Author Archive | Ashley

Oh crap, you guys.. It just got a lot better! Since last year this time I was in the midst of my 365 Project, on a regular basis I go into iPhoto and check out where I was or what I was doing a year ago to the day. Well – you ready? – Last year today I had one of my most favorite days ever with Joe! We woke up super early, got bagels and met his Dad at the dock to go crabbing. We crabbed our little hearts out and listening to tunes and splooshed around all day. We went back to Joe’s house and his Mom and Sister were there and my Mom came over too! We cooked up the crabs and had a little feast on their patio. Joe had already asked me if I would go on a “Classic Boardwalk Date” with him that night, so I went back home and we respectively got ready for our night out. He came over, like a true gentlemen with flowers and a smooch on the cheek. We set off for Point Pleasant and played mini golf ( I WON ) and got cheese fries and ice cream and took photo booth pictures and he tried so hard to win me a toy in the crane. We went back to my house and had some beers, and watched a movie. It was a perfect summer day. This is hands down one of my favorite pictures of us, ever. Happy happy joy joy.

These five words are so true. Driving home from a weekend in Jersey last night, we talked about the idea of home. Joe said that he loves going back home because he knows it will always be there. That he feels so comfortable at his parent’s house and that he knows it will never, ever change. Joe’s families house is the epitome of a home. The first time I ever visited I knew their house was full of so much love and so many memories. I have always envied Joe’s ability to do the good old “go home” deal. Don’t get me wrong, I have a loving family and loving places, but they have changed many times over my twenty five years. I have lived in eight different towns/cities in my life and this moving to Brooklyn is my 21st time moving. It’s always something different and somewhere new to get used to.

The only solid place I still have, where nothing has changed is my Nana’s house. We visited there yesterday for lunch and as Joe and Nana chatted at the table, I snuck upstairs and curled into a ball on my bed in my room there. It felt so good and I looked around the room and absolutely nothing, had changed. There are two twin sized beds in the room, where Nate and I always slept. They have matching gold frames and matching quilts that my Nana made on them. They aren’t very comfortable but they have always been exactly the same. ”Same” can sometimes just feel so good, am I right? I felt comfort there, and then we went back to Joe’s parents, and I felt comfort there too. We had a nice dinner with his family from Vermont and spent hours on their back porch where conversation never lacked, it was nice.

When we realized it was after ten, we gathered our things and headed back to Brooklyn. The whole point of this rambling is that when we unloaded the car and found a spot and walked the dog and were both upstairs with the door locked- We said that it felt good to be home. Just casually. But, it did. Feel good. I choked up a little bit and thought of Dorothy Gale, because it’s so true. There really is, no place like home. /end sappy.

I just came across this picture of where we used to sleep last summer. pillows.

Remember that movie “Once” that won a Grammy for that song “Falling Slowly” .. ? The two characters are in a band called the Swell Season and I am sitting on my couch listening to them play across the street at the Prospect Park Bandshell.  It is the perfect night for an outdoor concert. I took a “nap” earlier that turned into a five hours of consecutive sleep I desperately needed, otherwise I would be over there with my bum in the grass waiting for Joe to get off work. Next weekend my Dad is coming up to see a blues concert with us.

I had my second encounter with Steve Buscemi since I’ve been here in Brooklyn. This time though we went beyond mere door holding & polite smile, I waited on him! It was pretty cool and when I went to help the next person in line and saw him standing there I was so happy it was me who got to help him. He ordered a double small cappuccino, a black coffee and we had a small talk about muffins and whether or not he wanted a carrying tray. Not the most exciting chit chat but apparently he is a regular at the cafe so maybe one day I can tell him how big of a fan I am. No one recognized him. I’ve been thinking about what my favorite role of his is, Reservoir Dogs, Fargo, Pulp Fiction, Ghost World, or his parts in Coffee & Cigarettes and Paris J’Taime? and OMG so excited for the new HBO series.

Joe is good: after spending our entire weekend at the shore, we come home late, exhausted, I find this: him making the bed on his own. Clean sheets. A-mazing.

We just got back from our local movie theatre, The Pavilion on Prospect Park.  We saw Inception. My mind is literally blown.  Joe is confused. I loved it. I can’t say much else now, I need to sleep on it.    (pun intended)

This picture was taken a year ago yesterday. The night before I headed to Heather’s house and we watched Harry Potter and banged out tons of favors for her wedding (salt water taffy wrapped in twine- adorb.) We woke up bright and early and headed into Hoboken, then took the Path into NYC. We shopped at Free People and got lunch at Whole Foods and then headed to Chelsea Market to visit Joe and see a taping of Iron Chef America. Heather teenied the entire time because let’s admit it, she has an unhealthy obsession with Alton Brown. Joe and I were still “new.” I still got nervous every time I saw him, butterflies, the whole schpeal. I thought he was adorable with his little head set on, his jeans and black tee and the converse. Oh, Joe! Four hours later we were able to leave the Iron Chef set and Heather and I decided we really needed to see Harry Potter at midnight. All day we were convincing ourselves that we didn’t need to see it at midnight. That we could wait like adults to see it at a reasonable time. Nope. We needed to see it. We got lattes at Ninth Street Espresso and sat ourselves at a table while Heather called her little brother at home to have him google movie theaters that might not be sold out yet. We finally found one in some random mall and immediately bought four tickets. Yep, Nathan and Joe were being dragged along. Heath and I took a walk on the high line and waited for Joe to get off work. Once he did we all headed back to Hoboken, got in the car and met up with Nathan at a Fridays near the movie theatre. That’s where this picture was taken. We can’t remember what story Joe was telling that embarrassed me this much.. I guess it’s better that way. I just love this picture of us. For Christmas Joe framed it for me and it’s proudly displayed on our mantle right now. Basically, what I am trying to get at is that I never would have thought that in a year we would be where we are now. If you were to tell me that day that in a year we would be living together here in New York City I would have told you to get outta here! I wonder where we will be next year this time.