Registering

Look, it has been less than a week since I last wrote a blog and I am writing yet another one. Am I on top of things or what.

Not much happened during the last week. I am pretty sure it was just going to work and coming back to the apartment to chill out for a bit. The only exception was Thursday of course. I went to BH and DKNY's for my weekly TV watching ritual. BH made some awesome lamb chops that she got from Trader Joe's', I have noted to try to make them myself sometime, and I made a couscous salad/side to go with them. I even made a cucumber, dill, mint sauce to go on top.

Friday after work Ice, CB Radio and I went to a shoe sale. It was a sale on sample shoes, but none of us found anything we wanted. We did find some stuff we liked, but didn't think it was worth the price, even on sale. After our shoe shopping, which did include Payless, we headed to Union Square for some dinner. On a quick side note, I tried on about 4 more pairs of boots, but still couldn't get any to fit over my freakishly large calves. Joel then joined the three of us, and we split a bottle of wine over dinner.

After dinner we hit up a few bars in the area and just kept drinking with each other. The more I go out alone on the weekends the more I realize how much I miss Ando. You would all think it was because I want to share all the fun New York has to offer every weekend with him, but you would be mistaken. I miss Ando's wallet. I never realized how much Ando paid for me drinking when we went out; what a guy! I have to pay and get everything myself now. Well, the getting part really isn't any different, but the paying is.

On Saturday I went out to register for the wedding. CB Radio, Ice, Coriander and BH all came along for the ride too. I wanted to get registering partially out of the way before the Holiday season hit. I hear it is a pain to register during the Christmas season. We all went to SoHo for the CB2 and Crate & Barrel for me to register at. CB2 was the first place on the list, and the store isn't too big so it didn't take too much time going through and picking out what I, I mean we, wanted for the wedding.

After CB2 is was time for some lunch and drinks before moving on. We ate at a Mexican restaurant in the area and split a pitcher of margarita's. The restaurant also had a ton of different hot sauces on the table so I had to try them all of course. I think I am the only one that did too. If only Teed were there he would been with me on the hot sauces. Lunch was good, and it was kind of nice having a slight buzz on to go to Crate & Barrel.

At Crate & Barrel I received a nice gift for choosing to register there. I was excited when the lady told me that I got a free gift because I like so much of what they have in the store, but oh how my disappointment hit when I actually saw the gift. Yep, the lovely heart shaped candy dish was my free gift! What I am going to do with it I have no idea. I want to give it to someone as a joke wedding gift, but I don't know anyone getting married that would appreciate the joke. I have a feeling they would all think I was giving it for real.

Well, after my free gift it was time to take the scanner over all two floors of Crate & Barrel. Going through two floors takes quite a bit of time I found out. I thought I did pretty good with all of the items I registered for, but according to everyone else I better find some more presents I want. I think I got around 100, or less probably, items between the two stores. Ando and I are still going to hit up Target, so that may add another 50 items to the list, but with 300 people being invited plus showers and such that probably still isn't enough. We will see what happens.

Saturday night I went out to a bar in Williamsburg with CB Radio, Goose, TB, Ice, Joel and CB's friend Gabby. It was a nice little place and we had somewhere for all of us to sit around and talk too. The bar also had second happy hour which you can't go wrong with. Between 12am and 2am they do another happy hour with drink specials. We also ordered every fry available in the place to munch on; waffle fries, sweet potato fries and tater tots. It was a lot of fries for one evening, but still tasty going down.

We left that bar at 2 because they made us and happy hour was over and we really wanted to go some place else. We stayed in Williamsburg, but it was nice because we ended up about halfway home on our long walk back to Greenpoint. I think it was 25 degrees out that night, but they said it felt like 12 outside. My first year here and I get January weather in November, of course.

I ended up getting home around 4 or so I think. Not really sure, but it didn't matter since I had nothing to do on Sunday. I could just hang out and do nothing for one whole day, which I don't think I have done since being here, and that is exactly what I did. I did some reading, watched some episodes of the L word, took a nap, and of course watched the Xavier game.

It was a little pathetic how I watched the Xavier game though. I couldn't find it on the internet anywhere, well I could, but you had to have a windows computer to watch it, damn them, so I watched the whole game via google chat. Ando turned the TV to ESPN2 and then put the computer up to the game for me to watch over google chat. Pathetic, yes, but hey it worked and I got to see Xavier upset Memphis.

I think that is about all I have for now. I don't know if I will write again before I leave for Cincinnati on Thursday morning or not. My guess is no, but hey I may write while I am home for Thanksgiving and the weekend. I need to remember my camera in Cincinnati because I am sure there will be plenty of photo ops.

