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June 1, 2013

…made a mug

After getting to bed after sunrise this morning, it was time for a quieter evening. I headed to La Mano Pottery in Chelsea where I kept my eyes open long enough to make a wonky, bumpy mug. And I couldn’t be prouder. I took part in the Introduction to Hand Building class and, perhaps because of …

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May 28, 2013

…joined a New York library

It rained today. Not good rain – manky, sideways, soggy rain that seeped into my shoes and left me wanting to hide inside. It also washed my after-work event right off the calendar so I was left wondering what to do. Then I realised it was the perfect day to complete something I’ve been vowing …

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May 27, 2013

…paid tribute to fallen soldiers in Battery Park

After listening to Obama’s Memorial Day speech today, I realised he was right: Many people in this country – including me – are so distanced from war that it’s easy to forget we’re in one. Regardless of our politics or pacifism, we really need to remember how people are still dying in battle – and …

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May 26, 2013

…visited the Whitney Museum (and Edward Hopper’s house)

For many of these new things, I feel like I’m in a rush. But this morning when I woke up groggy from last night’s karaoke fest, I had a glorious realisation: For the first time in many months, I had nothing to do and nowhere to be. It meant that when I scooted up to the …

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May 24, 2013

…noshed a knish

Last summer, I discovered I’m allergic to blueberries. Today, I stupidly decided to test whether I still am – and I learned that I really, really am. After a painful day at work, some moaning, groaning and a nap, I woke up famished. I needed something comforting but reasonably bland. I needed a knish. I’ve never had a knish before, …

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May 16, 2013

…went to Hooters

I’ve been to the top of the Empire State Building, hollered at a baseball game and eaten my bodyweight in nachos while watching the Super Bowl. But there’s one American tradition that I’d avoided until tonight: Hooters. Elektra and I decided to pay a visit after walking past the chain’s New York spot in Midtown West last …

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May 12, 2013

…took an archery class

Today Noah and I headed to Brooklyn Heights to make good on a Groupon I’d nabbed a few months ago – an archery class for two. I booked us in for a beginners slot – because, well, I’m a beginner, and also because Noah had been pretty modest about his archery skills until this morning. …

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May 11, 2013

…fell in love with Japanese desserts

Today’s torrential rain cancelled a tour I had planned and left me craving some comfort. I decided to head to Minamoto Kitchoan, a Japanese bakery by the Rockefeller Center that I’d spotted on my way to the Easter Parade, and which I’d been saving for a rainy day. The store was ridiculously serene and lined …

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May 8, 2013

…went to the New York City Ballet

Due to the rain earlier today, my event for tonight was cancelled. But in a sign of how great New York is at accommodating boredom, within moments I’d booked a ticket to the ballet at the Lincoln Center – for a sweet $22. However, I inadvertently bought a ticket for the black tie gala night …

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May 7, 2013

…bopped to electronic music at Terminal 5

All I knew of James Blake before tonight was his hit Limit to Your Love. And that Elektra has a considerable crush on him. So like the loyal wing woman, I joined her at Terminal 5 to see him perform and for a shimmy or two. I’d never been to an electronic show before, and …

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May 6, 2013

…tried an egg cream

As Rachel and I walked home tonight, we made a stop at Gem Spa, a scruffy bodega in the East Village and just one of the many eateries in the city claiming to sell ‘New York’s best egg cream’. Even though we have zero experience to draw from, we decided to see what they had. Now, I’m still not …

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May 3, 2013

…took a barre class

I’ve had a semi energetic week for once and today I decided to keep it up with an exercise class. But come on, it’s Friday! I didn’t want to be too energetic. I scoured the internet for a low impact, relatively short class and decided to opt for a one-hour barre session – using a …

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April 27, 2013

…toured a winery (and got very merry)

Because the 12 bottles of wine we bought for the cabin yesterday just weren’t enough, we spent the afternoon sampling the local alcohol. I’ve never had Colorado wine before. And now I can understand why. First up, we went to Valley of the Wind Winery in Estes Park, where we selected five wines each for …

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April 25, 2013

…lost $1 on a game of ‘two-up’

On Tuesday, I celebrated my homeland with St George’s Day, and today I joined Elektra to recognise hers – Australia. April 25th is Anzac (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day, a day of remembrance for the countries’ troops. I met Elektra at The Australian in Midtown West for a bottle of Aussie beer and a game of ‘two-up’, a …

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April 22, 2013

…attended a story time for adults

This blog has always been about making the most of opportunities. Well, in a bizarre twist, it backfired a little tonight. I was standing outside the New York Library trying to figure out how to get inside for a storytelling evening when I locked eyes with a dashing young man who was having a similar …

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April 20, 2013

…hit golf balls at the Hudson River

When I met Dan and Amanda a few weeks ago, I made the mistake of telling them that when I lived in Atlanta, I used to play golf weekly – and even once attempted a few holes at Augusta. It looked like it was going to bite me in the tusch today when they asked if …

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April 16, 2013

…had a Lower East Side history lesson

I love the Lower East Side. It’s shabby chic, so you’d think it hadn’t really been updated – apart from what’s in the shops – since its inception. But tonight I headed to the Tenement Museum on Orchard and Delancy to see author David Bellel talk about his new book, Then & Now: Lower East Side, and …

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April 11, 2013

…was a barista

Today I headed back to one of my old favourite haunts for coffee. But rather than doing the drinking, I was doing the making. This was something different for me, but I did really enjoy it. A lot of times, I am making my own coffee at home using my new coffee machine. I have …

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April 9, 2013

…watched Gnawa music

After yesterday’s African food, I decided to complete the experience by bopping to some African music. But this was at an unexpected spot: Union Pool in Williamsburg, a place usually teeming with obnoxious facial hair, tattoos, and tacos. But tonight, Nass Gnawa was welcomed to the stage. The vibrant, fez-topped five put on a performance …

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April 2, 2013

…ate a horned melon

As per usual, I took a jaunt to Gourmet Garage in SoHo for lunch today. But amid the soups and sushi palettes, there was something new – a display of bizarre-looking fruits. The horned melon caught my eye, so I took one back to the office, where no one else seemed to have seen one before …

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March 24, 2013

…went to a bridal shower

It’s been a bit of a wobbly week as far as matters of the heart go. But today I got to see why it’s all worth it in the end: My friend Bree grinning from ear to ear at her bridal shower – the first I’ve ever been to. Bree was so happy to be …

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March 23, 2013

…fermented vegetables

Today I headed back to the Brooklyn Brainery for a class on vegetable fermentation. I decided to go because I’ve enjoyed my other cookery sessions and because it was vegetarian. If I’m honest, I knew nothing about fermentation – or what it even was, really – before going along today. It meant that, for the …

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March 22, 2013

…had a makeover at Bloomingdale’s

When I was younger, I was a devotee of My Girl, desperate to be Vada and impress my own Thomas J. I spent many of my younger years thinking that baggy clothes were somehow flattering and generally looking very rubbish. One offshoot was that I was so late to the makeup party that I decided …

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March 21, 2013

…hacked a computer

Faced with the silence of a post-break up social life, I have found a new job to keep me busy: Computer hacking. Just kidding, FBI. (And it’s not been that silent really, fear not.) But I did pick up a few tips at an Intro to Hacking class at the Brooklyn Brainery, a great little …

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