We had a lazy morning again, which goes against all of my German genes. However, Rob has taught me the art of taking it easy, and I have to admit that we have accomplished a lot. And, I haven't ended up in the hospital like I did last time!!!
After lunch, we took the subway to Rockefeller Center. We showed the girl the gold statue outside, and the spot where the Christmas Tree is. Our destination today was to meet up with Cathy's friend, Kevin, who is the video producer for MSNBC's website. Kevin was going to give us a tour.
Rob and I did the official tour on our honeymoon. We saw some of the same things this time,but it was nice to see them privately, and with the kids! Kevin took us to the Saturday Night Live set, to the MSNBC news desk, and my favorite - the NBC nightly news desk, where Brian Williams hosts the news every night. That's the one that I have TIVOed. There was no one in his studio except the cameraman, who took a shine to the girls. Cathy and I grew up in tv studios with my dad's career, but the girls had not been in a studio. They enjoyed the teleprompter, and the cameraman played with them and pretended that he was shooting footage of them.
We weren't supposed to take pictures in there, but the cameraman let us anyway. Each of the girls got to sit at Brian Williams' desk, so I took pictures of them.
After that tour, we took the girls to the American Girl store again. They had some spending money left, and I had also promised them that they could pick an outfit that matched their dolls. They spent a lot of time figuring out how to spend their money most wisely, and which outfit to pick. In the end, they each chose pajamas that match their dolls. It fit their personalities, too. Claire chose old-fashioned pajamas with lace trim and light blue ribbons. Gina chose a groovy purple pajama set from the doll from the 1970s.
Then, we were hungry! We found our way to the Blue Flowers deli, which was a place that Rob and I discovered on our honeymoon. It was so good and so inexpensive. All of us ate for $30, which included two smoothies!
Next, we decided to try Shake Shack in Madison Park. We had never been to that part of town before, but we were having fun exploring. We walked from 50th to 23rd! Mary Teresa kept up VERY well. This is the kid that likes to go running with Rob.
Danny Boome had recommended Shake Shack, and said that they were the best burgers in town. And, hey, if a guy with his own cooking show says it's good, it must be good!
And, he was right. The burgers reminded us of In 'n' Out, a California burger chain which we LOVE. I also had a dark chocolate shake, which was lovely. We enjoyed this little park, and the chance to sit down.
Across from the park was the Flatiron building. It is a triangular building which is six feet wide at its most narrow point. Because of its shape, it looks two dimensional from certain angles. It was very cool!
On the same block was a Home Depot. We needed to stop in so that Rob could pick up parts to fix Cathy and Brennan's toilet and dishwasher. This was a three story Home Depot. We really enjoyed the tile section - it had way more choice than we'd ever seen. Rob and I were particularly drooling over some stainless steel subway tiles that would look great as a blacksplash in a kitchen.....
Finally, we made our way towards the St. Padro Pio shrine, which Rob really wanted to visit. On our way, we ran in to a shrine to St. Anthony de Padua. We stopped and prayed there. He is one of the patrons of our business since he is the patron saint of San Antonio.
The St. Padre Pio shrine turned out to be closed for the day, though. So, we decided that we just need to come back.
And that sums up the trip. We did so much, had such great experiences, but even in ten days, we couldn't see it all. I guess we will just need to plan a return trip.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Metropolitan Museum of Art/St. Patrick's/The Tony Awards
Today, we all needed to sleep in a bit. We had a lazy morning. Gina and Brennan made eggs and sausage for everyone.
We left the apartment around 1pm, hopped on the subway, and made our way to 86th St. Then, we got on a bus just to get across Central Park. Our destination: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
I LOVE that museum. They have the most amazing Egyptian exhibit, which they have expanded even in the five years since I've been there. The room that houses the temple, with the slanting glass wall overlooking the park, is one of the most remarkable rooms ever. We wandered through this exhibit, the Medieval rooms, armor rooms, and American furnishings. There is sooooo much more to do, but you just can't do it all at once.
It got close to Mass time. We decided to go to St. Patrick's Cathedral at 5:30. It is such a breathtaking, Gothic masterpiece. Mass was beautiful, and the homily was worth of a standing ovation. (Ok, I have been to a lot of theater this week.)
The priest talked all about the Trinity, and about the importance of the Sign of the Cross.
After Mass, we went behind the altar to see the tomb of Archbishop Fulton Sheen. As we left the cathedral, we saw the giant statue of Atlas outside of Rockefeller Center.
And, tonight is Tony Award night! The Tonys were being held at Radio City Music Hall, which was only a block away from the cathedral. Our timing was perfect for being there, and we decided to hang out at the red carpet for awhile. It was crowded, but we managed to see a bit. We saw Mark Indelicato (Ugly Betty) and Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly, Beverly Hills Chihuahua) walk in. It was a little hard to be there with the kids, though, so we walked to the subway and came home. Claire was soooo excited to have been to a red carpet.
We picked up some Indian food (Chicken Tikka for me tonight), and watched the Tony Awards on tv. Marcia Gay Harden won Best Actress for "God of Carnage", so the girls were glad that they had just seen her. Karen Olivo won for "West Side Story" as Anita, so Cathy, Brennan and I were cheering her on. She was FABULOUS in that role.
It was very special for me to watch the Tony Awards with my sister. It has been ages since we got to watch those together, and musical theater is such a binding force with us. During the Memorial to those that have died this year, we all sany along to "Kiss Today Goodbye" from "A Chorus Line".
So, the evening closes on this day, and we look forward to our last full day in town. Tomorrow, we are planning to go back to the American Girl Store and possibly the St. Padre Pio shrine. Also, Cathy's friend, Kevin, works for CNBC, so he's going to take us for a tour of 30 Rockefeller Center.
We left the apartment around 1pm, hopped on the subway, and made our way to 86th St. Then, we got on a bus just to get across Central Park. Our destination: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
I LOVE that museum. They have the most amazing Egyptian exhibit, which they have expanded even in the five years since I've been there. The room that houses the temple, with the slanting glass wall overlooking the park, is one of the most remarkable rooms ever. We wandered through this exhibit, the Medieval rooms, armor rooms, and American furnishings. There is sooooo much more to do, but you just can't do it all at once.
It got close to Mass time. We decided to go to St. Patrick's Cathedral at 5:30. It is such a breathtaking, Gothic masterpiece. Mass was beautiful, and the homily was worth of a standing ovation. (Ok, I have been to a lot of theater this week.)
The priest talked all about the Trinity, and about the importance of the Sign of the Cross.
After Mass, we went behind the altar to see the tomb of Archbishop Fulton Sheen. As we left the cathedral, we saw the giant statue of Atlas outside of Rockefeller Center.
And, tonight is Tony Award night! The Tonys were being held at Radio City Music Hall, which was only a block away from the cathedral. Our timing was perfect for being there, and we decided to hang out at the red carpet for awhile. It was crowded, but we managed to see a bit. We saw Mark Indelicato (Ugly Betty) and Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly, Beverly Hills Chihuahua) walk in. It was a little hard to be there with the kids, though, so we walked to the subway and came home. Claire was soooo excited to have been to a red carpet.
We picked up some Indian food (Chicken Tikka for me tonight), and watched the Tony Awards on tv. Marcia Gay Harden won Best Actress for "God of Carnage", so the girls were glad that they had just seen her. Karen Olivo won for "West Side Story" as Anita, so Cathy, Brennan and I were cheering her on. She was FABULOUS in that role.
It was very special for me to watch the Tony Awards with my sister. It has been ages since we got to watch those together, and musical theater is such a binding force with us. During the Memorial to those that have died this year, we all sany along to "Kiss Today Goodbye" from "A Chorus Line".
So, the evening closes on this day, and we look forward to our last full day in town. Tomorrow, we are planning to go back to the American Girl Store and possibly the St. Padre Pio shrine. Also, Cathy's friend, Kevin, works for CNBC, so he's going to take us for a tour of 30 Rockefeller Center.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Columbus Circle/West Side Story
Today, we checked out of the Marriott Marquis. This hotel holds a special memory for me since it's the first hotel in New York that I stayed in 20 years ago. It feels like "home" every time I come.
We walked out of Times Square and found that the weather was beautiful. And, there were some chairs available! We sat down, and I was in Heaven. Truly, it was as relaxing to me as anything else I've ever done. I would choose to sit in that spot any day, even over a massage, a spa treatment, etc.
Rob suddenly said, "There's the Naked Cowboy!"
I had mentioned to him previously that I had never seen the Naked Cowboy.
This is a guy who wears his Hanes-like underwear and a guitar. He sings songs about being the Naked Cowboy, and takes pictures with people. I had read about him in People magazine years ago. He's a Times Square icon now, so it was fun to see him.
We went to the M&M Store and the Hershey store, and continued our stroll up to Columbus Circle.
Gina was anxious to visit the two story Williams Sonoma, which did not disappoint.
We went downstairs to Whole Foods and picked up stuff for lunch. Claire and Gina actually wanted to try sushi, so we bought some of that.
We ate outside by the fountain where we watehed the most bizarre wedding ensemble take photos.
The bride looked like she was 20, and the groom looked like he was 40. The bridesmaids dresses that we first saw were bright red and looked like they came from a prom in the 80s. Then, someone else was in a teal dress, someone in a puke olive green dress, and someone in black. It was so tacky that we were tempted to think that it was fake. But it was, in fact, real. Cathy said that they had to have come from a borough - no one in Manhattan would have dressed like that!
We got home to Cathy's and rested up a bit before Cathy, Brennan, and I headed out again. Rob had bought us tickets to "West Side Story" - we were soooo excited.
