A Weekend With Family in NY

October 19, 2019October 21, 2019 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 9 Comments

This past weekend I got to travel – by myself – to New York! My brother was in town from Berlin and somewhat last minute I decided to get on a plane to see him and my parents.

It was such a good decision – I hadn’t been home since Christmas and it was great to see my family and also get in some quality time.

The weekend started with a quick stop in the City to see Jane. We were able to grab a quick lunch and catch up before I caught the train up to Albany with my brother.

Friday started off with a run around my old neighborhood. I saw cows and even caught my brother who was out for a bike ride!

That afternoon, we went to the Hyde, a nearby museum and old house. It was a GORGEOUS fall day in the area, but chilly.

And the museum was really cool – they had a Picasso exhibit going on, but you also get to see the interior of the house, which is preserved since the family lived there in the early 1900s.

Friday night, we went out to dinner in Saratoga Springs. I had an AMAZING grilled octopus dish.

Saturday, we decided to escape town and go for a hike in the Catskills. My brother, mom and I got in the car and after a kinda long car ride, got to the bottom of the trail at the mountain. After hiking up, we saw some amazing views.

The trees were all yellow and orange.

Then, we climbed up even further — you can see the house down below right where I took the picture above.

That night, we had tickets to the Albany Symphony Orchestra! It was a great performance at the beautiful Palace Theater downtown.

Unfortunately, that was the end of an amazing weekend. I hadn’t spent time with just my parents and brother in several (8? 10?) years, and it was just what I needed.

Questions for you:

When was the last time you traveled by plane?
Do you live near your parents? Siblings?

10 Thanksgiving Things

November 27, 2016November 27, 2016 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

I had a LONG weekend (took part of Wednesday off) and I can’t believe that it’s over. Unfortunately our plans to go back east and spend Thanksgiving with my family fell through, but we were able to spend the holiday in Cleveland with B’s family. Which meant we got to do quite a few things on our days off. Here were 10 of those things …

1. Running the Cleveland Turkey Trot. It’s a 5 mile race and was my first real race after FW was born that I had signed up for. I tried to keep up with B’s siblings for most of the run (B watched FW during the race and cheered us on) – but since I’m still getting back into shape and they’re mid-marathon training, it wasn’t an easy feat! In any case, I finished pretty strong and better than I expected – I had an 8:40/mile average page.

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2. Getting dressed up and celebrating the holiday with B’s family. Any excuse to put FW in a cardigan and bowtie 🙂

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3. Cooking! B and I brought cauliflower to the big meal. We roasted a few whole heads with a dijon dressing and then also made a cauliflower, date and pignoli nut dish.

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4. Cuddling with great grandma. This was FW of course 🙂

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5. Working out. I got in 4 runs and some kettle bells on my days off. 20161126_093814

6. Bundling up for a walk downtown. It was chilly for the first few days – but at least it made for perfect ice skating weather! (not for me – but for those people in the picture)

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7. Shopping! We did some shopping for Christmas gifts and bought a few books and teething supplies for FW. (Side note – teething is THE WORST.) img_20161126_115128

8. Walking. FW, B and I went for a walk when it was sunny and in the upper 40s one day. It felt great to see the sun and not be super bundled up!

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9. Bowling. B’s family’s post-Thanksgiving tradition is bowling and then a big Italian dinner. I did pretty well for me (82!) but as you can see, it wasn’t enough to get in the finals – check out all the high scorers in my lane!

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10. Lots of eating. I mean – it was Thanksgiving, after all. B and I had some good meals even outside of our Thanksgiving Day meal. Including some great Chinese takeout from our favorite place (Wonton Gourmet)and then feasting on all of the new Halo Top flavors. Seriously – I almost squealed (okay, I did squeal) when I saw all these flavors at Whole Foods! img_20161125_192017 20161127_162724

And now, it’s back to reality for a few days at least. I have a busy week ahead of me at work so hopefully it will fly by.

Some questions for you:

Have you tried the new Halo Top flavors?
Did you run a Turkey Trot?

