Let it fly in the breeze and get caught in the trees...

Yesterday Marissa, Josh and I traipsed into Manhattan early in the morning (and by early, I mean 9 am...c'mon it was Sunday people) to try and get free tickets for the concert of Hair, a 40th anniversary celebration of the musical at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park.
We didn't get tickets of course because we aren't obsessive freaks who like to camp out all night just for the sheer pleasure of attending a CONCERT of a play that we've already seen. We got there around 10 am and the first person in line had been there since 1 in the morning! I had a feeling that would happen, but I thought that maybe if we got there somewhat early, we might have a chance. But no, even those that got there at 5 am were waaaaay back in the line and we were informed that our chances were "not good."

So we decided to come back later, have a picnic on the lawn in the back of the theater and hopefully be able to hear the music. If not, we were okay with just enjoying the weather and a picnic. The picnic was a bust due to some bad Brie and cheap wine (although, come to think of it, maybe the wine contributed to the fun). The weather was amazing all day...not a drop of humidity or a cloud in the sky, mid-70s...but by sunset the temperature dropped considerably and we were freezing our bums off on the damp grass. Then the music started and it was, in a word, disappointing. I don't know that if we had gotten tickets it would have made a difference...perhaps it would have because we would have heard the band better and seen the costumes and set. They had these speakers playing outside near the box office, but it seemed to only project the actor's voices. But again, it wasn't the play, only a concert of the music, so I think that's what made it less than stellar for me.

Anyway, the evening was a disappointment, but the day more than made up for it. We took Josh out for a birthday brunch at this amazing Latin American restaurant and ate some awesome food. We wandered around a Farmer's Market for a bit. We took ourselves down to the Paley Center for Media, formally the Museum of TV and Radio. It has a library with thousands of archives of almost any show you can think of, plus scheduled screenings of certain shows on the big screen. We watched the 30th Anniversary show of the Muppets, which was so much fun and really brought on some flashbacks. Then we went to the Godiva store to buy chocolates for Josh, did a little shopping, bought some lovely pashminas, and went back to the park area to get provisions for our picnic. A lovely day, somewhat blah evening, but that's okay. I heart NY!

Introducing...Hershel Moishe Shaloum

We're getting a cat! He's my cousin's 12-year-old brown and white Maine Coon. This is great on so many levels. 1. He's the same type of cat as Butterscotch, so I know what to expect re: fur everywhere, cuddlyness factors, etc. 2. My cousin is so in love with this cat (he has to give him up due to several factors, one being his daughter is possibly allergic), that he's willing to pay for everything, including grooming, vet fees, etc. , so we technically don't have to pay for a thing (although of course we will pay for standard everyday supplies). 3. We were planning on getting a cat anyway (albeit a kitten, but hey, a free cat's a free cat). 4. He's supposedly lovely and has a dog-like temperament (very friendly). 5. He's GORGEOUS!

His name is technically "Hershey" but doesn't he look like a little old Jewish man? Hershel is pretty much the only name we can get away with calling him as it sounds close to Hershey. And frankly, the name Hershey just does not do it for us. We added the middle name Moishe for fun. Also, all my cats had middle names--Butterscotch's was Caramel and Smokey's was Robinson--is that crazy? We're still getting Milquetoast A. Shamato, our soon-to-be kitten, once we're more settled.

But, of course, let's not forget the late Butterscotch, a.k.a. Buddy, may he R.I.P. And Elijah, Petunia, Max, Cosmo, Coty, all the D'Amato's beloved family pets. They can never be replaced.

Gah! I have The Beach Boys' "Surfer Girl" imbedded in my brain. Can't get it out!

On the train to work this morning, it suddenly popped into my head that I had another baby dream last night, and this one was a doozy. I vividly recall breastfeeding a baby that I presumed was mine, but as it turned out later in the dream, was not my baby! WTF! I never really found out whose baby it was, but I do remember thinking that the breastfeeding was not as painful as I would have imagined. Also, time was moving really fast and I kept forgetting every few hours that the baby needed to be fed. Then, all of a sudden, the baby was a few months older than I thought it was...bizarre. Ummm, I finished that breastfeeding article nearly two weeks ago...why is this happening now?

Dress shopping with my sis and ma tonight after work...this will be fun! I think underneath it all, I'm really just a girl who loves girly things. But shhhhhh, don't tell anyone.

Movin' Out, Movin' In

Marissa and I are all moved in to our new apartment. The move was going so well until the damn U-Haul broke down in the middle of the Van Wyck! My poor parents were stuck there for almost 2 hours waiting for the tow truck. Needless to say, I do not recommend U-Haul for your moving needs. The tow truck guy said that ours was the third U-Haul he had to tow that day! Regardless, we still made record time, moving Marissa out of her g'ma's in an hour and myself out of my folks' in an hour as well (thanks to Josh and Jay). Then, once we had the truck, we moved everything up in about 2 hours (thanks to Kevin, Alli, Ed and my 'rents)! Not too shabby. Plenty of unpacking to do of course, but I feel really good about the place. It's cozy and homey, and pretty damn spacious (except for the bathroom, but I'm sure I'll get used to that). After we had emptied the truck last night, one of the neighbors from across the street, an older gentleman named Pascuale, came over and gave us a bottle of wine! Now that's what I call neighborly, folks. I love the feel of the 'hood, very down-to-earth, family-oriented, but still plenty of young people. What I love most is that people sit outside on their stoops and hang out (I would if our building had a stoop)...a very Brooklyn thing to do. But what killed me was there was a little, old lady sweeping her steps...whenever I see something like that, it signals to me that this is going to be an awesome place. There's also a gorgeous little park around the corner with some very charming buildings surrounding it. Ahhh, Greenpoint love...I'd better like it 'cause I ain't moving for a good, long time!