November Updates

This year is so quickly coming to an end.  I'm finding it a little hard trying to remember what I did in November, let alone keep y'all updated on a monthly basis.  Sigh.

I'll definitely give it a shot though.

Generally speaking, lots went on during November, but that primarily had to do with my work project.  That's one thing to give thanks for....my work project has been launched.  Phew.  Aside from that, November found me hanging out with long-time friends in New York and coworkers in Chicago.

Adj came to town and only having one night of a mini-MHS reunion, we took in some authentic New York Cheesecake at Junior's with Mitchell and Jonelle (c/o 96).  We even took in a comedy show in Times Square...my first actually in New York.  It was overall a pretty good evening.

I went to Chicago to help with a work event at the Chicago Lights Festival, which consisted of varous day festivities...which was where I lended a helping hand...and culminating with an evening parade.  Obviously, this being my first, I was told this annual parade was where Mickey (yes, the Mouse) would come down a somewhat dark Magnificent Mile, and as he pointed at the various buildings, the lights would turn on.  Kinda Fantasia like...and hence the name the "Lights Festival".

I honestly was a bit concerned about November in Chicago being a bit too cold for me, but thankfully Chicago was also hit with some non-standard November temperatures, and all was well with me and my fleece jacket and scarf.

Other than that, all was well and did the usual while back in NYC.

Until the next time....

[iza on blogger]

For more on Chicago, check out my Chicago Yelp list here.
For general November Yelp Reviews, visit my Yelp page.

Happy Birthday Grandma.

This is my grandma. And one of her sisters. I adoringly call them the smoker (my grandma) and the drunk. But again, with affection and love. I...we miss her. My grandma that is. She would have been 81 today (I hope I got her age right).

Happy birthday. We miss you.

Did I mentin they are pretty hard core?

My Xmas/Bday Wish List...as of 11/29 :-D

Cause family and friends continue to believe that I am hard to shop for...here is my annual Xmas/Bday wish list. Hope it helps....I've even provided pictures :-)

Please note....list subject to change ;-)

• Coach Turnlock Valet Keyfob, White $48 - Style 92529

• BuiltNYC Market Tote, Nolita Strieb/Aruba Blue $40

• Flight 001 Go Clean Shoes bag, Navy $20

• Silicone Brownie Squares (this one's on Amazon.com), $9.99 (BOUGHT)
  

• PreCut Brownie Pan Set (this one is listed on Amazon.com), $29.98

• Silicon Square Savarin with Cavity (this one's on Amazon.com), Red $21.95

• And if all else fails.....a Visa/MasterCard/Amex gift card will suffice :-)

Happy Belated Halloween ;-)

Usually October is all about Halloween, costumes, and candy....but sad to say I didn't partake in any of those activities. I just found myself hanging out in San Diego, getting lost in Jersey, and enjoying more of New York's dining finest.

So work brought me out to San Diego on a really last minute trip to help out at one of our usual trade shows. Despite being a demo monkey for 3 days and partaking in mediocre food for those same 3 days, I did get a chance to hang out with my friend Camille. It's been a while, and again, though the food was kind of blah, we did have fun ourselves. Her little boy is such the talker, but really fun to be around.

One of the very few places I did enjoy while in San Diego (actually it was the only place) was Confidential.

And yes, that is the name of the place....because I original thought the name was a secret so people were just saying it's confidential. Yeah, a blonde moment for me on that one.

Back in New York, my mom had a brief overnight layover from her trip from Rome. So I decided to take her to see little Baby Lucas and the Tingler clan...as well as to treat her to some rice and filipino food. Since they don't serve rice in Rome, and after 3 weeks, her entire travel group had built a craving. And despite getting lost getting to her hotel by Newark airport, we made it to the Tinglers ready to say hi to Baby Lucase. Just not sure he was ready for my mom.


And to end the month, I did have a memorable dinner at Sfoglia....part of the memories is that I had to make this reservation like 6 weeks in advance, so of course the thought is that it better be that good. And it was. Phew. We did discover a good white organic wine, that I now need to hunt down in Whole Foods or something.

Oh yeah, and I got a chance to see Jersey Boys at the Wilson Theatre. Fantastic Show! Despite feeling like the youngest ones there (we caught a Thursday show and it felt like night of the old people) AND sitting next to a woman who really needed 2 seats for herself not one (i'm talking body spillage onto me and my personal space), the show was entertaining enough to tune her out.

