the holiday week that was

Don't know if it's due to folks coming out in droves post-transit strike or the fact that Christmas and New Year's both fell on the weekend, but the past week's been a bit nuttier and action-packed than previous holidays... It's all good for the most part...

Christmas Eve was spent in NJ over at Tita Aida and Tito Angel's, then followed with a quick drive by to Concetta's. Christmas Day started off with lunch at Suzy and Sachin's, then dinner (Vallie made a fantastic glazed ham), a "Family Guy" marathon, and U2's "Vertigo" concert dvd viewing (courtesy of Joseph's video iPod), as we recovered from food coma at Chip's with Miles (our little micro-chip), Pinky, Vallie, and Joseph.

My birthday fell on a Tuesday this year. Augusto took me out for lunch at Les Bleu uptown, followed by an "Entourage" marathon - a nod to my bro, Derek, since that's our thang, and allegedly Augusto's first time watching the show (What the fondue? It's only the. best. show. EVER - well, next to "Grey's Anatomy" and "West Wing"). That night, a bunch of us all met up in Astoria, Queens for a familial, Croatian dinner at a fairly underground social club. It was nice, mellow, and dramaless... just what I wanted. :-)

Wednesday, Siobhan and I grabbed brunch and ran some errands in the Upper East Side during the day, and later that evening, I braved the Rockefeller Center tourists to meet up with Liz, Cate, Karen, Jess, and Courtney for holiday drinks at Morrell's and a big fat Greek birthday dinner for Liz and myself at Uncle Nick's in our old neighborhood, Hell's Kitchen.

My last brunch for 2005 was spent with Chip, Pinky, Michelle (Pinky's sister) and Miles at Union Picnic over in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Tonight... Hmmm... Plan to go to the Hoppys for a New Year's Eve cocktail party, but it's snowing now... If I make it, pics to be posted tomorrow.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

birthday girls... liz & lynn

cate 

our annual rock center holiday drinks (liz's bday, too) 

cate, jess, and karen 

liz and courtney 

saks friends - leslie and dre 

joe, john, and augusto... too cool for school 

the ladies of apartment 4 

fish heads, fish heads, roly poly fish heads

me and lu 

my roommates 

pennie's happy to have a night off from the kids 

sach, su, nicole, and danny 

sio and pennie 

jonathan and his lady, sorana 

luli and aubrey 

friends at my croatian birthday dinner 

someone's a little cranky this christmas (poor little fella's not feeling well!) 

micro-chip and chippy with the choo choo tracks! 

me and sumo 

with papa brusic 

the kid's sleeping while sitting up - talk about food coma! 

our hosts 

christmas lunch with the brusics and modys 

happy birthday to me

Today's birthday (December 27). You are the artist of your life. Pablo Picasso said that art is the elimination of the unnecessary, and in January, you rid yourself of dead weight and clutter. The result is a bright year, vibrant with new experiences through February and March. Trips in spring pay for themselves with the inspiration you garner! Taurus and Leo are loving partners. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 2, 28, 39 and 35.

pics of the cool kids at the office holiday party

santa's drunken second cousin surveys the remedy for the Asian frush