beep beep here comes the short bus

been terribly busy in meetings on tha west coast. which were boring yes, but really cool to meet folks i email and speak to on a daily basis! the flight to la is no fun (even when you fly virgin america w tv's and such) but who am i to whine?! monday we got in at 11pm and i went right to bed (comfy beds at the sheraton LAX airport hotel btw). please see pic that i saw AFTER smoking a butt in my room!

tues and wed were powerpoint presentations all the day long! YAY! good stuff to hear if you can retain that much info in one day (obv you'd have to be a mutant to do so). 

we went to dinner on wed night to a place where we were

 teamed up at 5 or 6 diff tables and each had our own chef. it was an iron chef competition! muy fun!! but no so much fun when you realize ya eat what you cooked. kidding the food was ahem.. good. especially our bc WE WON the challenge! duh! we made salmon atop roasted eggplant and potatoes accompanied by red and white onion 

and fennel ceviche (made by yours truly and josh francis frm team field development) go us!! 

we all took buses like you do when you go on 8th grade field trips! there was one large coach

 and a short bus (insert jokes here). guess which bus i was on! fun photos of the team attached and the award winning dish of course! 

tha weekend

i guess the most eventful thing i did was drop too much $$ on a mac book saturday. i finally caved and made "the investment" to have constant access to my own comp and therefore blog my face off as well as ichat and be able to look up restaurants and other pointless garbage all the live long day.... now i will become obsessed w accessories and other crap for sure. 

besides that the most fun was going to joe's shanghai w george and james and kate! and then to 16 handles after!! HA! i won that battle and made my most delicious concoction yet! 3 flavors (cheesecake, vanilla and cookies and cream) topped with: crushed waffle cone pieces, crushed oreo, m&m's, rainbow sprinks, reeses' cups, crushed graham crackers and marsh mallows- i think there were a couple of brownie bots in there as well?! now scuse me while i eat ramen for weeks to make up for the $ i dropped on the ole mac. 

i am of to LA for work so i may not be able to share the fun BUT since i am taking the comp perhaps i will be able to keep up! i need to name her...anything i spend over 1k on deserves a name!

helllllo lover...

the following are from a blog aptly titled "this is why your fat"- AMAZING! my only gripe is no one tells me where i can find such items (they only post their pics)!! :(

amusement...

last night i let out an amazingly satisfying belch! i'd say it was an 8, maybe even a 9. i was in the car w m so being in a confined area made it even better! but what topped it off was turning to look at m after the rumble came out-his face was priceless- he said that my burp was that of a simpsons character's complete with the moving rumblin cartoon lips and all (see pic). i laughed so hard when he made that statement that i was crying! hope you find it as funny as i did :)

also i quite like the stripper cartoon featured here (also bc i love firemen) m sent me this:

"movies" in williamsburg!!??

of course no one would dare open a practical normal regal or amc theatre in williamsburg...oh nooooo, it MUST be hip(ster) and totally different and totally...lame? who knows- i wont knock it completely til i go (in spring 09) but its a 2-3 floor small "cinema" called 

casandra (!?) 136 metropolitan ave btwn wythe and berry 

with a cafe and other attachments (sure to serve espresso for $6 a shot) that will live under

 apartments.wonder how much those'll go for!?? here'a a link- http://www.cassandracinema.com/  please click this and then click "cafe"- its so nuts i refuse to post a pic.

anyhoo i think i am just in a sour mood bc i rented 'changeling' last night and it was amazing and then i FELL ALSEEP in the last 20/30 mins! i hate wh

en that happens! i just can't help it. once i get cozy in a bed to watch a movie (a tempur pedic bed at that -not mine, it's m's) it just slips me into a coma of sorts- especially after a long hard day at work (insert tiny violin here). i refuse to write about it until i complete it! which sucks bc movies are never as good if you have to go back and watch the last 30 mins or so just bc you fell asleep the night before!

kif or kush

last night i ate at kush: 17 putnam ave (at fulton) 718.230.3471 not to be confused with kif (another delicious spot in ft greene). kush is a pan-african restaurant with delicious homemade dishes and the owner and chef is a friend of my boy toy so i met him as well. nicest cutest fellow you could ever meet! check the menu at menu pages:  http://www.menupages.com/restaurantdetails?restaurantid=39925

for some reason i went veggie last night!??! i had an amazing vegetarian crepe filled with chick peas, spinach, corn and more... with lightly fried tofu on top. m and i shared the chicken noodle soup whoch i have to say is the best homemade chix soup i have had in a restaurant! no exaggeration! yummm

sometimes i drink too much...

