3-0

I hear 30 is the new 20...could be!  Since I turned 30 I have been carded more than ever!  I chalk it up to a good hair day and maybe some moisturizer...or maybe the few days in the hospital did me some good!  30, , you're just a number, I'm still me!

Congratulations to a very good friend of mine who welcomed an adorable baby girl into this world and into her family today!  Congrats Grace and Dave!  Can't wait to meet her!

30 +1 day means...back to my thesis, until this weekend ;)

2012...begins

2012...

I always look to New Years Day to see if I feel older, wiser...different? This year I do feel wiser, older and different. With one semester left of graduate school I look to 2012 and see new beginnings. In May, I will find myself walking across a stage and entering the working world again. This time focused, prepared and ready.

The snow has covered the ground and finally NY welcomes winter, at least for today. A slow start to the ski season, I grasp onto the dusting of snow and search for my long underwear and ski gear. With any luck we will be skiing in a week or two, just in time for school to begin again.

This year marks the 5 year anniversary of my blog and a big birthday for me, but I'll always be 25 and holding...

so about that blizzard

so about that blizzard...didn't venture out in it. i listened to npr allllllll day and there were so many accidents everywhere, but especially the highways. Apparently they don't plow the highways well...ever...or until it's done snowing, it's a brilliant cost-effective move, yet cripples he city because no one knows how to drive in it. i brushed 6inches off my car at 7:30am, and another 8-9inches at 7pm! I had to shovel my car out to move it across the street. so needless to say the birthday weekend surprise visit didn't happen :( my good friend was waiting for flights and each one was cancelled and my other friend said it was even bad for Syracuse! Luckily, I will be Albany bound in a month...yay!

so last night my baby took me out for a birthday dinner, anywhere you want he said! so i said sushi please! it was amazing to say the least! we also indulged in some hot sake, which was a first for me....mmmm...and homemade mocchi ... Plum House THANK YOU!

Another birthday, another blizzard

So my birthday was perfect. Shopping with Mom and sometimes Dad - gotta love the President's Week Sales - what a great time for a birthday! Mom and I love the shopping and we even swung by the makeup counter ;) I love hanging out with my parents. No matter what we do we have fun, even if it's watching tv, having a snack, playing with the puppy or going to the gym/mall/happy hour! I couldn't ask for better parents, they are like my best friends and I only wish they lived closer or me to them. I think it's because I'm an OC (only child) that we get along so well. We were always the Three Musketeers!

We ventured someplace new for lunch on Friday the 20th, FYI lunch at DiMillo's Floating Restaurant, which was cheaper than a night out at $3 Deweys! It was amazing food and atmosphere, even at the ever-stately bar! They have quite a few stimulus price reductions; $5 lunch specials and $15 dinners along with free happy hour apps and drink specials! Ok now I sound like a commercial!

Speaking of commercials...my FAVORITE one right now is the McD's commercial for the fillet of fish sung my the wall trophy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bJOIqVAD-s Seriously, I might have a problem because I laugh out loud when I see this!

Birthday again...I got distracted, was awesome. A great dinner at RiRa's, a tradition now, with a not-so-great yet amusing waiter. Steve was his name and he took better photographs than he did orders. Everything was a mess but I was happily amused and the food we received was great! A Divine chocolate cake with pink frosting! The best frosting I've ever had. Go Shaws! I mentioned awhile ago to my mom that I wanted a pink cake for my birthday and she said I thought you wanted chocolate and I said I do and then realized that chocolate wasn't pink and said...Oh I don't know! and proceeded with a previous conversation. My parents have found a way for me to have my pink cake and eat it too! YAY

Mom, Dad and I went to J's Oyster, a great little dive! he best seafood in town, no-frills. Raw scallops, a huge plate of mussels, spicy mac and cheese, calm chowdah and some beverages to top it all off. Then mom and I got to check out the Art museum, but dad went for a long walk and it was too cold to be outside for over an hour; that ended our night early due to coldness to the bone!

Maggie and Trevor took Andre and I snowshoeing at Pineland Farms Saturday http://www.pinelandfarms.org/visitors/faqs.htm which was awesome and I hurt for three days afterwards! I kept having races and then falling over my snowshoes! Andre was always the fastest, I was number two, well until I fell and then I was the caboose and everyone had to run back and help pull me up from the one hole my un-snowshoed foot had made. One time the snow went up mid-thigh on my un-snowshoed foot! Wish we would have taken pictures during our 3mile trek.

On my actual birthday, Andre and Greg (Andre's dad), took me out to breakfast at the Bayou Kitchen....mmm...nothing like grits and crawfish in your omelet! Andre brought me shopping and we met up with Amy and continued to Margaritas! Did you know my birthday is National Margaritas Day, yet now Margarita Specials!? Weird! We played pool at the OPT billiards, which have a beautiful view of the street below and twinkle lights lining each cathedral arched window. Doe and Matt even ventured out to celebrate mi cumpleanos! Much fun and music was had by all, until Brookie got hungry and 'Dre and I went to Gritty's for some Bangers and Smash and a backgammon tournament! It was really quite sweet...I have this pocket magnetic backgammon game now and it was in my purse and we had a blast (He almost beat me, but I won by a hair)! One of the cutest things was when we had cake and everyone sang to me over speakerphone! Another birthday...another blizzard.