'Twas the Night Before the Playoffs

 'Twas the night before the playoffs, when all through the house

Not a creature was sleeping, not even a mouse;

The t-shirts were stacked by the dresser with care,

In hopes that a Dodger victory soon would be there;

The rally rags were nestled all snug by the beds;

While visions of grand slams danced in our heads;

And me reading statistics, and dad in his cap,

We're all settled in for an October long wrap,

When out on the fields there arose such a clatter,

The crew was alert and attending to each matter. 

Away to Los Angeles we flew like a flash,

Tore open our gear to the stadium in a dash.

The moon on the eve of a season with snow,

Only a few mores innings and games left to go.

When what to our wondering eyes should appear,

But nine men in blue having eyes without fear,

With a little luck and bats that are quick,

They knew the World Series would be their pick.

More rapid than eagles Kershaw's pitches came,

And we whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

"Now, Grienke! now, Ethier! now A-Gon and Puig!

On, Ellis! on, Rollins! you're first in the league!

To the top of the standings! to the top of the wall!

One strike! Now two strikes! Three strikes to them all!"

So up to the bleachers the balls, they flew,

With bats full of might and good defense too—

And then, in an instant, the crowd raised the roof,

The prancing of opposing fans held aloof.

The players, they ran, light on their foot,

Their uniforms all tarnished with grasses and soot;

Our season of baseball has lasted 'til fall, it is merry!

Though the bullpen we'll admit is really quite scary!

We're anxiously awaiting a new trophy on the shelf,

A victory for my dad, I think to myself;

A restless night as thoughts race through my head

Waiting another season is what we all dread;

And crossing our fingers as the first pitch is thrown,

Wishing and hoping our lead won't be blown.

Vin Scully is shouting, and gave a loud whistle,

Hooray they all cheered through a field full of thistle.

Then I heard him exclaim, ere he announced at the sight—  

“Happy Playoffs to all, and to all a good night!”

 

I Heart NY... Wait No, I Heart NY Bagels

If you're an avid follower of my blog, you already know that I love to write about my travels (see Ireland, China, Eastern Europe). It just so happens that I had a very big birthday a few weeks ago and as a gift, Hot Stuff surprised me with a trip to New York City. That's right, despite all of my travels around the globe, I had never set foot in the Big Apple. I was super excited to celebrate the big 3-0 in one of the biggest cities in the world. So to give you the highlights of our journey, I give you the ABCs of NYC.

A is for apple...the big one.

B is for the Brooklyn Bridge. As we walked across the bridge I explained to Hot Stuff that on Sex and the City Steve and Miranda met there to solve their relationship, but he seemed to be a bit more interested in the fact that this bridge was built in 1875. Okay, so that made it cool too. But whatever our reasons for taking the walk across this amazing feat of architecture, the Brooklyn Bridge was one of my favorite things that we saw and did. Plus you could sing "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" for the entire stretch, a win for everyone!

C is for Charging Bull. Hot Stuff was pretty excited to see the infamous Charging Bull in the Financial District. What we didn't expect was the hoards of people that had the same idea.

As I waited for a pickpocket to steal my wallet, we got aggressive and pushed our way to the front of the mob. I was pretty proud that we ended up getting a picture with only one extra hand. Word of the wise, if you go here be prepared to use your elbows.

D is for dirty subway. Okay, before you judge me, know this- I've traveled a lot and I have a mother whose hobby is to try out different types of public transportation. I know the dirt that's involved with transporting massive amounts of people through the bowels of an old city. All I'm saying is that the NYC subway was sub-par to those that I've been on in the past. It's the cheapest way to get around, but the trains are slow and the spores are real.

E is for Ess-a-Bagel. There are few things that I'm willing to wait in line for, and a genuine New York bagel is one of them. My research on Pinterest told me that this was one of the best bagel places in the city. I waited in line for 45 minutes which yielded me a pretty tasty bagel with lox. A bit on the salty side, but still pretty dang delicious.

F is for Fifth Avenue. Also known as places I cannot afford to shop.

G is for greasy deliciousness from Shake Shack. We're big fans of Anthony Bourdain so we watched 24 Hour Layover before our trip. He told us to stop in at the iconic Shake Shack just under the Brooklyn Bridge so we happily obliged. The strawberry shake was pretty amazing as was the view.

