Rubber Ducky You're the One

I am shotttt. I cannot wait to take some Tylenol PM and go to bed. It's 5:30 and I'm already thinking about sleeping. That's because I took adderall last night and couldn't fall asleep. I was planning on working on my novel that I have tried to start writing, but I think because I don't have ADD, adderall has an opposite effect on me and gives me ADD. I'm serious! I don't even know what I did for hours and hours last night. I think I just checked my e-mail, facebook, and myspace ten thousand times, listened to Britney Spears' Circus album while creating dance routines in my head, tried on a couple outfits and cried because I am out of shape, looked for dance classes in NYC, and I don't even know what else. I just wasted hours and hours doing nothing!

Today was a good day though. I went to the gym! The closest Planet Fitness to me is in Astoria which kinda sucks, but I'm a member so I don't want to cancel my membership and find a new gym just yet. I also pampered myself with a manicure and pedicure and later I am going to take a nice hot bath. Ahhh so relaxing. Then back to work tomorrow at Resource Magazine.

I just finished my left over Thai food and it was dang tasty! My friend and I went to Thai Sesame on Smith St in Cobble Hill yesterday (I just love checking out all the restaurants on Smith Street). This was only the second time I have been to a Thai restaurant. This first place I went to was somewhere on the lower east side and I can't remember the name. That was a few months ago. Thai Sesame was okay, but my friend and I ordered curry and the sauce was very watery. It actually tasted better after microwaving it just now. Oh and they also don't have a bar, for all of you that love alcohol as much as I do. Ha, oh well! On the plus side the rice comes in the shape of a heart which is soooo cute <3 Time for my bubble bath :)

Good friends and Good tacos

Well last night was cool. I was planning on going out for Thai food with my friend after work but then my other two friends, Amelia and Ania called and wanted to hang out. Ania works in the city and Amelia lives on Long Island but had a job interview in Queens. I broke plans with my other friend (it's okay though, he understands, we hang out all the time) and I took the subway back to my apartment after work (I refuse to drive now after the towing situation). I met Amelia and Ania in Williamsburg at this cute Mexican place called Taco Chulo. They had already been drinking sangria and were a little loopy, flirting with the hot bartender. As soon as I sat down they ordered shots of Tequila. Yummy. We got margaritas and ordered tacos that were delicious. I love trying all these different restaurants in the city. So far I've had French, Japanese, Italian, Indian, Mexican and I still want to go to that Thai place I was going to go to.

Well we had fun drinking and eating at the bar and talking to the bar tender. They wanted to party in Manhattan so we went back to my apartment to get ready. I decided that I didn't want to go since I already spent so much money this week on my car, so I stayed in and said they could come back and sleepover. They came back at 5am and I had the sofa bad all set for them to sleep on. We slept in until 10 and then got up and hung around my apartment for a little bit. They told me about their night and apparently I didn't miss anything too exciting so that was okay. We went to The Bagel Store in Williamsburg and breakfast. Amelia and Ania drove back to Long Island and I'm back at my apartment now. I need to do some cleaning and I think I may head back to Long Island to do some laundry. Amelia and Ania want to see that movie Bride Wars so I may do that. We'll see...

Okay, that's all for now. I really love living in Brooklyn. I just hope my car never gets towed ever again!!

Car Trouble

So last night was quite interesting. After work I went to the Downtown Bar & Grill on Court St. right near my office. I really just wanted to have a drink and relax until my friend came to pick me up again and bring me to the tow pound. I was still in disbelief that my car had been towed again. On my way to the bar, I was walking down the street and began laughing. Earlier I had been crying like a baby, but now I was just straight up laughing. I felt like a mad woman. I was thinking about how in an hour or so my friend and I would be standing on line at the tow pound for the second night in a row. It was like deja-vu, or as my friend Jane and I would say—fucking ground hog day. I went into the bar and ordered a Captain Morgan and diet coke and jalapeno poppers. They were delicious. The bar tender was a really cool guy and we got to talking. I told him my situation and we talked about this city of survival—New York. He had just moved here four months ago to work at this bar/restaurant with his brother. He lived in an apartment upstairs. He is so lucky to be living in Cobble Hill (as long as he doesn’t have a car). Cobble Hill is such a nice area, unlike Bushwick where I live. Bushwick is still cool though and it’s right next to Williamsburg so I really cannot complain. Well anyway, I believe the bartenders name was Paul (I am so bad with names). He was telling me about how he moved here from Miami and it’s difficult for him to adjust to the cold. I really don’t blame him because it has been freezing lately!

