::a day in the life::

Brooklyn Sunset

2010-10-14T12:55:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts... lots of visitors, harvests, traveling, weddings, crazy weather (tornado! hail!), etc.

In the meantime, enjoy the beautiful Brooklyn sunset!

P's PP 10 mile Run

2010-08-22T23:53:00.000-04:00

Very proud day for P today... He ran the 1st annual "Battle of Brooklyn" 10 mile race in Prospect Park this morning. I guess a guy dressed up in a military outfit fired a musket to start the race.

It was a bit muggy and drizzly, but the damp and cloudy conditions probably cooled the runners down a lot! They ran three loops around the park- I took the subway down and cheered him and the other runners on, guiltily drinking my latte and munching on a muffin! :|

So fast my camera couldn't focus on him... and he even beat his goal by a few minutes!

PS 1- Warm Up

2010-08-22T23:22:00.018-04:00

We trekked out to Long Island City on Saturday for Katy's going away party at PS1. It's been several years since I've been to PS1, and my first to the Warm Up parties... I had avoided them due to the rumors of the hour long lines outside to get in, but Katy informed me that they weren't like that anymore. But wow- what a scene! The courtyard was full of giant rubber balls that people were either sitting on or they were being bounced around on top of the nets, from one part of the courtyard to another, in the true PS1 interactive courtyard installation manner. The steps up to the museum were jammed with people, and the music was pumping. We could barely hear each other talk- it was basically like going to an outdoor club during the afternoon.

P and I headed inside to rest our throats but we were equally impressed and disappointed with the artwork, but perhaps it was just way too crowded to enjoy. Everybody seemed to be in their most "effortlessly" hip outfit, strutting around and checking each other out, which was actually kind of like an exhibition in itself!

This highly anticipated outdoor series celebrates its twelfth year of exposing audiences to the best in experimental music and live bands, performances, and DJs. Coinciding with the annual Young Architects Program, this year's Warm Up will merge with a new courtyard installation, Pole Dance, created by the architectural firm Solid Objectives - Idenburg Liu (SO - IL).

This year for the first time, Warm Up will feature interdisciplinary collaborations between musicians and artists. On our particular visit, Body & Pole, a series of performances created by choreographer Kyra Johannesen was performed in the courtyard, further expanding the interactive qualities presented in the architectural installation Pole Dance.

Eagle Street Rooftop Farm

2010-08-13T22:44:00.000-04:00

My friend Carlos who works at the Brooklyn Borough Commissioner's office helped to set up this visit on Wednesday to the impressive 6,000 SF Eagle Street rooftop farm on top of a warehouse in Greenpoint. There was a wide assortment of people from the community- my office, students from Parson's, people from the Borough Commissioner's office, and miscellaneous landscape and architecture friends who tagged along.

In 2008, founding farmers Annie Novak and Ben Flanner started this organic vegetable farm farm on the roof of the Broadway Stages recording studio (installed by Goode Green).

With a stunning view of the Manhattan skyline beyond, Annie led our group around the roof, explaining what she grows, how she seemingly pulls it off so effortlessly (!), and even cradled a chicken in her arms at one point. She had a such an easygoing manner that we all felt comfortable with her immediately- good energy for people, plants, and animals! No squirrel or other animal issues up here!

After an initial study on the history and structure of the building, the green roof medium and thickness was carefully chosen so that no additional structural measures would be required to reinforce the building. 200,000 pounds of soil and a wide variety of crops were craned up there, and within one year, the farm was already hosting a Farm Market, CSA, picnics, potlucks and was offering internships and workshops. The crops are sought by neighborhood restaurants, which donate their compost-ready waste back to the farm.

Beets

Eggplants!

One of the chickens on the roof

Annie's team made a large platter of fresh bruschetta for us, with freshly picked tomatoes and basil!

Too bad it's so inconvenient for me to get to Greenpoint from where I am... I'd love to support them as much as I could!

Our new bathroom

2010-08-13T22:08:00.001-04:00

This posting is a little late, but the construction of our bathroom was so traumatizing I just couldn't post about it for awhile! Actually, that sounds a lot like the very belated wedding posts that I promised about a year ago... can't believe it's already been a year! Ummmm, soon... I'm still recovering from that! :)

Anyway, so when we first moved into this apartment, the bathroom was in "ok" shape- probably last renovated in the 1990s. Besides the mismatched tiles and the missing tile/hole in the shower, it was just beyond the acceptable level of normal wear and tear...

September 2008

In our excitement of buying the place, we never noticed that the bathroom didn't have an electrical outlet! Then we noticed on windy days, we'd get a breeze down the vent shaft and air would blow down into our bathroom from the passive wall vent. (Sometimes the wind also blew in the smell of our neighbors' cooking.) Soon thereafter, we noticed a hairline crack in the basin of the pedestal sink.... and then the wobbly tile floors... and then the beadboard wainscoating started to break apart... and this past spring, the decision to renovate was cemented when our toilet tank developed a crack and started leaking!! The plumber temporarily epoxied it, but warned us that it wouldn't stick around for much longer. Plus, it was a HUGE water waster since it was an old fashioned toilet, using about 3 gallons per flush! (All toilets nowadays are maximum 1.6 gpf)

Using vintage hotel bathrooms, Waterworks, and the beautiful bathrooms at the bed and breakfast we stayed at in CA earlier this year as our inspirations, we set off to redesign our bathroom. Since our building is over 100 years old, we decided to stick with a classic, historic design, but we wanted it to still be a little modern and fresh, as well as water efficient.

At first we were going to go with a dual-flush toilet, but in the end we were really pleased with the classic look of the 1.28 gpf Toto EcoPromenade (and its fancy high tech flushing mechanism)! Finding a small, good looking pedestal sink narrower than 20" was a huge challenge since we didn't want to relocate the plumbing fixtures (nor did we have the room). Since there were no cracks in the tub, we decided to just reglaze it instead of getting rid of it. We had been completely sold on this gorgeous creamy hand molded tile but our hopes were dashed when we found out the finished bullnose tiles were unavailable and they were discontinuing the line altogether. So we ended up with a similar looking tile by American Olean that was machine made, much cheaper, but also much less interesting. We punched up the design factor by using several different tile sizes and intentionally using a cream and white palette rather than white on white. It was a roller coaster of a ride to deal and coordinate with ordering all the different components- backstock, availability, shipping deliveries, returns, delays, etc...

P and I went away to Massachusetts for an extended weekend over the 4th of July, and figured that Bari could complete the demo, plumbing rough-in, and even some of the tile work in our absence. We assumed it would take a few hours to remove the existing fixtures (toilet, sink, lights), chip off the tile, and take down the sheetrock walls and ceiling. After all, it is only a 39 SF room. How long could it possibly take?!?

Late June

A little backstory... (disclaimer- this is our version)
Our apartment is on the fourth floor of a five story walkup brownstone. Apparently a few decades ago when our upstairs neighbor's apartment was renovated, the contractors decided that it was easier to just throw all their excess construction debris (plaster, old tiles, pipes, wood, etc.) into the plumbing chase and into the space between our ceiling joists rather than dragging it down five flights and then having to pay for hauling it away! After stuffing everything into our ceiling, they just installed their floor finish on their side, and everyone must have forgotten about it as people moved away....

Jump back to 2010... Bari cuts a hole in the ceiling to start removing the sheetrock, and it practically collapses on him! Shockingly, he was not hurt, albeit covered in dust. Horrified, he had to work at cutting the ceiling away in small sections, with a giant garbage bag below him to capture the debris that rained down on him each time. When the medicine cabinet was removed, we found hundreds of rusty used razor blades from (a) previous tenant(s) who had discarded them through the little openings in the back of the cabinet!

All the debris in the ceiling is gone in this photo, but much of it is still behind the plumbing chase wall. Some of the studs are not even sitting on top of anything!

Then we found out the tile delivery was going to be delayed by a whole week due to the 4th of July holiday. Needless to say, we got back from MA with a lot less done than we expected. Bari was great though- without his patience and resourcefulness, we wouldn't be where we are now! We ended up subletting a nearby apartment through Craigslist for a few days, then extending our stay to a week. But, we were forced to move back in prematurely when the sublet ran out. For a good laugh, reread the NY Times article Two Weeks Without A Toilet.

Bari was kind enough to accommodate us and move the toilet into the bathroom and hook it up every night when we got home and moved it out again each morning after we left for work. Paul was showering at his gym and I was taking cold showers at my work during off hours. At least most of July was in the 90s, so the cold showers were actually pretty refreshing! We brushed our teeth at the kitchen sink and sponged off in the middle of the kitchen on the muggiest nights. It was too hot and dirty to cook in our apartment, so we ate almost every single meal out as well. I had daily morning meetings with Bari, and sometimes had to leave work to meet him two or three times during the day to make quick decisions. His keen eye, honesty, and reliability really kept me in check. Since I do this for a living, I had planned and drawn everything out down to the last inch, but as construction goes, there were unforeseen circumstances and I had to be flexible. My moods yo-yo'ed from extreme frustration to exhilaration as we exchanged countless texts, emails, photos, and updates.

All of our furniture in the living room was either moved to the bedroom or pushed to the perimeter of the room and completely covered in plastic for a month while the center of the room became Bari's staging/ storage/ work area. There were tools, table saws, tile saws, doors, sheetrock, stacks of lumber, plumbing fixtures, and boxes of tiles everywhere! All of our plants were crowded into the kitchen nook and we had to crawl through a plastic sheet every night to get into the bedroom, where we were tripping over boxes of bathroom supplies and furniture. Not to mention that it was hot (it hit or surpassed 90 degrees almost every day of July!)...

Anway, back to the construction...

Setting the border tile on top of our new level floor

The new copper plumbing piping

Bari had to reframe the back wall since it was in such bad condition. In our previous bathroom, some of the newer pipes actually ran across the front of the wall, and were just "plastered" over, so that back wall was completely wavy and uneven! This wall isn't going anywhere.

The sheetrock is up, and the walls and ceiling are completely level.

Look, an electrical outlet!

Bari's favorite part- putting up the wall tiles

Bari's gorgeous tilework... We loved all the clean white marble and diagonal floor tile pattern from the SLO bathroom, so we decided to mix it up by doing a herringbone pattern with a simple border.

The plumbers installing the fixtures!

The newly reglazed tub

The tub and built-in cabinet/hamper were really about the only things that we kept. Bari took the doors off the cabinet and is going to redo them so they don't look like cheap Formica cabinets.

The new but vintage-looking Schoolhouse ceiling light and sconce, and the quietest, most powerful wall fan ever

The beautiful Rohl faucet and Vitra sink. The town where the faucet is made was once famous for making church bells, so the base of the faucet handle pays homage to its history.

The shiny new doorknob

The shiny new towel bar

The shiny new robe hook beyond

The view from the orange foyer/hallway

As most construction goes- it took about double the time and double the budget... Despite the frustrating moments, it was well worth it. We now have a luxurious bathroom that we love spending time in! With a few recommendations from friends and helpful industry contacts, Bari's blood and sweat, and (some of our) tears...

Voila! Our new bathroom!

August 2010

Contractor: Bari DeJaynes
Plumbers: Martin Plumbing
Electrician: Romanello Electric

Plumbing fixtures: Toto EcoPromenade, Kohler Bancroft, Rohl Cisal faucet (Simon's Hardware, NYC)

Plumbing fixtures: Vitra Epoca sink (Signature Hardware)

Wall tiles: American Olean, biscuit (Bella Tile, NYC)

Floor tiles: Calacatta Gold marble (Swan Tile and Cabinets, NYC)

Ceiling light: Otis (Schoolhouse Electric)

Towel bar, shelf, sconce: Restoration Hardware

Toilet paper holder: Home Depot

Medicine cabinet: Nutone

Fan: Panasonic
Hook: Anthropologie

Doorknob: Baldwin
Paint: Benjamin Moore

Urban gardening 2010: Pear Tomatoes

2010-08-11T21:03:00.002-04:00

It's kind of funny that the names of tomatoes are named after other fruits or food--- cherries, plums, pears, grapes, beefsteak...

Anyway, we got one red pear tomato this week! Let's hope the squirrels don't get to them.

Urban gardening 2010: Peppers (June and July)

2010-08-11T20:51:00.000-04:00

Wow, we have so many peppers, we don't know what to do with them!