The show was fantastic. I had never seen a revival before, and it really harkened back to an old-time Broadway. They had made it somewhat bilingual, which was very authentic, but other than that, they had kept the Jerome Robbins choreography. The Maria was a 21 year old Argentinean opera singer. She and Tony were fantastic together. The dancing was vibrant, the singing was perfect, and we bawled our eyes out at the end. It will be really hard to ever top that.
It's nominated for a bunch of Tonys, which are tomorrow night!!! We thought about going to Radio City Music Hall tomorrow to stand outside the Tonys, but I think with the kids, it will be easier to just watch it at home. I am really excited by watching them this year, though.
We walked out of Times Square and found that the weather was beautiful. And, there were some chairs available! We sat down, and I was in Heaven. Truly, it was as relaxing to me as anything else I've ever done. I would choose to sit in that spot any day, even over a massage, a spa treatment, etc.
Rob suddenly said, "There's the Naked Cowboy!"
I had mentioned to him previously that I had never seen the Naked Cowboy.
This is a guy who wears his Hanes-like underwear and a guitar. He sings songs about being the Naked Cowboy, and takes pictures with people. I had read about him in People magazine years ago. He's a Times Square icon now, so it was fun to see him.
We went to the M&M Store and the Hershey store, and continued our stroll up to Columbus Circle.
Gina was anxious to visit the two story Williams Sonoma, which did not disappoint.
We went downstairs to Whole Foods and picked up stuff for lunch. Claire and Gina actually wanted to try sushi, so we bought some of that.
We ate outside by the fountain where we watehed the most bizarre wedding ensemble take photos.
The bride looked like she was 20, and the groom looked like he was 40. The bridesmaids dresses that we first saw were bright red and looked like they came from a prom in the 80s. Then, someone else was in a teal dress, someone in a puke olive green dress, and someone in black. It was so tacky that we were tempted to think that it was fake. But it was, in fact, real. Cathy said that they had to have come from a borough - no one in Manhattan would have dressed like that!
We got home to Cathy's and rested up a bit before Cathy, Brennan, and I headed out again. Rob had bought us tickets to "West Side Story" - we were soooo excited.
The show was fantastic. I had never seen a revival before, and it really harkened back to an old-time Broadway. They had made it somewhat bilingual, which was very authentic, but other than that, they had kept the Jerome Robbins choreography. The Maria was a 21 year old Argentinean opera singer. She and Tony were fantastic together. The dancing was vibrant, the singing was perfect, and we bawled our eyes out at the end. It will be really hard to ever top that.
It's nominated for a bunch of Tonys, which are tomorrow night!!! We thought about going to Radio City Music Hall tomorrow to stand outside the Tonys, but I think with the kids, it will be easier to just watch it at home. I am really excited by watching them this year, though.
Intrepid/Lincoln Center/Broadway
Ok, I've learned that when your window faces several giant, animated, illuminated Times Square billboards, that you can wake up in the middle of the night and not know if it's night or day. The light even shines through the blackout curtains. But I love it!!!
Yesterday morning was wet and rainy. Still, we decided to move forward with our plans. We cabbed over to the Intrepid Aircraft Carrier museum. I have always wanted to go on an aircraft carrier ever since playing the game "Battleship" and sinking the piece with five holes.
It was SO impressive. Rob declared it one of the best military museums that he had ever existed. They did a movie/simulation of a Kamakazi attack during WW2. Afterwards, they told us that if we had been on the very spot that we were on, we would have been one of the 69 people killed. I started crying then. It was so emotional, and so well done.
The girls got into it pretty well, and surprisingly, we didn't hear the world "American Girl" come up. Gina and I tried a G-Force flight simulator, going upside down for a little while!
Afterwards, we headed to Lincoln Center where Cathy's roommate, Brennan, had arranged a tour for us. I had never been to Lincoln Center, which shocked both of the girls. I had liked it ever since seeing the opera featured in the movie "Moonstruck".
It was a great tour. The highlight for me was visiting the New York City Ballet. The interior was designed to look like the inside of a jewelry box, and it really did feel like that. The cherry on top was that they were rehearsing for Swan Lake, so there was a ballerina in costume on the center of the stage - even more like being in a jewelry box! I felt like I was a miniature person. We stayed and watched the rehearsal for 15 minutes, absolutely transfixed. Vincent cried, so Rob took him out. Ha, ha.
As we left, our guide looked at Vincent and said, "Maybe you'll be the next prince in Swan Lake." Rob said, "I don't think so!" It was really funny.
We got back to the hotel and rented "Paul Blart Mall Cop". Hmmmm, we went from Swan Lake to Paul Blart. Rob said that we covered the cultural spectrum in an hour.
Cathy showed up, and we picked up takeout from Junior's - more cheesecake.
As we are surrounded by a bunch of Broadway theaters, I told the girls that we could go downstairs and meet some of the stars after the show. They decided that they really wanted to meet Marcia Gay Harden since she was in the "American Girl - Felicity" movie.
We went to the stage door of "God of Carnage", where she was performing. Jeff Daniels was the first to come out, so we got his picture and autograph. Then, Marcia walked out with Hope Davis. She lit up when she saw Claire and Gina and spent a lot of time talking with them. They got her picture and autograph, and were on cloud nine.
Next, we walked back over to where "The Little Mermaid" is showing to say hi to Cathy's friend, Eric. We knew that it would take awhile for him to get his eel makeup off, so we waited. Then - Drew Seeley walked out. He starts as the role of Prince Eric on the 9th, so he was there to watch the show. He starred as the voice of Troy in "High School Musical" and starred in a recent movie, "Another Cinderella Movie". A teen heartthrob. The girls were SOOOOO excited when he came out, but kept their calm. Suddenly, the teenagers next to us broke out in a full screaming mayhem, and Drew literally ran away. I told Claire and Gina that if the teens hadn't done that, he looked like he was going to go over and talk to them. C and G were just happy to have laid eyes on him and breathed air from the same space.
After Eric came out, we went to the stage door of Angela Lansbury's show, but she had exited out another door, so we never saw her. Eric came back up to our room to say hi to Cathy, and ended up staying until 4am! We had a graet time.
The weather is supposed to be nice today, so we're looking forward to it!
Yesterday morning was wet and rainy. Still, we decided to move forward with our plans. We cabbed over to the Intrepid Aircraft Carrier museum. I have always wanted to go on an aircraft carrier ever since playing the game "Battleship" and sinking the piece with five holes.
It was SO impressive. Rob declared it one of the best military museums that he had ever existed. They did a movie/simulation of a Kamakazi attack during WW2. Afterwards, they told us that if we had been on the very spot that we were on, we would have been one of the 69 people killed. I started crying then. It was so emotional, and so well done.
The girls got into it pretty well, and surprisingly, we didn't hear the world "American Girl" come up. Gina and I tried a G-Force flight simulator, going upside down for a little while!
Afterwards, we headed to Lincoln Center where Cathy's roommate, Brennan, had arranged a tour for us. I had never been to Lincoln Center, which shocked both of the girls. I had liked it ever since seeing the opera featured in the movie "Moonstruck".
It was a great tour. The highlight for me was visiting the New York City Ballet. The interior was designed to look like the inside of a jewelry box, and it really did feel like that. The cherry on top was that they were rehearsing for Swan Lake, so there was a ballerina in costume on the center of the stage - even more like being in a jewelry box! I felt like I was a miniature person. We stayed and watched the rehearsal for 15 minutes, absolutely transfixed. Vincent cried, so Rob took him out. Ha, ha.
As we left, our guide looked at Vincent and said, "Maybe you'll be the next prince in Swan Lake." Rob said, "I don't think so!" It was really funny.
We got back to the hotel and rented "Paul Blart Mall Cop". Hmmmm, we went from Swan Lake to Paul Blart. Rob said that we covered the cultural spectrum in an hour.
Cathy showed up, and we picked up takeout from Junior's - more cheesecake.
As we are surrounded by a bunch of Broadway theaters, I told the girls that we could go downstairs and meet some of the stars after the show. They decided that they really wanted to meet Marcia Gay Harden since she was in the "American Girl - Felicity" movie.
We went to the stage door of "God of Carnage", where she was performing. Jeff Daniels was the first to come out, so we got his picture and autograph. Then, Marcia walked out with Hope Davis. She lit up when she saw Claire and Gina and spent a lot of time talking with them. They got her picture and autograph, and were on cloud nine.
Next, we walked back over to where "The Little Mermaid" is showing to say hi to Cathy's friend, Eric. We knew that it would take awhile for him to get his eel makeup off, so we waited. Then - Drew Seeley walked out. He starts as the role of Prince Eric on the 9th, so he was there to watch the show. He starred as the voice of Troy in "High School Musical" and starred in a recent movie, "Another Cinderella Movie". A teen heartthrob. The girls were SOOOOO excited when he came out, but kept their calm. Suddenly, the teenagers next to us broke out in a full screaming mayhem, and Drew literally ran away. I told Claire and Gina that if the teens hadn't done that, he looked like he was going to go over and talk to them. C and G were just happy to have laid eyes on him and breathed air from the same space.
After Eric came out, we went to the stage door of Angela Lansbury's show, but she had exited out another door, so we never saw her. Eric came back up to our room to say hi to Cathy, and ended up staying until 4am! We had a graet time.
The weather is supposed to be nice today, so we're looking forward to it!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Chelsea Market/Broadway!
Wow! Yesterday was an awesome day. BIG THANKS to my sister, Cathy, for making it wonderful.
We met Cathy in Chelsea, which is an area of Manhattan that we had never been to. She works in Chelsea Market, which is a great building near the Hudson. It used to be a giant bread bakery, and she believes that Oreos used to be made there, too. It had that authentic industrial decor. This is where the Food Network is housed. We walked into a fantastic Italian market, where I saw more kinds of pasta than I ever knew existed. Some of the spaghetti was as tall as Mary Teresa!
