Snow Day in New York City

Last Thursday New York City experienced our first winter storm. Luckily for me I had requested a personal day for that Friday, but it was because I had a wedding to go to. So knowing how bad the snow storm would be did make me nervous about going to the wedding.

So Thursday night my boyfriend and I stayed up a bit because we both had the following day off. Usually he's in bed by 10PM because he has to get to work by 7AM and I go to sleep by 11:30PM. We also kept watching updates on the storm and looking out the window. Whenever I looked out the window it looked like a scene from a movie. I love how snow looks when it first sticks to the ground. It looks so clean and it makes you want to go out there and play in the snow. One of my favorite things to do when I lived at home was to go to the backyard with my sisters get into a snow fight and make snow angels.

On Friday I got to sleep in for once and although the snow was bad, it didn't look too bad as how the news said it would be. I was expecting almost a foot of snow, but it was only about six inches. I guess in my eyes that's not bad because I'm not the one shoveling any of the snow. So after my boyfriend and I ate breakfast we got ready to go outside to take pictures in the snow.

We were only out there for about 15 minutes at most and that was enough for the both of us. With that much time we were only able to take about 3-4 pictures because it sure was cold. Once we got back inside the house and ate lunch it was time to get ready for the wedding.

Lucky for us we called Metro Line a Brooklyn based taxi company and we were able to reserve a cab in Maspeth. Usually they don't reserve cabs, but I suppose it was different that day because of the snow. Meanwhile when we called a local Queens taxi company (Four Ones); they told us our chances were slim to none and should call back at 3:30PM. We needed the cab for 4:30PM so that wasn't going to work. Plus what if we called at 3:30PM and they still didn't have a taxi available? We would've been screwed. At least there's always options in New York City.

Once 4:30 PM came our cab picked us up on time and off we went to our friend's wedding. In a nutshell our snow day was very productive and we had fun all throughout the day and night.

End Of Summer BBQ

On September 21st the Knights of Columbus Lexington Council of Greenpoint Brooklyn held their end of summer BBQ. It was an absolute beautiful day for one. At first it was cloudy and the weather man did say some morning showers would appear, but the showers came and gone so quickly and we were able to enjoy the day. After the five minute rain the sun was out and about.

The BBQ was held at St. Anthony's school yard and they had all the typical BBQ dishes (burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs, salads, beers and sodas). It was a nice community outing. New and old people of the Greenpoint area was in attendance.

My friend even came out to support the cause too. Last time I saw him was for my birthday in April. It really was a great event to be around family and friends. These are the moments I cherish because everyone's always so busy.

Everyone at the BBQ were great and you felt like a community with everyone there. Since Greenpoint is changing a lot everyday it's nice to go to these functions and give back to the community. It's kind of sad to see a neighborhood change so much. No one knows each other like they use to and it doesn't feel like a neighborhood anymore. Greenpoint seems like LES to me and I've been told by many that it wasn't always the case.

Below is the link to the pictures from the BBQ and the Knight's of Columbus Lexington Council Facebook page. If you're from the Greenpoint area and interested in giving back to the community check out the Knights of Columbus. Also make sure to like their page for future updates. They've been around for so long helping others out. As I've said before it's time to give back.

Pictures from the BBQ

Knights of Columbus Lexington Council Facebook Page

NYC Apartment Search Difficutlies

I'm born and raised in Queens NY and I can't believe how difficult it is to rent an apartment in your own neighborhood. 

I'm not a fan of realtors and I think their fee is beyond ridiculous. I understand people have to make a living but one month's rent to be the middle person is way to much, but whatever. This is how the game works, I needed to be robbed in order to get a place to live. 

My favorite thing has to be the fact that you tell them your price range and they insist on showing you an apartment that's a bit higher than your price range. Why ask for a price range when you're going to show me something I didn't really ask for. Then they tell you well if you bond with the landlord they might lower the rent for you. So right away this is all a joke from the beginning. 

My thing is how did becoming a renter get to this point. My parents owned a house and we rented, but we never asked people "how much is in your bank account". My own mother doesn't know that information why would I give a complete stranger knowledge of that. I'd like to know how much is in the landlord's bank account so I know that they can pay their mortgage and that while I'm renting I'm guaranteed a roof over my head. Then because I don't want to disclose how much is in my bank account which is no one's business but my own the realtor suggests that we pay 2 months security so they feel that we're more financially secure. So that 's 4 months rent because I have to pay the realtor too. If I wanted to pay 4 months rent up front I rather buy my own house instead of renting. 

Also just because people have money it doesn't mean they'll be good tenant. I mean let's be for real now. Look at these hipsters, yuppies, trust funds whatever you want to call them. Prior to them invading our cities I've never heard of bed bugs my whole life. I remember there were tics at Washington Square Park in the Village and they said not to sit on the grass, but other than that I've never heard of such a thing. Now if you think you've heard it all, well I save the best for last. I've heard of a realtor saying the landlord requires a blood test to rent the apartment so that they know the people they rent to don't have diseases.  

