Wishing everyone a very Happy Valentine’s Day!  I am a hopeless romantic that is drawn to great love stories and romantic movies so its no surprise that I have a special place in my heart for valentine’s day.  I know it is one of those “Hallmark” holidays but there is something about a day that celebrates love that I enjoy.  While many feel today is a day for people in relationships, I believe it is a day to embrace all loved ones and celebrate the love in your heart for all the special people in your life. 

Last year was my first Valentine’s Day with Darren and we celebrated in Florida with his grandparents enjoying a beautiful dinner and some dancing.  I thought it was really special to share our first Valentine’s day with them as they are an inspiration to us.  This year, Darren and I will spending the evening just the two of us at a local restaurant celebrating our first Valentine’s Day as husband and wife.  We are looking forward to a relaxing evening together celebrating our love for each other. 

If you are like us, you are probably frustrated by the high prices for gas….especially if you own an SUV and feel like you are constantly at the pump.  Over the weeked, my friend Amy told us about GasBuddy.com.  I checked out this site and she is right – its a great source that helps you find cheap gas prices all around the US. The site aggregates 179+ gas price information websites allowing users to find low gasoline prices. Gasoline prices are always fluctuating and can vary significantly in a few block radius so its  important to be able find the service station with the lowest priced fuel so you can save money. GasBuddy also shows you the lowest fuel prices by state and by city.  I am definitely going to consult this site before our next trip to the pump. 

As you know, Darren has been investing in various start-ups for years but this weekend, I took the plunge and joined Darren as an angel investor in a new company, Path 101.  I am really excited about our investment and particularly passionate about this start-up because it  centers around human resources and career discovery. 

Path 101 is a NYC-based startup company focused on career discovery on the web. The site aims to provide insightful information to people at all stages of their careers, from college students to professionals in late-career transition as they figure out their next professional opportunity.  As Charlie O’Donnell, co-founder and CEO explained to us, “the site uses innovative analysis of resumes and employee profiles, community powered advice, and personality assessments. Job candidates can figure out what “people like me” are doing with their careers and the site aims to be the first stop for career research–a “pre-Monster.com”.  I find this business idea quite attractive because of its proactive approach to career discovery.  If you know what your end goal is, perhaps to become a Fixed Income Trader or the Head of Digital Media at an advertising company, this site will help you trace the career path of individuals who have achieved these goals.  This invaluable peek into an individuals career history will provide key information on ways to meet your goal.  Perhaps you will need to pursue a specific degree, join a variety of associations, intern at a particular company in a desired field or start at an entry-level positions to gain valuable experience.  This site will also be attractive to individuals who have a particular educational background or industry experience but are unsure about their next career move.  Path 101 will allow individuals to see what other people with similar experiences are doing and how they have applied their creditials. 

Overall, I’m really excited about this investment as is Darren.  He’s taught me so much about start-ups and angel investments so its really thrilling for me to be his partner in this investment and share the experience together.  We believe in Charlie and Path 101 and are really excited to see this start-up grow. 

When most people think about how college influenced their life, they usually talk about inspiring professors, thought provoking courses or the many networking opportunities that unfolded as a result of internships, independent study programs, etc… For me however, college was not only about the academics and the experiences that lead to a successful career but it was about meeting people and developing long lasting and life changing friendships.

Saturday night Darren and I met up with two of my college roommates and their husbands for dinner. Fate brought the three of us together as a random computer match put us all in the same suite at SUNY Albany. Little did we know on that first day when we met, that all these years later we would still be just as close. Knowing each other for half our lives, we have been through so much together. We started out as carefree college students and through the years transitioned into adults. As we chatted up a storm Saturday night on some level it felt like time stood still – only our dorm room was now replaced with beautiful homes, cheap beer and wine coolers are now wine and cocktails, and wings and subs became home cooked three course dinners. Somewhere been studying, partying and trading clothes, we grew up. All three of us are happily married with thriving careers, Amy has two children and last night Shari broke the exciting news that she has a baby on the way.

For many, post graduation friendships fade as people move on to different phases in their lives, but our friendship has only grown stronger. We have stuck by each other through life’s ups and downs and even if there were pockets of time when we didn’t see each other as often as we hoped, some how we managed to pick up right where we left off the minute we were together. We bring out the best in each other, laugh constantly and add a little something special to each others lives. For me, these girls were the biggest influence in my life and when I think back to my days in Albany, it is my memories with them that are in the forefront of my mind, not the academics.

