An Update of Sorts

Been a pretty mellow couple of days. It finally snowed yesterday. But I guess it's not going to for another week or so. I love the snow here. For multiple reasons. The biggest is, the wind is usually pretty minimal. New York is cold, but definitely manageable. But when it is bright blue skies and like 15-20 mph winds, it is the WORST. Cuts right through your layers. So I can definitely handle this.

Went to a sandwich place on Friday called Cheeky's Sandwich. It's on Orchard St. which I turned down off of Rivington in the Lower East Side. Definitely one of my favorite streets in New York. Ton's of cool shops, art galleries, museums, and bars on Orchard. I got their pork sandwich. All their sandwiches are pretty simple but pack a ton of flavor. Mine was marinated seared pork chops, caramelized apples, onions, and mustard on challah bread. Pretty good sandwich. A bit overpriced, but good. 

That night Mal and I went over to Brooklyn to see Portugal. The Man at Brooklyn Bowl. This is the second time we have been here (the first for Dum Dum Girls) and I am really starting to like this venue. I just wish they booked better bands. This was definitely the best I have heard Portugal. The Man sound. You can tell that as they get more and more popular (bittersweet) that they are really just honing in their live sound, which has always been good. Playing for about an hour and half and they played a little bit of everything. But what just blows me away is how they are now playing stuff off their debut, Waiter: "You Vultures!" Everything is so layered and so good. The highlight of the set, for me at least,  was their 10 minute version of "Elephants." Throw in the best cover of "Helter Skelter" (Sorry Thrice) that I have ever seen, plus a cover of "All the Young Dudes" by Bowie and of course the Etta James (RIP) cover of "I Would Rather Go Blind" in the encore. You can check out the rest of the setlist here. Couldn't have asked for a better show.

I am hoping to god that I start my job this week. Starting to go stir crazy. It's hard when Mal goes to work only cause, like I have said before, we don't have a ton of money, so for me to just go out and spend it on stuff, especially stuff that I know at some point Mal would probably want to do, sucks. So yea that being said, I really hope I start this week.

Last year when we came here in January, the day we were leaving we were walking through Chelsea Market and noticed that there was a huge chili cookoff going on. I was bummed that we could not participate because you needed to have tickets. Well this year, we got tickets and it is next Friday. So stoked for the NYC Chilifest. I just feel bad for anyone that will be around me for the next week. Nineteen different chili's (including last years winner Northern Spy Food Co), corn bread, cheese, and all the Sam Adams beer we can handle. 

Another FOOD MEGA POST???? sorta.

So Mallory started her job yesterday. She had an absolute blast. It's gonna be a crazy handful of months, but all worth it in the end.

In other and not so surprising news, we ate some more awesome food. Yesterday while Mal was at work I went to this slider place called, Mark.

They do some really good sliders and are relatively cheap as well. Pretty simple. Meat, onions, pickle, and cheese. I add some ketchup. I could eat these things all day. Their fries are also super good.

After Mal got off I met her at a beer bar called, Rattle 'N' Hum. Lucky for us, it was imported beer night. Tons of beer Mal and I had never even heard of, almost to a point where I was overwhelmed. I went with the St. Feuillien Triple. Really really good beer.

It's a pub, so they have pub food. I went with the Tequila Chicken Sandwich with fries. 

I guess they do a lot of special beer events so we will definitely be back. Next week they are doing a California beer night, so you can bet your ass we will be there. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HAVE BALLAST POINT BARMY ALE.

Today, Mal needed to go look for some models so we went over to Brooklyn, Williamsburg in particular, and went to this sandwich place that I had heard about called Graham Ave. Meats and Deli. 

I have eaten a lot of sandwiches in my day. And a good amount here in New York. I have never had a better sandwich. And boom goes the dynamite. Everything about the Godfather sandwich I got was insanely good. Chris Grillo knows exactly what he is doing. Hero bread, mozzarella, sweet peppers, 3 Italian meats, lettuce, onion, mustard, and their own special blend of oil and vinegar. Every bite was so damn good.

I had a bite of Mal's plain ol Salami sandwich, and it as well, was amazing. It is a shame this place is in Brooklyn, cause I honestly think I would be there every day.

After we got back to Manhattan, she needed one more model so we went to Union Sq. I guess every week day they have the Union Square Market. Tons of local stuff (vegetables, fruit, fish, meats, cheese, etc) all on the cheap. I got a bag of apples. One of the apples (and I have no idea which one) was the best apple I have ever had. I feel like I am starting to repeat that sentence a lot...