H is for High Line Park. This was another one of my top favorite things that we saw in NYC. The High Line is an old railroad line that has since been turned into a park. This elevated strip was a little piece of heaven in the madness of the city filled with beautiful plants, pieces of art, and countless benches and lounging areas. I love how New Yorkers have  found a way to bring nature back to the city. We liked it so much, we went there twice!

I is for Imagine. Most people know that I'm a Beatles fan and because of that, I was super excited to visit Strawberry Fields, a small section of Central Park that is actually across the street from the apartment building where John Lennon was killed. The only marking in the area is a small mosaic with one of Lennon's most famous song titles. The moment was complete with park benches engraved with Beatles lyrics and a sweet little hippy singing "Hey Jude." I ate up every second.

J is for Jimmy Fallon who we tried unsuccessfully to see. But at least we got to see the studios.

K is for King Kong, who as you know, climbed the Empire State Building. We didn't go to the top, but did make it to the lobby so I could at least pretend to be Meg Ryan running to the desk to see if Tom Hanks was waiting at the top for me...I mean Dr. Marcia Fieldstone would've been disappointed if I didn't, right?

L is for Lady Liberty who we sailed by on a lovely sailboat ride down the Hudson River.

M is for Mafia. This was what I requested from the concierge when he recommended a good Italian restaurant- homemade pasta, cannoli, and possible Mafia ties. I figured they'd know the best places. We went to a place called Rubirosa in Nolita (North of Little Italy), it was molto bene!

N is for Nine Eleven Memorial. Like most people who lived through this day, 9/11 is a memory that I will never forget. I remember exactly where I was, what I was doing, and how scared we all were. Therefore going to the this relatively new memorial was a definite priority. Seeing the fountains and names etched into the side was incredibly powerful and I found myself rather choked up. I'm so glad that they have found a way to honor those who were lost on such a terrible day.

O is for One World Trade. We knew we wanted to go to the top of one of New York's many skyscrapers and ended up choosing the Freedom Tower. I figured, when else would I get a chance to go to the top of the 4th tallest building in the world, right? Well, the ride up was quick and included a virtual history tour in the one minute that it took to get to the 109th floor. Hot Stuff freaked out and stayed away from the edge, but I managed to get some pretty incredible pictures where I felt like I was an eye in the sky.

P is for Park...Central Park. This may sound silly, but Central Park was what I was most looking forward to visiting. I love the idea of having a giant park in the middle of a giant city. The bikers soaring by were a bit unexpected, but I enjoyed the horse drawn carriages, fountains, and numerous performers. We found a shady spot and got to picnic with the nephew which is always the best way to spend a day. Sadly, we did not find the bird lady from Home Alone 2. Next time...

Q is for Queen because we stayed at The New York Palace on Madison Avenue which sounds really impressive, because it was. It was pretty swank, overlooked St. Patrick's Cathedral, and they gave us free cookies. #winning

R is for Radio City Music Hall which was just down the street from us. I pretended to be a Rockette, but luckily this was not captured on film.

S is for sailing on the Hudson which if you ask me is the best way to see the city. We started on the Jersey side and looped around the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island back up through Manhattan. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't yelling, "Hard to starboard!" like I was on the Titanic, but luckily we encountered no icebergs. It's easy to forget that Manhattan and New York is home to many islands and this was a great way to see the sights.

T is for Time's Square. Time's Square is exactly what everyone says it is- touristy, packed, bright, and obnoxious. But who goes to NYC and doesn't go to to this iconic place? We stayed long enough to snap a few quick pictures, check out the New Years ball, and discover the largest bottle of Hershey's syrup in existence. Apparently if you stand around there long enough you can also locate the Naked Cowboy and topless ladies, but we decided this wasn't worth waiting around for with the hoards of tourists.

U is for unbelievable banana pudding. My baking takes me to many iconic bakeries around the world. In this case, I was determined to visit Magnolia Bakery which gained its fame from yet another episode of Sex and the City. While Carrie ate a pink vanilla cupcake, I opted for the famous banana pudding. Initially I thought I wasn't going to like it because pudding is pudding, and bananas are just okay. Holy. Cow. Seriously the best dessert of the trip complete with softened bits of Nilla Wafers and whipped cream. Holy. Cow.

