Photography Friday: NYC

It's photography Friday - the day you've all been waiting for where I reveal some of the best shots from my recent stint in NYC. Or maybe I just made that up to inflate my ego.

Either way, some of my best work from this trip is below. So if you don't like it, be gentle, I bruise easily. Just kidding. But if you do see something you like, I'm selling prints. $500. Just kidding again. But seriously...I will sell.

Alright, enough of my ramblings - you hear enough of that all week.

Let's start with some of the sights from the streets of NYC.

Beauty that is the Brooklyn Bridge.

One of my favorites. The image tells the story perfectly.

Enough said.

Random building along 5th Avenue

Another image with the Brooklyn Bridge - I'm a little obsessed.

Bottom of the Rock

A classic view of the New York streets

Castle in Central Park

A view from Central Park.

Everyone needs a picture of Times Square at night.

Now to narrow the focus - here are some shots from within Chelsea Market, where I spent the majority of my time these past 10 days.

Inside the market. Some of the best food I've ever eaten can be found here.

The market was decked out with Halloween decor - highly appropriate for today!

This pair spent the entire day working from this exact location. Intriguing.

Gotta love the Italians and their appreciation for fine wine!

Given that this was a foodie event, I ended up with a lot of shots like this.

And of course, we can't forget about the debauchery that took place. It made for some late nights and painful mornings, but what can I say, I love these kids!

Yes, this is a platter of (some of the best) sushi and sashimi (ever)!

I heart my co-workers!

Today, I'm not going to analyze these - I'll leave that up to you.

Cheers!

-A

*Editor's note: these images come in higher res versions and most are yet unedited. I will edit, print and ship if interested.

I met someone

Hello blogosphere!

After ten days in New York City working on a client event, it's good to be back in the swing of things. Well, kinda.

While I was there I fell in love. Yep, you heard me: Fell. In. Love. As you may recall, I have a tendency to do this when I travel. It's a curse! And now I'm freaking in love...

...with NYC.

For a girl who said time and time again that I could never live in a city like New York, I had a few experiences that completely changed my mind. I'm about to talk about one of these experiences, now.

Early on in my trip I was honored to meet up with a long-time Twitter/blogger friend, Paull, for some face to face discussion and fun in the big city. For those who don't know or follow Paull Young, you're truly missing out - he's good people.

Given that he lives in the city, I knew we would be partaking in activities that would be a little off the beaten path and would show me true NYC. And boy was I right.


After a drink at a rooftop bar we hopped on the subway and headed over to Brooklyn for pizza - some of the best pizza ever! I'm definitely a fan of New York style. Sorry Chicago, I love you and all your Midwest glory, but New York makes a mean pie.

Thereafter we went down under the Brooklyn Bridge where I was able to capture shots like this:

(Yes, that's one of mine - I'm so proud!)

Then we walked back in the cold breeze across the Brooklyn Bridge back into the noise and energy of Manhattan.

I was blessed to have the opportunity to spend time with my friend, hearing about his travels around the world and the people that he's met along the way. Not to mention having the opportunity to take the trip of a lifetime for some good grub in Brooklyn. In return, I hopefully showed him some Midwestern hospitality, just by being me!

Cheers!

-A

Oh, and don't worry bloggers, there are plenty more NYC pictures and stories to come. Stay tuned!

MMMM Southern Comfort

Hey Everyone! Lovely Ashley is away and she's doing me a favor by
letting me play over here for a minute. (I've always wanted to
commandeer someone else's blog!) Anyhow, if you don't know me I'm
Rachel from Viva...a blog that's been falling more into political
commentary than I'd like to admit. But today is not about politics
(because I'm f-ing tired of politics at the moment), but something a
bit closer to my heart.

SOUTHERN COOKING!!!!

