Brett's Birthday Weekend

Last Friday was Brett's birthday. It called for a celebration weekend despite the torrential rain we received. And the party continues on.

Leading up to his birthday I emailed him various times with four options to choose from...little did he know, he was picking out his entire birthday weekend all from the choices. Here are the options given with his choice in bold:

1. Broadway, Sports, Culture, Fun

2. Sight, Sound, Touch, Taste

3. Old, New, Borrowed, Blue

4. Elementary School, High School, College, Beyond

New

We headed from work straight to dinner at a new restaurant we'd never been to, The Palm - a famous steakhouse here in NYC. He's a huge steak fan and since I'm not a huge red meat eater, he definitely doesn't get to enjoy it as much as he would like to. We sat in a table that President Bush Sr. used to sit at when he lived in NY and worked at the UN. He frequented the restaurant.

Chocolate Molten Cake with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream. It was presented to him with candle, birthday song and all. He was only slightly embarrassed as they turned the lights out and the other diners sang along :)

The rest of the plans for the night were postponed due to the rain, but we managed to take care of those on Saturday. So instead we went straight home to talk to family and open presents.

Here's the birthday boy listening to all of the nice messages he received. Thanks to all of you family and friends who sent birthday wishes his way!

Broadway/Beyond

And here he is anxiously waiting to open his gifts. He netted out with some of his favorite girl scout cookies (Samoas), a new shirt and tie from my family, and tickets to see Phantom of the Opera on the 22nd of this month (each of the school options was associated with a different play...beyond was Phantom which he was wanted to see for a long time). One more gift came on Saturday and we still need to pick up the package from his parents at the post office (with work though, we can only make it to the post office that is about 3/4 mile away on Saturdays).

In honor of his 24th birthday, we fittingly watched lots of 24 episodes. Friday night and all day Saturday it rained, so we took advantage of having an excuse to be lazy and watch 5 hours of TV (we never get to do that)! Two more episodes left to watch from the season...guess what we're doing tonight? :)

Sound

Once it stopped raining late Saturday night, we ventured over to the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue (thank goodness it is open 24 hours) to get his other present - a new ipod! We spent some time there perusing the merchandise and playing the games on the imacs in the kids corner...man, those games for 6 and up games were challenging!

Sunday I made him his birthday dinner. He chose chicken roll-ups (a favorite that his mom made for him growing up), white rice, broccoli and salad. I've never had his mom's chicken roll ups, so I had nothing to compare them to, but I think they turned out well.

Brett spent most of Sunday reorganizing his itunes library, downloading fascinating finance podcasts, and just getting acquainted with his new friend.

We finished off his birthday weekend with a homemade cake. I had high hopes of finding a tasty new recipe, buying round cake pans and making him something fancy, but since we didn't really go out on Saturday until 9:30pm, it was too late to go to BBB to get the pans and I hadn't looked up a recipe. So we resorted to a Betty Crocker yellow cake recipe and his family's famous fudge frosting. I unsuccessfully attempted the frosting before Brett had to come in and salvage it. Again, I've never seen it made before, so I was making it blind. We've already made the request for his parents to teach us when they come out in May.

Once Brett took over with the frosting, the kitchen got ugly...he documented his mess as he was cleaning it up.

All in all, good birthday weekend! I sure do love my birthday boy!

The little things!

It's 8:15, still at work and destined to be here for a while yet. I've been running around all day and at 3:45 just needed a little pick-me-up. So, I indulged! I took the quarter from my pocket, walked right over to the candy dispenser and got myself a quarters worth of peanut M&Ms (my favorite...don't even bring the plain ones near me, true M&Ms have peanuts)! After a conversation with a co-worker a while ago about the net yield of M&Ms from one quarter versus paying the 85 cents at the vending machine for a full pack, I started counting. Up until today my record was 11 M&Ms from one quarter (a much better deal than one small pack for 85 cents). Today, a new record was set...12 tasty peanut M&Ms just for me! Mmmm! I savored every last one of them! The new record and the chocolatey, peanuty goodness made my day!

Now back to work...

P.S. Reading back through this post, I realize I sound like a child. Saving my quarters so I can get a little treat when the ice cream man goes by. Though one too many fun dips ruined the ice cream man experience for me. Although, on second thought, those clown popsicles with bubble gum eyes were tasty. Mmm...wish there was an ice cream man in New York...

