Date Nights - April

We had some fun with our April date nights. Chris decided to take me to one of his favorite establishments while I decided to recreate our 1st date.

Chris knows the owner at Bridge and Tunnel Brewery so he likes to support them whenever he can. The place is basically a warehouse where they actually brew their beer selections, but they also have board games and arcade games inside as well. We went to a stand-up comedy night that was a lot of fun there once as well. Chris really likes the place. They also make their own root beer which is pretty cool. I opted for it. It's always good to support a local Queens establishment.

Since this year would likely be our last living in NYC, I decided it would be fun to recreate our first date. We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Brother Jimmy's before indulging on some Pinkberry. We own a copy of Date Night on DVD so we watched that when we got home. After seven years, it was fun to recreate this special night. Lots of great memories through the years!

What is your favorite local watering hole?

Have you ever recreated a special date night?

Andrea :)

Improv at Magnet Theater - Level One

When we decided to move away from New York City, there was one major item on my list of things I could not leave the city without trying. In fact, I had been planning to try improv classes since the very first year I moved to NYC, but my schedule never seemed to line up with the class openings. And it costed a pretty penny.

Much as I did my first Christmas in New York, I requested taking classes as a gift. I signed up for Level One to begin in January. I was able to delay my start until mid-February when everything happened with Dad, but I was really excited to get started when the day arrived.

I decided to start classes with Magnet Theater in NYC. They offered eight week sessions with a class show at the end. They also provide a free intro class that I had taken in the fall. I really enjoyed it so I signed up for the session with that same instructor - Rick Andrews.

I am glad I took my first class over a series of weeks because there were a lot of new things to learn and absorb from week to week. I loved every minute of my first class. The group of people in my class proved to be a wonderful mix. I looked forward to class so much each week.

We focused on the basics and played a lot of group and team games. It was fun to play with different people each week and really hone that "yes, and" skill. Our show was in early April and I was fortunate enough to have a big crew of folks show up to support me. I was nervous, but I had fun performing that night. The best part about improv is you never know in advance how a scene will go or where an idea will end up leading. So fun and so scary all at the same time - I highly recommend it!!

Andrea :)

Photo a Day - April

April was a fun month. I finished my first improv class, we went on a murder mystery weekend getaway, and I headed out for a few weeks in the mid-west.

Chris finally managed to get me out to his favorite NY brewery - Bridge and Tunnel. I enjoyed some tasty (and generally healthy) snacks, but the highlight of the first part of April was certainly my first ever improv show. As part of my classes with the Magnet Theater, a show was the cherry on top of a fantastic eight week experience. I had lots of support from Chris and a slew of friends for my debut!

Chris and I ran a 10k in Central Park and generally enjoyed being outside as the season changed over to Spring. I watched a Case for Christ on Good Friday, and we enjoyed spending Easter with Chris' family in Long Island.

We celebrated our seven year dating anniversary by recreating our first date on April 17 - so fun!! Later in the month, we ventured to Vermont for a murder mystery weekend. Chris and I managed to keep our characters secret from one another and had an absolute blast at the event. I had a big lip-synced singing number to perform that went over swimmingly. However, Chris was the star of the show - he was even honored for his acting ability by our whole group. He truly was a hit!!

It's always good to be back in Kentucky! I ventured back for some meetings - first at Georgetown - and then Nashville and Columbus. I enjoyed hanging with my favorite niece and nephew in between meetings. Brinley and I went to see A Dog's Purpose together and she did remarkably well for an almost 5 year old! What a great way to end a lovely month!

Andrea :)

Date Nights - March

We enjoyed some low key city dining and entertainment for our date nights. We really got into seeing plays and shows in our last couple of years in the city. That was definitely ok by me because the arts are my absolute favorite thing about NYC.

