weekend in review: dog sitting edition

Kurt and I spent most of the weekend dog sitting our new four legged friend, Zazu. He is an 8 month old Lab mix and a whole lot of puppy fun. I am a big dog lover and have been pining for one of my own for ages but it just hasn't really seemed to align with my schedule. I was looking forward to this weekend as a test drive of what dog ownership might be like and it was a very interesting experiment. I'm not completely turned off from the idea, but I think I will have to realign my expectations when it comes to city dogs vs country dogs in terms of size, schedule, lifestyle, allergies, stress etc. If only Aubie were more cuddly...

The rest of the weekend was spent watching ALL of the soccer and a backyard barbecue. Check out that jungle in progress! I'm such a black thumb that I'm in awe of people who grow things--edible things. Kurt has our window boxes full of herbs and greens and has been harvesting bunches of kale from his garden plot recently. I'm very happy to be on the receiving end of all that goodness :) I stole that last image from our friend Will's instagram of us hanging out in his revamped backyard. Keep it coming, Summer!

weekend in review

Ahhhhh. Three day weekends....good for the mind, body, soul, psyche....all of the above. You know what else is good for me? Sunshine and hot temps. I'm willing to overlook the sweat, sunburn, and allergy attacks to celebrate the fact that summer is here and I could not be more thrilled. On this fantastic Memorial Day weekend, we watched some rooftop short films (although rain chased us inside, "C-Rock" was my favorite), did some antique browsing, grilled out in Prospect Park x2, and spent some time soaking up the sun at our favorite rooftop at Brooklyn Bridge Park. I hope your weekends were great as well!

summer visits

Kurt's parents came to visit the first week in July. It was unbelievably hot in the city (still is!) but somehow we were able to coax them outside for a spin around Brooklyn Bridge Park on citibikes and checking out Kurt's plot at our nearby community garden. We rounded out the 4th of July with some steaks on the grill and rooftop fireworks. I could do without all the gross sweatiness, but other than that, this summer thing is okay by me. Keep it coming, July!

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Kurt and I arrived back from Charleston last night and phew was that a good trip! We have more photos than we know what to do with! I will get on sharing them as soon as I can but you know how those things go. It might be October before I get around to it :) Thanks for all your great tips! I hope you had an equally amazing weekend!

riverside south

Kurt's boss recently had a birthday party at Riverside Park South--an early project he worked on after arriving in the US from New Zealand. It was one of those all-day camp outs with a generous supply of food and drinks and a revolving cast of characters throughout the day. The weather also went through many phases, including sunny and hot, then cloudy with sprinkles, and finally clearing up a bit for a lovely sunset over the Hudson. 

With the recent heat wave, it's hard to remember what winter is like here. I enjoy the annual process of forgetting. I like to believe NYC hosts 365 days of sunshine, bike rides, picnics, and sunburns, but somewhere in the back of my mind I know it's too good to be true. So until the cold and snow inevitably return, I'm going to enjoy the summer for all it's worth!

final ode to bbp

Brooklyn Bridge Park had to be one of my favorite locations of the summer. Sadly, I didn't do a lot of lounging on the grass but I did bike and run through frequently. Most out of town visitors got a tour, and we all know I logged quite a few hours at Pier 6. There were some Auburn friends in town the other weekend visiting from Boston and Texas, so I was ecstatic that our weather cooperated (it was gorgeous!) and I was able to take them through the fun DUMBO experience.

outdoor movie

A couple Fridays ago, we took part in a great NYC summer activity: the outdoor movie. Lucky for me, the Intrepid Museum was playing Jurassic Park, one of my all-time favorite movies. Ever. It's embarrassing how much I love this movie.

the fourth

Since we were off work on July 4th and her sister was in town from South Dakota, Jenn made us reservations to see the 9/11 Memorial.

The fountains were enormous and incredible and impressive. The plaza was a little meh. I'm hoping one day, after all the surrounding construction has been put to rest, that the area around the fountains is just open to the public. The security we went through was pretty intense and I don't feel like the space contributed to your experience of the memorial much. I think it would be better free flowing, mixing tourists and Wall Street-ers on their lunch break. It will be interesting to see how it evolves!

On our bike ride back to Brooklyn, Kurt couldn't resist this open fire hydrant. I'm not sure I've ever seen him happier...well, maybe when Ohio State is involved.

Kurt and I considered going to Hoboken to see the Macy's 4th of July Show on the Hudson River, but since  I don't really care for fireworks all that much, and it was technically a school night, we grilled out in Kurt's backyard instead. I drank Mexican beer. We grilled tons of food, including fresh peaches (served with ice cream, of course). Then we tried to catch some glimpses of the fireworks from Kurt's roof. From our high perch, we could see distant displays in Staten Island, New Jersey, and throughout the streets of Brooklyn. I think I prefer that to a big show on the river anyway. You can keep it, Manhattan!