yummy weekend: milkshakes, roses and popcorn

      

                      terrace in the sky outside deck

this weekend was delectable. i kinda despise the whole valentines debacle so i opted for a friday the 13th dinner- my spot and my treat. i will now share an amazing place w you all that most aren't hip to: terrace in the sky 400 w 119th street bet amsterdam and morningside drive 212. 666.9490 go here if you have some pennies to burn and if you wanna swipe the panties off a lady (or in my case the pants off a man!) the food is pretty good -overpriced yes, but go here for the view! its on top of a columbia university dorm and has 360ø views of the city and beyond. its beautiful and pics on the website don't do it justice. its like a fancy restaurant right out of the 70's decor-wise. so, since i didn't expect much for "v day" i got roses (with a note!) my favorite milkshake, and a gift! total surprise -and a really nice one! :)

on actual v day, kate joined m and i

at brooklyn label (i've written abt b label before but its so good i'll give you the addy again: 180 franklin st btwn java and kent 718.389.2806  for a yummy brunch (where i also picked up a moon pie! pumpkin flavored cake w tons of whipped stuff in between!!). i am SO MAD that i didn't take a pic of my chili colorado! it was a amazing bowl of 2 poached eggs atop cheesy polenta and pulled pork!!! delicious! then it was off to the city to make rounds to various Petland stores to play w guinea pigs! i am going to convince kate to get one so i can pway wif it all the time. 

sat night we had the best dinner from williamsburger (see pic of candlelit burger and shake dinner). this meal (i hate to say) topped the previous nights $200 dinner. i had a basic cheeseburger w white cheddar fries and 

a side of chili (duh!). i made m get onion rings so i could share :)

then i was dragged by alli and michael to see 'push' w dakota fanning (which i used to despise and she used to freak me out) now i like her a lot- and she's turning into quite a hot piece! this movie was a pretty cool fantasy flick w a random hottie also! i am sure he's been in

other stuff...he was the lead- dunno his name, look em' up. i ended up liking this movie is my point here (even though i wanted to see 'confessions o

f a shopaholic' or 'fri the 13th'). the plot consists of people in the future w different powers that are actually pretty cool powers (i'd want to be a pusher- these people can get into your head and make you believe and or do anything!) who the government is after so they can use them in their favor. good stuff i recommend it!

sunday was a bore except organizing my clothes/yummy brunch at 

square root cafe 584 myrtle ave (at classon) 718.230.7077 (see bfast wrap pic) they have the BEST whole wheat toast treats here! bananas, fluff, honey, nutella smothered w powdered sugar! redic! and the random late night sighting of william my elusive neighbor who i haven't seen in months! he travels all the time (jerk) and is frm the ville! we go way bizack :) he and i both love pbr! i happened to have one in my fridge and am sooo nice i handed it over to willard.

need a good cry?

last night i rented 'nights in rodanthe' w richie gere (mmm) and diane lane (she kinda rocks). the movie is set somewhere (in rodanthe- duh!) which i still need to google to know if its a real place! it is beautiful wherever they filmed! most of the movie takes place in an amazing beach house and when i say beach house- its right on the sand and the surf comes up to the front steps and its the only house around for miles. gere and lane are pretty good together and i won't spoil the movie but i was def balling like a little girl at times (oh wait- i am a little girl). anyhoo- lane does an awesome job portraying the female "mood(s)" that go along with love and life.

happy fridizzle!

MELT MY HEART!!!! what i/vanessa would do to this man...

watch me:

http://www.coldplay.com/newsdetail.php?id=308&page=0

some of my favorite things...

my twin brother (not really but he could be! i am convinced some weird stuff happened and that there was a giant mix up when he turned out to be my sisters twin!)

brunch at freemans alley

fro-yo from silver spoon in ft greene

statue of liberty viewed from a boat ride on chadschnizzles b day

kisses

some of my favorite NYC pictures...

the roof at lincoln center when we went to the opera with my pop, russ, liz and m. m fell asleep!

prospect park under the bridge

neat old bus in red hook behind the fairway market

brooklyn bridge shot before we went to eat at the river cafe (or grimaldi's) can't remember....

