Ode to NY

5 days left. Sigh. We are sad. We don't want to go home! I will be dragging and kicking my big swollen arthritic feet at the airport next week. In order to be happier right now, let's take a big bite of the delicious chocolate & cream cheese stuffed muffin I just bought. And take a brief walk through memory land to reminisce on some of my favorite happenings from our east coast summer. Hit it Mons!

surviving june's record-breaking heat wave

like anyone pays attention to this

being married to a graphic artist makes you more aware of graphic art

forever waiting for trains

sadie, my neighborhood friend slash alterations go-to person

the witch house

the night monsonskows arrived in bay ridge

the counter girls never remember sample hogs

dale & ruth visit columbia university


a night of beautiful sound at carnegie hall

oh delicious Grimaldis, what will i do without you

neighborhood house i passed each morning and said to aaron, "let's buy that next year!"

byu design friends know how to garden party

"It's a sign!"

poor Joey...we hope he got off on the right stop

romancing in central park

beautiful new york bay where i sweat each morning

the master skills of Giovanni (for only $15!!!)

our new york BFF: subways

Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine

the temple of dendur

farewell Shake Shack

Staton Island

One of our favorite things to do this summer on Sunday evenings is get on a bus with no plan and see where it takes us. This past Sunday the bus took us to Staton Island. Staton Island is the least populated of the five boroughs yet inhabits the most scary people we've seen of the five boroughs. Is this because they are stranded on an island? When we got too scared, we made our way towards the water, took some pictures, then boarded the Staton Island Ferry to Manhattan. It was gorgeous on the water! Turns out I really like free ferry rides on big boats. I wanted to stay on for another few hours but the boat people wouldn't allow it and Aaron had to pee. P.S. did you know most of the movie School of Rock was filmed on Staton Island? Hopefully Jack Black will take us on a tour next time.

view of Manhattan Island from Staton Island

ferry time

peace out Staton Island!

ferry rides at sunset make me really happy

345 86th Street Apt. 520

If this looks like Aaron is riding a bike in our apartment building hallway, he is. We borrowed the bikes of Brian & Lindsay Morris while they were away in Italy on an internship a.k.a. vacation. Unfortunately we couldn't go very far on these cycles since the red bike was sans pedals and the brown bike (what Aaron is modeling) was sans brakes. Nonetheless we made the best of it and biked around our neighborhood and along the bay, with occasional stops to walk both bikes up and/or downhill. Summer bike rides are the best!

Also what is the best, is sneaking up on your apartment rooftop to see what's happening. Turns out there's just a bunch of strewn garbage and random steel parts having a party, plus a really good view of our neighborhood. Check it.

view to the east, looking out on 86th street (the State Street of Bay Ridge)

view to the west, looking out towards the bay (with Staton Island in the background)

view to the south, looking at the Verrazano Bridge (a glorious sight to behold)

I will miss you Apartment 520! However I will not miss the gas smell your kitchen stove constantly emits that makes me high and want to pass out every time I walk in the door.

the New Jersey slash Philadelphia monsons

The kids came to town. By that I mean, Paul (Aaron's brother), Lindsay (Paul's wife) (also please note she and I have the exact same birthday so it's possible we are fraternal twins), Liam (their adorable child), and Adler (their other adorable child). Last Saturday we spent the day together touring New York City, soothing crying babies, and answering Liam's question, "Where is your building?"

We can't wait to see more of these Monsons if we end up moving to New York next year.

adler & uncle aaron

paul explains consequences of riding prehistoric elephants to liam

the museum of natural history

aaron loves dinosaurs

carrie loves resting

how do they get any cuter than this

i'm in love with water

Who knew the Atlantic ocean had such great beaches? Who knew New York City had such great pools? Who knew living here was such a great idea?

soaking in the sun on a beach date with chris & scarlett

gettin' h-h-hooked up at the swanky Hotel Gansevoort rooftop pool

The routine of routines: exercise

We all have them. They are what keep us sane and what keep us on the straight and narrow. One of my routines is a daily morning hour-long walk (not the over exaggerated aerobic-lady-walk you may be thinking of). This summer while walking along the bay near our apartment, I have noticed many other people's exercise routines. This one is by far my favorite. These old guys take off their shirts (and sometimes their shoes) and do the most hilarious stretches and moves you have ever seen. Sometimes I just stand on the bridge watching them and forget that I am supposed to be exercising myself. Instant happiness comes when I see these guys. I hope when I am their age I will not be ashamed to do whatever the hell I want in public.

Who needs Duck Tours when you have Mike Tours

Last weekend the Mons and I rode the Chinatown Bus to Boston. Or the Feng Shui bus as I like to call it although there is nothing Feng Shui about it. It smells like nail polish remover and McDonald's french fries. Our good friends Mike and Cyrus go to dental school there and it was time for us to pay them a visit. We loved it. New England you say? New home I say. I'm moving.

if this bus is good enough for amy davis, it's good enough for me

view of Boston and Cambridge from a tower

we spent a lot of time in historic cemetaries for some reason...I found my own grave so that was pretty cool

This one is for my mother. Don't all mothers want their headstones to say "At Rest"?

skipping church to play 19th century lawn games at the Henry Longfellow house

enjoying JP Licks homemade ice cream, then back to my new mansion where the servants will give me a foot rub

nothing to do with Boston but how could I resist taking a picture of this