No Pain No Gain...This New Year

So yesterday I officially embarked on a new phase in my life: my life with a personal trainer. I've wanted one for a while, but now I finally went for it because I just don't feel like I'm getting anywhere with working out, and I've lost definition and gained weight. YUCK. I thought this was happening because I've been so busy the past few years with vet school and my internship. Plus, ever since my knees went bad, I have not been able to do things like running, which was a sure thing for me to shed weight. But now I have time to work out and I still don't see results. So I signed up with a trainer I've been eying for a while at my gym, and she's excellent so far! She's a spunky, petite Muay Thai kick boxer and personal trainer. She kicked my ass yesterday. We started with push ups, sit ups, punches and kicks using a weight bag and targets, then arms and chest. It was so painful and exhausting it was great. I could not keep up and I so wanted to stop a certain points...but she didn't back down and made me continue. I'm really excited, and hopefully this is going to pay off. I'm so sore and painful right now...the kind of post workout pain I haven't felt since pre season training for field hockey back in the day! YA! In terms of our New Year's plans, we're going to meet my sisters for dinner, then Marcus and I are headed off to Pacha for some superclub party action. Happy New Year!

Addendum: Walmartians

Okay, maybe you've seen this website, but I randomly receive emails from a previous co-worker with entertaining photos of people shopping in Walmart. And trust me, it's entertaining. Just wanted to share this site in the event you weren't enlightened.

Sore Spots and Residual Itching

Tantalizing title, right? Well don't worry it's not that bad. Since returning from Trinidad almost two weeks ago, I'm still itching my legs where I was bitten by mosquitoes...a great souvenir. And they're all scabbed up so it looks like I have a scary skin disease. And then the sore spot: the weird, large stack of plastic boxes we have sitting in our living room. The stack is over five feet high! When we moved from our vermin laden apartment to this one, we were advised to use plastic boxes to deter certain vermin from hitching a ride and setting up shop in our new apartment. Well, we have not gotten around to figuring out what to do with these things...we don't have any storage available to us in our building...but we don't want to just toss them. We did spend over $500 on these stupid things, and we could just use them again. But it's sad when you're so used to something sitting in a room, you don't remember it's there...and they've been sitting there for four months!

Trinidad in Summary

In summary, we had a good time in Trinidad. We got to see family, the sights, and we got to eat good food. I'd definitely come back for Carnival, and if I could, I'd definitely check out Tobago. So we finally headed home on a (delayed) afternoon flight back to New York City. On the plane I watched "500 Days of Summer" and "Nothing Like the Holidays"...both of which I enjoyed, the latter more of a guilty pleasure. We got home that night, and the following day I had to work. Then the crazy snowstorm hit! I think my favorite moment of that entire trip was watching the dolphins approach our boat. That was amazing. As you can see I've included an obligatory unflattering to Michelle (but seriously cute-n-cuddly Gustaf) photo. I'm always happy to be home to be with Gustaf!

Finally the Beach on Day Four!

This was beach day. We went to Maracas Beach, a popular beach on Trinidad. It was a beautiful day and there was no way you could wade and frolic in these waters...the waves were so powerful, I wished I knew how to surf. It was crazy. And crazy fun. Marcus took full advantage and was diving under the waves. Me? Well I was in some skimpy bikini, and at least the ladies can vouch for me: when waves hit, bikinis come off. And I didn't feel like playing that game every time a huge wave came my way. So I played in the big waves for a while, but then had to retire to the smaller, more bikini friendly ones. I also learned that the stray (or seemingly stray) dogs of Trinidad are picky---you'd think they'd take any food you had to offer. Well multiple times I only had peanut butter and guava jelly sandwiches, and it was a no go! They turned their noses up to it. Speaking of food, we got to experience a local favorite, and a good one! We had bake n shark sandwiches. Yummy, deep fried fish in a deep fried bread. So good. What's funny is that this beach wasn't huge, yet every 25 feet there seemed to be another bake n shark shack...literally there were 8 places for this stuff. After the beach fun, we headed back home and the in laws threw a little cocktail party. It was quite the international affair, as most of their neighbors are like them, foreigners working on the island. We met a bunch of people. Then later that night we went out with my party queen mother in law to a dance club. And yes, I danced with her to some bumping music as Marcus drank. Fun, but somewhat surreal, too...And Marcus isn't trying to vomit or anything in the photo---we're eating the bake n shark and was making faces. The food was good, trust me!

Day Four: Bird Conservatory

On day three we headed up the mountains on quite a perilous little road trip with all these crazy twists and turns, and almost car accidents, to reach a wildlife center called the Asa Wright Nature Centre. We saw tons of wildlife: hummingbirds (close up feeding!), agoutis (I love these things), lizards, and tons of other native birds, plants, and trees. Apparently, bird watching is the number one tourist attraction in Trinidad---who knew?! After quietly watching a handful of exotic birds (and those cuddly agoutis) feed as we watched from a veranda, we went on a guided tour on one of the trails. It was great fun, except for the annoying New York couple who kept asking the guide annoying, repetitive questions that had nothing to do with anything...and no I wasn't talking about me and Marcus!