So we talked and I also ordered some onion rings and a beer. I wasn’t sure what type of beer to order because they had such a long selection to choose from. I decided to go with a Brooklyn beer because I hadn’t had one yet. Paul let me taste it first and it was pretty good. I drank my beer and ate my onion rings and talked to my friend Maggie on the phone and told her my story of whoa. After I got off the phone I sent my friend a text to see when he would be here because it was 7:30 and I knew the place closed at 9:00. He sent me back a text saying he had gotten pulled over while speeding to come get me. I felt really bad. I decided to just remain calm and relax.

By the time I had finished my beer I had started talking to an older man who was sitting next to me and had overheard me telling my situation to the bar tender. His name was Chris and he was a manager for the college division of Barnes and Noble bookstore. We got to talking and he bought me a Belgium beer that was very tasty. We talked about literature and I told him how I was an English major in college and was planning to be a teacher until I decided I wanted to follow my true passion of writing. I told him all about how I’d love to be a magazine editor, which is why I moved to Brooklyn and am working an internship for a magazine. We also talked about the possibilities of being a travel writer and how awesome it would be. He travels a lot and he told me a little bit about some of the places he has been. I was enjoying our friendly conversation but then I knew when he was telling me that my friend won’t make it here and I should just forget about my car and stay at the bar with him—that he was flirting and trying to pick me up. I really hate when you can’t just have a friendly conversation with a guy without them trying to bring you home.

Well, my friend finally made it to come pick me up and I had to rush out of the bar so we could get to the towing company on time. I gave the older guy my number since he bought me a beer and planned on never seeing him again. I don’t even know why I bother to give my number because this usually results in a guy trying to contact me for four months until they finally get the hint. Well, this time it was a blessing in disguise because shortly after I left the bar, I got a phone call from him, saying that I had left my laptop on the chair! Ugh, how foolish of me. Well my friend and I went to the towing company and got my car for the second night in a row. I explained my story of whoa to everyone else online since I was a little tipsy now and thoroughly enjoying the ridiculous situation. After we left we had to go back to get my laptop and my friend decided to come too. When we got to the bar, Chris was still there and so was my laptop, safe and sound. He had even saved my beer that I had left half full on the bar so I finished that and was feeling tired (and not wanting this guy to make any moves) so I decided to go home. My friend tried to convince me not to drive since I had been drinking but I DID NOT want to leave my car in Cobble Hill again. If my car got towed for a third night in a row then I would have to send a proposal into the Guinness Book of World Records.

So, to make a long story short I did end up leaving my car there. Apparently I was way more tipsy then I thought because I got into my car while my friend was still standing on the sidewalk trying to convince me not to drive… I turned the key in the ignition and threw my car into reverse with the door still open, in an effort to look smooth and reverse back to where my friend was standing and tell him he was being silly and overreacting… I forgot there was a tree right behind me so as I went backwards my door hit the tree and almost got ripped off the hinges. UNBELIEVABLE. Now my door is a little weird when you open and close it. Ahh.. story of my life.

When we got back to my apartment, my friend sat me down and told me he was worried about me and that I need to be more careful. I really didn’t feel like hearing it because by this point I was just so stressed and wanted to go to bed. I guess I’ve learned a very expensive and exhausting lesson to never drive my car in downtown Brooklyn ever again (or at least until I learn to not be such an idiot).

