Just What I Needed

I started this blog post two weeks after I returned home from NYC, and here I am, 3 months later, finishing it while watching the World Cup Championship. So here's what I started saying:

Though it's been two weeks, it feels like I just got back from the BIG CITY to see Meredith! And what have I been doing, instead of blogging, you might ask? I'm not sure. But here I am, ready to give the dirty deets and report everything we did. And ate. Mostly ate.

The theme of our trip was "Just What I Needed" because (a) it was; and (b) with every single thing we did, we would say "Ahh! This is just what I needed!" and then we would break out into a two-part harmony of "Just What I Needed" by The Cars.

The trip started on a lovely Thursday afternoon, with an extremely smooth Xanax-induced ON-TIME flight! This almost never happens - the smooth flight (hence the Xanax) OR the on-time part! In fact, I think this was the first time ever. No problem getting a cab, and I was zipping along the streets of Manhattan on my way to Mere's. We screamed and squeeled upon seeing each other, causing the cab driver to laugh at us and the hipster people of 8th Street to stop and stare, but we didn't care! We were together at last!

After panting up the 4 flights of stairs, Meredith and her roommates and I finally got to go up on her roof for a rooftop toast - something we've always talked about doing, but never actually got to. Due to the late flights.

A pic of us finally rooftop toasting!

We polished off a bottle and away we went to a cute french BYOB restaurant, Tartine. We got right in (which never happens there evidently), and we split the Spicy Chicken and Guacamole with French Fries (not sure how "French" that dish is) - but it was delish! We walked around the West Village and finally settled on a "seasonal American restaurant and bar", Joseph Leonard, to enjoy some wine and time with her roommates. A couple of glasses later and a quick stop by Insomnia Cookie (where we may or may not have gotten a few late-night cookies), we were back on the couch laughing about nothing and headed to BED.

We got up the next day at a decent hour and stopped by one of Mere's fave breakfast spots, Murray's Bagels!!! I opted for the whole wheat bagel with eggs and cheese. The whole wheat completely balanced out the egg/cheese combo so don't worry.

Ohhhhhhhh yeah.

Did I mention that we were talking the whole time I was eating the afforementioned egg/cheese delicacy? That also helped me feel better about my choice. And the cookies the night before. Leave me alone.

We then took the subway to Brooklyn so we could walk the Brooklyn Bridge! It was couldn't have been a better day and I was loving my life.

Cooooool!

The happy, awkward couple.

We then walked around the Lower...East Side. Or West Side. I don't know these terms. There may have been a few stops for Band-Aids and blisters along the way, but who cares!? We didn't let it ruin our trip! We saw City Hall, the Financial District, and Ground Zero. We walked around TriBeCa and kept our eyes peeled for celebs...and even though it was smack dab in the middle of the Tribeca Film Festival, there was no Deniro spotting or otherwise. Bummer.

Then we found this lovely patch of tulips in Madison Square Park. Loves it.

Best Friends! But not the best pic.

We had a hankering for some more food (surprise) so we walked over to the Flat Iron District (named for the building below that's shaped like an iron...where Meredith works near now!) and waited in line at the now famous Shake Shack.

Shake Shack!

The long ass line that wrapped all the way around the park.

The delicious burger and shake that was well worth the hour wait!

Meredith has talked about the MoMa for years, so she took me there to see the [weird] sights. The building itself is really incredible, and some of the art was too (see below), but we were both distracted by the Naked Exhibit that was currently showing at the MoMa that day. Though that's not what it was really called, that's what I'M choosing to call it - because there were ACTUAL naked people there that you could walk up to! Performance art is bonkers, yall. Other highlights included a woman (fully clothed, thankfully) sitting inside of a large square staring at participating patrons, trying to shift the energy levels in the room or some shit. WhatEVER. I'm all about art and appreciate all different types, but this was just WHACK. Give me a good Impressionist painting any day. So what if I'm mainstream!?

"Mom, my pancakes are looking at me funny."

- Meredith

Starry Night! In all its blurry, without-a-flash glory!! See? This is what I'm talking about. Good, mainstream art.

Back home for a quick nap, and off to meet Meredith's NYC b-fri Caroline at Pulino's, the new HOTTEST SPOT in TOWN!!

