New York, New York!!!

Brrrrrr!!!!! It's cold up in the NE these days! It's crazy that like 2 weeks ago I was wearing shorts and complaining about not having a real winter....over it!!! Wish it would be warm again!!!

This weekend Anne and I went to NYC on a belated b-day trip for-you guessed it!--ME!!! We had a FABULOUS time!!! It's definately one of my all-time fave weekend trips--and maybe the best trip to NYC! Thanks, Anne!

Here's a run-down of our events. Got up at oh-zero-early Saturday morning and drove to the big city of NYC to arrive at about 10:45/11 ish. Drove thru the city, found a parking spot, had breakfast at "Pick a Bagel". Met 3 of the OU track team and visited w/ them for a good while (they were having a meet there for the weekend.) Enjoyed breakfast--as after 30 seconds out of the car I was FREEZING. Got back in the car, drove closer to our destination, and parked for our 12:00 appointment at "The Manhattan Club." Anne's old roommate, Jackie, has a place there w/ her husband. She nominated Anne as a buyer, and to make a long story short, for the small price of 2 hours...we got a pimpin' hotel on 56th and Central Park (literally, ON the park) for about $250---down from the regular price of $700ish. The timeshare presentation wasn't too bad. Anne had a bad cough and towards the end, really had to use it to get us out of there! Once we convinced her we had no $, she showed us out the back staircase into the service entrance/exit! It was pretty funny. My how the mighty fall....

After the presentation, we drove down to Ground Zero to check out the progress and see the new timeline presentation they've put up there. Spent a few minutes there, then drove back uptown to our hotel. We found a parking garage to leave the car in, carried the bags a few blocks and enjoyed our palace for about an hour before leaving for dinner. We had dinner in a fancy little Italian joint on the same block as our theatre. It was so nice! Although, if you know me, you know fancy food is wasted on me. I just don't get it. And if it's weird, I don't want to get it! I had a nice piece of salmon and the absolute best creme brulee I've ever had! The hostess was fun and reall italian---which is always kind of cool. We headed to the theatre to see "Beauty and the Beast"--which was neither of our first choice...but free tickets, what're you gonna do?? Turns out, it was FANTASTIC. I was awed. Amazed. So great. Loved it. Can't rave enough. And, it was fun to know the words to all the songs. After, we went to this cool "champagne speakeasy"--it's now a champagne bar, but was a speak-easy in the late 20's, so it has the closet-like booths, curtains, etc.... Very fun!

Sunday morning, got up and went to church at Redeemer Pres--that's where we go everytime we are in the city. It's the best church. I love it! It meets in the auditorium of Hunter college, right in the middle of the city, so it's not the most comfortable setting--but the pastor is FANTASTIC. They do communion every Sunday, too, which I love. It's alway such a great experience--go if you have the chance! After church, went back to the room to pack, had a late checkout, walk thru Central Park (in the freezing cold, but still beautiful day), lunch at Broadway Diner, then drove home!

When we got home, we decided to pick up fajitas--and in maybe one of the most exciting turn of events, found the best mexican place in town!!! Wahoo!!! And the colts won. Good times.

Here are some pics--didn't turn out that great....

Can you tell we are in the theatre? See the beast behind us??

The cool "glowing stage" phenom--pre-show....

At the champagne bar.

The fabulous gilded halls of our hotel!!! Can you tell the ceiling is solid brass?? So funny....