Unbelievable

So this is un-be-lievable!!! Remember how my car got towed yesterday? And remember how I said when you think things are bad enough they CAN get worse? Well guess what? MY CAR GOT TOWED AGAIN TODAY!!! I really cannot believe it. I drove around for at least 20 minutes this morning looking for a spot. I was going to be late for work so I parked in front of a church (there were other people parked there too) and I didn't see any signs that said no parking. I wrote a little note and put it on my dash board that said "Please don't tow me... I was towed yesterday... I will move... Please call (my number)." I really had no choice because there was no other parking. I even came out to check my car an hour later and then again another hour later. Well, I guess the sheriff didn't think my note was cute because the second time I came out my car was gone!!! I was so shocked that I just broke down in tears. I saw a cop driving and I stopped him in the middle of the road and told him my situation while sobbing uncontrollably. Pretty much he told me there was nothing he could do. I called the tow company and they couldn't even understand me because I was crying so hard. Seriously, getting your car towed once is one thing... but then again less than 24 hours later! It's $185 plus a $60 ticket each time. This situation has run me up about $500!! I don't have that kind of money to dish out over parking. I am barely surviving here as is.

When I came outside they must have just towed my car because it wasn't even in the computer or at the tow pound yet. Now I have to go there again tonight. My friend is coming to my rescue for the second time except this time there is no way I am having him dish out the money. I really just cannot believe this. Of all the cars in New York City, why do they keep taking mine?! Ughh. Well I am definitely NOT driving to work anymore. I am going to have to learn how to take the subway here. This really really sucks a lot. It is such a hassle having your car in the city. It's really not bad by my apartment in Bushwick but over here in Brooklyn Heights its as congested as Manhattan. I am still in disbelief that this has happened. Right after I get out of work I am totally going to a bar and getting a drink. I feel like my stress level has gone way over the top. Between Sunday's crap, Monday night's food poisoning, and my car being towed yesterday and today, I have just about had it. But I know I gotta keep it together and stay strong... because it CAN get worse :/

Crappy Situation

Wow. Tonight was interesting. So I came out of work to find that my car was gone. I had parked on the street in what seemed to be an okay spot and it was not there anymore. I got really nervous that someone had stolen it so I started running up and down the block, pressing my panic button and searching for my car. It was no where to be seen. I went back to the office and told my co-workers. They walked with me to the spot where I remembered parking my car and sure enough, there WAS a sign that said "no parking between 9am and 5pm, Monday through Friday." I hadn't even seen it because the sign was so far away from where I actually parked. Everyone else was parked there. I'm thinking it is a residential parking zone and I parked in someone's spot so they called the cops on me. I'm going have to find out for sure though. I called 411 and got the number for Brooklyn tow pound. Sure enough, my little silver Toyota Corolla was there, being held captive for a ransom of $185. Ugh, I am broke as is.

Well I have the greatest friend in the whole wide world who dropped everything to come pick me up after work. I sat in Starbucks talking to my mom and complaining about my situation until he picked me up. He drove me to the tow pound and even spotted me the $185 so I could get my car tonight. While we were waiting online we started talking to a guy that was in front of us. He was telling us about how he parked illegally and meant to come back out to move his car but completely forgot until after work. When he came outside his car was gone too. While talking to him I realized that when you think you are having a horrible day, it really CAN get worse. As we were telling him the story, he got this sudden look of panic on his face and started patting down his pants and searching in his pockets. Turns out, he left his car keys in his jacket that he left at his office when he was rushing to get to the tow pound! The poor guy had even taken a cab here, and now for nothing because he had to wait another day (the pound closed at 9 and it was already 8:30). I felt so bad for him. I knew that I thought I had it bad but it definitely could be worse.

Well I got my car back, along with another $60 ticket. I am just so lucky to have such a great friend here to help me out. I am also so happy that my car wasn't actually stolen! I guess this is just one of the things you have to deal with while having a car in New York City. Finding parking really sucks and sometimes driving can be so much more of a hassel then taking the subways. I am now going to be so much more careful about where I park and make sure I read every single sign around me. I really didn't see that damn sign! I totally thought I was in the clear. Oh well, shit happens and you live and you learn.

Yay for Obama!

