Take Me Out to the Ballgame

A couple of weeks ago our friend, Adam, got a nice little monetary treat from his parents. Instead of doing something smart or useful with the money, he did the next best thing. He bought a box at the Padres v. Nationals game for all of his friends. And were we ever grateful!

So thank you, Adam's parents, for taking us all out to the ball game.

This is what happens when the majority of your friends are three years younger than you. I think we all know what happened next...

All of the girls

It was free hat day...

Making sure that he got his money's worth

Celebrating 1 year of marriage :)

June 5th was Nick and I's 1st anniversary!  I can't believe it's been a year...at the same time that it feels like it's flown by; our wedding also feels very long ago.

So much has happened in a year...lots of enjoying NYC, trips to see family and friends, visitors to see us, Ireland...my job changed in a big way making life more hectic...and now we're contemplating our next (and hopefully final move).

We have loved spending our first year of marriage in new york and when I bang into something in our apartment once again or can't find space for that new book I just bought...I remember that we love our west village tiny apartment and have spent more time together (literally) than we ever have.  We have not only survived, but thrived :)  I also then start to dream about moving into a nice sized house together...haha...only a matter of time!

Nick and I were headed down to Richmond for my friend's baby shower...yay for Kathleen, Andrew, and baby Lawson, who's due in early August!!  So we combined the baby shower trip with celebrating our anniversary where we got married!  Nick really splurged and planned for us to stay at the best and most historic hotel in Richmond, The Jefferson...we went out for sushi and mai tais (just like our Hawaii honeymoon!) Friday night in downtown Richmond.  Then we shared a bottle of wine we brought back from a Maui winery and attempted to put together a puzzle Nick gave me on our 1 year engagement anniversary...it was a picture of us right after Nick proposed in front of Independence Hall in Philly.  The puzzle proved really hard with all dark pieces, so we gave up! haha.

flowers and champagne from my parents - thank you!!

Sunset over Richmond...view from our room

trying to re-live our Hawaiian honeymoon!

Maui wine and a card from Cole!

Saturday was Kathleen's baby shower and Nick played golf with friends...then we met up and had dinner at Hard Shell where we had our rehearsal dinner!

momma -to - be at 8 months!

high school girlfriends at Kat's shower

The Jefferson...off to dinner!

 Sunday, Nick made reservations for the champagne brunch at the Jefferson which is soooo nice.  It was such a special weekend...thank you honey!!  I love you and can't wait for all our anniversaries to come :)

Jefferson champagne brunch

such a great weekend...wearing new anniversary gift jewelry! :)

Wedding cake...1 year later

Hobbies

Hobbies and interests are an important part of life…a way to enjoy yourself outside everyday work, cooking,and running around tending to life’s needs.  My hobbies have fallen a little to the side the more I get busy with my career and recently I’ve decided to take my life back and get back into my hobbies!!

Exercising and Running…I personally have always been an active person except for the past few years I’ve really become lazy about it.  I’ll run or do yoga every once in a while, but nothing consistent.  It’s bad….real bad.  We joined a gym when we got here, but it was $170 a month for the two of us so eventually we just didn’t feel like we were using it enough to justify the cost.  Plus I didn’t like the classes that much….so we quit and I promised myself that I would run outside and do yoga in our apartment.  Here come the excuses…it got cold and I didn’t like my yoga dvds…plus Cole would jump on me while I tried to work out in the apartment. 

But I can’t take it anymore...my body is getting creaky and I’m more out of shape than ever, so I signed up for an all women’s 10k in central park on June 11th to take back my running hobby!  I hoped that would motivate me…I’ve trained a little for it.  My friend, Erin ran it with me and we did pretty well for not training a ton.  We only walked part of mile 5 and paced an 11 min mile. 4000+ women ran it and it was all through Central Park...I love the scenery :)  It kicked me into running again and I’m feeling good!!

Erin and I finishing the 10K

Yoga…. I bought a new Yoga dvd which I love!  I figured out that if I let Cole up on the couch while I do Yoga he won’t jump on me!  Sigh…life is all about compromise…  The thing I love about this dvd is that its yoga, but also basic strength building exercises.  I was sick of my yoga dvds with the creepy half naked, long haired male instructor who's voice and music makes me want to fall asleep or just be creeped out.

The best thing about it for non-yoga enthusiasts is the addition of strength training exercises like lunges, squats, and tricep push ups.  Plus...Mandy the instructor is funny!!  Example:  “this is what makes my ass look good”  or "the best way to breath is inhale and then exhale".  She has a sense of humor and doesn’t seem like she’s reading from a script.  I really like that.   I also like that she is Jennifer Aniston’s yoga instructor…every woman’s goal is to look like Jen…myself included!  Try it for yourself…order off Amazon, you won’t regret it. 

The goal!



Buy It!  you'll love it and Mandy!

Flowers…I love flowers and plants.  I worked at a flower shop in Blacksburg during college and I just love arranging flowers, planting, and tending to them.   So I planted my spring flower box with begonias and my herbs…parsley, cilantro, and basil…everything has been growing like crazy.  We only get late afternoon direct sunlight on our balcony, so I had to choose carefully, but I think I aced it!  I love pruning, watering them with my fancy glass pitcher, and sitting at our balcony table enjoying the greenery against a city backdrop.