V is for village...Greenwich Village. We visited a lot of the neighborhoods in Manhattan, though I couldn't tell you which ones. My favorites were Chelsea and Greenwich Village. They both had great vibes where the people were hip and the delightful restaurants were plentiful. Google really pulled through for us and sent us to a little Vietnamese restaurant called Saigon Shack. The food was pho-nomenal!

W is for the new Wolf on Wall Street. Hot Stuff loves the movie The Wolf of Wall Street. I haven't been able to figure out why quite yet. At any rate, we stopped by Wall Street and stared in awe at the money-filled building towering in front of us. I envisioned lots of guys running around, throwing papers, and making hand gestures like in Ferris Bueller. Hot Stuff, on the other hand, was beating his chest and singing a la Matthew McConaughey. I think we may watch too many movies...

X is for eXit at Grand Central Station. For some reason, I had it in my head that Grand Central Station was the epicenter for romance- something about rushing to get on a train or meeting people that you haven't seen in ages. I wasn't sure what to expect when we got off the subway, but I knew that a place worthy of Justin Timberlake's flash mob would be sure to impress. It did. There were constellations built into the ceiling, old ticket windows, and chandeliers sparkling overhead. Just the kind of romantic notions I was looking for.

Y is for yellow cabs. When my mom found out we were going to NYC, she laughed and said, "Make sure you don't get into any cabs that have monkeys hanging from the mirror!" She laughs, but The Bone Collector instilled a very real fear of cabs in me. Luckily our cab ride was more like this:

Z is for 'Za. Now that we've made it to Z, you've probably realized that the majority of this trip, (as with all of my trips) was devoted to history, Pinterest suggestions, and food. New York style pizza encompasses all of these things. It was crisp, dripping with hardened arteries, and ultimately delicious. Just thinking about it makes me hungry.

Well, there you have it, everything about my trip celebrating the big 3-0 in the Big Apple!

Trendsetter

Trends, fads, what's en vogue...it seems like every week there is something new that I'm suppose to watch, wear, eat, or listen to. As far as most trends go, I'll be the first to admit that I've joined a few bandwagons. I tried the new Starbucks s'mores Frappuccino and enjoyed every blissful calorie.  I took the little quiz to see who my Facebook soul mate was. And I even watched every game of the NBA finals...okay, so mostly because Hot Stuff was watching and I wanted LeBron to lose, but whatever, I did it. My point is, whether we want to admit it or not, we do things often because we hear about them from others. And in the age of social media, our options for bandwagon-ing are limitless. What I'd like to discuss is that there are many trends that everyone loves, but that I definitely don't. Here are my top 5:

1. Game of Thrones- I'd like to start off by saying that this show is terrible. For the first two seasons, I was totally on board because, well, everyone else was and John Snow is pretty foxy. But the more I watched, the more I realized that this show makes absolutely no sense at all. There are 5,304 characters with God awful names that no one can remember, a plot that gets about 4 minutes of development before it changes to something else, and so much disturbing sex and violence that I have to read a book while I watch to avoid feeling squeamish. I just can't pretend to be into it anymore. I'm sorry all you GOT fans, but winter is not coming, it's over.


2. Selfies- I think that while social media is pretty amazing in many ways, it has also created the most gratuitous culture in all the land. And what irks me probably more than it should is the freaking selfie. Ooo, look at me, I'm in the gym locker room! Ooo, look at me, I can look dramatic and earrings are pretty neat. Ooo, look at me, I love me so much I bought a stick to put my phone on so I don't have to ask someone to take 15 photos of the same scenario to make sure I look like a babe. Perhaps I hate selfies so much because I have freakishly short arms and a rather large head, so in every pic I try to snap, you pretty much just get forehead. Sigh. The struggle is real. I would like to add to this one, that while I hate your ironic pout, I do love watching you take your selfies...yeah, we can all see you...

3. Hipsters- We went out this weekend to what apparently was the new hip-happening place to go in Denver. I know this because as I casually sipped my handmade, microbrewed, and overpriced cocktail, I found myself suddenly surrounded by a sea of hipsters. You know the type- lots of bow ties, undoubtedly non-prescription glasses, clever feather jewelry, ironic facial hair, etc. At any rate, seeing all these individualists led to a very interesting conversation about what exactly constitutes a hipster (see here). My point is, I try to be very respectful and nonjudgmental of others and I'm totally down with people who are themselves- you do you! But when you take on the attitude that you are better than everyone and your pretentious nature is stifling the dance floor, it's time to go. 

