New York, New Year

It's officially been a year, a year where I wanted to blog more which I did to some success but not as much to my satisfaction however in 2011 I traveled over 17,000 miles. I did not expect to travel that much but it happened. I went to all the major US cities except Los Angelas, but I got to the west coast by going to San Francisco. In 2011 I went to Boston and Washington DC to see friends and amazing soccer matches, then I went to Des Moines and Minneapolis to visit friends who were going through tough times, and then the two major events the Royal Wedding in London and New Years in New York City! What a year and who knows what 2012 will bring but it is off to a great start unlike the beginning of my New York Trip.


I was suppose to leave Chicago at 7 but didn't leave until 930 because all flights at O'hare were grounded because of the rain and fear of ice which was pain. I didn't arrive to my family friends place until 1 AM so I passed out because I had to get energy for New Years Eve the next day.

Our view from our hotel room

I took the Long Island Railroad into Manhattan and met Alex in the Marriott in Time Square where we had a side view of time square. We could see the television screens and the crowd linning up at 10 am. Alex and I were not going to spend the whole day just chilling in Time Square, we wanted to explore the city. Now this was my 4th or 5th time into New York City but Alex had been to New York in October and didn't get to see everything/do everything New York which I think we did a good job.


We started our New York adventure by walking through Central Park when we got a call from Alex's cousin who is an official photographer for ballets in New York City. So he was going to shoot some pictures for this show and invited us to come along. We saw the intermission act which was funny and then there were two more songs where they invited members of the audience to come on stage and dance with the performers doing crazy dance moves. Then the one audience member who was in red was left up on stage alone and spotlighted. That ended the show and we left to go to 5th avenue and look at the shop windows.

Entrance of Uniqlo with Escalators 

The only store we went into was Uniqlo which just opened in New York City. I did go to one in London but didn't fully browse the store like we did this time. The store is massive to the point where I felt lost because how big it was. It was also so organized for how big it was! There were shelves of cashmere sweaters for $50 where one shelf was small, one shelf was medium ect. but they were so neatly folded I had never seen a store that large where everything was so neat. The clothes at Uniqlo are what you would call basic but good quality. One of their specialties is heat technology clothing where it takes you heat to warm you. So I got leggings which were made of the nicest material out of the heat technology then Alex saw a cute sweater dress and was like that looks like you, try it on. I did and regretted it because I went into the store unintentionally planning on buying anything and ended walking out with two things. One popular item many people were buying and you saw on the streets of New York were their puffy jacket which to me didn't even seem like they would keep you warm but they did due to their heat technology which uses your body to make the fabric warmer. I ended up getting legging with the technology but they had shirts, tanks, everything in this one area of the store made with this heat technology. Then Alex found this sweater dress that she told me to try on because it looked like me and I hated how right she was because I ended up buying it.

From Uniqlo we walked down towards Rockefeller Center and saw the Sax 5^th Avenue windows which in my opinion were ok compared to the other windows I saw. The story had to do something with bubbles but the cool thing about Sax was they had a countdown projected on their store. Once it hit 10 seconds they had this awesome video displayed where there were random snowflakes and bubbles projected across the building. The coolest thing about the demonstration was when they placed windows over the real windows and made them close. I put part of the video below.

 

After looking at the video we looked at the Rockefeller Christmas tree which was gorgeous  with all the lights and seeing it in person you don’t realize how big it truly is. Of course right below it is the ice skating rink where there was a 45 minute wait to skate but in my opinion it wasn’t worth the wait to try and skate on it, it was more enjoyable to watch the people skate. After spending some time around Rockefeller center Alex and I went for dinner at a restaurant called the West End which ironically is what they call the theater district in London. The restaurant was very cute and because it was so warm out they had the front windows open like they would in the summer which made the night even more special because it was so warm. At dinner I had the most amazing Pumpkin Ravioli I have ever tasted paired with some lovely wine while Alex had a great New York Burger. 