Meredith and I then made our way to a very secretive 1920s Prohibition bar called The Back Room. It's in an alley through all these doors and what not. We had plenty of drinks and then met up with Drew's cousin, Danny! The remainder of the night is a little hazy - I know it involved a lot of walking, more blisters, more places, more drinks, and MEATBALLS. We are unable to resist late night food, as you will come to find out.

Meredith took us to The Meatball Shop, a restaurant that stays open late for people like us and that serves MEATBALLS and ONLY meatballs. I was in heaven. Literally. I'm quite confident Danny was horrifed as we ate the meatball sandwiches (paired with a salad! Healthy!) and our peanut butter ice cream sandwiches, judging by the look on his face, but we chose to ignore him.

A good, solid, action-packed day ended with Danny taking us home in a cab and heading to bed. Whew.

Part 2 is still to come...maybe in a few months.

Who Are These People?

Or better yet: The Family That Sees Each Other Every 6 Years...Acts Like It.


Drew and I had the "pleasure" of going to Wimberley, TX this weekend for some forced family togetherness at the Annual Graeber Family Reunion! My dad has a huge extended family that we see every 3-4 years, so needless to say I was less than thrilled at the prospect of introducing Drew to all these people whose names I barely knew. But...my parents were hosting and we had no choice but to pack up and drive 4 hours to the luxurious 7A "Resort" for a night of pure unadultered awkwardness.


After pleasantries were exchanged and rooms were scouted out, we were able to escape the group for a much needed afternoon together in the Texas Hill Country at the Driftwood Winery. We'd never been to a winery and I had been wanting to go to one, so this opportunity presented itself at the perfect time!


It was $5 for a tasting of 6 wines of your choice (bargain alert!), and we sipped and tasted and swirled our glasses like we knew what we were doing while they told us about each of them. After the tasting, we settled on the Vigonier, a light, summery, crisp white wine, and took some glasses down to the wall overlooking the vineyard and enjoyed ourselves.

My boo, enjoying his vino

Me, chug-a-lugging my wine in anticipation of the long night ahead

The "bar" where we had our tasting



The beautiful vineyard we overlooked

Other highlights? My cousin is married to the owner of a Chic-fil-A so Chic-fil-A pretty much sponsored our weekend. Chicken nuggets for lunch, dinner, and breakfast (among other things) and nothing could make me happier. I also happened to finagle a Blue Blue Cookies and Cream ice cream cone out of the deal so that was a plus.

The remainder of the weekend was an uneventful blur - a lot more wine-drinking and a lot more eating and a lot more driving home. While it wasn't the way we would have chosen to spend a weekend, it's the things you do for your parents/family that make them feel good...which I guess is supposed to you make you feel good!

I'm off to watch the contestants of the Biggest Loser run a marathon, while I could barely run 2 miles tonight. Sigh.

Victory!

If any of you really know me well, you know that I've been training for a 5K for about 7 years now. I first discovered the Couch to 5K Running Plan in college - and while I attempted it about 435 times, I would only get 2/3 of the way through it before something came up. I'd get sick. I'd get a blister. It'd be too hot. I'd discover I hate running more than anything else in the world. Etc.

While discussing my failure at life to ever complete anything worthwhile, including running, my friend Stephen said "You know...you'd like it if you were good at it." At the time, I wanted to punch him because I was NOT good at it. And I'm still not. But I got engaged 2 years ago, started hauling ass, and got BETTER. Running 1-2 miles a day wasn't as hard anymore...so I guess he was right. And you know what else?

I RAN A 5K TONIGHT!!!

Wahooo! Though Drew and I would push it and run the distance of a 5K at sporadic points throughout the year, I never felt like I could call myself an accomplished runner until I ran an OFFICIAL 5K.

The Katy Trail 5K is a fun Dallas Uptown event that is put on every year to raise money for the Katy Trail...that my company happens to pay for. I love it because it's on a Thursday night (always fun), it's in my hood, and it's sponsored by Michelob Ultra! After completing the race the runners and walkers get to feast on delicious samples from tons of awesome restaurants around Reverchon Park and guzzle beer and wine at their own free will. You and 5,000 of your closest friends partying it up while sweating profusely!

I'm not saying it was easy by any means - especially when I almost started crying because my shoulder wouldn't stop hurting - and I'm not saying I did it in a timely manner (13 minute mile anyone?), but the point was that I DID IT, I FINISHED IT, and I ACCOMPLISHED something. And boy do I feel good.

And now I can start training for a 10K! In the heat of the summer! First stop 5K, next stop...the world.