Everyone in the City

Since Maren is here, Everyone has been spending a lot of time together, just like in the good ole days of our youth. It’s been so great for us all to be together for long periods of time and to know that we can see eachother any time we want. More than once during the last few weeks since Maren’s arrival, the phrase “I missed Everyone” has been uttered.

Our first everyone activity was the week Maren was here to interview for her job.

We went to Bourbon Street for happy hour and aligator burgers (yum!) and then went to help Zak get a new chair for his apartment. Below is the very strange chair that we got rid of that looks like it’s comfortable (it isn’t) and looks like it lays down for sleeping (it does not).

The day Maren moved here, Zak came over so Everyone could spend their first official day of living in the City together. First we looked at Maren’s new room (our loft).

Then we did some drinking, ate a chinese feast and played some cards. Good Everyone times.

This weekend for Everyone Day, we took a stroll from our apartment to the park and wandered around in it’s Saturday glory.

Maren and Zak had never been to this part of the park which is the part that shows up in all movies.

Then we took another stroll over to FAO Schwartz the toystore because Zak and Maren had never been.

We spent a long time in here for people who didn’t have kids and weren’t planning to buy anything.

We had to go up the escalator twice to capture Maren with these Lego Harry Potter characters.

Oh, and to enable her to put on her witch’s hat. That was important.

After our toystore fun, we walked to Grand Central station because Maren had never been there and it’s a sight to behold.

We went to the Transit Museum Gallery there and learned a lot about the Subway and got souvenirs. I got a pair of subway map socks. Maren got a subway map mug and Zak got subway playing cards.

After this afternoon of great fun, we went to an outdoor mexican restaurant with $3 margaritas (yeah!) and then took the long walk home where we played Wii bowling, peanuts, drank wine and wathed the pilot episode of Alias. It was a long day of fun for Everyone.

Alas, due to scheduling conflicts, there will be no Everyone Day this week. I know what you’re thinking and you’re right-the worst has happened. If we survive until next week I’ll be sure to tell you what we do then.

 

Progress Report

Please find below the post from the first day of this year. You need to read it to refresh your memory for the progress report I am going to give you below it.

January 1, 2009 at 9:30 am (general info) · Edit

Happy New Year to all of my loyal blog readers and to those of you who google searched your way here!

As is customary, I have made a New Years Resolution (just one) and will share it with you now:

To make 2009 Awesome!

I have made this a resolution because, to put it mildly, 2008 sucked. Hard. I shall list a few of the reasons:

A. Identity theft struck again

B. I got the flu, thought I was better, went back to work and then got the flu part two. Nice.

C. Had some problems with some people that I don’t want to get into in the blog but suffice it to say, they were not good times, took many months to resolve and still aren’t all the way fixed.

D. Michigan had the worst football season in it’s history.

E. Our favorite broadway shows closed. Rent, The Color Purple, Title of Show and The Drowsy Chaperone.

F. And I stepped on a rock, sliced my second toe on my left foot so badly that I lost the toe nail and it’s still only 3/4 of the way grown back.

These are just some of the reasons for Making 2009 Awesome!

Now, dear reader, you may be thinking that this is a little vague and may be easier to accomplish if it were a bit more specific. To which I happily reply: flashback with me if you will to…

My 19th birthday. Year 18 had not been so stellar for some reason and so when I blew out my birthday candles at The Briggs house that fine St. Patrick’s day, I actually made a birthday wish/plan to make 19 The Best Year Ever! And it was. 19 kicked ass! For serious. And so you see, a simple and vague wish/plan worked before and I have every confidence that it will work once again.

So, here’s wishing all of us, but me specifically, a much better 2009 than crappy, poopy, sucky 2008!!

Okay, so that was how I started this new year, planning to make it great by sheer force of will. And at the halfway point of the year, I thought I’d update you on how that’s been going.

I must say that my resolution has certainly come to fruition thus far. 2009 has been astronomically better than 2008. In fact, they shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same sentence. Allow me to list the updates on the above complaints:

A. fingers crossed-i have yet to have any identity theft problems and i have my credit report checked everyday and my credit score is finally back in the good range after getting all that stuff that was not mine taken off!!!

