Thursday, September 29, 2011

Midnight musings

Today my littler sister wrote a really great post about what keeps her up at night. She's pregnant with #3 right now, so most of her nocturnal worries center on the welfare of her little ones.


I have always been a good sleeper. Always. When we were little my parents played a game where they offered a dollar to the kid who fell asleep first. I'm pretty sure I was always the winner...and come to think of it, I was never really reimbursed for my obedience.

Even now, as an adult, I'm a rockstar sleeper. But occasionally something keeps me up.


Money.



It's the only thing that can tear me from my dreams, rob me of slumber and motivate me to sit at the dining room table in my underwear signing checks and licking envelopes.


How about you? What keeps you up at night?

Monday, September 19, 2011

One down

Saturday night our friends treated us to free club level tickets at the Rockies game. Usually, I don't really like baseball, but this weekend it was perfect. It wasn't unbearably hot and at the club level the chairs are farther apart and you have a waiter that will bring you food so you don't have to bother the people on the end of the row getting up and down.

And even though our team lost, it was a totally awesome night.

Why?

Well, I'll tell you.

After going to a million games and longingly watching the jumbotron filled with happy smiling faces I FINALLY made it up on the screen! Yep! that's right. If you'd been at the game on Saturday night and looked up in the middle of the 8th inning you would have seen the ear doctor and I going crazy because they'd chosen us! US! to do the macarena in public.


Even cooler?

This morning at work my coworker asked if I was at the game because he saw a girl who looked just like me on the jumbotron!


Scratch that one off the bucket list!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Favorite NY moment #4

After we'd spent a few hours strolling around the MET we needed a little sugary energy infusion. So, upon the advice of the lovely Sharon, we strolled a couple of blocks over to William Greenberg Desserts. We bought two black and whites and couple of cans of diet coke.

There is only one word for what transpired next.


Nirvana.




At first I was a it skeptical...could this simple cookie have just changed my life? Could I have found a new favorite confection?


Then I became suspicious that everyone around me wanted to steal it and have it for themselves...

For my whole life I thought these cookies were just normal sugar cookies, but they are so much more than that! They are more like a slice of cake that is easy to eat and covered with beautiful chocolate and perfect icing:


Take a look at that beautiful crumb!

We had one every single day we were in the city and right now as I type this I'm craving another!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Favorite NY moment #3

The first day we were in the city we decided to go on a REAL TOUR of NY. I have to say, I was a bit nervous it would be super touristy and I would regret spending my cash. I was totally wrong. It was awesome. Small group, funny guide, awesome hole in the wall dim sum place that we never would have found for dinner...all in all awesome.


One of our first stops was to see ground zero.


I was a little bit overwhelmed by how fresh the events of a decade ago were in the memory of New Yorkers. Fresh and painful. We walked through St. Paul's churchyard and I was totally overwhelmed by the sense of love and support that ordinary people offered...without any kind of government organization helping them out. I found tears silently rolling down my cheeks as I listened to our tour guide tell us how his mother was supposed to go to her job that morning in a gift shop on the 40-something-ith floor and how her 25 year old boss told her to take the morning off. That 25 year old saved his mother's life.


More than the devastating loss that was experienced that morning, I'll remember the pure charity, unselfish devotion, overwhelming unity and unconquerable spirit of hard work that poured our of our nation following the disaster.


At St. Paul's there is a table were you are encouraged to leave your prayers and thoughts. I wrote this on a card and left it there:

"My prayer is that it does not take another disaster to unify us again"

Friday, September 09, 2011

Favorite NY moment #2

OK, just to preface this. What happened isn't exactly my "favorite" experience in the world, but it just seemed so perfectly iconic New York that I couldn't resist sharing it.

The entire time we were in the city we ate 2 dinners. First dinner usually happened around 6 pm. It was usually at a normal restaurant and in a normal setting. Then we went out and found something fun to do or see and around 10 we were hungry again. This is when second dinner occurred. Sometimes it was 3 huge desserts we shared, sometimes it was piping hot pizza fresh from the oven.

One night after second dinner we were riding the subway back to our hotel. The train was filled with the usual interesting array of people. People chatting, reading, staring off into space, singing along to their ipod, whatever. We pulled up to a stop and an elderly gentleman boarded the train. He took his place standing in the middle of the car, even though there were plenty of empty seats. As soon as the train started he looked around the car, slowly lifted his hand and proceeded to flip off the entire car.

He kept his hand raised and slowly spun on his heel, making sure that everyone in the car had the chance to take in his totally unprovoked message.

The next stop came and he got off the train.

The ear doctor decided that he was probably upset with the fact that the platforms were unbearably hot (underground, no ventilation, 85 degree days and 80% humidity) and the trains were all running slow from construction on the lines.


Considering that, I am inclined to add a nod of agreement to the gentleman's outward expression of frustration.

Thursday, September 08, 2011

Favorite NY moment #1

All I've ever heard is how New Yorkers, and east coasters in general, are a bit cold. Somehow I got a stereotype into my head that they are a bit rude, unfriendly and pushy.


One morning we were sitting on a bench looking at a subway map (my favorite pass time) and trying to chart our course to the closest shake shack. It was early and getting warm. People were out walking their dogs. One guy was on a jog and reached into the pocket of his gym shorts to pull out a piece of paper. Suddenly, a huge wad of cash spilled out of his pocket. The wind caught the errant bills and started blowing them all over.

I expected people to either totally ignore this guy's plight or to bend over and scoop up a bill for themselves.

The total opposite happened.


Every single person in the surrounding area ran around collecting this guys money. People jumped out into the street for a $1 bill. People across the street, on the next block even scooped up the cash and trotted over to return the money to it's rightful owner.


It was the final little push I needed to help me fall head over heels in love with the city.

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Photo Series

I can't tell you how much we loved our trip to New York. People always talk about how great the city is, but I never really got it. I've been to big cities and liked them, but I've officially joined the I (heart) N Y bandwagon.


And is there any better way to document a great trip than through self portraits? I think not.




Times Square 
 The Met
 New Amsterdam Theater
 Statue of Liberty
 Ellis Island
 Ferry Ride
 Moma
 Brooklyn Bridge
 Birthday Cake in our hotel
30 Rock

Thursday, September 01, 2011

New York trip prep day 4

The ear doctor and I brainstormed songs all about New York to create a mix tape.

We then went out and found a ghetto blaster.


We plan to bump those tunes all through the streets of NY.






CONCRETE JUNGLE WHERE DREAMS ARE MADE OF!!!!!!