Put on the Glasses

I love zombie movies. My first date with Brian, I made the poor guy watch Dawn of the Dead and Shaun of the Dead . A while back I saw a photo of a glass case that held a fake shotgun that said "in case of zombies break glass" (click here for my original inspiration). Of course, I wanted one. However, they were a promotional item for a videogame. Plus, the shotguns were fake, not at all useful if zombies actually were going to attack. I tried to see if I could buy one of those fire cases that hold fire extinguishers and fire blankets and just adapt it. Those boxes, it turns out, cost at least a hundred dollars. I decided to take matters into my own hands and build myself an emergency box to prepare for the zombie apocalypse. I bought a frame for a few bucks from a discount store and hand painted the glass: The objects surrounding the glass were part of my "cat deterrence system." Oddly it worked. Livia prefers to sit on my paper projects anyways. I built a

No reason to post pictures of the cats. You will just have to deal with my obsession.

After the garden we finished our day at the Brooklyn Museum: It looked large from the outside but it had a pretty small collection on display. We were utterly confused at the museum, unable to take pictures and they had mysteriously run out of maps for visitors. We ended up wandering around aimlessly, wondering what we were missing without the use of a map or any signs. I don't think I'll be going back any time soon. Brian. however, enjoyed the fountain in front and claims that this is what he wants in his future dream home: For dinner that night we went to Rye, a hidden restaurant/speakeasy in our neighborhood on a whim. It was delicious. I could eat their duck confit with gnocchi every day. I highly recommend the place. To end the day, just under the wire at 11:59 pm, Brian presented me with a homemade birthday cookie: It was delicious. A terrific birthday yet again.

Continuing in the Botanic Garden, Brian and I were amazed that in the rock garden, even the rocks had signs: It turns out that the entire rocks garden is composed of rocks that were deposited on Long Island by a glacier. They traced back the origins of each rock and noted the story on each boulder. Here is a wider shot: They also had a serene Japanese Garden and pond. I loved the big fish that swam up to the dock: Here is Brian looking at the Fish: We loved the Botanic Garden and plan to go back soon. One more birthday post left. You best return tomorrow for the final part of the story.

After Grand Army Plaza, we made our way over th the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. This turned out to be the highlight of the day and we have vowed to return. Here is Brian looking at flowers: It was amazing how many flowers were in bloom. coming from Minnesota, you grow up believing that everything hibernates as the first frost. I particularly loved these flowers that covered the ground: There were beautiful, quiet paths to walk down in the gardens: They also had signs to help those of us that do not know their plant life. I took a picture of this one because I like it so much: More pictures from the Botanic Garden coming tomorrow.

Our walk through Prospect Park ended at Grand Army Plaza. It was impressive. There was a market in the plaza that day by the park, hence the tents. The arch is a war memorial modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris: Oddly, the corner stone for the arch was laid on October 10, 1889, exactly 120 years before we saw it. Here are some up close shots: However, the highlight of Grand Army Plaza was the Brooklyn Public Library: It was huge inside and I am going to have to go back to scan the shelves. I'm glad I finally got to see it though since it is a bit of a pain to get here from our apartment. Stay tuned for upcoming posts!

I had a terrific birthday on Saturday. Since we saw so many things and I have been lacking photos for this blog, I have broken up the day into a series of 5 posts. First, the day began with Brian making me breakfast: I couldn't finish all of it. In the picture you can see the keyboard Brian snagged off the street for free a couple of weeks ago. It's nice (I'm using it now, as a matter of fact). After breakfast, we headed on a bus to Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Prospect Park was designed by the same man, Olmstead (for those who read Devil in the White City like I did), that designed Central Park. We found a historic marker showing where the line of defense was on August 27, 1776 in the Battle of Long Island. I thought it was pretty cool: Here is a picture of the Long Meadow in Prospect Park: It was quiet in the park and a perfect day for a walk. Finally, here is Brian in the park: More posts to come this week including Grand Army Plaza, the Botanic Garden and the B

I have not posted much because it has been very quiet in our apartment. Brian and I have been staying home a lot, watching movies and eating in. I thought I would give everyone a list of things that have been happening: Brian and I finally got New York driver's licenses. I had to get my name changed and Brian just wanted to switch to a New York ID. Now I won't feel like such a tourist when I get carded at a bar. I got a new social security card with my new name. Dull, I know, but I was proud of the fact that I went to the Social Security office at 7am to do the paperwork. According to the woman behind me, I bypassed the 3 hour long afternoon line. I was second in line at 7am. Oddly, I still had to take a number. Brian installed a new operating system on his old, original Xbox. Now we can stream music and movies from our desktop computer to the TV in the livingroom. Our apartment is very technologically efficient. Brian and I signed up for zipcar , a car rental servic