Giants = Superbowl Champs

Superbowl Weekend! I was not all that excited about the game... more so the commercials and Madonna's halftime show.

First up, Friday night. Nick and I met Chris and Niki at Butter for dinner. It was the last week of restaurant week and we had heard Butter was a great. We had a great time with Chris and Niki! I thought the food was good... not the best I've had but definitely not the worst. We decided to head home after dinner... Nick and been in class all day and would be in class from 9-4 Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday I went to workout at this class called Athlete Trainer. I have been trying to workout and eat better... After a couple of classes earlier in the week I was pretty sore. But, I decided to push through it. This class was hard... really hard. I thought I might die halfway through! The instructor was a maniac! In the end I made it and my muscles were screaming at me.

I met up with my dear friend Jenienne for lunch at Via. Love this place! It was great to play catch up because I hadn't seen her in a while. She was my first friend in NYC and I love her!

Melissa, one of my friends from back home, was in the city for the weekend. She stopped by the apartment after the race she ran in the morning. I hadn't seen her in a few years so it was great to catch up! We also talked about our 10 year high school reunion... that's just crazy to me!

Sunday was Superbowl Sunday! Nick was in class again until 4 pm. We had plans to head over to Jenienne's but Nick had to stay at school a little later and by the time he got home we decided to stay in. The game was pretty entertaining and I thought the commercials were pretty good. I half payed attention... I was reading. Madonna's halftime show was entertaining... however, it did appear to me she had a difficult time walking/dancing in those boots. I don't know if the floor was slippery or what but it was quite awkward at times.

Sorry no pictures this time. Next weekend we head to Killington, VT again for a ski trip. So there definitely should be some pictures with that post!

Catch Up

I've been a little MIA since my last post. January is a lazy month. Even though I can't really complain about the weather... it's been unseasonably warm this winter.

Nothing really exciting to comment on though...

Nick has been enjoying his winter break with lots of cycling and reading. Oh, and has been treating me with a home cooked meal once a week (it was our deal)!

I've been real busy with work. Work, work, work!

Last Friday night we had dinner reservations for Winter Restaurant Week at Club A Steakhouse. We absolutely LOVED it! It was such a small, intimate venue. We had a drink at the bar before our reservations. There was a band playing and a fire in the background. Very warm and cozy! Our meal was outstanding... Canadian bacon, fried calamari, filet Mignon, mashed potatoes, mac-n-cheese, tiramisu, and puff pastries. Delicious! Nick and I were extremely stuffed when we left.

Yesterday while walking home I walked past a celebrity. I thought it was odd that I recognized her... I'm good with faces but not names sometimes. I was surprised that no one else was staring. I mean, she is older and maybe not from my generation but still... she is an actress!



It was Christine Baranski.... most notably from the TV show Cybil. And I knew her from the movie Mamma Mia. Always cool to pass a celebrity on the street!

Hopefully the next post will be a little more exciting than this one!

Dallas for the Holidays Part 2

Let's see... where to pick up?!

Thursday, at this point we have no idea what day it is. I wake up and ask, "what day is it, Friday." He says to me, "No, I thought it was Wednesday." Hah!

Thursday morning we lounged at my house for a little while and then headed over to Mike and Sandy's for lunch. Everyone had arrived... Laura and cutie pie Jacob who is 7 months old. Don, Cerise, Harry, and Meredith were there along with Natalie and Brain. It was a full house!


Jacob! Too cute!

We just hung out and chatted for most of the afternoon. Nick and I had a nice time playing with Jacob. I love anywhere from 6-12 months. It's my favorite age! Later that night we had a pretty great meal! Cesear salad, steak, lobster tails! Yum! After a meal like that we relaxed for the rest of the night.

Friday we spent over at Karen's house for a couple of hours to do another Christmas. This time with Don, Cerise, Harry, and Meredith. Lots of presents to go around!

Later that evening we headed over to our friends house, Dave and Shara. Jake and Michelle were also coming over. They both have the cutest daughters... Andi and Claire! They had grown so much in 7 months. We miss them terribly and keep trying to convince them to come and visit! We had home cooked fajitas thanks to the boys and they were delicious!

We also had another game night! Leave it to Dave to make it so much fun.... we even had prizes! I absolutely LOVE our game nights! It really cracks me up to hear what comes out of our mouths. I'm pretty sure Shara beat us all with some of her comments. Unfortunately, not blog appropriate!


