The Quest for the Perfect Pair of Boots

This past week I felt like the princess and the pea with my boots. I have an old pair of snow boots that has a lining that is worn out and giving me blisters. (Unfortunately, I never have had to wear boots this often so, I had no idea that the lining would be this much of a problem.) I also have a cute pair of polka dotted rain boots however, these gave me cuts on my ankles. I am still waiting for them to heal...We are up to two weeks. The rubber boots are fine when it is warm out and it is raining but, they are not warm. Therefore, you have to wear multiple pairs of socks causing these lovely cuts.

As a result of the fact that I enjoy being out and about whenever possible, the hubby and I have been searching for a pair of boots that I can wear in the rain AND snow without getting ginormous blisters. From this experience, I learned that I have strange heels. They are too narrow for many boots and therefore the boots slide around.

On Saturday we walked up and down 5th Ave. and tried on:

- Tretorn Rain Boots that went to the bottom of my calf. They had a soft lining so IF they did rub or my socks slid they wouldn't hurt my leg. These were perfect BUT they didn't have the right size. If you find the boots on sale, they are a great investment.

- Plain ol' rubber rain boots that went to my knee. Very cute but, these rubbed my calves and ankles. Not very practical because there wasn't any lining. (Very similar to the ones that made the cuts on my legs.

- Black pleather ankle boots that had a fur lining and a chunky heel. Not really what I was looking for since I was sure that I'd be trodding through rather large puddles and these would not keep my feet dry.

- Half high rubber rain boots with a fuzzy lining. Similar to the Tretorn boots but MUCH less expensive. These were almost perfect BUT they slid around as they were too wide for my foot.

There are lots of boots on 5th Ave. and I would like to thank the sales people for helping us! After trying on all of those boots we knew EXACTLY what we were looking for when we went to Steinway and found the PERFECT pair of boots for the PERFECT price! (They are even cute!)

Central Park Snow Globe

The hubby and I decided to take a walk through Central Park on Saturday. It very much resembled a snow globe. The horses and carriages were beautiful! It was very much like Robert Frost's poem!

The trees had tufts of snow decorating the branches like ornaments on a Christmas Tree. They were so pretty to look at. I was surprised to find that the trees were still so finely decorated with snow since we have had a few days without snow. It was a wonderful treat to see the park all dressed up for our visit!

We found a bench that had been cleared off and sat for awhile watching the birds and ducks that usually live in that area near the pond. The birds were chewing on one of the bushes behind us to get the last bits of leaves. I'm sure that if they were still hungry after their snack the tourists would be happy to feed them.

I've never seen Central Park so quiet and serene as everything was covered in white! There were loads of people taking advantage of the temperate weather but, no one making much noise. It was fun to watch the "city kids" sledding and building snowmen in the park. I can't imagine Central Park being my backyard!

We enjoyed watching the skaters at Wollman Rink. (We did not skate at the rink but, we did alot of sliding around to get to the rink.) I wish I had pictures of the hubby and I trying to get up the hill to the bridge. He was clutching the garden fences. I was sliding backwards. I'm sure it was humorous to the passers by as we even got cheered at as we got close to the top.

I was unaware that there is an outdoor grill restaurant at Wollman Rink. They had soup, salad, hamburgers, and footlong hotdogs. Based on the fact that this is in tourist central, the prices weren't too bad. By the time that we found the grill we were little icicles so we decided to walk a bit to find an indoor restaurant. There is also a belgian waffle cart near the 59th street entrance to the park that is quite tasty but, unfortunately there wasn't anywhere to sit!

A bit of Spring Amidst the Snow

The hubby and I have been making a concerted effort to take advantage of our proximity to Manhattan. We started the morning at the N stop on Broadway only to find out that the train was not running into Manhattan. Thanks to a friend I learned that that we could go all the way to the end of the line (2 stops) and wait for the train to turn around and head West to Manhattan. We had quick ride into the city where we went to Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn. (We have lots of gift cards to use!) In our travels, we happened upon a little bit of Spring in this snowy Winter.

On Fifth Avenue, there is a beautiful art installation of roses aptly called The Roses by Will Ryman. It will be on Fifth Avenue until May 2011. I can't wait until Spring time when we can sit on the petals (chairs) placed on the median. It should be a nice place to sit and enjoy some people watching. In the mean time, the roses give New Yorkers hope that someday that snow will melt and we will be able to wear skirts and sundresses once again.

