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The Bulls equals Sunday lots’a Funday

By on March 7, 2011 in ourbklyn

Incase you don’t know us (in real life), or don’t remember the excess in mention, Joe is a huge Chicago Bulls fan.  He has also turned me into quite an honestly avid basketball fan.  I never really appreciated the sport until I met Joe.  He has played basketball from the beginning of his life, through school and even in college.  He knows a lot about the sports and he knows most of what there is to know about The Bulls.  So, that being said.. at this crucial point in basketball season, a Bulls vs Heat Sunday afternoon game was a big to-do for us.  We woke up, walked to get bagels and stopped in the Wine shop to buy some champagne (and wine, for later)  We were almost through checking out and I ran back to grab a second bottle.  What if we ran out and the game was too intense to leave and pick up more!!! Joe, obliged.  The game was good, The Bulls won.  It was very exciting.  We finished both bottles and moved onto the wine.  I had a fun skype convo with Heather and Whitney.  Then I put myself to bed at about 8 pm because my Nana’s 88th Birthday was the next day and we had plans to spend it in New Jersey.

New Jersey was fun. We brought Stinky along to get his nails trimmed and he was due for his rabies booster (I kept his Vet in NJ for now.. he doesn’t like change very well) Laundry!  It seems like every time we drive anywhere we make sure to bring our laundry.  It’s becoming quite tedious though.. spending time with family/friends but always having your mind on whether or not its the right cycle for the fabric softener.   I spent some quality time with my Nana, we looked through old photo albums and she told us stories about my Pop-pop and her dogs.  Some new tips on cooking, or knitting.  The usual! After dinner Joe and I cleaned her house up for her and then we all sat down and played a few hands of Rummy.  I spent summers at her house when I was younger and we would spend rainy days inside playing Rummy.  She taught me a lot of things throughout those summers.  Good, strong, things about cooking, sewing, knitting, shopping, needlepoint and latch hook, and how to play a mean hand of both Rummy and Black Jack.  I adore her. After Rummy we realized we hadn’t sung yet (Her, Mom and Norm had cake the night before) So I lit the table candle and we sung out hearts out.  After the wishes, my Uncle Norm showed us his new silly glasses fashioned from a Saltine box.  We got back to New York around 2 a.m, it was a very tiring yet fulfilling weekend for us.




There was lots of jumping up from the couch and vigorous clapping involved.


We still haven’t figured out what to do with this shelf, until we do it will be Pippen’s favorite new place, in the middle of the kitchen.


The sun was shining on the drive down, Stinky was basking in all of it’s glory.


Joe couldn’t find his sunglasses so he had to borrow my $5 NYC sidewalk buy “just incase” car pair. I thought he looked cute!



I think she enjoyed our singing. 🙂 🙂 🙂


Norm’s saltine glasses. What kind of reaction would these babies have gotten at NYC Fashion Week?

Pippen the limit-pusher.

By on March 4, 2011 in ourbklyn

Today is one of those days Pippen was trying to push every boundary and fit into places that he either didn’t fit, or just didn’t belong. Before moving him, I decide to take pictures.  That might be considered promoting this bad behavior? I guess I’m a bad mommy as much as he is a bad kitty.



probably the worst place ever. can’t imagine if that shelf came crashing down!


nothing like a hairy cat in a freshly cleaned sink


but how can you be mad at this face?

Weekend in a nutshell.

By on February 27, 2011 in ourbklyn

Snuggles with Stinky, The Kings Speech, Bang Trim (too short, look like a boy), Drinks with Kim K, Stinky finding his new favorite seat, Our living room reading for the Oscars, Ashley putting her waitressing skills to use at home.





Tuesday

By on February 17, 2011 in ourbklyn

Lazy Tuesday afternoon full of 30 Rock and The Office.

Iced Coffee Time!

By on February 17, 2011 in ourbklyn

Its hilarious to me how many customers reverted back to iced coffee today with the slight rise in temperature. But then again, I’m also guilty of it.
Its just so delish!

