Philly

Things have been insanely busy. I billed a ton of hours in February, and it looks like March won't be any different. And I've had no energy during the weekends. I could spend all weekend in my sweats watching endless episodes of Grey's Anatomy -- hibernation at its finest. But I did manage to lug myself off the couch and tour Philadelphia last weekend. I've driven through it countless times, but have never actually spent any time there. We were only there a little over a day, but I ate some incredible meals while I was there.

First stop, Federal Donuts, specializing in fried chicken and donuts (amazing!). The place was packed with hungover college students, but I did manage to take this lovely photo, which totally does the food justice, as you can see:

(50mm lens in a tiny cramped space is awesome!)

After stuffing our faces with deep-fried goodness, we walked around the frigid city (probably burning off 10% of the calories we just consumed).

(Despite the sign, there was a line to climb on the "big noodle sculpture.")

Best coffee in the city was right around the corner from our hotel.  Apparently they have locations in NYC, so I'm definitely going to have to check those out.

We ran up the Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, had incredible drinks at Village Whiskey, saw the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.  And after all that, we also at dinner at Amada which was impeccable.  Perfect service and delicious tapas.  Finished the night at a dive bar in Old City, then to the hotel to crash.  

It was a great mini-vacation.

Two Thousand Thirteen!

Goodbye, 2012. I don't normally make New Year's resolutions, but this year I have a few "goals" in mind:
1. Try to get to bed earlier. I normally fall asleep after 11:30 p.m., then try waking up early to get to the gym and then work. I generally don't need much sleep, and feel groggy whenever I get 8+ hours. But my goal is to start getting more than 5.5 hours a night. I think reading before bed, instead of watching TV, will help.
2. Cut back on sugar. I have a serious sweet tooth. I can (and often) eat junk for breakfast! So yeah, it might be time to start limiting my intake.
3. Try not to sweat the small stuff. This is a tough one for me. I'm a worrier, a planner, and think-aheader. If something falls apart or doesn't go as planned, I struggle.
4. Redecorate the apartment. Over the years, I've accumulated quite an eclectic number of home furnishings. I would like things to look a little more consistent. More importantly, I need to eliminate clutter and keep up with the cleaning I've recently been tackling.

For #4, I've started by adding some greenery to my apartment and bought new bedding (West Elm is having a fabulous sale).

This little guy came from The Sill, an awesome shop that has low maintenance houseplants that can survive even the blackest thumb (me). Free delivery for those in New York -- what more can you ask for!

Snowed In

It snowed again today.  A lot.  For several hours.  Tyler and I are planning on leaving for NYC early tomorrow morning, so hopefully the snow will be gone by then.  Growing up in Southern Oregon, we had "snow" twice.  Less than a quarter inch and the entire town would shut down.  So while I think snow is beautiful in the city (where I can totally rely on public transportation), I'm not thrilled about driving in it.

White Christmas

It snowed Christmas Eve so we had snow Christmas morning.  It was gone by the afternoon, but beautiful to wake up to.  Perfect day to wear an oversized sweater and wool socks.

Spent the day playing trains with the twins.  Everyone involved was exhausted after dinner!

Christmas Vacation

In Pennsylvania for Christmas.  We brought the cat, which was an interesting experience.  He generally did fine with the car ride, but every so often had to complain (loudly) to let us know that he did not approve of being in his carrier for longer than five minutes.  But it's great having him here.

Oh Tannenbaum

We got our Christmas tree and put up some decorations.  I love the way the apartment looks during the holidays -- so cozy and inviting.  And Christmas lights are seriously the best!

Here's a shot of the boys after lighting the tree (I think we used 500 lights for our 5 foot tree!).  Decorating is tough work!

Cumberland County

A couple shots from my trip back to Pennsylvania. Most of my time was spent eating and sleeping (no complaints here!), but I did manage to leave the house just long enough to snap a couple photos.

Almost Monday Again

This weekend went by too quickly. Saturday morning started off mellow enough... 

But the rest of the day was a blur.  Quick trip to the gym, then dinner at Baby Bo's with some friends (best margaritas with fresh mango puree ever!).  The wait at the restaurant was much longer than we expected, and we had a play to catch at 8:15 p.m. (A Twist of Water), so half of our party rushed into a cab, while the rest of us raced to the 6 train (those of us on the subway got to the theater first!). The play was amazing, and we made it just in time!  We ended the night with drinks at the Hurricane Club.  I mean, how can you end a Saturday night without a drink in a coconut. 

Sunday started with brunch at Iris Cafe here in the Heights -- a definite favorite of mine.

Then Tyler and I walked around Brooklyn until I got too cold. I took some film shots, which I'll upload after they're developed.  I normally mail out my film for processing, but I'm looking for a local place in the city that doesn't charge a fortune and doesn't scratch my negatives.  Not sure one exists, but I'm hopeful.

Now its Sunday night...  At least I only have a 2-day work week!

Beginnings

The beginnings of my new blog...