Playing darts... our first game and one that everyone makes fun of me for. Apparently my wind up is quite funny!

Saturday was New Year's Eve and we spent it hanging out with my family. I really can't remember what we did during the day.... at all. I think we hung out around the house. I'm pretty much drawing a blank. But I do remember what we did that night. We had made reservations for dinner at Pappa's Steakhouse. Oh my! The best steaks and hands down the best lobster bisque I have EVER had! All of us were really looking forward to this meal!

And let me just say... It did not disappoint. In fact it was way more food than we expected. It was a special menu for New Year's Eve. You could pick an appetizer, salad/soup, main course, a side, and desert. But, you know how most restaurants will make the food smaller. Nope, not Pappa's! Same size as normal and the side items were practically family style. We went home with quite a lot of to-go bags.

What we do after that? Party? Club? Bar hop? Oh no we went home with the family and watched a movie until the ball dropped in NYC. Yeah, not exciting but it was the perfect evening. Hanging out with the family is way better than bar hopping!

Sunday was our last full day in Dallas. Tear. Karen came over to have New Years Day lunch with us. Mom cooked up a pretty good meal... pork chops (though dad cooked these), rice, corn, mashed potatoes (left over from Pappa's), rolls, etc. And tons of deserts!

We relaxed the rest of the day and later watched the Mavericks and the Cowboys.

Monday was the day to head back. Our flight wasn't until 1:40pm so we had some time. We ran a few errands and then my family, Nick and I, met with Mike and Sandy at Mi Cocina for lunch. Our last Mexican restaurant. Nick and I were really sad about that!

We said our goodbyes. It really was a perfect trip and a good amount of time. We loved spending time with our family and seeing our friends. I missed home terribly this time and part of me wished me weren't going home. I loved feeling the warm weather and seeing the open spaces. I really miss that. Who knows one day we might be back.

The other part of me was ready to head back to NYC. It's our home now and I missed our little apartment, our restaurants, and the routine we have. I, however, did not miss coming home to the below freezing temperatures. I will NEVER like that!

All in all a wonderful Christmas at home! I hope your holidays were just as wonderful!

Dallas for the Holidays Part 1

Nick and I were home, in Dallas, for eight straight days. It was absolutely wonderful! It had been 7 months since we had been home and we were ready for family, friends, holiday festivities, and some good ole Mexican food.

A lot happened over these eight days so I'll give a short re-cap of everything!

We arrived late Friday night (23rd). My mom picked us up for the airport and we made a quick stop at Taco Bell for some chili-cheese burritos. One Mexican restaurant down and lots more to go! We chatted for a while and then made our way to bed.

Christmas Eve morning started early. I don't know what possessed Nick and I to get up with my mom and go workout at 8am but we did! It was so great seeing Johnny and his new space. I sure do miss his workouts. I keep telling him to just pack up and come to New York! After our workout we met up with my dad and Evan at went to eat at Ham & Eggs (I think that's the name). This place can serve up some breakfast... lots of food! I think mom beat us all with what she ordered (I'm pretty sure she had no idea).

Can you believe how big those pancakes are! We hardly made a dent in them. We even had a man who was sitting in the table behind us ask if he could take a picture! Only in Texas!



Next we saw Mission Impossible 3. Pretty good movie... might be my favorite of the series. Later that day we headed over to Nick's dad house. Mike and Sandy had cooked calm chowder in a bread bowl for dinner. I hadn't really had calm chowder before but it was pretty good. Still love lobster bisque the best!

Christmas morning arrived and surprisingly my brother was fast asleep at 8am. Even though he doesn't believe in Santa I still thought he would be up early to open all the presents he had! While mom and I were waiting on everyone to get up I decided to make a breakfast dish that I found on Pinterest. Blueberry breakfast cake! It turned out great... everyone LOVED it!

Evan finally made his way out of bed and we proceeded to gather the presents and create all the piles. Evan made a fort of his presents...





We all received some great gifts. My favorite had to be the Northface jacket from mom and dad. I've been wearing it since I opened it! After presents we made our traditional Christmas morning breakfast... eggs, bacon, grits, fruit, and now my blueberry cake. Delicious!


This picture does not do it justice!

Later that day we headed over to Nick's moms house. His sister Natalie and her finance, Cory, were over there as well. We had to make it in time for the Mavericks vs Heat game. Mavericks lost bad... Nick was not happy. So we opened some more presents. Lots of gift cards... gotta love gift cards! We had a nice home cooked meal that night and watched basketball for most of the night. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep early.