For now, enjoy the dream of Spring!

Finally Friday

I get such a sense of satisfaction when I can cross things off of my to do list. My car is fixed! It is living at work until the snow stops falling. (I'm expecting March/April.) I will use it to get to volleyball, doctor appointments, and other things but, I will not keep it on the street in Astoria. When the snow is higher then my wheels, there is little to no chance that the car will move. Sara and I bought a pretty red and black "big girl" shovel. Before this, I had one of those little "car" shovels but, I quickly learned that that doesn't do a heck of a lot with this amount of snow. While Sara and I were out today, we managed to order my dress for the wedding. My dress is sunshine and espresso! The colors couldn't be more perfect. We also managed to get my shoes and Sara's shoes! I'm getting excited for July!!! Unfortunately, when I came home today there was a flyer under my door informing me that our super was replaced. One of the reasons why we moved into this building was because of our super Tio Jose! He has been such an awesome help to us and has done everything in his power to make sure things were okay for us. I just hope the management company gave him some notice and he has found another job. Tio Jose lived in our building for approximately 20 years. He raised his daughter here. I am not sure what he is going to do now but, I hope all works out for him. The hubby is going to give Tio Jose a call and find out what is going on. Our lease is up on October 31 of this year. We have already started looking for larger apartments in the area. We would really like to stay in Astoria since the area is perfect for commuting to both of our jobs and has a lot of fun things to do. So, we will see what happens...

Snowbabies on a Snow Day!

I've been reading this blog Between Naps on the Porch for quite awhile and I LOVE Tablescape Thursdays. Since I happen to be off today, I decided to give it a whirl. After posting at Between Naps on the Porch, I heard about Masterpiece Monday at Boogieboard Cottage. So, this tablescape is also posted there.

Our Christmas Tree was in the space where this table is so it's refreshing to have something new to look at.

I have quite a large collection of Snowbabies that I decided to use to decorate the table since we are living in a Winter Wonderland.
Many of the other tablescapes had bits of Valentine's day thrown in so, I decided to use my red plates that I got just before Christmas and the lovely Lenox napkins we got as a wedding gift.
The candles looks so warm and inviting in this horribly cold weather. Hopefully, Spring will be on it's way soon enough.




I had lots of fun putting this table together. It felt a lot like a little girl playing house. Hopefully, the hubby and I will get to put this lovely table to use over the weekend.

On a snowy evening...

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

BY ROBERT FROST

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound’s the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

It snowed so much last night that schools were closed today despite exams. Cars were once again stranded in the street. The hubby had to head to work because "the courts never close". Today is one of those days when you wish you had a sled and a few horses to get you around. Right now, I wish I were at my in-laws home in MD snuggled up next to the first place. Unfortunately, the blueberry is still at the garage so, no trips for us. I hope they are able to maneuver it around without any problems. Hopefully, I will be able to pick it up tomorrow morning. Tomorrow, the kids will be taking their last exam of exam week and Sara and I will be heading out to try to get to bridesmaid dress again. Then, after much anticipation the weekend is here! I am not sure what the plans are but, I'm sure we will both enjoy the two days off. Maybe we'll even get to take that walk in Central Park we've been thinking about!

Honey, I froze the car

New York has been having a rough winter in terms of snow, precipiation, and low temperatures. When I looked at the New York Post this morning, they published the amount of money that was spent/lost by the MTA as a result of the last two snow storms. The cover of the paper featured the headline, "Honey, I froze the car." While the ice that covered this car did not come from a storm, it certainly put things into perspective.

Yesterday morning, I had difficulty moving my car from its space due to the amount of snow that had been shoveled/plowed upto, around, and under the tires. Having a car in New York City at this time of year is no easy task.

This week with temperatures in the single digits, we are hoping and praying that the weather doesn't get too bad. Our stuudents need to complete their midterms! So far, we have moved one exam from Wednesday afternoon to this morning so that way we have a better chance of getting them all done before Friday. Today, as I sit proctoring the foreign language exam, I see "light snow" falling outside the window. The librarian gave me this poem she wrote about the snow. It pretty much sums it all up.

