Pour the Core

Cider is one of the most refreshing drinks on a hot summer day.  Chris and I had the opportunity to try several types when we visited a cider festival a couple weeks ago.  We didn't discover anything truly Earth shattering, but there were several new to us companies represented at the event.

We mostly sampled new flavors that some of our favorite cider companies offered.  I really liked McKenzie's Lazy Lemon and Doc's Sour Cherry.  My favorite from the whole event was a cider called Gumption from Woodchuck. So tasty!  We also really enjoyed our samples of all three Strongbow offerings - Honey, Cherry Blossom, and Gold Apple.

The festival mostly offered familiar brands of cider, but we did manage to find a few new ones that caught our attention.  I absolutely loved the pineapple flavors that two different companies - Ace in California and Austin EastCiders in Texas - provided.  The perfect mix of sweetness for me!  Chris and I both liked J.K.'s Farmhouse Summer hard cider. 

Do you enjoy cider?  What is your go to summer drink?

Andrea :)

Bright Star

Upon its initial release to Broadway, I wasn't interested.  It wasn't one of the many that caught my eye.  And then, the Tony's happened.  The Bright Star performance was fantastic.  I really wanted to hear the story she had to tell. Unfortunately, there isn't much time left for anyone else to hear this heartbreaking yet redemptive story.  It leaves Broadway this weekend.  I hope it travels to some other parts of the country though.  The bluegrass style music would fare much better around the part of the world that I call home.

The lead, Carmen Cusack, has an absolutely stunning voice.  I loved listening to her on stage.  The humor throughout and whimsical nature of certain scenes made the overall production feel less sorrowful which I appreciated since we'd seen such dark plays recently.  It was a perfect mix of both serious subject matter and lighthearted song and dance numbers.  The music was my favorite part.  It even helped me overlook a bit of a broad jump in the story line toward the end.  I'm sad that more people weren't interested in keeping it alive for a bit of a longer run.  Definitely an interesting story to tell... 

Do you enjoy the bluegrass style of music with banjos, cellos, and violins?  

Andrea :)

Five on Friday!

I am SO excited to finish the week and begin another wonderful weekend of fun!!  June has been jam packed for us already so let me catch you up on the adventures...

-ONE-

As you saw yesterday, we've been watching plays like crazy.  We've taken it a bit slower with the musicals - mostly because Chris isn't as big of a fan of them.  But also because they are much more difficult to squeeze in on a weeknight.  And our weekends have been crazy full of fun outdoor adventures like running!  Back to my point though - the plays!  Since we'd seen so many this year, we thought it would be fun to attend the Drama Desk Awards this past Sunday.  It was definitely an interesting experience.  We had lots of laughs and enjoyed hearing the strictly timed acceptance speeches - 90 seconds is a lot longer than I thought!

-TWO- 

Chris ran another NYRR 4-miler on Sunday.  And he now has a new personal best!!  I'm so proud of how great he is doing with running!  He managed to run back-to-back races last weekend since we had the inaugural LIC Run the Waterfront 5k together on Saturday.  We are gearing up for our big race of the summer next weekend when we take on the Queens 10k together!

-THREE-

We escaped the hustle and bustle of the city after our 5k last weekend when we drove up to Baldwin Winery in the Hudson Valley.  They were having a Strawberry, Wine, and Chocolate Festival.  I was sold when Chris said the tasting included a chocolate covered strawberry, but we got a whole plate full of tasty treats to enjoy while we tried various wine samples.  Definitely a fun way to spend the afternoon!

-FOUR-

Earlier this week, we trekked out to Citi Field Stadium to see Beyonce perform her Formation World Tour.  To be frank, we were quite disappointed.  I was completely amazed when I saw her perform up close and personal at Super Bowl a few years ago, but she just didn't have the same appeal this time.  It seemed like her moves for every song were exactly the same.  And there was just a real strange feeling surrounding the whole experience.  Maybe I should have anticipated that I wouldn't love it since I am not really a fan of her recent work, but I still had high hopes for her performance factor.  She did manage to impress me with the final dance set done in a shallow pool of water - that type of entertainment was what I had hoped to see all night long!

