In Which I Became a Gambler

Last week I took three days off (we'll ignore the fact that this is my busiest time of year) and went to Atlantic City with my Mom, sister and Aunt Lau! We had so much fun!

We stayed at the Borgata (my favorite) and the BEST thing about the Borgata is that you can basically stay in the hotel the entire duration of your trip. You never have to leave! You won't see sunlight for three days, but whatever, there are slot machines and they pump in that fake oxygen! You'll see sunlight upon your departure, fear not.

Here are some pictures to summarize our trip!

This is what happens when you leave your phone in the bathroom with Alyssa.

My Mom got an iPhone so now there are a million pictures of me and Alyssa, everywhere we go. It is fantastic!

We ate my favorite chopped salad at Forneletto! I took a picture of it because it is Fiance's favorite, too so I sent it to him. Sorry I didn't bring any home.

Hold onto your hat for the next one you guys because it is TOO MUCH FUN.

That is me crocheting a baby blanket in the lobby! That is what happens when you get a surprise baby cousin. You have ZERO time to prepare appropriate crocheted gifts and you must crochet on vacation to make up lost time. Sorry for being a dork but you are welcome baby Jonathan!

And then we went out to dinner again and took more pictures!

Yes, I am holding Game of Thrones in the next picture on the way to dinner. Yes I am still reading it. Yes I love it. Yes I read it in the lobby of the hotel. The dorkdum on this trip was unparalleled.

BUT THEN you guys I played the slot machines!

And I won $130 on a 2 cent slot machine! It had a creepy devil on it, which I hated but it played fun music every time I won money, which I loved. I am officially a gambler. Whoops.

The morning we left, we went out to breakfast and then we found the BEST slot machine ever. Outback Jack. I couldn't even take a picture of it because we had so much fun playing it. We were yelling and laughing at the kangaroos on the screen SO MUCH that people were staring. And my Mom only won $80! An old man next to us won $146 and was completely silent. Sir! That is a lot of dollars AND there's a fun little show on the screen before you got that money! Let loose! Or maybe we are happy idiots? Either way, we had tons of fun and embarrassed ourselves a lot.

I think we are going to go back in December when Alyssa turns 21. She wants nothing more than to press the button on the slot machines, but did you know you have to be 21 to gamble in New Jersey? Once when I was in college my family and my Aunts went and Alyssa almost got pinched! She must have been 16 and whoops she was playing the slots. Bad news, you guys. But in December she will be able to gamble and NOT get arrested! And even have a beer while she gambles! Everyone wins (especially the hotel because apparently the house always wins? So said my Grandfather).

Also in case you were wondering this is what we look like before we check out of a hotel. Mom and the iPhone, man...she is like the paparazzi!

Birthday in Brooklyn

Friday was my Dad's Birthday! Because this is a blog and because I am a great daughter I will not tell you how old he turned. I will tell you however that our normal birthday schedule of home in Pennsylvania-ness got all wonky because my sister and I ran the color run on Saturday. So my Dad, Mom and Alyssa came to Brooklyn and we went to the best restaurant ever, Queen, for dinner. Any my Aunt Lau and Fiance came, too! it was great!

After the run on Saturday, me and Alyssa drove home and we continued the birthday festivities! Whenever its one of our birthdays, my sister makes us a cake because she is a great baker and not afraid of the oven (guys I maintain that you could fall in there).

She made pineapple upside down cake and ummm it was delicious. Then, we commenced normal birthday picture taking.

The goofy pictures have really been stepped since we got a puppy!

The Color Run!

This post is pretty self explanatory, you guys. We did the Color Run on Saturday!

And whoops I got too excited at the beginning and ran too fast. And also whoops I kind of stopped running for three weeks before hand because it is HOT in Brooklyn these days, friends. So it was not necessarily the running victory we've been aiming for since April. But it WAS a super fun day with my friends in which we took nine million pictures, which I love.

I would also like to let you know that on our way to the run at the Aviator Sports Complex, Fiance accidentally drove us over the Verrazano Bridge and into Staten Island.

And when we finally reached exit 11S on the Belt Parkway we sat in a line of other crazy people also dressed in all white. And also wigs? Which Ashley hated and had a mild panic attach about.

