Today I played a few hours of Cake Mania 3 until my laptop seemed like it was about to drop dead from all of the action on screen.
I read some more about Pronovias and tried finding more information about my Carpa dress. I'm having some second thoughts about it. Is the train too short? Bah, I'll just get a crazy long veil. I always wanted a simple dress with an elaborate veil, here's my only opportunity. I can't wait to get a dress picked out. I feel like once I order my dress other things can finally fall into place.
I also worked on some outlines I said I'd finish up. I am almost done with the crummy Peloponnesian War. Woohoo!
Also we started our first round of Elfster--gotta hook up my family soon. The parents come home tomorrow from Venice so I'll bug them about it then. I wonder if my dad used his portable rain boot things.
I owe phone calls and emails.
Tonight is a Thanksgiving party on our roof. The menu looks good. Hopefully, we can avoid having to talk to people and such.
Tomorrow is our first meet up at Gerry's. Hope all goes well.
Hope hope hope.
mangoes and other creative things
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Wedding Dresses
Back up dress--Lucinda from JCrew:
--check.
Appointments--Kleinfeld's and Pronovias--check...I know, it's just two really, but I will get to that in a moment.
Photos to show appointment places--check.
___________________________________________
This morning I did my more serious wedding dress research.
I got an email from Carine's Bridal about a Reem Acra trunk sale this weekend and thought about whether I wanted a Reem Acra dress if I made an effort to make the appointment and show up. (In the effort of providing the hyperlink for Carine's, I came across Rosa Clara, which looks like Pronovias, but cleaner and even more architecturally interesting. I'm compelled to make an appointment if all else fails. Also I told them that their Rosa Clara link was busted--it lead to some weirdo's blog.)
From there, I ended up at Brides.com and watched their 2009 video clips from Vera Wang and the gang. Why are Vera Wang dresses just not pretty anymore?
Then I ended up trying to price out Claire Pettibone, and somehow ended up at Kleinfeld's website. It was there that I realized that I needed to pull up 5 dresses that I wanted to show the Kleinfeld's salesperson in a few weeks.
Selecting 5 dresses was a bit difficult at first because I kept hitting the "Next" button instead of the "Search" button so all of my initial selections kept being wiped out. I came up with four with a search for A-line/Ballgown/Sheath, Strapless, and Natural Waist, but I needed 5. So I selected everything but Mermaid and $$$. I saved about a dozen dresses to choose from, and the top 5 included an Amsale, Monique, Claire, Melissa, and some other person that I forget but was $, which meant that it was more affordable than the first three I named. There was a Reem Acra, which seemed nice for $ too, but I couldn't bring myself to deselect another one to replace it. I'll just print out all 6 of them and see what happens. They're for ideas anyway right? Though it would be freakin cool to try all 6 of those on.
Anyway, after swallowing the possibility that my top limit might have to expand to be able to afford any of those, I went to Pronovias to update my Favorites there too. In that adventure, I found what I think is "the dress"--her name is Carpa and she's from their 2008 collection.
I'm a sucker for lace. Crap, I hope they have a sample/still can make it. And yes, it kind of sucks that it does look like it's pronounced "Crapa" if you read it quickly, but I LOVE the silhouette (I don't think it will swallow me whole like ballgowns) and the lace--it's all over!
Then I did a reality check on the price ranges and experience, and though I couldn't find the dresses I loved specifically, I did see that it was in range, which was a relief!
Anyway, the one good thing about watching the Vera Wang show was this Cole Porter song sung by Sinead O'Connor: You Do Something To Me.
--check.
Appointments--Kleinfeld's and Pronovias--check...I know, it's just two really, but I will get to that in a moment.
Photos to show appointment places--check.
___________________________________________
This morning I did my more serious wedding dress research.
I got an email from Carine's Bridal about a Reem Acra trunk sale this weekend and thought about whether I wanted a Reem Acra dress if I made an effort to make the appointment and show up. (In the effort of providing the hyperlink for Carine's, I came across Rosa Clara, which looks like Pronovias, but cleaner and even more architecturally interesting. I'm compelled to make an appointment if all else fails. Also I told them that their Rosa Clara link was busted--it lead to some weirdo's blog.)
From there, I ended up at Brides.com and watched their 2009 video clips from Vera Wang and the gang. Why are Vera Wang dresses just not pretty anymore?
Then I ended up trying to price out Claire Pettibone, and somehow ended up at Kleinfeld's website. It was there that I realized that I needed to pull up 5 dresses that I wanted to show the Kleinfeld's salesperson in a few weeks.