I finally had a lazy day all to myself; that doesn't mean I am pregnant which makes you tired all the time.

Olive Garden

I completely forgot to write about going to Olive Garden in Time Square Friday. It was a work lunch, so 5 of us went out and what better place than Olive Garden! Three of us at the lunch all hail from Ohio originally and so we headed back to our roots where we could feel like "family". I guess Olive Garden has been a long running joke at work since before I got there and I just happened to tag onto the realization of it.
There were plenty of fried menu items to go around, but I think we only ended up with three; and they were all on the appetizer plate. That consisted of fried mozzarella, fried zucchini and fried calamari. After our fried platter we got to enjoy some endless bread sticks and salad. Then our meals came out; I had the lasagna. I learned my lesson from last time I went to Olive Garden, don't stray from the basics. I got the fish last time and it was so gross I don't even think I made it half way before giving up and sticking with the salad and bread sticks.

And wait there is more. We also had some pumpkin cheesecake and lemon cake to top the whole afternoon off. Then we did some sightseeing in Time Square before heading back to the office. No, we really didn't do that. In fact we left time square as quickly as possible and walked back to the office where there would be less tourists. And since it was a Friday afternoon there were plenty of tourists to go around. I hope you enjoy the picture of a fully stuffed to the gills crew!

I ate my weight in cheap "Italian" food; that doesn't mean I am also feeding a growing baby.

Busy, Busy, Busy

I am clearly not living up to my promise to blog more and I apologize for that. I have been out and about plus I usually just watch something on the laptop when I am at the apartment. I am listening to the Xavier game currently so I figure now is the best time to blog.

Let's see...I left off on Wednesday, November 5th. That Thursday I went to DKNY and BH's to watch The Office and 30 Rock. Since I don't have a TV I have to go over there on Thursday's to get my fill. Before we watched Must See TV the three of us went running at McCarren Park. When we were finished I made some black beans and rice for all of us to enjoy.

Friday night I can't remember what I did at all. I have been racking my brain, but can't come up with anything at all. I probably just staying in because I had to get up early the next morning to help Goose with his movie. I got up at 7:15 to meet Goose and TB and head to Central Park for the first shot of the day. The movie lasted all day, well, till 7 pm or so. The day started out nice, but quickly turned and rained buckets all over us. It started pouring when we were in China Town for the second shot of the day and continued for pretty much the rest of the day. It was so bad that the third shot had to be canceled and we all headed to DKNY and BH's for some inside shots a little early. I was soaking wet by the time we got there, and I felt like I had just gotten off of White Water Canyon at Kings Island. I could have rung out my socks that's how wet my feet were.

After we finished shooting some of us, TB, Goose, CB Radio, BH, DKNY and myself, headed out for some dinner in Williamsburg. I had to borrow a pair of BH's shoes to go out since my were still wet as could be. We got some Chinese food with drinks before we all headed home for some much needed rest before getting up again on Sunday.

Sunday TB and I met CB Radio and Goose at a street corner in Williamsburg. It was a shot that involved some crap being sold on the street corner. We all couldn't believe how many people walked by to look at everything at our "sale". It seemed pretty obvious to us that we were shooting a movie, what with a camera and all, but that didn't stop people from looking to see if there was anything for them to buy. As is the saying, "one man's junk is another man's treasure", and a plethora of people took that to heart.

After the street sale we only had a short jaunt to McCarren Park and then another street corner between Williamsburg and the park. It was a little chilly, but I can't complain, it wasn't raining. Everyone then headed back to CB Radio and Goose's place for some yummy mulligatawny and of course more shooting. We ended up finishing up around 7 or so with the days shooting. I just had a beer at CB and Goose's place along with TB before heading home.

Monday was a regular, boring day with nothing fun to report. Tuesday I went to go see The Sea and Cake with the gang at Music Hall of Williamsburg. This was supposedly a funny thing to everyone but myself. Really I think Ando just wished he could have gone. The show wasn't bad.....but, it was a little too long for me. They didn't leave me wanting more. And they played four songs for an encore. What ever happened to the one, two songs at the most, encore? I feel like pretty soon it is going to be a 10 song encore, which you might as well just call another set. Ok, I am done with my rant.

On Wednesday night I did some laundry, which again left no time for me to blog. Can you tell that I have many busy nights with not much time to get a blog in? I was dreading doing laundry, but it really wasn't too bad. I even walked up three blocks to the nicer laundry mat. There is one right on the corner of my street, but it small and always crowded when I pass it. We'll see if the walk lasts in the dead of winter.

