Apples and Wine

This past weekend Nate, Pumpkin and I all packed into Nate's car and headed upstate for a long-awaited apple-picking trip. 

This trip wasn't even possible a few weeks ago because we were car-less but thanks to military school start-up loans Nate is now a proud owner of an Audi A6 Avant. 

It looks a little something like this. 

Not exactly the car you would expect a 21-year old single man to own. 

I ask him everyday why he owns a "family car" because all I see when I look at it is a car packed full of kids and a trunk filled with hockey gear.  

Not something I'm interested in for a long time! 

So we headed upstate. 

It was beautiful, like it is every year.  I love New York state.

We went on a little nature walk along the way.  Pumpkin was truely in her element.  Orange leaves everywhere.  It was beautiful.

We went to DuBois Farms about two hours from the city.  We ate cheeseburgers and pulled pork sandwiches, had an apple cider donut eating contest (I was shocked and disappointed that Nate didn't win.  He eats faster than anyone I've ever met).  Then we picked apples.  And ate more apple cider donuts.  It was lovely. 

On our way home we stopped at one of the many wine vineyards nearby.  I've never understood how New York wine could ever be good compared to Italy, Napa, France.  It just doesn't make sense to me.  

The wine was fine.  Not Italy, but not bad either.  

I'm embarrassed to admit it but I'm sort of becoming a wine snob! 

The view from the winery, on the other hand, was breathtaking. 

The last few weeks have been busy to say the least. 

My life has been consumed with midterms.  Last week I read over 100 psychology textbook pages, my brain was starting to feel like a psychology encyclopedia, but in a good way.  

I've begun the daunting, anxiety-ridden task of looking for a full-time job after graduation. 

DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN! 

I'm finding that looking for a job is, in fact, a job in itself.

I have taken interview seminars, recruiting seminars, met with career counselors and attended Psychology: What's Next - a panel discussion with 5 professionals who shared my lovely second major once upon a time.

Basically my life and future is currently a wirlwind mess of what I want, what others want for me, what I should do, what I'm actually capable of doing, what fits into my future plans for life, what fulfills me as a human being making a difference in the world, and what will enable me to earn enough income to live in my apartment come Spring. 

This can all be reduced down to what my Personality Psych class would call Ontological anxiety.  Anxiety in response to the sheer number of possibilities in life and the idea that each choice brings tremendous implications.  It's so true.  My generation is both blessed by opportunity to "be whatever we want to be" and cursed by the responsibility to choose the right path out of what feels like 25 million paths in front of us. 

Happy news only beyond this point.

...

My grandparents came to visit for the weekend. 

We ate at my favorite Italian place, explored Rockefeller center, St. Patrick's cathedral, Central Park and NYU.  Got in some heated political debates and ate some classic New York Mexican food...(replace classic with worst ever).  

New Yorkers just don't do Mexican. 

It was really nice having my grandparents come to visit!

Pumpkin and I discovered the not-so-secret but totally awesome dog play group that meets every day from 5-6 in a small grass field of Stuytown.  We let the dogs off leash, throw the ball, and give treats.  Pumpkin goes wild.  She loves chasing the other dogs and whipping around everyone in light-speed circles.  

Ashley and I have had a tiny brown dot bug problem in our apartment since July and last week when Ashley went through her closet we found these. 

All I hear from the other room is 

"dog bones don't have holes in them!" 

I cracked one open and of course the tiny brown dot bugs were EVERYWHERE. 

Since then our apartment has been happy and bugless. 

Last weekend we went to MEET THE BREEDS! 

A dog crazy convention with every pure bread dog ever. 

I have been looking forward to it ever since we missed it last year and boy it was awesome.

 

 Nate and a Newf.  On the outside he was cool and collected, on the inside he is screaming with excitement.  Trust me. 

Pumpkin and I graduated from Puppy training last week.  We've come a long way.  We now know sit, stand, down, leave it, come, and we're working on roll over.

Pictures from Nate, Pumpkin, and mine wine-tasting-apple-picking-nature-walking weekend adventure coming soon!

Dear Life, 

SLOW DOWN!!!!!!!!

Sincerely, 

Nicole Elise Montes

I am a big endorser of loving the little things in life. 

I am also a big endorser of indulging and rewarding yourself for hard work. 

I am also a big endorser of chocolate. 

The combination of these three has led to these little beauties. 

Making my Tuesday, oh so much better! 

Like her mom, Pumpkin hates the rain. 

Unlike her mom this reflects itself in more accidents than you can count on one hand. 

Pumpkin brings a whole new meaning to rainy day. 

And because it's October, here's a little Halloween sneak-peak! 

I had a superb weekend! 

First of all, its officially Fall.  Last week it was in the 80s but it has since completely dropped and Fall is in the air, as is rain and wind, which has coincidentally put a damper on my bike-riding high.  Feeling slightly discouraged by my freezing and drenched bike rides to and from class last week I invested in a Lululemon rain resistant/wind breaker.  The elements will harm me no more!  And my $2.25 New York subway boycott will continue.

I now have a bright tourquise jacket with oversized hood and a bright neon helmet (which I am now being recognized by in the elevator of my building- embarrasing?) 

I am pretty much as attractive as bike riders come.

In other exciting news this weekend was Pumpkin's coming out weekend! 

Puppy shots are done and socializing is to be had! 

Nate and I took her EVERYWHERE.  Walks on the east river, Stuyvesant Park, Union Square, Lululemon, Petco, Bagel Shop.  She got lots of dog treats and met lots of new friends (both human and canine).

And lastly I finally got to spend real quality time with Nate.  We've both been super busy and stressed with school and work, so we haven't really spent real time together in weeks.  

We discovered this AWESOME restaurant about 5 minutes from my apartment called Frank's Trattoria.  It's a cheap average pizza place on the outside but in the back there is this beautiful hidden, literally hole-in-the-wall restaurant with awesome pasta, warm bread, great service, and cheap prices.

Then Saturday night, Nate, being an avid reader of all things news and travel, mentioned an imfamous New York place he read about on St. Marks famous for their Egg Creams - a magical drink mixed with milk, selzer water and chocolate syrup.  Supposedly they are classic and this place, Gem Spa has the best in New York and has been making them for over 70 years.  So we decided to go!  Expecting this fancy creamery with spacious seating and lines filled with customers I was a little surprised when it turned out to be this: 

 

It looked for like a gas station mini-mart.  But the second we got inside everyone told us the Egg Creams were classic and very New York.  

Personally I thought they were kind of weird, but quit the experience. 

Now I'm back to the long week filled with class, assignments, grocery shopping, work, and puppy training class.  I really do hate the week.