Cheers, Gung Hay Fat Choy

Today was my first ever lunch time beer... So many times we've had the $10 lunch special that includes a half pint of any happy hour beer, I normally just have iced tea. Today, lunar new year, called for a celebration with SB. Lagunitas IPA.

Then, I made an attempt to send a gift card to Shawn, who buys me Starbucks before each soup kitchen. Starbucks told me I was writing something that didn't comply with their policy... I tried a few times to revise it, and then took a screen shot to send Cathy to see if she could assess what I was doing wrong. No dice. I eventually was able to send it from my phone, but so weird they called me out for being a bad girl. Anyone see the issue?

Xlerator

I was standing at a pool hall chatting with some colleagues that I just had met during the JCTO midwinter holiday party. I received a text message from SB. I looked up, as he was not 10 from me and asked, "SB, why are you texting me?"

Assuming he wasn't able to find me before leaving or something. I opened the text and it was a photo of his favorite hand dryer... Xlerator. I laughed to the point of physically doubling over & explained to my circle of colleagues.

The classic debate of xlerator versus the dyson hand dryer. I explained that when he spots his favorite hand dryer, SB sends a photo. It sparked yet another lively discussion about bathroom hand dryers. Why wouldn't one discuss this at a holiday party with colleagues that were just introduced?

Avenue Q

I had a theater date with VRay and Jordan for Avenue Q. Neither had seen it and I hadn't been in years.

VRay had a wisdom tooth pulled yesterday so she was feeling a bit drugged up. But that didn't stop her from using intermission to ask me to be a bridesmaid for her weddings. Amazing to be asked to play a role in her wedding after playing a recurring role in her life. 

Fun night! As we were walking out, I noticed a fun poster of their show specific cocktail menu. It made us laugh so we snapped a shot.

Would loved to have documented our evening better, but didn't want a half swollen face sans wisdom tooth to be our reminder.

Shawn Won

Front row seats at Kinky Boots. Shawn played the lottery & won! We sat off to the side & next to a kinky boots super fan. He wore the red knee high boots & show tshirt. Oy boy.

Ten Years in New York

Today marks 10 years of living in New York!

10 years ago today, I was wearing a tank top, shorts and flip flops packing the last few things that would be shipped or carried from CA to NY. I boarded a flight and arrived without the proper coat or boots for so much snowfall brought by a big blizzard, but I stuck around. In the past 10 years I have worked for 3 medical centers, had 4 temp jobs, 5 full-time positions, 6 roommates, 7 apartments, 8 offices, 9 bosses… I've had 100+ visitors, seen 200+ broadway shows and have had an incredible amount of fun! 

Thanks to everyone who has helped make my experiences over the past 10 years incredibly memorable. 

Break from Breaking Bad

I've gotten through 3 seasons, plus 4 episodes of season 4 since Tuesday. I decided I should take a break and am catching up on Chicago Fire and Chicago PD. Luckily Roku introduced a TimeWarner cable app, so I was able to spend the whole day watching tv in my nice warm bed. 

Visiting Freedlandia

I took the trip up to Connecticut with the Freedlands to visit their new town.  

Saw their house. Looked at stain samples on the floor. Inspected appliances. Saw paint colors. Measured some stuff.  Went to a fireplace store. Learned how to replace batteries from a very odd Irish fella. 

Then did some shopping and ate lunch in Queens before heading back into Manhattan.

Breaking Bad Binge

I've been binge watching a Breaking Bad marathon. I have had full days of work and theater ticked this week. I started Tuesday night and have made up to episode 18 already. I think I have a problem...

Timber!

When I left the house this morning I walked out to a fallen tree. The wind was so strong over night that it toppled a tree right out of its hole in the sidewalk.

Then as I was walking past the same tree as I arrived home tonight, Pitbull's Timber was playing on pandora. I laughed. I took a screenshot. Coincidences are entertaining.

Newsies!

First show of 2014. Vikki missed it due to

Janus, but David was a suitable replacement along with Shawn. 

We had a fun time. Great dancing! 

Winter Storm Janus

Janus has come to visit... I had to walk between buildings today and came away with an blanket of snow freezing my face. 

It looked pretty before it got too crazy!

Awesome Sale Ads

One of my favorite parts of holiday weekends are the amazing advertising campaigns. Today's was my favorite in a long time.

When I want to buy women's shoes in the dead of winter, I obviously want flourescent pink fights and white pumps!

New Duvet

I am easily excited by new bedding. It's been cold so I bought an additional duvet and duvet cover. 

It's pretty and goes with my existing purple bedding, so it made me happy to put my bed together today. 

I forgot to take a photo before I got in it and messed it all up, so here's a bit of the new duvet cover.

Friends & Fondue

I met up with Vanessa & Jordan for dinner. I hadn't seen them in ages. We celebrated their engagement, I received a  cute Christmas gift and we are fondue, truffled cheese, entrees and desserts. Swapped stories, caught up & had an great time spending some time together.

