We just got ourselves a MAC Donald's...

Ha! Actually, true story: A friend was driving out to visit us in California a few years back and stopped in the middle of nowhere to get gas and food. He asked the lady at the station if there were any restaurants around and that's what she replied, in a thick, southern accent. "Well...we just got ourselves a MAC Donald's!"

Anyway, at a quick visit to Target, I saw these scary items in the "car accessories" isle:

A swivel platter for your fast food meals..


And a french fry holder, with a clip on ketchup dish.


Disgusting, America. Very gross. ...Maybe I shouldn't see the movie "Supersize Me" after all!

Well, ok. I ate all that stuff while living in Florida- quite often, in fact. But I think I would still gawk at seeing these items!

I've been fast-food free since October 2004!!!

What a visit!

Welp, my parents left this afternoon. I called for a car, so they had a comfortable ride to the airport with no fuss.

I feel like they really had a great time. I was worried since they hadn’t been here for 30 years and still had that 70’s impression of it all. They never went to New York unless they had to. They grew up in New Jersey and moved to Florida (to raise my sister and I) in 1973.

We did much eating, walking and cab riding, and I feel like they got a pretty good feel for the life I chose. I cried when they were leaving, which I just never do, mostly because my mom takes care of that (and two people crying never helps). ;)

I cried partly because I would miss them, but I think it was mostly happiness. I felt so thankful for them coming to visit; something I was starting to think would never really happen. I wanted to show them what was so great about the life I chose; to show them a part of me. I felt proud to be able to show them how well I was finally doing. I felt like a successful young adult (even though I’m not a ‘young’ one anymore). I felt like I had closure over all the worries of what they would think and what they would see.

Here are a few photos from their visit:
Mom and Dad in Central Park


Dad, Mom and I in Central Park after a horse-drawn carriage ride


Later at the Heartland Brewery at the ESB base (nice face, Eric!)


St.Patrick's Cathedral


Inside St.Patrick's Cathedral (I have a bunch more photos- this place was AMAZING!)


At the restaurant "Vu” along with one of my dad's best friends, Tom. As we were just getting started, the Queen Mary 2 sailed by. Beautiful.

By the way, this restaurant is located in the Hyatt at Exchange place- great food, and the BEST view of the financial district you can get! I HIGHLY recommend it!!!

A cross at the WTC site made from two steel beams, one of them with a piece of the plane still wrapped around it…


In the Lyceum Theatre: We saw the play “Steel Magnolias” for FREE from the producer through a friend of a friend!


At Times Square, after the play.

My parents were so amazed at how much it had changed after 30 years!

Our family house in NJ.

My dad had visited a friend and stopped to see our old house. It’s my parent’s first house: I only lived there a year before we moved to Florida in 1973.

Washington Square in Spring


A fish market in China town (they had giant buckets of crabs still alive; a little upsetting…)


The Brooklyn Bridge from the South Street Seaport

A week off!

On the ESB:

I can't believe a pigeon made it all the way up to the 86th floor!

My parents are in town- I'd been finishing up the apartment, making plans, and getting work in line for my week off! My web site is down for a few days, sorry guys- I need to renew!

My mom and dad arrived on Monday afternoon, so I took a cab from work to pick them up and had a car drive us all home to Jersey City.

Yesterday we rode in a horse-drawn carriage through Central Park, walked over to Rockefeller Plaza and visited the NBC studio, went into St.Patrick's Cathedral (BEAUTIFUL!!!), went to the top of the Empire State Building, and then we all met up with Eric and Dave for a food and drink fest at Heartland Brewery! And I've been talking about uploading all my photos forever- this week might be the pusher for finishing up the photo pages....yesterday's photos were astounding. I can't wait to show you the inside of the Cathedral!

After even more partying at home last night, we're all pretty worn out this morning, but I think we're heading over to my work today so they can meet everyone- maybe meet up with Dave and Eric for lunch. Maybe we’ll go over to the WTC today as well.