Per usual, I’m linking up with Erin, Katie and the weekly wraps.

Holy moly it’s November

November 6, 2016 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 12 Comments

Holy moly…it’s November. I honestly don’t know where the time has gone. I feel like it should still be August. Honestly, I don’t really know where August went … I guess having a baby makes time fly even faster?

It was a really good weekend for us in Cleveland. We even started out Friday with semi-matching outfits for FW and me. Okay, I know we’re not matching, but we’re both wearing grey so I was pretty excited. So was he apparently!

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And then Friday at work we had a dog in the office! I love puppy therapy days … seriously, I needed it since work has been kinda stressful and busy lately. But puppies make it all better!

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Friday night B and I spent some time out by ourselves. We went out for drinks and dinner at the Plum Cafe & Kitchen.

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Check out all that deliciousness in a bowl! img_20161104_205907

Saturday morning started off with a walk outside. It was in the 40s so we bundled up!

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But it was GORGEOUS out.

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We then decided to go out for brunch. This fruit and granola bowl at Phuel is my favorite. 20161105_104301

And then it was time for a trip to the West Side Market. I love wearing FW and this was the first time I’ve worn him facing out! I think he liked it. 20161105_124316

That afternoon it was time for Ladies Craft Beer Society! This month we made decorative towels and had some tasty bubbly AND fall beers. I finally had my favorite – Warlock!

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FW was there too as was Reanna’s baby.

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And at night B and I decided to have a movie night. We finally popped the bag of popcorn we brought back from Mexico City. Que deliciosa!

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Sunday morning was another gorgeous morning so I opted to go out for a run while FW slept a little. I got in 5 miles at under 9 min/mile pace which is the fastest I’ve run since FW was born. Yay!

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And this little guy greeted me when I got home. I can’t get enough of his smiles. 20161106_102649

Sunday night, after spending some time doing meal prep, watching the NY Marathon and a little work, we had plans to get dinner with friends. Is there ever a better way to end the weekend?

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And that was it!

Per usual, I’m linking up with Erin, Katie and the weekly wraps.

Questions for you:

Have you gotten to enjoy some fall weather?
What’s a fun type of popcorn you’ve had?

Weekend with the Ladies

September 26, 2016September 25, 2016 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 6 Comments

My best friends from college were in town this weekend. That’s right, Katie and Caitlin (from BC).

This is us from away back when in college.

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And at my bachelorette party.

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We look the same today totally- right?

Anyway, they came in town for a mini reunion and of course to meet FW. Soooooo what did we do? How did we live it up – with a baby?

We took a long walk to the flats …

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Went for a run to the water …

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And also enjoyed a GNO (girls night out)! We went out to a French dinner at L’Albatros (ALL OF THE CHEESES) and then got amazing dessert at Coquette Patisserie. 20160924_204401

Some of said dessert.

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We also enjoyed the Ohio City Street Fair. 20160925_130317

Which of course included some Mitchell’s. I really enjoyed the pumpkin spice ice cream, ‘Tis the season!

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We also enjoyed some boy time with B and FW. We cheered on the Browns. And Indians. And they both lost 😦

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It was a pretty good weekend and I think FW enjoyed his first visitors. And we’re officially into Fall!

When was the last time you had a girls night?
How often do you see your college friends?

Per usual, I’m linking up with Erin, Katie and the weekly wraps.

A Weekend With Friends in the CLE

June 24, 2014June 24, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 1 Comment

Do you have a group of friends or a friend that you don’t see too often (perhaps because you live far apart) but each time you meet up it’s like things have never changed and you can pick up right where you left off? That’s my Jane and Melgar. We’ve been friends since 7th grade and even though we went to different colleges and now live in different cities, we stay in touch and see each other once a year.

Look what I found in my old yearbook! Five high school best friends before junior year prom. LOOK AT THOSE DRESSES.

This year, even with Melgar’s wedding, we managed to get together in my current home – Cleveland! It had been 5 or 6 years since they had been in town and it’s crazy to think about how much life has changed since then – not only how much Cleveland has changed but how much we have changed. New jobs, marriage, new significant others, new cities, grad school – seriously, so much has changed.

