Check-up: 2 years

Two years ago, today, Dan and I got married!

Get it? Happy Two Be With You! hehehaa

This morning I woke up and I was so happy we are celebrating our two year anniversary and not waking-up to our wedding day. I'm am the rare breed of bride who was absolutely thrilled when the wedding day was over. I categorically hate being the center of attention. Photographers following you around? Not a fan. Being painstakingly concerned about every detail of the day? No thank you.

This morning Dan got up early and made cinnamon rolls for breakfast. We never get to eat breakfast together during the week. Cinnamon rolls were a special treat and Dan's idea. We decided to pass on presents this year since we just had big birthdays and we'd rather splurge on experiences than add to our junk collection. I've hinted about Cirque du Soleil.

Tonight we are celebrating with dinner out and will carry our merriment into this weekend with a mini getaway trip. For now, our traditional check-up.

See our previous check-ups here:
6 months
1 year
18 months

As before, we answered these questions separately and did not review answers from the previous times.  

1) What is your favorite memory of the last six months?

Dan: Trip to Washington D.C.. Here and here.
Steph: Dan's birthday adventure day in the city. Here.

2) What is your favorite part of married life so far?

Dan: The adventures that we get to take together and exploring new things
Steph: The comfort in knowing that you matter to someone, like truly matter.

3) Something you weren't expecting about married life.

Dan: The joy of creating a home for each other to share.
Steph: What making life choices together looks like and how different it is from making choices on your own. Everyone says marriage is about compromise but it's definitely more than that.

4) Something you are pleasantly surprised by about married life.

Dan: How easily and often we are silly together.
Steph: How willing and capable Dan is of taking care of me in so many different and unexpected ways.

5) Something you didn't know about your partner before marriage

Dan: Song obsessions happen regularly.
Steph: Truly how much room he has in his heart for others. It seems endless.

6) Something to work on

Dan: Our singing (me especially) for karaoke
Steph: Baby business

7) Something to look forward to

Dan:Vacation - Atlantic City
Steph: Making more holiday memories together in our new apartment

8) Favorite thing about your partner right now

Dan: Her creativity and passion
Steph: When I have a chance to see him without him noticing. It's like seeing him again for the first time and remembering exactly why I love him.   

Weekending it

We are trying our very best to squeeze out every last drop of summer. It's kind of exhausting but we mix-in a good amount of binge TV and lazing around too. This weekend was a nice balance.

Saturday morning we did a service project in downtown Brooklyn and since we were already out and about we planned in advance to go to Governor's Island directly afterwards. We hopped on a ferry and were on the island and renting bikes by noon.

It was a perfect summer day on the island and they've done a lot of improvements to the space since I moved here. There is still a lot of the old military housing and some areas are really rundown but it is turning into a really nice place to escape. Last summer we brought our own bikes but earlier this month, when we visited with Mandy, we discovered renting the bikes was pretty affordable and we didn't have to haul our bikes on the subway.  This weekend, we rode bikes for a bit and then stopped for food truck lunch. We got cheesesteaks. Yum.  

Then we rode the bikes around the island several more times. Only $15 for two hours! Week days, the first hour is free! Beside biking, there is a splash pad area for kids, a playground, the new slides (for adults too), a huge hill to climb, picnic areas, great views of the city, creepy old buildings to look at, and every weekend there seems so be some sort of event happening. When we went with Mandy earlier this month there was a drone competition.

After we returned the bikes we got some ice cream and then found a spot on a hill for some percussion performance they were advertising. Randomly people would walk around and start playing various percussion instruments. There were drum sets all over the place and you were supposed to walk around and enjoy the various instruments. Initially it was cool with a conch shell here, and a gong there. Lots of random noises in every direction.

But eventually once more and more people started playing it just sounded like loud chaos, so we left. It was an interesting concept but didn't sound very good up close. It probably wasn't supposed to.

^^ That's the man-made hill they created on the island which opened this summer.

Since we had an early morning and we tired ourselves out with the biking we left around 3:30 pm and spent the rest of the day binge watching Netflix. We finished the series The Killing which was a detective show we started back in the spring. It had four seasons with a sweet, yet unbelievable, ending. Then we started Stranger Things which is a new Netflix original and only has one season so far. It is strange, as expected, but really good. We only have one episode left. Oops. That's what binging will do. If you like Sci-fi, cute kids, and the 1980s, this one is for you.