Day Three: Boat Trip

Agnetha booked us a private boat trip around Trinidad. It was beautiful. We toured the periphery of the island, saw Venezuela in the distance, and got dropped off at a small lagoon type beach. Having said that, if you really want a nice beach, we've been told you need to go to Tobago, which we couldn't fit into our trip. I wouldn't return to that little lagoon type beach again, because there was some litter. But anyway, in the midst of our little boat chugging through the water, we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of a bunch of dolphins! It was amazing...I've never seen wild dolphins before. They were very curious and swimming right under and next to the boat. I love dolphins!

Day Two: The City of Port of Spain

On our second day of our trip to Trinidad, we went into the city. We found very narrow city streets, tons of people, and tons of cars. My mother in law, Agnetha, had told me about a wonderful fabric store in town, so we headed there. I found beautiful African inspired cotton fabrics...I think I'll sew some pillow covers or duvet covers with them. It was so busy in that store, it wasn't funny! What else wasn't funny? How good some of the local food was...let's say by the end of the trip I developed some personal favorites...cassava pone, coconut bake, and bake n shark. Hubba hubba. Oh and can't forget to mention the ubiquitous roti!

Back to the Beginning: Family Visit, then Trinidad

So prior to our trip to Trinidad to visit Marcus' side of the family, his sister Mimmi, and her girlfriend Sara came to New York for a brief, but fun visit. Lots of good food, lots of shopping. Then at the end of their visit, Marcus and I headed to Trinidad to stay with his mom and step father. They have been living there for the past year (his step dad lives abroad in a bunch of countries for his job). We finally arrived in sunny, warm Trinidad after some drama on the plane (passengers complaining, which lead to the entire plane having to exit the plane for another...) Day one we hung out around the apartment complex's gorgeous pool and took a drive up the mountains to get some great views of the city, Port of Spain. We were also there when the in-laws had other visitors from Sweden there, so we were hanging out with them, too. The pool's nice, right?

Major Back Tracking!

AAHH!!! Finally we've uploaded some images that I've been wanting to use for my blog...so we're going to be doing a little back in time action for a short while... First: Happy Holidays! Marcus and I went to my parents' house for Christmas...good food, good people, good times. My old friend Jindallrae made it to the party, too! It was good to see her...I hadn't seen her in at least a year. Yesterday I met up with Stephen for brunch at 7A, then to watch "Broken Embraces", an Almodovar flick, at Sunshine Theatre. I had a great time because we got to catch up. It's a bummer that we both live in NYC, but we don't see each other as often as I'd like. I want to change that...Anyway, I recently bought this hat which I lovingly refer to as the "baboushka"...and here it is in all its faux fur glory! Check out the photo above! And what did Santas Marcus and Gustaf get me for Christmas??? An iPhone 3GS, baby...ya! And what am I going to give myself? Probably a personal trainer...I need it!

Gotta Check In

It's been a while since I last blogged...Marcus and I went to Trinidad to visit his parents, who live there in Port of Spain. We're in the midst of downloading the photos from the trip. It was a lot of fun. Then as soon as we got home, the big snow storm hit New York! And now Christmas is upon us! So I plan to get all my retrospective blogs in order regarding the trip as soon as possible!

Sunday Night...Monday Morning

Yesterday I met up with a friend to eat at a brunch spot in Nolita. Then that night, Marcus and I checked out the Rangers vs. Redwings game at MSG. It was fun watching with him. The home team didn't win, though. But I love hockey--whether it's field, ice, or floor hockey. Yesterday we signed up for Zipcar. And I was prompted to enter in my driver's license. I reached for it, and found that my license was expired! Augh! What did that mean??? I would have to possibly go to the dreaded DMV. We if you ever have to go to the DMV in Manhattan, I'd strongly recommend the Downtown office on Greenwich Street. I got there when they opened...and I was in and out of there in less that 30 minutes! The rest of the day I spend packing for our upcoming trip to Trinidad and Tobago, and I went to get my eyebrows threaded at a place near J&R. It was a really good place---Saifra had recommended it.

Still Sugar Free

It's been two weeks since I started using Splenda...it's okay. Getting used to it. So This past week was Thanksgiving. Marcus' friend Matt, from Canada, came to visit. The three of us went to my parents' house to spend Thanksgiving. It was good times and good food. Marcus and Matt checked out this steak house called Fette Sau, in my former neighborhood, Williamsburg. They really liked it. I joined them to eat at Macao Trading Company, a new restaurant down here in Tribeca. It was pretty good food. This is random, but I just saw a pretty laughable commercial...a PSA. Although it conveys a great message, it's pretty funny...check it out! Oh, and then there's the same PSA made specially for Chanukkah! What's the plan for the rest of the week? Well, this weekend Marcus and I are watching a Rangers game at MSG, and hopefully watching some good movies.