For lunch, we went across the street to a place called Pop Burger. Cathy's friend, Eric, met us there. He is the one that is in "The Little Mermaid" on Broadway. Since he was taking us backstage later in the evening, we thought it would be great for the girls to get to know him before the show. He was so wonderful to the girls, and stayed almost three hours with us. We all enjoyed some of the backstage tidbits, and I think it was good for Claire to hear that not every performance is perfect.
Also meeting us was Cathy's friend, Danny Boome. He just completed a few seasons of his own show on Food Network - Rescue Chef. Mary Teresa LOVES watching him on tv, and says that he's her favorite "cooker". He graciously came by to meet the girls, especially MT. She got a huge look of surprise on her face when he walked in, and then she retreated into serious shyness the rest of the time.
Danny and Eric made the afternoon wodnerful. Thank you, Cathy for facilitating it!
Oh - Vincent was crying in the taxi on the way there, so I nursed him. I never saw myself nursing in a taxi!!! You do whatever it takes.
We went back to the Marriott Marquis, where we are staying for two nights. I got a room that overlooks Times Square just perfectly, so Claire is in Heaven. We rested up a bit before the show.
"The Little Mermaid" was wonderful, a great experience for the girls' first Broadway show. Eric plays one of Ursula's two eels, and he played it up a bit for the girls, throwing them some smiles and blowing raspberries once. We were in the second row, so it was easy to interact that way. The Ariel was new to the cast, but she was GREAT. Ursula was played by Faith Prince, who was spectacular.
After the show, we waited outside the stage door with everyone else. However, Eric's dresser came out and called us in, so it was fun being called to go backstage.
Eric gave us the most fantastic tour, and he got everyone to sign the girls' Playbills. We were on stage for awhile, we looked at all the costumes, the sets, the makeup, and visited with some of the cast members. They all loved Mary Teresa's self-infliced hair cut and said that she can cut their hair anytime.
The girls got to sit in Ariel's grotto and touch Ursula's wig. The wig handler's other job is being the personal assistant to Sarah Jessica Parker!
We ended the night at a deli on Restaurant Row, and got back to the hotel after midnight.
It was a magical night that I could go on and on about, but my internet service has 3 minutes left, so I'll sign off.
Thank you to Cathy for such a fantastic day!
We met Cathy in Chelsea, which is an area of Manhattan that we had never been to. She works in Chelsea Market, which is a great building near the Hudson. It used to be a giant bread bakery, and she believes that Oreos used to be made there, too. It had that authentic industrial decor. This is where the Food Network is housed. We walked into a fantastic Italian market, where I saw more kinds of pasta than I ever knew existed. Some of the spaghetti was as tall as Mary Teresa!
For lunch, we went across the street to a place called Pop Burger. Cathy's friend, Eric, met us there. He is the one that is in "The Little Mermaid" on Broadway. Since he was taking us backstage later in the evening, we thought it would be great for the girls to get to know him before the show. He was so wonderful to the girls, and stayed almost three hours with us. We all enjoyed some of the backstage tidbits, and I think it was good for Claire to hear that not every performance is perfect.
Also meeting us was Cathy's friend, Danny Boome. He just completed a few seasons of his own show on Food Network - Rescue Chef. Mary Teresa LOVES watching him on tv, and says that he's her favorite "cooker". He graciously came by to meet the girls, especially MT. She got a huge look of surprise on her face when he walked in, and then she retreated into serious shyness the rest of the time.
Danny and Eric made the afternoon wodnerful. Thank you, Cathy for facilitating it!
Oh - Vincent was crying in the taxi on the way there, so I nursed him. I never saw myself nursing in a taxi!!! You do whatever it takes.
We went back to the Marriott Marquis, where we are staying for two nights. I got a room that overlooks Times Square just perfectly, so Claire is in Heaven. We rested up a bit before the show.
"The Little Mermaid" was wonderful, a great experience for the girls' first Broadway show. Eric plays one of Ursula's two eels, and he played it up a bit for the girls, throwing them some smiles and blowing raspberries once. We were in the second row, so it was easy to interact that way. The Ariel was new to the cast, but she was GREAT. Ursula was played by Faith Prince, who was spectacular.
After the show, we waited outside the stage door with everyone else. However, Eric's dresser came out and called us in, so it was fun being called to go backstage.
Eric gave us the most fantastic tour, and he got everyone to sign the girls' Playbills. We were on stage for awhile, we looked at all the costumes, the sets, the makeup, and visited with some of the cast members. They all loved Mary Teresa's self-infliced hair cut and said that she can cut their hair anytime.
The girls got to sit in Ariel's grotto and touch Ursula's wig. The wig handler's other job is being the personal assistant to Sarah Jessica Parker!
We ended the night at a deli on Restaurant Row, and got back to the hotel after midnight.
It was a magical night that I could go on and on about, but my internet service has 3 minutes left, so I'll sign off.
Thank you to Cathy for such a fantastic day!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Candy! Toys! Dolls! Poor Rob.....
We got out late today. This is a working vacation for us, and we had a lot of things to take care of.
When we did get out, though, we went to,,,,,,,
The WORLD'S LARGEST CANDY STORE!!!!
I heard of Dylan's Candy Bar several years ago in a travel magazine. It is a candy store started by Dylan Lauren - the daughter of Ralph Lauren. It is three stories tall, and it is, in fact, the largest candy store in the world. The girls were very excited.
We walked in to a world of color, music, and sugar! We saw all sorts of candy that we'd never seen before. One of my favorites was gummie pizza - gummie bread, gummie peppers, gummie pepperoni, etc. Then, you get the fun of assembling it.
Rob and I particularly enjoyed the nostalgic section, where they had candy that we hadn't seen since we were kids. They even had candy cigarettes - so out of fashion today - but delicious, nonetheless.
The stairs in Dylan's Candy Bar were made out of see-through plexiglass, and embedded into them were all sorts of candy. At one landing, the words "Stairway to Candy Heaven" were spelled out. There was also a large mosaic portrait of Dylan Lauren - made entirely out of Jelly Bellies.
We left the store and walked towards 5th Ave. Several blocks away, someone local saw our shopping bag and asked us for directions to the store. That was the first time that we'd ever been asked directions by a New Yorker!
Our next stop was FAO Schwartz. When we were here in 2004, it was closed for renovations, so the kids never got a chance to go. It is located on the same square as the Plaza Hotel (now condos instead of a hotel), and Bergdorf Goodman's.
A doorman dressed as a toy soldier greets you at the entryway, and opens the door to the world's best toystore.
The girls were ENCHANTED immediately. To our immediate left was the Lego store, where there were lifesized Lego replicas of Chewbaca, Batman, a dolphin, and Harry Potter, Hermione, Ron, and Hagrid. They wanted photographs with all of them.
To our right was a jungle of stuffed animals, also known as "Gina Heaven". She had to hug nearly every one of them. She was particularly drawn to a giant tree frog, which cost $50. She had saved $100 for the trip. During our whole time at FAO, she carefully weighed her options, and decided that she didn't want to spend half of her savings on one items. She ended up choosing a stuffed lemur instead.
Further on was a babydoll section with a woman dressed as a nurse helping you with your "adoption". She lit up when she saw Vincent. She took one of the babydolls and put her foot next to Vincent's - they were the same size, and she got such a kick out of that.
We passed a Make-Your-Own-Muppet area, a huge candy section, and a Snoopy Store. We didn't even got downstairs, which was devoted to baby and toddler items. We did head upstairs to Barbie World.
Vincent started crying in Barbie World, and Rob sympathized. They had replica Barbies from decades past that you could buy - I'd never seen most of these. They had Design-Your-Own-Barbie where you design one on the computer, they make it, and then you bring her home. Mary Teresa selected a Thumbalina Barbie to buy with her spending money.
My favorite part of the store was seeing the giant piano from the movie "Big". Similar pianos were available for purchase, for $250,000. In previous trips, the piano was roped off, and was only available for viewing. This time, though, they let you go on it! I had always wanted to do that. I pulled off my shoes and enthusiastically started dancing on the piano. Claire, Gina, and Mary Teresa joined me. As you step on a key, it lights up. They had a lot of fun with that.
Fulfilled, we left the store and walked on.
It was drizzling inside, and as we walked, it got a little heavier. We decided to stop in whichever building we were next to, and it happened to be Trump Towers. This was fun to go to since we have watched a few seasons of "The Apprentice". We saw a Starbucks inside, and grabbed three sandwiches.
We walked on, still in drizzle, but we weren't too many blocks away from our next destination, the American Girl Store.
We gave the girls a 45 minute time limit there because we had somewhere we had to be, but promised that we could come back for a little more time. Like the store in Dallas that we visited in November, we thought that they must pump estrogen through the pipes. I suggested to Rob that he leave me with the girls and go walk around outside, which he happily did.
He showed up about 10 minutes later though, saying that there is nothing manly to do on 5th Avenue. He was a good sport as we browsed the store.
We told the girls that they could each pick out an outfit for them that matches their dolls, and they had fun trying to decide. Claire and Gina were so meticulous in their decision making that they hadn't chosen something by the time we left. They are going to think about it and make a selection when we get back.
Mary Teresa suffered from no such indecision. She wanted a Bitty Baby. It was of similar value to the clothes, so we let her pick that instead. She knew exactly what she wanted - a blonde haired, blue-eyed baby, just like her. She also wanted the stroller, the crib, and every other accessory that came with it, but we had to tell her that the airplane couldn't hold all of that.