After dinner we tried to go back to our hotel but there were barriers all up and down 6^th Avenue (where we were) and we needed to get to 7^th where our hotel was. I thought we would have to go in a complete square to get to our hotel but when I approached the officer asking how to get to our hotel he asked to see our hotel key. Once I showed him my hotel key he let us through the barricade and said to show it when we got to 7^th Avenue. I felt like we were getting the VIP treatment because here Alex and I were on 48^th street just walking down the middle with hardly anyone else walking with us and when other people saw us go through the barricade they tried and the officer told them they had to get in at 42^nd street. Finally when we got to Time Square you saw loads of people barricaded in their specific spots that had been there since 10:00 in the morning. When we got to our hotel we changed into New Years clothes while watching some of the New Years Eve coverage on the TV although we could see some of the coverage from our room on the Time Square television screens. When we finally got into Time Square we were barricaded to the side of Time Square but we had a good view  of one of the television screens above us. So we saw Cee Lo Green perform and when Lady GAGA came out the crowd went nuts! She came right out a little before the ball dropped and then when they started the countdown the let go of the barricades we were behind to try and get a better view but in all honesty the best view from where we were was on the TV screens. 


To describe the countdown in Time Square is indescribable but the energy is so electric. I seriously couldn’t believe I was starting the new year in New York in Time Square. It totally didn’t hit mw until the confetti came down and they started blasting New York, New York by Frank Sinatra. I literally have a video of me singing along to the words because how excited I was but that video will never be posted because how embarrassing it is, especially my singing.  Alex and I stayed in Time Square a little bit and hung out with some of the people that were doing the same thing until we decided to grab a slice of New York Pizza. Granted it wasn’t the best New York pizza but it was New York style none the less that we had to fold it.  After eating pizza we had to wait in line with everyone else to get back into the hotel. 


The next day we went to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) which was amazing! We spent majority of the day at the MOMA where I saw most of the museum. I saw everything from your famous modern artists like Picasso, Monet, Da Vinci but two of my favorite exhibits was an artist who likes to create artwork where people come together and experience the artwork together so his space in the MOMA was the beginning structure of a house but then in the space they were giving out a curry which was delicious. I was very lucky to have some of the curry because they only serve it at particular times and it ended up being my lunch for the day. 


My other favorite exhibit was one where you walked in it looked like metal silver pointy things you would not want to touch but you saw people bending down to picking it up. I was intrigued why people were taking someones art but then when you read what the artist intended to do, it had to do with his partner who died from AIDS. His partner enjoyed candy so he incorporated candy into his artwork and encouraged people to take a piece and leave the wrapper which made the artwork have a different look.

                 

After the MOMA we were starving but didn’t know where to go but thankfully being in New York there are tons of different restaurants! We found this cute little French restaurant where I had a lamb burger with goat cheese that was so delectable but they had other great options like cheese fondu and crepes. From the restaurant we headed back to the hotel for our last day in New York.

Our final day in New York City, Alex and I parted ways and planned on meeting later since she had plans to have breakfast with her cousin. So I went to Macy’s to view the windows which are 10 times better than they are in Chicago. Not only did they have the windows we have in Chicago, those same windows were more extensive and not as disappointing as the ones back home are. Macy’s in New York also has another set of windows where it told the story of Meet Virginia. Then inside the store was decked out in lights and huge ornaments, something Marshal Fields use to do before it became Macy’s.

From Macy’s I made my way to Bryant Park where there were cute little shops surrounding an ice skating rink. While there I had a lovely crepe while doing some excellent people watching and had the most amazing hot chocolate ever. The hot chocolate literally looked like melted chocolate and had a truffle on the bottom; I was in chocolate heaven.

After Bryant Park I made it up to Barney’s New York to see GAGA’s World! For those who don’t know Lady Gaga was approached by Barney’s to decorate a whole floor with merchandise, which ranges from clothing to candy, to accessories, to Gaga paper dolls. The décor was really cool though there was a Gaga spider and a bunch of hands with really long finger nails holding up snow globes. I bought a t-shirt for myself to remember my experience there but that will probably be the only thing I will ever buy from Barney’s.