Winter Milkshake

Scott and I went to the Pullman Kitchen for lunch and decided to treat ourselves to milkshakes. Captain Crunch cereal, vanilla ice cream and milk. Topped with a bit of whipped cream and a few whole pieces of cereal.

Phenomenal treat. Awesome end to a meal. So what if it's the middle of winter and 42 degrees outside, milkshakes for everyone!

Bowling Shoes

The scores were too pathetic, but a fun time was had by all. By the time we reached a good groove, the two games were over. 

Tomboy No More

Best name for a nail polish!

My nails are too short, but I hadn't had a manicure in a while. Jac and I went on our lunch hour, between meetings. 

I am in love with "Tomboy No More".

Travel Expenses

Almost halfway through the month, I look at my expenses thus far. $234 in "travel". Ummm, no, Mint app, subway and taxi are not travel. They are transportation. Travel is fun money to spend. Going to and from work & between offices is an expense!

Dole Fail

It's a tough sell to call these "pre-cleaned" with specs and a giant cluster of dirt when I dumped the "ready to use" box of mushrooms on the cutting board tonight. 

Dole fail. (That would have been a perfect time for a hashtag, eh?)

Over-riced

It has been a while since Christine and I had eaten in Ihawan. We were hungry, she ordered plenty of food. When she finished placing our order, she asked if we'd be 4... Ummm, nope. All that food is for us! Christine told her no, just 2 and she said, okay, I'll bring 3 orders of rice. 

Oh, Filipino dining!

En Route to San Fran

I packed a box full of Jonathan's stuff and shipped it out from the fedex store this morning.

It was sad sending stuff to my longest NY friend who has moved away, back to CA. Maybe I'll get lucky and he will come back. Probably not.

Adding Reese's Pieces

I've had the same 4 types of candy in milk bottles the whole time I've had my office... M&Ms, peanut M&Ms, Swedish Fish & Sour Patch Kids. Occasionally I will add seasonal things like Easter sweet tarts or candy corn.

Today, per Dan D's suggestion I added Reese's pieces. A big hit so far!

September Save the Date!

Let the wedding season begin! Save the dates for 2014 weddings will start to roll in ... Got Matt and Shaina's today.

Transformative Gift

Weill Cornell received an amazing gift from the Meyer family and I went to the dean's presentation to hear the announcement. It is always so inspirational to hear that the work we do actually has an effect on research, biomedical science and patient care. I loved being a part of the announcement that we are more than 85% to the target of the dean's capital campaign and these private gifts will allow us to make ground breaking discoveries while the governmental research funding is lacking.

The dean. The director of our cancer center. And the Meyer family. Targeting cancer...

Windblown

It was so so cold. I was shivering & walking quickly. I looked up & saw this weird plastic stuff being tossed around in a tree by the wind.

Thought it looked cool.

Reading the Coffee Grinds

I went to take my first sip of coffee and had to Instagram. It was like reading the tea leaves, so many grounds made it into my cup I feared for a bad day.

1/2 Birthday Cookies

I whipped up some chocolate chip cookies to celebrate my half birthday. Officially 34 1/2 today. 

Clothing/Toy Donations

As part of the soup kitchen, we turn one of the back rooms into a clothing/toy drive for those who come to eat with us. 

The volunteers brought in clothing racks, signs and made it look like such a nice experience to get some gently used items and toys for the kids. 

It was nice to see that what I normally would send out to Goodwill was hanging among the donations to benefit our guests. I look forward to cleaning out more of my excess to donate next month. 

Snow and Snow Plow

My patio was neatly covered with a blanket of snow. When I got off the subway there was a line of snow plows cleaning up Lexington in front of the office.

New Year Nor'easter

Governor Cuomo said, "Mother Nature has come to wish us a happy new year".

It's day 2 of 2014 and here we are expecting a good snow storm. We got *Winter Weather Watch* emails all day at work, people are preparing not to come in...

I had a lot of meetings and ended up heading to lunch around 3, returning at 4 it hadn't even begun to snow... When I left the office, it looked like this already!

In other news, during the team meeting Tom announced that he was out of cereal so he has pho for breakfast. When Scott had it durning our late lunch, he said, "pho-breakfast of champions... No! Breakfast of Campion."  Hilarious.

Also, on our trip to Duane Reade, we took a quick swing through the clearance aisle. The best... A home DNA paternity test and Tio Nacho's shampoo younger looking jelly... What?! Top notch!

It's 2014!

I started the new year out taking a true holiday vacation day. I was up, made coffee, set the DVR.

I made breakfast,  lunch and dinner, watched the rose parade, DVR'd of course... Fast forwarding the bands, commercials and needless commentary, also watched Man of Steel and Oz the Great and Powerful. Plus, I made cookies for SB's birthday. My only venture outside was to the grocery store for ingredients.

All in all a relaxing, yet productive enough day.