Mission: Beep Beep

Old habits die hard, and that is especially true for bad habits.  Well, this is a wake-up call.  


I didn't go through 3 months of hell for this to happen all over again.  So I'm gonna take a cue from Drake and "do me".  

Mission: Order

ORDER IN THE COURT.  Who knew that in order for me to get this party started, I would have the To-Do list from hell to get through.  Oh, and I'm under a time constraint.

This will be worth it, this will be worth it, this will be worth it.

Not helping me out at all is the fact that you are constantly on my mind.  I never thought that I would miss you this much.  No, it's not helping at all.

Mission: Hourglass half-full?

One thing about throwing yourself into work and other (more fun) activities, is that when you give yourself a chance to breathe and step back from your surroundings, you may find that the scenery has changed quite a bit.  Today, I was updating my calendar with activities for the next couple of months and was thoroughly confused when I saw that it was June 16.  June 16? I could have sworn it was May just yesterday!  It's such a cliché to ask where all the time has gone but, um...really?  Mid-June already?

Time is tricky; sometimes, two weeks can feel like two seconds, other times, one week can seem like one year.  It's funny how you can be in a pretty set routine for a long while, a few months even, and then you go a few days doing something different and then that becomes the norm.  What felt so natural a couple of weeks ago now seems completely alien to me.  How can someone go months living a certain way and then just a week later be doing something different?  Perhaps it's because this is how it was initially?  Is that why it was a little easy to adapt to the changes?

Ayiyi, this is why I'm no good at Philosophy and the like: too many theoretical stuff, not enough practical.  Too many questions, not enough answers.  Too many intangibilities, not enough concrete.

I love my calendar for the very physicality of it.  My life is laid out for me in thirty (or 31 or 28 and sometimes 29!), tiny boxes and I can see where I'm going tomorrow and I can see where I was yesterday.  I can see the evidence that time has indeed not skipped a beat and I haven't lost one or two weeks without my knowledge.  I can see that there's no way I will be propelled months into the future without my permission.

I can also see that this week will be one heck of a week, as will the next, and then again the next.  So you see, there's really no way I can miss out on anything.

tick tock.

Mission: Bad taste

"Gossip is like herpes, it spreads rapidly from person to person.  So keep my name out yo' mouth."

Gossip.  We all indulge in it, let's not kid ourselves.  It's completely normal and human to want to know what's going on with people we know (or think we know, such as celebrities).  I believe that it's pretty innocent to gossip or "discuss matters" but what crosses the line into maliciousness is contributing to said gossip.

All I'm saying is that if you don't know for sure, if you haven't heard it from the horse's mouth, you just can't make stuff up.  Yes, you may have your opinions, suspicions or theories, but the conclusions you may come to are educated guesses, at most.

So gossip, gossip away.  Heaven knows I'm no stranger to the sport, whether I am the gossiper or gossipee.  Just remember, if you don't know the whole story, you might as well not even tell it.

Mission: A Bite of the Big Apple, Part III

Just because the weekend ends on a Sunday, it doesn't mean the fun has to stop.  I played hooky from work on Monday and ventured around the city with John.  We drove in and parked at a Central Parking (26th btw 5th and 6th).  Just so you know, you can usually find really good discounts if you visit their website and print out a coupon.  We ended up paying just $20 for almost 10 hours, which is pretty good for the city.  


Our first stop was Chelsea Piers Golf Club at Pier 59, 23rd St. and the Hudson River.  The driving range overlooks the Hudson and the view was only enhanced by the radiant sun, clear skies and sweet breeze.  The Golf Club has a state-of-the-art automatic ball tee-up system which eliminates the buckets of balls and bending over to replace every single ball on your tee.  We had a good time whacking over 80 balls and we still had around 70 left on our golf card by the time we'd had enough.  

A panoramic view of the driving range

Next up was lunch at Chelsea Market on 9th Ave. between 15th and 16th Streets.  Chelsea Market used to be the Nabisco factory and is currently a huge, urban concourse chock-full of cafes, bakeries, groceries, delis and a couple of restaurants.  After walking through the entire Market, we decided on Friedman's Lunch.  Their menu offered the traditional fare of sandwiches, salads, soups and burgers but with a slight twist.  John ordered the Chicken Parm special, which was grilled chicken and homemade marinara sauce served on a bed of fresh arugula.  I, myself, chose the Southwestern Turkey burger, which was moist yet not greasy, seasoned well and with chopped peppers in the meat.  We were lucky enough to arrive just before the lunch rush swept in because boy, did it get crowded.

