Memorial Day Weekend

Happy memorial day! Mom, dad, and Alex's dad came for a visit this holiday weekend. We enjoyed beautiful weather and walked all over parts of the city they had never seen before. They loved my neighborhood and mom and dad and I were very cozy sleeping in my tiny apartment. Along with great food and conversation it passed all too fast. Thanks for visiting everyone!

Dad and Dr. Sos talking physics on the roof top

Mom and Alex on the roof top (notice Alex's sharp new blazer!)

All of us at a fountain in Central Park

The air craft carrier in town for Fleet Week (as seen from the roof deck)

This is Kate's street in Brooklyn, I went to visit her the night mom and dad left. It's like being out in the country - peace and quiet - what a nice change!

Mrs. Sos

Alex's mom flew into town Saturday night to visit us for a few days. We walked all over the city and Central Park. We even stopped in at the Tavern on the Green for a drink on their beautiful patio filled with topiaries, luminaries, and tulips:

The weather was really gorgeous all week, so we spent a lot of time on Alex's roof deck looking out over the city and watching the sun set over the river.

On Tuesday night she took us to see "The Country Girl," a play starring Morgan Freeman that just opened on Broadway. While he was good, we all rated the overall performance as a 3/5 stars - not highly recommended, but still a good time. It was wonderful to see her and we hope Alex's dad comes up soon too!

The Red Carpet

Jillian and I returned to the Tribeca Film Festival Wednesday night and saw "Bart Got a Room." It was a really cute comedy about a high school senior trying to find a date for the prom. His dad was played by William H. Macy, who I really enjoy, and again we got to participate in a Q & A with the director and one of the actors. This was at a much bigger local than before, and there was even a red carpet! So of course we had to pose. We don't look to glamorous, but it sure was fun!

Kalamazoo College Friends

It's a long story, but I've become friends with a number of Kalamazoo College graduates since I've moved to the city. The reason being that this girl, Jess, pictured here with Al, went to school with cousin Kate at DePauw.


We were all hanging out one day when she mentioned her friend worked at Random House. This friend was not a DePauw grad, but instead went to "a little school in Michigan called Kalamazoo." I couldn't believe it! This is that friend, Emily, who works with me and is one of my good friends now.

I took these pictures Saturday at yet another "K" College grad's 25th Birthday BBQ. This is Drew Brockington, whose older brother was actually my freshman year RA. Weird!

Ali's Birthday Party

Last night, Friday, was my friend Ali's 29th birthday party. She just moved in with her boyfriend, Jin, down on Wall Street. In fact, their apartment is right across from the New York Stock Exchange. That area is cool during the day in terms of sight seeing, but there's really no night life to speak of...in fact, that's the first time since Alex and I moved here that we've gone out down there. So it was fun to be in a different neighborhood, and because it's not such a hot spot, the apartments are pretty amazing. As you can see by the ridiculously huge chandelier in the entrance of their building:


Deb (my friend that I worked with at the travel agency in Boston all those years ago who now lives in New York. I lived with her and our friend Sarah when I first moved here last July for a whole month!), Alex and the birthday girl:


Me and Ali:

Tribeca Film Festival

This past Wednesday marked the start of the Tribeca Film Festival. There are five categories of competition with five films in each one. It ranges from documentaries, to short films, to ones with famous people, and lots with not so famous people. It's pretty tough to get tickets to the red carpet premieres for the big films, but Alex and I managed to score some for a British comedy/horror film that premiered for the first time in the US on Thursday night. It was called THE COTTAGE.

The pictures aren't very good, but the first one is of the line, which thanks to me, we got there super early and were almost at the front (that was really good for two reasons, one, we got the best seats, and two, we got to see all of the actors congregate out front and get their pictures taken before going inside).

This second one is of the director speaking before the movie began:

It started out kind of weak, but imagine a comedic Texas Chain Saw Massacre, that made me laugh so hard I cried, but was still scary enough to make scream out loud...twice. The movie didn't really matter though, it was more just the experience of doing something that only happens in New York.

Neighborhood discoveries...

Today was one of the most beautiful spring days yet. So I took advantage and walked down a few unexplored streets near my apartment. I discovered two amazing things...

First of all, Winston Churchill Square!


It's such a peaceful, little oasis in the middle of two very busy avenues, literally, right around the corner from my place, I had just never noticed it before. It has some gorgeous blooming tulips, but, as with any New York park, the smaller, the more potential for creepy people and gross trash. This one appeared to be well taken care of however, and within daylight hours, I would deem it safe. There was even a park employee there picking up trash and tending to the flowers. I can definitely see myself sitting on a bench reading a book for an hour or two.


My second find is VERY exciting, a brand new ice cream store right on the corner!! But not just ice cream, gelato. It's made right there in the store and they have a million flavors from Italian pistacio to Ecuadorian chocolate chip. I can't wait to give it a try.