Happy 13 Years, Baby

Tim and I just celebrated our thirteenth anniversary on this past Tuesday!  How wild.  I can't remember my life without him.  He's my rock.  We've been through so much together.  We truly meant it when we said in our vows "for better or worse, for richer or poorer."  Although, we've never really experienced the "for richer" aspect, but I suspect that wouldn't be too much of a hardship. My Timmy is the great love of my life.  (Isn't he just a sweet little thing? I love this picture because it shows just how young we were.)

This year we played it conservative, what with the cost of babysitting up here and all.  (My babysitter now charges $13 bucks an hour.  Talk about inflation!!!  I remember being absolutely thrilled to make $5 an hour.  Good grief.)  Anyway, I had a Groupon for a Central Park scavenger hunt through UrbanQuest and we made that our fun date night.  We went early so we could rent a rowboat at the Boathouse, another big thing on my NYC List that I've wanted to do for FOREVER.  It was the perfect afternoon for it, too.  The park wasn't too crowded and it was warm but slightly overcast.  Perfect weather!  We rowed around some of the prettiest areas of the park - the Boathouse, the Bow Bridge, and Bethesda Fountain - all the while just chatting about nonsense.  Then we started our scavenger hunt which began at Columbus Circle and had us traipsing all through the whole lower half of the park.  It was quite fun!  Our legs were tired by the end of it, but we finally made our way to the finish line in front of the Plaza Hotel where our prize awaited us - dinner reservations at a cute little place called Sarabeth's.  It was yummy.  All in all a fun date night. 

Here are a few photos of the night...

(My dress is from Modcloth, btw... I LOVE that company!!!)

(A full orchestra just HAPPENED to be playing in the shell.  Wow.)

(The Plaza Fountain - perfectly romantic spot to end the hunt.)

My New York List

I'm a big believer in really experiencing where you live.  I know it seems kinda touristy, but I just don't understand how some people can live in a place for a while and never experience some of the things that highlight their area.  I know people here in New York that have never done those quintessential NYC things, like seeing the Statue of Liberty or going to the top of the Empire State Building (mhmm... I got your number).  What a shame! 

Lately, I've been referencing my NY List, so I figured that maybe some of you readers may be interested in seeing it.  It's pretty extensive.  I'm quite proud of it.  And I'm also very proud to say that I've done most everything on the list, too.  I still have quite a few left over, but that is because I can't stop adding things onto it!  I figure that as long as I live in a place that offers so much, I should totally take advantage of it. If you are planning on visiting NYC (or if you live here) then I encourage you to read on and check out these places.  You'll be so happy you did. 

Here it is, in no particular order.

