Triumphant Return

So Joshua's Jabberings took a little vacation over the past two months. I have two explanations for this:

1. I got engaged
2. I got lazy

From the beginning, I knew that if I didn't feel like writing, I wasn't going to. And with all the craziness going on in my life, I didn't really feel like sitting down and putting together a coherent post. But now I feel like writing again, and I'm ready to revive my Jabberings. Here is a high level overview of what has been going on with me since my last post (in chronological order):

1. I got mentally prepared to propose by going on two pre-engagement bachelor parties. I needed one last hurrah (or two) before proposing, so I went to Vegas for Scott's bachelor party and to the Bahamas (part 3) with the BU crew. To summarize the trips, I'd like to quote Alan from "The Hangover" (best move of the year, by far, maybe of my life). I love it:

"I'm a steel trap. Whatever happens tonight, i won't ever ever speak a word of it. Seriously. I don't care what happens. I don't care if we kill someone."

And so that's all you are getting out of me for those trips.

2. So I went and got engaged to the most special lady in the world. I don't feel like running through the whole proposal because I think the wedding website does a good job of describing how things went down. You can check our website out here:

Josh and Diana's Wedding Website

3. Along with proposing, I bought an engagement ring. This process went well, but it was still a traumatic experience. I plan on writing a detailed guide to purchasing an engagement ring on the blog, so stay tuned.

So that is pretty much it. Obviously other stuff has gone on, but once again my laziness is returning. Thank you to all of my loyal readers who have been hitting the refresh button to see if I wrote a new post every hour for the past 57 days. I appreciate the support.

Hello Summer!

I think this weekend is going to be the real introduction to summer- not Memorial Day.  Now I know it will probably get cold and rainy again at some point in the next few weeks, but right now on weather.com we have a 5-7 day stretch of 80 degree days.  That is good enough for me.  We are in business.

Once a year, on the first genuinely beautiful day of the year, when I walk outside and the sunshine and the fresh air hit me in the face I throw my arms up in the air and say "Hello Summer".  Last weekend was beautiful, but I forgot to say it.  So tomorrow afternoon, if you see me leaving the office around 4:45 (if all goes as planned) you will witness me saying hello to summer.

My goal this weekend is to spend as much time outside as possible.  After being pent up all week in the office, where the weather is always a constant 70 degrees and sterile, some sun and fresh air is just what I need.  Some golf, some dining al fresco, some time walking around the city...sign me up.  I fully expect summer to be in full gear this weekend- sandals, shorts, and sunglasses.  Even if it is back to a suit and tie on Monday, I know that this weekend I am free.  Enjoy everyone!

To Re-New Beginnings

Well it's official:  renewing my New Jersey driver's license is one of the most difficult things I've ever done in my life.  I've spoken to friends from other states, and renewing their licenses consists of requesting a new one online.  In NJ, you have three things working against you that make this an impossible situation:

1.  The hours

2.  The proof of identity

3.  The prison guards

The hours:  It really seems like the DMV is open for about 37 minutes each day.  How anyone with a full-time job ever makes it there in time is amazing.  Taking into account my job, as well as the fact that I don't even live in NJ anymore, and it becomes an enigma how I'm ever going to make this happen.

The proof of identity:  NJ has masterminded this 37 point system.  I thought that with a passport and old driver's license I would be good to go.  NOPE.  I'm still short some combination of an ATM card, high school diploma, gun license, military card, or marriage license.  Even with items such as these, I would not have the proper proof of address, which includes a lease agreement, utility bill, or jury duty request.  I simply don't stand a chance.

The prison guards:  By prison guards, I mean the delightful people who work at the DMV.  They give you the stare of death, and greet everyone that walks through the door as if they are criminals.  As I unload my 17 proofs of identity, it still isn't enough.  I still need to beg for mercy.

I am going to give this a shot on Saturday, sometime between 9-12 (if I wake up in time), but I can't make any promises.  Wish me luck.

Nice Little Saturday

Life is made for days like today- 72 degrees and sunny, just a beautiful and relaxing day.  Spent the day with Michael and Teddy strolling around the West Village.

We had lunch at Son Cubano, a Cuban restaurant I've been wanting to try for awhile in the meatpacking district.  We had mojitos and shared an appetizer of plantain cups filled with garlic crabmeat, which were amazing.  For an entree, I shared the shrimp sandwich and the chicken sandwich with fried jalapeno with Michael.  I think the shrimp one was better.

We then wandered around the West Village aimlessly, going down tiny side streets and

 stopping at random sidewalk sales.  We found an area near Barrow and Grove streets that really reminded me of Beacon Hill in Boston.  Very old fashioned looking and quiet, lined with trees.  We then walked over to the river, and found Pier 45 at Hudson River Park.  It was beautiful being out by water with the breeze and fresh air.  It's really an interesting place- such a cross section of people doing different and crazy things.

A very nice way to spend a lazy Saturday.

Event #4: My Party

All I have to say is that I have some great friends.  So many people came out to celebrate with me, and I really appreciated that so many people made it.  I think we all had a great time!

First, people came over to the apartment to hangout, drink, and have some snacks.  We had Met-zels (blue and orange chocolate pretzels), assorted crostinis, and a blue and orange birthday cake from Sugar Sweet Sunshine bakery (or something masculine like that).  Yes, most of the food was blue and orange (not the most appealing food colors, but everything was delicious).  We also had scotch, wine, and tequilla to wash everything down.

