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Anniversary Celebration

September 30, 2011 by Mayde | Leave a comment

Dan and I celebrated our one year anniversary the same way we celebrated our wedding – with friends and family.

King and Queen at Medieval TimesWe were originally hoping to attend the last weekend of the annual New York Renaissance Faire, but since it was supposed to rain all day, we opted to go to Medieval Times instead. Dan and I have been to Medieval Times several times over the last ten years, but it’s still one of our favorite places to go on special occasions. Sunday afternoon, we drove two hours south to New Jersey and made it there early enough to hang out before the show actually started. (Anyone who’s been to Medieval Times knows that the hour before the show is the best part. You get to hang out in the lobby, take pictures, buy stuff, drink beer, and visit the torture museum.) Dan’s sister went with us and, once there, we met up with a few of Dan’s new coworkers.

The last time we went to Medieval Times was a few years ago, so some things had changed since our previous visit. This made the experience all the better, since there were new things for us to see and do. Once the show actually started, it was the same routine we’ve come to expect and love, so I can honestly say we weren’t disappointed. Especially when, at the end of the tournament, our knight was declared the winner!

Black and White Knight

When we got home that night, we stuck with tradition and pulled out the top tier of our wedding cake, saved in the freezer since our wedding day. (We actually pulled it out that morning so it had time to thaw, but that’s beside the point.) Despite some hesitation and fear of food poisoning, we cut slices for Dan and I, as well as for his sister and parents. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I took the first bite, and…

 Year-Old Wedding Cake

Slice of Cake

…it was pretty gross. The frosting had some freezer burn, the cake was stale, and it tasted very gritty. But despite how bad it might have been, and despite the fact that no one actually finished their piece of cake, I’m still glad we followed through on this tradition. It was fun to see our cake again, and it was a sweet reminder of our actual wedding day.

Thanks again to Ellie-gant Cakes for our wedding cake (which tasted delicious when it was fresh!), and a special thank you to all our friends and family who celebrated with us, or who wished us a happy anniversary!

Weekend in Philadelphia

February 14, 2011 by Mayde | Leave a comment

Happy Valentine’s Day! Unfortunately, I don’t have a romantic post for you today, but I hope you’ll enjoy this story of my recent trip to Philadelphia.

Last weekend, Dan and I went with four of Dan’s coworkers to the Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention in Pennsylvania. Most of us had never been to Philly before, so it was a bit of an adventure, even though our trip only lasted two days.

We left Manhattan at around 4 o’clock Saturday afternoon and got into Philadelphia right around 6. (This was our first time on one of the infamous Chinatown buses and, despite all the horror stories we’d heard, we had a nice, easy trip with not a single complaint. For $10/person each way, it’s definitely a great deal!) After getting off the bus, we found ourselves about 8 blocks from the hotel where the convention was being held, so we took our time leisurely strolling the streets, taking in all the unfamiliar sights. While a lot like New York in some ways, Philly definitely has a different atmosphere about it. I think I could see myself spending more time there.

Despite some rumors that the convention was sold out, we were able to get in and catch up with some old friends for a couple of hours Saturday night. Unfortunately, the hall was so packed that we weren’t able to do much exploring. Just imagine thousands of people trying to navigate up and down rows that were only about 4 feet wide. Since trying to walk around was so miserable, we were content to just sit and people watch most of the time. We went back to our hotel room early that night so Dan would be well rested for his appointment the next morning.

We woke up bright and early on Sunday, grabbed some free breakfast in the hotel lobby, and then spent a good hour wandering around Philadelphia looking for our friend’s car. (One of the downfalls of parking in an unfamiliar city.) When we finally made it to the convention, we met up with Dan’s tattoo artist, Carl Grace, and they got to work right away. While Dan was being steadily tattooed for 7 hours, I spent my time trying to explore (again, the crowds were horrific!), hanging out with friends, and keeping Dan’s blood sugar level up by supplying him with snacks and sodas.

Carl finished around 7:30 pm, with just minutes to spare before the Best Tattoo of the Day competition started. Dan entered at Carl’s request and, among 22 contestants, he came in 2nd place! It was an exciting end to our little trip, and gave us something to celebrate on the bus ride home.

But enough talk. Here are some photos:

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Dan and I in Philadelphia

What do you think of Dan’s new tattoo? Would you ever consider getting one? Have you ever been to Philadelphia? What are some places you’d recommend for our next visit? Let me know by leaving a comment.

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 28, 2010 by Mayde | Leave a comment

This year, I am thankful for my wonderful husband, and the two months of marriage that we’ve enjoyed together so far.

I’m thankful for my family. My parents love me and support me in everything I do, and my brother and sister are two of my best friends. My new in-laws are some of the sweetest people I’ve ever met, and my new brother-in-law has become a true friend in the months since my sister got married.

I’m thankful for my friends who I may not see very often, but when we do get together, it’s like we’ve never been apart.

I’m thankful for my cozy little apartment, for heat, hot water and electricity, and I’m thankful for my job which allows me to live comfortably in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

I’m thankful for my dogs, who love me unconditionally and are so excited to see me when I come home from work every day. They are my favorite snuggle buddies, and I couldn’t imagine life without them.

Right now, I really have no major complaints in life, and for that, I am grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

What are you thankful for this year? Leave a comment and let me know.

Supporting Friends

November 11, 2010 by Mayde | Leave a comment

I recently had the privilege of supporting two of my good friends in major projects they’ve been working on, and I’m proud to say that both were very successful!

Last Saturday, my friend Amy held a fundraiser for her three-year-old son who has Cortical Dysplasia coupled with a seizure disorder. The fundraiser was held to help Amy and her husband purchase a disabled van so that they can transport their son to and from his doctors appointments. I used the fundraiser as an excuse to escape from the city for a couple of days, and had a great time hanging out with my sister, Amy and all our friends over the weekend. We hosted a turkey dinner for several hundred people, and pulled off a successful tricky-tray and 50/50 raffle. This event definitely brought Amy and her husband closer to their goal, and can therefore be considered a success, but they still have a long way to go. If you’d like to donate, or if you just want more information, you can visit the Help for Logan facebook page.

My sister and I at Logan's benefit dinner (photo by Amy)

On a lighter note, two other friends of mine released their first studio album on Sunday! Kronos Effect held their record release party at Local 269 in Manhattan, and Dan and I were so glad we were able to attend. The bassist, Jon, even gave Dan a shout-out in the liner notes. We’ve watched these guys work their butts off to get this thing off the ground, so it was a proud day to actually hold their CD in my hands. I was so excited, I even made them sign it (just in case they get really famous one day).

Kronos Effect's debut album, signed by the band

If you want to hear more from Kronos Effect, you can visit their myspace page.

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