Valentine’s Day

By on February 15, 2011 in ourbklyn

This year we had to celebrate Valentines Day on February 13.  Joe had work on Monday, and sometimes he doesn’t get home until 10 p.m.   I’d hate to be one of those people who says they ‘don’t really care’ about this day, because I do.  I just don’t like to make a big deal of it. This year we used the holiday as an excuse to sleep in, exchange cute cards, drink a lot of wine, and make a fancy lasagna dinner. All in all, a good day.






We agreed on ‘no presents, just a nice meal,’ but of course Joe had to get me something (I’m not really complaining, it was very thoughtful and perfect). He also gets major points for picking out a sweet handmade card from my favorite stationary store, Lion in the Sun. I get butterflies thinking about him walking in there to pick out a card. I also got his card there – Classic Love Songs jukebox style!


This is the sauce cooking. Pork neck bones, veal, beef, sausage, Italian tomatoes, onions, garlic, love. The smell was godly. The cheese was shredded FRESH mozz, ricotta, fresh parm, and all fresh herbs.. google Michael Symon’s recipe .. 🙂




Superbowl Sunday

By on February 6, 2011 in ourbklyn


I’m not going to pretend I enjoy watching Football. Because, I don’t. I tried to like it for years. Just couldn’t get it down to actually “follow” a game. Also, there is something that just irks the hell outta me about a girl slamming down a mug of beer and yelling at the TV in public. I guess working in bars for too long has made me jaded to the female sports fan, girl- you’re annoying. That being said, I absolutely DO enjoy the Superbowl. It’s exciting and there are normally parties involved with hot wings and commercials, half time show, and team spirit. This year we headed into Manhattan for a lil shin’dig. Our friend Matt was taking care of his Uncle’s penthouse apartment in the Financial District. I can’t really tell you what happened during the game. The beautifulness of the apartment had me distracted! I do know that Fergie scared me during halftime, I loved the Eminem commercial and that episode of Glee was way too much. It’s probably because I’ve never watched Glee with another human being.. I get pretty into it. Its embarrassing. The rooftop was fun, even though snow covered. Views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the gap in space where the WTC used to be. We got silly and had a fun time. Catch me during the World Series, I’m a quiet baseball fan.

Jimmy Butler

By on February 6, 2011 in Joe’s Hoops

What if your mother told you, ‘I don’t like the look of you.  You gotta go.’  What would you say? What could you say?

What if she told you this when you were just 13 years old?
Maybe you’d go to your dad, get his support, learn why she’s suddenly turned her back on you.  But, what if your father acted much like your mother, but instead felt the same years before and left when you were just an infant?  What would you do then?

How does anyone stay on the right path to success when their parents give up on them so young?

He doesn’t like to discuss it much, but these events have led Jimmy Butler to overcome odds of all sorts and have willed him to a successful and productive second season for the Chicago Bulls; one that might secure his place in the N.B.A. and, hopefully, with the Bulls.

Although barely used and hardly noticed in his first season, Butler has emerged as not only a reliable player off the bench, but as a starter as well, filling in recently for Luol Deng, who was out briefly with a hamstring injury.  While Butler isn’t flashy, he is truly a complete player, and one who is constantly showing signs of improvement (so far in his brief 2-year career, he’s averaging 5 points a game.  The last ten games he’s averaged 14.6).

The praises are even coming in from Coach Tom Thibodeau (below), a man of very few (encouraging) words:  ‘….he’s a big part of this team…..he can guard, he can score, play multiple positions, make hustle plays.  He’s doing a lot for us.”

I’ve come to love Jimmy Butler.  There’s no bullshit to him; he’s young, unselfish, devoid of any stupid and distracting tattoos that plagues much of professional sports/entertainment, is known to have a strong work ethic, and is still hungry to prove something.  He may have secured his place in the league, but I have a feeling Jimmy Butler is bound to do much more than just stick around.

