This week has been busy again. For one thing work has been extremely busy-- I stayed until almost 8:30 tonight-- yuk! I'm am SO looking forward to the Holiday on Monday. I've still been going to my new gym a lot and that takes up a chunk of my time. I love it!! The treadmill is great, I like the abs classes and spin class, and LOVE the steam room! I just hope I can keep it up for while! As I mentioned last week, my reading has picked up tremendously since I started class and Bible Study, so that's another big time filler. Other things I've done this week:
--Monday was Joy’s birthday and a big group went out for dinner at Blockhead’s, a Mexican restaurant. It was a lot of fun and good Mexican food…first NYC margarita I’ve had that really tastes like a Margarita should!
--Tuesday was my Community Group night. I really think this is going to be a great group. It is amazing how much I have in common with some of these girls. I’m very excited to have found it. It was also really nice on Sunday night when I went to church and saw some familiar faces. I sat with two girls from my group and talked to another girl who was in a newcomer’s class I went to a few weeks ago to find out more about the church.
--Wednesday night, Valentine’s Day, I went to see that Music, Lyrics movie with a group of girls from The Journey. It was a fun night. I should have had my class that night, but it was canceled because of the weather. YES, we finally had some real snow. It was pretty for a short while, but it turned dirty very quickly. I wish it had happened on a Saturday so I could have gone to see the park with snow. I’m sure it’s really pretty there when it’s all white. I was disappointed class was canceled—our speaker was going to be the event planner for MTV and I was really looking forward to it!! Hopefully, they’ll reschedule him.
Other big news…I should be having another niece or nephew born very soon! The due date isn’t for 4 more weeks, but Beth has thought all along that this baby would come 3 weeks early like Ryder did. When she had about 4 weeks until Ryder’s due date, she went to her doctor appointment and was 3cm dilated. Five days later, he came! Today was that same doctor’s appointment for this baby and again, she was 3cm already. So, possibly within the next week he/she will make an appearance! I’m sad I won’t be there. I don’t have plans to go back until the first weekend in April, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to wait that long. My eyes will be open for a cheap weekend flight!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Busy Week
This has been a big week of new activities for me and I’ve suddenly found myself very busy! Tuesday night was my first night of Community Group through The Apostles Church. I’ve decided to make that the church I give a good try to, so joining a group is essential. I like the church a lot. The teaching is excellent and we actually study the Bible there—imagine that?!? I think I am going to love my group. It’s a girl’s group for those in their late 20’s/early 30’s. I was so excited they offered this because I had grown tired of finding myself in situations with people much younger than me. The girls were great—cute, funny, down-to-earth and about 75% were Texan!! It reminded me a lot of the group of girls I was in Bible Study with for several years in Dallas—I miss them!!! We met in one of their apartments—a tiny, little studio that she had decorated SO cute. There was also, randomly, a girl I knew there. It was really nice to see a familiar face when I walked in! She, Ilyse, used to go to The Journey and I had heard a few weeks ago that she had left there, but learned when I saw her Tuesday that she actually left way back before I did. She was one of the volunteer leaders for Journey Kidz so I had worked with her some Sundays. She seems really sweet and we take the same subway home so I got to talk to her further and it was interesting to here how she likes Apostles vs. Journey. All in all it was a great night and I’m excited to spend the next few months getting to know this group better.
Wednesday night was my first Events class. So fun!! The teacher is a riot. She knows a lot about event planning and has a lot of experience, not only here in New York, but in other cities across the U.S. She has planned events at some of the hottest spots in the city and you know I love to hear about that stuff! Last night, our class was on Site Selection- what you need to keep in mind and look for when choosing your event location. We left class early and took a field trip to Grand Central to see an area where corporate events are commonly held and she pointed out pros and cons to us. Very fun! Then, she told us to go on our own to the Dining area, which I hadn’t seen before….tons of places to eat in there! She also directed us to an apartment building that’s attached to Grand Central. There’s a cigar bar in the lobby she wanted us to see—it was very, very cool. It was a beautiful room and very crowded with people just having drinks. It’s very uppity though with a strict dress code. She told us to tell them we were with NYU and they’d let us peek in. They let us, but I did notice them looking people up and down to see if they were dressed appropriately.
My weekly reading just picked up considerably!! For Bible study, we’re studying Luke, along with a study guide. I’m excited about that because I don’t think I’ve done an in-depth study on Luke before. For the Events class, I have 2 textbooks I picked up today and I've really got to start reading. The class is going to be tough, I’m afraid. Lots of reading and studying to do! Plus a couple of major projects. The first one is on site selection. I have two partners and we have to set up appointments at 2 different sites and do an analysis to determine which place is better for a specific event. Should be fun, but I’m kind of scared! It will be a lot of work. I kind of feel like I’m on The Apprentice! I, of course, am going to want to pick the trendiest locations in the city just so I can say I’ve had a meeting there! We’ll have to see if my partners are interested in that!
