I love Steve Carell even more now....

After disappointments this weekend with my Pretzel Spaetzel and Brewtopia I was afraid to go to my last event of my weekend which was part of the "New Yorker Festival" to see an interview with Steve Carell. Well thank goodness we did go, this was my highlight of the weekend and I wish I would have bought more tickets to the New Yorker Festival for that weekend.

Steve Carell was humble and funny. My husband never cared for Carell and after leaving he was very impressed with him. It was an enjoyable event.

I will miss Steve Carell when he leaves "The Office" one of my favorite sitcoms.

Brewtopia....did not live up to my expectations

So I went to my first beer event. First I would like to mention I prefer beer over wine, but if it comes to tastings I rather be at a wine tasting event! I can go to a pub and drink 3 pints of different beer, no problem. I just could not stomach small portions of different types of beers for a long period of time. First they all started tasting the same to me and second I thought I would barf!

Husband with sample beer cup

I am glad got to try a beer event, though I was told by others beer lovers many people were disappointed with this event. It was very very expensive and they promised entertainment. At 65.00 a person having 3 floors of craft beer tables, just having one guy playing on an acoustic guitar on the 2nd floor does not in my eyes mean there is entertainment at this event. Everyone crowded on floor 2, the other floor emptied. I definately did not drink 65.00 worth of beer. I can go to "The Pony Bar" and have 13 pints of different beer for that price!

So forget the Brewfest's I am headed to the Pony Bar next time I want to sample craft beers! And you should too!!

http://www.theponybar.com/

All in all that will be my first and last beer event unless I visit a brewery. One on my list is "Ommegang" http://www.ommegang.com/

Pizza and another Highline visit

My son and his girlfriend came to visit....we brought them for pizza (Quantro Formaggi! YUM!) and showed them the highline. They did not seemed impressed with either.....but it was a nice day anyways!

San Gennero Feast 2010

Well I promised myself I would be living like a tourist for a year here in Manhattan. I have never in my 47 years of my life been to the San Gennero Feast in Little Italy NYC. So this year was my first time. When we arrived my husband knows how much I hate crowds and it was so crowded almost impossible to walk down the street. So he said "You are really going to walk down that street?" My answer "Hell Yeah" I want to do this!!!

It was a fun experience and at the end of it our reward our Chinatown favorite back and foot rub place! A great ending to our Saturday night in NYC.

A Mexican Restaurant in NoHo

Dined at Gonzalez y Gonzalez after Nightmare: superstitions. It was right next door. If you read my previous posts on my disappointment on not being scared at Nightmare there was something that was really scary to me at Gonzalez y Gonzalez and it was the bathrooms!!!! Walking down those dirty basement steps to a dirty long hallway to a dirty icky bathroom! SCARY!!

Yes I have a pet peeve with restaurant bathrooms. Please guys keep it clean and not sticky....so gross.

As for the restaurant, decent Mexican food, fun up beat decor, and loud music (not Mexican music when I was there) I have a favorite Mexican Restaurant in Huntington LI that has great Mexican gourmet food called "Besito's" http://www.besitomex.com/ so it is hard for me to say the food was great. It was above average though. And the place seemed to have a lot of fun things going on with Salsa lessons and Comedy night. Not sure I will run back here during my year living here in NYC. There are to many other great dining places to try!!!

http://www.arkrestaurants.com/gonzalez.html

To scare or not to scare......NOT at Nightmare: Superstitions NYC

I am a bit of a Halloween Haunted place junkie and excited to have new options this year since I have never done any of the Haunted activities in Manhattan. I have been a junkie of haunts since the early 80's when my first haunted house was the "Haunted Mansion of Long Branch, NJ". http://www.darkinthepark.com/Haunted%20Mansion/Home/lbhome.htm This place was awesome and it started my love of going to Haunted places and get scared and screaming!! Unfortunately the Haunted Mansion burnt down. Some of my other favorites over the years have been "Bayville Haunted Firehouse in Long Island", "Jason's Woods" in PA and "Terror behind the Walls" a haunted old prison in Philly. I have been trying over the years to try at least a new Haunt every year. This year I added Nightmare:Superstitions to my list.

All I can say is I am happy I got a discounted ticket on Goldstar, https://www.goldstar.com/, Nightmare in my opinion was a waste of money and I did not get scared once. I love going into the Haunted Houses and having a few good screams. I think I had a mini scream once. I was so disappointed. Also I have been scared in many Haunted Houses with out anyone having to touch me. I do not understand why they feel the need to touch you, if they can't even scare you. I know people who raved about Nightmare that it is so good they go every year. Maybe they have nothing to compare it to like me??? Should I give it another try maybe next year? I wish I went last year when it was a vampire theme since I am so into TrueBlood & Vampire Diaries. Love my vampires!

Next week I am not staying in the city and heading back to PA to go to Jasons Woods. I have not been for about 4-5 years now, but previously have gone there at least 3 times. They have newly expanded it and I am excited to get the SH*T scared outta me!! BOOOOOOO!!!!

In the following weeks I hope to get to Bayville Scream Park in Long Island and Blood Manor in NYC.

Here are links to some of the Haunted places I have been too

http://jasonswoods.com/

http://halloween.easternstate.org/halloween/visit

http://www.thebatesmotel.com/

http://www.bayvillehauntedfirehouse.net/

http://www.schmittfarms.com/NightTimeGallery/nightTimeGallery.html

I also like Ghost Tours which I have taken in New Orleans & Gettysburg. Love staying at haunted B&B's and of course enjoy horror movies!

Nice Sunday afternoon hanging with a friend.....

Hubby had to visit family so I got a Sunday afternoon on my own and decided to make it a girlfriend day and have my friend Lisa into the city for the day. It was the first time she came over to see my digs. So we caught up on life, toured my building, and then headed to Starbucks to catch up some more until it was time to head to 42nd Street to see a funny little off broadway play called "It must be him"

"It must be him" was playing at the "Playwright Horizons" at the "Peter Jay Sharp" theatre. (416 West 42nd Street) http://www.playwrightshorizons.org/index2.asp This theatre was extremely clean and comfortable. I saw a play here years ago too and I plan on enjoying this theatre more often during our year living in the city. They have short run plays here so this play is ending the end of September. I am glad I got to chuckle and see it.

After we headed to "Pig n Whistle" midtown location on 36th. I have to get use to Football season and World series time. I find it quiet disturbing how people can scream and grown and hold thier head like they are in pain watching sports. Of course I have the "Pig n Whistles" craft ale. Still as good as the last time I tried it.