That's right folks...snow on Halloween weekend here in New York. I think we are all a bit confused about which holiday we are actually supposed to be celebrating. It is very difficult to be scared and freaked out about anything when the entire ground is white and flakes are cascading down from the sky.
Despite the crazy weather that has been incredibly inconvenient, there have been a few highlights from the weekend. On Friday night, my roommate and I went to Ikea in Brooklyn to buy new furniture for our living room. This was an experience within itself, as you have to take a boat to get there. The store is located along the water in Brooklyn, and isn't convenient by mass transit. Once we made all of our purchases (I am VERY excited about our white couch!) we headed to the cafe for one of their famous cinnamon rolls. Also, I ate 2 hot dogs, chips and a drink and I paid a total of $5 for everything. This is unheard of in the city, so you can imagine how happy we were to do it. As we boated back to Manhattan, we noticed a very impressive fireworks show going off around the Statue of Liberty, and decided it was in celebration of its 125th birthday. They lasted for our entire trip back, and we had such a great view. What perfect timing!
Everything is being delivered tomorrow, and we had painters in over the weekend to cover the entire apartment in blues, yellows and tans. I am so excited to see the final product tomorrow night after everything is done. It is finally starting to feel like a home, as opposed to my college dorm room. Not that there is anything wrong with sitting on a futon or eating on a tray table when you are almost 30 years old. Now all we have to decide on is new wall art and other accents for the room, and then I will be ready to post pictures.
Another exciting aspect of the weekend was the musical I got to see yesterday. "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" is currently starring Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and has been quite the sensation due to his extreme popularity from the movie series. So much the sensation, that the line for Rush tickets typically starts forming around 8 a.m. for the 10:00 opening of the box office. I have tried once before to get these $30 tickets, and they sold out before I made it to the front. But not yesterday. I was probably the fifteenth person in line and was able to secure two FRONT ROW BOX tickets to the matinee for $30 each! We were so close you could almost see the zits on little Danny's face. My favorite part was John Larroquette, who won a Tony for his performance in the show. Hilarious!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
On Broadway...
I can officially check off one of the items from my New York bucket list. Today, I walked the entire length of the island, all along Broadway. Although 13.4 miles didn't initially sound like a lot in my head when I first came up with this idea, my feet have a different opinion. This morning around 9:00, I took the 1 train to the last stop on the island at 215th street. I had to walk a few blocks to actually get to the river, but did so gladly. I wanted to share a few highlights from the day.
Within five minutes of my journey, I passed a man wearing a University of Alabama sweatshirt. Since this type of garb isn't very commonly seen around town, and also since my father is always speaking to people sporting the crimson, I decided to say "Roll Tide." He turned around with a smile on his face, and we proceeded to talk about the south for probably five minutes. It was a great start to the day.
I met up with my friend Rich around 181st street. He lives in that area, loves to walk and I hadn't seen him in a while so he decided to join. The weather was absolutely perfect for such an activity...sun was bright and the temperature was appropriate for a light jacket. Eventually, we made it to the upper 90s and decided to stop for brunch at Big Daddy's Diner on 91st. We each got the same thing...pancakes, toast, hashbrowns, eggs, bacon, sausage and coffee for $15 each. This place ended up being similar to a Chucky Cheese and we were surrounded by giggling children. My legs were grateful for the break, even though the balloon man blocked me into the booth for about 15 minutes while he created Halloween characters for a table of about ten kids.
After meandering through Lincoln Center and Columbus Circle, we eventually made it to Times Square. I have to say that up until this point, this area has been my least favorite in the entire city. There are ALWAYS way too many people who don't know where they are going, and it's just incredibly stressful to be there. But today, Herald Square, Union Square and SOHO made Times Square (that's a lot of squares) look like the backwoods country. I have never seen so many "non touristy" people gathered in one area, with the exception of the line outside of Trader Joes wine shop the day before Hurricane Irene. Needless to say, we were glad to get out.
We ended the day walking through the protestors in Zucotti Park (something I can see right outside my window at work) and all the way down to the water where you board for the Statue of Liberty. It took a total of seven hours, but if you take out the time we stopped to eat and shop, I would say about five and a half. I really don't see how I am going to move my body out of this bed to go to a pre-Halloween party tonight, but I am very glad I can now say that I have seen every inch of Broadway.
In other news, I was able to fulfill another life long dream of mine here recently. Bush came to the city for a concert this summer, but unfortunately it sold out in less than two minutes. So when they announced they planned to play a show in Long Island, I bought two tickets immediately. My concert buddy coworker and I headed out a few weeks back on a random Tuesday night to Huntington, New York. The show opened with Filter (I caught...no...grabbed the drumstick being thrown into the audience), Chevelle (a little after my time) and of course the gorgeous Gavin Rossdale reunited with his band. Since it was general admission, we made sure to be on the front row!