gross roosters-good porn

last night i ate at a new spot on ft greene called roosters 448 Lafayette Ave (between Classon & Franklin) (718) 230-0098 the spot was "ok" at best. we had one jerk chicken and one lemon chicken (i would never order this but someone i was with thought it'd be good). we had pinto beans (which i love) as a side which were undercooked and hard (i don't love). we also had cole slaw (decent) and a chicken and rice soup (the best of everything). the jerk chicken was SUPER dry and i love my chicken dry but even for me this was a stretch. oh, even the corn on the cobb was sub par. everything pretty much tasted like it had been sitting out all day (and come to think of it everything came out really quickly!)

i watched 'zack and miri make a porno'. this was actually really funny and ended up being a cute feel good "romantic comedy" (if you can call it that).  i especially liked justin longs character - he's one of my new movie star crushes and he plays a totally diff role in this than he ever has- i won't give anything away! ;)

HOLY heart attack (mmmm)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR3kfP1IQHk

desserts, thermals, and pie

i get so uneasy when i go a weekday without posting to chili :( O.C.D much!!? was much too busy yesterday at work. anyhow to catch up i shall share the weekend in its entirety.

friday evening m and i went to dinner w a very

 nice couple of people (james and his gal who's name i will never remember- its sthing like leila (like the name of that robot on futurama) *no i don't really watch that but i have caught it enough to remember that name; and i don't even think that's the chick's name.... anyhoo we went

 to landmarc- 179 west broa

dway (bet worth and leonard) 212.343.3883. the food was all pretty darn good. i ordered the fritters (stuffed w fresh ricotta and moz)  also accompanied by a couple of fried zucchini for an app. this was decent BUT i would have liked them to be hot when they arrived- they were kinda warm. OH goodness how could i forget about james' and michael's yummy appetizer of BONE MARROW. this consisted of 4 giant cow bones and a long spoon (don't let me forget the delicious accompaniments of sea salt and sautéed onions) with which to sccop out the GOOP that was then spread on french bread pieces and gobbled up! (scuse me as i vomit in my mouth a little). then i had a side of cream spinach (REALLY GOOD and cheesy parmesan) with my filet that was ordered med well and came w fries (good and crisp) and salad. the meal was quite tasty and the woodford on the rocks i had was a huge glass on the rocks- well worth the $$. the kicker was (thankfully james is a dub eff as i am) when he ordered "one of each" off the desert menu-i thought i may steal him and run away with him (jokes). on top of one of each we had 3 ice cream cones which were homemade and AMAZING!!!! see pic above (with me in the background barely able to contain myself)

saturday i tagged along to go on a surprise outting to PA (see pic above- we also picked some homeless guy up off the streets of the upper west side and took him along for the ride)-just kidding o.g. i was sickly with a minor cold that i still haven't kicked and read a book and watched movies while others went to the slopes. i saw 'he's just not that into you' which was amazing in my opinion. great capture of men's as well as women's thoughts on dating! the cast is obv vast and they were all great (in fact the cute little red head w short hair who's name i don't know stole the show). go see this really cute romantic comedy! i then went in to see 'hotel for dogs' *note i am obsessed w dogs and obv this movie doesn't dissapoint! i only got 20 mins in before the boys came to pick me up :( i really want to go see this but i think this will be a solo adventure as not many of my friends wanna see a G rated flick w julia robert's niece....

we stopped at the bakery (see pic of pie label) and got amazing pie's (yes plural) we took one to the ski patrol shack for m's folks and one to the house (carrot cake w cream frosting and a mixed berry pie) this place is redic! so redic that we stopped again on the way home to get a mini pie and a giant cinnamon bun! oh- and a stack of 3 chocolate chunk 

cookies :)

happy friday

last night was annoying when m and i tried to go to houston's for dinner park ave south and 27th street 212.689.1090 (best spinach/artichoke dip on the planet)! SURPRISE there was a 45 min wait. i can't believe we live in nyc and houston's (chain restaurant mind you!) always has a redic wait! then we tried ot walk over to blue smoke and it was also a half hour (prob bc they get all the spill over frm houston's) arrrrg. we ended up at the first sushi restaurant we saw right across the street (super sub par) but good salad and miso and edamame.

 recently viewed saw V. it was pretty standard saw and the "games" keep gettin better and better! i like this "series" just as i did the scream movies! good ole' creepy-ness.

good day!

excuse me! CUTE

that rodent face is priceless! this picture is from: http://letsbefriends.blogspot.com/

only time for a quick post...