But really, not being mean or anything....if you know you can't comfortably sit in a center row seat, please know the person next to you won't be comfortable either, so just do yourself and everyone else a favor and sit by the aisle. Those are my words of wisdom for October.

until the next time......
[iz8p on blogger]


For more on other spots I visited while in San Diego, check out my San Diego Yelp list here.
Or to just read more on the places I've reviewed, check me out on Yelp.
For more pics, check out my photo site, www.meakika.com

CTIA

CTIA

All Things DC

Planning a trip to our Nation's capitol from New York doesn't require too much planning, but knowing where you want to go and what you want to see within a 2 day (weekend) time frame is definitely key to ensuring you won't miss out on anything.

The general plan: Take the Greyhound bus. Check out some museums. Get a cupcake at Baked & Wired. Head back to NYC with a new-found appreciation for the Nation's capitol.

This is how it really went down....

The Greyhound bus ride was longer than anticipated. I mean about almost 2 hours longer. I understand that it was Friday and we hit traffic and rain...but really? We left NYC on the 12noon bus and got to the hotel at about 7pm. It also didn't help that in the dead of summer, we conveniently caught the bus who's bus driver either despised air conditioning...or the A/C just wasn't working.

We stayed at the Renaissance Washington Hotel, which wasn't too far from most of the places we wanted to (ended up seeing). The location of the hotel was great as it was merely blocks from Chinatown and a good number of restaurants, and a nice walk to the museums and Capitol Hill. Since we got there later than anticipated we opted for some dinner at the Rosa Mexicana's and then rested up for a long day ahead.

Day 1 (or Saturday) was actually pretty filled since we were catching a 2pm bus back to NYC on Sunday. So we opted for a morning self-tour of our 3 museums of choice, followed by a Segway Tour of the rest of the city and its major sites.

The Air & Space Museum was the primary museum visit for the trip, which is why we went there first. Despite arriving there a few minutes before opening hour, there was still a good number of people there. Thank goodness the museum was pretty big that you couldn't really tell how many people were waiting outside.

The same could also be said about the National Museum of American History. You will notice a wait at the President's Wives exhibit (where they show you the ball gowns) and the pop culture exhibit...it took me a while to realize I was staring at Dorothy's ruby red slippers even as I stood in the line. I did think it was pretty cool to have seen the original Abe Lincoln top hat.

I thought the International Spy Museum would have been fun...but I stand corrected. Particularly since you had to pay...it wasn't worth the hype. Not at all.

What I would highly recommend though, is the City Segway Tours. Even with what some may deem as a hefty price tag of $70, it's well worth it. It definitely covers a lot more tourist ground in 3 hours than one could do it on foot...and it's extremely fun. They don't go to the Lincoln Memorial though...to which I would recommend you go at night anyway. Lincoln just looks more majestic and regal at night.


Sunday morning allowed me to take a cab to the deeply awaited Baked & Wired cafe.....though I can't say I went there for the coffee. The strawberry cake cupcake was definitely worth waiting for.

Blogging about it right now makes me want to go back for more. I think on my next visit back to DC, we'll head to go old Georgetown.

For more of my thoughts and reviews on All things DC, check out my DC list on Yelp.
For a full view of the our segway route, click here and here. :-)

[iza on blogspot]

Quick 2-Month Update

So it has been a while....afterall, I did miss out on the August update, and now as we enter October...I owe you all a September one as well. So what can a girl do? Well, I can try to a quick update and go from there....right?

I did say try...

Generally, August didn't bring me much except to whole bunch of places to eat. Oh wait, and of course a visit to our Nation's capitol...good old Washington DC. This was actually my first real live trip to DC...my initial visit didn't count for much since I stayed in Maryland. So to avoid a really, really, really long blog on all things DC, I'll move onto my September goings on (more on DC later).

September was my actual month of vacationing with the fam. Well, not necessarily vacationing with them, but just boarding a plane for 22 hours to go visit and chillax with them. Yes, that 22 hours does mean that I went to Guam. On my way back, I also did a quick pit stop in Hawaii. And I literally mean quick...cause 7-ish days in Hawaii just isn't enough time. Sigh.

So in a nutshell, that was the last 2 months of my life. I will provide more detail of my tourist version of Washington DC..in addition to where not to eat on Guam. In the meantime...I leave you all with this.....

