Am I living in the North Pole?

One day I will be able to stop saying "it's been too long since I updated my blog." The good news is it means I keep being extremely busy. I guess if I had alot of time to update my blog, I may not be enjoying my NY experience to the max.

December was a really really busy month. My dear friend Leslie came to visit. It was her first trip to NYC. I love visitors, and I love first time visitors even MORE! I had such a good time showing her around the city. We ate and shopped ourselves silly. We went to see Mary Poppins on Broadway (which was GREAT), the Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes (always a nice treat), brunch at the Plaza, shopping on 5th Avenue, Chinatown shopping, a trip by the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island on the Staten Island Ferry (the best thing about Staten Island), many other things, and of course, THE ROCKEFELLER CENTER TREE. It has always been her dream to see the tree, and it was so exciting to see it. The only negative was it was sooooo crowded. I cannot tell you how many tens of thousands of people were crowding around the rink and tree. It didn't take away from it's beauty, though. Alas, a great time was had by all. I didn't get us lost and the pound gainage was kept to a minimum! Now, we just need to work on getting her husband and my longtime friend, Wes, up here for a visit. It may be like pulling teeth....the good news is, he's a dentist.

Staten Island Ferry with lower Manhattan and Jersey City in background

No caption necessary!

Brunch at the Plaza. Mmmmmm

Hehe

I also had the chance to meet Ina Garten from The Food Network's "Barefoot Contessa". I love her show and she was in the city signing her newest cookbook. So I went to Crate and Barrel to meet her. She was very nice and the line was longer than anticipated. But that's one thing I love about living here, there's all sorts of neat opportunities to meet people you admire.

I'm funny : P

We also had a luncheon for the people that work for myself, John, and Manu (with the exception of one that couldn't make it). It was nice to get out of the office for a couple hours and have a fabulous lunch at Harry's, which is close to work in the Financial District. We also had our company holiday party. It was at this place called 230 Fifth, on 5th Ave. The views of the city were STUNNING. They really go all out for the party (I think it's so fancy because no spouses are invited....in Dallas they are). There was a DJ, ipad giveaway, photo booth, buffet, open bar, etc etc. It was a great time for sure.

Holiday Party Fun

Then I fly home for Christmas. It had been wayyyy too long since I had been, but I've just been so busy up here getting settled. I had logistical headaches due to going to Dallas in the middle of the trip home, and ended up flying non-stop from LaGuardia to Northwest Arkansas. Boy was it culture shock when I got there. No honking, high prices, or walking. And it was NICE. We drove home and I immediately wanted to see Grandpa...so we went to none other than Taliano's to have dinner. It was so nice to see him right when I got in town. The next night we went to Emmy's to eat, then Hardscrabble with our family friends, then Thursday Leslie had what is becoming an annual shindig with some other friends. Somehow I was just so busy....Merrill Lynch appointment, taking dad to breakfast and the dentist, going grocery shopping, running other errands. I ended up in a predicament because I didn't do much shopping in NYC because I couldn't get it all home. Then I got home and was so busy, it was Christmas Eve before I could shop! It all came together in the end and I was happy with all of my purchases.  We decided to have Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve, because it just gets too hectic on Christmas to get all the presents opened and cook a whole meal. I told mom all we did was transfer the stress to Christmas Eve....but it doesn't matter. As long as I get a turkey dinner with my family at some point. Anyway, after our annual trip to the mall on Christmas Eve for Geno's pizza and last minute shopping, we went to church, then had Gramps, Uncle Eddie and Aunt Pat, and Cousin Gerald over. The food gets better every year. Christmas morning we woke up and opened gifts, and had plenty of time to cook the non-traditional meal of chicken enchiladas. Boy were they good. We had the same folks over for that meal, and then the extended family came over like they always do.We were thankful my Great Uncle Greg was out of the hospital after a recent visit, and able to come over and enjoy himself. We sure missed Sugar, Caroline, and Mike. It seemed a little empty, but we made the best of it. I got some great gifts (as usual), and hopefully everyone ejoyed what I got them. The trip went WAYYYY too fast. I don't know where the time went. But I was able to spend some QT with Gramps and get his computer issues straightened out and get him set up on Facebook and told him how to view my blog. HI GRAMPS! MISS YOU! 

After Christmas I drove my car,....yes MY CAR THAT I CAN'T SELL...to Dallas. It was nice to drive it, don't get me wrong. But I'd rather have tens of thousands of dollars in the bank. : /  I am grateful to have such wonderful and easy going friends. I'm making a habit of not having a plan when I go there and needing a place to stay. Karen of course let me stay in her guests quarters, as I call them....and Camie and Christine opened their doors. The great thing is, I have 4 other friends right behind them offering me a spot! A lucky gal, am I. I got to see "my nerds", and "the girls". I worked while I was there as well. It was so great to see everyone and see Dallas. The girls and I tried a new Italian restaurant and it was DA BOMB! Can't wait to go back and "try" it again! 4 days later I drove back home, had lunch with mom, dad, and gramps, and made my way back up to NWA to catch my flight. I was very lucky because "Snowpocalypse" happened while I was gone. I say I am sad I missed it, but I think it may have gotten old pretty quick.

It ended up being a bit weird to fly back to NYC the 30th because I was flying BACK to New Orleans on the 2nd to go to the Sugar Bowl. I just kind of felt like I needed to be in NYC on my first NYE. I went by Times Square around 3:00 pm and it was a complete zoo. It's always a zoo, but it was the zoo times 1000. I went home and went back and forth on if I should go out (didn't have any plans)....but decided to get gussied up and text a couple folks. I ended up spending the majority of the evening with my sorority sister Renee and her friends on the Lower East Side. Random, fun evening, and glad I was social and invited myself out. Better than sitting home alone!

