insanity.

I've been up getting ready for class since 5 AM, just checked my school e-mail (6:10 AM) and my first class was cancelled! Dang it. So now I finally have some time to write about the last couple of weeks!

Let me just say a few things before I begin: never in my life have I had more school work; never in my life have I been more exhausted; never in my life have I had more fun.

Last Friday (the 9th was it?) one of my best friends Lucas came from Boston for the weekend to visit. I met him at the Bolt Bus terminal around 11 or so, got a delicious and quite expensive sandwich from the Carnegie Deli, and then ventured back to my abode for a little while. Lucas' plan for New York was to venture around the city to eat, trying different cuisines, famous places, classic New York foods ($1 pizza slices, pastrami on rye, etcetc..) and all by walking to these said locations. When we came back into Manhattan, we got off at the NYU stop, wandered around there for a while, snagged a slice of $1 pizza in the East Village, and then casually made our way up to 42nd and 9th so he could check into his hostel. There, we met up with Hunter, walked up to and through a section of Central Park (where Lucas bought a hot dog) and then we made our way back down to Times Square. Now, by this time it was about 6 PM, and Lucas and I had walked at least 100 blocks. By the time 7 o'clock rolled around, and we hadn't stopped walking, we were searching for a Starbucks like a drug addict searches for his next fix. We were exhausted! Finally, at 8 o'clock, we made our way to Columbus Circle to get on an A train headed towards the airport to meet my dad!

After meeting my dad around 9:30, we took an hour long, crazy taxi ride back to Brooklyn, let my dad drop off his belongings, and then we headed out into the city again! We were all starving and had planned on going to a big sushi buffet in Midtown, but instead we decided to investigate a restaurant called "Platters." Apparently this place has some of the most incredible Halal food around; as we were searching for it, we came across a street cart parked on the corner of 53rd and 6th (or somewhere in the vicinity) that had a line down the entire block, and this was "Platters." We debated standing in line, since it was nearly midnight and had started to rain, but we figured we might as well give it a chance, and everyone around said it would be worth it. We waited in this ridiculous line for 30 minutes, and all four of us can honestly tell you that it was the best decision we had ever made. I kid you not when I tell you that this was the most delicious lamb and rice combination I have ever eaten in my entire life! It was unbelievably delicious. After walking nearly 200 blocks in a single day, it was the perfect finish. Anyway, we finished this delicious cuisine, and my dad and I headed back to Brooklyn, the boys went back to their respective sleeping places, got home around 2 AM, and went to bed!

Claire's flight came in around 7 AM on Saturday morning, so we really didn't get much sleep on Friday night. I had a lot of homework due in the upcoming week, and so while my dad went to meet Claire and then into Manhattan, I stayed home for a little while and did some homework. Lucas met me around noon, we went and got coffee from a friend's cafe (for free too! Thank you Justin :) ) and then met up with my dad, Claire, and Hunter at the previously mentioned sushi buffet in Midtown. Delicious as well! Now, Lucas, Hunter, and I were absolutely exhausted from the day before, but my dad and Claire were quite refreshed and wanting to explore New York City. It was so tough to get myself to have as much energy and enthusiasm that I had had the previous day with Lucas, but I did it! I can't even remember exactly what we all did that day, but we definitely walked at least a good 100 blocks again. We ended up in Soho at Ray's Pizza (the actual original Ray's.. there are at least 10 in Manhattan that I've seen) and on the way there, Claire was aimlessly walking down the street and bumped right smack into Hilary Duff and her friend, and she didn't even realize it! It was hilarious. After dinner, we went to Little Italy for some dessert. Lucas headed back to Boston around 10 PM or so (miss you! xo) and the rest of us went home.

On Sunday, I had to leave around 7:30 to go babysit on the Upper West Side, but I planned on meeting my dad and Claire around 2 o'clock when I was to get off work. The mom of this kid ended up letting me leave around noon, but the two of them had bought tickets for the Guggenheim, so I just went back to Brooklyn to get some more homework done. I guess they did some more Manhattan exploring, but by dinner time, I met them at Katz' Delicatessen for a phenomenal sandwich dinner! Dad got pastrami on rye and the best matzo ball soup any of us have ever tasted, Claire got roast beef on rye, and I got turkey on rye. We each had one half of our own sandwiches and then split the other in half and gave one half of that to the others at the table, just so we could all have a taste of the deliciousness that was Katz' Deli. Yum!

Monday, I have class at 8 AM, so I have to be out of the house by 7 to catch the subway. My dad and Claire were going to leave later that morning to go up to New England to look at some colleges, so my dad came with me into Manhattan so he could take the train to the airport to rent a car. This past week for me was the epitome of a hell week; every class had a big assignment, a paper, or an exam due, each on a different day of the week. I had no breaks! I felt so awful because I literally had no time to chat or goof off. Every "free" second had to be spent studying or writing, and it was just ridiculous. My dad and Claire got back to New York on Wednesday afternoon for Claire's Wednesday evening flight back home, and my dad stayed in New York until yesterday afternoon! I had class all day on Thursday, but that night and all weekend, we just adventured around the city by day, eating dinner at a different restaurant and cuisine around my neighborhood by night. Whenever I was busy at school or working, my dad did some adventuring by himself, but for the most park, it was just me and dad! We rode bikes in Central Park, went to the Met, took the train out to Coney Island.. it was so so nice, I can't even tell you :)

Sometimes, which is a very often sometimes usually, I stop and think of how unbelievable it is that I'm living in New York City, going to school, and experiencing the most ridiculous city life possible. My dad is even more thrilled that I'm here that I am I think, and it was really nice to be able to experience and share that feeling of awe. I love you, Dad! Thank you for coming to visit me :) it's so comforting for me to know that those I love have a visual and an experience of where I'm living. Now my mom has to come visit!!

*note: upon further review (and advice) the previous video that I had posted was declared to be not that funny, so I'm bringing you some Kevin James stand-up instead :)