Shara's Visit

Shara came to visit right after Christmas. In the middle of the blizzard, we made the trek to Trader Joe's and stocked up on food. We got cured meats, cheeses, crackers, olives and other yummy things. Shara even found some frozen pain au chocolat that we made in the morning. It was excellent.

Last Blizzard of 2010

Right after Christmas, a huge blizzard hit New York City. Luckily, I wasn't traveling and I had Monday off. Shara was staying with me and we decided to head to Trader Joe's to pick up some food and wait out the storm in my apartment. The next day, and for a few days after that, the snow made getting around difficult.

Christmas 2010

My parents hosted our traditional Christmas Eve in New Jersey. It was a full house with Pete, Liz and the girls; Liz's parents; Jeff; Aunt Kathryn; Nancy and little Neema.

Everyone arrived around 4 p.m. and we had appetizers and egg nog. After that, dinner was served: a crown roast of pork and a variety of other things. Dessert included hazelnut cake and nut bread. Little Neema was getting antsy about the Christmas presents and left the table a little early to watch some Christmas movies.

Once we were done, we gave Neema her presents and she had a ball. She opened one thing at a time and played with each toy for a little while. My mother started throwing around the wrapping paper and Neema started to bury herself in it and then jump out of it. It was very cute.

Christmas day was quiet. As soon as we woke up, my mom made cinnamon buns and we opened our gifts. Dad got some shoes. Mom got a purse and Amy got come clothes.

Amy's boyfriend, Albert, came for breakfast and dinner. My mom cooked an amazing turkey dinner with stuffing and all the things that I like most. I left for NYC that evening as the blizzard was approaching.

35th Birthday Extravaganza

Not sure what it is, but I really like to celebrate my birthday. This year for my 35th, I was surrounded by friends and family. It couldn't have been better.

The weekend before my birthday, I went to my parents house to go shopping with my mom and have a birthday dinner with them. Mom and I had a blast at the Rockaway Mall.

I actually miss having a car to pile packages into and to drive from store to store. Also, the stores are so much neater and less crowded than in New York City. I got a lot done. After that, we ate a delicious dinner of flank steak with olives (one of my faves) and they surprised me with the hazelnut cake from the Gaston Avenue Bakery that my grandmother used to have for me.

I took my birthday off from work to ensure that I wouldn't stay late. That night a bunch of people came over for "high wine," which includes lots of appetizers and wine. Pete and Liz came by and met everyone. It was excellent!

On Saturday, we were at Entwine, a wine bar in the West Village, for the final party. I decided to wear my dress and my red Target Zac Posen with the five-inch, black high heels that Teva helped me to pick out. A bunch of people showed up and we had so much fun. After Entwine, a couple of us went dancing at Monster until the wee hours. All in all a perfect birthday!

Christmas Decorations in NYC

Last weekend when Tony was here, we went up to Rockefeller Center to look at the tree and check out the other decorations.

The streets were packed. It was like being at a concert. People shoved each other as we shuffled down the street towards the tree. When we got there, we had to push through to get a photos of the tree.

The lights were very bright and colorful this year and it had blinking lights like the ones on the Eiffel Tower. It was very cool.

Moody's Employee Holiday Party

My team and I managed the employee holiday party in New York City on December 9. It was a big hit. The conference center became a lounge, complete with colored lighting and a jazz trio. International food stations were set up in the main rooms and at the ends of the hallways.

The cafeteria was turned into a night club and employees danced until 10:30 when they headed to the after parties. Above is a picture of my team.

The Bargers Invade NYC

Well, a few of them. Steve and Stacey and Julie came to NYC recently and we were able to meet up. I'm waiting for the rest of you, now!

Steve and Stacey came in late October and we had a relaxing lunch at the Odeon, which is in Tribecca. We met on a Friday, so we decided to meet near my office, which is at the World Trade Center. It was so nice to chat over some delicious burgers. I hope that they come back soon and we can spend more time together.

A week or two later, Julie arrived in NYC to see her friend in a broadway show. She was only here briefly, so it was challenging to coordinate a meeting. We met near her hotel at a bar called House of Brews, which as millions of delicious beers. Tony was here, so she got to meet him and we caught up on all the usual stuff.

A day or two later, she met up with Amy and they got to meet, too. I was so glad that they were able to hang out as well.

