6 months

what sorts of things can you find on a typical night in brooklyn? well, i happen to find myself at a screening of wah do dem recently w/ some of the cast and filmmakers including sean bones and norah jones. i recommend seeing the movie because it was both interesting and funny. it was my first movie experience in nyc if you can believe that since it's one of my favorite things to do but with so many options, this was the first chance to go. after the movie, a.s. and i headed to no. 7 for a tuna burger, cucumbers and sparkling red wine. we ended up with a bit more wine than we intended after chatting up the owner who was very generous and funny.

a few days later, i found myself getting a members only invitation to opening of the andy warhol exhibit at brooklyn museum. 

the suckers were having their cd release party at music hall of williamsburg so a.s. and i met up at the lovin' cup for some yummy cocktails and good but bad food. at about 1am, we headed to the manhattan inn til about 4am for the after party. i'm way too old for this shite but the show was pretty awesome.

there's this HUGE mermaid parade in coney island once a year so of course we had to ride the 7 miles to see what it was all about. it was super hot and super crowded and i witnessed some child abuse so in a nutshell, it was not a good day. but the ride out there was SO awesome and i can add some things to the first list so definitely not a waste. i wanted a famous nathan's hot dog but the parade was in the way so i had to be ok w/ a cheese slice and it was definitely good. they had these funny cut up mango-on-a-stick thing that i've never seen before but wanted. very, very clever.

we headed back for some sangria and guac at cafe enduro. 

my old friend and colleague, r.l, was in town for a ton of family events so i met her at the south street seaport for a beer and catching up. it was SO great seeing and talking to an old friend. i felt the need to be very animated about how happy i am here since r.l. feels a tiny bit responsible for me since she made me see living here was possible...perhaps some of my friends and family curse her though. none of it was faked, i definitely like it a lot here. let's just see if i end up loving it.

denitia odigie was in town on the sessions tour at googies. she sounded absolutely amazing and it was so good to see my new friend again. j.k., n.c., and j.l. came out to support too so i was glad some other new friends were able to make it. n.c., j.l. and i headed to verlaine after for some strong cocktails from oscar, the chilean bartender.

i finally made it out to governor's island after one attempt for the veuve clicquot polo classic which prince harry was attending. it was SO hot but fun to watch a polo match. we then rode around the island a few times to see and feel the coolness of it all. it was a hard ferry ride back so we hit hanco's for some banh mi's before getting back on the bike.

i felt like i must be on a gossip girl shoot.

the prince

i met up with a new friend at bua in the east village for a few tins, beer with hot sauce and lime juice. it sounds a lot like a micheladas but micheladas are definitely better. across the street is crif dogs which houses a phone booth. in that tiny booth is a phone that you pick up that may lead you to pdt (please don't tell) depending on the host's mood to let you in or not. the person i was with had a hard time getting in pdt in the past but of course, i used my southern charms and we were immediately allowed in. man, those drinks were strong but good. it's a speakeasy type place that makes you feel like you're back in the prohibition era.

i literally had to run back to brooklyn after those drinks to volunteer at the prospect park bandshell setting out chairs for the next concert. yes, you might think i was just being a great brooklyn citizen but alas, i had ulterior motives. the volunteer coordinator guaranteed tickets within the first 6 rows or the sound stage to any show this season for helping out after the concert so with the swell season coming at the end of july, i couldn't pass up this opportunity. glen and mar will definitely be worth it.

with the sorta nice weather lately, i have found myself walking around prospect park a lot and mostly with the dogs. i'm talking about at least 2 hours each time i go. it's so nice for the dogs to get out and so nice for me to explore other parts of the park. i really do love living in brooklyn.

so this is going to sound a little crazy but recently, some dude posted on the brooklynian blog that he was looking to start a brooklyn cooking clubi'm a stranger coming to your apartment to eat dinner...and i brought wine!  it could, of course, been disasterous but it was so much fun. the food was great and the company was hilarious. our next club meeting will hopefully be in august. i volunteered for the fall so that people weren't melting when they walked in to my apartment. i wonder if i'll pull out one of my oldies or if i'll try something new...

i used to work w/ s.p. in austin before she decided to teach english in japan for 3 years. after coming back to the states, she decided to make a new home in nyc and brooklyn too. after a month and a half of trying to get together, we finally met up at stecchino in hell's kitchen for brunch. we had the waffle w/ whipped nutella and bananas and the caesar salad and about 16 mimosas and 3 beers in 5 hours. yep, that's how we roll. s.p. went straight home but i had to stop at nicky's to pick up 2 orders of pho - one for immediate consumption and one for my miracle cure the next day. 

for the 4th of july, i went over to d.l. and j.l.'s place for a good old fashioned bbq. i attempted sangria the first time and it was the first thing to be completely consumed. man, i rock. we then munched on guac, chips, quinoa, salad, potatoes, squash, sausages, and grilled fruit. again, it's SO nice to have neighbors nearby for such events. 

i finally went to my neighborhood coffee shop, k dog, today. i literally walk by this place everyday to get to work and have never stopped by. and guess what. they have my favorite muffins! i think i'll have to re-evaluate my budget.

we need one of these in austin.

xoxo,

p.