People and Places

(2 posts in one today - I’m feeling good!)

My Girl Crush: Gorgeous Gabby

Yes, you read correctly. I have a crush on a female. No, I haven’t lost my mind. Nor am I homosexual, bi or part of that growing population of chicks who thinks it is cute to fool around with women for some man’s pleasure. I still date men exclusively - happily in fact. But every now and again I have a crush on someone of the same sex. Like most crushes, it’s typically someone I only know from a distance. At the moment I have a certified crush on Gabrielle Union. I just think she’s adorable. The flawless skin, the dimples, the infectious smile. And while I think she always looks pulled together on the red carpet, her style is admittedly pretty safe. She's no Tracee or Kelis when it comes to setting trends. But I do think she always looks like a lady. So important. She (or her stylist) understands that it is possible to look sexy without appearing trashy. And she rocks the requisite Hollywood weave but it never looks weavy. She has enough sense not to get the blonde, silky European hair and manages to always match her natural locks up pretty well to the false strands. Last but certainly not least, Gab reps for us chocolate sisters. I’m so not about to open that can of political worms in this post but let’s be real; there is an obvious imbalance of darker skin female celebs in the game - period. Gabrielle is refreshing for that reason alone.

It’s really all in my head, this crush. Honestly, it takes more than looks to truly tickle my fancy and that goes for both sexes. Gab’s acting in my humble opinion is mediocre at best. (Save for ‘Something The Lord Made’, nothing on her resume is even memorable to me.) But I had to let my little secret out. Actually it’s not a secret for most of those close to me. My girls tend to brush me off with a dismissive "B, you’re so crazy." But a lot of them have girl crushes too. Most women have them but whether they choose to admit it in a public forum is another thing. If my mother ever reads this I will definitely have some ‘splaining to do…



Can Gabrielle even take a bad picture?



On to places…

Good Eats While Beating the Heat

It’s summertime and the living is easy. I love the idea of dining outdoors during the summer months but I’m afraid of pigeons so that leaves me somewhat limited in the places I can go in Manhattan. On Sunday I went to the Central Park Boathouse to celebrate a friend’s born day and was thoroughly impressed. I mean really impressed. Absolutely no flying rats interrupted my meal! My friends and I couldn’t stop commenting on how pretty the place was. The service was remarkable (Not many restaurants have waiters that will breakdance on request.), the food delicious and the ambiance was amazing. Okay, I was taught in journalism classes that words like great and amazing are empty so let me be a little more descriptive. The CPB offers a breathtaking view of a lake where one can gaze at gondolas float by. No need to go to Venice, just hop on the subway to Central Park. Pretty cool, right? The prices are fairly affordable by NYC standards (average entree is about $25). CPB's grub is standard American fare with lots of seafood dishes. The crabcake (served with a sweet cucumber salad) was a huge hit with my crew. Be sure to try the lemon cake. It will literally melt in your mouth. Mmm, mmm good.

http://www.thecentralparkboathouse.com/sections/home.htm



(C.J. - Thanks so much for all your help. I'm getting there, lol!)