FOOD MEGA POST!!!!!

Not really mega. Just 3 places that I have been to in the last few days that I haven't had time to post about it. First is a pretty good and definitely cheap Italian Café called, Gaia.

The more and more I eat Italian food around here, the more and more I love, which I didn't think was possible. We have pretty much became Yelp fiends and try and read just a little something before we go anywhere. I know that kind of takes away the pleasure of experiencing new places on your own, but as a person living in New York with not a ton of cash rolling in yet, I want to get my moneys worth.

Gaia does fresh Italian Café food. Panini's, some pasta, salad, and lots of coffee and desserts. I went with the Militare Panini. For 5 bucks, it was pretty damn good. Mortadella with smoked carciotta and honey mustard. I kind of wish the bread was a little left crunch as it made it hard to eat, but good none the less. 

Mal's best friend Cassie was in town for a couple days this past weekend. So we tried to eat as much good stuff as possible. She ended her trip to NY today by going to Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company. I went with a plain bagel and their AMAZING jalapeño asiago cream cheese. Just know that they cover the bagel in cream cheese. So I scraped about half of it off and it was perfect. The best bagel in NY so far.  

We haven't really done the Jewish deli thing yet cause honestly, I am not a huge fan of the style of food. Though Kat'z is about a 5 minute walk from our apartment, but it is always swamped and it is ridiculously expensive. But today as we were walking home through the Flatiron we decided to grab some lunch. I pulled out my list of places that we want to eat, and the first place in the Flatiron section was a sandwich shop called Eisenbergs. If you go to that website make sure you look at all the pictures. Celebs and "celebs" alike, LOVE this place. And what's not to love. It's tag line is, "Raising New York's Cholesterol Since 1929."

I went with the Reuben on rye, with pastrami, cole slaw, provolone, and dijon. Definitely one of the better sandwiches I have had in NY. The cole slaw really mellowed the meat (which like I said before, I don't really enjoy that much) and the mustard added a nice ending flavor. 

Mallory starts work tomorrow and I won't be starting for another week and a half or so, so I am gonna try and do some new stuff on the blog. Maybe not all New York centric. I am thinking about doing a monthly mixtape or something along those lines, so maybe look out for that. 

Jurassic Park Post Rock? YES.

I know this blog has pretty much been about food since I started it. Wasn't my initial plan, but food is pretty awesome. So here, without further adieu, is a post about music. Subway music to be more specific.

There is a band that I first heard about 2 years ago called, You Bred Raptors? I don't remember how I heard of them, but I did. And I am so glad I did. Post Rock. Jurassic Park themes. Masks. I AM IN.

They are a three piece consisting of a bassist, drummer, and cellist. The bassist plays an 8 string and is incredibly good. The drummer is all over the place with his time signatures, and the cellist, at first, doesn't seem to make sense, and then you hear it and realize, yea that needs to be there.

They play a lot of subway shows and are registered with the MTA as an Artist for Transit. We finally got to see them tonight at the Herald Sq. - 34th St. station. And they definitely did not disappoint. I shot a video of them playing and a picture.

Here is their song "Archeopteryx."

Someone please tell me how every post-rock band hasn't taken this band on tour. Go buy their shit! 

The Diner of All Diners

So it's not often that you are comped a full meal and drinks. Hell, it's not often you are comped anything. (Why is that by the way?) But last night, Mal and I, OH we were comped alright.


It seems like new restaurants are opening EVERYWHERE and EVERYDAY here in New York. People who frequent Portland know all about Pok Pok Wing. Well one of those just opened up about a 2 minute walk from us. It replaced BaoHaus, another huge food pilgrimage stop. Since we have been here, 6 new restaurants have opened within a quarter mile. And I am sure just as many have closed. It is seriously cut throat. Am I complaining? NOPE. I clearly like food. And the more options I have, the better.


Our good buddy Jay moved here about a month before us from San Diego as well. He has been in the restaurant business for quite some time and was looking to pick right up where he left off in SD. So one night we were at a bar called The Summit. Awesome drinks. Probably some of the best we have had yet. We got to talking to the bar tender and she mentioned she was opening a restaurant of her own. Jay being the sly guy he is, offered his card and they exchange all the necessaries. Well fast forward about 2 months later, he is the night GM of the restaurant.