Ok that might have been a little bit too much but all of you who live
in the south know where this excitement stems from. The one thing I
miss the most living in Colorado is I'm away from a few staple items
of cooking you can't get anywhere else, or people can't make worth a
damn in regards to the real deal. One of those things is a true f-ing
BBQ. I mean yeah yeah we have BBQ festivals and it's good and all but
it does not compare to a bunch of drunk rednecks camped out and
drinking Miller High Life, roasting the biggest pig you've ever seen
on a spit. (YUM). And cornbread, cheesy grits, and double sweet tea???
Come on. How do you say no to double. sweet. tea. Yeah I didn't think
you could, although you might have a hell of a sugar rush later. But
seriously, sometimes I miss (REALLY miss) the greasy, the double
fried, and the Fry Daddy's (yes more then one of my friends owned this
product).

Look, I know what you're thinking (um, ew gross), and yes, a lot of
southern cooked food has no redeeming nutritional value. However it's
just damn good and sometimes it's nice to indulge. So if you ever get
a chance to visit the south this year....or ever...please take one
day. Just one day to go to an authentic Mom and Pop good ole southern
cooking restaurant and experience a slice of heaven (in pumpkin pie
form). I promise you won't regret it (until the next day).

**Oh and if anyone wants to send southern food to Colorado I'd be more
than appreciative, thanks!

I'm back - but I'm lazy

Therefore, I'm linking off today to an entertaining encounter with the neighborhood boy scouts by my dear friend Ben.

Thanks, Ben, for our entertainment today.

And I promise, once I'm back in the swing of the Midwestern life I will share all my NYC experiences with you - there are a few encounters you're bound to find enjoyable.

Cheers!

-A

Never tell a girl she's a 6

This is a guest post by one of my favorites from back in my college days. You can find Jennie here. She's amazing, and I love her.

Tailgate… it’s a favorite pastime for some, a way to pump up before a big game for others, and most importantly a time for random run-ins with people you may or may not know. This past weekend’s tailgate at Michigan State University certainly did not disappoint in the chance encounters arena.

In a matter of a few hours, tailgaters participate in a few rounds of white trash golf, a.k.a cornhole, or bags, eat their body weight in brats and chip dip, and of drink alcohol as if prohibition will reemerge at any second. It is this last action that helps create the random interactions that makes tailgate famous.

The MSU v. OSU tailgate started off quietly enough… but soon hit ultimate awkwardness with a series of socially inappropriate situations…

1. Awkward scenario #1- name recollection. There are a few options here, blame alcohol for your forgetfulness, blurt out a name you hope is correct, act like you don’t actually know the other party… or blindly smile. This took place twice… once I was the guilty party and the tried to use the first excuse… which in my state seemed quite successful as it was followed by awkward scenario #2. The second time a former co-worker blurted the name of someone that graduated a year before me… convinced I was this person and when the truth came finally came out awkward scenario #3 happened.
2. Awkward scenario #2- inappropriate proposals. Once again, our friend alcohol is to blame here, but nonetheless I was asked by a visa-holding student to marry him… you know just to help with the green card process. Though tempting… I was always hoping my first proposal might come from someone’s name I could actually recall.
3. Awkward scenario #3- unfortunate personal ratings. No substance explanation needed… we all know who is mostly responsible for these. Usually beer goggles improve ratings; however, in my case, not so much. The participant from the second awkward scenario #1, upon realizing his name recollection blunder… decided to go so far as to say there is no way I was this particular other person as they were a “2” and I was a “6”… A 6, how thoughtful. Well my dear, more sober friend quickly corrected him and said “You never tell a girl she’s a 6… you’re at least an 8”. Then numbers went flying and I think I even heard a 12 which clearly makes perfect sense on scale on 1 to 10.

Needless to say, I had my fair share of supremely tailgate-tastic moments this weekend… Now its your turn to share… any good awkward run-ins lately?