No More Sugar

I love it SWEET--and I mean really sweet. But my 5 sugars in a cup of coffee is probably not the best thing for me. So I am trying to do the whole Splenda thing...it's been 48 hours of Splenda, and I guess it's okay. I think it tastes pretty nasty, but supposedly I'll get used to it. AUGH! And then there's the velvet cake I made (note I didn't say RED velvet)...and why is that? Because we got the red food coloring dye from Whole Foods...and once again proof that this whole organic thing may not always be the best! Don't get me wrong, Whole Foods has its place, but I don't buy that it's God's gift to grocery shopping. Well, the red dye didn't work at all. But the cake was pretty good anyway! Just not that satisfying deep red color the cake should be. So this past Saturday night Marcus and I checked out a local bar-lounge at the hip Smyth Hotel. I even had a drink! I even finished it! Then Sunday I met up with Terry-a and we brunch at The Odeon. That night Marcus and I watched "Lymelife". It was pretty good, I thought: Long Island in the 70's, a highly dysfunctional family, and people dealing with a Lyme Disease scare.

Feeling Self Conscious?

This past weekend I brunched with Terry-a and Saifra in the meat packing district. That was a good time; I also purchased a babushka-type faux fox fur hat for the winter. A little over the top, but hey, it'll work! During the past few months Marcus has hinted that our modest Aquos plasma TV is way too small. I never really had a problem with it, I'm not obsessed with having huge TV's or anything. But recently Stephen was asking me whether we were going to upgrade our TV, and then at brunch I brought it up and let's just say Terry-a got open! She had never let me know her real feelings on our little TV. She told me it's way too small and we need to upgrade. THEN Stephen tells me he just bought a 46" plasma TV...so all this prompted me to rethink this whole TV thing. Marcus is thrilled---we'll probably have a new TV within the next few weeks...Yesterday was a busy day because I took my spinning class which kicked my ass, then later that day I met Marcus in the East Village to eat at Curry-ya. Today I hit the gym and did a bunch of errands...and then I splurged and bought myself a new North Face jacket. Let's see how it looks when it arrives. Oh, randomly I got an email from my new dentist, who asked me to follow the practice on Twitter! That's craziness. And I'm sorry, but "Twitter" sounds like a dirty word for a female body part!

Brushing Teeth and New Interests

Today I went to the gym in our building, made some grilled cheese, and caught up on my beloved Queer As Folk episodes. I sadly finished the last episode of the first season, and I have to wait a few days to get the next disc...augh! Tonight Marcus and I brushed Gustaf's (our sweetie pie cat child) teeth...and yes, we brush his teeth every other day! I recently became a Big Apple Greeter volunteer and I have my first assignment this weekend showing some out-of-towners around Greenwich Village for a couple of hours. Anyway, my latest mini-obsession is the newest model of Nespresso machines...we have the Le Cube, which we love, but I'm really digging the Citiz model in milky white!

That Good Vomit

So today I went to the gym and took a spinning class. I usually push myself as much as I can, but today I was especially inspired. The instructor was great, and I was willing to go for the gusto! So much so that at the end of class there was a split moment in which I felt that I almost wanted to vomit. And I haven't worked out so hard that I've felt like I had to vomit in a LONG time---like years. Well it's good I didn't. Then I headed to Bloomie's down in Soho to buy some coffee pods for our Nespresso Le Cube. I bought a salad and went home. Then tonight I met with my longtime friend and college roommate at a Flatiron restaurant and caught up. It was great seeing her and she has some exciting things going on these days...including an upcoming trip to Buenos Aires!

A Weekend of Culture

I worked Halloween, and then didn't feel so good that night, which was a shame because I really wanted to go to the parade, and I was supposed to go to a get together with Marcus. I ended up watching "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" for literally the 10th time. But I LOVE that movie...it's so funny! Yesterday I went to the ballet at City Center and watched a production by the Wheeldon Company, and it was incredible. I was invited by the oncologist I used to work with, who also happens to be a former professional ballet dancer. So I figured if she thought it was going to be good, it was! Then I met with Marcus and some of his friends at Aquavit and enjoyed some yummy food. Two of his friends flew in from Sweden to run the New York City Marathon. Plans for today include: hit the gym, pick up Gustaf's food from the pet store, buy some groceries, and watch a movie or some TV.

Day Off and Now Back to Great Adventure...

Marcus configured the printer so I could scan in the amusing photo that was taken of Dani, my friend and future veterinary surgeon, and myself as we screamed it up on the Great American Scream Machine at Six Flags Great Adventure. So this past weekend, I headed over to New Jersey and Dani picked me up at the train station. We headed to Great Adventure to indulge in our common love of the thrill ride. But Dani I must say, is a connoisseur...She knew the rides inside out, and was the brains behind strategically choosing which rides to go to, and how to maximize our time, with the help of the Flash Pass, which I highly recommend. Anyway, we ended up on the Great American Scream Machine, as I mentioned, Batman The Ride, Bizzaro (complete with spontaneously combusting fireballs), Kingda Ka, Rolling Thunder (a throwback wooden coaster that I swear came off the tracks, creaking the whole time and jacking up my neck!), and my favorite of the day: El Toro. And I would not expect that...Dani was raving about El Toro, but I was skeptical because it's a wooden coaster...and how thrilling can that be?!?! Well I love rides that freak me out and the drop on that sucker was ridiculous. Because as much as I love the upside down coasters, it's all about the drop and feeling like you're going to fall out of your seat. El Toro definitely delivers that! Kingda Ka's claim to fame is that it's the fastest and highest coaster in the world...and it's a marvel of physics, but it's literally over in 5 seconds. And you literally go vertical at like 125 MPH, then drop vertically. Although it was CRAZY how fast we went upwards (seriously)...the drop was so fast, it was like nothing happened! So much so, I argue that people who are scared of roller coaster may actually do well on this ride. Well what's up for today? I may cook biscuits...I love biscuits. I stumbled upon this site that seemed to speak to me: Cooking For Engineers. They break things down in pseudo anal retentive detail, which a girl like me can appreciate. Now let's see if these recipes are actually any good...

