the 214 party

...was a huge undertaking and I was crazed with stress the entire week before...but with the help of 2 servers, a kick-ass bartender, and of course, the teamwork of the easiest person I have ever planned and executed a party with (not one fight! no matter how hard I tried!) I think it turned out to be a success....at least that's what I heard from my fabulous friends and family and Mark's fabulous friends and family. A special thanks to Jessica for her incredible brownies (which Mark will not share), Joyce Mantell for her delicious spanikopeta, Adriana for her cookies, Colin for his five over the top cakes, Andrea Lawrence for showing up 2 hours early and saving my @ss with the food prep, Lorenzo for hooking me up with the staff, J. Zellars for the photography (more below) and all of our guests who showed up, (many bearing gifts), who participated in this special evening.

There are lots of photos on facebook but for those of you who don't like to spend your whole day hearing about what your estranged friends, exs, and co-workers are doing at any given moment and thus aren't on FB (gasp), we have some of them right here.

The professional photographer who showed up and was introduced to me as Jonathan Zellars tuned out to be an old friend who was last seen at my scavenger hunt party back in 1993? at 768 Fawn Hill and who I had lost touch with. Anyway, we are still waiting for his photos so I will post a link when I hear more....

help us break in 214 new street invite

Here is the story: Dr. Mantell has lived in his condo for a year, and has never had his friends over for even one measly drink.

Very sad. Really pathetic. Lame.

Then one day Dr. M (hereafter referred to as Mark) meets Andrea.

Her enormous arm veins, penetrating blue eyes, and uncanny ability to turn the most mundane task into a transfat free, recycleable, free range, unpasteurized, carbon neutral extravaganza immediately transforms the good doctor.

Mark is smitten and unaccustomedly starts smiling.

Andrea likes to have parties. Andrea (hereafter referred to as Andrea) decides they should put their guest lists together and finally break the place in...so...please help us throw one big freakin' party and piss off Mark's neighbors!

the details:appetizers, sweets, beer, wine & cocktails provided

it's saturday night--dress up for God's sake!

Andrea is picking out the music so wear your dancing shoes and/or bring your earplugs!

street parking is scarce in Old City on sat nights, you can park at the Parkominium (closed garage) at 2nd and New St. for less than $10 (see map)

enter 214 New Street and ring bell for Mark Mantell (top doorbell).

someone will buzz you in, take elevator to 5th floor

*adults only, bring a guest*

email andrea with any questions and PLEASE rsvp by Friday March 13th.

see you there!...mark & andrea

it's been a really long winter

...and it's been kind of a long time since I've written. And not for any lack of material, either. There is no way I can even begin to coherently or chronoligically capture the myriad of things that have rocked my little world in the past year. I am still trying to make sense of it all. So I won't start from the beginning, or even neccessarily the middle, since I have no idea where the end is going to be. I am just going to do my best to recreate the events from the past as they surface from the depths of my memory, or from the present as they occur and I can carve out a few minutes in my hectic life to write about them.

A


"On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux" Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, from "The Little Prince"