AMBIVALENCE
I love snow as it floats down
creating a white and muffled world.

And when by sheer persistence
it makes of itself
an annoyance of inches.

And when to music unheard,
Except for the song of the wind,
It dances
In a swirling fury.

I hate shoveling.

(c) 2008
C. Nepogoda

On Saturday, January 22nd

One of my favorite movies is Happy Feet therefore making one of my favorite animals penguins! I have several little stuffed animal penguins that reside between our apartment in Astoria and my classroom in Maspeth. In fact, for my birthday one year, the hubby bought me the Build-A-Bear Mumble.

On Saturday, we went to the first winter film festival at Bryant Park. We brought our blankets and got two chairs and a table where the Christmas Tree used to be, at the far end of the skating rink. We got to watch the movie for FREE and watch the skaters. While this was an interesting experience it was rather chilly since we are having some record breaking cold. The hubby and I didn't make it to the end of the movie since various extremities were going numb. Instead, we headed home and ordered in some tasty Mexican food from one of our favorite restaurants. Remarkably, the whole ordering and eating process took 45 min.! I guess we were hungrier than we thought!

Well, it's been a week.

So, I've recovered from my cold except for this nasty cough that doesn't seem to want to go away.

Today has been pretty stinky. Dave thought his wallet was stolen on the train but, the good news is I found it at home. The bad news is the Blueberry had to be towed to a service station today since it wouldn't start. Of course, it wouldn't be the battery (because that would be easy to fix). The car just won't turn over. Hopefully, it will be fixed soon without much expense to us.

So far, I've been waiting about 1 1/2 hours for a tow truck...

I was supposed to be going to get my bridesmaid dress for Sara and Matt's wedding today. Unfortunately, that is going to have to wait for another day.

My Algebra students took their midterm today. I felt that I wrote a very fair test. It wasn't tricky. We reviewed every piece of it for the last week and a half. Most of the students finished quickly. The scores came out to an almost perfect bell curve. Many of the students will be happy with their grade. Hopefully, this will encourage ALL OF THEM to put forth their best effort next semester.

Back to waiting for the tow truck...

Cold and Crafts

So, I stayed home sick today to nurse this nasty bug that I have. I got myself some new meds that seem to be doing the trick.

"The weather outside is frightful!" I woke up this morning to the sounds of the super's snowblower working on the sidewalk outside the building. Yes, it snowed again but, this time it was followed by freezing rain. My car is frozen shut. Hopefully, the hubby will come home and clean it off. The good news is the rain seems to be washing away the snow. The bad news is the drains are clogged so, the water is causing a bit of flooding. Those trendy rubber boots everyone is wearing will certainly be useful when navigating the streets of Queens on foot.

Because of the nasty weather and my cold, I decided to start making my Valentine's and birthday cards for those with birthdays next month. I can't wait to send them out. I need to find envelopes that will fit them as they are so tiny and cute!

Six Months of Wedded Bliss

Today is our six month wedding anniversary. I had hoped we would spend the day doing something fun together but, I am sick. Maybe next weekend we will be able to celebrate. I can hardly believe we have only been married for six months. I feels as though we have been married forever.

We spent this past weekend with the hubby's parents in the DC/MD/VA area. We drove home early today and are now spending the day on the couch watching old episodes of Mad Men.

While we were in VA, we visited Mount Vernon. It was just beautiful. I cannot imagine having all of that property and a three story house! Washington literally raised the roof twice. The house was frequently full of guests some that the Washingtons knew and others they did not. The house was built for people of average stature therefore, George Washington had to duck each time he passed through a doorway since he was 6'2".

Apparently, it was purchased by a group of ladies in the 1800's for $200,000. I would love to live there with that beautiful view of the river. There is a wharf on the property that is just beautiful. I can only imagine what it would have looked like in the summer.

We were lucky that we went in winter time because we had the ability to wander around as we pleased without much interruption from others visiting the grounds.

A Weekend At Home...

So far, we've had a good weekend with the folks. We've taken in the sights, including a little history, a little dining, a little Ravens football (the last game of the season for them, unfortunately) and some relaxing time on the Eastern Shore. We even got milkshakes at Friendly's!

Maybe the wife will post some pictures (that's really her department). In the meantime, back to more family time before we have to make the trek back "home."

