Treat Yo Self
ST and I always start slow on Saturdays. We get up at around 9:30 but we stay in bed until 11:30 or so. Then, ST makes brunch, which usually includes something artery-clogging. Yum. Then, as we’re digesting, we slowly plan our day out.
Hmmm… what to do, what to do…
Today, we decided to explore a neighborhood in Brooklyn and have a movie night later.
Winnie kindly gifted us with a Groupon for free rentals from a Blockbuster Express kiosk – sweet! We had to reserve our picks (Thor and True Grit – one for each of us) and then drive to our local Duane Reade to pick them up. Unfortunately, that particular branch was closed, so we had to call Blockbuster, cancel our reservations, and get the promo codes reissued. Their customer service is stellar – everything got done within 5 minutes. Then we had to go back home, redo the reservations, and then drive all the way out to Bay Ridge to pick up our DVDs… kind of annoying. Also, the rentals are only for one day but you can drop them off at any kiosk.
The jury’s still out on whether we’ll actually use the Blockbuster kiosk when it’s not free. It’s only $1 but I hate running around returning stuff. I would much rather prefer the mail-in system like Netflix but alas, I can’t go back to that on principle.
Anyway, after Bay Ridge, we decided to check out Baked in Red Hook because I had a hankering for cupcakes. There are bakeries in Bay Ridge such as the Little Cupcake Bakeshop but they really leave something to be desired.
Baked is on Van Brunt Street, which is a cute tree-lined street with some hipster stores. It made a for a short but delightful walk during which we went into a store with vintage arcade games and saw cute street art.
ST got a thick slice of cherry cheesecake and black cherry soda while I indulged in a chai latte and a sweet and salty cupcake (chocolate and salted caramel).
Besides being delicious, Baked really sets itself apart from the typical bakery because they offer a variety of sweet and savory goods while charging a fair price. A crappy cupcake usually sets you back anywhere from $3-$5. At Baked, our snacks came out to $10 total. With goods and prices like these, it’s no wonder they have such loyal customers.
After picking up four more cupcakes, we took a leisurely stroll down the block and chanced upon Dry Dock Wine + Spirits. A super cute store with sweet, helpful staff. Despite being hungover, ST tried some of their scotches and we left with a bottle. Because sometimes you just have to treat yo self.
From my favorite episode of Parks and Recreation… love it.
Cupcakes… treat yo self. Scotch… treat yo self. Lattes… treat yo self. DVDs… treat yo self. Word.
$20 Date in Brooklyn Chinatown
ST and I are enjoying a four-day weekend thanks to Rosh Hashanah. We indulged ourselves by waking up late, catching up on TV (Awkward for me, sports for ST), and having brunch.
I am so glad Jenna chose Jake! Side note: Yes, I watch MTV and love it. My inner 15-year-old exults in teen drama.
I also finished A Dance with Dragons 
I’m sad because it’ll probably be like 7 years before the next book comes out. Le sigh. I really enjoyed it – Martin is a genius. Every character, plot, and setting is woven with intricate details and eccentricities. I can’t wait until Season 2 of Game of Thrones.
Then we attempted to have a $20 date in the West Village. The plan was to explore Christopher Street and just take a long walk in an unfamiliar neighborhood. Wandering around is our standard go-to date whenever we don’t have anything in particular we want to do.
It was hot and sunny when we left the house so I slipped on a pair of cute leather sandals despite the weather report of an impending thunderstorm. My iPhone ALWAYS says its going to rain and never does. I didn’t want to be a sucker again so I left my cute boots at home. And my umbrella. You know where this is going.
Lo and behold, by the time we got out of the train station thirty minutes later, its pouring. Like, sheets.
So we left the station to check out the situation. It was terrible. Definitely not walking, lovey-dovey weather. Without an umbrella and clad in leather sandals. So back into the station we went. Back to Sunset Park. Fail.
We were soggy.
Dinner from the Red Hook Food Trucks
Last week, tía Wendy’s boyfriend Randy was in town from the Bay Area so we decided to go out on a double date. We’ve always wanted to visit the Red Hook food trucks for dinner. I’m so glad we tried it – it was awesome.
The food trucks are parked every Saturday and Sunday throughout the summer. There are lots of food trucks parked along two streets and families seated at the picnic tables enjoying dinner. We saw our neighbors there and they even had a TV set up to watch soccer.
