Another year in review, why yes it is! 2010...GO!

Again...obviously we haven't done too great of a job in keeping everyone updated this past year. So, for those of you not on Facebook...here are a few highlights...

February 26 - Why not start with some snow?! At this point, Brian and I had never seen so much snow, and we were still excited about said snow. Fast-forward to now...not so much.

March - Paige and Justin came for a visit, in addition to seeing the NYC sites, we took a day trip to Philadelphia!

Historical Downtown

Eastern State Penitentiary

...and Justin & Paige

This place has some good eats!

May 20 - What's a year without some Butch Walker? Webster Hall

...and some Butch in the crowd.

July - I took a trip down to Florida to visit and see my Grandma before her surgery, flew back to NY, and the next morning she passed.  She was truly a genuine and kind person, and I miss her so much!

This photo is from 1944...rest in peace Grandma...
May 1, 1926 - July 6, 2010

It's Jake!

...and my cousin's cute, cute kids...Anna and Nate!

July 31 - Brian's parents come to visit! We had a great time, and ended their stay with some brunch at Isabella's.

September - New England/Canada cruise with Paige & Justin along with Paige's parents and their friends...we had SO much fun with them, as usual!

View of Manhattan from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal

P B J & J...not in that order. :)

The Breakers in Newport, RI

 

 

Lunch at The Black Pearl in Newport, RI

Brian was a little overzealous with the scalding hot Clam Chowder. ;)

We had lunch at Cheers in Boston, MA!

Boston, MA

Boston, MA

Crazy good cannoli at Mike's Pastry in Boston, MA

At Thunder Hole/Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, ME 

We had an awesome lunch at Bar Harbor Inn (see below!)

The best lobster roll of my life!

How good does this lobster look?

Take a double decker bus tour of Saint John, New Brunswick and
support the breast cancer foundation...let's do it! 

Brian, having the time of his life in Halifax, Novia Scotia. ;)

Canada!

October - Brian took a new position with the same company in the city...no more commuting to Jersey City for him!  He's still leasing apartments, but now he leases for three buildings on the Upper West Side.  His office is a 12 minute walk from our apartment. :)


November/December - We headed down to Hollywood for Thanksgiving and Roxy's Bat Mitzvah and then on my birthday, we took the train up to Orlando to round out the Florida trip.  It's just too bad I got very, very sick and spent the second leg holed up at my parents house.  Did manage to see some good friends and Brian saw UCF beat UF in basketball in the new Amway Center!

The honorary chair lifters...Kevin & Brian

Brian with Kevin and Lauren

...and the dance party winners go to...Kevin and Vickki!!

Second Thanksgiving/Birthday dinner at my parents house...
with Todd, Aunt Dina, and Samantha.

December 19 - Some annual holiday baking...lots of work, but so worth it!

Rum Cake

Buckeyes

No Bake Cookies

December 27 - And shall we end the year with MORE snow...of course we should!

This was the aftermath of our first real blizzard

...and on our street.

Alright...are you still with me?  Like I said, this is just a small highlight...we've gone to so many Broadway and Off-Broadway shows/musicals/plays, seen bands and comedy shows, been to many fantastic restaurants, and had some great visitors!  It was an awesome year!  

Lots of love to you all!

Jenn

"Blood From a Stone" Off-Broadway Theater Review

Photo by Sara Krulwich for the New York Times.

From the moment I took my seat at The Acorn Theatre, I couldn't help but be impressed with Derek Lane's set design. It was detailed and intriguing and already sparked a lot of interest before the show began. The play, by first time playwright Tommy Nohilly, focuses on a dysfunctional working-class family that lives in Connecticut and has more issues than one can begin to name. At the center of it all, the rock of the family is Travis, brilliantly played by Ethan Hawke. Travis visits home after quitting his job to find out that things are worse than he may have imagined. His parents, played by Gordon Clapp and Ann Dowd, can't even stand to be in the same room together as their house is literally falling apart. His brother, played by Thomas Guiry, has major issues with both his mom and his dad and can't seem to tell the truth about anything.

Over the course of two hours and forty minutes, we learn about each member of the family and the different issues they are facing such as anger, infidelity, trust, gambling, and loyalty. If there were any small complaints, it would be the lack of stage time that we get to see from Natasha Lyonne (Travis' sister Sarah) and Daphne Rubin-Vega (neighbor Yvette). I would've liked to have seen their characters develop a little bit more. Regardless, this was a very small damper in an otherwise great evening of theatre. It really was a fantastic ensemble cast with strong performances all around.

For his first play, Tommy Nohilly left me wanting to see what his next project will be. For those looking for a drama that will keep you entertained and on the edge of your seat, I highly recommend going to see "Blood From a Stone" before it closes on February 19th. Tickets can be bought at www.telecharge.com.

"Blood From a Stone"
The Acorn Theatre (Theatre Row)
410 West 42nd Street
New York, New York
www.thenewgroup.org

Has it really been over a year since our last post?

Hi everyone! *waves hello*

Has it really been over a year since our last blog post, a year and a half of living in NYC, and over two years being married?! Time has flown by, for sure! Brian and I are loving the city just as much now, if not more than when we moved here. We are VERY settled into our jobs and new way of living life.

I'm hoping we can resurrect this blog from the dead. Here are just a few highlights from the past year...

January 2009:
Mom came to visit us, and experience her first time in NYC...she loved it and can't wait to come back!

From Mom's Trip to NYC

March 2009:
Went to see Butch Walker with our friends David & Laura while they were in town visiting...David got some great shots when Butch joined the crowd!

From Butch Walker

April 2009:
Paige and Justin came for a visit. We took in some shows, saw the sites, and had lots of great food!

From Paige & Justin Visit NYC 2009

May 2009:
Made a quick trip to South Florida for a couple birthdays and to see the fam!

From South Florida Weekend May 2009

June 2009:
Big Apple BBQ Block Party, Frogs @ The American Museum of Natural History, and Better Than Ezra!

From 2009 Big Apple BBQ Block Party

From Frogs @ American Museum of Natural History

From Better Than Ezra 06/19/09

July 2009:
On the 4th, we went across the river to The Pier (where Brian works in Jersey City), and watched the fireworks from the balcony of an empty apartment. It was nice a quiet away from the crowds...very enjoyable!

From NYC Independence Day 2009

September 2009:
The US Open, Meredith & Patrick get married (YAY!), and some Will Hoge!

From 2009 US Open

From Meredith & Patrick's Wedding

From Will Hoge

October 2009:
We took the bus to Philadelphia for a day trip. Did the Geno's vs. Pat's taste test, hit the sites, and had an overall great day with our friend Jeff as the tour guide!

From Philadelphia Day Trip

Lori came to visit...and we were both completely FAIL at take photos...oops =/


November 2009:
We took a trip to Orlando for Jessica & Matt's wedding, my mom's birthday, and a UCF basketball & football game! Spent time with all the amazing friends we miss SO MUCH!! ps...we had so much fun enjoying the company, the camera didn't make it out too much.


Also went to our second Macy*s Thanksgiving Day Parade!

From 2009 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

December 2009:
We saw Butch Walker TWICE, in a very intimate setting at Joe's Pub. We sat so close to the stage our knees were touching. It was so awesome seeing one of our favorite musicians in this way. Each evening he played one whole album from start to finish.

From Butch Walker

Well...until next time...hope it's sooner than later!!

Jenn