Ho hum, the blahs of summer are upon us...

Yes, that's right, the blahs...everything is just sort of blah right now, so I'm trying to have as much fun and smile and laugh until the blahs are gone and the YAYS! return ... for awhile I had the Chicago trip to look forward to and future plans keep you going but then when I got back - NADA! So I finalized my California beach August plans, complete with pricey airfare ticket purchase so now I'm set for 10 days on the Central Coast - thank god. I can manage to keep alive until then. And then I had a whole Memorial Day weekend with not a whole lot to do - yet somehow I kept quite busy and it passed way too quickly and was over before I knew it. Saturday was a "just stuff" day - not that exciting - but Sunday was brunching in the East Village, shopping, walking around and enjoying the sunny weather, have a Tasti-Delight in the park while enduring the chaos of Taiwan Day - don't ask, it was a lot of noise and a lot of people and we just wanted a bench to sit on to get some sun, we didn't even try to participate.

But Monday, Ly hosted us again for some BBQ-ing and more Settlers Cup action - can I tell you his hamburgers rank among the greatest? He used honey, pressed garlic, chopped onions, sugar, salt, and some fish sauce, mixed that in with the meat to make the patties, let them marinate overnight and the smell on the grill was OUT OF THIS WORLD. Plus, he also grilled veggies, drumsticks, and Floating Head brought the hot dogs plus fixins and I brought two bottles of wine. I'm leaving it to you to do the math:

1. Two full bottles of wine at 11 am.
2. Floating Head and I are the only ones who drink.
3. We left at 6pm. Bottles are empty.
4. So who did all the drinking?


Plus we made plans for more summertime adventures (i.e. more reasons to keep on going through the blahs) - Baltimore trip for crabs, Fire Island Day, maybe Maine, Mamma Mia - since ABBA is the official theme music for our circle... so yay for us!

Oh and yes I know, my Mets aren't doing so well...I'm not too worried, they are only 5 out of first place and I have a feeling they will turn around at some point...I'm not guaranteeing they will make the playoffs but I don't think they'll have a rotten year..and I'm not into firing Willie - you just need someone to stop paying top dollar for too-old and too-injured players - get some new youngbloods in there who are hungry and all will be well. Enough said. Now get to work!

Goodman Ly hosted this month's Settler's Cup Tournament and served us Thai fish cakes, shrimp and cuttlefish balls, pork and leek dumplings and wine in his Astoria backyard - YUM!

Goody Elba "explains" (i.e. argues) the rules to newcomer AJ

But in the end, after two rounds, our host was victorious and so he keeps the Settler's Cup and medallion, proudly displayed here...

Oh and - how excited was I about the Mets SPANKING the Yankees? VERY!!!!!

Neverending Math Equation

"I'm the same as I was when I was 6 years old
And oh my God I feel so damn old...
Oh my god, Ive gotta gotta gotta gotta move on
Where do you move when what you're moving from
Is yourself?
The universe works on a math equation
That never even ever really even is any end
Infinity spirals out creation
We're on the tip of its tongue, and it is saying
We aint sure where you stand
You aint machines and you aint land...
Well I don't want to have and want
But I dont know what I need..."
- Modest Mouse Song...and Current Earworm but the Sun Kil Moon version...


So, today has started off with quite the bang...and that bang would be me falling down a flight of stairs!! I could not, would not sleep last night...I actually went to bed sleepy as hell at 12 only to toss and turn and feel my adrenaline pumping so I got up around 2 and watched The Jeffersons on TVLand only to fall asleep on the couch. When I moved back to the bed, it was a repeat of before...toss and turn, wide eyed and bleary. DAMN. I gave up being stressed about it though. I finally fell asleep around 5, woke up at 7:56 to pouring rain and I rush rush my way to work, I hurry hurry down the stairs in my building and nearly broke my crown...slid all the way down on my back, let out a very loud "FUCK!!" to my embarrassment and looked down to see the heel dangling off my left boot like a wiggly tooth. So I hobbled back up to my apt. to change shoes and get to the platform only to be told there is a stalled train ahead of us on the track so we'll be moving shortly albeit slooooooowly.

Silver lining? If I hadn't fallen on my ass, I would have been on that stuck train and I would have been hysterically sobbing on the inside because that is the WORST feeling - I get a little bit claustrophobic and panicky if stuck on a train - especially a crowded/smelly one - for too long. So whew, I suppose, for being a clumsy clumsy but cute kid (SNOW WHITE!).

I still can't believe I fell down a flight of stairs. What a dork. And yes, I am a little achy - thanks for asking!