Flew to NOLA on the 2nd for the Sugar Bowl. Flew out of JFK for the first time. It was annoying getting there. I took the subway to save money (and you never know about traffic during the day). It was a longggg subway ride thru Brooklyn....and not thru the nicest parts. I was on a local train b/c I took one close to work (I left from work with my luggage)....but it was taking forever so I switched to an express at a stop called Broadway Junction. Let's just say....I stood out. My red luggage didn't help. Anyway, I made it to the airport on time and took my first trip on Jet Blue. Loved it! More leg room and DirecTV the whole flight. Bingo! Got to the airport and was so happy to see Sugar, CAB, and Mike. I had just seen Caroline at Thanksgiving, and she's the most petite thing....so she hadn't grown a ton...but you can tell she's really learning alot. She drinks out of her sippy cup like a grown up, and she'll hug her animals and give you a kiss. Ahhh!!! Just writing this makes me so excited to see her next month. Anyway....Mom and Dad flew in right after me and we went to the French Quarter for a great dinner. I had gumbo and salmon and bread pudding. It was spot on. Then I went back and stayed at Sugar's in Mandeville for the night. We had "Christmas" the next morning. I got fabulous gifts as usual. I think the talent of gift giving runs in the Wagner genes. Caroline even helped pulling off the wrapping paper. She liked the things I got her (at least it seemed like it).

Caroline with the NYC Mickey I gaveher

So, aside from the obvious, this picture is also great because my dad ALWAYS points with his middle finger. It's become a family joke. Just one more way CAB resembles her Poppy!

One of my favorite pics off all time! At the Sugar Bowl

At the time we didn't think these were changing our luck....they did....until the last minute :(

Sugar and I then headed down to Bourbon Street to walk around with the crazies before the game. Two highlights were getting to see The Bonoffs perform "Who Stole My Chicken" and the great solo the girl does with the spoons and metal thingie she wears. We totally stalked them last Mardi Gras...they are such a fun band....so I was glad I could see them and get jazzed up for Mardi Gras THIS year. Also, a lady walked up to me and said "I'll give you 20 bucks for your beads". They were red and white beads with a razorback. I've had them a good 4 years....they were missing beads and one had a random needle thing sticking out of it. I took those things off quicker than Ryan Mallett can throw an interception, and I was GONE. 20 bucks...are you kidding me? Anyway, it was an indication of the popularity of Arkansas down there. There were Buckeye beads on sale everywhere, and not a razorback bead to be found. We outnumbered their fans at least 5-1. We went and had some charbroiled oysters, gambled a bit at the casino, and went to the game. Our seats were great, and the crowd was sooooo loud. I was so proud to be a razorback fan. I won't recap the game....still too painful. Ugh! So painful we couldn't even bring ourselves to go out onto Bourbon Street after the game. Now THATS painful.

Headed back to NYC early the next morning....back to work, a couple more snowfalls....and here I am. Today we were off work so I ran a couple errands, had lunch at Fig and Olive, shopped at Ann Taylor, and went to see True Grit. First things first, the food. I am on a diet so I thought Mediterranean food was a good choice. I had 3 different crostini's and tuna carpaccio. It was great! Glad to find a new place I love. True Grit...was fabulous. Humorous, alot of Fort Smith and Arkansas talk in general, and phenomenal acting. I had to turn my head a few times due to a couple scenes, but all in all I loved it.

It is SO COLD. It has just been cold for weeks and weeks. The snow is still piled up on the sidewalks. It's not pretty anymore. It's black/brown/gray. And ice is coming tonight. My body hasn't gotten cold yet due to my great winter coat....plus gloves and hat....but my FACE nearly freezes sometimes. Which makes your nose run. And run. And run. I asked for it though! Not sick of it...YET! I will tell you what will be nice though....leaving this weather for beautiful HAWAII next Sunday! I cannot WAIT. Going with my dear friends Jeff, Jason, and Karen. I plan to snorkel, whale watch, and zipline. I've never ziplined and I'm stoked. And we are staying in this house thing....should be a really nice, relaxing vacation.

And this wasn't even Snowpocolypse....

My door is at least 8 inches from the patio ground

 

I haven't learned too much....(I must be getting better at this)...but I can't leave without a few:

1. There's a reason there's 2 steps up to my patio door and a big step down. It's because if there wasn't, you couldn't open your door after a good snow!
2. Don't put your credit card in your coat pocket...particularly the same coat pocket where your phone is. If you do that, it's very easy to pull your phone out...sending your card flying....straight down a sidewalk grate. : /
3. I have a shopping problem.
4. I went to see Prince and it was one of the most fabulous concerts I've ever seen. That pint sized fellow is really talented. I just want to pick him up and put him in my pocket, or hang him from my rear view mirror. Wait...I don't have a car up here.
5. It's not that difficult to lose weight if you control your portions. I've been dieting for my Hawaii trip since NOLA....now a dish of pasta that normally is devoured in a sitting takes 3 sittings....one 20 ounce coke takes 5 sittings to drink...nuts are my snack...soups and salads are my friend. It's fun trying on clothes when you're down a few pounds. Hopefully I'm down a few chins so my pics are cute.
6. Scientists say today is the saddest day of the year due to the weather, holiday bills, etc. I think the lady behind me at the movies was celebrating that when she told the old man she was stepping over, "i didn't know this was a coat rack" when speaking of the seat next to him with coats and bags. RUDE. I've run into alot of rude people this year. Thankfully I've run in to just as many nice people that even it out.
7. Another random fact...Congresswoman Giffords husband...the astronaut...has been a long running joke with a group of friends of mine. At least since NYE 2009/2010. One of the friends husband looks just like him. This random guy came up to us at dinner a year ago NYE and joked with him about being an astronaut. At the time we were so confused, and went home only too lookup the guy and find out they are twins. Just weird and random.