- Take the Liberty Island Ferry and see the Statue of Liberty.
- Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Spend a Saturday at the Cloisters.
- Visit MOMA (Museum of Modern Art).
- And the Guggenhiem Museum too.
- Eat at Pete's Tavern (an O'Henry hotspot and one of the oldest continuously operating bar/restaurants in NYC).
- Explore Trump Tower and see the indoor waterfall.
- Eat at Katz Deli (where "Harry met Sally").
- Explore Chinatown (and buy something from a "back room").
- Eat a cannoli in Little Italy.
- Visit Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and have a "celebrity sighting."
- Hang out in a NYC highrise apartment and just enjoy the view.
- Ride on the Toys R Us giant ferris wheel and explore the life-sized Barbie house.
- Eat at Tom's Restaurant or at the Soup Kitchen for a bit of Seinfeld kitch.
- Go to the top of the Empire State Building ("the nearest thing to heaven").
- Step on the giant piano and go toy crazy at F.A.O. Schwarz.
- Watch the Macy's Day Parade IN PERSON!  And watch them blow up the balloons in the park the night before (so cool).
- Go for a ride in a yellow cab.
- Ice skate in Central Park.
- Have a "frozen hot chocolate" at Serendipity III.
- Be there in person to see the New Year's Eve ball drop in Time Square!
- Go Christmas shopping in the city and admire the lights and the window displays.
- Sit on the Macy's Santa's lap!
- Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.
- See the NY Marathon
- Go to an opera at the MET (I saw La Boheme).
- Drive across the GW Bridge listening to the song from the Sopranos - cigar is optional.
- Explore the Central Park Zoo and Belvedere Castle.
- Go to a Broadway show (or several).
- Navigate the subway system.
- Visit Ground Zero.
- Go to the Cherry Blossom Festival at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.
- See the Bethesda Fountain in every season (I LOVE that fountain).
- Read something in the "Reading Room" at the NY Public Library and see the Gutenberg Bible, too.
- Go see a Mets or a Yankees game.
- Go to a TV show taping. (I've been to Letterman, Daily Show, Colbert Report, and Martha!)
- Travel in the city ALONE (I find this frightening because of my terrible sense of direction).
- Buy a used book at the Strand Bookstore.
- Eat a hot dog or a pretzel from a street vendor.
- See Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theatre.
- Chat with a NYC cop.
- Enjoy a bagel in the city... also a "slice."
- Go to the American Museum of Natural History.
- Experience the South Street Seaport on the Fourth of July.
- Go "shopping" in an expensive store, like Prada or Michael Kors.
- Wear a hat in the Easter Hat Parade on 5th Ave!
- Ride on the Central Park Carousel.
- Go on the "Intrepid WWII Ship" and the Growler.
- Experience "Fleet Week."
- Visit Wall Street and see the "Bowling Green" bull.
- Be in the Mermaid Parade on Coney Island.
- Go to Jones Beach.
- Go see Amateur night at the Apollo!!! (I JUST did this one!)
- See the Rockettes perform for the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall.
- Visit St. Patrick's Cathedral.
- Celebrate Chinese New Year in Chinatown.
- Have lunch in a cafe in Bryant Park.
- See the Macy's Flower Show.
- Check out Wave Hill Garden.
- Sit in the bandstands at a St. Patrick's Day parade.
- Go to the 9th Ave. International Food Festival.
- See the U.N. Building.
- Go on a "twilight" boat ride in the NY harbor.
- Visit the Frick Museum.
- See the giant globe at the Daily Planet building in Superman (The News Building on 42nd Street).
- Attend the Shakespeare Festival at Fort Tryon Park near the Cloisters.
- See Washington Square in Greenwich Village.
- Visit Castle Clinton.
- See the "little red lighthouse."
- Have a picnic in Riverside Park.
- Go to a ballet at the Lincoln Center.
- Have high tea at the Russian Tea Room.
- Visit the Old World's Fair Museum and see the panorama view of mini NYC (Queens Museum of Art).
- Go to the "Top of the Rock" at the Rockefeller Center.
- Visit City Hall.
- See Trinity Church and St. Paul's Chapel.
- March in costume in the Village Halloween Parade.
- Visit the "Museum of the City of New York."
- Attend a fashion show at "NY Fashion Week!"
- Walk down "Fashion Ave." and see Mood, Parsons and the giant button sculpture.
- Ride a pedicab.
- Satisfy that Top Chef crazy and eat at Craft and WD50.
- Go to ComiCon!!!
- Eat a "Magnolia's" famous cupcake.

And here are the things I still haven't done:

- Ice Skate in Rockefeller Center.
- Rent a rowboat in Central Park.
- See the "Naked Cowboy" in Time Square.
- Ride on the Bryant Park Carousel.
- Attend a poetry reading in the Village.
- Visit Staten Island.
- Check out the Russian Onclave on Coney Island.
- Have cheesecake at D'Aiuto's (a "Baby Watson" Cheesecake).
- Take a helicopter aerial tour of NYC.
- Go to the 6th Street Flea Market in Chelsea.
- See the lighting of the Rockefeller Tree.
- Go to an event at Madison Square Garden.
- See the Big Apple Circus.
- Visit Langston Hughes' house in Harlem.
- Watch a NY Rangers Hockey game.
- Go to Grant's Tomb.
- Visit the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and take the "vertical tour"  (it's the world's largest gothic cathedral).
- Go to the Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.
- See a planetarium show at the Museum of Natural History.
- Visit the Tenement Museum.
- Check out the Japanese Museum Christmas Tree.
- Take the cable car to Roosevelt Island.
- Take a "tea" tour of Gracie Mansion.
- Go play something at Chelsea Piers.
- Suffer through an Ellis Island tour.
- See something at Carnegie Hall.
- Attend the TriBeca Film Festival.
- Eat at Mr. Chow's (Andy Warhol's favorite).
- Go learn something at the Sony Tech Lab.
- See the "Winter Garden" in the financial district.
- Go to Governor's Island.
- Go to Inwood Park, where the legendary Manhattan Purchase happened.
- Visit Mark Twain's house and take the "walking tour."
- Picnic in Gantry Park, Queens.
- Check out Brooklyn's Floyd Bennett Field.
- Watch some improv at Upright Citizens Brigade - the ASSSSCAT 3000!
- Have a hot chocolate at "Max Brenner."
- Veneiro's Pastry sounds like a delicious pit-stop.
- See some fish at the NY Aquarium.
- Go to the "Poe Cottage" in the Bronx.
- Have milk & cookies at the Ronybrook Milk Bar in Chelsea.
- Stroll through the "Conservatory Garden" in Central Park.

