Brooklyn- Atlantic Antics

I went to Brooklyn to the Atlantic Ave., Atlantic Antics Festival. There were tons of craftspeople, food, music, and people. There was also a bus display from the Transit Museum.

Jerry Rice kissed me

So today for lunch I decided to walk to get some food and eat in Bryant Park. When I got there I saw that there was a promotion event going on so I walked over to watch. It was for Elations a drink that is suppose to help with joint problems. Well guess who was there promoting it? Jerry Rice. They were talking both about his football career and his dancing with the stars appearance. I walked over to the free table and got a sample and was just listening to Jerry when I guy came up to me and asked if I would like to dance on stage. Of course I said yes! So he took me up to the front and I met the dancing professional I would be dancing with. After awhile we went on stage and a guy from the audience went on with a professional woman dancer. We did the chacha to Enrique Iglesias. He told me the steps and led me through it, but I think I was pretty good. He was a really good teacher (and very attractive, he said he also does modeling). So after the dance they did an applause vote for the winner and I won. So the MC interviewed the loser and Jerry Rice came over to me and put his arm around me and interviewed me- just like- what was the key to your success? oh they also talked to me before we danced and asked me if I was good and if I liked dancing. So I won a $25 itunes gift card and a t-shirt. Jerry autographed both! and then he gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. They recorded it and took some pictures so I might be on their website. After I was done Jerry danced for a bit. I hurried and got some food to take back and eat at my desk, b/c I spent my whole lunch hour there, whoops : )

Salad on the Subway

I apologize I didn't take my camera with me this weekend, but thought I would share anyway. So Saturday afternoon I went down to Little Italy for the Feast of San Gennaro. There was tons of sausages and cannolis and carnival games and rides. I sat and listened to Vito Picone and the Elegants a late fifties group that had the #1 hit "Little Star". They were entertaining a sang a variety of songs from Johnny Cash to the Beach Boys. I walked around a bit more and then had my most entertaining subway ride home. A guy got on and sat down next to me and pulled out a salad and then started mumbling to himself. He started by saying "there ain't no meat in this at all no fish, no bacon, I don't know how I am going to eat this" and then he went on to seem to have an internal struggle to begin to eat the salad he started praying "God, help me through this, I need your strength now more then ever". After awhile he smelled the salad and opened it. He continued muttering and starting saying things like "If I don't want to die I have to eat this, this doesn't look like mcdonalds or chinese food" I couldn't help but smile and was having the hardest time not laughing. After awhile he said louder "I don't know why I need to eat this, this is old people food." Well there was an older lady sitting across from him and so he apologized to her. She starts to tell him that although he needs to check with his doctor he can probably have one free day a month to eat whatever he wants. Then this guy starts eating some sprouts and asking what they were, I tell him sprouts. This teenager tells him it is grass and the little brown parts are dirt... This guy believes him and starts cursing about having to eat grass... at this point i am laughing out loud it was the most random halirious thing ever. The guy put his salad away as I was getting off at my stop.

Today I went over to Riverside Park to play softball with the A&M and Texas alumni groups. It was beautiful and a beautiful day but the event was poorly organized and there weren't very many people there. I lost to Texas again. Their team was all young guys ours was old men and people that weren't planning on playing and of course the ringer-- me (haha). Oh and we were playing on a little field, which kinda restricted the play. After the game most people left but I hung around for a bit and had some food and talked with some people.

Springfield's Top Designer and alumni groups

Kristen is in the finals for a design contest in Springfield, MO and got interviewed by the contest organizers. See the interview here and her design and competing designs here. Good Luck! : ) I signed up for the NYC alumni groups for both Mizzou and A&M this week. I went to a A&M football watch party and well it didn't go so well for the Aggies and I didn't really meet anyone either... I guess I will try again this sunday playing softball. I did find out through them that Robert Earl Keen and Cross Canadian Ragweed are playing in NYC in Nov., which I am really excited about, just have to convince some people that they like country music. The Mizzou group isn't doing anything soon, but they said they might have a Nebraska vs. Mizzou watch party...