Thankful for Thanksgiving!

As usual....wayyyy too long since I've written. Therefore the blog will be wayyy too long. In the couple weeks before Thanksgiving, there really wasn't all that much to write about....although I feel like I've been really busy. I guess a couple things of note. My sorority sister from my Delta Zeta days back at Southwest Texas (rather, the newly named Texas State), Renee, asked me a couple Sunday's ago to go to the Cowboys vs Giants game. She ended up with a spare ticket....and we've been trying to get together since we both moved here this fall....so she asked me. I of course jumped at the chance. I also met her nice friend  Macy, and my pledge sister Monica came as well. It was so nice to see and be around familiar faces, even thought it has been 10 years since we've hung out! The Cowboys wallopped (is that a word?) the Giants...so it was double the fun. Sure shut those Giants fans up.

Also, I've continued to go to the hog bar, Madhatters, for the Razorback games. I'm slowly but surely learning some names and meeting some folks. I even volunteered to be on their leadership committee thingy that plans events with other SEC schools and in general organizes the hog watching parties and tries to raise money for the university. Some might think it's a little odd for a non-graduate to do this, but you really don't understand until you're from a state with one major school that you live and die by. You're a razorback if you were raised in Arkansas, whether you went there or not. Woo Pig Sooie! Next week, Frank Broyles and the current athletic director will be here for the induction of Ronnie Caveness into the Collegiate Football Hall of Fame. Ronnie as well as Coach Broyles and the whole Arkansas contingent are coming to the Madhatter after the ceremony. Should be a great experience.

Last Tuesday I got a MUCH needed haircut. Yuck. It was so long and stringy and unhealthy. I used my voucher for a haircut that I got at the auction I went to recently. It was this hip place in Soho...and I feel so hip with my Soho haircut. Love it! Then, Mom and Dad and Sugar, Mike, and Caroline came into town. We had pizza and hung out a bit at my apartment. Wednesday I took S, M, and C to Ground Zero and Wall Street. Then the whole family met up for lunch at one of my favorite places....Mickey Mantles. I really don't know why it's so special to us except that Mom and Dad and I started going there years ago, and Dad was Mickey Mantles bat boy in the farm leagues in Kansas. It has good food and fun memorobilia and is on Central Park South. Well heck, sounds special enough to me! Then we walked through the park....at which point a group of asian tourists thought my precious niece was just so adorable that they snapped pics of her! (and they are right, she's just that adorable). Then we went to The Plaza for a drink....just to say we did it. We're cool like that. That night Mom and Dad and I got to babysit Caroline while Sugar and Mike went out to dinner. Everything went great except for bath time....but if a small meltdown is the worst thing that happened....then I think we did pretty good. Caroline is walking and is in to everything....she's so interested in what everyone's doing and just goes and goes. She also likes waving and saying "hi" to everyone. And I mean EVERYONE. Such a social butterfly. Thursday we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from Sugar's hotel room. Their room was high above the parade, but a great view of the city and the parade from above. I went outside and watched the parade for about 45 minutes. No matter how old you are, the parade doesn't lose it's coolness. Then we went to The Palm for Thanksgiving dinner. My apartment is just too small to both cook that much and for 5 of us to eat and be comfortable. It was a great meal. Then we watched the idiot Cowboys lose a very winnable game against the Saints. Grr. Friday Sugar and Mom and I went to Chinatown after Sugar took Caroline to see Santa at Macys. Santa of course scared Caroline, so the pictures are epic. Anyway,....not many back rooms were available in Chinatown. Not sure if there was a recent raid or they were on vacation or what....but we got a few things. Then I took them to Handpulled Tasty Noodle for AUTHENTIC chinese noodles. Once again, it did not disappoint. SOOOO good. Friday night we all had dinner and had to say goodbye to Sugar, Mike, and Caroline. It was so nice of them to come up here for my first Thanksgiving. We missed them immediately. I could kiss Carolines little cheeks all day! Friday night I met my friend Meredith from Dallas...she was out with her brother and his girlfriend. It was so great seeing a familiar face. We had a blast catching up and it was a great little addition to my holiday week. Saturday I took the rents to the Madhatter for the Ark vs LSU game. What a great win by the hogs. The bar was packed and Mom and Dad really enjoyed seeing my home away from home and how many hog fans were there. The official count was 120. Sunday was a lazy day, then we went to Union Square Cafe for dinner. Fabulous as usual. Then yesterday we went to the Top of the Rock (top of Rockefeller Center). Great great view....I think better than top of the Empire State Building....because you can SEE the Empire St Bldg. We had lunch, saw the Rockefeller Center tree (unlit as the lighting was tonight), and then I made green bean casserole and turkey tetrazzini for dinner....because it's just not a holiday without those two staples. And boy was it good. Mom and Dad left today and now my apartment is lonely. Went to work for the first time today since last Tuesday afternoon. What a much needed brain break.

No time to be sad though....going to a concert tomorrow night with coworkers (Broken Bells). Thursday we are going to the world famous Sylvia's restaurant in Harlem which is always featured on the Food Network. Very excited about both those events. Sunday I start my bowling league. Next week we have our work holiday party and an SEC holiday party. Then my friend Leslie comes on Friday. There's much much more going on and more to look forward to in the coming months than I remember in a long time (home for Christmas, Dallas, Prince concert, Hawaii, Mardi Gras, Sugar Bowl?). And not to mention....I CLOSED ON MY HOUSE SO NO MORE MORTGAGE PAYMENT. That alone allows me to have such a more positive outlook and to be excited about things. Now if I could just get rid of my car. : )

I continue to get comments about my accent...and the more comments I get the more southern I get. Oh well, it remains a very fun novelty. It's supposed to rain cats and dogs tomorrow, so I better go figure out what I can wear with my rain boots that makes sense. Need to look nice for someone in town from London from our work. Then of course need to change for the concert. Yay!

