My People!

My friend Rob Moffat came to visit a few weeks ago, and my cousin Kelly came last week.  It was so great!  I don't have many pics of Rob and I, (because we were LIVING in the moment. Rob would rather do that than social network.  Weird. ) but we saw Cinderella and Soul Doctor, and really enjoyed hanging out in the wretched heat wave.  It was awful.  But, sweat notwithstanding, we had a great time.  I love him and am so glad he is my friend.  Since 1999.  Yikers.

Kelly came!

Best part?  Photo-bombing couple.

 It was so fun!  We did all kinds of things.  And I have lots of pics, because Kelly and I DON'T like to LIVE in the moment....we would much rather live online.  I kid.  Kind of.  I will say, there was a whole lot of Instagram action happening.  Anyway, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge,



ate, Metropolitan Museum (in our work out clothes and no make up-keeping it classy), bike riding,

This started out as a debacle.

But turned out to be really fun.

ate, Chinatown, the High Line (as per usual) ate, and two Broadway shows (First Date and Newsies), and, you guessed it, ate.  Some of the places we ate:

And in addition:
Shake Shack (staple of NYC for burgers and shakes):

Some frozen fruit bar cart on the High Line:

Heaven.  Feet in water, fruit bar in hand.  Sad I am wearing jeans.

The High Line, obviously.

And of course, in true Riding Women style, tons of great chats.  We do love to sit and chat.  Or walk and chat.  Or eat and chat.

OK, I have to talk about one of the highlights of the week.  First Date.  A new Broadway musical that is in previews right now.  It is about a, wait for it, first date.  It was delightful, and full of moments that I can totally relate to, having had many first dates myself.  But, let's be honest, we went for Zachary Levi.

ZL (as he shall henceforward be called) is a fabulous actor who was on a TV show I really liked called Chuck a few years ago.  He is really talented, and, let's be honest, beautiful.  And I knew he is also a singer (he was also the voice of Flynn Rider in the movie Tangled), so I was really excited to find that he was making his Broadway debut in this musical. Thus, we went, and were nerdy and swooning over him during the show with my friend Melanie.  We genuinely enjoyed the show to boot.  Bonus! 

But, that is usually where I draw the line.  I don't do stage doors, autographs or pictures with celebrities.  It is just not my thing; I always feel weird about it.  What would I actually do with someone's signature on my playbill?  It all seems kind of ridiculous to me, actually.  And I don't want to admit that I am star struck by anyone.  (Side note: I ran into ZL at Kinky Boots while I was working a month or so ago.  I almost peed my pants.  Completely star struck.  But I think I played it cool.  I wanted to tell him I loved Chuck, but I just couldn't get up the nerve.  But if I had, I would have played it really cool, I swear.  I won't talk about standing next to him with programs in my hand for sale and almost hyperventilating, in case he ever reads this.  (What??))

Well, anyway, Mel and Kelly had other plans.  Off to the stage door we went.  And did I feel like an idiot?  Yep.  Did I try and play it really cool when he came out?  Yep.  But did I get that man's signature on my playbill? Yep.  And, when presented with the opportunity to take a picture with him, did I take one?  You betcha.  Happily.

I am a little bit embarrassed about it, truth be told.  But ZL was very gracious; I was really impressed with how nice he was to all the people who wanted just a small piece of him, including the three of us.  Well done, Sir.  Well done.

The proof, or incriminating evidence, however you want to look at it:


I loved having Kelly here.  It was a great mix of doing lots of fun things, and staying busy, but also relaxed and not trying to stick to a strict schedule in order to pack it all in.

Kelly has a fascination with doors.  Can't blame her.

 Like when we needed to spend part of our morning Googling news that blew our minds.  But that is not really for public consumption.  :-)  I love my cousin.  She is so great!

Just FYI, family, come anytime!

Some Randoms

I just love this city.  SURPRISE!  :-)

Anyway, just wanted to throw in some random pics from the last few weeks of things that made me happy.  Like...

A view of the Empire State Building and Bryant Park from an office I worked in.
 
Public displays of yoga in Bryant Park.

Friends in town!  Love the Shepherds and the Turleys, and reconnecting with the Driggs!



 Sunday evening strolls in lower Manhattan with friends.

Sometimes You Watch a Movie on a Boat.