Who is ang?

while miss ashley is off playing in the big apple, i'm here to say hello in her behalf.

who am i? well, i'm a 26 year old, midwestern, self-proclaimed foodie with an infectious giggle and talent for staying up far past my bedtime. i am the friend that takes a ridiculous amount of pictures and writes waaay too long of emails. i've recently developed a chocolate addiction and i have an affinity towards traveling and spending all kinds of money i don't have. i'm a designer by day and vampire-addicted reader by night. but best of all, i'm left-handed. and face it - you know someone is automatically cool when they are left-handed.

i'm a cleveland native, but chicago local. i absolutely love this windy city, especially in the summertime. (if you want to visit, i totally have a couch or a massive back porch for you to camp out on.) i love puppies more than your average person should and tend to get overzealous and squeal in their presence. i have a habit of over using abbrevations (abbrevs) and have recently brought back "duh" into my vocab.

sometimes when i'm out at a bar, i'll try to talk in only abbrevs to strangers. most of the time they laugh, other times they look at me like i have eight heads. wev. totes their loss ;) i am completely random, which you might be getting already. i laugh really hard in inappropriate situations. i'm terrible at guitar hero. i once won a gold medal in the junior olympics for tennis, but i haven't picked up a racquet in almost 3 years. i would be amazed if i could still keep the ball in the court. also, if you haven't seen this upside down dog site - go there immediately.

i'm ang and my randomness continues over here. wanna be friends?

Traveling guest blogger

Even while I'm traveling on one of the most eventful business trips I've had yet, this blogger is still managing to guest post. Today, you can find me over at Alice's, spreading the best advice I've ever received.

Cheers!

Shout outs

Hey all, I'm CC from Fork in the Road and I'll be your hostess for the day. The lovely Ashley was lucky enough to score a business trip and is living it up working hard in NYC as we speak. In lieu of a week with no postings, she asked a few bloggers to fill in for her in her absence so here I am. :)

As much as I really want to discuss my usual favorite topics, (my obsession with fall and how Texas sucks for not having one, and my annoyance with my job), I'm not going to. And I'm not going to discuss politics, or quarter-life crises. Or how much I miss college, my (non-existent) dating life and lack of funds. All of course, are favorite topics of us 20-something bloggers – trust me, I'm completely guilty of them all. Nothing wrong with that because that's what we know right now. Those are our life stories to be told. And those stories can be so heart-breakingly familiar, relatable and oh-so-hilarious. I love to tell them, and I love to read them.

But honestly right now, I'm bored of all of my typical 20-something experiences that I usually roll out with pleasure. Oh don't get me wrong, I'm still tired from working two jobs, and bored with my "career" if you could call it that, and I'm still poor. And single. And I really (really!) do miss college. And I just might be going through a quarter-life crises. Which is why I'm going to start off this week with a little list. I'm sick of being all moan-y and complain-y, so this morning, I'm going to give a shout out to all of the things that are AWESOME in my life. I got this fun idea from Rachel over at Viva and I thought it was such a great way to start my day and get me thinking about all of the fabulous things in my life that make me smile.

Shout outs to life:

1. Having air in my lungs, a roof over my head, clothes on my back, food in my stomach and a job to pay the bills.
2. My AMAZINGLY supportive and loving friends that make me laugh
3. My loving family
4. Have a ridiculously comfy and cozy bed to snuggle in
5. Being 100% healthy.
6. Having a faithful and spiritual life. It keeps me grounded.
7. Having a family that allowed me to think for myself as I developed a spiritual mind and for not forcing me into any sort of religious mold.
8. Living in a city that has almost everything. Good culture, good food, good shopping.
9. Having the desire to learn. Having had the privilege to go to college.
10. Living a life full of hope.
11. Having dear friends all over the country that allow me to visit whenever I need a change of pace. Extra shout out to my pals in Denver and Providence. Thanks for living in awesome and gorgeous places!
12. My wanderlust soul. It makes life interesting. One can only imagine where I'll end up next. And in 20 years.
13. Having a loving heart. I LOVE to love!
14. Living in a country where I'm free. And where I'm allowed to express myself as a woman.
15. Books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and all outlets of the written word. I love to read and I love to (attempt) to write.
16. Fall and Spring, the two BEST seasons that make me so happy
17. Diet Coke.
18. The ability to hike and bike and experience/enjoy nature at its finest
19. Having a dreamer's mind. I dream and I dream big. Pair that up with all of my hope and I've always got something to look forward to.
20. The will and ability to live, laugh, and love. These are the true joys of life and I'm blessed to share these abilities with my amazing friends and family.

What are the shout outs in your life? What makes you smile? Just something to think about when things seem rough or not as they should be.

