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 : )