Well today is the day that we have all been anticipating (with either enthusiasm or dread). Obama is now the president of the United States! This is history in the making. I am so happy that he is our president. I know that he is going to have a lot on his shoulders and people are going to expect him to live up to his campaign of CHANGE. There is no way he can change our country so drastically through one term of presidency. It is our job, as citizens of America, to evoke the changes that he is inspiring within us. I am debating on whether or not I want to go out and celebrate tonight. Remember those hot pockets, gold fish crackers, and cookies I said I was eating all day yesterday? Well after topping that off with a bottle of wine, I had the worst stomach ache of my entire life. It felt like someone was clenching my stomach and twisting my intestines around in my upper abdomen. It was 1:30am and I had no Tums or Peptobismol... not even any milk! I didn't want to leave my apartment at that hour and plus it was so cold and I didn't even know what stores were open. I threw up twice and I felt a little better and was able to go to sleep. I am worried about drinking tonight because I'm afraid it is going to make my stomach hurt again. We'll see...

Blahh

I am soo full, I feel like my stomach is going to explode. I bought pepperoni pizza hot pockets, gold fish crackers, and chocolate chunk macadamia nut cookies earlier. I have been eating them non-stop all day. Plus I am drinking so much wine and chain smoking. This is what happens when I am stressed. It's 9:15pm and I am avoiding an 11 page article I need to edit for work tomorrow. Ugh, I feel like I'm procrastinating college work or something. Well, I still gotta put a smile on my face. This is NYC and I'm living the dream. If only it were the roaring twenties :)

This is my song right now

If the fish swam out of the ocean
and grew legs and they started walking
and the apes climbed down from the trees
and grew tall and they started talking

and the stars fell out of the sky
and my tears rolled into the ocean
now i'm looking for a reason why
you even set my world into motion

'cause if you're not really here
then the stars don't even matter
now i'm filled to the top with fear
but it's all just a bunch of matter
'cause if you're not really here
then i don't want to be either
i wanna be next to you
black and gold
black and gold
black and gold

i looked up into the night sky
and see a thousand eyes staring back
and all around these golden beacons
i see nothing but black

i feel a way of something beyond them
i don't see what i can feel
if vision is the only validation
then most of my life isn't real

'cause if you're not really here
then the stars don't even matter
now i'm filled to the top with fear
but it's all just a bunch of matter
'cause if you're not really here
then i don't want to be either
i wanna be next to you
black and gold
black and gold
black and gold

~Sam Sparro

Tears

Right now I am in a peak of depression. We didn't end up going snowboarding today. Bruce was supposed to pick me up at 6am so I got up at 5am after not falling asleep until 3:30am. I got ready and everything and called Bruce at 6:15am because he still wasn't here. He ended up calling me back at 7am saying he was just leaving because he had a "long night." I was extremely pissed. He finally got here at 8am and it was snowing heavily. He was extremely hung over and worried about driving his car upstate in the snow because his tires are really bad.

We sat at my apartment for a little bit until he decided that he didn't want to drive. We passed out until 11am and by that time the snow stopped but it was too late to drive up there. We wouldn't have even gotten to the mountain until around 1pm. We hung out at my place for a little while and listened to some music until deciding to go get something to eat. He drove us into Williamsburg and we had brunch at a place called Peter's Since 1969. They served an awesome brunch that came with mimosas, coffee, and salad and we both got eggs over sauteed spinach and feta. It was delicious. I was a little sad while we were there because we haven't seen each other in a month and a half and things are just not the same. I had to leave the restaurant and step outside at one point to compose myself. I was able to get it together and we finished brunch just fine. Afterwards we went to Buffalo Exchange, which is next to JUNK. I had never been there before. I got a cool pair of peacock feather earrings and Bruce got a nice jacket and a few shirts.

When we came back to my apartment we decided to watch Vanilla Sky. That is one of my favorite movies and I hadn't watched it in a long time. It really kinda messes with your head. Afterwards Bruce left and I kinda lost it. The movie left me pretty depressed since it's kind of about the ability to find true happiness in life and right now I am not feeling so happy. I have been sort of depressed since Bruce and I started talking again. It's hard to talk and hang out with your ex when things just aren't the same because you both haven't healed from the past. After he left I started crying hysterically. I always throw myself into this type of depression when it comes to this kind of stuff. I feel like absolute crap right now. I wish that I could be in a lucid dream like Tom Cruise in that movie. In my dream, everything would just go back to the way it was. I know that cannot happen... maybe in another life when we are both cats.

