A look back at Brett and Emily's farewell weekend and quite possibly some of the most fun I've ever had:
Jackstock Day One: The hottest party in town. Really. Temperatures soared as dozens of people crammed inside Toad Hall a.k.a. the Jackson apartment. I was too hot to take one picture. But I ate a lot of cookies and cake. Jackstock Day two: Brunch: The group--Brett, Emily, Courtney, Adam, Nell, Turi, Ingo, Dan and me--convened for brunch at Metro Diner where Adam unveiled “The Bag of Chaos.” We were each given cards that represented meals, Sunday brunch, drinks and activities and we had to write down different options for each. The only rules? Activities must take place in Manhattan and have to be pre-approved by Brett and Emily before they are placed in the bag. After that, we do what the bag says—depending on if we're in the mood for food, Sunday brunch, drink or activity. 
Brett and Emily in their Dan-designed Jackstock t-shirts, order some brunch.
Adam (in the Adam designed Jackstock tshirt) educates us about the bag of chaos. Nell is excited.We soon learned that the bag of choas was always right and we couldn't have planned the next two days better ourselves:Card #1: Pit stop at Toad Hall
Dan and me take a break at Brett and Emily's. Courtney steals the show.
Card #2: Drinks at the Slaughtered Lamb.
Emily's not too sure about middle of the day tequila shots. Brett is pretty sure.Card #3: Row boats in Central Park.
Battle of the sexes. 
Adam, with Ingo and Nell, rows his boat.
Manly Dan.
Manly Dan socks.
Card #4 said, “There is a bar in midtown that has a pool.”
No swim suits, no problem! We made a stop at H&M to buy matching suits to continue the party on.
We match!
Trunks and bikinis.Card #5: Dinner at Burger Joint
It was 10 and we were starving and these greasy burgers were mighty fine.Card #6:A bottle of wine at Toad Hall
Brett consults the bag of chaos. Back to Toad Hall, it is!Jackstock Day Three:Card #7: Brunch at La Palapa
Turi enjoys the Mexican brunch.Card #8: Go see the Waterfalls art exhibit.
You can't see the waterfalls in this pic, but we saw 'em. And yeah, we wore the same outfits as yesterday (and for me and Dan, the day before). So?
Me and Dan and one of the falls.Card #9: Mini-golfing at Roosevelt Island. Wait a minute, this ain’t Manhattan! How did that card get in there? After much consultation, we opted to pass up this activity because it was against the rules and would've taken us way off course.Card #10: Drinks at Zum Schneider, a German pub in the Lower East Side.
Prost!People were still thinking about card #9, so in tribute to the missed activity, we set up a complicated mini-golf course on Nell’s roof top that involved Courtney's bra. Yeah, we were delirious by this point.
Our makeshift course.
Adam "mops" up the competition.The night ended with a lovely dinner at Toad Hall. I was too tired to take a picture.
We were pooped from fun, man!
More pictures.Courtney's version. She explains some parts better than me.
Brett & Emily.
Dan and I met Brett Jackson at my friends Lindsey and Clay’s party in 2005. We knew no one else there so we sat at this random table with this random group of boys, including Brett. Brett was incredibly funny, and after the party, Dan wouldn't shut up about the guy. A few weeks later, we had dinner with Lindsey, Clay, Brett and his wife Emily, and that's when the serious man-crush developed to the next level and Dan and Brett swapped numbers.
Dan and Brett started hanging out, and Dan would come home with stories about Brett’s funny jokes and the crazy activities they got themselves into, such “art school” nights where a group of friends sat around and drew pictures. The Jacksons lived in the Bronx, and I remember going up there to see Dan's newfound friends and having a home-cooked Mexican dinner at their place. They were talking about some sci-fi stuff and living on a commune. While they seemed extremely nice and friendly, I thought to myself, I have nothing in common with these people. Dan was smitten.
The Jacksons moved to the Upper West Side, where we were living, and we became active members of their social circle—and what a circle it was. I was amazed and impressed by the abundance of friends this couple had. Every time we visited their apartment or joined them on a movie outing, there was a new cast of characters. At this point, my life revolved around my work and little else. These get-togethers with these opinionated, eccentric, funny and life-loving personalities intimidated the heck out of me. In a room full of people, I felt very lonely. I sat in the corner and observed and thought, this is not me.
