more to tell about NYC

This was the view from our hotel room as the fireworks went off over the Hudson river. We had the best view, and we pulled our chairs up to the window and listened to the music from the TV as the fireworks went off. It was cool to see such a display and not be in the middle of the crushing crowd down by the water. We talked to another couple the next day who went down to the water, and it took them three hours to get back the one mile to the hotel.

Sunday morning we had reservations for Tavern on the Green, which is in Central Park. We had made reservations for their Sunday Stimulus Buffet which sounded amazing, but even though I called and asked if I could make reservations online, and the woman said yes, the answer was no. Evidently you can't reserve the buffet online, you can only make a la carte reservations so we ended up in the dining room with the regular menu. Which Charlie wasn't too excited about. Even with the mistake, I still had a wonderful time there, sitting in the crystal room.

The ceiling looks like cake frosting and is just beautiful. I was so excited to be there and take in such a New York experience. We had our picture taken by the official photographer and I bought a copy in a special green leather holder thing.

After the brunch we wandered around Central Park and saw a couple of places that I remembered from many movies, including Enchanted. I felt like I should break into song or something, but I am not talented that way.

So one big exciting thing that happened was at the movies. We had bought tickets to see the Transformers movie in IMAX at a theatre on Broadway. We walked over there from Central Park and while Charlie went to the bathroom, I got in line to get drinks. These two women behind me are talking about how expensive it was to buy tickets to the movies, and if people had a family of four, it could really add up. I was eavesdropping, I admit, but the woman's voice sounded familiar, so I looked over my shoulder. And my jaw dropped. Behind me was Diane Keaton and Carol Kane (from the Princess Bride.)

I turned and stared. And said "seriously?" My new friend Diane told me it was okay. I laughed, because Charlie had the camera. In the bathroom.

I got my drinks and stepped aside. Diane and Carol got their snacks. I kept praying for Charlie to hurry up! I asked Diane what movie they were seeing (Public Enemy.)

Finally Charlie came out of the bathroom and I told him to get out the camera, QUICK. I asked if we could take a picture and Diane said sure. We posed. And smiled. And Charlie had the camera set on Landscape. Thus my picture looks like this.


Charlie told her we really loved "Mad Money," which we did. She laughed and said that she didn't hear that compliment very often and we told her we thought it was hilarious. If you haven't seen it, you should.

We went in and took our seats, and had about a half an hour to wait until the movie. Charlie texted everyone he knew about our run in with our new best friend Diane (Carol stepped out of the picture, I don't know why.) All day we kept grinning about meeting a famous person. Our New York experience was complete. Yankees game, check, Tavern on the Green, check, Central Park, check, famous person, check.

I will say that either I was the only person that recognized the famous people, or other New Yorkers are just really blase' about seeing celebrities. Maybe they are used to it, and maybe that's why Diane and Carol can go to the movies without people bugging them too much. Anyway, she was very gracious about it, and we were thrilled.

Yay, New York.

happy anniversary, Charlie

We each picked a special thing that we wanted to do while we were in New York. Charlie chose to get tickets to a Yankees game and he was really excited about it, especially since this was the first year in the new stadium. The Yankees were playing the Toronto Blue Jays that day.

Our seats were in the top tier, but we had the front row so we had a great view. I am not the biggest baseball fan, but I knew it would be cool to actually be at a game, and I did have fun cheering for the Yankees.

The new stadium is really nice. I loved the way it was decorated, with the large banners of the players. On the reverse side was black and white pictures of famous former players. We arrived early so we could shop a little at the souvenir store and pick out a few things. Our anniversary is on July 10th and Charlie's birthday is on July 30th, so I wanted him to pick out something for his birthday gift. We saw several really cool jackets, but everything was soooo expensive. He ended up getting a hat and I got a t-shirt with sparkly silver writing. You know I love sparkles.