We walked to the elevator, and Vincent started wailing. Rob told him that he sympathized, and the people in the elevator - especially the men - got a good chuckle out of that.
Our next stop was the Palace Theater on Broadway, where the hard-to-get-tickets-for "West Side Story" is playing. That is one of my all-time favorite musicals, and I was thrilled that it was being revived! Rob had suggested that we get tickets for Cathy and Brennan to thank them for housing us in NYC, and for me, since I was doing a lot of work from here. Rob is our hero!
We had to be at the Palace Theater at 5:30 because there is a lottery for unused front-row seats for $26. We thought that if we could get those, that would be great! You have to show up at the box office 2 1/2 hours before curtain, submit your name, and wait half an hour to see who gets called.
We got there too early - 4:50, so we hung around Times Square. This time, there was room on the lawn chairs. It was absolutely surreal, and absolutely marvelous! I totally love people-watching, and there is no better crossroad of people than Times Square. However, in times past, it was so hustle and bustle, and go go go, that you couldn't loiter around. Now, with the lawn chairs, you feel like you have your own patio seating on the window to the world. It was MARVELOUS! It ranked up there as one of the best moments of my life.
We walked back to the theater and lined up for the lottery. We were happy that there were only about 20 people ahead of us. However, by the time the lottery had finished, well over one hundred people had put their names in, and only 18 seats were available. Alas, we did not win. So, we went to the box office and purchased three seats for Saturday night. It was nearly sold out - the best we could get was three single seats on the far, far right of the mezzanine. Who cares? Cathy, Brennan, and I are all so excited.
After that adventure, we walked across the street to Junior's, where Rob and I decided that we MUST have another steakburger, and this time, with the girls. The waiting area was a madhouse, and the 15 minute wait that the hostess promised turned in to close to an hour. A waiter came over and brought the girls some French Fries while they were waiting. It was a good thing that we had to wait because it gave Cathy time to get off of work and meet us.
We were finally seated, and Rob and I shared a steakburger and a giant pastrami and corned beef on rye. It was fabulous! Yes! We are in New York!!! Instead of bread, or chips as we are used to in San Antonio, the food items on the table were pickled beets and pickles. Cathy ad I devoured the beets.
For dessert, we had more cheesecake. The girls love it. And Gina, who declared that she doesn't like cheesecake, loved this one.
We took the A train home, particularly crowded for some reason, and headed back to Washington Heights.
I don't know what our plans are for today, but I do know that we are going to stay at the Marriott Marquis tonight. We decided to cash in some Marriott points, and make Times Square our home base for two nights. And, we might just go downstairs to Junior's and bring some cheesecake up to our room. So much for losing weight by walking a lot here.
And now, for your reading pleasure, Rob's addition to the blog:
By the end of the day, Rob was yearning for anything involving cars, guns, football or anything else masculine. Luckily, we decided to eat at Juniors, a wonderful throw back restaurant, where the burgers are huge, the calories bigger and it harkens back to era long gone. Thus fortified by a steakburger, and the largest onion rings he has ever seen, Rob's morale was restored and he was recharged, ready to face another day at the whim of three young girls who are determined to make yet another foray to the American girls store.
Camille decided to try to give Rob a break when we entered the American girls store. She offered to watch he girls and suggested that Rob try to find some guy stores to check out on Fifth Ave. Rob tried in vain to find a sports store, newsstand, bookstore, etc. No dice. There are no refuges for real men on Fifth Avenue. It's kind of like trying to find some place masculine in San Francisco, or like finding water in the Sahara in summer,
When we did get out, though, we went to,,,,,,,
The WORLD'S LARGEST CANDY STORE!!!!
I heard of Dylan's Candy Bar several years ago in a travel magazine. It is a candy store started by Dylan Lauren - the daughter of Ralph Lauren. It is three stories tall, and it is, in fact, the largest candy store in the world. The girls were very excited.
We walked in to a world of color, music, and sugar! We saw all sorts of candy that we'd never seen before. One of my favorites was gummie pizza - gummie bread, gummie peppers, gummie pepperoni, etc. Then, you get the fun of assembling it.
Rob and I particularly enjoyed the nostalgic section, where they had candy that we hadn't seen since we were kids. They even had candy cigarettes - so out of fashion today - but delicious, nonetheless.
The stairs in Dylan's Candy Bar were made out of see-through plexiglass, and embedded into them were all sorts of candy. At one landing, the words "Stairway to Candy Heaven" were spelled out. There was also a large mosaic portrait of Dylan Lauren - made entirely out of Jelly Bellies.
We left the store and walked towards 5th Ave. Several blocks away, someone local saw our shopping bag and asked us for directions to the store. That was the first time that we'd ever been asked directions by a New Yorker!
Our next stop was FAO Schwartz. When we were here in 2004, it was closed for renovations, so the kids never got a chance to go. It is located on the same square as the Plaza Hotel (now condos instead of a hotel), and Bergdorf Goodman's.
A doorman dressed as a toy soldier greets you at the entryway, and opens the door to the world's best toystore.
The girls were ENCHANTED immediately. To our immediate left was the Lego store, where there were lifesized Lego replicas of Chewbaca, Batman, a dolphin, and Harry Potter, Hermione, Ron, and Hagrid. They wanted photographs with all of them.
To our right was a jungle of stuffed animals, also known as "Gina Heaven". She had to hug nearly every one of them. She was particularly drawn to a giant tree frog, which cost $50. She had saved $100 for the trip. During our whole time at FAO, she carefully weighed her options, and decided that she didn't want to spend half of her savings on one items. She ended up choosing a stuffed lemur instead.
Further on was a babydoll section with a woman dressed as a nurse helping you with your "adoption". She lit up when she saw Vincent. She took one of the babydolls and put her foot next to Vincent's - they were the same size, and she got such a kick out of that.
We passed a Make-Your-Own-Muppet area, a huge candy section, and a Snoopy Store. We didn't even got downstairs, which was devoted to baby and toddler items. We did head upstairs to Barbie World.
Vincent started crying in Barbie World, and Rob sympathized. They had replica Barbies from decades past that you could buy - I'd never seen most of these. They had Design-Your-Own-Barbie where you design one on the computer, they make it, and then you bring her home. Mary Teresa selected a Thumbalina Barbie to buy with her spending money.
My favorite part of the store was seeing the giant piano from the movie "Big". Similar pianos were available for purchase, for $250,000. In previous trips, the piano was roped off, and was only available for viewing. This time, though, they let you go on it! I had always wanted to do that. I pulled off my shoes and enthusiastically started dancing on the piano. Claire, Gina, and Mary Teresa joined me. As you step on a key, it lights up. They had a lot of fun with that.
Fulfilled, we left the store and walked on.
It was drizzling inside, and as we walked, it got a little heavier. We decided to stop in whichever building we were next to, and it happened to be Trump Towers. This was fun to go to since we have watched a few seasons of "The Apprentice". We saw a Starbucks inside, and grabbed three sandwiches.
We walked on, still in drizzle, but we weren't too many blocks away from our next destination, the American Girl Store.
We gave the girls a 45 minute time limit there because we had somewhere we had to be, but promised that we could come back for a little more time. Like the store in Dallas that we visited in November, we thought that they must pump estrogen through the pipes. I suggested to Rob that he leave me with the girls and go walk around outside, which he happily did.
He showed up about 10 minutes later though, saying that there is nothing manly to do on 5th Avenue. He was a good sport as we browsed the store.
We told the girls that they could each pick out an outfit for them that matches their dolls, and they had fun trying to decide. Claire and Gina were so meticulous in their decision making that they hadn't chosen something by the time we left. They are going to think about it and make a selection when we get back.
Mary Teresa suffered from no such indecision. She wanted a Bitty Baby. It was of similar value to the clothes, so we let her pick that instead. She knew exactly what she wanted - a blonde haired, blue-eyed baby, just like her. She also wanted the stroller, the crib, and every other accessory that came with it, but we had to tell her that the airplane couldn't hold all of that.
We walked to the elevator, and Vincent started wailing. Rob told him that he sympathized, and the people in the elevator - especially the men - got a good chuckle out of that.
Our next stop was the Palace Theater on Broadway, where the hard-to-get-tickets-for "West Side Story" is playing. That is one of my all-time favorite musicals, and I was thrilled that it was being revived! Rob had suggested that we get tickets for Cathy and Brennan to thank them for housing us in NYC, and for me, since I was doing a lot of work from here. Rob is our hero!
We had to be at the Palace Theater at 5:30 because there is a lottery for unused front-row seats for $26. We thought that if we could get those, that would be great! You have to show up at the box office 2 1/2 hours before curtain, submit your name, and wait half an hour to see who gets called.
We got there too early - 4:50, so we hung around Times Square. This time, there was room on the lawn chairs. It was absolutely surreal, and absolutely marvelous! I totally love people-watching, and there is no better crossroad of people than Times Square. However, in times past, it was so hustle and bustle, and go go go, that you couldn't loiter around. Now, with the lawn chairs, you feel like you have your own patio seating on the window to the world. It was MARVELOUS! It ranked up there as one of the best moments of my life.
We walked back to the theater and lined up for the lottery. We were happy that there were only about 20 people ahead of us. However, by the time the lottery had finished, well over one hundred people had put their names in, and only 18 seats were available. Alas, we did not win. So, we went to the box office and purchased three seats for Saturday night. It was nearly sold out - the best we could get was three single seats on the far, far right of the mezzanine. Who cares? Cathy, Brennan, and I are all so excited.
