pok pok

we ate at pok pok last week with some friends and i cannot stop thinking about how good this meal was.  this was the second time that J and i ate here, but we hadn't been in so long.  i now want to go all the time.  i also want their cookbook.  but i i really just want to eat there.  everynight.  has anyone been?  their chicken wings are to die for.  it's also a great place for a group of friends.  you just get a bunch of plates and share.  yum!

my weekend

view from the BK bridge

my mom and my nephew came into town this weekend.  it was so busy and nice.  they got in thursday evening and after my italian class we walked around the neighborhood and got some dinner.  every time my mom is here i push her to walk and walk.  she walked so much this trip and did such a good job.

for my bday J had given me a ticket to see one of my favorite plays on broadway for friday night and it just so happened that one of my dearest friends, mary, also had a ticket.  we met up with my family at a restaurant in manhattan and then mary and i hustled off the to the show.  this play was simply amazing.  i had fallen in love with it when i read it years ago and the female lead is a role i would die to play.  Carey Mulligan and Bill Nighy are nothing short of brilliant.  really.  i cried so much that the gentleman next to me asked if i was okay.  he was so sweet and very concerned.  ha!  i want to see this again so badly and i want J to see it as well.  heartbreakingly wonderful.  i needed to decompress after that emotional journey so mary and i had a glass (or two) of wine after to discuss.  i love sitting in a bar talking about art.  it sounds so pretentious, but discussing the ride you just took after watching theatre that is so fulfilling makes me so happy.

my "plate" of BBQ

saturday J and i took my mom and nephew for a marathon walk.  we walked to BK Heights and across the BK bridge.  my mom had always wanted to walk the bridge, but she has always been so nervous to do it.  well, this time we got her up there and she loved it!  it was a gorgeous day too.  after the bridge we went down to the park and sat in the shade while i ate ice cream. ;-)  from there they were starving so we headed to Hill Country for some good ol' BBQ.

the family left on sunday so J and i decided to walk around a bit and have some lunch and try the newest ice cream addition to our neighborhood.  MilkMade is delicious!  i got the pretzel ice cream and J got the macaroon.  even J, who is normally more reserved in his feelings about food, was in love with this place.  i have a feeling we will be fast friends with all who work there.  as a side note: i have been out to ice cream three times this week.  not good.  not good at all.

pretzel ice cream

my weekend

this was our first full weekend back since our honeymoon and the weather could not have been better.  we wanted to relax and enjoy as much as possible although J was in a play this weekend which meant that he had a little bit of work.

friday night i went to the gym and we decided to cook dinner and hang in.  we also finally watched the bruce jenner interview.  have you seen it?  it was actually really amazing and so, so brave.

saturday we went to see our best friends' daughter play in her softball game.  there is nothing cuter or more hilarious than watching a team of 7 year olds skip past bases and all chase the same ball together.  after the game J had to get to the theatre, but I got to eat sushi and visit with the athlete.  we also watched this movie (while the kids were sleeping, of course).  i have a passion for bad movies.

sunday was mother's day and after calling and wishing our moms a wonderful day, J and i decided to grab a margarita and some tacos and enjoy our Sunday evening out and about.  we ended the weekend by watching the second to last episode of Mad Men which really bummed me out.  i do not want to say goodbye to this show!

a few traditions

swingle from 2013

Easter weekend is one of my favorites of the year.  although J and i have been together for a while we don't have too many traditions around holidays.  maybe it's because our families are spread out and we're always traveling, but a few years ago i decided that we would not travel for Easter and that we would start making our own traditions at home.  i am so glad i did because it's become something i really look forward to.

the day before easter we take a nice walk over into Red Hook.  we love this neighborhood.  it feels very New York and old school to us and the people are amazing.  there are so many great places to grab a bite or a drink and just walking and taking in the neighborhood is so great.  our tradition starts with the walk and we slowly head over to Red Hook Winery.  we also do the wine tasting (tasting of six, please!).  we then decide on a wine to buy and enjoy with Easter dinner.

swingle from 2014

after the tasting we walk over to Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie for  a swingle (chocolate covered pie on a stick).  simply.  amazing.  we sit on the water (this year it was so windy that we just ate it and walked) and stare at the Statue of Liberty and just chill.  it is so rare that we just sit and hang out like that.  

on Easter Sunday our tradition is to make pasta carbonara, one of my absolute favorites, and drink our Red hook wine.  some years we color eggs and eat bagels in the morning and some years we just do dinner.  it is so much fun and it makes me excited for the traditions that we haven't yet created.

swingle from 2015

good weather approaching

you guys, it was actually nice out last week!  for a few days i was able to leave the big, bulky North Face behind and wear my lighter coat.  and... i actually walked home one day!  and it was a bit warm even with the lighter coat!  this is amazing.  i grew up in New England and am pretty used to cold and snow (what my poor family and friends went through this winter is bananas), but for some reason this winter was really starting to drag me down.  i just needed sun.  and a day where i didn't feel like walking outside meant freezing my bum off.  when it's so nice out i get to experience this, walking over the BK bridge.  and even though it's super crowded with bikes and tourists, it's still a helluva walk.