If that list wasn't enough for you, you could always check out the Not For Tourists site, too!  It's chock full of interesting ideas.  I may have to add to my list again!  Maybe you have some suggestions for me?  Is there something I missed?

It's Showtime...

...at the Apollo!  Whoo baby.  I am just knocking things off my "New York list" right and left.  Last week, I went with some awesome work friends to Harlem where we rode the trains, navigated the streets, haggled with non-taxi-private-car-drivers, feasted on chicken and waffles at the world famous Melba's Restaurant, and saw Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater.  It was crazy fun.  I haven't had a girls night in WAY too long.  Hopefully this will become a thing we do (not going to the Apollo per say, but having a girls night adventure in the city...).

What is Amateur Night at the Apollo, you ask?  Well, it's like the original Gong Show where people cheer or boo a performer off the stage.  It used to come on TV on weekends, but I don't think it airs any longer.  The Apollo Theater is one of the oldest and most famous music halls in the US, so seeing something here was pretty magical, especially Amateur Night!  So many famous people got their start here; like Ella Fitzgerald, the Jackson Five, Mariah Carey, Billie Holiday, Lauryn Hill, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix... the list goes on and on.  It really is a place "where stars are born and legends are made." 

We had so much fun cheering on some of our favorite contestants and booing a few, too.  My favorite performer of the night was this ancient harmonica player named "The Professor."  Oh man.  He was incredible.  (There is a picture of him in the collage above - he has the hat on.)  We also really enjoyed this adorable boy band (bass guitarist pictured above) that sang a few Beatles songs.  Too cute.  The little red-haired girl however (also pictured) gave me nightmares.  She won the kid contest, but she had the voice of a 40 year-old vibrato woman.  It was creepy and awe-inspiring.  Just writing about it is giving me the shivers... whoo!  Anyway, there were all kinds of different types of performers, from piano players to comedians to vocalists.  It was a wide range of talent, for sure. 

This night was so much fun!  I'd totally go again.  Here are more pictures from our adventure...

Us at Melba's (Francesca, Jen, Me, and Erin)

Wall of Fame...

Weekly Wrap

This week has kind of blown by!  I guess I should mention what I've been up to.  I've had such a lovely week.
 
This past Saturday I got to spent the day with my lovely future sister-in-law!  I took the day off to play in the city with her.  It was such a blast.  I picked her up from the Broadway show she is working with (Anything Goes) and she showed me the backstage area - think dressing rooms with door plates, fancy wigs, a room full of washing machines, golden costumes. It was incredible.  What was even cooler though was returning that night to pick up her overnight bag during the show!  Eek!  How fun to hear the intercom calling places and see the scurry of actors in their finery.  Wow.  And they were all so nice, even! 

Rachel and I did lots of shopping on Saturday - we thrifted, went to some vintage stores, and even popped into Anthropologie and Madewell.  But the main event was going for high tea at the Russian Tea Room, something that has been on my New York list for forever.  We had so much fun.  Rachel had her first taste of escargot (she was not pleased) and we feasted on tea cakes, chamomile and oolong tea.  I think my favorite thing was the scones.  The food wasn't exquisite or anything, but the scones were very tasty and soft.  (I loathe hard scones.)  The best part of the Tea Room is by far the ambiance.  It was gorgeous.  And so very strange!  We loved the cushy red leather booths and gold gilded everything.  And they also let us see the upstairs private room with the giant bear-shaped aquarium (bizarre) with the orange fish and the huge golden tree with the lit-up Faberge eggs.  And did I mention that Madonna once-upon-a-time worked the coat check here?!?  Click on the pictures below to see them larger - there is a lot of detail! 