Three noteworthy things about their portion of the night: 1. At one point, he was standing right in front of me on stage, I reached my hand out and got pushed from behind and Gavin himself grabbed my hand. It was magical. 2. They blew the speakers out three songs from the end of their set, and he proceeded to come mingle with the audience and give us bottled water. When he made it to our section, I told him I had loved him for 15 years and we took a picture. AMAZING. 3. After singing Little Things, he asked the crowd surfers to please be careful because they had just hurt his "friends" in the front row (me and Michele) and he looked and pointed straight at us and asked if we were okay. Unbelievable.
I also was able to take a very random, and very last minute road trip to Vermont last weekend. Gina was in town for a family member's funeral, and we decided it would be best to get away for a bit. Even though it was kind of rainy, we still saw some gorgeous scenery. Portions of Highway 100 remain closed off from damage done during Irene, but the section we got to see was my favorite part of the trip. Also, the town of Woodstock is very popular for a reason. Lots of very old, incredibly beautiful buildings, great shopping and restaurants and lots of cheese. We may or may not have broken into an old church here to go to the bathroom. Aside from Woodstock, we stayed in Rutland, and went to Killington (ski resort area), Stockbridge (woo hoo!), Pittsford (we stopped here for syrup...lots of damage and a covered bridge which was washed away), Hanover NH (where Dartmouth University is located), White River Junction and Londonderry. Leaves were gorgeous everywhere!
Next weekend is my Bear Mountain cruise up the Hudson, followed by Halloween festivities and Georgia/Florida football. The following weekend I plan to make a trip near Westchester for some designer clothes outlet shopping. Before you know it, Thanksgiving will be here and I will be making my way to Georgia!!! This fall is flying by!
Within five minutes of my journey, I passed a man wearing a University of Alabama sweatshirt. Since this type of garb isn't very commonly seen around town, and also since my father is always speaking to people sporting the crimson, I decided to say "Roll Tide." He turned around with a smile on his face, and we proceeded to talk about the south for probably five minutes. It was a great start to the day.
I met up with my friend Rich around 181st street. He lives in that area, loves to walk and I hadn't seen him in a while so he decided to join. The weather was absolutely perfect for such an activity...sun was bright and the temperature was appropriate for a light jacket. Eventually, we made it to the upper 90s and decided to stop for brunch at Big Daddy's Diner on 91st. We each got the same thing...pancakes, toast, hashbrowns, eggs, bacon, sausage and coffee for $15 each. This place ended up being similar to a Chucky Cheese and we were surrounded by giggling children. My legs were grateful for the break, even though the balloon man blocked me into the booth for about 15 minutes while he created Halloween characters for a table of about ten kids.
After meandering through Lincoln Center and Columbus Circle, we eventually made it to Times Square. I have to say that up until this point, this area has been my least favorite in the entire city. There are ALWAYS way too many people who don't know where they are going, and it's just incredibly stressful to be there. But today, Herald Square, Union Square and SOHO made Times Square (that's a lot of squares) look like the backwoods country. I have never seen so many "non touristy" people gathered in one area, with the exception of the line outside of Trader Joes wine shop the day before Hurricane Irene. Needless to say, we were glad to get out.
We ended the day walking through the protestors in Zucotti Park (something I can see right outside my window at work) and all the way down to the water where you board for the Statue of Liberty. It took a total of seven hours, but if you take out the time we stopped to eat and shop, I would say about five and a half. I really don't see how I am going to move my body out of this bed to go to a pre-Halloween party tonight, but I am very glad I can now say that I have seen every inch of Broadway.
In other news, I was able to fulfill another life long dream of mine here recently. Bush came to the city for a concert this summer, but unfortunately it sold out in less than two minutes. So when they announced they planned to play a show in Long Island, I bought two tickets immediately. My concert buddy coworker and I headed out a few weeks back on a random Tuesday night to Huntington, New York. The show opened with Filter (I caught...no...grabbed the drumstick being thrown into the audience), Chevelle (a little after my time) and of course the gorgeous Gavin Rossdale reunited with his band. Since it was general admission, we made sure to be on the front row!
Three noteworthy things about their portion of the night: 1. At one point, he was standing right in front of me on stage, I reached my hand out and got pushed from behind and Gavin himself grabbed my hand. It was magical. 2. They blew the speakers out three songs from the end of their set, and he proceeded to come mingle with the audience and give us bottled water. When he made it to our section, I told him I had loved him for 15 years and we took a picture. AMAZING. 3. After singing Little Things, he asked the crowd surfers to please be careful because they had just hurt his "friends" in the front row (me and Michele) and he looked and pointed straight at us and asked if we were okay. Unbelievable.
I also was able to take a very random, and very last minute road trip to Vermont last weekend. Gina was in town for a family member's funeral, and we decided it would be best to get away for a bit. Even though it was kind of rainy, we still saw some gorgeous scenery. Portions of Highway 100 remain closed off from damage done during Irene, but the section we got to see was my favorite part of the trip. Also, the town of Woodstock is very popular for a reason. Lots of very old, incredibly beautiful buildings, great shopping and restaurants and lots of cheese. We may or may not have broken into an old church here to go to the bathroom. Aside from Woodstock, we stayed in Rutland, and went to Killington (ski resort area), Stockbridge (woo hoo!), Pittsford (we stopped here for syrup...lots of damage and a covered bridge which was washed away), Hanover NH (where Dartmouth University is located), White River Junction and Londonderry. Leaves were gorgeous everywhere!