The restaurant

 

The dishes

In order to ward off a potential food coma, we walked a bit of the High Line, the entrance of which was on 16th and 10th.  The High Line is a greenway built along a section of a former elevated freight railroad.  They're still working on it but the parts that are already built are beautiful.  It's hard to see the Chelsea/West Side as a pretty area, what with its slight industrial feel but the High Line adds a touch of nature and architectural beauty to the place.   It's a great spot to unwind, relax, eat and walk around.

An oasis in the concrete jungle

After settling our stomachs, we made our way down to Bleecker and Carmine, which is where Grom is located.  Not since vacationing in Rome a few years ago have I found anything that even comes close to the rich, heavenly delight that is authentic Italian gelato.  I have been constantly on the lookout and have even tried a variety of places in Little Italy in NYC and also a place in Little Italy in Boston, but to no avail.  Thank goodness for Grom.  I must admit, it has been awhile since I've last tasted gelato but as soon as the spoon hit my lips, it triggered all sorts of yummy memories of that summer in Rome.  This was as close as I was gonna get, and damn, was it close.  We ordered the Cioccolato Fondente, which is just a chocolate flavor, and the Nocciola, which is their hazelnut flavor.  At $10.50 for the two, it's pretty steep, but it is soooo worth it.  We savored our gelato in the midst of the hustle and bustle of West Village then went on our merry way to our next stop.

Heaven in a cup

For all the touristy things I've done in the city, I guess it's a little surprising that I have never been to the top of the Empire State Building, on 5th ave, by 34th St.  John hadn't either, so we decided to put that on our To-Do list.  I didn't think there was anything worse than those guys in Times Square yelling in your face about hitting up their comedy clubs but I was sadly mistaken.  The guys selling the tickets in front of the ESB are ruthless.  They bark at you and hound you and it is so hard to get past them.  I guess they have to do their jobs but it honestly shocked and bothered me.  We evaded them somehow using a mix of the silent treatment, death stares and choice words, and hustled on in.  We were lucky; there was no line at all.  Usually, the line goes around the corner and you could end up waiting for hours.  I never understood why people would subject themselves to that torture.  I don't even like waiting for rides at amusement parks.  In any case, we didn't have to wait and that made the view up top even better for me.  John was great at pointing out all the iconic structures and landmarks, such as the Chrysler Building, Central Park and even Citi Field all the way out in Queens.  Word of advice: don't pay 50 cents to look through the binocular things; you literally only have a minute and a half.  Save your change for the subway.  Another word of warning: be aware that it gets really windy up there and if you have a skirt, prep yourself for a possible Marilyn Monroe moment.  I was wearing a dress but it was long enough that I didn't have to worry too much about any upskirt mishaps.  After a lap around the top, we traveled 86 stories back down to ground level.

A Panoramic from the top of the ESB

John had a hankering for some sugary treats so we stopped by Crumbs Bake Shop on 42nd btw 5th and 6th Ave. and chose their Good Guy cupcake, a "Vanilla cake with rainbow sprinkles baked in,  filled with vanilla cream cheese frosting and topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting covered with rainbow sprinkles and white chocolate drizzle."  How devilishly delicious! We enjoyed it in Bryant Park, which is right across the street and where the infamous NYC Fashion Week fashion shows are held.  Even at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, there were many business people out and about enjoying the good weather.  Fueled by our (G-rated) afternoon delight, we were good to go.

A sweet treat

Our friend who works for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon was kind enough to hook us up with two tickets to the taping of that night's show, so our next destination was 30 Rock.  I've been to Rockefeller Center (49th St. and 5th) dozens upon dozens of times in the wintertime and I must say, I hate it.  It is so congested and there are so many tourists.  Actually, the last time I went was to see the tree and I couldn't even get close.  We had to stand across the street next to Saks to even get a decent view, and even then it was not a good idea because of the hordes of people admiring the holiday window displays.  So, I was pleasantly surprised when Rockefeller Center was the least crowded I've ever seen it.  After roaming the NBC store a little bit, we checked in and after that, we played a very long version of the waiting game and after about an hour we finally made it into the studio.  

Peace and quiet at Rockefeller

My future baby's onesie at the NBC store

It was a new and exciting experience.  I had never attended a taping before and it was awesome to see the behind-the-scenes action.  Molly Shannon, Chris Colfer, and Ian Poulter were the night's guests and the musical talent was Kings of Convenience.  It wasn't a shining line-up but it was entertaining nonetheless.  Cameras were strictly prohibited so I don't have any photos but I managed to capture the following gem thanks to Hulu.  

I'm famous!

When we finally got out a little after 7, I was ravenous.  I had been ranting and raving to John about these soup dumplings from Joe's Shanghai for quite some time now and after finding out that there was a location  on 56th St. between 5th and 6th, I knew that's where we had to grab dinner.   Joe's Shanghai is famous for their soup dumplings, which is a regular pork dumpling but filled with a broth.  You have to bite a little off the side then slurp the soup out.  It takes some getting used to but I think I've just about perfected the technique.  Unlike its casual and busy location on Pell St. (which I think I prefer), the Midtown location was a lot classier and more sophisticated.  The food was still the same, however, delicious and satisfying to the palette.

