Where I've Been

18 states left to visit

countless countries left unseen

These maps make me restless to go more places.  So much to see.  So little vacation time.  I watched my friends travel so much during college and law school and I just put it off.  I thought it best not to accrue more debt and I think that for me that was the right decision.  Nevertheless, it's left me with this itch to see the things that my friends talk about.  I want to ride on an elephant.  I calculated that this year I will do a month's worth of traveling.  When that includes trips to Georgia and Tennessee (where C's from), that's really not much time to explore the great unknown.  I still haven't figured out how these people who travel for months save for retirement.  

All At Once

One of my many secret reasons for wanting to get married is that there are certain shows I just want to experience with another person.  I can't explain it, but it's what compelled me to watch the O.C. with my friends every week in the years after college, and to wait for A for several of our weekly favorites during law school.  Three summers ago, during the Hurricane Irene weekend I started watching Mad Men on Netflix.  I really really enjoyed it, but for some inexplicable reason I felt this yearning to experience it with someone else.  Due to the fact that we have pretty much run out of shows, last week C conceded to start watching with me.  He doesn't like any of my summer shows which include Devious Maids and every single show on ABC Family. Obviously.  I think he's hooked.  We somehow managed to watch the entire first season in one week.  It cut into our sleep but so what, who cares?  

I cannot wait to watch them all and I am so glad I waited until all the seasons were completed to start.  By the time I get to the seventh season, I hope Netflix will already have it, but at least I won't have to wait eons. This show is right up my alley from the fifties/sixties style fashion to having a window into the creative world of advertising half a century ago.  I can't wait to see where the characters end up, particularly Peggy Olson and Betty Draper.  I long for scenes with either one.  

C and I recently finished watching every episode of all eight season of Entourage.  I've never wanted to pay for HBO and after Sex and the City I resigned myself to poor old regular cable.  

Now that is a funny show.  I could have done without the misogyny and insidious objectification of women's bodies.  Nonetheless, they hooked me.  My favorite characters were Eric and Sloan.  The movie is slated for a June 2015 next summer and I plan to make a date night out of this one for sure.  After Mad Men I might have to start in with Curb Your Enthusiasm.  

Summer Reading List

As much as I love Ellen, I could not get into her book at all. I had to put it down. Chelsea Handler's book on the other had was hilarious and I'm not ever certain how I feel about her. I guarantee you will laugh, even if you are as puritanical and uptight as I am. I do love that she's a girl's girl. 

Both of these are series I am really getting into. I love cupcakes, and even thought I don't wear them, I love hats too. My changing work schedule and fun filled trips have not allowed me much time for reading, much to my dismay. I also finished my favorite mystery series of all time, but that deserves it's own post.

Hot in July

The past few weeks have been filled with fun and stress.  I went to see A Soldier's Story in Bryant Park.  A long long time ago I went to see The Treasure of the Sierra Madre but that must have been over eight years ago.  It was so nice and I don't know why I don't do things like that more often.  Oh yeah . . . long hours at work. 

Sutton Foster in Violet

 A couple nights later we went to see Violet on Broadway.  The show stars Sutton Foster, who I saw long ago in Thoroughly Modern Millie.  The musicians were right there on stage rather than down in the pit.  The singers were excellent and though it took me a while to catch on to the story, I found it to be unique and interesting.

Last weekend we went to my family reunion in Laurelville, PA.  It was C's first time meeting my cousins and we had a fun time.  C learned to play croquet.  Both of us and my sister learned to play giant Dutch Blitz which is pretty much the most fun ever.

I feel like I am in limbo right now in my life.  I don't feel settled with my work or living situation and I feel like now is the time I must make decisions that will affect my family long term.  Is this what it means to be an adult? Sheesh.  I feel so blessed to have called the same apartment home for almost four years after the summer of moving 5 times.  Nevertheless, I have seriously outgrown this place and now have to make hard choices like rent or buy? NYC or the south?  I am struggling with the same questions in terms of where I want to go in my legal career, including whether I even really even want to keep being a lawyer.

Summer Splurge

A helped me find the wool coat I'd been needing for three years.  I love it and I'm excited to wear it come November/December.

