Sinks in the Country

On Friday, I took my class on our first field trip to the farmer's market in Union Square.  The farmer's market there happens every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and it's a large one, with lots to see.  It was a really different field trip experience from trips I've been on in NC, but it was so fun!  We rode a school bus down to Union Square.  That itself was something else.  Several kids complained of being scared of school buses, they pointed out their apartment buildings, which were really close by and lots of them all lived in the same buildings.  We hopped off the bus right at Union Square and got going.  With there being so many people and things going on, it was a little nerve-wracking to usher kids around.  Luckily I had several parents chaperone, so the groups were smaller.  They loved seeing all the vegetables and products at the farmer's market and it was neat to see other peoples' reactions as kids came through.  Many of the vendors were nice and let us sample some of their food.  We ate lunch there and then returned to school.  The kids were exhausted after we got back, which was really nice on a Friday afternoon...nice and calm.

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Our friends Matt and Sarah Pacheco bought a house in the Catskill Mountains last year and they graciously invited us to come and spend some time there this weekend.  Even more generous, they allowed Charlie to come with us.  It was just the thing we needed after a really long week.  They have a car (clutch!) so Sarah drove us all up on Friday night.  We made it just in time to grab food at the Chinese restaurant in town, which stays open until 11.  Thus commenced a weekend full of food and drink.

Their house is nestled in the small town of Callicoon, though it's closer to Jeffersonville, NY.  It's a really beautiful house, dating back to the 1890s.  Big porches and a giant back yard were perfect for relaxing and taking advantage of the peace and quiet.  It was nice being in a house again, with space and lots of rooms.  Their decor was so cozy and quaint too.

   

On Saturday, after sleeping in, we went to Narrowsburg for lunch and a little shopping.  The drive over there was picturesque and colorful with fall leaves dotting the trees.  The weather was really nice, in the mid-60s.  We went home and Matt and Matt worked on brewing a batch of Oktoberfest beer.  That kept them nice and occupied, while Sarah and I prepped dinner and watched them.  We grilled steaks and they had veggie burgers; mashed potatoes, homemade baked beans, and salad rounded out the meal - delicious.  Then we bundled up and built a bonfire in the back and looked at the stars.  I saw 3 shooting stars.  It's sad how few stars I've seen in the past 4 months with all the lights clouding the city sky all the time.  

Sunrise

Narrowsburg, NY

One of the best parts of the whole weekend was watching Charlie.  He had a blast running around in the backyard.  It wasn't fenced in, but he stayed close and listened really well, which was a lot more fun than the alternative.  He was given a football and he didn't let that thing alone all weekend.  The backyard was really large, so he did a LOT of running, which was so good for him.  He wouldn't stop running, even though he became so tired he couldn't hold up his ears.  There were deer that came around the yard and he used his baser instincts to sniff out their scents.  He loved this weekend.

happy puppy

On Sunday, the Matts went to play golf at a course nearby.  It was a lot colder and windier, so they really had to scrounge for some warm golfing clothes.  While the boys played, Sarah and I went on the search for a pumpkin patch.  For some reason, getting a pumpkin in the city at a corner bodega just didn't seem right.  So, off we went and we found one pretty close by.  It was a farm that had animals and hayrides and such.  Sarah and I decided to go on the hayride.  We felt a little silly since we were the only ones on the back of the tractor.  It went around a field...not much to see, but it didn't really matter.  We looked at the animals and then got our pumpkins.  We spent some time looking in antique shops close by.

The boys came back from golf completely frozen, so we warmed up at the house and played Phase 10, always a crowd-pleaser.  We grilled pizza for an early dinner and then packed up to come back to the city, though we tossed around the idea of calling in sick and staying another day.

We had so much fun and the Pacheco's were great hosts!  

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This weekend brings Halloween excitement and the normal work/apt. cleaning/daily chores.  We don't have plans for Halloween yet, so that's on our list of things to figure out this week.  Shout out to my brother for landing a job at The Grove Park Inn in Asheville - way to go!  I hope everyone has a great week.  Happy Halloween!

"And On Your Left..."

Matt and I were tour guides this weekend.  Our friends, Pete and Heather, came to visit from Austin.  Heather had never been to NYC, so there was a list of things she wanted to see and we made sure she saw them and lots more!

Friday:

Matt and I watched Landon Donovan's last US soccer game at Jack Dempsey's before Pete and Heather arrived:

Saturday:

Rain didn't deter us as we struck out for a day in the City.  We started down south at the Statue of Liberty.  We didn't go over to the island, we just viewed from afar.  Then we walked north through Chinatown and Little Italy to Soho, where we stopped by the Central Perk coffee shop from "Friends" that has been set up for the week.  Pete and Heather are our "Friends" gurus.  The wait was 5 hours long to get in and sit on the orange couch.  The couch was really comfy, the 8 O'Clock coffee was delicious, and we even saw Courtney Cox...is what we might have said if we had actually stood in line for 5 hours.  Instead, we opted to just take a passing pic and peek inside.