Random moments to remember

Just found some pictures on my cell phone that prompted this post. Remember my weekend home at the end of January? I forgot about some of the fun pictures we were able to capture on my phone. My mom and I had a fabulous time at the movies...I don't know that I've ever been able to go to a movie just my mom and I. We had to document the moment. Isn't my mom just the cutest thing ever?When I was little I LOVED to play with my sisters' hair and they almost always let me. But I equally LOVED them playing with my hair - but that almost never happened. I guess it's just a younger sister's role. Kari definitely played that role for me! She styled my hair for quite a while and though the styles were a bit odd, I was content with her brushing, running her fingers through and styling my hair. She had quite a blast and documented all of the dos with pictures. Here is a small sampling. I know, attractive, right?

And here is the beautician herself! She also had a blast taking bunches of pictures of herself and pasting them on my wallpaper so I wouldn't forget her as soon as I headed back to New York. She's just precious. I love you Kari!

Living my dream

It is currently 9:15pm. Unfortunately I'm still here at the office and Brett is still working away at his. I'm on my 13th hour of work; he's finishing out his 15th. And, I just got called into a meeting... Talk about the city that never sleeps...because they never stop working! Though, to be fair, this job has actually allowed me to have free-er evenings than at my last agency. Most days I can count on being off by 6:30 (except for the upcoming two weeks). As for Brett, well, that's a different story!

This is the life Brett and I both dreamed of. But somedays, dreams aren't as glamorous as they seem.

Mmmmm!!!

currently enjoying a little bit of heaven...

so what if it's 17 degrees outside right now!

it's just what i needed on this Friday afternoon at the office.

Serendipity Night

Last night we were invited to a surprise birthday gathering for a guy that I taught with at the MTC. His wife planned it all and since he is a Serendipity fan, we had our own little Serendipity night - just like the movie!

{the ticket in}

{skate rink at rockefeller center}

{frrrrozen hot chocolate}

{check out the strawberry cheesecake sundae brett got. it was good, but he liked my frrrrozen hot chocolate more}

Is it weird?

So I was chatting online with my cousin last night for a few minutes. She was tellling me that she was just getting ready for midterms. I feel as though the normal, graduated human-being would respond to that, "Oh, sorry about that, I'm so glad those are behind me!" Well, considering that I am not your average Jane, my reaction was quite the opposite. I reflected on my days of midterm madness and said "I kind of miss those." The truth is that I was a bit jealous of her at that moment. I LOVE learning! I loved the challenge of midterms and finals. There was something about the pressure to put sufficient time and effort to be able to ace a test - the harder, the better! Then going in to take the test and having a roller coaster of emotions from, "Oh, that's easy, got that one right" or "If only I had studied a little more" to "I know this, think Kris, think!" I loved visualizing the page in the book (pictures and all) or the page of notes where the answer was found and translating that to the test questions. The rush of walking out of the test awaiting the score is indescribable. And for those tests in the testing center that provided automatic results, I LOVED looking up at the screen, looking for 7413 (the last digits of my ID number) to see the results. Of course the ultimate pay-off was the flashing "CONGRATULATIONS" on the screen when you got an A. For me, tests didn't end there. Once I received the score, even if I only missed one and whether or not I knew which ones I had gotten wrong, I went back through my study materials to check what I had gotten right and what I had missed. I often would memorize the questions I had trouble with so I could check my answers upon walking out of the test.

Ok, so maybe I shouldn't be disclosing this information. I admit, it's not normal. It's just part of my competitive, perfectionist nature. I totally understand if after this post I never hear from you again. But seriously, I'm looking forward to studying for the GRE this year (I started back in October, but got busy and put it aside) and going back to school. Long live education!

Thanks TurboTax!

Some weekends are all fun; others all work; and some just downright unproductive. Well, we might not feel like we got a lot done this weekend, but I submit that our three-day weekend proved to be a list-checker-off-er.

• A little bit of "lazing" on Friday night
• Apartment hunting on Saturday along with a trip to Target in Brooklyn (love Target!)
  
