Drinks at Bemelmans Bar

Check another one off the list. A very EXPENSIVE one.

Saturday night, Cory, Carrie, Brian and I went out to a great Mediterranean wine bar in Hell's Kitchen called Kashkaval (translation: sheep's milk cheese. I mean, if you opened a restaurant, would you call it "Feta?")

Anyway, the food was great. Tapas. Fondue. Turkey meatballs and orzo. Yumm!

Afterward, I suggested heading over to the Upper East Side for a drink at The Carlyle Hotel's famed Bemelmans Bar. The bar is named after Ludwig Bemelman, the creator of the Madeline books and the artist who painted the mural that wraps around the entire bar.

It is supposedly the home to UES socialites, politicians, and the occasional visit by Harry Truman back in the day. I should've guessed it was going to cost us a bit more than a beer at the local pub.



$(cough, cough) later - we had an amazing night. I'd say it was worth the cost - and the week's worth of Ramen noodles we've all been eating for dinner ever since then.

Still smiling - even after the bill came!



The Craig Gillespie Trio played all night long - he sounded just like Frank Sinatra - and he even played "New York, New York" just before we left. I had a little moment with New York that night.

Thanks, Cory and Carrie!

Saw Olafur Eliasson's Waterfalls - for FREE

It took a month to get my free tickets to the Circle Line's cruise around Olafur Eliasson's Waterfalls exhibit in the East River - but we finally got to check it out this morning.

We couldn't have asked for a more perfect New York City day. Breezy, sunny, and hardly a cloud in the sky. It was a great snapshot - and a morning I will definitely remember when we leave this beautiful town.







Ella came along for the boat ride, too. 9:45 a.m. was early - but so much fun. Thanks, friend!



Someone should tell Olafur about this Waterfall. It was less Waterfall and more..."Scaffolding."

What happened to the water on this one guys?



Ella and I were imagining that there is some guy who is responsible for flipping the "on" switch for the Waterfalls, and we were picturing him running from the Dunkin' Donuts at the South Street Seaport (he overslept) to try to get to the switch before we saw the broken Waterfall. Oops!

Bought Some Tasty Treats at Economy Candy

Nothing like good chocolate to get the weekend started on the right foot.

You name it, Economy Candy has it (but sometimes you had to buy it in 1/2 lb. bags!). The longtime "local" candy store, right in the middle of the Lower East Side, feels like a step back in time. Pressed tin ceilings and antique candy boxes, games, and gumball machines lined the walls of the store, and kids (including us!) eagerly ran around grabbing their favorite sweet treats.



Ella, a fellow sweet tooth-er and candy fan, was the perfect friend to join me on this adventure. As soon as we walked in, both of our jaws dropped (just enough to fit in the GIANT gummy bear Ella found!)



One chocolate bar, a bag of Italian peppermints, a bag of chocolate toffee almonds, and a package of Beeman's chewing gum later, we found our way safely out of the store before a sugar coma set in.

Yummmm!

Ah, Maine

Last week, we took a much-needed vacation and roadtripped up through Maine and New England for our *belated* one-year anniversary. Love you, B!

The trip was all about food. Where could we find the best, off-the-beaten path hamburgers, lobster, or ice cream? That treasure hunt just about sums up every day of our trip.

And, oh yeah, I beat Brian at putt-putt golf.

First stop: Swanky Frank's in Norwalk, CT. Recommended to us - by of all people - the Avis rental car manager in Stamford, CT. They are only open from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., so that should tell you something about how good the burgers are.



Brian had lobster FOUR nights in a row on vacation. In Maine, lobster is as easy to come by as a hotdog in a bun in Yankee Stadium!



The New York Times recommended the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound if you're in Bar Harbor, ME. The 1 hour+ wait was worth it!





Maine is also about stopping to smell the roses, er, wildflowers...







Our first bed and breakfast - the Claremont Hotel in Southwest Harbor, ME. Highly recommend it.



The dock leading out into Somes Sound (America's only fjord!) behind the Claremont Hotel.



On top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Forest. You can see Bar Harbor in the background.



Sea kayaking



I made us pull over to take a picture. Maybe someday??




Oh, I almost forgot to mention. I beat Brian at putt-putt golf. Next try, B!





And our last stop before NYC - Louis' Lunch in New Haven, CT. Supposedly the first hamburger in the United States. If you can get past the women behind the counter screaming at you for your order, the burgers are pretty good!

Steven Curtis Chapman and Family - "There is Hope in Our Grief"

If you read one thing today, watch this interview that Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, gave to Good Morning America about the tragic death of their 5-year-old daughter, Maria, in May.

Their story is powerful and profound. I couldn't stop crying when I watched it. What an incredible testimony about God's faith during the stormy seasons of life.

Our New Apartment...Hopefully

As we were making our way down from Maine, we made a stopover in Boston - and found our apartment! It's a 1 bedroom in Cambridge (with room for a small office "nook" with some creative decorating from IKEA!), just a few blocks away from Porter Square.

Things I am most excited about about this apartment:
1. Making that first trip to the huge grocery store a few blocks away. I'm going to try to find the most unusual, exotic ingredients that I can never find at our grocery store here.
2. Still having a dishwasher and microwave in the kitchen.
3. The gym right across the street - with a lap pool!

Things Brian is most excited about about this apartment:
1. Being a short bike ride away from the Minuteman Bike Trail.
2. Being a short bike ride away from Harvard.
3. Being a short bike ride away from...everything!


We are waiting for the paperwork to go through and for the landlord's final approval, so please pray that all goes well. Hopefully, everything should be set by the end of this week.

Here's a sneak peek of (what will hopefully be!) our new apartment in about a month:

Outside of the apartment building

Foyer

Living room - with a working fireplace!

What will become my "office" with a little bit of creativity...

Kitchen









Bathroom



Bedroom

Waiting...

Waiting for someone to take over our lease in New York City...Know anyone interested?

Waiting to move to our new apartment on Arlington Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts...Just signed today!

Waiting for school to start for Brian on September 15...and waiting and working about 10 years before he'll be the talented Dr. Blank.

Waiting for room service in our Boston hotel...Our last night on vacation!

Waiting to update the blog...As soon as we get home this weekend, I'll update with pics from our trip to Maine and all that's happening with the move to Boston.