3 on Thursday

It's been the kind of busy week where I am awoken by nightmares about work.  Not fun.  At least the weekend is just around the corner!

Background: Yacht Rock last Friday - a great time as always

1. By some crazy miracle I found a brand new Le Creuset dish on Craig's List for $39.  The sellers were only about 3 blocks from my office so I was able to grab it on my lunch break.  Perhaps because of how my Mom always spoke of the brand, I have long regarded Le Creuset as the best of the best in cookware.  Always out of my price range, I ended up just staring at the colorful dishes, hoping I would one day receive them as a wedding gift or something.  Thanks to good timing and my new favorite tumblr, curatedcraigslist.com, I was able to add a bright orange Le Creuset to my kitchen.  This weekend, I took it for a spin (making the chicken cordon bleu casserole from yesterday's post) and was very pleased with the results.  It was everything my Mom said it would be.
2. I may not have personally run in the NYC Half Marathon, but I used it as an excuse to do some day drinking and cheer on some friends.  I think cheering on others may pump me up even more than them.
3. When my parents came to visit a few weeks ago, the main task was building me a wall.  When I embarked upon the home ownership process one of my main requirements was having a bedroom.  The apartment I was moving from was a true one bedroom and although the bedroom could accommodate no more than a bed, I loved being able to close a door and didn't want to backtrack when moving into a new place.  I purchased this apartment because it was set up as an alcove studio with a very clear division where a wall could be built (and lucky for me, I am the daughter of a great builder).  Unfortunately, after I moved in I learned that the building's architect would make it nearly impossible to get my wall built.  I was disappointed but made do with screens and strategic decorating choices.  Until now.  My father and his colleague, Paul (pictured), designed and built the most amazing wall for me.  Technically, it can be taken down so it's really just a piece of furniture if my co-op board asks.  I managed to not break any rules and now have a true division of sleeping and living space.  Best of all, one side of the wall is bookshelves so I now have tons more storage.  And it doesn't go all the way to the ceiling which will be a blessing during the hot summer months since my AC unit is only in the living room.  And I have a door again.  It's a beautiful thing.