• Date night at home with NetFlix (DejaVu was the pick of the weekend)
  
• Review of the finances - a conversation we always put off for a "rainy day."
• Federal taxes completed - thanks to TurboTax and Brett (since he did 97% of the work) and a day off of work that gave us the 5 1/2 hours it took.

Looking forward to that return. Any suggestions of what we should do with the money? I was thinking a trip to a remote tropical island sounds nice (or anywhere with warm weather for that matter). Or another European adventure. I'd even take a shopping spree in the city. But maybe we shouldn't be extravagant with it. And let's be honest, frugal me dreams big until she sees the pretty numbers of such luxury.

happy valentine's day!

i sure miss all the fun treats my mom would have for us on valentine's day. one of my favorite was when i was in elementary school. when we got home, there were little white bags with pink and red hearts on them and inside our little gift was a name stamp. having a hyphenated name, i was never able to find name stamps, stickers or key rings at the stores. so it sure was a treat to have my very own! i hope that i can continue those cute traditions with my own family.

hope that you enjoy your day surrounded by the ones you love! i know i'm looking forward to an evening with my valentine!

California Dreamin'!

yesterday it snowed all day

sidewalks were a mess

guess who wore heeled boots?

busses were all stranded in the snow

cabs were all occupied

it was freezing

it took me forever to get home

california dreamin'

Remember when...

...you were a kid and you couldn't wait to get to fifth grade to start to use erasable pens? and then real pens in junior high? Those were the days. But seriously, since then I feel that I have neglected my friend the pencil. Pens are standard, but permanent. Though when I make a mistake, unlike freaking out like I used to and hitting the White-Out, I just cross things out because in the end I know whatever I'm working on is going to get typed up anyway. But today I picked up a little pencil to work on a project and it was so empowering! I loved how smoothly it wrote and how quickly I could erase things away. So now I pledge to return to simpler days and use a pencil more often (they've got to be a bit more environmently friendly too).

he loves me!

1-800-flowers had a special delivery to the office just for me cuz a handsome prince loves me...sigh! and i love him too!

We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet

With the passing of President Hinckley has come much reflection. He is the prophet I have known best in my life. He has carried me through my youth, my mission, my single years, and the start of my marriage. I will always cherish his guidance and example. And I can only joy in his recent reunion with his wife - what a beautiful moment that must have been!

Thank you President Hinckley for teaching me how to stand a little taller. I have definitely pledged to BE because of you. I strive to emulate your positive outlook on life. Things do work out! President Hinckley you will be missed!

I look forward to sustaining President Monson. When I was little, my family would attend General Conference. We always talked about our favorite talk over dinner, so I knew that I had to at least pay attention to one. I always chose President Monson's talk. He was always able to sustain my attention with his stories. I look forward to his counsel in the upcoming years!

things to love this weekend

being a child all over again with my precious niece and nephew...coloring, singing, playing kitchen and getting some good luvs...oh the joys of childhood!
just being with family...from 27 dresses with my mom late friday night (loved it!) and having fun with clothes and hair with my little sister to a little dance party with the girls and a delicious home cooked meal by mom & dad, we had a fabulous time...i sure do miss them!

spending time with my sister and the kids - even if we only got a couple of hours together
"as long as my head is warm, you can call me whatever you want!" -grandpa george
celebrating birthdays - it never gets old!

seeing a close friend start her happily ever after...the look in those eyes tells all

while watching jenny on her day, reflecting on my own day almost 9 months ago and just taking time to remember how it felt

spending time with old roommates and picking up right where we left off!

my grandma and her mad shimmying skills...enough said!

and now i look forward to seeing my cute hubby tonight...it seems like it's been forever since i have seen him (if you consider 84 hours an eternity, i guess it has been that long)!

Only in NYC

Oh the joys of life in NYC. So, I just caught a cab from a voiceover record in Chelsea back up to the office. It started as a normal experience, until we hit a red light. What happens next I wish my "trying to stay virgin" ears didn't have to hear. A passenger in a white car next to us rolls down his window and starts screaming at our cab driver for swerving around him (or something like that). "What were $#*!, you $*@%!$..." In all honesty, the only words I heard were expletives because he literally used one for at least every other word! Then to make matters worse my cab driver dished it right back to him! He didn't speak English well as it was, but he sure knew how to say all the choice words! Isn't there a right to respect your passengers and not cuss up a storm?!?! After a minute or so of that madness, the light changes and I thought to myself, "Well thank goodness for green lights!" But NO, Mr. Cab Driver sounds off to me including as many expletives as possible as he explained the ridiculousness of drivers like the white car from "California" and pointed out ever driver that was getting in the #*@*^@ way. Right, that must be it, they're from California so they don't know how to drive! Whatever! But now I'm wondering why I even tipped him at all (and it was a pretty nice tip too)...why was I so nice?

