Fung Wah + Hipster Loft Lounge = Smoky Fried Tramp Stamped Swagglers

Well well well...

It started off with a bright and early morning. The Chinatown bus, Fung Wah, was waiting patiently for our arrival. Patient enough to get us loaded and on the road earlier than expected.

New York City, T-minus 4 hours.

Basically we just slept the whole time. Slept and read about George Clooney. Supposedly George is a pretty down to earth kind of guy. A regular schmuck, if you will, one with a motorcycle...

Oh George... *sigh*

Haha, anyway we arrived in NYC pretty dang easily for it being NYC. We got dropped off right in the middle of Chinatown! Too bad we couldn't find our way around, or else we'd have gotten some cheapo knock-offs of Chanel bags on Canal St. There's always next time. Oh, and there will be a next time. :)

The day pretty much went like this:

(I don't know if you've all noticed, but I'm a big fan of lists...)

• Standing on the corner looking for a tall man in a hat (funny thing is I just read "pimpin'...")
• Sushi and boxes, or rather, boxes full of sushi!
• American Museum of Natural History...

Jessica: "Uh..I can't do it. Here, you do it!"

George: "I'd like two admissions please..."

He slides two quarters across the table.

We both wait breathlessly in anticipation...

Lady at counter: "Here you go, have a nice day."

Suggested donation rocks.

• Huge dinosaurs, stuffed animals and blue whales
• ABGFDC...W4th Street=subway. Also = "We're not in Boston anymore...
• Cocktail party and famous California scenes in Jude Law movies
• Darts and domination
• Papaya Dogs and sleep

We were well rested until the next day which in New York time, seemed to last a lifetime. Not a bad thing...but just long. I think the six-word memoir for Saturday went something like this: Breakfast Bocce More Beverage Hipster Eternity. Or my recollection of it anyway! It was a gorgeous day outside, despite claims of snow and rain. So we took to the grass, or turf rather..and played like there was no tomorrow! Bocce ball, kick ball, football, whiffle ball...lots and lots of balls! Then we had wieners for dinner. ;0

Haha, AND BURGERS! Geez, get your minds out of the gutter!

We watched the NCAA tournament, yelled and screamed when Marquette lost to Stanford and then played or own team tournament with little red plastic beverage containing containers. And then they brought more...

We ended the night with a romp around Brooklyn, in a loft over-looking the Manhattan skyline and across from Jay-Z's own hipster loft where sources tell me Beyonce has been spotted. The tide swept us across the street into another swanky loft with total urban cliche-ridden twenty somethings all looking to see and be seen. Not only was there a ton of smoke, soft lights and a DJ...there was also a professional photographer with a medium format camera catching the ultimate mood of the party. Whoa. I'm exhausted just describing it all. Try being there.

Around 2pm, we were asked, "Ok, what next? You wanna go into the city?"

Sheesh! Don't you guys ever sleep? We started at 4pm and by the looks of it wouldn't end 'till 4 am! But alas, words had spoken our sleepy nature and that we desperately needed sleep, so we took to a very vocal Cuban cabbie and drove home to sleep sweet dreams of skinny jeans, boots and plaid/velvet hipster vests.

The weekend flew by. Easter morning was easy, besides the fact that it was actually weird that it was Easter...but we got up had some delicious brunch and jetted on our way out. Hoping to make the 2 pm Fung Wah back, we stumbled upon the Lucky Star instead. The Lucky Star seemed just as nice so we said, "why not?" More sleeping, more reading and with pitstops at Chinese buffets where we gorged ourselves on Dragon and Tramp Stamp tatoos, we felt pretty good about getting back home. After a quick shower and a visit to the grocery store, we whipped us up some ham, pineapple and deviled eggs. Thank goodness Michael was around to get the butt of all our jokes, teach us how to actually boil eggs and help get out all our jiggy-ness from sitting on a bus for 4 hours!

So...next up on the list?

Matt Nathanson. :D

"Van the Man!"

Happy Day After St. Patrick's Day!

Yes, what a weekend! Whirlwind would begin to describe it...but only the beginning! It started off with a very angry man who yelled at me on the phone at work Friday morning. All because he was a "member" and "deserved better since he was a member." I will try NOT to tell anyone that programs are sold out ever again! Sheesh!

After getting some air, I came back to find a very large school group in front of me. There were a particular group of boys, around 12-13 years old who kept sneaking a peek over and snickering uncontrolably. Finally one of the boys gathered up some courage and waltzed on over to talk to me. He oh so subtly leaned on the counter and said, "Hey...so you get bored in there much?"