Chelsea Market is my new favorite place

Seriously.

Of all the places I've seen so far in NYC, nothing beats Chelsea Market. Let me give you three reasons.

1. The food
2. The food
3. The food

Okay, so that's one reason. Want the other two? How about this: Bobby Flay and Nigel Barker!

That's right ladies. I said it. Nigel Barker. Oh, and we saw him twice. Apparently his favorite coffee shop is Ninth Street Espresso, which I must admit makes a mean Americano.

(He's lovely, isn't he?)

He's even better in person. And today, I made eye contact. I thought my knees were going to buckle.

Aside from that, the food is amazing. Manhattan Fruit Exchange has some of the freshest produce I've ever seen, Milk Bar has milk shakes to die for, and Fat Witch has the best brownies in town - if I'm not careful, they're going to have to roll me out of here by day ten.

But for now, it's time to hit the town in style as I meet up with a true New Yorker to show me some of the sights. More stories of the sights and sounds of NYC to come. Until then...

Cheers!

-A

Country girl in the city

Well I made it - hello NYC!

Today was beautiful as I got a chance to settle in, peruse Manhattan and check out the space where I'll be spending the next 10 days - it's beautiful and full of wonderful food vendors, I must admit.

Though it was pretty obvious that I was an out-of-towner. As hard as I tried to fit in with my jeans, tailored jacket and ballet flats, I managed to scream 'tourist' as I wandered the city taking pictures of everything. And with my usual Midwestern flair I continued to smile, say hello and apologize to everyone who bumped into me. I have blisters on my feet and a beat down look on my face to prove it.

Even one of my vendors noticed. But I like the way he describes the attitude of New Yorkers, "it's not so much rude as people are just busy - to the point without all the chit chat."

I get it, and can respect it. Though I'll never get used to it.

So far so good though. I'm looking forward to the next 9 days with colleagues and clients, celebrating with food and drinks in this amazing city. And while I'm away you'll be graced with the presence of some much better bloggers than I who have graciously volunteered to fill in.

But of course, when I return there will be plenty of encounters to discuss and pictures to share. NYC has already provided some rather interesting moments. What crazy NYC experiences do y'all have?

Cheers!

-A

What's a blogger to do?

It's happened again.

I'm sick.

Not just that, but I leave for New York on Wednesday for ten days. It never fails that when I'm about to leave on a trip I get sick.

Granted, I'm going on business, but that doesn't make this massive head cold any better.

Though I'm sure it's my fault, as I have a tendency to burn the candle at both ends, but I'm still going to complain about it.

But that's not the point...

I was losing sleep last night. Waking up every hour or so, not so much because of the cold, but because I'm going to be gone for 10 whole days and I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the blog. I like to think I'll have time to continue writing, but this may not be something we should count on.

So, I've decided to have some guest bloggers take over in my absence. This will be quite the treat as the content is bound to be much more entertaining.

I'd love to have y'all step in during my absence, my amazing blogger friends. If you're interested in taking over for a day or two, shoot me a comment or an e-mail - I thank you, as do the rest of my loyal readers.

Cheers!

-A

More crap about me

...because really, it's all about me.

Honestly, I can't stand talking about myself when I'm forced to - it's extremely difficult and nerve wracking. Case in point - interviews.

This, my friends, is one of those times.

Luckily, I'm fairly decent at talking about me on a daily basis, so I can fake it when necessary.

I was tagged. Yep. By one of my favorites in fact, and now I've got to share 7 'weird' facts about myself whether you care or not. But lots about me can be categorized as weird so this shouldn't be as difficult as it sounds. And for CC, I will do this!

So let's get this show on the road:

1. I own a television that I never watch - two, actually. The primary TV is this large flat panel LCD, 1080P, amazing. Or it would be, if I had cable.

2. I'm a thrill seeker - the higher, the faster and more dangerous the better.

3. I'm a vegetarian.

4. This is the first time I've publicly claimed #3. A proud moment. Though I do slip up with sushi on occasion - it's my weakness, what can I say.

