Come on Irene!

For the first time ever in the history of my blogging...I felt the need to do two entries this week.  As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, New Yorkers were treated to unseasonably beautiful weather on Monday - Wednesday of this week.  The unbearable humidity and summer thunderstorms were a thing of the past, making way for a summer breeze.  And dare I say it...I actually was a little chilly during my morning walk to the office.  In California, whenever we have unseasonable temperatures...we say that it's "earthquake weather", but who knew that same thing applied to New York!  Yes, New Yorkers did experience a minor earthquake this week...which caused quite a bit of hype in the city and in social media.  Californians were mocking the quick and somewhat unnecessary panic that the earthquake caused.  And New Yorkers were fearing the worst.  The last earthquake in the city was during WWII, and the last time anyone in the city felt their building rumble in that nature...it was September 11th.  So yes, there were random building evacuations, and yes, the magnitude of the earthquake was minor compared to what California has been through, but NYC is not prepared for the disaster that comes with an earthquake, and I'm thankful that there was no damage or injuries, because in a city built entirely of ONLY skyscrapers, it could have been catastrophic.  Hopefully we don't have to deal with that again for the rest of our time in the city.

In other news, the East Coast was rocked this week by a pretty nasty hurricane....Irene.  All week, our eyes have been glued to the weather station & New York one for updates on where Irene would strike next, and how you should prepare for the potential destruction that comes along with a tropical storm.  Again, New York City has not seen damage from a hurricane since the 1800s, and the city is not exactly "geographically blessed" if a hurricane were to strike.  So the city took extreme measures to prevent devastation.  Apartments were evacuated in Manhattan as well as Brooklyn & Hoboken, and all mass transit (including trains, subways, busses) were suspended until after the hurricane was scheduled to pass.  Businesses were boarded up with plywood and windows were taped to prevent them from shattering.  Stores quickly sold out of bottled water, batteries, flashlights and the essential "survival kit" items.  Grocery stores were packed with check-out lines of up to 100 people!  The city that never sleeps was eerily quiet.






For those of you who know my husband, it shouldn't surprise you to know that he already has a fully stocked survival kit...but I think his was more in anticipation of some type of hostile takeover in America...rather than a hurricane.  So we were stocked...with the exception of food...which we quickly solved with a few take out orders.  My husband's survival kit also consisted of unrealistic amounts of booze/beer.  If we were to lose electricity, and if the city were to be shut down...at least we wouldn't be bored.











And I say it now because I know we're safe, but one thing New Yorkers are really good at doing is finding an excuse to party.  So what better way to spend the night before what was supposed to be the biggest hurricane to hit New York in over a century than with friends at a bar?  In anticipation of the storm, we all headed out to the LES to have a little mini hurricane party complete with complimentary snacks (well...chips) and shots.  The only cars on the road at all were taxis who were put on the earth to ensure that we were transported to and from our apartment safely.

The damage to NYC was minimal and I feel extremely lucky that we did not experience any flooding and power outages as was suspected.  There is still some devastating damage in other parts of the East Coast, but we're happy to be safe and spared from the wrath of Hurricane Irene.  But she has left her mark in other ways...as we are all experiencing "category 4" hangovers!!!  Thank you Irene!

You Can Still Rock in New York City

In the months leading up to our wedding, the DuPont parents paid us monthly visits.  Visits that were consumed with dress fittings, appointments with the stationers, and trips to Saks for wedding shoes & accessories.  Since our nuptials in April, the DuPonts have visited...zero times...but I don't think they love us any less!

But after a week of rain and unforgiving humidity, we were so happy when the clouds parted and New York welcomed Mom & Pops DuPont with beautiful 80 degree weather and zero humidity.  It was so pleasant we were able to enjoy a delicious meal outside on the patio during their first night here.  I made a healthy lasagna from scratch that I was so happy to share with my parents.

