I Forgot

I forgot how hot Don Music was.  Check out the colour combination with the shirt, tie, pants and belt.  I also would not call him a hipster but rather a "tortured artist".

MC, this one is not for you because I don't understand why you would reject my Chiquita bananas that I hand-picked with love for you.



You are so ungrateful!

The End of Days, Part I: Four Days of Whirlwind Fun in Midtown

Summer is almost at an end.

I know, I know.  ::boohiss::

Or in my case, "Woo! Hooray! Good show!"

Ahem.  I will collect myself now, I promise.

I am still writing to you via magical mysteries and all that as my computer is still down, but there was much that happened in the past few weeks to close out the Summer.  For the next few days, I will be writing about all our other adventures had but today it's all about our time spent with Rennie Friennie.

On Thursday, Andrea Bocelli performed at Central Park for a free concert.  It seems that everyone and their mother got tickets for that thing except for poor H1.

But all was not lost because at least Rennie, her husband J.J. and her Mom got tickets to go and out of that - a four day hectic trip to Manhattan.

It was four days of fun for us from a dinner to Connolly's with drinks and great company (we got to see A & J, and A's Momma too!) on Wednesday night, Ruth's Chris with yummy ribeye steaks and amaretto sours on Friday night, Billy Elliott The Musical with some good ol' 2006 HOchie's favourite Ponsgri, and a massive ass Street Fair with some Shake Shack on Sunday (the last bit was unfortunately not enjoyed by Rennie Friennie & Co. but there's always a next time!).

Phew!

I didn't even show you pictures yet!

For the first day of our adventures, we did not get to see the Kirby Ice-Cream truck.  Apparently, it was driving around the city giving free ice-cream bars and a chance to demo the new Kirby game for the DS, Kirby's Mass Attack.

I may not have gotten some ice-cream or see the glory of the bright pink truck with lots of Kirbys all over the sides but I did get a slap in the face.

As I was leaving the office on Wednesday, I did encounter someone's tossed away Kirby's Mass Attack bookmark.  What?! Stop throwing freebies away guys! Stop it! I would have appreciated it, you ungrateful bastards!

So it was a little bit junky but dispose of it properly, why don't you?

After catching up with friends with burgers and beer at Connolly's on 45th, H1, Luuiiiiissss and I walked to the parking garage.  It was a clear night in the city - perfect for a stroll through the bustling activity of NYC under all the bright lights.

A beautiful night ruined by some white pants.  Ugh.

100 Days

It's 100 days until Christmas and I have presents for 4 people.

Some may say I am an over-achiever but I think that's just slacking!

The time of lists fast approaches.

Everyone! Update your Amazon wish lists before Black Friday, mkay?

Thanks.

Misadventures: Because You Know You Missed Them

It's been two long weeks.  Earthquakes, hurricanes, record flooding... and it's the first week of September which always means that people decide they need to do all the work they neglected to do for the earlier Summer months.

Yet, when Beetchie and I go out together, I am still surprised by the mishaps that occur when we're out together.  But why should I be? The weeks have been crappy and meeting up with Beetchie at the end of it all should always signal some sort of disaster.

Don't believe me or need a reminder?

What about the raw squid or raw taro? That doesn't sound like horror to you? Well it should because it sure was horrible to us.

What about that almost awful head injury?

Exploding bakeries? Anyone?

And countless other events (including all of the Japan trip) that I am not recalling here; I am beginning to feel like a broken record.

So why so surprised every time something happens? Well, because it's almost unbelievable.

That's not to say that we did not have a good Summer last year when we got Doughnut Plant doughnuts for the first time...or Ippudo or went to see Scott Pilgrim.  I don't recall anything odd happening and maybe that's just what the problem was.  Again the built up pressure of non-happenings could no longer hold and resulted in Saturday Morning's events.

We went looking for Nom Wah Tea Parlor.  On Google Maps, it appears to be right next to Joe's Shanghai but what we found next to Joe's Shanghai was this:

Really?

Strolling Through the Midtown Central Farmer's Market

Twice a year, the Central Market at Midtown's 30 Rockefeller Plaza opens, bringing from Wednesday through Friday fresh fruit, vegetables, pies, quiches, cookies, muffins, butter, bread and unpasteurized juice with which to torture H1.

She is always talking about stomach aches and unpasteurized juice or some such thing.

Every year we take a gander through and over the years we discovered that quiches, apple cider doughnuts and cookies from Meredith's are awesome, mini pies are a wonderful little treat and fresh white bread from the Amish stall is the best.  The Red Apple Orchard gives us yummy juice blends and we have yet to buy a jar of honey from someplace.

This year we discovered a new favourite from the Breezy Hill Orchard.

I present to you a table full of cranberry walnut squares.

Building a Birthday Box

Last year, H1 and I began the Birthday Box tradition.  I bought a box and if presents can fit into the box, then she gets them.  If they do not, then too bad.  The box is a decent size but it does make things challenging to try to stuff into.