Dos Caminos, one of my favorite Manhattan restaurants is opening its doors on Monday, February 11th in The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas!  The restaurant will have over 700 seats, and will serve up modern mexican cuisine in a trendy Vegas atmosphere.  The late night Sala Lounge will be open until 3:30am for bottle service, the music of resident DJs, and a late night menu will be served until 2am.   The food at Dos Caminos has always been delicious especially the guacamole so I am sure reservations will be tough to come by especially during its first few weeks open.  Next time we are out in Vegas, I am sure we will be hitting up this location to see if its as good as our NY favorite.  Stay tuned for a review in the near future.  I feel a trip to Vegas in our future this spring…. 

With the political primary race for the White House too close to call, especially with the Democrats, USAToday has launched a ‘Candidate Match Game’ to help you to decide where you should put your support.  The “quiz” asks 11 questions about the war Iraq, health care, immigration, tax reform, same-sex marriage, global warming and experience.  Based on the answers you provide, you are ‘matched’ with the top 3 candidates that most similarly represent your views.  It’s really interesting.  Darren and I both took the ‘quiz’ and were a little surprised by our results.

Click here to take the test and see who you match up to.

Yesterday, the DOT issued the six worst online travel agents.  The results are as follows:

5.  (tie) Priceline & Cheapair.com

4. Cheaptickets

3. Expedia

2. Travelocity

1. Orbitz

It’s no surprise to me as these sites all have hidden change fees, penalties and fine print that most consumers don’t read closely at the time of booking, thus, leading to complaints in the end.  I’ve used most of these sites at least once but overall, my preference is to avoid the headaches and go right to the airline for booking.  While airlines charge for change fees to modify travel plans, these sites charge an additional fee for processing.  That’s where the complaints come in.  In addition to hidden change fees, complaints also came from refunds ticketing and boarding issues.  My suggestion, be your own travel agent – you can save the headaches, the hidden fees and in some cases find better bargains yourself while going right to the airline or hotel.   

Saturday night Darren and I hit up the West Village with our friends Ryan and Caroline who were down for Super Bowl Weekend.  La Lanterna has been a long standing dessert favorite of ours so it was only natural we would want to share it with good friends.  The cozy, dimly lit atmosphere makes this restaurant very charming and appealing especially on a cold winter night.  There are several fireplaces and jazz on the lower level and an enclosed garden in the back which adds to the ambience.  The dinner menu is light casual fare…panninis, pizza and pasta.  But it is the dessert menu that has every kind of pie and cake imaginable.  From the apple crumb, to the strawberry rhubarb to the peach pie and mississippi mud cake there is something for everyone.  For the first time ever, we came for dinner. and not dessert.  We ordered a mix of salads, panninis and pasta.  The food was good but unfortunately for me about 30 minutes after eating I was deathly ill.  It was heartbreaking to know our favorite Greenwich Village place did this to me but it was just too coincidental.  For the next 36 hours (and still lingering today) I was severely sick and weak with all the classic signs of food poisoning.  It ruined my super bowl so you would expect me to harbor ill feelings but some how I can’t.  I’d like to say it was a really off night in the kitchen and something went awry.  I can’t say I will be running back for dinner but I would still stop in for some delicious pie and coffee.  It’s hard to be mad at a place that has long been a favorite.  My advice, just go for dessert!

Yesterday, friends and family gathered at our house to watch the Giants take on the Patriots.  Unfortunately for me I was struck with food poisoning from the night before and never made it to my own party.  Darren held down the fort with help from our friends Ryan and Caroline and made the night a huge success.  We had a ton of food, way more than we needed but from what I heard, everything was delicious.  We ordered wedges and trays of baked ziti from Battaglia Brothers in Dobbs Ferry and they did an outstanding job. The game was fantastic.  I don’t think many people thought the Giants were going to beat the Patriots given their undefeated record but with the help of Eli Manning and the rest of the Giants, they pulled out an amazing victory.  The house erupted in loud cheer each time the Giants scored and I could hear the excitement all the way in our bedroom, two flights up.  I was really sorry to have missed the game and to mingle with all our guests.  Tomorrow will be the victory parade up the Canyon of Heroes in lower Manhattan.  As a long time Giants fan, I couldn’t be more excited that they won!