Me and Shoog outside the Noodle place...in REAL chinatown

Hand pulling the Tasty Noodles

Dad and I at the hog bar

Caroline loved a picture of Maggie and I. Here she's kissing the picture of Maggie. Melts my heart.

Her new thing is to signal for a touchdown. I loved that she felt the need as we took pics with the Empire State Building. And more strangers commenting on her cuteness!

Yep, I'm the dork that had to have "that" picture made

Burrrr!

Not too much to report from last week. Friday after work I decided to stop into Nine West and Ann Taylor Loft on my way to the subway (how conveeeeeeenient). I found some brown riding boots at Nine West that I had to have, but alas, they didn't have my size. As I've mentioned, if you aren't wearing skinny jeans or tights with riding boots in this city, you might as well have "doofus" written across your forehead. Then of course I found a couple things in ATL to buy. Went and had dinner at Christina's, my favorite neighborhood italian restaurant, and went home. The dinner was ok...caesar salad was good as usual, but the pasta dish lacked great flavor. I steered away from my  normal chicken parmesian, because it's time to lose 5 pounds.

Saturday I woke up on a mission....find  those dang brown riding boots at a Nine West! Soho NW, nope....Madison Ave NW, nope, Rockefeller Center NW, nope....finally 5th Ave NW...cha-ching. Well, I had planned to have a nice brunch with myself at Benjamin's, my other neighborhood spot. But in hearing they had my boots, I got dressed and hopped in a cab....no time for slow weekend subway service. Got to the store and WHEW, they had the boots. Of course, I bought them (and on sale!). Then went to the NBA store and milled around....and then to Gap where I bought some slacks for work and some skinny jeans.

Saturday night I was to meet this couple at the hog bar that lives in Connecticut who I had met before at the hog bar. The game was at 7....we met around 5:15. I also had my coworker meet us as he lives, and I'm not kidding, less than a minute walk from the hog bar. A great time was had by all. I finally won a raffle....it's a sweet insulated razorback bag, and some coozies and things. And the hogs killing the gamecocks wasn't so bad either. Woo Pig Sooie!

Sunday I woke up early to get moving and go to the NYC Marathon. I also wanted to kill 2 birds and take some foliage pictures in Central Park.....and get there in time to see the mens and womens leaders go by as well. Well, I wanted to enter the park on the west side because I didn't think you could cross 5th Avenue while they were racing. I was wrong. Oh well. Weekend subways were slow and I finally make my way allll the way across town up to W 96th. I take some pics in the park and start hearing a helicopter getting closer and closer. I knew they were filming the marathon leaders. I started  jogging and made it to the front row on 5th Avenue not 1 minute before the womens leaders passed. The crowd was only 1 deep along 5th where I was. I made my way into the park and the crowds were very dense and loud. I saw so many neat things. Not neat was the lady who boo boo'ed on herself. I had seen internet photos of this phenomenon in the past and thought it was fake. Nope. Not so much. Can you imagine running 26.2 miles with stuff down the back of your legs? Enough about that. It was just so inspiring....the racers, young and old, handicapped and fit...and the great fans yelling and clapping. I'm fairly sure I'll make a tradition out of watching it. ANNOUNCEMENT: I THINK I WANT TO RUN IT. I know there's someone laughing right now. Ok, all of you. But there's just something to be said about training for something like that and accomplishing it. I normally do whatever I put my mind to. I don't know when I'll put my mind to it, but I think that's something I want to do one day.

Today it was very very cold and sleeted a little bit. Temps were in the low 40's, wind chills in mid 30's, and wind gusts at 40. YEEEEE-BAHHHHH as Dad would say. GOSH it was cold. Time for the hat, scarf, and gloves. I've had some combo of the 3 at different times in the last couple of weeks.....but the trifecta was needed today. Again, so much more brutal down where I work compared to midtown.

Talked to my friend Leslie tonight....she's going to come visit on her birthday in December! It's ALWAYS been her dream, as long as I've known her, to go to NYC on her birthday and see the tree lit up at Rockefeller Center. She's never been to NYC. I'm so excited to see her and show her around, and so excited FOR her! Yay!!

More things I've learned:
1. Some people here don't know the difference in hail and sleet. Huh?
2. Approximately 30% less people fit in the seats on the subway in the winter because everyone is so wide all bundled up. Additionally, less people fit standing due to the same  reason.
3. Everything is harder when you are older. I'm so old, I didn't even reap any benefits from gaining an hour. I still slept until the same time today. :(
4. The McRib is NOTHING to write home about....save yourself a few bucks.
5. Chips and Salsa aren't free at mexican restaurants  up here. LAME-O.
6. There's no such thing as an overweight marathon runner. Shocker.
7. Ask the restaurant if they are going to charge you for a second tea here. Free refills are hard to come by. Again, LAME-O.
8. I still haven't turned on my heater. It's now a challenge to see how long I can go before turning it on. Good thing I'm on the winter leg shaving schedule.
9. For the first time in my life, I may understand the need for those hideous, long, puffy coats. You know, the one your grandma owns/owned?


xoxo

p.s. I'm going to see Prince at Madison Square Garden in December. Woo-hooo!!!!
p.s.s. If my blog title is "Burrrr!" now....I wonder what it will be in a month or two??