After that adventure, we walked across the street to Junior's, where Rob and I decided that we MUST have another steakburger, and this time, with the girls. The waiting area was a madhouse, and the 15 minute wait that the hostess promised turned in to close to an hour. A waiter came over and brought the girls some French Fries while they were waiting. It was a good thing that we had to wait because it gave Cathy time to get off of work and meet us.
We were finally seated, and Rob and I shared a steakburger and a giant pastrami and corned beef on rye. It was fabulous! Yes! We are in New York!!! Instead of bread, or chips as we are used to in San Antonio, the food items on the table were pickled beets and pickles. Cathy ad I devoured the beets.
For dessert, we had more cheesecake. The girls love it. And Gina, who declared that she doesn't like cheesecake, loved this one.
We took the A train home, particularly crowded for some reason, and headed back to Washington Heights.
I don't know what our plans are for today, but I do know that we are going to stay at the Marriott Marquis tonight. We decided to cash in some Marriott points, and make Times Square our home base for two nights. And, we might just go downstairs to Junior's and bring some cheesecake up to our room. So much for losing weight by walking a lot here.
And now, for your reading pleasure, Rob's addition to the blog:
By the end of the day, Rob was yearning for anything involving cars, guns, football or anything else masculine. Luckily, we decided to eat at Juniors, a wonderful throw back restaurant, where the burgers are huge, the calories bigger and it harkens back to era long gone. Thus fortified by a steakburger, and the largest onion rings he has ever seen, Rob's morale was restored and he was recharged, ready to face another day at the whim of three young girls who are determined to make yet another foray to the American girls store.
Camille decided to try to give Rob a break when we entered the American girls store. She offered to watch he girls and suggested that Rob try to find some guy stores to check out on Fifth Ave. Rob tried in vain to find a sports store, newsstand, bookstore, etc. No dice. There are no refuges for real men on Fifth Avenue. It's kind of like trying to find some place masculine in San Francisco, or like finding water in the Sahara in summer,
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Natural History Museum/Broadway
Cathy took the day off today, so we enjoyed having her with us.
She suggested a place called Cafe Lalo for breakfast. It is where a great scene in the movie "You've Got Mail" was filmed. It is the scene where Meg Ryan sits at the cafe with a book and a rose, waiting to meet her secret email pal. In walks Tom Hanks, and they sit and talk together. It's one of the best scenes in the movie, so we were excited to go there.
The food was great, and pastries were tempting. Ok, we gave in to the tempation. I had a croissant stuffed with gouda and spinach with a Mediterranean salad. Then, I split some chocolate mousse and an eclair with the girls. The windows were open, and the day was absolutely perfect. We came at an off hour, so we practically had the whole place to ourselves. There was a lady there admiring Vincent. Her granddaughter was born two days later. We struck up a nice conversation.
I have to say that New Yorkers get a very bad wrap regarding friendliness. I would not say that they are WARM, but they are certainly helpful and willing to engage in a conversation. We have had many people open the door for us since we have a stroller. The exception to this is where it is busy, or on the subway. And, then, it is not that people are unfriendly, they are just focused on getting to where they need to go.
After Cafe Lalo, we strolled a few blocks, and went to our destination for the day - the Museum of Natural History. As I mentioned the other day, this is the museum that "Night at the Museum" is based on. After walking through all of it, it is easy to see that the floorplan of the real museum isn't like the one in the movie, but all of the best ideas came from the museum - Teddy Roosevelt on a horse, the T-Rex, Sacagawea, the Easter Island dum dum, the monkey, etc. They were all there. It was fun to imaging everything coming to life at night.
The dinosaur wings were spectacular. I had never seen so many dinosaurs in one place, and with such diversity. There was a HUGE one that looked exactly like a modern day armadillo.
The highlight for me, though, was going to the new Planetarium. Words cannot do justice to this building. It is a glass cube, about five stories tall, and inside, nearly floor to ceiling is a huge ball. That is the planetarium. We walked in at our showtime, and sat back to a great show all about cosmic collisions. Cathy, and I were captivated - we grew up going regularly to the Denver planetarium. Vincent laid on Cathy's lap, and was mesmerized the whole time.
After the museum, we headed back uptown to regroup for a little while. Cathy offered to babysit the kids so that Rob and I could go out on a date. Hmmmm, where in New York can you go on a date - BROADWAY!!!
I could happily see every musical around, and Rob has willingly joined me at many of them. However, he was really hoping to see a play, and it was more than his turn to have a pick.
We decided on "The 39 Steps", which is one of his favorite Hitchcock movies. I love Hitchcock, too, but had not seen this particular movie. It sounded great.
We got on the subway, and it felt very strange not making sure that four children had made their way with us. But, we quickly adapted. Instantly, we were New Yorkers - walking with purpose and focus, and looking above or below people's heads, but never, ever, directly in their eyes.
We got off at 42nd Street, and easily found our theater. We picked up our tickets, and looked around for a quick bit to eat.
Cathy had recommended Junior's, and promised that the cheesecake was even better than Lindy's. The restaurant was too full to take us, so we went to the takeout window, which lies on Shubert Alley. It took so long for our Swiss steakburger and cheesecake to arrive, and we had very little time to eat before showtime.
We took the food out into Shubert Alley, and we were quite a site. As we hadn't planned for a date night, we were still in the shorts that we had worn all day. In the same alley, there was a theater that was doing a Noel Coward play starring Angela Lansbury and Rupert Everet. Quite a few people around us were all dressed up. We looked like bums as we balanced our take out box very carefully with one hand, and cheesecake with another. Let me tell you, it is not a wise thing to eat a steakburger with one hand!!!
The cheesecake was amaing. I have to agree with Cathy that is the best around.
We actually finished in time to go to the theater, and we had about ten minutes before the show started. It was in the Helen Hayes theater, which was a great little theater built in 1912. It was much smalller than most theaters, but very charming. This one had cranberry red walls, white dental molding, and a gold proceniam.
The show was set in the 30s - a time period that we love. It featured four actors playing 150 roles - wow!!! It was absolutely the most FUN that I've ever had on Broadway. They took Hitchcock's storyline and added physical humor. I keep replaying it over and over in my head. It won two Tonys, and is the longest-running comedy on Broadway.
At the end of the show, we put in a call to Cathy to check on the kids. They were enjoying hot chocolate, popcorn, and a movie back at home, so we still had a little time to stay out.
We strolled over a block to Times Square. This time, it was dark, so the neon lights were that much more brilliant. We stood there together, almost silent, taking it all in. In Times Square, you really feel that you are at the center of the world - the crossroads. There was something almost sacred about it as it makes you realize your smallness in comparison with the world. It's hard not to be humbled.
We walked on to the subway, now feeling like locals with our ability to ride the subway like a pro.
That humility came back, though, when we got off at our stop, 168th street. We took a different exit out of the subway stop, and accidentally turned the wrong way. We walked for several blocks, everything feeling increasingly unfamiliar and increasingly scary. We definitely stood out like a sore thumb. We finally realized that we were lost and were grateful to find a policeman that pointed us in exactly the opposite direction of where we were heading.
We hoofed it back in the right way, and were relieved to see the red gate at Cathy's building. When we told Brennan and Cathy where we had been, they told us that we had almost walked to the Bronx!
It was nice to be back, and we started planning our adventures for the next day.
She suggested a place called Cafe Lalo for breakfast. It is where a great scene in the movie "You've Got Mail" was filmed. It is the scene where Meg Ryan sits at the cafe with a book and a rose, waiting to meet her secret email pal. In walks Tom Hanks, and they sit and talk together. It's one of the best scenes in the movie, so we were excited to go there.
The food was great, and pastries were tempting. Ok, we gave in to the tempation. I had a croissant stuffed with gouda and spinach with a Mediterranean salad. Then, I split some chocolate mousse and an eclair with the girls. The windows were open, and the day was absolutely perfect. We came at an off hour, so we practically had the whole place to ourselves. There was a lady there admiring Vincent. Her granddaughter was born two days later. We struck up a nice conversation.
I have to say that New Yorkers get a very bad wrap regarding friendliness. I would not say that they are WARM, but they are certainly helpful and willing to engage in a conversation. We have had many people open the door for us since we have a stroller. The exception to this is where it is busy, or on the subway. And, then, it is not that people are unfriendly, they are just focused on getting to where they need to go.
After Cafe Lalo, we strolled a few blocks, and went to our destination for the day - the Museum of Natural History. As I mentioned the other day, this is the museum that "Night at the Museum" is based on. After walking through all of it, it is easy to see that the floorplan of the real museum isn't like the one in the movie, but all of the best ideas came from the museum - Teddy Roosevelt on a horse, the T-Rex, Sacagawea, the Easter Island dum dum, the monkey, etc. They were all there. It was fun to imaging everything coming to life at night.
The dinosaur wings were spectacular. I had never seen so many dinosaurs in one place, and with such diversity. There was a HUGE one that looked exactly like a modern day armadillo.
The highlight for me, though, was going to the new Planetarium. Words cannot do justice to this building. It is a glass cube, about five stories tall, and inside, nearly floor to ceiling is a huge ball. That is the planetarium. We walked in at our showtime, and sat back to a great show all about cosmic collisions. Cathy, and I were captivated - we grew up going regularly to the Denver planetarium. Vincent laid on Cathy's lap, and was mesmerized the whole time.
After the museum, we headed back uptown to regroup for a little while. Cathy offered to babysit the kids so that Rob and I could go out on a date. Hmmmm, where in New York can you go on a date - BROADWAY!!!
I could happily see every musical around, and Rob has willingly joined me at many of them. However, he was really hoping to see a play, and it was more than his turn to have a pick.
We decided on "The 39 Steps", which is one of his favorite Hitchcock movies. I love Hitchcock, too, but had not seen this particular movie. It sounded great.