We stopped on one of the lower tiers and took pictures of the field from another angle. The view from behind home plate made me think that baseball might be more fun if we could afford more expensive tickets.

See how happy he looks? It was such a thrill for him to be there among all the fans and have an authentic baseball experience. When we rode the subway up to the stadium, there were so many people dressed in Yankee blue we didn't even need to worry about where to get off. When all the people in Yankee t-shirts got up, we got up too. So easy.

The game was at lunchtime and so we decided to get something to eat. That was a very pricey decision. We ordered one double cheeseburger, a small fry, a water and a Pepsi in a collectible cup and that equaled $28. We shared.

There were 46,000 people in attendance that day, so we decided to leave halfway through the ninth inning, in order to avoid the crowds. The game ended up going into extra innings, but the Yankees won 6 to 5.

All in all, a great day. I ended up a little sunburned on my shoulders, but a little sunburn was worth the experience. We rode the subway back and got off at Columbus Circle, wandered around a little bit and found a diner to eat dinner. We went back to the hotel after that and watched the fireworks from our hotel room. We turned the special on tv so we could hear the music from the fireworks, but we had a great view from our window, since we faced the Hudson river. My pictures weren't that great, but it was a once in a lifetime experience to watch NYC fireworks and actually be there.

Happy Anniversary, Charlie. Glad you had a good time!

big apple, part deux

One of our stops on the first day was FAO Schwartz. Charlie loved the life-size Lego creations they have (this one is Chewbacca.) We asked the concierge about them and he said that the Lego company made them especially for the store. They also had a Batman and the Harry Potter kids, but I think this one looks the best. We watched people play on the piano from Big, and thought that was fun.

We took the Staten Island Ferry to, well, Staten Island, but we really only took the ferry to ride past the Statue of Liberty. It was cool to see the city skyline over the water. It also makes me think I should not wear this shirt anymore, after seeing pictures of myself in it. Could I look more pregnant? (I'm not, just to be sure.)

Times Square was fun and overwhelming and crowded with way too many tourists. One night we just needed to walk through to get back to our bus stop and I wanted to elbow about eight people who weren't watching where they were going, but were just looking up at all the lights. I bet real New Yorkers stay away from there unless absolutely necessary. The billboards are huge and eye catching, and my eye was drawn to these Target billboards. The funny thing about this is that NYC does not have any Targets. So sad for them.

This is the ABC news studio where they film Good Morning America, I think. I do love the way the bands of the screen bend around the building. I will say the architecture in NYC is amazing. So many different kinds of buildings, all mixed together so well. There are modern buildings and historical places and places you see in movies, and it blends nicely. I will say, I have been to London and it does not mix together as elegantly as NYC. Maybe it's because their modern architecture is just so, well, ugly. And their historical buildings are just so amazing, and so much older than anything we have in the states. Houses built late in the 20th century are square blocks of ungraceful brick. Yuck. (ok, enough on that.)

The next post will include our 4th of July and the Yankees game we attended. I promise.

the big apple, part one

This vacation will be told in several parts, because something unique happened each day. I can totally say that I was excited about going to NYC, but I was nervous that it would be really, really, really touristy and we would spend our day in line after line after line to see things. I asked so many people before we left what we should see, and the list was long. There are historical sites (Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island), tourist areas (Empire State, Madame Toussaud's) and all sorts of entertainment (broadway shows, ballets, clubs, comedy, etc.)

The first day we did buy tickets on an open air double decker bus, and rode around on it. We got on and off whenever we wanted to, and we liked that. It let us see so many things that we wanted, but to see as we drove past. I only needed to see a snippet of Chinatown to know I didn't really want to spend much time there. We rode the Staten Island Ferry and saw the Statue of Liberty from afar, then got back on the bus and went up to Central Park.


