Good Things Come in Threes

Wednesday December 29th (my dad's birthday) I met Pete, Matt and Laura in Chelsea for a little Italian... then we got some food.



Laura and I at... ah damn I forgot the name of the restaurant. I was the first person to arrive so I waited outside and let me tell you, there is nothing like standing in a busy section of a gay neighborhood during dinner time to get a single straight girl depressed. After about ten minutes I went into the restaurant, sat at the bar and ordered myself a large glass of wine.



Thursday December 30th I went out for some half price sushi with Rebecca and Debbie on L.I. Rebecca is currently hard at work on her psychology PhD in Conneticut and was home for the holidays like meself.



Friday December 30th I went over to Silvia's Syosset newlywed flat for lunch and a tour of her new digs.



Kim, Silvia, Deb and I (looking terribly silly).





Silvia and tired Deb.

What Once Was Old is New Again

Today I travelled into Manhatten with my dad to go to the Met's library. I am researching a paper on Leonardo and Giorgione that is due shortly after I return to Scotland. I wish I could say that I got a lot of work done, but it was so cold in the reading room and I was so tired that after about two hours I gave up. The big perk of going to the library is that you get a hassle free Met pin so that you can explore the galleries. The museum is technically free anyway (in small print above the prices it says suggested donation) but this way I didn't have to wait on the absurdly long holiday queue.

The Met never ceases to amaze me. No matter how many times I go I always seem to come across something new and wonderful. Today I found a French bedroom with the most beautiful tapestries on the wall and a bed that I wanted to melt into. I hear in my head the voice of a friend telling me that the Met flies in the face of international law with their dubious acquisitions but without a doubt, it is my very favourite museum in the world. It is exactly how my perfect museum would be, with delicious nooks and crannies, low lighting, grand palazzos and surprises around every corner. The Met is the history of the world right in Central Park.



I especially love to visit the museum during Christmas time when in the Medieval section they erect a huge tree right in front of the iron gate and play Christmas hymns. It's hard to find something more beautiful in New York.



It is twilight time and it has begun to snow. I am sitting in my dad's upper east side store listening to my grandfather's radio station and eating a bagel with hummus from the Turkish deli around the corner. The best part about coming home after a long time is that everything is new again and yet at the same time wonderfully familiar.



My dad's custom furniture store, Goldleaf Designs, where he personally designs brilliant works.





The painting above my dad's head is my own.



On the way home, over the outer bridge crossing of the 59th Street Bridge, passing Silver Cup Studios.

Christmas Day

This year's Christmas miracle was that is actually started at a decent time (7am) and not the inhumane hour of 5 during which I am usually woken up by water sprinkled on my head, the dogs being tossed me and of course the glorious scream of "You're ruining Christmas!"



Max getting in on a little Christmas action.



Dad, not looking tired in the least, opening a gift from his darling children. Nothing says I love you like a new memory card.



Kristin no doubt enjoying one of the gifts I gave her.



Dad and me wearing my new Harry Potter scarf courtesy of Ryan.



Kristin and the Christmas massacre of shredded wrapping paper. Which reminds me that I have thrown off the shackles that is the wrapping paper industry. No longer will I waste paper in such a frivolous manner I say! Now all you people will get from me is perhaps a nice ribbon, I can no longer be burdened with this silly wrapping game... ok I'm done, moving on.



Mom with some much needed coffee at this early hour. Thank goodness Santa did all the work the night before and not her.



Perhaps my favourite picture of Ryan with present in hand.



And finally the sun properly rises on a lovely Christmas morning. Next stop is the den where new games will be played, wars will be fought over who gets to watch their new dvds first and my dad will fall asleep on the couch.



Merry Christmas ya'll.

The night before Christmas Eve my family decorated the Christmas Tree.

Here's my mom searching through one of our many ornament boxes. Amongst our favourite ornaments is a glass pickle which always gets a very prominent position at the top of the tree.

Ryan getting ready to hang an ornament

Well I had to get in there somehow.

Ryan's first Christmas ornament.