Peppers just peeping out of the flower blossoms (Mid/Late June)

Late June

Early July

Peppers starting to change colors! (Mid/late July)

Definitely some fire in there! (Late July)

We've already harvested about 10-15 peppers, this is the second growth... (Early/Mid August)

More peppers- had to bring these to work and distribute (Mid August)

Lincoln Center Green Roof

2010-08-10T22:51:00.001-04:00

Wow, what a great space! Was able to stroll around Diller and Scofidio's new contoured grass-covered roof at Lincoln Center today after watching a complimentary open rehearsal of tonight's Mostly Mozart rehearsal at Avery Fisher Hall, courtesy of a temporary partnership between Lincoln Center and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

From the Lincoln Center website:
Joining landscape and architecture, the gently contoured Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Lawn is an elevated, 7,203 square foot expanse of public green that slopes gracefully toward Paul Milstein Pool and Terrace. Technically described as a hyperbolic paraboloid, Illumination Lawn brings another dimension of visual interest to Hearst Plaza—its texture contrasting with the surrounding materials, and its unexpected shape setting off the linear quality of the buildings around it. Designed to provide a tranquil, verdant oasis for students, artists, and visitors, the green serves as a dynamic gathering space, as well as the roof of a pavilion housing a new destination restaurant, a film center, and offices.

The geometry of the roof is derived using straight structural elements that are slightly rotated relative to one another. The result is an undulating rectangular surface with two high corners diagonally opposed from one another and two low corners on the opposite diagonal corners. The slopes range from flat to 18 degrees.

The grass... is held in place by a combination of geoweb and grass roots. The geoweb is a perforated polyethylene cellular mat that is stretched across the roof surface and attached to the building perimeter with stainless steel tendons. The geoweb cells are filled with growing media and then planted with sod. The roots from the sod will, over time, grow to interlock with the geoweb. The growing media varies across the surface of the roof but averages about 9" across the entire roof. It was selected for its resiliency to foot traffic and the fact that it is greener than other varieties during its dormant season.

Groovy. Too bad it was too hot and muggy to stand outside for more than 3 minutes.
I'll have to come back when it's a bit cooler. Of course, that would mean I'm going to have to go north of 14th Street, ha ha.

Urban gardening 2010: Eggplants (June, July)

2010-08-03T20:20:00.001-04:00

The eggplants were getting stout, and flowers started forming in late June. The first few photos are of the eggplants in the long trough.

Mid/late June

Late June

Eggplant blossom (Early July)

I had read that eggplants are really difficult to grow, and especially pollinate, and many people end up having to "hand-pollinate"... These have been our easiest crop to date! They were the last things to go in the dirt outside, but we've basically watered them when they're dry, and have left them alone. I guess we had some busy-bees because the next week, you could see the swollen fruit forming inside the flower "cap"!

Early/Mid July

The eggplant is peeping out! (Mid July)

Mid/late July

Late July

The eggplants were hanging out there a little too long! (Early August)

The type of eggplants we were growing were called "green apple eggplants"- which totally makes sense. They are the size of small apples, and are pale green. The only way to tell that they're done is to squeeze them slightly to see if they have any "give". Otherwise, they are super smooth and hard, kind of like an unripe tomato.

P sliced them up and pan seared them with some bacon fat and served them with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Yummy! Oops, ate them before I could take a picture!

These last couple shots are of the eggplants in the terracotta pot.

Mid/late July

Late July

A perfect apple green eggplant! (Early August)

Urban gardening 2010: Watermelon

2010-08-03T19:36:00.000-04:00

Paul's coworker had given him some tiny watermelon seedlings in mid June.

We threw them into a medium sized galvanized bucket, not expecting much. But once we put them in the dirt, they starting growing like crazy!

Late June

Early July

Mid July

Watermelon blossoms! (Mid/Late July)

Bumble bee on watermelon blossom (Mid/late July)

First watermelon! (Mid/late July)

Late July

We weren't sure when the watermelon was ready for picking, but since it hadn't gotten any bigger in a week, we took our chances (it was about the size of a tennis ball). P cut the watermelon open, and much to our surprise, the inside was was almost completely rind (the white part). There was a little pink-ish center and even the seeds, still soft, were whitish/clear. It looked more like a super round cucumber than a watermelon! Tasted like one too...

Watermelon (& green apple eggplants) in early August

More watermelons! Hope these are sweeter.... (Early/mid August)

Hydroponics 101

2010-08-01T20:01:00.001-04:00

Carlos and I took an introductory Hydroponics Workshop with Boswyck Farms, led by Lee Mandell, their Chief Hydroponicist.

A basic explanation of hydroponics (from their website):
The word hydroponics is derived from the Greek words, “hydro” meaning water and “ponos” meaning labor. In short hydroponics is the art of soil-less growing. Rather than dirt, plants grow in containers using alternate mediums such as clay, gravel, sand, vermiculite and coconut fiber. There is a constant water flow mixed with a nutrient solution to keep plants healthy and happy...

Growing hydroponically is highly efficient and environmentally sustainable. It’s estimated that hydroponic systems use 70%-90% less water than conventional growing because the water is continually circulated through the systems. In addition the problems of run-off and soil erosion are non-existent. Growing hydroponically means that crops can be grown in smaller spaces–a great advantage and practicality in urban settings–while producing significant yields of fruits and vegetables.

Sign me up!

We learned a little about the history of hydroponics, the benefits of hydroponics versus traditional soil growing, and about the many different types of hydroponics systems (aeroponics, floor and drain, Nutrient Film Technology, etc. We even built our own simple drip system with a 5 gallon bucket! I'm trying out lettuce, both in the little spongey "plugs" as well as throwing them directly into the expanded clay balls ("hydroton").

A NFT system (the nutrient water goes along the bottom of these tubes in a thin "film") and gets recirculated around and around.

Me building my bucket (that's the strainer inside the bucket that holds the hydroton in)

Lettuce seedlings! They are being grown in an inorganic sponge-like "plug".

The lettuce roots are coming out of the sponge plug (no dirt involved), time to stick them in the drip system bucket!

The 3 sponge plugs with lettuce seedlings in the bucket, surrounded by the hydroton

The drip system bucket

1. The nutrient-enriched water is in the bottom half of the bucket
2. A large strainer about half the depth of the bucket holds the hydroton (the growing medium) and the seedlings.
3. A plastic vertical tube extends from bottom of bucket to the top, capped with a plastic ring (with holes around the bottom)
4. A low energy use (2W) air pump (not shown) pushes air through the clear plastic tube, which pushes the nutrient water up through the vertical tube and out the holes in the plastic ring.
5. The water continually drips onto the hydroton, which in turn keeps the seedlings wet, and excess water drips back down in the bucket, where it gets recirculated up again.
6. The blue tube on the outside shows the water level inside the bucket, so you know when to refill!

We'll see how it grows!

Urban gardening 2010: Peas (June and July)

2010-08-01T09:17:00.000-04:00

This July was so different from last July.... Last year it was rainy and cool, this year it was HOT. HOT. HOT. HUMID. HOT. 14 days this month, it hit or surpassed 90 degrees! The cool weather peas barely languished and finally gave up.... At least we were able to have a few peas in our salads- although most of them we just ate when we were picking them.

Late June

Early July

I cut down all the old dried pea shoots and leaves and we were trying to figure out what to grow in that container.... and then, suddenly, NEW peas! I guess the weather cooled down enough for them to come back? Who knows... we'll let these go and see how they do. Randomly, morning glories also started to grow out of the pea planter, so they will be growing alongside the peas. I hope that they, along with the marigolds in the lower zucchini planter will be able to provide the peas a bit more shade.

Late July

Brooklyn chimneys

2010-08-01T00:10:00.000-04:00

Reminds me a little of the rooftops from Mary Poppins

Urban gardening 2010: Squash (June and July)

2010-07-30T20:58:00.000-04:00

The last time I posted about the squash, I was meddling with nature, and our first squash had just started forming... Here it is mid June, with the flower completely open.

The flower has fallen off, and the zucchini is definitely getting bigger.

The harvest! Zucchini, basil, thyme (Late June)

Brunch on the patio- zucchini herb frittata with local La Bagel Delight bagel

There were a ton of blossoms after that, but for some reason, they kept falling off. Perhaps there were too many plants in the planter, or the soil needed to be amended somehow, but all the little half-formed zucchini just rotted and fell off. Then July's temperatures hit, and it was all over. The squirrels ravaged the new leaves, and then started chomping on the stalks, and the wind just tore them apart.

Thrashed zucchini

We had to chop them all down to the soil and basically see if new leaves and flowers would form again. Disappointing, considering these are supposed to be the easiest thing to ever grow, and we only got ONE zucchini out of the whole lot! :(

Brooklyn day with Katy

2010-07-29T11:48:00.000-04:00

Katy's in town from Sweden, and we finally got a whole day to hang out! We met up at the Brooklyn Museum off Eastern Parkway and wandered around the Mummy Chamber, the Dresses, Andy Warhol, and Kiki Smith exhibits. When the museum closed, we raced through the Brooklyn Botanic Garden before they closed.

Katy and Alexander Calder's Le Guichet in the Osborne Garden

Earlier this year, Lincoln Center paid tribute to Mayor Bloomberg at its annual spring gala by offering to move the work by Calder to any place in New York City of his choosing for 90 days. After a Citywide location search, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which is celebrating its centennial year, was selected! Le Guichet was created by Alexander Calder—one of the mayor's favorite sculptors—in 1963 and was presented to the people of New York in 1965. It has been on view at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts until now. This is the first time it has been offered on loan. Lucky us!

We also walked through the recently opened Herb Garden- hooray for urban agriculture! I was too excited I forgot to take any photos. It was the perfect time to visit since almost everything was in bloom/season.

Finally, stopped off at my house for a break on the patio, then picked up some sandwiches and drinks, and walked along the Brooklyn Promenade to Brooklyn Bridge Park! I was so happy to finally make it to one of the free Thursday night Movies with a View!

It was amazingly refreshing to have a break in the weather. We watched the sunset over the Hudson and the temperatures hovered around the mid-70s as Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window came on. It was perfectly comfortable compared to the hot mugginess of the last few weeks!

Like anything else free in the city, it was completely mobbed. You could barely see a few inches of grassy patches between all the picnic blankets! But things like this make me love New York.

Zoe's flowers

2010-07-27T12:12:00.000-04:00

P found this olive oil can discarded in the trash, and took it home to plant some gorgeous cactus flowers to give to his coworker's daughter (her name is Zoe).

Suraj's Birthday

2010-07-27T11:28:00.000-04:00

Wow, another Suraj birthday! It's been like 10 years of celebrating birthdays with him, from San Francisco to New York. Hope this lasts for another decade!

Awww... so cute... and innocent... don't let that cute face deceive you though.

He got a Shake Weight! Good times!

Brooklyn Cyclones game

2010-07-26T22:12:00.000-04:00

Um, so I'm not really that huge of a baseball fan- but I ended up going to baseball games three weekends in a row! First we went to CitiField and saw the Mets play the Braves (my first time ever seeing a major league baseball game in NYC)! Then I saw the Cyclones shut-out the Tri-City Valleycats in Troy (near Albany), and then we saw a home game against the Staten Island Yankees.

We had brunch with Tom at Jolie on Atlantic Avenue, and then braved the ominous weather on our way to Coney Island. It was our lucky day- Tom got an amazing parking space directly across the street from the stadium! We walked down the boardwalk and people-watched for awhile (and you could do this all day at Coney Island), and then the rain came down... I guess not so lucky... The three of us were pretty far down along the beach, so we got soaked as we headed back to the stadium. The beach emptied out and everyone ran for cover underneath the large concrete pavilions. Eventually we squeezed in to huddle beneath the pitiful faux-tropical thatched awning of a smoothie shack during the worst of the downpour.

Just like our first time seeing the Cyclones 2 years ago, we hung out waiting for the game to be called. But that time, although it was in mid August, it dropped to about 50 degrees so we were FREEZING in our shorts and tank tops. This time, it was at least warm, but the memories of that day made me want to go home. I was glad I didn't, because the weather cleared up, and we were treated to a spectacular pink and purple sunset and the rising of a hazy full moon. (yay, lucky us!)

But, the Cyclones lost to the Yankees, 8 to 7. (not so lucky). Great crowd, although we were stuck with the other "bleacher creatures"! :)

JG, Ahmed, Sean, P, me, Katie, Tom

Urban gardening 2010: Beets and Carrots (June and July)

2010-07-25T23:42:00.000-04:00

Hooray, beets and carrots!

