Super Monkey Visits New Jersey

A visit to the Metropolitan Opera House

2008-05-25T11:53:00.006-04:00

Last night my Mom and I had tickets to see American Ballet Theater perform the ballet "Le Corsaire" at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. So we smuggled Super Monkey into the theater in my purse, and he had a blast!

It was already dark when we got there, so just for reference for those who have never been to NYC, here is a pic of the Met in Lincoln Center (a collection of performance buildings including Alice Tully Hall and Avery Fisher Hall).

Here's Super Monkey inside the Met, sitting on the balcony right in front of our seats:

And a crappy shot of the beautiful Met ceiling:

SM really liked the ballet (it was a good choice for him as this one is full of cool swashbuckling pirates), so here he is giving me a high five:

And reading the playbill before the third act, to find out what happens:

Here are some more of the cool Met lights in the lobby:

And Super Monkey waiting afterwards for some of the crowds to peter out:

It was a really fun night!!

Laundry

2008-05-21T21:47:00.002-04:00

Boring week again, just lots of time spent working. Today SM was nice though and helped me do some laundry!

Here he is on the pile of clean clothes that need to be folded and put away:

Another Boring Day At Work

2008-05-15T19:32:00.003-04:00

Brought Super Monkey into work again today. We've had a boring week, so I felt bad leaving him at home, even though I know he's got plenty of people he could go save! Here are some shots of us sitting in traffic on this crappy rainy day.

Arriving at the office:

With my building in the background (or some of it anyway!):

In the parking garage:

SM found a new spot to hang out today:

While I went downstairs to buy us some lunch, SM checked out Beatrix's blog to keep himself entertained:

Then later, when bored, he took a leaf out of chappy's book and decided to photocopy himself:

The face shot came out better than the bum shot. Here is SM, very pleased with the results:

He decided to crop the photo to get rid of the extra white parts:

A mostly boring day, but we managed to have some fun.

Mother's Day Hike and Picnic

2008-05-11T19:21:00.002-04:00

Later on today (after post-party recuperation) Super Monkey came out with me and my family to celebrate Mother's Day. My Mom requested a hike and picnic for the celebration modus operandi, so today we ventured out to Cooper Mill and the Black River Trails. Let's begin.

Here Super Monkey is at the start of the trail with the old mill in the background (sorry it's a bit blurry):

Along the hike we saw so many pretty sights, like wildflowers, ducklings, and beautiful tall trees!

After a bit of walking, SM waited for us while we took a rest.

For our amusement he decided to play around acting like a regular earth monkey, as opposed to the super alien monkey he really is. Here he is hanging from a tree:

When we finally reached the clearing we spread out our food and had a great big picnic! Super Monkey and I stuffed ourselves!

Another fun day!

Party Party Party!

2008-05-11T10:08:00.000-04:00

So, in desperate need of some fun, I encouraged my friend Steve to have a party. Since many of our friends would be traveling home to NJ for Mother's Day weekend to visit their moms, he had a little gathering last night. Super Monkey was ecstatic to finally have a bit of fun, since we had a pretty boring week last week. He had lots of extra time for saving people.

When we first arrived, Super Monkey decided to check out the selection of potential libations:

And since I couldn't decide if this one looked better with or without the flash, here you get version 2:

I warned him if he planned on doing any heavy drinking he should eat something first. Unfortunately this wasn't a very vegan friendly party, so Super Monkey decided to be brave and try some cheese. He said it wouldn't offend his sensibilities as much as a giant slab of beef:

Then he started out with something light, a Mike's Hard Lemonade of the berry variety. I applauded him for challenging gender stereotypes by drinking it:

SM then spent some time chillin with our friend, Andy:

And then a bit later into the party, my friend Steve decided to compare the "monkey butt" on his head with SM's butt:

Then things got a little exciting. My friend Danielle decided it couldn't be a true party for SM without him getting some sugar, so:

And my friend Jim also got friendly with SM, but not in an inappropriate way, I swear! They were just hanging out!

By then, I think Super Monkey was a bit tipsy. We just happened to have a coaster describing his state of mind, so of course, we forced him to pose with it!

A bit later when things really got interesting, Super Monkey insisted on riding around on people's heads for awhile, first mine, then my friend Mike's. I think he didn't want to get a FWI - flying while intoxicated!