-FIVE-

I shared with you our Date Box experience in May recently.  Well, the next date box that arrived was equally as fun - and we've only managed to make it halfway through the date!  The date box included a CD to learn some fun dance moves and a competitive card game, but we dove in for the make your own ice cream portion first.  We have plans to finish the rest before the end of the month, but we sure did have fun making (and eating) our ice cream!

What have you been up to in June so far?

Andrea :)

Our May Date Nights

As always, we stayed busy in May. We participated in some training runs for our joint 10k run coming up in just two short weeks!  We spent some time checking out Tony nominated Broadway plays.  And we spent Memorial Day weekend visiting with some of my family in Ohio to celebrate my cousin's wedding.  In the midst of all the fun, our date nights prevailed!  I introduced us to a new date night experience while Chris planned a night of comedy fun!

Chris discovered that Colin Quinn was testing new material for his next big show over at the Comedy Cellar so we decided to check that out.  We've seen Colin on Broadway in Long Story Short and also off Broadway in Unconstitutional and The New York Story.  We knew it was a steal to spend an evening listening to him test his new stuff for merely $20.  He's a funny man. Lots of laughs throughout the night!

I came across a fun date idea while skimming my instagram feed - DateBox. Since I found a code for a free month, I figured it would be fun to surprise Chris with it and figure out from there if it was something we wanted to keep in the mix on a regular basis.  The idea is brilliant - everything you need for a fun date night at home is shipped to you in a handy box at the beginning of each month!

Our first one had an adventure theme.  It involved making candles that smelled like the forest and preparing chicken soup and s'mores to enjoy while we discussed our past adventures together.  It also included a deck of cards and rules for some really fun two person card games that we enjoyed!  We loved how everything was ready to go in one place.  We decided to give it a try for a couple more months so I'll be sure to keep you informed on the other neat ideas that we get to experience!

What is your favorite kind of date night?

Andrea :)

Our April Date Nights

It would have been impossible to fit one more event into our April calendar.  Lesson learned as we proceed with caution with summer approaching!  We did have TONS of fun during our insanely busy month though!  We hosted my parents for a few days, hit up a slew of movies at the Tribeca Film Festival, and saw a thought-provoking show with friends who were visiting the city.  In the midst of all the fun, our date nights prevailed!  I set up a double date with friends of ours while Chris planned a surprise weekend getaway for us!

Back in April of 2010, Christopher and I had our first date at Brother Jimmy's on Lexington and 31st so it was only fitting that I booked our double date at that location.  We had fun rehashing the story of that night with Rachel and Lionel as well as chatting about a whole array of things from Survivor to FitBit Mania to sports/books.  It was a great night together with friends we have both spent the past few years getting to know individually.  We all met at a Bible Study group about three years ago.  As it turned out, Chris and Lionel worked in the same area and meet for lunch from time to time. And Rachel and I ended up in a book club together!  It's rare that we spend time with couples that we both know equally well so that made for an extra fun night.

Chris did an amazing job of putting together a fun weekend trip to Mystic, Connecticut.  Click HERE to see all the fun we had at the aquarium, Olde Mistick Village, and walking around the historic downtown area.  We had a fantastic weekend away, but Chris really blew me away with the ultimate adventure date during this trip.  He planned a penguin encounter for us at the Mystic Aquarium.  We were able to spend an hour learning all about the African penguins that are on exhibit there as well as pet and play with our own little penguin friend!  I wrote all about the experience HERE.  It was such a thoughtful and fun-filled date!

What is your ultimate date night?

Andrea :)

Fully Committed

As huge Modern Family fans, we knew we couldn't miss Jesse Tyler Ferguson's new limited run one-man show on Broadway!  He plays a multitude of characters throughout the show - something like 40 different people!  His main character, Sam, spends his days taking reservations at one of New York's most exclusive restaurants. Sam's a struggling actor and has a bit of a family dilemma as well.  Clearly, Sam is juggling a lot!