Beets (Late June)

Carrots (Late June)

A small harvest of beets and carrots (mid July)

Closeup

Spinach (store bought) garnished with our home grown tomatoes, carrots, and beets (mid July)

Urban gardening 2010: Tomatoes (June and July)

2010-07-24T22:44:00.004-04:00

With the bathroom renovation taking over our entire apartment, we did not get to care for our urban garden as well as we would have liked.... and without us living full time at the apartment, the squirrels decided that the fruits of our labor on our patio were for their taking.... grrrrrrrrrrrrr.....

A small harvest of 1 plum, 2 yellow cherries, and some oregano (late June)

Tomatoes Mid/Late June


Tomatoes late June

Oh no! The bottoms of these tomatoes started turning black! Picked them off and threw a bunch of crushed eggshells in the pot. They subsequent ones didn't turn black, but kept getting knocked down by squirrels before they could turn red!

Mid/Late July

The plum and cherry tomatoes were getting more and more red everyday...

Late June

Mid/late June

Early July

Tomato harvest early July

Mid July

Tomato harvest mid July

Basil planted at the base of the tomatoes (mid/late July)

Everyday, we'd come home to find half eaten tomatoes on the ground.... so painful!

We've tried sprinkling the dried blood and cayenne pepper around, but they don't seem to deter those pests... I guess with the ridiculously hot weather, they deserve some fresh vitamins and home grown fruit too... we are in their world, after all. But still, they are OUR tomatoes!!!

OH, and our long awaited time lapse "movie"of the tomatoes' growth- from Joerg's Plant Cam! A photo was taken every few hours from June 4th to July 24th, condensed into a 7 second video. At one point the camera was tipped over a little bit (we think by those pesky squirrels) but we don't have any proof of them. Grrrr......

Urban gardening 2010: Lettuce (July)

2010-07-21T18:42:00.000-04:00

The end of the lettuce crop (Early July)

We did not continue to sow lettuce seeds every couple of weeks, so the lettuce leaves that kept growing from the first couple of sowings started to get a little tough and bitter. Too bad, they were so good! Next year, lots of lettuce and arugula- they're so easy to grow and keep coming back after you cut them.

Weekend in Albany

2010-07-20T09:03:00.000-04:00

It took a lot of effort to get up to Albany but we finally made it up there.... Sean and Wendy had rented a Zip Car van to leave on Friday evening to take us, Wendy's mom, and our friend Lisa up to Albany for Wendy's bridal shower weekend in Albany. Unfortunately, S got a phone call at work on Friday afternoon that the van got a flat tire, and it had to be taken in to get repaired, and then inspected. After any car issues, their policy is to keep the cars for a couple days to make a full body inspection to ensure that nothing else was affected. Good policy, but bad for us, since they supposedly didn't have any other vans/large cars for us.

They finally found an available SUV, but it was in Astoria, Queens. They rejected Sean's request to have them pay for the car service for all of us to go out to Queens from their apartment in Williamsburg, so he kept searching for a vehicle either close to his work, or at least closer to the apartment. Nothing came up, so he called back after a few minutes to reserve the SUV in Queens. But by that time, it had already been reserved!

So he finally just booked a small car at the lot by their apartment and settled for the fact that 5 of us plus all of Wendy's mother's luggage would have to squeeze into the little car. He went to the lot on the way home from work and explained to the staff about our situation- they unsuccessfully tried looking for more cars, but it was a Friday afternoon in NYC in the middle of the summer... So he started to drive the little car out of the lot, when his cell phone rang, and the Zip Car representative alerted him to not leave the lot because the NYPD thought the car was stolen!?! ...and then his phone died...

Wendy, her mom, and I were all ready and packed, loaded up with sandwiches, drinks, snacks for the car ride, but we had to settle in and search for alternate ways of getting upstate! We looked into planes (which would need a couple layovers in DC or Chicago), trains, and buses. Since we didn't know for sure if ZipCar would reimburse us for our travel expenses, we didn't want to go out of pocket too much, so we settled for taking the bus up the next morning at 7am, and taking the Amtrak back on Sunday afternoon. By this point, it was about 10pm, so I just ended up staying over at their apartment. Hooray, hot shower for the 1st time in a week!!! (bathroom renovation still going on)

The next morning, we groggily woke up at 5:30am, showered, and headed out to Penn Station/ Madison Square Garden. There were hundreds of people out there already, but no organization whatsoever. I guess there were buses that were leaving every 15 minutes to Philly, DC, Boston, etc., but we were there so early that our 7am to Albany line wasn't even formed. Finally a guy from the bus company came out and started shouting at everyone to form lines. It was fairly chaotic, but he got most of us loaded on the bus when we heard the bus driver tell him that the bus was out of gas, and another bus was coming, so he should stop loading us on! Uh.... what?!? the bus guy was like, I don't care- get these people and their stuff on the bus- I need them off the sidewalk. When the next bus comes, we'll unload and reload them again! The new bus came, and thankfully it was a smooth transition although we left about an hour later than we were supposed to. Then we sat in traffic for another half hour trying to get out of Manhattan!

Finally got to Albany a couple hours later, quickly showered, drank some coffee, and headed out for Wendy's bridal shower/luncheon at Beth's house (Sean's parents' friend). Lisa and I immediately started putting together fruit kebabs and helping her set out drinks, etc. Beth and Sean's mom planned a beautiful shower in her garden with lots of their friends, many of whom were unfortunately unable to make it out to Hawaii for the wedding. It was great to meet everyone, and especially to hang out with Sean's brother Ben, and his super cool and crafty girlfriend, Martha.

Lisa, Wendy, and me at the shower

After the shower, we changed and headed out to see the Tri-City Valleycats host the Brooklyn Cyclones (Minor League Baseball). It was so fun and wholesome- and everything was so cheap! and $2 hot dogs! and the Cyclones smoked the Valleycats 8-0! and then like the world's longest fireworks show! and there was a lightning storm all around us all night, but the rain didn't come down until we were walking to the car at the end of the night... it was an awesome day.

The clouds were so surreal right before the storm

We were staying at a nearby Marriott Hotel, and boy, was I happy to enjoy another hot shower! It was a weekend of showers!! Bridal shower, rain showers, and hot showers! woohoo!

The next day we headed back to Sean's parents house for brunch. His dad had prepared a huge spread, including a couple of huge delicious frittatas made with homegrown zucchini and herbs, roasted potatoes, leftover fruit from the shower, and a couple loaves of banana and zucchini bread. Yum.

Ben and Martha headed up to the Open House Day at the Saratoga Springs Racetrack and we thought that was a great idea, so we also went up. It was hot and sunny, but very appropriate for the event- and since it was Open House, admission was free and there was no strict dress code or anything. We didn't have too much time since we had to catch the train back to NYC that afternoon, so we watched a couple of races and walked around the grounds. So Americana!

The happy couple!

Yay for Wendy and Sean!

Bathroom Renovation

2010-07-16T16:56:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile since I've updated the blog since my laptop has been under plastic for the last several weeks! We are undergoing a bathroom renovation- which in itself is stressful already, but when you live in a small apartment with only one bathroom, it becomes a frustrating, traumatic, life changing experience, uprooting your daily routine and forcing you to adapt to the constantly shifting conditions.

Until I download my photos and blog about the before/during/after photos, read this hilarious article (full text below) by Joyce Wadler of the New York Times about a Manhattanite who is also renovating her bathroom- many of the trials and tribulations she faces are similar to what P and I have been dealing with.

Two Weeks Without a Toilet

Published July 14, 2010

By Joyce Wadler

Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

THIS is my new tub, a Rubbermaid Roughneck XL plastic bin. What do you think — is the lime green too much?

I picked it out in the storage section at Home Depot, kicking off my sandals and stepping in, doing a nice straight-back knee bend partway down to see if I would fit. At 18 by 32 inches, with a depth of 20 inches, it was perfect. But five days into my bathroom renovation, it was not so great.

Sick of the Y.M.C.A. showers, I decided to try using the bin as a true bathtub, rather than as the place where I would stand and drip after lathering up at the kitchen sink. I folded my limbs in, feeling like an insect with extra joints. (On the fifth day of her renovation, the reporter awoke to find she had turned into a giant cockroach.)

Seated, it was a very tight fit, leaving me three inches to move my hands, but lots of space to free-associate. My first association was flying tourist class to Shanghai. Then I thought about the stowaways who cram themselves into shipping boxes on freight containers. Then, realizing just how tough it would be to get out, I wondered if I would die there and what the headline might be.

Reporter Drowns in Makeshift Tub; Home Renovations in New York on Upswing

Bathroom renovation is not easy in Manhattan. In the rest of the country, most people have bathrooms in multiples: master baths, children’s bath, powder rooms. In a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan, you are lucky if you can find the space in your only bathroom for extra toilet paper. Renovating, you have a few choices: move out, use the neighbors’ bathroom or improvise.

Having the work done while I was away, which was my plan, finally didn’t seem to be a great idea: questions come up often during a renovation. Moving in with friends would be inconvenient, and hotels are expensive. Using a neighbor’s bathroom, which a lot of people suggested, was a terrible idea. Even if anyone was crazy enough to agree, it would mean that one day I would have to do the same for them, and who wants someone popping into their apartment several times an evening and in the middle of the night?

So improvisation it would be, and I had a plan. Use the Y.M.C.A. a block and a half away for showering. Buy a big plastic tub for an at-home lather-and-rinse bath. Brush my teeth at the kitchen sink.

Of course, the most urgent question — the one friends seized on constantly — was what I would do for a toilet. There were two camps, the ones who knew exactly what I was going to do — or as I came to think of them, the ones who had read Henry Miller in high school — and the ones who pretended they had no idea. The first camp, I am proud to say, was in the majority.

“O.K., the sink, I get it,” a science reporter said. “But what about — — ”

The doormen have a toilet, I told him. Somewhere.

I reminded the squeamish that I don’t cook. If a cup or two is poured carefully down the drain with the occasional Clorox chaser, so what? It’s not like I’m rinsing vegetables in the sink.

The night before demolition, I set up my bathroom in exile. I moved cosmetics and soaps and shampoos into the kitchen. I propped a hand mirror between the handles of a kitchen cabinet, which turned out to be exactly the right height for a makeup mirror. I put the Rubbermaid Roughneck tub near the sink, and stacked bath towels on a counter. The oven door handle of the snazzy Italian stove I put in during a kitchen renovation a few months earlier made a perfect rack for hand towels. I thought I could hear the stove sniffling, it was so grateful to be finally getting some attention, poor thing.

My contractor estimated that he could put in the bathroom in less than three weeks, connecting the toilet by the end of week two. This schedule was immediately knocked off course when the service elevator was shut down on Monday, meaning everything would be a day late, and I would be without a toilet for two weekends, not one. But my neighborhood is full of restaurants with bathrooms, and I had a plan; what did I care?

Demolition began on a Tuesday. I had dinner out and came home late to a bathroom stripped down to concrete and pipes, and a living room covered in dust. Annoying, but I had gone through it with the kitchen renovation and lived. I hate people who whine about renovations.

I went to the kitchen to rinse out a pair of white jeans for the next day and turned on the faucet: nothing, no water.

The plumber, shutting off the water in the bathroom, had cut off the water to the entire apartment. I panicked. I can live without a bathroom, but with no water at all, my apartment was unlivable. There are five exposed valves in the bathroom, but I had no idea which one would turn the water back on and which one would erupt in my face, blowing my eye out. I called the contractor. He apologized profusely, told me which handle to turn, and after a few wrenching tries I was able to turn the water back on, though I had a feeling I had dislocated my shoulder.

But I am independent woman, strong like bull, proud, and the plan was back on track. I washed the jeans in a little detergent, then pulled the plug. Then I heard the sound of water running in the bathroom — which was not, under the circumstances, where I wanted to hear it. I raced over.

Soapy water was dripping from an open pipe, the water forming a fat, muddy puddle on the floor. I threw towels onto the floor to mop it up and made a panicked run down to the basement to find the super, realizing as I did so that I was in desperate need of a bathroom. I stopped a passing doorman.

“There wouldn’t be a bathroom somewhere down here, would there?” I asked.