I replied, "No not really. I keep pretty busy..."

The boys behind him were laughing, so he blushed, turned around and went to go punch their faces.

A group of girls were next.

"What did he say to you?!"

"Oh, nothing really." I said.

Then they wandered off, with sneers in their eyes.

The boy came back. But this time it was with a white piece of paper in his hands.

"Uh, so can I like have your number? Well, it doesn't have to be your number...it can be a fake one if you want..."

I was dying inside.

"Haha, sure!" I giggled.

So I wrote George's number down. (I think I may have been off one number, but my intentions were hilarious)

The girls came back.

"Was that really your number?"

I put my finger up to my mouth while I shook my head no...

"Shhh..."

I said to myself, "I just got hit on by a 5th grader!" Which later figured out he was probably in 7th grade instead...

And that was just the beginning of my fabulous weekend!

After work, I rushed home to get ready for a quaint little restaurant on Newbury St., Steve's which was delicious in all it's Greek Glory. Then George asked me if I wanted my birthday present now or later. I usually don't like getting stuff early, cause then I have nothing to do on the real day! But quickly after that statement he said, "you better say now..."

I said ok and opened a card that spit out two Van Morrison tickets for that night! Wow! I had wanted to go to Van the Man's concert forever! (hee hee Van the Man...) We rushed to the concert, sat at the top of the beautiful Wang, where I'm sure balls were held...You know like balls, the dancing kind! (get your mind outta the gutter!) Van was amazing in his suit, fedora and sunglasses. He complemented his scatty style with a 12 man band and a very powerful finger.

Saturday started off with a music-filled room full of cleaning, getting ready for the St. Paddy's slash birthday party. We had the green jello shots all ready to go! All I can say about the party that evening was there were lots of dancing, jigging, toasting, green spray painting, cake eating and lucky charming. :)

We woke up the next morning fully intending on going to breakfast but instead sacrificed for an Irish Car Bomb and a box full of Lucky Charms and Jelly Bellys. We headed down to Southie, which is apparently the Irish Hub for all of Boston. Let me tell you, no one is a stranger for St. Patrick's Day heading to the parade in Southie. Everyone=Friends. My Lucky Charms cereal was a hit though..."Gimme some of your lucky charms!"

Other events on Sunday?

1. Tried to pee in an alleyway. Couldn't do it. A. too many people B. stage fright C. a leprechaun could've been lurking in the corner!!

2. John Harvard's for big, juicy burgers!

3. Back to Brook St. for some more games and shenanigans...cookies, ping pongs and terriyaki chicken included.

4. Sleep.

I woke up Monday morning with a most fantastic birthday wish and letter, slept more and more and took it easy the rest of the day. I finished off the day with a sworn off alcohol attitude and chicken mole enchiladas and flan for a small birthday dinner with friends.

It was a good day.

It was a great weekend.

I love holidays!

#6 Summer Fun

Well I guess it's time for a come back of my greatest times of 2007. It's been a while yeah?

Since Spring should just be around the corner (let's hope!) I have started feeling nostalgic about warm memories of last summer. This was the last summer living in Utah (for who knows how long...) and I was adamant about having the most fun I could before setting off to the sunrise at the end of August for Boston.

Here is a list of my best memories:

• free summer concerts!
• slushies at those concerts, mmm mmm--a new tradition
• making new and lasting friendships--makes me think of traveling pants...
• new babies--NOT ME! Haha, welcome cousins Kaela and Keira
• the always fun time in Park City on the 4th of July
• hanging out with my cool bro, Taylor.
• making fun of Pet Rock Boy with my cool bro and the REST of my fam! :)
• summer weddings--AGAIN NOT MINE! Shelli and Kelly (although I did once have a little crush on Kelly...shhhh) And then the Vietnamese wedding with Huu where I was the only white person in a room full of 200, and I didn't understand a word anyone was saying! It all depended on body language--karaoke and Remy Martin apparently mix fun times for the Viets!
• the demolition derby! Hells yeah! Getting all gussied up in our best wife beaters and ruby red lipstick to cheer on destruction...all while holding babies on our hips! UH!
• The Bayou
• The Tavernacle--ooh and bar humping! Thanks to Huu!
• Wendover! Other good times with Huu and his posse. Me and 5 guys all ready to gamble our money away. Ok, me not so much. All my dad told me was "just remember 6 and 8" I obviously have a bad gambling streak, because I remembered and did NOT win. I did get a free drink out of the deal though. Other memories? Steak and slabs of butter, margaritas, hot tubs, crossing the Utah/Nevada border trying to find more bubbly...and then playing word games before passing out from exhaustion...good times.
• ZZ TOP concert! Man O man, if they ever come to Mass...
• Yard Sales and going away parties
• Iggy's Sports Grill :) And mind you, the only reason I applied here was specifically because I thought I could use my "assets" to obtain driving across country money. I know, shameless...
• Interning at the UMFA, cute little ones and their obsessive knowledge of Egyptian mythology...
• My attempt at culturing myself by visiting and trying every different kind of ethnic food I could get my hands on. Let's see, Mazza's, Siegfried's, Star of India, Ahh Sushi!

