Particularly Preposterous Packing Day Part 2

The NYC subway system preposterously packed me yesterday! I tried to capture the packed-ness in a picture (keep in mind that this was after some people had gotten off, and so it was already a little less packed than it had been a few stops back):

Someone must have told the metro system about this holiday because they certainly were trying to help us celebrate! They even shut down several subway lines so we would all have to cram onto the same trains. I'm not sure if I appreciate NYC's dedication to celebrating Particularly Preposterous Packing Day. Riding for about 30 minutes with a fat ladies arm in my face was not fun.

I hope all of you had a better day of celebrating than I did.

Thank goodness today is "Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Night."

Particularly Preposterous Packing Day

The pictures tell it all:

#1 Beginning of the day

#2 End of the day

National Fresh Breath Day

I think this video speaks for itself. I want to give big props to Sarah for doing this several times while we were on our way home ... she even swigged and spit on the subway. The girl knows how to celebrate that's all I can say.

I would like to add that if this is not a holiday you celebrate daily ... please start now.

See you tomorrow for particularly preposterous packing day!

Anna

International Beer Day

Today is the day we've all been waiting for, at least all of us over 21 (or 18 in Europe...or 12 in Russia...): INTERNATIONAL BEER DAY! So after getting excited about it last night, Emma and I trekked out after work to the other side of the park to buy groceries for dinner and the all important, international beer.

A few months ago I invested in a Whole Foods 32 oz. growler- a container like a jug used to carry drat beer purchased at local brewpubs. (courtesy of www.byo.com/resources/glossary) Upon moving to Brooklyn in July, I was told that I could take this Whole Foods growler and have it filled at the same discounted price at the local brewpub, "Bierkraft." Well, today, after a long hike up and down Mount Prospect, which actually facilitated a good catch up convo with a close friend, my excitement and anticipation was dashed to pieces as I found out that only 64 oz. growlers could be filled at Bierkraft's taps. Well, Plan B, what international beer should I choose to celebrate this special day? After consulting a helpful salesman--not hiding well my utter disappointment--he pointed me toward the Koenig Pilsner (www.koenig.de) imported from Germany through Anna's very own College Station, TX. He said it was a light refreshing versatile Pilsner that would compliment well the bison tacos Emma was preparing back home. And the biggest plus: it came in a can.

I took his word for it, bought the beer and turned around to make the long journey home. A rejuvenating conversation with a friend from college brought me out of my inability-to-fill-a-32-oz.-growler-funk as did the amazing aroma of Mexican food mixed with fresh-baked cookies that met me upon opening the front door. Emma had worked her magic and dinner was almost ready. Throwing the international brewskies in the freezer to cool down quickly, I helped heat tortillas as she put the finishing touches on her cookie dough. When Anna arrived home, we sat down to a Mexican taco feast, not complete without the Jenni Schmidt Salad. With a toast to international beer and a quick thanks for food and good friends, we dined to the heart's content. I do have to say bison and Koenig inspire great, deep conversation.

I hope the rest of you enjoyed this day as much as we did. Three cheers to the breweries of the world. Hip hip hooray. Hip hip hooray. Hip hip hooray!

Sarah

National Coast Guard Day AND National Chocolate Milk Day

National Coast Guard day was touching, heartwarming, and all of the above. Let me set the story up for you ...

Sarah cooked a grreeaatt dinner tonight and invited her cousins over. While we were eating, there was a lull in the conversation and so I thought it would be a great time to mention that today is National Milk Chocolate Day and National Coast Guard Day. I thought everyone would be happy about the first, but not really care about the second. Bu

t it was the complete opposite! The whole family got excited when I mentioned Coast Guard Day and it turns out that their grandpa (papa) was in the Coast Gu

ard! The cousins called him and wished him a Happy National Coast Guard Day ... awwwwwwwww. That part was pretty funny too because they had him on speaker phone and he's hard of hearing. It made for an interesting conversation. Needless to say, National Coast Guard Day touched lives today and brought families together. What a day.

And here's Caleb (the awesome Schmidt bro who came and visited us this week) partying hard in honor of National Chocolate Milk Day. (By partying hard I mean, drinking a big glass of chocolate milk).

Cheers!!

Watermelon Day and ALMOST National Night Out

So let me tell you about what went down today...

I checked my calendar before I left school and saw that it was "National Night Out." I was pretty tired and not that motivated about celebrating and so I hopped on the subway to go home. As I was exiting the subway station, about 6 policemen were coming in. They were the BEST-LOOKING policemen I've ever seen. I wondered what was going on - anytime you see 6 cops going anywhere you think there's trouble - but they didn't look like they were chasing anyone. I started my walk home wishing I had talked to them. I should have said something! When I got home, there was a sign taped to our door that said "National Night Out Against Crime" and it was hosted by the police department! I realized that's where all 6 of the good looking cops were going. This was perfect. A way to celebrate a great national holiday and get a second chance to talk to these guys. So, I looked at the address on the sign. It said "Bedford Ave and Rogers Ave." I looked up the spot on my phone. It was a 20 minute walk - no problem! And I took off walking. And walking. And walking. And walking. I finally got to the intersection of Bedford and Rogers and there was noooooooo event happening. I thought, "well maybe I'm at the wrong spot and it's around here somewhere." I kept on walking all around the area. I walked to any place that I thought this thing might be. I got a great walking tour of BedStuy and Crown Heights (2 of the worst neighborhoods in Brooklyn), but it was nowhere to be found! Thanks Brooklyn Police Department for nothing. I could have married a cop, but now that chance is gone.

I walked home defeated and decided that I had no choice, but to celebrate today's other phenomenal national holiday ... Watermelon Day. I stopped at a fruit stand, bought a watermelon, and here is the result ...

Sorry I didn't take any pictures of my walking tour. I already stood out enough without stopping for photographs.

Respect for Parents Day AND Friendship Day

Today, I celebrated Respect for Parents Day by calling my mother.

Then, I celebrated Friendship Day by texting my best friend and saying "Happy Friendship Day! You are the best!!" (Because she really is the best. Ever. I mean who else loves Harry Potter AND Coffee AND brownies AND Transformers??)

And then I kept celebrating National Friendship Day by listening to this song by this man:

Packing up the dreams God planted
In the fertile soil of you
I can't believe the hopes He's granted
Means a chapter of your life is through

But we'll keep you close as always
It won't even seem you've gone
'Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong

And friends are friends forever
If the Lord's the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never
'Cause the welcome will not end