Celebrities and Royalty

My job can be pretty fun and interesting... lots of important people in and out of the office. High powered finance men/women, fashion industry gurus, and of course some celebrities and royalty.

As of lately we have had quite the showing of "important" people. Obviously I can't mention any names (BIG violation of HIPPA)!

I was first introduced to meeting celebrities at my job in Dallas. I always thought I would be really nervous and get tongue-tied. Surprisingly that didn't happen. They really are just normal people. 99% of the time they are the most friendly people around. Trust me, I have met regular people who are way nastier and more impatient.

Last Friday we had a VIP patient (as we like to call them). This patient was FANTASTIC! I loved every minute spent in the room. Very nice and incredibly funny... Probably one of my favorite VIP patients to date!

I know this post would be a lot more interesting if I could divulge the name but sadly that will not happen. Maybe when I'm old and gray and looking back I can finally tell my stories!

Valentine's Day

Oh, Valentine's Day... I use to think it was such a special holiday. You know, get all dressed up, have an expensive dinner, and exchange romantic gifts. I'm past that now. Don't get me wrong I still enjoy the holiday but I don't feel it's necessary to do all that elaborate "stuff." You should appreciate and tell your special someone you love them everyday. It shouldn't just be this day.

I much prefer a simple card (I don't need presents - who would have thought!) and having a nice, chill night with the hubby. Nick and I decided to stay in and cook dinner/watch a movie. It was the perfect night.

Our meal consisted of a bottle of red wine, fresh garden salad, macaroni and cheese, peppercorn filet mignon, and scallops. It.Was.Delicious. I don't think we have ever made a meal that we enjoyed as much as this one. And to make it even better it was super easy... ready in less than 20 minutes! You really can't beat that. Oh, and don't forget dessert. I'll give you one guess... Apple pie and vanilla ice cream!


All the ingredients


Cooking in our very tiny kitchen


It was so nice to have his help... he hates to cook!


Doesn't it look delicious?! It was!

We watched Midnight in Paris while sipping our wine and savoring the wonderful food. The movie was pretty good... I think I enjoyed it more for the setting. I kept saying, "I remember that" or "I've been there." Love Pairs.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Skiing

This past weekend Nick and I went to Killington, VT for skiing. We did this trip last year with the NYU Adventures Club. We decided to go again since this would be the only time this year we would be able to ski.

Lets be honest, it hasn't been the snowiest winter this season. Not that I'm complaining... but you need snow to ski. Lucky for everyone the ski resorts are well prepared for this sort of thing. I was made aware that they can make their own snow. So ski trip is a go!

We met down at NYU Friday night to board the bus. Now, last year the bus ride was a little painful. It took us 2 hours just go get out of the city. I was hoping for a better start this year. Surprisingly, we did make really good time. The downside? Well, there was a lot more loud, obnoxious, wasted students this time. Now, don't get me wrong... I am all for having a good time. But this was just over the top. There was this one girl in particular who was screaming the whole time... her voice was like nails on a chalkboard. She was screaming profanities (I simply cannot write what she said... it's that bad). By the time we pulled into the condo I wanted to kill her. Kill.Her.

It was 1am by the time we finally laid our heads down on the bed. We had to wake up at 8am the next morning to start skiing. 8am came very quickly! It was a really nice day outside. The weather could not have been better. We picked up our equipment and hit the slopes.

The only downside... since it hasn't really snowed the conditions were more icy than last year. The ice scared me a little... it made it more difficult and you went faster. I was practically wedging the whole time! We really only did "greens"... I wasn't comfortable with anything harder than that. It was a great day of skiing and my muscles were so sore once we finished.

After skiing we headed to the hot tub for a little while. That helped with the sore muscles. Later a few of us headed out to dinner at a local restaurant. The food was nice... they had an all you can eat bread, salad, and soup bar! After dinner we went to the local bar, Pickel Barrel, and hung out for a bit. We didn't stay too long. I was exhausted and we had another early morning.

Sunday was a very different day from Saturday. A cold front came through Saturday night and plummeted the temperatures. I woke up to my weather-bug telling me it was 1 degrees outside with a actual feel of below 14!

I only did a few slopes and had to come in. I felt like every part of my body was frozen. It was miserable. I sat in the lodge and had a very delicious hot chocolate. Nick did a few more runs and then came in. At that point I decided I was much more a warmer climate kind of girl. Put me anywhere with a warmer climate and that's my kind of vacation!

The bus headed back around 3pm and we actually made really good time. We arrived back in the city at 8pm and Nick and I were in our apartment at 8:30. I can't tell you how glad we were to be back home. We showered and watched some of the Grammy Awards before we completely passed out!

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!!