The Final Details About What We Did in NYC

The first thing that grabbed me as we drove into the city, of course, was the architecture. I'm a sucker for a photo of interesting buildings, and I took a few hundred. Here is a sampling:

Part of Trump's Empire.

I love the colorful apartments with the fire escapes.




And I love the water towers that sit atop many of the buildings.


We checked into our hotel Friday afternoon. We were treated to a very fancy hotel in which we had 2 adjoining rooms. Mark's brother had free vouchers and was going to join us but at the last minute couldn't make it. Someone had to use the vouchers, and though it was a tough call, we volunteered to be that someone.

Parking cost a fortune at the hotel, but we turned the keys over to the valet anyway because we didn't know any better. Later we saw other parking options that were cheaper, but the penalty for taking the car out of valet parking and moving it elsewhere would have been greater than just leaving it there, so we just chalked it up to Lesson Learned for Next Time. Because I witnessed this kind of parking option in action on The Amazing Race a couple weeks ago, I was fascinated to see the real thing.


After we got settled in our room, we decided to head out into the frigid, gusty wind. We fought our way through it to Times Square.


On the agenda for Times Square: ToysRUs on steroids.


An enormous ferris wheel sits just inside the revolving doors.


And there is a section called Candyland which hocks, you guessed it, candy.


Having grown up in a third world country, I always experience a mixture of emotions when I observe overdone things like this ToysRUs. There is always still just a tinge of amazement, almost like a little culture shock to see so much. There is also disgust at the indulgence of Americans, the way everything must be over-the-top and way more than necessary. Last, there is just a little bit of amusement as I imagine the reaction of any African over such, well, what can only be tagged absurdity.

Following Times Square, we walked further to Rockefeller Center

where the kids visited the Lego store, and I enjoyed the tranquility of St. Patrick's Cathedral.


And following our long walk back, we searched for a place to have dinner. Clearly New York City is not made for families our size because there seemed to be few eating establishments that would accommodate us. We finally settled on a place that looked larger than the others and that offered some familiarity for us as well. It was called Southern Hospitality, and it served BBQ. Not the best BBQ in the world, but we did remind ourselves that we were in NYC, not Atlanta, plus we got to enjoy fresh brewed sweet tea with our meal.

The next day, we spent the morning at The Sea, Air, and Space Museum followed by our taxi drive to 59th and 3rd where we visited Dylan's Candy Bar.






The kids were permitted to pick out one item. With so many choices, it was a tough decision to make.


After our subway trip back to Times Square, a walk back to the hotel, and a few moments to catch our breath, our tummies were growling. Time for the dinner hunt again. Around the corner from our hotel is the Hell's Kitchen area, so there were a lot of choices, but again, such tiny little restaurants. We noticed driving in 3 Thai restaurants, all with the same name but with 2-4 storefronts separating them. We found that odd but later heard from our concierge that they are indeed the same restaurant and probably share a kitchen underground or in back somewhere, but they just couldn't get enough property all clumped together. So we went into one, made reservations for another, and then went back to the hotel to wait for our reservation time. It was worth the wait - the best Thai food we've ever had! A great way to end the evening...

...and to end our trip. Because when we woke up leisurely the next morning, it was time to head back home to the country. By contrast anyway.

Photo Scavenger Hunt, Vol. IX

1. Decay (old/abandoned)
When I saw the parenthetical explanation of this prompt, I immediately thought of the buildings I often drive by. I have been itching to photograph them, but in my drive-bys, I either don't have my camera, or it is just too stinkin' cold to exit the car. But Sunday was sunny, the temp bearable, and I knew I'd be driving by to pick Michael up from a bday party.




Alex came along, and she even willingly let me take some pictures. She obviously is not old or abandoned, but I grab the photos when I can!




2. In the Kitchen
When I saw the suggestion for this prompt to do a self-portrait, I almost choked on my Starbucks sweet iced tea. Unless there is a cake to bake or a mess to clean up, the kitchen is not really my domain but my husband's. He does the cooking for our family.

Of course, since he is often gone, I am forced into the kitchen...more often than I want and definitely against my will. I do have a responsibility, though. At least I assume when I birthed these children, I signed some sort of unwritten document stating that I would keep them fed.

It's not that I don't know how to cook. I do. Sort of. There is just a huge gap between my husband's skills and my own.

He cooks gourmet. I have no problem whatsoever with dumping the contents of a box into a pan.

He can make something extraordinary out of whatever is on hand.

I have to follow a recipe right down to every teaspoon and dash.

He finds cooking relaxing and claims it as a hobby. Cooking stresses me out.

He will whip up a 6-course meal just for him because it was something he felt like eating. I will throw some Rice Krispies and milk in a bowl and call it dinner just to avoid actually cooking something.

3. & 4. Groups of 3 & "Me" Time


AFAQ (Anticipated Frequently Asked Questions)
Are you wearing glasses in these photos? Because I don't remember seeing glasses in any other photos of you.
Yes. I decided to give you the real me. And when I am watching TV, reading, or working on the computer, I wear glasses or I get a killer headache.

Why do you have theater chairs in your living room? Most people put a couch or sofa in their living room.
Yes, well...we had a nice little theater set-up in our house in Georgia. We do not have a nice little theater set-up here. AND we came to CT with one less couch than we had in GA because our second couch had been abused enough by wiggly, jelly-smeared children that it seemed wiser to leave it behind. They are very comfortable and even have a cupholder. Maybe I'll start a trend.

Is that plastic I see on one of the theater chairs? What are you, an old granny or something?
There are actually 4 theater chairs, and yes, 3 of the 4 still have the plastic on the "foot" part. We thought it prudent since we put our dirty feet on them! The plastic got ripped on one of them, so off it came.

What's with that blanket? What are you, an old granny or something?
I am cold. Always cold. Especially here in the Arctic.

Are you trying to strangle that cat?
I assure you, no animals were harmed in the making of this post. I shot that middle shot 3 times, and she was none too happy with being jostled about as I re-set everything.

5. Things that make you go hmmmm...
I am pulling from the archives for this one. A couple of years ago, we vacationed with some friends in Panama City Beach. We were out one evening playing mini-golf, and I noticed this sign over a motel right down the street. It was too funny to leave alone, and of course the kids all thought it was the funniest thing ever.