NYC Marathon

Sunday marked the 40th annual NYC Marathon.  The marathon hosted over 40,000 runners starting at the Verrazano Bridge in Staten Island and went through all four boroughs.  This year also marked the first time an American citizen has placed first since 1982.  Some critics are saying since he wasn't born in the United States that this is not as big of an accomplishment as it may seem.  It's a marathon, does it really matter?

We took the opportunity to go for a long walk through Central Park and cheer on the runners along the way.  I thought it would be a good spark in my non-existent workout routine.  Though I have no aspirations to run 26.2 miles. None.

Also, I made sure to give a few yells and claps to those on their morning runs not involved in the marathon.  While they appeared shocked at first, I think they enjoyed it after realizing I wasn't going to attack them. After all, they must have felt left out.  If people are there cheering on 40k runners, why not cheer for these extras?  They are runners too.

Here are a few pictures we took in the park and of the runners.

Dun-na-na-na-na-na-na-na BATMAN

there were many costumes, though this rabbit mask was a crowd pleaser 

I would have preferred the Spartans, but they were fine

Central Park in the fall

After watching an exhausting run, we treated ourselves to CRUMBS

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Good music, cold beer, and fried chicken

Zac Brown is someone I've been following since the college days where he played for free at Dixie's Tavern in Atlanta.  He now has a full band and is making it big on the charts after "Chicken Fried" hit the radio last year.  I first heard it in 2003 and was hooked on his style.  He is a welcomed change from the overly 'poppy' country that monopolizes the charts these days.

We were able to see him at Terminal 5 only a few blocks from our house.  This tour was in support of his new label and a way to introduce his new acts.  His new artists (3) came out one at a time to play 3 original songs and then Zac joined them for 2 more.  This took about an hour and a half, followed by the Zac Brown Band playing for the next hour and a half.  The concert was amazing!

We were also lucky to be introduced to Clay Cook this evening.  He is now a permanent member of the Zac Brown Band, and an incredible talent.  His voice range was impressive, as were his skills at piano, guitar, mandolin, and fiddle.  I look forward to seeing him on a solo project soon. The video below is a cover of Dylan's 'I shall be released'.  Clay Cook sings after Zac Brown in the beginning, followed by Sonia Leigh and crew. I have a feeling his label is going to be successful.



Here is a snippet of Chicken Fried to appease the masses...


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Tourist for a day

Charlotte came to visit, so to fulfill hosting obligations I showed her around the city.  She had only been to New York once before and hadn't done much of the 'touristy' stuff.  Unfortunately, we didn't have a lot of time and didn't take many pictures.  Here are some I did take ...

as you can see, we had different ideas for the bull picture

there hasn't been much progress in the construction that I can tell

'Bell of Hope' - St. Paul's Chapel presented this on the first-year anniversary of 9/11

It was fun pretending to be a tourist for a day and re-visiting these landmarks.  I think I may propose we do 'touristy' things once every couple of months to refresh our appreciation of them.  Whether it be a walking tour, museum, etc - when you live here you don't feel the urgency to visit them.  I hear all to often from people who have lived here 5+ years expressing regret from not taking time to see the sights.

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The Great Pumpkin

Last weekend we decided to check out Old Navy's Urban Pumpkin Patch benefiting the Food Bank for New York City.  The Pumpkin Patch was located in the Meatpacking district on Little W 12th Street and 9th Avenue.  For a small donation you could take part in the pumpkin decorating contest, take pumpkins home for free, partake in some cotton candy, and enjoy the petting zoo.

A future post will document the pumpkin carving contest that took place courtesy of our visit here.

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honk if you despise those that ... honk??

These street signs are placed all over the city in a feeble effort to deter drivers from honking their horns.  It doesn't work.  I'm actually not even sure I understand the brainpower that went behind this sign.  It is about as ridiculous as Sonny Perdue (Atlanta governor) holding a prayer circle at the Capitol during a drought.  I'm also confused on the separation of church and state there, but that is another issue.

In most situations it would become white noise, but I don't think it will because I take personal offense to it.  In fact, I would support capital punishment on those that choose to honk in the most ridiculous of circumstances.  The majority of time I see someone honking (especially the beloved prolonged ones) is in non-moving traffic.  What is the end goal here?

Granted, I am a little sensitive to the issue because even when I drove I thought honking was a joke and saw no value in it. Alas, I'm not sure anything can be done to curb the issue.  If it counts, my vote is for electric shock.