5. I hate talking politics. H.A.T.E. In all honesty I think it's because I'm easily swayed by valid points, and both sides make valid points. Though I have my own set of political views, I rarely choose to discuss them.

6. I'm a perfectionist. Annoyingly so. I even piss myself off sometimes. I can't remember the last time I gave myself a break over anything.

7. I'm a huge sports fan, but hate professional sports in the towns where I lived outside of Michigan - Dallas Cowboys for instance. And no matter how much they continue to suck it up, I do love my Lions.

Okay, so that's enough about me. I want to hear about you!! So tell me dear readers, what about you is 'weird?'

Cheers!

-A

Photography Friday: Autumn

It's about time Photography Friday lived up to its name...

This week, rather than critiquing one photograph, I've posted a number of pictures from recent shoots and y'all can judge for yourself.

A few weeks back, just as the colors were starting to turn, Jamie and I headed out to Cuyahoga Valley on a hike.


As you may recall, I headed home this past weekend for MSU homecoming and a fun morning at the cider mill.

(The morning sun really brought out the colors!)

(Apple orchard behind the mill)

And just for kicks, here are a few random pictures from tailgate and post-game action at Crunchy's.

(Most of the crew at Crunchy's - with the last of the second beer bucket)

(Her first beer bucket experience)

(Remember my crazy friend J?)

(At Jimmy's the night before the game)

This weekend I'm heading to Cedar Point for some Halloweekends action - and hope to have some great images to share next week. Anyone else have fun fall plans?

Cheers!

-A

New Phone = New Surprises

There are always crazy things happening in my life - always. It's great because most of the time it's entertaining and it gives me a good story to tell (good being subjective in some cases). Personally, I like to categorize the following as 'good.'

I got a new phone. And I love it.

No, it's not the iPhone like everyone thinks at first. It's the BlackBerry Pearl. It's amazing. It's sleek, powerful and [fairly] user friendly.

(And look how pretty it is!)

But most of all, I know it's amazing because it's taking me a long @$$ time to figure out how to use it. I'm starting to get the texting part down but my speed dial is being all weird and I'm not sure I know how to overcome that yet. And this whole Internet on the phone thing is pretty darn cool too.

Embarrassingly though, I have no idea how to change my ringtone yet. I know. I suck. So much for being a self proclaimed tech geek. I don't have a clue what I'm doing.

But I still love it.

This is not about the phone though. Nope. It's about the guy who sold me my phone.

Walking in at 5:30 on a Tuesday evening was perfect, no one was there and I was helped right away. I also knew exactly what I was getting so not much time was wasted perusing the phone selection.

So upon entering, cell phone guy Brad (that may or may not be his name) asks if I need help:

Me: "My plan is up and I want to get the BlackBerry Pearl."

Easy enough - transaction begins.

About 5 minutes in I realize that this guy is flirting with me. Naturally, I live it up and flirt right back...why not, right?

I'll tell you why not - because he has my cell phone number!

Me = moron.

I realized this way too late in the game - as I was walking out the door. *Insert dumb blonde giggle here.* I suspected that he might capitalize on this opportunity with a call or text in the future.

The future was closer than imagined. After barely pulling out of the parking lot I get a text indicating that if I need anything, to call or text Brad on his personal line. PERSONAL LINE??? I'm a paying customer- wouldn't that then make me a hooker, too?

But then - dumb blonde moment #2 - I respond.

Me: "Thanks! I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

WTF?

I should not be allowed to text, ever - it always gets me in trouble. Now, cell phone guy Brad probably thinks I'm interested. Stay tuned to see if I get a text invite for sushi, because yes, he knows I like sushi. Damn!

As you can see, my life is full of new 'excitement,' mainly because I do it to myself!

Please tell me someone else has had a moment like this before. Please.

Cheers!

-A

The best (and worst) hangover story

So I promised one of my friends - and favorite blogger - that I would write a post about my worst hangover. Though embarrassing, it's for a good cause. Check out the link at the end of the post for more information on the dangers of binge drinking.

But in the meantime, enjoy hearing of the agony that ensued after my 21st birthday.