The next morning (which would be Monday 26th...Nick and I lost track of the days) Nick, his mom, and I headed out to the mall. Did a little damage with the gift cards and the day after Christmas sales. I bought some new Uggs and some clothes at Banana Republic that I just couldn't pass up!

Next we met up with Natalie and Cory for lunch at Pappasito's! Heaven! This is the place Nick and I have been waiting for. It just doesn't get any better than their chips, salsa, queso, fajitas. It was wonderful! And I was entirely stuffed after leaving the restaurant.


YUM!

Tuesday Nick had lunch with his dad, Sandy, Natalie, and Cory before he left to go back to Austin. Mom and I did some errands during the day... we stopped at DSW.

There is a funny store to go along with our DSW trip. On Christmas morning I opened a present from mom and dad and noticed it was a shoe box. It had the brand name on the top of the box. I was familiar with the brand because I had gotten a pair of flats from mom last Christmas by the same company. I opened the box and took the shoes out and just sat there for a minute. I didn't know if I was being pranked or if this was a joke... the shoes I held were the exact same shoes mom bought me for last Christmas. It wasn't a joke.... mom didn't remember giving me those shoes at all! It was really quite funny. So she simply said we will go to DSW and exchange them. We did exchange them and instead of walking out with one pair I walked out with three! At this point Nick was ready for me to stop shopping!

Later that day mom, Evan, Nick, and I went and saw We Bought A Zoo. The boys weren't exactly excited for it but after the movie was over I think they both thought it turned out better than expected. I liked it a lot! We met dad for dinner and On The Border... another one marked of the list!

Wednesday, I think it's Wednesday at this point. I met up with my oldest friend Lauren for lunch at Northpark. She had lived in NYC for the last 5 years and just moved back to Dallas 6 months ago. It was great to see her and catch up. It's like we have completely traded places! Nick met up with our friend Drew for lunch in Ft. Worth and got all the details on his life!

Later than night we met up with David and Sloan. Nick worked with David before he left for New York. We were so excited to see them because David was the proud father of 7 week old Georgie. We met them in Uptown at a place called Swig. It was the first time Nick and I had met Sloan and she is just the sweetest person! And Georgie was so precious! We had a few appetizers and decided to get our main course to go since Georgie was getting a little restless.

We went to David and Sloan's house and just talked and relaxed. I think I held Georgie the entire time. I just love babies! It made me want one but not just yet... a few more years. It was really great seeing them and we wish them the best!


Isn't she just too cute! I hate the picture of me... focus on Georgie!

I wish I had more pictures to go along with the post but I wasn't the best with taking them... especially as the week went on. Well that's it for Part 1. Part 2 will follow shortly!!

Christmastime In The City

Here are a few Christmas festivities Nick and I have had the last two weeks...

Last weekend we went to Dyker Heights, Brooklyn to see the crazy, all-out Christmas lights. This Italian neighborhood is always featured on HGTV, Travel Channel, and all the other TV shows showcasing the top towns for Christmas lights.

We took the long subway ride into Brooklyn. On the subway there we were reminded that it was Santa Con. Santa Con is where people dress up as Santa, elf's, reindeer's and basically get wasted the entire day at tons of bars. Not my kind of fun but there are a lot of people that participate. At one of our stops three girls and one guy got on our subway. It was obvious they had a long day of drinking. One girl in particular was finding it hard to stand on her own. She eventually slid down and sat down. Mind you... she was in an extremely short Santa skirt. You get the picture. She also proceeded to say how incredibly nauseous she was. That's the last thing Nick and I wanted to hear. If someone gets sick on the train it has to stop and you are pretty much stranded for a while. We didn't want that to happen. So, we crossed our fingers - luckily she did. But as she got off the train and stumbled up the stairs I wondered if she would make it to her apartment.

We made it into Brooklyn and walked a little under a mile into Dyker Heights. We stopped for some pizza at a local restaurant before making our way to the neighborhood. On our way we made a quick stop at Dunkin Donuts for some hot chocolate and what else? Yep, donuts!

Dyker Heights goes all out for Christmas. This 4 block radius is just crazy with the lights, decorations, music, and anything else you can imagine. It was crowded too, but not so crowded that you couldn't enjoy it. Now, if we had been in a car then it would have been awful. Traffic was horrible. I definitely recommend walking through the neighborhood if you decide to go.

And now is a look at the crazy Christmas lights...






















