Mamajuana Rum

A new thing we are getting used to here in New York is getting paid on non-Fridays. I get paid the 15th and the 31st. So to celebrate a pay day (my first official non-temping paycheck), we went out to eat last night. I had read an article in the New York Times about a little Dominican place off Dyckman Street and we decided to check it out. It's called Mamajuana Cafe. Mamajuana (from the website) is apparently a mixture of rum, herbs, honey, and spices and is supposed to have been some concoction that produces miracles. What kind of miracles I'm not sure, but their Mamajuana Mojito was delicious! We didn't get an actual meal but got about three tapas (appetizers) which were all very yummy. Here's some photos from their website:

Mamajuana Rum


Mamajuana Cafe

Whale of a Tale

Since I have a little time on my hands at the computer at work, I've decided to read Moby Dick. It's been on my list of "To-Reads" for so long that I decided to buckle down and read it. I was first interested in reading it when I read an excerpt of Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street which I still want to read all the way through. I've been on this "adventure" book kick so I decided to check it out. Amazingly, Herman Melville had a sense of humor.

For instance, the main character Ishmael states:

"and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off -- then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can."

Hahahaha...he sounds like my husband on a rainy day with people's umbrellas :)

Oh! And good tip...many older books are past their copyrights...and are thus free online. If you ever get an inkling to check out a classic, here are some great places to find them:

My absolute favorite - Project Gutenberg
Online Books Page
Alex
The Internet Public Library
Bibliomania
Classic Authors
Digital Book Index

Light My Fire

Here's number 5,554th reason why I love Google and the Internet. Since moving into our apartment this summer, our gas stove has not been turned on. Mind you the burners are, but the oven has not. It's a great frustration to me because if I cook, it is so much nicer to prepare something, throw it in the oven, and forty minutes later voila! Anyway...Sunday night I had just about had it and so we Google'd how to light a pilot light on a gas stove and we figured it out. Our first meal was frozen pizza.....I guess you have to start somewhere :)

A Walk in the Park

My sister has become an avid reader of my blog. I think it's super cute. So today I got a chastizing email saying that I haven't posted anything lately and if I had fallen off the face of the earth. So here you go sis :)

This weekend was pretty slow. It decided to dump buckets of rain Friday and Saturday so we were stuck at home Saturday contemplating going out but then just taking naps instead :) So Sunday we decided to get motivated and went on a three hour walk with the puppies and our New York friend. Our trip took us up through Inwood Hill park, along the Hudson River, past Fort Tryon Park, to Fort Washington Park, back through Fort Tryon Park and home.

Things I saw and/or did:

1) Partially sunken sail boat (not toy)
2) Make-shift bed consisting of mattress, umbrella, and fallen log as a ceiling
3) Train tracks (that we ran over for a few feet...me terrified and dragging Charlie)
4) Red lighthouse

So I was still too terrified from running on the Amtrak tracks to take photos of anything but the last item. I seriously had to contemplate what I would do if a train came....run to the other side or stay, grab hold of the fence, and hope Charlie and I were not blown under the train. Robb thought I was silly...well slightly silly.

So here's my photos:

Red leaves with George Washington Bridge in the background:


The bridge again:


Tired puppies (Anna's licking her nose):


The little red lighthouse:


Our friend enjoying the view:


Oh what a pretty day:

Split Ends

What's even more terrifying than trying to find a doctor or a dentist in New York City? Finding a good/non-arm-and-a-limb taking salon. So I am branching out tonight and going to try to find one. Currently my hair is pretty long. I'm thinking about going to about my collar bone. Slightly terrified. Wish me luck!

Make Me Happy

It is a goal of mine that once I finish graduate school I can settle down and start cooking again. Ok...so start cooking. I guess I shouldn't lie on my blog ;)

So one of my first goals is to make tiramisu. Ok ok...that's not cooking but baking, but I have to start somewhere. I've always liked baking, but with just two of us...it tended to be a little dangerous (i.e. Robb and me and a whole dish of brownies). So as a special hurrah for me and Robb, I want to whip up a delicious dessert of tiramisu.

Robb and I have a special affinity for tiramisu. Whenever we go out to eat and see it on the menu, we share a slice. It's the prefect after dinner dessert. Coffee and rum soaked ladyfingers with mascarpone cheese, espresso and cocoa...mmmmmm. Tiramisu was actually our wedding cake. Since we had a very small wedding and many of our friends and family either didn't like cake or couldn't eat it...Robb and I shared a slice of tiramisu. I just found out that "tiramisu" means "pick-me-up" in Italian...or "make-me-happy". I think that's the perfect dessert for a wedding :)

Family Days

So I definitely watch more TV now that I can tape the shows :) My third tv show I love to watch (after Ugly Betty and Pushing Daisies) is called Brothers and Sisters. It comes on Sunday nights and I'm slightly addicted. It's great because the family dynamics are so real. Robb doesn't think so but then again he has no brothers or sisters...although I'm pretty sure he doesn't think he missed out on anything :) I love that families always have that love/hate relationship thing going and it reminds me that I do sometimes (and sometimes more often) miss mine.