And then a light bulb: At one of the parties, I spent the evening speaking to Adam and Hila—two people who I would have never encountered in my work life—and while there were other factors involved, this conversation changed the course of my life. I decided to quit my job and travel. My work would no longer be the center of my life. Influenced by the Jacksons, I decided to infuse friendships and fun in my life instead. After months of changing my focus and shifting my priorities and expanding myself, it felt like my world opened up, and suddenly friendship and fun began flooding into my life, and Brett and Emily came in with the flow.
Slowly and surely, as I developed more strength and confidence to shed my depression and become the person I want to be (and believe me, I'm still in the process), my friendship with Brett and Emily deepened. Dan and I started seeing them on a weekly basis, and I looked forward to our get-togethers, to be with people who took life by the reigns and just went with it. Brett, with his sharp wit of words and love of play, could entertain me for hours. Emily, with her curiosity about everything from cooking to sewing to ballet to pottery, always amazes me with her energy and eagerness to learn new things. Brett writes comic books among other creative pursuits and has been very influential and inspiring to me to pursue my own writing—giving me pointers, lending me books and encouraging me to move forward without fear.
While I still think sometimes that we have little in common (still not a fan of sci fi, comic books or communes), my connection with these people runs deeper than that. These people showed me how to live in a way where the important things—friends, family, art and passions—come first. I know it sounds clichéd, but many people say that they do these things and don’t. Brett and Emily actually do these things and thrive.
When Brett and Emily announced they were moving to Geneva because Emily got a job there, Dan and I were thrilled for them, disappointed for us. The couple has talked about moving outside of New York since we’ve met them and Dan always joked that we would follow them wherever they went. Now it is really happening, and we’re staying put.
This past weekend, we had Jackstock—a three-day party to give them a proper send off before they head to Switzerland. The farewell started with a big bash that had more new people than I could keep track of (Brett and Emily may be leaving, but that doesn’t stop new friendships from forming) and then on Saturday and Sunday, a core group of friends engaged in fun and mischief that represented the couple’s love of socializing, creativity and whimsy. I was part of it, and there was never a moment where I doubted that I belonged there.
The New York City Jackson Era may be at its end, but our friendship with Brett and Emily will surely endure. There will be more good times to come (Europe 2009, baby!), so this isn’t a good-bye, but really just a moment for me to say thanks to Brett and Emily for being true and for being you. I think you rock.
Just wanted to announce that my Dad and my brother Pete have completed their bike trip across America. It took them 58 days to go from Los Angeles, CA to Denville, NJ. I have been following their trip religiously on their blog, watching the views from their bikes, their farmer's tans go from bad to worse, their bodies turning into skeletons. (My brother lost 21 pounds!) I am so proud of them for accomplishing this ride, especially my brother who has attempted a few times and failed, but never quit on his dream. (This is the third ride for my Dad). Many cheers and claps are in order.
Another person who has been inspiring me lately is my friend Adam. He wrote a script and is now filming his own movie. During my boring day job, I sneak peaks at his blog in awe and deep happiness that someone I know has created something out of nothing and that something is awesome. The other night, Dan and I had the chance to view his dailies and the takes looked amazing.
I am happy to be surrounded by all this positive energy! Dreams do come true!
Summer of Classics:I have already read two books on my classic reading list. I started off with Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut is one of Dan's favorite authors and the man used to live in our old neighborhood in Midtown East. Sometimes we would see him wandering around and Dan would try to think up cool things to talk to him about. (I believe they did have a conversation about the chess game on 48th and 3rd). It was a sad day when we heard he died.