He led me to one in a corner of the basement I had never noticed, though I have been in the building 22 years. The secret bathroom — salvation!

Then I found the super, who, after giving me the “that’s what you get for hiring an outside contractor instead of me and my extended family” look, said he would see what he could do. He came up to my bathroom, screwed on a U-shaped pipe to prevent overflow and gave me a crash course in plumbing. I gave him two $20s.

OPERATION Live Without a Toilet for Two Weeks, It Won’t Kill You was back on track. Wimps who leave their apartments just because they have no bathroom? I sneer at them.

I showered at the Y in the morning, and used the bathrooms at work and at neighborhood restaurants, although the question of whether to have an after-dinner drink was now fraught. At night, instead of my evening bath, I had a standing wash in my Rubbermaid Roughneck. (An interesting couple, those two, when you think about it: Does the maid find roughnecks irresistible? Is it roughnecks who wash like this? What about roustabouts? I understand why the Roughneck likes the Rubbermaid — she is so pliant, it must be like dating a ballerina. But does she ever become fed up with bathing in a bin and demand to be taken to a hotel?)

The standing wash is something between a shower and a splash. I scrubbed and rinsed in the sink from my waist up, then lathered up from the waist down, rinsing with a beat-up pewter pitcher I got at a flea market 30 years ago. It was surprising to me how little water it took to get clean this way.

Still, after three days, when I had an out-of-town article to report that enabled me to stay in a hotel, I was delighted. The facilities on Amtrak are magnificent — they have flush toilets. When I checked into the hotel, the first thing I did was take a bath. Also exquisite.

The woman I was doing the article about had a beautiful house, and after I used her bathroom I was so overwhelmed, I returned, blathering.

“I’ve been renovating my bathroom and living without a toilet,” I told her. “I feel like I’ve been to a Mecca or something.”

“That’s the most pathetic thing I’ve ever heard,” she said.

Returning to my apartment, now Steinbeckian in its buildup of dust, was not easy. The showers at the Y do not have doors, just billowing curtains that allow the water to come streaming out, and as the showers are opposite one another, it’s like going out naked during hurricane season.

I decided to try to take a real bath in my bin. I poured some Bigelow’s Bay Rum bath oil, a good strong scent, into the Merry Maid Roustabout; angled it to fit under the kitchen faucet, and started filling it. This took a while. The stream from a kitchen faucet is smaller than a bathtub’s. Also, water is heavy. I got five inches of water into the tub, then managed to angle it out from under the faucet and set it onto the floor without spilling it.

I felt a strain in my right shoulder, but I stepped in and sat down. The warm, scented water was lovely but not what I would call relaxing. My arms were crisscrossed at the elbow. I couldn’t move much. It evoked some movie memories, but those tubs were bigger and the bathers — French aristocrats or gunslingers in hotels of questionable repute — had people bringing them hot water.

Lifting the tub to empty it in the sink was much tougher than lowering it to the floor. I thought I could hear the tendons in my shoulder snap and found myself wishing I’d gotten closer to the neighbors.

I was also starting to wonder about the legality of pouring urine down the sink in New York City. It seems no worse than a lot of the things from the back of my refrigerator that I have poured down the drain, but getting into trouble over it would be an inglorious end to my career.

I tried to research the subject on the Web, but all I found was a video on public restrooms in my neighborhood. There seemed to be a nice one at Whole Foods. Good to know. Meanwhile, the weather was getting hotter, my apartment was getting dustier, my shoulder was getting worse.

Ten days into the renovation, I went to see my friend Loren Fishman, a doctor who specializes in rehabilitative medicine, who examined my shoulder, looked concerned and sent me for an M.R.I.

A few days later, I got the diagnosis: frozen shoulder, most likely brought on by muscle strain. If I am lucky, after a course of physical therapy, it will go away in a few months.

Next time, I’m going to a hotel.

4th of July weekend activities-Scituate, MA

2010-07-10T21:22:00.000-04:00

The 4th of July weekend was packed with wholesome activities! Saturday night was the big blowout party at one of the neighbors' houses (across the street). After a hot day at the beach, we came back to the house to prepare our dishes. P & I made our signature appetizer- baguette rounds with fig preserves, pear slices, and goat cheese... yum!

James made a great Flag Cupcake platter

P & I could do this... drinks and sunset by the beach?!? anytime.....

Some of the great kids at the party


Kate was one of J&B's friends' daughter- cutest thing ever!


The night ended with several IMPRESSIVE fireworks shows- one of them put on by the host and his friends. It ended up being a bunch of shows since their neighbors on either side of them plus people down on the other end of the beach also had loaded up on fireworks!

Sunday's official activities started off with the Children's Bike Parade. All the kids in the neighborhood decorated their bikes with streamers, flags, pinwheels, and anything else patriotic. Everyone seemed to be wearing stripes and/or red, white, and blue!

Willie on his cool "adult" bike

Ollie and his decked out BMX

A great photo by Betsy- a neighborhood kid concentrating on sucking his Freezepop amidst the frenzy.

After the Bike Parade, everyone went down to the beach for the Sand Sculpture Contest. Apparently, this contest is kind of a big deal, but we didn't really do any advanced planning since we were so busy with everything up until the trip, and frankly, because we weren't really doing it to win. Betsy just wanted to make sure that we had an idea that the kids would understand and be excited to be part of.


North Scituate Beach (the house where the 4th of July party was held the night before is one of those houses just beyond- they access the beach from a ladder in their backyard!

So, we just went in to have fun, not to win... B, J, P, and I literally came up with our idea that morning when the kids were on the Bike Parade. It was decided to be an "Under The Sea-tuate" theme (as in "Scituate") centered around an enormous octopus whose tentacles were wrapped around the Scituate Lighthouse, a surfboard, and an anchor.

J and W hauling wet sand and tools for our masterpiece!

Hard at work forming the octopus and its thick tentacles!

There was also a mermaid under a large scalloped shell (viewed from above). Ollie brought up bunches of seaweed to wrap around the anchor and for the mermaid's hair.

Our neighbors' entry was an iPod (their pun: Mi(not) Pod (the area they lived in Scituate was called "Minot")

There were a bunch of prizes awarded to the 50(?) entrants (Best Teamwork, Most Unique, etc.) We thought our entry was pretty cool, but were shocked when we were awarded the GRAND PRIZE!!!

Ollie and Willie and friend Ryan, on the podium, accepting the silver Campbell Cup

O was a pretty proud winner!

We were pretty proud ourselves...

It was big enough for us to sit on top of/in between the tentacles!

After the judging of the sand sculpture contest, the kids joined in for a wholesome game of Tug Of War!

It was a great wholesome, fun in the sun weekend. Since we don't get to see James, Betsy, and the kids much, we really enjoyed our time together. Can't wait to have them down in NYC again!

4th of July weekend -Scituate, MA

2010-07-10T08:18:00.000-04:00

We couldn't have gone to a more perfect place for 4th of July weekend- the weather was warm and sunny, Old Glory proudly waved over every home, great beaches, tons of kids, s'mores, fireworks, parades, sand sculptures....

You just can't help but make puns for Scituate- it is "scituate-d" about an hour south of Boston, along the Atlantic Coast (north of Cape Cod). P's brother (James) and his family (Betsy, Willie, Ollie, plus Sailor, their chocolate lab) live there year round with the ocean to their front and a huge "pond" at their back, and are surrounded by beautiful homes and super friendly neighbors. We never saw less than 5 kids playing together at any time, and at the greatest, it was like recess time at the playground- dozens of kids from 2 to 16 (mostly boys, 2 girls) running around playing lacrosse, soccer, frisbee, basketball, riding bikes, kayaking, skim boarding, swimming, doing gymnastics, and without fail, their favorite game after dark, "Ghost in the Graveyard".

The view of the houses across the street, with the ocean beyond

The pond and sunset behind the house

We hung out at North Scituate Beach most of the time

The boys waiting for a good wave for their skim boards

Gearing up to get in the ocean

I took a great walk down to Egypt Beach- the next beach over

Beyond Egypt Beach there was this gorgeous serene wetland (?) with grasses and rocks.

The houses on Egypt Beach are built on stilts

Minot Lighthouse is in the distance

Very well maintained homes and perfectly manicured landscaping!

A great view of from the backseat of James' Jeep

We had steamers for our first dinner!

W & O stayed in the tent in the backyard most of the nights that we were there.

All the neighborhood kids and parents showed up suddenly when we starting making s'mores. It was an impromptu neighborhood party!

You know it's hot when ...

2010-07-08T10:04:00.000-04:00

The wax candle sticks keel over!
Is the heat wave over yet!?

Courtesy of Wendy M.

Urban gardening 2010: Beets and Carrots (May and June)

2010-06-20T11:19:00.000-04:00

The beets and carrots went in on April 5th and we are definitely seeing growth!

Early May

Mid May- we had to thin them out slightly.

Late May- wow!

Early June- significant growth- we can't even see the dirt anymore!
Hope we thinned out enough to let them grow properly...

We couldn't wait anymore- in mid June we had to pull up a beet and carrot to see if they were ready or not... They were a little soft and definitely too small- so sad!

The first beet! (Mid June)

The first carrot (Mid June)

We've been noticing a couple of these beautiful yellow, green, and black caterpillars on the carrots. After some research, we found out that they will become Black Swallowtail butterflies!

On the one hand, we'll hopefully have these beautiful butterflies around, but on the other, they are ravaging the carrot stems and leaves!

Second carrot.... it's tiny, but perfect!! (June 20th)

Notice the completely chewed up stem between the carrot and the caterpillar- he's moved onto the next one!

Urban gardening 2010: Lettuce (May and June)

2010-06-19T23:52:00.002-04:00

The lettuce has been slowly and steadily growing strong- at first they were these thin, straggly greenish white strands, but as the weeks have gone on, they have grown into crisp, sweet leaves of lettuce!

Mid May

Late May

Early June

We have a variety of different lettuces which are planted closely together, and as we keep cutting them down, they keep growing back! They've been perfect for side salads with a few tomatoes, topped with a little shaved parm or picked fresh to add some crunch to a sandwich!

Urban gardening 2010: Peppers (June)

2010-06-19T23:06:00.002-04:00

The Hudson Valley Seed Library says that the Matchbox Peppers are "fiery with a sweet side" (kind of like me, ha!!).

I love how P planted them in a used olive oil tin (the idea is from the book "Organic Crops in Pots", a how-to-book with brilliant projects which show you not only how to grow them all from scratch, but how to plant them in an array of attractive containers, from colanders to recycled tins. (It was one of his birthday presents to me last year).

Peppers in late April (still inside the house!)

Late May

Mid June

There are a bunch of small white flowers all over the 2 plants, so we hope that we will start getting the peppers soon!

Urban gardening 2010: tomatoes (May and June)

2010-06-19T22:06:00.002-04:00

The last time I posted about the tomatoes, it was late April, and we had just transplanted the seedlings outside. The seedlings were protected from the menacing squirrels with mesh screens but we're not sure if the mesh prevented the sun from getting to their tender little leaves, or if the coffee grounds and eggshells we had supplemented the dirt with were too intense, but they just were not doing well. They were sickly and yellow, and the couple days of really windy, cold weather probably didn't help. Although P was sympathetic, he told me I was coddling them too much and to let nature take its course...

The transplanted seedlings are barely taking root after 2 weeks... so disappointing!
(Early May)

By mid-May, the seedlings had been outside for 3 weeks, and were still tiny, so we ended up replacing them with much larger, established plums and cherries from the Borough Hall Farmer's Market. It hurt too much to throw away the poor seedlings, so we just popped them all into one small pot and stuck them in another corner.

The new tomato transplants from the Farmer's Market (plums and cherries) along with the oregano and basil from last year.

(Mid May)

The following week, the new tomatoes were definitely growing, phew!

Our first tomato blossoms! (Late May)

The first tomato! It's a plum! (Late May)

More plums (Early June)

and more plums!! (Mid June)

By June, the new tomatoes had shot up to the top rung of the trellis. We have been lucky that it's been really warm and sunny, unlike last year's soggy summer.

Early June

Mid/Late June

The cherry tomatoes! (Early June)

The cherry tomatoes! (Mid June)

Oh, and those poor little tomato seedlings that were barely alive in mid-May...

