A Delicate Balance

Last night J and I had a theater night! We went to see an amazing cast (Glenn Close, John Lithgow, the list continues but I'm drawing a blank at the moment) in Edward Albee's "A Delicate Balance" on broadway. They did not disappoint. It was fantastic!

Usually I like to dress up for the theater but last night I decided to go in jeans and a sweater, and boy am I glad I did. 

First of all it was pouring rain (above, at least I wasn't dressed like this guy)  then we left the house with only 6 mins to make it down to the train (if you run you can make it in 2.4 mins...I've learned) and after speed walking for a minute J remembers he never printed the tix. So we go back home to print the tickets (there goes time for dinner) and we realized we'd selected the "hold at box office" option...lol, a comedy of errors. So we sit around for a few minutes then back down to the train. We scarfed a slice of pizza at grand central (which is really a shame because it was too delicious to eat so quickly), and made our way to the theater district. The whole evening was hilarious scene reminiscent of the Home Alone air port scenes.

Btw, I'm rocking job interview nail polish (below)...I hate it. 

Alas, we made it! Climbed to the top of the theater, sat ourselves in the very last row, then used the extra time we saved by running needlessly to pre-order our drinks for intermission. Win!

Here I am ready to save Glenn Close's life if fire should break out (below)

Weekend Update

Good morning! One day closer to another weekend, right?  Phew, thank goodness.  Work has been insane, and I feel like every day is a countdown to the weekend.  Also, when you have a really great weekend, it's hard to move on.  This weekend was perfect, the perfect combination of down time and activities, plus I'm starting to get glimpses that other people are as ready for Christmas as I am.  Sure the stores have displays out, but I really get excited when people start decorating their homes.

Friday night we went to see Major Barbara.  We're members of The Pearl, I feel so cultured saying I am a theater member.  The play was great, but without a ton of time for dinner we were forced to chug a large glass of wine at dinner, and I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open.  No more wine after a long work day and before theater for this girl!

J drove, so we parked at a lot on 42nd street, and there is this car that has been their for years.  J swears that as long as he's been parking there, it's been in the same spot, and judging by the layer of dust, he's right.  I dubbed it Uncle Buck's car, and as I was checking it out, I noticed someone else had a similar idea, and had written, "The 70's are over dude!" in the dust. 

Saturday night J and I stayed in, and I made him watch Home for the Holidays.  It's one of my all time favorite movies, and he is a major movie snob so I always expect him to dislike my movie picks, but he "surprisingly didn't hate it," in his words, and "it's actually a better film than National Lampoon Christmas Vacation." I'm not sure how I feel about that last comment, but it was a cozy evening in. 

Sunday was so cold, but I've been trying to take advantage of the fact that my soon to be apartment is right next to this great aqueduct nature trail.  Humphrey loves it.  It scared me in the summer because of the tick issue.  Humphrey had a few and I just don't know how to deal, but now that it's cold I feel safe again. The leaves are gorgeous.

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Opera glasses & dresses!

We're going to the Opera! THE OPERA! La Boheme at The Met! I can't contain my excitement or my exclamation points! I can't say I am super knowledgeable about Opera, but I've always wanted to see it live, but it's always so expensive. 

Well we didn't find a huge loop-hole in the expensiveness of opera, but J found a deal for tickets at the top of the Met, and like 3 rows from the back, but I'm so excited.  This means I need a new dress, right? You can't go to THE Opera at THE Met in New York City and wear your Target wardrobe, even if you are sitting in the riff raff section.

Shopping Spree right before holidays, and move, and life?  Not in the budget.  Instead I'm trying Rent the Runway.  They have tons of amazing dresses.  You get to rent for 4 or 8 days, and then you send it right on back in prepaid shipping and they dry-clean.  I love that they have reviews by real people with pics of them wearing the dresses, and also comments like, "couldn't move my arms but I looked great so it didn't matter."

You choose one dress, and your size, then you can get a second of the same dress diff size for free, plus your second dress style is just $32.  I have a friend that's used it a bunch of times, and it seems, great.  I'll have to let you know how it goes...I'm worried I'm going to fall in love with these luxurious gowns and want to burn my target-filled wardrobe.

Here are the two I chose...I'll update once I get them and make a decision.  The short one, I think I'll go black tights and heels to make it less of a cocktail dress, and more dramatic night at the opera.  What do you think? (I used the real person pics v. the model pics)

Slate & Willow - Mae Sequin Shift

Badgley Mischka - Forbidden Territory Gown

Saved By the Bell, The Musical

I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  Saved By the Bell, The Musical!? But, with discount tickets, this did not disappoint.   You can't expect a serious Broadway show, but you can expect to see songs and sketches poking fun at Saved By the Bell, Dustin Diamond in sweatpants, parodies of Tori Spelling's short-lived stint on the show.  Expect to laugh.  Afterwards if you buy a piece of (cheap) merch, you can have a picture with a sweaty Dustin Diamond wearing what J assures me is a metal band t-shirt.

Love, Jealousy, Murder, and Foam Visors

J (otherwise known as "my favorite Greek") and I recently took a short day trip up to The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival at Boscobel to see Othello.  What a great, day!

 

We lounged around in the morning, went to breakfast and then I got to show off my culinary/domestic skills (which I always love) and packed us a delicious picnic.  Then we packed up the goodies (don't forget the bug spray and sunscreen) and dropped Humphrey off at J's place for the day, and headed up to Boscobel.  It's about 1 hr 45 minutes from Brooklyn to Boscobel, but it was a nice easy drive, with the worst part the initial getting out of the city part.  When we got there the weather was perfect, not too hot or too humid, but gorgeous.  We found a nice spot on the lawn to eat our (gourmet) picnic and drink ourselves a little silly with some wine...or maybe he was just extra funny that day...I couldn't stop laughing.



Shortly before the show started we found our seats under the tent for the show.  We were in the front row, but thanks to my inexperience, I purchased seats facing the sun (until it went down).  Not to worry, though those clever organizers are prepared with free foam visors.  Luckily we've been dating long enough that we can wear matching goofy visors together without feeling self conscious.


Whoops couples matching...completely accidental

Welcome to Apt. 224 Meadowlake Street!

Welcome to Apt. 224 Meadowlake Street, because sometimes you wanna go...where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same, you wanna be where everybody knows...your name. Tell me you can't hear that song right now? (I'm sorry, or you're welcome.  You choose!) Or maybe you don't hear it because you have no idea who Sam and Diane are.  I'm starting to really feel that I'm getting older because things I assume everyone knows are no longer common place...and I actually NEED anti-aging under-eye cream and I'm not just using it for the heck of it. (Both stories for different days). 

Anyway, welcome! I'm Tanya.  I moved to Brooklyn, NY from the Evergreen State in September 2013 and so far it has been one of the hardest, and best decisions I've ever made.

224 Meadowlake Street is my home.  It is where my love of the arts, making messes, and watching bad movies with great friends spills out onto the streets of New York (sometimes literally...ask me some day about spilling a latte in the front row at The Killers).  I hope you stick around!

 XOXO
Gossip Girl
(a reference for those of you not using anti-wrinkle eye creams)