I wish I could win the lotto and buy up a bunch of buildings and take over these neighborhoods that have changed so much. I'm shocked landlords aren't asking the rentor for their first born child. The renting business is so ass backward and hopefully I do find a place soon and on that note I feel a lot better after my ranting episode. 

My Latest Tattoo

My latest tattoo is very special to me. It's for my stepfather who had just passed away very recently, July 22, 2013. When he passed he was only sixty two year old. He had lung cancer and it had spread to his bones. Although it's beyond sad at least now he's no longer in any pain.

On the day of the funeral I was devastated. I wasn't ready for the casket to be closed. So when I said my final goodbye to him all I could do was hug him (sort of) and tell him repeatedly that I was sorry. More like begging for forgiveness.

(For the past two years our relationship had changed. One night he had a huge argument with my mother and I never really forgave him for it. To make matters worst for the first six months to a year after that I acted as if he didn't exist. A complete b*tch and now I have to live with my actions. I guess you can say I made up for it because once I knew how sick he was my feelings/actions reverted back to how it use to be, but I never really forgave myself for acting the way I did.)

So when we got to the cemetery I was holding a white rose and I had seen a butterfly flying around. The butterfly was orange and black. Then out of no where the butterfly landed right on my flower and it stayed there for a good five to ten seconds. I was so nervous when the butterfly landed on my flower that I held my breath. When the butterfly flew away my boyfriend told me it was a good sign and I didn't think anything of it.

The next day I told my mom about the butterfly and once I mentioned it she said "that was him" and that my stepfather always believed that butterflies were angels. I was beyond touched when she said that and I was happy that it happened.

Later on that week I had met with a friend and told her my butterfly story. She agreed with my mom and said that she's heard a couple of stories with butterflies at funerals or when a person who is close to you passes.

Later on that night I decided to Google it. What I found was amazing. One story was of a mother who's daughter passed away because she got hit by a drunk driver. At her daughter's funeral there was a white butterfly on her casket during the whole ceremony. The mother didn't realize it till a nun had pointed it out and said she was with us all along. That's when I figured out why the butterfly landed on my flower. I had begged for forgiveness and even though he couldn't tell me he showed me that things were okay between us through the butterfly.

That's the big story behind the tattoo. Now for the design my stepfather had a dagger/sword (depending how you look at it) on his right arm. I took that and added a white rose wrapped around it with the butterfly on top. I wanted my tattoo to be something special and something that shows that I do love him and I wish I had been a better person.

I got my tattoo done at B52 Tattoo (located at 248 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn NY 11211, Williamsburg). Snake Eyes took my vision and made it a million times more amazing than I thought it'd be. The tattoo alone took about two to two and a half hours and honestly it wasn't as bad as I thought it would have been. I even watched YouTube videos to see how other people reacted to getting a tattoo on their shin. Some people couldn't take the pain and some were fine with it. The only part that hurt was the shading and anyone who has gotten a tattoo knows that shading is the worst part. When people ask how it feels I tell them it's like having a cut on your skin then putting a lighter over it. It stings and it burns, but if you want something that bad you'll suck up the pain.

Below are pictures of the original tattoo versus my tattoo and a video of how shading works.

Also if you're in need of a dope tattoo check out Snake Eyes at B 52 Tattoo. He's been in the industry forever and he's a great artist. I've seen his work on my boyfriend and some of his other friends. You know a person is good when he gets booked up really quick. When getting a tattoo do your research and get recommendations. Your tattoo is for life, you need to have someone that you can trust to ink you up. 

Coney Island Date Night

Two weekends ago my boyfriend and I decided to go to Coney Island for a date night. I've been to Coney Island a million times with my family, but never with him. The journey down there isn't too bad from Queens and who cares when you're looking forward to a fun filled night.

Once we got there the first thing we did was go to Nathans between Schweikerts Walk & Stillwell Ave. I've never been to this location before and I didn't even realize it existed because I thought they only had the one location on the Boardwalk. This location had a whole bunch of seafood items on the menu, and I got the clams and chips instead of their hotdogs. At first when I got it I thought it didn't look like much and that I would be hungry. To my surprise it was very filling and the clams and chips also came with cole slaw and corn bread. For $7 I was stuffed so this was bargain eating at it's best. My boyfriend opt for the more regular Nathan's items like their hot dogs and french fries. Even though I didn't get it this time their cheese fries are one of the best cheese fries ever. You have to try them at least once. 

After we ate we walked on the Boardwalk then walked into the amusement parks. The first ride we went on was the Polar Express. For $10 per person the ride was at least ten minutes long and you do feel like you get your money's worth. This ride is not scary at all and they play music while you're on it (mostly hip hop). The ride goes around in a circle and it has little baby hills here and there. 