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International Market

It's hard to find what I like most about living in the city.  While showing our friend Charlotte around the city I caught myself saying "that's one of my favorite things about the city" a lot.  So after thinking about it, I realized that I just like it all.  So this post is on 'one of my favorite things about the city' - the Markets.  You can find anything you want here.

The International Grocery is a place that we have enjoyed shopping in and know we will for the extent of our time here.  While the store front leaves a lot to be desired, the inside is very inviting.  The smells from all the fresh spices, grains, and coffees blending together provides a wonderful aromatic and aesthetic experience.  They cater to all spice needs, exotic coffees, grains, cheeses, olives, and more.  The store has a Mediteranean bazaar vibe to it which I appreciate, and that is most likely due to the Karamouzis brothers (one pictured below) running it for over 30 years.

bon appétit

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"next time i'm in church, please no photos"

As a part of the OHNY weekend we were also able to tour the House of the Redeemer.  I have a fascination with the grand scale in which religious buildings pride themselves on, and this one did not disappoint.  However, this House was originally built as a personal residence and later deeded to the Episcopal Church.

Today it is noted as one of the finest Italian Renaissance revival-styled townhouses, and one of the most distinguished examples of early 20th century residential architecture in New York City.  The house was designated a New York City Landmark in 1974.

Nevertheless, while touring the House I must admit I felt I was in a real life version of Clue, minus the murder of course.  Miss Scarlet was responsible for our opening tour explaining the history and getting us eager for more.  Mrs. White lived up to her duties of being an uptight maid of the manor showing us around the kitchen and maid quarters.  Also, Professor Plum gave us a proper tour of the library (which was incredible and our favorite room) which he happens to be writing a book about.  However, if there was a murder, I would put all my money on Mrs. White.  After granting permission to take pictures she felt the need to give me, and others, a serious evil eye when we did so.  Paige actually at one point told me to stop because she made her nervous.

Here are some pictures we took while taking a tour of the House.  For more feel free to check out my FLICKR set for more.

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The UES is like Merlot

For no specific reason, other than opinions of others (and the movie sideways), I've never been too interested in trying either.  However, being open to all things new, I've now tried both.  As a part of OHNY we were able to sign up for a free tour of the Carnegie Hill neighborhood.  The neighborhood is on such a grand scale it's impossible not to appreciate the beauty.

Carnegie Hill is named for the mansion that Andrew Carnegie built at 91st and 5th in 1901.  The neighborhood is home to the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, The Jewish Museum, the National Academy of Design, the House of the Redeemer, and the Dalton School.  Our tour took us by these sites and provided a brief history of each.

Here are some pictures taken on the tour.  For more, feel free to check out the FLICKR set on Carnegie Hill.

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the other white meat

After the last two experiments in cooking pork were making barbecue and carnitas, I decided to respect the flavor of the pork and make a tasty sauce to accompany it.  We are fans of horseradish so I thought it would be a natural pairing.

1 lb Pork tenderloin
2 tb of butter
4 green onions, minced
1/2 c mushrooms, chopped
1 1/4 c light cream
2 ts lemon juice
2 ts horseradish
2 tb sour cream
2 tb fresh parsley, minced






1.  Sauted tenderloin in large skillet with butter for 2 to 3 minutes on each side
2.  Moved tenderloin to dish and cover with foil
3.  Sauté green onions and mushrooms till soft
4.  Add cream, lemon juice, and any pork juices accumulated on the platter.  Simmer until thickened.
5.  Stir in sour cream, horseradish, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

While I am a big fan of the carnitas and barbecue I've made, this was quite tasty.

bon appétit

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'In music the passions enjoy themselves'

As someone has pointed out, the blog has been heavy into Theatre the past couple weeks.  We have been fortunate lately by scoring many free opportunities to see some great shows.  However, we do enjoy other arts.  We are big local music fans.  In Atlanta we frequented and enjoyed shows featuring The Goldest, Jupiter Watts, Envie, Water Liars, and those departed (not to name drop some killer bands I happen to know people in).

So in New York we had to find good spots for local music.  After a few searches, I had a list of several bands that I wanted to check out.  Great article on some of the top New York bands to see here.

On this evening we went to The Living Room in the Lower East Side.  The band was pretty interesting.  The lead singer had a deep funky voice, though it seemed like he wasn't a fan of remembering lyrics.  Also, there were 2 piano players in the band, which i enjoyed, however they seemed to struggle with who would play each part before the song.  I couldn't tell if this was a new band, or if they had a few subs on this evening.  Somehow, even with what appeared to be a lot of stress on stage, the set was pretty good.