And this isn't just some restaurant opening up. First of all, it's a diner. Diners are awesome. But this isn't a normal diner, it's a gourmet diner. With a world renowned chef to boot. The guy who owns it is Mathieu Palombino. He is also the owner of a pizza place that is suppose to be one of the best in the city called, Motorino. Just google his name and TONS of articles come up. Did I mention that this place is also a full bar? With cocktails? Like good cocktails? The Summit Bar owner, Hamid Rashidzada, is the guy who provided the drink menu. Google his name too and you will see how popular he is as well.



So Jay informed us about a week ago that they are going to be doing a friends and family night before the restaurant opens, and said that he put our names on the list to go. Needless to say, we were stoked. We haven't really had a "nice" meal since we have been here, mostly because it is so ungodly expensive. He also informed us that EVERYTHING would be free. Jackpot.

Our reservation was at 7. The restaurant seems done, at least I hope it is cause they open on Sunday, and it looks good. Classic diner style but still looks classy. We started off with drinks. I got the Jenni Lee. Bourbon, lime, bitters, and mint. A very smooth drink. Usually bourbon is the dark drink I try and stay away from, but this was damn good. 

Mal is a big fan of tequila, so naturally she went with the Sunshine on my Shoulders first. Herradura tequila, hibiscus agave, fresh lime, and orange bitters. She loved it. And it reminded her of our favorite place, The Ace Hotel in Palm Springs.

We then ordered some appetizers to get the food going. I didn't take any pictures cause to be honest, the plate didn't look that appealing. The food was good, but the plate looked bleh. We got a charcuterie plate with smoked ham, prosciutto, paté, salami, and smoked bacon. We also got a cheese plate that had bleú, brie, gouda, goat, and one terrible smelling one that I didn't even bother with. Mixing these two appetizers together was awesome. We then ordered some more drinks, of course. Mal got the Rupert Holmes. Coconut rum, coconut milk, bitters, jalapeño accent, and pineapple juice. A seriously tasty fruity drink.

And I got what was the best cocktail I have ever had. The 1879. Mitchers whiskey, orange zest, and bitters. I liked it so much that throughout the night, I had 3 of them. So smooth and delicious. 

At this point we had ordered our entree's and were just kind of enjoying our time. Our waiter came over and apparently thought we needed more alcohol. Not complaining. So he brought us over a 23 year old aged rum called Ron Zacapa Centenario from Honduras. It was the smoothest alcohol I have ever tasted. And full disclosure, we had two more towards the end of our night.

Needless to say, we were both feeling pretty toasty at this point. Me with two 1879's and the Jenni Lee in and Mal having gone back to the Sunshine on my Shoulders plus the Rupert Holmes. Our meals had arrived. If there is Mac and Cheese on a menu, Mal will order it. So that's what she did. A mammoth bowl of it at that. And it was fucking delicious. The best tasting mac and cheese is always the one that is stickiest. And this bowl of mac and cheese was god damn sticky. 

I ordered the NY Strip Steak. I rarely eat steak. And I only do when I know it is worth eating. This was worth eating. A 13 ounce steak is a big chunk of meat. And I ate every bite. It was, to date, the best piece of meat I have ever had. Ordered it medium and with the béarnaise sauce. The chef decided to send out all three available sauces (ginger ketchup, béarnaise, and red wine). Well, being that I am not the total food connoisseur, I started pouring the red wine sauce all over the meat (only cause I realized after tasting the béarnaise that it was just a tad too buttery). The sauce was insane. It brought out so much more flavor from the meat. It wasn't until I asked our waiter for another side of the red wine sauce did he point out that I was actually enjoying the ginger ketchup. WHICH BLEW MY MIND. Ketchup? On steak? Ew. Yea not this ketchup. 

My steak came with a massive side of fries that were absolutely delicious. Sans most of them were all cut in about half inch sizes, which is a huge pet peeve of mine. But regardless I dipped the shit out of those fries in the ginger ketchup sauce as well. 

After devouring the steak, our waiter informed us that the bartenders were jonesing to make a boozy milkshake. Yea, didn't turn that offer down. I got a milkshake that had vanilla ice cream, mint, cherry jubilee and bourbon. Not as thick as I would have liked it, but delicious and definitely boozy nonetheless.