I'm getting sad that summer is nearly over but it felt like we made the most of the season and considering I haven't worn pants or footwear besides sandals in over two months, I feel a little bit ready for change. We are hoping to do a few more summery things before the weather officially changes.

Tomorrow is our second wedding anniversary and our mini get-away starts Thursday night! Come back tomorrow for our anniversary check-up.

Peeks from the Week

So we'd didn't end up doing much this week. Although I did stick with our meal plan which is no small accomplishment. And I finally, and successfully, re-caulked the bath tub. You guys, caulking plagues me. I had many mini meltdowns on Wednesday night on account of the excessive amounts of sticky silicone caulk stuck to my hands. Yesterday morning I found some tips online for how to apply caulk correctly and I did it and it looks awesome! The key is to apply painters tape to the edge of the tub and wall so you can easily lift off the excess caulk without getting caulk everywhere. Not that you care, but it was a big deal for me and for Dan. He is the victim of my many multiple toddler moments. I tell him it's good practice for when we have kids. 30 or 3? There's not much of a difference ;o).

I forgot to share last week that Dan and I did official karaoke for the first time. I say official because we have done homemade karaoke with the youth group a few times. It was several years ago, long before Dan and I were a couple. Here is Dan.

This was a celebrity themed karaoke night where you were supposed to come dressed as a celebrity. I went as Justin Bieber and I remember being super annoyed at Dan because he totally copied me. And he KNEW I was coming as the Biebs. Ugh, boys.

Anyways last Thursday we met friends at a Karaoke place in the city. You rent a room and can order drinks and bring your own food. Since it's a private room you don't have to worry about being in front of strangers and you don't have to listen to a bunch of strangers. It was super fun and hilarious.

Our friends are karaoke pros so they showed us the ropes and now we know some things for next time. Like, pick a song you actually know more than the chorus to...that's harder than you think. Also, like dancing at a party, you just need to let go and get into as soon as possible. Don't sit back and watch for an hour before trying it out. Your nerves will only get worse. Jump in! And act stupid. No one expects you to be Whitney Houston. Here is Dan and me singing a duet of "Ain't No Mountain High."

We started off a little timid...

But then we got really into it...

It was a fun night and we plan to do it again. There were videos taken and they are awful.

This weekend we have plans to go to Governor's Island again to go bike riding. Long live summer!!!

Broadway, on the cheap

I think Broadway is one of my favorite parts about living in this city. Every time I see a show, it sort of restores my hope in humanity a little bit. The world is full of darkness and evil. Some of that darkness is on the other side of the world and lots of it is right outside your door. Life is stressful and scary and overwhelming. But when I'm sitting in a theater watching people up on stage (probably living their dreams) I feel full of hope. Life can't be so bad if every single night there are people employed to dance and sing and pretend like they are another person for two hours.

When you see a show on Broadway, you are guaranteed to be in a theater with people from all over the world. You're sitting next to strangers who might not speak your language but you are all enjoying an experience together, in harmony. Isn't that awesome? Next time you see a show try to think about that in the middle of one of the songs. Listen to the people around you laughing or see the sweat on the actors faces as they dance around. It's a special connection. Very Kumbaya for me. I haven't experienced it anywhere else. TV and movies are so removed and remote. Live performances really make the difference. Okay, so enough of that mush.

I promised my tips for seeing Broadway on the cheap. I did not discover any of this. It's all out there on the internet already I'm just giving you my experience.

There are lots of different ways to get tickets to Broadway. But if you want to see a particular show on a particular day, you need particular seats, you don't want to take any chances, your best bet is to just buy them full price. All other purchase options come with a bit of risk so if you are dead set on one show and there is no backup plan, pay full price and enjoy. It won't change the experience one bit.

If you live locally and can get into the city relatively easily, buy your tickets at the box office - it will save you the $20+ in fees that you pay online and sometimes they have even cheaper tickets that are not advertised online. Or, buy your tickets over the phone. That works too.