Oh, I didn’t get Chik-fil-a on Wednesday. After I blogged last week I found out my class is not on the main NYU campus. The Continuing Education classes actually meet in a high school. So, no chik-fil-a for me every week, but I did get to go today when I was down at NYU picking up my books-- yea!! The class location is actually better because it’s closer to work and I would have been pretty rushed to get down to NYU on time each week. Now, I have plenty of time to get there.
Wednesday night was my first Events class. So fun!! The teacher is a riot. She knows a lot about event planning and has a lot of experience, not only here in New York, but in other cities across the U.S. She has planned events at some of the hottest spots in the city and you know I love to hear about that stuff! Last night, our class was on Site Selection- what you need to keep in mind and look for when choosing your event location. We left class early and took a field trip to Grand Central to see an area where corporate events are commonly held and she pointed out pros and cons to us. Very fun! Then, she told us to go on our own to the Dining area, which I hadn’t seen before….tons of places to eat in there! She also directed us to an apartment building that’s attached to Grand Central. There’s a cigar bar in the lobby she wanted us to see—it was very, very cool. It was a beautiful room and very crowded with people just having drinks. It’s very uppity though with a strict dress code. She told us to tell them we were with NYU and they’d let us peek in. They let us, but I did notice them looking people up and down to see if they were dressed appropriately.
My weekly reading just picked up considerably!! For Bible study, we’re studying Luke, along with a study guide. I’m excited about that because I don’t think I’ve done an in-depth study on Luke before. For the Events class, I have 2 textbooks I picked up today and I've really got to start reading. The class is going to be tough, I’m afraid. Lots of reading and studying to do! Plus a couple of major projects. The first one is on site selection. I have two partners and we have to set up appointments at 2 different sites and do an analysis to determine which place is better for a specific event. Should be fun, but I’m kind of scared! It will be a lot of work. I kind of feel like I’m on The Apprentice! I, of course, am going to want to pick the trendiest locations in the city just so I can say I’ve had a meeting there! We’ll have to see if my partners are interested in that!
Oh, I didn’t get Chik-fil-a on Wednesday. After I blogged last week I found out my class is not on the main NYU campus. The Continuing Education classes actually meet in a high school. So, no chik-fil-a for me every week, but I did get to go today when I was down at NYU picking up my books-- yea!! The class location is actually better because it’s closer to work and I would have been pretty rushed to get down to NYU on time each week. Now, I have plenty of time to get there.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
I'm a Student!
So, it's official! I am a student of New York University (NYU). I made the decision a few months ago after leaving The Journey that I needed to go back to school. My first class starts on Wednesday and I'm quite excited about it. I've known for some time now that I don't really like accounting. Most of my jobs have had some "perks" and people that have made them bearable, but I really dread getting up to go most days and have trouble staying motivated to do my best because, really, I just don't care. Although, I must add that the job at the NHL is turning out quite well. It's very laid-back and mostly stress-free. I stay busy all day long and don't get bored and actually enjoy a lot of the work I'm doing. However, I think I'm ready to do something I'm more excited about/more passionate about.
Right now, I don't have much of a plan, but I do know that I like planning/coordinating events. I don't have a whole lot of experience in the area, but do have some volunteer experience through things I've planned at my churches, helping with my high school reunion, throwing parties of my own for friends, etc... I also got to do some event planning type work while working at The Journey. So, I've decided to get a certificate in Meeting, Conference, and Event Management from NYU and see if it can assist me in making a career change.
To clarify, I'm not really thinking I want to become a planner for parties or weddings or something like that. Although that does sound fun, that would most likely require me starting a business of my own and I don't think I have the entrepreneur or marketing skills, nor the drive to do such a thing. What I am thinking I would like to do is work for a large corporation as the coordinator of their conference center or training center. My dad says that's a low-paying secretarial position, but at this point, I don't care!! I'm also open to the idea of some other type of opportunity or idea coming up as I take these classes.
I should be finished with my classes by the end of 2007, so it won't take long. (And if you're wondering, yes, it does look like I'll stay here through the year, at least). Going to NYU isn't cheap, but I think having classes from NYU will look good and hopefully being here in New York will provide some opportunities to meet people and see things I wouldn't elsewhere. Who knows!
My first class is called Special Events Management. It will be every Wednesday night from 6-8:30 until the beginning of May. My professor is a woman who owns her own event planning company and has clients like KPMG, PWC, Blockbuster, Colgate, several top hotels, and other companies and non-profits. It should be interesting to learn from her!
