24 hours in NYC

Since I had last Monday off of work (thanks Veterans!) I decided to spend a few hours in NYC. 

As soon as the train pulled in to Grand Central Station I headed across town to join my old touch football team for a game. I settled right back into the old routine and it felt like I never left. Especially because we won the game! 

Then,  being a tourist and all, I hopped into a cab for the Upper West Side. I had brunch plans with a few friends, which grew when two other friends ran into us while we were waiting outside.

I was going to walk around after lunch, but was completely exhausted so I watched some cartoons with my friend's one year old.

We then headed to City Winery to listen to Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys. Ralph Stanley is best known by my generation for singing O Death in O Brother, Where Art Thou?. They put on a great show. The 80 something Stanley infused a good amount of humor into the show and took several requests from the audience. The ended the show with my favorite "I'll fly away". The show reminded me a little of when I would go with my grandparents to the country music show in Missouri, only with a lot more wine.

I didn't have anything planned for Monday morning, other than making it to Penn Station in time for my 12:35 train, but when I woke up I knew I wanted a NYC bagel. My friends' that I was staying with directed me to TAL bagels down the street. I looked at the whole wheat bagel for about 1 second before knowing I was going to go all out and get the salt bagel. Of course I got it toasted and then smeared with scallion cream cheese. Then I walked to Central Park with my bagel and a small coffee with milk.

Central Park was showing a little damage from Sandy, but over all was busting with activity. Runners, bikers, and a lot of kids PE and recess classes.

ugh I want another one

great lawn

sax player under the bridge

After my delicious breakfast and a stroll through the park I headed to Joe Fresh. Joe Fresh is a Canadian retail chain that opened up last spring in NYC. I'd been seeing their clothing in several of my magazines the last few months, with reasonable prices, so I knew I wanted to check them out. I ended up with four shirts and a dress! I just did some online research and it looks like they will be opening up "stores" inside JCP's across the US over the next few years.

The weather was perfect so I concluded my morning in NYC chatting with a friend in Bryant Park. The city was already decorated for Christmas and Bryant Park already had the little shops and ice skating rink up (although the ice was melting and it looked more like a pond).

At noon I headed back down 7th Ave to Penn Station and headed on Amtrak back to DC. Perfect weather, parks, and friends made for an amazing 24 hours. 

St. Patrick's weekend in NYC

As soon as I excited Penn Station I saw this billboard- 

File that under "things you don't see in DC"

After drinks and fun with friends I saw that the Empire State Building was already celebrating a day early...

My friend Carrie and I arrived at the parade at 11 not realizing till later that the parade lasts 6 hours!

There were lots of cute kids in cute Irish sweaters

And cute men in skirts playing bagpipes

I stayed with my friend in her Sunnyside apartment

And we finished St. Patrick's Day by going to the new musical Once

Sunday was spent catching up with friends at brunch, a walk up 5th Avenue, and people (and dog) watching in Central Park. Public art also brought us this-

Tornado made from inner tubes

A smooth train ride back and ready for another week.

(un)Official LIC storm report

The wind and rain picked up as it got darker out, but I went to bed around midnight.  Then around 5 am Irene woke me up.  The wind and rain were pretty loud so I quickly checked Twitter to see what was up.  No big news so I rolled back over.  I was surprised to be woken up by sunshine this morning around 9am.  The sunshine was short lived but the storm was essentially over.

I stayed inside a few more hours per the Mayor, but by one I had to get out.  Armed with my camera, phone, and some cash I took a walk around the hood.  Not much to see.  There was one window out in one of the high rises under construction and I saw one tree down, but it looked half dead.

More disturbing is the fact that the subways are still down and almost all the stores and restaurants were closed.  Sweetleaf was open so I bought a latte just because I could, but now I'm back in my apartment and the city is unsure the subways will be up and running for tomorrow.  I wish Irene had ruined the workweek instead of the weekend.

Sweetleaf still boarded up, but open

Stormy skies over Manhattan

4 Years in New York City

Four years ago I flew to New York City with two big suitcases and a carry on (I think it was before the huge baggage fees).  My aunts picked me up at the airport and drove me to my first apartment on 79th street.  After several trips up the 6 floors they drove off and I unpacked and blew up my air mattress.  It wasn't for another month till my parents drove up with all of my worldly possessions on the back of my dad's pick up truck.  Those first few weeks I made sure I was home by dark and wandered around a lot.

Now 4 years, 3 apartments, 2 boroughs, and 1 job later (still on my first) I still wander around a lot, but the dark doesn't scare me...

after I signed my first lease

To celebrate my sister and I had brunch at Essex.  

