Photo an Hour #2

Well, my laptop crashed yesterday, so my resources are limited, but I wanted to share another "Photo an Hour" post - Annie Style, that is, lol. As you'll see they're definitely not every hour, on the hour, but hey, I tried. :-) Hope you enjoy!

12pm - my "morning" coffee - Working evenings has turned me into a late riser :-p

1pm - my "lunch": Oatmeal doused in soy milk and cinnamon

6pm - Baked these uber-healthy 5 grain and date cookies

8:30pm - Getting lost on the way to a friend's house - Maria's, Mario's.. can't remember the name, but how cute is this little Italian restaurant in the middle of nowhere - which is Midwood, Brooklyn

9pm - How cool is this shot?!

Life Lately

If you've been wondering whether I've dropped off the face of the planet - I haven't, lol. Here are a few quick pics of Midwood, Brooklyn, which is half-way between my neighborhood and Coney Island.

I love Springtime!



I didn't notice the rocking horse til after the photo was taken



Top Cafe Tibet - dying to try this place

Thought of my dog-loving sisters when I saw this :-)

Among Other Things, 'Istanbul', Chai Tea, and Pink Tulips

Well after having a distressing case of the boo-hoos yesterday, not leaving my apartment, and watching the entire first season on rerun of 'Worst Cooks in America' in a darkened living room - I was determined not succomb to the same happenings today. (Sans the wine and cigarettes, visions of a certain scene from 'Bridget Jones' Diary' replay in my head. Pretty pathetic, lol.)

First up, was braving the frigid Brooklyn temperatures and wind for a trek to the gym. After a short and sweet, but empowering 35 minutes on the ellipticle and a few quad lifts, I headed home. My walk to and from the gym encompasses a few neighborhoods. Going from residential, to trendy with little shops and cafes. At about the half-way point there is a bookstore that I decided to take a gander in. Now I certainly don't need another book as I've got three that I'm currently in the midst of reading. But when I get to the travel section I'm like a kid in the candy store. Not having my credit card was probably a good thing as at one time I had 3 full price books in my hand. So after much deliberation, I decided upon 'Istanbul' by Orhan Pamuk.

Image from here

Wandering further towards home there is a bodega that also sells fresh flowers. Having known well ahead of time that flowers were an order of the day, I chose some cheerful pinks tulips, that now look lovely on my white desk.



(Image from here)

A few other pick-me-ups I decided on were some organic Chai Tea and a much needed Cadbury milk chocolate bar. So feeling much better and but not yet guaranteeing any "Bridget" relapses, I will enjoy the Grammys and my book tonight with my chocolate (guilt-free, thank you very much) and tea.

Photo of the Week - Winter in the City

A friend and I were just discussing wintertime in the city a few nights ago.

Well, this is what the folks in New York City have to look forward to this year. No, it hasn't snowed yet - thank goodness! This was what I was met with in January - my arrival month in NYC.

Looking on the bright side (and when I'm not waddling around like an penguin due to the abundance of layers and a down coat) I'll be curled up with a hot toddy, a good book, and my blanket come cold weather.

Corner of Waverly and Greene - just behind my building

A Good Day Part 2

Part 2 of our fabulous NYC adventure day entailed a tour cruise around the city. Our sultry-voiced tour guide clued us in on various New York landmark tidbits unbeknownst to us. We, on the other hand, were able to get some amazing shots of the lovely NYC skyline.

Enjoy! :-) (And yes, I've been getting carried away with my photo editor.)

The Statue of Liberty from afar

Love this one!

Brooklyn Bridge

Chrysler Building - my favorite

Empire State Building

Brooklyn - my hood :-)

Manhattan

It was windy!

Queens

Another of Manhattan

Out and About in Brooklyn

My good friend, Jenny, and I met for a spur of the moment coffee this afternoon. She was in between jobs and me, well, being unemployed at the moment and not having been out of my apartment yet, was more than happy to oblige.

After downing our lattes and getting winks from the earthy, exotic barista bloke, we decided to head off to the local library in search of some English textbooks for her TESL class in the morning.

I just so happened to include the camera in my bag and was able to get a few nice shots. :-)

So many flowers

The lovely Miss Jennie

An old apartment building on Washington St.

A sunflower patch 'grows in Brooklyn'

Little 'Gordon King' - my neighbor's pup - soooo adorable!

My library finds :-)

Appreciating the Gypsy Life

Walking home from a friend's house last night, I had a strangely surreal feeling as I strolled past some familiar surroundings. You see, I live in New York City - Brooklyn to be exact. It's a world of constant change and diversity; full of places, things, and people to feast your eyes on - sometimes pleasant, other times not so pleasant.

Pleasantries and non-pleasantries aside, one grows accustomed to their neighborhood and the constant, daily encounters. From the guy at the counter of the local bodega or the kind gentleman bagging groceries at your favorite grocery store - all of these people and places add to the experience of daily life.

Also to be mentioned are the friends made in the little spot of the earth that we call home. I look back on my life and all the different areas of the world that I've lived, and even though at times it may not have been all roses or peaches and cream, I'm so thankful for those times, for I never would have made such lovely, lifelong friends (you know who you are).
 
That being said, living a gypsy life - it is easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of constant change (just like the city) and the ongoing thought of where the next adventure will take place, not paying attention to small details or the things/people that really matter. Chances are they add in some great and small ways to our experience. How good it is also to savor the friendships we make and not take them for granted. And even though we may never be at this spot or point again in our lives, it sure is fun to try and enjoy the ride and scenery along the way. ;-)

Different Worlds

Recently I've made some friends in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn which is in the southern part of the borough and close to Coney Island. I was able to head down there this week. My friend Chardonnay and I also took an afternoon jaunt into Manhattan on Wednesday to visit the MoMa.

I couldn't help but notice the striking difference between the two areas. Bensonhurst resembles a small town while it seems most are blue-collar workers. People seem to be very family oriented, as well. Many of the homes actually have front gardens - something I haven't seen in a long time. Needless to say, I adore it. :-)

Manhattan, on the other hand, is concrete, fast-paced, with many white-collars. It's fun to spend a day there exploring, and many of my friends love it. I, however, would much rather come back to my Brooklyn.

Bensonhurst, Brooklyn

Chardonnay's apartment (on the left)

Yes, we met Dino - his personality matches his name ;-)

Miss Chardonnay

Bay Parkway train stop

Manhattan 

30 Rockefeller Center

Ode to Summer - Coney Island Adventure

In a farewell to summer, my friend, Jenny, and I packed our bags and headed down to Coney Island last weekend. It was all we had expected and more as you'll see from the photos. :-)



The Boardwalk and Jenny :-)





Not in a million years!




Fried oreos sounded strangely good



Miss Jennifer

Love this!



Yours truly :-)



Mr. 'Hot Stuff' lol... love people watching!



These guys were intriguing

 To be continued...