Once we were done with the Polar Express we decided to take a break from the rides and play some games. First we went to the Arcade and we played Skee Ball and then played Terminator 2. During Skee Ball my boyfriend and I can get pretty competitive. We always have been whenever we're playing a game. After the arcade we played two of the typical carnival games. We didn't have any luck with the carnival games and didn't win any prizes. 

So for our second ride I was so determined to go on the Wonder Wheel. We bought our tickets and got on line. Once the family in front of us got in, I then started to notice how high the ferris wheel was. Also the seats looked like they were made out of really thin metal. I started panicking and had to get off the line. I just couldn't do it. The Wonder Wheel is super tall and I hope one day I'll be able to get over my fear. So we got our tickets back and went into the hunted house ride instead. We were the only ones on it, but it was fine with me. The ride had your regular hunted house items inside. Nothing out of the ordinary. My boyfriend being the jokester that he is told the attendant that he was so scared that his hair fell off. You can't help but laugh since he's bald. 

After the haunted house ride we decided we went on enough rides for the night. We walked on the Boardwalk towards the F train. Before we got on the train we went to this new candy store named It's Sugar. It had every kind of candy there was. Even older candy from the 80s. At this store I got myself a king size Air Head and a cute little tee for my baby cousin that said "I Love Boobs" on it. The store offers a variety of things, candy, shirts, household items (dishware) clothes; a little bit of everything. 

Once we got done shopping and looking around we went home. Being out on the Boardwalk and enjoying the summer night was by far one of the best date nights I had with my boyfriend. It's not always about going out for dinner and getting fancy. What's more important is enjoying the moments you and that special someone share and having fun together. 

Picnic At Brooklyn Bridge Park

                Three weekends ago my boyfriend and I went to the Brooklyn Bridge Park for a picnic. It was a good idea, but there were some flaws in our plans.

                First off we decided to take the East River Ferry. Last year when we took the ferry it wasn’t bad at all. So we decided to take the ferry from North 6^th St (Williamsburg, Brooklyn). Biggest mistake ever because when we got there the line was already long and the workers warned us that we might not be able to get on the boat, but we thought lets take our chances. It couldn’t be that bad, but it was. We didn’t make it on the first boat and it took another 40 minutes for the next one to come. A lot of people did got off the line once they weren’t able to get on and we got lucky being the first ones for the second boat. It’s just that the forty minutes wait was crazy. They should have had more boats on the weekends since more people will be using them. So note to self when going to Brooklyn Bridge Park it’s best to use the Subway because it gets you there a lot faster.

                Once we got to the park there was a bunch of people there. I guess word got around about the place. It's very easy to get to and the view of the park is just beautiful. Overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge and just being by  the water is a really great feeling. The park is very spacious so there’s more than enough space for people to set up for a picnic. We got a spot under some shade because my boyfriend tends to get sun burned easily. There’s also a pool there, but I haven't ventured to that part of the park yet. 

                Being at the park for the picnic was very relaxing. After eating our sandwiches I fell asleep for a bit. Being in the shade and having the breeze on you tends to put you in the mood for a mini nap. Once we got done with our picnic we were going to go to the small ice cream shop that’s there. The line for the ice cream shop was insane. You would think it’s a line for a famous club in Vegas or Miami. Same thing goes for the line for the ferry. This time around my boyfriend and I knew better not to try to get on the ferry. It probably would’ve been a two hour wait before we got home.

                Instead we took the train home. Although the F train had some work done on it I got home a lot quicker than taking the ferry and having to take the subway as well.

                So note Brooklyn Bridge Park is still a nice place to go to, but nowadays it’s more crowded and a lot of people seem to have found out about it. It’s definitely a place you should try to go at least once, but it’s no longer a hidden gem. 

The Last Concert I went to... Bruno Mars

My last concert was in June at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. For my 30th birthday my boyfriend bought me tickets to the Bruno Mars concert. Lucky for me this was the second time I got to see Bruno Mars. I had been to his first concert as well for my 28th birthday. It was at the Roseland Ballroom, so having the concert at the Barclays Center was definitely a step up for Bruno Mars.

The person I chose to come with me was my mom. Although my boyfriend gave me the tickets, when I first got them he said he didn't want to go. So then a few days afterwards I told him that my mom was going with me and he had the nerve to say he was just joking and wanted to go. Too bad for him and his joking around like that, I still ended up taking my mother. My mother and I haven't had a girl's day just the two of us for a while and she hasn't been to a concert since she was a teenager.

The concert started at 8PM so I left my house about 6:30PM so I could get to Barclays without rushing and to have enough time to shop.  The train ride took about an hour and when we got there we of course had to take pictures outside and inside of the Barclays Center. I always knew Barclays center was huge, but I never realized how big it was and this was my first time being there. It really see a sight to see.