Obligatory picture of Jane and Melgar and I the last time they were in CLE – posing at Edgewater. We don’t look that different do we?

Anyway, we had a GREAT weekend, if I do say so myself. We enjoyed time at some downtown bars (from Moriarty’s to Lincoln Tap House to Society Lounge) and restaurants (Greenhouse Tavern, Phuel and Taza), in Ohio City (West Side Market and Town Hall), and even Tremont (Press Wine Bar and Treehouse). Oh yeah, we also went for a run, got to watch some World Cup AND went to the beach. I’d say it was a successful weekend!

Some fabulous photos from the weekend (in no order):

Watching the soccer game at Moriarty’s

Then fancy cocktails at Society

Easy run in the morning around downtown

Catching some rays (and ice cream) on the beach

Walking to the West Side Market and brunch (side note – a runner stopped mid-run and asked if we wanted our photo taken! How nice is that?)

Hanging out at the mini flea market in Ohio City

brunch at Phuel (pancake not pictured). Also realized I didn’t get a photo of our amazing meals at Greenhouse, Taza OR Town Hall!

patio drinks in Tremont

Feeling American watching the World Cup drinking a Bud Light and eating a buffalo chicken salad

AND after they left, I drowned my sorrows in soccer. I felt pretty American watching the World Cup drinking a Bud Light and eating a buffalo chicken salad.

It was a great weekend and I can’t wait until I see these girls again soon. We always have such a great time catching up, relaxing and exploring whatever city we’re in. Where should we meet up next?

Some questions for you (answer in the comments if you can):

How was your weekend?

Did you watch the World Cup?

What’s your idea of “American” food? Beer, soda, wings, buffalo chicken and burgers!

Do you like fancy drinks? What’s your favorite cocktail?

Where is your favorite city to have a girl’s weekend? We need suggestions!

What’s your favorite brunch order? I’m typically a savory bruncher – eggs, sausage, bacon … etc. I got chili for brunch on Saturday and granola on Sunday.

San Francisco! (Part Two)

September 25, 2013September 25, 2013 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

After spending a pretty full day exploring San Francisco, we still had a few more items on our to-do list – including meeting up with one of my best friends, Melgar! Melgar lives just south of downtown and was going to take the train in so that we could spend some time sightseeing with her, and then we would stay with her in her new apartment in Mountain View (she just moved to Cali from the East Coast a few months ago when her fiancé got a job at Apple). Melgar and I have been friends for 16 years, which is truly weird to think of – AND I’m going to be in her wedding in a few months!!! Anyway, I digress. Our last day in the Bay Area included:

Exploring the Castro

Harvey Milk’s Camera Shop

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Trying to watch a sailing race in America’s Cup

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Enjoying some awesome fish tacos (and an unlimited salsa bar!!) in the Mission

Nom nom shrimp tacos!

Ready to eat!

LOOK AT ALL THE SALSA!

Spending the night at Melgar’s – we enjoyed a home-cooked meal (her fiancé is not only amazing because he works at Apple, but he apparently also is a great cook!)

Sorry, Jon, but Instagram doesn’t do this meal justice. IT WAS AMAZING.

And then dessert at my new favorite place Cream! Why is it so awesome?, because it combines my two favorite desserts – ice cream AND fresh baked cookies!

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I enjoyed some awesome peanut butter ice cream, in between a chocolate chip cookie AND a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. OH MY GOODNESS. It is a strong competitor to fro yo for my favorite.

Melgar and me before Cream! (I told you, no sweaty running pics!)

No sweaty pics, but we also got to go on a short run with Melgar before we left for LA. Which was fun – Melgar likes to sprint so she definitely pushed us on our 3 miler around Mountain View!

After a quick trip, we were on our way down the coast – to L.A.!