I need a vacation from my vacation

So, my trip to the Notre Dame game in the Garden State was fun. I showed up at Penn Station to catch the train to the new Meadowlands Stadium around 9:00 last Saturday morning. The place was a zoo. Got on the train without a ticket, resigning myself to having to pay twice the fee for not having a ticket. In the end it worked out and I didn't have to. The stadium is slightly impressive on the outside. The inside isn't even that, and it's a logistical nightmare to get inside. Notre Dame layed an egg that day. It was fun attending with a bunch of ND grads, and fun to see both ND and Navy....but those people got robbed on that stadium.

The rest of last week I kept saying I would clean house, but something always got in the way. Like...TV, eating, or....TV. I needed to clean because my dear friend Andrea from Dallas was coming to visit beginning Thursday, and then her friend from Boston was joining us on Friday. My apartment is small enough, that I need help making it impressive....and it's definitely not impressive when it's dirty. Thursday night 2 hours before Andrea showed up, I started cleaning (LOL). I got done. All I needed was a deadline. I hate that about myself.

Andrea got here safe and sound and we grabbed a late bite to eat. The Friday we had alot on the agenda (yes, there was an agenda. I'm a "planner" like that). We got up and miraculously got out of the house just 30 minutes after the agenda said we should. : )  We went to ground zero, South Street Seaport (where an impromtu hotdog held us over for lunch), and then we arrived at Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodle. Andrea had seen it on the Food Network show that talks about the greatest ____ I've ever eaten. Guy Fieri said THPN was the best noodle shop ever. I CANNOT SAY I DISAGREE. It's a tiny tiny spot, with room for about 20 people to dine....right in the middle of Chinatown. You can see the man in the kitchen pulling the noodles and smacking them (loudly) on the marble countertop. We had pork dumplings and a noodle main dish that was alot like lo mein....with chicken, shrimp, and beef. Heavens to mergatroid.....that was some good food. Those dumplings are unforgettable. Mmmm, mmm, MMM!!

Then we went to buy fake things in Chinatown. I ended up with one purse and one scarf, and Andrea ended up with a few items. The cops are all over the place, so the normally covert operation was extra covert. Walkie talkies....doors behind doors....the whole 9 yards. The agenda then called for us to go to Soho, but we were spent and went home to rest up for our evening on Broadway.

We went to eat at a good spot called The Eatery. I had short rib with horseradish mashed potatoes. Very good...I'd go back....not out of this world though. THEN we went to the big event (or, it was supposed to be) of the weekend....La Cage Aux Folles with Kelsey Grammer on Broadway. I'd had this bad feeling the whole time about this show....both that Kelsey would have a night off, and that a bunch of cross dressing men dancing around the stage wouldn't be all that great. Well, I was right. No Kelsey, and we left at intermission. I've only done that one other time in allllll the times I've seen shows on Broadway. TERRIBLE. And sadly, Kelsey Grammer wouldn't have made it much better. AND there was hardly anyone there. There were 3 tiers....we were on middle tier, and it wasn't half full. You hardly ever see that. Just....terrible. Sad for Andrea and her obsession with Kelsey.

By Saturday, Andrea's friend Korynn was in town. We woke up and went to Shake Shack for lunch...which included a shared cheeseburger and chicago style hotdog...fries...and of course, a shake. I think the earth is moving with every step I take at this point. Then, to Central Park. The autumn colors were beautiful. I'm going to go back next weekend with my fancy camera....hopefully it won't be too late....as it's getting cold quick here. Then shopping on 5th Ave. We also hung out with Korynn's friend Emily who lives here. Then the 4 of us went to Union Square Cafe for dinner. I had polenta with wild mushrooms and a poached egg for an appetizer, and pork bolognese for my main dish. Soooo soo good...can't wait to take mom and dad there. 2 meals there this year, 4 huge thumbs up. Then....the goal of the night. Stay out until at LEAST 2 a.m. to suprise the girls with a really fun event. My friend John told me I should take my guests to PDT (Please Don't Tell). It's a speakeasy in the East Village....with a secret entry in a hog dog shop. They only take reservations, and only beginning at 3pm on the day of. On average I think it takes people around 75 calls to get through at 3:00pm....it took me 68 tries. They sell specialty hot dogs, which is Andrea's favorite food. Aside from the hot dogs, I really thought they would get a kick out of a speakeasy with a secret entrance. To get in, you go to the hot dog shop, and step inside a phone booth. You pick up the phone, and a secret door opens on the other side, and you enter PDT. Soooooo cool!!!! The look on their faces were priceless. Everyone had a great time, and the hot dogs were great. I had one with kimchi on it...Andrea's had fried mayo. Yes, fried mayo. So much fun.

Sunday we were lazy and finally went out to Soho....then dinner at Locanda Verde in Tribeca. Mom had heard Kelly Ripa talk about it on the show last week, so I got resies. Crab and jalapeno crostini, with beef, veal, and pork ravioli as my main. Very good....neat spot. Props to mom for the idea!

Today, Andrea left after we dined at my favorite neighborhood spot, Benjamins. It's nothing special, just good food. She enjoyed her salad, so it was another successful food experience.

All in all it was a great girls weekend. We walked alot (which, we needed to do after what we ate). We also didn't go bonkers with the shopping. I'm proud of us. Fun!

Hooray that now it's a 4 day week! House news: the sale is still moving along and I'm getting my repairwork done. Fingers still crossed but no celebrating yet.

Can't wait for my fam to visit for Thanksgiving. I'm just gonna go bonkers if I don't get my hands on my niece sometime soon.