Backwards Blog

Yesterday I went to Six Flags Great Adventure...which was great fun! But until I figure out how to scan in a photo from that excursion (we have a new printer), I'll hold off until then. As for now, I think I finally found my salad spot! Since Wegman's in Ithaca, I've longed for great salads...and even though we're in New York City, I've always had problems with the salads here...good ingredients, but way too many salad leaves, not enough other stuff. So I took a short walk over to this little cafe called Peace & Love in Tribeca...and I got the Machu Picchu salad (sans the raisins)...it has mixed greens, goat cheese, palm hearts, dried cranberries, aioli, and vinaigrette. absolutely delicious and not too much in the way of leaves. Of course I'll never see the prices or the variety of toppings I saw in Wegman's, but I'll take it! As I've said before, if you've never experienced the design it yourself salads there, you've missed out...

Lovin' It!

So just another plug for the US version of "Queer as Folk"...I'm loving it...I'm obsessed with it and only on season one! Well, that's how I spent my day off yesterday. Watching that show, then finding old re-runs of it on the LOGO channel. I also watched the movie "Towelhead", which is about a Lebanese American teenage girl. She deals with her difficult parents and her budding sexuality, as well as racist remarks from her classmates and neighbors. It was good, but I could live with never watching it again. The other night I got a pleasant surprise from Terry-a while I was at work...she dropped off some food! It was great. Well two more work days, then the ever popular weekend....oh, those weekends...

Weekend Summary

This past weekend I had a bit of fun...at around 11:15PM on Saturday night, it crossed my mind, after watching some "Queer As Folk" episodes, that I needed to go out! By the way, that's a great show...I started watching the American version, and now I'm hooked. Those guys know how to party: crazy clubbing, crazy hot sex, like all the time. Ya! Well, Marcus wasn't game to go out with such short notice...so I texted Terry-a, not thinking twice she'd actually respond. But by a miracle, we ended up in some Japanese all night food joint in the East Village. It was fun getting out. The next morning Marcus and I watched a matinee of "Couples Retreat" and it was pretty funny. We then brunched at Forge, down in our neighborhood and it was delicious. Highly recommended. Today I went to the gym, and received a leather clutch I had ordered through Etsy...Love it, and I love this guy's stuff. All original leather designs, and they're beautiful and affordable. Also highly recommended: De Lacy. Check it out...he has his own website, and he's on Etsy.

Long Time No See

Today Caroline was kind enough to drive into the city from Westchester to pick me and Gustaf up and trek to Long Island to see the veterinary dentist. I saw something in Gustaf's mouth, and I wanted the specialist to take a look. It was fine, thank God! Then Caroline dropped me off and I watched Dr. Oz and Oprah. After, I headed to the village to meet up with Hillary---and I had not seen her in 7 years or so! Crazy! We ate at Patsy's on University Place and it was great seeing her! She's a big shot shoe designer, which is pretty cool. She travels tons for work, but I'm hoping we see each other sometime soon...I mean, damn, we've known each other for about 29 years! DAMN!

The Plight of the Thick Legged Girl and Double Features

Today I went to the movies with Stephen, and I love watching movies with him because you can always learn something and you can get schooled on the ways of seamlessly watching one movie, then slipping into another! Well that's what we did, with some shameless flicks: "Jennifer's Body" and "Sorority Row"...so today was teeny bopper horror flick day. "Jennifer's Body"--that was good, ridiculous fun...on the other hand, I would file "Sorority Row" under "so bad it was entertaining". And I got to rock my knee high black boots with my denim leggings...and hopefully stretch them out a bit...because, as some of my girlfriends can attest to, I have issues thanks to my calves. I'm lucky if I can get boots over them. And this whole over the knee high boots? LOVE it, but let's face it, if it's this hard for me to find knee high boots to fit me, how the f$ck will I find over the knee ones that fit me?!?! Anyway, came home and the new floor lamp we bought finally arrived. We jacked Terry'a and Steve's style and got the same one they have, but we got their blessing.

Coffee Mugs N Biscuits

Last night I finally got word that the diner coffee mugs we've been waiting for (weeks) are finally back in stock. So this morning I headed up to Fishs Eddy to get them. Our new thing is getting plates, bowls, and mugs that are durable and chip proof. We previously got bowls from Fishs Eddy and they're great. Then I picked up some buttermilk to make a biscuit recipe I've been waiting to make. Well, the recipe is a good one; I'd recommend it. I got it from the Martha Stewart Show the other day. It's a fairly easy recipe. And who doesn't love biscuits?! I once tried a recipe that had lard, and that was a big mistake. It was really hard to work with lard, and the recipe wasn't really clear on how to do each step. So I was kinda bummed after that. Other than that, I feel like Jabba the Hut or something...I have a huge pimple on my face, and it's horrible and going nowhere in the soon future. I'm 34, yet still dealing with this stuff. My facialist constantly tells me that I should be happy for my skin type because I'll wrinkle much later in life...times like this I try to remind myself of that!