I hope everyone had a great Independence Day!

when tuesday = friday

Last week since (pretty much) everyone had the Fourth of July off work, Kurt organized a trip down to Rocky Sullivan's in Red Hook to celebrate the midweek break. Conveniently, Rocky's offers half price pizzas on Tuesdays if you ride your bike. The pitchers of beer are cheap and led to a few (too many) rounds of flip cup. Apparently I spent too much time studying in college and didn't work hard enough honing my flipping skills because I was by far the weakest link on my team. Regardless, it was a blast and we got hang out on a rooftop and enjoy each other's company. You can't really complain about that.

i want to be outside

That seems to be my goal for the entire summer. It makes sense because I have a distaste for air conditioning and refuse to own one (cheapness may have something to do with it) so my apartment get stuffy on these 90+ degree days. Bonus points for rooftops.

On Thursday, Jenn and I went to a happy hour with some engineers she used to work with at her old firm.

We went to the Rare View rooftop bar in Chelsea. Awesome skyline vantage point!

Then we made our way back to Brooklyn for the opening night of Greenwood Park right in Kurt's neighborhood. Remember when we peeked in at Easter? We've been waiting so long for this place to open!

Yay! We're so glad it is open! There is tons of outdoor space, including bocce courts. I've got high aspirations for this place the rest of the summer. I have a feeling we're going to be regulars.

Summer Fridays are a wonderful thing. Monday through Friday I don't think it is so fun working 9 hours a day, but come Friday, that half day flies by and I am onto happy before you know it! Sangria at City Tavern seen here.

Kurt's friends that live in Hoboken (remember our visit to see them?) had never been to the Brooklyn Brewery, so Kurt put together a little outing for Friday evening. I was excited to see that the brewery is on the next block of this new Wythe Hotel I've been hearing all about.

Kurt and I both get out early on Friday, so we got there early to stand in line at the brewery because the tables fill up quick. And there is just something satisfying about being first in line somewhere :)

I'm a huge fan of their Gold Standard now. I've never seen it at a store or bar but hope to soon. It's not too sweet or heavy or bitter. Perfect! 

We ordered in some pizza from Fornino which is always delicious.

We stayed at the brewery for a while but then decided we should show Scot and Kelly more of Williamsburg because they rarely get over there. I suggested we try the rooftop bar at that hotel right down the street called The Ides.

The views were awesome and the whole place was gorgeous! We had to wait in line in the lobby for a few minutes before heading up but it was totally worth it.

While I think the bar needs to work out a few kinks still (it took forever to get a drink!) we had a great time hanging out on the roof. The people watching is always entertaining in Williamsburg as well. I highly recommend checking it out!

On Saturday, I buckled down and did some studying. I've been majorly slacking in that department. I guess sitting in a cute cafe with delicious iced coffee and free A/C makes it a little more bearable. 

That evening, some friends wanted to try Pok Pok near the Columbia Waterfront. Apparently everyone else in NYC who read the NY Times article that week also wanted to check it out so there was a super long line.  Instead, we went to our old rooftop standby, Alma. Yummy Mexican food (I'm a huge fan of their salsa!) and beer with that view of Manhattan is always welcome.

After dinner we checked out Pier 6 at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Bark Hot Dogs has a rooftop outpost at the park and sells food, beer, and wine. 

How crazy is that view?!

Apparently I need to get Kurt some hip sunglasses so he blends in with the cool Louisiana kids.

Summer evenings don't get much better than this.

Oh, wait...add ice cream and its damn near perfect.

While riding back towards Park Slope, we took a detour at Van Leeuwan Ice Cream. I tried the cinnamon with caramel sauce. It was definitely delicious but seemed more like an Autumn flavor. Now I'm kicking myself that I didn't go with the Strawberry! I guess I will just have to go back soon. :)

Somehow we found our way back to Greenwood Park that evening. Two times in three days. Like I said: regulars.

On Sunday, I did some catching up and then met Jenn and Andrea for a drink at Dekalb Market. It was kind of sleepy while we were there but it was nice to hang out in the sun with a good cup of sangria. Sadly, the vendors are getting the boot soon because a developer is going to build on the lot. Check it out before it's gone!

AND I turned 26-1/2 this weekend! It's really not a holiday I celebrate, but since January is such a dismal month to have a birthday and I obviously love summer a lot more, it only seems natural to give my half birthday a nod. I forced  asked Kurt to make me dinner and we shared this lovely bottle of wine he brought back all the way from New Zealand. Thanks, Kurt!

While the boys were making dinner, a new couple were moving into the top floor of Kurt's building. I was being nosy and offered to help, and ended up roping in Kurt, Erik, Will, and Jenn as well. It's amazing how fast a move goes when you've got 5 extra sets of hands helping :) The new people seem really nice and I hope to see them around more often!

Have a great week! Any big Fourth of July plans?!