Lady winery hangs.

You'll be happy to know I didn't spend my evening just thinking about the Oscar nominees, but hanging with friends at the nearby Brooklyn Winery. I'm a fan of red wine, especially on a cold winter night, so when I knew we were going to the winery I decided to wear my deepest wine color - my trick to keep the wine stains unnoticed. You know what I'm talking about!

Beca, Jaime, me

When Jesse's around I try to wear nothing on my lips that can rub off on him. Fortunately, my favorite red lipstick stays put for hours and never gets a mark on him! The wine-colored lipstick I chose tonight is actually a mix of three tubes I've acquired, and very sticky. Perfect for a night with two of my favorite ladies, Beca and Jaime!

My favorite room at the Brooklyn Winery was open; it overlooks the sidewalk out front at a slightly elevated angle perfect for people-watching but is secluded from the rest of the bar so there's the bonus privacy. It's warm, cozy, and full of old furniture and artwork that makes it feel like a comfy grandfather's study - good vibes emanate.

Leaving said cozy room was pretty tough for the three of us, as you can see the pain of the wind on their faces above. When I got home, Jesse had sent me an e-mail that he was just waking up in Australia, and now I'm watching Project Runway. Good vibes emanate.

Thinking sorrow was perfection.

I've just hit the time where it's hardest to be away from Jesse. I'm usually pretty good right after he leaves, but there always comes a lull a few days later and my heart sinks just a little bit. This morning he e-mailed me from Seoul, Korea where he was boarding a flight to Brisbane, Australia. Australia has always been a bit of a black spot for the mechanics of our long-dstance relationship since there is a 15 hour time difference and the internet situation there is usually spotty and at hotels very expensive. I'm attempting to keep positive and have high hopes for better communication this go-round. Yet I still remember the time Jesse walked around for an hour in the oppressive heat of Melbourne trying to find an internet cafe so we could talk.

His time in Japan has been good; I know it's one of his favorite countries, and the internet is plentiful! I'm not sure that word is the right descriptor, but even with the 14 hour time difference we were able to e-mail in my morning while he was finishing up a show and video chat when I got home from work and he was waking up in a hotel. Last night we video chatted twice, it was great! Pee Wee joined lazily the second time as he napped in my lap.

Jesse will be having a great time in Australia playing shows and catching up with old friends. Tonight he's going to a Metallica-hosted BBQ - how strange and fun! I'll busy myself by preparing for my annual Oscar-viewing party and making my Oscar predictions... I mean, I'm not saying I'm jealous of his lifestyle, but maybe I am...just a little?

Put on a slow, dumb show for you.

Sometimes you need to slow down. This past weekend at the cabin we were up into the wee hours of the morning listening to energetic dance and rock music -- and as people started drifting off to their bedrooms, I decided to provide a more subdued soundtrack so that everyone still awake could decompress. At least, that's what I needed, so I took the controls.

I've been having an extreme love affair with the Pixies the last three years; I'm not sure why, but I listen to them at least once a week. This week I've been waking up to "Bam Thwok!" every day, which is great because that song makes me happy. I still nod my head to it while I'm brushing my teeth even though I can only hear it in my head. But for the slow down, especially after the day we had had, I started with "Where is My Mind?"

Here's the whole list, listenable below on Rdio with the exception of Metric's "Twilight Galaxy," which was unavailable...

01. Where Is My Mind - The Pixies

02. Jesus - Brand New

03. Wonderwall - Ryan Adams

04. If I Didn't Know Better - Sam Palladio & Clare Bowen

05. I and Love and You - The Avett Brothers

06. Title and Registration - Death Cab for Cutie

07. Twilight Galaxy - Metric

08. For You to Notice - Dashboard Confessional

09. Call It Off - Tegan and Sara

10. Slow Show - The National

I should note that this morning I decided to listen to Brand New's "Jesus" while on the walk into work  and I was in such a trance I tripped on the top stair up the subway and busted my ankle and knee. The song is mesmerizing and I'm extremely uncoordinated.

What are some songs you listen to to slow down?

Painting: "The Weather Girl" by Alexandra Levasseur

Vacation starts now, kinda.