After Barney’s I walked around 5^th avenue until it was time to meet up with Alex. I went into FAO Schwarz to look at the huge Piano which was made famous in the movie BIG. Then I met with Alex in Central park where we walked to the boathouse to eat some cookies then walked around to where we ended up by the Imagine Peace Sign and Strawberry fields. Then we left Central park and stopped for some tea because it was colder than the other days. Then we picked up our luggage and parted ways at Penn Station. I went back to Long Island while Alex to the Megabus to Philly.

The next day I had a plan to see Ground Zero memorial, Union Square, and then have dinner and see my play… well the plan didn’t work out that much to my liking. I have to say I was very proud of myself for taking the subway by myself and getting to the locations without having to retrace my steps. Once I got down near ground zero there were signs that you needed to get tickets, something I did not expect since I thought it was a park.  Then the general public line doesn’t open till 3 where you get a time allotted slot which ended up me having to wait till next New York trip because my time allotted spot would have been around 5 or 6. So I had to leave because I had the play at 7 and didn’t want to rush it or cut it close. So I went to Union Square to explore! If you know me you would be surprised I didn’t go into the Whole Foods that was right at the subway stop but instead went to random boutiques and H&M. Then I hopped on the subway to go toward Time Square where I went back to the Marriott to change into a dress for Darren Criss’ opening night of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

I got to the Al Hirschfeld about 3 minutes before the doors opened (30 minutes before the show started) there was a line around the block in very frigid temperatures. Honestly I had never gone to a show and seen lines this long. Once I got inside, the whole theater had a buzz because it was opening night for Darren. One things for sure there were a lot of fan girls and just females in general in the theater. The show as a whole was funny, entertaining, and a great storyline. Now the show was great and probably it wasn't Darren's best show but you couldn't tell if he made any mistakes. He was a little nervous and there was one time where his voice cracked a little but overall he was brilliant. Now the one thing I would have to complain about is the audience.


Now I don't know if they have never been to a shown or know proper etiquette of a Broadway show but under any circumstances the only shouting out that should be done is for a great job on a song which did happen except during the 2nd to last song before intermission. During the end of the song someone yelled "I Love You Darren" when he wasn't even finished singing. I seriously couldn't believe someone would have the balls to do that especially since it is not a concert. I know I wasn't the only one who thought that because during intermission that was all the buzz you could hear people talking about. Right before I went back to my seat for the 2nd act I ran into Darren Criss' brother Chuck who was taking pictures with a bunch of fans because he is Darren's brother and he's in the band Freelance Whales. He was very kind and patient since I was taking picture with peoples cameras. However, the other thing that upset me during the show was when the cast sang "Brotherhood of Man" the last song, about 30 or so girls left during the performance to go outside to make sure that they got a prime viewing of Darren at the stage door and made sure to get an autograph. It is just rude  not only to those who are enjoying the performance but to those performing who can see people leaving. -That's just my little speel on how I witnessed one of the most rude audiences, due to being so young, in my broadway viewing history.


Overall, the show was great and I left with that feeling in your heart when you have seen a good film or show. You are just happy and in a great mood which you could feel everyone else had when leaving the theater.When the curtain call came you could tell he was trying to hold back tears and he stuck his hands together in great appreciation. I am very fortunate to have seen him perform for his three week stint on Broadway, especially his opening night. 


After the show I stayed behind like many people to try and catch a glimpse of Darren. They had barricades on all three sides and when Darren came out the screams were deafening. However, somehow through all the screams he silenced the crowd to where you could faintly hear him say " From the bottom of my heart I want to thank you for coming out tonight. You don't know how special this is to me and how much it means to me."


And that concluded my New York trip! It was amazing and magical as New York always is. It was my last trip of 2011 and first of 2012. I feel 2012 (or twenty dozen as I like to call it) will be another great year. Not as much travel planned but I feel big things are going to happen!