Here we are sitting in front of the Plaza Hotel. We bought hot dogs from a street cart and ate in Central Park, then walked around and climbed on the big rocks (that's the above pic.) We found the Mac Store, which was cool, but crowded. Wow, crowded. New Yorkers love their Macs, I guess. The entrance to it was really cool, cause it reminded me of the entrance to the Louvre, which is a glass pyramid. Mac is cool and classy at the same time.

We also stopped at Engine 54, which was across the street from our tour bus stop. This fire house lost more men in 9/11 than any other house. We took a moment there, and talked with a captain, and he was so nice. I didn't really want to bring up 9/11, but I wanted to stand there for a moment and remember. We went past Ground Zero, and all it is now is a construction site. So much time has passed.



We bought a few souvenirs that day, then got on our bus and went back to our hotel in New Jersey. We were staying right across the Hudson in Secaucus in a little convention park, and we ate at Cheeseburger in Paradise that night. So yummy after all that walking.

And that was our Friday. More to come in part two: Saturday, July 4th.

Mom is in the house

Charlie and I are loading up the car tonight and leaving first thing in the morning for NYC! I am very excited about all the movie stars I will meet while there (not.) I am taking the laptop, so I should be able to blog while I am there and will be reporting all things interesting, and some not so interesting.

Anyway, I wish you all a Happy 4th. I wish you burgers and chips and a great onion dip. I wish you lemonade and strawberries and a kiss under sparklers. I wish you no mosquitos, a sprinkler to run through and cool weather.

And while we're away, my mom is coming to stay with the grand dogs. Phoebe and Lucy love their Gramma and are looking forward to her visit. Today we showed Mom how to use the Mac and she loved it. She may not be able to get to her email, but she thought the computer was pretty!

a make your man happy meal

Can I just go ahead and admit that I love anything meaty and cheesy? Especially with great bread that is crusty on the outside and soft on the inside, and a good amount of sauce. I don't really like meatball subs from restaurants, because I am extremely picky about red sauce. EX-TREMELY picky about red sauce. I only buy one brand of sauce and I soup it up to my exact specifications (more on this later.)

Anyway, my husband loves meatball subs, so I make them from time to time. Now, I don't always make my meatballs from scratch, because I find that the packaged ones are just fine. If you don't agree with eating pre-packaged meatballs, then by all means, go ahead and spend the time making your own, then follow these instructions. I promise you, your meat-eating husband will love you and take you into the bedroom, well, once his dinner has digested.

The ingredients:

• 6 inch sub rolls of your choice
• an onion, chopped
• white mushrooms, sliced
• mozarella cheese (or any Italian cheese blend)
• frozen meatballs
• Classico Cabernet Marinara Sauce...to me it has the best taste

1. Let's start in the saute pan. Chop those onions and slice the mushrooms, then get them into the pan with some olive oil over medium high heat. I let the mushrooms get a little brown before I salt and pepper them.

2. Frozen meatballs. Ahhhh. Place the number you want on a paper towel on a microwave safe plate and cook according to the package directions. Usually a plateful of meatballs takes about 3 minutes. I normally cook extra to eat straight off the plate.

3. Add both the sauce and the meatballs to the pan with the onions and mushrooms. I tend to also add a couple of tablespoons sugar to my sauce as well...don't like it bitter at all. Let the sauce bubble while you prepare the bread.

4. My sub rolls were actually a foot long, so I cut them in half. Then I open them up and lay them out flat, while I get my toaster oven warmed up.

5. Lay out the meatballs on the bread and spoon on a little extra sauce. My husband likes extra sauce. He doesn't like anything dry, so I add extra to his.

6. Sprinkle on the cheese. Yum. If I have Alfredo sauce, then I sometimes drizzle a little on before the cheese. It makes the cheese a little more creamy and delicious.

7. Broil. I lay mine out on my toaster oven size stoneware pan and slide them on in. Pay no attention to all the crumbs on the bottom of the oven. Now, I know my oven, but I don't know yours, so watch your sandwich carefully and remove at the desired cheesy melty-ness.

