The Original Four...

This, is a horrible picture of the 3 other couples we've become great friends with since getting married and starting in our ward here. We love these people.

Sometimes I get really nervous that we've peaked socially since we all get along so well and have the most amazing conversations. We talk about everything, stupid things, serious things, social things, important things, pointless things... and we debate and argue. 3 are medical students, 2 are teachers, 1 is a pharmacist, 1 is a legal secretary (with a teaching background) and I'm a social worker. We're all young and hopeful and think we know what's best for the world. We all share a similar-ish background and religious beliefs that flavor our conversations, but can have very different opinions. Sometimes we agree on topics, and sometimes we don't, but if we don't, we debate it. Nobody (as far as I know) gets offended if they're not agreed with and we're all willing to share our honest opinion and listen to opposing opinions. It's beautiful. Dan and I frequently will go to someone's apartment or have people over to our place intending to only stay for an hour or two and then find ourselves leaving 4 or 5 hours later.

Things are changing this next year, people leaving, coming back, leaving later. Ugh change, it drives me nuts. Just when I think I've gotten into the groove, life slams me right back into my place. But I love these guys, and we're so grateful that we've been able to make such great friends here in the city.

Sunday Brunch

On Sunday, we got an early start and came back into the city. We decided to extend our vacation time and after we dropped off the car, we went and got some Sunday Brunch. It was awesome.
Dan was ecstatic. He's always going on about how awesome Sunday brunch is.
Then we walked to Doughnut Plant via the Highline Park.
It has some great views of the city
And it gorgeous in itself
We finally got home and cranked the air conditioning up and crashed. It was an absolutely perfectly serendipitous weekend with our friends. I'm falling more and more in love with this city and keep thinking about staying just one more year. It's crazy here and has horrible weather frequently, but I'm really starting to like this kind of crazy...

New camera...

For FHE on Monday, Dan said we should go out and play with my new camera and by we I mean Maddie. It was kinda drizzling off and on so Dan was my umbrella man.

These pics are absolutely nothing. Not interesting at all, but they're the first ones in my fancy shmancy camera which makes my heart happy : )






The end.

Beach Time!

On Saturday morning, the boys wanted to go golfing and us girls found some outlets. I'm not sure what the guys were thinking about dropping us off on our own at an outlet mall, but Ashley and I sure had fun! Afterward, we all went back to the beach. This time Ashley and I got out into the waves too. We all had fun jumping in the waves and body surfing. East coast definitely has more intense waves than I thought it would have. Jonathan and I both got scraped up and we were all exhausted after.
Ashley looooooooves the beach and was thoroughly enjoying herself.
Um this was our car. Yes that would be a Crown Victoria, which is a taxi cab in NYC. It was like being in a boat and had the biggest trunk you have ever seen in your life.
That night we went out to dinner at a restaurant at the Nautical Mile in Freeport. We got mussels, crab cakes and fish and chips. Very yummy.
There was a live band playing out on the water too which was fun but made conversation a bit difficult.
Then we ended with a late showing of Captain America. It's a decent-ish movie. I never complain when there's ample eye-candy. We were definitely tired after all the beach time and staying out way past our bedtime.

Amber is the color of your energy...

This weekend was amazing. Out of this world perfect. There was a heat wave in NYC and we had already planned to go out to Long Island and do some beach relaxation with our amigos the Doctors Hansen. On Friday we met up around mid-day and used a rental car to get the heck out of the concrete jungle, cause it was dang hot! We went straight to Jones Beach and it was breezey and cool, perfect for laying out. Then we went back to the parking lot to begin our tailgating before the Sublime and 311 concert.

Dan had seen this little grill at Rite Aid and immediately became intrigued. So intrigued he insisted on buying it to try it out.
Surprisingly it worked! Check out those manly men with their ity bity cutesy wootsy grill : )
Ashley and I stood around (cause we didn't think to bring chair to tailgate--smart I know) and waited for some grub.
Then we went to the Sublime/311 concert. The venue was really cool. The stage was built up out over the water and was breezey also.
The doctors
The social servants
Then 311 got ready to come on. I thought everyone had been smoking pot during Sublime, but once 311 came on... woooooooweeeee!
Dan was thoroughly enjoying everyone's attempt to hot box the open air theater
It was a fun throw back to high school kind of concert
Good times with good friends!

Yesterday...

Yesterday I turned a quarter of a century. I think I never really imagined what anything past 24 would feel like because that was so old.

But it's not. But it is. I think maybe I peaked too early. I've lived away from home (like at least a 12 hour drive or 1.5 hour flight away) for 7 years now. I've lived abroad in a foreign country. I've lived in NYC. I've earned my bachelors and masters degree. I've worked for a few years in my field. I've been married a couple of years. I've traveled around in Europe a bit. I've gone on tropical vacations... I know there's so much more, but what??

I'm trying to come up with a 25 while 25 list. We'll see how that goes and how it motivates me to think of new things to do (or repeat and improve old things). In the meantime, I got some awesome presies I have to brag about.


1. An awesome cupcakes around the country book
2. An earring organizer (I have lots!)
3. An absolutely perfect for summer white coach wristlet! Love!
4. A big fancy camera!!!! I've been dreaming of one for years. And now I can finally join the gallons of people who have a fancy camera but aren't photogs. Embarrassing but awesome!
5. A bank account set up by the mister fully loaded and labeled "European vacation." yup! We're gonna party it up euro style so we can show our future offspring that we weren't completely lame. Now I get to pick the countries (do I want to finish seeing what I missed before? Or go someplace completely new?) and figure out when, where, and how without Mr. T complaining about me spending money. Yay!

