photos taken). I met George Stephenopolis and Ross the Intern from the Tonight Show.

It was an amazing experience to be part of.

Resolutions

The past month has flown by and it is hard to believe that 2009 is underway. Despite the craze of the semester's end, I did manage to fit in some pre-holiday fun in NYC.

My friend Bella introduced me to a cute coffee shop attached to the Ansonia building. The Ansonia is one of the prettiest (and most expensive) apartment buildings in NYC. Bella and I have a running joke because we actually only live about seven blocks away from each other but never end up hanging out in our neighborhood. It is mostly because we end up hanging out right after work or in between running from place to place.

I did get to fit in some Brooklyn fun though with Sandy and Terry. We saw Milk (I highly recommend this film) at the BAM Rose Cinema. We followed that up with Sushi in Park Slope. Sandy and Terry know the Sushi Chef, Samo so it was great fun.

Esther and I did some last minute holiday shopping at the Grand Central Holiday Fair. We then had Margaritas and tasty Mexican food at Mama Mexico. The Mariachi Band and table side guacamole were pretty good too.

There were also some pretty good parties at the workplace too. Some of my co-workers and I had a pre-holiday happy hour(which actually lasted a lot of hours) at Flannery's Irish Pub. My friend and co-worker Carrie and I then had veggie burgers from STAND. (I lately am obsessed with Veggie Burgers, don't ask me why). We then went up to Carrie and Noah's loft in the Bronx. I have not found a NYC hairdresser I am willing to commit to. Nick Arrjo charges $500.00 to cut hair so that won't be happening anytime soon. Carrie's hair always looks amazing so I was shocked to learn that she does it herself. Carrie agreed to do my hair and has become my favorite NYC "stylist". I now have an auburn head of hair which is pretty fun.

We also had a white elephant and dessert party at the main advising office on the last day of classes. Carrie, Theresa, and I are now apparently the social directors of our office. We are in charge of planning monthly happy hour excursions.

After the most ungodly long train ride of my life, I made it to the Cleve for a brief holiday visit with mom and Sarah. We ended up having quite a few house guests while I was there. Brian and Suzy Wallis stopped over on their way back to Virginia. (Their one-year old William is so cute!) Sarah's friend from collage, Maggie spent the weekend. She is cool and did not mind hanging out at a party with some of my high school friends and going to lunch with my good friend Sam. My friend LeeAnn hung out with Sarah and I for New Years Eve. She is my best friend from high school and I always love spending time with her. We've known each other since we were 11 and in drama camp together. As a matter of fact she, Sarah, and I were peanuts characters in a play one year. (LeeAnn was Marcy, Sarah was Sally, and I was Lucy).

After "Trains Are Nice but 15 hours is a bit much" part II, I was back in my NYC. I had dinner at my friend Jeff's new apartment. I am really jealous. It is bigger then most people's houses and overlooks Central Park. Lucky.

Carrie and I have also been going to Curves together. We are having a six week biggest looser contest at work. Carrie, Tiffany, and I have decided that one of us should be the winner.

In the spirit of the new year I have made some resolutions. Let's see how well I do at keeping them.

1. I lost over 60 lbs last year. My resolution is to keep up with that. I am freaking out because I have never been able to loose this much weight in my life and I don't want to platou or gain it back. My resolution is to increase my weekly work outs by at least one additional day a week. I have been having good results following the blood type diet so I also resolve to be stricter about following it and cheat less.

2. I want to find a good work/life balance. This means making more time to do things that are important to me- write, hang out with friends, meet new people, try new things, etc. This will help decrease my migraines...at least I hope it will.

3. Reduce my carbon footprint. I have been very good lately about bringing reusable bags, using a refillable water bottle at work, and such. I should really keep up with that.