Luckily (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) my 21st fell on a Saturday. And as all you current and former college partiers know, this means that you get to live it up as soon as the clock strikes midnight and head to the bar for your first legal tequila shot...or, at least that's how it worked out for me.

Being a Michigan State University student, I knew how to throw a good party, so the BFF and I planned a jungle juice party at my apartment. We supplied the 20 gallon container and the fruit, our friends under 21 brought the juice and those who were 21+ brought a 5th of liquor, any kind.

Insanity ensued:

8 p.m. - friends arrive and we pour the first glass of juice.

8 - 11:55 p.m. - I sit on the kitchen counter, directly next to the liquid poison, standing only to hug the newest arriving guests - until I realized standing is not needed - and picked out the liquor soaked fruit between refills.

11:56 p.m. - I am plucked from the counter by my friend Ryan and find myself crammed in a car full of men, of which I only know one.

11:57 p.m. - I get on the phone and call my boyfriend and the BFF, telling them to meet us at the Riv.

11:59 p.m. - we park the car and walk to the Riv.

12:00 a.m. - 12:45 a.m. - Stand in line. See one of my old friends from freshman year, proceed to tell him he should wait with us...that's about all I remember from that line.

12:45 a.m. - get to the front of the line, only to find out they won't let me in because it's my birthday and I'm quite obviously already drunk.

12:46 a.m. - I curse all those frat boys who made their brothers do 21 shots on their birthday and ruin it for the rest of us.

12:46 a.m. - 12:47 p.m. - walk to the Post, it's directly across the street.

12:47 a.m. - get in and immediately walk to the ladies room.

12:49 a.m. - a tap on the shoulder from my friend Rob brings the first tequila shot of the night, in the ladies room.

12:51 a.m. - second tequila shot is waiting, followed by a 3 wise men.

12:52 - 1:30 a.m. - somehow I manage 4 more tequila shots, and almost another before I stopped and noted that in fact I could not feel my skin and thought it a bad idea - the smartest drunk decision I ever made!

1:30 a.m. - head for the ladies room.

1:31 - 1:34 a.m. - decide the line is too long and use the men's - no one seemed to care.

1:35 - 1:45 a.m. - miller high life, not sure that I even finished it...yuck!

1:45 a.m. - bar closes, attempt to walk back to Nicole's car, the best DD in the world!

1:46 a.m. - notice I said attempt:

(When the BFF drinks he loves to carry people - though I didn't mind so much!)

1:50 a.m. - we pile into Nicole's car, me lying across the laps of 4 guys in the backseat.

1:53 a.m. - arrive back that the apartment, I'm tipped up and out of the car - just in time (you get my drift).

1:58 a.m. - I walk back into my apartment, with much assistance from my boyfriend. Walk inside to notice my friend Mike sitting on the balcony, drinking jungle juice. He mentions that when he arrived no one was here but the door was unlocked because I had the key and left first - thank God for Mike.

2:05 - 2:35 a.m. - much time spent praying to the porcelain gods.

2:35 - 2:40 a.m. - boyfriend scrapes me off the floor to say goodbye to Mike. He sets me on my bed and gets pillows and blankets for our guests before coming to bed.

9:30 a.m. - open eyes, lay still, seem okay. Sun light hurts a little. Roll over an notice I'm not wearing a shirt. Get up quickly (big mistake) to put one on and crawl back into bed, miserable.

9:35 a.m. - friends come in (thankfully I got up to put on a shirt!) to say they made pancakes.

Me: "Do I look like I want pancakes?"

9:45 a.m. - my head and stomach are killing me. I make my boyfriend get up to get me some cheerios.

9:50 a.m. - boyfriend is stacking cheerios on his nipples...he may have still been drunk.

10 a.m. - friends leave, boyfriend and I go back to sleep.

2 p.m. - wake and go for a walk, hoping to feel better before dinner with my parents.

5 p.m. - mexican restaurant with the family.

Mom: "I want to buy you your first margarita!"

Me: "Ugh, I think I'll pass, thanks!"

Mom: "What happened last night?"

Boyfriend: "You don't want to know."

Truth. This goes to show just a few of the harmful effects of binge drinking. So to all you readers out there, Don't be a Jonze.