We got on the subway, and it felt very strange not making sure that four children had made their way with us. But, we quickly adapted. Instantly, we were New Yorkers - walking with purpose and focus, and looking above or below people's heads, but never, ever, directly in their eyes.
We got off at 42nd Street, and easily found our theater. We picked up our tickets, and looked around for a quick bit to eat.
Cathy had recommended Junior's, and promised that the cheesecake was even better than Lindy's. The restaurant was too full to take us, so we went to the takeout window, which lies on Shubert Alley. It took so long for our Swiss steakburger and cheesecake to arrive, and we had very little time to eat before showtime.
We took the food out into Shubert Alley, and we were quite a site. As we hadn't planned for a date night, we were still in the shorts that we had worn all day. In the same alley, there was a theater that was doing a Noel Coward play starring Angela Lansbury and Rupert Everet. Quite a few people around us were all dressed up. We looked like bums as we balanced our take out box very carefully with one hand, and cheesecake with another. Let me tell you, it is not a wise thing to eat a steakburger with one hand!!!
The cheesecake was amaing. I have to agree with Cathy that is the best around.
We actually finished in time to go to the theater, and we had about ten minutes before the show started. It was in the Helen Hayes theater, which was a great little theater built in 1912. It was much smalller than most theaters, but very charming. This one had cranberry red walls, white dental molding, and a gold proceniam.
The show was set in the 30s - a time period that we love. It featured four actors playing 150 roles - wow!!! It was absolutely the most FUN that I've ever had on Broadway. They took Hitchcock's storyline and added physical humor. I keep replaying it over and over in my head. It won two Tonys, and is the longest-running comedy on Broadway.
At the end of the show, we put in a call to Cathy to check on the kids. They were enjoying hot chocolate, popcorn, and a movie back at home, so we still had a little time to stay out.
We strolled over a block to Times Square. This time, it was dark, so the neon lights were that much more brilliant. We stood there together, almost silent, taking it all in. In Times Square, you really feel that you are at the center of the world - the crossroads. There was something almost sacred about it as it makes you realize your smallness in comparison with the world. It's hard not to be humbled.
We walked on to the subway, now feeling like locals with our ability to ride the subway like a pro.
That humility came back, though, when we got off at our stop, 168th street. We took a different exit out of the subway stop, and accidentally turned the wrong way. We walked for several blocks, everything feeling increasingly unfamiliar and increasingly scary. We definitely stood out like a sore thumb. We finally realized that we were lost and were grateful to find a policeman that pointed us in exactly the opposite direction of where we were heading.
We hoofed it back in the right way, and were relieved to see the red gate at Cathy's building. When we told Brennan and Cathy where we had been, they told us that we had almost walked to the Bronx!
It was nice to be back, and we started planning our adventures for the next day.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Staten Island/Macy's
God knows what He is doing.
He had me marry someone who is more laid back.
Last time we were in New York, and nearly every time I travel, I try to pack in as much as possible. Rob is much more laid back - the majority of his vacations growing up were to Maui, so I think he adopted an island mentality early on. Having now experienced his Maui mindset, I have come around.
So, today, when we didn't leave the apartment until 12:30, I had to reconcile my Germanic tendencies with my love of a truly relaxing vacation.
I'm not sure that "truly relaxing" can quite describe New York, though.
My sister lives almost as far north as you can go in Manhattan. Our destination today was the very southern tip.
Our subway ride from here to there was about half an hour - much less than we had counted on.
Gina was very interested in watching our progress, so I pulled out my metro map and we followed our stops along the way.
We got off at South Ferry, and the Staten Island Ferry terminal was right there. Rob had been there last time, and said that it was totally renovated since then. The ferry terminal was very impressive. We only had to wait about ten minutes for the next ferry to come by.
The ferry was HUGE - so many people had been waiting for it, and yet when we were all in, there were vast, open spaces.
The biggest treat is that it took us right next to the Statue of Liberty, and I think that will be the extent of our visit there. We got a great view. I also loved looking back as we left Manhattan and seeing the skyline. It was so sad to look at the Financial District and not see the twin towers.
Our destination on Staten Island was St. Peter's Cemetary. This is where Fr. Vincent Capodanno is buried. You may remember him from our birth announcements - he is the one that we named our son for. (Vincent is two months old today, by the way.)
Fr. Vincent Capodanno was a navy chaplain that served and died with the Marines in Vietnam. He is not very well known, but the cause for his canonization has been taken up, and he already has at least one miracle attributed to him.
What was lovely is that where he was buried is a totally normal cemetary . There was nothing there to indicate that someone on the road to canonization was present. I'm sure that once he is canonized, they will remove his body, so it was special to be there at his family's plot.
Two men approached us as we arrived, also there to pay homage to Fr. Vincent. They were both Marines - one from Massachusetts, and one from Connecticut. We all sat down to pray the rosary. It brought a tear to my eye - Rob and these two other men, Marines, being drawn to the grave of this hero and saint. And, our son there. We prayed in our rosary for Vincent, and for courage and faith for our family.
We took the ferry back, and hopped back on to the subway.
This time, we were headed to Macy's. I had very foolishly asked Cathy where Macy's was. It was a "DUH" moment for me. HOW MANY TIMES have I seen "Miracle on 34th Street"? How many times have I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade? I definitely should have known where it was.
We got off of the subway on 33rd, and found Macy's a block away. It was pretty crowded at first. The girls loved the old fashioned (wooden!) escalators, and were amazed that Macy's was 11 levels! The one at home is 2 stories.
We headed straight downstairs, where Rob and I remembered that there was food. They had a great selection of pasta and pizza. All five of us ate for $20, including drinks! It was such a deal. We left Rob in the food section, and wandered a bit. Gina bought a purse that says "Macy's New York", and Mary Teresa bought a teddy bear dressed as the Statue of Liberty.
Cathy met us there after work. We stepped outside to walk back to the subway, and I suddenly saw the Empire State Building. Cathy laughed at me for not having spotted it on our way in - it was sooooo obvious. Also right next to us was Madison Square Garden.
Exhausted, we ordered more Indian take out (I'm REALLY getting spoiled with that), played Scrabble with Claire, and went to sleep.
He had me marry someone who is more laid back.
Last time we were in New York, and nearly every time I travel, I try to pack in as much as possible. Rob is much more laid back - the majority of his vacations growing up were to Maui, so I think he adopted an island mentality early on. Having now experienced his Maui mindset, I have come around.
So, today, when we didn't leave the apartment until 12:30, I had to reconcile my Germanic tendencies with my love of a truly relaxing vacation.
I'm not sure that "truly relaxing" can quite describe New York, though.
My sister lives almost as far north as you can go in Manhattan. Our destination today was the very southern tip.
Our subway ride from here to there was about half an hour - much less than we had counted on.
Gina was very interested in watching our progress, so I pulled out my metro map and we followed our stops along the way.
We got off at South Ferry, and the Staten Island Ferry terminal was right there. Rob had been there last time, and said that it was totally renovated since then. The ferry terminal was very impressive. We only had to wait about ten minutes for the next ferry to come by.
The ferry was HUGE - so many people had been waiting for it, and yet when we were all in, there were vast, open spaces.
The biggest treat is that it took us right next to the Statue of Liberty, and I think that will be the extent of our visit there. We got a great view. I also loved looking back as we left Manhattan and seeing the skyline. It was so sad to look at the Financial District and not see the twin towers.
Our destination on Staten Island was St. Peter's Cemetary. This is where Fr. Vincent Capodanno is buried. You may remember him from our birth announcements - he is the one that we named our son for. (Vincent is two months old today, by the way.)
Fr. Vincent Capodanno was a navy chaplain that served and died with the Marines in Vietnam. He is not very well known, but the cause for his canonization has been taken up, and he already has at least one miracle attributed to him.
What was lovely is that where he was buried is a totally normal cemetary . There was nothing there to indicate that someone on the road to canonization was present. I'm sure that once he is canonized, they will remove his body, so it was special to be there at his family's plot.
Two men approached us as we arrived, also there to pay homage to Fr. Vincent. They were both Marines - one from Massachusetts, and one from Connecticut. We all sat down to pray the rosary. It brought a tear to my eye - Rob and these two other men, Marines, being drawn to the grave of this hero and saint. And, our son there. We prayed in our rosary for Vincent, and for courage and faith for our family.
We took the ferry back, and hopped back on to the subway.
This time, we were headed to Macy's. I had very foolishly asked Cathy where Macy's was. It was a "DUH" moment for me. HOW MANY TIMES have I seen "Miracle on 34th Street"? How many times have I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade? I definitely should have known where it was.
We got off of the subway on 33rd, and found Macy's a block away. It was pretty crowded at first. The girls loved the old fashioned (wooden!) escalators, and were amazed that Macy's was 11 levels! The one at home is 2 stories.
We headed straight downstairs, where Rob and I remembered that there was food. They had a great selection of pasta and pizza. All five of us ate for $20, including drinks! It was such a deal. We left Rob in the food section, and wandered a bit. Gina bought a purse that says "Macy's New York", and Mary Teresa bought a teddy bear dressed as the Statue of Liberty.
Cathy met us there after work. We stepped outside to walk back to the subway, and I suddenly saw the Empire State Building. Cathy laughed at me for not having spotted it on our way in - it was sooooo obvious. Also right next to us was Madison Square Garden.
Exhausted, we ordered more Indian take out (I'm REALLY getting spoiled with that), played Scrabble with Claire, and went to sleep.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
A Day in the Park
Today was our first full day in New York City (this trip), and we made the most of it!
We took our time getting ready and visiting with Cathy. But, at last, we were ready for a long day out.
