So – it’s been several days since my last post, but I am about 95% healthy again!  Yay!  The chicken soup, neti potting, ten thousand cups of tea and massive amounts of clementines definitely seemed to do the trick.  I love when the body rallies!

Anyway, tonight I had a divine cheese experience at Casellula – a place in hell’s kitchen I’ve been dying to try.  They had quite an extensive cheese menu and I went with a couple cheese-maniac friends of mine – Manuela, my fellow Murray’s cave intern and Andrew, a monger at Murray’s.  We got to sample ten cheeses – each served with a pairing treat of some sort – almost all of the pairings were made in-house.  The cheeses were awesome!  Our tasting tonight blew away the tasting experience Manuela and I had at Artisanal the other week.   I brought home the menu so I can list for you all the cheeses that we tried.  However, I’m going to do that tomorrow because it’s already almost ten and I need some QT with the hubby!

Here are my pictures from the last four days:

Photo 300 out of 365 – “Monger Madness”

"Monger Madness" - Settings: ISO 1600, f/5, 1/60 sec, 85mm lens

Yes… just another day at Murray’s buying cheese.  I was there last Thursday and this monger in the picture here is Michael.  It was his birthday and he was dressed to impress!  There’s always a lively time to be had at Murray’s!

Photo 301 out of 365 – “Bird Watching”

"Bird Watching" - Settings: ISO 100, f/4, 1/250 sec, 85mm lens

I took this photo last Friday.  I was walking by Tompkins Square Park in the East Village and there was a tree just on the inside of this fence with hundreds of these little birds in it.  Every couple minutes, they’d venture out from the tree and would line up on the fence or poke around on the sidewalk – until someone would walk by.  Then they’d spaz out and all fly back to the tree.  I was there taking pictures for a good ten to fifteen minutes before I got this photo I wanted – of the little bird on the fence in sharp focus with the neighborhood behind in blur (shallow depth of field).

Photo 302 out of 365 – “Dave”

"Dave" - Settings: ISO 6400, f/2.5, 1/60 sec, 85mm lens

Here’s our friend Dave again… he is super photogenic – it’s such a blast taking pictures of him!  I’m going to do head shots for him when it warms up a bit outside, which I’m really looking forward to.  Anyway, I’ve decided to spend the next week or so shooting in black and white – just to focus more on light and shadow and form.  I started this on Saturday and I’ve been enjoying the change of pace!  Everything sort of looks more serious in black and white – a little more artful in a way.

Photo 303 out of 365 – “Jake Plays Piano”

"Jake Plays Piano" - Settings: ISO 6400, f/2, 1/100 sec, 85mm lens

This here is little Jake – serenading us during the Superbowl halftime show with a piano recital.  He is gooooood.  I’m talking serious musical gift good… which is really quite inspiring and amazing to see in a five year old child.  It also makes me want to go back to taking piano lessons.  Another thing to add to the list!

Ok – signing off for tonight.  I’ll report more on our delicious cheese selection tomorrow!