sick of long posts.

And I promise that next week I will only write short - very short - posts.

Our last morning in New York, Sunday, was a blur.

Breakfast, we headed to Le Pain Quotidien. (Which is very crowded on Sunday morns.) But we ate my ideal breakfast.

This was some type of pistachio cake like thingy. I can't recall the name. But it was good.

My only other real memory of the morning was catching, what felt like, 20 different subway lines to get to Peanut Butter & Co. This is the store that haunts my NY dreams, and lingers in my mouth - even at this moment.

We ordered take out to eat for dinner on the plane that night.

Clin ordered - Dark Chocolate Dreams Sandwich: Chocolate Peanut Butter and cherry jam, stuffed with shredded coconut. It's peanut butter meets black forest cake.

I ordered - The Cookie Dough sandwich: Peanut butter, chocolate chips, and cream cheese.

Mine completely wasted Clin's in fabulousness. I Looovvvveeed it. And I also loved that it came with a small bag of potato chips and carrot sticks. Perfect for dinner on the plane. It was so good that I completely forgot to take a photo.

Here I am in our taxi cab on the way to the airport....before I got sick. I'm surprised we survived this ride. Clin knows I'm completely sick when I stop talking, only look straight ahead, and roll down the window. It took a few hours for the feeling to go away.

And at the airport Clin finally met someone famous. This is Mindy Kaling from the television show The Office. (She is also a writer on the show. Gen.i.ous.)

Here's what happened. We sat down at our gate with all of the other Utah looking people. Soon I see Mindy (because we're totally on a first name basis now) come up and sit directly across from me. Clin was not there at the time - so it was actually my sighting, not his. Oh, and she had matching pink baggage by the way. Very cute. Because I'm totally into pink.

Clin comes back just in time to see Mindy walk away. He looks at me and I see his eyes light up.

Me: Clin. Don't be obnoxious. Let her have her privacy. I'm sure she doesn't want everyone paying attention to her. Especially in such a crowded place.

Clin: Just a picture. No one will notice.

Yeah! Right!

That is when we find out that our gate has been changed and everyone sitting around us starts to move to the real gate. So the only reason we even saw Mindy was thanks to Jet Blue for sending those going to Burbank, CA to our gate. Thanks Jet Blue.

We wait. Passive stalking. I suppose. And the longer I'm waiting the more nervous I get. And I must say - I hate, HATE, hate asking famous people for a picture, signature, or even to raise their head and acknowledge my existence.

She comes back and is moving her luggage to a different seat. We collect our things and make the approach. I'm really smooth because I have the camera (hidden) and I walk by and act like I don't see her. That way if Clin decides not to go through with it (yeah, right) I won't have to be humiliated.

Clin: Are you on The Office?

Mindy: Yes.

Clin: We love the show. Can I get a picture of you?

(This is my cue to stop and turn. Maybe someday I'll keep walking. What would happen then?)

Mindy: Sure.

I turn, snap the photo. She was very kind and smiley. So I say (just so she knows that we are big fans, not just your average run of the mill channel changer): And aren't you one of the writers as well?

Mindy: Yes.

Me: Thank you for making us laugh.

What? Why did I open my mouth??? Stupid. Cheesy. Dumb. But she smiled, and I slothed away, and Clin got his picture AND his encounter with fame.

a saturday in NYC.

Clin left the room to get me some hot cocoa and grab a paper. After the snacking debaucle that occurred the day before, I was in no mood to eat an entire breakfast. Two hours later he came back. Deciding to stop at the theatre bookstore; leaving me to get ready. What? I take two hours to dress?

Upon his return, we decided to journey up 5th avenue and do a bit 'o' window shopping. H&M (my favorite store where I never seem to buy anything), Rockefeller Plaza, The Disney Store (5 stories - overwhelming, panic attack. Panic attack!), and another Gap. Which also had the fabulous sale of the century, and even more choices on the clearance rack. We loaded up. Serious load up. (A dress for $2.50? Yes please.) And guess what, Millie and Ellis? We went to NY and the only gift you get in return? Loads 'o' clothes. Because we know THAT is what 3 yr olds and 18 monthers like.