When deciding where to sit, I'll just say I've never been disappointed with nosebleed seats. Most of the theaters are pretty small so it's not like a stadium where the stage is just a dot from way up high. Whenever I buy full price tickets I always get the cheapest available which are always in the upper mezzanine and sometimes the very last row. The view from up there is always pretty good. You can typically see the whole stage and you have a wider vantage to take in the full experience.

I've also seen shows in the front row too and of course that is awesome as well but you have a more limited view in the front row and although its great to see things super close, you compromise the full perspective. Both locations, close and far, have pros and cons. All that to say, paying several hundred dollars for a seat in the orchestra isn't worth it to me when the mezzanine offers a pretty awesome experience at more than half the price.
 
If you don't care so much what you see and your schedule is flexible, there are a lot of great options to get cheap tickets. Most Broadway shows range in ticket price from $30 to $500+ (yes, Hamilton is still crazy expensive). The average I've paid is $80 for back mezzanine but I've paid as low as $25 for front row seats. How you ask? Rush.

Playbill.com has a page which lists all the current shows on Broadway offering student rush, general rush, standing room only, and lottery policies. These are different for each show so read that page carefully. Pick the show you want to see and make your game plan. I'm a very low risk person. I don't take many chances which is why I rarely try the lottery. I'm just not a lucky person so I'd rather not expect to see a show and then not win the lottery and leave the city with no Broadway experience. If you are local and have tons of free time, then enter the lotteries all-the-live-long-day. I bid you good luck. I know several people who have won the Hamilton lottery and paid $10 to see that show!

But, if you're like me and you want the low risk best chance of getting a ticket, then go with Rush.  The key for Rush tickets is to arrive at the box office about two hours before it opens (earlier if the show is super popular). Grab a blanket to sit on, some snacks, and get in line. Or, be first in line! The two hour wait goes fast when you are in the middle of Times Square and you love to people watch. Or make friends with the person in line next to you. You can get there closer to 10 am but you could be near end of the line and you never know how many Rush seats are available and you might not get one.

When the box office opens have your cash on hand (most rush tickets are cash only) and take the tickets they give you (there is no negotiating). Some theaters will let you get two tickets per person while others only give out one. Read the policies carefully. All the tickets are typically in the first four rows of the theater and usually on the side (some have slightly limited view) and I have never paid more than $40 per ticket (student rush are even cheaper but you need a current student ID). If you look up the resale ticket price for the seats near you, they are typically in the $150+ range! So, yeah, it's a deal. When I saw Annie with my friend Stephanie a couple of years ago, I was the first person in the Rush line and we had front row seats directly in front of the orchestra pit. We could touch the conductor!! Can't beat that.

When Mandy and I saw Bye Bye Birdie (with John Stamos) we were in one of those cool side balconies. The best part with Rush is you have your tickets by 10 am and have the full day to gallivant around the city until showtime.

If I was a tourist with a hotel in Times Square I would do Rush every.single.day I was in the city. I mean you are literally blocks away so you wouldn't have to get up super early. You could do a different show every night and you wouldn't pay that much to see tons. One year, my friend and and I saw three shows and we paid only $125 total. THREE SHOWS! That's a steal.

Now, if Rush doesn't sound like your type of gig, you can try TKTS. I can't speak much to this option since I've only done TKTS once for my first trip to NYC, ever. My Dad, Mandy, and I waited in line in Times Square and ended up seeing Movin' Out (the musical with Billy Joel tunes) circa 2005. At TKTS you can't really plan on a show you want to see because you just have to wait to see what is available in your price range once you get to the window. They say the tickets are discounted but it's hard to say how much. On years we had matinee tickets for Les Mis and I paid full retail price at $47. Two rows behind us (last row in the house) the woman said she got her tickets at TKTS. I'm fairly certain she paid the same price as us. It's a gamble but you could end up with good seats, you never know. The thing is, you don't know what shows they will have tickets for, you don't know how much they will cost, plus you have to pay fees. You can read more about it here.

If you are a student there are a lot more options for you and if you are into seeing some things off-Broadway there are options for that as well. Read those shows and polices here.

Another option we've tried is TodayTix. You purchase your tickets in online (even just hours before the show) and then find the TodayTix agent near the box office about 30 minutes before the show begins. These tickets are cheaper than if you purchased them online from Ticketmaster but a little bit more than what you would pay at the box office. BUT, it's a great way to grab tickets on short notice. I've done it several times and been completely satisfied. This is a nice option if you can't hassle with doing Rush.

