Sandy is Here!!!

Reporting from Northwest (i think?) NJ here.  Hurricane Sandy is coming in full force with wind gusts in the 20-30 mph range and light rain.  Landfall is likely to hit late tonight, and our last day in the city was supposed to be Wednesday morning, leading Jeff and I to officially leave city life early. Womp womp.

As of 7pm Tuesday, all of NYC transit (MetroNorth, LIRR, Subways, etc) had been shut down, with NJtransit following shortly behind. These closures led me to believe that if Jeff and I stay in the city for Sandy, we will undoubtedly have to move out of the apartment IN a hurricane and move into a friends apartment since no transportation will be running on or off the island. Boo. Risking power outages and major branch wreckage at home seemed more worth it than completing our month long NYC adventure.  So that's what we did. We're home! And we have company!  

My parents and their dog have since joined us seeing that they reside down the shore and whole darn place has been evacuated.  With good reason. Here is a picture of the house across the street from my parents (they set up a camera in their window).  Mind you, the hurricane hasn't even really hit yet!!!

How scary is that?! The bay has picked up so much that they now have a 100 percent unintended waterfront property. I know that my parents are really nervous for some of their most prized possessions such as baby books and photo albums, but my Mom is really just praying that the island withstands Sandy and that her house survives. Period.

Meanwhile, I'll just be here worrying the MASSIVE Red Cedar trees that are surely trying to kill me. Why are they so tall?!
Ack!

Storm pup - Rufie

Praying that Sandy doesn't lose her ish too much.  BE KIND SANDY!!!

Turning 30.

Tomorrow, I turn 30. 

Wow.

Growing up, I always used to think that 24 was going to be my BEST age EVER (possibly (definitely) from lack of creativity since my birthday IS on the 24th) but now thinking back on that, I can't help but laugh.  That was SIX years ago. Six! Of course one year cannot define a person.  Yes, it was fun to look forward to and it was kind of amazing. I didn't have any wrinkles, fine lines or sun spots, I wasn't worried about the people I love getting old.  I was just starting out in my career, living carefree in NYC. Oh and did I mention meeting my husband mere weeks after landing a dream job? 

But, as I look back...nothing stopped there. Things didn't get bad or worse.  Yes, I started to see all of the unpleasant things that have to do with aging and all that it entails, but everything else continued on a pleasant path.  And things that weren't so great...well, I tend to overlook those. 

On the one hand, I'm scared of getting older.  I remember being sixteen and writing in my diary, "these are the best days of my life."  Did I believe it even as I wrote it?  No. I just knew they were supposed to be.  I wanted to acknowledge it and never miss a thing. I wanted to feel sixteen while I was sixteen instead of just looking back with fondness. 

So I guess all that I can do is acknowledge this entry into a new decade. Feel it. Enjoy it. I can only plan out so much of life. I can plan to do a cross country road trip, to be the best at my job, to have AS much fun as possible every day but I can't plan it all.  And that...has taken YEARS to learn.

Lucky for me, I have amazing friends and family to enjoy this time with. Here is a sneak peek at my 30th birthday bash, thrown at Art Bar in the West Village.  In a town where living rooms fit for a party are scarce, their back room is a hot commodity.

Boom. 30.

My beautiful sister!

Highschool girls

Candid.

50% Dr. Phil...50% Bon Jovi concert.

The night was filled with amazing poses.

How cool are my cake glasses?!

3 perfect staches.

Here is a picture from my birthday dinner at Gnocco in the east village. GREAT gnocchi and great atmosphere.  If not for my insane heartburn...this would have been the perfect birthday meal:)

Onto the next...
xoxo
L

NYC: Week 3!

It's FRIDAY!!!!! On the one hand, I am soooooo excited. This weekend is FILLED with amazing plans.  But on the other hand, I'm like, "Whooooa Nelly. Hold on a second!" 

Next week, I turn the big 3-0 and I can't help but think...

Time.
Has.
Flown.

Lucky for me, life is good right now.  Amazing, even.  Tonight, I will finally see my Remy for the first time in almost 30 days and I will also get to spend time with my family, my house, and my favorite food (helloo homemade gnocchi with marinara and buffalo mozz). Oh, and check on the progress of our basement reno...eek! Tomorrow will be my "birthday party" in the city and I can't wait to see who shows up.  I'm really looking forward to it!

So now...onto my most recently taken (& horribly photographed) pics...



If you are going to go...you should try Time Square at night.  It is actually NOT so bad.



16 Handles Fro-yo!

Garbage day in the city = mountains of trash bags. A city dogs dream.

LOVE Sunburst Cafe. 18th and 3rd Ave. They have really good hot beverages and a seriously extensive menu list. Love it.

Cheapie Manicure. Electric.

Peep Thai food. I had the chicken pad thai. YUM. Plus their bathrooms have those freaky see-through walls where you can see the diners, but they can't see you.

ANGELIKA THEATER NIGHT!  Saw Smashed...

