Lucky Charms

I have been having the most random, fun events lately. I don't even know why. This past weekend was a friend's birthday so we had an unlimited champagne brunch at a place downtown near Wall St, before relocating to a fun Financial District bar, and then the Beer Gardens at Battery Park, where someone's gift of moustaches made an appearance.



And everyone got a birthday shot!



Then Monday Funday at my favorite bar last night. My friend and I decided to get pizza from next door and bring it back. After devouring it, we started playing with the string that the box had been tied up with, and I ended up making such a fabulous art creation with it that I couldn't drink my drink anymore, so Tim the bartender brought me a straw, so as not to disturb the art taking place.



Then, after Samantha left, I was reading a paper Tim gave me when one of my favorite locals tells me to stop reading the paper and have a conversation. I had been planning on leaving soon but clearly that didn't happen. I ended up staying much longer and having such a fun time! A little back story: this guy grew up in Ireland, has been living in New York for 14 years, and yet he sounds like he hasn't been away from home for 14 minutes... I CANNOT UNDERSTAND HIM TO SAVE MY LIFE. It is actually so thick and difficult that I am not even tempted to mimic it. And that's saying a lot for me!

Sometimes I'll get so confused from one word, I'll try so hard to repeat the sound in my head and understand what he's trying to say, only to realize that I've missed an additional three sentences, so then I try to pick up the context of the conversation, but I have no idea what the context is because I can't understand 3/4 of his speech. I'm getting better though! For instance, I found out I had his name completely wrong, first and last, and I didn't notice until the bartender addressed the guy by his first name and then I made a joke of his whole name and he said "why would that bother me? that's not my last name." Whoops. So then he told me the real last name but it didn't sound any different to me so I had to make him spell it out. Lololololol. What a trooper though! He still talks to me even through my blank stares, or when I laugh as a response to what must have asked a yes or no question. And we listened to Bruce Springsteen all night and it was superfun.

I am making progress on the marathon training! (Ran 35 minutes sweatily today!)



I sent this picture of me on the elliptical to my UC San Diego "friends" who try to crush my UCSB spirit. That oughta show them.