Eight Years and Counting

My friend is currently going through a tough time. Tough is a mild statement. She is living a soap opera. And not the good kind. She is facing life-altering, adult challenges. Those of a variety I have not yet witnessed or, thankfully, experienced for myself. But it's not my story to share so tell I will not. 

This past weekend I did what any friend living in reasonable proximity would do, I made the journey to New York City for a weekend together. For several  reasons, she will be leaving NYC in a few days... and gone will be my place to crash in Manhattan! In addition to bringing her some comfort, which I'm not even sure I was capable of, I came armed with an agenda. I needed have one last go at all my favorite things in the city. I figured, albeit selfishly, my to-do list would serve as a nice distraction. 

I'm not a re-visitor. I like going some place and doing it all, then picking a new destination for my next excursion. But the Big Apple is a place that keeps calling me back. I feel anyone can find their niche in the city. As far as dining goes--for me, I opt for bagels and iced coffee. And while I'm tempted to try new bagel and coffee shops, I don't. I am loyal to Ess-a-Bagel and Stumptown Coffee, NYC's second-rate bagels and fourth-rate coffee. For entertainment, Broadway shows--duh. And I shop at Uniqlo, for Japanese-inspired outerwear.

So Saturday, it was Matilda followed by Insomnia Cookies. And it was fabulous. I pretty much danced around singing Matilda music the rest of the weekend. Even if you're little you can do a lot, you mustn't let a little thing like 'little' stop you. If you sit around and let them get on top, you might as well be saying you think that it's OK. And that's not right. I hear--from the Broadway Queen herself-- it's going on tour in the next year. And yes, I will be seeing Matilda again (when it makes a stop in Washington, D.C.). I will be promoting it here for some time too. 

Sunday morning brought my first round of fresh, warm city bagels. Then a trip to the movie theater to see Frozen, which in NYC is the price of a Broadway show. But it was worth it. The movie was filled with excellent music--sung by Broadway stars themselves--and a sweet message of true love between sisters. We hit up the Union Square Holiday Market for a little shopping after the movie. For dinner, we met a mutual friend to celebrate R.D.S.'s upcoming birthday at Número 28, her favorite estaurant. And since we were in Greenwich Village, I opted for dessert at Pasticceria Rocco. There I had my very first cannoli! 

We decompressed after dinner with TLC's Extreme Cheapstakes, where I had to embarrassingly confess to employing several of these "extreme tactics" in my own home. At least I haven't resorted to cloth toilet paper and/or asking fellow restaurant patrons for their leftovers. I do wash Ziploc bags for reuse and, at times, use spare lemon combine with baking soda to wash dishes. I was reminded of the Girl Scout days, when an extreme cheapskate threw soap slivers in pantyhose for washing oneself with that final ounce. And I learned used foil can be thrown into an onion bags for homemade steel wool. Who knew?! 

My final day--Monday--started early as R.D.S. had to be up at an unreasonable hour to monitor some some silly work task. I decided it would be best to get out of her hair and wander the streets until my 11:30 am bus ride. To Ess-a-Bagel I went for round two. This was followed by a trip to Stumptown for iced goodness. I was not deterred by the 25 degrees outside; I was going to drink my coffee iced (and like it too!) even if the result was frostbite. The weather was sub-par all weekend, but the bitter, snowy temperatures definitely got me in the spirit. If NYC does one thing right, it's Christmas. That being said, my obvious next stop was Rockefeller Plaza for a photo opt of the tree. This wasn't my first time seeing the Rockefeller Plaza at Christmas, but--just like the city--something brings me back each winter. The tree is of an incomparable size. I'm not sure how it works--the transporting a live tree of this mass, the decorating, the costs, the removing, etc. I feel it demands to be admired. And I had time to kill before Uniqlo opened at 10:00 am. On my way back towards 5th and 34th to shop, I stopped in Bryant Park to viisit another holiday market. I ended up getting booted out as the vendors did not appreciate my homeless appearance: I was lugging all the goodies R.D.S. has no interest moving to Raleigh, North Carolina; a dozen bagels; the remaining sips of an iced coffee; my backpack; and purse. And again it was freezing, so I was bundled from head-to-toe in winter boots, two jackets, a scarf, hat, and mittens. The Uniqlo doors opened promptly at 10:00 am and I was first in line. Yes, line. I had 45 minutes to browse before getting in line to pay-up. I would have been better off not going... but you know, this was my last affordable (i.e., free lodging) trip for some time and it is the holidays; I went wild. 

I scurried the six avenues over to my bus... and regretting not running into  another shop, in anticipation of a late bus, as was the case this time. That's a wrap