I am now back to Thursday night, which means TV at someone else's pad. This time Mateo and Coriander had BH, DKNY and myself over. We had some cheese, fruit and wine for dinner. It was a nice European dinner night. Who's place will I go to this week to watch The Office and 30 Rock? You'll have to stay tuned to find out.

Friday night was the tip of Xavier Basketball. I went out with Mateo, Coriander, BH and DKNY to an art opening in Williamsburg. It was called "my other robot is a donut". It had a robot in every painting and Mateo loves robots, so we all went. After the opening we headed to a bar in Manhattan, 34th between 2nd and 3rd Ave., that shows Xavier games. It was really loud in the bar because it was DJ night or something as well. It is nice to know that I can find Xavier basketball on Fox Sports Ohio here in NYC.

After that bar we headed back to Williamsburg for some foamies at the Turkey's Nest and the rest of the UC vs. Lousiville football game. It was much much quieter and bearable at the Turkey's Nest than XII Bar in Manhattan.

I didn't have to get up really early on Saturday to help with the movie; I finally got to sleep in one morning. I met at Goose and CB's for a short day of shooting. It was just doing some quick shots inside their apartment and then going around the corner for some outside shots. The rain held out long enough for us to get all the outside shots in that day. It was so nice out when we first got out there, but by the time we finished up it was getting ready to rain and cooled off quite a bit.

That evening I went to Carroll Gardens with BH and DKNY to meet up with Ice, Joel, Buxton, and Alli at a bar/restaurant. The restaurant had tons of whiskey, bourbon and scotch to choose from. I had a nice whiskey, that Buxton recommended, it was drinkable and cheap, neat. After dinner we went to another bar, the Zombie Hut, just down the street. Joel bought me a Frozen Zombie, which he was hoping I wouldn't mix up first. The frozen zombie has 151 sitting at the bottom with frozen mango mix on the top. Joel wanted me to take a sip out of the straw ans get all 151 in my first sip. It didn't work though, since I was already stirring and Buxton ruined the surprise for me as well. It I still got mostly 151 in my first sip though, it takes a lot of stirring to combine the two ingredients. After the bar I hung out for a little bit at BH and DKNY's with a wine top off. I had every intention of going home early Saturday night, but that didn't happen.

Sunday was another early morning of movie shooting all day. This time I had to get up at 7 am and didn't finish up shooting till 7 pm. It was an inside shoot all day though. Sunday was the last day of shooting till December 6th. We get a couple of weeks off before having to make up the rain outs. Mateo is going to have his work cut out for him to get this movie finished and edited before Christmas.

I have been busy, busy, busy; there is no baby on the way to make me even busier.

Halloween!

Ok, ok, ok it has been a very very long time since I last wrote a blog, 

 there is a good reason. No internet!  That's right I have been living with minimal internet for quite some time now so the first thing to go is the blog I 

 sorry to say. I have other things that I like to get in on the internet so blogging takes a back seat. Plus it takes some time to create a blog so I don't want to waste the precious few moments I have thinking of all my adoring fans, like Macho Max just to name one. 

Since I don't want this blog to get too long and wordy I am going to try and keep my thoughts to a minimum. Plus I probably can't remember half of what happened anyway.  I do know that I have finally found a sublet and am currently living in my own space. I do have a roommate, but I still have my own bed and room that I can call my own. 

 month of air mattress and futon surfing is officially over.  I should take a picture of my place but I don't think I can stand far enough in a corner for you to see the whole thing that is how small it is. I will tell you the place is in Greenpoint between Mateo and DKNY. Really I am about 4 blocks from Mateo and Coriander and 6 blocks from DKNY and BH; we make up a nice little triangle. 

Ando came up to visit me the weekend before Halloween, October 25th through the 27th. It was a short little visit, but it was good to see my man again. Who would have thought that I would miss human contact and as much as I am. We didn't do much while he was here, but we did manage to go to two pumpkin carving parties, or should I write partie's CB Radio? The first one was on Saturday night at Ice and Joel's place. 

Ando arrived in the morning we went to the Farmers' Market to buy a pumpkin for the festivities. We found a nice large pumpkin for carving and I also bought some apples, eggplant and lettuce for myself. We didn't do much else the rest of the day till we met up with CB Radio and Goose to get on the train and head to the lasagna/pumpkin carving fun. We lugged our pumpkin on the subway and in the pouring rain, and I mean pouring, we were soaking wet, for a night of good clean fun, with alcohol. 