Anyway, I finally read my first Vonnegut, his most famous book about the bombing of Dresden in World War II. The book was an easy read but I closed it wondering if I really "got it." Dan says that there is a lot in there and it took him a second reading to really get everything, and I could totally see that. In the meantime, the internet helped me figure some things out.My second book was The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway. (SPOILER ALERT) This book is about an old man who is a fisherman who catches a huge fish. It is quite a feat to catch this fish, taking a few days of suffering and pain and patience, and in the end, after all that work and struggle, a bunch of sharks eat the fish, and the old man comes back to land with just a carcass. It was absolutely heartbreaking, and yet not at all depressing. When I looked on the internet, apparently there is all this symbolism about how the Old Man represents Jesus and how one can never escape death...however, when I was reading it, I couldn't help thinking about how people venture out in the world to accomplish their dreams (to get the big fish) and how fame and wealth and success can be so fleeting and how nothing is permanent and it can always be taken away from you.I have watched Philadelphia Story as my first classic movie. I have never seen a movie with Katherine Hepburn before and Cary Grant is really handsome. I have to agree with Dan that this movie is terribly dated. Maybe in the 40s, this is how people acted but now it just doesn't translate anymore. I actually read on Wikpedia that back then, movies were not allowed to show adultery and so instead of doing that, they would have divorces and then have people flirt with others and then go back together with their spouse. So weird.In terms of music, I saved a copy of Rolling Stone's 500 Best Albums issue from years ago and I have decided to listen to all the albums starting with #1, even if I have heard them before. So I have half way through the #1 album, St. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band by the Beatles, which I know very well. Dan said he would join me on some of my listening parties.30 Days of Writing:30 days gone by and no, I did not succeed in writing for 30 days straight, but I wrote on most days and have pages of copy to prove it, which is more than I had starting this project. I decided that writing (almost) everyday is the only way to do it. It keeps the material fresh, relevant in my mind and I would find myself thinking about characters and plot in my everyday life. Some days writing felt easy and some days it was so hard I wondered if I could muster through it. I have about a chapter and then some for a possible fiction story, and it came to me that if I were to really write this thing, it's going to take me a really long time---like a year--but if I keep going at this pace, I can do it. And so I will keep going at this pace.March Madness:I have lifted the ban off sweets and alcohol and have indulged quite a bit (and this past week QUITE A LOT), yet overall, I am still pretty conservative compared to pre-March Madness. I have been keeping up with my work-outs (okay, I am skipping them from time to time) and when I do workout, I work out hard. I have been following the workouts in Jillian Michael's Making the Cut, and these are no joke. I thought I was done with weight loss but I stepped on the scale on July 1 and I am down two more pounds. That was a nice surprise!What do I want to do with my life?Still deciding. 30th birthday coming up in October and suddenly, the question weighs even more heavily in the mind.
I have decided that there needs to be more traveling though. Inspired by Gerda and company's six week vacation (New York is only week one and now they are heading to Canada), I need to make traveling more of a priority and I need to start saving money. Places buzzing most in my head right now? Europe next spring (Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia (and Belgium to visit my fave four)...Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands...Japan...and Argentina. Luckily, I will get my fix soon because Dan and I are heading to Argentina in a few weeks :)
I love these Danish people. I really do.
In seven months time, since I have been back in the United States, I had forgotten how much I love Gerda and company, but they reminded me right away.
I love talking to Gerda and getting her perspective on life. I love Morten's jokes and appetite for all kinds of food. I love Anna's love of fashion and American pop culture. I love watching Katrine eat an adult-sized plate of just about anything and doing sprints across the subway platform. And I loved watching Dan fall in love with them, too.
Coming home from dinner on Thursday night, I felt so happy and energized and excited after seeing them. And after spending the weekend with them, the feeling just continued.
Saturday, we took a long stroll through Central Park (where Katrine took pictures with her pink camera of the squirrels) and I showed them Strawberry Fields and the Reservoir and all my favorite parts. The rain came, so we ducked into Bloomingdale's...and Urban Outfitters...and Victoria's Secret...and Levis (all Euros LOVE Levis, apparently because the jeans are so pricey over there). The American dollar is certainly at their advantage and they are taking advantage. Anna was positively glowing with all the new clothes she was getting, practically dancing when she came out of the dressing rooms to show us her new duds.
We had Patsy's pizza for lunch. It was amusing to see them all whip out their cameras to take pictures of the "massive" pizza. Katrine's eyes almost popped out of her head, and she shoveled down her appetizer salad as fast as she could as if the pizza were going to disappear before her eyes. (They thought the spaghetti and meatballs on the menu was hilariously American).
Ordering at Patsy's.
Then I showed them Dylan's Candy Bar to which Katrine exclaimed, "This is the most beautiful candy store I have ever seen!" I think Gerda was a little grossed out by the over-the-top American consumerism/junk food, but she took it in stride, even buying herself some marshmellows. Marshmellows don't come easy in Belgium.
Gerda and Katrine sampled the gummy brains.
We picked up Dan and then headed for dinner at Taco Taco in our neighborhood, and they got to see our apartment and eat some homemade dessert. (I made a strawberry shortcake, which they said reminded them of a Danish birthday cake).
Sunday, Dan and I woke up with full stomachs and joined the gang for brunch where we ate some more, afterwards making a mandatory pit stop at Magnolia Bake Shop for some cupcakes. Gerda said they were better than she expected, but I don't think she wants the recipe or anything. We walked through the Village and Soho, stopping at shops all along, and then breezed through Chinatown, where we gave them a taste of some Chinese fish candy and crazy crowds. I think Morten really dug it, especially the juxtaposition of the very posh Soho to the down-and-dirty streets of Chinatown. Katrine spent a greater part of the day wiggling her very loose tooth.