Steamed soup dumplings

That didn't mean we were done.  We had one more stop to go, and that was to 53rd and 6th for some Platters.  Platters, Chicken and Rice, Halal, whatever you want to call it, is a lesser known attraction, more for the locals than tourists.  It may seem like just another truck on the corner serving street meat but they take it to a whole new level and because of this, the line usually extends down the block.  The wait is so worth their savory chicken on yellow rice served with pita bread, a delicious white sauce and super spicy hot sauce.  We were quite full from dinner but 45 minutes later, back at home, we tore into that chicken and rice as if we hadn't yet eaten.  We ate it so fast, I didn't even think to take a picture.


So that concludes the 36 hours or so I spent playing, eating and drinking in the city.  It's only one of the many city outings this summer, so stay tuned! 




MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED

Mission: A Bite of the Big Apple, Part II

Late Friday nights usually equal late starts on Saturday mornings, which was indeed the case for us gals.  I guess it didn't help that the air mattress I brought was squeaking like hell every single time A or I tossed and turned.  Sorry girls.  We were all quite tired when we dragged ourselves up and out the door.  Nothing a good brunch wouldn't cure though.  We hit up Euro Diner on 3rd Ave. between 36th St. and 37th St. for some some stomach satisfaction.  I was looking forward to a $1 hot dog from Ikea later so I had a light lunch of French Toast.  Nothing spectacular, to be honest.  It came with a side of strawberries which I ended up liking better than the dish.  M's Chicken Gyro order was delish, however, and I kept stealing jealous glances at her plate and shooting my plain, innocent french toast some angry glares.

We made our way over to Borough Hall station in Brooklyn to catch a quick shuttle to Ikea.  After an hour or so of perusing the aisles of one of my top 10 all-time favorite stores, I was itching to head over to the café to get me my hot dog!  I was ravenous at that point and had to refrain from completely pigging out and getting not only TWO hot dogs but a cinnamon bun and a soft-serve cone.  Somehow, I managed to keep my wits about me and indulged in just the one hot dog.  Oh, and a bag of chips...but it came with the combo! Anyway, we lugged our purchases to the shuttle, back to Borough Hall, back to Manhattan, and walked a couple of blocks back to R's place.  I should mention that Saturday -- and in fact, Friday AND Sunday as well -- were extremely humid days.  By the time we reached the apartment, we were parched, sweating and sore.  That didn't stop us from putting together the coffee table and lamp that were newly bought.  I love Ikea.

We cleaned up and showered off the sweaty evidence of our schlep to BK and made our way over to Inoteca for dinner.  Luckily, they were hosting some kind of private party that night and we would have had to wait for an hour and a half just to get a table.  I say "luckily" because we ended up at Coppolla's East, located at 27th St. and 3rd Ave.  I'm going out on a limb and saying that this might be one of my top five favorite places to eat ever.  While pricey, the decor was subtle enough that it didn't yell "Ambiance!", which let the food speak for itself.  Nothing on the menu seemed out of the ordinary, at least in comparison to the multitudes of Italian restaurants in the city but such is the charm of Italian dining that the classics are like comfort food.  I drooled instantly upon reading the description for the Farfalle con Salmone and knew that that dish was the one ending up in my stomach that night.  Boy, was I right.  The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, a requirement of any good Italian eatery.  The cream sauce was not too heavy and certainly not at all runny and it was so zesty, tangy and savory.  The pièce de resistance was definitely the salmon; it was the most delicious piece of salmon I have ever tasted in my life.  Not only was it seasoned extremely well, the smooth texture was a joy in my mouth (yes, yes, That's What She Said).  I also picked off of M's plate; she had ordered the Tortellini Daniela which was also molto bene and super flavorful and savory, and that's saying a lot because I don't usually like filled pastas such as tortellini and ravioli.  The fantastic dishes coupled with the great service by our jovial and good-natured waiter made for a delightful dining experience and I must say that Coppolla's will certainly be frequented by me in the future.

The party that night was at 21st St. between 5th and 6th Ave, at Taj Lounge.  It is a beautiful venue, although it seemed like the bartenders and bouncers were bit on the snotty side.  Then again, we were up in midtown where a lot of clubs, lounges and bars can be a bit on the frou frou side.  The DJ was great, as he played a lot of songs from back in the day like Next and Total, which was totally a blast from the past.  It got really, really crowded towards the end of the night so it was a relief when we left.  It was quite a long night of partying and I was desperately happy when my head finally hit my pillow at 6.30 the next morning.