Snowboarding Tomorrow

So I'm going snowboarding tomorrow & I'm stoked!!! Bruce is picking me up at 6 in the morning and we are going to Windham Mountain upstate. It is going to be soooo cold. Last weekend I went to Hunter Mountain with my friends Mia, Priscilla, and Mike. It was awesome. Tomorrow will be my second time going this season and I'm hoping to kick @ss :)

Black & Gold

I am currently obsessed with this song and Sam Sparro is really hot. I would like to wear a gold flapper dress and dance in this video with him. It reminds me of the roaring twenties... my favorite time period which I truly think I belong in.

Click it > > > HOTTNESSSS

Salvador Dali

I am obsessed with the Spanish surrealist, Salvador Dali. I bought some posters of my favorite paintings to put on the walls of my apartment. Here's to Dali!

The Persistence of Memory (1931)

The Burning Giraffe (1937)

Swans Reflecting Elephants (1937)

The Metamorphosis of Narcissus (1937)

The Temptation of Saint Anthony (1946)

The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory (1954)

Soft Watch at the Moment of First Explosion (1954)

Meditative Rose (1958)

JUNK

So I finally went to JUNK today. It's this awesome vintage store on 197 N 9th St. in Williamsburg that is filled with, well junk. I've been meaning to go ever since my friend Nicole told me about it. I really need to get some dining room chairs to go around the table in my apartment. Well, of course I get there and I see these two beautiful matching wooden chairs outside for only ten bucks each but some other chic is already checking them out and ends up getting them. Boohoo :( Ya snooze ya loose I guess. Well anyway, I walked in and it was like this huge thrift store filled with anything and everything you can imagine. They have vintage furniture, jewelry, clothes, old records and movies, postcards, mirrors, art work, and the list goes on. I was searching for chairs but nothing could compare to the awesome deal for the chairs that were outside.

As I was looking around, this beautiful, brown leather swivel chair caught my eye. I sat in it and it was sooo comfortable. It also had a matching foot rest. I looked at the price tag and it was $125 for the chair and $50 for the foot rest, so I walked away and kept looking around. There were so many cool chairs in funky styles and vintage colors. I began to look through the art work and found a beautiful painting of a woman (see above). I ended up coming back to the leather chair and sitting in it again. It was so comfortable and I knew it was perfect for my apartment. I sat in it for a moment pondering on whether or not I should make the purchase. I knew I couldn't afford it but I figured if I skipped out on grocery shopping this week then I could do it. Plus, this chair will come with me to every place I live in for the rest of my life. It will always remind me of funky, hipster land (i.e. Williamsburg, Brooklyn) and my time spent there. Even if I move to Paris or somewhere across the world, I will ship this chair to wherever I am.

I decided that the chair was worth it so I bought it. The only problem was getting the thing into my little Toyota Corolla I had parked outside. The guy in the store brought the chair out for me and it was actually really light so I was able to bring it to my car. The thing was, I could not fit it through my door and into the back of my car. I went back in the store and asked the guy for some rope or something. He gave me some twine. I ghetto rigged the chair into my trunk and drove home 20 miles per hour with my hazard lights on. I was so afraid that the chair was going to fly out of my trunk because it was just sticking out into the air. The roads in the city can be so bumpy and every time I hit a bump I imagined it flying out and causing a fifty car pile up. Well I did end up making it home okay and my chair is in my living room ready for love. Yay for JUNK! If you've never been there, you gotta check it out. It's also right next to Buffalo Exchange but I didn't get to go in there since I spent too much dough already. Alright gonna go relax in my new comfy leather chair :)

Bridesmaid

So I just ordered my bridesmaid dress for Sarah's wedding in May. Pretty exciting. I have never been a bridesmaid before. I was a flower girl for my aunt's wedding when I was five. Yeah, I was pretty freaking cute, besides the fact that I had a mullet (true story). Anyway, the wedding is May 8 at East Wind in Wading River. It should be a lot of fun because I graduated high school with her finance so I'm sure a lot of old friends will be there. Hopefully it will be a really good time. Here is a picture of the bridesmaid dress.