I Love NY (99.9% of the time)

(photo from my instagram)

we had such a great day on saturday.  we were able to sleep in, make breakfast and just chill out for the morning.  J decided to head to St. Ann's Warehouse to get tickets to this amazing show.  he called about an hour later with the good news and i was on my way to meet him.  it had just started snowing heavily, but i was thrilled on my walk to the train knowing that i was about to see some amazing theatre.  i get to the station and wait about 25 minutes without a train in sight.  at this point i was panicked because curtain was in 15 minutes.  i go out to the street and decide to try a cab.  did i mention it was snowing?  i finally see one and he decides he doesn't want to take me to dumbo because he is on his way into manhattan.  i remind him that dumbo is on his way to manhattan.  he stays firm.  we then argue and curse words may have flown out of my mouth.  i am not proud.  i call J in a panic and he decides the only thing for him to do is get into a cab in dumbo, pick me up in cobble hill and then drive back.

okay, i'll pause here to tell you that in times of frustration i may overreact and let my frustration come out as anger.  J has been on the receiving end of that.  again, i am not proud.

J and i argue as he is actually in the middle of doing a very nice thing and coming to my rescue.  we finally, after missing each other and my walking through a snowstorm with a large chip on my shoulder, meet up and i jump into the cab.  we head to the theatre and we are late.  the show has started and we now have to wait to go in.

and then we do.  and we are transfixed.  completely.  and the anger, frustration and grumpiness that consumed me for the past 40 minutes disappear.  and the show ends and we are in awe of the beauty we were witness to and we find a wine bar and drink wine while the snow continues to fall over this great city.

and just like that NY goes from feeling so heavy to feeling as light as a feather.

p.s. i was not the genius behind the writing on that car.  some other grumpy New Yorker handled that.

let's play catch up

first off - i finally got a new computer so i can actually blog and surf the web and possibly play computer games.  maybe?  all the time?  i'll start with blogging for now.

so much has been going on since last year.  for one, J and i are engaged!  what?!  after 7 years we finally decided to get hitched and the big day will be this november.  i am beyond excited, happy, and all things joyful to make this official.  i am also overwhelmed at planning a wedding.  it'll be as small as possible here in brooklyn (of course) and we are thrilled.  it's funny though, as many times as we said we wanted a small, laid back, relaxed wedding with all of those adjectives for the planning as well, it's hard!  i am so caught up in pinterest and blogs and all that jazz.

and the engagement is just one of many things happening around here.  i am currently in a play called Virus Attacks Heart playing the lovely Beatrice and BDTC has a a great announcement coming soon.  so many happy things making us all happy.

let's try this again

it's been so long, people.  there's been so much going on and blah, blah, blah... excuses, excuses, excuses...  i'm here though.  and i shall try harder.  part of my problem is i want a new camera.  my digital is old and i don't like the pics it takes and i use my iphone, but they don't always come out how i want them.  and i really want to share pictures of food which the camera phone just does not capture.  anyway, i'm whining.  you get the point though, right?

so, i thought i'd share a couple of happy things with you to get us back in the bloggin' mood.  enjoy!

{pumpkins waiting to be carved}

{the droopy from court street grocers}

my weekend

boo for mondays!  mondays are always a bit hard.  i always feel more serious on a monday.  more determined.  and life just seems more chaotic.  especially when you come off a great weekend.

i enjoyed NY to the fullest this weekend.  so much stuff squished in and a ton of fun too!  friday started like this:

it's brooklyn bridge park.  this is the view as you enter.  hello, gorgeous, right?  it really is beautiful and it makes you giddy with love.  josh went to stinky bklyn and bought a bunch of cheese and some prosciutto and a baguette.  we took that along with a nice bottle of white argentinean wine and sat on a blanket and watched the city.  it's a perfect view of downtown manhattan, the statue of liberty, and the brooklyn bridge.  and the best part is that it's about a 15 minute walk from our place.  lucky.

saturday we went to long beach for the day with some friends.  it was so relaxing.  just an hour's drive and we are able to have fun in the sun!  the water was perfect even though i'm a bit scared to swim in the ocean (sharks, jellyfish and whatnot), but i was able to dip my toes in.  we had lunch and margaritas and took naps on the sand.  as my friend john kept saying, what a great day!

and on sunday josh and i hung around the 'hood.  we went to the carroll gardens farmer's market.  check out the tomatoes!

they looked so delicious.  i seriously love tomatoes.  my friend bill brought me a bag from his garden today and i think i polished them off in 5 minutes.  a perfect snack!  anyway, we then tried some sandwiches from smith canteen and then we did what we absolutely love to do on sundays.  we had some beers at bgh and played uno.  josh kills me at uno.  we've had the same going for over 4 years now and i am losing by over 1000 points.  i still love playing though.  and playing at this fantastic bar drinking yummy craft beers is the best.  it's a perfect way to close the weekend.