Whatever you do, whatever you see, however you pay, and wherever your seats - just GO! You won't regret it. If you are coming to the city for a trip, make it a priority. If you live in the city, take advantage while you can. Connect yourself to humanity, shut off the parts of your brain that are on overdrive and laugh at silly show tunes and admire the talent of stars who likely ride the same subway as you. You don't have to be rich to enjoy a show, or two or three!

Weekending it

We did it! My friend Stephanie and I managed to see three shows on Broadway in two days. It was epic and exhausting! Today I am recapping our weekend highlights and tomorrow I will detail some tips on how to see some great shows for cheap. 

Several months ago my friend Stephanie told me she wanted to come visit and really wanted to see something on Broadway while she was here. She just graduated with her Doctorate in the spring (see that back here) and both of us celebrated our 30th birthdays this summer. So we decided to do something more than an ordinary city visit in celebration.

A few months ahead of her visit, Stephanie picked two currently running shows, Chicago and Finding Neverland. Both shows offered general rush tickets. I'll explain more about that tomorrow but basically some shows offer a standard price ticket at steep discount for the same-day performance. You can buy the ticket, in cash, as soon as the box office opens that day. Tickets are typically less than $40 and are always in the front of the theater, usually first 5 rows. It's a fantastic deal but the only catch is you HAVE to get to the theater before the box office opens and there is a limited number so the earlier you arrive the better chance you have.

We found out at the end of June that Finding Neverland was closing the very weekend Stephanie planned to visit and I was worried that would dramatically limit our chance of getting rush tickets so I had her pick a third show alternate which was Les Miserables. While I was coordinating the plan of attack for getting rush tickets I was worried that we might not get to see anything. You aren't guaranteed a ticket with rush and that's the risk. The cheapest tickets for Les Mis were only $47 (that was only $10 more than the rush ticket price) so I decided to surprise Stephanie with tickets to see Les Mis at the Saturday matinee and at least guarantee that we saw one show during her visit. With one show in the bag I only had to worry about risking two other shows.

So, on Friday morning I woke-up bright and early and got to Times Square by 8:00 am. I arrived at the theater for Chicago and I was third in line. Well, technically I was first because the two other people there were standing in the wrong area. I told them that and they walked over to where I was. I felt bad since they were there first so I let them go ahead of me. But anyways, I sat there for two hours and watched the city wake up while waiting for the box office to open. Look! The Playbill truck!

At 10:00 am I got our tickets for that night. 4th row only $37 a ticket. Nailed it!

I had three hours to kill before Stephanie's bus arrived so I went Downtown to meet my other friend, Amanda, who also happened to be in the city. We got coffee, walked around, and then headed back to Midtown to meet Stephanie. It was rather serendipitous because although we hadn't planned anything for the three of us, both were visiting the same day and knew each other! I introduced Amanda and Stephanie back in 2009 and they roomed together at UD for a year. We had lunch together and then escorted Amanda back downtown.

Stephanie and I spent the next several hours with bubble tea, window shopping, and catching-up. At 8 pm we were in our seats for Chicago. 

The last time I saw this show was 2008 when I spent the summer in the city as a history scholar. My friend Shira and I stood in line for rush tickets and then we stayed after the show by the stage door to meet the actresses!

Our seats on Friday were on the far right side. Close enough to see the spit fly! It was great and we loved it. It has currently been on Broadway in this theater for 20 years which is really impressive. It's a different type of show since the orchestra is on stage. There is no real scenery or many props and no costume changes. The vocals really have to carry the show and they did not disappoint.

After the show we hurried back to Bay Ridge to get as much sleep as possible before getting up early to stand in line for tickets to Finding Neverland.

On Saturday we brought Dan along with us and got to Times Square around 8 am again. We were surprised to see a lengthy line had already formed and I was more worried we wouldn't get tickets (they are first come first serve). We played cards and chatted and the wait time went quickly. 

Fortunately there were two shows for that day and more than half of the people in front of us went in the matinee line. We had no trouble getting three tickets for the evening performance and all of us were giddy!

We had a picnic in Central Park and then got caught in two surprise downpours on our way back to Times Square. 

Fortunately we were able to dry off inside the theater while the storms passed.

