Fun with Mim and Boxes

A few Saturdays ago, John and I did a heavy duty clear out of our house. Do you ever need to do one of those? When suddenly you look around your home on a Wednesday and say to yourself "Holy crap, when did we get all of this stuff?"

Well that happened to me and it happened particularly strongly in our bedroom. Why do I have so many sweaters? And how did I get so many T-shirts? And most importantly why do I have so many pairs of yoga pants that have holes in them?

And so, I locked myself in our bedroom with an NCIS marathon and got to sorting through my clothes. I threw out/donated (because no one needs clothes with holes in them) two giant garbage bags. I would say I'm only about half way done.

But that's not the point of this story. The point of this story is that about two hours into the closet purge when I heard a pound on the door and running away. "I'M ABANDONING HER!"

I opened the door to find this.

I laughed for about 10 minutes. Two hours later, I emerged moderately defeated by my closet and my cardigan sweater collection. John heard to me opening the door and yelled, "Hey Kate, come down here for a second!" I walked down the steps to find this.

Seriously, our lives.

Some Things I Have Been Thinking about Lately

I turned 26 one month ago. Is it time for me to start using anti-aging face cream?

I am getting married in 103 days. I have been wearing an engagement ring for more than 24 months. John and I have been together for 68 months. How is it that time moves so fast but so slow?  Is no one looking into the movement of time these days?

Why do I love to clean/organize my cubicle at work so much? When professionally will I have my own office with a door?

How many scarves for charity do we think I could make between now and December? I'm quickly approaching #5.

Is there anything that makes a Monday less Monday-ey than a new pair of black flats? I think not!

Something I Forgot I Did: Fuerza Bruta

During my blogging hiatus, Becca, Shannon and I went to Fuerza Bruta!

Fuerza Bruta is this super strange participatory show in Union Square (I think the theater used to be a bank?). I think its a good thing I've waited so long to write about it though, because I couldn't decide how I felt about it after we left. I've had some time to think about it though, so I feel adequately prepared to review it for you.

When you walk into the theater, a voice tells you that at points of the show you're going to be asked to "move with the sets." At that point I looked at Becca and said "I'm definitely not going to like this". There was also noises that sounded like gun shots (not my fave in a dark room filled with people) and flashing lights. Epileptics beware (no, seriously I wouldn't recommend it).

There was no dialogue during the show, though from what I gathered from the dancing and yelling the plot was about young people in a fast moving world? The show was also pegged as a dance show, but I think there was really only six minutes of dancing and really it was just the same step over and over again (the dancing was pretty intense though, so major credit to the dancers).

And then this happened?

A giant inflatable pool is above your head and people swim around and bang on it so the water flies all around. And finally, there is a chance you will get sprayed with a hose. I didn't because I was toward the back, but if you are in the front you've been warned.

Conclusion: I didn't like it. It took me two months to decide but I definitely didn't like it. It is an experience, though so maybe I would reccommend it, but only if you get a Groupon like we did. Love me a Groupon!

Holly Does Brooklyn

A few weeks ago, my parents went on a cruise and left me and my sister home. Something about it being their 35th wedding anniversary and going away with their friends? Needless to say, Alyssa and I were pretty offended.

Instead of staying home by herself in Pennsylvania, Alyssa and Holly came to stay with me, John, Mim and Dilly for the week!

Holly isn't really used to going on big walks (she doesn't like them) so Alyssa and I spent their first night here training her to walk on the sidewalk by making her walk all the way to Prospect Park. Joke was on us though because we were halfway home and she just sat down. She sat down, looked at me and basically said with her eyes "I am done! It is too hot and I am tired. Carry me!" And so I threw her in my tote bag and carried her all the way home. Kate: 0 Holly: 1.

Holly got the hang of the walking pretty swiftly though the next morning. So much so that we were able to walk her all the way down to 4th Avenue for some bagels at our favorite place, Bagel Pub! She was such a good puppy girl!

During her stay, Holly and Mim also solidified their relationship as girlfriends. Seriously, neither of them would eat breakfast or dinner unless they got to eat it next to each other.

By the end of the week, Holly was a certifiable city puppy.  My Mom said that when she got home, she slept for about three days. So did Mim! They really tire each other out with the playing and the licking and the barking and meowing at each other!

Come back soon, Holly!

So Much Yarn...

In November I joined a group of Administrators at my job called the Naughty Knitters.