Tony's Visits NYC in November

Tony arrived in NYC right before Halloween and got to see all the crazy festivities that go on in the Village.

On Friday and Saturday, people dressed up in costumes to go to the bars at a night. Sunday, the entire neighborhood became a giant parade with floats and music and people running around in costumes. It's a very serious holiday in this part of town.

Unfortunately, I had to work more than I expected, so Tony was on his own a lot. He navigated the city like a pro and saw many of the sights -- Wall Street, Metropolitan Museum, a ride on the Staten Island Ferry, Columbus Circle, Grand Central, etc.

He enjoyed beautiful NYC sunny, cold weather for most of his time here, but it is quite different than the temperature in AZ. The only days it rained were the ones I had off, so we hit the museums, etc.

I managed to get two days off towards the end of his visit. We went to the Guggenheim and a comedy show and walked around Chinatown and Little Italy, etc. He also got to meet some of my friends - Teva, Jeff, Andrew, and Terry. In addition, he met cousin Julie and Amy.

Even though he was here a little over a week, we had so much fun that it really flew by. Looking forward to his next visit.

Susan Visits from LA and Erik's Birthday

Susan and I met in the van from the airport to the resort at Turks and Caicos. We were friends instantly and were inseparable while we were on vacation. She came to NYC this weekend for parents' weekend at NYU, where her daughter, Calleigh, just started a month or two ago. We had dinner at Cafe Habana, where they tried the famous corn and loved it! Then, went to Erik's birthday party in Williamsburg.

Erik's party was at The Woods, a cool bar with a dance floor. They are famous for their "pickleback" shots: a shot of whiskey with a pickle juice chaser. I'm not into shots or whiskey, but I do love pickles and something about this shot sort of just works.

Susan and Calleigh went with me, Pao, Andrew and Teva to the party. We saw Elaine and her friend from Germany, Gina, and the rest of the gang. We had a blast dancing to 80s music and catching up.

Tony in NYC

At the end of September, Tony came to visit from Arizona. Since it was his first visit to NYC since high school, we hit many of the touristy sites like the Intrepid, the Brooklyn Bridge, Top of the Rock, etc. We had so much fun. He'll be back for Halloween!

Trip to Turks and Caicos in September

The weekend after Rosa's birthday, I was off on a solo trip to Turks and Caicos for eight days at an all-inclusive resort.

Up until approximately two weeks before I left, I had hemmed and hawed about where to go. I contemplated Berlin, Spain, Hungary and Slovakia. I really wanted to go to Hungary and Slovakia to meet our relatives there and see the village where our family comes from. I also wanted to see the beautiful cities of Budapest and Kosice and to experience the culture. However, I realized in the end that it would be too expensive for me to do at that time.

Scrambling to find some place to go, I happened upon Turks and Caicos. The reviews of the resort were excellent and the photos of the islands were gorgeous. And the price was right because of one slight detail. Hurricane season. I decided to risk it and bookmarked weather.com to see what hurricanes were brewing. Right before I left, Earl, F, G and H were all headed for Turks and Caicos and then up to NYC. Luckily I got out of NYC just in time and Earl only grazed the islands and the others went in different directions.

As soon as I got off the plane, the fun started. In the shuttle to the resort, I met my vacation partner in crime, Susan, and we were inseparable for the next five days. We learned how to scuba dive, bought rafts and floated in the water, rode horses in the water, tried out the trapeze and learned how to sail.


After a long day of playing, we would have dinner and then go to the club at night. We met new people each night and formed little cliques. Each day new people would be coming into the resort, so there was always the chance to meet someone new. The first night at dinner by the pool, we met a group of people from Montreal, New York, LA and AZ.

Later, there was a fashion show that was created in order to entice you to buy clothes at the boutique and this line dancing thing called "Crazy Signs," where people would follow steps to certain popular dance songs. It was strange, but everyone seemed to love it.

Once Crazy Signs was over, the area turned into an open air dance party that went on late into the night. That's where I officially met Tony. Susan sat with him on the plane ride over and made sure that our shuttle bus waited for him, so they had been friends from the start.

While we were horseback riding, Susan and I got giant conch shells from the beach as souvenirs. Mine had a lizard in it and was quite smelly. I rinsed it and left it in the sun for a few days to try to get the smell out. It didn't work. Tony took it back to AZ and then sent it to me with some pictures that we took on the beach.