Next weekend is my Bear Mountain cruise up the Hudson, followed by Halloween festivities and Georgia/Florida football. The following weekend I plan to make a trip near Westchester for some designer clothes outlet shopping. Before you know it, Thanksgiving will be here and I will be making my way to Georgia!!! This fall is flying by!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Ray, Radiohead and Grannys for a Greedless America
Fall is off to a great start in the city! We went from 80s to 50s within a matter of days, so there hasn't been much time for that period of transition. I am certainly not complaining though. I love this weather.
Last weekend I decided to explore the villages a bit, and it ended up being a great idea. I found the apartments that Friends and The Cosby Show were based on, and I'm sure looked like a crazy person standing outside them both taking pictures. As I meandered throughout these adorable little neighborhoods, I stumbled upon my very first "yard sale." Basically, it was a blocked off section of the street where people had set up card tables to display all of their junk. And when I say junk, I mean junk. However, apparently New York junk is worth more that junk in other places because there were no items under $5. There was a tiny mirror that looked like it had been bought at Wal-Mart that they wanted $75 for. I did enjoy looking though. By this point, I was in a major thrift store mood so I found the nearest Goodwill to browse around in. Cheapest thing in there was $15! Shocking.
Last Monday night a friend of mine at work and I made a very last minute decision to go to the Ray Lamontagne concert in Central Park. It was a part of a series called Summerstage, and it really was a great show. The band Punch Brothers opened for him, and the lead singer is Chris Thile who once played mandolin for Nickel Creek. Ray was incredibly awkward with the audience, but an AMAZING performer. It really was a perfect night...not a cloud in the sky, perfect weather and third row from the front. While in line for pizza, I realized I was standing behind two reality TV stars from the Bachelor Pad...Michelle and Graham. Normally, I wouldn't have a clue who these people were, but my roommate has kind of gotten me hooked on the show. So...in my typical fashion...I inconspicuously snapped a photo of their backs. : )
As you probably know, there have been protestors downtown (right by my office) for the last two weeks. They are expressing their disgust in the influence of corporate America/money and greed on our political system. Friday it was announced that Radiohead would be playing a free show amongst the crowd around 4:00, so of course I made my way down. After waiting for almost an hour, with no sign of Radiohead, I went back to the office. But I did get to witness a. a girl who hadn't shaved her armpits in weeks, b. someone having their ear pierced in multiple places with a needle and nothing to ease the pain, c. a guy who wanted to end the fed and d. a group of "Grannys for a Greedless America." It was quite a spectacle.
Lots of trips coming up...church retreat in the Catskills, a drive through Vermont and possibly Niagara Falls. Excited to see the leaves changing!
Last weekend I decided to explore the villages a bit, and it ended up being a great idea. I found the apartments that Friends and The Cosby Show were based on, and I'm sure looked like a crazy person standing outside them both taking pictures. As I meandered throughout these adorable little neighborhoods, I stumbled upon my very first "yard sale." Basically, it was a blocked off section of the street where people had set up card tables to display all of their junk. And when I say junk, I mean junk. However, apparently New York junk is worth more that junk in other places because there were no items under $5. There was a tiny mirror that looked like it had been bought at Wal-Mart that they wanted $75 for. I did enjoy looking though. By this point, I was in a major thrift store mood so I found the nearest Goodwill to browse around in. Cheapest thing in there was $15! Shocking.
Last Monday night a friend of mine at work and I made a very last minute decision to go to the Ray Lamontagne concert in Central Park. It was a part of a series called Summerstage, and it really was a great show. The band Punch Brothers opened for him, and the lead singer is Chris Thile who once played mandolin for Nickel Creek. Ray was incredibly awkward with the audience, but an AMAZING performer. It really was a perfect night...not a cloud in the sky, perfect weather and third row from the front. While in line for pizza, I realized I was standing behind two reality TV stars from the Bachelor Pad...Michelle and Graham. Normally, I wouldn't have a clue who these people were, but my roommate has kind of gotten me hooked on the show. So...in my typical fashion...I inconspicuously snapped a photo of their backs. : )
As you probably know, there have been protestors downtown (right by my office) for the last two weeks. They are expressing their disgust in the influence of corporate America/money and greed on our political system. Friday it was announced that Radiohead would be playing a free show amongst the crowd around 4:00, so of course I made my way down. After waiting for almost an hour, with no sign of Radiohead, I went back to the office. But I did get to witness a. a girl who hadn't shaved her armpits in weeks, b. someone having their ear pierced in multiple places with a needle and nothing to ease the pain, c. a guy who wanted to end the fed and d. a group of "Grannys for a Greedless America." It was quite a spectacle.
Lots of trips coming up...church retreat in the Catskills, a drive through Vermont and possibly Niagara Falls. Excited to see the leaves changing!
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