Kristin showing off one of mom's Christopher Radko ornaments. I couldn't say what it is, let's call it a Venetian clown type thing, I was trying to be a bit arty without the flash.

Dad adjusting the star.

Merry Christmas!

On Tuesday we celebrated my birthday (check my brother Ryan celebrating). There was a Rainbow Brite theme and one of my presents was a dvd of the awesome movie Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer. .

We forgoed having a special meal until the next day when we ordered Chinese because I wasn't that hungry, but there was cake!

Here's dad bringing me my cookies and cream birthday cake from The Bakery.

Today was Sea's birthday so we headed into the city to go ice skating. The first thing we see when we get there was a dirty ass Share Bear waltzing down Madison Avenue.

After parking the car we headed to Rockafella Center to check out the ice skating. Here we are chilling on the corner waiting for Harrison.

First we checked out the skating by the tree in Rockafeller Center, but decided on Central Park instead.

The skating in Central Park was crowded but the queue went quickly and soon Happy, Sea and Deb were on the ice. Harri and I opted out and acted like good parents watching their kids. Actually we just talked while freezing our bums off in the drizzle.

There they are in the middle of the picture with Sea in the camel coat. Mama was so proud, no one fell once.

After ice skating we found an Irish pub to go to for a little birthday dinner. They had Magners cider but no brown sauce. I think I am going into shock with America's lack of brown sauce. Here I am 'ignoring' the camera.

I believe this place was called the Pig and Whistle, food was pretty good. I had Maryland crabcakes which felt a bit wrong, but tasted oh so right.

After dinner it began to snow and we headed to the Union Square Cosi for some dessert. We stopped into the Virgin Megastore across the street where we saw Christina Ricci and Adam Goldberg shopping.

Now this is tastefully excessive.

Here's Sea posing with our favourite house.

Before we dropped Happy off back in Brooklyn she had the great idea that we should go over to Dyker Heights where all the crazy Italian and Greek families decorate their houses for Christmas. Perhaps decorate is the wrong word, it looks more like the North Pole threw up on their lawn.

This house was the most insane. Surely their money could have gone to something more worthwhile.

Who thinks, 'you know what we need? Life sized elves riding a carosel. Now that says Christmas'

Another crazy family had munchichis dancing around their lawn.

Merry Spooky ass Christmas. Can you imagine being a kid in this house. I'd be sleeping with one eye open.

Leaving Brooklyn, going towards the Verezano.

Definitely time to go home...

Surprised

It's a good thing how time makes you forget how torturous plane travel can be (the same principle applies for things like childbirth and Christmas) otherwise I think I would never do it.

The day I left Scotland the weather was wondrous, the light fell upon the hills in golden ribbons of sunshine illuminating the still green pastures. It felt as if nature was giving one last glorious effort to say goodbye before the winter. What I love about Edinburgh Airport is that it is surrounded by these beautiful hills and while you wait for your plane you don't have to stare out at a bleak runway, but the lush greenery. I always wait till the last person gets on the plane to get on myself so about an hour before my plane is scheduled to depart I plop myself down in front of a window and read and glaze out at the hills. I am gazing out at these hills when I hear what I think is my name over the loud speaker, but who can really understand loud speaker announcements? When I see that the last person is getting up to board the plane, I walk around the corner to my gate from my spot at the window and to my horror realize the plane I had been waiting for is actually going to London, not Amsterdam. It dawns on me that the name I thought was mine being announced actually does belong to me. So with my solitary bag in tow I dash down the terminal 10 gates to number 1, where I am about to have my permission to board revoked, and become that person whom the whole plane is waiting for. oh well.

12 hours later I arrive in New York. It was raining in Amsterdam so I was slightly delayed, but to my great relief, when I walked off the plane, there was Debbie and Jason to greet me.

