Morning Sites

This morning I was running a little late and the #1 train has been so bad lately that I decided not to switch at Columbus Circle but instead stay on the C train which stops at 34th St, Penn Station, which means a few extra blocks to walk to work, instead of the 1 train which lets off ON my block, but it's so easy to embrace it. Less time in the crowded subway, more time on the brisk streets of Manhattan, and always great views of the Empire State Building, framed by American flags from here or there





I still haven't gotten tired of seeing this.

P.S. 35 days until California!

The Queen

So I have to admit that I am a part of this crazy crowd obsessed with Prince William and Kate Middleton and I am JUST. SO. JEALOUS! I mean, she was just a normal human being, and now she could potentially be the Queen of England! I want to be the Queen of England! I was stewing over it all day and reminding my coworkers every chance I had that I wanted to be the Queen!

So, before heading down to the Triple Crown pub, I put on some Aveeno oatmeal lotion I keep in my desk drawer, and Jayna calls me elitist. I tell her "Well if I want to be the Queen of England, I have to start acting like the Queen of England" and to THAT Jayna responds "Well you know what they say... dress for the job you WANT, not the job you HAVE" We were laughing about that one all the way down the elevator and into the bar.


(Does anyone else think this looks like Grandma Shaffer??)

I now plan to show up to work in ballroom gowns, gauntlets, and a crown

Upstate in Westchester

This morning I got up early and took the Metro North Rail up to Croton-Harmon in Westchester. It was an hour train ride right up the Hudson River and was a beautiful trip, the reds and golds of the trees were so vibrant.





I was meeting up with a friend I made from my Central Park picnic on Memorial Day, and he lived up there. He picked me up from the train station and we drove another 15-20 minutes through the town and into the hills to a lake and went walking around the grounds. It was SO BEAUTIFUL. It looked like woods you read about in storybooks and fairytales. Mark said in the winter they ice skate and play hockey on the lake when it's frozen over. It was a lake with wooden bridges, lined by fiercely red and yellow and brown leaved trees. There were rivers, and streams, and foliage covered all the sidewalks. There was even an animal rescue area of wooden shelters of different animals: rabbits, porcupines, opossums, vultures, bald eagles, and owls, which were so regal and wonderful to look at. It was such a beautiful place!



It got cut a little bit short since I had to meet someone in the city at 4p, but it was a great day trip and felt so good to be out of the city for a little while and be in fresh air and gorgeous scenery

Happy Birthday Cherisse

I can't even count all the memories I have with Cherisse, from being young (Monopoly games with incessant stealing from the bank, spanning strings of soda cans across the street and dont forget that RIDICULOUS Beauty and the Beast game for the computer I used to cry over because I couldnt bake the cake but Cherisse was a pro), growing up (photo shoots at Mission Bay, grandma's 90th birthday party, and sneaking out of Christmas to get Jack In the Box since dinner was taking too long for us) to being grown up (going to her wedding, her surprising me at my college graduation, visiting her at her and her husbands house in North Carolina) and though I haven't seen her since Valentine's Day of last year I think, I am still so thankful that she is in my life and we are celebrating another year of Cherisse Leann! (Unfortunately I only have more recent photos on this computer)

Family Picnic 2005




I completely fell and ate it right after this picture was taken




Christmas 2005


Family Picnic 2007






Grandma's 90th... November 2007








Cherisse's Wedding... December 2008


Cherisse and I off a stop of Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia or North Carolina


Me and Cherie at her old house in North Carolina


Happy Birthday Baby Gurrrrrrrrrl!!

The Chrysler Building

It's my favorite building in NYC



I love seeing it by day, and especially when I am out on the town at night and it is in the distance and I feel like wow, this is where I live, it's in my city.

I also love the cold. All the nice weather in California, and San Diego especially, really jaded me, it was so stagnant. Here it's indicates change, and I like feeling the cold air on my face, it feels fresher.

Tomorrow is a run to Target and I'm looking forward to loading up on some mittens, scarves and other winter wear

If We Just Give It Half a Chance

Happy Monday! I had a great weekend and am somehow not falling over from exhaustion at the keyboard, so it makes for a good week, I think. I'm finally making friends enough with people that I have weekend plans and places to go!

After a day of sleeping in and cleaning, friends and friends of friends came over to my place to meet up and try Absolut Brooklyn (a Spike Lee invention of Absolut vodka with red apple and ginger flavor... goes amazing with ginger ale!). It was my first time seeing Betsy since we graduated! Not only is she a class of '08 Gaucho, but she was also a resident of the Scholars Hall in the San Nic dorm, and now she's in NYC with me and Ronnie! Who would've guessed?? You just never know where life will take you.

Betsy and Ronnie:


Me and Betsy:


Anyway we headed down to see my coworkers' band play for their album release show at a venue called Arlene Grocery in the Lower East Side.



It turns out we were lucky to get in since they hit capacity and lots of people got stuck out in the second bar room. It was so fun!! Lots of coworkers, and lots of fun. For some reason, the first time I saw their band it seemed to have a distinct reggae sound. This time, it was totally The Cure meets Echo and the Bunnymen and is introduced to Muse. I loved it! And I forgot how much I love going to shows! I feel like I used to do it every weekend my sophomore and junior year in high school, why did I stop? I love live music!



After the show we went a few blocks over to Kush and were there for a few hours. I knew about this place from when the San Diego crew was down. It's a Middle Eastern themed bar that always plays fabulous music!

Gauchos Locos, what's wrong with us 3 in this picture?


Here's a much better one of the Scholars:


New friend!:


And me. R.I.P. the Mermaid Necklace. It was my birthday gift from Ronnie in 2006 and met its end in this night


Everyone left after awhile and then it was me and Jayna, and after we went back to Arlene Grocery, we wandered the Lower East Side being loud and obnoxious, getting on motorcycles and singing to the masses, made it up to Sing Sing in the East Village before getting pizza in Union Square and calling it a night.

Sunday for me was spent sleeping in, a big breakfast, and watching Seinfeld before I headed out to Queens for dinner at Ronnie's place. After getting LOST (WHY is there a 72 Ave, 72 Rd and 72 Dr ALL RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER!?) we had a great dinner with dessert and tea over Korean dramas, the real housewives of New Jersey, and a few other select viral videos.

It has been SO FREAKIN' COLD, I am very thankful for my Skullcandy headphones that have been acting as earmuffs in the meantime.

I actually have songs from Saturday nights' show stuck in my head and have hit up ReverbNation.

And if we just give it half a chance at love
Maybe it will grow
And if we just give it half a chance at love
Maybe we can know
And we can sell it on a true romance
If we just give it half a chance
So baby take me to the floor and dance
And give it half a chance

I actually legitimately like the band now and am not just saying that because I know someone in it! (Below is my coworker on the right, and his brother as lead singer on the left)



44 days and counting...

The Countdown Is On

...until I'm back home for the holidays!

I'm excited for the holiday season, and especially to see it in all it's glory here in NYC, but I've hit a wall of slump in the city. I feel like I've gone such a long time just in the grind, and I'm really missing home, and my friends.

I'm looking forward to cruising around Riverside in the smoggy heat, visiting friends and having no curfew like it's high school again



48 days and counting...