Somehow, I managed to fit a few things in like a bunch of cats and a shirt.

In addition to those things, there was a scary little thing that snuck into the box.  Said scary thing - a Dalek - terrorized my room and then headed for Universe domination over at H1's house and perpetrated a hoax by pretending to be a present.

This year, I have locked down the contents of the box and ensured that no such dangerous incidents will occur again.

So what's in the box?

A lot of crap, apparently.

Although, instead of the Doctor's Oldest and Greatest Enemy, there is a little happy friend who is the exact replica of H1.

.
Happy Birthday Month, H1!

Currently listening to: Beetchie and BooHead playing

Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit. Hare, Hare, Hare.

September is here.

August just had to hold on to ugliest month of the year title because you know, after the hellish hot July, I almost decided to award July the worst month of all months award.

But August just goes ahead and shows that it is an asshat of a month.  First there was an earthquake and then a freaking Hurricane affecting NY.

We are thankful that all we had to contend with was a flooded basement and a restless night anticipating tornadoes, but to all those still without power, or lost their houses - we truly feel for you.

Here's hoping for a better month.

Message to All

I'm not sure why Bloggie Boo has suddenly decided that all you biatches' comments should now be logged as spam but it has been doing that.

Just know that I am not screening your comments or deleting them.

If they take a little while to show up, it's due to the fact that I have not been blogging as of late because my computer is busted.

How am I transmitting this message to you then?

Magic.

Eid Mubarak

Happy Eid, friends.

H1 was supposed to be making some sawine but I guess that will just have to wait until the weekend when there's no work to attend and get in the way of our celebrations.

How the Earthquake Effed Up my Day

The day before yesterday, there was an earthquake in Virginia.  It was registered at 5.9 and did some damage to buildings and such.

Thankfully there was nothing crazy and everyone was relatively unscathed.

I am a believer that things can always be worse, so I am thankful that all I felt on the day of the tremor was that I was perhaps, in need of a rushing to the hospital for a personal medical emergency because the ground shaking made me think I was woozy and about to faint.

That was before I realized it was an earthquake - stop laughing!

Anyway, about six minutes later I was supposed to be on a subway train on my way to Chinatown for some dim sum or soup dumplings. 

H1 and I were starving having not eaten a real lunch at our usual 12 p.m. time slot.

With an uncertainty about subways and whatever else, we thought it best to not get on a train.

Safety first, we always say but of course, that meant we were that much more starved come 4 p.m. when we finally decided to find some food.

Soup dumplings were some blocks from us so why not go there instead?

That would have been awesome except the restaurant was closed and we ended up having to scrounge around for some McDonald's.

That was Effed by the Earthquake Scenario 1.

Back to to 2 p.m., while I was somewhere panicking and doomsday naysaying something about 2012, the Amazon deal for half off on a Playstation Move Bundle happened as a Lightning Deal of the Day and I missed it because 40 minutes later when I remembered to check, it was over.  100% claimed.

That may not sound like much to any of you, but it was sure damned annoying to me.

And that was Effed by the Earthquake Scenario 2.

That's all the Effed up things I can talk about because you know, it really wasn't so bad once everything simmered down.

We do count ourselves lucky this time and hope that was the only time...

Currently: Wondering why Momma HOchie hates me by leaving me without food.

Stay Pressed, Women

I was wondering what it meant when I saw this notification from Live Nation in my e-mail the other day.

To be precise, I was not wondering so much as to why I got the e-mail but I was wondering what the "F.A.M.E." in "The F.A.M.E." tour stood for.

The crisis has been averted though because it only took me 2 seconds to figure it out.

I hope the Females Are My Enemies tour prevails.

Currently listening to: "Cry Cry Cry" by Johnny Cash.

An Open Post to Frass

Dear Frass,

When did Beyonce decide she should massacre a little thing called "a tune" and become the Queen Bitch of Cacophony?

Please advise.

Your Almost Friend,

One Bleeding Ear...Or 2

It Was Almost a Dirty Confession

This morning at NBC's Today Show, the unthinkable occurred - I happened upon the start of a song I did not recognize but figured it had to be Maroon 5 - and it sounded decent.

It sounded not bad.

If you could not tell, I am doing everything in my power to not say the "g" word because Maroon 5 never deserves to be called "gouhh...".

See? I can't even say it.

Perhaps the lapse in mental capabilities on my part was due to the fact that the sound itself was decent for twice (R.E.M. was the only band that actually had good equipment and well, it's R.E.F.R.I.C.K.I.N.G.M.) and also due in part to that one girl who was dancing her way out of the crowd with a ton of flava'.  She was having fun.  What can I say?

I had not forgotten that Adam Levine is a damned douche and that I dislike him immensely.  I am being redundant because I have to be to get this point in your head...that I almost went against every moral fiber in my brain to admit that a Maroon 5 song was guhh..guuh...  ...  more than decent.