Te Quiero....Apartamento mio

Yes, I love our place…I don’t know about you, but I love to love my home. I love being at home…and everyday when I’m walking back home I’m reminded of the great neighborhood and great apartment we live in. A long cry from our previous place just a couple of months ago. And the guy in the photo…who’s he? Read on…you’ll see…Well today was a good day for me. Although I didn’t do anything too exciting, I hung out at home, spoke with Stephen, and caught up on some chores I had to do. I watched “The Red Shoe Diaries”, an old movie starring David Duchovny. Being a hard core “X-Files” and “Californication” fan, I had to get my history straight. Well history proved itself: this soft core-esque movie was pretty damn bad! Ha ha. Then I watched Oprah and the show was about inspirational true stories. And there was a piece about the rock band Journey. Although I’m not a Journey fan, I did always think that Steve Perry, the former lead singer, had an amazing voice with crazy range. Well, anyway, the group found their newest lead singer by finding him on a you tube video…and it turns out the guy, Arnel Pineda, was a Filipino in Manila, who grew up in poverty and sang in bands around the Philippines and Hong Kong, only to be discovered randomly on the internet. So inspirational…and he can belt a tune! And it reminds me of how much I really need to go back to the motherland (the Philippines)...and introduce the hubby to it...

More Cheesy Movies!

Today Marcus and I headed up to Westchester to visit my parents. We ate lobster, which was absolutely delicious. When we got back to our apartment, I stumbled upon a horrible little gem, "My Bollywood Bride". Why horrible? Let's just say this is a serious guilty pleasure, a la "If Looks Could Kill" starring Antonio Sabato, Jr. But I like Bollywood stuff, and it did have a cheesy forbidden love theme, which I'm a sucker for. The problem was horrible acting and a seriously weak storyline. But who cares, right? It reminded me of how much I really love saris...talk about the sexiest, most stunning outfits, in my opinion. I wish I had a reason to wear a sari...Hmm I wonder what I'll do tomorrow (I'm off on Mondays)...maybe more movies, get my eyebrows threaded, watch some Dr. Oz and Oprah...

Sex, Drugs, and Rock N Roll are Back!

Tonight I watched the season premiere of one of my favorites, "Californication". I must admit if I had an alter ego, it would be great, in a self destructive, crazy intense way, to take part in the madness of that kind of world: getting drunk and high whenever, partying hardcore, and just going about your business and not giving a f$ck! So self indulgent, it's kinda easy to romanticize it...Is that wrong of me to say? Well the rest of my weekend I spent watching flicks at home, cleaning the apartment, and brunching with Terry-a at Yuca Bar in Alphabet City. What flicks did I see? I watched "The Burning Plain", which was a recommendation from Terry-a, I watched "Boomerang" literally three times this weekend because it was on TV, and I admit I watched "Made of Honor" the other night, because there was nothing else on TV.

What's Just Plain Wrong

Today Marcus is traveling to Sweden to visit friends and family. Although I'm happy that he gets to visit home, I always get bummed when he goes away. I always look forward to coming home to him and Gustaf, especially when I'm stressed out after work. But he'll have a great time, so that's good. So do you see these absurd adult Halloween costumes in the photo? The matching electrical socket and plug?!?! That reminds me of when I was in 9th grade and this guy in our class, who will remain unnamed, dressed up as a used tampon for Halloween. Yes, I know. Well---this year I really want to go to the Halloween Parade on 6th Ave in the village. I'm working that day, but I'm really hoping I can go after for a tiny bit. And I think I want to be Lara Croft (of Tomb Raider fame)or an old school flight attendant (you know those great uniforms they used to wear back in the 60's when designers used to make them?). The Lara croft outfit is probably the easiest to conjure up. I just need to buy some fake guns, knives, and holsters for the waist and thighs, I guess. Oh and seriously stuff my bra.

First Day of Fall...

And my 34th birthday! I spent it working for 13 hours, but it's all good. Got a lot of well wishes, and even a special delivery to my job: Terry-a and Seren, her baby, dropped off a card and a piece of artwork that Seren created for moi! What else is good? Well, I just bought the Chi--- a ceramic flat iron for the hair. The past year I've been battling unflattering waviness in my hair...I don't know if it's a result of having short layers in my hair, or what, but without fail the ends of my hair flip up. So first I looked into getting Japanese hair straightening done, which would render my hair stick straight. Then I found out it costs $350 - $400. Considering my problem isn't that severe, I didn't feel the need to dish out that kinda dough. So I reflected back on my friend Stacy's almost obsessiveness regarding this particular flat iron that she always swore by: the Chi. So I got one, and it really friggin' works. And it takes less than two minutes to miraculously straighten those stubborn layers. I never thought I would end up using an iron to straighten my hair?!...I had always thought I had pretty straight hair. But I guess not...

Summer's Almost Over!