dinner last night! yum! impromptu amazing sauce made by miguel (ragu red sauce, button shrooms, fresh prosciutto, spices...) amazing! brussels sprouts with salt butter and some fresh pieces of sopressata made by yours truly!

oh- nip/tuck was also enjoyable!

nite nite

why is the bachelor such a cheese dick!!??

last night kate and i watched not one but TWO episodes of the bachelor (thanks jesus for dvr capability- phew). this show is beyond ridiculous! why do i watch this!? and many other shows?because i like watching so called train wrecks! these girls are absurd and are so unreal for thinking this is the way to go about finding a man/husband!! wowzer and will further humiliate themselves in the process (as if being on the show in the first place isn't bad enough). anyhoo just look at these pics am i alone in thinking the pics resemble a farm of sorts.... only teh cows and chickens smile....

a season or 2 ago the bachelor was a SMOKIN' hot brit! JEEZ my fav! and he snagged some hot blond (who ended up being emilio estevez's daughter or some shit). anyway now they are not married and have gone their separate ways i am sad to report. SHOCKER!! this season-- not so much- the guy's a total chode that spoils his kid rotten. blah!

also kate and i nominate our friend chad to be the next bachelor! kate explained (to him) that it's great-- you just have 25 women that squawk and grovel for you and your attention and will most likely ALL sleep with you (or at the very least give ya a little somethin' to get a leg up -no pun). then at the end you eliminate all of em til your left with one and you have to ask her to wed you. chad asked what he had to do to sign up and kate explained: just send in video of yourself windsurfing, playing with little kids, and helping homeless folk in your hood. haha! actually it was a much better (and more hilarious) description but kate didn't answer her phone when i called to request the written outline again! :( 

the weekend/black betty/mr and mrs potato head

seemed like i packed a lot in this weekend for some reason? 

friday night- started at kate/cannon's easy going with a few people and a few vodka drinks. ended at black betty 366 metropolitan ave (at havemeyer) 718.599.0243 i had not been to b. betty in a while and it used to be my old go to. there's usually great hip hop on fri/sat nights and fri there was indeed. i was in rare form and dancing on banquets! i dread the pics that people have and will most likely be uploading to ye ole facebook.... one great quote from the night "excuse me, who are you and why is your dick on my ass!??" i suppose i'll explain the context: you know when you are dancing (alone -which i tend to prefer or with your gal friends) and some dude or dudes come up behind you (or the the side of you in some instances) and just begins to close dance you!? not ok and sooo annoying! 

needless to say- saturday i was so hung over that i couldn't do much except go to the city w m and eric (visiting frm dc- always a pleasure and always causes fun times/conversation) to watch my man get a haircut (and i ended up paying $20 to get some "bangs" cut) at mudhoney salon 148 sullivan st (near houston) 212.533.1160 this place is WAY hip! and there's oh so much imagery of death and porn that you need be "cool" just to walk in the door. there's a huge artsy sign that says: if you don't belong...don't be long" BUT all the stylists are really nice and talkative and i let the dude (ray) cut me some bangs bc i am oh so bored of my hair and wanted a bit of a "rockstar flair" if you will... something they are "known" for. they gave michael a good cut! i will return for a full cut (i think) its around $83 (for chicks and dudes to get a cut). since the other 2 in my party were equally hung over we gorged in chinese take out form my fav spot in ft greene (kum kau- yes that's what its really called) *its been written about before on chili bowl... needless to say i laid around the remainder of saturday and went to bed early.

sunday we saw revolutionary road. i love leo and kate winslett! the film (and i say film bc we wanted to do something intellectual this day) was quite good. besides making all 3 of us sorta want to slit our wrists it did its job and i enjoyed it. its about life choices and satisfaction that can come (or not) from some of your life choices. sorry i can't be more descriptive- its monday....

super bowl was spent at opal 52nd street between 2nd and 3rd ave. kinda annoying and luckily i didn't fall into the $30 for all you can drink beer and all you can eat wings (which ended up costing $38 w tax) and they conveniently ran out of wings by halftime! arrrrg. i opted to bring my own "snacks" (small bag of jelly bellys, large bag of mini mixed snickers, milky way and twix etc and 1 bag gummy bears) and order a burger and nachos off the menu and a few beers. oh and our waitress was m.i.a for the greater part of the evening but the game ended up being pretty good. 

my fav commercial was a bridgestone tire commercial feat. mr and mrs potato head- here's the link  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV--ISqrMLs