Amanda's Birthday + New Running Shoes

This weekend, I was able to relax for a change!  I still managed to get a few things done, but mostly I just tried to catch my breath from all the recent traveling.  It can wear a person out sometimes!

On Friday, I met up with friends at Tavern 29 to celebrate Amanda's birthday!  It was a great venue!  Lots of fun catching up with friends I hadn't seen over the past few weeks!

On Saturday, I tried out a new recipe for breakfast - Pecan Pie muffins.  I'll share more about these tasty little treats with you later in the week.  For now, check out this scrumptious goodness...

Later, I went for a run.  Not just any run though!  My first solo run in Central Park.  Sure, I've run several races there at this point.  And sure, I shouldn't be scared of running there alone.  But, I am was.  I didn't venture too far into its depths, but I did manage to run a solid couple of miles in there before detouring over to Michael's up on Columbus.  Spent WAY too much time there, but did manage to find some great stuff...as always!!

On Sunday, I unfortunately slept way too late.  I had intended to get up and go to church, but the time for that came and went and I was still sleeping.  I told you I was worn out!  Anyway, once I did wake up, I tried to make as much out of the day as possible!

I went for another run.  This time I stuck to my standard area - the West Side Hwy.  However, I took a detour around 14th street to head over to JackRabbit to pick up some new shoes.  I came across the cutest little park via this detour - Hudson River Park.  It even has free wifi!  Great little spot tucked away at 14th street and 11th ave.  It's not too far from the entrance to the High Line Park, Chelsea Market, and the meatpacking district, but it seemed very peaceful there.  Not crowded at all which is very odd in NYC...especially on a nice day!  After a brief stop there, I did manage to make it to JackRabbit.  I found a couple of pairs that I liked so I bought one (on the right) and ordered the other (on the left) with a Nike giftcard I have been meaning to use for ages now!  Worked out great!  Now, I have the perfect motivation to get myself in the training spirit for my upcoming races and the ever important 2013 NYC Marathon!!  Yay!

After all that, I managed to get home in time to make it to the laundromat.  Perfect timing!  Too bad there is an OH SO delicious bakery next door.  I couldn't resist a treat this time...

I rounded out the night by working on purchasing and creating some upcoming gifts.  Lots of birthdays (and our anniversary...this Wednesday!!) coming up in the next few weeks!!

How was your weekend?

Andrea :)

Weekly Recap!

Today I am linking up with the fabulous Allie, Jenn, and Ricci for Weekly What?

Hopefully, you caught everything, but just in case here's a recap from my week in blogging! You can find all the links to my posts by clicking on the day of the week above each recap!

MONDAY

Today, I linked up with Sar and Syndal to recap my weekend!  I met someone famous, gave my boyfriend and his best buddies a tour of my office, and spent some time in Miami for work.  Lots of fun stuff!

TUESDAY

For Travel Tuesdays with Helene, I told you all about my experience discovering Dublin and the countryside of Ireland.

WEDNESDAY

I provided you with some jury duty essentials in case you ever find yourself in a position to be rendering a verdict someday.

THURSDAY

I shared with you our fun weekday date night out to see Lucky Guy...and provided a little more detail about meeting that famous person I mentioned on Monday.  I can officially confirm that Tom Hanks is at the top of my list for nicest celebrities EVER!!

FRIDAY

I meant to blog on Friday, but I just didn't get around to it.  Oops!

That brings us to SATURDAY!!  And here I am...recapping my week for you lovely folks! 

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

Andrea :)

Lucky Guy

Last Thursday night, Chris and I had a rare weekday date night!  Since we usually only see each other on the weekend, it was a real treat to spend a night out with him during the week!  Our plans included tickets to see Lucky Guy - a limited engagement show on broadway featuring none other than Tom Hanks!!  I must admit, I had been waiting many months to see this show.  As soon as I saw it advertised I forwarded the email to Chris saying there was NO WAY that I wanted to miss the opportunity to see Tom Hanks in his broadway debut.  Luckily for me, Chris was totally up for it.  Not so lucky for my bank account, but hey, it's not everyday that Tom Hanks is on broadway!!