Final bonus: dinner at the Chik-fil-a on the NYU campus every Wednesday!! I still haven't gone there ever since hearing about it back in the spring, but plan to take full advantage of it now that I'll be on campus every week!
Right now, I don't have much of a plan, but I do know that I like planning/coordinating events. I don't have a whole lot of experience in the area, but do have some volunteer experience through things I've planned at my churches, helping with my high school reunion, throwing parties of my own for friends, etc... I also got to do some event planning type work while working at The Journey. So, I've decided to get a certificate in Meeting, Conference, and Event Management from NYU and see if it can assist me in making a career change.
To clarify, I'm not really thinking I want to become a planner for parties or weddings or something like that. Although that does sound fun, that would most likely require me starting a business of my own and I don't think I have the entrepreneur or marketing skills, nor the drive to do such a thing. What I am thinking I would like to do is work for a large corporation as the coordinator of their conference center or training center. My dad says that's a low-paying secretarial position, but at this point, I don't care!! I'm also open to the idea of some other type of opportunity or idea coming up as I take these classes.
I should be finished with my classes by the end of 2007, so it won't take long. (And if you're wondering, yes, it does look like I'll stay here through the year, at least). Going to NYU isn't cheap, but I think having classes from NYU will look good and hopefully being here in New York will provide some opportunities to meet people and see things I wouldn't elsewhere. Who knows!
My first class is called Special Events Management. It will be every Wednesday night from 6-8:30 until the beginning of May. My professor is a woman who owns her own event planning company and has clients like KPMG, PWC, Blockbuster, Colgate, several top hotels, and other companies and non-profits. It should be interesting to learn from her!
Final bonus: dinner at the Chik-fil-a on the NYU campus every Wednesday!! I still haven't gone there ever since hearing about it back in the spring, but plan to take full advantage of it now that I'll be on campus every week!
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Tarzan & Tao
My friend Tonya’s been in the NYC for work for the past week, so she stayed through this past weekend to hang out with me! We had a blast! She worked here for 9 months in 2005 so it was fun to be with someone who is familiar and knows where they want to go—although, I love all the newbie visitors, too! Here are some of the things we did:
--Lunch at Burger Joint…yummy burgers and shakes! A little dive I went to once back in the summer. It's right in the middle of the fancy Le Parker Meridien Hotel.
--Tonya can appreciate nice things like I can, even if we can’t afford them, so we had a lot of fun browsing the racks at Bergdorf’s-- a first for both of us. I tried on a pair of super cute Prada shoes…they were on sale for just $600! I told Tonya, “if I don’t see anything else, I’ll get these.” She thought I was serious for a minute! We saw lots of really cute tops and pretty dresses. It was also a fun store for people-watching. We saw a funny lady trying on a tiny, short, white, strapless fancy dress and asking the sales guy if it was appropriate for her daughter's birthday party from 12-3 on a Saturday. He gave her the funniest look and was like, “no, it’s not.”
--Saturday night was our big night out. We got half-price tickets to a Broadway show, Tarzan…it was excellent!!! I wouldn’t have thought I’d be too interested in Tarzan, but kept hearing great things about it so I had been wanting to go. The special effects were incredible…at one point, they had the entire stage, including floor-to-ceiling, made to look like an ocean with people drowning. All the swinging around and dance scenes were great too.
--After the show, we had midnight reservations for dinner at Tao. That was the only time we could get in and we both wanted to go there….I knew it was a crazy dance-club like atmosphere and I only have about 2 friends who I thought would really appreciate it and Tonya is one of them! We had eaten a late and big lunch, so midnight seemed fine for dinner! It was really fun and great food. We got there about an hour early and had a drink in the lounge area—it was super packed, great people watching. Then, we were seated for dinner. It’s an Asian Fusion restaurant, although I’m still uncertain what fusion really means. They recommend you order to share, so we we got several things, but our main dish was most fun. We had filet mignon they bring to your table sliced very thin and raw. They also bring a fire with a pot full of broth over it to cook the meat in. It cooks very, very quickly. Kind of like a fondue experience. It was a great night!
Tonya & I at Tao with the big Budda in the background.
--Sunday we went to a show called Tango. It was good—really great dancers. They pretty much did different versions of the Tango the whole time. There wasn’t really a story, but they were portraying the history of the Tango through the style of dance and costumes. It was fun.
--Last night, we met up after work for dinner at a wine & cheese place. It’s a newer place down the street from me and I hadn’t tried it yet. It was great! We did a good job picking 3 delicious cheeses and also had some yummy hummus.
--After dinner, we headed to see Mary Poppins. It was sooooo good!! I know, I say that about almost every Broadway show, but they are all so great! Mary Poppins was so colorful and the stage did really cool stuff. Plus, we’re all familiar with a lot of the songs, so that makes it fun. We had excellent seats in the 5th row and could see their faces so well-- there were a couple of times where I thought I was in the musical myself! At the end, Mary Poppins flys out into the audience and her feet were just inches above our heads as she flew over us!