We walked a few blocks to the nearest subway. Mary Teresa was soooo excited about going on the subway. You have to hold your nose a bit - it's not as pristine as the DC Metro, but it sure beats paying for a cab everywhere. And, you certainly get the REAL New York feel.
We took the subway to midtown, and went to Blessed Sacrament for Mass. It was a GORGEOUS church. Stained glass, marble everywhere, sculptures, the works. A choir sang a high Mass - Kyrie, Sanctus, incense. It reminded me of the church that I went to when growing up in Denver. It was a beautiful moment for me to expose the girls to the kind of high liturgy that I fell in love with as a child. The priest gave an excellent homily about how church is for people that are not perfect - that we all need to come. Even Peter denied Christ three times, but he came back. And that's what we need to do. He was a lovely priest.
When we got out, we enjoyed seeing that there was a street fair going on. The girls got more exposure to what can be sold on the streets of New York. There was a socks and underwear stand next to a bed sheets stand next to jewelry, next to Greek food. I love the diversity here!
We got some smoothies there, and they were delicious. Cathy introduced us to Thai Bubble Tea. ?????? It was surprisingly great. It was cold tea with coconut milk and large tapioca bubbles throughout it. So, when you took a drink, a squishy "bubble" came up with it. Who knew? It is actually something that I would order again.
We grabbed lunch at a nearby deli and headed a few blocks to Central Park.
On the way, we passed the building where John Lennon was killed, and we passed the Museum of Natural History. This is the exterior of where "Night at the Museum" was filmed, and the girls were very excited about that. We were across the street, but Gina really wanted to go inside. She, Mary Teresa, and I went over just to see the lobby. We were greeted by the spectacular sight of three dinosaurs on display. One of them was several stories high!!!! They girls were stunned by the magnitude of it. I tried very hard to get the girls and the tall dinosaur in one picture - I even laid down to try to get a good angle, but I couldn't get that darn head in! It was just too tall.
We're going to go back and do the whole museum on Tuesday.
We walked on to the entrance that we needed at Central Park. It was a GORGEOUS day, and there were lots of people in the park. Cathy took us to her favorite spot at Turtle Pond. We had a picnic lunch. I laid Vincent down on a blanket, and he fell asleep almost immediately. What a great place to fall asleep! If I didn't have to keep a sharp eye on roving Mary Teresa, I could definitely have fallen asleep, too.
There were lots of families around. Gina made friends with one girl, and they spent a lot of time doing cartwheels in the grass.
We walked around the corner to a dock that overlooks the turtles - there were so many that we couldn't count them. Gina enjoyed taking pictures, and has declared several times she wants to be a nature photographer.
Cathy's friend, Kevin, met us, as we had hoped that he would. He had never met the kids, but had heard all about them from Cathy. Claire found him to be a very receptive audience to her conversation and passion about all things tv/movie.
Cathy and Kevin took the girls to the nearby castle, and we took pictures of them above from down below.
Cathy also tried holding Vincent in the sling, and she loved it! He was happiest today when he was in that sling with her. I enjoyed the little break.
We were all tired after our day in New York, but we decided to extend the day a little more.
We hopped on the subway again and went to Times Square.
There is such a blend of emotions in Times Square. The sheer size of the billboards, the electricity, and the excitement of Broadway shows always around never ceases to capture me. However, it is mixed with crowds, noise, smells, and hustle and bustle.
We got there just as matinees were getting out, and it was quite crowded. We saw Alison Janney outside of the theater showing "9 to 5".
Our main destination is the Marriott Marquis. It has very fast glass elevators, and we knew that the girls would get a big kick out of them. I am deathly afraid of heights, which has only gotten worse as I've gotten older, so I just couldn't ride the elevators like I used to. I sat in the lounge and got them on tape. Mary Teresa was ELATED with the ride. They want to go again on Thursday when we are back for "The Little Mermaid".
We ate some dinner on the eighth floor in a lounge that looks right over Times Square. We were one table away from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Claire spent some time alone at a little table right by the window. There was something so touching about seeing my little entertainment queen wistfully and earnestly observing everything around her.
Claire particularly enjoyed a sign for the new Pixar movie, "Up", which was 28 stories high!!!! We saw advertisements for lots of shows - "West Side Story", "Chicago", "Shrek - the Musical", and "South Pacific".
We walked past the Majestic, still showing "The Phantom of the Opera". This was my first Broadway show, at that theater, 20 years ago this month!
Just last week, New York City closed Times Square to auto traffic, and it is now an urban pedestrian area - with lawn chairs!!!! This is not a Times Square that I ever expected to see. Instead of lots of pushing and shoving, there was so much SPACE for people. It was like one big block party, with people from all over the world.
We finished the evening by taking the subway back to the upper tip of Manhattan, where Cathy lives.
The news showed that the President and Prince Harry were in town. Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore.
We took our time getting ready and visiting with Cathy. But, at last, we were ready for a long day out.
We walked a few blocks to the nearest subway. Mary Teresa was soooo excited about going on the subway. You have to hold your nose a bit - it's not as pristine as the DC Metro, but it sure beats paying for a cab everywhere. And, you certainly get the REAL New York feel.
We took the subway to midtown, and went to Blessed Sacrament for Mass. It was a GORGEOUS church. Stained glass, marble everywhere, sculptures, the works. A choir sang a high Mass - Kyrie, Sanctus, incense. It reminded me of the church that I went to when growing up in Denver. It was a beautiful moment for me to expose the girls to the kind of high liturgy that I fell in love with as a child. The priest gave an excellent homily about how church is for people that are not perfect - that we all need to come. Even Peter denied Christ three times, but he came back. And that's what we need to do. He was a lovely priest.
When we got out, we enjoyed seeing that there was a street fair going on. The girls got more exposure to what can be sold on the streets of New York. There was a socks and underwear stand next to a bed sheets stand next to jewelry, next to Greek food. I love the diversity here!
We got some smoothies there, and they were delicious. Cathy introduced us to Thai Bubble Tea. ?????? It was surprisingly great. It was cold tea with coconut milk and large tapioca bubbles throughout it. So, when you took a drink, a squishy "bubble" came up with it. Who knew? It is actually something that I would order again.
We grabbed lunch at a nearby deli and headed a few blocks to Central Park.
On the way, we passed the building where John Lennon was killed, and we passed the Museum of Natural History. This is the exterior of where "Night at the Museum" was filmed, and the girls were very excited about that. We were across the street, but Gina really wanted to go inside. She, Mary Teresa, and I went over just to see the lobby. We were greeted by the spectacular sight of three dinosaurs on display. One of them was several stories high!!!! They girls were stunned by the magnitude of it. I tried very hard to get the girls and the tall dinosaur in one picture - I even laid down to try to get a good angle, but I couldn't get that darn head in! It was just too tall.
We're going to go back and do the whole museum on Tuesday.
We walked on to the entrance that we needed at Central Park. It was a GORGEOUS day, and there were lots of people in the park. Cathy took us to her favorite spot at Turtle Pond. We had a picnic lunch. I laid Vincent down on a blanket, and he fell asleep almost immediately. What a great place to fall asleep! If I didn't have to keep a sharp eye on roving Mary Teresa, I could definitely have fallen asleep, too.
There were lots of families around. Gina made friends with one girl, and they spent a lot of time doing cartwheels in the grass.
We walked around the corner to a dock that overlooks the turtles - there were so many that we couldn't count them. Gina enjoyed taking pictures, and has declared several times she wants to be a nature photographer.
Cathy's friend, Kevin, met us, as we had hoped that he would. He had never met the kids, but had heard all about them from Cathy. Claire found him to be a very receptive audience to her conversation and passion about all things tv/movie.
Cathy and Kevin took the girls to the nearby castle, and we took pictures of them above from down below.
Cathy also tried holding Vincent in the sling, and she loved it! He was happiest today when he was in that sling with her. I enjoyed the little break.
We were all tired after our day in New York, but we decided to extend the day a little more.
We hopped on the subway again and went to Times Square.
There is such a blend of emotions in Times Square. The sheer size of the billboards, the electricity, and the excitement of Broadway shows always around never ceases to capture me. However, it is mixed with crowds, noise, smells, and hustle and bustle.
We got there just as matinees were getting out, and it was quite crowded. We saw Alison Janney outside of the theater showing "9 to 5".
Our main destination is the Marriott Marquis. It has very fast glass elevators, and we knew that the girls would get a big kick out of them. I am deathly afraid of heights, which has only gotten worse as I've gotten older, so I just couldn't ride the elevators like I used to. I sat in the lounge and got them on tape. Mary Teresa was ELATED with the ride. They want to go again on Thursday when we are back for "The Little Mermaid".
We ate some dinner on the eighth floor in a lounge that looks right over Times Square. We were one table away from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Claire spent some time alone at a little table right by the window. There was something so touching about seeing my little entertainment queen wistfully and earnestly observing everything around her.
Claire particularly enjoyed a sign for the new Pixar movie, "Up", which was 28 stories high!!!! We saw advertisements for lots of shows - "West Side Story", "Chicago", "Shrek - the Musical", and "South Pacific".
We walked past the Majestic, still showing "The Phantom of the Opera". This was my first Broadway show, at that theater, 20 years ago this month!
Just last week, New York City closed Times Square to auto traffic, and it is now an urban pedestrian area - with lawn chairs!!!! This is not a Times Square that I ever expected to see. Instead of lots of pushing and shoving, there was so much SPACE for people. It was like one big block party, with people from all over the world.
We finished the evening by taking the subway back to the upper tip of Manhattan, where Cathy lives.
The news showed that the President and Prince Harry were in town. Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore.
Welcome to New York City!
We're here!