Restaurant Reviews

So I've been living in Brooklyn for about two weeks now and have gone out to dinner four times. Each time was great and I want to keep discovering all the fabulous restaurants of this city. Here are the four restaurants I’ve been to and what I have to say about them.

P.S. Every time we went somewhere my friend would ask the waiter how to say "Thank you" in their language. I have also added that little piece of info after each review, so if you decide to visit these places, you will now know how to show proper gratitude to your server.

Le Barricou

533 Grand St.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
718-782-7372

This was a cute French bistro on Grand St in east Williamsburg. I went for dinner with my friend around 7:30 on a Tuesday night. The place was very cozy and the crowd was decent. There was a back room with a fireplace that we really wanted to sit in but it was closed. It looked so warm and comfortable in there. Oh well, hopefully next time. Anyway, the waitress was a young woman with tattoos (I don’t think she was French) and she was very nice and gave us great service. My friend ordered the steak and he said it wasn’t the best he’s ever had but I ordered the homemade goat cheese ravioli and it was TO DIE FOR. I have been thinking about it ever since. We ordered a bottle of wine and enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere with candlelight. They also gave bread with butter and olives, which is my favorite (although I thought that was an Italian thing). I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a comfortable and cozy place to go with great service. I believe they also have Saturday brunch so I definitely have to check that out sometime. Oh and P.S. it’s cash only.

Thank you in French: Merci

Ki Sushi

122 Smith St.
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-935-0575

Okay so this is probably the best sushi I have ever had. And when I say the best I mean the freshest. I didn’t get any crazy rolls but it was still very tasty. I hear the Ki roll is the bomb. My friend and I went to dinner here around seven on a Friday night and we got a seat right away. It’s in a great area on Smith St. in Cobble Hill. By the time we were finished eating there was a line at the door so I’d recommend going a little early on weekends. We ordered sake of course although I kind of wish I tried one of their specialty drinks because I hear they are fabulous. I ordered my usual Gyoza as an appetizer and they were excellent. I got a salad, which was a little heavy on the dressing but it was a delicious ginger sauce that I ended up dipping my rolls in. I ordered a spicy tuna roll and a Philadelphia roll for my friend and I to split. I don’t think he eats too much sushi so I wanted to get us something simple. I think they had just caught the fish because it was soooo freakin fresh. Our waitress was a little slow but she was very friendly. The people next to us were definitely getting better service but I was in no rush so it didn’t matter. The atmosphere of this place was great. Very upbeat for a Friday night and at the same time relaxing with small waterfall trickling in the background. I absolutely recommend this place to any sushi lovers in New York. I hear people say that this is the best sushi in the city and I can see why. Awesomeness.

Thank you in Japanese: Dōmo arigatō.

Baci & Abbracci

204 Grand St.
Brooklyn, NY
718-599-6599

This was a very chic, romantic Italian place in Williamsburg that I went to on a Wednesday night with my friend. We got there around 9 so it wasn’t crowded or anything. The waiters have real Italian accents and talk with their hands. The service was great, seeing since we had five different guys taking our orders, serving our drinks, clearing our table, etc. They try to be very upscale so when you order a bottle of wine they don’t even leave it on the table for you to pour yourself. The prices on the wine list range from $25 to $300. The place was trendy with candlelight and funky lounge music playing in the background, giving a good vibe. Although the service was great I was kind of disappointed with the food. I like my Italian food to be flavor blasted with spices and herbs and this was certainly not. That’s just my preference though; some people may like plain, bland tomato sauce. We did order a crab cake appetizer, which was delicious. That was the best part of the night, besides my passion fruit martini, which was quite yummy as well. Unfortunately I ordered a gorgonzola salad special which was not up to par. The gorgonzola was fresh but there were only two chunks of it on a skimpy plate of limp lettuce. I ordered the Gnocchi Sorrentina because I love potato dough gnocchi and thought it sounded appetizing with fresh tomato sauce and mozzarella. It was OKAY. Like I said before, there were no herbs or spices whatsoever so it was not very flavorful. It was like having mashed potatoes in bland tomato sauce with some globs of mozzarella. Anyone who loves pasta caprese would probably like this but it was not my thing. My friend got the lamb chops and his potatoes were overcooked. He enjoyed the lamb chops and I even tried a piece but had to spit in out (I have discovered that I really do not like lamb). I think that other items on this menu may be much better than what I got so I will definitely give it another try.