The title for the Sunday sermon at this church caught our eye!! I'm still curious to know how the pastor worked a sermon around Luckenbach. I checked online and it's out there as an MP3, so I may just have to download it and listen to find out!
It has been a fun week! I hear we’re in for some crazy weather tomorrow—we’ll see if it really happens! There actually has been clumps of snow on the ground for most of this week—first time that’s happened this year!
--Lunch at Burger Joint…yummy burgers and shakes! A little dive I went to once back in the summer. It's right in the middle of the fancy Le Parker Meridien Hotel.
--Tonya can appreciate nice things like I can, even if we can’t afford them, so we had a lot of fun browsing the racks at Bergdorf’s-- a first for both of us. I tried on a pair of super cute Prada shoes…they were on sale for just $600! I told Tonya, “if I don’t see anything else, I’ll get these.” She thought I was serious for a minute! We saw lots of really cute tops and pretty dresses. It was also a fun store for people-watching. We saw a funny lady trying on a tiny, short, white, strapless fancy dress and asking the sales guy if it was appropriate for her daughter's birthday party from 12-3 on a Saturday. He gave her the funniest look and was like, “no, it’s not.”
--Saturday night was our big night out. We got half-price tickets to a Broadway show, Tarzan…it was excellent!!! I wouldn’t have thought I’d be too interested in Tarzan, but kept hearing great things about it so I had been wanting to go. The special effects were incredible…at one point, they had the entire stage, including floor-to-ceiling, made to look like an ocean with people drowning. All the swinging around and dance scenes were great too.
--After the show, we had midnight reservations for dinner at Tao. That was the only time we could get in and we both wanted to go there….I knew it was a crazy dance-club like atmosphere and I only have about 2 friends who I thought would really appreciate it and Tonya is one of them! We had eaten a late and big lunch, so midnight seemed fine for dinner! It was really fun and great food. We got there about an hour early and had a drink in the lounge area—it was super packed, great people watching. Then, we were seated for dinner. It’s an Asian Fusion restaurant, although I’m still uncertain what fusion really means. They recommend you order to share, so we we got several things, but our main dish was most fun. We had filet mignon they bring to your table sliced very thin and raw. They also bring a fire with a pot full of broth over it to cook the meat in. It cooks very, very quickly. Kind of like a fondue experience. It was a great night!
Tonya & I at Tao with the big Budda in the background.
--Sunday we went to a show called Tango. It was good—really great dancers. They pretty much did different versions of the Tango the whole time. There wasn’t really a story, but they were portraying the history of the Tango through the style of dance and costumes. It was fun.
--Last night, we met up after work for dinner at a wine & cheese place. It’s a newer place down the street from me and I hadn’t tried it yet. It was great! We did a good job picking 3 delicious cheeses and also had some yummy hummus.
--After dinner, we headed to see Mary Poppins. It was sooooo good!! I know, I say that about almost every Broadway show, but they are all so great! Mary Poppins was so colorful and the stage did really cool stuff. Plus, we’re all familiar with a lot of the songs, so that makes it fun. We had excellent seats in the 5th row and could see their faces so well-- there were a couple of times where I thought I was in the musical myself! At the end, Mary Poppins flys out into the audience and her feet were just inches above our heads as she flew over us!
The title for the Sunday sermon at this church caught our eye!! I'm still curious to know how the pastor worked a sermon around Luckenbach. I checked online and it's out there as an MP3, so I may just have to download it and listen to find out!
It has been a fun week! I hear we’re in for some crazy weather tomorrow—we’ll see if it really happens! There actually has been clumps of snow on the ground for most of this week—first time that’s happened this year!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Winter Blues
So, I've been a bit absent from my blog for the past couple of weeks. Honestly, there just hasn't been much going on that seemed blog-worthy, plus I tend to hit the winter blues around this time and prefer to stay in and watch a movie than get out much. Not, that I've been doing absolutely nothing, but I do seem to be doing much less. Anyway, here's a few highlights:
-We've finally seen snow up here! I realize everyone else reading my blog has seen more snow and ice than normal, but up here, it's been the opposite. Now it's snowed twice in the past 2 weeks. The first time it didn't even seem cold enough and wasn't in the forecast. So, we were all surprised at work to look outside and see giant flakes coming down. It only lasted about 3 minutes though. The second time, it snowed on and off for many hours, but not enough to accumulate. Although I've been extremely thankful for this mild winter, I would kind of like to see one big snowfall before spring hits!
