Przedszkole

I was very excited to walk by this sign and feel like I could read Polish. I think the balloons and the bubble type gave it away though.

Last Half Day Friday

Today is the day. The end of my summer half day Fridays. They were so nice. Sigh. Now it's back to school (a.k.a. working harder) and time for a new fall jacket.

To prolong summer and to celebrate our 6th Anniversary as a couple (Oct. 12th) we've made plans for a 5 night trip to Aruba! We've talked about wanting to go there for ages, and now we finally will. Just need to remember to reapply and reapply and reapply the sunscreen. You would not believe how hard it was to find a bathing suit in this city in August!

Method

I've recently become a fan of all Method products. The packaging is lovely, the scents are great and they aren't toxic. Plus, you can buy them at Target, the best store in the world. Just wanted to spread the joy.

Dinners, a walking tour and JT

Can't believe another week has flown by! Last Wednesday, Erik and I went to the Justin Timberlake concert for his birthday. He was quite the entertainer. I really enjoyed the show, but couldn't help feeling like one of the older ladies in the audience (aside from all of the moms who were there with their screaming daughters). I've walked by Madison Square Garden so many times. It was great to see what finally was inside.
Thursday we had dinner with Josephine and Peter at duMont...couldn't resist the duLicious DuMac and Cheese. Josephine was clearing out her studio that day and is preparing to move to Paris in the fall. Amazing to see how her work has evolved in such a short time.
Friday we had dinner with Isabelle and Nick and heard all about their great two weeks in Seattle. A friend of a friend of theirs had just opened a new bar in Williamsburg so we went to check it out afterwards. Sleek design and great location. I imagine the place will do well.
Yesterday I went to Long Beach with Sara. I missed going to beach last weekend with Edwin and Kathy, so I was not going to miss another chance before the summer ended. The water was too cold to go in and we received spa-level skin exfoliation by the blowing sand, but we still had a great time. I also maintained my title of whitest girl on the beach for the third straight year. I was very careful to reapply sunscreen throughout the day, but this morning I realized I missed behind my knees and the top of my legs near my butt. Ouch!
This morning we slept in, cleaned the apartment, and did some laundry at our newly renovated laundromat. Also doing her laundry was a new mom with her 10 day old baby! So sweet and so tiny. Didn't make a peep.
In the afternoon we went on a walking tour (through the Municipal Art Society) of the Greenpoint/Williamsburg Waterfront. Fascinating. So much history right down the block. We learned that nearly all No.2 pencils used to be made right on Greenpoint Avenue, that many pre-civil war wooden ships were made at the end of our street, and what R6 zoning means for the changes that will come to the waterfront. Over thirty people showed up for the tour...in the rain!
Last week Marijke also celebrated her 26th birthday in her new apartment in Rotterdam. Wish we could have been there too. Happy Birthday Marijke!
I think Meisje has a little cold because she keeps sneezing. It's funny that cats can sneeze and make such a human-like sound. I wonder what other animals sneeze or if any cough? Or hiccup?

The joys of a sweater

Left work this afternoon and was shocked by the weather. Not because of the heat but because of the cool breeze. Saw online that it had dipped down to the 50s. What a relief from weeks in the 90s. I came home and put on a sweater and long pants...and maybe a little later some socks...and just maybe a jacket. Who knew long sleeves could feel so nice?

Yesterday we got a nice surprise in the mail. A birthday package for Erik from Amke and Niels that included a DVD of Cedric! We loved it. Watched it right away. Can't believe how much he's grown. What a cutie. It made me realize how much nicer it is to capture these moments in film rather than photo. To see the actions and hear the voices (and cries!) really puts you right there. Also included in the box was an adorable painting made by Cedric...with his feet! He's already such a talented artist he's moved onto painting to his feet :)

Happy Birthday Erik!

Erik turned 29 years old last Tuesday! Hooray. We had a lovely dinner with Rein and Christa at Dressler (the fancier restaurant sibling to DuMont) in Brooklyn to celebrate. They flew back to Holland yesterday after witnessing the bizarre Brooklyn tornado and flooding storm (that I slept completely through) that shut down most of the subway system Wednesday morning. We ended up biking into work after realizing it was our best option.

We went to see a Beatles tribute band in Times Square last Saturday. They sounded just like them, but weren't so convincing in the looks department. I guess you can't expect both, but the mop top wigs did help. On Sunday, we ventured out to Red Hook, Brooklyn and saw some great community gardens, an art show and of course, the amazing world that is Fairway. Rein even cooked us dinner with his Fairway findings. It is always such a treat to be cooked for in your own apartment.

mailpiece

Noticed this new sign on the mailbox the other day. I know it is very serious but the word "mailpiece" made me giggle. To think that everyday a mailman delivers multiple mailpieces to our house. Actually, he just delivers way too many credit card offers. Leave us alone American Express...we are not interested!

AAAAAAAAh C

Just got a new AC for our kitchen and living room. So far it is amazing. No more sticky evenings on the couch. No more walking into a wall of heat when we leave the bedroom. We will be cool as cucumbers during this heat wave. We decided to get one with a digital thermostat and a remote. It feels really fancy but I think almost all ACs come with these features now. We were just behind the times with our 90s unit. Max is enjoying playing with the giant box too.

Welcome August! The stinkiest, sweatiest month of all year in NYC.