AGAIN with the dream?

as i've mentioned before, i get really disturbed when i have dreams about real people. don't ask me why, i really couldn't tell you. and it disturbs me more when it's people that i know in real life, but haven't seen in years. it's even more disturbing when it's someone i know in real life, haven't seen in years, and wasn't that close with to begin with.

because then i feel like a creeper.

a week ago, i had a really weird dream about a boy i went to high school with, let's call him MitsubishiG, and a girl i went to high school with, let's call her Tulip. MitsubishiG and Tulip were both a year older than me and had dated on-again-and-off-again in high school. they were the quintessential suburban-high-school-prom-king-prom-queen-footballer-cheerleader couple.  i was briefly friends with MitsubishiG when i was freshman and he dated my friend for a few weeks but that ended when they broke up. after that, we never really travelled in the same circles again. 

so here's what happened in my dream (from what i can remember): MitsubishiG and Tulip were married and had become C-list celebrities on a trashy reality show.  they were a completely white-trash couple doing awful things for viewership and ratings. and the last thing i remember was they were getting renewed for a 2nd season and were releasing a sex tape.

weird, right? and not very nice either.

i can guess why i dreamed up the reality show part of it, because i'm pretty sure the last thing i'd watched on tv that night was the Jersey Shore.  but it doesn't explain why i dreamed about these particular people. in fact, until that dream, i hadn't heard their names mentioned since college, if even then!

what also bothered me was why i dreamed that they were married. so of course, i spent a good 15 minutes facebooking and googling their names.  as it turns out, MitsubishiG doesn't have a facebook page (there are still people like this out there? crazy).  but Tulip has one.

and guess what? her name's no longer Tulip. it's Mrs. MitsubishiG.

not even for a minute

speaking of nights i can't remember, i really have to remember to eat dinner when i'm drinking, otherwise i end up playing a game of "whodunnit" the next morning.


things were off to such a good start initially.


i made plans with Kiks to meet up after (finally) getting a haircut in Chinatown. our initial plan was to check out Smorgasburg so that we could eat while still being outside and enjoying the sunny weather. there was a street fair going on so we walked from Chinatown to Soho in order to check out a surf shop/coffee shop i had recently read about.  yes that's right: a surf shop in NYC. that by itself is worth checking out. but add a backyard garden area for lounging? BONUS. Saturdays Surf NYC fits in perfectly in Soho as hipster and crunchy all at same time. yes, surfboards are cool. and coffee is cool. but the only reason i would have to go to Saturdays Surf NYC is the backyard patio area. super tranquil, spacious, yet cozy, you buy a coffee at the front of the store and meander your way to the back to sit on wooden benches with a friend and pretend to be hipper than you really are.

after coffee we made our way over to Filene's Basement in Union Square in order for Kiks to pick up some much needed intimates since she's lost so much weight that her old ones don't fit anymore (apparently Weight Watchers does work). at that point, Kiks was so hungry she couldn't even consider waiting and taking the L train to Williamsburg to eat at Smorgasburg, so we stopped for food at Crooked Tree instead for what i've heard are amazing crepes.

Crooked Tree is a tiny little place in the East Village. that supposedly serves up wunderbar crepes. although, now that i think about it, i've only heard rave reviews from ppl who went there after a night of drinking around 2 or 3 am. so maybe that would explain why the Spinach, garlic & hot pepper flakes ($6) and the Brie, plum tomato & arugala ($8) crepes Kiks and i ordered, while very sober, were just "meh."   However, that being said, the sangria at Crooked Tree is definitely worth an afternoon trip. i'm not often a fan of white sangria, just like i'm not really a fan of white wine, but the selection offered at Crooked Tree, mixed with peach, passionfruit, and various other light, summer-y fruits, have made me change my mind (or at least that's what i'll order if i'm around there again).

with plenty of time to kill before our other friends finished their Saturday errands and met up with us, Kiks and i racked our brains to try and figure what we could do in the East Village on a sunny afternoon. i don't know what it reveals about us, but the only things we could think of involved establishments that didn't open until after 6 p.m.  as luck would have it, Sixteen, happened to be only 2 blocks from where we were, watching a play that was being performed on 10th Street.  i love when that happens. and if i lived in NY, it would probably happen more often.