4. Next Generation Lingo- I feel like I'm getting to the point in my life where more and more often I'm using the phrase, "I'm too old for this shit." A prime example of this is when I hear the terms that "kids" are using these days (and by kids I mean my younger cousins and students). It all started with "YOLO" which led to "bae" which then morphed to "ratchetry." You guys...these are not real words. And while they may have definitions on Urban Dictionary, they are unlikely to become the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year. At least I hope not. Please stop using them in everyday conversation or in your Instagram hashtags, because us old people don't know what they mean and have to Google it. I also suspect that this abuse of the English language is causing you to do poorly on your spelling tests. Thanks, bae.

5. Apple- I can hear you now, "Oh no she didn't..." But I did. I cannot and probably will not ever get on the Apple train. I don't care about your iPhone, iWatch, iAnything because they make little to no sense to me. My fingers are too fat for the keys, I can't ever figure out what window I'm in or how to close it, and I think that the whole "unveiling" process deserves less than a slow clap. I also think it's unfair that I get discriminated against for having an Android- sorry ma'am, that app is only available for Apple. So you don't think that Androids want to play on Doorsteps Swipe too!?! (It's Tinder for houses, aka medicine for the soul of every HGTV addict, look it up.) I suppose everyone has different preferences for everything, but iHope that there will be more technology equality soon.


Now in hopes of not sounding like a total hater, I'd like to add that just because I dislike something doesn't mean you have to too. We all have things that we love and things that make us a bit batty. But hopefully you got to think a bit about what trends you're a fan of, and which ones need to leave. Because let's be real here, that's the only way society got acid washed jeans and scrunchies to retire. Thank goodness for that.

Praha, Wien, & Budapest

It's been about three weeks since we returned from our fabulous trip to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. And while I've traveled to Europe before, I loved how each country offered something completely different than the other. I like to give a rundown of my trips not only to share my experiences, but because it actually gives me a chance to process the 10 day whirlwind that our trip entailed. So read, enjoy, and book the next flight!

The first thing you need to know about our trip is that it began at 6 a.m. when Lufthansa texted us to say our flight was cancelled. Uh what? After countless attempts to contact both our travel agency and the airline, we'd learn that there was a pilot strike in progress, that nothing could be solved after standing in line for three hours in Germany, and that we'd be spending the night in Frankfurt. Well, at least it earned us a stamp in our passports.

Despite the fact that someone later told us that Frankfurt is the "Armpit of Germany," we found it to be quite beautiful.

 And when in Frankfurt, one must dine on frankfurters and pig knuckle. So we did. Plus some apple wine concoction that everyone loved, but I thought tasted like olive juice.

With a belly full of pork and a restless night of sleep, we woke early to make sure we wouldn't miss another flight. First up was Prague.

Here's what I can tell you about Prague:
1. It's a beautiful city. I loved just looking at the landscape because every building has intricate architecture, every roof is a different color, and if you can climb the hills, you get a great view of the entire city.

2. There are literally hoards of people everywhere. The tourist-trap-ometer was a bit off the charts here, which was rather unfortunate. While the sites here are amazing, just know that you won't be the only one there to view them.
3. Food! My favorite thing! From the Prague ham, to the gingerbread museum, to the ultimate find of the trip- trdlo (cake baked over charcoals, see below), the food here was legit. Good thing you do a ton of walking in this city, because the goulash is worth every extra step. Oh, and don't forget to cap off the night with a freshly fried Smažený sýr ala Anthony Bourdain, (that's a fried cheese sando).

4. You should go off the beaten path. We saw all the popular attractions like the Charles Bridge and Prague Castle, but we also explored a bit because Pinterest told me to. Seriously though, due to my extensive research on Pinterest we saw:

• The Old Jewish Cemetery- there are rooms filled with names of Jews who disappeared during WWII, a cemetery that held 10 layers of graves, and Hot Stuff got to wear a yamaka!
• The Funnicular- A super steep tram to the top of the hill for amazing views and a visit to the Eiffel Tower, (though we were assured this wasn't the actual Eiffel Tower...good thing they clarified that for us...)
• The John Lennon Graffiti Wall- Hidden in the streets of Prague, this wall has been a symbol of rebellion and peace since the 1980s.

