Friday, July 18, 2008

A Quarter

I am not writing this to glorify my own birthday, but I am writing it to tell you how amazing Julie is. She knows that I love surprises and that I was probably hoping for some sort of surprise, and let's just say she surprised me...and I didn't even see it coming. Started out with her surprising me in the morning with my favorite waffles and strawberries, (she's found another way to my heart other than the Jazz). Then she headed off to work (or so she said). I worked that morning and then met up with Noah in the afternoon to go over some stuff for work and make sure we were on the same page on stuff.


So she calls me from work (which was a bit false as I later found out) to tell me that she needed me to meet her at home at 5:15 and to get my tennis shoes (what the heck?). So I headed home, open the door, get scared half to death by Julie with this in front of me.


In case you can't figure it out, that is a giant 25 spelled out with donuts and bagels on our table. Donuts and Bagels huh? So I told Julie about a time when Jonah and I were in NYC a couple years ago visiting Noah. We went to Dunkin Donuts at closing time and asked them if they would be throwing out any old donuts (supposedly they bake fresh daily, which turned out to be true). We were expecting a dozen or so. The guy preceded to fill up 3 garbage bags full of donuts and muffins. We looked at each other, slung the bags over our shoulder and headed home to show Aja and Kristi. They were surprised and grossed out at the same time. The next night Noah and I tried our luck at Krispy Kreme, and came away with 12 dozen boxed up beauties. We were pretty excited about our feat. So anyway, I guess Julie concocted up the plan to do the same, not to eat, but to make a creation. and she sure did. There were probably like 150 or so donuts and bagels making up this beauty held together by toothpicks. She had spread silver baloons and quarters ALL over the apartment (you know, silver, quarter, 25). Needless to say she surprised me. I think that would surprise me any day, a huge mass of donuts telling you how old you are.


here are some shots of the apt as well, for those of you who haven't seen. a nice little studio apt in manhattan.


just in case this is making you hungry here are a few close ups



She knows she surprised me pretty good, you can see it in her eyes...you can also see that she still has a few more up her sleeve.


So from there Noah and Kristi came and picked us up and we headed to a place in the Bronx called City Island. This beautiful little harbor style town on an island. We went to an awesome little seafood restaurant right on the harbor and had some great Lobster and fish. We were accompanied by the lovely Lyla (N and K's new baby girl) and had a great time, and saw an incredible sunset unfold.


Noah put on his best digs for the occasion.



Water and boats make sunsets that much more incredible. The NYC skyline is on the horizon right in the middle if you can see it.


Then after I thought the surprises were over, we headed back to Noah and Kristi's for the best cake I have ever tasted, adorned in querters, chocolate, and raspberries...(some more keys to my heart, well not so much quarters I am more like a benjamin type of guy, but definitely raspberries and chocolate). Serious you gotta ask Julie to make it for you sometime.



So, Julie definitely set the precedent. She surprised me. Period. Again and again, and I loved every minute of it. Julie is an amazing woman. Life is incredible when you have your best friend right there, thinking about you all the time. I love you Jules. This is just the first of many to come. Stay tuned for some crazy surprises in this marriage!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Wave Hill - The Kew Gardens of America

Last weekend Mr. London took us to Wave Hill. This absolutely beautiful British style estate and garden up above the Bronx overlooking the Hudson and the Palisades. The art of gardening is one of my favorite things about England...while we were there I felt like I was right back in England. In the middle of the estate is the house, a beauty built in the 1830's that has had some pretty amazing tenants...the likes of Teddy Roosevelt and Mark Twain. The place was gorgeous, and it had just rained which made the flowers even more beautiful to be photographed. Have a look.