Selecting 5 dresses was a bit difficult at first because I kept hitting the "Next" button instead of the "Search" button so all of my initial selections kept being wiped out. I came up with four with a search for A-line/Ballgown/Sheath, Strapless, and Natural Waist, but I needed 5. So I selected everything but Mermaid and $$$. I saved about a dozen dresses to choose from, and the top 5 included an Amsale, Monique, Claire, Melissa, and some other person that I forget but was $, which meant that it was more affordable than the first three I named. There was a Reem Acra, which seemed nice for $ too, but I couldn't bring myself to deselect another one to replace it. I'll just print out all 6 of them and see what happens. They're for ideas anyway right? Though it would be freakin cool to try all 6 of those on.
Anyway, after swallowing the possibility that my top limit might have to expand to be able to afford any of those, I went to Pronovias to update my Favorites there too. In that adventure, I found what I think is "the dress"--her name is Carpa and she's from their 2008 collection.
I'm a sucker for lace. Crap, I hope they have a sample/still can make it. And yes, it kind of sucks that it does look like it's pronounced "Crapa" if you read it quickly, but I LOVE the silhouette (I don't think it will swallow me whole like ballgowns) and the lace--it's all over!
Then I did a reality check on the price ranges and experience, and though I couldn't find the dresses I loved specifically, I did see that it was in range, which was a relief!
Anyway, the one good thing about watching the Vera Wang show was this Cole Porter song sung by Sinead O'Connor: You Do Something To Me.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Tofu and What's Going Through My Head
Second day out. I think I'm doing okay though.
I played hours of games after lunch, and the only one I really liked was Cake Mania 3.
Anyway, at Mitsuwa on Sunday in the bin area by the vegetables, there was some crazy looking tofu. Some were shaped like surfboards and others were shaped like boobs (which reminded me of the guy in Tokyo selling pudding boobs but didn't allow pictures to be taken of them) or Pokeballs. The tofu was pretty delicious if you like creamy tofu. The one called "Johnny" is Jon's favorite.
Anyway, their website is cool and additionally reminiscent of what my head feels like nowadays:
http://otokomae.jp
Turn up the sound and enjoy.
I played hours of games after lunch, and the only one I really liked was Cake Mania 3.
Anyway, at Mitsuwa on Sunday in the bin area by the vegetables, there was some crazy looking tofu. Some were shaped like surfboards and others were shaped like boobs (which reminded me of the guy in Tokyo selling pudding boobs but didn't allow pictures to be taken of them) or Pokeballs. The tofu was pretty delicious if you like creamy tofu. The one called "Johnny" is Jon's favorite.
Anyway, their website is cool and additionally reminiscent of what my head feels like nowadays:
http://otokomae.jp
Turn up the sound and enjoy.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Last Day and Food Marathon
So Friday wasn't horrible. I got some work done finally, helped Sarah figure out some stuff for the last time, packed my bags, said I'd finish that ancient Greek project, and said good-bye for now. We went to the South Riding Inn for lunch. I had pigs-in-a-blanket and two huge cups of soda. Then I had a cup of coffee with the ladies, and I felt really sick because of all the caffeine. And then I felt like when I say more than I probably should. The good-bye with Marcy was good though.
I really didn't feel like going to Jersey this weekend, but it turned out to be a good weekend. We got in NJ around 12. Then woke up around 6 to leave around 7 to get to the opening of Momofuku Milk Bar at 8. It said 8 on its website, and all the blogs said that it would open around 8. We parked on 10th, and Jon ran ahead of me. When we got to Ssam, we saw two Japanese girls waiting outside closer to Ssam than the bakery. Perhaps they didn't know where they were supposed to be waiting. However, that they were waiting outside was the first indication that the place wasn't open yet even though the church bells in the area already rang 8. The sign on the door said that they weren't opening until 9. WTF. At least there was a covering to wait under (it was about to rain). We lined up. A man who seemed to have worked at a Momofuku restaurant was there with his camera. Jay? Joe? I was too cranky to pay attention. I brought a hat I'm knitting, so knitted for the next hour while Jon figured out what he wanted to order. Good thing too because if he ordered like the people behind him (thumbs up their butts about what the menu is) I would have freaked out. So around 9, the door opened. We entered. I staked out a table to stand at, and Jon ordered. We got:
The bakery smelled good and all, but with all the extra bodies (about a dozen other people were in line with us for the opening) it got a little stuffy--and I think one of the guys burned something so they opened the door. About half way through our breakfast, I needed air, so we went back to the car with the half eaten food. It was nice sitting and eating.