Mal got a pistachio milkshake. Hate pistachio. But she seemed to enjoy it. 

At this point, we were both drunk, and both so insanely full. Two appetizers, twelve drinks, one 13 oz. steak, one cauldron of mac and cheese, and 2 milkshakes. What did we pay? 55 dollars (for tip). What should we have paid? $255.00 without tip. $310.00 with tip.

STOKED. Cannot thank Jay enough. Bowery Diner is gonna do awesome. This was by far the best meal we have had in New York so far. And not just because it was free. But because every bite and every sip was amazing. 

Meat. Buns. Sauce.

The burger. So good. Right? Everyone has their own version of a burger and everyone has their own sub version of a burger and everyone has their own sauces and everyone has their own toppings, etc etc etc.

Long gone are the days of bun, tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, onions, pickles, meat and ketchup.

Aioli, grilled onions, avocado, 4 thousand types of cheese, chili, jalapeños, pesto, chimichurri, fried eggs, peanut butter, and a million other types of shit thrown on a burger. Everything is possible.

What do I like?

Pretty much everything. Minus tomatoes. But I do like ketchup. Weird. I know. Shut up about it.

We have been to a handful of burger places in NYC since we got here. Shake Shack, Bare Burger, The Burger Joint, Five Guys, Good Burger, and some other places where we got burgers. All were pretty good. Shake Shack is just like In and Out, Bare Burger is just like Burger Lounge, Burger Joint (the best one we've had) is just like Rocky's, and Five Guys and Good Burger are kind of middle of the road places.

Today we went to Joy Burger Bar. They are known for their sauces, and if you know me, you know I love sauces.

I got the midi size (8 oz.) Lettuce, pickles, sautéed onions, cheddar cheese, garlic mayo, dijon mustard, and honey mustard. Good burger. The bun started to get soggy which to me is always a good thing. Meat was perfect. And the sauces were delish. Especially the garlic mayo mixed in with a little ketchup.

Grilled Cheese. Hard to Mess Up.... uh

I enjoy a good grilled cheese. In fact not many other foods go better with a beer than a grilled cheese. We were meeting some friends in Astoria around 5 for some hookah, and since Mal and I hadn't really explored that area, we decided to head over early for some lunch and walking around.

Astoria is cool, but it reminds me of downtown El Cajon, which obviously isn't the most ideal place, but cool for what it's worth. I looked on my list of places to eat and there was one in Astoria. The Queens Kickshaw does gourmet grilled cheese, specialty coffees, and some craft beer to boot.

Let me preface by saying that the title of this blog post is completely sarcastic. It is VERY easy to mess up a grilled cheese. And really hard to make one that is REALLY good. The Queens Kickshaw was right in the middle. For a couple of different reasons.

Pros
1) It's grilled cheese. So no matter how bad it is, it's still gonna be somewhat good.
2) I love gruyere cheese, so the sandwich I got (The Gruyere. Pickled and caramelized onions on rye bread ) was gonna be good.
3) My sandwich came with a side of Napa cabbage caraway slaw that was insanely good.

Cons
1) Small. The sandwich looked like it was on half slices of bread.
2) The Price. For the size of sandwich we were getting, the 9 dollar price tag just seemed too much.
3) Service was also pretty bad, but I try not to judge my food on the service.

So was it good? Yes. Would I go back? Not without a drop in prices. It's hard coming from San Diego where I can go to Hamiltons and get not only one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches in San Diego, but probably one of my favorite sandwiches, The Blind Tiger (sharp cheddar, beer candy apples, beer candy bacon, and grilled onions) for a dollar cheaper.

After lunch we decided to walk down to the Socrates Sculpture Park right around sunset. Which provided for an awesome scenery of the city. 

Wieners... mmmmm.....

Hot dogs. So god damn good. One of the three foods I could eat everyday for the rest of my life (pizza and sandwiches are the other two). We first ate at Crif Dogs back in January of 2011 when we first came to New York together based off a recommendation from our friend Jennie.

It is insanely good. They have a pretty big selection of dogs. And super delicious cheese fries (that are also waffle fries). I've had a couple of different dogs from here in the three times we've been. The Philly Tubesteak is by far my favorite. Dog, grilled onions, cheese and mustard. This time I also got one I have never had before called the Tsunami Dog. Bacon bits, green onions, and pineapple. Wasn't too sure when I got it but I am a fan now. So many flavors. Mal got two of her favorite dog, the Sour Cheese. Dog, cheese, and half sour pickles. Also very good.

