Garbage Shopping

Across from the bus stop there's a store that has been "going out of business" for many years. I always thought it was a scam to attract tourists to their "sale". But today, it seems they went out of business. They cleaned out the store into garbage piles, as is the New York way, and I watched many people rifle through and pick out treasures from the discarded trash. Super classy in the upper east side! I wish I were close enough to capture that these same people had been shopping at Bloomingdale's and Saks prior to sifting through the toy store garbage. 

Scott&Aut

Farewell to my houseguests, they were here for my sick time... Off to Philly and DC for the rest of the week. We did a bit of touring and some hanging out around the neighborhood. 

I'll see them at a friend's wedding in October... Sorry the visit wasn't the best.

No Tiramisu

We went to Tiramisu, a local Italian restaurant, because Autumn loves tiramisu. 

I didn't eat tiramisu at Tiramisu because I'm trying to be kind to my lungs, and wanted them to try burrata instead.

Today's photo of the day should have been one of the 3 of us. To showcase our last night out, but instead it will be of our last dinner out, since we didn't look our best & decided we shouldn't take a photo. Maybe I'll get one of them on their way out, tomorrow.

Perfectly Setup for a Day in Bed

When I woke up this morning, I started another episode of Orange is the New Black. I had neatly lined up the remotes in size order, along with my throat lozenges, lip balm and inhalers. Scott told me I was "perfectly setup for a day in bed." But I was insistent I was going out!

Had a trip out for brunch, came home, asthma attack, back in bed. Arg.

Tiny Tour

I am not feeling great, this weekend so my touring duty has been tiny. I took Scott & Aut to the South Street Seaport to visit tkts. They got Cinderella tickets and we walked around the seaport. We walked over to the freedom tower and through the St. Paul's chapel cemetery.

Other than the tiny tour this morning, I was a pretty useless host. :-/

Value Add

The team has been working on a WBS and project schedule with the PMO and for the first time had bed finding it a value add to their work.

They are seeing the length of time for tasks, their relationship and dependency in each other, and finding an interest in making sure work is planned so it has its best chance at getting done well.

The picture today is boring and doesn't make much sense, but we have a place to go and the start of a plan to get there!

#tbt

Throwback Thursday is such a silly concept. It's fun to giggle at old photos. Baby photos, old haircuts & outfits, etc.

But when Marisa posted our Charlie's Angels Sears portrait studio family photo from senior year at UCSB, I grew to love #tbt!

New Toothbrush

I love the feeling of a new toothbrush! So clean. And I got a steripod to keep it nice and clean. 

Hot Inside & Out

Why is it so hot? The subway tunnel was unbearable. The inside temperature matches the outside. It's so humid and disgusting. It's the middle of the night & this is one of the cooler nights of late!

Mail Surprise

I was walking home thinking, man I hate days when I am in the office all day. A day of work, phone calls, emails, text messages, but nothing to show for it. No photo to represent my day or anything great that happened.

I walked into the building and passed by the mailbox. There's never much in there anyway. But I turned around and thought, maybe there's an new VS coupon, I could use a new bra! 

Instead there was a brown paper envelope... From Sarah & Pete! Wait, who is Sarah? Ohhhhhh, Hooray!

A wedding invitation. Such a fun surprise!

Monkey Journey to the West

Much like the acrobatics shows in China, this performance at Lincoln Center was fun and interesting. Talented acrobats, contortionists, plate spinners and a silly loose story line.

Costco & Target Haul

I love trips to Target & Costco. It makes me feel like I am not even shopping in Manhattan. So many reasonably priced things! 

Today's haul included 3 dozen eggs, hot sauce, balsamic vinegar, shredded cheese, ranch dressing, socks, office candy, tooth brushes, flossers, salt & pepper grinders, chocolate chips, brownie mix, toilet paper, cotton rounds, mangos, and much more.

I was disappointed not to find my chia seeds though!

Ice Cream for Dinner

Heat wave continues. Didn't have much of an appetite. Too hot. Didn't finish my salad at lunch and wasn't hungry for dinner. Decided to finish the rest of a carton of Ben & Jerry's Heath Bar Crunch. 

Too Hot to Stay Cool

It's hot. Two fans and the AC and I still feel overheated. This is miserable.

Go away heat wave!

Re-surprised

It's fun to receive packages. Especially when it's a gift from a good friend. 

It's already been a few weeks since my birthday, but I reopened a gift, and was re-surprised. I obviously new the content, but it was certainly fun to find again! 

I originally got this gift on the night of Lobsterpalooza, and in no way should it have been overshadowed. I got an email saying I had a package. It was from Cathy, two of my faves, tall socks and See's candy. Terrific.

Today I reopened it as I was cleaning up a pile of bags and mail on the table. Thanks, again, Cathy! 

Nance and Oysters

Shawn, Vikki, Oli, and Michael joined me for The Nance on Broadway and oysters and way too much other food at The Smith afterwards. 