With little time left we hopped the train, and high tailed it to S'MAC.

This is the restaurant that haunts my NY dreams. And it again lived up to my obsession.

I ordered the Parisienne - Creamy Brie, roasted figs, roasted shiitake mushrooms & fresh rosemary. Beautiful. Sweet. Divine. Mmmmm.

Clin ordered exactly as he ordered in June. (Which baffels me. Why wouldn't you want to order until you have tasted everything from the menu?) Masala Mac - North American comfort food blended with Indian spices. Clin's was nice as well. Not AS nice. But nice.

Next time I go? The S'Mac Sampler - 8 different macs to taste. And I do not plan on sharing.

Next Destination? The matinee of A Tale of Two Cities: the musical.




The best part? James Barbour and the set. But the entire time I was trying to figure out what seemed off. Something. And talking to Clin - I figured it out.

This musical is for those who love Scarlet Pimpernel. Those who love Phantom of the Opera (except the story of this is much, much better.) It feels old fashioned. It is definitely in a certain vein of musical theatre. And the Utah audiences will looooove this.

Me? Ehhh. I enjoyed it. But I didn't looooooove it. I wasn't moved. I didn't feel anything out of the ordinary.

So we headed back to the subway and made our way down to the Lower East Side. I have always wanted to go to Katz's Delicatessen. You know, it's the eatery where Meg Ryan fakes an orgasm in When Harry Met Sally.

We walked in, each handed a ticket, and sent to a long counter that was already surrounded by many, many people. Was there a line? I still don't know. There were many signs telling us what to do - but they were everywhere and didn't quite make sense.

I ordered this:

Reuben Sandwich - corned beef, swiss cheese, russian, and sauerkraut.

The cooks were cooking fast, talking fast - I didn't understand a word. While I waited for my sandwich, the man preparing it threw some meat on my tray. What was this for? Am I required to pay extra for this? No one explained. So I ate it. It was good.

When done - they write on the back of your ticket the amount you owe.

Clin stepped up to the counter, ordered some meat and the man told him he could not get that there. What? It was on the menu. So Clin changed his order and again was told he could not get it there. He finally relented and ordered a Pastrami Sandwich.

I attempted to get us some drinks. I crowded around one group of people getting beer. It was taking so long that I thought - perhaps this was only the alcohol line. So I journeyed elsewhere and failed. Miserably. Ended up back in the beer group and eventually ended up with some soda.

Meanwhile, Clin chose seats for us. And that is when we noticed that the seats against the wall were for those being waited upon. So Clin could have ordered his meat if we had just sat against the wall when entering. But no one told us that! We were rushed into the crowd, but had a better experience because of it.

We finally sat down, bit into our sandwiches, and both said yum. Serious yum. And the pickles....mmmmm. Smiles for all.

The couple sitting behind us returned, desperately looking for one of their 2 tickets. They only ordered 1 meal. If you try leaving the deli without a ticket (even if you didn't purchase anything), you are required to pay $50. So a fair warning to all. (The waitress found a blank ticket in the bathroom and gave it to them.)

The experience was as fabulous as the food. I sensed that not much has changed since its opening in 1888. Historical AND Fabulous.

Our final broadway show of the trip was Billy Elliot.

The musical version of the movie about a boy in England who ends up taking the local ballet class rather than the boxing class his father sends him to.




They have three boys cast as Billy Elliot. We saw David Alvarez. The entire musical depends upon a 14 year old boy. A 14 year old boy who can dance! Imagine that.

I liked this better than the movie. The first half was stronger than the second. Imagine a set that looks like a mining town in 1980s England. The set is used as strike headquarters, Billy's house, bedroom, kitchen, ballet class, boxing class, etc. It works. Classroom full of dancing girls (one as young as 6 or 7) who were strong dancers - doing this 8 times a week!! Ballet dancers running around dancing, striking miners striking - all singing...together.

Enjoyable. And I was highly amused at the older women in front of us who kept turning around, glaring, and talking about how appalled they are at the dress of theatre audiences these days. (That was ME they were talking about!) Remember? 1 dress plus no heels equaled jeans the entire trip.