The sad thing is that it isn't much better at work. You would think the the English vocabulary doesn't provide enough words to use! Luckily my boss has noticed that I don't swear and always apologizes for swearing in front of me. She tries really hard not to and gets mad at herself when she does. I appreciate her efforts! (And she agrees it is unnecessary so I guess maybe I can make a difference one boss at a time :)).

I sure do miss by Spirit-filled job teaching at the MTC...the amount of swearing around here is enough to drive the Spirit for at least another century!

Just couldn't resist!

Check out this little gem of an outfit for a precious little holiday helper! I found it while out shopping the other day and just couldn't resist, especially after seeing the serious bargain it would be. And with matching socks! I just can't handle it! So, to all you in babyland out there, this is up for grabs. I have one in 0-3 months and another in 3-6 months. There are already a couple of contenders in the running...

Oh my darling, Clementine!

oh how i love you today!

i've already eaten three of you this morning, and a pretty full bag of you remains for me to enjoy.

thank you for being a touch of citrus goodness on such a cold and dreary day!

Why I love today...

1. Good seminary lesson this morning (thanks to Katherine for the help in brainstorming with me and thanks to preparation time)!


2. Fresh, crisp grapes and blueberries from the guy on the corner of 86th and 2nd - it takes me back (or forward) to a sunnier, warmer day!


3. A quiet day at the office!


4. Leftover pizza in the kitchen (especially on a day that I didn't bring my lunch)!


5. A clean desk and email inbox (thanks to the quiet day)!


6. Catching up on my expenses and timesheets (no wonder I like these quiet days)!


7. Getting off work at 5:30pm - that never happens!


8. An entire evening to myself - oh, all the possibilities for tonight!

The only thing that went wrong today:

1. A late night at the office for Brett - darn it, will our schedules ever synch up? First him, then me, then him again...and earnings season is coming soon!

Brett and I had the most splendid time in Italy for the holidays! We were in Florence for 2.5 days, Rome for 4 and Pisa for almost a day. It was so unreal to stand in front of these incredible works of art, buildings, and ruins that were created SO many years ago. Talk about cities rich in history. New York's got nothing on them! We saw everything from the Leaning Tower, Pantheon and Colosseum to the Life of St. Peter Fresco, Sistene Chapel and the David. We have made a Picasa album with the highlights of our 790 pictures and videos that we took. If you want to take a look, email me and I will send you the link. Here's a little preview of what you'll see in the album:

Enjoying a walk through Florence with Ponte Vecchio behind me.
At the Vatican Museum Brett had some fun snapping a picture of me as a conehead - not bad photography skills, eh?
At Trevi fountain post tossing our coin in over our shoulders.
Brett just trying to fit in in the Hall of Philosophers!
The quintessential Leaning Tower picture - it had to be done!

From the top of the Leaning Tower.

Missin' my man!

I miss Brett already! This week he and I both have our first business trips - his to a healthcare conference in San Francisco and mine to our client in Cincinnati for two presentations (one in particular that I have been working on since I started my new job). Crazy that they both fell in the same week. Anyway, as a result we won't see each other for 4 whole days! That's definitely the longest we will have gone without seeing eachother (even if a lot of days we only get about 30 minutes of interaction). I think our prior record was 3 days. Since I have been prepping a lot for this presentation I've been working pretty late including this weekend. So poor Brett hasn't seen much of me. The tables have turned :) But what a good husband I have. While I was gone at a seminary activity on Saturday, he cleaned the entire house! I came home at 4pm to a tired Brett still in pajamas armed with cleaning supplies. He's SO good to me! I just had to give him a little recognition on the blog since he has been so good! I look forward to post Friday when the presentation is over and we can spend a weekend with NO work obligations!