Friday night bowling.

Because we're classy like that? Friday night was fun. A quick dinner at Dogmatic with Tim & Amy, followed up by something I haven't done in probably years. Bowling.  Two very pregnant ladies + bowling, you ask? Option #2 was the batting cages on Randall's Island, so why not. We were likely a total spectacle, but we had fun. I may have strained a muscle in my bicep while trying to avoid actually engaging any abdominal muscles, but all other injuries were otherwise avoided.

I didn't quite break 100. Almost. Someday. Maybe. Because truthfully, I've just never been good at bowling. Tennis, yes. Skiing, I kept up with the boys. Bowling, not so much. But my spare! Take a look at the video. It was my shining moment of the evening, except of course when I got a strike & NO ONE WAS WATCHING. Seriously. Not a single one of them.

We topped off the night with ice cream at Shake Shack. At Madison Square Park! Oh, how I've missed eating outside there. The other locations (!!) just aren't the same. Perfect weather, beautiful lights, great food. I just love it. The line though? It has not been missed.

AAS = Amy & Son, of course.

My belly is officially bigger than a bowling ball.

It's really awesome having a super tall, thin, extra-long-torsoed friend who is due the exact same day as I am. Really though. It really is. Fun to go through this together, & fun that our boys will be buddies. Now it's just a race to the finish line.

5 Years.

I wore a dress. He brought flowers! And more importantly, he brought flowers that had calla lilies & green flowers (name?) like my wedding bouquet. Do I dare be a total cliché & say swoon? Loved it.

We ate at Gotham Bar & Grill (the desserts were definitely the highlight, although the food was really great), talked about how naive (& young!) we were when we first moved to New York, & reminisced over the last 5 years of memories & adventures. Like when I called Mike crying from Pearl Street downtown because I couldn't find my way (all 2 blocks??) home. Or when he went to his first day of his first job (!!).

We watched Chris Rock's Good Hair when we got home. So interesting, although we didn't finish it until Saturday night because we both kept getting sleepy.

A perfect 5 year celebration, I think - with lots to look forward to in year six. The belly is growing! As my mom said after seeing the last photo, That's great progress from last week!  

City Bakery.

(post-lunch scene)

The City Bakery trifecta of culinary happiness: Macaroni & cheese (perfect with its white cheese, & not too rich - I need a copy cat recipe), hot chocolate (more like slightly melted fudge, with a homemade marshmallow) & a pretzel croissant. It's a bit much for one meal, but sharing makes it perfectly manageable.

Friends (big & little) & I made the trek yesterday for lunch & treats. It's been a while, & I was reminded that I need to go back often. The last time I was there was almost exactly a year ago, with then-brand-new-friend Erin. Time flies.

The hot chocolate festival starts in February - a different flavor every day. Definitely going. A few times.

Christmas in the City: Flute-playing Wolf Santas.

Santa Claus with a wolf mask. Playing the flute. Clearly, that makes a lot of sense (?), & was actually sort of unsettling. Oh, & make sure to notice the Valentine's Day heart in front for good measure. Mike gave him a dollar since I made him take a photo with his iPhone, & he gave us a (wrapped & sealed) candy cane. Merry Christmas, direct to you from the subway platform at Astor Place.

Sister Tara came to visit.

Tara and I have always liked each other quite a bit. Maybe because we're far enough apart in age that we didn't have to be teenagers together. Whatever the case, it's always fun when she comes to visit.

All of these photos are from Monday. We went to the farmer's market at Union Square & ran into my new favorite Central Park Band, The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn. I had seen them the week prior when I took photos of Fox. They're really fun, & the lead singer sounds a little bit like a Harry Connick Jr. who smokes a few packs a day. Oh, & we also saw the world's largest cauliflower. I mean, not officially, but they were definitely the biggest that I've ever seen.

The holiday market is already open at Bryant Park. I love the holiday markets in New York. Columbus Circle, Union Square, Grand Central Terminal... They all have great little things that you don't know you need until you see them. The Bryant Park one is the best though, because they have ice skating & it's only $6 (thank you, Citi corporate sponsorship).

Tara wanted to see the NYC Public Library on 5th, so we went there, too. I think books are so pretty.

Tara has a few more photos of us, too (send, please!). I'm pretty sure that in one of them, we're both holding a Shake Shack apple cider (a new addition this winter - with donuts from Doughnut Plant!), a few shopping bags, & I have my camera bag over my shoulder that felt like I was carrying a corpse around, given the damage it had sustained just a few minutes earlier - & there was likely a tear in the corner of my eye, too. All is well that ends well, I suppose.

Toasted Marshmallow.

One of my favorite outings of the week thus far - lunching at Stand with 5 lovely ladies yesterday & eating a perfectly sensible meal of burgers, fries & toasted marshmallow shakes (only $8 for all three when you order them in the much-more-manageable kids meal - $9 with cheese). We've been going to Stand for a few years now, but have somehow always missed the very best part. That milkshake alone is worth the trip, promise.

Sidewalk.

Yesterday. Polaroid. Sidewalk. Pretty.

Farmer's Market.