-Went to another Broadway musical- The Apple Tree. It was great! I wasn't sure I'd like it, not knowing much about it, but it was very cute and funny. Joy got tickets for us- she can sometimes get 1/2 price tickets through her new job at NBC.
-Joy and I have gotten in a good habit of meeting for lunch about twice a week. It's a great break during the day! Her building is across the street from mine, but all the Rockefeller buildings are connected with tunnels, so we practically work in the same building!
-Had MLK day off!! This is the first time I have EVER had a job that gives that day off and I gladly welcomed it!
-I've seen a few movies...Miss Potter, Babel, and Pursuit of Happyness. All very different from each other, but I'd recommend any of them!
-I joined a very nice gym and I'm super excited about it. The NHL gets a discount there, plus my new health plan pays part of the fee, so it ends up being a pretty good deal. It has a steam room, which really sealed the deal for me- I LOVE those! I also get 2 free appointments with a personal trainer and I plan to take advantage of that, hopefully this week. The weight machines are different than I'm used to and I feel like an idiot trying to use them, so if I can have someone just show me once, I'll be set! The gym is located between home and work-- very close to both, so it's ideal.
And, that's about it! Writing it all out, it sounds like more than it really was...it's been a pretty dull/lazy couple of weeks!
-We've finally seen snow up here! I realize everyone else reading my blog has seen more snow and ice than normal, but up here, it's been the opposite. Now it's snowed twice in the past 2 weeks. The first time it didn't even seem cold enough and wasn't in the forecast. So, we were all surprised at work to look outside and see giant flakes coming down. It only lasted about 3 minutes though. The second time, it snowed on and off for many hours, but not enough to accumulate. Although I've been extremely thankful for this mild winter, I would kind of like to see one big snowfall before spring hits!
-Went to another Broadway musical- The Apple Tree. It was great! I wasn't sure I'd like it, not knowing much about it, but it was very cute and funny. Joy got tickets for us- she can sometimes get 1/2 price tickets through her new job at NBC.
-Joy and I have gotten in a good habit of meeting for lunch about twice a week. It's a great break during the day! Her building is across the street from mine, but all the Rockefeller buildings are connected with tunnels, so we practically work in the same building!
-Had MLK day off!! This is the first time I have EVER had a job that gives that day off and I gladly welcomed it!
-I've seen a few movies...Miss Potter, Babel, and Pursuit of Happyness. All very different from each other, but I'd recommend any of them!
-I joined a very nice gym and I'm super excited about it. The NHL gets a discount there, plus my new health plan pays part of the fee, so it ends up being a pretty good deal. It has a steam room, which really sealed the deal for me- I LOVE those! I also get 2 free appointments with a personal trainer and I plan to take advantage of that, hopefully this week. The weight machines are different than I'm used to and I feel like an idiot trying to use them, so if I can have someone just show me once, I'll be set! The gym is located between home and work-- very close to both, so it's ideal.
And, that's about it! Writing it all out, it sounds like more than it really was...it's been a pretty dull/lazy couple of weeks!
Monday, January 08, 2007
Gaseous Odor!
So, in case you're wondering... I am alive and breathing okay! If you haven't seen any news today, I'll fill you in. Manhattan and surrounding areas were filled with a strange gas-smelling odor this morning. I didn't notice it walking to work, but I was running late and probably concentrating on getting there and wouldn't have noticed the smell. Once in my building, I could smell it. In certain corners of my floor, it was very strong. The building facility people closed the vents so that no outside air was coming in and they reported that we were safer to stay inside than go out. It was very odd-- no one seems to know what caused it. It covered the majority of Manhattan and New Jersey as well.
It was another fun weekend. I did spend some time relaxing, though, since I’d been with people non-stop for 3 weeks straight. On Friday night I went to see Dreamgirls. It’s the beginning of awards season and I like to try to see as many nominated movies as I can. I am WAY behind this year. The Golden Globes are next Monday and I haven’t put a dent in the list of nominees. So, Dreamgirls was an attempt to work on that. It was a fun movie…great singing! Afterwards, I met up with a bunch of Journey folks at a sports bar where they were playing darts and pool. I was just there for a little while before heading home for the night.
Saturday, I met Joy, Kristin, and Hillary for brunch at Pietressanta. This is one of my favorite Italian restaurants just down the street from my place, but I didn’t know they had brunch until Joy told me on Friday. It was good, but I think I like their Italian menu better than their brunch! Afterwards, Joy and I headed to Brooklyn to meet Stan (Joy’s crush!) and go to the Brooklyn Museum to see the Annie Leibovitz exhibit. For those who aren’t familiar with her, she’s a photographer- probably most famous for the Vanity Fair cover she did a while back of a very pregnant Demi Moore. The exhibit was great- had a ton of her magazine photos, plus a lot of personal pictures of her family. It was very interesting and fun to see.