B. No flu for me this year-swine or otherwise-I’m not due to get sick again for another 3 years. I do so love that I only get sick every 4 years. It’s so nice to know when it’s coming!

C. Mostly fixed the vague social problems I alluded to above and things are night and day better.

D. I cannot update us on Michigan football, but I’m feeling much more positive about a much better season with quarterbacks and players who can work withing the new system.

E. Alas, our favorite broadway shows did not reopen, but we’ve seen a few since then and are headed back full force soon.

F. As for my toe nail, just last week I realized that what I though was new toe nail was actually old toe nail. So, off it went and what was underneath but the cutest little baby toe-nail that got her very first coating of nail polish. Welcome to the world, new toe nail.

So, that’s the update on the things that made 2008 crappy. Now for the things that have made 2009 great:

1. as if you even had to think about it-Europe. I know you still haven’t heard all about it and there is no way to sufficiently blog about how wonderful it was and you’ll probably never see all 1500 pictures, but take my word for it that it was life and perspective changing in the very best of ways.

2. i have already been to oklahoma twice, which marks the first time i have done that since i lived there in 2005. and i got to see Robyn get married which was great!

3. my great friends, Mindy and Autumn are both pregnant and i could not be more excited. for once i was excited to hear about pregnancies! and how much greater will the year get when their new babies are here in september and november respectively?!

4. speaking of autumn, she and her husband are visiting in august and i can’t wait to see her pregnant-and see her in general!

5. speaking of seeing people pregnant-i got to see mindy in all her baby glory last month at kyle’s graduation party. and it’s so good to see mindy so happy.

6. i got to see inaugurated, a president that i had voted for. for once in my three voting attempts, my guy won! and inauguration day was so great in times square surrounded by strangers cheering on our presideng. great day!

7. i started my masters in psychology and am loving what i am learning.

8. maren is living here!

see, already a million times better and shaping up to be an overall fantastic year and we’re only half way through.

i think this is a testament to the strength of mind.  i willed myself a good year, was determined that it would be so and it has been.

preview of upcoming awesome things:

september-going to oregon to see erica get married. going to canada to see jeff play a game

november-thanksgiving at my house as is the custom and possibly a vegas trip.

december-maybe a third trip to oklahoma for christmas but really just to see my friends new babies.

 

 

Maren Moved

Today is Monday and it’s also Maren’s first day of work in New York City. That’s right, she has finally decided to reject Canada the way it has long been rejecting her and she is going to live in the City and work here.

For those of you worrying that this means an impending Perrett divorce or some other marriage issue, it does not. Maren and Jeff are both going to live here year-round and Jeff will go back to Montreal in season and Maren will come up to see his games. Aparently, there are several players whose families don’t live in the area. So, no worries on that front.

How excited are we all, as Americans, to have Maren back in the fold?  I mean, weren’t you all secretly worried that they’d close the border and she’d be stuck up there forever? Or that she’d have kids in Montreal and they’d be evil french-speaking little bastards? No, just me? Well, I still think it’s great to have her back in her homeland.

And, how nice will it be for her to be in a place that does not reject her? She wanted a job in Montreal and tried for two years to get one and they wouldn’t hire her. She tries for two days in NYC to get a job and she is welcomed with open arms.

And sure, New York is a bit tougher than Montreal, but when you’re being yelled at by a crazy person on the subway or a rat scurries in front of you or someone tries to poke out your eye with a poorly placed umbrella, at least you know they are all Americans and they all speak English-and yes, i’m willing to bet that these rats speak english-they’re smart little buggers.

Let’s take a minute to really appreicate how great I think this is. In 2000, I moved to Weatherford, Oklahoma to go to college. So that means that for 9 long years Maren and I have had at least an hour, if not 22 between our homes. And now, she’s here. In my city. In my home (for now) and it’s just so great to think about! As if that wasn’t great enough, with Maren moving here, it finally brings Everyone back together again (Brianne, Zak and Maren) like we were in our glorious high school days. I can only imagine the stupid but fun things we will get ourselves into (it’s sort of what we’re good at) and can’t wait. But this time, we have money and no curfews.