The tables there were fine conceptually to get people in and out, but they are much too wide for their purpose. I mean look at the photo on the website. Imagine bodies around the table enjoying cake and pie and knish while a line snakes around them. It doesn't work. And the place is definitely not carriage friendly. There's a place down here called Community Canteen, and while not a milk bar per se or David Chang related, it does have some tasty foods that I think is somewhat reminiscent.
Tenth street was nice--a bunch of yellow leaves were falling. It started to pour and thunder too. It sucked not having an apartment to taxi home to anymore, but I guess our car was a like a mobile NYC apt.
Our next stop was lunch with Jon's parents at Park Avenue Autumn at 12:30. They didn't have the broccoli Cheetos dish, which was a little disappointing. I still wasn't very hungry though. Breakfast was pretty heavy, and PAA was serving a set brunch so while I could have gotten $35 granola appetizer and lettuce main, I instead went for the ricotta spinach ravioli and Upper East Sider, which was a split English muffin with a poached egg one end and cream cheese and lox on the other. Stupid I know, but I really couldn't eat. Jon and his parents all got the scallops and filet mignon, which in total was definitely worth the $35. The plate of breads was not that bad either, but there are better brunch bread baskets I think. Jon also got a side of "soft scrambled eggs," but they were just regular scrambled eggs. They forgot the "soft" part so that was also disappointing.
The weather cleared up so we walked through the park to the Met, but they didn't allow my leftovers/scramble eggs, so we went to see the new James Bond movie, which was fine for what it was.
We drove into Brooklyn for Jon's cousin's meet-the-fiance's-parents dinner and had a Chinese banquet dinner there. Some of the dishes stood out. I think we figured out there why we stopped taking pictures of restaurants and their food.
On Sunday, we went to Mitsuwa to relive Japan with Bryan. On our way back, Lakshmi called, and I promised to write her love story as fantasized by me out, which I will do now.
I really didn't feel like going to Jersey this weekend, but it turned out to be a good weekend. We got in NJ around 12. Then woke up around 6 to leave around 7 to get to the opening of Momofuku Milk Bar at 8. It said 8 on its website, and all the blogs said that it would open around 8. We parked on 10th, and Jon ran ahead of me. When we got to Ssam, we saw two Japanese girls waiting outside closer to Ssam than the bakery. Perhaps they didn't know where they were supposed to be waiting. However, that they were waiting outside was the first indication that the place wasn't open yet even though the church bells in the area already rang 8. The sign on the door said that they weren't opening until 9. WTF. At least there was a covering to wait under (it was about to rain). We lined up. A man who seemed to have worked at a Momofuku restaurant was there with his camera. Jay? Joe? I was too cranky to pay attention. I brought a hat I'm knitting, so knitted for the next hour while Jon figured out what he wanted to order. Good thing too because if he ordered like the people behind him (thumbs up their butts about what the menu is) I would have freaked out. So around 9, the door opened. We entered. I staked out a table to stand at, and Jon ordered. We got:
- Strawberry milk--good; probably made with frozen strawberries; tastes like a shake but a really thin shake
- Chocolate milk--good; not what I was expecting though; it's really rich and dense tasting--like a melted milk chocolate bar; my ideal chocolate milk would be more like a Cocoa Puffs consomme.
- Knish--would probably get again--it was tasty; bacon is so freakin delicious
- Crack pie--really good--tasted like toffee but without it hurting my teeth
- Pistachio ice cream--good, but salty
- Grapefruit sorbet (yes, it's still 9AM)--tasty but nothing special; it really helped cut all the salt and fat though
The bakery smelled good and all, but with all the extra bodies (about a dozen other people were in line with us for the opening) it got a little stuffy--and I think one of the guys burned something so they opened the door. About half way through our breakfast, I needed air, so we went back to the car with the half eaten food. It was nice sitting and eating.
The tables there were fine conceptually to get people in and out, but they are much too wide for their purpose. I mean look at the photo on the website. Imagine bodies around the table enjoying cake and pie and knish while a line snakes around them. It doesn't work. And the place is definitely not carriage friendly. There's a place down here called Community Canteen, and while not a milk bar per se or David Chang related, it does have some tasty foods that I think is somewhat reminiscent.
Tenth street was nice--a bunch of yellow leaves were falling. It started to pour and thunder too. It sucked not having an apartment to taxi home to anymore, but I guess our car was a like a mobile NYC apt.