I spent Saturday evening and most of Sunday at home just relaxing- it was great!!! I finally managed to get out and go for a run in the Park late on Sunday afternoon and went to The Apostles church that night. It was my second time to visit there and I think I liked it better this time. It's very small and I felt a little uncomfortable/out of place the first time. I am trying to decide if I am going to commit to going there or to Redeemer and I’d like to make that decision this week….it’s Community Group sign-up time and I need to get involved in one. I ran into a high school/college acquaintance at church. There are not too many people in this world who went to both my high school and my college so it’s pretty random that we could end up going to the same church in NYC. Although I haven’t seen him since moving here, I did know beforehand that he goes to church there, so it wasn’t a huge surprise to run into him. It was great to see a familiar face and catch-up a little bit!
It was another fun weekend. I did spend some time relaxing, though, since I’d been with people non-stop for 3 weeks straight. On Friday night I went to see Dreamgirls. It’s the beginning of awards season and I like to try to see as many nominated movies as I can. I am WAY behind this year. The Golden Globes are next Monday and I haven’t put a dent in the list of nominees. So, Dreamgirls was an attempt to work on that. It was a fun movie…great singing! Afterwards, I met up with a bunch of Journey folks at a sports bar where they were playing darts and pool. I was just there for a little while before heading home for the night.
Saturday, I met Joy, Kristin, and Hillary for brunch at Pietressanta. This is one of my favorite Italian restaurants just down the street from my place, but I didn’t know they had brunch until Joy told me on Friday. It was good, but I think I like their Italian menu better than their brunch! Afterwards, Joy and I headed to Brooklyn to meet Stan (Joy’s crush!) and go to the Brooklyn Museum to see the Annie Leibovitz exhibit. For those who aren’t familiar with her, she’s a photographer- probably most famous for the Vanity Fair cover she did a while back of a very pregnant Demi Moore. The exhibit was great- had a ton of her magazine photos, plus a lot of personal pictures of her family. It was very interesting and fun to see.
I spent Saturday evening and most of Sunday at home just relaxing- it was great!!! I finally managed to get out and go for a run in the Park late on Sunday afternoon and went to The Apostles church that night. It was my second time to visit there and I think I liked it better this time. It's very small and I felt a little uncomfortable/out of place the first time. I am trying to decide if I am going to commit to going there or to Redeemer and I’d like to make that decision this week….it’s Community Group sign-up time and I need to get involved in one. I ran into a high school/college acquaintance at church. There are not too many people in this world who went to both my high school and my college so it’s pretty random that we could end up going to the same church in NYC. Although I haven’t seen him since moving here, I did know beforehand that he goes to church there, so it wasn’t a huge surprise to run into him. It was great to see a familiar face and catch-up a little bit!
Thursday, January 04, 2007
New Years In New York
I spent my first New Year's in the big city. It was a fun experience, unlike any New Years I'll probably have again. My friends from Dallas, Michelle, Elizabeth, and Tamara, came to spend the whole week with me and we had a great time! See pictures with narrative here!! Here are some of the details of what we did all week:
-- New Years Eve was spent in Times Square watching the ball drop. We left my apartment at 3pm and by 4pm, we were in our "pin" for the evening. The police begin to barricade the blocks into sections as they get full and you are stuck in your barricaded block for the duration of the evening...no bathrooms!! So, we stood and waited for 8 hours. This was actually a great year to do it because the weather has been so mild...not super cold and no precipitation (first December since the 1800's that there's been no snow)! We were well bundled up, of course, but it wasn't horribly cold. We were able to sit on the ground and play cards for the first hour, but we were in a prime spot inside our bin, so after that, everyone else began crowding over and we had to stand to keep our spots and not get trampled! The first couple of hours there wasn't much going on and time went by pretty slowly. At 7:00, they started having celebrations every hour for New Year's in other countries, so we'd have a count-down, fireworks, and confetti. We brought snacks with us and I spaced mine out every 2 hours to have something to look forward to! People came by with free stuff...scarfs, hats, pom-poms, etc... which also helped keep us preoccupied. Also, there were all the crazy people around us which made for great people-watching. At midnight, I got so into taking pictures, I forgot to really watch the ball drop....it is MUCH smaller than it looks on TV...very tiny, really. The best part of where we stood is that we were by all the news crews. Michelle and I were on the Times Square JumboTron a TON! Also, Anderson Cooper (from CNN and host of The Mole) passed by us multiple times (Michelle loves him)!! He stopped and took pictures with us and talked to us...he was SOOOO nice and friendly and very handsome! The night was fun and it was a low-key, no-pressure New Year's Eve. If I'm still here next year, I'd like to do something a little more "trendy" rather than touristy. But, I am definitely glad I had the Times Square experience this year.