Isn't this a cute photo of our sweet Gustaf sleeping on our couch? Well, this past weekend Marcus arranged for my family to come over for a pre-birthday celebration for me. Marcus cooked up an excellent citrus filled salad and a great main dish, my favorite: fish. For dessert he got me a great all chocolate layer cake from Magnolia Bakery. It was all so good. My parents finally got to see where we now live, so that was good, too. Yesterday we finally started hanging up paintings and photos in our apartment. I took a walk along the Hudson River and found the Manhattan Sailing School...I've always vowed to learn how to sail, but I checked the schedule and it looks like I'm too late for this season. So maybe next year? I had been hoping, though, that I'd learn the basics and then when Marcus and I visit my in-laws down in Trinidad-Tobago, I'd be able to assist my father in law, Janne, who's a master sailor himself. Today I watched "Sin Nombre", a well told story about about a young Mexican gang member and a young Honduran woman who cross paths and end up helping each other to try to illegally cross the American Border.

Uploading Photos=Memory Lane

I finally got around to uploading some photos from our digital camera to the computer. And I found bunch of stuff...like a photo of Marcus on the beach in Cozumel this past June that looks like an ad for who knows what...ha ha...another Cozumel shot of some of my friend Stacy's wedding party in the pool during the reception (I jumped in my bridesmaid's dress, but wow did that feel refreshing!)...a cute photo of Gustaf and Marcus...a now eerie photo of our previous kitchen in Gramercy when we had first moved in...little did we know it would be the center of our roach problems...Well I just finished watching the Oprah Show, which was about an interview she had done with Micheal Jackson years ago. It was interesting and sad. Now I'm just buying a little time until a oldie, but goodie, New York Undercover, in on TV! Do you remember that show?! I love that show!

De Ja Vu?

This morning I woke up and did some chores, I made an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon to check up on my intermittently painful knee, and I read a little. I also watched "Snow Falling on Cedars" today...and early into the film I realized that I already watched this film. Anyway, I really liked it...it's about a young reporter who is still in love with a woman, that as a young boy, he had a secret, somewhat forbidden relationship. This takes place during World War II when Japanese Americans were sent to US internment camps, and oh by the way, the young reporter is a Caucasian, and the woman he's in love with is a Japanese American. Although this film got bad reviews, one of my favorite cinematographers, Robert Richardson, shot it, and I love its melancholy, slow pace. Now I'm watching the premiere of The Dr. Oz Show.

Bettie Page

So this weekend Marcus is off to Las Vegas for a conference. I wish I could have tagged along, because I've never been there. But before he left, we watched "The Rules of Attraction" last night, what I would call a dark comedy, starring teeny bopper (Of Dawson's Creek fame) star James Van Der Beek...and I really liked it. So messed up. Marcus wasn't overly impressed by it...Well, this morning I watched the flick "The Notorious Bettie Page". Good stuff! And I've always been a little fascinated by Bettie Page, so it was interesting to see how she became THE Bettie Page. Then this afternoon I was hanging out with the oncologist from my internship, who's pretty cool, so we've kept in touch. We ate brunch in the Hell's Kitchen area, then walked around and ended up at a bar. Good times. I was trying to convince my sister Jennifer to come over this evening, sleep over, and then leave from here for work tomorrow morning...but she couldn't make it. It would have been fun to hang out and have a sleep over...and I don't have work tomorrow! YES. I think I'm going to get some chores done, watch another movie at home, and read up a little on veterinary medicine. Plus hang out with Gustaf, of course. The lighting is perfect in our new apartment...I've been taking the best pictures of him! I'll be posting them soon. Oh and the Bettie Page photo? Ya, I know, completely fierce. Perfection.

Wednesday: Big Plans

I had a half day of work (sadly the last of its kind for me...) and that's when the fun started! I headed to Loehmann's with hopes of finding something to use my 15% coupon on. No luck. Then I headed to F.I.T. to check out the Isabel Toledo exhibit. She's the designer who dressed Michelle Obama on Inauguration Day. I really didn't like that dress, so I wanted to know what other designs the woman did. And actually, they were beautiful. So it's a shame that Michelle Obama wore the outfit she did that day...I personally thought it was not very complementary on her, but I don't think I like much of what she wears anyway, unfortunately...do you remember that Inauguration gown?!?! YIKES. I feel like people either love or hate her fashion selections. Anyway. Then after checking out F.I.T., I headed home and stumbled upon what felt like hundreds of kids! I realized it was the first day of school. It was pretty funny seeing so many kids everywhere.

Big Woops!

Just a quick addendum, my last post I said it was Memorial Day Weekend, when it is in fact the Labor Day Weekend! My friend Kim was kind enough to bring that to my attention...ha ha.

Memorial Day Weekend

Aah, it's nice to have a long weekend. Yesterday Terry-a, Steve, and Seren came down to our fairly new apartment to check it out for the first time. We walked along Hudson River Park, and then Marcus cooked some pretty good chicken and waffles for dinner. Later that night Marcus and I watched "The Hangover". It was pretty amusing, and more importantly it was the first time in a year that we had actually been able to watch a movie in a theater together! Today I met up with a vet school friend of mine, Amy, who's doing a laboratory animal medicine residency here in New York City. It was great seeing her. We ate brunch at 7A, that 24-7 spot in Alphabet City. Across the street from it is Yuca Bar, and I really want to try their brunch. This afternoon Marcus and I went down to Century 21 and did a little shopping. We bought this Kalorik toaster we had been interested in (see the photo!) and some clothes. What's next in the kitchen purchasing horizon? The Chantal Bridge tea kettle in fiesta green! Tomorrow we plan to check out a museum of some kind...either the Guggenheim or the Museum of Sex...we'll see.