We really enjoyed the show!  It was amazing to watch Jesse Tyler Ferguson keep all the characters straight.  Honestly, I can't even imagine how he kept it all together on stage for an hour and a half!  Super talented!  Not to mention the array of accents and voice tones he had to use throughout the performance.  Jesse Tyler Ferguson was simply fantastic!!

After the show, I convinced Chris to wait around with me to meet the star at the stage door!  Jesse Tyler Ferguson was incredibly kind and humble as various people offered their feedback on the show and asked for photos and autographs.  Definitely happy to have stuck around for the opportunity to engage with him.  

Andrea :)

It's World Penguin Day!!

Happy World Penguin Day!! Perfect planning on Christopher's part since he surprised me with an awesome penguin encounter at the Mystic Aquarium this weekend.  We had a wonderful experience with our new penguin friend.

We learned A LOT about penguins during our hour long encounter.  We were also able to pet Mr. Penguin.  And help the aquarium with some training by playing pretend veterinarian!

The most interesting portion of the day involved learning about the naming system for the penguins at the aquarium.  They are named using beads attached to one of their flippers.  The first bead is either blue or pink and indicates gender.  Gender can't be known by looking at the external body of the penguin.  It requires a blood test that occurs within the first year of the penguin's life.  The Mystic Aquarium assigns each penguin a two color name based on when they arrived at the aquarium.  Our penguin's name was Green Red because he was the 30th penguin at the aquarium.

We later learned about the mating habits of the penguins.  And discovered that Green Red's mate is named Green Green.  She is the 33rd penguin at the aquarium.  They recently hatched some baby penguins that were just introduced to the exhibit this past week.  They are the proud parents of Purple Purple and Purple Silver.  We were able to catch both Green Green and Purple Purple when we visited the exhibit during the afternoon feeding session.  In the photo below, you can see that Purple Purple has yet to be identified as male or female based on the white bead proceeding the naming beads.  We also learned that it is during the first yearly molt that the baby African penguins develop the signature black stripe across their chest.  Notice that Purple Purple currently doesn't have the stripe that Green Green and Green Red possess.  I told you we learned a lot! :)

Mystic Aquarium also does a lot of work to assist in keeping the African penguin from becoming extinct.  Sadly, it is currently an endangered species in the wild.  We learned about the aquarium's various efforts on the coast of Africa.  And discovered several ways we could help locally - recycling and using reusable grocery bags!

Interacting with Green Red during our encounter was such a special experience.  I have always loved penguins (and had a similar encounter experience at Sea World with my parents when I was a teenager), but as an adult this experience was much more educational.  I will certainly be looking into ways to go above and beyond to protect these amazing and precious creatures!  I hope you'll do the same!

Aren't penguins just adorable?  What is your favorite animal?

Andrea :)

For the Outsider in All of Us...

Have you ever felt alone?  Or like you didn't really matter to anyone?  Maybe you just wish your circumstances were different.  Or people took the time to get to know the real you.  Perhaps you've always played it safe, followed the rules.  Life is passing you by while you watch from the sidelines.

Evan Hansen knows how you feel.  He's in the same boat.  And it's miserable.
 

The latest Second Stage Theater production - Dear Evan Hansen - is a musical drama with a touch of humor throughout.  It is creative and modern.  A take on life as an outsider that so badly wants to be normal.  He makes some questionable choices that ultimately get him noticed, but given the situation, it's hard to say he did the wrong thing...at least at first.  The show provides a unique look at the fragility of mankind.  The part we all play in making a difference...or not.  A deep and thoughtful adventure well worth the ride.

We were so happy to be able to enjoy the performance alongside Mia and her hubby on their recent visit to NYC.  A fun night out on the town for sure!

Andrea :)

Our March Date Nights

March was full of excitement all month long.  We enjoyed all the fun activities on our calendar - especially the date nights!  Chris took us on a indoor tennis adventure at Madison Square Garden while I found a hipster movie theater/restaurant in Williamsburg.

We watched two tennis matches - one more light-hearted and fun than the other.  Take a wild guess who was serious about winning. Those Williams ladies bring it - always!  The night started with some crazy shots and maneuvers from Gael Monfils and Stan Wawrinka.  We cheered for Monfils - definitely the crowd favorite for his playful nature!