--We went back to Joe's Shanghai for dinner in Chinatown...was fun to be there with Tamara who's actually been to China and could compare the food to the real-deal and introduce us to some new things.
--While in Chinatown, we got to go in a "back room". I've been wanting to do this and was glad I was with some girls adventurous enough to try it. A vendor asked if I was interested in designer purses. I said I was and they took us to their store, moved aside some bags, slid open a panel in the wall and we followed a man up some stores to a room full of fake goods! It was a fun experience, even though none of us bought anything.
--Went ice-skating in Central Park!! So great to have this experience. I hadn't skated in several years and my hips aren't what they used to be, but it was a lot of fun and very pretty. Definitely a great NYC memory to have!
--Elizabeth & Tamara introduced us to a Jewish restaurant they'd been to last time they were here. It's called Barney Greengrass and is located up on the Upper West Side. Tried Matza Ball soup for the first time and it was delicious!
--Went to the NYC library..a lot of movie scenes have been taped here so it was neat to see. It is also a very beautiful building.
--Shopped around the Holiday Bazaar that was still up in Bryant Park. Michelle and I bought really cute knitted hats!
--Went to the Charmin Bathrooms in Times Square. Charmin set up bathrooms there just for the Holiday Season when the area becomes extremely congested with tourists. They were very nice bathrooms in a very lively environment!
--Had breakfast at Norma's in the Le Parker Meridian Hotel. Norma's is widely known as the best breakfast in NYC. It really was excellent!!
--Went in the Pierre Hotel on 5th Avenue to get some directions from the concierge and once inside realize it was a VERY nice, VERY beautiful hotel. Later, we discovered it is actually a Four Seasons Hotel.
--Went in Saks to see their holiday decorations...beautiful. We also shopped in the Holiday area and found some really great stuff at 70% off!!
--Went to a transvestite restaurant for dinner (hope this doesn't offend any readers)!!! I had heard it was fun and so had Elizabeth and Tamara. It was entertaining. They do a little show while you eat...it was slightly racy, but not horrible.
--Went to Marie's Crisis (where I went on my 30th b-day) and we heard some excellent show-tune singing around the piano.
--Went on a harbor cruise around Manhattan. A really neat and new way for me to see my city. It was a pretty day and we enjoyed the tour guide.
--Went on a tour of Ground Zero. This is something new down there and the tours are done by people who were directly impacted by 9/11. We saw things the ordinary person wouldn't know about. It was very neat to see, very sad and touching. There is also a new museum down there that we went through and it is done very well...again, very sad, but good to see.
--I went in St. Paul's Cathedral and Trinity Church for the first time. St. Paul's is the oldest building in Manhattan and Trinity has the oldest congregation. Both very pretty churches. St. Paul's was used as a rescue site for 9/11 and now serves as a memorial.
--Saw the acclaimed Broadway musical, "Jersey Boys". I've been wanting to see this because I've heard such great things and it has won many awards. It was very good-- music was great!
--Saw the new Broadway musical, "Grey Gardens". This is the story about Jackie O's cousin and aunt who went senile. It was a very interesting story and I really liked this musical! Christine Ebersole played the lead role and was very good...rumor has it that she'll win the Tony this year.
--Went to Brooklyn to do the typical walk through Brooklyn Heights and lunch at Grimaldi's. This time, however, I got to go to the Jacques Torres chocolate factory for the first time. Delicious chocolates and GREAT hot chocolate...seriously, chocolate that is hot...not hot cocoa with water.
--Had dinner at Sardi's...a famous restaurant in Times Square known for their caricatures of actors/actresses. It was a very nice dinner.
All in all, it was great week and a very fun way to spend New Year's Eve. I have a great group of friends in Dallas that I spent the last 6 New Year's with. Unfortunately, most of that gang couldn't make it up to the city. However, Tamara and I figured out that this was our 7th New Years Eve together...hope the tradition keeps on!!
