It's been 2 weeks since my last post and I owe you an update. Unfortunately, I haven't checked another one off my list, but I have been working hard on my list. Here are the 2 that I'm inching toward now:
Read the top ten novels on a list (thinking this one)
I decided to start at the top and read To Kill a Mockingbird first. I had read the book in high school, but had very little recollection of it. It's a relatively short read and in my opinion a little disjointed, but overall a great book with some really great themes.
Next, I read Pride and Prejudice. I really enjoyed this book. Jane Austen's writing style was so different from anything else I have ever read, that it definitely took some getting used to, but it's very readable and I really enjoyed the story. I also loved learning about the characters I knew by name but didn't really know because I hadn't read the book. Heck, our friends Kim and Will named their dog Darcy after Mr. Darcy!
be able to do 10 push-ups
My whole life, I've had really poor upper body strength. I've always managed to keep my abs somewhat strong and have run several marathons and therefore have decent leg strength, but my arms have always been really weak. When I was making my list, I figured I should include something that would force me to work on my upper body strength. I started out by seeing how many push-ups I could do. The answer is: zero. That's right, I could do zero push-ups when I put this item on my list.
A few weeks ago, Taylor and I finally caved and bought a membership to the New York Sports Club gym on our block. Because this is New York, real estate is ridiculous, so gym memberships are $80/month PER PERSON.
For the past few weeks, I've been doing lots of arm, back and chest exercises, mostly on my own, but I've only managed to increase my push-up count to a whopping 1. :(
So, this past week a trainer at the gym approached me and asked me if I had had my "free assessment" since joining the gym. Basically, they offer you a free session with a trainer in hopes of getting you hooked and paying for sessions every week. I figured it couldn't hurt to take him up on his offer, so Saturday morning I met with Jamar at 11am.
The session was good. He determined, much like I had self-diagnosed, that my abs and legs are in decent shape, but my core and my upper body really need work. He took me through probably 20 different exercises targeting my arms and core. I think I did pretty well and I have to admit that it was nice to have someone to push you, but boy did I ache when I woke up this morning!!!
Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be using Jamar's services. At $94 for a 1-hour session (they recommend 2 sessions/week, of course), it's a little steep. I did however learn some good tips and tricks for strengthening what I need to do be able to do pushups. Now if only I could get my count up to 2...
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Mom and T come to NYC!!
In what my mom and I figured out was mom's 9th trip to New York City since I moved here in July 2006 (it was Taryn's 4th, still a respectable number!), my mom and sister and I had a great weekend in New York City last weekend, despite chilly temperatures and windy conditions.
They arrived on Thursday morning at 9am, and I waited for them at our apartment so that I could let them in. They had to get up at 4:45am to make their flight from Detroit, so mom and T were pretty tired by the time they got here. I left right away for work, and they spent the day wandering around the Upper East Side and taking a much-needed nap.
Thursday night Taylor and I met them at Blockhead's Burritos after work for our classic 2-margarita dinner. Mom and Taylor look like they are having a little more fun, what do you think??
Thursday night we had a blast after 2 margaritas (like it's hard!). We headed back to our apartment, watched music videos, played some skip-bo, and had a good old time!
On Friday, I took the day off work to spend time with mom and T.
We started out with pedicures, the one thing that's cheaper in New York than it is everywhere else:
After pedis, we headed downtown to the meatpacking district. We checked out The High Line, a former elevated roadway that's been converted into a really great park. Here's a photo of mom and T in this one area where you are actually over the roadway:
Despite the pretty weather, it was COLD!
Then, we headed to The House of Bumble, the headquarters of a company whose hair products Taryn's salon in Perrysburg carries. They have this amazing space with a delicious little cafe where we got lunch and a great view of the city. Here are some shots!
The Salon space:
The view of the Hudson River:
After the House of Bumble, we headed to Soho where we got a little chocolate fix at Marie Belle, a beautiful little chocolate shop with $2.50, 1" X 1" chocolates. They are screen-printed with artwork made by the husband of the shop's owner. Check it out:
After shopping for a little while in Soho, we headed home for a nap and to get ready for an exciting evening!