Decorating

I did some decorating in my bathroom and felt like sharing... I found these neat push pin hooks at the local "Rainbow" closest thing I have to a walmart. I needed a storage spot for my necklaces and the wall seemed blank... Let me know what you think :-)

Central Park

I know what you're thinking... there is no way she can do something interesting every weekend for two and a half months and I was feeling the same way this morning, but I felt like I couldn't let my blog readers down... so I headed to Central Park, where I hadn't really yet explored. I didn't cover half of the park today, but did see some great areas. The weather today was great too brisk fresh air. The pictures top to bottom- The Turtle Pond, The Reservoir to the West, The Reservoir to the East, Over Wollman Rink, The Mall, Bethesda Terrace, The Loeb Boathouse and Lake, and The Belvedere Castle.

An elbow to the head

Well what started to be an exciting evening... my first EY "NY Urban Professionals League" basketball game turned into my first trip to the emergency room. I got an elbow to the head and blood immediately started spewing everywhere. It finally stopped and I walked myself to the hospital... stopped a lady in scrubs on the street for directions and prognosis. She said I should get it checked out so I continued on to the hospital. I had to wait about three hours, but it turned out I needed five stitches so I guess it was worth it. I had the option between a plastic surgeon and the attending since it is on my face and I didn't really want a harry potter scar I went with the plastic surgeon. --- Update--- pic of me now... seems to be healing well, the stitches come out tomorrow

A New York Weekend

My friend Amanda and her brother came to visit New York and stayed with me. We had a great time. Friday we had dinner at Carmine's- garlic cheese bread and Manacotti. Then we did the Times Square stroll. Saturday we went to Chinatown for some bargin buys and some crazy dealings. Then we walked down to the World Trade Center site and walked around. On our way there we stoped in a cigar shop where they guy recommended a hamburger joint in my neighborhood (remember this for later :) ) At the World Trade Center there were tons of people pushing the conspiricy theories. Next stop was the Magnolia Bakery in the West Village. We had to wait about a half hour to get inside, but we got our cupcakes and ate them in the neighboring park. We stopped by this Marc Jacobs store that had cheaper things, but it was so packed I didn't even feel like looking around. Then we rode the subway up to the Upper West Side and sat at a park near Lincoln Center for awhile before heading home to clean up. We went to the hamburger joint Jackson Hole "home of the 7 oz burger" for dinner. I had a guacamole burger.. it was delicious we hung around the 2nd ave area for the rest of the night. Today we had lunch at Serendipity 3, a really cute/fun restaurant on the Lower East Side. We had the Frozen Hot Chocolate to start and I had The Catcher in the Rye sandwhich. Amanda got a cheesecake for her and her brother, but was kind enough to let me have a bite.... super amazing. The walk back to my apt was amazing... 3rd ave had a street fair. It was the best street fair I have seen so far, from like 66th to 86th. This fair not only had the cheap stuff and food but also lots of the stores had booths selling really nice things for discount and they had three stages set up with bands. I listened to one called stereopath, they were descent. I got sheets and shoes. They had kettlekorn and I got so excited and rushed over to find that their largest bag was the size of the small back home and it was $9... so I didn't buy any, it didn't look as good anyway. PS. I don't know what the hitler in the trash is, just thought it was unusual

Labor Day Weekend

I spent labor day weekend at a fabulous resort in Trappe, PA. I swam, sat in the hot tub, went letterboxing, ate, and relaxed. Sue and Nancy were fabulous hosts. I had some of the best homemade salsa and guacemole made by Sue, yummy. We climbed Misery Mountain in Valley Forge following a traitor of George Washington to two letterboxes. At a garage sale Sue found a genuine Disney pin and I got a clip on light to read with for $1 (it works great). We also did some fantastic kareoke (at home). Nancy's "Deep and Wide" was a hit. Lets see... went to a huge brand new marvelous Acme grocery store (the kind you can't find in the city), got runts in bulk at Giant for 1/4 of the NYC price, signed the car over my car is now Nancy's "Courtney's Car", melted some records, and best of all I got to watch "High School Musical 2" and "The Hills" Zach was pretty amazing in High School Musical 2, but I liked 1 better b/c Sharpay wasn't as mean. That's about it- a great break from the city and work- I was pretty busy today, b/c yesterday I asked everyone for work and now everyone is giving me work! Oh I almost forgot about the Hoffel Koffel-- yummy...