I like it when it looks like this. Add a side of chips and enjoy! You will thank me for this recipe, and I know that you will make it again and again! The sauce/meatball combo works well over pasta or poured over pasta and then baked with cheese on top. It has lots of possibilities.

Now I am hungry, so I have to go and make something to eat. Hmmm, I wonder if I have any more meatballs?

cause Kathie Lee is an expert...

Now, I didn't get up early this morning to see any real new programs and I have just really turned on my TV at 11am, to see the Later Today show, with Kathie Lee Gifford and some other woman. The two women are discussing Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, and their lives and fame.

Kathie Lee: I always knew Michael's life wouldn't end well. Not that I'm clairvoyant or anything, but I always saw red flags in his life.

Other Lady: Really? I always remember Farrah's hair.

Kathie Lee: Well, he probably confused attention with love. You know, he wasn't allowed to be a child when he was a child, so when he grew up he acted like a child...you know, building Neverland and acting like Peter Pan. What we don't get as children, we search for as adults.

Other Lady: He died of a heart attack.

Kathie Lee: 50 year old people don't die. There must have been some health problems.

Other Lady: Well, he was certainly taking some medication.

Kathie Lee: You can't live your life so differently from other people and not expect trouble.

Other Lady: HMMM.

Kathie Lee: We're going to talk to Rabbi Shmooly (um, who?) who is vacationing in Iceland with his family, but certainly is an expert on this kind of situation.

Other Lady: Well, Akon is pulling his tour bus over to the side of the road to talk to us.

Akon: Yeah, I saw Michael about 6 months ago and he was excited to go on tour. (screen showing picture of Akon, evidently a very angry black rapper, as witnessed by his furrowed brow in the photo they have.)

Kathie Lee: Yeah, I really don't know Michael Jackson, even after all these years. (You mean, you and MJ weren't best buds?) We may never really know him.

Commercial

Dawna somebody from London holding newpaper: London blamed for Jackson't death is the headline this morning.

Michael somebody from Encino: I'm outside this house, where the Jackson Family MAY be holed up. We think at some point yesterday all the siblings were here, but some have left, but the parents may still be here, and one sibling, but we're not sure. (shots of lots of people with sparkly gloves.)

Other Lady: You know, I watched that Farrah special about a month ago and it made me think about how hard cancer is on the people around the sick person.

Kevin Tibbles in Indiana: This is the two bedroom house where Michael was born. (shots of lots of people hanging around the house) Gary, Indiana has never forgotten Michael, even though the Jackson family never came back.

Some woman in Harlem: Michael was number one. People are gathered up around the Apollo and started selling t-shirts, like this one (hold up shirt with Jackson pictures) for $10. (No, I don't want to buy one, and I want to know how they got the shirts printed so fast.)

Kathie Lee: Thank you for those moving words. When we come back, we'll have a panel discussion about Michael and Farrah (yeah, you've talked a lot about Farrah.)

Commercial.

All right, now I was typing as they were talking, and while I did not get every word, this is really the kind of drivel they were spinning this morning. Wow. Kathie Lee spotted the red flags in MJ's life? Well, why didn't she call him up and tell him, then. Oh, you think that he had health problems? Do you? Maybe the fact that he died from a heart attack clued you in, huh? I have no idea who this other lady was, but Kathie Lee should stay off TV, or at least stop giving her opinion on TV. She is so not qualified to be anyone's life coach. Um, remember the child laborers in some third world country that you didn't know about? Um, remember how your husband cheated on you?

And now, I have to go google Rabbi Schmooly, whoever he is. I'll report back later.

Evidently, Rabbi Shmuley is America's Rabbi and has his own website and podcasts! Wow. I didn't know America had a rabbi. And I have to say that as I am still listening to this panel of experts, I cannot believe the crap that people say about a famous person who has died. Let him rest, people. I am going to pop in a DVD and get some work done. Remember MJ and Farrah however you would like.