I've had a ton of hot dogs. But Crif Dogs is by far the best.

We were in the mood for dessert afterward so went to a place that opened just today called Puddin LINK. And yes. It is pudding. And it is damn good. Lemon pudding, graham crackers, and marshmallow cream.

Please and thank you.

In Search of the Almighty Mexican Food.

Since we got here we have had 4 different Mexican food places.

The first place we attempted was actually a food cart near Herald Square called Calexico. It was definitely good. But NorCal Mexican good. Not quite San Diego.

The next place we had was Tortilleria Nixtamal in Corona in Queens. Came recommended from Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. Definitely one of the best tamales I have ever had. But still, not the same as San Diego, and it's in Corona which is as gross if not more than National City.

The next place was in Brooklyn near where Jay-Z grew up. Zocalo's is by far the most authentic Mexican food we have had here. Really really good and I can't honestly pin point what it was, but something was missing.

Today we went to a place about a 5 minute walk away from our apartment. Brooklyn Taco Company is a stand in an awesome market called Essex Street Market.

Highly recommended on Yelp and pretty much every other food blog, it did not disappoint. We decided to share 3 tacos and a tamale. The tamale was legit. In their own special way though. Filled with black beans, crema, hot sauce, pineapple salsa, corn, and cotijas cheese. Seriously good.

The first taco we had, and definitely the highlight of the three, was their award winning Guaco Taco. Tons of chopped avocado, cotija cheese, crema, corn, and a poblano sauce that was insanely good.

The next taco was the Lightly Chipotled Chicken. Basic chicken taco with an awesome amount of chipotle seasoning with onions, peppers, crema, cilantro, and hot sauce.

Mal is a big fan of ground beef tacos, so we decided to get their newest taco, The Ground Beef Taco (catchy huh?). Lettuce, crema, corn, and an awesome seasoning for the meet.

This place was good, really good. By far the best mexican food we have had out here. But even the guys working there were the first to admit that, getting San Diego grade mexican food is gonna be damn near impossible out here. We will definitely be going back to this place, considering they have a rotating menu of tacos, including a Cola and Orange Braised Pork Taco. What. 

He gave us a list of other places that "do it right" so we will see, but I am starting to think that no where can compare to the massive list of amazing mexican food in San Diego.

The search continues...

Gotta Make My Money...

So Mallory got a job! Thank god. Money is starting to become tight. And god knows I'm not cut out for working here.

What's that?

I need to work as well?

Are you sure?

Ok fine. I will be announcing my job sitch here pretty soon. But yes, the rumors are true, Mallory got a job. She will be working for this super nice salon over in SoHo for a dude named Nick Arrojo, or Bick Bonobo. Can't quite remember. But she got put on a fast track (normally takes 2 years) of a 6 month period and will be a stylist/teacher/mentor sooner than I can say Bick Bonobo. I am so stoked and proud of her. This is one of the reasons we moved to New York. The other? So I can meet some rich hussy who will pay me to provide "services." (Laundry, dog walking, bathing, etc)

So here is to Mal getting a job. Congrats babe. You get to cut hair again. That's you.

My New Favorite Salad Spot

We decided to go to this place over in NoLita today called Fiat Café. Cheap good Italian food.

Plus there are vintages pictures with gorgeous chicks with Fiats.

Their food is all around good, but they have a salad that is insane. And so so so so simple. Braseola, arugula salad with Parmigiana & lemon and olive oil. Plus I got an awesome bowl of spaghetti and meatballs.

TWO POSTS IN ONE DAY WHAAAAAAAAA?

New York Since Sunday, November 13th

We have done A LOT. And for that reason alone, I haven't really updated. Since getting here on November 13th, we have eaten a TON of food, been to a TON of rad places, and not to mention spent a serious handful of cash (but thats none of your business, so butt out.) The following pictures are some of my favorite pictures we have taken since we have been here. Also including our ridiculously crazy trip back to San Diego for Christmas. But I'll get there. These pictures are in no specific order just FYI.

If anyone knows me, they know how much I like sandwiches. Like I love them. This place about a 10 minute walk away from our sublet in Lower East Side (which will be referred to as LES) is called Banh Mi Saigon. There Bahn Mi is truly one of the best sandwiches I have ever had.