Burberry Brit Daylesmoore coat in camel

The only other item I've added to my wardrobe this summer is a pair of white shorts from J Crew.  I've decided I have too many patterned shorts (truly it's just four pair) and that from now on I will only buy white shorts since all my tops match them.  It just make dressing in the summer much simpler.  Ever since I started to take retirement and family planning more seriously I haven't felt I had the discretionary income necessary to splurge.  In fact, I only got this coat because I desperately needed a wool coat and I had a ton of gift cards.  I even had Saks ship it to my friend S in Jersey City to avoid tax.  Instead of rewarding myself for having a birthday as I have in the past, I've decided to incentivize myself to be responsible by allowing for one of these purchases each time I reach a significant financial goal. That way, I will be even more motivated to pay off a student loan, increase my retirement contribution, or save more.  We'll see how well this works.

Book Reviews Galore

My life goal of laughing at least once each day is aided by reading the tomes of self-deprecating comedians like Tina Fey.  Has anyone notice that female comediennes tend to be so much more self aware than are say lawyers, teachers, dentists, singers etc.  This book was hilarious and I really enjoyed all the insider info on 30 Rock, which I didn't even watch, and SNL where she was fantastic.  There were plenty of laugh out loud moments.  Does anyone else see a huge scar on her face because I do not and before I read this book I never knew she had one?  I absolutely love how she talks smack about the people who ask about her scar in the first week of meeting her.  What kind of person draws attention to the physical imperfection of another?  I will tell you who: a very bad bad person.  I cannot count the number of times that someone has pointed out mine and I have been very tempted to then point out all of theirs.  It goes so far beyond insensitivity.  If you dwell on people's scars, blisters, stretch marks, or misshapen toes for long enough to be asking questions about it than you better be a perfect freaking ten or it just draws attention to all of your imperfections which are likely more numerous.  I just see those things and more right along. 

In a previous post I mentioned a couple Lorena McCourtney books I enjoyed.  Whirlpool and Undertow were so much better than those.  I highly recommend these suspenseful Christian mysteries.  There is a lot of depth and I cannot wait to get my hands on Riptide, the third installation in the series.  I can't figure out the New York Public Library's system for acquiring books.  It seems that many series are incomplete for some inexplicable reason.  Why only get the first two in a series of three?

I also finished the second in Melody Carlson's "Dear Daphne" series.  This Christian chick lit series is so unique in it's plot and the protagonist is really endearing.  It was difficult to put this down most of the time and I don't know how I'm going to wait another 6 months to a year for the next one.  If I didn't explain about the first in the series. Daphne inherits her Aunt's house and car with the stipulation that she must return both in a year if she has not married.  Unfortunately that is huge pressure, but fortunately there are plenty of men around.

 

I also started a new series, the Cupcake Bakery mysteries.  She is the author of the Library Lovers series I adore so I figured it would be a safe bet.  It was.

The consignment shop mysteries take place in Savannah. I enjoy myself reading them, but I would only recommend them if you are seriously bored. There are a lot of spelling errors throughout the books and they start off pretty slow. The heroine can be more frustrating than likable. In all my time being born and growing up in the south I have never heard a single person say "that there . . ." and unless it's particular to Savannah, I just don't understand how the protagonist, the daughter of a judge, can run across so many people who use this phrase.

  

Brunch Dates

A and I have indulged in a couple nice brunch dates in the past few weeks.  Having weekends off is fabulous.  A couples weeks back we went to Minetta Tavern.  I can't believe I had never been there after partying on Macdougal street for so many years.  I would give the food a 3.5 out of 5.

brioche french toast

A's black label burger

pots de creme in vanilla and chocolate

A's chocolate cake

This past Sunday we met at BG, also a new one for me. Situated at the top of Bergdorf Goodman, BG offered the most delightful brunch experience I've had in a while. I had a hot chocolate which was absolutely divine. We both got the french toast and it came with eggs which was really nice for a change.  I always want both, but never want to actually order two meals.    The french toast would definitely make my top 5 list.  The wait staff was also attentive and warm.  

french toast at BG

After brunch we went shopping and I got something on my fashion bucket list. A found it, but that is a post for another day.