The weekend in the Catskills could not have come at a better time! Hanging out with nine other lovely, great friends was definitely needed while Jesse was in a time zone difference of 14 hours. Here are some things that happened:

• "Why is everybody going to the Catskills this weekend?" - traffic talk in the girls car made up of Kells, Jen, and myself.
• I didn't know that going to the Catskills entailed going through New Jersey. Guess where we hit traffic?
• Sometimes when you start out tagging things on Instagram and Twitter with #vacationstartsnow it kind of just sticks for the entire weekend.
• Oh, this is where we hung out all weekend, it was PRETTY OKAY:

[Photo by Lyndsay]

• Driving up the winding mountain roads and taking in the beautiful but sometimes horror-movie-esque surroundings, it was no surprise when the nearest location tag at the cabin was "Abduction Barn." Makes sense.
• Our party consisted of four couples and Gaby and me. Gaby and I bunked in the 'kids room,' it was cool.
• Also, two dogs. Pegs and Riggins, both adorable with various sweaters worn throughout the weekend:

[Photo by Kells]

• Everyone was delegated a meal to prepare. Since I don't prepare many meals and certainly not for ten people and was one of the non-couples, I pitched in with what I knew: chips, salsa, dip, meats and cheeses, and six bottles of champagne with which to make mimosas in the morning. Plus, I'm really good at doing the dishes.
• Most everyone went skiing on Saturday. I lack any talent in skiing or general coordination so I cozied up with the other three left behind for a day of pure relaxation -- painting nails, 21 Jump Street, general true crime shows on cable, cleaning the kitchen, and sporadic napping.
• GAMES! We all played many, many games as the snow fell near constantly outside. From psychological games like Mafia to old classics like Celebrities (aka Notables aka Characters aka Inside Jokes aka Benjamin Netanyahu Smoke Signals) -- all were fun in this group. If anyone can find a game to play, it's Jon Cheese.

[Lyndsay and Gaby playing Mafia]

• A lot of people know how to cook really well, and it was a delectable weekend when it came to the meals and I'm thinking of trying to kickstart cooking at home... maybe a weekly recipe or something. Props to Dan, Lyndsay's husband, for spending more than an hour cooking the most elaborate and delicious meal (the first photo in the post, Dan is at the far head of the table).
• I found out what an NBA all-star dunk contest entailed.
• Since only one bottle of champagne was used the first morning, I think you can guess as to how we really went for it with the mimosas on the second morning.
• I finally learned what the heck the 'Harlem Shake' phenomena was -- video doesn't work at work, and I'm too impatient after work on my computer...honestly, I started watching two different Harlem Shake videos last week and stopped them five seconds in. Obviously this was the wrong tactic if I really wanted to figure out what they were all about. Good thing Erica filled me (and some others) in.
• The weather was bitter cold on Sunday; too cold for the adventurers to go ski. Thus, after a long and lingering brunch with all those mimosas and bloody marys, we played more games.

[Never NOT a good time.]

• We also watched 21 Jump Street -- again. 
• We may or may not have filmed a Harlem Shake video.
• Writing down stuff legibly in your journal becomes proportionally more difficult the more mimosas you've had.
• I snuck off for a clandestine nap.
• When I woke up I decided to put on The Avengers and explained to everyone who Tom Hiddleston was since nobody knew when we had played Celebrities earlier.
• David had an announcement: it was Joseph Gordon-Levitt's birthday. He was happy to declare this, but I was still miffed that nobody knew to guess Joseph Gordon-Levitt during Celebrities previously. Instead there was a lot of Jordan Levi guesses when I listed off his filmography. Like, on the real?
• Kells had packed s'mores for everyone and this led The Men to make sure the firepit was workable for marshmallow-cooking purposes. Of course, this occurred on the evening of the mimosa day (Sunday) and nobody made a s'more outside, instead utilizing the microwave.
• All the guys went "outside firepit" and all the ladies went "inside dance party" on Sunday night. There was so much fun had and I fear incriminating photos and video of all of us dancing to N'Sync, TLC, R. Kelly, Save Ferris, etc., will surface soon. One of us may have been wearing flared jeans.
• We vacated in style the next morning at 10am -- sunglasses positioned, GPS' pointing back to civilization, and with Jen's delicious migas breakfast in our tummies.
• I rode back with Robb and Jen who needed to catch a flight back to California that day, and New Jersey did not fail us with the inevitable traffic. However, after they dropped me off in Brooklyn, they were to the airport just in time!

Jesse and I e-mailed back and forth the whole weekend, and while I wish he had been there with us, I'm glad I have these friends when he can't be around.

Off to a winter weekend!

Even though Jesse will be crossing half the world today -- further away from ME! -- I am grateful to have the great friends here that help distract me from the miles between me and the husband. This weekend ten of us are heading to a cabin up in the Catskills. I've lived in New York for almost seven years now and I've never been to the Catskills! There will be four couples, me, and my friend Gaby. I should be able to update from upstate (ha), and I imagine it will entail a lot of sweatpants, snow, wine, eating, and laughing. This weekend invitation came just in time!