The play wasn't the best, but it had its moments of fun and funny. Nathan Lane is always fun to see.

The food, albeit too much, requiring a 2nd table to be brought over, it was a good time with fun friends.

New Time Suck

Apparently all it takes is a new game and I lose time for the evening. It's just true/false trivia questions, but I spent hours just going round by round. Shocking myself when I got one wrong that I should have known and surprising myself when I guessed correctly, but come on, it's 50/50 anyway!

Polvoron - A Treat

A trip to the Filipino market always allows for a treat or two. Today, Christine and I got a pack of polvoron.

Some we ate some in the car and I has some after dinner. I love a good treat, especially when they remind me of my childhood. 

Wine Out

I have nothing but great things to say about Wine Out. Laura and I were a t a wine bar this afternoon. A family of 4 sat beside us. The parents ordered a bottle of red wine and one of the daughters spilled an entire glass most of which landed on the table except the part that splashed onto my right side and onto Laura's legs. 

The dad said, "at least you had good wine spilled on you..." Uh huh, sure sir, you've got jokes. Glad you're hilarious instead of sorry. 

I didn't even care until he started laughing. The bastard.

Fortunately, the server was able to bring me a bottle of Wine Out. It easily removed all of the wine stains and my dress was back to normal. 

Dyson FTW

So excited about my new vacuum! Converts into 6 different configurations. Super excited. 

Boooo ... Expired Coupons

I was so excited when I picked up this free app card. I often pick them up, but this one was particularly great, because Kian loves Perry & loves new games... He is usually only allowed to get free ones and this card would allow the full 99cent version for free. 

I redeemed the card only to find out it was expired. Thwarted! Stupid Starbucks. Throw the expired coupons away!

Playbill Agenda

I am helping to run a systems replacement committee at work. One of my bosses and I spent time planning the first agenda, last month. It was an outline that went on for 5 pages. I decided that rather than using 5 pieces of paper or even 3 back to back that I'd make it in booklet form. Like a wedding invitation or a playbill. 

The committee teased me for handing their agendas to them in the form of a playbill, so today I played into the joke and made them one. 

Under the Dome

I watched Under the Dome, not today, but was reminded of it when I went to water my bonsai seeds under their sprouting dome. What a silly show. So excited for my wisteria bonsai to sprout up enough not to need the greenhouse effect!

Lobsterpalooza

When I was speaking to my sister this morning, she said, "Nothing's better than a palooza." And anyone who knows me, knows the truth in that!

Shawn and I attended Lobsterpalooza at Louro. It was a 7 course meal, starting with bread and compound butter and an amuse of a lobster roll... Italian and Indian flavors. And a piece of lobster with pork belly. No lobster in the dessert though. The portions were small, nothing had the wow factor that you'd want from a palooza, but we has a great time & met some interesting people. More about the individual food courses here: http://vlbatethat.blogspot.com/2013/07/lobsterpalooza.html

Missing Magnet

When Lauren and I saw Motown the Musical for her birthday they had sold out of the magnet at the merchandise stands. We went on a mission to all of the broadway swag stores to find it and they, too, were all sold out. I finally found one... The missing magnet is missing no longer!

Don't Tell Mama

Judy & Liza, drag queens at the cabaret in Don't Tell Mama's.

Tragic. 

Oh well.

Birthday Treats

I got so many treats for my birthday. 

Coffee with TB3, lunch with Dan, cupcakes in the office, dinner with A2, comp'd tix at comedy club, FaceTime with Kian, calls from Andrea, Aaron, Dad and Mom, emails, calls, texts and Facebook messages from friends and other family.

Only a few are pictured here, but it was a fun start to 34.

Independence Day

Shawn lives in a fancy penthouse apartment over looking the Hudson River where Macy's hosts their spectacular. 

I was happy to get some great photos out of his 47th story window (even though I was scared to death looking down!)

The Explorer's Club

Shawn and I met up at the New York City Center for The Explorer's Club. It was a great play. I hadn't seen a great play in a long time. It was fun, funny, and so well done.

Classic Dad

We have a weird family tradition... We call the day before a birthday, birthday eve. We call the day before birthday eve, birthday adam. We call the day before birthday adam, birthday apple. 

It's stupid. I know. But today, I received a silly text from my dad wishing me happy bday adameve. I laughed and returns a text to correct him.

Happy birthday apple to me!

Hysterical Over a Photo

One of the nicer parts about working somewhere for so long is that one forms relationships with certain colleagues that can be called upon in times when assistance is needed. Today, in a foul mood, I dropped in to see Dan. Dan is a constant source of entertainment for me. He cheered me up by flipping through pictures he had found for a project. He showed me this photo and I nearly cried looking at it, and started hysterically laughing each time I saw it for the rest of the afternoon. Thanks, Dan.