I had an absolutely fabulous day. Dan and I also went to a fancy dinner which I'll post about later. Everyone made me feel so special. It was one of my favorite birthdays in a while. : ) thank you!

Dear New York,

We've had a love/hate relationship over the past 3 years haven't we? When I first got here, you were so exciting and new...but you were overwhelming and too new and I just wanted "normal" sometimes. And NYC you are anything but normal.
I went to school and did the "single" (kinda, not really, but I pretend) thing and then Dan-o and I got married. But I hated my job, which I mostly took out on you. Because well, you tend to collect a large number of people, which means a large number of truly amazing people but also a large number of absolute crazies. And they drove me crazy personally, every single day. It made me cry a lot, and made Dan wonder who in the world he'd married.

Then I got a new job and felt like I was a normal person again. I didn't hate you so much because you didn't thrust your smelly armpits in my face every single day when I visited unhappy families. And I got used to the running around and having to spend too much time doing errands that should only take a little bit of time. The running around kept me a little healthier and made me more efficient in my errand running (and forced me to buy less!). It was a blessing really.
But now, we talk about leaving you. Someday in the future that's closing in fast and taking forever all at the same time. And I try to imagine myself in the suburbs that I've yearned for, the car, the grocery stores with aisles big enough for two carts let alone one, the malls full of stores in one convenient location full of air conditioning, washer and dryer in my apartment, a dishwasher, CLOSETS!!

And I hate it sometimes. It seems so ordinary after being here.
I haven't taken advantage of you enough. You offer so much, too much really. But that's what makes you amazing. That's why everyone wants to be here, because you pack us all in and love us in each of our own special ways because you have something for everyone. You take us all and you force us to fall in love with you and how special you make us feel.

So I love you and I hate you. I love you for loving me and giving me an amazing experience, but I hate you for loving me and spoiling me for any other city.

It's all so dull without you and too bright with you.

loves/hate,

Maddie

Maiwaige... a dweam wiffin a dweam

On 7/11/11 Dan-o and I celebrated the big TWO! That's right, we've been hitched a whole two years. And I still love this mug...
We went out on the Saturday before and went to Grano Trattoria for dinners. I forgot what amazing, made daily, fresh pasta they have. Below you will see a grainy, dimly lit, iphone photo for evidence of this amazing-ness. But really, you should get pasta there.
Then we went and saw a show at the Village Vanguard. Dan loves jazz and I enjoy jazz with him. Village Vanguard's kind of a big deal in the jazz club scene too. So it was nice and intimate and jazzy.
Waiting in line outside. We decided to be real New Yorkers and went to the 11pm show which meant we had dinner at 9:30pm (I had a peanut butter and apple for a snack much earlier of course).
I really like that boy still. Year two was pretty easy. We both liked our jobs more, we were settled in NYC, we got a puppy dog to satiate my need for excessive cuddling (puppy dog which Dan definitely does more work for at present), and were pretty solidly settled into us. I love this man, and I love the person I am and have become since saying yes to him.

Thanks Danny for loving me and choosing me over and over, even when I act like I should be in Bellevue.

I like you. A lot.

4th of July, NC style

Over 4th of July weekend, Dan-o and I went out to North Carolina to hang with my cousins and Aunt and Uncle. Then Dan stayed for the rest of the week to spend time with his aunt and uncle who live about 10 minutes away from mine.

While we were there, I got a little crazy with the whole Southern decadence thing. So my little Kater-tot and I made this...
Yes that would be a layer of cookie dough, a layer of oreos, and a layer of brownies. We served it with ice cream and hot fudge. It was pretty awesome.

The whole weekend was filled with fireworks (except for the actual 4th because of a big ole storm). We went and watched this awesomeness...


And then enjoyed some home style fireworks on Sunday evening.
It was a fun weekend. Thanks for letting us come and play Parrish clan!

Rise and shine!

How did this become my normal wake up time?

My commute takes an hour that's how. Public transportation can be awesome (yay two hours of reading each day) it can also stink (literally and figuratively) especially when I have to get up that early to get in a 40 minute run.

But it does make me feel rather hard core : )

Big Apple BBQ

Back in June, we went to the Big Apple BBQ with some of our bestie couple friends. Scott was very excited and had the awesome skip to the front of the line punch holes in your tag dealio which he generously shared with us so we could all enjoy the BBQ goodness that much faster
Those ribs were ridiculous. We may have gotten them twice
Tender times in the rain. My bum was completely soaked by the end
Los Hombres with Scott's magic card
The Ashlies and I tried to hold down our little blanket area...
But the rain became too much and we were kicked off the grass.
We of course then waited in line for almost 2 hours to get the fried pie which was totally overrated. HOWEVER! the Blueberry Crisp with ice cream from Blue Smoke (a NYC restaurant which is being featured during this restaurant week!) was AMAZING! Best crisp I've ever had hands down!!!! The berries were extra small and they hadn't all burst like you normally wait for when you make a crisp. It was so perfectly delicious and we made everyone in the stupid fried pie line jealous by scarfing it down in line as fast as possible.

It was a fun filled, yummy, rainy day with our friends. Yay!

The little things...

Do you see that? That little red with black polka dots on top of the organic sticker? Yes that would be a ladybug in the salad box. I love those little NYC surprises : )