The four tomato seedlings are in the plastic orange pot on the right- kind of hard to see them because of the basil planted in with them and the petunias in the background. Also shown are lavender, rosemary, sage, and cilantro. In the foreground are marigolds that we planted from seed- their scent is supposed to deter pests from the eggplants and squash, so we've got a bunch going. (Mid May)

Everyone's growing in well, even the tomatoes! (Late May)

Ummm, OK... so the "poor little seedlings" had a growth spurt and now they've sprung into giant, healthy tomato plants! They got so big that we had to split them up into two pots, and even those look too small for them! I guess nature did take its course and they were just really slow starters... so I really was just an overly concerned plant mommy... It's really uncanny how describing the plants is so similar to describing children!!

The strapping young tomatoes!

To add to the parallels of parenthood, my coworker Joerg lent me his "Plant Cam"while he's away for a month. NO, it's not like one of those baby monitors that parents use to check in on their babies when they're sleeping or whatever- it's actually a very cool, all weather time-lapse camera! We've set it up to take photos every few hours for a whole month to track the tomatoes' growth.

We'll post the video when it's done- we hope it works out!

Urban gardening 2010: Eggplants (May and June)

2010-06-19T21:43:00.001-04:00

The eggplants seem to be doing pretty well- no flowers or anything yet, but the stems and leaves are getting thicker and stronger!

The marigolds we planted from seed are actually taking over the eggplants! We didn't check the seed packet carefully- we thought we were getting the dwarf ("French") marigolds, but instead we got the ones that grow to like 3' tall! Oops!

Urban gardening 2010: Squash and Peas (May and June)

2010-06-17T00:43:00.002-04:00

Peas (background), squash (front)

(Early May)

Peas (background), squash (middle), lettuce (front)

(Mid/Late May)

Squash getting bigger and bigger (Early June)

P rigged up a fishing line "trellis" for the pea shoots to climb up, and they sure latched on... Their strong tendrils would curl and wind themselves around anything stable and they just kept growing up! The pea shoots are so cute and little, and they have these delicate yellow and white flowers.

The peas were the first of the plants to produce edible fruit, so we were so excited to see (and eat) our first pea in mid-May!

Snow pea (Mid May)

More snow peas (Mid/late May)

Sugar snap peas (Early June)

We haven't gotten a huge crop of peas, and I'm wondering if it's because we didn't inoculate them when we first planted them, or if it's just the nature of growing peas in this climate. We had several windy days and a few bursts of unseasonably HOT weather in May, which probably didn't help them.

The leaves are starting to turn brown (they don't grow too well in the hot summer months) but we still have a respectable amount of flowers and shoots growing. Once the peas are gone, we're going to have to plant something else in that box- something that loves nitrogen-rich soil.

Sugar snap peas (Mid June)

In any case, the peas have not made it into a pot or a pan for cooking- we keep eating them first! As expected, they are super sweet and crunchy, and have that "fresh" spring smell that only peas have.

The squash have also been producing a ton of flowers, but they kept falling off... I was really worried at first, but then read that they usually produce a mass of male flowers in the beginning, but will eventually produce more female flowers (the ones which ultimately turn into squash). I also read that if female flowers were also falling off, it was most likely because they were not getting pollinated by the male flowers (lack of bees, wind, unfavorable weather, etc.).

Squash blossoms (Mid/Late May)

We did notice that there have not been quite as many bees as last year (perhaps due to the "anti-pest" marigolds and not planting the morning glories this year?) so I ventured into the somewhat intrusive operation of hand-pollination... my own little science project.

First I had to learn to identify the male and female flowers and learn about their anatomies.

Male flower (above) with stamen, female flower (below) with pistil

Then I had to wait until a female flower (distinguished by the more complicated pistil and the miniature squash at the base of the flower) had opened up... I didn't wait long, only a few days.

I plucked a male flower, peeled off its petals like a banana, and held it upside down by its stem over the female flower so that I could brush the pollen onto her stigma. If pollination is done right, the ovary (or the undeveloped squash) will enlarge and transform into the squash that we eat!

Although I did feel a little weird meddling with nature, it was a success! The squash has been growing about an inch or two a day... and there are a few more female blossoms developing!

The first squash! (Mid June)

Urban gardening 2010: The view

2010-06-16T00:11:00.000-04:00

P & I love the view when we first walk out to the patio. The planters that we so laboriously built in March now house peas, squash, lettuce, eggplants, beets, and carrots, while an assortment of pots strewn about the patio contain all the other fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers which we have worked so hard to grow.

Beyond all that is an expansive courtyard with tons of mature trees, birds, squirrels, insects... a far cry from the view I had in my sixth floor Lower East Side walk-up (my bedroom windows looked out onto the side of a gritty apartment building whose tenants had a propensity for rooftop parties starting at 1am, and well, on the other, a view of the Manhattan skyline, including the Empire State Building.) Neither of us would have ever imagined that we would get this slice of paradise while still living in NYC!

Anyway, point being- we love the view when we walk out onto the patio...
Here's a progression of the vertical growth of the peas are on the left, with the lush leaves of the squash beyond.

Early May

Mid May

Late May

Early June

Mid June

Urban gardening 2010: Soledad's Science Project

2010-06-15T20:58:00.000-04:00

One of my co-worker's kids was doing a science project on "Edible Gardens", so she asked if she could come over to our patio and take some photos and talk to me about it.

I thought she did an amazing job (no surprise there- this girl's vocabulary, intellect, and maturity is remarkable). Here are some photos from her presentation!

Urban gardening- May and June

2010-06-15T20:45:00.001-04:00

So much has happened in May and June, and everyone's growing up so fast! The last time I posted was at the end of April and some of them were barely out of the ground!

We are so proud to be such good plant parents... I guess it's appropriate to be posting these in May and June, when it's um, Mother's and Father's Days.

We've maxed out the available space we want to use for the plants and have actually been giving plants away. But P brought home these little watermelon seedlings that his coworker gave him, and we couldn't turn them away. So now we have to find a space for them too!

We've already harvested some of the fruits of our labor (har har)!

Lettuce and cilantro from the garden...

I've also been sprouting alfalfa sprouts inside and it's super cheap and easy. They just need rinsing twice a day and within 4 or 5 days, we get these super fresh, delicate sprouts that are perfect on sandwiches, eggs, or just on their own!

One of the coolest things is putting them in the sunlight right before you eat them- the sun activates the enzymes in the sprouts and they turn from brown to green from the stored energy in the seeds. Photosynthesis right before your eyes!

Bonus points for the nutrient-rich water that I reuse to water the rest of the plants!

Simple sprouting jar using a mason jar with cheesecloth

Brunch on the patio with sprouts on top of eggs, seasoned with our herbs

We hope by mid-summer we can replace the asparagus with zucchinis, and the tomatoes and carrots will be from our garden.

Thanks Mary for the colorful placemats!

Urban gardening 2010: Chamomile (May)

2010-06-04T22:50:00.000-04:00

P had been so struck by the sweet fragrance of chamomile on the side of the road on his travels throughout England that he bought some chamomile seeds last year and popped them in a pot to see if he could recreate it. Unfortunately, all it really did was just grow some short delicate green leaves and that's it.

We left it outside throughout the winter and expected to reuse the pot for something else this spring, but the chamomile grew back, and this time with tons of flowers!

Early May

Late May

We were actually able to make one pot of chamomile tea from the flowers!

Central Park Boating

2010-05-30T23:41:00.001-04:00

Larry, Min, and Kayla came into town in May to celebrate K's 4th birthday (they stayed with Grandma and Grandpa (Min's parents) in Queens).

I arrived early and had lunch on the steps of the Met- a great people-watching spot!
*Note- Security at the Met does not allow any food or beverages inside, except bottles of water. They wouldn't even let me bring in my (unopened) container of yogurt that I was saving for after the museum visit, stating that I might actually take it out and eat it inside the museum, and accidentally get some on the artwork. Um, yeah, I might do that... what?!? but my already opened bottle of water was ok to bring in.

K, L, M, and I wandered around the museum- and I think K was most impressed with the modern art.

It was pretty exhausting so we walked into Central Park for some fresh air. First we saw the model sailboats in the Conservatory Water...

Then we went "boating" (rowing) in the Lake. It's one of the best $12 you could spend in the city- and an hour was just enough time to enjoy the scenery (it was pretty hot out there!). Although most people were leisurely rowing around (and even taking naps), Larry was sporting his old crew skills from college and rapidly moving us across the pond.

It was such a relaxing activity that Wendy decided to also go rowing for her birthday, only 2 weekends later!

Some comparison shots:

Larry did most of the rowing.

Kayla loved pointing out the turtles.

For Wendy's birthday, our group of 6 got 3 boats (Wendy and Sean, Lisa and Gabe, Paul and me).

The guys did most of the rowing :)

We saw a lot more turtles out on Wendy's birthday!

Beautiful Bow Bridge

On K's birthday: After boating and getting hot dogs at Bethesda Fountain, we went to FAO Schwarz where adults and children alike ran around playing with all the toys.

(Side note- we spotted Marcia Cross from Desperate Housewives shopping there).

Larry and Kayla playing on the BIG piano... (sometimes she didn't jump

hard enough on the keys so they didn't always light up for her!)

Me next to the giant Chewie (Chewbacca) completely made of Legos!

Happy 4th birthday K!

Happy 30th birthday W!

Early BK morning

2010-05-22T23:21:00.044-04:00

Hooray for Heather who finished the Brooklyn Half Marathon! Although she had to get up at 4:30am to get prepared for the race, P and I were up and out of the house by 7:30am. We biked down to south entrance of Prospect Park and were standing by the side of the loop by 8:10am along with other race supporters. The runners were finishing their 2nd loop and exiting the park by this time (on their way to Coney Island), and we were whooping, clapping, and cheering them along! It made me miss my running days... :(

We unexpectedly saw P's coworker which was fun, and within a couple of minutes, we saw Heather crying out our names as she ran past us waving with her giant smile! We whooped and hollered and in my excitement, started up again with the cheering. Noticing a guy wearing a t-shirt with his name (Bob) painted on it, I started cheering for him too- only to realize that I actually DID know him! (He is one of the engineers I work with!) After more cheering of the runners, we biked into the park to have some "breakfast" (water and bananas) and do some people/dog-watching. Then we decided to go to the nearby Brooklyn Botanic Garden but it was so early that even they weren't even open yet!

So we biked around looking for a cafe (good lord, is anything open before 10am in this city?!?)... and we found our answer... at the beloved and popular Tom's Diner, which opens at like 4am or something. Thankfully we got seated right away since it was still pretty early so we didn't have to deal with the typical line of people outside. The old friendly host/manager (I forget his name- no, it's not Tom) was joking around and clapping customers on their shoulders, greeting them by name, waving a Purell pump about. He was squirting it into the palms of people he was seating- two guys had walked in right before me- and then proceeded to squirt some into my hand- saying with a smile that everyone should always have clean hands in his restaurant!

We sat down and immediately the same manager guy set down a plate of (complimentary) cinnamon buttered toast in front of us while a waiter poured our coffee. What service! P got their famous fluffy pancakes and I got an assortment of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Yes, the food lives up to the reviews (although my meal was a bit heavier than I would have liked) but those pancakes!! Wow! Meanwhile, the manager was walking around with a giant bowl of orange wedges and giving them out to customers while chatting with them- it seemed like most of the patrons knew him and his staff by name.

We literally rolled out of there, completely satiated and in such a happy mood- and walked off the breakfast at the BBG, now open. We wanted to take advantage of our membership (free admission) but turns out it's free admission anyway on Saturdays before noon! The rose garden was the place to be- and it was so colorful and gorgeously lush!

It was crazy- by the time we met up in Park Slope with Kel and Iris, it felt like we had done a whole weekend's worth of activities already- and it was only like 2pm!

Clipper City sailing trip!

2010-05-08T22:49:00.005-04:00

To continue what seemed like a week of being a NYC tourist, Paul and I were able to score the few remaining tickets to sail aboard the Clipper City (for free) today!

It was raining in the morning, but as soon as we stepped foot on the ship, the skies started to clear. We're not sure if it was a little late leaving due to the Staten Island Ferry crash earlier that morning. The crew informed us that unfortunately there wasn't much wind that day, so they only had a small sail up and the motor was running the whole time. (They did encourage everyone to "help" out with the "rigging" (?)/ pulling of the sail, which everyone did with great enthusiasm.