However, I have good news to share because I just watched the performance online and Adam Levine still proves to be the jerk he is and I've decided potentially dirty confessions are out of my head.

I corrected myself for you lot.

In case you might still be reeling from something I may have implied, here, let me instead distract you by an awesome kid playing Taiko no Tatsujin.



That kid is a freaking Taiko DRUM MASTER.

Beetchie, you and I need to go back to the arcades of Japan.

Or alternately, we need lots of money for a purchase:

CLICK ME! You know you want to see the price...

Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit. Hare, Hare, Hare.

It's no secret that I dislike August.  It's usually my least favourite month.  It's long, it's Summer trying to hold on, there are no vacations and life just moves slow.

I am realizing now though that I can start hating July on account of the hot weather.

So with a hopeful mind, I wish everyone good luck for August.  This July was not the best and while things can always be worse, I can still say it sucked, can't I? Considering I posted well wishes on the 2nd, you may think I am to blame...heh.  heh.  

Let us not make that same mistake again.

Good Luck, all.

Trippin' to PA: The Wrap Up

We've shared most of our adventures from PA with you but what about PA itself? Was there anything we needed to point out that I did not capture in the posts for Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3?

Yes.  There's the actual land of PA to talk about.

We did not drive through PA without seeing some glorious sprawling farming land, dilapidated farm houses and some corn fields.

Many times I wanted to stop at the side of the road to take a picture of some broken down house or shed.  I also cursed the fact I did not have a wide angle lens.  That will be the next big purchase.

After a long day

There is nothing better than laughing at with some Finn.

To all my buff babies out there.



Moodou, if you learn and sing this song, you may be spared some licks for your behaviour on the plane today.

That's right, Suga'Face knows all, so stop getting on so stink.

Currently: Wondering how anyone could not love Adventure Time.

Wasted Talent

I think we all knew it was going to be a death that was sooner rather than later but it still is surreal and sad knowing that Amy Winehouse is dead.

While we've had our share of poking fun of Ms. Winehouse here at the HOchieS blog and while her musical style was not to my taste, I acknowledged her talent and H1 and I still hoped that she would get it together to let that talent continue to shine.

MC and Frass, don't cry.

Trippin' to PA: Trains and The Great Pretzel Debate on Day 3

Our final morning in PA was spent going to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania right near the Choo Choo Barn.  The museum housed old trains and pieces of American history.  The space was dark, the air was still, and all I could think about was asbestos.

I do that a lot.

It was kind of beautiful in there and there were lots to marvel at, if I cared enough.

Bwahaha, no, no.

I marveled, I marveled.

And now, you will too.

I considered standing in the middle of the railroad track to take a picture.  But then I considered I should not tempt fate.

Summer Fun in Midtown 2011: The Tons of Buns Edition

Last year, The HOchieS ventured away from the desks at work to go the annual event for cheap sample lunches from the restaurant vendors in and around Rockefeller Center.

As with last year's event, the plaza was filled with green umbrellas, Midtown suits looking for eats, and a Super Scooper Ben & Jerry's man who scooped the good stuff out for $1.00.

In what may become a yearly tradition, we again went out to this fair to get our brains addled by the sun for a decent meal to fill our bellies.

This was not actually during lunch, but earlier in the morning.

Another Batch of Fortune Cookie Fookery

Just the other day I was thinking to myself - of all the fortunes I get, there must be some times when the fortune does not insult or belittle me.

But once again, as I opened my last cookie yesterday, I was proven stupid once again.

I can't even pretend to know what it's saying because then I'd be accused of not thinking.  Either way, the cookie is telling me I'm a dimwit.  Thanks, Cookie.

Sometimes I misplace some of them or forget to take pictures, so here are some "gems" I found floating around that I did not post before:

More to add to my life of Servitude.

Then there's this one which I can't believe I forgot to post before now.

Currently: Wondering why I even bother.

IN YO FACE

Not that I was following the Women's World Cup but I'd just like to say "In Yo Face" to Papa HOchie and others supporting the US team.

And for no other reason than I am a biatch.

Well, there are other reasons like my loving the Japanese and being okay with someone sticking it to the often arrogant US sometimes but yeah....

In.

Yo.

Face.

Jackasses better not "stay pressed" me for this one.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Moodou!

I don't understand how it is you're one year old and already driving all over the place like nobody's buisness.

What the heck can I expect by this time next year?

Chirren these days, eh.

Trippin' to PA: A Day 2 Full of Sugary Dare-Devilry

Ah, Breakfast.  What sort of breakfast should one have when one goes away to PA and is in the vicinity of Downtown Lancaster?

Me thinks "The Fractured Prune" is a fine option.

The name alone is a win

At least, the sort of breakfast we had was one of doughnuts.  That may not work for some and it does not always work for us.