Shopped in Soho and had coffee at the Grey Dog

and watched Bridesmaids (very funny)

The Golden Rule aka JT in my hood

Before we begin there are a few things you should know:

1. Peeps are always filming things in my neighborhood.

2. I'm always having to go sit in a cubicle and work while they be filming

3.  I kinda still love Justin Timberlake

Ok now we can start

Remember a few weekends ago when JT and Lady Gaga were on SNL?  Remember how you tivo'd it because you have better things to do on a Saturday night?  Remember how you later watched and thought... oh my JT you so funny?  Remember the Golden Rule?  I do.

I woke up from a nap to watch SNL (I had played three games of touch football in the hot sun on Randall's Island, I was exhausted)  but only made it through a few skits be for falling back asleep (yeah I know).  As my eyelids were growing heavy I see this:

Wait a second... is that the yopaintmywall wall?  can't be....

Then I zonked out.  A few days later I remember the scene and youtube'd the video.

Not sure why it took till the yopaintmywall wall to make me realize that the entire video was SHOT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD and where was I?  AT WORK.  No big deal... I could of met JT.  I don't get excited about celebrities, but JT... dressed like that?  come on.

the boardwalk by the gantries

is that my old apartment building in the background?  yes.

the loading dock building? uh huh

more Gantry State Park

next to my laundromat 

yes I pass this wall on the way to the grocery store

A central park Sunday

Sunday was absolutely lovely and I spent most of the day in Central Park.  I hadn't been in the park much since... well.... uh... sometime last summer.  When you don't go you kind of forget how amazing it is.  After a fantastic blogger meetup in the park near Columbus Circle I walked up through the park to the Great Lawn to meet with some friends for some continued picnicking and kicking a soccer ball around a bit (I'm playing Zogs soccer this summer... watch out).

A few things I saw on my walk...

Tavern on the Green has now reopened as a visitor's center

You know that scene in Big Daddy where they warn the rollerbladers? I felt like this was the spot, especially when I saw a kid almost go in the lake.

One of my favorite spots 

View of my destination from the castle

Fun on the lawn

Five Boro Bike Tour

 I woke up to beating drums outside my apartment... and cheers... I started to grab my tiara and head to the front window to greet my admirers... then I remembered that today was the 5 boro bike tour.  It's a pretty cool event that starts in lower Manhattan travels up through Central Park to the Bronx, back down Manhattan and into Queens, (by my apartment), Brooklyn, then finishes up at the Staten Island ferry terminal.  I've thought about riding before (really thought about it last year), but this year I didn't realize it was happening till... uh yesterday.  Maybe next year.  

gorgeous blue sky at 10:30 am

 almost to Brooklyn

the drummers

Gantry State Park time

We've finally had a few nice days here in NYC (even if as I write this it's a dreary 45 outside) so I've gotten back in the habit of enjoying the sunset over Manhattan. If you live in NYC and haven't been out to LIC and Gantry State park, you are really missing out. Great views of the Empire State Building, the UN, the Chrysler building, the Pepsi sign, and tons of other buildings. One thing I didn't really realize while living in Manhattan was that you never really see a sunset. Yes you see it getting darker, but the beautiful shades the sky turns as the sun goes down are always blocked by buildings.

Film Biz

Probably almost a year ago I heard of this store, Film Biz Prop Shop, that sold recycled movie and tv sets. Apparently a lot of set items don't get reused by the industry so this group helped companies donate items to charities and sell items in their store. I had wanted to visit the store as it was somewhere in my neighborhood, but never made it.

Then out comes New York Magazine's best of New York issue and the store is listed only it has moved to Brooklyn. Well I've been looking for side tables for awhile and learned how ridiculously expensive a little table could be so I decided to head to the store and check it out. I took the G train to Carroll Gardens on my way over which meant I had to cross the Gowanus Canal.

to the north

to the south

Then on to Film Biz... 540 President Street Basement. It was a little sketch. You walk through a gate, down a steep parking lot, into an unmarked door, then down a long bare hallway, but then you open up to a huge room of goods.

Front entrance gate

Inside they had a great set up, I circled the whole place maybe three times as I kept missing things. They had some really nice stuff, but that tended to be too expensive and their cheaper stuff was... well not what I was looking for or broken.

electric chair

dancing platform speakers.... I really wanted these for my living room, but didn't know how I would get them home

I left empty handed even though I really wanted to get something. They did have plenty of side tables, one in particular was mirrored and $15! But one side had a crack and I thought that was just asking for trouble.

Life size Ken dolls? yes please

Yesterday after work I walked up through Time's Square with a friend. I was engrossed in telling a story when all of the sudden what do we see, but two well dressed and groomed men taking pictures with people. Ken? I was a big Barbie and Ken fan as a child and having 2 older sisters we had enough Barbies for a large party but only three or so Ken dolls (and being completely honest here, one of my Kens was really MC Hammer, parachute pants, rat tail, microphone, and cassette tape included). Kens were hard to come by (really they just weren't as much fun- no hair to brush and no fancy dresses). I walk around to the other side of the display and what do I see? Human Ken Dolls! I was a little excited. Then I realized that I couldn't take one home with me. I picked up my story where I left off and we continued to walk through Time's Square oblivious to the lights, crowds, and commotion.

