A Mundane Monday Post –
This past holiday week felt like an absolute blur, the kind where days melt into cocktails and suddenly it’s laundry day again.
It all started Saturday at my mom’s place downtown. There was coquito, wine, beer, delicious food, and presents. Naturally, that wasn’t the end of the night. A few lychee martinis and espresso martinis later, we realized it was officially time to go home.
Sunday was strictly for recovery. Monday, however, was a return to reality, end-of-year cleaning, decluttering, and finally dealing with the mountain of dirty clothes that had been quietly judging us. Of course, we left laundry for the last minute, so Tuesday morning was spent at the laundromat before getting ready to head to Long Island for my husband’s show.
After the show wrapped around 9:30, we packed up and drove straight back into the city to celebrate my mom, because New Year’s Eve is also her birthday. Out came the hats, blowers, headbands, and novelty earrings. We gobbled up grapes (one for each month, intentions included), popped some bubbly, sang happy birthday, played games, and eventually crashed.
The next day, we Ubered to the Upper East Side for my moms Birthday brunch, paella at a Spanish spot that absolutely delivered. After lingering over last-minute drinks at the bar, we headed back, stopped by my mother-in-law’s to drop off holiday gifts, and finally made it home. It felt like a small victory to have one quiet day… which lasted approximately five minutes because we were packing for a Hudson Valley birthday getaway.
The next day came fast. I packed, decided to do my nails last minute (a mistake), messed them up multiple times, and repeatedly told myself I should’ve just gone to the salon. Anthony helped when he could while working, and eventually we hit the road.
Once we arrived, we dropped our bags, relaxed for a bit, and wandered the hotel grounds, a beautiful, old-school estate vibe that felt straight out of another time. After freshening up, we headed to dinner… which turned out to be a steakhouse attached to a mall. I showed up dressed for “luxury steakhouse,” only to realize the vibe was more “casual mall adjacent.” Still, the food was great, the steak delivered, the service was amazing and we had fun.
After dinner, we went into town for drinks. I casually mentioned it was my birthday, and the bartender generously sent over shots. My mom, sister, and bestie called at midnight to sing happy birthday, and we squeezed in one more bar before heading back to the hotel. There were more espresso martinis for me, a full-on singing party in our room, and eventually sleep.
At some point in the middle of the night, I woke up, turned on the TV (which I never do), and landed on live news footage of what was happening in Venezuela. It was intense and surreal, definitely not the late-night news I expected.
The next morning was slow. We made our way back into town for ramen and gyozas, absolutely necessary after the my many espresso martinis. We walked around, popped into a vintage store where I found a unique, flattering dress, grabbed pies, coffee, a bunch of fun bagels, and excellent cream cheese, then headed back to the hotel for a nap.
Later, we watched Abbott Elementary, got ready, and headed downstairs for dinner at the hotel’s upscale Chinese restaurant, a dream scenario. The food was incredible, the flavors were unreal, and they even brought out champagne. I ended the night with a mango inspired dessert, tea, and a cappuccino. We walked upstairs (literally two flights), got into bed, and called it a night.
The next morning, we packed up, ate bagels from the day before, checked out, and headed back to the city. It was the perfect kind of getaway, close enough, but still an escape. I may have gone a little hard on espresso martinis the first night, but the second night was calmer, just as beautiful, and exactly what I needed before jumping back into work and responsibility mode.
We got home, unpacked, ate leftovers, napped, and officially closed out the week. Busy, chaotic, a little all over the place, but still really nice. Next time I’m free, though? I’m aiming for something more low-key. Indoors, walking distance, minimal espresso martinis… maybe.
Until next time.