-- New Years Eve was spent in Times Square watching the ball drop. We left my apartment at 3pm and by 4pm, we were in our "pin" for the evening. The police begin to barricade the blocks into sections as they get full and you are stuck in your barricaded block for the duration of the evening...no bathrooms!! So, we stood and waited for 8 hours. This was actually a great year to do it because the weather has been so mild...not super cold and no precipitation (first December since the 1800's that there's been no snow)! We were well bundled up, of course, but it wasn't horribly cold. We were able to sit on the ground and play cards for the first hour, but we were in a prime spot inside our bin, so after that, everyone else began crowding over and we had to stand to keep our spots and not get trampled! The first couple of hours there wasn't much going on and time went by pretty slowly. At 7:00, they started having celebrations every hour for New Year's in other countries, so we'd have a count-down, fireworks, and confetti. We brought snacks with us and I spaced mine out every 2 hours to have something to look forward to! People came by with free stuff...scarfs, hats, pom-poms, etc... which also helped keep us preoccupied. Also, there were all the crazy people around us which made for great people-watching. At midnight, I got so into taking pictures, I forgot to really watch the ball drop....it is MUCH smaller than it looks on TV...very tiny, really. The best part of where we stood is that we were by all the news crews. Michelle and I were on the Times Square JumboTron a TON! Also, Anderson Cooper (from CNN and host of The Mole) passed by us multiple times (Michelle loves him)!! He stopped and took pictures with us and talked to us...he was SOOOO nice and friendly and very handsome! The night was fun and it was a low-key, no-pressure New Year's Eve. If I'm still here next year, I'd like to do something a little more "trendy" rather than touristy. But, I am definitely glad I had the Times Square experience this year.
--We went back to Joe's Shanghai for dinner in Chinatown...was fun to be there with Tamara who's actually been to China and could compare the food to the real-deal and introduce us to some new things.
--While in Chinatown, we got to go in a "back room". I've been wanting to do this and was glad I was with some girls adventurous enough to try it. A vendor asked if I was interested in designer purses. I said I was and they took us to their store, moved aside some bags, slid open a panel in the wall and we followed a man up some stores to a room full of fake goods! It was a fun experience, even though none of us bought anything.
--Went ice-skating in Central Park!! So great to have this experience. I hadn't skated in several years and my hips aren't what they used to be, but it was a lot of fun and very pretty. Definitely a great NYC memory to have!
--Elizabeth & Tamara introduced us to a Jewish restaurant they'd been to last time they were here. It's called Barney Greengrass and is located up on the Upper West Side. Tried Matza Ball soup for the first time and it was delicious!
--Went to the NYC library..a lot of movie scenes have been taped here so it was neat to see. It is also a very beautiful building.
--Shopped around the Holiday Bazaar that was still up in Bryant Park. Michelle and I bought really cute knitted hats!
--Went to the Charmin Bathrooms in Times Square. Charmin set up bathrooms there just for the Holiday Season when the area becomes extremely congested with tourists. They were very nice bathrooms in a very lively environment!
--Had breakfast at Norma's in the Le Parker Meridian Hotel. Norma's is widely known as the best breakfast in NYC. It really was excellent!!
--Went in the Pierre Hotel on 5th Avenue to get some directions from the concierge and once inside realize it was a VERY nice, VERY beautiful hotel. Later, we discovered it is actually a Four Seasons Hotel.
--Went in Saks to see their holiday decorations...beautiful. We also shopped in the Holiday area and found some really great stuff at 70% off!!
--Went to a transvestite restaurant for dinner (hope this doesn't offend any readers)!!! I had heard it was fun and so had Elizabeth and Tamara. It was entertaining. They do a little show while you eat...it was slightly racy, but not horrible.
--Went to Marie's Crisis (where I went on my 30th b-day) and we heard some excellent show-tune singing around the piano.
--Went on a harbor cruise around Manhattan. A really neat and new way for me to see my city. It was a pretty day and we enjoyed the tour guide.
--Went on a tour of Ground Zero. This is something new down there and the tours are done by people who were directly impacted by 9/11. We saw things the ordinary person wouldn't know about. It was very neat to see, very sad and touching. There is also a new museum down there that we went through and it is done very well...again, very sad, but good to see.
--I went in St. Paul's Cathedral and Trinity Church for the first time. St. Paul's is the oldest building in Manhattan and Trinity has the oldest congregation. Both very pretty churches. St. Paul's was used as a rescue site for 9/11 and now serves as a memorial.
--Saw the acclaimed Broadway musical, "Jersey Boys". I've been wanting to see this because I've heard such great things and it has won many awards. It was very good-- music was great!
--Saw the new Broadway musical, "Grey Gardens". This is the story about Jackie O's cousin and aunt who went senile. It was a very interesting story and I really liked this musical! Christine Ebersole played the lead role and was very good...rumor has it that she'll win the Tony this year.
--Went to Brooklyn to do the typical walk through Brooklyn Heights and lunch at Grimaldi's. This time, however, I got to go to the Jacques Torres chocolate factory for the first time. Delicious chocolates and GREAT hot chocolate...seriously, chocolate that is hot...not hot cocoa with water.
--Had dinner at Sardi's...a famous restaurant in Times Square known for their caricatures of actors/actresses. It was a very nice dinner.
All in all, it was great week and a very fun way to spend New Year's Eve. I have a great group of friends in Dallas that I spent the last 6 New Year's with. Unfortunately, most of that gang couldn't make it up to the city. However, Tamara and I figured out that this was our 7th New Years Eve together...hope the tradition keeps on!!
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