Thursday, June 28th, 2012
Central Park East - somewhere around 7am

Good morning!  Summer flowers are in full bloom here in Central Park - and it was another nice day to boot.  It was a wonderful morning - saw so many of my friends along the route.  Sometimes I like rain because I can walk alone and be with myself in the quiet.  Most days, though, I like my routine of stop 'n chats all along the way because it makes me feel connected to something other than the graduate school.  I don't always want to feel like I live on Graduate Student Island.  In efforts to not feel like I live on GSI, Brian and I went to a show in Brooklyn last night.

Now, I thought it would be a lovely evening.  Relaxing, with a nice dinner, followed by the show.  Does anything ever planned by Jennifer Oyler turn out that way? 
.....

The answer is No.  Things have a way of going screwy when I plan them despite my best efforts to not let that happen (i.e. planning ahead, etc...).  So yesterday I took the doggies for a long walk in the Park before meeting Brian at his work in midtown.  We decided to go in to Bk for dinner to maximize non-touristy explore time.  Well first, I just made a Jen Oyler mistake - got on the wrong train.  Transferred after 1 stop to end up at the A train.  OK - the A will get us there fine.  We get on the A train, oh this is nice, where should we eat, I'm excited, how was work, etc...

BAM

The A train becomes Express with no warning.  Thanks for that MTA.  We end up deep in Bk and decide to get off.  Shit neighborhood - something like little Haiti.  Brian's walking around in his suit and tie and I'm just waiting for white boy comments to begin.  We are afraid to get back on the subway for fear that we will be expressed back thru our stops to where we don't need to be.  So we used Brian's phone and WALKED.  I'm talking WALKED.  40 blocks or so.  Feet were killing.  Brian's shoes had HOLES in the bottoms.  Holes entirely thru to the sock.  By the time we got there we had 15 mins.  Of course the area was adorbs w/ tons of great restaurants packed w/ people drinking and eating.  We scarfed pizza then head in to the show. 

I'd expound on the show but I don't have time b/c I have lab meeting in 37 minutes and I haven't even showered yet.  It was great - Brian loved it and even said it was worth the trouble. 

We stopped at Tasti-D lite on the way home (it was tasti and delightful), and then when we got home and incredible thing happened.  Bear was left alone from 5:30-11 barricaded with Sofie in the kitchen with toys.  He did not shit or piss.  Magical.  I don't even know.  (Either that or he/Sofie ate it). 

Sorry, that's gross....

....but plausible.

Either way there was nothing to clean. 

Good luck to Brian today.  He is presenting at his firm's meeting.  So proud. 

Have a great one!