Finally, it was time to go home.  Before that, we somehow mustered up the energy to crawl to Anita's Cafe and Delicatessen over on 34th and 3rd Ave., where I ordered an egg, bacon and cheese on a roll.  While it was tasty (despite the bacon being burnt), I am so spoiled by the breakfast delights from Bageltime back home in Jersey, that it was nothing that really impressed me.

It was a lovely, lovely weekend but playtime in New York wasn't yet over.  Stay tuned for Part III!

Mission: A Bite of the Big Apple, Part I

Or at least, a BIT of the Big Apple.  I've lived less than an hour away from "the city" for almost 7 years now and I am still discovering new aspects of this sprawling metropolis.  Yes, I've been to the regular, tourist-congested sights such as Times Square, the Met, the Museum of Natural History, Grand Central Station, WTC (pre- and post-9/11), and Central Park, although there are still things within the latter that I have yet to explore.  I've always seen the city as a tourist attraction or even a place for work and it was not until recently that I started looking at it as more of a playground, and this weekend...play, I did.

I met up with my girlfriends at R's place in the under-rated neighborhood of Murray Hill.  Her apartment is not only sinfully spacious by NYC standards, it's also in the thick of the action, with restaurants, cafes, bars and stores galore, all of which are only a hop, skip and a jump away.  Our first stop was dinner at THAINY, at the corner of E 28th St. and 3rd Ave.  A modern twist on classic Thai food, ThaiNY is a fantastic restaurant that offers a variety of reasonably priced and fantastically spiced dishes.  The 5 of us range from strict vegetarian to staunch carnivore, and none of us had any trouble finding a dish that attracted our attention and palettes, although we were a little confused as to what in the world the "Vegetarian Duck" was.  As someone who always orders Pad Thai, I decided to get a little crazy and order the "28th Street Noodle" which was "wild noodles, sauteed with brown sauce, bean sprouts, Thai pickles, Thai herbs".  I know, I know....I got another noodle dish.  Honestly though, it was the first thing that jumped out at me.  In any case, we were all super satisfied with our orders and after a very chatty dinner, we made our way to our next stop.

Super full and tired from the day's adventures, bus mishaps and traveling woes, we decided NOT to get our party on and instead just enjoy a few drinks.  We did this at banc, 30th St. and 3rd Ave., a nice little bar and lounge that seemed to pull in the after-work, mid-20's to early 30's crowd (I cannot believe I am a member of this age range).  They had a pretty decent selection of drinks, although none of my fave beers were on tap.  I ordered a gin and tonic, which admittedly was a little weak.  This would be more of a problem if I was trying to get wasted though, so no big.  It was a little loud for my taste that night, as I just wanted to chill out but overall, I had fun with my ladies.  However, I think I would have had a better experience had it not been for the cluster of Flyers fans rejoicing their win over the Blackhawks that night.  We called it a night after a few drinks, as it was already past 1 and our mid-20s feet, minds and bodies were weary.

Before I go any further, I must apologize for the lack of visual aids.  For some reason, I've been really slacking with capturing moments on my trusty Canon P&S, which saddens me.  I think I just get carried away with living in the moment that I forget that it's nice to capture these moments once in awhile.  Here's hoping that I get back into the swing of things.  Stay tuned for Part II!

Mission: MDW

"Goin' to DJais in my car!"

"B-E-L!"

"M-A-R!"

Oh, Memorial Day Weekend.  First and foremost, we must remember that Memorial Day is a day of recognition of all those who have given their lives so we might have ours.  Thank you so much to all who have served and who are still serving.  

Somehow, perhaps in our anxiety to leave behind the dregs of winter, especially one as brutal as this one has been, it became a weekend of surf, sand and sun or beer, booze and bbq to look forward to.  Although the weekend was marred by a few showers here and there, it was definitely still a hot hot hot weekend.  

I had a good time down at the shore.  It was great seeing people you haven't seen in awhile and bask in the revelry of everyone's good moods.  Though the bars were packed, I didn't mind so much...well, except for Bar A.  I will never go there on a holiday weekend, ever again.  Mark my words.  At least I had the common sense not to go anywhere near DJais.  Oh, and you can't beat Main Street Cheesesteaks...mmm, that garlic butter steak is sinfully wunnerful! 

Memorial Day itself was spent at home, detoxing.  Almost.  My dad had gotten me a 40 of some Japanese beer as a MDW present.  How sweet.  We played tennis and H-O-R-S-E, barbecued all the live long day...it was fantastic-ly mellow, yet still tiring.  I was in bed by 12 and up and at 'em by 5.45am.  I've been dragging my heels all day...but it was so worth it.

go HERE.  This is what some of Belmar looked like.  Although I'm sure it was nowhere near as bad as Seaside.