A short and sweet update.
Just like I promised ;-)

alohas for now....

[iza on blogspot]

There are some nice people out in there....

Traveling all about the city, to and from work, our cell phones become our life lines and perhaps even for most...the only means of communicating with our fam and friends (outside of the internet).

So what happens when you lose your phone....a Blackberry at that?

Most of my friends know that during the hours of 9-5, it's probably best to call my work cell...cause I'll definitely pick up if I am not on a call or in a meeting. After 5pm, it's all about the personal line, as I will either not answer the work phone or I'll get a bit...out of sorts ;-)

(And yes, I do like to have 2 mobile numbers - 1 for work and 1 that's mine - so I can keep them separate.)

One evening...about 630pm give or take...but clearly after work hours. I get a call from K...on the work cell. Playing around, I pick up and say clearly....

"You know it's after work hours right?"

The response I get, not from K's voice....female, kind of always inquisitive, always calling to ask me a question ;-). I hear a deep, strong, male voice. "Is this Iz8?"

"Ummmm....," not knowing how to respond cause this is clearly K's cell and I don't talk or take nicely to strangers.

He continues, "Yeah, umm....I have your best friend's Blackberry. I think she lost it."

Phew....it wasn't some would be kidnapper or what not. And as I continued to get his information and formulate my "Track K Down" plan, all the while I thought...what a nice guy.

Ultimately, K lost her phone somewhere in Queens, and this nice young man found it in Queens. He seemed to have called a few numbers off of K's phone to have one of her friends contact her. And since K and I were exchanging several emails and text messages, his natural assumption was that I would be able to find her.

Funny enough, the only numbers I had for K were her cell and work. And we did establish this was already past work hours. I eventually got through to her via Facebook.

So thank you Nathias of Jamaica Queens. Thanks for being honest. And thanks to your adult figures who taught you how to do the right thing. Lord only knows that with a Blackberry Curve...it could have been as good as gone.

[iza on blogspot]

Welcome June!

So what went on during the month of June...a whole lot of everything, actually. There were celebrations and parties of all types and I must say thank goodness I was able to capture a few of those moments.

June kicked off right with my first sorta vacation of the year. I say sort of vacation because I don't necessarily consider 4 day weekends vacations...they are just merely extended weekends. Nevertheless, this first weekend celebration started off in Orlando with Dar and K. I mean really, what can I say...3 girls....2 theme parks.....Princesses....Super Heroes.....Roller Coasters....rain? Good times yo. Good times.

For more Orlando pics, click here.

Then fast foward (well maybe not too fast since this came back to back from Orlando), we had Shelly's baby shower in Jersey accompanied by a brief one-day tour of the NYC for Jr as he was in town.

And what isn't a busy month if it didn't constitute something with work...right? Well, at least this had something to do with a party and I did have a non-work friend or 2 there to join in the fun and Open Bar.

So how is your summer coming along?

PS: In case you haven't noticed, not too much going on with the Foodie front in June, but I did have a great evening of Tapas at Centrino Vinoteca.

Not to mention, I have come across to pretty great finds in the neighborhood: Fetch and Two Little Red Hens. I am so pleased.

Fetch

Two Little Red Hens

until the next time...

For more pics of June, click here.
For more reviews, visit me on Yelp* and add me as a friend :-)
For more on the baby shower, visit the Baby Tingler site here.

[iza on blogspot]

my new summer wallet

Got my summer wallet. Bigger than a skinny mini, smaller than a wristlet. Perfect with the pockets.

Recognize!

Super excited that I've been nominated and approved to join the likes of the Yelp Elite in NY. Check out my cool "badge". Woo hoo!

Orlando 2009

Click here to view these pictures larger

My Month of May, pt. 2 - keepin it local in the NYC

So aside from the travel to and from the Big Apple, I did get a chance to scratch one thing off the NYC Things to do list...and that was see a Yankee game....in the new stadium.

Friends who've went prior raved about the food choices, and food choices there were. Unfortunately, do to the lateness of those who shall not be named :-p, we didn't get a chance to paruse the stadium before the game as originally intended. But, we did have enough time to walk briefly around to find something we wanted to eat - Brother Jimmy's BBQ.

