the good and the bad

The good:

1. Erik's younger sisters visited last weekend, and we showed them around Brooklyn. After growing up with a brother on a street full of boys (read: tomboy ground zero), it's rad to have so many women in my life now.
2. I started up a part-time in-office summer gig. The work is fun, and my coworkers are beyond lovely!
3. Looks like I'm going to go on a mini-family vacay with Tim and mom. So excited. I love them.

The bad:

1. Our fridge is broken and my landlady is in denial about it. Guess we'll be living on takeout for the time being, ugh.
2. The surf is flat. Plus, I hurt my ankle so I can't run. On the upside, I've been doing a lot of yoga and biking lately. We rode down to the Brooklyn art museum to catch the Ai Wei Wei exhibit and then waited in line for Ample Hills ice cream (verdict: delicious but stomachache-inducing).
3. Helping mom with her healthcare, so I'm mucking through the red tape insanity. Does it really need to be this complicated?

little conversations

Me: I'm going to skate under the bridge like a troll so no one looks at me.
Random passerby's with their iPhone cameras: click. click. click.

Me: What movie did you watch, Mom?
Mom: I don't understand it.
Me, looking at my Netflix history: Blue is the Warmest Color?
Mom: I don't understand it.

Me, referring to the young fellow I approached for Erik's upcoming campaign: Dude, I'm such an amazing model scout!
Model to Erik's team: Yeah, some lady gave me her info.

Rabbi during wedding ceremony: Remember to say "I love you" every single day.
Erik to me, in a whisper: You say it at least 40 times a day.

summertime

And finally, it's summer in Brooklyn, which is the greatest time of year in the greatest city on Earth. I have a little reprieve before starting up my next gig, so I've been enjoying lots of friend-filled adventures outside. Thanks to a swell, I hit the beach three days in a row. One morning, the sun rose over the horizon and it was picture-perfect: The black silhouettes of surfers right where the pinkish-orange sky met the blue ocean. So pretty. On Saturday, we headed down to Bed-Stuy for John and Sarah's rooftop barbecue. Dang, they know how to throw down! After feasting on ribs, burgers, watermelon, and pie, Erik and I rode our bikes home. Nothing screams summer like whizzing by al fresco restaurants, inhaling the smoky scent of grills in a perfectly warm breeze. It's one of my favorite things in the whole world. We certainly endured one of the most frigid winters in history, but this -- THIS! -- is the payoff.

34 hours in Georgia

On Saturday morning, we headed to Georgia for Ben and Briana's wedding. After getting up early to fly to Atlanta and drive to Athens, we had an hour or two to stroll around the grassy campus and main drag. It's a chill college town that reminds me a lot of Chapel Hill. Then we went to the botanical gardens for the gorgeous couple's lovely nuptials. I couldn't be more excited for them! It makes me so happy that those two soul mates found each other. We drank, dined, and danced with great friends in the glass-covered arboretum and then finished the evening at the 40 Watt Club with Waffle House fare. So much love -- and so many cool details. The next morning, we slept in till noon, which was much-needed; props to exhausted Erik for being such a trooper on the heels of an exhausting work trip to Canada. After a delicious biscuit brunch, we made our way back to Atlanta, with lots of green farmland scenery and a few research stops at clothing stores (#wifelife). We even managed to have dinner with one of Erik's homies before flying home. A whirlwind weekend, for sure, but packed to the brim with friendship and love. Living life to the fullest!