When I opened the package, the smell was overpowering. I soaked the shell in bleach and scrubbed the outside of it, but it was still stinky. After some research on the internet, I realized that there were probably parts of the animal left in there, specifically the liver. I managed to pry out the liver with a chopstick and it plopped into the bleach water. I let it dry out on the fire escape for a day. Mission accomplished!

It was just what I needed as I didn't have to think about anything and I met some of the nicest people I've met in a long time. Tony already came to visit me and Susan is coming next weekend. I didn't think I was the resort type of person, but this trip was really perfect.

Rosa's 40th Birthday in Greenport, NY

This summer, I spent lots of time celebrating milestones in my friends' lives. Each weekend and sometimes during the week, I was running around to different states and cities. It was really fun and also a little exhausting!

The weekend after Tara's wedding, a bunch of us headed up to Greenport, NY, which is not in the Hamptons I learned, to celebrate her 40th birthday at a "Garden Party" at a friends' house.

The owner of the house is very artistic and her garden reflects her talent and style. Lots of exotic trees, statues, fountains that would seem mismatched if seen separately, but due to the way she has designed the space they make sense together.

The inside of the house has a nautical theme and is completely white. The walls, the furniture, the carpets, etc. There are small splashes of color here and there to break it up, but the white makes the house feel clean, refreshing and summery.

From the first night, Rosa had many of us celebrating. There was a fried chicken dinner, which I missed as I had to work late and arrived after dinner on the Hampton Jitney.

During the second day, Bill, Terry and some others sat by the pool at the hotel where we were staying. It was excellent. That night was the party. Andrew and Jeff had decked out the garden with lights, lamps and tables and it looked amazing. Rosa even planned several costume changes for the evening!

We enjoyed some excellent appetizers made by Andrew with champagne and mingled with the others. Later, Andrew presented us with dinner - foie gras burgers, a chowder, and mac and cheese. It was delicious. Then, Rosa changed into costume number two.

After dinner, while most us were full of burgers and chowder and mac and cheese, there was some dancing. Jeff spun Christine around the floor and Rosa danced with her friends and eventually changed into dress number three.

A short while later, dessert appeared. One of Rosa's friends, who has a cheesecake business, brought several of her cakes for us. Andrew arranged them artfully on the table and Rosa blew out the candles while we all looked on.

At some point, the neighbors complained about the noise and we had to move the party indoors. Dancing resumed in the living room. Bill and I left after that and went back to the hotel.

In the morning, we all woke up to a power outage! Alarms were ringing and people were running around in the hallway. It lasted for an hour or so. After breakfast, we climbed into, Gladys, Terry's aging but reliable volvo station wagon, and started the drive home.

Tara and Ricky's Wedding in Brooklyn

On Saturday, which was also my parents' anniversary, Tara and Ricky got married in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

It was a perfect day in many ways, but the weather was absolutely amazing. It was sunny and warm and the sunlight glinted off the water. Tugboats and subways roared by as Terry, one of our good friends, led the ceremony. Tara and Ricky looked amazing and seemed incredibly happy.

After the ceremony, we walked to ReBar, where the reception was held. It wasn't your typical wedding reception because it was in a hip bar in DUMBO. The music was excellent. The food was great. We danced and danced and danced and put Tara and Ricky temporary tatoos on each other. It was an excellent, excellent day!

Annique Moves Back to Seattle

We bid a fond farewell to Annique a week ago at a beer garden on the Lower East Side. It was so sad to see her go. I can't wait to go visit her.

Pictured: Tara, Annique and me.

Electric Windows 2010

On July 31st, Jeff had his opening for Electric Windows in Beacon, NY. Electric windows is a project that aims to beautify the factory buildings near Main Street in Beacon by having graffiti artists paint panels that fit into the window of the buildings.

The artists painted their panels with many food and gift vendors around them. Jeff set up large frames which held up the canvases while the artists spray painted them. It was interesting to see them working on their pieces.

Nearby, there was a gallery of paintings of the artists. It also served as the headquarters for the project. As the day went on, the painters began to finish their paintings.

Using a giant cherry picker, one of the Electric Windows staff members hung the finished pieces over the broken windows of the factory. It was interesting to see how they hung them. Each one took a while to be done.

There was live music and dancers near the beginning of the festival and tons of good food. The town was quaint and set near a large, green mountain.