The weather was great and the view of the game...spectacular as we were fortunate enough to enjoy seats a few rows behind those infamous thousand dollar seats. Funny thing about those seats though, was that Benj was wearing a bright red hoodie and a friend of his who was watching the game in LA was able to see him. Even got to see some good action.

the Angels player got hit in the face with a ball.

Thing about the weather...as great as it was, I should have chosen a different type of outfit. Or at least top. Farmer's tans are not very cute for the summer.

And as always, as New Yorkers do, did the food thing all over the city. This city is great.

Gusto in West Village



Mesa Grill by Union Square



MO Bar in Columbus Circle



Cafeteria in Chelsea

For full reviews, check me out on Yelp*.
For the complete Yankees Stadium album, click here.

Until the next time...

iza

[iza on blogspot]

My Month of May, pt. 1 (outside NYC)

The month of May was an unscheduled trip after another...to places I would have never thought I'd actually end up going. Some good....and some, not so great, but all in all...I got to experience a few new things and added a good number of frequent flier miles. So I can't hardly complain.

Early May brought me back out West, and actually closer to the cousin as I found myself in the lovely area of Santa Clarita, California...home of....Magic Mountain. And pretty much nothing else. Aside from a lovely time with the fam (and we keep forgetting to take pictures), I did enjoy a good greasy burger (okay 2) from Jack in the Box and In-N-Out. But really folks...it still is all about Jack.

Later May I found myself back on the east coast...but more inland than coast as we drove out to Gettysburg PA. Yes, Gettysburg, as in Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address. Can't necessarily say that I was extremely looking forward to the excursion...but at the end of the trip, I was happy to have gone. The entire battlefield can engulf the island of Guam many times over, and it was actually pretty interesting to learn more about American History.

One our way back...we even got a chance to stop by Hershey Park. Yes, Hershey...the chocolate.

more to come in the next post. this one is getting rather long.

for more pics on Gettysburg: http://iz8p.shutterfly.com/travels


[iza on blogspot]

In Loving Memory....

In the wee hours of the morning last year, my grandmother died in her sleep after a lengthy battle, if you will, of surgery and perhaps in general, the culmination of her time here on this earth.

I think about her on occasion, particularly during family moments of childhood reminiscence and can only hope that she knew that we all loved, cared for, and appreciated everything that she has done for us.

In her own way, she was a staple in our childhood memories, and will never be forgotten. I know that my family will honor and remember her in their own special way during this time, but I did want to do my part.

One of the important things I've learned from her was to help those who are unable to fully help themselves, especially if they are family.

And that dessert is what makes the meal complete ;-)


They say that things you put out in the internet are never really erased even after you've forgotten about them. And for this, I say...

May you rest eternally in peace Grandma Violet.

[iza on blogspot]

April Anecdotes

So aside from a few rain showers....what did the month of April bring? A whole lot actually. Much to my surprise.

The month started off back West to Las Vegas....for work though, not for play. This year was a more rigorous booth schedule as cost-cutting did not allow for more assistance at the show. I did have some time though to have some good Chamorro food with Janice and Fam. Tristan is still getting bigger and crapping me up as always.

Back in New York, it was a bit of the same routine of work and Friday gym days. But I finally got a chance to check out the Reservoir Run in Central Park. I heard it is actually one of the most scenic runs in the Park, and I now believe that to be true.

Initially I did a walk-through, just to see what I was up against. And then finally, on a 92 degree weather day, I decided to do the run. I tracked it here through Nokia Sports Tracker.

Also engaged in more social activities with the fam and with the girls. Went with Shelly and Benjie to the New York International Auto Show, and rediscovered my luv for the SmartCar. More on that here.

In between time, I even had a chance to try out some new dessert recipes. Well, maybe not new, but new to my taste testers. All in all, I think the 2 recipes for April were a hit. Sugar Cane Desserts...here I come ;-) Or at the very least, let's keep it baking.



And in true girls about town fashion, hit up a few new places with Darlene and Kesana. A few planned and unimpressive and others a great find in NYC. In short, Corio was okay, Havana Central decent, Trinity Place happening, Ayza excellent, Obivia great. A few favorite socialite moments:

Trinity Place


Sanctuary Tea


Ayza Wine & Chocolate Bar


Obivia

Check out more of my reviews on Yelp*.
For the full month's album, visit my photojournal.

until the next time...

iza

[iza on blogspot]