The City by the Bay

So this is a delayed post ... started writing it and lost track of time which is why it isn't as detailed as some of my posts have been for my other adventures.

Anyways for my birthday I went to San Francisco with my friend Simone. This trip all came to be because there was a $100 off a Virgin Atlantic flight to either San Francisco or Los Angelas. I chose San Francisco and it was a trip.

First off Virgin Atlantic was an amazing flight and I wish I could fly it all the time. The lighting throughout the plane was purple and each seat has an individual television. The seats were leather but not the most comfortable however below each seat there is a plug so if you need to charge your phone or  ipod ect which is brilliant. The televisions you can watch live television for instance, I watched X factor live like everyone else. You can also watch movies, order nice food like salad, and alcoholic beverages  for a fee. One of the cool things about the flight is we saw lightening from the window but wait, what's even cooler is that Virgin has a contract with Google Crome tablet that lasts up to eight hours on battery life. How it works is if you are one of the first 25 people to check into the desk you are given a tablet and you return it when you leave the plane. You get to use free Wifi by using the Crome tablet however if you use the Wifi on the plane with your own device you have to pay $12. It's brilliant and so smart. I don't know why other airlines don't do it.

Enough about the flight now onto the trip. We arrived at our hotel which was very nice and had a bar inside. So we had a quick night cap before going to bed before our busy day. The next morning we had a wonderful breakfast that was right next door then hopped in a cab to go to Alcatraz. We took a ferry over where we then went on to watch a movie on people who have lived on the "rock." After it was a prison, Native American's took over and lived there for a bit before the days where they had preservations. After the video we headed up to the prison to take an audio tour. We walked up and down the cell blocks learning all the stories and people who lived there. The stories that stick out are the break out and the prisoners who escaped.

The prisoner who broke out made broke the bars with his own bar splitter and then tried to reach the keys in that were hanging. They were eventually caught and killed however those who escaped have never been found. If you have seen the movie Prisoner of Alcatraz you know the story however, for those who don't I will tell you. Three prisoners took spoons from the cafeteria and used them to dig around the vents in the back of their cell. The wall debris they collected they would scattered it throughout the courtyard they went to everyday where they got some fresh air. After working on the vent they fashioned dummies so when they escaped the guards paroling during the night would think they were asleep. After they crawled through the vent they crawled down the shafts and escaped to the roof where it is assumed that the water either took their lives or that they escaped to Brazil. While on tour because it was fleet week we got to see some of the planes do their thing in the air. Below are the pictures from Alcatraz and Fleet Week

After Alcatraz, we walked down to Fisherman's Wharf where we did a quick walk around. It is incredibly crowded and there are a bunch of people eating food but the thing I wanted to eat while out there was In and Out Burger which everyone talks about eating. Let me tell you it was worth the wait and extremely delicious and filling. I got a regular burger but ordered my fries Animal Style which if you have never been, it is not on the menu but something you must order for your first time.  After Simone and I walked to Ghirardelli square where we got pumpkin chocolate. It was delicious but we couldn't eat any more because we were so full from In and Out.

In and Out burger Animal Style fries

Now one thing I found interesting about San Francisco is that yes it's a large city but when it comes to cabs they are not as frequent as they are in Chicago and New York. Simone and I waited for 20 minutes to get a cab which was near a hotel and after the cab we took a nap and headed back to our hotel for the night to get ready for a night of fun!

We ended going to a couple of bars and calling it a night. The next day we went to Union Square for shopping and then to end our last day in San Fran we went to Haight and Ashbury where we walked around and had amazing food at this Pork place where it was constantly busy. Then it was time to go back to reality and back to Chicago. Overall, San Francisco was a great time and an amazing city but theres so much to do that I will have to go back in the future! 

X factor USA vs X factor UK. It's Finally HERE!!!