You read correctly, I am in a group called the Naughty Knitters even though I only crochet. I used to knit, but it takes too long. And did you know that if you mess up in knitting you have to knit backwards to fix it? In crocheting you just rip out the stitches and fix them...its much more my speed. Anyway, the University gives us money for yarn and supplies and we knit for charity!

From November to June we've been working on baby blankets for an organization in New York City that helps mothers in need. I made six baby blankets and I have to say they got better with each one. The group as a whole made 135 baby blankets! It was a really cool afternoon.

Now that baby blanket season is over, we've started working on scarves! I've made two so far and I'm almost done with number three! I love, love, love to crochet and I love it even more that people who need some warmth get what I make. I try hard to think good thoughts while I crochet and like to think that it makes the blanket and scarves extra warm and cozy!

MoMA Rain Room

The first weekend in June, John's sister Laura came to visit! I love when Laura comes to visit and I especially love when she visits and wants to do fun things in the city!

I had been dying to go see the MoMA Rain Room for weeks, so clearly this was the perfect weekend to do it! John bought a MoMA membership for the explicit reason of being able to line up two hours before everyone else. Despite our VIP status, we still waited for what seemed like 6 hours but was actually more like two.

We were so, so, sweaty and gross. Thankfully the last part of the line is inside the actual Rain Room, which is dark and air conditioned...thank you, MoMA!

Here's what the Rain Room is! Its a room where you walk under falling water, but you don't get wet! Before we got to the Rain Room, John was pretty positive that the rain was actually light. I told him that I had read a bunch of blog posts and articles about the Rain Room and I was absolutely certain that it was real water. I was right!

I really loved the Rain Room and I would go again before it closes on July 28th if it wasn't for the line (we can get $5 tickets because we bought the membership, otherwise tickets are $25 per person).

Its things like the Rain Room and bringing out of town-ers to it make me extra excited to live in Brooklyn. Sometimes the city is annoying...like on days when I have to move my car because of alternate side parking, or when its very hot in the subway or when I want to drive to a Target to accidentally spend $100 (why no Target that is not filled with humans, Brooklyn?). But I really do love living here and having people come for the weekend make me love it even more.

26th Birthday Part Two

The day of my actual birthday, John and I woke up and went to one of our favorite neighborhood spots, Red Horse to split a bagel and two iced coffees. One of the only reason I like the summer in Brooklyn is because Red Horse brings back their coffee iced cubes!

In typical Kate fashion, I Instagrammed this picture. Then I got this text from Becca!

After breakfast I got a manicure and a pedicure AND a ten minute foot massage, which basically always makes me feel like I'm going to slip into a coma.

In the afternoon, we went to my Grandmother's house for dinner and cake!

Every year, Alyssa makes me a Funfetti birthday cake. They are my most favorite ever and I love ther for making them for me every year!

And after the Happy Birthdays were sung, we took the typical sister picture!

Even though I'm not totally sold on the idea of birthdays, they are definitely a good reminder of how lucky I am and how much I am loved on and cared for. So thank you, everyone for making the first day of my 26th year so joyful. 26 is a big year...bring it on!

Two Weeks Off!

Tomorrow starts two weeks of no work for me! Two whole weeks!

My Mom is picking me up tomorrow afternoon (hooray!) and taking me to Pennsylvania. Once I arrive in Pennsylvania, I plan on reading a lot of books, crocheting a lot of scarves and teaching myself to cross stitch. Big plans, I know!

I also plan to get back to blogging (it seems that I did a lot in the four weeks that I fell off the blogging wagon) and we are going to Connecticut next week for the house tour!

The house tour is basically an entire afternoon of going in to strangers' fancy houses and poking around! It is the best and always reinforces my desire for stainless steel appliances and a farmhouse sink. I am actually 50 years old, I've fooled you all for more than a year!

I hope you have a lovely week even if you're not on vacation!

26th Birthday Part One

Those of you who know me, know that I don't really like my birthday. I think its a lot of pressure for a fun day. In order to remedy this, I decided this year to have a low-key birthday barbecue in our backyard. But then it rained all last week and the weather predictor on my iPhone told me that there was a 60% chance of "intense thunderstorms" on Saturday.

This weather report did nothing to reduce the birthday pressure. I was getting nervous just thinking about John cooking things on the grill in a downpour, with 20 drenched friends in our living room.

As such I preemptively cancelled the barbecue and told everyone we would reschedule. Of course though the weather was beautiful all day on Saturday and it didn't rain a drop. Typical.