Looks like the dead of winter the way we are all bundled up, but it was really just last week!

I fixed us a quick dinner of some yummy penne alla vodka with chicken and broccoli before we headed off to the show.  We arrived fairly early, but there was already a pretty long line outside.  I was able to talk Chris into a quick picture outside before we were herded up to our seats in the balcony.  We had a great view of the stage!  And we had some pre-show entertainment in our usher.  He was working two aisles.  Not exactly the most effective way to seat show goers, but he was working doubly hard to get the job done and it was clear to all.

Before the show, I wasn't entirely sure of the story line, but basically it is the story of Mike McAlary - a Pulitzer Prize winning tabloid columnist in NYC during the 1980's and 90's.  I just knew that Tom Hanks was the star and Nora Ephron wrote the play.  It was actually said to be her final work.  That was enough for me to be sold on it.  As expected, the show was exceptional.  Each character proved very inviting.  The story is told through the perspective of a variety of characters - each with their own unique view point.  Much of the time they are talking directly to the audience while the scene itself is paused.  It was a very fun way to present the stories of McAlary.  Chris and I both really enjoyed all two hours of it. 

After the show, I got a little lot upset that I wasn't able to finagle my way up to the front lines to get a picture with Tom Hanks.  I had this vision in my head ever since I saw the play announced of me getting to meet this icon of an actor.  He has been one of my favorites for SO many years.  Needless to say, I didn't exactly handle it very well when hundreds...ok, maybe just shy of a hundred...other people beat me to the punch.  Unfortunately, Chris bore a bit the bulk of my (as it turns out quite unnecessary) unhappiness on this one.  Didn't exactly handle this major disappointment too gracefully, but once I opened up about the root of my frustration with the situation we moved on to Cake Boss for a little dessert!  And the strawberry shortcake was delicious.  Very light and fluffy!!

Fortunately for me, I live nearby the theater district and was able to head back over to the theater the following evening for some front lines picture taking and fun interactions.  The show had several wonderful actors alongside Mr. Hanks.  There was Shooter McGavin from Happy Gilmore (aka Christopher McDonald as Eddie Hayes), Abby Lockhart from ER (aka Maura Tierney as Alice McAlary), and Assistant DA Ron Carver from Law & Order (aka Courtney B. Vance as Hap Hairston) just to name a few. 

Guess it all worked out in the end, huh?

Of course, the highlight of my night was when Tom Hanks marched right over to me as I eagerly held out my playbill from the night before.  I was more shocked than anything that he was headed my direction.  Somehow, I managed to ask if he would take a picture with me.  He didn't just oblige, he enthusiastically replied, "Of course! Hand me your camera."  I was a little caught off guard, but I went with it and gave the man my camera.  The gem above is what I received in return.  Along with my signed playbill.  Unfortunately, it all happened so quickly that I didn't even get a chance to compliment him on his performance or let him know that I was a huge fan of his work in general, but somehow...deep down...I think he knew. 

Have you ever met anyone famous after a show or event? Were you speechless?

Andrea :)

Case Closed!

Yep...I got summoned for Jury Duty.  I served last week.  It was not exactly something that I was looking forward to having to do, but as it turns out it wasn't too bad after all.  Today, I wanted to share some Jury Duty essentials with all of you!

1 - Pack lots of snacks!!  Healthy ones if you can manage it.  The day(s) are really long especially when you are just waiting and waiting and waiting!  Bring something to read, too!!

2 - Make sure you know where you are going and how to get there before the morning you must report.  I may or may not have started out on an incorrect train because I simply trusted the directions on the summons rather than checking for myself.  Oops!  I did eventually get on the right train and made it there just in time to find a massive line for security...which brings me to #3.

3 - Be prepared for a very long line at security!  I believe they suggested allowing 15 minutes, but it definitely took longer than that for me.  And, don't bring a camera...they WILL confiscate it.  I always have my camera in my purse so I thought nothing of it until they forced me to fork it over.  I was NOT happy!  To be honest, I don't really understand it because everyone has a camera on their phone these days and they don't take those away...ugh!