within the half hour, we'd decided to head to Professor Thom's to watch the Yankees vs. Red Sox game. i've heard of the bar before, mainly because of DRC and BGA, both UMich alumni.  so i was more than surprised when the waitress who came to take our drink order was decked out in head-to-toe Red Sox gear. Red Sox fan in NY? i commented on it, and was promptly informed i was currently situated in Red Sox Nation. i looked around and noticed all the Red Sox sports paraphernalia and realized it was true. who knew? only in NYC right? 


the afternoon quickly downward spiraled into night as more and more peeps came out to join us. lots and lots of Dewars on the rocks. you can imagine what happened to me by the end of the night. by the time Newlyweds arrived, my rolling brownouts had started again. thank god they always have my back because apparently AM was making moves to try and get me and him to continue the night together. alone. which would not have been a good idea considering how NOT clear-headed i was.   


Newlyweds decided to walk me over to Sixteen's apartment, with the two-fold intention of making sure i got there safely and also to shake off AM. but in true AM form, he refused to take the hint and tagged along, which prolonged the walk. a good side effect of the whole experience was i finally got to try Baohaus.  if i'd been more sober, i would've ordered up a whole variety of baos to try.  instead, even though i hadn't eaten dinner all night, i insisted i wasn't hungry and didn't order anything. which just goes to prove how drunk i was. luckily, Newlyweds had the foresight to order me a Chairman Bao, which was pretty tasty (from what i remember).  the bao is nice and soft, as it should be, but the flavor derives directly from whichever filling you choose. The Chairman Bao consists of Berkshire pork belly topped with crushed peanuts, cilantro, haus relish, and Taiwanese red sugar. i wish i could tell you that i remember all those flavors, but i don't. all i can vouch for is that it was tasty. 

after the baos, Newlyweds called an audible in order to rescue me from AM. they hailed a cab and pulled me in with them, then gave Sixteen's address to the cab driver. after we were 2 blocks away from where we'd just ditched AM, Newlyweds hopped out of the cab to take the subway back to their Brooklyn Heights apartment, leaving me in the cab to safely get to my destination.  talk about sneaky and clever, all at the same time.


 when i think about this night, i can't really say where/when it derailed into such a debaucherous event. nor can i calculate exactly when/what/which drink was the cause of the rolling brownouts. but it just goes to show you, you can't let your guard down, not even for a minute.

we all need a little bit sometimes

"Me, I'm used to being tired and bloody
But you believed that I could be somebody.
You put your world on hold for me
Gave away to follow failure through the fire."

                                                                   Hedley, For the Nights I Can't Remember

i don't know how this song came to be on my iPod, but every time i hear it, these particular lyrics always jump out at me. call me a hopelessly romantic sap (yes, pls, go ahead. i admit it), but that's what i want. in an ideal world, i would feel that passionately about somebody and they would feel that way about me. in an ideal world. which we (or at least I) don't live in.

i think it's this aspect of my personality that has allowed Door and i to remain in contact for all these years. Door was my 1st boyfriend ever. we're talking about 7th grade love here, if love when you were in 7th grade can really be called love at all. but for whatever reason, Door and i have managed to keep tabs on each other for the 10+ years since we first met.  we don't talk every day, but instead randomly contact each other probably once a year, which lasts for about 1-3 wks, and then we fade back into the ether.

usually our communications coincide with some relationship crisis one of us is dealing with at the moment. and that is a dangerous game to play.

exes can play a crucial role in bolstering your own self-worth and appeal, pending of course that the relationship didn't end in a horrific ball of fire. because there was attraction in the first place (that's why you dated), to some degree it will always be there. in a nutshell: exes make me feel pretty.  and everyone needs a little bit of that sometimes. even if you're the most confident mofo on the planet, it's still nice to get affirmation from others. and exes are a great go-to source.

but be forewarned, it's double-edged sword. never tread into ex-waters if you don't know how it will go or at least be prepared for the consequences. walk into an ex-situation blindly and you could end up battered and bruised, at least your ego anyways.