End of Summer...

I can't believe it's September already. Yikes! Well at least it's still warm out. For the past three weeks at my new job I've been passing a small boutique in the East Village called Elliot Mann and I've been salivating over a handbag in the window. Today I gave in and just bought it. I'm so excited! So tonight Marcus, Jennifer, Caroline, and I are going to check out this cool Met event: we're watching the Barber of Seville opera on a big HD screen. It's free and there's free seating. That should be fun. My in laws left for Sweden yesterday. It was fun seeing them and they really love animals so it makes it a lot easier in terms of having them in our apartment. Gustaf had a lot of fun with them while they were here, and even scored some cat toys out of the whole deal.

Visitors from Sweden

Yesterday Marcus' father, step mom, and little brother Jesper arrived for a short visit. It's been so long since I've seen them, so it's nice to have some time to spend with them. Last night we walked around our neighborhood, and this morning I walked around with them. Marcus met up with them later to take them around Rockefeller Center. In the meantime, I headed back home because I've been so tired and I needed to mentally prepare myself for going back to work tomorrow (yuck!). So I grabbed some very good food from this Mexican joint here in Tribeca called "The Bigger Place". Apparently they serve breakfast daily, and they have huevos rancheros...so I'm excited! I inquired about huevos divorciados, and the man at the counter schooled me on the fact that divorciados really isn't a traditional Mexican dish, but something someone made up in order to be able to cook something with the two distinct sauces that make it so great. Oh well, I don't care...it still tastes so good! This weekend we plan to go up to Westchester with Marcus' family. We'll eat some lunch with my family and maybe check out Chef Central.

Day Off: Always a Beautiful Thing

Today was my day off...so I started it with some sit ups, then I did my purchase and return rounds around lower Manhattan. First I went to Topshop to return a romper I had bought. I like it, but I had found one that I like better at Anthropologie so I got that one. Then I went to Filene's Basement to return a Fall dress (I blogged about it recently) because on second inspection, and with Marcus' input, it really wasn't working for me. Then I headed to midtown to meet Koh for lunch at Chiyoda. That was fun because I hadn't seen him in forever. Last night I met up with Chantima, my NYU roommate and long time friend, who I, too, had not seen in a really long time. That was great. It's so nice to be back in the city and back in the loop. One thing that has been urking me for a while is the whole knee high boots with a skirt trend. I love that look, but what I don't get is how girls are rocking this in 90 degree weather. It's not right! I mean when it's this hot, less is more, right???

Tuesday Afternoon

Today I worked a half day. And it went pretty well. Phew. I had back to back appointments and I wondered between learning the ropes of this new clinic and messing up on the computer, whether I'd be completely behind. After work I went to Union Square. I ended up buying a Fall dress from Filene's Basement. Then I headed to Petco to try to get a sisal scratching post for Gustaf. I finally made it home, and needed to rehydrate. I unwillingly filled glass of orange juice from the 365 Organic brand by Whole Foods. YUCK! We had just moved in last week when we had not figured out where all the grocery stores were, so we found a Whole Foods and just got their brand. Well don't do it! Talk about grade D oranges. And I like Whole Foods, but I do think it's overrated. They have some really great stuff, but it's really overpriced. But don't get me wrong, I'm glad it exists...I just can't imagine doing our weekly grocery shopping there.

Monday Blues...

I got home from work not too long ago...and today wasn't the greatest day for me. Sometimes I feel like all I do is "start over" from school, to job, to job...and it gets exhausting. But anyway, I got home and saw Gustaf, the feline love of my life, and everything was fine once again. Speaking of which, he's adjusting quite nicely to our new place. He has great views from our windows! Then Marcus, my human love of my life, came home from work, so life is good again, too. So I rediscovered one of my favorite, but addictive websites...the NYC Restaurant Inspection website. Just plug in your favorite restaurants if you dare and find out if there have been any violations. Good stuff. Well, tomorrow I work a half day and then hopefully my sisters are stopping by to check out the new place. We're 90% unpacked, so at least it's presentable.

So, From the Beginning...

So regarding our moving into our apartment in Gramercy, then one month later moving to another place downtown...the plan was to move into the place up in Gramercy, have five weeks of rest and relaxation prior to starting my new job, and all that good stuff. What really happened? Long story short we moved into a pre-existing roach problem. And one month of many maintenance visits, exterminators, caulking, and ripping out cabinets didn't change a thing. Oh, not to mention developing a lot of stress, anxiousness, and not eating. Marcus and I were not happy to say the least. Finally, then let us out of the lease, for a hefty price. But hey, we're out, right? And now, so far, we're loving our new place. And the neighborhood is wonderful! Today I walked along Hudson River Park (we live right off the Battery Park City Esplanade), and then took a quick 10 minute walk to Century 21 to buy a bag for work. I also watched this not so great, but watchable movie called "The List"...I'd say if it's a Sunday afternoon and you need something to watch, then go for it. Wayne Brady was in it...and that reminds me of one of my absolute favorite Dave Chappelle skits with Wayne Brady! Last night Marcus and I met up with his long time friend from Sweden, Sung Mee, and her boyfriend, Raul. We met at South Street Seaport, then we ended up across the river in the Vinegar Hill section of Brooklyn. Raul knew of this restaurant called Vinegar Hill House, and it was pretty damn good food...except for the bitchy waitress! We ate this great dessert called Guinness Chocolate Cake...so rich, not too sweet...yum! I need to try baking it one of these days...when we got home, I started to watch the Mexican flick "Y Tu Mama Tambien", but fell asleep...I want to watch the rest of it, though.