Nick and I had a really great time. It's one of those things that you have to do once. We made our way back to the subway to head home. We took the same line that we took to get to Dyker Heights. We waited and waited and waited... no subway train. I kept thinking what is taking so long. Eventually we see some people go back to the main area and then come back down and tell us that there is no train at this station. There has been some sort of blackout and we will have to take a bus to another stop. Really nice of the man who was sitting up there to come down and let us know so we didn't waste 20 minutes waiting on a train!

We made our way to the stop with tons of other people and then proceeded to watch the bus go by because it was already full. Nick and I started to think we would be stranded in Brooklyn. No point in standing in the cold only to wait for another bus to go by... we started walking! I think we walked about 30 blocks in the blistering cold and were finally able to find a subway stop that was functioning.

That hiccup added an extra hour home to our trip it was still worth it. It was just a little more colorful than expected!

Friday night was my office Christmas party. We had dinner reservations at The National at Lexington and 51st. The group was quite eclectic but it was really nice to have everyone outside the "office." People were really able to relax and it was a nice feeling. And the food was amazing! I had the pork chop with broccolini and cheese grits. It does not get any better than cheese grits. Amazing. And the pork chop was just as good. I seriously would go back to that place.... and that's saying a lot since we have thousands of restaurants in NYC.

Saturday night we went to Lincoln Center to see The Nutcracker. Nick and I decided not to do any Christmas presents for each other. We do that a lot... save the money for our trips we love to take. But I wanted to do something special for Christmas. So about 2 months ago I bought tickets for The Nutcracker. I haven't been since I was a child and Nick has never seen it (or he has and he has no memory of it). And what better way to see it than in Lincoln Center with the New York ballet.

We had dinner reservations at The Nook. It is on 9th Avenue and 51st street. Nick had found the restaurant and it had amazing online reviews. It's like this really cozy, hole in the wall place. We decided to take a cab to the restaurant. Big mistake... or the cab driver was a complete idiot. He tried to take us through Midtown... I mean literally right through Midtown (past 5th Ave, Radio City Music Hall, and Rockefeller Tree). Complete idiot. Of course traffic is going to be horrendous in that area with all the tourists! I was not happy. We eventually got out at 51st street and Madison and made the walk.

The Nook was absolutely amazing. It's a wonderful feeling when you can find a gem in the city. And this was a gem. The restaurant was really small. It had maybe 10 tables in it. The decor was beautiful and they had Christmas lights all around the restaurant. It was just so warm and inviting. I mean it couldn't get better... oh, but it did. You can bring your own wine which I love and the food was delicious! We started with the mushroom cigars (which I didn't think I would ever like but I loved them) and the tuna tartar. It was so good I completely forgot to take a picture! I ordered the filet mignon with rosemary fries and Nick ordered the cheeseburger with fries. It was one of the best meals we have had. Then came dessert! Of course I ordered the warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream and Nick had the peanut butter chocolate cake. To die for! Go to The Nook!!!





We made our way to Lincoln Center. We haven't really been there before now. We've walked passed and everything but at this time of year it is so beautifully decorated for Christmas. We snapped a few pictures and made our way inside. The building was gorgeous and inside the David H. Koch theater was breathtaking. It was a beautiful venue.


Outside Lincoln Center




They had these cute snowmen on the bars and I adored them! I want one too!



We had seats on the first balcony towards the left... couldn't have gotten better. The ballet was so wonderful. I mean The Nutcracker has a place in everyone's hearts. The dancers were exquisite... so graceful. Nick and I thoroughly enjoyed the show. We even decided that we would have to look into more shows as well as New York Opera.

Sunday was a nice relaxing day, of course. I finished our Christmas cards and mailed them. A little late but it's okay. Read and watched some TV. Also, started thinking about getting everything ready for our flight back home to Dallas on Friday. I cannot even tell you how excited we are to be going home for the holidays! Bring on the family, friends, traditions, Mexican food, and everything good that goes along with being home.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Shopping

Christmas has officially begun in the city! Holiday music playing, tree in Rockefeller Center, Christmas lights, hot chocolate! Oh... and the thousands of tourists that inundate the city at this time of year.

This past Saturday I spent some time Christmas shopping while Nick was out with his bike. We had ordered a few things online during Cyber Monday but still needed a few items. On a side note - online shopping is so incredibly easy. I mean... search, click, and buy. Plus free shipping!