Male Minded

ok, no joke, i seriously love this blog. yes, he's only 18  years old. but clearly smarter than half of the boys i've encountered in my life. or maybe he's just more naive. but either way, me likes it.

i definitely really relate to some of his posts. so, for the following, all credit to Jeremiah and all his hard work, with a little bit of me sprinkled into it.

i get called out all the time about this. yes, i refer to all of the male species as boys. and apparently, i'm not wrong. i'm glad to finally be vindicated!

this is a serious issue i have with some boys. ok, i get it. boys don't bitch as often. you guys are "he-men, womenhaters" (Lil' Rascals reference for those of you that got it) blah blah blah. i guess i'm just not as "strong" as you. and i like to talk about what's bothering me instead of just punching someone in the face or never speaking to them again. so why don't you just listen? or pretend to listen? and i mean you Gohm and OHenry.

this one's the reason i found Jeremiah's blog because Kiddo shared it on FB. and i laughed out loud when i read it because i know so many people who do this. and i might even do it myself though not often because i'm too lazy to type all those "y"s. but even when i'm too lazy to type the extra "y"s, in my head it still sounds like "heyyyy."

these i just like because they're cute. i'm a horrible texter unless it's an emergency or imperative to respond right away (like when you're coordinating meeting someone) so i don't think they really apply to me.

anyways, go check out his blog. since it's tumblr-form it's an easy read and if you don't enjoy it, then you can't be my friend. because i probably wouldn't like you anyways.

Single as a Dollar Bill

i got totally CBed by my co-worker. true story.

ever since my firm announced it was thinking about "downsizing" an interesting situation began to develop in my office. the day after the partners informed us of this predicament, the other 2 associates and i all happened to be staying late and for once, all the partners had left the office already. while we've always had a professional relationship within the workplace, we had never attempted to carry that relationship outside of the office.  since it looked like 1 of us would be terminated soon, we figured there was nothing to lose and decided we should all go out for happy hours together more often (or for the first time).

so the first Associates' Night Out was born.

one Friday night we found ourselves at the Famished Frog in Morristown.  it'd been my suggestion to go since Morristown is located halfway between my house and work. plus, no matter how many years have passed, i know it's a popular happy hour spot. how do i know that? back when i worked at Pressler & Pressler when it was still located in Cedar Knolls, we often ended up there after work.

it's been a good 5 years since i've been back there but the Frog looked exactly the same. and the people were all exactly the same. but the truly unnerving part was when i saw some of my old co-workers from my P&P days. who were still working at P&P. and still coming to the Frog.

there had been an issue with our dinner check; when the tables were being moved away to make room for the band, we got moved along wit them but then we never saw our waitress again to get a dinner check or pay for our meal. i stepped outside while my co-workers, the good samaritans they are, attempted to deal with it.

a conversation ensued with myself and a group of people standing next to me. who all worked at P&P. for all the gripes i have about having worked there, i've got to admit, their employees know how to have a good time. probably because they're all fresh out of college. 1 guy i was talking to was an attorney at P&P, having graduated from Seton Hall the same year i finished at BLS. i commiserated with him about working for P&P and he attempted to convince me stick around to have a few more drinks with him.

i was contemplating the offer. after all, he was cute. that's when my co-workers arrived next to me. i made introductions and things quickly went south. my guy co-worker started to give the CuteAttorney a hard time about working at P&P and how that's not "really attorney work. come on." and he didn't stop.

no surprise that the conversation was kiboshed quickly. i can't believe my co-worker CBed me.

nobody nobody but you

my new favorite outdoor destination for chatting and relaxing is the High Line. i know, i'm a johnny-come-lately to the High Line party, but better late than never, right?