 

Happy 1st Bloggiversary!

That’s right, one year ago yesterday was my first ever blog post. Can you believe you ‘ve only been enjoying my cyber thoughts for one year? I know, time flies when you’re being entertained Brianne-style.

So, let’s take a brief look back at last year at this time. In my first entry I commented on how our China Town turtle had turned one. And I am happy to say that she successfully made it to two! Quite a feat for a turtle whose average life-span is 3 weeks! Way to go, Lady!

I also reported on the fact that just a few days after my 26th birthday, I got the flu. And man alive, am I happy to report that I didn’t repeat that horrible time this year! Three cheers for no flu in 2009! (seriously, take a minute to cheer)

I also talked about the glory that is march madness. And it’s handy that last night was the championship game-congrats Roy and UNC! And, most importantly, we got to see One Shining Moment. And, because I posted it last year, I post again now for your enjoyment. Don’t be embarrassed if you tear up, Meghan, Lisa and I all did.

After a year of blogging, I’d like to thank my faithful readers for their dedication; my frequent commenters for their thoughts and funny anecdotes; my infrequent readers who see their reading as a personal gift to me (maren). A special shout-out to grandma sally and meghan who read daily and notice when I don’t post.

 

It’s a Scarf Miracle!

Picture it: December 2007. It’s 15 months ago and Brianne is happily wearing a black pashmina scarf all over the place. She loves it. It keeps her warm, it doubles as a covering when she’s cold in movies and it goes with all of her coats. She and it spend a lot of time together that early winter, enjoying the lovely city they call home. It’s the best scarf ever! And then, one fateful day, she wears it to Ezra’s 5th birthday party at his house; both scarf and Brianne unsuspecting of the tragedy soon to befall them both.

Her coat and scarf get taken to the master bedroom. When Brianne goes to leave, she goes to master bedroom for her coat and scarf but, alas, can only find her coat. Okay, she thinks, there are lots of coats and scarves here, it’ll turn up later and I’m here all the time, I’ll just get it in a few days. And so, with a heavy but hopeful heart, Brianne leaves the party assuming the scarf separation will be short-lived. Little did she know how very wrong she was….

A few weeks passed and the scarf had never turned up, much to our heroine’s dismay. New Year’s Eve came and she went out with her friend Zak and on her way home what did she find in the middle of the cross-walk at 75th and West End Avenue? Well, not her missing scarf, but a very close approximation of it. And so, she took in this orphaned scarf that night and started the crappy year of 2008 with this imitation scarf. In retrospect, she wonders if perhaps it was so very bad because of this scarf situation…something to consider…She digresses…

Days passed…weeks passed….months passed…a year passed…And yet, our faithful Brianne still believed that one day the scarf would return to her. She frequently checked the many closets at the Ezra’s home in the hopes of finding it scattered among their winter belongings, but each time she was unsuccessful. She looked for it in all the rooms and kept up the search in spring, summer, winter and fall. She even closely examined the scarves of all the people who worked, visited and lived in the home in case someone had mistakenly taken it. And still, no scarf was found.

As 2008 became 2009, she started to give up hope of ever finding her long-lost friend. After all, the scarf had now been missing for longer than she had owned it and perhaps it too had been adopted and was in a better place. So, she stopped looking for a while. After all, 2009 was going very well and sometimes lost friends just stay that way. And then, one fine day in March, our friend Brianne opened the winter coat closet on a whim and looked to her left and who was there to greet her? You guessed it: her long lost, much missed and greatly loved original black scarf! After a tearful reunion, Brianne and her friend have been together ever since, enjoying the city they love and vowing never to be apart ever again! The End.

Friends, in these trying times, it’s often nice to hear a heart-warming, miraculous story and I think it’s safe to say that this is exactly what I have just relayed to you. No parts of this story were exaggerated or made up. It’s not based on a true story, it is a true story. And therefore, and I think you’ll agree, It’s a Scarf Miracle!