Anthony Bourdains new show, The Layover, is awesome. His second place he went was New York. We saw a ton of places that either we walk by everyday or have actually been to. He mentioned this place called BaoHaus which does Bao buns. Which are basically light rolls filled with awesomeness. We got a handful of them, as you can see. Pork belly, fried chicken, deep fried broccoli, and adobo. Insanely good.

About a month after we got here I got the unfortunate phone call that my puppy, Alex, had to be put down. She was 15 years old and had been through A LOT. Surgeries, tumors, cars, blind and deaf. She was and is a sweetheart and the best dog I have ever been around. 

On that same day, my "best" friends Matt and Steve decided it would be funny to mail me a California burrito from Estradas, some can sugar, pop rocks, and pixie sticks. Classic. And probably one of the worst smelling things I have ever smelt. But surprisingly it made my day better.

One of the first days we were here, we went to Central Park. Took this picture. And it pretty much shows what the weather has been like for about 85% of the time we've been here.

Same day.

Our buddies Jay and Morgan moved here in October. He is a huge Devils fan and invited us out to their rink to do a open to the public skate and watch the away game. He provided the jerseys in natural Storicks fashion.

Pizza is a pretty big deal here in New York. We have been to probably 15 different places since we got here. A couple that standout that I don't have pictures of are; Hakki's and Champion Pizza. These two places are right by our house and are not only cheap as hell, but damn good. Plus they are owned by this guy, Hakki Akdeniz. We have also eaten at a place in Brooklyn that does the three eras of pizza called Fornino's. They do Roman style, Italian style, and basically new wave pizza. The place below is Lombardis. Supposedly the first pizzeria in New York City. And good as hell.

Our good friends Tracey and Mike recommended a museum in Bowery called The New Museum. Awesome stuff that makes you think differently about your senses. Like this swing ride that has mirrors everywhere. 

Another really good sandwich I have had is one from a place called Parisi Bakery. Simple but really damn good. Hero bread, roasted red peppers, mozzarella, oil and vinegar, and chicken cutlets.

We've been to a couple different shows. This one at Pianos was with Kyp Malone (TV On The Radio) side project Rain Machine. 

We decided, despite everyone's warnings, to brave the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade. The day before up near Central Park, they start to inflate all the balloons. So we went up there and saw a bunch of them "coming to life." Sonic was my favorite that day.

My favorite the actual day of the parade was the Pillsbury Dough Boy.

This is probably the best picture I have ever taken. Neil Diamond better be using this for an album cover.

Cooper looks like Snoopy. Actually no, Snoopy looks like Cooper.

It was cold. And there was a giant panda behind us. 

We have been to pretty much every major museum, and at the MET, I got to see this. It's ok.



I don't indulge in street food very often (mostly because there are financially equal but way better options everywhere), but Tony "The Dragon" Dragonas knows how to do Greek street food. Holy chirst.

We have a favorite bar out here called, Barcade. Basically its a bar with 30 taps or craft beer (which is hard to come by out here) and about 40 vintage 80's arcade games around the walls. It's amazing. We went to their Winter Beer Fest and had a blast (plus a shit ton of beer).

We went to the 9/11 Memorial at the beginning of December. One of the most moving experiences I have ever felt in my life. Standing where it all happened, was unreal. This is of the World Trade One. I think it is about half way built. And it is massive.

The giant pools are breathtaking. And seeing all the names around the edge is pretty moving. We were there around sunset so the colors and brightness in these pictures look great. 

I realized after we took this that it is kind of weird to pose in front of such a massive monument. Especially smiling. But the colors and lights, plus the pool make this a great picture. 

Rad pano of the North Pool. 

Another idiotic tourist mistake was coming here. But we had to see it once.

So if you haven't heard the story yet, Mal and I decided to drive home for Christmas. MOSTLY to get rid of her car (a huge financial burden). But we also decided we would surprise our families. I have video of both surprises that I will be posting soon, I just need to edit them. But this is from Christmas Eve, the night I surprised my whole family. 

This baby cracks me up. 

One of the things that we miss most about San Diego is this guy. Cooper. Cannot wait to have him at the house again.

I am gonna try and do more posts as the days go by from here on out. Even if they are very short posts about whatever food I am currently eating. We have gotten jobs, and will be talking about them very soon, just finalizing the details. So look for that. Hope everyone had a great New Years. And here it to surviving in 2012.