All in all the party was a blast. Just a small group of friends enjoying each other's company and having fun! I was glad Super Monkey could meet my friends and experience a party NJ style!

Feeling Sick

2008-05-07T20:34:00.000-04:00

Sorry there have been no posts this week. I've been feeling a bit sick, and also a bit down. It's been a tough couple of weeks. Tonight I tried to relax with a nice hot shower and a cup of noodle soup. Super Monkey was happy to join me for some soup:

I promised him soon we'd do some more exciting things. He's been very patient with me!

Wednesday the 30th

2008-05-01T07:38:00.001-04:00

Today Super Monkey was busy most of the morning - off saving people while I worked. But I told him he should definitely come back in the afternoon, because he could come with me to see my asthma and allergy doctor!

So while we waited in the room for my doctor to come in, I was telling Super Monkey about how all the tree pollen in the air was making my sinuses clogged. Since he's an alien monkey, with a crazy alien biological make up, SM was all "What's a sinus?" So I explained to him, and then showed him (how handy!) the difference between a healthy sinus and a bad sinus:

When he heard the doctor coming, Super Monkey decided to hide in the corner to check out first whether or not he thought my doctor was evil before he revealed himself. Since it's a pediatrician's office, the walls are kind of loud, but SM blends in GREAT, no?

Finally, when he was convinced of my doctor's non-evilness, SM was happy to present himself for an exam to see if he had allergies too!

So that was pretty much the most exciting thing we did all day. After that I went to my parents house to do a quick load of laundry, and home to cook dinner and watch Veronica Mars (I'm currently working my way through season 1.)

Tuesday the 29th

2008-04-29T21:02:00.008-04:00

Today was a busy day for Super Monkey!! As his bio told me (as did SM himself) one of his favorite activities is kickboxing. Lucky for him I just so happen to take a kickboxing class every Tuesday at 6am! Here we are arriving at the gym, still a littly sleepy, since we had to get up at 5am to get there on time.

SM tried to use one of our gloves but sadly it was too big for him, so a fellow kickboxer gave him a ride on it instead:

My instructor was so excited to have a new student!

SM observed us for awhile first, to see what level we were at:

But then joined in when my instructor offered some personal attention (she's holding him here in the back):

After a good sweaty workout, I showered (SM didn't sweat since he's a superhero), and then we headed upstairs to work! I had to read some emails so Super Monkey sat around on my cube waiting for people to walk by so he could meet them!

I told him if he needed something super-hero-y to do to entertain himself he could take my spot on our Business Continuity Planning Team as Deputy Fire Warden. He liked wearing my hat, and hoped he could help out if there was trouble!

After I had caught up, I took SM over to the board room so he could get some experience in kicking ass and taking names. I told him he couldn't work for the man until he had mastered that skill.

Then I taught him the art of chatting at the water cooler, another important corporate company skill:

After that, he wanted a little chill time, away from cubicle land, and settled himself in our ficus to see the outside views:

Before we left work for the day I introduced Super Monkey to one of our local work mascots, Coconut George, a regular earth monkey made of coconut:

After that, we went out for Mexican food, where Super Monkey got to meet my GREAT friend Anne, as well as having some tasty chips and salsa.

Then we got some balloon animal friends from the restaurant's balloon guy so that Super Monkey would have someone to hang with while we had girl talk.

Now we are both exhausted! I will be watching yet another playoff hockey game, but I think Super Monkey will rest or go for a flight around the world. He hasn't been much luck yet with my Hockey team, but I think it's cause he's not really a hockey fan. More of a bowling guy as I understand it!

Sunday the 27th

2008-04-28T20:59:00.008-04:00

Today we had a pretty basic day. We went over to my parents house to play tennis with my Dad. Here's Super Monkey getting ready to borrow a racket(couldn't fit one in his suitcase, y'know?)

Then Super Monkey met the best mom in the world - my Mom!! He had to whip off to save someone in peril during the Ranger game, but got a chance to say hello to the fam first! Sadly, my Mom had her eyes half closed for this shot!

After that we went home and relaxed for the rest of the night.

Average day - smoothie and park

2008-04-27T08:54:00.007-04:00

Today was an average day for me, not too exciting for Super Monkey. In the morning I set about making a fruit smoothie for me and SM for breakfast. He got impatient while I was chopping the fruit, and stole my strawberries (see that guilty look in his eyes?)