Our next evening with my parents brought us to Yankee stadium, where we watched the Yankees get their asses kicked by the A's.  But we were so lucky to enjoy the game and the wonderful weather from the comfort of a cozy little suite.  The beers were flowing, the food was delicious and the company was even better.  I'd have loved it if the Yankees pulled out a W, but it doesn't always work out that way!

During my parent's final night in the city, we took a "journey" out to PNC Bank Center in New Jersey to see Night Ranger, Foreigner & Journey take the stage on what was another perfect evening of weather.  Our cousin James Blades was extremely generous not only in getting tickets for the four of us but he also got back stage passes for everyone as well.  After Night Ranger played an awesome set, it was such a treat to head back to see Uncle Jack and spend a few minutes with him.  And to top it off, my Uncle Jody was at the concert as well, so we tracked him down in a crowd of 18,000 people to come sit with us for the rest of the show.  It was my first time seeing Journey in concert, ever...if you don't count the 15+ times I've seen the Journey tribute band...Voyage.  But this was BETTER!


My parents aren't exactly the most music savvy people (mom...you know it's true), and I'm not sure when they last went to a concert, so this was a really special experience to share with them.  They had such a blast. I'm glad we could host my parents for such a fun few days here in the city, and do things that were 100% unrelated to any wedding planning or stress related activities.  This is going to be a hard visit to top!

The name is Mobs...SHE-Mobs

The day after our wedding started what quickly became the bureaucratic nightmare that is CHANGING MY NAME!  But I'm using this blog entry to officially declare myself Mrs. Michael Mobley!  I've finally converted all my personal information from Stephanie DuPont to Stephanie Mobley.

Changing your name in the state of NY has the potential to ruin your life.  But I got some really great advice from the wonderful Mrs'es in my life that I'd like to share for those of you who are about to begin your journey towards wedded bliss....and the pain in the ass of taking your husband's name.

1. Social Security - You'd THINK that getting there early in the AM would be best, but everyone else also has that idea.  I took a random Friday and brought my book and went to the SS offices in the late morning, and before the lunchtime rush, around 10:30.  Make sure you bring the following:  your original SS card, your marriage license (certified copy from your county recorder) & your driver's license.

2.  DMV - In the state of New York this is probably one of the worst things ever.  But with great direction and advice once again, I was in and out of that hell hole in less than an hour.  In most states, this isn't something you can make an appointment for, so again, bring a book!  I arrived 30 minutes before the DMV opened, which isn't optimal for taking your new picture, but it was worth it to be out of there quicker.  I felt it extremely helpful to fill out my paperwork before going to the DMV, so I encourage my soon-to-be married friends to do this as well. Make sure you bring the following:  your marriage license (again...a certified copy), your old driver's license, and another form of ID (i.e. your passport or your birth certificate).  I'm not sure how much it costs in other states, but in NY it was a $65 fee.

3.  Once you have your SS and driver's license changed, you can change almost everything else through a quick phone call.  I did all my credit cards, bank account, and utilities all on the same day.  The doozie is changing your passport.  I'd recommend waiting until everything else is changed because you need to send original documents when you apply for your passport renewal.  So you may be without those documents for a few months. Do NOT change your passport before your honeymoon...It's better to just wait until you get home.  Make sure you send the following in: your original passport, your original certified marriage license (they return it to you with your new passport), a new picture and $$$ ($110 for me, but some people may differ depending on whether or not you need it expedited/renewed).

So I'd like to thank everyone who I consulted during the few months of my name-changing process, and I hope I can pass on some valuable knowledge to those who follow my blog.  It still feels weird to introduce myself as a Mrs.and as Stephanie Mobley, but life with my new identity as Mrs. Mobley has been wonderful!!!!

Changes in attitude, changes in latitude...

After leaving CBS shortly after our wedding to join a start-up company...Mike decided that he wanted something different from his job...and a little bit more security isn't a bad thing with the way the economy has been lately.  He has spent the past few months weighing his options and interviewing at several different companies.  After what seemed like one million months of interviewing and strategic phone conversations, my husband has accepted an amazing opportunity as the National VP of Sales for College Humor!!!