 

Erica, Look What I did!

Twice a year when spring forward/fall back hits, I am unable to change the time on my work watch. Erica has been the witness of this difficulty for quite some time and is the one who has to push me to look up the directions on the internet after me struggling to figure it out for days and days on my own. A few months ago I got a new work watch and when I was setting the time originally I thought that perhaps it was easier than work watches of the past and would be easy to set when time change came around again.

And can you believe it? I set it on the first try. No frustration. No being an hour off on my watch for the few days it takes Erica to convince me to google my watch instructions. It was a watch miracle! Thank you makers of the Timex WR50M for making this process so easy for me. I mean, without Erica here to bug me to look things up, I could have held out for months and months. Dodged a bullet on this one!

 

Happy Birthday, LBRN!

Today is Lisa Elaine Marie Brown’s 30th Birthday.

 

Yes, she is quite old, but still looks pretty good.

I’ll let you know about all the birthday festivities tomorrow.

Until then, please enjoy these awesome Lisa photos.

Happy Birthday, friend.

 

A Sock Miracle

Meghan-this one’s for you. I worked Thursday night and Lisa worked Friday morning at Ezras. When she arrived and took off her shoes we noticed something Awesome. Lisa and I were wearing the same two socks. I don’t mean she was wearing a black pair and I was wearing a black pair. I mean that we were both wearing the same two mis-matched socks. On one foot a multi-colored polka dot sock and on the other foot a multi-colored striped sock.

Yes, that’s right. Not only have I brought Lisa over to the awesome world of wearing mis-matched socks, but she is wearing the same ones as me on the same day. It’s like some sort of psychic sock mis-matching miracle! Read it a weep, Meghan. You’re next. No, you won’t want to do it and you won’t plan to do it, but one day, due to an unfortunate laundry circumstance, you will wear two different socks and Lisa and I will laugh and point and then give you a hi-five in honor of your new found awesomeness.

 

Another Christmas Miracle!

Caution: live blog.

Last night, after church, we went to a bar. We normally go to Aunt Sandras, but she didn’t have her eve gathering, so we were forced to go to Trappers. And when I say we, I mean me, Maren, Jeff, mom, dad, Kyle, Uncle Tim, Timmy, grandma and grandpa.

Sadly we got there at last call so we were only able to have one drink each. Fellow New Yorkers, imagine in your head what it would cost to buy 5 beers, 2 vodka cranberries, a vodka tonic and a 7 up. Now sit down as I tell you that in Unionville, Michigan it cost $19. Maybe you are thinking I have made a typing error, but I assure you I have not. Can you even imagine that? I still can’t and I was there. So, you see, it is a Christmas miracle!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, friends.

 

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Christmas Eve is far and away my favorite day of the year. Going to church in Moore or Unionville, singing Christmas hymns, the anticipation of the next day. It’s just such a great day.

Christmas Eve in Moore: when in Moore we watch The Santa Clause and City Slickers and eat our traditional Long John Silvers meal before going to late night church and seeing the worst interpretive dance in the history of time performed by the same not so good dancer to the same wretched song. And yet, it has become such a part of Christmas that I yearn for if when I am not in Oklahoma for it.

When in Michigan: service at grandmas church with the singing of Morning Star and Maren and I singing our own made up words. Then the after party at Aunt Sandras and Snow, Snow, Snow.

Last year in NYC: Zak, Zaks mom and I Christmased here last year. On the Eve we went to see The Rockettes Christmas Spectacular,

went to briannes favorite place in the city, Top of the Rock,

had the best turkey burgers ever (Zak and I still talk about them) and saw Sweeney Todd at the movies.

We had a great time (do these photos of us and our view finder friend look familiar?)

  

I mean, come on, Rockettes, turkey burger, movie musical about a murderous barber and the Target Breezeway?! That’s the dream, right?

Here’s wishing you all a Spectacular Best Day of the Year!

And as this is possible beyond the grave blogging, feel free to remember me happily hugging this metal man atop Rockefeller center. I do so love him and it.