 

 

The only thing that I didn't like about Prague was that we didn't have enough time there. After only two days, we were on the move via train, or as I like to call it, the Hogwarts Express.  Good times- Czech! (No, that joke still isn't old). 

While I never managed to find Platform 9 3/4 (damn it), we did make it to Vienna where a Hell's Angel cab driver took us to our hotel. I loved every little bit of Vienna. It might be because the city  is all about everything that I enjoy- cleanliness, safety, symmetry, beauty, music, culture for days, and most importantly CAKE!

When in Vienna:
1. Eat your face off. When researching for our trip, we heard that your wallet will be smaller but your waistline won't be, and man were they right. The best thing we ate on our trip was a doner kebab sandwich at the Naschmarkt where we stood on the corner and polished it off in 4 minutes flat. So. Good. Then we walked to eat, yet again, at one of Vienna's most famous coffee shop, Cafe Central. Oh, NBD, just having a cappuccino where Freud and Hitler have both dined. I could go on about the food for days, but just go, eat schnitzel, and enjoy!

2. Listen to the music! Rarely have I felt classier than getting dressed up to go to the symphony/opera in Vienna. We heard Bach and stared at the intricate ceiling for two hours, it was awesome.

3. Do what Pinterest tells you to (again). This time it brought us to the Mozart Statue, Demel Bakery, and the National Library. Pinterest wins again.

 4. Live like the royals. It's hard to describe just how impressive Schönbrunn Palace and The Belvedere Palace are. Apparently these guys were related to Marie Antoinette and they ruled a lot of people for a really long time. It wasn't necessarily the wealth and the ornate rooms that impressed me, but the sheer magnitude of each place.

 The closest we came to living like royals was for our friend's birthday where we celebrated by dining at Steirereck, a restaurant that boasts two Michelin stars. It cost an exorbitant amount of money, but we were served milk skin on a linen pillow for the love of Pete. I don't even know what that means! See us pretending to be classy below.

I hated to leave Vienna, but it was another train ride to our final country of the trip- Hungary.

Budapest is:
1. A heaven for history buffs. Whether learning about their Nazi ties during WWII or the hardships of Soviet brainwashing, I was utterly fascinated by what I learned here. We saw a building that was first the stock exchange, turned into a Communist educator training center, turned into a Communist television station. To top it off, our tour guide's grandfather was a Nazi. Cuh-razy! Did I mention I learned all this whilst on a segway...oh yes (I fell off three times, and I am not ashamed to admit this).

2. Really into their statues. There were statues in the subway, on the streets, and by the river banks. I guess you could say it's part of the charm. This is Hero's Square:

3. Known for their thermal baths. We decided to "take in the waters" like the locals at Szechenyi, the largest bath in the city. I expected the experience to be akin to visiting the hot springs in Ouray...which I suppose it was, but with 200 Italian spring breakers and big men in little swimming suits. The water was lukewarm with the cold winds, and I suspect we picked up a few bacteria while there, but I'll admit that the saunas were quite nice.

4. A tale of two cities. Did you know that on the west side of the Danube you can visit Buda and on the east you're in Pest? We started on the Pest side where the city is very urban and home to the Parliament. This was also where the "Shoes on the Danube" memorial was located which is in remembrance of the Jewish citizens who were murdered by the Nazis at that very spot.  It was eerily beautiful.

 We also walked across a bridge to Maragret Island which is a local spot for running and a tourist spot for these sweet bikes!

The Buda side of the city is definitely older. It's been rebuilt numerous times due to war, but had much more charm. I especially like going to visit the Hospital in the Rocks which was built as a hospital but later turned into a top secret nuclear bunker.

We ended the trip with an amazing cruise down the Danube and one last delicious trdlo.

All in all, it was a pretty amazing trip with amazing people. Some people scoff when they hear how I spent my spring break, and to that I say, traveling doesn't have to be something just for the rich and famous. To me, seeing the world is a choice, one that I'm so thankful to be able to do. Each time I go somewhere new I'm reminded of how lucky I am and just how big our world is. So I will end with my favorite traveling quote, "There is no end to the adventures we can have, if only we seek them with our eyes open."