Friday night, we went out to dinner at a restaurant called ONieals, which is famous for being the place where they filmed (ie. "playing") the bar Scout in Sex and the City. The meal was fantastic and we had some really great servers (from Ohio of course) too! Here's a great shot of the three of us at dinner:
After dinner, we had some top secret plans that I had been keeping a surprise. I had given them some hints, but even as we approached the entrance to this famed NYC spot, they still didn't get where we were, not that I blame them!
From the outside, it looks like a hot dog shop called "Eat Me"
Even from the inside, that's exactly what it looks like!
But then you notice that there's a phone booth in the corner. And when you pick it up, the hostess of a bar is on the other line.
And if you have a reservation...that white door behind you opens and...you can walk through into the bar!
They bar on the other side is this really tiny, fancy looking bar, with $15 (yes, that's 1-5 DOLLARS, as in a ten and a five...) drinks with ingredients we've never heard of. The bar is called "Please Don't Tell (PDT for short)" and is a play on the 1920's speakeasy.
We had a great time! After a couple drinks at PDT, we stopped by another New York institution, Artichoke Pizza, for a slice of their famous spinach and artichoke pizza (it's basically like the dip on a slice of pizza, delicious!) before heading home.
Mom liked the pizza...
Whew! We were busy, in case you can't tell! On to Saturday!!
On Saturday, we slept in a bit, had brunch at 11:30, and then went to Chinatown. I didn't take many photos in Chinatown on account of the fact that it's so crowded that if you stop walking to take a photo, you get run over! So...suffice to say there were lots of Chinese people, tourists, and fake purses in Chinatown. My mom got a pair of earmuffs, Taryn got a purse, and I got one of my favorite NYC treats, a Tara Bubble Tea from the Thai bakery on Canal street. YUM.
After Chinatown, we did some shopping, checked out the South Street Seaport, and then stopped by a really cute little wine bar called Bin 220 for a glass (ok 2) of wine. Here's a photo of us there:
They had the best Sangria I have had in the city, highly recommend it! After some wine, we walked (stumbled?) across the Brooklyn Bridge to Grimaldi's Pizza, a famous pizza place in Brooklyn. In all of their trips to New York, mom and T had never been on the Brooklyn Bridge!!
We ended up having to wait about an hour in line for pizza, but it was worth it (after the fact):
YUM! After dinner, we headed back to our apartment, grabbing some wine and Crumbs cupcakes along the way. We spent the rest of the night drinking wine, playing games, and eating cupcakes. The next morning, mom and T left bright and early to make it back to Toledo. I miss them already, but we had a great weekend!!
They arrived on Thursday morning at 9am, and I waited for them at our apartment so that I could let them in. They had to get up at 4:45am to make their flight from Detroit, so mom and T were pretty tired by the time they got here. I left right away for work, and they spent the day wandering around the Upper East Side and taking a much-needed nap.
Thursday night Taylor and I met them at Blockhead's Burritos after work for our classic 2-margarita dinner. Mom and Taylor look like they are having a little more fun, what do you think??
Thursday night we had a blast after 2 margaritas (like it's hard!). We headed back to our apartment, watched music videos, played some skip-bo, and had a good old time!On Friday, I took the day off work to spend time with mom and T.
We started out with pedicures, the one thing that's cheaper in New York than it is everywhere else:
After pedis, we headed downtown to the meatpacking district. We checked out The High Line, a former elevated roadway that's been converted into a really great park. Here's a photo of mom and T in this one area where you are actually over the roadway: |
| From Mom and Taryn come to NYC 2011 |
Despite the pretty weather, it was COLD!
Then, we headed to The House of Bumble, the headquarters of a company whose hair products Taryn's salon in Perrysburg carries. They have this amazing space with a delicious little cafe where we got lunch and a great view of the city. Here are some shots!
The Salon space:
 |
| From Mom and Taryn come to NYC 2011 |
The view of the Hudson River:
 |
| From Mom and Taryn come to NYC 2011 |
 |
| From Mom and Taryn come to NYC 2011 |
After shopping for a little while in Soho, we headed home for a nap and to get ready for an exciting evening!