Getting into the Barclays was very quick which is always a good thing. Once inside we went to the bar and ordered a round of drinks. I suggest to never drink there. The prices are sky rocket for such a little amount. So after getting our overpriced drinks we went to shop for some souvenirs. I got myself a t-shirt and then we went up to our seats. Our seats were in section 200 row 9. I don't recommend any seats above the 100 section because it's very steep and you can't stand up to dance during the concert. My mom is scared of heights and so am I; so it took us both a minute or two to get use to our seats.

Once we got to our seats the first band was performing and then about 9PM they were done and they started to change the set. It was an exciting moment once you know that the performer is coming on. Finally Bruno Mars came on and that's when the party started.

Bruno Mars is a great performer and this time around he was more interactive with the audience. Then at one point of the concert he was singing 90s R&B songs like My Boo and Candy Rain. That of course was one of my favorite moments since those were the songs I grew up with. He also sang the more popular songs from his first album like Runaway Baby, Grenade, Just The Way You Are, etc. After all of this he ended the concert with Locked Out of Heaven and Gorilla. By far this this was one of my favorite concerts. I've been other concerts like Katy Perry, The Big Four and Dave Matthews Band.

The next big concert I'm going to will be Macklemore. That I can't wait to go to since he's another really good performer to watch and he's also a good rapper. People mostly associate him with pop music because of the song Thrift Shop, but when you listen to his whole album he rap about real stuff. Well it'll be a little bit of a wait till the next concert, but I can't hardly wait for it.

Daily Blog: Favorite Thing To Do In The Summer

Every time summer comes all I think about is being out doors. The weather is nice why would I want to be stuck at home.

First place that comes to mind is the beach. I absolutely love going to the beach. At the beach I’m all about tanning. The essentials you’ll need are sun screen, sun glasses and I like to bring a book or magazine. I like reading when I’m tanning I feel more relaxed and I’m able to enjoy my book. I love watching the waves come in and being under the sun. The one beach in NY that I like is Long Beach. I rather pay so I can tan at a clean beach. Although this year I do plan on going to the Rockaways since it’s not too far of a bus ride from my house. The only thing is that bus gets ridiculously packed on the weekends no matter what time you go. 

Another outdoor activity I enjoy is having a picnic. I wish my boyfriend and I got to do more of this last year, but I’m hoping that would change for this year. A good place to go to is Dumbo Park. Last year we went there it was such a nice thing to do. We even got to take a little nap during out picnic. The views are also amazing, right next to the Brooklyn Bridge and then you can see Downtown Manhattan across from there. If you decide to go try the Ice Cream shop. They serve homemade ice cream and it’s worth every penny of it. You can also take the water taxi from Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Downtown Manhattan to get there.

As for the night life, I like being outside so going to a cafe where I can sit on the sidewalk is ideal to me. Another great place to be out and enjoy the outdoors would be to go to a beer garden. There are so many of them now and each one is unique. There are a couple of them in Williamsburg and Astoria. The one in Astoria is called Bohemian Hall Beer Garden located at 29-19 24^th Ave. The one located in Williamsburg is called Berry Park and it’s located at 4 Berry St, Brooklyn. I prefer Bohemian Hall Beer Garden because you’re outdoors and it feels like you’re at a park surrounded by all these picnic tables. Berry Park to me is a regular bar with a big roof top, so it doesn’t really feel much like a garden. Although don’t be surprised both places gets very packed during the summer time.

Well that’s all about what I love doing in the summer time. Tomorrow’s topic is a Throwback Thursday topic, and it’s a good one. 

All About Me

At first I thought I’d focus on food since I enjoy eating out a lot, but then why limit myself. I started thinking about what to write about. Why not write about anything and everything I do. I go out to several different events and enjoy the night life as well. I like trying out different restaurants as well.

(Just as a side note I was born and raised in Queens, so most of these so called adventures will be in NYC. I usually go out in Queens, Williamsburg and Greenpoint. I’m not afraid to travel and have hung out in the Bronx, Harlem and Washington Heights. )

So that’s where the name Inda’s Adventures comes from. I try to travel at least once or twice a year depending how my wallet is looking. Just cause you might be on a tight budget doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy life too. This year alone I got to go to Amsterdam and of course South Beach. Going to Miami is a tradition my best friend and I do for 4th of July. Plus there's no place to be like South Beach.

Here I’ll be reviewing everything, places I’ve been to, where I’ve eaten, best places to grab drinks you name it I’ll review it. I'll also have daily blogs for fun topics ranging from "what's the best pizza I've eaten" to "what's the last concert I attended".  

If you want to recommend a place for me to visit please feel free to let me know. There’s a million and one things to do in NYC and I’d love to get to them all.