Stair Master

I really really don't like stairs. I am WAY to lazy for them.

I just don't do stairs. Period.

Here is why I bring this up...

I do enjoy going to the gym.

I really like our gym.

It is a YMCA and I love it.

 However, we live in the city. So the gym spreads UP not OUT. 

In order to get to the treadmills and bikes, I have to walk up FOUR flights of stairs!!!

FOUR!!

It almost prevents me from going to the gym. 

Almost. Instead I go and Allen gets to listen to me rant and rave about them every time. 

He is a patient man.

My Favorite Time

I really love Fall. 

I love the crisp air and rich color that fills your senses.

I love hats, gloves, scarves, and boots.

I love the leaves that litter the sidewalk. 

But mostly I just love 

HOT CHOCOLATE.

We spent Saturday night walking down Main Street in Royal Oak. 

Let me rephrase...

We spent Saturday night walking down Main Street in Royal Oak WITH hot chocolate.

We also made a pit stop at Taste Love Cupcake. We delighted in a Sweet Potato Cupcake. 

It was the definition of fall flavor and undeniably delicious.

Welcome Fall. May you last until Christmas.

Downpour

 The other morning started out quite normal. I don't have job... so naturally I spent the morning watch Titanic on TV. 

Just after the initial impact of the iceberg, I heard a loud crash. 

Confused and a little nervous (I live in Detroit) I peered out my peep hole. 

Nothing. Nobody in the hallway.

Then I looked down. 

Water was slowly seeping in under the door. 

I rushed to get a towel and then realized that one towel would NOT be enough.

I opened the door to find ...

Nothing short of a waterfall. 

Dozens of gallons of water pouring out by the second.

I was able to stop most of the water by using every towel in the house. 

Please note the irony of watching Titanic during this crisis. 

This poor guy held the broken pipe with his hand for 45 minutes until back up arrived.

Talk about pressure! Pun totally intended.

In the end there was 3 inches of water in the hall and a rainforest for the floors below. I am so happy that I was home to catch most of the flood. Now I need new towels.

I Never.

I have heard of others doing it. 

I laughed at their lack of composure.

I couldn't understand how it happened.

I never thought I would do it myself.

but then

Today.

I 

dropped 

my 

phone

in 

the 

toilet.

I feel so completely silly.
It is beyond repair.
So don't call, I won't answer.

Rumor has it the iphone 4S comes out shortly... coincidence?

My kind of Birthday

We celebrated my 26th birthday in the 

BIG APPLE. 

(Curiosity led me to google the origin of the"Big Apple" as a nickname for the City That Never Sleeps. A New York Morning Telegraph writer, John J. Fitz Gerald,  used the term Big Apple in reference to New York horse-racing and the nickname stuck! Now you know.)

For my official birthday dinner Allen took me to 

Max Brenner; Chocolate by a Bald Man.

I first visited this magical place with my dear friend Jordan, whom I will forever admire.

She and I ate to our hearts content. Our server thought she looked like Cameron Diaz. I was wearing a necklace with a butterfly on it. So hence we became Cameron D and Butterfly to our server. 

3 years later I returned with my Allen.

Do I look older? Wiser? More beautiful than I was last year?

Let's keep those rhetorical.

We began with a Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake that slipped down my throat like melted gold.

The second course was a Crepe filled with Chocolate, Caramelized Bananas, and English Toffee. It was so rich and full of flavor. It was also the size of my head.

Next was our Fondue. 

Milk and Dark Chocolate. Carmel Sauce. Personal, table fire to roast our Marshmallows. Strawberries. Pineapple. Bananas. Cookies. Brownies. Pound Cake.

Happy.

I actually ate so much chocolate that I got a tummy ache. 

The best tummy ache ever.

Happy Birthday to Me!

amen.

Restaurant Week

We love restaurant week. 

Amazing restaurants at prices we can actually afford. 

What more could we ask for?

We went to a restaurant called Atlas Global Bistro.

I had some amazing Duck while Allen had Rabbit. 

Delish. 

We finished with some pumpkin cheesecake.

We decided we need to plan ahead next time around so that we can go to a different restaurant each night. Can you imagine such a week? I would gain 10lbs and love every blissful bite.

Living with my Parents

This morning Allen and I left our apartment for the day. 

In typical fashion, I refused to take the stairs and told Allen I would meet him in the lobby after the elevator carried me there. It was 7:45am... like I am going to take the stairs. 

As I approached the elevator a man was locking his door and leaving for work. 

Naturally I held the elevator for him.

He entered the elevator and said, 

"How neighborly of you!"

I responded,

"My pleasure!"

He said,

"No really, I am impressed with how kind you are."

Then he added...

"Make sure to tell your parents that I am impressed!"

er...

My parents?

I smiled and said..

"I sure will!"

Cause I am 16?

And still live with my parents?

Regardless I called my Mother and told her he was impressed.

A photo of me this morning :)

May my youthful looks last a lifetime!

 

 Do you know how much I love Harry Potter?

Last night Allen and I went to see it again before it leaves the theaters. 

This time we saw it in IMAX 3D. Amazing.

Also, my favorite character is Neville. He is always doing what is right. My favorite part is when he declares that he has the hots for Luna. Just makes me smile.

 The whole story is just brilliant. Thank you J.K. Rowling.

Just a short drive

Labor Day is always my favorite holiday. 

Not only do we get a day off.... Allen and I celebrate our anniversary!

This is the two year mark for us. Hey oh!

We celebrated with a weekend in Chicago. We really love Chicago. Such a cool city. 

So much to do, so much to see, and SO much to eat!

We also got to see Jonathan and Haley Hammer. They are just fantastic.

 Cubs game with two sets of Hammers.

 The game was called due to rain. Watching them roll out this enormous tarp in record time was most entertaining.

 I think we still look good after two years!

Chicago by night.

Lovely weekend! 

Time to hit the gym...

Discovering Detroit

A Few Scenes from the Weekend

 Allen's office downtown - The Ford Building

 We are still trying to figure out this enormous guy....

 Initiation to Detroit is pounding the giant fist.

 Big fountain that looks a little bit like a space ship.

 Detroit Skyline

GM

 Canada - just across the river

 A little river stroll

 Bridge to Canada

And a revolutionary diet!!!

We found this at a candy store...

I wanted to believe it was the real deal - I still might fall for it, despite my common sense.