Since I bought these tickets, full price, we had seats in the way back. I actually prefer to see shows from the mezzanine because you can see the everything on stage and everything comes together more fully.  

Les Miserables was astounding. The cast, the staging, the whole thing. Unlike Chicago, the cast is huge, there is a ton of movement on stage and props changing and special effects. That didn't make it better or worse but just a different experience. All of it was amazing. It has always been one of my favorite musicals and seeing it on Broadway was perfect. The show closes in September so we caught it just in time.

After the show we grabbed dinner followed by Magnolia cupcakes.

And then it was time for our final show. The grand finale!!

Our tickets for Finding Neverland were on the right side, third row but we could see everything including the sweat on the actors and their microphones, we could even see backstage a tiny bit! The show was absolutely incredible. The cast was outstanding and there were four young boys that played primary roles. Broadway child stars are amazing, shows with little kids in them are my favorite.  There were a lot of special effects and props and choreography. It was awesome to see all of it up close.

Neverland ended up being my favorite show of the weekend because I had no idea what to except and it was just a really magical performance and totally captivating. I wanted to buy some of the songs afterwards but the recording wasn't nearly as good as the live performance, which is generally not the case. The show closed on Sunday so we were really glad we saw it before it left.

Overall, the weekend was one for the memory books and we had a great time. It was tiring for sure since we had early mornings and late nights and the days were filled with walking around the most crowded part of the city but it was all worth it. Three more shows to add to our Broadway roll and one great weekend with a great friend. 

Rainy Day Random

It's not technically a rainy day but it did sprinkle this morning so there. 

I forgot to post our typical Weekending it report. Now the week is nearly over and it seems silly to post it now. Besides, last weekend can be summed-up in two words: sweaty and exhausting. It was so HOT and super HUMID this weekend and I am not complaining because I love summer but our apartment still feels like an armpit because the heat won't leave. At least we checked two big commitments off of our calendars.

I made this for dinner last night:

It was delicious. It's crusty bread, sliced and toasted. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the warm bread and top with two slices of fresh mozzarella cheese. Roughly chop cherry tomatoes and fresh basil and spoon that over the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. If you want, you could add some minced garlic. It was fast and fresh but we were still hungry so we made frozen french fries as the side. Yay adulting!  

We have been loving the summer Olympics this year.  It's the first year since moving to Brooklyn that I've owned a TV to actually watch the events when they are broadcast. What a treat! We have slowly slipped into significant sleep deprivation because we've been staying up late to watch things. It's not my fault they don't air the gymnastics until like 11 or 11:30! Here are some of my Olympic thoughts:

- I'm sad Simone Biles didn't win gold on the beam but I am thrilled that the girl from the Netherlands won. First, she is a twin and, like, woohoo! And second, her spins on the beam were gorgeous.

- Why don't they ever do a report or tour of the Athlete's Village? I mean behind the scenes is what people want! What do the beds look like? Where does everyone eat? Is it like summer camp? Are there concession stands? Did I miss the report on this? It seems like something totally up Billy Bush's alley.

- Michael Phelps is amazing but it feels a little like Lance Armstrong to me.  It's just suspiciously excessive. Time will tell.

- Trampoline is awesome! I've never seen that event and it is so fun to watch.

- Go U.S.A! But also, we should probably let some other people win. Give Uzbekistan a chance!

- The Chinese divers are amazing. They hardly ever make a splash. Ha!

- Am I the only person who would want to win a gold, silver, and bronze?  Everyone is all about the gold but I would want one of each otherwise things would feel uneven and I would always wonder what a bronze felt like. 

- Did you see the Final Five meet Zac Efron on the Today Show? It was SO cute.

Okay so those are some thoughts on that. I will miss when the Olympics are over and the news goes back to reporting on politics. Ugh, I have NOT missed that.

Tonight Dan and I are going to Karaoke. Gulp. Just for fun, with friends. We will likely just watch. But maybe I'll serenade Dan with a Kelly Clarkson anthem. Who knows?

My good friend Stephanie arrives tomorrow and we are celebrating our collective 30th birthday by attempting a well coordinated effort to see three Broadway shows in two days and paying less than $50 per ticket per show. If we succeed I will share all the details on how it worked. Eek!

Come back Monday for a recap!  