Mom and Dad TK!

Welp, my mom and dad will be flying out Monday morning! I've been making lists of things to do, shows to see...I'm pretty excited!

Here's one of the views from the production room, sitting at Eric's desk (right in front of mine):


...And um, yeah...we haven't started our taxes yet. "=[

Oh, Spring, how I love thee

What a totally amazingly beautiful weekend!

Both Saturday and Sunday were ASTOUNDING. I think this has been the best weather we've seen since we moved her in October last year!

Today, Dave and I walked over to Exchange Place and laid out in the sun on the docks, with the Manhattan skyline before us, right across the water. It was completely silent except for the faint sounds of the water movement beneath us.

We also walked over to Newport, and then to Chilli's. It felt like a beach day- like I was back at home.

Goodbye, Darren

It's Thursday night and we're all drinking Irish car bombs and entirely too much beer in honor of the first great friend we made in New York: Darren.

Doesn't anyone celebrate on a FRIDAY anymore??! Dave, Donna Marie, Bobby and Eric.

Darren is moving back to Dublin on Monday. We're so sad to see him go, but after visiting for a friend's wedding recently, he realized how badly he missed home.

The cool part is, Dave and I were talking about visiting there next year, and Darren was ecstatic about taking us in and showing us a great time! What a crazy time that would end up being!!!

Good luck, Darren! We'll miss your bright, silly smile! Hope to see you soon! =)

More FL to NY people?

To Kathy: I hope you had a great time in NY despite the bad weather! It was great to see you and catch up! I hope I didn't overdo the starry description of my love of New York! ;) Eric, it was great meeting you!

Kathy came by the studio for a tour and a "business lunch". It was nice to get out of the office, too! I went on and on about how great moving was, how many publishing jobs there were (especially for the next two years starting this summer!), and the differences between FL and NY (NY winning, of course). You'd think I just moved here a week ago!

Things are much better at work, except Dave is getting buried! We'll have more help next week, but for now, we'll have a few late work nights this week.

We've also been shifting the production room around for the last two days, and we'll all be in our permanent places by Friday. The room is looking really great- and I feel so much more tuned in with the team finally being in the same room! While there's less sunlight shining in through the windows, I have a partial view of the New Yorker and 1 Penn Plaza building, as well as Madison Square Garden. I'll have to post a photo sometime.

BTW: My parents are actually coming to New York!!! They'll be here in 2 weeks. They haven't been in New York in 30 YEARS, so I'm excited for them to see how much it's changed!

Dave bashing

Welp, Dave got a bashing he didn't deserve on Friday afternoon; the infamous kind our boss dishes out from time to time onto innocent employees. We were supposed to go to a martini party at Kanvas that night, but since the get-together was for a send off for the second person to quit the studio due to this same reason, we decided a freshly hurt and angry Dave filled with hard liquor and in the company of fellow employees was probably not the best idea. Instead, Dave, Eric and I had a few simple beers over at Molly Wee's, where Dave could let out his frustrations in the company of an unknown public.

Saturday, Dave and Eric headed over to the Alphabet Lounge (lower east side, Ave.C & 7th) to see Geron (one of the studio's designers) play an acoustic gig and catch up with a few friends. I stayed at home to be alone for a while, drive some Playstation, and ponder the studio's intentions.

Today, Eric and I headed over to IKEA again for an afternoon of hunting and gathering. Eric finally found a couch, and I finally decided on a shelving unit for the bedroom, to arrive this Saturday. (Fight Club, anyone?)

Right now the guys are watching the first baseball game of the season- Yankees vs. Red Sox. Eric is dressed in his stinky Red Sox gear, actual red socks and all. Don't worry; I'm not a Yankees fan, either.

Kathy, a friend from Orlando (Hi, Kathy!) is up for a visit! I'm going to introduce her to the studio tomorrow, have lunch and do a quick catch up.