August | 2013 | Some Cozy Night

One Last Hurrah…

August 29, 2013 § 2 Comments

Oh my goodness! How did it get to be the beginning of Labor Day Weekend? (AKA: The End of Summer.) I know that it was busy, but really, this one went way too fast. Thankfully, I think we made the most of it, especially over these last couple of weeks. So, before we start thinking about fall and Fashion Week and All That Work We Need to Do, some last bits of summer, which in my book is at its best by the beach…

One of my favorite things about the season is the flowers — I know, this is not new information. And I especially love these particular roses when they greet me each day…

The Village Improvement Society’s Annual Geranium Planting (I am not kidding about this, even though it sounds very Star’s Hollow) makes dog walks* a little bit more inviting in the morning, when I pretty much don’t want to be walking at all.

Also making dog walks and other activities more enjoyable is our town itself, which I find to be quite charming. Pierre’s is our year-round spot for breakfast, lunch and dinner (and the best fries around), and the library next door is very high on the Adorable Factor, as is their library card, of which I am a proud holder. (But I am pretty sure I owe them a late fee for a Mary McCarthy biography. I feel bad about that…I really do. But somehow, I still haven’t made it back in to pay it. I think it is shame that is keeping me away.)

And then there is the beach. I don’t think there is a better place to take a nap than on a beach. And nap I did this summer. Quite a bit. This was my typical view when I woke up from one of said naps…

Unless I was opted for the shade of our beach camp…

And sometimes, after napping, walking would happen. I know, everyone says it, but that is because it is true: A walk on the beach clears the mind, lifts the spirits and sometimes gives you ideas for interior design projects. (OK, that last part is probably just me.)

(And this shell below has me thinking of all sorts of masculine colors for our kitchen project….but that is for another post.)

Then there is eating. One of my favorite things to do. Ina always talks about them, but this place really is yummy…

As is Navy Beach, which has been GOOP-ed, but I like to think that I knew about it first…

If only they were a little more forthcoming about the availability of tables outside…

Not that I am complaining. Well, actually, I am. Seriously, that was just a few of the open tables outside. Grrr.

Anyway, one thing I could never complain about is Mr. H’s annual Birthday Dinner with our dearest friends. As always, this was one was excellent — and included doughnuts from Dough!

Naturally, this kind of eating requires a little more movement than just rolling over on my beach towel. So, I did attempt a jog or two and either I hallucinated it, or there is an amazing cobweb in this photo that I cannot see. If you can, I am very happy for you.

And just in case you were concerned, A+O also had a very restful summer, including lots of time on the down cushions of our sofa. This does not please me, but they are so darn cute that I let it slide…

And this year, we had an extra fun treat in the form of a fantastic sail on the most lovely boat…

I am not a sailor, but I think this one is pretty “yar”. (Watch The Philadelphia Story, please.)

So, even though I hate to see it go, I think that we did summer quite well this year, and hope you did same. And don’t forget to savor this long weekend — whatever your plans may be. I will probably still be napping and eating, if only for the sake of consistency.

* In all fairness, Mr. H performs this duty far more frequently than I do. But, I am the one on teeth brushing and managing their schedules. Yes, they have schedules because parts of my life are ridiculous.

(Photos: Some Cozy Night and Mr. H)

GIRLS…

August 19, 2013 § 1 Comment

In addition to Beach Reading, we’ve also been doing a fair amount of Beach Watching as we wind down the last few weeks of summer.* And one of the shows we’ve been watching is the second season of Girls, which I kind of love. It is hilarious. And oddly honest. (Although, there is a touch too much “naked time” for my taste.)

My early twenties may have seemed a lot more together than the those of the characters on this show, but I think Lena Dunham pretty much nails it in terms of how I felt on the inside. Every awkward moment. Every “what the hell” adventure. And every swing from “I am BRILLIANT” to “I am SUCH a loser”. It is all there, making me laugh and thank the heavens I am no longer a young twenty-something.

Now, there is a little issue I want to address about the last episode I watched (SPOILER ALERT), where Marni (the “hot but composed, going places one”) tells another male character that what she really wants to do is sing. And he responds that she should do it right now. His reasoning was that there was never a time when she was going to be more beautiful…more desirable…and so, this was her moment. She had better act fast.

OK.

The harsh reality — which is one of the reasons that I love this show, it puts it out there — is that from a certain, real world perspective, this is true. Young, pretty women get gigs and records deals. Young, pretty women are viewed by a many young men (and a lot of older ones) as the best “get” in terms of dating. And yet…

How many women do you know that are completely beautiful and desirable and interesting and accomplished that are not in their twenties? My guess is quite a few. I am surrounded by them — and I am not just talking about “beautiful on the inside”, even though they are that, too. So while the scene portrayed a completely authentic exchange, I do think it is important to remember that the notion of “this is the time when you will be your most beautiful” is really kind of hooey. You just probably need to be a little older to realize it.