Joel made three different lasagnas for all of us and I made a pumpkin roll, that didn't turn out to look very rolly, and the team of

 Goose and CB Radio made some worms and sand. We feasted on all of the food while watching some classic Halloween movies, Freddy 4, I think that's what one it was, and Garfield. Yep, we were eating lasagna so why not watch the Garfield Halloween special. Since we were watching the special we decided to take it one step further and carve a Garfield pumpkin. Sorry for the blurry picture, but I think you get the idea. 

After the long night of pumpkin carving, but not the one Ando and I bought and drug to Park Slope, and eating too much food the four Greenpointer's shared a car ride back to our hood. We didn't feel like waiting for all of our slow trains, plus the F was closed at the station that is closest to Ice and Hagood's; we would have had to walk quite a ways to get the G train home. And I really didn't want to carry that pumpkin all that ways again. 

Sunday DKNY, BH, Mateo, Coriander, Ando and I all went to brunch at this Spanish Tapas restaurant in Williamsburg. An alcoholic beverage was included in the price of your brunch too. After brunch Ando came with me to get the keys to my sublet and pay my first months rent. He can attest to how small my place is, but it is in a nice area and isn't with some crazy person, I like the other girl I am living with, and it has a sink in the bathroom; all pluses in my book. Ok, so after getting my keys, it was some more sitting around. Ando and I were going to go into the city, but realized we didn't have enough time since we had pumpkin carving number two later that night.

This carving was with Ando's brothers and their live-in girlfriends, sorry, but I can say that now that Ando and I are getting married. We lugged the pumpkin that we bought at the Farmers' Market yet again, but this time we actually carved it. 

and Coriander made us some pizza and BH mulled a little cider with rum for all of us. Of course I mad another pumpkin roll and this one turned out even worse than the first. I shouldn't have tried to do it my own way; lesson learned that there is a reason directions are on those recipes. I bet Ando didn't realize he was coming up to NYC to go to so many pumpkin carvings, but at least they were with me.....awwww.

Ando left early Monday morning to head back to Cincinnati and work. I'm not sure what else happened the rest of the week because I'm sure it wasn't much. I 

 know that I knitted a hat for my Halloween costume and went shopping to find a jean skirt. I love when you can incorporate something you will wear in everyday life into a Halloween costume. 

I am now at Halloween which was of course Friday. We had a nice Halloween work party in the afternoon that included some karaoke. Everyone knows just how much I love to sing so I was hogging that mic the whole time. I think most of my co-workers think I am strange and hate me now. Ok, so this is all a lie, I didn't sing one note of karaoke. I can't sing to save my life and I know it so why embarrass myself in front of my new co-workers. Maybe someday I will find enough courage to sing, but that is highly unlikely. 

That night I went to a party with Goose, CB Radio, Ice and Joel way uptown. And by way uptown I mean Washington Heights, which is past Harlem. It took us about an hour to an hour and a half to get there. It was a party with someone Goose knows from school, so most of us didn't really know anyone, but we had alcohol so it was all good. And there was roof access to take advantage of.  We left the killer party, which had the game light as a feather stiff as a board, around 3am and 

 a cab to Union Square. It would have taken us twice as long 

get home since the A train was no longer running express like it was on the way out. Once we were at Union Square we just hopped on the L home. I think I was home by around 4am, not bad considering. 

On Saturday I moved into my plush, tiny, new pad. DKNY and BH helped me move my two suitcases and three small bags of stuff.  That night I went to another Halloween party, as the same thing, I didn't mention my costume before did I, I was Wenda, the female Waldo. It is the costume that just keeps giving and giving and giving. All I had to buy was some yarn to knit my hat; BH and DKNY had the shirt and tights. Party number 2 was with BH and DKNY's friends in Greenpoint, only two blocks from my place. It was a happening little party, but I left before apple bobbing began. Needless to say I wasn't out quite as late as the night before, which is fine. 

Sunday was the New York City Marathon. It turned out that the marathon went right by DKNY and BH's place on Manhattan Ave. The three of us ate some breakfast at a restaurant along the route and then stood and watched some of the race from the street. It is amazing how many people run the photographs don't really do it justice. 

It was a packed weekend, maybe a bit more exciting than the one that Ando came up for, and I think that is all I have for now. Oh, wait I did watch election results on Tuesday night with others over some cold beers. I tried to stay awake for Obama's speech, but I couldn't make it. I knew I had to walk home from DKNY and BH's place still and then go to work early in the morning so I left around 11:45 for home. 

I now have wireless internet at my place, while writing this blog, so maybe you will get more updates from now on. My internet time isn't quite as precious anymore. I will have plenty of time to 

 the world wide web and not much else. 

I am finished surfing from place to place; no baby surfing along with me.