We then headed over to The Globe for some drinks.  I was told we had an area reserved, but I guess the owners forgot that they had already booked a party of 500 in the back room.  It was a birthday party for two girls, and they had their pictures plastered all over the bar.  Apparently, a bunch of us thought it was a funeral, which offended the guests of the birthday girls.  Oh well.

We managed to find some room at the front of the bar, and still had a great time.  Thanks again to all of you guys who made it- couldn't have celebrated without you.

Birthday Weekend

What a weekend, I am wiped.  All I can say is that I had a great birthday, and have some great family and friends who made it really memorable.  The weekend consisted of 5 key events, mainly consisting of food and sports (big surprise, right?).  My next 5 posts will be about these 5 things- I'm breaking it up because everyone likes shorter posts, and because I'm tired and not sure I am going to be able to write about everything tonight before I pass out...enjoy!

Grammy

My grandma (Grammy) passed away this afternoon and in the process we lost an amazing lady who made one hell of a carrot cake. She was one tough cookie, and she always had a ton of fight in her, which she proved by living a tough but rich and rewarding life.

There is one story that I remember she used to tell me when I was younger and that she began to tell me with increasing frequency as she got older. It's not particularly funny or exciting, and it doesn't have a punch line, but that fact that she told me the story so often and with such vivid imagery and clarity makes me believe that this was one of the most memorable moments of her life.

Grammy and Poppy (my grandpa who passed away in 1997) were on one of their business trips in Europe for the business they owned. They used to travel around the world, finding trinkets and collectibles to sell at the business they owned, Oriental Imports. On this particular evening, they were in Monte Carlo, which is known to be a wealthly and glamorous city (something Grammy and Poppy were not), famous for its casinos. That evening, my grandparents got dressed up and Grammy was wearing a gown. They went to Le Grand Casino and climbed the marble steps at the front of the magnificent building. They entered a breathtaking room, with high ceilings, chandeliers, and plush red carpet. The casino was pulsating with excitement, and it was there that Grammy played roulette, one of her favorite pastimes, for the first time. The game captivated her, with its black and red spinning wheel and tiny white ball dancing around the rim. She won on one of the first spins, and after that she was hooked.

It's funny how random moments in life grab you, encouraging you to hold on forever. By the way Grammy told this story, I could tell that this was one of those moments for her. Tonight, I know that she's back in that casino with Poppy, eternally happy.

A Delicious Way to Start the Morning

This morning, I was getting dressed as I always do, trying to ignore the Today show which was on in the background against my will. The show cuts to commercial, and I hear a TV ad for food. I only caught the tail end of it, but I turned around to see what looked like a delicious piece of meat or some kind of patty. The commercial said something about a new flavor, smoked bacon with egg. Immediately, my mind shifted to fresh fluffy eggs and greasy, crispy bacon frying in a pan. The next thing I know, a dog is running across the screen, and I realize it is a commercial for dog food.

Life rule #1,753: Do not advertise dog food like you would with real food, by showing how good it looks, and describing the flavors. We are not the ones eating it, and the fact that I started craving it just makes me feel bad about myself. Describe the utility that the dog will get from it: healthy, happy, large portion, diet, etc. I do not need to know that the bacon is smoked, and I definitely do not need to know what it looks like.

Private Computer Crash Steak Lessons

The title of this post summarizes three major events that have taken place in my life over the past 72 hours (1) My computer crashed (2) We took a private cooking class and (3) I ate a significant amount of steak/other various meats for dinner tonight. And now I elaborate...

1. Friday night, my computer worked. Saturday morning, my computer did not work. Nothing says happy valentine's day like a crashed hard drive. The one bright spot with this is that my Apple Care is valid through May, so if something was going to happen to my computer, now was the time. Usually, I would expect for this to occur the day after Apple Care ran out. For the time being I am using Diana's computer/my work computer. Should be up and running in 5-10 business days.

2. As part of my valentine's day present to Diana, we took a private cooking lesson with Janeen Sarlin, who says she cooked for Bill Clinton. The class was at a friend's apartment and was put together by Dave for Stephanie's birthday. In total, there were three couples in attendance. (Editor note: When it comes to people in my blog I have two rules: (1) I don't use friends' last names and (2) I don't introduce any of my friends to my readers. If you are that curious, you can ask me. However, Janeen Sarlin is fair game as she is a public figure). Dinner took 7 hours to make, during which approximately 9 bottles of wine were consumed by the six of us. We learned how to cut onions without crying, how to pound veal, and how to turn pie crust into breadsticks. The night concluded with Rock Band. Note to self: Planning dinners involving nine bottles of wine on a Sunday night is a bad idea. When you have work the next day and no one else in the country does. By the way, Janeen was great and I would highly recommend her.

3. And now I arrive at the steak/other various meats portion of the post. Last night after work, I took the PATH to "meat" (no pun intended) Matt and Joe for dinner in Newark at Fernandes' Steakhouse. It is a Brazillian restaurant that specializes in Rodizio (waiters serving various meat on skewers at your will). The quantity of food consumed was legendary. Cows, lambs, and pigs were running for their lives at the very sight of us by the end of the night. My personal favorite was the roast beef. Other honorable mentions included the bacon wrapped filet, pork loin, and garlic sirloin.

Congrats Diana!

After 2 1/2 years of being a grad student at NYU, Diana officially graduated yesterday. Despite having the excellent luck of graduating during the worst job market since the Great Depression, she still managed to find a job! She is now officially a speech pathologist at City Sounds NY.

Congratulations Diana and good luck in the workforce!