Mini-me. Katrine taking pictures of cakes in Magnolia.
Anna has her Sex and the City moment with a Magnolia cupcake.
Crazy tooth killer.When it was finally over, and Dan and I dropped the family off at the Natural History Museum and said our good-byes and when we were back home alone, Dan said, "I miss them already."
They haven't even left the city but so do I.
Let me just mention that besides for dinner on Thursday night, this family insisted on paying for everything for Dan and me, plus, they gave us the most fantastic box of Belgium chocolate (Dan and I both agreed it was the best chocolate we EVER had) and me a book to read for writing inspiration. So really, even though they visited us, I just have to thank THEM for a wonderful time and their generous hospitality.
My favorite Danish family is visiting New York City this week, and I am so excited to see them and show them the city where I live!
I have been emailing Gerda for weeks now, thinking about places we should go, desserts we should try, things we should do together. I think I was more excited about their trip than they were!
Last night, we treated them to dinner to Ruby Foo's, forcing them to trek through the crowds of Times Square and then eat platefuls of sushi and dumplings and edaname and cakes. They seemed to like the torture.Gerda, I love her, tells me how thin I look and then gives me a box of delicious Belgian chocolate from her neighborhood shop that I loved. I have no problem gaining all the weight back again if it means I get to eat that chocolate. (Okay, so I am REALLY hoping that I won't gain the weight back but still get to eat all the chocolate. I am going to try that experiment and tell you how it goes.)
It's so strange that nearly 7 months have passed since we saw each other last, and how my life is so different now. When I saw them last I was unemployed and stressfree, the only worry on my mind was a little homesickness. Now, I have work to my ears and my life is so regimented with work and exercise and things. Grass is always greener, I yearned for the way it was before. But seeing them again was like having a taste of that again.
Dan plays poker every Tuesday night. He loves it. In addition to hearing his fantasy baseball status, Dan never fails to tell me his poker status: whether he wins or loses.Since our Polish party a few weeks ago, I guess the poker people were jealous and wanted dinner too, and so we hosted the poker game/dinner last night at our place. I decided to make Mexican food: salsa/guacamole with chips for appetizers, chicken enchiladas, black beans and salad for dinner. I debated for a few nights what to make for dessert (Dan had the nerve to say that I didn't need to make dessert. No party of mine has no dessert!) Ultimately I went for what I was in the mood for and was easy to make given the week night -- (no surprise) cupcakes. To bring it all together, we had plenty of Polish beer (leftovers from last time, obviously!).I am pretty new to the entertaining thing, so I don't really know how to cook for large groups of people. I know exactly what to do to make a salad for me and Dan, but for 7 people, I totally overcompensated, and I ended up enough salad to feed a small African nation. It's something I learned from my Polish mother. There is this fear that there won't be enough food. Also, I have to do a lot of planning and thinking and shopping to pull it all together. I am nowhere near the spontaneous "Let's throw these things together" casual gathering. Maybe the art of entertaining is making it appear that it feels that way.Actually, I was planning to make a mixed drink: a watermelon lemonade spiked with Polish vodka. I bought two huge watermelons to make the drink. An hour before guests arrived, I put the watermelon in the blender and it wasn't breaking down. I pushed all the different buttons and none made any difference. I was pissed because I use this blender like once a year and the one time I needed it, it failed me. And so I just cut up watermelon wedges and served it for dessert. How's that for spontaneous?It was fun having Dan's friends over, and I enjoyed the talking and the dinner part. Then came the poker, which was less fun for me. This might sound really strange and kind of dull, but I don't really like to play games. Dan says he thinks it is because I am not competitive. Maybe so. Another thing is that I have a hard time adding numbers in my head, so card games make me feel anxious. So I simply watched them play for a while, hoping to join in, but they played a new game variation with each hand, so I couldn't keep track and I completely lost motivation and just sipped my wine.I planned to stay up for the entire night (poker usually ends around midnight or later) even though I usually wake up at 5:30 every morning and go to bed around 10 or 11. I think it was the combination of being really tired from work/preparation and all the wine I was drinking, but in the middle of the game, I slipped into the bedroom, wanting to lie down for like two seconds and I ended up falling asleep. Dan came in and assured me it was fine and he made me take out my contacts.It was totally weird, and I know it. I didn't even say good bye to my guests, but in my foggy state of mind, it seemed like the right thing to do.I guess I still have a lot to learn about entertaining after all. Here's to being socially awkward!
Tom, Justin and Kayleen.
Nien.
Dan and Kim.