After not getting selected to the 2013 Rising Stars Challenge game (where the best rookies and second-year players play against each other), this is what he had to say:  ‘‘Kudos to those guys because they’re great players, and they’re really talented, but I love this team, and I want to play alongside these guys. I’ll do whatever it takes for this team to win. I’m a competitor, and I would have competed in that game, of course, but I’m a Bulls player, to tell you the truth.’’

There are many players who are still waiting for their opportunity to prove their worth, and sometimes it comes with time, but it also happens when a starter like Deng gets injured.  Either way, it’s up to the player to make the most of it.  Jimmy has been rising to the occasion since he was a child; earning big time minutes in the N.B.A. is merely just another step in this young man’s life.

Daaaaaaaaaaaaa Bulls.

P.S. –  He was very kind to Ashley.  When she was down in Atlanta for work last year, the Bulls happened to be playing the Hawks at that same time.  The night before the game (Ashley got to go for work) she ran into a few of the players at a popular restaurant downtown.  She noticed them on her way out and felt compelled to say something (she’s become quite the Bulls fan).  While some of the players acted too cool, Butler was the only one to make conversation with her, even joking to take her leftovers.  He didn’t exactly record a triple double that game, but moments like that make a fan even prouder.


(here’s a video of Jimmy discussing his upbringing, right before he was selected by the Chicago Bulls in 2011)

Point Pleasant, NJ

By on February 3, 2011 in ourbklyn

this night i earned the most money during my career at frankies.
i hung out with joe afterward. we drank scotch, ate buffalo chicken fingers i brought home and took a dip in the pool. love summer in point pleasant.

Bulls vs Nets, 2011

By on January 20, 2011 in Joe’s Hoops

For Christmas I got Joe court-side tickets to see The Bulls play in NJ. This Christmas was one of the hardest for me, financially.  I actually just went ahead and spent my entire paycheck on these tickets because I just knew Joe deserved this (and rent will just have to figure itself out, right?) SO I bought the tickets.  In a frenzy, I found seats that were directly behind the hoop on stubhub.  I called Joe’s dad to see if they were worth the price, had an anxiety attack and then went ahead and purchased!

We had already decided on minimal presents for each other so I was so excited to give this semi-big time present to him.  I grabbed a few less-read books from our shelf, wrapped them up and gave them to Joe Christmas morning at his parent’s house.  He opened them with hesitance, knowing he already owned all of these books!  I played dumb — “Do you like them?? I thought you might like that one!”  Found out later he felt so bad because my gifts were so lame.   The final gift was a folder with the printed tickets, the seating chart and the virtual view we’d have from our seats.  Needless to say, Joe was excited.  Will I erase his manliness to say he might have shed a tear? He really loves the Bulls.

The game was the week after Christmas.  I met him after work, we went to Jersey & had fun.  I’ve never been that close to NBA players, they are huge.  I am a tall girl too, but WHOA.  Noah was out on injury (he is my fave) and I realized halfway through that Kim Kardashian’s fiancee, Kris Humphries was on the Nets, but Kim wasn’t there.

Seeing that we bought the tickets off a Nets season ticket holder, we were surrounded by sort of violent Nets fans who were obviously a bit threatened by the Bulls.  They talked a bit of shit, the mascot messed with us (almost got Joe ejected – pics below) and  we got to see the behind the scenes of the cheerleaders, long-time fans and lots of $10 beers.
I went shutter crazy, check it out-

Notice Joe’s arms physically moving the mascot away from him? It was a close game and in the final seconds the “Sly Fox” blocked our view completely, I love Joe’s temper at times like this because he just was not having it.  Also, if you know anything about NBA ball, you know Derrick Rose is incredibly hard on himself, can you notice his defeat in these pictures as the game moves forward?  I love the intensity in all their faces.   Also, the old man in one of the pictures was hilarious and seemed to be a staple at all games.  He was crazy enthusiastic and his wife just smiled him on the entire time.  I cut my Bulls shirt before the game so it looked cuter, and wore Joe’s childhood necklace! so cute.   I was never into basketball, but I really love it now.

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