So tell me dear readers, does anyone else have a similar, or worse, hangover story?

Cheers!

-A

He'll talk to anything that listens

This was my description of one of the many people we shared a table at Crunchy's with on Saturday night (buckets of beer and the best cheesy breadsticks in town, can't be beat!). As he sat in our booth, leaning over to talk to the Iowa fans at the neighboring table about how they're going to get pounded by Illinois (truth) I realized that this guy will talk to anyone or anything that will listen.

J is a memorable guy, when he walks into a room you can't miss him - and not just because he's 6'4" (though not the tallest guy in our group that night...seriously). He's dynamic, personable, and it always complimenting someone.

"T-bone, you're lookin' great in that shirt," was one of his favorite lines of the day.

I'd like to say he's one of those that talks more with increasing amounts of alcohol, but I'm not sure that's possible.

At the beginning of our tailgate, 8 a.m. or so, he shows up, wearing not one piece of Michigan State clothing and was immediately surrounded by people as he told the first of many stories that day. He has a way of engaging the audience and involving everyone in the conversation. He even had us playing guessing games as to how much his 76ers shirt cost.

He's a one man show, that's for sure.

J's definitely the crazy guy in the group, but you've gotta love him - he's nothing shy of friendly, honest, and genuine.

Everyone should have a friend like him - do you? What's the one thing you love most about your crazy friend?

Cheers!

-A

(Pictures of the weekend to come soon - stay tuned, if you care)

Puppy Love

Recently I've been thinking a lot about something that seems to be missing from my life - the unconditional love and affection from someone in your life who is always there for you when you need him most.

That's right. It's about time I commit myself to the man of my dreams: a dog.


Next summer I will be moving out of my apartment and will be looking for a place on my own. Between now and then I have a big decision to make - what kind of dog do I want to get?

My whole life I've been a lover of big dogs - labs, huskies, golden retrievers, love them all.

The BFF is getting a husky this fall, but with his house and decently sized yard the space is sufficient for a rather hyper breed.

I would love nothing more than to get a lab - they are big, smart, loving, and you don't have to worry about the long hair like you do with a retriever.

(Just look at that face)

But as a city dweller, it makes me nervous to have a dog of that size and keep him cooped up in an apartment all day - that's just not fair.

I'm looking for a little advice on this one - I don't want a tiny, yappy dog like a shitzu (that's just not my style), but I'd like a smart pup who's willing to cuddle up and watch some football, or go for long walks on the beach...yes, I am looking for a dog.

So tell me dear readers, what is your preferred breed of dog? Any recommendations for this 20-something single, city dwelling girl?

Cheers!

-A

Pizza Tuesday

To break up my four day work week - because, yes, I'm heading back up to Michigan this weekend for more football, tailgating, and fall festivities - I went out for pizza and rented a movie.

No, not by myself, this was that second date I accepted recently, but I'll get to that in a minute.

We went to a place called Danny Boy's that in the year and change that I've lived here have never even heard of. And let me tell you, it's the best pizza in town. Sorry all you Angelo's fans, Danny Boy's takes the Emmy in the pizza category. In fact, I'm sitting here eating it cold for breakfast as I write this. There's nothing like cold pizza for breakfast.

Dinner was followed by renting a movie. This was difficult - I haven't heard of 90 percent of the movies out there right now. We ended up with Forgetting Sarah Marshall as we had both heard it was funny. Though I have to comment, there were a significant number of nude scenes - male nude scenes - that I wasn't prepared for on a second date. Thankfully, it takes a lot to make me feel uncomfortable. A LOT.

Regardless, I give the movie a B+, good, but it didn't quite live up to the hype.

Now, about this whole dating thing. I realized last night I have no clue what the heck I'm doing. Given that the last time I really dated was in high school, I'm completely out of the loop when it comes to the "rules of dating."

You know, all those stupid social norms of dating like kiss on the third date, or whatever (at least, that was how it went in high school).

So I'm looking for a little guidance on this one - I'd at least like to know what to expect. What exactly are the rules of dating in your 20s?

I just don't get it.

Cheers!

-A