At one point during the men's match, Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki joined them for a bit of mixed doubles action.  Serena was even wired for sound - super fun! Eventually, the ladies took the court for their match.  Serena dominated, but Caroline gave her a run for her money the first game.  We really enjoyed the mixture of fun and intensity throughout the night.  Definitely recommend checking out some elite tennis if you ever have the chance!

I wanted to find something a bit different for our date night.  It's always fun to mix it up a bit, right?  I came across a number of fun options in the trendy Williamsburg area of Brooklyn.  I decided that NiteHawk Cinemas would be the best bet for us.  The movie theater boasts a decent selection of dinner options as well as typical movie watching sweets and treats.

We ordered dinner that we really enjoyed while watching Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.  We had a great experience and definitely want to try the popcorn next time we visit!  And we also were really surprised by how much we enjoyed the movie.  A good mix of comedy and seriousness.  

Have you been on any unique dates recently?

Andrea :)

Wayne Brady and His Boots...

I've been intrigued by Kinky Boots for a couple of years, but hadn't ever managed to pull the trigger on purchasing tickets.  There was always something else to be seen.  And then Wayne Brady took on the role of fabulous drag queen Lola.  We were sold.

The show was super fun!  We thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.  The story follows a young British fellow, Charlie, as he unexpectedly inherits his father's shoe factory.  Unbeknownst to Charlie, the factory isn't making any money.  Enter Lola - a remarkably funny and touching character.  Lola inspires Charlie to begin production on ladies' shoes for men.  The two become fast friends...and then the pressure and demands of running a business begin to take a toll.
 

I was incredibly impressed with the choreography and overall design (set and clothing/shoes).  Certainly worth seeing if you want a sure hit with everyone!  The music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper are upbeat and catchy, too.  We had lots of laughs watching Wayne Brady in his fantastic boots!  Check out this show if you want an exciting comedy with incredibly touching moments scattered throughout.  And if you can't make it to Broadway, I've heard the movie is pretty wonderful as well!

Andrea :)

Fighting for Peace

In 1910, Jack Johnson - World Heavyweight Champion - faced yet another "Great White Hope" in the Fight of the Century.  He won.  Race riots ensued in cities all across America on the annual celebration of our nation's birth.  By winning, Johnson - a phenomenal black boxer - had just humiliated whites in America.  And that was unacceptable.

The Royale (currently showing at Lincoln Center Theater) depicts the inner struggle of Johnson as he exerts his dominance inside the ring while all outside it are deep in the midst of Jim Crow.  And the struggle is real.  Lives are affected.  Family issues arise.  A man is troubled, yet capable.  His skin color is the crux of it all.

The Royale is a fantastic portrayal of the issues that somehow still manage to be present in our daily lives over 100 years later.  The unique and creative manner of presentation makes the performance all the more appealing.  I highly recommend checking it out.  And afterward, really thinking about what it means.  It is a travesty that our country still finds a way to continue fighting with one another over skin color when what we really need is peace for one and all.

Andrea :)

Our February Date Nights

One of our goals as a couple this year is to have at least two dedicated date nights each month. Despite my frequent work travel and an exciting birthday celebration, we managed to fit two fun dates into February!  I decided we should kick off the month by tapping into our Bank of America Museums on Us program to gain free entry into The Museum of the Moving Image located just a short bus ride from our apartment.  Chris planned a fun night out to see the legendary Hall & Oates perform at Madison Square Garden.

The Museum of the Moving Image provides a full range of stationary and interactive exhibits that allow visitors to better understand, enjoy, and appreciate the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media.  It was SUCH a fun day.  We began our trek through the museum at an alternating exhibit area focused on cats of the internet.  Got in a few good laughs before continuing to the main area featuring an array of costumes and make-up artistry exhibits.  I enjoyed checking out the Mrs. Doubtfire memorabilia.  There were also several intriguing areas filled with old toys and marketing campaign materials as well as a brief history of animation.

