So today was a good time. I set out to get a haircut (never happened. As an aside, I now look like Don King when I wake up in the morning), hit the Greenmarket at Union Square, and just walk around the Loser I mean Lower East Side (ha, I have to hit hard as a soon-to-be resident of the "Lower West Side"). Anyway, I remembered on my way into the city on the F that Sugar Sweet Sunshine is on Rivington. I went there about a month ago and they, admittedly, have some really amazing cupcakes. That's right, Manhattan's hottest trend is now Noonan's downfall.
I visited Magnolia (I'd link to them but they don't have a website) about 4 months ago (with the same friend I went to Sugar Sweet Sunshine with, Robyn, also known as "BS") and was not so impressed. First of all, there's a line outside of Magnolia and some undereducated fool who "counts" the number of people in the bakery and decides how many more may enter. Secondly, you must actually physically pick out your own cupcakes and place them in a box. As most of us have never worked in a bakery, you quickly realize that you're getting frosting everywhere, usually your hands, shirt, shoes, the person next to you... It was a nightmare and then when I actually tasted one of these sonsabitches, they were dry and just suck.
My visit to Sugar Sweet was a much better experience, at least the first time around. BS and I walked in to an empty bakery, a case filled with cupcakes with names like "Sunshine" and "Ooey Gooey". I ordered from the man behind the case and let him handle well, the handling of the cupcakes. Everything went smoothly and the taste was perfect. The cake was moist and the frosting flavorful, not just sweet. The first time was fantastic. Fast-forward to today. I have a bag of "sour cherries" (I didn't realize how different these are from other cherries), a bag of peaches (took about 10 solid minutes of picking through a huge bin to find ones up to par), and my umbrella in hand. I hit up Sugar Sweet, with the intention of grabbing some cakes, taking them back to Brooklyn, and eating them. Smooth transaction, same guy as last time, what could go wrong?
Well, here's the deal. These mother-father's should come with a disclaimer: "Do not consume more than one of these confections in a 24-hour period for if you do, your stomach will turn to Candy Land and you will vomit for hours". I don't know what's going on. I can consume sugar, chocolate, cake, ice cream, all that stuff with the best of them. Granted, I'm not exactly a 28 waist but I'm not pushing the 38 category either. I should be able to handle more than one of these cupcakes; I am man, hear me roar and eat pastel frosted cakes! Yeah, two hours later, hear me vomit. This post is to function as a warning to all you "hipsters", "frat-guys", "hipsters who are too hip to be called "hipster"", and the rest of you new yorkers. Do NOT consume more than one Sugar Sweet Sunshine cupcake in 24 hours. The taste is phenomenal, but more than one will set off a chain of events that should never follow consumption, mainly the "de-consumption" of food.
Tomorrow, I'm getting my hair cut.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Sunday, July 09, 2006
60 years of marriage
I attended my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary party yesterday on Long Island. The day started early for me as I had to get all the way out to Smithtown by 11 am via LIRR. As the train pulled into the station, I started to think about all the times I've been to their house in my life. When I was much younger I remember going there with my dad for Christmas and various times during the summer months. Their house seemed massive to me then and always had that "home" smell to it. Needless to say, I was really excited to go back and see them and have a nice party.
My grandmother did most of the cooking but hired a lady to help her in the kitchen. They also hired a pianist (Tom Smith, who was really great) to play for a few hours during the party. This being a Noonan affair, we had a full bar set up outside with plenty of Heineken on ice as well.
The party was going well by mid-afternoon. Many of my grandparents' life long friends were showing up and I was finally putting faces to all the names I've heard throughout the years in various stories that I've heard 5 or 6 times already. Cousins I never knew I had showed up, and it was great to meet them as well.
I'd say the highlight of the event though was my grandfather taking the microphone and singing to my grandmother. My grandfather used to perform in the 40's and 50's at clubs in New York as a "great Irish singer". I have to say, at 80 some years old, he's still got it. My grandmother was embarrassed at first, but then joined him and began to sing along as the Tom Smith played some really great old song that only the older folks knew.