FEAR not though, we finally arrived! And proceeded to take hundreds of "Before" shots!

Also there was a pile of snow and a man with very short shorts.

Then we made sure our numbers were on and we lined up at the start! And somehow we ended up at the very front of our group?  Ashley (who is a real life runner) says that sometimes they put you in a pen so you stay with your group. Thankfully we were not penned because that would have totally freaked me out. 

And then we started running!

If you're not familiar with The Color Run, here's the basic premise: every kilometer of the race volunteers throw colored powered on you. At the end of the race, there is a big party where you throw your own packet of colored powder into the air. Everyone does it at once so its one giant poof of color. Needless to say, things get a little bit messy.

This is Ashley after our first color (yellow)...things are still looking relatively clean at this point!

Here's Alyssa and Jared after our third kilometer!

After the fourth and fifth kilometer things got downright messy.

And then this happened.

And then we looked like this.

Fiance didn't even run and he wasn't safe!

Your iPhone will not be safe, you guys! Don't worry though because a Clorox wipe gets it all off. 

And in case you needed a more obvious comparison. Thanks to Brian for these (go to his awesome website, you guys!)

All in all, I would highly recommend it. 

The End.

Weekend Wrap-Up

This weekend Fiance and I went to my parents' because Fiance had to buy a new car and my Dad took him. Car shopping is one of my least favorite things and Fiance is the WORST decision maker (restaurants can be a real problem) so I was beyond thrilled when my Dad said he would go with him! Great Dad, thanks I will just do fun things with Mommy and Alyssa all day! You have fun at the car dealership(s)!

We went to IHop! And now that my Mom has an iPhone she takes pictures of us basically everywhere, which is surprisingly helpful for blog purposes! 

Then we went to Bath and Body Works. Stephanie told me last weekend that she thinks a lot of the smells there are made for promiscuous twelve year olds and sometimes I have to agree. HOWEVER have you used the Eucalyptus and Spearmint products? I love, love, love all of them and I don't even think they smell like they are for (promiscuous) children!

Also, everything in the store seems to be on sale? I don't hate it. 

They discontinued Alyssa's favorite scent, which she apparently sprays in her hair? To attract men? I don't really know...but picking a new hair fragrance was not easy, guys. 

Then we went to the bank and to CVS but since neither of those things were very fun, I have no pictures. When we got home, I accidentally took a nap (surprise) and then John and my Dad came home with a new car! It has a sunroof! I am in love.

Then Fiance took me for a ride in his new car and we went to Target...do I want these things you guys?

We had fajitas for dinner and my Mom got to use her Mother's Day gift from Fiance. Fiance loves fajitas and my Mom makes them for him all the time. But Fiance says that when we eat fajitas there are too many bowls on the table so for Mother's Day he got my Mom this muffin pan from Anthropologie. Not for muffins, guys, for fajita accessories!

After dinner, we played a pretty aggressive game called Bohnanza that Fiance and I played a few months ago and Fiance's brother's house. Fiance had to explain all the instructions to my Mom and Alyssa and Alyssa didn't really understand...yet she ended up wining the first round? Also apparently we are a family who drinks beer now...not sure when that happened.

 Fiance won the second round but only by one card. He was still pretty pleased with himself.

On Sunday morning we accidentally slept forever and then we ate breakfast and me and my Mom went to AC Moore. I needed some yarn (because I always need yarn) to whip Fiance and I up some scarves before Iceland. HAVE I MENTIONED WE ARE LEAVING IN LESS THAN ONE MONTH? I know I mentioned the fact that we were going once months ago, but it appears I haven't spoken about it since. WE ARE GOING AND IT MIGHT BE COLD hence scarves.

Did I also mention that now I needlepoint? Well I do so obviously we had to stop in the needlepoint aisle. This is what I found. Who wants it for their home? SPEAK NOW because I am only making one of these bad boys.

Don't worry, I didn't actually buy it.

Its going to be a busy week around these parts, guys. Tomorrow I am going to Atlantic City until Thursday! And then Friday is my Dad's birthday and we are going out to dinner in Brooklyn AND THEN on Saturday I am running the Color Run. I am so nervous I don't even want to talk about it.

This post was longer than I intended. Happy Monday morning, it is NOT one million degrees in New York, enjoy the weather!