And it's still raining and I'm sipping some coffee now to prepare for later - I will be baking a cake for tomorrows Settler's Game Extravaganza at Ly's. And to bed, oh glorious bed, early I hope...I do NOT do well on less than 3 hours sleep - the same thing happened last Thursday, only I had to get up at 4am to make it to the airport at 6 to fly to Chicago - Floating Head can attest, I was quite giggly giddy for most of the day and then I operated on 5 second delay and was not very smart - she had to do all the thinking. Then around 4pm , I just started zoning out and needed a 45 minute disco nap before going out for our luscious dinner - steak and lobster, come on, I'll forgo sleep for that anytime.

Anyhoo...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Wait, did you say something? I feel like I lost time...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

And she's out people....

More Chicago Photos

Our view of Lake Michigan from hotel floor elevator

Elba enjoying the last bit of Portillo's Hot Dawg with a swig of beer!

Taking pics of ourselves in The Bean - I look confused because this thing is TRIPPY!

Underneath The Bean


The Bean




The Sears Tower

Elba breaking her back to get a picture of the Worlds Tallest Building (spires not included Kuala Lumpur!)

Our first strategery meeting in Dunkin Doughnuts - what shall we do today?

Navy Pier

Self portrait, top of double-decker tour bus - we are cold and it is windy. Enough said.

If Chicago was a cow, we milked it dry!

I'm back from my Midwest Adventure and we had quite the whirlwind experience, but we saw everything we wanted to see and completely maximized our time there - all in all, a BLAST! I have lots of fun times to blog about but for now, I'll just put these two pics up because they will please Cub Fan Charlie!





And here is one for Bob Newhart Fan Joyce - Floating Head having her own therapy session with Dr. Bob Hartley...

Peace Out, Gnomies!*

*(that's actually taken from a pair of PJ bottoms that I'm taking with me this weekend that say "Hangin' with my Gnomies" all over it)

I'm totally OFF tomorrow and Monday so that I can fly to Chicago for a fun-filled mini-break - what's on the itinerary? Steakhouse, Wrigley Field, a history tour, a ghost tour, deep-dish pizza, world famous hot dogs, walking and shopping and drinking and all that jazz...a mug might be purchased (to pound an old joke to death...but we can't help it, can we?)

I'll report back to you on Tuesday most likely - and Happy Mommie's Day in advance to the best mommie a girl can ask for - she makes me laugh, she makes me cry, she makes me feel good - by God, she's a walking, talking Hallmark card!

Onward and Upward (that's just for you, MOTHER!!)

Sakura Matsuri Photos

The Cherry Tree Esplanade
Charlie's Angels...sort of...
Jany has a drinking problem!
Blossoms!
Plum-tuckered out

Mimosa time!
Elba and Ly - and random guy smiling for the pic in the background...

A Hanami Blooms in Brooklyn

What's hanami you ask? Well its Cherry Blossom Festival Time, that's what. And it's what I'll be doing this Sunday, all day. First stop is Park Slope for 11:30 brunch and unlimited mimosas (of course). Then we walk (er, stumble, depending on the number and strength of those mimosas) to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden for a celebration of those beautiful pink blossoms that only happen in springtime and look like pink snow is falling and is very magical to see them all at once on the Cherry Esplanade. Some of the events include traditional drumming, flute, and Japanese dancing, a tea ceremony, a samurai sword drama, ooh all sorts of fun times. Cherry trees and magnolia blossomings in springtime - I never knew how beautiful they were until I moved to NYC. Also, tulips and daffodils everywhere. They just APPEAR overnight somehow. Fairies or the supers in the buildings? Who can tell? I remember in college, there was a huge magnolia tree on Lehman Lawn and I was always amazed at the huge blossoms - we don't really have anything like that in Las Vegas - the heat kills them all. We had lots of beautiful roses in our front yard, but they usually didn't last long if I remember correctly - what does last in the desert? Poisonous oleander - pretty but deadly - and California poppies. We had those in the backyard near the pool and they close up and turn away from the sun during the day, as if to protect themselves, and then as the sun sets, they open up and unfurl their petals. Amazing, right? I think so.

It's been a bit chilly and cold and gray all week and is supposed to continue like this - 50's and 60's, some rain and very little sun to speak of. Last weekend was dedicated almost entirely to the Mets - we went to the game on Friday night (lost!), Saturday afternoon (WIN!) and were supposed to go on Sunday afternoon but the weather was iffy and so I watched them WIN on TV instead.

Tomorrow I do beauty day and get my grays covered, my nails done, and my neck and back massaged - all in preparation for the Chicago trip next Friday - YAY! I'm ripe for a little fun and adventure, so in classic Lucy and Ethel style, Floating Head and I will have stories to report I'm sure.