So tonight X-Factor USA finally premiered. Now unlike many who saw the show tonight I actually knew the concept behind the show and have been waiting over 3 years for the show to hit the states. You see, I have been watching the X-factor UK version now for 3 years. This will be my 3^rd UK season but ever since I saw videos in the top 10 videos on YouTube I have been hooked.

The season, for those you familiar with the UK version, I started watching the season Joe McEldery won. However, the video that grabbed my attention and was shown in promos before X-factor tapings was Danyl Johnson’s I Get By With a Little Help from My Friends the Joe Crocker version. It was on the top 10 YouTube videos for a while but the other standouts auditions for me were Olly Murs with Superstition by Stevie Wonder and Lucie Jones version of I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston. (I have a soft spot for both) This season was also the season where auditions were in front of live audiences so that played a big part. I watched many of the videos of the show via YouTube but then I started finding streams, which were a godsend.

Through the UK version I have been introduced to the terrible but entertaining Jedward and Wagner, to the amazing sounds of Matt Cardle, boy band One Direction, and past alums JLS and Alexandra Burke. However, one of the best introductions to X-factor was Cheryl Cole who was a judge who I never heard of but fell in love with instantly. Fox and Simon were hoping for the same effect but for some reason axed her because “she was hard to understand.” I was lucky enough to go to the Chicago auditions to see Cheryl in action as a judge and Nicole Scherzinger was a presenter with Steve Jones. During audition breaks people were cheering for Cheryl and I wasn’t the only one. Tonight #CherylRocks was trending worldwide during the show and many papers mentioned she was a better judge than Nicole. If I had it my way Nicole would go out and Cheryl in but that’s not going to happen. Instead, I will have to wait for Cheryl’s big break in her movie where she will make an appearance.

Anyways on to the show! For those who don’t know the judges are mentors to 4 categories. The contestants have to go through live auditions and then boot camp where the categories are narrowed down to 6-8 people depending on what X-factor USA chooses. Those 6-8 people then go to judge’s houses where the judge has another famous person help them narrow down their category to 3 people.

So here is how the UK show differs from the USA version.

• -       In the UK the youngest you can be is 16 unlike in the states the youngest is 12
• -       In the UK the older category is over 25 (or 28 Matt Cardle season) in the states its over 30
• -       In the UK version Dermott O’Leary has more of a presenter role talking to the contestant and is shown in the back with the family unlike in the states wher Steve Jones gets very little screen time
• -       I don’t know if they did this the 1^st season on X-factor UK but they did interviews with the judges a lot more and explained the show a lot more
• -       The winner in the US will get a $5 Million record recording contract and will be featured in the Pepsi Super Bowl commercial unlike the UK where you get a record contract

As you can somewhat see I am a major X-factor fan.  The one thing I love about the show is the inspirational stories. Whenever I watch it, it feels like I can too follow my dreams and things are possible. I know it sounds cheesy but during these difficult times where I am unemployed, X factor brings a little joy and hope into my life.

Now I leave you with one of the best auditions, in my opinion, from the UK and USA versions. Jade Richards is probably one of the best auditions I have heard where someone has sung an Adele song with the type of meaning it needs. In the US, tonight’s show was Chris Rene who was one of the best auditions I have heard when someone sings their own song.

Jade Richards- UK Someone Like You 

Chris Rene- USA

Overall, X-factor is one of the most entertaining shows out there and I can't wait to see what will come. Stay tuned to my opinion on the future show. 

Women's World Cup USA vs Japan

Anyone who knows me, knows three things I am obsessed with everything England, I love to travel, and I love sports especially soccer or the rest of the world calls football. So today when the USA played in the World Cup finals one would assume I was watching the game, but that was not the case. I was at the airport where I overheard people cheering and doing their oos and aas which is definitely an interesting way to follow a game. It's also funny when the game is over and you see men running to their gate to make sure they make it on time.