What Really Happened the Past Month: The Official Story

So where have I been the past month??? It's a LONG story. We just moved again, and now we're in the Tribeca/Battery Park City area. So far it's great. What I plan to do is to blog on our adventures and misadventures to catch us up to the present day. I'll keep you updated and from now on, I plan to be back on the blog wagon, because I've missed it so!

One of the Few on the Filipino Frontier

Last night I met Marcus after work and we ended up eating at a small hole in the wall type restaurant that caught our eye because it always seemed busy, but we didn't know anything about it. It's called Grill 21. And it turned out to serve Filipino food! And pretty damn good Filipino food, for that matter. Because there's such a shortage of Filipino restaurants in Manahttan, and because honestly, my mom's cooking is slamming, it's really hard for me to justify eating at a Filipino restaurant in this borough. But I had the pancit palabok (rice noodles with delicious garnishes) and suman for dessert, a personal childhood favorite. It's sweet rice that's served in banana leaf and you can top it with the sweet, coconut paste. Anyway, Marcus had rice with bitter melon, eggplant, string beans, shrimp, and squash. They apparently serve breakfast, too, so I'm definitely going to check it out. You should, too!

My Weekend

So this past Friday, I went back to Westchester and got a facial from my most favorite facialist. Then super early the next morning, my sisters and I embarked on a day trip to Brimfield: the famous antiques show. If you're into antiques, you should not miss it. The show happens a few times a year. It was a long, but rewarding day and I discovered the lobster roll sandwich! Lobster is one of my favorite foods, so this was a natural for me. Yum yum. And I got a great deal on a mid century bench with chrome legs. We stumbled upon this vendor based out of Long Island who was selling all sorts of Persian and Oriental rugs, but I was really into a patchwork version they had, where they took pieces of Persian rugs and sewed them together like a quilt...it's in the photo. Then I headed back to NYC and this morning Marcus and I went to brunch at Virage down in the East Village. I then headed to the Soho area and checked out the Spanish clothing chain Desigual. Not really into it. But glad I looked into it. then I ventured to Topshop, which I did like! Had lots of funky, kinda outta control stuff, which is just up my alley. Just before hopping on the bus, I stopped into Yonnah Shimmel's for a vegetable knish. I headed home and found Marcus watched a personal favorite of ours, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall".

Gym Mishaps

Well, I've been trying to get to the gym as much as possible. This has been challenging when I've been dealing with maintenance issues in our apartment that forces me to stay here for 4-8 hours at a time waiting for people. But anyway, I went to a body sculpting class today. I've been interested in trying new things...and my beloved spinning class wasn't available at a time I was interested in. So I thought I gave myself enough time to walk to the gym, but I walked in late. Needless to say, I didn't know what was going on. I have never taken a body sculpt class, so I didn't even know what type of weights to grab, or where they were! So I hastily grabbed some weights and found a spot on the floor. It turned out to be frustrating. I couldn't see the instructor, and I had weights that were way too heavy! So next time I better show up early to prepare myself! I really like my gym, but I wish they had Bikram Yoga. You do yoga poses in a room that's heated to about 100 degrees F. I love it, and better yet, the instructor doesn't even do the poses with you, he or she meticulously explains what poses you have to do and it's clear enough that from day one you can feel as though you're actively participating. It's pretty hardcore. And at least from my naive standpoint, I like the athletic challenge of it; I'm honestly not interested in doing yoga to calm my mind or any of that. What's the deal with the photo to the upper left? Ya, that's Bikram, the founder of Bikram Yoga; I think it's a pretty funny photo because he looks naked behind the woman.

I Have Been MIA for Weeks!

Woah---I have been neglecting my beloved blog. So much has happened. We moved into the city, thanks to the assistance of Imperial Movers, who I would highly recommend. Well, we had a slew of maintenance issues in our apartment, all within one week of moving in. It's been a really stressful time subsequently. I haven't been relaxing much, which has been really disappointing because I had this one month off before I start my new job, to detox from my internship. But at least I'm not at that job, right? But we've been practically next door to Terry-a, Steve, and Seren, so it's been great. They've been kind enough to cook dinner for us as we settle in, lend us stuff, and we've been spending a lot of time together. We recently went to the Brooklyn Flea Market, which has been fun, and I've seen Stephen, who I haven't seen in a while. I recently joined the New York Health and Racquet Club because I'm going to get back in shape, Goddammit! Jennifer and Caroline have been over, Gina came over from Long Island, and Gustaf has been a brave little boy throughout all of this...