Thank you in Italian: Grazie

Bombay Dream

257 Smith St
Brooklyn, NY 11231

(718) 237-6490

This was a charming Indian restaurant on Smith St. in Cobble Hill. I just went there today with my friend for a very late lunch/early dinner. There was nobody else in there but that is probably because we went around four, which is a weird time. I had never been to an Indian restaurant so I wanted to give it a try. Well I thought everything was delicious. The waitress was a very cute, little Indian girl and she was brand new so we had to cut her some slack. I ordered the lentil soup, which was very good. They also brought out something that seemed like a mix between a giant tortilla and potato chip. There were different sauces to dip it in. One was a neon green sauce that was very spicy but very good (I love spicy). I ordered the chicken mango special and my friend ordered the shrimp curry. My chicken was sooo good and the sauce was delicious. It was pretty much chicken curry. It also came with rice and we ordered garlic and onion nan which was like a pita and that was also delicious. The meal defiantly hit the spot. The owner of the restaurant was very friendly as well and the atmosphere was romantic with candles and flowers on every table. I would defiantly recommend this place to anyone who loves Indian cuisine.

Thank you in Indian: Shukriya

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

So I have a new loft apartment in Brooklyn. Let’s celebrate my new place by examining a few objects I have scattered about, and exploring what they may represent.

A Bouquet of Dying Roses.

I like this because it represents a harsh reality; the truth that everything beautiful in life and love must soon come to an end. This may seem pessimistic, but only if you take on that approach. We cannot be afraid to live and love because of this reality. We still have to embrace the beauty of life and love, because if we do not then we will be left feeling even emptier when we haven’t even tried, than we will when we do and these things have died.

"And the soul, afraid of dying, that never learns to live..."

A Golden Owl.

The owl is a mysterious, solitary and nocturnal creature. Why do we associate owls with wisdom? Well, I have discovered that in Greek mythology, the owl was often associated with the goddess Athena, a bird goddess who became associated with wisdom, the arts, and skills, and as a result, owls also became associated with wisdom. Maybe the owl is able to see truth through delusion, therefore able to avoid deception. If so, I should learn from the owl.

A Wreath

I have found that the reason wreaths are usually made from evergreens is because these plants are a symbol for the strength of life, since they overcome even the harshest winters. This wreath, like many, also has pine, which symbolizes immorality. The Greek god Apollo is often associated with wreaths, and was a god of life and health. This inspired the Ancient Greeks to use wreaths as crowns of victory at the Pythian Games. In this case, the wreath becomes a symbol of pride. In Christianity, the wreath with is circular shape, represents the never-ending love of Christ.

An Acrylic Canvas with Cut-outs

Well a lot can be said about this piece. Let’s just stick with the rainbow theme on this canvas. If you didn’t already know, a rainbow is a visual and meteorological occurrence that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines onto droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere (thanks Wikipedia). We all remember our beloved friend, Roy G. Biv, who taught us the colors of the rainbow when we were in grade school. Since I am slightly obsessed with Greek Mythology, I’ll tell you that the Ancient Greeks considered a rainbow to be a path made by a messenger between Earth and Heaven. The Bible tells that the rainbow was a sign of God's promise that human life would never again be destroyed by flood, like the one Noah had to deal with. All in all, rainbows are pretty and they make us feel good inside.