Here’s where things get weird with Casey and I….sometimes we are the same person and doing the same thing at the same time…it’s bizarre, but we love it.  She had told me that she was planting window boxes after I had planted mine…we both love the way it looks.  Then she blogged about it and her herbs, which I was getting ready to do this week!  I texted her and said, you stole my blog…hahaha.  So now you get to vote – who has the best window box???  Take space out as a factor in your decision.

my window box in May... starting to bloom



window box in June...in full bloom!



basil, cilantro, and parsley....pre-pruning.

My New York City garden :)

Recently...

So I need to play a little catch up….

This spring and early summer we have just been hanging out in NYC enduring the April and May showers that made it seem like warm weather and summertime would never arrive.  Even since the warm weather hit, it’s still pretty mild, but I’m not complaining since our AC situation isn’t ideal. 

Summer sunset in the city...

summer in the city

-we went to Richmond for Easter…squeezed in a visit with Tina and Joey on the way down and had a great warm VA spring weekend relaxing with my parents.  Nick also played his first round of golf for 2011 J

Cole and I hanging out on my parents lawn in Richmond...he loves the grass!

Gupta family on Easter Sunday

my parents on Easter Sunday :)    see cole in the background...

-went down to DC for my friend from college, Allison and her fiancé, Jared’s engagement party.  Very fun to see all my college girlfriends, plus we stayed with Tracy and Joe and got to hang out with them and their cute little dog Charlie and saw our crazy guy friends as well…it was good to be back in Arlington for a bit.



Kappa Delta sisters from VT...been friends since 2001 :)

Side note…these VA trips make me kind of homesick.  Coming to NYC was not only a career move for me and Nick, but it was a “we’re not sure where we want to live and settle down” move.  So we came to a big city to have fun and figure it all out.  Missing VA, having space, and being near friends and family hit us like a ton of bricks this spring…going back is really nice, but makes me a bit sad at the same time.

-My girlfriend from college, Natalie, came to NYC for her friend's bachelorette party and came up early for a bonus night with me!  We had great night out in the city...drinks on the balcony, Italian dinner, crepes, (i've been dying to try this one crepe stand!!) seeing a band at a bar on Bleecker street and a rooftop club....we crammed a lot in that Thursday night!

yummy nutella and banana crepe!

da club....rooftop at the Gansevort Hotel

-went to Boston for a work related weekend and had a great time at the Sam Adams brewery having a clam and lobster bake and went to the Red Sox – Cubs game.  We also got to see our friends Trace and Natalie who we always have too much fun with and little Caroline, Andy and Shannon.  Nick hadn’t seen C since Christmas, so it was a fun visit.

Cubs game at Fenway...they haven't played each other since 1918!

Green Monsta.

Aunt, Niece, Uncle.

-Memorial Day Weekend was very exciting!  Andy, Shannon and Caroline came for a big visit to NYC.  J  It was Caroline first trip and she did great!  She is such a low key, easy baby so she just snoozed in her stroller seat while we ate at great restaurants and got in some quality time.  She was awake for the ground zero tour and the fun visits to Bryant Park and FAO Swartz….where she loooved all the soft stuff animals.

mommy and C




hanging out in a west village park

C whisking through the subway!  she's a pro.

The Smiths at Ground Zero

in our apartment...getting C & C acquainted

Memorial Day Empire State Building!

Daddy and Caroline in Bryant Park

the Muppet department in FAO - coincidentally, Nick was wearing his Muppet Band tshirt, haha.

Shopping :)

she fits right in...like a doll!

Ireland Countryside...

The reason it's taken me so long to post about our trip is because I procrastinated since there just so much to describe and talk about...I still want to tell you about the Ireland countryside...so here it is!

As we left Dublin, we rented a car which Nick drove...on the right side of the car, on the left side of the road...weird!  I was pretty freaked out at first, but he quickly got the hang of it and did a great job!  A few turns the wrong way and some very close calls against some roadside fences, but mostly great!

Our first stop was Killarney...say it in an Irish accent!  The Muckross house is there which is a historic Victorian House at the start of the Killarney National Park...both are incredibly scenic.  When I say Ireland is green...i mean GREEN...like the greenest grass and plants that you've ever seen.  The Killarney park really exemplifies this fact.



Muckross  House Lake



Muckross House Lake 2 with a horse drawn carriage in the picture



Old Victorian Muckross House

It was here that we also started our trip around the "ring of Kerry"...a road around the Kerry Pennisula.  The "ring" winds around the coast along cliffs and countryside, hillsides and through little towns.  It's exactly how Ireland looks in the movies.  It was a beautiful day but since we had left from Dublin that morning and it takes about 8 hours to drive from Dublin all the way around the ring, we did half of it in sunlight, half of it after dark...which means we didn't get the full scenery...bummer.  But you can't do it all.  What we did see was gorgeous...an ancient fort ruin and views over the coastline that are to die for.  We made sure to listen to traditional Irish music on the radio the whole way.   Throughout the trip, I was the navigator along with the GPS which wasn't fully up to date...dicey situation.