4 -  Be prepared to answer lots of questions about yourself.  It's kinda like YOU are the one that is on trial.  It is a bit odd especially since you are being questioned in front of so many random strangers.

5 - Bring chargers for all electronic devices.  There are outlets everywhere!!  Major plus :)

6 - Be patient!  It's a long day and the process can be quite repetitive if you are selected in a pool of jurors...which I was twice.  Can we say unlucky?

7 - If you really don't want to serve on a jury, you most likely won't be chosen.  The legal team doesn't want you to be there if you don't want to be there...trust me on this one!  (On the other hand, I did gain a bit of respect for an attorney that has to pick juries on a regular basis...didn't seem to be a fun process for them either.)

8 - Once you complete your day(s) of service (we had to report for two days), you don't have to return for six years!  Pretty good deal if you ask me!

Have you ever been summoned for Jury Duty?  What are your tips for survival?

Andrea :)

Dublin, Ireland

A few years ago, my friend, Mary, and I ventured out on a Labor Day trip to Dublin and Edinburgh.  We spent roughly two days in each city and had a wonderful time!   I couldn't have asked for a better travel partner.  We both had similar ideas about what would be fun and how we should spend our time.  It was a great trip for both of us.  It came at the perfect time, too.  I met Christopher the following Spring and she was married roughly a year later!

Today, I want to share a little about our time in Dublin and the Irish countryside.  Upon arrival from NYC, we took a bus into Dublin from the airport and began to search for our hostel to drop off our bags before we started exploring.  I definitely recommend taking an overnight flight when going to Europe if you are coming from the East Coast.  We were able to rest on the plane and hit the ground running as soon as we arrived. We stayed at the Avalon House hostel which was very convenient once we were able to locate it. 

We eventually hit all the hot spots - Temple Bar, O'Connell Street, Grafton Street, the Ha'Penny Bridge, and many more.  But we began our day with a tour of Trinity College.  We were anxious to see the Book of Kells which is housed there.  We toured the Dublin Castle later that day as well.  Lots of great history and fun facts all day long!

Left and Middle: Dublin Castle; Right: Trinity College

After the Trinity College tour, we grabbed a quick bite to eat before heading over to the Guinness factory for a tour.  We paid a little more than we wanted for the tour, but it turned out to be a very cool place.  The tour was self-guided so we were able to spend lots of time looking around inside.  At the end of the tour, they provide samples in a 360 degree glass room.  This provided some excellent views and made the price much more worthwhile in the end!

After the Guinness factory, we toured the Dublin Castle and then headed off to the Temple Bar area for dinner.  This area was very lively!  I tried the beef stew and Mary had fish and chips at Farrington's.  I was pleased with my selection for sure!

The next morning we were up bright and early for our Wild Wickalow Tour of the Irish countryside.  The tour was fantastic.  I highly recommend it!  The guide was funny and knowledge.  My pictures don't really capture the beauty of the rolling hills and gorgeous lakes we saw throughout the day, but it was all very stunning!

One of the stops we made on the tour was for a brief visit to Glendalough.  This was just a beautiful place.  I could have spent hours upon hours here just admiring my surroundings.

Unfortunately, the tour moved on.  When we returned to Dublin, Mary and I did a bit of souvenir shopping before we headed back to the airport to catch our evening flight to Edinburgh.  Check back next week for the details about that leg of the journey!

Have you ever been to Dublin?  What did you enjoy there? 

Linking up with Helene today!

Andrea :)

Pitt Friends in NYC + Cupcakes in Miami

This weekend, I was busy, busy, busy!  Lots of things going on all over the place!

On Friday night, I stood amongst a mass of people outside of the theater to chance my luck at getting my picture with Tom Hanks.  To be fair, Christopher and I went to see the show on Thursday night.  It was great!  I'll blog more about our night out at the show later this week, but suffice it to say I was determined to get that picture.

He was actually taking the photo with my camera so it's a bit off center, but good enough for me!