Hit the Road Jack!

We are hitting the road and heading South on I-95.

Perhaps we'll update from our destination...

Can you guess where we are going?

Snow Day Fun

Well, I certainly enjoyed my snow day however, I was not very productive. I had all of these grand plans that involved writing my students midterm, cleaning up, taking Christmas decorations down, and packing for our weekend trip. Oh well!

We were blessed with prompt snow removal this morning so people were able to be out and about. The hubby headed off to work at regular time this morning without a hitch. All of the subways he needed to take were running. I waited a little bit longer before venturing out because the sidewalks weren't cleared until later in the morning. As always the garbage is piling up on the curbs. In many cases, there are Christmas trees topping piles of garbage covered in snow. It is almost pretty to look at since you don't see the garbage underneath. Hopefully, the sanitation people will be by soon to pick some of that up.

All of this snow got me thinking about Valentine's Day next month. I'm considering making my own Valentine's this year as I have a bunch of fun paper and things. We'll see if get to it before the big day! There are lots of fun websites that gave me ideas!

The hubby called to say that he is on his way home. This new job is nice because they understand that your family would like to see you and/or eat dinner with you. So, as long as the work gets done they don't care whether it is at home or at the office. We are considering going to a local cafe to hear some music and enjoy some martinis but we will have see how icy it is when the hubby gets home!

SNOW DAY!

Well, I am one lucky duck.

The new head of school called off school for tomorrow at 3:30 today!

I really hope it snows so, that way he will continue to give us the chance a snow days throughout the winter.

So, far about 4 flakes have fallen and melted.

Today was a rough day at work but, this snow day will help give everyone the break they need to come back rested and rejuvenated. (Yes, know that we have had quite a few days off lately but, there are those days when everything seems to go down the tubes and today was that day.) Unfortunately, things were so tense that I didn't even feel like going ice skating after work today.

We found a rink at Bryant Park that you can go skating for free! We will definitely try again during midterm week (the last week of January). It certainly will be much less crowded!

Besides the snow day, my friends Sara & Matt shared my bio on her knot page today. I am so excited for their wedding in Cali. in July! (I just need to find time to go buy my dress.) The dress is espresso with a sunshine band and straps! I can't wait to go see it in person! I believe it is Alfred Angelo Style #7063.

Hope you enjoy your snow day tomorrow! I know I will!

Congrats to the hubby!

Today, my hubby started his new job in lower Manhattan. He started his first day meeting another associate at court in the Bronx. This is a new beginning for him in a different type of law therefore it will take some getting used to. However, I could get used to having him home a reasonable hour real quick!

Lazy Saturday

We spent Saturday pretty much doing nothing. However, we did manage to take a walk to the local library to get a couple of old movies. After church, we came home and watched Breakfast at Tiffany's and Funny Face. Both were great. I had seen Breakfast at Tiffany's before but, hadn't seen Funny Face. It's nice to have a simply day in once and awhile.

Fantastic Friday

We decided to take another trip into the "Urban Jungle" today. It was a lot of fun, mainly because the weather held up, it wasn't too crowded, and we got to spend a fun evening together.

We grabbed our new camera, threw on our hats and gloves and headed out. Our first stop was Grand Central Terminal. The wife had never been there (which I found shocking) so we decided to have a look. We took lots of pictures and had a great meal at Junior's. Neither of us had ever eaten in Grand Central, so we shared a meal and people watched as the trains heading upstate were being announced. We even had a HUGE slice of cheesecake together.

After dinner, we headed to our original destination - The Morgan Library. Apparently, the Library is free for visitors on Friday nights beginning at 7 pm. So we headed down Madison Avenue and got there just in time. The building itself seems fairly standard, but there are many treasures inside, including the original manuscript of "A Christmas Carol" and letters from Jefferson and Lincoln. There was even a clarinet player and cellist performing as you entered the Library. The building is very strict about photography and has other random rules which we did not expect. Nonetheless, we enjoyed the trip, our first to the Morgan.

After taking in the sites at the Library, we ventured on for shopping on Fifth Avenue and a walk to Rockefeller Center. The Christmas Tree was still up, and we were able to have our picture taken by a friendly tourist right outside the famous ice rink. We wandered over to Radio City Music Hall, which the wife and I visited about 4 years ago, before we were married.