Sissy Birthday Visit

Today, I'm sharing about our adventures with Mandy during her visit here this past weekend for our birthday. 

Last week Mandy arrived at our apartment in the very early morning hours of Thursday, thanks to the endless taxi line at LaGuardia airport. I waited up for her and we chatted until two a.m.  So we slept-in and woke up to a fresh bagel delivery from Dan. Oh, my hero!  Every good day begins with Steve's Bagels.

We enjoyed our breakfast while watching the "Treat Yo Self" episode of Parks and Rec for inspiration for the day. The reason we planned Mandy's trip out here was Dan's idea for us to spoil each other for our 30th birthday. Mandy and I had not been together on our birthday since we turned 21 and my Dad flew with me out to Chicago to celebrate that milestone birthday with her.

Ah, such babies.

Since 30 is a pretty big milestone as well, it felt necessary to be together. We spent all morning shopping and then Dan met-up with us for lunch and then we all headed into the city for more shopping. Oh joy! And then we saw The Waitress on Broadway!!!

Dan and I had gotten tickets to the show way back in April and it did NOT disappoint. We loved it.  The music was absolutely fabulous. The show is near identical to the movie, if you've ever seen it.  But the music made it even better.  

They were selling pies at intermission and we fell for the trap and bought a $10 tiny mason of apple pie to share.  It was a pricey gimmick but worth it.

Mandy bought the music after the show and we promptly became obsessed. Sara Barilles wrote the music and she is one of my favorites. She even has an album of the music with her singing instead of the cast. This one is my favorite.  LISTEN!

Did you love it? Go ahead, obsess over it now.

Anyways, on Friday we slept-in a bit and then headed to Governor's Island to rent bikes (first hour is free!) and check-out the new hills.

They added a man-made hill to the island this summer with 360 degree unobstructed views of the area. And another hill with slides down the side. Super fun! There was a drone competition on the island that day so there was that added excitement. 

Then we headed back into the city to go to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. If you ever visit NYC, I highly recommend you checkout the Tenement Museum.  It's awesome and worth every penny. I'd visit that museum over any other museum in the city (and that's saying something). It's an old tenement building with guided tours that take you through different times in history for the building and city. You need to buy your ticket in advance because it's a tour only museum but all of the tours are great. I think that was the 4th or 5th time I've been there.

After the museum I wanted to go to a shaved ice place which I assumed was close. I've been pining after shaved ice all summer and a Google search only shows two places in the city (what?). So we walked a LONG way to get to this place to find it was shaved ice cream. Not at all what I wanted or expected but we tried it anyways and shared this strawberry cheesecake combination.

It was interesting but did not satisfy my craving.

Then we headed back to our neighborhood to introduce Mandy to Indian food. She always wanted to try it but was scared to go alone so we took her to our favorite place just a few blocks from our apartment. She loved it.

Our original plan for Mandy's last day on Saturday was to go to the beach and roller skating in Staten Island but the forecast had rain so we revised our plan. Instead, we headed to downtown Brooklyn to do more shopping. Obviously. But then it never rained (boo!) and it was bloody hot so we melted during our walk along Brooklyn Bridge Park. We revived ourselves with shakes and lemonade before heading back home.

We just hung-out the rest of the night and ordered our favorite Grandma's Pizza with a movie followed by board games.

Mandy had to leave early Sunday morning which was a bad idea since it was our actual birthday that day and once she left we were both super sad the rest of the day. Dan tried his best to cheer me up with a dog pile of buddies and a birthday crown.

I rallied with a birthday dinner of waffles and the best darn peach I've ever tasted. The Olympics also proved a welcome distraction.

We all loved Mandy's visit and my heart aches to be closer to her.  Until next time boo bunny! We love you.

Funny story, when Mandy and I are together we keep track of how many people do double takes, stare, or ask us questions. It comes with twin territory. Anyways, on Friday we went to the bagel place to get coffee before heading out and I was paying while Mandy was standing with Dan nearby. I guess Mandy was standing really close to Dan and two NYPD cops asked them if they were related. Mandy said no and that he was my husband. Everyone had a good laugh that we were not in fact triplets. To be fair, Dan has similar features so it's entirely plausible to a stranger. But don't think about it too long because it's also kind of creepy.