NYC over the weekend
Brock and I headed off to New York City on Saturday morning, after safely dropping the kid off at our neighbor's house for the weekend. She wasn't too happy about it, but Connor turned on Mickey Mouse Club and it was like we had suddenly disappeared.
So off to NYC we went, hoping we could get there, check in at the hotel and get to Todai for lunch at 1pm. As we were driving up the NJ Turnpike, we saw a notice that the Lincoln Tunnel had major delays, so a last minute change in plans, we were going to go through the Holland. Problem with that was we needed to get from lower Manhattan on the West Side to Midtown on the East side! On a Saturday. During the Shopping season.
We got through the tunnel by 11:30 and it took us another 45 minutes before we were at the hotel. Gotta love NYC! Anyway, we got there in plenty of time to valet park the car, check in and run our bags up to the room before meeting the Shier's for a taxi cab ride to Todai.
On Thursday, Brock and I decided that we wanted to go to Todai for lunch before the show we were going to and we thought we would ask the Shier's to join us. That turned into asking the rest of our office to join us, so we ended up with 10 for lunch at Todai. Turned out not to be a bad idea, everyone loved it!
Off to the Garden for Cirque Du Soleil's Wintuk , which was a fun show. I will admit, I expected a lot more acrobatics than we saw, but the show was lots of fun and the surprise ending was awesome (I don't want to give away the ending, just in case anyone thinking of seeing it stops by here!) It was a show one could take their kids to - the kids would love it!
After the show, we hoofed it back to the hotel. Originally I wanted to head up to Rockefeller Center to see the tree, but that would have been at least 20 more blocks there and back to the hotel and it was chilly! And crowded! Wow was it crowded - all the avenues were just teeming with people shopping. Side streets were much easier to walk on (along with the fact that the crowds tended to be on the avenues, the wind was blowing straight down the avenues - side streets were lots less chilly!) I don't think I've ever seen so many people! I've never been to NYC for the Christmas season, so this was something new. Got to see Macy's all lit up - and no, I didn't stand in line to see the window settings - and in all honesty, I don't understand the interest!
We got back to the hotel and had about an hour and a half to kill before dinner. Too little time for a nap or basically doing anything, so we vegged out watching a little TV, then we got ready for dinner.
Dinner was very nice, in the hotel restaurant - we stayed at the New York Helmsley hotel and dinner was at Mindy's. Dinner was excellent. We had a great time getting to know the new guy in our office, Joel and his wife Bari. Then, for desert, half of every table got up and moved to the next table - it gives us all a chance to get to know other people in the company. Bob Malley and his wife came to our table and some how the college name Hobart was brought up - Brock had gone to Hobart - well, turns out, so did Bob and his wife! At the same time! As Brock! So for the next hour, Bob and Nina an Brock all reminisced about people they all knew. Turns out they knew a lot of the same people, but Brock and Bob were unable to connect where they might have known each other back then. Talk about small worlds!
After dinner, we retired to the bar and had drinks and good conversation. It was a lot of fun. I wish I had had the chance to take a nap earlier in the day though, because I was beat! I do have to say, that being tired protected me from drinking too much, which was a plus!
We headed off to bed around 1pm. I didn't sleep well that night, for what reason I don't know. But I didn't and finally, about 7:45 in the morning, got up, took a shower and Brock did the same and we were off to find breakfast. It was snowing pretty good in the city, but only about a half inch on the ground at that point. It was kinda pretty! Brock and I had breakfast in Mindy's and then checked out and got the car outta hock and off to Rockefeller Center we went so I could see the tree before we left the city.
We found a parking spot on the street a block away from the tree. We had to pay our $2 for the meter and off we went to see the tree. Amazing how not so big it looks in person! It looks twice as big on TV. Guess what they say about the TV adding pounds is true, even for trees! Anyway, took some pictures, watched Santa skate on the ice rink (I can safely check off one of those things I need to do before I die - see the Rockefeller Christmas Tree), and back to the car within 10 minutes and we were on our way home. We were out of the city by 10 and home by 11:30 to a little girl who was very excited to see us!
Tonight, we will attempt a visit with Santa Claus. At the Mall. The kid better sit on the old man's lap and get a nice picture taken with him if I am going to the Mall during Christmas Shopping Season! A report will be forth coming!