Beach date Ken & Winter date Ken

MARTHA

A few weeks ago on a last minute impulse I went to the taping of the Martha Show. The weather had been terrible and the morning was calling for sleet and ice, so people from out of town were canceling and they had some last minute openings. I pretty much risked my life to get there. The ice came and even though there was a lot of ice slush a few of the sidewalks were pure ice.

I arrived right on time, but still had to wait outside for awhile. Once inside I was checked in, went through a metal detector, and then to the coat check. I also checked my snow boots (as one security guard said on the way out, I had my snow boots and my show boots). Then came the signing of release forms and a free bottle of water!

Then the audience wrangler came in. He was some comedian... He gave us an overview of the show and taught us some hand cues. Basically when to clap, when to ohhhh, and when to awwww.

in the holding room

Our tickets when we came in had different markings on them. Mine had a pink stripe... which does not mean I get to sit on the floor level, but I got a pretty decent seat a few rows up.

Seating the audience

The show had a nice segment on how to care for your houseplants and what plants are best for the indoors. The curator for the Brooklyn botanical garden joined Martha for the segment.

Garden area of set

Martha did a craft creating paper roses. They were cute in a bunch in a vase (see below), but seemed like a lot of work. It was interesting to see all the show's staff setting everything up and rearranging things on the go.

Craft area decked out for Valentines day

Martha had Shea Gallante making broccoli rabe pesto and lobster mushroom ragu... they didn't share any of it with the audience.

The kitchen

After the show Martha did several promotional shoots and signed a few things for "special guests"

Then Martha took some questions from the crowd. I'm never good with coming up with questions on the spot, so I didn't ask any. Most of the questions were regarding what she likes to do in her spare time and how she manages her busy schedule. The girl to her right was an intern from Baylor.

It was a fun time and there were no show giveaways, but they cleaned out their old giveaway closet to give all of us something "for coming out in the icy weather" I ended up with a whirly popper, a stove top popcorn popper. I haven't tried it out yet and have no where to store it.

The show aired that day, but if you want to see it the segments can be find on Martha's website I can be found in the Heart health types section at 4:46.

What ever happened to snow days?

I got really excited about the snow this week. I took my computer home from work. I planned on working from home, but when I got up the next morning and ran to the window I saw sunny skies and only 8ish inches of snow (not the 15 or so predicted). There was still one chance left, I flipped open my laptop to check the MTA... all trains running normal. Bloomberg took care of business. And I went into the office for a normal business day. And like a true pedestrian city the sidewalks were clearer than the streets.

the streets

the sidewalks

Holly Jolly Hectic Holiday

Sorry I have disappeared for a bit. But after Thanksgiving I had to move. Yes my third move in four years, sigh. Anyways I got internet back today! In between the packing and moving and unpacking I've taken some time to enjoy the season.

Last Saturday (as I was suppose to be packing) I went over to Martha's offices for their craft show. I attended last year and had a fabulous time. After a short wait inside the building my friend and I found several items to take home. This year there was a line outside the building wrapping around and all the way up the block! Since I had already rode two trains and walked to 10th Ave I got in line. The wind was blowing of the Hudson something fierce and it wasn't till 45 minutes later that I entered the building. Then I waited in a line upstairs for another 10 minutes. It might have been the long wait or my frozen toes, but I didn't find anything to buy. There were tons of amazing things just some were the same as last year and many were priced more as art than craft.

While I was waiting to get in. Those fabulous chandeliers were tinsel.

The good thing about working in Times Square is you are close to Bryant Park. For a few weeks they had the skating rink and shops up and it was still pretty warm so I enjoyed lunch while watching luckier people skate. Now its turned colder, but it is still a lovely area to stroll.

Kate Spade set up a pop up store in Bryant Park. I entered a raffle, but alas they haven't called. (side story- I told my friend that Kate is from Kansas City, MO he starts chatting up a sales lady and mentions that Kate is from KCMO she had no idea, but countered with Kate's husband's brother is David Spade... lame)

The rink, the tree, the library

This morning I took part in the Jingle Bell Jog in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. I was so nervous I was going to be cold. Luckily my new shirt and the weather pulled through. I also hadn't been running a lot lately and had never ran 4 miles straight. But I guess all my moving and going up and down and up and down stairs prepared me well as I was able to run the entire way and was a few minutes under my goal time. There were tons of people there... tons... and it was very festive. Many people had reindeer ears or santa hats and we all had jingle bells for our shoes. The ringing was pretty dramatic at the beginning of the race, but I didn't notice it later on (too focused on finishing).

Shirt and bells