We had a very early morning flight out of San Antonio and into Minneapolis. We were flying on Northwest. After having purchased the tickets, several people told me how much they disliked that airline. So, I wasn't expecting much. However, everyone that we encountered, from beginning to end, was wonderful.
We particularly appreciated the steward, who was very attentive to the kids. When he found out that it was Vincent's first flight, he came back later with a "First Flight Certificate" that he had the captain and the flight crew sign. Vincent also got a set of wings.
We arrived in Minneapolis and the girls debated on whether this trip to Minnesota "counted" as one of our states. We like to keep track of all of the states that we travel to. However, considering that the closet thing we saw to Minnesota was the tee shirts in the airport shops, so it didn't count. I guess we'll have to go back someday!
The kids were great. Even Vincent slept most of the time. On the flight to New York, one woman commented to me that we had the best behaved children that she's ever seen on a plane - including her own. That is always music to a mother's ears!!!!! Thankfully, the girls have always been outstanding travelers. I love seeing them wheel their carry-on baggage through an airport. Vincent was an angel, too - he slept the whole time.
We flew into La Guardia, and Gina gave up her window seat so that Mary Teresa could see New York first. Mary Teresa has been looking forward to this for YEARS. The last time that we were in New York City was when I was pregnant with her. So, she likes to say that she's been, but she says that "it was dark" and she "didn't get to see anything".
The highlights of this trip for her are going to be the Statue of Liberty and the "Vampire State Building". As long as there are no vampires.
We saw a lot from the air. Gina spotted the Statue of Liberty, but Mary Teresa could never see where she was pointing. The Empire State Building was an obvious site, and Mary Teresa was so excited when she FINALLY saw it. It's all that she's been talking about for weeks. I was saddened not to see the twin towers, which used to dominate the skyline so elegantly.
Our cab ride took us through Harlem, and then up to Washington Heights, where my sister lives. This is a lovely area, very neighborhood-like. It is a Dominican neighborhood. (As in, people from the Dominican Republic, not the nuns. I guess the Catholic in me wanted to clarify that.)
Cathy was on the steps waiting for us with open arms. Her roommate, Brennan met us at the door. They proudly showed us around their apartment. The entryway features marble walls and mosaic floors. ("Features" - I have been writing a lot of real estate descriptions lately. I guess that word comes naturally!)
The apartment is very cute, a size up from the matchbox that they used to live in on the Upper East side. Believe it or not, six of us fit pretty comfortably, in addition to Cathy and Brennan.
Starving, we decided to order some food. When Cathy and I are on the phone, she always seems to be eating Indian food, and then telling me how GOOD it tastes. Well, I was ready for some of that! She pulled out the delivery menu, and I was SHOCKED at the prices. I really expected New York prices here, but dinners were starting at $5.95. Cathy explained that since this isn't a tourist neighborhood, they have normal prices.
The food was DELICIOUS - very authentic, and I am certain that we are going to have our fill of Indian food while we are here. The girls tried it for the first time, and they liked it. Mary Teresa, my carb addict, only ate her na'an. Then, she wanted dessert, and reluctantly ate her chicken vindaloo so that she could have it. It's not that she didn't like it - she did - that girl is just stubborn, though, and wants to eat on her own terms.
After dinner, we walked to the grocery store. The girls saw a taste of something that I'd described about New York - people selling items outside on tables. On the walk to the store, we saw a table with someone selling rosaries and Buddist incense sticks. Across from that, there was a person selling Guess shoes. Claire and Gina have saved their money for this trip, but were concerned that New York prices would be too much for them. I told them that the street tables are the place to buy knock-offs for less. I bought a Hard Rock Cafe tee shirt for $4 on the street 20 years ago, when the official ones inside were $26. They were really excited to hear that.
The neighborhood prices continued to hold in the grocery store, as prices really weren't much higher than I'd pay at HEB. We had packed all sorts of snacks and cereal just in case, but I saw that it wasn't necessary. (On the Upper East side, cereal is $7 a box!) Oh, well, now we'll have lots of room in our suitcase on the way back.
I took a stroll down the pasta isle, and was pleased to see several kinds of pasta that I'd never heard of. Gina and I were drawn to the kinds of pasta that are good in soups. I bought a few boxes of TINY tubes - about the size of an ant. And, even smaller than that, Gina bought a box of pasta stars. I guess our suitcase won't be empty after all.
We played Scrabble for the rest of the evening, and Gina and Mary Teresa colored pictures of everything that they want to see.
Today, we will be going to a high Mass at Mount Sacred Heart, and they spend the rest of the day in Central Park hanging out. Cathy's friend, Kevin, whom we all went to York Catholic School with, will meet up with us. I haven't seen him since he and Cathy ran for student council and Rob and I stayed up late making campaign signs for them. (Yes, our grassroots politicing wasn't always presidential.)
We have lots of plans for the trip, but no set agenda. We'll see where each day takes us!
We had a very early morning flight out of San Antonio and into Minneapolis. We were flying on Northwest. After having purchased the tickets, several people told me how much they disliked that airline. So, I wasn't expecting much. However, everyone that we encountered, from beginning to end, was wonderful.
We particularly appreciated the steward, who was very attentive to the kids. When he found out that it was Vincent's first flight, he came back later with a "First Flight Certificate" that he had the captain and the flight crew sign. Vincent also got a set of wings.
We arrived in Minneapolis and the girls debated on whether this trip to Minnesota "counted" as one of our states. We like to keep track of all of the states that we travel to. However, considering that the closet thing we saw to Minnesota was the tee shirts in the airport shops, so it didn't count. I guess we'll have to go back someday!
The kids were great. Even Vincent slept most of the time. On the flight to New York, one woman commented to me that we had the best behaved children that she's ever seen on a plane - including her own. That is always music to a mother's ears!!!!! Thankfully, the girls have always been outstanding travelers. I love seeing them wheel their carry-on baggage through an airport. Vincent was an angel, too - he slept the whole time.
We flew into La Guardia, and Gina gave up her window seat so that Mary Teresa could see New York first. Mary Teresa has been looking forward to this for YEARS. The last time that we were in New York City was when I was pregnant with her. So, she likes to say that she's been, but she says that "it was dark" and she "didn't get to see anything".
The highlights of this trip for her are going to be the Statue of Liberty and the "Vampire State Building". As long as there are no vampires.
We saw a lot from the air. Gina spotted the Statue of Liberty, but Mary Teresa could never see where she was pointing. The Empire State Building was an obvious site, and Mary Teresa was so excited when she FINALLY saw it. It's all that she's been talking about for weeks. I was saddened not to see the twin towers, which used to dominate the skyline so elegantly.
Our cab ride took us through Harlem, and then up to Washington Heights, where my sister lives. This is a lovely area, very neighborhood-like. It is a Dominican neighborhood. (As in, people from the Dominican Republic, not the nuns. I guess the Catholic in me wanted to clarify that.)
Cathy was on the steps waiting for us with open arms. Her roommate, Brennan met us at the door. They proudly showed us around their apartment. The entryway features marble walls and mosaic floors. ("Features" - I have been writing a lot of real estate descriptions lately. I guess that word comes naturally!)
The apartment is very cute, a size up from the matchbox that they used to live in on the Upper East side. Believe it or not, six of us fit pretty comfortably, in addition to Cathy and Brennan.
Starving, we decided to order some food. When Cathy and I are on the phone, she always seems to be eating Indian food, and then telling me how GOOD it tastes. Well, I was ready for some of that! She pulled out the delivery menu, and I was SHOCKED at the prices. I really expected New York prices here, but dinners were starting at $5.95. Cathy explained that since this isn't a tourist neighborhood, they have normal prices.
The food was DELICIOUS - very authentic, and I am certain that we are going to have our fill of Indian food while we are here. The girls tried it for the first time, and they liked it. Mary Teresa, my carb addict, only ate her na'an. Then, she wanted dessert, and reluctantly ate her chicken vindaloo so that she could have it. It's not that she didn't like it - she did - that girl is just stubborn, though, and wants to eat on her own terms.
After dinner, we walked to the grocery store. The girls saw a taste of something that I'd described about New York - people selling items outside on tables. On the walk to the store, we saw a table with someone selling rosaries and Buddist incense sticks. Across from that, there was a person selling Guess shoes. Claire and Gina have saved their money for this trip, but were concerned that New York prices would be too much for them. I told them that the street tables are the place to buy knock-offs for less. I bought a Hard Rock Cafe tee shirt for $4 on the street 20 years ago, when the official ones inside were $26. They were really excited to hear that.
The neighborhood prices continued to hold in the grocery store, as prices really weren't much higher than I'd pay at HEB. We had packed all sorts of snacks and cereal just in case, but I saw that it wasn't necessary. (On the Upper East side, cereal is $7 a box!) Oh, well, now we'll have lots of room in our suitcase on the way back.
I took a stroll down the pasta isle, and was pleased to see several kinds of pasta that I'd never heard of. Gina and I were drawn to the kinds of pasta that are good in soups. I bought a few boxes of TINY tubes - about the size of an ant. And, even smaller than that, Gina bought a box of pasta stars. I guess our suitcase won't be empty after all.
We played Scrabble for the rest of the evening, and Gina and Mary Teresa colored pictures of everything that they want to see.
Today, we will be going to a high Mass at Mount Sacred Heart, and they spend the rest of the day in Central Park hanging out. Cathy's friend, Kevin, whom we all went to York Catholic School with, will meet up with us. I haven't seen him since he and Cathy ran for student council and Rob and I stayed up late making campaign signs for them. (Yes, our grassroots politicing wasn't always presidential.)
We have lots of plans for the trip, but no set agenda. We'll see where each day takes us!
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