My parents came with my sister and we all had lunch together in town. There were lots of cute shops along Main Street. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed the day.

Remembering Ron Offen

Ronald (Ron) Charles Offen, 79, of Glenview, Illinois, died on August 9th
in Glenview. The cause of death was cancer.

Ron was born October 2, 1930 in Chicago to Charles Offen and Ellen
Shirreffs Offen. He graduated from Austin High School, received an A.A.
from Wright College and an M.A. in English Language and Literature from
the University of Chicago. In the 1970s and 1980s he lived in Southern
California and was delighted to return to the Chicago area in 2001.
He was divorced from his first wife, Sharon Nealy; his second wife, Rosine
Brueckner Franke, died in 2001. He is survived by his third wife, Beverly
Kahling Offen, his sister, Pam (Charles) Veley, his children, Eric (Diane)
Offen and Deirdre (Don) Junta, Michele Offen and Darren (Beatriz) Offen,
five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Ron held many jobs, from taxi driver to insurance investigator to middle
school library assistant. But the force that gave his life meaning was
always the written word; he was an author, a poet, playwright, editor, and
theater producer.

In 1989, after a bout with cancer, he thought about how important poetry
had been to him and how much it had given him. To give something back to
poetry and poets, he started the magazine Free Lunch, with the commitment
to give all serious poets in the U.S. a free subscription and also to
comment on all work submitted to him. Free Lunch has published many of the
best-known contemporary American poets. In 2009, due to his illness,
publication of the magazine ceased.

Ron loved his wife, his children, his many friends, poetry, trees, the
color orange, playing the trumpet and the piano, cookies, contemporary art
and architecture, WFMT, caring for his collection of house plants, books,
turtles, jazz, Bach and Chopin, swimming, the Midwest, and evenings at
home.

There will no funeral services. A memorial celebration will be scheduled.
Ron’s papers are archived in Special Collections at the University of
Chicago. Memorial donations may be made to the University of Chicago with
an indication that they are intended for support of Special Collections.
Send to Judy Lindsey, Director of Development, University of Chicago
Library, 1100 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637.

Fourth of July in NY

Had an excellent Fourth of July this year with a bunch of friends.

On Friday, I headed up to Southampton with Gina and two of her friends to hit the beach and sample the nightlife. We stayed in a little motel room about 15 minutes from the beach with a pool in the backyard.

We spent the days at the beaches, which were beautiful. The water was clean and blue and lovely. The weather was hot and humid and perfect for staying hanging out on the beach. After the beach, we came back to the motel to get ready and find a place for dinner. After dinner, we went to a bar or two.

On Sunday, we drove back, stopping on the way for some ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery. I didn't have any, but everyone else enjoyed it. I got home kind of late, so didn't end up going to a BBQ in Brooklyn.

Instead, I went to a rooftop party at my friends' place on Perry Street. It was super hot, so we mostly stayed inside, but we did go outside on the roof to see the fireworks. It was very cool. We had a blast.

Chiva Bus in New York City

A couple of weeks ago, my former roommate, Paola, organized a Chiva bus birthday party in NYC for her boyfriend Peppe. Pao, who is from Colombia, said that the Chiva is created from an old school bus with the seats taken out. Inside and on the roof, people dance to music. Of course, we couldn't dance on the roof of the bus, but they did let us sit on the hood for a photo.

Watching the World Cup in Williamsburg

A bunch of us got together to watch the America v. England game at a bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It was so much fun. Can't wait to watch the next game.

Small Party at Heather's

We had so much over Memorial Day weekend that I decided to try to recreate it in my little studio apartment last Saturday. I frantically cleaned my apartment on Saturday and threw together some appetizers.

I was very proud of my appetizers. I made cucumber-mint tea sandwiches, spinach dip in a bread bowl, veggies and dip, artichoke-olive crostini and had hummus and pita chips. I could only invite 8 people because my place is so small. We were all crowded around my giant coffee table.

Despite the limited space, we ended up managing to have a little dance party. Not everyone could dance at the same time, but we did our best.

The party went on longer than I anticipated, but no one complained, luckily. Teva and Jeff stayed over and then we went out for brunch in the morning. It was fantastic!

Shara's Visit

Shara came into town and I got to see her when I got back from the farmhouse. We went out for a drink and she crashed at my place before heading back to Illinois. I wish she was still living in NYC.