The 1 1/2 hour journey took us south around Governor's Island, in front of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, under the tip of lower Manhattan, and through Buttermilk Channel back to Red Hook. Plus added bonus of seeing the "OBAMA heart" building!
My coworker Clare and her family were also on the excursion!(4 year old Lucca pictured below)
Sponsored by PortSide NewYork, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), and Manhattan By Sail Inc. to reactivate the Atlantic Basin and create opportunities for public programming in Red Hook.

Hanging out in NYC

2010-05-07T17:33:00.000-04:00

Paul and I drove back to NYC after Maryland, with Jannie in the backseat. It was great to be able to spend some quality time with her since the wedding weekend was a whirlwind (for her, since she was a bridesmaid) and we had so much catching up after 3 years!

We stopped in Philadelphia on the way back to Brooklyn, which was an unexpected bonus for her! It was super hot and sticky, so we made our stop pretty short- lunch and a little walk around the historic neighborhoods. I guess to an Aussie, Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, and Betsy Ross had no significance!

Coincidentally, the Japanese guests at Bryn and Liz's wedding were also coming into NYC on Monday, so we had planned on meeting them at their hotel that afternoon so we could show them around town. It was completely random and took a lot of communication to make the plans, and I couldn't believe it all worked out!

Jannie and I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, hung out in downtown Manhattan, saw the World Trade Center site, and hung out at the Irish Hunger Memorial in Battery Park City. Then we headed uptown to meet up with Junko, Yoko, and Ippei.

Only then did we find out that they were only planning on being in New York for less than 24 hours! So, in typical Japanese fashion, they wanted to cram as much as they could during their stay as they could. The one thing they insisted on doing was watching The Blue Man Group and seeing Times Square, but first, they wanted to eat- and they didn't want anymore "rich food in huge, American portions".

So I brought them to Pho 32 where they finally got some fresh vegetables and refreshing noodle soup while I bought the tickets. It was their first time having Vietnamese food, and I was glad it was a hit! Ippei stopped at a B of A ATM for the novelty of withdrawing US$20 from his credit/ATM card- even though we warned him that the withdrawal fee was the same whether it was $20 or $200. There were a lot of photos of the transaction and the huge smile on his face when the machine spit out the cash was well worth it. Ahh, simple pleasures... :)

Then we hit the ground running- literally... We started off at 32nd Street & 5th Ave and headed up to 34th Street to see the Macy*s flagship store and the whole Herald Square craziness, up 7th Avenue through the Fashion District to... Times Square!! woahh!! sensory overload!! more photos and videos and pointing and gaping... we were at the red TKTS steps for like a half hour... and the triple-story (!?!) M&M store!! tourists!! street vendors!! ahhh!! We continued up Broadway to Columbus Circle and finally entered the peaceful sanctuary of Central Park. Since we were short on time, we were only able to wander around the south part of the park... It was about 30+ blocks of walking, not including all the walking around the m&m store!
Then we took the subway down to Union Square (another novelty- buying subway tickets took about a half hour- but the machines actually translated into Japanese!), walked down to the East Village (where we passed the only Ippudo ramen shop in the US), and along St. Marks. We shared a few orders of dumplings where Jannie and I got a few laughs over their amazement at the twist caps on their bottled drinks (so we didn't need a bottle opener)- lots of "hehhhhhhs", giggles, photos, and videos). We finally met up with Paul at the Astor Place Theatre in time for Blue Man Group's 8pm show.

The show was fun and super interactive- and I think they were so thrilled that they were actually able to score tickets to the show! Jannie was awesome and actually "shouted" the tickets for everyone (the tickets were all on her). After that, we walked to a nearby Indian restaurant on E. 6th Street (another first for the Japanese group) where we ate dinner accompanied by two old bearded men playing traditional Indian music. It was a late night! By the time Paul, Jannie, and I said our goodbyes and headed back down to Brooklyn, it was after midnight. Junko, Ippei, and Yoko still had plans on visiting the Empire State Building (apparently open until 2am!)
The next few days with Jannie were much more mellow. I had to work most of the other days but we met up in the evenings/after work, and one night we met up with Leigh, another former JET who lived in our area! As a generous thank you gift, Jannie treated me and Paul to see the Broadway production of Mary Poppins! Despite being surrounded by children and teens, we had a great time, and I was thrilled to finally see the show, since I've actually never even see the movie! We capped off her last night in NYC with a fantastic Greek dinner at Uncle Nick's.
Having these guests in town reminded me of how proud I was of New York!

I had so many experiences in Japan where total strangers went out of their way to take me into their own homes, drive me to my destination, or simply be generous and thoughtful of a visitor in their country. It was a blast to meet up again with Jannie, and to feel immediately comfortable hanging out with Junko, Ippei and Yoko. I heart NY!!

california style tacos in the 11201

2010-05-06T17:04:00.002-04:00

FINALLY! good Mexican food on the East Coast!

Granted, it's California style (which is why I like it) so maybe it's just my preference. It also helps that it's in a cool raw space- an actual taco truck is permanently mounted/installed on a former garment factory’s loading dock- hence the name- with a hip art gallery, outdoor "garden", and supposedly they even have a roof garden!).

The space has been winterized with wood-burning stoves and canvas flaps but for now, the outdoor area with all of its succulents and seating is the place to be. Looking up you are surrounded by the towering buildings of downtown Brooklyn, and right outside those metal gates is the awful and gritty frenzy of traffic coming on/off the BQE.
Forrest Cole (originally from California) started selling fish tacos at the Brooklyn Flea (under the name Choncho’s Tacos) and this spot serves a small selection of fish, carnitas, carne asada, and vegetarian tacos, burritos, and tamales. Unfortunately, it's a bit more expensive than I'd like, but I suppose these guys know that they are a rarity and can charge a premium for authentic Mexican food.

This is what they call themselves on their website:
Art Gallery Taco Truck Cultural Center of the West

I call them delicioso!

Marry-land!

2010-05-02T21:19:00.010-04:00

P & I drove down to St. Michaels, Maryland to celebrate Bryn and Liz's wedding in early May. We were so busy up until the wedding that we had no expectations of where we were going... so, we were completely blown away by the quaint little town and the natural beauty of the Chesapeake Bay area! The main street (S. Talbot) was lined with charming little boutiques and cafes, while picturesque homes and beautifully landscaped b & b's were tucked away on the side streets.

The waterfront was where the action was happening- we spent a whole morning at the Maritime Museum, touring the boat yard and sheds, exploring the "screwpile" Hooper Strait Lighthouse, and learning all about the different watercraft of the area and of course, the local economy of crab and oyster harvesting.

We had our fill of yummy crabcakes, fish, and shellfish throughout the trip and were riveted by the gorgeous sunsets.

St. Michaels may look familiar since it was the location of where the movie The Wedding Crashers was filmed. However, Bryn and Liz's wedding was a very mellow, intimate event- even if it was one of the most multi-cultural events I have ever been to! We were thrilled to be included in their wedding celebration, which consisted of guests flying in from Japan, the UAE, England, New Zealand, Australia, and all over the US!

I met Bryn in Japan, and have lengthy posts about our travels and adventures (along with our other friend Jannie) in our tightly knit Tango region. The last time I had seen either of them was in the summer of 2006, right before I came back to the US, since both of them decided to renew their contracts with JET. Liz, originally from St. Michaels, came in the next wave of JETs (she actually replaced my good friend Becky, from Amino!), so unfortunately I never got to meet her. Jannie introduced her to Bryn, and the three of them hit it off and became fast friends, and I guess, Bryn and Liz became a bit more than just friends!

Since Bryn and Liz still live in Japan, many Japanese elements were incorpo- rated into the multi-cultural wedding, including their Japanese guests changing into traditional kimono, hundreds of meticulous- ly folded origami cranes, a matcha (green tea) wedding cake, wooden sake boxes (each painstak- ingly branded by Bryn and Liz with the name of the local sake distillery where they had also purchased several giant bottles of sake for the toast, and silk bags each hand sewn by Shinobu (a wonderful Japanese woman who was good friends with Becky, and now Liz, and unfortu- nately was not able to come to the wedding). I was devastated to hear that the Yoshidas (who practically adopted me when I was in Japan who became very close to Liz) and also Jun (my closest Japanese friend) were also unable to come to the wedding!

Some pics are from their photographer Gillette Portrait Arts.

Congratulations Bryn + Liz!
Omedetou gozaimasu!

Urban gardening 2010

2010-04-26T23:39:00.001-04:00

Last summer we tried our hand at urban gardening- we planted zucchini, a few kinds of tomatoes (cherries, heirlooms, vining), herbs, and an assortment of flowers... These photos are at the height of the summer before the pansies got all raggedy and the zucchinis got mildewy... It was still quite an impressive bounty, especially since we're amateur gardeners!

This year, we got a bit more serious... We read up on our books, studied the Hudson Valley Seed Catalog selections, and ordered early to start as much as possible from seed! We're really excited with our anticipated harvest: Apple Green eggplants, Red Pear cherry tomatoes, Fox cherry tomatoes, New Yorker tomatoes, matchbox peppers, leaf lettuce, Early Wonder beets, Danver's carrots, sugar snap peas, plus lavender, mint, oregano, rosemary, basil, and sage.

For transplantable seedlings, we started inside in early March, and they basically took over our kitchen table and windowsills for over a month! We planted in old egg cartons, newspaper pots, and any containers we could get our hands on.

I made "newspaper pots" for the tomatoes so that when they are eventually planted outdoors, the newspaper will naturally biodegrade in the soil.
Peppers and eggplants are fairly tricky to grow since they need constant warmth and humidity and cannot be planted outside until the temperatures stay above 65-68 degrees. In the meantime, they have taken over our living room windowsill, right above the radiator, covered in saran wrap to keep the humidity levels high.

In mid/late March, P and I spent a few afternoons measuring up and designing the planters to rest on the parapet. It was a bit challenging to go to a big hardware store like Lowes without a car, but we did it! It was a nice 30-minute walk down there (drivers curiously peered at us in their cars as we strolled through the immense parking lot), stacked piles of pressure treated lumber on our cart, heaved a couple massive bags of dirt on top, threw a bunch of coconut fibers on top of all that, picked out several boxes of fasteners, a 4-foot level, arranged for next day delivery, and picked up some Italian sandwiches on Court Street on the walk back home.

I guess it was symbolic that we started building the planters on the first day of spring! We borrowed a circular saw from Paul's coworker, had two drills going at once, and spent two long afternoons assembling the planters together on our cramped patio. We removed the casters from the long wooden railroad tie I got from Katy in my old LES apartment and turned it on its side so it would be the front edge of the long trough-like planter. As my friend Vel proclaimed: "Celebrate the wood!" Two dividers inside would make three substantially deep containers for beets & carrots, eggplants, and lettuce.
The squash & zucchini would go in a large square planter, and the peas would go in the smallest planter by the brick wall, where they would be partially shaded until the mid/late afternoon. We were working around existing conditions such as an askew downspout, railings, and miscellaneous projections out of the wall, so none of our cuts were straight. And, we're also amateurs...

Unfortunately it got too cold or rained on and off for the next couple weeks so we couldn't seal the wood until early April. Notice in the before and after pics that there are leaves on all the trees! The weather has been bouncing unpredictably back and forth from being in the 40s to the 70s to 50s and back up to 60s, rainy to sunny to foggy!

Finally, we finished sealing the planters, stapled several layers of plastic inside each container, placed the coconut fiber around the bottom and sides (to help retain water), and poured the dirt in. It was amazing how much dirt those containers sucked up though! We had to go out and buy more bags of dirt- are we really going to recoup the costs of all the wood and dirt and everything else in just a few months of growing our own vegetables?!? Well, I know we will be thrilled to be surrounded by all the greenery and I'm sure the first tomato we sink our teeth into will make it worth it. Until then, we just hope to stop hemorrhaging money at the hardware store!
At last, the direct seeds were able to be sown outside! April 5th was our magic day. Sugar snap peas went in the smallest planter, where it gets the most shade. We didn't buy any pea inoculant, so we are crossing our fingers that they will produce some yield. Paul tied fishing line guides for the little tiny tendrils to grow...

Peas after 1 week...
...peas on 4/15...
...peas on 4/25...
The summer squash and cocozelle zucchini in the big square planter... I've been putting the old egg cartons and newspapers in the dirt as mulch for now.
The beets and carrots went into one of the long troughs. It's so great to see the tiny little red tipped leaves of the beet greens and the feathery fronds of the carrots! Patience though.... it will be a few more months before we can harvest them!