One of the best things about being in a long term relationship is that (in our case) you get to the point where you just tell the other person what you want as a gift. Sure some of the romance is taken out of things, but its way less stressful for the gift giver and the gift receiver gets something they would never buy themselves (see below necklace). Another great thing is you can sometimes convince your partner to give you your gift a day early!

The final best thing about being in a long term relationship is that your partner believes in you regardless of how many times you have failed at something. For instance: keeping plants alive. John always buys me plants for special occasions and I love getting them! I vow "this will be the plant that lives forever!". Inevitably, its dead 12 days later. But he keeps getting them for me because he knows I love them for the 12 days they are alive and because maybe, just maybe, I won't be a terrible plant murderer this time.

Instead of a barbecue in our backyard, a few close friends took me out to dinner at a Greek restaurant in our neighborhood (thanks to Becca for planning!).

I got a brand new Tervis tumbler from Bridget and I was SO excited (everyone knows how much I love a travel mug!)

Ashley had to Google some of the dishes!

Highly recommended: Faros, 7th Avenue and Union. Get the fire cheese appetizer (seriously the cheese is on fire when it comes to your table) and the Sangria. You won't be sorry!

After dinner we walked over to People's Pops, which I've been meaning to try forever! The guy even gave me mine for free because someone said it was my birthday! I'm officially a fan. Though when I told my Mom that a Popsicle cost $3.50 she was appalled! Trendy Brooklyn, Mom...trendy Brooklyn.

Then we walked on over to Union Hall (Bridget and Matt had left for New Jersey at this point) and had a birthday drink. Best friends ever (seriously though how shiny are we? Mugginess please disappear!).

The Heat Makes Me The Laziest Blogger on Earth (Or At Least in Park Slope)

I hate the summer in New York. There I said it. I do not want to sit outside at our favorite bar, I do not want to lounge in the park, I do not want to traipse around the city in flip flops in a dress. I hate the summer in New York.

Here's what happens around New York in around February. The holidays have ended and Valentine's Day is over. Suddenly, everyone is in a chocolate heart induced funk and people start proclaiming "I cannot wait until the summer!!"

Let me tell you what I say in February. I say "I wish it was colder! I wish it were cloudier! I LOVE THAT IT IS DARK AT 4:42 PM!"

And then the inevitable terrible thing happens. Memorial Day Weekend comes and goes and suddenly it is the summer and I want to murder Dilly for sitting on my lap after work because SHE IS A TINY FURNACE and our house does does not have central AC, which is literally the only thing I want in life from May-September (the rest of the year its a dishwasher).

In case you were wondering, this is a tiny fan that I had to buy at the KMart on Astor place because for a week my office was actually 90 degrees. I have never been prettier, let me tell you.

Now I would like to tell you some other reasons I do not like the summer in New York City:

• The subway is hot. Its so hot that when I'm waiting for the F train, I long for the gust of approaching subway breeze because its moving air. That is just a puff of dirty air coming at me very quickly, not a refreshing breeze. I disgust myself 
• Sometimes its so hot out that your mascara melts off. Did you know that happens? I didn't until my sister pointed out my mascara-less lashes on the subway home last week. My naked lashes thank you for shaming them, Alyssa!
• There are too many people with skin exposed that should not be exposed (I neither want to see your under boob or your butt cheek)
• I can never get our iced coffee to taste as good as the bagel place's iced coffee and my iced coffee budget has ballooned as a result (because who wants to have hot coffee on their morning commute at this time of year?)
• Seriously our cats are tiny furnaces. I want to snuggle them when I get home but when I hold them I literally feel like I'm going to combust into a ball of flames 
• Why can I not get my hair do look nice in a pony tail? You know those girls that have beautiful pony tail hair? Its full and not flat on the top but doesn't look like she has a Bump-It under there? I can't get my hair to do that. As a result, my hair is constantly on top of my head in a mess because it can't touch my neck! 

When I get home, I want to lay in front of the fan. I do not want to blog. I do not want to talk to my Mom on the phone.  I do not want to cook dinner. I don't even want to crochet if is more than 78 degrees in my house (which it often is) because touching the yarn makes me hot. 

But here's the thing: I think in blog posts? Like when I'm on the subway or walking to work or laying in bed at night, I think about my day in terms of blog posts. Titles, first lines, pictures to include. 

And so, I'm back! 

Also, because I missed your lovely faces and comments and I can't justify watching Law & Order: SVU marathons without doing something at least mildly productive. 

Onward, July!