Tuesday, June 23, 2009

one year ago...

...i was actively planning for my trek to hawaii to celebrate my birthday. it was such a great vacation. joani and i talk often about returning soon to hawaii for some more island fun. the house, weather, food, pool, and ocean were so gorgeous. it was fun to share it with my family and watch my brothers try to boogie board on the "waves". :)

instead of packing for a hawaiian adventure this weekend, i'm packing up everything i own into boxes to move it around the corner to my new apartment. always amazes me how much stuff i accumulate and find space to store in my shoebox of an apartment. kinda crazy.

wish me luck that no more head injuries or bleeding occurs while cleaning out the apartment. feel like everyday i make progress.

now it's vital not to think about unpacking.

Friday, June 19, 2009

come a long way

most all know of my overwhelming love and devotion for 'n sync back in the day. don't think i'll ever be fully cured from enjoying a nice boy band number. i can even enjoy an occassional new generation peppy JoBros tune.

a couple of days ago my iPod when into shuffle mode and came up with the song below. i must admit i rocked out and sang along to the cheesiness. it was fun to return to the days of when boy bands ruled the world. check it out:

plain white t's obsessed

introduced to the plain white t's by netter. bought tickets to their show at irving plaza. went to show this past monday and had a fantastic time! they know how to put on a great rock show. would absolutely see them again and again.

their final song was my favorite from their big bad world album called "someday". haven't rocked out that hard in a really long time.

check out a live performance of "someday" from an earlier concert in hawaii. (ny's version was even better!) tom introduces the band, music starts at about 1:29 mark.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

making some changes

this summer i'm seeing a large majority of friends leave the city (or upper east side). about four years ago the same thing happened when a whole host of my good buddies left to experience new education, career and family goals. still miss them and hold out hope that they will one day return (you know who you are).

everytime a mass exodus occurs i tend to re-evaluate my long term relationship with new york city. thankfully i'm still "in love" with the city and will remain. my realization that i'm still supposed to be here doesn't stop the need i have to make changes in my life. so i've made some (in my opinion) decisions to "spice" things up a bit in my life:

1. MOVING to a new apartment - strangely enough i'm going back to the building that i lived in for three years before moving to my current pad. big move happens on the 29th. send happy thoughts that all my possessions come from the 5th floor walk up to my new 2nd floor abode fully intact and functioning

2. CUT OFF my hair - my one true vanity got a lot shorter when i visited claire last weekend. my hair had reached my mid to lower back and was so heavy. the summer humidity is painful with long hair so i decided to ask claire to chop it. it is now all layered up and hits just below my shoulders. SO HAPPY with the end result. (pictures coming soon)

3. BUDGET my money - with the new apartment comes more rent every month (believe me, the apartment is worth the additional $$s). i've never been good at giving myself limits on expense categories like food, entertainment, luxuries (spa pedicures), clothing, electronics, etc. it is time to take control and carefully monitor the funds that come and go because i have some upcoming big purchases i would like to make in cash rather than AMEX currency.

4. TAKE simplier and cost effective VACATIONS - netter, flex and i are going to boston for one night instead of 3 and staying in out of the way hotel because its cheaper. claire, m.c. and i are going to jet down to florida and have the time of our young lives in the second happiest place on earth. i'm so looking forward to becoming my inner child and eating lots and lots of churros. these trips plus my flights to indy in july and home for christmas combined are cheaper than the 5 days i spent in prague earlier this year. kinda like getting 5 shirts for the cost of 1 at banana republic or ann taylor.

5. CAR SHARING membership - i'm going to join ZipCar because i find it essential that i have the option to take some wheels into suburbia as often as possible. the thought of no rental car line and gas/insurance included sold me on the car sharing with ZipCar.

i'm excited for my friends' new adventures and happy that my love for new york remains strong. it is also great that i am able to shake things up whenever possible to remind myself how lucky i truly am.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

a little something to do in the city's summer

you wouldn't know it's summertime by the constant wet weather but IT IS! hooray!

the city has so much vibrance (and stench) in the summer with a whole host of free and fun things to do. i alway try to embrace all that i can in this city. for those on a trek to the big apple, here are some options for summer enjoyment:

SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK
Twelfth Night runs to July 12th and stars Anne Hathaway, Raul Esparza and Audra McDonald
**saw it last night. very funny and music was fantastic!**
Free tickets by standing in line at Delacorte theater - tix distributed at 1pm

MOVIES
Bryant Park becomes a giant movie screening lawn beginning June 15th. Movies start at dusk.

CONCERTS
Today Show Summer Concerts - every Friday morning at Rockefeller Plaza (i'm dreading June 19th b/c the Jonas Brothers are coming which means 100s of screaming girls will follow)

New York Philharmonic in the Park - July 14th & June 17th at Great Lawn in Central Park
**never been but have every intention of going to at least one of these**

Opera in the Park - July 13th at Summer Stage in Central Park

(there's a whole host of other musical performances throughout the summer)

MUSEUMS
Free MoMA Fridays - every Friday evening entrance to the Museum of Modern Art is FREE!

Museum Mile Festival - June 9th on 5th Avenue with free access to 9 museums.
**went this year. fun to be out amongst my neighbors**

OTHER
Restaurant Week - July 12th - July 31st
Great restaurants offer 3 course menus at discount pricing of $24.07 for lunch and $35 for dinner http://nycgo.com/restaurantweek

Move with PinkyMcG - June 26th - June 30th
A once in a lifetime opportunity to help me pack up, disassemble and move all of my belongings from my 5th floor walk up apartment to my new abode. Oh the summer just got a lot more exciting! Email me to hold your spot for this amazing offer! Pizza and water provided.

HAPPY SUMMERING EVERYBODY!

Friday, June 05, 2009

Top 20 revealed & prediction

it's on! the top 20 were revealed last night on SYTYCD. i'm very excited and interested to see who does well in the opening rounds and who the couples are.

i thought it might be fun to make my "prediction" for the top 10 this year. (in full disclosure - one of the female dancers graduated from the same high school as i and another female currently resides in the same city as my joani, grandpappy and Moocher).

Here is my list for the Top Ten:
Kayla Radomski
Jason Glover
Caitlin Kinney
Evan Kasprzak
Paris Torres
Phillip Chbeeb
Ashley Valerio
Max Kapitannikov
Randi Evans
Brandon Bryant

everyone watch next Wednesday night for the first performance show on Fox! (that includes you too Joani!)

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

and thus it begins...

...the joy of SYTYCD is upon us. watching the below performance on "dancing with the stars" just reminded me of the great joy received from watching professional dancing. i'm so ready to have the top 20 revealed and for the competition to get under way!