One thing for sure was this Women's World Cup final was more eventful than the Men's World Cup final. Both went into overtime and both had number 1 ranked countries in the final. Although for the Men's, Spain was the world number 1 and won, while in Women's, USA was the world number 1 and lost to Japan. Also for Men's World Cup it was one of the most boring drawn out games ever. While with the Women's there were many close shots and it went into penalties unlike the Men's where Iniesta scored the goal in the second overtime.

Overall, one thing about this game gets me excited. People are starting to get more involved with soccer and caring about it. Last year when it was the World Cup more of my friends watched the games than in 2006. More of my friends are coming to me for advice or want to understand the game of soccer. This gets me excited because then when I talk about it with someone they will have some knowledge on the game and players.

So now on to the game. I really wanted to US to win and thought they would pull it through. Earlier this morning there was an article in the New York Times sports section on Abby Wambach and how she has been wanting to win a World Cup. Abby has won a gold medal and has never made it to a World Cup final because the US have lost in the semi-finals the past two times. So I really wanted to US to win for Abby who has done an incredible job with contacting the ball mostly with her head. Besides Abby another stand out star that has come from the team is Hope Solo. Yes, she has had many references to Han but her quick timing got the US to the finals by saving the goals against the Brazil team. Yet this time around it was not for us to win.

If you don't know, the game was tied 1-1 in normal time went into 2-2 in extra time which was two 15 minute halfs. Then we went into penalties where just to put it nicely Abby Wambach was the only one who scored. To be honest it is sad that we lost but when you think of the type of year Japan has had I feel not as terrible that we lost. It's like when the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl after Katrina. It brings a sense of hope and a little warm heart feeling however there was some disappointment felt as well.

Overall, the Women's World Cup was watched by many. Yes, the outcome was not to my liking but I can live with Japan winning considering the year they have had. But the one thing that brings me more hope is the fact that more people are going to be interested in the sport and it will grow in America. Cheers-- USA!!! USA!!! You still did us proud

Harry Potter and Butterbeer cupcakes

Harry Potter and the Dealthy Hallows Part 2 has come to an end and it feels like a huge part of my childhood has ended. So in honor of the movie I made butterbeer cupcakes last week for the 2nd time but these looked 10 times better than last time. Here is the recipe for Butterbeer cupcakes but I highly suggest making the ganache 1st so it can cool and when the cupcakes come out you can put the ganache in right away. Just forewarning it does take time to make and the ganache is not very thick unless you put it in a freezer for a long time which I have not done.

It is well worth it and the icing definitely is what makes the cupcake. I brought them to work and this is all that was left. They are delicious and although I have yet been to Harry Potter World I can imagine what real butterbeer tastes like.


Anyways I hope you all saw the final Harry Potter movie. I went to the midnight showing in Chicago where rumor had it Matthew Lewis who plays Neville Longbottom was in town but he was only suppose to be at Navy Pier. Well that was not true, he showed up at our theater but my friends and I missed him. There was a point when I went to the bathroom where there was a lot of commotion in the hall that I really should have checked it out because I think I could have seen him. Mr. Lewis has definitely cleaned up real nice and has become very attractive. I did not know that during the movies he had to wear a fat suit and had to wear fake teeth but it added to his character.

Overall, I thought the movie was brilliant. The theatre laughed, cried, cheered and clapped in unison throughout the movie. But, there were some parts I liked better in the book than in the movies. It is definitely one of the best movies and I am glad they broke the movie into two parts considering it was the last movie.

Well now that the movies and books are over, all that is left is the impact Harry Potter has had on my life and to share it with others. It is amazing how I have grown up with Harry Potter. I was about 12 years old, the same as Harry when the books came out. My brother and I use to wait in the midnight lines at Barnes and Nobles waiting to get our copy when the first couple books came out. However as we got older we would pre-order them and pick them up the next morning. We only ever got one copy except for book 7 which, is funny that the two of us shared the books. We would have different bookmarks in each book and trade off which is crazy because most siblings have their own copy and don't like to share.

