new traditions

my lil sis' and her hubby came to visit this week. in NYC or back in buffalo we always have fun together. but i especially love when they come here (this goes for all visiting family) because we have entirely new experiences and interactions than the ones we've had our whole lives.

that being said, this was my lil sis' and bro-law's third time visiting. and as much as it's fresh and fun every time, i'm picking up on some new NYC-style family traditions.

New Tradition 1: Corrie picks the hottest day of the year and plans for her and her family to spend it outdoors with half a million other people.

this tradition started the last time sis visited NYC. we went to the Bronx Zoo. not only was it 100 degrees outside, but it was also Pay What You Like Day.

ever spend a humid, sweltering day standing in the sun shoulder to sweaty shoulder with half of NYC? no? yeah, i wouldn't recommend it.

in keeping with tradition, this year we went to Six Flags. granted, it wasn't a special day, because i think all days at Six Flags are Either Pay Your Rent or Buy a Ticket to Six Flag days, but it was at least 90 degrees and cloudless-sky sunny. tiny bottles of water cost $3.50. lines for rides topped out at an hour and a half.

we decided to forgo next month's rent and bought skip-the-line passes. 

all this to go on roller coasters that were literally terrifying. remember how you used to get a little nervous riding roller coasters? your stomach would get a little oooohhhh we're almost at the top tinge. now it's a Hail Mary, i hope i survive this, thank goodness it's almost over kind of effect. you can't even scream on rollercoasters anymore. your lungs are too busy working at staying in your body.

luckily, there were a few rides that were more our speed:

New Tradition 2: Gorge. Gorge on food. Then gorge on more food.
(i know this one doesn't need explaining, but it's a good reason to put in food pictures.)

it turns out, in Greenpoint, they named a restaurant after my bro-in-law.

naturally, we stopped by to say hello. none of us expected the monstrous deliciousness we were met with.

now, i grew up with polish food -- kielbasa at Easter and my uncles duck's blood soup during the winter -- but we never had white borscht or pickle soup. why? why did we never have these things when they are the tastiest foods known to man?

i realize there are fabulous restaurants in NYC that serve mind-blowing, gourmet deliciousness, but sometimes you can't beat the polish plate on the $9 pre-fix lunch menu at your neighborhood Krowleskie's.

New Tradition 2 Part 2: The very full face picture.

what's better than gorging on ridiculous amounts of food? photographing the aftereffects! last time this took place at the barbecue joint, Fette Sau. this year, it was at Tribeca Grill.

bro-law's full face picture:

lil sis's full face picture:

corrie's full face picture:

* my red-haired sis opted out of full face pictures this time around. she simply looked lovely (though full).

New Tradition 3: Dancing!

last year, my sisters and i donned silly outfits and danced in my living room. this year, we did the same thing. in public.

my red-haired sis' bought us all matching shorts that said Brooklyn on the butt. we all wore them to my hip-hop class. check out my little sis' rockin' it out in the back row.

and now my little sis' and her hubby are gone.

and i can't lie, the apartment is roomier and neater without them here - remember the trunks Tom Hanks bought in Joe Versus the Volcano? those trunks had nothing on my visitor's suitcases. no lie, combined they were probably larger than my bathroom. but my apartment's also a lot emptier in a not good way.

i hate leaving day. it feels so lonely when it goes back to just me. knowing i won't see my fam again for monthsdoesn't help. and even though it's practically 90 degrees outside, there's a tinge of fall in the breeze. which makes everything feel that much more bluesy.

luckily, there's a Fourth New Tradition: Bro-law's catch phrase.

last time he was here, i think my bro-law might have said Malfatti (a pasta my restaurant makes) one million times. no, really, one million. this time, he (okay, we) got a little addicted to the below video.

so even though they're gone and i miss them mucho already, i'm comforted by knowing that our new family traditions will endure and grow with every visit. in the meantime, i have captain jack to wipe all other thoughts from my brain: