More Fun With Mom

I worked on Tuesday, so my mom managed to keep herself busy by shopping at every Aerosoles store she could find. Okay, just two, but she bought FOUR pairs of shoes! Apparently, they were having an amazing sale! She also managed to run into 2 celebrities. First she saw Geraldo coming out of the Fox News building (which is located next to the NHL building)...mom wasn't positive it was him, so she actually grabbed his jacket and said, "Geraldo!" and he said, "Hi"! Wow. I laughed so hard when she told me that. Later, she saw Kathy Griffin coming out of the restaurant in Rock Center. Mom said she looked awful. Mom also met me for lunch that day.

Tuesday night, mom and I went to the TKTS booth to see if we could get half-price tickets to anything we wanted to see. We decided to go for the play "All My Sons" starring John Lithgow, Katie Holmes, Dianne Weist, and Patrick Wilson. My mom and I tend to prefer musicals to plays, but were hopeful this play would engage us. It did! It was a great story and great play altogether. We really enjoyed it. Afterwards, we stood at the stage door to get pics of all the stars.
We were also treated to a "bonus" celeb. As soon as this woman walked out of the door, I knew she was the wife of someone big, but I couldn't place it. Guess who?

Kelsey Grammar!! He was in the audience that night.

The NHL was open only part of Wednesday, so I went in to the office for a while. Afterwards, I met mom in the Union Square area. We ate lunch at Sala, the Spanish tapas restaurant I'd been to recently. Their lunch menu was entirely different than their dinner menu was. It seemed more expensive and the portions were smaller (sounds backwards, right?). What we had was okay, but not as good as what I'd had before.

We shopped around Union Square....happened upon an awesome paper store, went to Fishs Eddy - a kitchen store, and strolled through the Farmer's Market. We then went to Trader Joe's to pick up some things to make a light dinner. On the way home, we stopped to check out the Parade balloons being inflated.

Horton the Elephant is one of the new balloons this year.

After going home and eating dinner, we made the trek to Newark, NJ. I had received tickets to our suite over there for the Tina Turner concert. Unfortunately, the trains were a mess that night - delays of up to 90 minutes. So, we missed the first half of the concert. But, the 2nd half was awesome!! Beyonce and Jay-Z were in the audience, but we couldn't spot them.

It was the day of Tina's 69th birthday!! And
look at her move! She was amazing. For the encore, she got on this thing that
went out over the audience.

Thursday, Thanksgiving Day! I told mom how I had done the parade last year and that it was fantastic!! She didn't want to get up so early and have to just wait for a couple of hours. So, we decided to go later and stay close to my apartment and just see what we could see. It was SO crowded and we were far back, so we kept making our way further downtown. We finally got to an area where we could see much better - there were still things we couldn't see, but it was pretty good. Here's the new Buzz Lightyear balloon.

After the parade, we came home for a snack and power naps. We then got ready for lunch. We opted to not do a traditional lunch and go out. We went to The Smith, which is a restaurant in the East Village I had heard good things about. It was a really cute restaurant! I had chicken pot pie with a cheddar biscuit top that was really good! Afterwards, we did some walking and saw the Macy's Christmas store windows. It was a good Thanksgiving!

I am sad that Mom leaves tomorrow and our fun week is over, but I am heading to Philly to meet some friends!

Weekend Road Trip

I'm behind on my blogging, yet again!! Let's start with last weekend.

Friday night, I went out to dinner for Mindy’s birthday. Her mom was in town so it was the 3 of us, plus Mindy’s roommate. We went to Penelope, which is my favorite Brunch spot, but this was my first time to try it for dinner. It was great! It is such a cute restaurant and the food was really good and pretty inexpensive. I will definitely have to go back here! By the time I got home from dinner Friday night, my mom had made it in to NYC and was waiting at my apartment! She is in for a whole week and it has been so much fun!

Saturday morning, we woke up and left for our weekend road trip. We spent Saturday exploring the cute towns in Connecticut – mostly Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, and Westport. We drove around each town and got out to explore some shops. New Canaan was my favorite – it is just adorable! We also liked Westport a lot and had lots of things to see and do there! We saw Martha Stewart’s old house.
We also saw the huge mansion on the water where Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas live. So fun! Mom really wanted to see the Westport Playhouse that Paul Newman started and his wife, Joanne Woodward, still helps run. She also wanted to go to his restaurant, Dressing Room, which is next to the Playhouse. Unfortunately, the restaurant closes for the afternoon, which is when we were there. But, we lucked out at the Playhouse. I had researched earlier and they did not have anything playing the weekend we were there. But, when we got there, it was clear that the Playhouse was packed out. After investigating, we found out that they were doing a tribute to Paul Newman’s life since he passed away recently. They were playing a movie of “Our Town” and Paul Newman was in it. So, we got to go inside the Playhouse and watch! We weren’t there when it started, so we didn’t see the whole thing, but it was fun to see the Playhouse.

After exploring Connecticut, we made our way to Newport, Rhode Island, which was our destination for the next 2 nights. We stayed at the cutest Bed & Breakfast. It was one of the best I’ve ever stayed in! So cute and cozy and the hosts were so hospitable. There was constant food and drinks available. They bake cookies every day!! The breakfasts were amazing, as well. They had a comfy sitting area with a fireplace where we loved sitting at night drinking hot tea and reading or talking. It was so much fun to stay there and I’d love to go back!!

On Sunday, we explored Newport! We spent a lot of time driving around – checking out the shops, and driving through the huge mansions there and also on Ocean Drive, which gives great views of the ocean, as well as more mansions!

I felt funny driving this mustang for 3 days!

I love Oreo Cows!Cute building covered in ivy

There are several mansions that are now open for tours. We opted to go in only one of those – The Breakers, which is a Vanderbilt home. It was so cool!! I’d explored their Biltmore estate before and loved it. This home wasn’t quite as big or extravagant as that, but still more extravagant than any other home I know! It was a great tour and the mansion was decorated for Christmas, so that was fun, too.

Mom & I in front of The Breakers

The back of The Breakers
The backyard!

We also saw the church where JFK and Jackie O
were married. It was such a cute church!

Since it was Sunday and everything closes early, we went to a movie after dinner. I love movies and since moving to New York, I never go anymore! We saw the Changeling and it was really good.

Monday morning, I managed to drag myself out of bed super early and go for a run on the Cliff Walk…which goes along the ocean and behind some of the mansions. It was great!! After breakfast that morning, we packed up and headed out. On the way back to NYC, we had more stops to make. First, was Mystic Seaport. Not my favorite Connecticut town, but still quaint. Our main destination in Mystic was Mystic Pizza, of course! It looked just like the movie and the pizza was fantastic!

The next stop was Yale. I loved this campus. It made me want to go back to college! It is absolutely beautiful and sounds like such a fun place to go to school. We went on a tour and while our guide wasn’t the best, we still learned some interesting things about Yale. So, after being disappointed in Harvard, my goal of visiting all the Ivy League schools has been renewed! I’m going to UPenn this weekend!

There were tons of these little courtyards

There were also tons of these arched entryways
that led to little tunnels to the next section

We got to sit in one of the common areas
inside one of the colleges

The library was built like a chapel
It was really cool!

Inside the library

Our final sight-seeing stop was the home of Bill & Hillary in Chappaqua. Yes, my mom and I are crazy like that. Plus, my mom has an obsession with Presidents. She actually saw Bill once in San Diego and swears he winked at her. The drive to their house alone, was worth the extra 30 minutes this drive-by took us. They live in a beautiful area on the border of Connecticut/New York. When we pulled up to their house, which is on a tiny cul-de-sac, we had a secret service man on our tail. He got out as we were making the circle and then mom wanted to take a picture of the house with him standing right there!! I was too embarrassed, so I drove away and then came back after he had gone inside. I’m sure he was still in their security booth watching us, but it was less embarrassing this way! This all we could really see of the house...It was a great weekend – a trip I’d do all over again!

cRaZinEsS

The marriage seminar was this weekend and although it went off without a hitch, I was running around like crazy trying to get everything done last week. I never could have pulled it off without some serious help from other ladies in the church who I enlisted and without the major praying I did all throughout last week! God was really faithful to provide the extra time and hands I needed. It was my first time planning an event in a long time, so I felt a bit rusty and learned a few things in the process. Even though I felt stressed at the beginning of last week when I couldn’t quite see how everything would come together, I still loved it. I love the organization and keeping up with all the lists and contacting volunteers to keep them in the loop. I was able to delegate a lot of the errand running – still had to run some myself, but I really HAD to delegate a lot of that. I realized that planning an event here without a car is much different than when I had an SUV to cart everything around in. It was going to be impossible for me to carry everything myself to the venue on Friday, so I had to enlist others to pick stuff up and bring it. I still had to lug a small suitcase and another bag with me on Friday and back again on Saturday.

We had about 50 people attend the seminar, which we thought was great! Plus, we fed all the volunteers – the ones who were there for me and a few others who helped with audio/visual. Friday night, the wine & cheese night went so well. Everything looked great and tasted good. I had amazing volunteer helpers who really chipped in and made my life so easy! They stayed throughout the seminar to make sure everyone was registered and served food and then stayed after to help clean up. It was awesome and we had so much fun, too! I wasn’t stressed at all on Friday because everything was in place and went so smoothly.

Saturday still went well, but I was a little more frazzled. I didn’t have as many volunteers and 2 of them were 30 minutes late. I did have an awesome group of bakers and we pulled together a great breakfast for the couples. But, I didn’t have the hands I needed that morning. Set-up was crazy as I was trying to get the food and everything in place and at least 2 people were needed to walk up a block to pick-up the Starbucks coffee and fixin’s. I ended up having to go to Starbucks myself – which I was counting on the late-comers to do. Then, the girls who came late basically just dropped off their food (which was much appreciated), but one said she was sick and couldn’t stay and the other said she had to run errands for something else. So that meant there was no one there to help register, which meant I was trying to man the food table and registration table all by myself! Then, I was left to clean-up by myself. I was slightly annoyed, but I know that’s what you have to expect with volunteers. It gives me an idea of who to count on next time around! JR seemed to think it went well, so I was glad for that because I wanted him to feel like he could count on me to help in the future. Also, one girl who attended the seminar and is helping him plan an event for February came up to me on Saturday and asked if I could help her out! We don’t know each other well, but hope to go for coffee and get to know each other and maybe tag-team this next event. I’m excited. I really enjoy planning things more when I have a lead-partner than taking the lead all on my own, so it would be fun to work with her.

So, this week should be a bit slower. I do have to go to the hockey game tonight – we’re taking our auditors to the suite as a “thank gosh it’s over for this year” celebration. And tomorrow night is CG, but that’s always part of my week. Wednesday/Thursday I will spend getting my apartment cleaned because my mom is coming on Friday!! Mom and I have some super fun stuff planned for the week she is here and I cannot wait!

Marcia DeBonis

I have finally seen and have figured out who the actress is who lives in my building! The only reason I knew is because I heard her talking to another neighbor outside and he said to her, "I see you more on Lipstick Jungle than I do in our building." I needed to run to the store anyway and decided it was definitely a good time to go so that I could see who she is! I said hello to her outside. Her name is Marcia DeBonis and besides playing a recurring role on Lipstick Jungle, she's been in movies like "13 Going On 30" and "The Truman Show". I'm anxious to get to know her better and become fast friends so that when Lipstick Jungle gets nominated for an Emmy, she can take me as her date! Ha! Just kiddin'!

DC, Take IV

This weekend was my 4th time to visit DC in my 32 years. I think I'm figuring out DC, as I like it better each time. My hate relationship with DC has turned into a "like okay" relationship. We are still far from love.

I took Bolt Bus after work on Friday night. Since I didn't buy my ticket until last week, it was the most I've had to pay for a bus by far....$48 round trip. Still not so bad. I didn't get in until after midnight, but B&B didn't arrive until 2:00, so I checked myself into the hotel and went to bed. We were staying at the Gaylord in Maryland, just outside DC. I was excited to stay here, but didn't end up exploring the property too much and we had some issues with the room, so we were not too impressed.

Saturday morning, we woke up and drove over to Alexandria, VA where we had breakfast and did some shopping. Super cute little village!! From there we drove to Mount Vernon. This drive was gorgeous. It must have been peak foliage in DC. The leaves were beautiful! The drive was along the river and opposite the river were some really big, beautiful homes. We did not have much time at Mount Vernon at all, but I really enjoyed it. We didn't have time to go inside the house, but I liked walking around the grounds anyway. It is such a pretty place!

Beth & I hanging out on George & Martha's back porch Beth & Brian The view from their back porch. The colors are
not popping in this picture like they were in real life! Beth & I with some gorgeous fall foliageThe original tomb where George & Martha and 24
other family members were originally buried. They were later moved. More of the grounds and pretty trees They had sheep and I felt like I was back in Ireland!I had to get a pic of the entry gate because
it is called the Texas Gate

Saturday afternoon was our tour of the West Wing of the White House. It was so much fun! Our guide, Paris, was awesome! He's only about 24-years-old, but was a great guide and so well-spoken. He works in the Office of Legislative Affairs. This is his second job at the White House. For his first job there, his boss was Karl Rove. After Bush leaves office, Paris will go home to Phoenix and work in the non-profit sector for a while before he "makes his run". He had high hopes of becoming the first black President, but will now settle for becoming the first Republican Black President. (I intentionally say black here, because Paris at one point said "African American" and then corrected himself, explaining he hates that term! It is a term that has never come natural to me either and since Paris is the 2nd black person to make that comment to me, I think I might give up on trying to be PC with that one!). Beth asked how everyone felt about the events of last week and his response was "Well, the outcome wasn't what we had hoped. We are just praying that Obama will be surrounded by people of wisdom". I thought that was a pretty good response. I hope to see Paris make it far in this world! I wish we had gotten a picture of him! Although no pictures were allowed inside the White House, Paris showed us all the prime photo spots outside.

This is the Old Executive Office Building, within the

White House Gates. It was a beautiful building.

The White House! The 4 long windows are Dick
Cheney's office.

Beth, Brian, and I under the Presidential

Seal, upon entering the White House

The pretty gardens outside. This is where

all the Olympians gathered for a celebration

before heading to Beijing.

Outside the Oval Office. We got to see the

inside of the Oval Office as well!!

These windows are part of the residential

quarters of the President

The corridor between the residential

wing and the West Wing, where you

often see the President walking with

important guest...I think some Obama

pics from today were taken here.

Underneath another Presidential Seal

We did get to take pics inside the Press Room.

Recognize this?!?

Each of the seats is assigned a different

station. This is CNN's seat.

Outside the back of the White House

Besides the Oval Office, we also saw the Cabinet Room. I learned that no one can meet in the Cabinet Room unless the President is there. The back of the President's chair is also 2 inches higher than any other chair. Across from the Cabinet Room was another meeting room (the name escapes me), but it also had a big long table with chairs...again, the President's chair back is 2 inches higher. Paris said that on Obama's first visit to the White House (today was his 2nd), he met with Bush and McCain and their people. After that meeting, Obama and his people (including Nancy Pelosi) congregated in this room and had a yelling match! Paris was in charge of escorting people out that day and had to wait outside the room while they finished fighting. Someone else had to run into the Oval Office to tell the President what all the yelling was about.

Wandering the hallways was really cool - there are so many photographs. Paris told us that they are frequently changed out so that current events are always up on the walls. The decor was also fun to see...some really old pieces of furniture used by many different presidents. The rugs that were custom made for the Bush's. I loved seeing the famous desk in Bush's office. The same one that JFK used where the photo of little John was taken peeping out from panel in the middle. The panel that was placed there by FDR because he didn't want his wheelchair to be seen. So much history!

We also saw the 5-Star restaurant that is downstairs and is open only to officers (people who have Honorable as their title). There is also a place for employees to pick up food to take back to their office. Paris grabbed a huge handful of sugar and Equal packets and stuffed them quickly in our purses because they had the presidential seal on them. He said he probably wasn't supposed to do that, but they were just too cute and since they only had 74 days left, why not?? Too funny. Little did he know, I love stuff like that!

From the White House, we went to Georgetown where we had a light lunch and did some strolling through the cute streets and shops. Brian had to head back for a dinner meeting, but Beth and I stayed in Georgetown shopping. We went to dinner at Sushiko, a restaurant I've been wanting to try for a long time. My good friend, Janet's, brother-in-law owns it and I've been hearing her talk about it for years! It was fun to see it and eat there. Good sushi, too! Beth and I also got cupcakes at Georgetown Cupcake because I'd seen it on a news feature the night before. The line was just as long as Magnolia, so I knew we were in for a treat! They were good cupcakes, but so different from NYC cupcakes because they use cream cheese frosting instead of Buttercream.

Sunday morning, we took it slow and then Beth and I and her good friend Kristen (whose husband works with Brian) went to Dupont Circle for breakfast. We ate at a restaurant at the back of a cute bookstore. It was really good! From there, I had to leave to head to my bus :( It was such a fun weekend!

I made it back for church Sunday night so I could be there to register anyone for the marriage conference. I also had a dinner meeting with our pastor and another guy on staff afterwards so we could finalize some details. I can say it was the first time I've ever sat down for a beer with a pastor of mine. Actually, I didn't drink, but they did!