Snow Life

We are now, I think, officially in the middle of winter--winter WEATHER, as opposed to official dates. As I sadly remember from last year, winter in New York City basically lasts until mid to late April.

Since I'm not working too many hours this semester, I'm trying to keep to a reasonable workout schedule (three times a week), and when the weather is a balmy 30 degrees or higher, I can go jogging in Prospect Park, which is only a block away from our apartment.

Right now, I think the park looks really pretty. Most of the paved areas are safely cleared for bikers, joggers and walkers, but everything else is covered with snow. Here are some pictures from my jog this morning:

People playing fetch with their dog in the distance.

Birds huddled on a  lamppost near Grand Army Plaza.

Despite growing up hating the cold, I'm trying to warm up to it a little, so to speak.

Lastly, I leave you with a funny picture of our newest foster kitty, mid-grooming. His name is Papo, and we've had him since January. He is kind a jerk (he bites sometimes, and isn't very cuddly), but he's REALLY cute and entertainingly playful, so...we are allowing it, for now.

What, me, a jerk?

Oysters

One of my new year's resolutions (that I made two days ago) is to post more on this blog. As Hannah, my eternal blogging buddy said, if blogs are passé, then now's the time to write whatever we want! (Although I generally feel like I DO write whatever I want. I just want to put more of those random thoughts on the blog.)

So, in the words of those read-along tapes, Let's begin now. 

This past weekend was a milestone for me because: I tried oysters for the first time! And I got it on camera: 

I try an oyster as Sarah looks on, skeptically.

Yes, oysters are not vegetarian. I would not normally eat them. But, I figured it was something I had to try once. My friend and coworker Megan LOVES oysters, so convinced me and Sarah to join her at a local restaurant that had an oyster special just for the month of January. Sarah and I had planned to get regular meals and pass on the shell fish. But once we got there, we both figured that for $2 each (kind of pricey, but not too pricey?), we had to at least try a couple oysters.

We both ordered two: one from the West Coast and one from the East Coast. Supposedly oysters on the West taste creamier, while oysters on the East taste fishier. We definitely noticed the difference. I much preferred the mild-ish oyster from Washington, rather than the salty/fishy one from Chesapeake Bay, Virginia.

Megan and her 10 oysters. 

So now I can say I'm fancy (enough) because I have eaten oysters! They were...fine. I'm in no rush to eat them again.