Obviously I can't tell you where I went because that would give away the presents I bought. I did enjoy walking along 5th avenue seeing the beautifully decorated store windows. I have to say Bergdorf Goodman knows how to do it. Their windows were absolutely beautiful!







I eventually made my way down to Rockefeller Center and saw the tree. It wasn't as exciting in the daytime. Plus this was the most crowded area. I could hardly walk... so I snapped a picture and got the hell out!



It was a lovely day of shopping and the best part I was able to finish my Christmas list! Now I can enjoy the presents under the tree before I have to ship them home!

Happy Thanksgiving

Nick and I stayed in NYC for Thanksgiving this year. Our first holiday just the two of us. Kind of special.

We decided this was going to be the year we experienced Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Nick was on board until he realized he would be waking up at 5am. It took a little more convincing after that. The night before I made some yummy blueberry muffins and cut up some fruit for our snack bag.

I woke up about 4am. Yeah, it's been a while since I've been up that early. I have no plans to do it again anytime soon. I decided that I would be breaking out my thermal underwear to keep me warm! I think I got ready in record time. I cooked up some cinnamon rolls for breakfast and yelled at Nick every 5 minutes to get up and not make us late!

At 5:40 we were out the door. The city feels different that early in the morning. It was so very quiet. The breakfast food carts were just setting up, newspapers were being delivered, and we saw very little cars on the streets. Absolute peace in a hustle and bustle city. Not to mention the very few people we did pass on the street said hello and good morning. If you live in New York City you know that is not the norm.

We walked over to the West side and found a nice spot on Central Park South near Columbus Circle. It was 6am and it was already starting to get crowded. Even better... we found a front row spot. Perfect viewing! We ended up next to a family from Tennessee who were incredibly nice. So friendly and generous. It was 6am and we had another 3 hours to go! A few chats, snacks, and short naps later the parade started!

I really think everyone should experience the parade just once in their life. It's quite the experience. I mean... it not only puts you in the holiday spirit but it's just so much fun! You almost feel like a kid again. Well I did... not sure how Nick felt. He kept saying he expected the balloons to be bigger! Go figure!

What really surprised us was the street performers. They were so incredibly happy and just really kept up the energy. I don't think that is something you can really see or feel through a television. They made the parade a lot of fun. I can't tell you how many times I was hit with confetti!

The parade lasted about 3 hours... and it was 3 hours of fun! Enjoy the pictures...


Macy's Band


Turkey Day!












These men "faeries" were pretty funny











After the parade we came home for a quick shower and change and headed to North Square for our Thanksgiving meal. It was this really quaint restaurant right across from Washington Square Park. I had the traditional Thanksgiving meal... turkey, dressing, stuffing, etc. Nick had the un-traditional meal... lobster bisque, steak, and potatoes. It was delicious!



What did we do next? Only partake in another Thanksgiving tradition... well if you live in Texas. Thanksgiving Day = Dallas Cowboy's football game. We came home and snuggled on the couch and watched our team play. And they won! We relaxed the rest of the day and I am not ashamed to admit I was in bed quite early. Up at 4am makes for a long day!

I took Friday off so Nick and I had the day to play. We took it easy in the morning. A little Black Friday shopping. We headed to the Shops at Columbus Circle for some lunch. We ate on the top level at Bouchon Bakery. The view was absolutely beautiful. There was Christmas decorations in the background and a view that looked straight down Central Park South to 5th Avenue.


What a view!


Our delicious lunch

Next up... ice skating in Central Park. The line wasn't too long so I decided we should do it. It's another one of those things you have to check off. Ice skating during the holiday season! The weather could not have been better. Clear blue skies, crisp air, and the NYC skyline in the background.


A must New York experience!

Needless to say we had another very busy day and were quiet tired. We cooked dinner and watched a movie that night!

Saturday was a nice day of relaxation. Nick did a bike ride in the morning and I ran some errands. But most of the afternoon was spent on the couch. We had dinner reservations with our friends Pam and Matt at ABC Kitchen. Apparently reservations are hard to come by at this place. The restaurant was so nice and the food was absolutely mouth watering. Calamari, date pizza, salmon tartar, salmon, and sundae for desert! It was such a nice place I felt a little odd pulling out my camera. So you are just going to have to take my word for it.

What did Sunday hold? Yep, you guessed it... we kept with our Sunday tradition of doing absolutely nothing. I cooked some lunch and later made dinner. We watched some TV and read. It was a great end to our holiday weekend!

It's hard to believe Christmas is only a month away! The countdown to going home has begun!