We moved on to the interactive floor and let our inner kid come out to play.  There were high tech flip book movies to watch, short animated films to create, and even an opportunity to voice over a variety of movie scenes.  We did it all!  I wish I had recorded our voice overs.  I promise I sounded spot on like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.  Chris tried a scene from Coming to America with an equally fun outcome!  Definitely a fun day of acting silly and learning all about the art of film making!

Later in the month, we ventured out to Madison Square Garden for a night of smooth grooves with Hall & Oates.  The opener wasn't my favorite, but when the main act finally arrived front and center things really began to heat up!  They played most of Chris' favorite songs and even I knew several of the hits!  We had fun people watching in our area of the arena, too.  It was a fun night that was much needed after I'd spent nearly a week away on work trips.  Hall & Oates certainly know how to work the crowd and put on a show. 

   

What fun date nights have you had recently?

Andrea :)

Hamilton: A Man of Many Shots!

"I'm just like my county -

I'm young, scrappy, and hungry...

And I am not throwing away my shot!"

Hamilton is easily the must-see musical of the season.  Truly phenomenal, clever, and catchy!  Unlike anything I've ever seen on stage...and absolutely wonderful.  But let me rewind for a moment.

Christopher mentioned Hamilton to me for the first time in the summer.  He'd heard about it on twitter.  It was set to be the next BIG thing.  Didn't take much to convince me to get on board.  We bought tickets for an early January show back in August.  We didn't think about it too much until the rumblings began later in the fall.  Hamilton became overwhelmingly popular.  It even broke the internet when it tried to instate an online lottery for tickets after those waiting at the theater were causing dangerous traffic issues.  It was officially the BIG thing.  And we began counting down the days until we'd take part in the magic.

Over dinner before the show, Chris discovered we could sell our back row of the balcony tickets for a few hundred dollars.  Tempting, but not as tempting as seeing writer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda star as Hamilton.  On the way to the theater, fate was sealed as I bent down to scoop up a folded $10 bill on the busy midtown sidewalk.  It was our night for Hamilton! 
 

The show chronicles Hamilton's life - particularly his rise to political power during the tumultuous beginnings of our great country. Catchy upbeat hip-hop songs and rap battles are prominent throughout.  It took unbelievable talent to create these unique and exciting songs.  I spent the entire show in absolute awe.  Such a fun night!  We immediately purchased the soundtrack...and have basically kept it on repeat ever since.  Total addicts!  My top five favorites are "My Shot", "Non-Stop", "The Room Where It Happens", "Your Obedient Servant", and everything featuring King George (laugh out loud funny!).  Chris loved the Cabinet Battles, "The Ten Duel Commandments", "The Schuyler Sisters", and "Washington on Your Side."  There aren't any bad songs though.  I've heard them all multiple times...every single one still has me listening!
 

There is nothing on Broadway right now that can complete with this show.  If you can manage to find tickets, buy them!  And then start an official countdown to the best day of your year!  Seriously, you MUST find a way to see this one on stage.  I'm glad we got our shot!!

Andrea :)

Our January Date Nights

One of our goals as a couple this year is to have at least two dedicated date nights each month. We had no problem accomplishing that feat in January!  One fabulous date night we'd had on our books for months - the phenomenal Broadway performance of Hamilton!  A couple others were tied to Christmas gifts - a trek to Brooklyn for a visit at the New York Transit Museum (recap coming this week!) and a night at the theater to check out Misery.  And we saw an absurd amount of movies on my mission to watch the Oscar nominees. However, we did manage to find two additional nights to work in our special monthly dates for January.

I selected another show, but in a much smaller and more intimate setting.  The play was an adapted version of Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie...and we really enjoyed it!  A simple one-act two-man show, but a very moving story that left a deep impression much like the book did for me so many years ago.  We were on the front row of a roughly 60 person theater in the Village, but the experience was a welcome change.

Chris decided we would spend some time with the King in Brooklyn on the date night he selected.  Which King you might ask?  King James.  And what a spectacular show he put on with his teammates at the Barclay Center that evening.  We enjoyed Nathan's hot dogs and saw multiple dunks from our nosebleed seats.  Most importantly, we had a fun time together!

Did you enjoy any fun dates in January?

Andrea :)