And ironically snuck in with some Bud Leezies.

Poor poor bug.

Peace, y'all.

Birthday festivites are up next! Cheers!
L

NYC: Week 2! (and some change)

Do I still have a blog?

LIFE has been SO darn busy. I feel like everything is going by so fast that I'm actually buzzing...without caffeine. It's crazy.  Which I guess is why today I hit a breaking point.  Yes, I have anxiety, yes I can usually manage it, but not today...or yesterday. And maybe the day before that.  That is why, I went to my very first ACUPUNCTURE appointment tonight after work!!! It was awesome!  I totally thought I would feel trapped the second the door to the exam room shut, but I got through it and I'm sooo glad. I actually felt relaxed.  I didn't sleep on the table or anything, but I really did feel calm. It was nice. And much needed.

So that brings me to the past week and a half. Here are a few of the things that filled my days:

First stop: a relaxing night in our house to break up the week. It was JUST what we needed.

Coffee! Love the branding of this place. Well, and I loved that they had hot apple cider.

Birthday boozy brunch for the hubs! He turned the big 3-1. Eeek!

Remember that time I fell asleep during my work ID photo? Uh, yeah.

Grand Central is truly magnificient. Especially on a perfect Fall night like this one.

This young buck is only turning 29.  Sweet And Vicious in Soho!

Not only did I have the honor of going to one of the most gorgeous engagement parties EVER...I got to witness this!!! Puppy Love!!!

So...I fell in love.

Beauty Bar on East 14th!  Perfect place for a perfect bachelorette party.  You will need to make ressies for nails, but it's a super fun way to party. Even if your manicure comes out crazy like mine did.

There is a dance room in the back. It opens around 10:30 and plays super fun music. Not your average disco.

Hells Kitchen FLEA MARKET!!! Lonely TV's, top hats, jewelry and collectibles galore!  It's really fun to take a gander whilst enjoying a relaxing Sunday.

AMAZING price on leather kids made in the USA.

Top hats, all yours!

Enjoying our street side snacking at Five Napkin in Hells Kitchen when this lovely creature walked by.

Goodbye stilt man!!! I want some...

Monday night family dinner.  Our friends hosted us and it was the BEST ever. The food, the company, everything. A new Monday night tradition has been born.

Lemony-chicken risotto...YUM. I don't have a recipe, but if you can find one, make it. Filling and so SO flavorful.
 

Well, that wraps things up for now.  I will try to center myself more in the coming days and be a better writer. Til then...
L

Finally, a shower!

We are seeing progress, people!  Our 36x36 stall shower is being installed! 

This bathroom is by far the largest in our house, so that may be the reason why I'm sooo insanely excited for it.  The shower isn't huge, but I think that just having it will be good enough. Plus, I'll buy one of those curved shower curtain rods. That should help!

Next up...new windows!

xoxo
L

NYC: Week 1

This week was quite the experience.  We delved into our new, dog-less Manhattan life with a vengeance. Lots of happy hours, dinners, 35 block after-dinner walks, and...happy hours. Yesterday was also Jeff's birthday so needless to say, we did a lot of celebrating.

Here are some recent pictures that in no way depict our week accurately. Apparently, we ONCE AGAIN forgot to take pictures. For shame.

The morning before we left was a cold, sad and quite exhausting time.

This dorm sized apartment is all ours for the month!

The look on my face is: anxiety/excitement/what the heck is going on.

Drinks at Common Ground. Votive candles can be used in place of napkins while going to the bathroom.

Sign outside of the Donnybrook, LES.

Two different colored eyes! This kitty was a great little window find.

Dinner at Vezzo in Murray Hill!

Birthday boy with our flower giving friend, Ed.

This week was actually a huge lesson for me.  While I work very well with change, I also crave familiarity.  And sleep.  Without sleep and some of my favorite familiar things (i.e. Remy, my bed, etc), change is hard.  The week was chock-full of awesomely fun nights with friends, but it was also filled with a lot of unwanted anxious days.  I'm not young enough to just jump into a week full of debauchery anymore.  I don't have the old-me's brain that just thinks I deserve to go crazy 24/7.  I'm almost 30. I have my own company, I have a dog. I have things I'm responsible for and to throw that all out the window is jarring for a girl with anxiety.  

So yes...this first week was a little harrowing at times, but I feel good now.  I'm back at my house for the night (with Jeff) and couldn't be more thrilled to do housework, write for my upcoming job, and catch up on awful reality television.  

I learned (or re-learned) more about myself and I believe it will prove to be incredibly useful going forward.  I'm planning two more nights like this one throughout the month to keep my roots intact and my brain exposed to some of my favorite creature comforts (my bed! computer! home made dinners!)...and I feel good about the rest of our time in NYC now.  I'm excited to go back tomorrow before starting a new freelance gig on Tuesday for Lifetime. I'm happy for this time filled with FRIENDS, fun, and new experiences and I plan to live it completely!

Cheers!
L