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.