weekends without work = just as enjoyable as i remember!

The past couple of months of work were intense, and the past couple of weeks of life have been very overwhelming ---- that's why it was so nice to finally have an entire weekend free without work and/or other drama. Spent most of the weekend catching up on some much-needed sleep + also got to do some much-needed socializing!

Started Saturday by going out to Williamsburg to join two of my cousins, Lindsey and Erin, for brunch at Relish (perhaps most famous for its presence in the hot "Milkshake" music video by Kelis). The place was cute, tasty and affordable --- a great combination!
I loved the old-school diner feel of the place --- apparently it's been around for decades, and was most recently brought to Brooklyn + remodeled in 2000. Anyway, I haven't seen the girls in a couple of years, so it was especially nice to hang out. They are awesome, and I look forward to hanging out with them more often now that we're all living in NYC.

After brunch, I headed back to Manhattan to meet up with Nick, his brother and my buddy Nan to watch the Apple Cup @ Dewey's Flatiron. Man, I love my Huskies, but this season has been unbearable. By the end of the night I quickly found out what's worse than a 0 - 10 season: A 0 - 11 season, with the most recent loss to the Cougs.
I'm still irritated about the whole thing, so I can't say much else. Tyrone Cunningham seems like a really good guy, but this season (amongst other missteps) justifies his early termination.

I wrapped up the weekend on Sunday night with two of my favorite co-workers. I adore Gail and Effi -- they've become not only two of my work favorites, but also two of my closest friends in the city. We all billed crazy hours over the past couple of months, and they helped me through the turmoil of the past couple of weeks so it was a real treat to have them take me out to one of Jeffrey Chodrow's restaurants -- Asia de Cuba -- for a pick-me-up meal.

The space was fantastic. Which wasn't a huge surprise, since Phillipe Starck designed the place. I didn't have high hopes for the food, since it sounded like another one of those hip Asian-fusion places that had watered down flavors, etc. I was pleasantly surprised. I thought the food was actually pretty tasty (with generous portions), especially the picadillo-style tuna app, the miso-cured black cod and the bread pudding dessert. And the drinks were also fantastic, particularly some kind of fruity vodka and champagne concoction they dreamed up.
All in all, a fantastic night and an excellent way to wrap up one of the first relaxing weekends I've had in months. God knows I needed it!

yes we did!

Because I am still at a loss for words, I will only share a few pictures that I felt captured the spirit of this momentous occasion and some words from the 44th President of this great nation, Barack Obama:

" . . . . This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can. Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America."







UPDATE: And, because I totally agree with lajournalista's comment, I had to add one more picture.