On Saturday morning, Christopher and I met up with all his college buddies that were in town for a guys weekend at Wrestlemania.  I was along for a bit of soccer watching, eating lunch, and touring my work place.  Lots to be seen at the NFL offices!  I think they really enjoyed the experience!

Fun group of guys...gotta love these fellas!!

It was great to spend a little time with all these guys before I headed off to Miami for another one of our Leadership Programs.  When I arrived, I was fortunate enough to be picked up and whisked off to Cheesecake Factory for a bite to eat before I got some rest.

Pineapple Upside Down Cheesecake - YUM!!

On Sunday, we held the first ever co-ed Leadership Program.  It was a huge hit!!  Definitely made an impact on these young student-athletes and the community!

We also found a cupcake shop - Misha's Cupcakes -  nearby the hotel so you know I gave that a shot!  They served mini size which was nice because I was able to taste a few different types - coconut, dulce de leche, and vanilla.  Quite tasty and just the right size!

Thankfully, I was able to spend most of today relaxing and resting before I flew back to NYC.

How did you spend your weekend?

Andrea :)

My first cruise - Ensenada, Mexico

Back in March of 2009, I had some time off I need to use before our fiscal year changed and I was dying for a vacation.  Luckily, it wasn't too difficult to convince my brother and sister-in-law to help me use those days up.  They had recently been on a cruise and loved it so much they talked me into one.  We all flew out to Los Angeles where we boarded the Carnival Paradise for a long weekend cruise to Ensenada, Mexico - so fun!!

There's not much better than towel frogs and swan ice cream, right?

Jordan and Jen were quick to show me the ropes on my first cruise.  I learned all about mustard stations and dressing up for dinners.  We didn't have too much time for fun in the sun given the length of the cruise, but I did manage to find some time to catch a few rays get sunburned. 

Windiest mini-golf I've ever played!!

I was SO excited when we spotted the whale.  Super cool!!

Our table at dinner always proved interesting.  We had a lot of fun getting to know Steve, Carrie, and Annie - interesting crew!  They kept us entertained each night for sure!

Once we docked in Ensenada, we headed out on our La Bufadora (The Blowhole) excursion.  The streets lining the path over to la bufadora were filled with vendors selling all kinds of interesting trinkets and souvenirs.  I had fun bartering with them.  I came away with a couple of fun things - a set of see no, hear no, speak no set of three monkeys (that I love) and a small sling purse (that I don't believe I ever used).  It was a fun experience bargaining with the vendors.  The blowhole itself is one of the largest geysers in North America.  It was really cool to watch it "explode" every few minutes.  It was difficult to really capture it's essence, but that didn't stop us from trying to get the perfect picture!

Jordan bought churros for us to try.  I was brave enough to order a taco at one of the local restaurants.

We also stopped by the town hall (top right in picture collage above) as a part of our tour.  I remember buying the most brilliant little bottle cap paintings from a lady in the courtyard there.  I brought one back for a handful of people.  So neat and unique. 

One of the most heart wrenching parts of the trip were the young children that would run up to you and follow you begging for "one dollar" and selling chicklets and other inexpensive candies.  It was really sad to see children in this role.

When our cruise ended, we made the most of our day in Los Angeles before heading back east.  Probably our most memorable moment happened as we were purchasing tickets for the highlights of LA tour - Jen was mistaken for me and Jordan's child.  Too funny!!  The man behind the ticket counter said "2 adults, 1 child".  Jordan and I just looked at each other like "what? where's the child?" and then it hit us...and we cracked up!!  Needless to say, that tour started off with a bang :)

Top L to R: Kodak Theatre (where Oscars take place), inside Kodak Theater, Capitol Records, Hollywood sign  Bottom L to R: Spielberg's mansion, Hotel Roosevelt, In-N-Out burger (really liked it), TCL Chinese Theater

 We had a great time together just relaxing and enjoying the adventures of the weekend.

Do you enjoy cruises?  What do you like and/or dislike?

Linking up with Helene for Travel Tuesdays.

Andrea :)