Things I've learned:
1. High's in the 40's today. It's cold. This is gonna be an interesting winter for me. Good thing I'm growing another layer.
2. Abe Lincoln in daisy dukes is a funny Halloween costume.
3. Bed Bugs were the most seen Halloween costume. Good thing I didn't go that route.
4. There's so much to do and see (and eat) in this city, I feel like I'll never get to it all!
5. I'm officially good at navigating this city. "Oh, it's just a grid of numbers" you might say. Well, not in Chinatown, Tribeca, Soho, and Financial District. Plus, I'm counting my expertise of navigating the subway system and knowing which way to turn when I come up out of a subway. I didn't get us lost ONE time this weekend!
6. New record for earliest to see someone peeing on the street. This time, Andrea and I almost stepped in the river o urine. COME ON PEOPLE, you're in NYC....there's alot of bathrooms!!!
7. OK, actually, I couldn't find a bathroom on 5th Ave on Saturday and almost had an accident. Whatever....that guy we saw is still gross.
8. Central Park is the prettiest in the fall.
9. If you aren't wearing tights or skinny jeans with riding boots, and mostly all black, you might as well stay inside, as you'll look like you're from Mars otherwise.



Pretty yellow tree in Central Park





Plaza Hotel and pretty tree




ducks and colors



Finally, a night off

Again, there's far too much time in between blog posts! Let's start with food, of course!  The night of our industry conference (LSTA), several of us went to dinner at a place called Quality Meats. Random name, I know. It's a steak restaurant, and was decorated cool.....even meat hangers for lights. I had quite possibly the best clam chowder I've ever had. Now THATS saying alot. It is right up there with the Barking Crab and Legals, both in Boston. For my main course I shared a steak for two, and also had corn creme brulee, creamed spinach, and mushrooms. FanTABulous! The steak I could leave, the sides were great.

Friday I flew to Dallas. Christine was kind enough to pick me up at the airport. I got in around 8:30. First thing on the agenda, mexican food. We went and had a good dinner at Uncle Julios. Saturday, Stacey, Jason, and Lauren picked me up and we met Meredith and Amy and Josh at the Back 9 to watch the Razorbacks lose a heart breaker, and we watched other games and the Rangers game. Saturday night I had dinner at PF Changs with my friends Thomas and Jason. Sunday I borrowed Christines car and went to my house in Plano to check on things (but not before stopping at my beloved Abuelos). It hasn't gotten any easier to say goodbye to the house. Then I had dinner with Camie and stayed there. I was a nomad my whole trip. Monday I worked, ate lunch at Mi Cocina (for those of you keeping track, my 3rd mexican meal) then met my nerds (Justin, Sarah, Karissa, Byron, Keith, and Nigel) at Chuys. Unfortunately I couldn't eat any food due to the repercussions from the 3 mexican meals I'd already had. Tuesday I went to work again and then got to see my parents. They were nice enough to drive back from visiting the grand baby and stop in Dallas to pick up my last few belongings from my house.

I had a bad feeling when I left mom and dad on Tuesday night. Sure enough....I get off the plane Wednesday in NYC to find out some IDIOT ran into them head-on on I-40. I'm fairly sure the car is totalled, but thankfully THEY are ok. Soooo scary. Ugh. Then my coworker Chris was in town on Wednesday so we went to dinner at a Belgian place. It was pretty good.

Last night is a story in and of itself. One of our exec's where I work was nice enough to offer the women of the company tickets to a fundraiser for the US Women's Ski Jumping Team. There were 8 tickets so I jumped at the chance to go. It's the only sport, summer or winter Olympics, that allows men to compete and not women. Someone with authority in the IOC has actually said that women shouldn't jump for medical reasons....and that "their uterus's could fall out". How preposterous does my last statement sound!??! It sounds like a JOKE! I got to meet several of the jumpers, including the current world champion, Lindsey Van. Hello, women can do aerial jumping, but not normal jumping? ANYWAY....great event, great food (go figure I would enjoy the food!), great cause. I won 3 auctions. 2 silent and one where you hold up a number.....like in the movies. I got a haircut in Soho for $45, a gift for mom and dad for Christmas (can't say what it is), and a trip to an exotic location. More on that when I have specifics, but I'm STOKED to say the least. What I ended up bidding turns out to be a great deal.

Tomorrow I go to Notre Dame game at the Meadowlands in Jersey with Chris, who is a Notre Dame grad. Excited about that too.

Quick update on house....it's under contract and we've agreed on repair terms. Let's hope this happens and gets off my plate/shoulders/pocketbook/etc. Option period ends Monday.

A big thanks to all my friends this weekend....whether it was rides, lodgings, cars, entertainment, etc. In no particular order, Christine and Britt, Karen and Richard, Amy and Neil, Lauren and Josh, Stacey and Jason, Camie and Meredith, Thomas and Jason. No, the last 4 aren't couples, LOL.

Things I've learned

1. My visit was fun, but weird. It's like I never lived there...or don't belong there...or am a visitor...or something. Obviously I was a visitor, but I didn't think I would feel so distant so fast. Don't get me wrong, my friends felt like home....just geographically and stuff.
2. I'm evidently a renegade when it comes to my fall attire. Everyone is bundled up and I've only worn a coat once. I will admit though that I had the door open for 30 minutes just now and had to shut it. BRRRRRRR!!!!
3. Saw a guy peeing into a grate on the sidewalk at 7 tonight. A little early in the evening, no?
4. I've said this before, but golly it's like down on the water is a different season. Three words. Freezing wind tunnel.
5. It never gets easier to say goodbye to a house, no matter how many times you do it.
6. I so wish I could transport my friends up here whenever I want. Just so many things to experience that I wish I could experience with them.
7. My apartment isn't getting any bigger.
8. I may have become a delivery eater more quickly than I thought I would.
9. A true friend is someone with no ties to Arkansas, but they proudly call the hogs with you in a bar in Texas. Multiple times.

