Before I finish catching up on my last month, a brief check-in from crafty sam correspondent, crafty andy.

andy has been home in Indiana for the past week, and, after living with me for three and a half years, knows all too well that he couldn't go to the Indiana State Fair without sending me pics.

Andy's email:

Harley is the world's largest boar weighing 1121 pounds. the others should be self explanatory. enjoy.

okay, if all those were a little too morbid for you - this should make you feel warm and fuzzy (no pun intended...)



and what state fair would be complete without something carved out of a giant block of cheese?





Thx, Andy! And the rest of you can thank me for not posting the picture he sent of Harley's balls.

Hi, strangers!

Thanks to the wonders of Time Warner Cable (cough cough) we've been without internet for a month. Hence the not posting.

BUT it's back and that means...

I have a whole lot of catching up to do.

A whole lot has happened in the past month. For instance, my garden grew:





Also, I got a giant street hockey ball shaped bruise:



And, you know, it was summer so, yeah, a whole lotta stuff went down.

I've taken the first step by actually transferring the zillions of pictures from my camera to the computer, so I'll try to actually post said pictures within the next week.

First things first...

Almost a month ago we went out for Debbie's Birthday.

Guess what came out with us?

A SUPER BOWL RING!













Katie's roommate works for the Giants and since they won and all, the entire staff got rings. Man, that thing was heavy.

Oh yeah, we also sang karaoke.



And then went to the Slipper Room for some burlesque hosted by a creepy donut man.



Alright, that was just a taste. Much more to come.

Okay, I support Obama and all, but he's got to come up with some more current ad spoofs...

After noticing this Got Hope? tee, my coworker and I came up with some alternatives....

From me:

Obama: Taste the Rainbow

Wassssssssssssup, Obama?

Yo Quiero Obama

Can You Hear Me Now, Obama?

Snap Into Obama!

Obama: Mikey Likes It!

Obama: Bet You'll Bite a Chip!



From my coworker:

Absolut Obama

Obama: It’s the Real Thing

Obama Tastes Good Like A Candidate Should

Obama: Just Do It

Obama: Melts In Your Mouth, Not in Your Hands


Anyone else have any others? I'm sure we could go on forever and they'd still be funny...

The weekend didn't go downhill from Coney Island.

Oh no. Much more fun was to be had.

Usually drunken putt putt is reserved for the Jersey shore. BUT, now that I know about the Randalls Island Golf Center that will certainly change.

Lisa, Shmu, Katie and I headed over there on Sunday for some beer, putt putt and drunk driving - driving balls that is. The golf center has a "beer garden" to hang at, or you can bring your beer out on the course (which we obviously did). Our game rules required a beer in one hand at all times whilst putting.

Beer + Golf Clubs = Friskiness







We may or may not have picked a fight with a father and his small child about hockey...







The theme of the day was "Sam's puts things in her mouth." Wow. That sounds bad.







Um, yeah.





Then it was time to hit the driving range.



I'm pretty mediocre at golf. Out of twenty swings, I'd say I hit approximately, uh, one ball. But when I DID hit the balls I got some decent distance and they went fairly straight.







After a brief burger break, we decided, "Aw, what the heck~" and played the second mini golf course. This time sans beer.







Another fabulous vacation day without leaving the city.

My new favorite photo? The "down the hatch" shot.

These are from the 4th party on our roof.

I love the Fourth of July in NYC. It's so great to stay in town and chill when everyone else is away traveling. Always a great time for parties and adventures. This one certainly didn't disappoint.

If you remember, last year, my sister and I dragged our hungover asses down to Coney Island to watch Joey Chestnut bring the Mustard Belt back to America. Though it was awesome just to be there, we were sadly a gazillion (scientifically speaking) miles away from the stage. I vowed to one day make it within' "reversal" distance of my personal heroes...

AND this year I made it happen. I rocked a few connections through work, and VOILA- VIP passes! Yes, folks, if you were watching on ESPN, I was that speck in the red dress standing front and center in the crowd Friday morning.

And now, a dream come true in pictures:



The pre-show included a performance by the US Trampoline Champion...



...which scared the crap out of me. Especially when they strapped on wake boards. Who thinks of these things??



And then the eaters were brought out... Aren't Pat Bertoletti and Sonya Thomas adorable?



I was actually standing with Patrick's family. I thought I heard the girl next to me say she was his sister, so I asked her if that was the case. Her response? "Sister-in-LAW. Not by blood, thank GOD." Yeesh. If I were Pat's sister I'd be super excited to claim him as my own.

Aww. Kobayashi and Sonya like each other.



A smiley "Black Widow" with a smiley hot dog.



And now, one of the best moments of my life.



Kobayashi actually looked directly at me and gave me a thumbs up. I'm totally blowing it up and putting it on my wall.

Kobayashi checks out the Mustard Belt.



"Kobayashi eats chestnuts for breakfast"



(notice the eye contact again)

Pat gets into the zone before the contest.



This man proposed at the contest. Brilliant.



Juliet Lee was named rookie of the year. Sorry, Dr. Bigtime.



And, of course, Badlands Booker rapped as usual.



Erica and I couldn't wait for the eating to begin.



The eaters not only choose their dipping beverage, but they bring it with them and pour it themselves. Joey Chestnut had warm water- it was steaming. The popular red Kool Aid choice made for some nasty spew.



***WARNING***
The following pictures are not for those with weak stomachs. HOWEVER, if you are brave, click for the enlarged images and be amazed and astounded.





















Regulation ended in a tie of 59 hot dogs. But after the first-ever dog-off, Chestnut was again victorious.

"USA! USA!"



Kobayashi shows off his full belly.









I think I'm still glowing...