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Just over here keeping my skillet good and greasy.
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Disappointment
It’s a holiday today, so along with watching online updates from the inauguration and marking things off my to-do list, I get to be home during the day to eat lunch at my very own table. This never happens (except on the weekends, but let’s not nitpick)! I felt like I had to eat a sandwich today, because, you guys, we need to talk about expectations and major disappointments. Real life lessons only here on this site.
Over the weekend, I’m sad to say, I finally ate one of those classic sandwich at Katz’s. Sad to say, because it took me my entire early life to make it there and, well, it was meh. The food was fine. The restaurant was a mess. The employees and the patrons looked like they hated everything. New York has so many food institutions I feel awful about skipping, but no more. Excuse me while I just stick to Mile End’s ever-reliable smoked meat from now on. -
Oh, Sewing
Several weeks ago (or two months ago, but who’s counting, really?) Matthew asked me if I’d use these supposed sewing skills I talked about having to make him an oxford shirt. Wait, menswear? A tailored shirt? I didn’t understand why we couldn’t we just buy one instead, or why he couldn’t at least ask for a dress or a women’s blouse. I could do one of those. I was terrified and I’m guessing the weeks this project dragged on were probably a good example of my unwillingness to face my fears. But then the sad fabric sat on our table, just looking so unloved, so I mustered up the courage. And now it’s done and, excuse me, but I want to make more? Look what you’ve done.
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Scenes from the Ann Hamilton exhibit, Park Avenue Armory.
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Winter Musings
The older I get, the more I feel like I learn about the town where I was raised. You’d think that I pretty much had it covered, seeing as I did spend the first eighteen years or so of my life traipsing around it, but in my case years didn’t mean I had much covered at all.
This morning we traveled north along the Hudson River to my childhood home for a few days with family for Christmas. Every time I come back there’s always another trail or road or town to be seen and explored. The last few times we’ve visited we always end up dusting off the ol’ wellies, wading around the creek, and doing our best not to drench our phones, cameras, and, less importantly, ourselves. Clearly the freezing water and possibility of pneumonia didn’t deter us at all. I’m becoming brave in my old age. -
Early to Rise, Early to be Really Cranky
Mornings are the worst. Let’s just start things off admitting this. As much as I try, yearn, and force myself to be a morning person it just doesn’t happen. Once I’m up it’s not too bad, life goes on. But physically getting out of bed, well, that’s a whole different story. Most of the time I end up falling asleep during my morning get-out-of-bed pep talks and wake up 45 minutes later. Talk about willpower, right?
But then I found a cure, or at the very least something that helps. Ready? Fly to Europe. Yes, you read right. Just hop on that plane, fly to Europe (anywhere, take your pick!), and then return home to the good ol’ U.S. The trick, however, is that you have to stick to the European time zone.
When Matthew and I flew home from Dublin about a month ago we had the brilliant idea of trying to harness our (or just my) getting-up-lateness by using the time zone confusion to our advantage. Then the angels sang! It worked! And suddenly I get what mornings are all about. Breakfast, the Today Show, so much time! It’s like no one told me how good it would be. -
White Cliffs of Dover
Matthew and I recently spend some time visiting a small piece of Europe, mostly contained to Ireland and the U.K. While we were in London we had every intention of visiting Bath and Stonehenge, but it turns out we’re really cheap, ahem, I mean frugal, and the train fare for this day trip would have ended up around $300 USD. So, as we usually do, we chose the cheapest fare and ended up in Dover. Turns out the fates were on our side — Dover was breathtaking and the small city was lovely. Late in the afternoon we finally made it out to the famed White Cliffs and stayed until just before sundown.
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We ate tamales and champurrado for breakfast, and snacked on fresh concha bread from the panaderia across the street for lunch. Love me some East Harlem. Also, carbs.