...beets & carrots on 4/15...
...beets & carrots on 4/25...
We transplanted the lettuce this weekend... They went into the second trough container. (The third will be for eggplant, but they probably won't go in until mid/late May). I hope the lettuce makes it, they look really raggedy!
We also planted the tomato seedlings outside, surrounded by tiny little basil seedlings. This pairing is an example of "companion planting "- so they assist in the growth of others, be it attracting beneficial insects, repelling harmful insects, providing nutrients or in some cases simply shade / support.

I've been collecting coffee grounds and empty eggshells for weeks now, in anticipation of tomato planting! The coffee provides nitrogen while the crushed eggshells are calcium-rich. As the summer goes on, I'll continue feeding them and hope that we get more tomatoes than we did last year. (Although we were picking them up until mid/late October!) I just hope it doesn't get any colder... why is it in the low 40's?!? It's the end of April!!
The small gray pot has the oregano and basil from last year... we'll see how well they do this year.

The local squirrels have become a nuisance though- they've been coming by in the early morning, digging up the dirt and seeds, and gnawing their way through some of the new seedlings! Ugh, so hurtful to this plant mommy when I see my babies dug up!! So we've taken some precautions to protect the little seedlings from these bushy tailed rats and covered all the veggies with mesh until they get stronger. We were fairly lucky last year, and hope that sprinkling the "dried blood" (organic nitrogen fertilizer) around the flowers and veggies continues to deter them. We also tried sprinkling cayenne pepper on some of the other exposed plants- will see if that works too.

For the non-edibles, I picked up a flat of petunias, sweet allysums, and marigolds from the local Farmer's Market. They really brighten up the patio with their colors!
The wisteria from our next door neighbor's garden is creeping up to our building... it's all over our downstairs neighbor's railings and now climbing all over our fire escape. The purple flowers are soooo pretty! Not to worry, P has been trimming them back to make a safe passage, just in case. Safety first!

Red Hook and pizza

2010-04-10T18:37:00.010-04:00

Karen is staying with us this weekend, but she met up with her friends, so P and I headed out with our bikes and explored nearby Red Hook...

It's still a bit gritty, but Van Brunt Street shows signs of an emerging little community- young trees line the sidewalk, and cafes, shops, and bars cater to the diverse group of locals. The scale of the free standing homes is much smaller and "lighter" than other parts of Brooklyn- mostly 2 story wood frame and brick buildings, which contrasted with the towering brick projects several blocks away. Beautiful historic concrete and brick warehouses and giant steel cranes sit along the industrial waterfront, which used to be a major shipyard.

IKEA plaza was clean and shiny, its bright blue and yellow facade and massive parking lot a symbol of the changing neighborhood. We rode our bikes along the pristine, landscaped waterfront bike path, lined with streamlined galvanized benches and nautical remnants of its shipping history.

Maritime features (oooh! shipshape!) are everywhere in the neighbor- hood, from the names of shops and bars, to architec- tural and decorative elements of buildings, to the salvaged nautical features (bollards, ropes, winches, etc.) incorporated into the design of the brand new waterfront esplanade.

We poked around the shops on Van Brunt Street, drooled over all the plants at Chelsea Garden Center, filled up my bike basket with produce from Fairway Market, stopped at the Red Hook Lobster Pound for some lobster and shrimp rolls, and finally made it back home in time to do a little bit of plant tending and take a quick nap.

A few hours later, we were a bit peckish, and Paul suggested that we go down to Lucali's for pizza. I have never attempted to go on a Saturday night, but it was still *early* so we walked down there to find out the wait was like an hour. We walked around Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens for awhile, admiring the spring blossoms and beautiful brownstones, picked up some cookies to try to prevent my low-blood-sugar-irritability (didn't work), and sat impatiently on their outdoor benches.

The wait ended up being about 2 hours (argh!!) and we got shuffled around a bit when we were inside, but finally we were able to give our order and waited patiently for our perfectly-baked-pie-of-heaven to emerge. Mark, the owner, rolls out the dough for each pizza as the orders come in, on his candlelit marble countertop. Turns out the wait was exceptionally long that night because there were some unexpected special guests that threw everyone off- Gwyneth, Chris, Beyonce, and Jay-Z walked in about 10 minutes after we were seated and sat right next to us!

Just another day in the life...

I HEART BK

2010-04-06T23:35:00.000-04:00

It's the first week of April and Brooklyn Heights is gorgeous...
Blossoms and greenery everywhere!

Brooklyn Botanical Garden- Spring 2010

2010-04-04T00:25:00.000-04:00

Giuliana and Damien got us one of the best wedding presents ever- a membership to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden! We absolutely love the vibe there, love the conservatories (desert, tropical, & temperate), the Terrace Cafe, love the perks, love the sustainable gardening recommendations, so much that we just renewed our membership for another year.

P and I rode our bikes out to the park on what seemed to be the perfect spring day... The pictures cannot even begin to capture the beauty and our exhilaration!
The walk down to the Lilly Pool Terrace and conservatories took us right through the magnificently blossoming Magnolia Plaza.
Seeing all the bulbs popping out of the ground and colorful blossoms in the trees were especially invigorating after being cooped up inside for so many months. Bright yellow daffodils were everywhere...
...and the cherry blossoms on the esplanade were just beginning to open up.

Two of the really old, large cherry trees at the top of the esplanade were in their full pink regalia, surrounded by photo-snapping visitors that rivaled Japanese levels!

Birthday!!

2010-04-03T23:25:00.002-04:00

Another year, another birthday.... but what a wonderful birthday it was!

Paul got me a beautiful new Linus bike, and I feel like I'm riding around in a French film, with baguettes and flowers in my basket! The bike helmet doesn't complete the look, but I have to get over that... safety first!
Linus bikes are inspired by French bicycle designs of the 50's and 60's, but completely modernized and streamlined. I love sitting upright in its elegant frame, I love the leather handlebars, and ringing the little bell- and I have gotten so many compliments on it by passing bikers!

It definitely is the best birthday present ever- I feel like I'm like 12 years old!!
...and my sister pitched in for the adorable basket in front!

Although I got over my fear of re-learning how to ride a bike when I was in Japan, I was a bit apprehensive about riding stateside. Fortunately Paul was super patient with me and we rode on (mostly) bike lanes to Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden for my inaugural ride!
We organized a picnic in Prospect Park, on a day that was forecast to be about 70 degrees. Unfortunately it never got above about 50 degrees so all of us shivered uncomfortably for as long as we could stand. Thanks to everyone who came out and celebrated!

Chinese New Year (Belated)

2010-02-21T23:24:00.000-05:00

My parents were hosting a big Chinese New Year party on Saturday afternoon (which was why our trip to SLO was so short). It is the biggest holiday of the year in the Cheung household, and another occasion to have a bunch of people over and eat waaaaay too much food...
and an opportunity to display giant flower blossoms, firecrackers (fake), and clementines all around the house...
My sister and her boyfriend Craig also flew back to CA to celebrate Chinese New Year with my family so it was a big happy reunion.
Three generations of Cheungs... our adorable little niece is dressed up in a traditional Chinese New Year costume!
I mean, seriously... which one is really the present?
Saturday morning, my dad starting preparing his infamous fried sesame balls ("jin deui")- a Chinese New Year tradition in our family.
The filling is not the typical red bean paste, but his secret mish-mash of chopped up peanuts, coconut, and Chinese "herbs" that my dad kept saying were "ivy"?!)
Paul helped Dad mix and knead the dough... Note the bottle of gin in the background, another "secret" ingredient. Paul made his first Chinese pun and renamed these "gin deui"!
Craig rolled the dough into balls and made the indentations for the filling. Then they carefully closed up the ball and rolled them around in sesame seeds before frying.
My dad started off the deep frying process, but in the end, it was Paul and Craig who finished making them. Delicious!
Gung hay fat choy, welcome the Year of the Metal Tiger!

SLO to SF

2010-02-19T23:27:00.005-05:00

Our rest at the Sanitarium was awesome, and waaaay too short... We had a big day ahead of us- meeting up with Tom, lunching with Grandma Owen, and driving up the coast on Highway 1 to my parents' place.

It was overcast and a bit chillier than we would have liked, but the Sanitarium was bathed in the even bright light. And we were just so envious of the mid-winter greenery!
We walked downstairs and sat ourselves at the enormous farmhouse table- and had an amazing breakfast- French pressed coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice in chilled glasses, eggs with chicken sausage, broccoli rabe over sourdough, and fruit- served on turquoise dishes! We were inspired, and made mental notes on what we would serve our next brunch guests...

After we packed our things and checked out, we had a little time to stroll back down to downtown SLO before we were to meet up with Tom. It was pretty mellow compared to the crowds from the Farmer's Market the night before. I didn't take that many photos, so many of these pictures are pilfered from the web.

First stop- architecture drooling at the Jennifer Street pedestrian bridge and Railroad Square Building/Lofts...
then to the old Mission...
the Creek...
shops on Higuera Street...
picked up more cookies at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory...
and another stop at Linnaea's Cafe...
We were still stuffed from the big breakfast, so we got some coffee and relaxed in the secret garden in back...

Back at the Sanitarium, we sat on the oh-so-charming porch swing out front and waited for Tom to zip by on his cool orange Vespa.
After a SLO-style goodbye (it took a good half hour), he presented us with a belated wedding present from him, Ava, and Whitney- it was a gorgeous set of pottery hand-thrown/made by Ava herself! It was amazing- platters, plates, cups, bowls made from this super dark matte clay with a metallic glaze- we are soooo privileged to have such wonderful, generous, and creative friends!!

Then we jumped in the car and sped down to Pismo Beach to see Grandma Owen... If we weren't so stuffed from breakfast, I would have loved to meet her at one of my other favorite places- Big Sky Cafe (SLO) or have a big creamy bowl of clam chowder at the infamous Splash Cafe (Pismo Beach)... Instead, we met at Huckleberry's, a local place with a wide array of soups, salads, and sandwiches. The "huckleberry lemonade" was quite a drink though!

It was fantastic to catch up with Grandma and for P to finally meet her. Unfortunately she couldn't come to our wedding due to a family emergency, so I promised her that I would make a special trip for her to get to know Paul. She's not my real grandma though- I met her and "Grandpa" when I was about 5 years old (through my mom's best friend in Visalia, CA) and we just all ended up calling them "Grandma" and "Grandpa", to this day. They moved to Pismo Beach right before I started Cal Poly, so I ended up spending many weekends and holidays with them instead of driving the 3 1/2 hours up to the Bay Area. They were soooooo sweet, and truly adopted me as one of their many grandchildren. Grandma and Grandpa used to write me separate letters when I lived in Italy (so that I would get more mail) and he dutifully tracked my travels on his world map. Grandpa passed away right after I returned from Italy ('97), and Grandma and I got even closer- commiserating on our singledom... They had the most sincere, genuine true love that I knew of any couple, and I yearned to have what they did. They assured me that I would eventually find "The One"- and despite my doubts, I finally did! And boy was she excited to meet Paul!

After lunch, we finally get on the road. We drove back through San Luis Obispo, took a quick loop around the Cal Poly campus, and then started zooming up Highway 1. We were completely surrounded by lush, green mountains- which we absolutely cherished. The skies were a bit gloomy all day, but fortunately the rain held off.We smelled the roaring surf of the Pacific Ocean before we saw it coming up on our left...
We HAD to make a pitstop right around San Simeon to see the elephant seals though! Those brown lumps on the sand are the seals (adults are between 900 pounds to 5000 pounds!) It was mating season so there was a lot of screeching and, um, vigorous activity going on!
The baby seal pups were all snuggled up against eachother!
The rest of the drive was pretty but uneventful. Around each bend of the windy road was another perfect car commercial view!
Paul was blown away by the vistas, but having done this drive before, I was disappointed that the weather wasn't nicer!

The Sanitarium

2010-02-19T21:28:00.006-05:00

I first heard about The Sanitarium from Raylene a few years ago, and was reminded of it again recently by hip cats Tom and Whitney. It has been extensively and lovingly restored to a bed and breakfast, but its colorful history began in the 1880s (as a boarding house, sanitarium, fraternity and sorority house, and private residence). Some of these photos are taken from their website but seriously, the pictures do not do this place justice! Come and stay here!