I found a new Chinese restaurant - Excellent Dumpling House - that opened up in Chelsea that we decided to try. We had a few staples for Thai food, but we never found a Chinese restaurant that really hit the spot. This place had serious potential, but this ended up being the only time we visited. The food was great with really quick service and lots of options. After dinner, we made our way down to the Magnet Theater for some improv fun with Kornfield and Andrews - love those two funny fellas together on stage!

Chris opted for burgers from Lucky's before we headed downtown to see The Penitent. Chris was really excited about seeing Chris Bauer in the production. Unfortunately, the story wasn't our favorite. The acting (a four character show) was well done, but the story itself sort of fell flat with us. We haven't had too many busts in our show seeing days so I suppose we were due for a bit of a dud. Of course, it was still a fun night out - which is all that really matters in the end!

Do you enjoy the arts?
What is the best stage performance you've ever seen?

Andrea :)

Weekend Getaway in New Hope, PA

After spending roughly six weeks apart while I was in Kentucky helping my parents as my dad recovered and began rehab, Chris and I were due for a fun weekend away. He did all the planning and surprised me with a bed and breakfast getaway in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

We stayed at the Pineapple Hill Inn and had a full couple of days checking out the area. On our first night, we made a stop at Crooked Eye Brewery for some cider and a flight before dinner at Louie's Old Mill. We enjoyed both places, but certainly felt the small town vibe of the area.

 

The next day, we tracked down a cupcake shop and eventually made our way to the highlight of the trip - a Girl Scout cookie wine pairing at Sand Castle Winery. It was so fun...and we each got to take home a box of cookies. I picked Samoas and Chris went with Thin Mints.

We ventured out into nature for a walk and some fresh air before dinner. We tried Bowman's this time and enjoyed it as well. However, my favorite dish came at breakfast the next morning. The blueberry crumble was SO good. I will definitely try to replicate it soon.

Our final adventure was a ride on the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad. It was a bit windy for an open air train ride, but we had fun learning more about the area and its history. We walked around the town checking out the shops and stretching out our legs before the car ride back to LIC.

Have you ever visited a bed and breakfast? Would you return?

Andrea :)

Photo a Day - March

March didn't have too much excitement. I got back into the swing of things with my job search and started focusing on getting back into shape and working more veggies into my diet.

In an effort to volunteer more, I decided to usher for Second Stage Theater and I worked my first show for them. I also got involved with the local Phi Mu chapter in NYC and enjoyed a nice dinner with the lovely ladies of that chapter to celebrate Founder's Day.

I did quite a bit of reading this month - really enjoyed spending my time delving into some interesting topics. The weather kept me home bound a couple of days as well.

A well stocked fridge is one of the best feelings in the world! The treadmill - not so much. I was ready for Spring so I could get outside for a run!

We ran the NYRR Spring Classic on what turned out to be a pretty nice day! I had my first official in-person interview of the job hunt, finished my Level One improv class, and found a great deal on Baskin Robbins ice cream on the 31st!

Andrea :)

Date Nights - February

After spending roughly over a month apart, we were super excited for some fun adventures. I opted for a more low key night with dinner and a movie. Chris planned a weekend getaway to Pineapple Hill Inn bed and breakfast in New Hope, Pennsylvania where he found a really fun wine pairing for us to try.

A Girl Scout Cookie Wine Pairing is a genius idea. We had so much fun trying all the treats and wine at Sand Castle Winery. We even found a lemonade cookie that we didn't know existed. The whole event was really fun. Along with the wine tasting, we were able to select a box of cookies to take home with us. I snagged the Samoas while Chris got some Thin Mints. What a fun night!

I'd just finished my Oscar movie watching and had seen advertisements for A United Kingdom on repeat. I thought it would be an interesting one for us to watch together so we headed down to Houston Street to see it at The Angelika. The story was based on true events, but since it dealt with England's history we weren't as familiar with the story going into the movie. We enjoyed it.

Do you have any fun bed and breakfast recommendations?

What is your favorite "based on true events" movie?

Andrea :)