Harry Potter got my brother and I into reading like so many other children. We use to run away from 300 page books but were now concurring 800 page books with no problem. However, it baffles me how many of my peers have not read Harry Potter and have avoided something that has now been integrated into our culture. Even if you have not read the books, people know that Muggles are non-magical folk, Voldermort is He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and people know that Harry Potter's best friends are Ron and Hermione. Yes, some people might just know these things by just going to the movies and not reading the books but, when the movies come out Harry Potter is what everyone is talking about. Case in point, my friend and I were at a bar having some drinks discussing the movie when someone excused us and told us not to talk about the movie because they had not seen it yet. So we had to stop talking about it but a majority of people have already seen it. The midnight and 2:30 a.m. showings alone ranked in over 4 million dollars. CRAZY!

Anyways, I have to say one of the best things I did this year was re-read all the books and coincided the movies when I finished the books. My mother thought re-reading the books was crazy and now my brother is doing the same thing. Although she thinks this is ridiculous, she does not fully understand the amazing world and work J.K. Rowling put out there. It will be a book I will re-read again and make sure my children read. I want to clarify one thing though, I am not as dedicated as some. Although I made cupcakes and have gone to midnight showings, I am not the best at quoting the book or knowing all the ins and outs of Harry Potter. Yes, I am signed up for Pottermore, but who isn't, and I am aware of the websites out there. I am aware of Mugglenet, theleakycaldron, and know the convention for everything Potter is called Leaky Con. I also know there are bands out there like Harry and the Potters and the Remus Lupins although I don't know any of their particular work.

The only thing I know that might go into that category is Starkids Production of A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequel. I have only gotten 2 of my hard-core Harry Potter friends to see it but it is one of my favorite things out there. The songs and plots are on point with the books and it is overall entertaining and brilliant.

No matter what Harry Potter has impacted my life and the lives of so many others. It is sad that there are no more books and movies. The things we have to look forward to are people like Starkid and those who attend Leaky Con who have embraced Harry and expanded his world in new avenues. Oh, and we cannot forget what Pottermore will have installed for us too.

Waffles and Wimbledon

It’s been a week since Wimbledon ended but I wanted to share one of the things I look forward to when Wimbledon starts.... Waffles and Wimbledon!!! The last few years we have started this tradition where we have waffles and strawberries with whip cream since its an English thing and Wimbledon is at the All England Club. This year before the match started my mother laid down a tablecloth and vase, which she believed matched a tennis ball (I couldn’t see if but went with it). I also dressed in a white dress since it is club rules you have to wear white.



So we started the match late (the power of DVR) and it was between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. I have always be a Rafael Nadal fan even in Roger/Rafa matches I will root for Rafa while my mother and brother will root a little more for Roger. It would have been great to see a Roger/Rafa match but the Roger and Tsonga match, which was a brilliantly, beautiful match. Tsonga truly outshone Roger and was a complete upset for Wimbledon disappointing people's dream match between Roger and Rafa.

Anyways it was obvious from watching the match that my mom and I wanted Rafa to win because we would scream at the same time Rafa would miss the ball. However, it was clear from the beginning that Djokovic or as my mom like to pronounce Yokavic (He's a yolk!!!) was going to win. He came out really strong even though the 1st set felt like the whole match would go into tiebreakers.

Although Rafa was ranked number 1 Novak was going to be crowded the number 1 at the end of Wimbledon because he has won more matched this year. Novak only lost one match which made his record 46-1 which is insane to think someone could have that type of record so because he has won more matches that Rafa he was crowned number 1 and ended up winning the Wimbledon final 6-4 6-1 1-6 6-3.

Overall, great tennis to watch and it was an incredible match even if Nadal didn't win. Did anyone else besides me think that Nadal's shirt was a little distracting? Blue circles under the armpits? It is just asking you to look there and see if there are pits stains. However one of the best things I do appreciate about Nadal is that the matches up to the final if he won he would take off his shirt and you would hear the crowd go woooo and he'd give a cheeky smile. Till next Wimbledon or US Open where who knows we might start a new tradition for that final.