However, our night at the Living Room was made a success by these ladies below.  They were quite a crew. If you look, the one on the left has her arm in a sling and she was walking with a cane, while the lady on the left clearly had a neck brace and had an arm in a soft cast.  Either they had 'join a fight club' on their bucket list, or they are still hoping for that workers comp settlement to come through. Either way, I had to look, laugh, and of course take a picture

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"If my life wasn't funny, it would have to be true"

After not having been to the theatre in the first several months since moving here, we have now seen our 3rd show in 2 weeks. However, this one is set apart from the others because it was Opening Night.  This meant the red carpet was rolled out, the paparazzi had us pose, and diet cokes were $4.50.

Wishful Drinking is Carrie Fisher's one woman show based on her own life, after her memoir of the same title. The show is a dark comedy that covers a wide range of topics including hollywood inbreeding, her diagnosed manic depressive disorder, alcoholism, divorce, death, and of course Star Wars.

Carrie Fisher opens the show singing 'Happy Days are Here Again', throwing glitter on the patrons seated in the front row, all while negative tabloid headlines are broadcasted on the screen behind her. Making fun of the 'tragedy' was definitely the common theme.  The wardrobe department also did not have to stretch with this show as her dress for the entire evening comprised of pajamas, a robe, and slippers.

Something else not to be overlooked is that the show is playing at Studio 54, which itself holds a lot of history. So, to sum it up - free opening night tickets to a Broadway show staring Princess Leia at Studio 54.  It could not have scripted better.  Well, i should have walked away when they said $4.50 for a coke, but other than that...

(since there is no photography allowed during the show, this picture has been borrowed from Jan Marcus via Broadway World)

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NY Pizza

A common theme of New York is the quality of their pizza and how fond folks are of it.  I consider myself a big fan of good pizza, but I will admit that I wasn't impressed after moving here.  Some of the places that came highly recommended I found dry and just not that flavorful. This was until the day we signed on our apartment.  We were getting the run around at our credit union trying to get an official check so we went for a quick bite while we had to wait.  Thankfully we were on 31st and 8th avenue and stumbled upon the NY Pizza Suprema.

NY Pizza Suprema was established in 1964 by an Italian immigrant, Salvatore Riggio, and is still owned by the Riggio family.  Salvatore's motto was "Do one thing and do it better than anyone else."  He felt this way about the plain cheese slice, so that was all they served until 1988.  Now the menu has expanded from the cheese slice to supreme pizzas, broccoli rolls. and calzones.

I find myself happily sticking with a slice of pepperoni and a slice of sausage.  I am just thankful I live a little too far away to convince myself to walk there more often.  It could get bad.

bon appétit!

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Adultery, Betrayal, and Alter Egos

Paige found out that a close girlfriend of her's was in a play just across the river in Jersey, so we went to check it out.  Paige has been friends with Rachel since middle school, however they have lived in different states since graduating high school.  It was a great reunion, and it will be fun getting to know her since she now lives on the island as well.

Passion was written by Peter Nichols in 1981 and originally performed at the Royal Shakespeare Company.  The play is about a middle aged couple that must come to grips with adultery and betrayal.  The ensemble cast is comprised of 6 actors and live music performed by saxophonist Kevin Gosa.  The play uses alter egos in the way that I have not seen before.  There are 2 main characters in the play, and 2 additional characters that serve as their alter egos.  The alter egos can sometimes only be heard by their other half, and in other instances the alter egos can interact with themselves.  It was a great mechanism to give the story more depth.

I greatly enjoyed viewing the play and welcome future opportunities to see Rachel's work!

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Lady Liberty

Moving to New York was partly an investment in memories.  We wanted to be sure and do anything we could in order to get the full experience.  That being the case, when I read that the Statue of Liberty, for the first time in history, would be open to tour for one night I had to jump on it.  It was touted as a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity according to The Gothamist.  I try not to miss those.

The occasion was in celebration of National Park Week and also to bring awareness to Ken Burns' new documentary on the history of National Parks in the United States.

Neither Paige or I had ever been to the Statue, and to be honest, did not have a major drive in visiting.  However, after this visit I am definitely glad we did and am looking forward to visiting again so that I can go into the crown.  Tickets for the crown are currently sold out through November.

Here are a few pictures, however viewing on blogspot doesn't really provide justice as the quality is affected.

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