In fact, we happened to take the train at the same subway station (at the 49th Street N/Q) where we shared a "street" hot dog in the rain four years prior. It brought back lots of fond memories, and it was our first trip back to that station since that time.

We both really enjoyed our Friday. I hope our next trip into the city is just as fun.

Thursday With the Hubby

Since the hubby was off this week, we had a nice two days together.

After work on Thursday, we went to Bryant Park, the New York Public Library, and HB by Heartland Brewery.

At Bryant Park, there is a beautiful BLUE Christmas Tree, light poles wrapped in Christmas garland, a BEAUTIFUL fountain, and a FREE ice skating rink!

The Bryant Park Grill is located in a beautiful old building that was all decorated for Christmas. While I was waiting for the hubby, I started to imagine the type of people that would attend a party or even dinner there. Hopefully, someday in the future we will be able to enjoy a meal there. Tonight, the Grill was closed for a party!

At NYPL, they had a GORGEOUS Christmas Tree and an excellent exhibit called Three Faiths. I hope sometime in the future we will be able to take the kids from work there as they will enjoy it.

HB by Heartland Brewery was located next door to Heartland Brewery. It has a smaller menu that the actual Heartland Brewery. But, the Buffalo Burger was phenomenal! It was cooked perfectly, with the right amount of Blue Cheese and hot sauce. The waiter suggested adding bacon. The bacon was cooked perfectly also! I LOVED my meal. The hubby had one of his classic favorites, fish and chips. The fish had a well spiced, crunchy breading and the fish itself was light and flaky. Of course, the hubby drenched everything in malt vinegar and ketchup. The hubby also tried HIS FIRST EGG CREAM!

After dinner, we hopped over to Times Square to try to get some quick tickets to A Little Night Music. However, it was already sold out (10 min. before the show). So, we headed back to our humble abode in Astoria!

One Pot Meal

Ingredients:

-broccoli

-green beans

-onion

-mushrooms

-1 tbsp garlic

-2 tbsp soy sauce

-4 pork chops cut into thin slivers

Directions: Put broccoli and green beans in the frying pan first. Cook them on medium heat until defrosted. Add onion, garlic, and soy sauce. Add mushrooms. Once all of the vegetables are cooked and/or beginning to wilt, add the pork chops. Cook until the pork chops are cooked through.

The First Week of The New Year

The hubby officially left his old job and is waiting to begin his new job next Monday. He is spending the week at home relaxing and enjoying some much needed, well deserved time off.

I am back at school. There have been three teachers out just about everyday this week. Things are a little busy to say the least. It's good to be back at school with the kids. It seems that this Christmas they did not get as many little gadgets. This makes these first few days much easier. Midterms are two and a half weeks away. I am hoping that they are starting to review. (I'm not holding my breath...)

We are hoping that this weekend the hubby's parents will make it up to NY for a visit with my parents. However, it appears that this snow storm is a bit unpredictable and may put a kink in our plans.

With regard to the last snow storm, they finally picked up the garbage that has been stacking up along the side of the road since before Christmas.

I met with my nutritionist yesterday and we are revamping the plan. Now it seems that she thinks I should just stay away from most products with gluten. So, I have been embracing a low gluten diet. (I'm not saying gluten free because I simply do not have the discipline or patience to deal with all of that.) I will meet with her again in three weeks, hopefully things are good.

2011 Has Arrived!

We had a relaxing New Year's Day 2011. We caught part of the Tournament of Roses Parade on television and spent most of the day with the wife's family. Next weekend, my parents will be in town and we will be able to celebrate with them, too.

It has been difficult to coordinate the various holidays with our families living relatively far apart from each other. It doesn't seem very fun to spend part of each major holiday on the road. But we were surprised at how many other couples we saw doing the exact same thing.

When we drove up for Christmas, Part 2 with the wife's family (after Christmas, Part 1 with mine), we saw many couples, old and young, driving to their various destinations. We were surprised to see anyone on the road that day. Truth be told, it's tough to make the drive, but at least we are only a few hours away from my folks. So far, we managed to split our first Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations with both families.

Maybe next year we will start hosting everyone at our place. There's still so much to plan this coming year. Now if I could just get used to typing "2011" everywhere...

2011