Friday night, we went out to dinner at a restaurant called ONieals, which is famous for being the place where they filmed (ie. "playing") the bar Scout in Sex and the City. The meal was fantastic and we had some really great servers (from Ohio of course) too! Here's a great shot of the three of us at dinner:
 |
| From Mom and Taryn come to NYC 2011 |
After dinner, we had some top secret plans that I had been keeping a surprise. I had given them some hints, but even as we approached the entrance to this famed NYC spot, they still didn't get where we were, not that I blame them!
From the outside, it looks like a hot dog shop called "Eat Me"
 |
| From Mom and Taryn come to NYC 2011 |
Even from the inside, that's exactly what it looks like!
 |
| From Mom and Taryn come to NYC 2011 |
But then you notice that there's a phone booth in the corner. And when you pick it up, the hostess of a bar is on the other line.
 |
| From Mom and Taryn come to NYC 2011 |
And if you have a reservation...that white door behind you opens and...you can walk through into the bar!
 |
| From Mom and Taryn come to NYC 2011 |
We had a great time! After a couple drinks at PDT, we stopped by another New York institution, Artichoke Pizza, for a slice of their famous spinach and artichoke pizza (it's basically like the dip on a slice of pizza, delicious!) before heading home. |
| From Mom and Taryn come to NYC 2011 |
Mom liked the pizza...
Whew! We were busy, in case you can't tell! On to Saturday!!
On Saturday, we slept in a bit, had brunch at 11:30, and then went to Chinatown. I didn't take many photos in Chinatown on account of the fact that it's so crowded that if you stop walking to take a photo, you get run over! So...suffice to say there were lots of Chinese people, tourists, and fake purses in Chinatown. My mom got a pair of earmuffs, Taryn got a purse, and I got one of my favorite NYC treats, a Tara Bubble Tea from the Thai bakery on Canal street. YUM.
After Chinatown, we did some shopping, checked out the South Street Seaport, and then stopped by a really cute little wine bar called Bin 220 for a glass (ok 2) of wine. Here's a photo of us there:
They had the best Sangria I have had in the city, highly recommend it! After some wine, we walked (stumbled?) across the Brooklyn Bridge to Grimaldi's Pizza, a famous pizza place in Brooklyn. In all of their trips to New York, mom and T had never been on the Brooklyn Bridge!!
 |
| From Mom and Taryn come to NYC 2011 |
 |
| From Mom and Taryn come to NYC 2011 |
We ended up having to wait about an hour in line for pizza, but it was worth it (after the fact):
YUM! After dinner, we headed back to our apartment, grabbing some wine and Crumbs cupcakes along the way. We spent the rest of the night drinking wine, playing games, and eating cupcakes. The next morning, mom and T left bright and early to make it back to Toledo. I miss them already, but we had a great weekend!!
Saturday, April 02, 2011
More fun times!
I realize I haven't blogged about the rest of our vacation yet, and I also had a really fun weekend last weekend with my mom and my sister in town, so I've got some catching up to do! I think I'll start with the rest of vacation today and will blog about mom and sis tomorrow.
So, after our stay at the DonCeSar hotel, Taylor and I actually left the St. Petersburg area and drove to Tampa on Sunday in order to catch our flight to Curacao on Monday morning. It's about a 5 hour drive, part of it straight across the Florida Everglades, which was pretty cool. We got to Miami early in the evening on Sunday and checked into our room at the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables, which we'd gotten on Hotwire for a really great rate. Here are some photos:
Our room:
The pool:
We went out in South Beach on Sunday night, starting with the obligatory Mexican and Margaritas:
Then, we walked around, checking out a crazy art museum:
I'm really not sure about this one:
Then, we walked around checking out the bars/clubs and ended up getting a drink at The Clevelander, a hotel with a pretty cool outdoor bar area where, apparently, the cast of Jersey Shore went out when they were filming last season in Miami. High class.
The next morning, we dropped off our rental car and caught our flight to Curacao so the real relaxing part of the vacation could begin!!