Mike's acceptance of the new position brought a week full of celebration as Mike has one more week of "summer break" before starting his new position.  Even though he wasn't working much the past few months, it has been extremely emotional and exhausting for my husband since the day we got back to New York from our honeymoon.  So it was nice to see him finally relax and enjoy himself without any work-induced anxiety.  What better way to celebrate an amazing job than a week full of partying and concerts.



As soon as Mike accepted the position, we joined some of our favorite people to have a group dinner and to toast to Mike.  The rest of the week was a series of celebrations, and while I love my husband, I have to admit I could not keep up with all the festivities.

Tuesday was boys night and Mike went to a Cinderella concert...which I regretfully did not

join.  Wednesday we went out for an amazing night at the ballpark to watch the Yankees beat the Angels.  Thursday night we had cocktails (maybe a few too many) and went to a Buckcherry concert out in Brooklyn. Friday and Saturday nights Mike spent in the company of friends while I was out in Connecticut visiting family.  And on our last night before Mike starts his first day at his new job, I made him a delicious Sunday Dinner; which included a special request of home made mac and cheese for my man!

I want to congratulate my husband once again, for working so hard these past few months to land the perfect job.  I'm so excited for your new opportunity and for what the future will bring us.  I am a very proud wife!

Sunday Dinners

Neither Mike, nor myself come from exceptionally large families.  But one thing that my mother has always been adamant about while we were growing up was having the whole family home for "Sunday Dinners".  Michael and I do not live in Texas, but the DuPont family continues the family Sunday Dinners every week that they are in town together.  While this is not an uncommon tradition for many families, I've decided to start that same tradition with our little family here in New York.

Mike and I often have extremely busy weeks that consist of client dinners, corporate happy hours, all nighters at the agency, and late night conference calls from home.  So needless to say, the week can very quickly get away from us and before we know it...it's 11p and we find ourselves eating something leftover in the fridge, having cereal for dinner, or grabbing a bite to eat at the office, and the week gets away from us.   And dinner time is the best time to just enjoy each other, and talk about our days.  So it's unfortunate that sometimes we aren't able to take just 30 minutes to talk to each other without any distractions or interruptions.

Sunday Dinners are a great way to end the weekend & start off the week right.  This week was particularly special because our dinner was made entirely from goodies we bought at the Union Square Farmer's Market.  Call me naive, but there is something extremely festive about getting fresh summer corn straight from the farm as opposed to a grocery store.

So while the New York Mobleys have already been practicing Sunday Dinners to some extent, I'd like to make it more of a ritual as it is with my family, and so many other families we know.  Even if it's football season, and the Bears are playing....we'll still sit down for a meal together.  If we can be good about Sunday Dinners as a couple, we'll be so lucky to have the same tradition as our family grows in the future!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WINSTON

A little less than two years ago, before we were even engaged...Michael and I decided to take our relationship to the next level and we bought a puppy together!  We made the decision as a couple, but we had no idea how his sweet little face would change our lives.

Our little baby Winston was born on August 1st, 2009 and we picked him out after a long relaxing trip to St. Barth's with the Blades'.  After doing TONS of research on the breed, we drove over 2 hours out to a breeder, and it was love at first sight!  The second I picked that little stinker up and cuddled him up to my neck, I knew he was the one for us.  It's hard to believe our little tank was the size of a guinea pig when we picked him out.

But while the big guy has spent a large portion of his young life in the doggie E.R., in oxygen incubators, at the vet, on medication, under anesthesia, and in surgery...he is a good sport, a fighter and we love him tons. He's brought us so much joy as a little family and we know that having a high maintenance, special pooch is God's way of preparing us for the gift of children in the future.

Happy Birthday big guy, we love you to pieces!  XOXO