The next day, Andy and Rachel babysat the boys so we could go out after I got off work.  We'd planned on going to see the Hunger Games because we both loved the books so much.  Mr. T also told me to dress up a bit because he was going to take me to a fancy restaurant.  Yippee!  We never get to go out so I was thrilled just to get to see the movie with him, but imagine my surprise when he took me to Red Rooster!!!  Red Rooster is Chef Marcus Samuelsson's restaurant in Harlem.  Being the Top Chef fan, this restaurant has been on my touristy list for a long time as well.  Tim spent 3 weeks of calling to get reservations here.  Three weeks.  And he only got a spot because someone canceled.  Crazy.  And yes, the food IS THAT GOOD.

We had an appetizer of cornbread with honey butter and tomato jam (so good... I think it had lingonberries in the tomato jam to make it sweet).  And for entrees, Mr. T ordered a "fried yard bird" which was quite tasty and I had the "mac and greens" which ended up being the BEST mac and cheese I have ever had, with gouda, comte, and NY cheddar cheeses.  Oh lordy.  And the "greens" was a tasty little salad with pearl onions.  Now, I freaking HATE onions, but I ate one of these thinking it was some type of melon or tomato or something Japanese.  I quite liked the taste, even AFTER I found out what I had eaten!  Anyone who can get me to eat an onion and enjoy it must be a culinary genius.  And dessert was a malted chocolate tart with red velvet ice cream, peanut brittle, and a sorrel reduction.  It was good, but we got the sweet potato doughnuts to go for breakfast the next morning and those were AMAZING.  What a treat.  (And Hunger Games was pretty awesome, too.)

As for the rest of the week, the boys have been pretty good.  We've been taking them outdoors to air them (and us) out after being cooped up all winter long.  It's been hard with just the one vehicle... this momma has been trapped in a birdcage apartment with two wiggly boys all winter.  I'm so thankful for sunny days.  Anyway, Oscar has been cracking us up with his daily vehicle talk - today he was a "brown limousine car with a shiny grill" and Charlie has been putting us in stitches when he pouts.  He does the "downward facing dog" yoga pose when he knows he has done something naughty or when he doesn't get his way.  It is absolutely hilarious.

This is Charlie angry about the safari hat not staying on his head.  Oh, to be one again.  I wish my problems were so easily fixed!

And finally (shew! this is a long stinking post, eh?), I want to leave you with a picture of my latest book club snack.  I did Jack Plank Tells Tales by Babbit and found this cute cookie idea on Pinterest.  They turned out pretty good.  It's a tricorne pirate hat chocolate shortbread kind of cookie with a mini Reese's PB cup baked inside.  Yum. 

I Saw Martha!

Zowie Mama.  I don't know about you reader, but I have a life list and a NYC List and seeing the Martha Stewart show is on both lists (also being a featured guest would be up there... we'll just have to wait on that).  I've been trying to get tickets to see her for like 3 years now.  That's just sad.  My Mr. T however is one lucky fellow and he (literally) tried once and got us in.  I'm still not sure whether I should be happy about that or really pissed off.  Anyway, we got tickets for Leap Day!  And I was jumping for joy!

I made sure to wear one of Martha's signature colors - eggshell blue - and me and my mister, we looked super cute.  We were so cute that they still let us in the door even though we got stuck in crazy traffic and showed up 15 minutes late.  We were so cute that we got seated before people who showed up way before us.  We were even so cute that they stuck us front and center of the audience and when the show aired, every time they panned the audience (like 5 or 6 times), we were right there!  Eek!  So, technically, this is the second time I've been on the Martha show.  Take that, life list.  (The first time you can read about here...) 

The show itself was cool.  Her featured guest was someone who I think is pretty amazing.  It was Chef Suvir Saran, who is really into farm-to-table sustainable foods.  He has such a fun personality and it was sweet to see him tease Martha.  (For all you Top Chef fans, he was also on Top Chef Masters.  He was one of the contestants you just wanted to be BFFs with.)  He has a new cookbook out and the audience all got copies of it.  I don't usually eat a lot of Indian food, but this cookbook is a nice blend of Indian cuisine with farm fresh Americana.  Break out the lentils, baby!  I'm there!

The coolest thing though, was just to be in the same room with Martha.  I have so much admiration for her and all she knows.  She is a wealth of information.  There is no way I could ever work for her.  I watched as one of her people got a pineapple ready for her.  This woman snipped the leaves and dusted them until the pineapple looked PERFECT.  During the show taping, Martha said something about how that pineapple wasn't right because it wasn't ripe enough.  Lordy.  That woman would be a terror to work for!  But boy can she turn on her charm.  Look at that crocodile smile...

Oh what a thrill!