Oh, and although I did post every day during the month of November, the only prize I will get is the praise and accolades I receive from you all, my faithful readers, as I didn't win any of the prizes. Not that I did it for the prizes, but I was hopeful! Oh well, better luck to me next year!
So off to NYC we went, hoping we could get there, check in at the hotel and get to Todai for lunch at 1pm. As we were driving up the NJ Turnpike, we saw a notice that the Lincoln Tunnel had major delays, so a last minute change in plans, we were going to go through the Holland. Problem with that was we needed to get from lower Manhattan on the West Side to Midtown on the East side! On a Saturday. During the Shopping season.
We got through the tunnel by 11:30 and it took us another 45 minutes before we were at the hotel. Gotta love NYC! Anyway, we got there in plenty of time to valet park the car, check in and run our bags up to the room before meeting the Shier's for a taxi cab ride to Todai.
On Thursday, Brock and I decided that we wanted to go to Todai for lunch before the show we were going to and we thought we would ask the Shier's to join us. That turned into asking the rest of our office to join us, so we ended up with 10 for lunch at Todai. Turned out not to be a bad idea, everyone loved it!
Off to the Garden for Cirque Du Soleil's Wintuk , which was a fun show. I will admit, I expected a lot more acrobatics than we saw, but the show was lots of fun and the surprise ending was awesome (I don't want to give away the ending, just in case anyone thinking of seeing it stops by here!) It was a show one could take their kids to - the kids would love it!
After the show, we hoofed it back to the hotel. Originally I wanted to head up to Rockefeller Center to see the tree, but that would have been at least 20 more blocks there and back to the hotel and it was chilly! And crowded! Wow was it crowded - all the avenues were just teeming with people shopping. Side streets were much easier to walk on (along with the fact that the crowds tended to be on the avenues, the wind was blowing straight down the avenues - side streets were lots less chilly!) I don't think I've ever seen so many people! I've never been to NYC for the Christmas season, so this was something new. Got to see Macy's all lit up - and no, I didn't stand in line to see the window settings - and in all honesty, I don't understand the interest!
We got back to the hotel and had about an hour and a half to kill before dinner. Too little time for a nap or basically doing anything, so we vegged out watching a little TV, then we got ready for dinner.
Dinner was very nice, in the hotel restaurant - we stayed at the New York Helmsley hotel and dinner was at Mindy's. Dinner was excellent. We had a great time getting to know the new guy in our office, Joel and his wife Bari. Then, for desert, half of every table got up and moved to the next table - it gives us all a chance to get to know other people in the company. Bob Malley and his wife came to our table and some how the college name Hobart was brought up - Brock had gone to Hobart - well, turns out, so did Bob and his wife! At the same time! As Brock! So for the next hour, Bob and Nina an Brock all reminisced about people they all knew. Turns out they knew a lot of the same people, but Brock and Bob were unable to connect where they might have known each other back then. Talk about small worlds!
After dinner, we retired to the bar and had drinks and good conversation. It was a lot of fun. I wish I had had the chance to take a nap earlier in the day though, because I was beat! I do have to say, that being tired protected me from drinking too much, which was a plus!
We headed off to bed around 1pm. I didn't sleep well that night, for what reason I don't know. But I didn't and finally, about 7:45 in the morning, got up, took a shower and Brock did the same and we were off to find breakfast. It was snowing pretty good in the city, but only about a half inch on the ground at that point. It was kinda pretty! Brock and I had breakfast in Mindy's and then checked out and got the car outta hock and off to Rockefeller Center we went so I could see the tree before we left the city.
We found a parking spot on the street a block away from the tree. We had to pay our $2 for the meter and off we went to see the tree. Amazing how not so big it looks in person! It looks twice as big on TV. Guess what they say about the TV adding pounds is true, even for trees! Anyway, took some pictures, watched Santa skate on the ice rink (I can safely check off one of those things I need to do before I die - see the Rockefeller Christmas Tree), and back to the car within 10 minutes and we were on our way home. We were out of the city by 10 and home by 11:30 to a little girl who was very excited to see us!
Tonight, we will attempt a visit with Santa Claus. At the Mall. The kid better sit on the old man's lap and get a nice picture taken with him if I am going to the Mall during Christmas Shopping Season! A report will be forth coming!
Oh, and although I did post every day during the month of November, the only prize I will get is the praise and accolades I receive from you all, my faithful readers, as I didn't win any of the prizes. Not that I did it for the prizes, but I was hopeful! Oh well, better luck to me next year!
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