Union Square Greenmarket

I love the people watching, the fresh smells, the inexpensive prices for quality fruits & vegetables (+ breads & ciders & flowers & fruits, etc.), the Amish farmers who come from Pennsylvania, the opportunity to just stroll, the colors, the (relatively) open space.

And maybe the fact that near-by 5th Avenue is a great place to shop, too.

Afternoon stroll.

My camera, my polaroid & yours truly spent some time at the farmer's market at Union Square this afternoon. It was wonderful, & smelled like nature.

I bought myself a big bouquet of beautiful green flowers (of course I forgot what they are called, even though I asked three times) for $5. They made me smile on my way home on the (crowded) subway, even though I felt a teensy bit overwhelmed today.

I think I need to do this more often. The flower part. Not the overwhelmed part.

2008.

Union Square flowers. Oh, how I miss flowers right now (currently 10 degrees, "feels like -8").

I got together with some friends last night & had a great discussion on what we learned in 2008. I came up with my for-public-distribution personal (but not too personal) top 10.

1. Assume good will. You will be a much happier person & have better relationships
2. If you want friends, work to get them. Sitting around & waiting for people to talk to you or invite you to do things will not have great results. Friends are worth the time, effort & potential initial discomfort in obtaining them.
3. Getting offended is a total waste of time.
4. Humans are always loved – at the very least, by Him who loved us most. That alone makes all the difference.
5. Allowing oneself to take cabs more often greatly improves overall quality of life (some things are just worth the splurge).
6. Small & simple things have the potential to produce massive amounts of change - mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again. (Howard W. Hunter)
7. Norma’s really is the best brunch in Manhattan.
8. Worry is not productive. Be prepared, & move forward with faith & confidence.
9. 
   
   People universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck or something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather. That's not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it. (Elizabeth Gilbert)
10. 
    
    Rainy days in New York City are far more enjoyable with a great pair of rain boots.

Our weekend so far.

Happy Halloween, NYC style.

Union Square Farmer's Market.

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Mike was home sick yesterday which meant that we had a mellow night at home. I made Cream of Pumpkin Soup with a salad (pears + gorgonzola = my favorite) & we ate the remainder of the Pumpkin Cupcakes for dessert. Next time I'm going to try the soup with sweet potatoes, because I really like those, too. Did I mention I'm trying to cook more? I am, because I know that Mike appreciates it, but mostly because I really like to. I made dinner last night (it's a start), & a couple of days ago made yummy meatballs that I put in the freezer - for an easy dinner sometime soon. I'm trying, but it's hard with our schedules. Anyway - it was nice to eat dinner, together, at a table. Mike chose our movie for the night - Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid. It wasn't a normal choice for us, but now I really get what all the fuss was about with Paul Newman's blue eyes. Wow.

We slept until our bodies said it was time to wake up this morning, which is always my favorite way to do things on weekends. I find alarms so offensive.

We met our friends Corinne & Kyle for brunch at Sarabeth's. It's only a few blocks away from our apartment & we've never been until now. What a shame. I had the lemon ricotta pancakes & I'll probably order the same thing the next time we go (because there will be a next time). I really, really love brunch. I love the food (I could eat it three meals a day), but I also really love the excuse to get together with friends. Fun. Afterwards - Mike & I went our separate ways to run various errands that we couldn't do with each other. I wandered around the Union Square farmers market for a while, which I always love to do. It's a really interesting place - a mix of fresh fruit, produce, cheese, pastries, flowers, with random artists & crafts mixed in with a dozen or so Barack Obama booths. I swear, if you were brave (stupid) enough to set up a John McCain booth, you'd get shot. I'll stop my political discussion there - oh, except to say that the Kate Spade store today was handing out really cute remember to vote buttons (except they said something clever) & are offering $25 off until election day. How fun is that? I suppose it's still problematic given the general cost of most of their items, but still. A coupon is a coupon.

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Next- I headed to Trader Joe's to stock up on our favorite salad dressing (gorgonzola + walnuts + cranberries. I could drink it.) & frozen food (for easy dinners/nights alone). The only problem? Their east coast warehouse (in Massachusetts) burned down. Literally, to the ground. That being said, they won't have a large supply of frozen food for a while, as it is being shipped from California only every few days (& rapidly disappears thanks to the massive NYC crowds). Sad.

Speaking of which - what is your favorite Trader Joe's item? Ours is the salad dressing I mentioned, & the vanilla meringues (thanks, Lauren) which Mike eats by the handfull, plain. And the colby jack cheese. It's especially good. And the edamame, & probably the frozen gnocchi meals, too. I love gnocchi. Yum.

Anyway.

We were supposed to go to a pumpkin festival at Central Park this afternoon, but it's raining sideways & we can hear the wind gusts coming up the elevtor shaft (which means that it's really windy), so I'm thinking that might not happen. It was so windy on my way home earlier that I could barely walk in a straight line. My umbrella was useless. I looked really pretty when I got home.

Mike's taking a nap (still not feeling great) & I'm doing laundry, running around our apartment in my slippers. I like Saturdays.

PS - I my next life I'm going to be an apple photographer. Aren't apples so pretty? I love fall.