Talk to y'all soon. I'll end this with thanking the good lord that Caroline's heart murmur is nothing to worry about, that mom and dad aren't hurt, that I had a safe trip to Dallas and back, and for the bestest friends and family in the world!

xoxox

Lets Go Yankees! *clap, clap, clap clap clap*

Well, it's been too long since I've written. I can literally say I've been busy 9 of the last 10 nights. Maybe more, but I can't remember that far back. And no, I haven't made that many new friends.

Let's see....last Sunday, after I last wrote, I went to the Museum of Modern Art with a coworker and friend in town from Dallas. We saw many great works of art by Monet, Picasso, Warhol, Van Gogh....the list goes on and on.  I also saw a bale of hay, a bridge made of steel wool, and a metal pole, to name a few. Seriously, what makes the bale of hay in the MoMa any better than my bale of hay or your bale of hay? Hay-ll if I know. I'm just glad I got in for free....and kept my $20 bucks...thanks to my friend who has passes.

Monday I  went to dinner with several folks from work, some in town from Dallas. We went to Capital Grille. Had great oysters, lobster, and crab for starter (the chilled seafood platter, if you're wondering), and then Filet Oscar for dinner. I'll take Del Friscos, thankyouverymuch. It was cold. The sides were the bomb though (it's hard to screw up mac n cheese). Never the less, I'm thankful for a nice, FREE meal when I can get one.

Tuesday when I got back into the city from Hawthorne, I met the Dallas peeps for a slice of pizza at John's. John's is famous and has several locations in the city. I'll definitely be back. Good, normal pizza. Andrea recently asked what makes a pizza normal. Well, a vast majority of the pizza in Texas or Arkansas is "normal" to me. Not normal is what you get alot in New York....not New York style, but  more italian....with REAL buffalo mozzarella melted, with a less bold sauce. While not normal can be great, sometimes you just want normal. John's gave me normal. I also saw that there's now a Red Lobster in Times Square. I know, I know. Why would I ever ever eat at RL in NYC. There are days when all a girl wants is cheddar biscuits, salad with ranch, and Crab Alfredo. Now I know I can get it if I ever feel the urge. Now I just need a Lubys, Mi Cocina or Abuelos to pop up. : /

Wednesday I went out to watch the Yankee's take game 1 vs the Twins (YES!). Ended up at a place Lady GaGa had been to the week before. So random as it's just a normal bar/restaurant on 7th Ave. Guess we know how to pick'em.

Thursday went out with more peeps to watch the Yanks take game 2 vs the Twins....(BOOM-SHAKALAKA!). We were at a glorified lounge that is really just a sports bar. Lame-o scene.

Friday Hali drug me to Del Friscos to stalk Twins players (ugh.). But not before we had pizza with a couple other coworkers at a place by my apartment that I didn't know about. It's related to several other spots in town and is really good. Crispy crust and you can get a personal size. So glad I found it....I now have a neighborhood pizza spot!!! Mom and Dad will love it, too. Back to baseball player stalking...I was skeptical that we would see anyone, but alas, we saw the gigantic closer with the bad tattoo on his neck. Meh. THEN we run into some older men who are related to the organization....one of them being 3 time World Series champ and Twins outfielder, Dan Gladden. I told him I had alot of his baseball cards and it was a pleasure to meet him. Then he told me he played for the Arkansas Travelers at one time. Random.

Saturday I went to the hog bar, but could only stay for the first half of the game before running home and getting bundled up and heading down to the ferry to go to the Yankee game. The ferry is TOTALLY the way to go. It's $1 to reserve a spot, and the views of the city are great. AND you don't deal with the insane subway crowds. I need to do that during the day and get some good pictures sometime. Made it to the stadium. There it was, the brand new Yankee Stadium. I heard angels singing when I first laid eyes on it, I'm fairly sure. Or maybe it was the muffled sounds of people yelling at Hali in all of her Twins gear. The game was a great success if you were a Yankees fan. SWEEEEP. My seat was fabulous and a Yankee playoff crowd is truly a sight to behold. The Bleacher Creatures in right field are as crazy as any fans for any team that I've seen. So awesome. It was sold out, which was also neat to see. We ended up getting a car service home due to fear of mauling (did I mention Hali was head to toe in Twins gear?).

Sunday I squandered the day away catching up on TV shows, and finally cleaned house. All wasn't lost. I was looking through all of my menu's to see what to eat for dinner, and noticed a place I've been wanting to try had a Sunday night special. Soup or salad, choice of pasta, and dessert...$13.95. This is a decent deal in Dallas, but a STEAL in NY. Of course, I don't really NEED a 3 course meal on Sunday night, but I had to try it. Boy am I glad I did. I had matzo ball soup, Linguini with shrimp and garlic and wine sauce, and key lime pie. It was all fabulous. I have now found my Sunday night hangout! AND I took half home and made another meal out of it. AND I had another fantasy football win wrapped up. Great Sunday indeed!

Yesterday, alot of Dallas folk came in town for the big annual conference for the asset class we cover at work. We went to dinner at Le Colonial, a Vietnamese/Thai place. Not normally my first choice, but everything I had was delish. Spring rolls, shrimp in curry sauce, filet mignon in asian-y stuff, banana beignet dessert. Then we went to a rooftop bar and watched it storm. It even hailed. More crazy weather I didn't think I'd see in NY.

And tonight, here I sit, watching Biggest Loser and the Rangers (come on, Rangers!). I leave for Dallas on Friday (yay!), but we have our conference tomorrow and a couple things Thursday, so this is my chance to pack and get organized to leave Friday.

Karen told me today that my blog is like a food blog. Boy is she right and I proved it tonight. Oh well, it's like a hobby. Andrea and I always wanted too be food critics, so this is my chance maybe.

