Finally Posting

Woah, so it's been a week since my last update. You've probably been continuously checking back here thinking "When is this amazing blog going to get some new stuff!?" THE WAIT IS OVER!

So, I guess I last left off right before my night at Rock of Ages on Broadway. The show was actually very good (and funny) and it turns out a JMU alum produces the show. It ALSO turns out that I have interviewed that JMU alum for Madison magazine. Small world.

I am trying to think back on what exactly I did last week after the show. On Thursday when Melanie and I were heading home from work all of Park Ave. was closed off with tons of cops. Turns out Obama was in town for an NAACP meeting. Click here to see the madness that ensues when Obama is in town:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i232_zQDq9U

Note: I also saw Jill's daughter from Real Housewives of NYC. I purposely sat right next to her on the subway. So, I mean Obama AND reality tv star's daughter!? They pretty much go hand-in-hand.

Of course for the rest of the week I worked the normal hours and on Thursday night we headed downtown to Mercury Bar. Lindsay's friend put our names on the list so from 9-10 all the drinks in the bar were free. Crazy but true. Then Courtney, her cousin and I headed to Hudson Terrace. It's a rooftop bar and once you get in you have to take an elevator up. You don't press the buttons though, there is someone whose job is to specifically push the buttons for your floor. It was really pretty and not too crowded. A cranberry and vodka though was $13. Yeah. Needless to say I sipped that drink like no other. Courtney somehow managed to meet the owner and he ended up buying us shots. Shots aren't my thing but hey, a free drink is a free drink!

Friday I had my usual day at work but we did have a Q&A session with one of the CEOs and President of DDB. I was the first to introduce myself when we went around the room and after saying I went to James Madison University he goes, "Oh, yeah, that's in Washington right?" I smiled and said "Oh, well no actually it's in Virginia." And he just goes, "Oh yeah, close." I liked his sense of humor. And he is good friends with the president of J. Crew! I was jealous.

That night we met up with Ashleigh in the city since she had some work here that day. We headed to our dorm and gave her that .02 second tour of our apartment. We then headed to Grand Central Station where I made reservations at Metrazur. It's a pretty fancy restaurant that overlooks Grand Central -- great if you love to people watch. We were there with the intentions of ordering off the restaurant week menu but for $9 more you could get a bottle of wine off their prix fixe menu. My meal was as follows (and pics will be posted soon):

- RISOTTO NERO DI SEPPIA, WOOD OVEN ROASTED PRAWNS, SMOKED PAPRIKA SPICED BABY ZUCCHINI, LEMON FROTH
- In other words, squid ink risotto. Sounds gross but it was delicious.
-PAPARDELLE "TEN HOUR VEAL" PAPPARDELLE, CARAMELIZED PORCINI, FAVA BEANS, PARMESAN FOAMVEAL CRACKLING
- Really just shredded veal stroganoff
-COCOLATE DUO MILK CHOCOLATE AND PEANUT CRUNCH PAVE, WHITE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAMBLACK CURRANT CHUTNEY
- Gave me the worst heartburn of my life, but well worth it.

After dinner with Courtney, Ashleigh and Scott, the girls headed to Brass Monkey and met up with Lindsay and her friends. Brass Monkey was so crowded and hot that we ended up leaving around 12:30.

The next morning we headed to Washinton Square Park and went to Peanut Butter Co. The place serves all types of PB&Js. I got the Elvis which was crunchy peanut butter with bananas and BACON! Yes, bacon. I was feeling daring after my squid ink risotto the night before. It was surprisngly good but I could only finish half.

We walked around SoHo and then over to Greenwich Village area. For dinner we went to Risotteria which serves about 30 different kinds of risotto. I had feta, spinach and roasted red pepper risotto.

That night we went uptown to a bar called the Stumble Inn. This bar is actually owned by a few of the other bars we've been to (i.e. Down the Hatch, Off the Wagon). They have pretty good prices and a more relaxed college type setting. Courtney's friends from NJ were in town for the night so they met us there. A little later we headed across the street to Brother Jimmys. We made a stop into Southern Hospitality (Justin Timberlake's restaurant) but I was really disappointed. It reminded me more of something along the lines of if Cracker Barrel decided to have a bar.

Sunday we all went down to Canal street where I attempted to bargain for knock off designer merchandise. Now I have a pair of "ray bans" -- if you catch my drift.

We finally got some down time and headed to Central Park to relax a little. And then Ashleigh sadly caught her bus home. Courtney and I split a cab with her to Penn Station and I went home to Court's house for the night. It was so nice to get some home cooking and a nice big comfy bed to sleep in. That morning her mom packed us breakfast and lunches in brown paper bags for work. I felt like I was going to school!

Today I had another Q&A session (2 hrs!) with lunch served after. I actually had to come into work early today to get some stuff done since I had to present to my boss. Pretty scary stuff. I may have to be in on a conference call with her and the client when she is in DC.

I also found I have to present in the next two weeks to the CEOs of DDB. It's scary to think about -- more so because I have absolutely no clue what I am going to say. I don't really think a presentation to CEOs of a huge ad agency is something I can wing either.

Tonight Greg is going to be in town so he will be joining a few of us for another restaurant week outing. It's a French restaurant called Le Cirque. It is suppose to be amazing.

I am pretty excited right now though bc in about 15 min we have Dessert Hour. Once a month a guy in creative sets it up so all the employees bring in a dessert dish but it has to keep with the theme. This months theme: Summer.

I would contribute to this but I don't have an oven. I will contribute by taste testing them all instead.