Killarney National Park

more Killarney National Park

typical nick :)

Killarney National Park....natural Ireland.

Mountainside of Ireland is full of ancient rock walls and sheep!



what a view.

Staigue Fort in Sneem, Ireland built between 300 and 400 AD

Nick overlooking Kerry County countryside

That night we arrived in Dingle, a small fishing village on the Dingle Pennisula.  We stayed at a B&B...very nice people and quite cozy!  We had a delicious seafood dinner at the nicest restaurant in town and heard some traditional live music.  Dingle is known for being cute and quaint, great seafood, and awesome live music...every night pubs have musicians playing...I loved that.  This was by far my favorite part of our trip...there was a guy playing the fiddle and another with the acoustic guitar just jamming out song after song.  We made some friends with another couple that night who were from Manchester, England.  After the traditional musicians stopped playing, a guy in the back of the pub started playing his guitar and rocking out cover songs.  Everyone was dancing and singing including us...turned into a late but very fun night.

Enjoying a pub in Dingle

   

"a small bridge" pub...awesome traditional music!



our bed and breakfast and part of Dingle town

The first time I went to Europe I was surprised by all the American music so I wasn't as surprised this time, but I did take notice of how many American started companies are international.  From beer, cars, clothing, music, food, chain restaurants...it's really amazing.  The world has gotten so small and so much of it starts in our country.  There really aren't that many Irish companies that are internationally branded besides Guinness, Waterford Crystal, Jameson, Bushmills...now i'm done.  Although I envy the European lifestyle of a month long holiday with leisure and family before work....Americans are incredibly accomplished and it has a international impact.  During my first trip to Europe it annoyed me to see and hear American food, brands and music because I wanted to be immersed in the country I was visiting.  This time I could appreciate the tradition and history of the country I was in while knowing that the world today is incredibly connected and made smaller by international businnesses.  Here is a prime example:  a German guy in Ireland wearing all Nike clothing and Reebok shoes while on his Apple iPhone drinking a Budweiser and listening to an Irish band play a Coldplay song.  We saw this...not a lie.  This doesn't go without saying that obviously other countries have numerous international brands and musicians that we know and love, but the American lifestyle isn't limited to the States.

The next day we woke up to cold rain..yuck. (I asked myself, why didn't we spend this $ to go to a tropical island??) We had a traditional Irish breakfast, eggs, bacon (ham), and toast. One thing Ireland is not known for is it's food...  We drove around the Dingle Pennisula to see the coastline views, ancient churches, and a ridiculous amount of sheep.  We then grabbed a seafood lunch in Dingle on our way out.

more stone wall mazes

cliffside sheep

me in Dingle

traveling the Dingle Pennisula

Dingle Pennisula Beaches and the Atlantic Ocen

  Then we drove through the countryside to catch the ferry in Tarbert over the River Shannon.  After we arrived in Killimer we drove to the Cliffs of Moher...wow, what a site!  beautiful natural cliffs over the Atlantic Ocean.  That evening we left and drove through the countryside again to make it to Galway.  When I say we drove through the countryside...let me paint you a picture...one lane road with land on either side as far as we could see, sheep everywhere and stone walls making a maze along the hillside.  All the roads have stone walls covered in bushes and grass that brush up against your car as you drive.  If you see a tractor coming you better figure out how to reverse, pull over as far as possible or into a nearby driveway.  I think I could live in the Irish countryside...it's so peaceful.

Ferry across the Shannon River

in front of the River Shannon

typical road we drove



Cliffs of Mohr

We arrived at our B&B in Galway and the couple who live there were so nice!! The man, Mr. O'Neil has family who live at Smith Mountain Lake in VA and he said they go every year to visit and shop!  He said "all of our clothes are from Virginia!" haha.  We went out to dinner and to the pubs in Galway that night and LOVED it.  That's where we visit again if we ever go back.  It's a small college town where Ireland National Univeristy of Galway is located.  The downtown area is pedestrian only with cobblestone streets and small alleyways with pubs and restaurants at every corner.  We ate pizza at a fun little spot called Fat Freddies Pizza on Quay St (pronounced key).  Afterwards we visited an awesome bar called Kings Head Tavern.  It dates back to the 1500's and the name comes from a tavern regular who executed King Charles I.  The tavern had a really cool area for a band....it had stone walls and the band played rock cover songs...if I were in a band it would be one of the coolest venues to play.

Kings Head Tavern...cell phone quality



Nicholas in front of St. Nicholas Cathedral in Galway

The next day we were up early to drive back to Dublin and catch our flight...as Mr. O'Neill said to us..."next time you have to come back and not run around on a New York schedule!"  I hope there is a next time in Ireland because we loved it and would love more time to just relax....but who am I kidding, the reason we cram it all in is because you just never when you'll be back! 

I have some great vidoes and more photos from our trip...some traditional pub music that I tried about a million times to upload here and couldn't get the video to load.  So I'll post the link to them soon.