Some questions –

Have you ever been to San Fran? The Bay Area? What do you like about it? Not like about it? The weather is typically just so-so – as was said on an old episode of 30 Rock “Aww poor baby. Can’t hack it in the big city, gonna move to the Bay Area now and pretend that that was your dream the whole time? Have fun always carrying a light sweater.” We lucked out – again – and had gorgeous warm weather most of the time in San Fran. The locals were commenting how it was seasonably warm, which I enjoyed, very much!
What’s your favorite dessert? Ice cream, cookies and candy. I love baking cake/cupcakes, but would prefer to eat cookies!
Do you have friends that live on opposite coasts? Yes. Sadly, it seems that quite a few of my friends moved out west after college (in Boston). But it makes for some great people to visit and vacations to plan!

More vacation recaps from our West Coast Adventure can be found here:

Scenes from Vacation … First Stop, Seattle!

September 4, 2013September 4, 2013 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

A reminder- don’t forget to enter my Browns ticket giveaway, here!

B and I are off on a vacation! That’s right, he convinced me to take some time off and planned a whole amazing trip. And he somehow convinced me to … are you ready for this? … leave my laptop home! So I’m disconnecting (minus some Instagram action), relaxing and likely not blogging for some time. In the meantime, enjoy some pics of our trip thus far:

Hanging with Katie (soon-to-be a doctor!) at the Seattle Public Market.

The moment Katie and I realize we’ve been friends for 10 years, nearly to the day!

B and I took the boat to Bainbridge Island, which was a cute island near Seattle.

view of Seattle from the ferry

marina on the island

ferry ride to Bainbridge Island

Look! It’s the troll from 10 Things I Hate About You.

Awaiting drinks …

After drinks!

The first Starbucks!

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Watching the sunset. See the Space Needle in the background?

So far Seattle has been beautiful. A little hilly for running (we’ve done 3 runs so far already in this city and my quads are killing me!) but great sunny, warm weather. Isn’t it supposed to rain here all the time?

More to come! Hope you’re all enjoying a great 4 day week.

The Friday Five: What I’m Looking Forward To This Weekend

April 12, 2013 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

Phew! WHAT a week it’s been. I was in town all week, which usually means a pretty easy/carefree week, but for some reason it was crazy! I’m so happy it’s Friday and am looking forward to the weekend.

Do you have any plans? Here are five things I’m looking forward to:

1. Happy Hour With Friends

Friday after work B and I will be joining some friends for drinks, and then going out to dinner. I cannot WAIT for a glass of wine, some conversation and dinner out!

vino anyone?

2. Indians Game – Social Suite!

Saturday, B and I are heading to the Indians Social Suite to watch the Indians take on the Chicago White Sox. It will be my first official game of the season and with weather calling for temps in the 40s, I’m glad we’ll be watching from the warmth of a suite! Plus, I can’t wait to meet a few of my fellow suite members, including a few people I follow on Twitter but haven’t met in real life.

Don’t laugh – it’s me and Slider at the Indians Home Opener back in the day – at the original Social Deck!

3. Boston College Alumni Day of Service Event at the West Side Catholic Center Women & Children’s Shelter

B and I are service chairs of our local BC alumni group chapter. One of the things we do each year is plan and organize our chapter’s Alumni Day of Service Event – which is this weekend! For the past few years, we’ve worked with Moriah House, with the West Side Catholic Center, cooking and serving breakfast. I will be up a little earlier than I typically am on Saturdays, but it’s so worth it.

Cooking up some breakfast at last year’s Day of Service

4. More Cleveland International Film Festival Action!

B and I somehow ended up with 4 more tickets to the film festival – and I couldn’t be happier! We have two full days now to get some more movies in. My recap of the first films we saw is here. Any suggestions on what to see next?

5. DOING ANYTHING I WANT.

Maybe it’s going to the West Side Market again for fresh produce. Maybe it’s going for a long run outside on Sunday, or checking out my much neglected (on my behalf) fitness membership. Maybe (well hopefully because I have a huge urge) it’s baking. Maybe it’s FINALLY finishing Gone Girl and paying my $2 overdue library charge! Maybe it’s all of the above. Because despite having some things already planned, and some work and non-related items I need to cross off my to-do list, I am SO ready for the weekend!