The day after I arrive home, Saturday, I am told that Kim and Debbie are going to take me out to brunch for my birthday. Kim picks me up in the morning and we go over to Deb's to get her. We sit there honking the horn but no Deb, so Kim goes and rings the doorbell. Jason comes out to say that his new ipod (which I heard tale of the night before) is acting up and Debbie is fixing it so we should come in. So I walk in a see that the dining room is all dressed up to which I question whether Chanukah really is over like I thought. But when I walk into the kitchen, surprise! My friends threw me a surprise birthday party. Sea even came up from Maryland and picked up Harrison in Philly and Happy in Brooklyn along the way. Thanks everyone, it really meant the world to me. I am just sorry that I didn't have my new camera to take pictures of everyone. The following pictures are from that evening after I went home for a bit and asked my parents if I could have my new camera that I was getting for Christmas early.



My inaugural picture with my new camera. Deb and Happy chillin while we decide what game to play.

Happy and Sea looking at the new magazine Kim bought me. Probably commenting on how much I resemble Eve on the cover.

Jason, Harri and Debbie's knee playing Scattergories. I couldn't cut I break during this game. I blame Jason, I'm not sure how he did it from across the room, but he seemed to have all the same answers as me. Alan Alda, geeze.

Who else puts Ascot for things in a catalogue that start with A? Sea, that's who. Oh and myself of course.

I have never lost a game of Scattergories...until this night, I blame the jet lag and everyone else for stealing my answers. Bastards.

Happy and Me.

Lovely pic of Happy, but check out my face in the background. haha. Classic.

Happy (looking a bit like a totem pole), Deb, Sea and Harrison. Thanks guys for a great day!

As the evening wore on we decided on a playing a friendly game of poker. Here is Harri counting out everyone's chips and my exceedingly large bottle of tequlia.

Debbie's mountain of chips... the tides were soon turn and The Money took the night.

'How you doin?'

Harrison, being Harrison, and Happy finally cracking a smile for a picture.

Poker takes intense concentration... and large amounts of whisky.

Crawford (looking all so cool and not the slightest bit hungover), Me and darling Dawn in the Queendom of Kellas, where horses out populate people 1567 to 1.

'Wehey!' Team Melville in Kellas. This has got to be one of my favourite pictures. Happy Birthday to me, thanks guys for a wonderful day!

Our incredibley 'artistic' Christmas display in the foyer window.

Christmas at Melville

Disclaimer

It has occurred to me that I have some new friends reading this site and therefore would like to make this disclaimer about my Christmas/Birthday list. Anyone who know me knows that I really don't want anything for my birthday, I never do. I really only put my list up because my mom never knows what to buy me and insists upon it. Coming up with the few things I put on there is always a struggle in fact. More then anything on my birthday all I ever want is to be with my friends and family, have a bit of a laugh, maybe some booze and a few embarrassing moments to one day remember fondly. This year is attempt 24.

Whitney Houston

Pet Peeve of the Moment: Singers who have to ruin a perfectly Christmas song by adding some 'flava'. Fuck off.

Oh and if anyone has an mp3 of Dido's "Christmas Day", send it my way. I adore that song.

This One's for You Baby

It's funny how when you are at university your day gets segmented into these regulated times. There is no real haphazardness to it all, though I guess, when I think about it, there never is. When I was unemployed (boy those were the days), my time was regulated by what was on TV when. If a station switched up when a certain program of mine was on I would throw a fit, like the terrible Roseanne Switch of January 2003. Anyway, my days now have such times as, 'before lunch', and 'after dinner'. No need for a watch because my body is now on a schedule regulated by the dining hall staff. I think Deb might be right in saying I have become sort of like a dog. My weekdays have alternate names too, like 'High Table', 'Duty', and 'Cleaning Lady.' Saturday and Sunday are mostly distinguished by, 'No Dinner'.

I handed in assignment three of my postgraduate career today. I sort of now think it was crap but I pretty much always have post hand-in regret. My desk is in some state, something needs to be done.

The fire alarm situation at my hall has gotten...well... alarming. Mostly because I am so used to the noise I swing right into action now, no heart jumping out of my chest anymore.

What I am currently listening to: MSN's Christmas Pop Station (because I am a Christmas whore), Rent, "Here's to Love" by Ewan McGregor and Renee Zellweger (over and over and...)