My heart leaps up when I behold

A rainbow in the sky:

So was it when my life began;

So is it now I am a man;

So be it when I shall grow old,

Or let me die!…

William Wordsworth

A Zebra-Print Pillow

Ah, the zebra. I am thinking about Marty the Zebra, voiced by Chris Rock in Madagascar. He was great. Well anyway, Zebras are really cool… beautiful creatures. Hey, here’s a question for ya… Is the zebra black with white stripes or white with black stripes? (Cheesy wheel-o-fortune music playing in the background for thirty seconds). Okay, the zebra is actually described as black with white stripes and there are three reasons why: 1) White equids would not survive well in the African plains or forests. 2) The quagga, an extinct Plains zebra subspecies, had the zebra striping pattern in the front of the animal, but had a dark rump. 3) When the region between the pigmented bands becomes too wide, secondary stripes emerge, as if suppression was weakening. (Thank you again Wikipedia). Interesting huh? I thought so. There is actually an African folk tale, which begs to differ. According to a Bushmen folk tale of Namibia, the zebra was once all white but got its black stripes after a fight with a baboon over a waterhole. After kicking the baboon so hard the zebra lost his balance and tripped over a fire and the fire sticks left scorches mark all over this white coat. Hmm… you choose which sounds more believable.

A Bowl of Chocolate and Cinnamon Potpourri

Well there is not really much to say about potpourri except that it makes your house smell nice. My bowl of potpourri is quite pleasing. It smells of chocolate with a hint of cinnamon. This is an interesting combination because cinnamon is actually used in the preparation of chocolate, especially in Mexico, which is the main importer of true cinnamon. Cinnamon has had a reputation as a cure for colds. It has also been used to treat diarrhea and other problems of the digestive system. I have personally used cinnamon to treat a urinary tract infection because it can act as an antiseptic to clean the kidney and bladder. Be careful though because excessive use of cinnamon bark may cause inflamed taste buds, tender gums, and mouth ulcers. Large quantities can also change breathing, dilate blood vessels, and cause sleepiness, depression, or even convulsions. Uh Oh!

Set of Candles

Both the Buddhist and Christian tradition for candles are similar. Candles, along with incense and flowers, are placed before Buddhist shrines or images of the Buddha as a show of respect. The light of the candles is described as representing the light of the Buddha's teachings, echoing the metaphor of light used in various Buddhist scriptures. In Christianity, the candle is used in worship to represent the light of Christ, which is also a metaphor used throughout the Bible. In most religions, light represents truth.

Third Time's a Charm.

Well here I am again. I believe this is the third time I've attempted to create a blog. I keep erasing my posts due to shame and embarrassment of my inner thought process. It's not like I have anything spectacular to say that will leave one flabbergasted or intrigued at the least. Well maybe I do... but nothing more or less than what any other human being can say of the life they have lived thus far. We all have experiences that shape who we are and thoughts on those experiences to bring to the table... but do I really want to bring my thoughts to the table? I guess I must as a writer. If I want to have the world listen to me then I guess I have to lay my cards out in the open for all to see. We all have to start somewhere, and if it's with a silly Google blog then so be it. There is just something that makes me feel uneasy when displaying my unedited writing for the world to see. I know there are many ways to manage a blog but I can't seem to fill this space with anything other than my own personal experiences and thoughts about this life. An online diary? It makes me sick. But personally, at this point in time, I can't see any other way of going about this. I am a Leo, and all you zodiac junkies know how over dramatic us lions can be. Every time I write a blog, I go back to it and feel naked. It's like I did a drunken striptease in front of 2,000 people and the next day I watch the video and want to throw up. Luckily there is a delete button on here and I promise I will not post any videos of me stripping.

So anyway, this is the third time I am writing a blog and I'm going to try not to erase it this time. I don't know why I feel so compelled to have one. I guess I feel that if I want to be a writer then I should. So I'm not really sure what I'm going to write about here. Normally a diary for me would be like a therapeutic stream of conscious... but that's like letting the whole world into my most intimate session with a psycho-therapist. I don't want to put on a front because I'm afraid of my mind being out in the spotlight. Sometimes I feel the need to maintain a certain tone when I am blogging. The truth is, my tone will probably fluctuate just as much as my emotions, so don't be surprised if you feel like you are on a roller coaster while reading this. But who the heck is going to read this in the first place? Nobody cares but me... but isn't blogging the height of narcissism anyway?