Our next stop was lunch with Jon's parents at Park Avenue Autumn at 12:30. They didn't have the broccoli Cheetos dish, which was a little disappointing. I still wasn't very hungry though. Breakfast was pretty heavy, and PAA was serving a set brunch so while I could have gotten $35 granola appetizer and lettuce main, I instead went for the ricotta spinach ravioli and Upper East Sider, which was a split English muffin with a poached egg one end and cream cheese and lox on the other. Stupid I know, but I really couldn't eat. Jon and his parents all got the scallops and filet mignon, which in total was definitely worth the $35. The plate of breads was not that bad either, but there are better brunch bread baskets I think. Jon also got a side of "soft scrambled eggs," but they were just regular scrambled eggs. They forgot the "soft" part so that was also disappointing.
The weather cleared up so we walked through the park to the Met, but they didn't allow my leftovers/scramble eggs, so we went to see the new James Bond movie, which was fine for what it was.
We drove into Brooklyn for Jon's cousin's meet-the-fiance's-parents dinner and had a Chinese banquet dinner there. Some of the dishes stood out. I think we figured out there why we stopped taking pictures of restaurants and their food.
On Sunday, we went to Mitsuwa to relive Japan with Bryan. On our way back, Lakshmi called, and I promised to write her love story as fantasized by me out, which I will do now.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
One More Day
One more day until I'm totally unemployed by "the Man."
I think I'm cool. I think that things could have worked out better, but they didn't.
I technically still have to write a little less than half of the outlines I said I would by tomorrow, but I haven't. Things have been rough since "the News" in the office. I couldn't really think until today without my head spinning. Now, my head is clear, and I can do my work, but there's no time to do any work.
I was even really good today. I did not read any wedding blogs all day. Tonight, there are 41 of them to read. 41!
By the way, I also bought a $2500 wedding dress on Tuesday. I thought it might make me feel better, but, though I feel relieved that I have a dress at all at this point, I feel kind of cloudy still.
Stimulate the economy my ass anyway.
I think I'm cool. I think that things could have worked out better, but they didn't.
I technically still have to write a little less than half of the outlines I said I would by tomorrow, but I haven't. Things have been rough since "the News" in the office. I couldn't really think until today without my head spinning. Now, my head is clear, and I can do my work, but there's no time to do any work.
I was even really good today. I did not read any wedding blogs all day. Tonight, there are 41 of them to read. 41!
By the way, I also bought a $2500 wedding dress on Tuesday. I thought it might make me feel better, but, though I feel relieved that I have a dress at all at this point, I feel kind of cloudy still.
Stimulate the economy my ass anyway.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
3 Things
So between landing in Japan and now 3 pretty bad things have happened to me:
1) Japan was a lot more traumatic than I thought it would be.
2) I was laid off.
3) My mom chopped off a bit too much of my hair. (We're getting married in 7.5 months.)
Today is my first and last floating holiday, but I need to finish up the project that I said I would before Friday. Friday is my last day as an full-time employed person.
My mom's theory is that 3 bad things happen and then you're safe. For example, the other day before her trip to Amsterdam/Germany/Venice, she was attacked by a softball sized snowball (maybe it came from a plane?), she was attacked by some ass of a customer that claimed he was a chemist but thought that his wife with low blood sugar was going to die without her prenatal vitamins, and then she got into a small car accident when another ass of a driver clipped her rear because the other driver was trying to pass while in a curve. She felt that after those 3 things, she's safe.
I'll post the roller coaster of a ride that Japan was, eventually, but I swear more than 3 bad things happened on that trip, and I thought I was done for the next year or even next two years. But maybe that was to prepare me for the even worse news that I was laid off. That I was laid off was not really that surprising I guess, but it still feels horrible. And on top of feeling horrible, I look it too.
Things can be fixed though and life goes on.
1) Japan was a lot more traumatic than I thought it would be.
2) I was laid off.
3) My mom chopped off a bit too much of my hair. (We're getting married in 7.5 months.)
Today is my first and last floating holiday, but I need to finish up the project that I said I would before Friday. Friday is my last day as an full-time employed person.
My mom's theory is that 3 bad things happen and then you're safe. For example, the other day before her trip to Amsterdam/Germany/Venice, she was attacked by a softball sized snowball (maybe it came from a plane?), she was attacked by some ass of a customer that claimed he was a chemist but thought that his wife with low blood sugar was going to die without her prenatal vitamins, and then she got into a small car accident when another ass of a driver clipped her rear because the other driver was trying to pass while in a curve. She felt that after those 3 things, she's safe.
I'll post the roller coaster of a ride that Japan was, eventually, but I swear more than 3 bad things happened on that trip, and I thought I was done for the next year or even next two years. But maybe that was to prepare me for the even worse news that I was laid off. That I was laid off was not really that surprising I guess, but it still feels horrible. And on top of feeling horrible, I look it too.
Things can be fixed though and life goes on.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