Now that's what I call SUMMER!

No I did not get hitched in Vegas!

What a bright and beautiful, glorious morning!

I woke up not because of my alarm, but because of the sunshine streaming in through my window, reflecting off my sheets and softly onto my face. It is truly the best way to wake up.

My walk to the museum was warm and I could feel the glow of the sun heating the cold and damp ground. A few songs came on and made a quick pep in my step, let me retrace them for you:

Crocodile Rock--Elton John:
"Crocodile rocking is something shocking when your feet just can't keep still..."

Who Do You Love--George Thorogood & the Destroyers:
"Who do you looooove???"

Danny's Song--Kenny Loggins...but the dumb but ultimately fun punk verson:
"Pisces Virgo rising is a very good sign, strong and kind..."

Brand New Day--Van Morrisson:
"Well it shines so bright and it gives so much light And it comes from the sky above Makes me feel so free makes me feel like me And lights my life with love"

Well that's just a sampling of my morning. I hope all of you are having a wonderful morning, day, afternoon, evening! March makes such a difference...

La Vida Loco or Viva Las Vegas?

Surprisingly I came home to the same temperature as it was in Vegas yesterday...

The weekend started off quite well, and by starting I'm talking about the comedy show last Thursday. Mr. Showalter and Mr. Mirman did not disappoint, as well as a few others including my favorite cabbie, Luppe. I can only hope that sometime in my life I will by lucky enough to hop in to his cab. Also, good news is I got most of this on video, so my friends' Frank, Jena and Elizabeth are forever etched in history. Thanks for the tummy cramps after laughing so hard!

Friday I clugged to work with my backpacking gear. I was headed to sunny Las Vegas right after my last art class registration. I made the plane alright, enough time to conk out for the first few minutes. Haha, and I mean the first few minutes. I can never sleep on planes, especially when the wind picks you up and propels you about 5 feet in the air and drops you back down to 35,000 feet. Wonderful feeling of weightlessness though!

Vegas was spectacularly warm for the first day! About 75 and glorious with the sunshine curing my Seasonal I Hate Grey Weather Blues. My mom and sister met me with great enthusiasm right as I was contemplating putting my coat, gloves, hat and scarf back on and say, "Oops! Wrong city!"

After a day of window shopping, roasted turkey crepes and chardonnay we settled in for a spectacular, although slightly cheesy, Matthew Mcconaughey Shirt Off for 3/4 Time movie called Fools Gold. Ok ok, I know it didn't get great reviews, but for a girls night out...what more could you ask for? ;) And then to top it off with a great hot tub soak and some soul to soul sister talk? It was great.

The next few days were windy, and slightly less warm but still sunny. Just to briefly go over the events, breakfast at the country club, talk about tea bags and such, In N Out with Ash and a mad dash to the Galleria for some essentials, attempts to have a nice Asian lady clean me up, then some naps and Gramps famous "Big Salad" with wine and boner talk. Ok, don't ask. All I can say is that my mom's side of the family starts in the morning and lasts all night. You just can't get away from the innuendo! Geez!

I left on Monday afternoon to learn that my flight was delayed about two hours. Finally, getting in to Boston about 11:45, I raced to catch the train. Silver line saved me, but made me look like an idiot for getting out at WTC and having the same bus pick me up. Ugh, I could not look any of those people in the eye...major embarrassment!

So, I'm home now. It's warm outside. Probably not for long though. This weekend was a much needed getaway, but I am glad to be back to see those people I've come to miss quite naturally.

PS. Tomatoes are just plain gross.