It was insanely (yes, pun intended) relaxing... the fresh, airy palette was at once cool and calming, while the antique furnishings and (original) colorful artwork, stained glass, crockery, and effects were warm and inviting- it was pretty much like being in a giant Anthropologie store without all the clothing. Call me crazy, but I could most definitely live there!

Most rooms are furnished with large metal Moroccan soaking tubs, wood burning fireplaces, and private balconies. Unfortunately it was too chilly to take a nap on the hammock or sit outside for too long! But I did get to enjoy a hot soak in the giant tub!

The rooms are aptly named to induce a state of Euphoriasm or Tranquilibrium or Epiphenization... we were in the Epiphinezation(?) Room. Our mental state may have been altered from our lack of sleep in the last 24 hours or perhaps the overstimulation of being at the Sanitarium!

The Euphoriasm Room had an exotic, romantic Moroccan sleigh bed with colorful quilts, pillows, and poufs!

Our generous bathroom had vintage fixtures, antique mirrors, handcut marble tile floors and walls, and was complete with an old enamel trashcan and little cups of shampoo and shower gel in the spacious shower. Unfortunately I don't have pics of our bathroom, but here are some equally inspiring bathrooms in the other rooms:

P and I were so inspired by the gorgeous mixture of colors, styles, textures, and carefully thought out details (tasseled keys! little tray of Epsom bath salts! salt and pepper shakers!) and especially loved the friendly, easygoing California vibe.

In the open communal lounge/kitchen downstairs, guests are welcome to read, paint in the studio, play music, grab a glass or mug from the open shelves for some wine or tea, or chat with the laid-back staff or other guests.Tall glass French doors beside the massive farmhouse table framed a thriving garden with a trickling fountain and koi pond while enormous antique tin framed mirrors reflected the beautifully decorated house. We recognized the little touches here and there of the "medical" influences, but appreciated that they were not too over the top.
This was my first stay at a B&B, but I have a feeling that this is unlike what I imagine as a typical B&B experience- dark, conservative, Victorian, and stuffy.

I'd love to come back again, or imagine that someday I'll have a place just like this!

Oh.... the SLO life

2010-02-18T23:16:00.000-05:00

As soon as we crested Cuesta Grade and started our downhill descent into San Luis Obispo, the familiar memories came flooding back to me.

I had lived on the Central Coast for 5 years (well, one of those years I spent in Italy) while getting my architecture degree at Cal Poly and loved its beautiful coastal location halfway between SF and LA. As a student, I loved the mellow, small-time vibe and lack of distractions, but I often missed the diversity and excitement of an urban city. Seeing those puffy clouds and green mountains reminded us that getting out of freezing cold New York for a weekend was exactly what we needed.
We rolled into town and checked into the awesomely beautiful Sanitarium Spa/Guest House (more on this wonderful retreat later) around 6pm on Thursday evening, just in time for the infamous Farmer's Market. It is held every Thursday night throughout the year in downtown San Luis Obispo. Tree-lined Higuera Street is closed to traffic for 3 hours and the entire town (families, college students, professors, locals, ranchhands, farmhands) comes out for the lively street fair atmosphere- freshly picked fruits and vegetables are sold along with local flowers, eggs, desserts, honey, preserves, artwork, homemade crafts, etc., the stores are all open late, and everyone comes for the food...
Every local restaurant has a booth out there, and people form lines in front of the massive pit barbecues sending smoky aromas down the street. Each intersection provides a different form of entertainment- street performances ranged from a country/folk band to a wild elect(r)ic violin concert to a ska/reggae-influenced rock band, a rock climbing wall, and kids go crazy climbing all over the local fire department's firetruck. Even the old "Wrath of God" guy with the sign warning sinners of impending doom was still there!

It was a weekly tradition during my college years to go down to what everyone lovingly called "Farmer's". My friends and I would leave studio and head downtown, get some BBQ tri-tip (or on hungry nights, gnaw on a massive turkey leg), buy a bunch of fresh local produce, and then head to someone's house and bake a big batch of chocolate chip cookies, watch Seinfeld, and then we would all troop back to our architecture studios and work until 2am! Oh, the good ol' days... It was great to relive the old days although so much has changed during the last 10 years. Many of the familiar restaurants (Louisa's, Buona Tavola, McClintock's) and stores (Hands Gallery, Fanny Wrappers, Ambiance) were still down there, but the new sparkly commercial developments (Pottery Barn? Banana Republic?! Abercrombie & Fitch?!?) seemed to be out of place from the humble downtown San Luis Obispo I knew and loved.

Well, the old haunts did not disappoint. We feasted on barbecued ribs, tri-tip sandwiches, grilled corn, tamales, fresh apple juice, and cookies while sampling fresh fruit from the stands (yummy oranges! local strawberries!). We even bought a bag of Cal Poly grown mandarin oranges to bring up to my parents.

Mica, the expert chocolate chip cookie baker/tester himself, drove up from Ventura with his adorable daughter Amelia to meet up with me and Paul. Amelia was delighted to have the Balloon Man make her some Mickey Mouse ears...

Paul was equally amazed and disgusted by Bubble Gum Alley...

Later on that night, we met up with the DiSantos (sans Tom) at my beloved Linnaea's Cafe on Garden Street. The staff is still amazingly friendly and mellow, and the carrot cake is still one of the best things I've ever had. Poor Tom was trying to recover from a bad cold, but T and N were super adorable (not surprising) and it was great to catch up with Eva! The last time I had seen her, she was pregnant with Nico, and I was on my way to Japan!

It was a lot of socializing and traveling in one day though- our 5am wakeup call in NYC that morning seemed like days ago, and we were fading fast. We couldn't wait to head back to our room and sink into bed...

SLO Roadtrip February 2010

2010-02-18T22:26:00.004-05:00

P and I were able to squeeze in a 24 hour whirlwind roadtrip down to San Luis Obispo before the Chinese New Year party at my parents' place. It was about a 4 hour drive from SFO- and our first stop was at La Cumbre (my favorite taqueria) for a proper Mexican meal.

We drove down 101, bordered on both sides with green hills and rows of crops. The warm sun in the hazy sky was welcome on our sun-deprived skin!

I HEART NYC!

2010-02-14T00:15:00.004-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

After the fashion show, Wendy and I stumbled upon the Ice Heart sculpture in Times Square.

We basically had a lovefest with New York- about how proud we were to live in the city, how much we loved stumbling upon cool things in the city, and how happy and in love we were (me with P, her with S)! OK, vomit, but it's Valentine's. We have an excuse to be giddy and all smiles and in love and wearing all red on the all red TKTS stairs.

Also I heart the NYC heart subway map!
Buy it here!

Fashion Week

2010-02-14T00:08:00.000-05:00

I haven't been to a Fashion Week event in years, but Wendy invited me to see her friend's show. Ivy is also from Hawaii, and super petite. She danced fluidly around the room, posing for photographers and speaking with friends and writers. She was charming, gorgeous and sophisticated, just like her designs.

Snowy winter

2010-02-10T22:16:00.000-05:00

There was lots of snow this winter!

The streets of Brooklyn Heights are truly peaceful and beautiful in the snow...

Brian's Birthday

2010-02-04T00:01:00.002-05:00

Wendy and Sean invited us to partake in their good friend Brian's birthday festivities at The Park and Bartini. This is what it looked like all night!

Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Tour

2010-01-10T19:19:00.000-05:00

Going on the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Tour was my belated birthday present to Paul. (The original tour was canceled and rescheduled due to blizzard conditions on his actual birthday).

We had a great time exploring the world's oldest subway tunnel, led by the captivating Bob Diamond. It was a very cool, quiet, and (literally) underground experience- bustling Atlantic Avenue, mere blocks away from our house, was about four stories above us!

Bob discovered the tunnel in 1980 after years of persistence and dead-ends. He leads these fascinating tours tour every weekend or so for the Brooklyn Historic Railway Association.

The entrance into the tunnel is through a little manhole in the middle of the busy intersection at Court Street and Atlantic Avenue.

Dozens of people line up along the side of Trader Joe's at the corner, waiting patiently for their turn to climb down the little ladder. The eclectic group is comprised of locals, families, hipsters, photographers, and able-bodied history buffs, all carrying flashlights and hopping back and forth in excitement (and to stay warm).

The day we went was freezing cold- like 20 degrees! But inside the tunnel, it was surprisingly warm- about 65 degrees. We had to duck down to get below beams and conduits, squeeze through tiny doorways, and walk down rickety steps to get down into the massive dirt floored tunnel. Despite the hundreds of people who have gone on this tour in the last couple of years, most of the tunnel is amazingly untouched- afterall, it was completely forgotten for decades!

NewYorkology wrote a great blog entry about the experience- read it here.

Bob truly does a wonderful job narrating his adventures in finding the tunnel, combating all of the obstacles he faced (literally, metaphorically, etc.), drumming up support for the revitalization of trolley service throughout downtown Brooklyn and Red Hook, and we were thrilled to partake in a little bit of Brooklyn's convoluted history!

By the time our large group was on its way out, the arched brick ceilings were dripping with condensation from the humidity of our body heat!

Abridged Holiday Letter

2010-01-10T13:27:00.000-05:00

The holidays of 2009-2010 came and went... I love having a new family to share it with on the East Coast! There was a lot of wonderful family time and lots of news!

A proper New England Thanksgiving in Williamstown (MA) with Mary- lots of food, fireside reading, comforters, and pine cone collecting.

My sister left New York for Denver (Boo!) but NYC will always heart KC

P's birthday/Holiday cocktail party was a success- we had a jolly, full house, our first Christmas tree, a blizzard, and berry merry martinis!

John & Sandy had a Christmas baby (hooray, Merry Birthday, Happy Christmas Alex!)

Festive holiday family dinner in Connecticut

And then we had a night of mock-parenting (our two subway-surfing loving nephews from MA stayed with us for a night)

Rang in the new year at Cubana Cafe and Flatbush Farms in Brooklyn! woot woot!!

Suraj, Glen, and I gorged ourselves during our traditional New Years Day dinner (Fatty Crab).

Happy 2010!!!

2010

2010-01-01T13:21:00.000-05:00

Yikes, it's April 15 already- it's been a bad year for posting, sorry to anyone out there who still reads this! Hopefully now that I have some more free time, I'll update with some interesting tidbits.

I'm cheating, but in order to make sense, I'm going to have to "backdate" the postings to show you all the fun and exciting things that have happened this year.

morning shadows

2009-11-16T22:58:00.001-05:00

the breakfast nook

2009-11-16T22:50:00.006-05:00

details

recycled newspaper baskets

happy plants = happy home = happy family

2009-11-16T22:44:00.008-05:00

Finally... some artwork on the walls

2009-11-16T14:16:00.006-05:00

We finally put up some of the artwork that has been sitting in a big box in the corner of our kitchen.

Putting up art on freshly painted walls is like starting a brand new sketchbook... there are millions of possibilities- colors, textures, frames- you can fill it up with but it's just so hard to start....

Being married to the artist of many of these pieces also makes it pretty cool... :)

Orange Walls and the 1st year's transformation

2009-11-16T13:48:00.006-05:00

I can't believe we've been in our home for more than a year now! Since we're done with wedding planning, we finally had some time to do some light remodeling and painting... first up, orange walls!

Paint: Ivy Coatings (zero-VOC) from Green Depot Based on Benjamin Moore's "Pumpkin Cream" 2168-20

Before:

After:

Yellow fall

2009-11-12T23:06:00.000-05:00

married? yeah, married!... sheesh!

2009-11-08T23:09:00.001-05:00

I am now a married woman... P and I love our wonderful life together but it hasn't changed much from the last year of living together- our left hands are just a bit heavier, and we get to say "my husband" or "my wife" legally, and then we get to giggle a little!

Seriously, we hope the birds continue "chirping" around us for many more decades!

I'm recovering from the last year of wedding planning and will eventually get around to posting some photos/details on the blog. It was awesome, but also really really exhausting, as any bride can attest. The usual fights over guest lists and food and seating arrangements and obligations were inevitable, and doing it from across the country made it just that more difficult. Although we wanted to keep it as small and intimate as possible, we were also obligated to invite many more people than we expected and also were unable to invite many many many more people that we wanted. In the end, everyone survived and had a lovely time- and our efforts to keep the wedding "green" and about "us" were rewarded... stay tuned....