But then when I explained he would get some of the smoothie when it was finished he gave them back, but told me to hurry it up he was hungry! When I finally gave him the smoothie he enjoyed it very much, and the cool sake glass I served it to him in...

After that we took a ride to one of my favorite local parks, so that I could get some exercise! Here we are driving there (SM claimed this as his spot while driving so that he can keep his eye on the road AND me!):

SuperMonkey doesn't care for walking, he'd rather fly around, so while I walked he flew for awhile and then was intrigued by the dog park at my park, and silently observed from the car:

Here is a pic of the park we went to. It's called Wood Dale County Park. Click on the pic for the full view - it's really beautiful at this time of year.

Later I set up this blog for Super Monkey, but he wanted to give his full seal of approval before it went live. Here he is giving it an inspection...

Later in the day we watched CSI, took a nap, made dinner, and watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire on TV. Then we went to bed!

Super Monkey's Bio

2008-04-26T09:03:00.004-04:00

So for those of you who don't know Super Monkey, here is a quick bit of info, which he included in a handy dandy biography he brought with him.

Name: Super Monkey

Nationality: British

Species: Alien Monkey

Occupation: Super-hero

Place of Birth: A planet far far away...

Current place of habitation: Gloucestershire, England

Skills: Flying, x-ray vision, super strength, can scratch his ear with his foot

Height: 20 cm

Weight: Won't stay still long enough to be weighed

Religion: None

Political Inclination: Believes our political divides pointless and silly

Food preferences: Vegan! (I'll have to learn to cook some vegan dishes while he's here)

Favorite foods: Broccoli, lemon, brown rice, sweeties (in moderation)

Favorite drinks: MonkeyShoulder whiskey, water, apple juice, a nice cup of coffee

Favorite activities: Flying round the planet to try and slow it down, like superman but just for fun, and to keep fit. Kickboxing (yay me too!), eating, watching black and white suspense/thriller/hammer films. Helping people!

Dislikes: People with no sense of humor. Bad spelling. Evil.

Other info: Super Monkey is very wise and heroic as befits a super hero, however he is also very playful and very good at evading capture when you want him to do something. He dislikes being mistaken for a standard earth monkey (except if he is in disguise) and refuses to eat bananas even though he likes them!

Day 1 - Super Monkey Arrives from England!

2008-04-26T08:49:00.007-04:00

So, a beautiful package was waiting for me when I got home from work last night...

When I first cracked open the lid and peeked in, I saw this:

But as soon as I opened the lid a little further, a SUPER MONKEY alien sprang out, ready for action (or defense, as it turned out)...

He immediately flew up to my chandelier and wouldn't come back down (he thought I had stolen the box in transit and tried to kidnap him!)

It wasn't until I showed him this postcard of his home addressed to me that he finally realized I was his hostess!

Partly to break up the embarrassing moment now passed, and partly because he'd been crammed in a box all week, SM decided to take a quick flight around the world (one of his favorite activities). He likes to be like Superman and get exercise at the same time!

While he was gone I took pics of some of the stuff he brought with him:

When he got back he was hungry so we had a snack, some of the lovely candy he brought as a hostess gift. It was delicious, and unlike anything I'd had before!

On my way home from work last night I stopped at Bed, Bath, and Beyond to buy something I had long desired - a recipe stand! Tired of getting food on my cookbooks, and having to wash my hands every time I wanted to open to the page, you know? So Super Monkey offered to use his super fast skills and put it together for me. Here's an action shot of the putting together (I'm surprised it's not blurry he was so fast!) and a shot of him modeling the finished product:

So then I immediately set about making dinner. SM hung around while I cooked. Quite literally.

Later, I wanted to paint my nails. I asked SM if he would hold the bottle for me while I did. He rolled his eyes at such a girly and mundane task, but obliged me all the same (cause secretly he can be a softy at times, though he likes to maintain his other-wordly superness exterior).

Finally, I set down to my evening activity of watching my favorite ice hockey team (the NY Rangers) in their first second round playoff game against the Pittsburg Penguins. Super Monkey watched for a little while, but then nodded off on my shoulder.

When I finally tucked him in for the night he made me promise to post this pic and tell Mr and Ms Loops that he said "Goodnight!"