  

From Soho we went back over to the East Village to Momofuku, one of the most popular ramen restaurants in these parts.  Pete is a huge foodie and this was one of his special requests for the weekend.  It was an hour wait, so we walked over to the East River parkway to look over at Brooklyn and see a vista of the buildings uptown.  Back to Momofuku we went and the bowls of ramen we had hit the spot on the damp, cool day.

Pete was like a kid in a candy shop.  We took a break back at the apt. for a little while.  Heather helped me make nutmeg cookies.  They are one of my Grandmother's recipes and a favorite of mine.  I'd been hankering for them, so it was good that I had some friends to make them for (especially since the recipe made 7 dozen!).  Coworkers will be getting a treat tomorrow.  

Back out we went and this time heading north to Central Park.  We started at the pond with all the sailboats, though the boats had been put away.  We saw some beautiful foliage, lots of wedding parties (check out the crazies below), and even skate-dancing!  There was a lot going on.

 Wedding guests wading in the Bethesda Terrace fountain.  Classy.

Line dancing on roller skates - this happens every week.

We wandered through CP, over to the Plaza to see the lobby (more weddings), and down toward Times Square.  We had dinner at Rue 57, a lovely Brasserie.  Pete and Heather went to see Wicked on Broadway, so we got them there then went to a corporate arts event that Credit Suisse hosted at the Whitney Art Museum.  This was quite interesting.  Jeff Koons' art was on exhibit and his taste in art is a bit different than mine.  His idea of art is inflatable rabbits and flowers displayed on mirrors,  and vacuum cleaners atop fluorescent lights.  It just didn't do it for me.  

Mind you, we still had fun inventing crazy artistic theories about the meanings of each piece but overall I wasn't jumping to collect any of the art I saw.  There were some Edward Hopper and Andy Warhol pieces on the top floor that I was relieved to see after all the other stuff.

Sunday:

After sleeping in for a little while, we got up and headed out again.  We went to Almond for brunch then walked up to Madison Square Park to see Matt's building and Eataly.  We happened upon a Lego festival going on in the park, where a team was building the Statue of Liberty out of Legos.  I had to take some pics for my brother, Graham.

Lego Ninja Turtles

We headed up to Rockefeller Center to check that out.  They already have the ice skating rink up, so we watched people skating for a little bit.  Pete and Heather went to visit another friend in the city before Heather flew out of Newark, so we said goodbye to her (Pete stayed on for work).  Matt and I had VIP passes for the CBGB concert, courtesy of one of my students' parents.  It was going on in Times Square, so we went over there to check that out.  CBGB is one of the biggest concerts for alternative rock, which is not our favorite music, but we had the passes and it was free to get in, so why not?  If anyone out there does like this music, we heard Jane's Addiction and DEVO.  It was pretty cool to sit in sofas and eat free food in the middle of Times Square listening to music and watching all the lights and people.  

We headed downtown and went over to the Crocodile Lounge with Pete.  This place is great, we discovered, because you get a free personal pizza (delicious) with every drink you buy (which are decently priced), PLUS they had trivia, which we love!  So, that was dinner and entertainment for the evening.

Monday:

Matt and I both had today (Columbus Day) off.  We had lunch at a diner and then have basically chilled around the apt. today.  We probably walked 12 miles on Saturday and Sunday so we were ready to just sit.  It's been fun to show friends around the city that we've been discovering the past 4 months.  We're getting pretty good at showing people around, so if you're in the area, let us know!  Have a great week everyone!

A few new things

A few new things this week:

1.  A Ukrainian diner called Veselka close by. I had some really awesome matzo ball soup and homemade challah bread. It was a perfect meal on a chilly Saturday night. 

2. Just like everything else in New York, movies require you get there way in advance. I went to see Gone Girl with some (new) friends. Talk about a thriller!  I read the book and was not disappointed!  If you haven't read the book and are going to see it just brace yourself for some craziness. 

3.  We (Matt) found a karaoke bar really close to our apartment, which is going to be dangerous.  Matt. Loves. Karaoke. They will know him by name soon and when he walks in the place they'll just strike up "Friends in Low Places" - his go-to song.  Oy vey. 

4. I've started my Christmas wish list: lots of wool socks and long underwear. Seriously. It's starting to get brisk (just starting - I'm not complaining yet) but I'm coming to terms with how big of an adjustment it's going to be to walk around in the winter weather.  As soon as I get my first paycheck and rent is paid I'll be purchasing some winter apparel. 

We're so excited to see our friends Pete and Heather this coming weekend!  They're staying with us Friday and Saturday. There will be more pictures and stories next week!  Have a fabulous week everyone!