Work.

You asked for it: pictures from the inside. 

The happiest part of New York for me...

These are all taken from one angle of the room. You can see the net in the foreground, which we are to climb using only our arms to pull our whole bodies. It gets more difficult because it gradually inclines toward the ceiling and then you have to flip over it on the other side to dismount. See the logs in the background? We jump up on those on our bellies. The words emblazoned on the posts are the eleven principles that we are to memorize. Each class ends with all of us reciting one or two per person. 

The Rock Wall is double-sided. It gets trickiest when one tries to get around the camouflage posts on either side. You have to sort of jump a bit and swing a leg around a post to find that little bit of rock with your foot without falling. It's weird, but you don't realize until you're done that the insides of your forearms burn from gripping the rocks.

Oh Intensity Wall--you mock me as I falter just within reach of your nearly insurmountable top. The other side is a rock wall. I will try to get more pictures when I can snag moments...

The Black Hound Bakery in the East Village (blackhoundny.com). A-mazing delicacies. Seriously, these guys don't mess around. They'll apparently have these fabulous fall and winter cakes soon (how whimsical and merry-- cakes to celebrate seasons). At mention of this by his coworker, Ian gave a silent nod, murmuring that he would indeed be purchasing one the first day of their arrival. Of course I had to try a treat: I selected a checker board ball (the ones displayed on the right) and promptly devoured it in the subway station on the way to the L. 

Aren't they beautiful? The guys who worked there were so enthusiastic about describing the desserts in detail and offering generous samples. They enriched the experience.

Self-portrait at Ja' Bon, Japanese and Thai fusion restaurant on St Marks Pl in the East Village. I started taking pictures here in their bathroom for an obvious reason: neon blue lighting

I kept meaning to get up and do something while this was playing, but I couldn't move.

Thank you Mom and Roger!

Visited the Museum of Natural History on Tuesday

Intergalactic

It's hard to believe this is real. A picture of a galaxy taken in 2005. The stars in the center are the oldest. The further away the stars are from the center, the younger they are. They're located on the "arms" of this galaxy.

Hello, Bobby

Frog and Frog are not friends. When male bullfrogs sense another male in their territory, they give a very distinctive cry. Then the two grapple for the area.
 

In the Gem Room the museum shows much California love. Look, we got our own display!

If you've ever seen Election, this model should be instantly recognizable. Remember after the scandal in Nebraska, Matthew Broderick moves to New York and lands a job at the Museum of Natural History.

While I was at the museum, Cosette was getting her hair done for the first time since leaving California. Look familiar? She's still wearing the kerchief. I thought it was so adorable.

The Cloisters are in my neighborhood, though I haven't checked them out yet. Cosette and I spotted this on our way out of Fort Tryon Park yesterday. The arrow is pointing towards the park.

Jenny and I relaxing at the Old Town Bar and Restaurant last Friday night after work.

Phelps wins another medal for us. That's Jenny, raising a celebratory fry into the air.

Checked out a few bands at The Knitting Factory in Tribeca on Monday night. Look at that scary guy in the back.

Ottoman inside the bathroom of the Knitting Factory

Bathroom stall  at The Knitting Factory

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SYLVIE!

Cones

If Crumbs is one of the best cupcake shops in New York City, then Cones may be the best for ice cream. Thursday was my day off, so I decided to check out a movie I was interested in solely because of a particular song featured in it. I headed to Greenwich for the IFC Theater, where I saw The Last Mistress, The Animation Festival, and now In Search of a Midnight Kiss, a movie about a lonely guy in L.A. in his late twenties who posts an ad on craigslist, looking for someone to spend New Year's Eve with. I thought the movie was cliched and was striving for long and interesting, engaging dialogue (it made me think of Clerks) but never got there. A few times I thought to myself, It wouldn't bother me to walk out on this movie, and I guess the guy next to me had the same idea, because he actually did walk out and never returned.

Anyway, I got to the Village early, so to kill time I bummed around the streets surrounding the theater when I came across Cones. Ice cream made fresh daily on location? Homemade whipped cream? Pictures in the window featuring German supermodel Heidi Klum enjoying a creamy treat as she leaves the shop and steps back out onto Bleecker? I was sold.

I don't do sorbet. If I'm gonna have a treat, I'm gonna do it right. There was a sorbet selection but I bypassed it for the ice cream flavors. Hmmm... banana, mate (Brazilian, I think it's pronouced mah tay), white chocolate, strawberry. I decided on dulce de leche in a cup. I always go for a cone but I was planning on enjoying popcorn at the movies; I didn't want to fill up on ice cream, and I never get whipped cream but because it was homemade I couldn't resist.