* Truth be told, there has also been some Beach Working, but when you must, you must.

I’m Totally Not a Runner, But…

August 14, 2013 § 2 Comments

Let me begin by saying that, like camping (which I do not do), I never imagined that I would take up running. In fact, very much like camping, I did not believe in running — for myself at least. And I was pretty certain that all the weekend runners I’d seen by the beach were people who were just so sick of Family Togetherness Time that they decided to take up the activity to get out of the house.

And yet, one day last summer, out of some odd fit of curiosity and maybe boredom, I decided to see what this running stuff was all about by going for a jog around town. And by “jog” I mean 45 minutes of absolute terror at the prospect of being hit by a car, bike, or other, more serious runners, and “adjusting my headphones” whenever I felt like I might have a heart attack.

There was no more jogging for some time.

Then came the holidays and one afternoon at the gym, I hopped on the treadmill. And I did it again the next time, and the time after that — which happened to be “Where I Was” when I learned that Kim Kardashian was expecting Kanye West’s baby, in case you were wondering. That time was also the day that I finally understood why this activity is so popular: The Runner’s High. Heavens…it is good. Yes, you are crazy*, but you feel GREAT and want to have that feeling again. As soon as possible. And after a few more sessions it became clear that running allows me to compete against myself — which I find to be awfully irresistible. So this is how I started becoming something I never thought I would be: A Runner.**

The running continued through the spring. And after my Doctor was rather emphatic about my shoes being “my gear” and only the proper gear (not “cool” gear but “proper” gear…he was very clear on that one) would keep me from ruining my knees and ankles, I had myself fit for running shoes at Jack Rabbit (http://jackrabbitsports.com).

Like Fun Shoe Shopping, they had LOTS of options…

Alas, when Running Shoe Shopping, concepts like comfort and suitability seem to come up quite a bit. As does pronation.*** So after the kind people at Jack Rabbit recorded me running in a few pairs of shoes, it was determined that I had a neutral pronation and that Blakes, New Balance and Mizuno were my best options. And so I spent more time thinking about how comfortable I felt in each of these options — a truly foreign concept for me when it comes to shoes — and finally determined that this pair was My Gear:

They are Mizunos and, as intsructed by my Doctor, I purchased two pair so that I could alternate between runs. And what can I say, except that I love them. And running, it seems.

Go figure. And never rule out trying something new — except camping.

* I realized I was experiencing a high when I began thinking that I should totally start a charity. For what, I have no idea. It was the endorphins or something.

** Or at least a tentative one. And camping is still absolutely out of the question.

*** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronation_of_the_foot

(Photos: Some Cozy Night. And for the record, not every establishment in Brooklyn is required to have a chalkboard sign outside. It just feels that way.)

It Gets Worse and It Gets Better…

August 8, 2013 § Leave a comment

So, this was a rather crap week for me, but in all fairness, I must make note of the following things:

– We are having some seriously lovely weather this week

– Mr. H, my other family members & fantastic friends (also family to me) are always on my side*

– I scored some Goldfrapp tickets for their show in September (http://goldfrapp.com/live/),

– I CANNOT WAIT to watch my excellent and cheery Nephew devour his 2nd Birthday Cake this weekend, and

– A-Dog never ceases to be adorably odd:

So, as I always like to tell myself, when things are feeling all wrong, try to remember how much is really quite fine.

* Except when I suggest to Mr. H that we get a small monkey. Can’t blame the man, though.

(Photo of A-Dog looking out a glass pane into the rest of the office: Mr. H. Any chance he’ll learn to code?)

The Best Doughnuts. Full Stop.

August 2, 2013 § Leave a comment

On the sweets front, I think New York is pretty much over its cupcake craze, and I am not even going to touch the croughnut thing. But for the last year or so, the city has also been pretty obsessed with doughnuts. There is even a map you can buy to basically do a doughnut crawl: http://allyoucaneatpress.com/post/31478946388/our-very-first-publication-the-new-york-doughnut

I’ve been obsessed with them for most of my life, so this was a good development for me as well as for the people of my fair city. Naturally, there are factions with a very large group being Dougnut Plant devotees (http://doughnutplant.com). I’ve had them and I think they are great. But after doing a decent amount of legwork, if you like a yeasty doughnut, it is my firm belief that Dough in Clinton Hill is The One.

Yes, I know it is another one of those One Word Brooklyn Places, but this teeny shop pumps out the most delicious doughuts all day long — from 6 in the morning until 9 at night — and they are heaven. Not too sweet, not greasy…totally tender and just plain flavorful. I like a plain cinnamon sugar affair, but for those of you who are more experimental, they have all manner of options, from exotic fruit glazes to nutella and various jam fillings. Yum!

Details:

Dough
305 Franklin Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11238
347 533 7544

Next up: Getting fitted for running shoes!

(Slightly blurry photo: Some Cozy Night. And yes, there are a few places in BK that don’t use Edison Bulb light fixtures…but not very many.)