Kiddo and i had dinner plans at Park Avenue Summer and since the weather was hot and sunny, i decided to spend some time with ArrangedMarriage and kill 2 birds with 1 stone by arranging to go to the High Line together. coincidentally, AM's apartment is very close to the High Line so it all worked out well.

the High Line is a great park to walk along with a friend/date and enjoy the tall views and interesting architecture and design of the park itself. there's also various spots to lay down and sunbathe, rest, or grab a seat to talk/eat. the key point is that while the park itself is interesting conversation fodder for about 10-15 mins, you'd best go there with someone you can hold a conversation with.

otherwise it's just........awkward.......silence.......

where you're acutely aware that there's an uncomfortable lull in conversation and now you're just walking with someone beside you looking at stuff and not talking. if i'd wanted to do that i could've just gone to the High Line myself. at least then i could've stopped and sat to observe the views and contemplate lofty thoughts instead of frantically trying to think of something to talk about with AM. he seriously doesn't like to make my life easy.

luckily, at the end of High Line is a new space called the Lot. we purchased some drink tickets and beer at the Lot on Tap and grabbed a seat on the long bench tables placed throughout the outdoor space. and we sat directly in front of the Korilla BBQ truck. it was one of the hardest temptations i've had to endure. i knew i was going to eat a 3-course dinner with Kiddo so i didn't want to spoil my appetite but the truck kept taunting me with yummy deliciousness. one day, Korilla, one day you WILL be mine.

a return trip on the High Line led us to Chelsea Market, which i haven't been to in years since i rarely find myself on the west side anymore.  since i love all things food, it's no surprise i liked Chelsea Market. the trip also yielded gelate from L'Arte del Gelato, which, while pricey, gelato is always a treat.

i booked it uptown to meet Kiddo for our dinner reservation at Park Avenue Summer, which i was totally looking forward to. the last time i ate at Park Avenue was during the winter, and every winter Restaurant Week following that 1 time has had the same menu. come on now, really?! for a restaurant that's supposed to change with the seasons to serve the best food for that season, you'd think they'd also have a more innovative menu with each season. so you can imagine how amped i was to finally get to partake in a completely different tasting menu for the summer season.

i'm glad Kiddo is a seasoned RW eater like me so we know not to order the same foods if at all possible. that way we can get a wider range of options to sample. the meal was off to refreshing start when we were served with an amuse bouche of watermelon topped with goat cheese/creme fraiche foam. while the amuse itself was good, i wasn't overly impressed by the culinary prowess (aside from the foam part-i mean, i can cut watermelon too, but i admittedly cannot make flavored foam). but the presentation was adorable as little watermelon lollipops sprouting from a box of grass. 

we ordered the Salmon Tartar and Potato Gnocchi with Summer Corn and Truffles as appetizers. the tartar was a nice and light option to counteract the creamy potato gnocchi which was laden with butter and cream. i could seriously taste the insane amount of butter that  must've gone into that dish. but in that salty, buttery good way. i'm sure it's completely degenerate and unhealthy of me to say that, but i did it anyway.

as entrees Kiddo chose the Dr. Pepper Baby Back Ribs and i opted for the Scottish Salmon. the ribs were cooked to tender so you didn't really need a knife to eat it. and while it was good, i thought it was a bit sweet, but then again, that's why they're Dr. Pepper right? i was actually a bigger fan of the accompanying peach coleslaw it was served with which seemed a perfect summer side. and i love all things peach right now. the salmon was perfectly cooked so it was crispy on the outside but still moist and tender on the inside. i liked the accompanying cold cucumber side that came with it to help balance out the slight saltiness of the fish.

for dessert Kiddo smartly opted for the selection of sorbets, and there is quite a selection and you get to pick 2! i ordered the Peach Panna Cotta with Basil Foam which was pretty dense for a panna cotta but maybe what i think panna cotta is is not what it actually is. it was good, but Kiddo's dessert was clearly the winner, particularly on such a hot summer night.

afterwards, Kiddo had some time to kill before meeting up with (what would be) a very good date (wink wink, nudge nudge), so we went for drinks at K-town in K-town. this place has a seedy underbelly feel to it because it's downstairs with no natural light. but then you notice the giant projector screens are blasting kpop. i'm actually a big fan of this place because they do amazing soju happy hours everday. twice a day. Kiddo and i killed a bottle of soju and then parted ways.


speaking of kpop, as i was rushing towards my Park Avenue Summer reservation, i passed a slightly surly-looking but cute korean girl and did a double take. who to my surprise did i just walk past? Sohee of Wonder Girls! since she did not look happy and i was running late for my reservation, i didn't stop to gawk (too long), but i was super stoked and immediately had to Facebook the sighting for Stitch and GMW.