Heavenly. Dreamy. I enjoyed it so much. It was creamy and very rich. So rich in fact that I wondered briefly if I could finish it. This is a highly unusual thought for me, someone who has eaten cookies for dinner and cake for breakfast a handful of times. However I did complete every delicious spoonful and proceeded to gush about my discovery to anyone who would listen at work the next day. 

Two days later after work I made a special trip back to Cones to try another flavor: mint chip

 

Jenny got this shirt she's wearing from a friend in the mail yesterday: To Err is Human to Arr is Pirate. She laughed when she opened the package, showing me her gift. "Hold on--" I exclaimed. "Is that from Threadless.com?" I asked. She checked the shirt and indeed it was. How did I know? It looked just like the shirt Ramona bought me for my birthday last year. Isn't that weird?? We both have friends who thought of us and bought us similar shirts from the same company. I wanted to get a picture of the shirts, but who would take it if we were both wearing them? Jenny didn't mind modeling for the blog. Remember mine?

Haikus are easy

But sometimes they don't make sense

Refrigerator

We're lucky to have funny friends.

People are starting to ask questions... 

This bruise is darker in real life. I don't know what caused it specifically, but it's the arm I use to get myself over the tops of walls. 

Two Week Evaluation

Today marks the completion of two weeks at Pure Power Boot Camp. So how do I feel after eight sessions and what have I learned so far? 

1. There is never a moment when I'm not sore. I exist in a perpetual state of soreness. Every movement I make is uncomfortable. Walking seems to be especially difficult. If I have to go to work right after a session, I'm walking gingerly like I've been injured for the first hour or so. Except for today. Today at work I was limping around the whole time. Maybe it's because someone was late for boot camp today, which I've been dreading since I've been attending. I always get to camp around 20 minutes before it starts because I don't want to be late but also because I want to rest and sit for those precious minutes before we start. But this woman was late today and that made the drill instructor very angry, so we had an extremely rigorous session. 

2. I can sweat buckets. Never have I sweat so much in my whole life. During class sweat rolls and drips off my face constantly, drenching my clothes and hair. I sweat so much that my hair drips like someone had dumped water on my head. My clothes stay soaked in my backpack the entire day. 

3. I can get up at 5:30 in the morning. I've never been a morning person, so I'm continually surprised with myself when I stop and think about how I suddenly and smoothly transitioned to putting myself to bed at 10 pm and being out the door in the morning by 6:15. I love being done with exercising and it's only 8:30 in the morning. I still have a whole day. I'm out and about before most stores are open. It makes me feel good.

4. My posture has improved. I'm not sure how exactly. Maybe my core's getting stronger so I'm standing straighter, but it's definitely something I've noticed. I now walk straighter and taller without conscious effort.

5. I love it. Yes, I'm bruised everywhere like a banana. Sure I still experience during class a moment when I believe I'm going to throw up right there, usually while I'm running. Each time I enter the elevator in the lobby and smell the distinctive scent of rubber from camp, my stomach flutters and my heart starts to pound, and yes, I still get frustrated with myself when I can't climb that last wall on my own, do push ups off my knees or complete the monkey bars without assistance. But I love the challenge, I appreciate pushing my body to new extremes, and I really like our drill instructors. Each time I walk into class the same question inevitably enters my mind: How did I do this the day before? And I sit there for a few minutes, nervous. But afterwards, I'm thankful for the soreness, and I completely relish in the sense of accomplishment. I feel terrific. And proud. And happy. 

Maybe it's like this one guy said in my class, a guy whose been attending since February.

"We're masochists," he half joked when I told him that I loved boot camp. I've thought about it because this comment has lingered in my mind. 

No, I concluded. I don't derive pleasure from pain and I don't think he does either. I think it's much simpler and more universal than that: We derive pleasure from being happy. Everyone does. It's why people form some of their habits, whether they're good or bad. We're addicted to feeling good. Even though my teammates and I are dying during class and in those moments are cursing ourselves for paying people to put us through an hour of hell, we all come back for the same reason: It makes us feel amazing.

Heather Gardens inside Fort Tryon Park

A new cafe tucked away in the park. It looks so pretty when you explore it and the menu is impressive. 

The New Jersey Bridge from the gardens. That's the Hudson River.

Inside the park and gardens. These gardens are the gem of Washington Heights. So beautiful and meticulously maintained.