I have to say, I had a great time at my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary. It's absolutely incredible that they've been married for 60 years and what's more incredible is that they're the happiest people I know. I've never seen them fight and they're always out and about, doing things together, being happy, enjoying retirement. We should all be so lucky to have someone to share our lives with for 60 years.
My grandmother did most of the cooking but hired a lady to help her in the kitchen. They also hired a pianist (Tom Smith, who was really great) to play for a few hours during the party. This being a Noonan affair, we had a full bar set up outside with plenty of Heineken on ice as well.
The party was going well by mid-afternoon. Many of my grandparents' life long friends were showing up and I was finally putting faces to all the names I've heard throughout the years in various stories that I've heard 5 or 6 times already. Cousins I never knew I had showed up, and it was great to meet them as well.
I'd say the highlight of the event though was my grandfather taking the microphone and singing to my grandmother. My grandfather used to perform in the 40's and 50's at clubs in New York as a "great Irish singer". I have to say, at 80 some years old, he's still got it. My grandmother was embarrassed at first, but then joined him and began to sing along as the Tom Smith played some really great old song that only the older folks knew.
I have to say, I had a great time at my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary. It's absolutely incredible that they've been married for 60 years and what's more incredible is that they're the happiest people I know. I've never seen them fight and they're always out and about, doing things together, being happy, enjoying retirement. We should all be so lucky to have someone to share our lives with for 60 years.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Being a kid
I was walking home from the subway last night and began to think about what it was like to be a kid. I know everyone does that, some more than others. This particular incident was based around Christmas time and how my mother always made really great cookies and fudge every Christmas. She used to put this amazing Christmas music on and I would sit in front of the stereo just hanging out, eating cookies.
I think I was all of 5 years old, but this memory stands out in my head. We had a pretty big "stereo" which had 2 tape decks and 1 turntable on the top. I remember that the tape deck on the left could record, so all the buttons were in red, while the one on the right could only play, and the buttons were blue. Also, you had to hold down both the "play" and "record" buttons on the red-buttoned deck to get it to record. I never understood why you needed both. By the time I was born, the turntable was broken, but I always tried to figure out how to play a vinyl record without the belt that made the turntable turn.
This isn't really going anywhere other than sometimes, a specific memory stands out so vividly in your mind that you remember every specific detail about the situation. I remember the color carpet on the floor (beige), the song that I liked the most ("Silver Bells") and even what time of day it was (afternoon, but snowing, so it was darker out). Point is, in my daily life now, I hardly notice anything that's not directly related to something that I do everyday. As a kid, you notice everything, you take it all in, and you remember what you want. It seems as adults, we lose that capability and just have a tunnel vision approach to everything. It would be nice to be a kid again and take it all in. Of course, with my luck, while I was taking it all in, I'd probably be struck by that bus screaming down 7th Ave because I'm too busy "noticing" things.....
I think I was all of 5 years old, but this memory stands out in my head. We had a pretty big "stereo" which had 2 tape decks and 1 turntable on the top. I remember that the tape deck on the left could record, so all the buttons were in red, while the one on the right could only play, and the buttons were blue. Also, you had to hold down both the "play" and "record" buttons on the red-buttoned deck to get it to record. I never understood why you needed both. By the time I was born, the turntable was broken, but I always tried to figure out how to play a vinyl record without the belt that made the turntable turn.
This isn't really going anywhere other than sometimes, a specific memory stands out so vividly in your mind that you remember every specific detail about the situation. I remember the color carpet on the floor (beige), the song that I liked the most ("Silver Bells") and even what time of day it was (afternoon, but snowing, so it was darker out). Point is, in my daily life now, I hardly notice anything that's not directly related to something that I do everyday. As a kid, you notice everything, you take it all in, and you remember what you want. It seems as adults, we lose that capability and just have a tunnel vision approach to everything. It would be nice to be a kid again and take it all in. Of course, with my luck, while I was taking it all in, I'd probably be struck by that bus screaming down 7th Ave because I'm too busy "noticing" things.....
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