More things I've learned:
1. Some subway drivers just REALLY stink. Hello guy, there's like 1,000 people standing on the train, in each others personal space already....now ramming into each other because you can't smoothly brake or accelerate! Come on!
2. Yankee fans are probably the most fierce, loyal fans I've ever seen. That can be good, and that can be bad.
3. Evidently truck and cab drivers have an extra appendage....a steering wheel and horn attached to their hand.
4. If there's a homeless person that gets on a train and preaches your whole ride about why you should give them money, it's GUARANTEED that I'm in the same subway car as him/her.
5. I saw a newspaper advertisement that was a picture of bagels and it said "Judaism is more than just bagels". I don't think you could get away with something like that in the south. I found it alarming for some reason.
6. Never fails, if I call a restaurant order food and say I'm ordering for take-out, they ask my address and think I want delivery. Am I saying something wrong??
7. I learned I need to start writing my lessons down, as there's so many more and I forget!

xoxo



Statue of Liberty from Pier 11



Brooklyn

Brooklyn/Brooklyn Bridge



And the angels sang....



Crescent moon and pretty sky from terrace

Star Spangled Banner

Action Shot

Score!

Using a Swiffer for the Sweep



Game Over!



"Hey Lady GaGaaaa, gimme some change"

Since I've been under the weather, I haven't really been up to too too much. The last couple Friday's I had walked home from work, but I didn't want to make myself even more sick....so I took the normal subway route. I wanted to go to the book store to get a couple of books to start on (who AM I???)...so I did that, and took off to find a new place for dinner. There's a spot down the block that I know I need to try, but it was pretty packed, so I figured I'd go up 2nd Ave to see whats up that way. I normally spend my time on 3rd and futher west. Well, there was a whole buncha NOTHIN' going on. I finally made my way over to 3rd and kept walking. Got to the Grand Central area, and went over to Lexington. I walked up Lex for a while...past a couple hotels I used to stay at back in the day for work...Lex got tiresome....so then it was Madison. By this point I was at E 50th and Madison (I live at 34th)...and I STILL hadn't found a restaurant worth stopping in. You wouldn't think it would be that difficult in this town, but I guess it is (or maybe I'm picky). I walked another couple of blocks and got my Blackberry out to see how far I was from Central Park. Just 8 blocks and an Avenue. Then it was a personal challenge. Mind you, I had headed out in ballet flats for a new neighborhood restaurant...and there I was, 20 blocks and 3 Avenues later....with blisters rubbing. Well, I made it to the park and ate at an old favorite, Mickey Mantles. Had some fabulous mushroom ravioli, then rode the subway home. My feet were very happy to be home.

Yesterday I cleaned house. It's amazing how messy your house gets when you're sick. Cups, kleenex, empty pill packets, you name it. Washed my dishes, which was long overdue, etc etc. I showered and got dressed to meet Hali out for the OU/Texas game. Well, she was running late, so I decided to go ahead and head out and run some errands. Went to the Gap to buy a belt, as my cute AT Loft jeans with holes don't stay up. MAN was it nice having a belt. Went to AT Loft to take back a bunch of stuff I had bought and then re-bought on sale on the internet. All this time I'm hauling this tall box filled with an over the door shoe hanger that didn't fit my door that I needed to take back to Bed Bath and Beyond. Ugh. Hop on the subway at Grand Central and make the trek to BBB. I have been there using that route twice already, so why I didn't remember to get off on 6th instead of 8th Ave, I have no idea. Again, I'm dressed to be cute, not to walk around the city....so my dogs were BARKIN. Made it to BBB, returned hanger, and found a place to watch the game and wait for Hali. Met her at Spunto, which is a pizza place that's related to Posto, which is in my neighborhood, but I haven't tried it yet. There's always a long wait. OMG it was sooooo good. The crust was so thin and so crispy. And not like all this other NY pizza I've been eating with real slices of mozzarella on it. This was just good, NORMAL pizza. Definitely will be back. Then we went to see Wall Street 2 near Union Square. On our way, a homeless guy put his hand on his hip and called me Lady GaGa really gay-like and asked for some change. I was lookin' a little sassy, but I'm not sure I warranted a Lady GaGa comment...considering what most other girls out on a Saturday night are wearing. I'm not sure if I'm insulted or flattered.  Hmmm. Good movie....great views of the city in the movie. Took subway home.

Today I'm waiting on a coworker friend, Leah, to show up from Dallas. We are supposed to go to the Museum of Modern Art today. Had horrible coughing spells during the night so I'm pretty tired. But it's NFL day so I'm happy!!!!

More things I've learned:

1. Rain boots are the greatest invention EVER. Zappos, just to be nice, overnighted my boots to me so they DID come in time for the flooding on Friday. FABULOUSSSS
2. Mucinex is a miracle drug
3. Nobody cares about the Texas/OU game up here....unless you are from Texas or Oklahoma. (this secretly gives me joy. ok, maybe not so secretly).
4. You can take dogs EVERYWHERE in this town. Just yesterday I saw two french bulldogs in Gap, a mastiff at a restaurant, and a full sized dog laying in a shopping cart in Bed Bath and Beyond. Makes you think twice about those goods you bring home from the store that were in your buggy.
5. It's like it's mandatory for each tourist to have a labotomy before they step foot on the island. Please, please tourists....quit walking and STOPPING suddenly...especially after you cross the street and there's a gaggle of people trying to cross behind you!!!
6. It costs $13 dollars to go to the movies here, andd $19 for two medium drinks and a medium popcorn. Calgon, take me away!!!!
7. I finally figured out what the random drops of liquid are that hit me on the face or arms as I'm walking along on the sidewalk. It's condensation from window AC units. Whew. I don't know what I thought it was, but it is never a pleasant feeling.

Forgot this photo with my other apt pics last week

My new rainboots. Stylin' and Profilin'!!

My favorite hotel, The Plaza....at the end of my unplanned trip to Central Park