 

Apparently, the USS Intrepid hosts movie nights throughout the summer.  So, for the first time in my life, I saw Jaws.
 I was surprised by how good it was, honestly.  I really enjoyed it, and was totally freaked out a few times.  I hate scary movies, but this was a good amount of scary without being too much.  So, you know, I watched a movie.  On the flight deck of the USS Intrepid.  With this view.  No biggie. 


Then, on the way home, we discovered a spa just for superheroes.  New York City: filling the needs of all people.

I think I really like summer in NYC.  Except for the hot, muggy part.

What?

#nycspring

So I haven't done a general post for a bit.  Spring here was awesome.  Besides Coney Island,  there have been a few other adventures, and just over all, some awesome spring days here in the Big Apple.  So, as the spring moves in to summer and everything that means (woof), I wanted to give a shout out to spring in New York City.

The rain, oh, the rain.  It has rained SO MUCH.  You can't really tell by this picture, I guess, but I got soaked up to the knees in a rain storm last month.  No good.  And yes, I wear little socks so I don't get blisters.  Get over it.  And the humidity?  Forget about it.  Really looking forward to summer....oh wait.  It rains just as much in the summer.  And the humidity is worse, and it is hotter. 

When is autumn again?

I digress.

I love doing temp work because I go to all these cool offices all over the city, and some of them have views that are just fabulous.  Here are just a few.


 
 
This is not a great picture, but I went to a music night at my friends Cameron and Nikki's house, and it was a perfect early summer night.  Really.  It was perfect.  Except I am figuring out the hard way that the mosquitoes are out for blood here.

The Hudson River. I just love the rivers.  I love the water.  These are shots from two different days when I was just out walking, one time with my friend Melanie.  I seriously love, LOVE exploring this city. 

Central Park, a favorite place for me:





A few weeks ago, my friend Kristin and I went after church down to the Lincoln Center where there were 88 pianos on display.  They were all decorated and built upon in some way to be very unique.  It was really cool.  I just feel so lucky to live in a place that has unusual events like this.  I love it!

So, I got a new bed.  Why?  Would you believe I have been sleeping on an air mattress for the last 8 months?  Believe it. 

And would you believe that my air mattress stitching started to come out, so a huge air bubble started to form, and I still slept on it?  Believe it again, and don't judge.  I am busy and poor.  But Melanie came to the rescue by giving me her bed that she was replacing.  So now I am not so embarrassed to give someone a tour of my apartment.  Because that's a big deal.

My friend Jon came into town, and we went to Annie.  Really cute show.  I just like Broadway.  And friends.  It was good to see him. 









And, what would an "I <3 NYC" post be without a great pic from my favorite place in the city, the High Line?

You're welcome. 

'Murica!

So, I know I am behind on my posts.  I haven't really talked about June at all.  Partly because there hasn't been a lot going on, partly out of a lack of motivation.  But I will.  First I have to talk about my White Trash Fourth.

Some friends and I went to Coney Island to enjoy the over crowded, semi-nasty beach, and to watch the train wreck that is referred to as Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest.  It has been happening for 97 years, and it is a THING.  I had no idea until the day before!  So we went, and it was worth every lacking inch of personal space to be there amidst the excitement and anticipation of seeing grown men (we missed the women) stuff way more hot dogs in their bodies than you would think humanly possible.  When I say train wreck, I mean it.  It was awesome!  And appalling. 

They had bands and trampoline artists as opening acts, and a hard core announcer sounding like he should be in a boxing ring, and champions the likes of Joey Chestnut, who won his 7th straight title with 69 hot dogs in 10 minutes, his personal best, and I must say, a world record.  We witnessed history, we did.  ???????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The best part is, we were freaking out so much because it was so funny, that somehow I ended up on the news.  Did I ham it up because I thought the whole thing was such a joke?  Yes.  Yes I did. 

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/video?id=9161675&pid=9161466

That night we had a lovely picnic in Central Park with some other friends. 
I am so happy my friend Jeff is in town!  He really is one of my faves.  And somehow we keep matching our outfits.  I really don't always dress like a boy.  Only sometimes.

Then, since we were all really done with crowds, instead of braving them to watch fireworks over the Hudson River, we went to Deb's house, and watched them on TV.  And ate ice cream.  A perfect day.


'Murica!