We arrived in Curacao Monday afternoon, picked up our rental car and headed about 20 miles to the very northwest corner of the island and the Kura Hulanda Lodge. The lodge is the sister property to the Hotel Kura Hulanda, which is actually in the main city of Curacao, Willemstad. The hotels were both opened in the last 10 years by a Dutch Architect (Curacao was a Dutch colony until last October). We opted to stay in the Lodge rather than the more urban hotel so that we could enjoy the beaches of Curacao. Here's just a taste of what we got to enjoy:
The view from our ocean-front room:
The picture-perfect beach at the hotel:
Beautiful sunsets (complete with Carissa's Caribbean Punch):
DELICIOUS Frozen Cappuccinos (oh, THAT'S why Starbucks calls it a Frappuccino) at the hotel bar:
Quaint nearby beaches:
And Amstel Bright's by the pool!
Besides relaxing near the beaches and pool, we did have some adventures in Curacao.
We caught the farewell parade of Carnival in the capital city of Willemstad:
Snorkeled and took some photos with my friend's underwater camera:
Visited an Ostrich Farm and had ostrich burger!
Toured Willemstad itself, famous for it's brightly colored, Dutch-inspired buildings:
These photos are from our dinner at a local place called Jaanchies. The place is famous because there's no menu. The owner just comes and sits and chats with you about what you like then makes the meal for you. You don't even know how much it will cost!
Fried Conch, it was delicious!
Goat Stew:
What a great trip!
So, after our stay at the DonCeSar hotel, Taylor and I actually left the St. Petersburg area and drove to Tampa on Sunday in order to catch our flight to Curacao on Monday morning. It's about a 5 hour drive, part of it straight across the Florida Everglades, which was pretty cool. We got to Miami early in the evening on Sunday and checked into our room at the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables, which we'd gotten on Hotwire for a really great rate. Here are some photos:
Our room:
 |
| From Curacao |
The pool:
 |
| From Curacao |
We went out in South Beach on Sunday night, starting with the obligatory Mexican and Margaritas:
 |
| From Curacao |
Then, we walked around, checking out a crazy art museum:
 |
| From Curacao |
I'm really not sure about this one:
 |
| From Curacao |
The next morning, we dropped off our rental car and caught our flight to Curacao so the real relaxing part of the vacation could begin!!
We arrived in Curacao Monday afternoon, picked up our rental car and headed about 20 miles to the very northwest corner of the island and the Kura Hulanda Lodge. The lodge is the sister property to the Hotel Kura Hulanda, which is actually in the main city of Curacao, Willemstad. The hotels were both opened in the last 10 years by a Dutch Architect (Curacao was a Dutch colony until last October). We opted to stay in the Lodge rather than the more urban hotel so that we could enjoy the beaches of Curacao. Here's just a taste of what we got to enjoy:
The view from our ocean-front room:
 |
| From Curacao |
The picture-perfect beach at the hotel:
 |
| From Curacao |
Beautiful sunsets (complete with Carissa's Caribbean Punch):
 |
| From Curacao |
DELICIOUS Frozen Cappuccinos (oh, THAT'S why Starbucks calls it a Frappuccino) at the hotel bar:
 |
| From Curacao |
Quaint nearby beaches:
 |
| From Curacao |
And Amstel Bright's by the pool!
 |
| From Curacao |
Besides relaxing near the beaches and pool, we did have some adventures in Curacao.
We caught the farewell parade of Carnival in the capital city of Willemstad:
 |
| From Curacao |
 |
| From Curacao |
Snorkeled and took some photos with my friend's underwater camera:
 |
| From Curacao |
 |
| From Curacao |
 |
| From Curacao |
Visited an Ostrich Farm and had ostrich burger!
 |
| From Curacao |
 |
| From Curacao |
 |
| From Curacao |
Toured Willemstad itself, famous for it's brightly colored, Dutch-inspired buildings:
 |
| From Curacao |
These photos are from our dinner at a local place called Jaanchies. The place is famous because there's no menu. The owner just comes and sits and chats with you about what you like then makes the meal for you. You don't even know how much it will cost!
Fried Conch, it was delicious!
 |
| From Curacao |
Goat Stew:
 |
| From Curacao |
What a great trip!
 |
| From Curacao |
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