We were tired, so returned to our hotel room and fell asleep...while eating cheesecake.

friday snacking. part 2.

After eating all afternoon, our 2.5 hour walk led us to the conclusion that we needed some real food. Pomme Frites.

We shared a Double and 3 dipping sauces: War Sauce (Mayo, Peanut Satay, and Raw Onion), Parmesan Peppercorn, and Pesto May0.

This is a tiny store. Full of charm. Not a lot of seating. But enjoyable and oh, so good. The menu is full of sauces. And all they sale are fries. Double fried fries. Belgium fries.

Fat, full, and happy, we waddle over to South Street Seaport. First goal? Find a restroom. It was a worthy goal. One that seemed to overwhelm us this day, as we were up and down Manhattan, with only Popeye's and McDonald's which required purchases to pee. (Urinetown reference, my friends.)

So a free restroom (Hallelujah), and then purchasing our play tickets from TKTS. Funny thing? We also hit the Gap. The shopaholics that we are, children's Gap clearance in NY is awesome. $5 skirt, $5 dress. And then %25 off of that??? What? And if we were to find something like that in Utah - there would be nothing left for us.

On to SoHo. We had a little time to kill before our evening show. Why we headed to SoHo, I cannot remember. But we ended up at a small shop, recommended by our travel guide. Vosges.

This is where I will admit that our snacking went a bit too far. Vosges sales chocolate. Thinking that we could get through the show without dinner, we grabbed a drink.

I ordered the Elixir Couture Cocoa: ancho & chipotle chillies + Ceylon cinnamon + Madagascar vanilla bean + dark chocolate - this is spicier than it looks. Or sounds. I didn't hate it. But I also wasn't wanting spice. What was I thinking?

Clin ordered the Bianca Couture Cocoa: Australian lemon myrtle + lavender flowers + vanilla + white chocolate. He liked this. I did not.

And then their ice cream sucked Clin in. Naga Ice Cream: sweet Indian curry + fresh young coconut + creamy custard ice cream.

So imagine - I combined my spicy chocolate drink with curry ice cream. At the time it seemed right. And then we walked out and I realized it was wrong. So wrong.

We headed to our evening show. August: Osage County. The only thing that I knew about this play was that it entailed 3.5 hours and two intermissions with a dysfunctional family. Oh, and it won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize.

I went in thinking that my mind would wander. I left knowing that this would be my favorite performance of the trip. It was amazing. The acting was exceptional. There is a scene at the dining room table, with the sisters and their mother, toward the end of the play. I loved it. My favorite. Throwing dishes, yelling, swearing, awesome.

And Estelle Parsons, the actress who played the mother, blew me away. And she is 81 years old. And she performs 8 times a week. And she is in the play a lot. I'm in awe.

3.5 hours felt like 1.5. And it made me feel something. It made me think. It put me in a state of thought. Wonder. Enlightenment, maybe. A place that I used to find a lot. When I was in high school. But a place that isn't found so easy now. And it was nice to visit.

After a day of snacking, we were hungry for something substantial. Not a morsel. Or a taste. But a meal. So we hit the Burger Joint. The intrigue of this place? It's hidden. It's in the lobby of a fancy hotel. Behind a curtain. No one will tell you where it is. There is no sign.

Once you walk behind the curtain? It's a loud, messy, New York burger joint. And the food is so good. And the people behind the register only want cash, and they want you to order now.

We sat next to a man who knew the owner. He received a free pitcher of beer. Barely drank it, and offered it to those around him when he left. We stuck with our milkshakes, listened to the loud music, and tried to decipher the famous signatures on the walls.

a friday in New York or snack like you mean it! part 1.

I hope it is taking you as long to read these as it is for me to write them. Sorry for the break in the story - but you've had plenty of time to eat, run to the restroom, and freshen up. Now we return to the great New York adventure of 2008.

Friday's first stop? The Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. It's an upscale version of a Utah mall. The picture above is the view from each floor - looking out on Central Park. Nice.


Normally, I would have no desire to visit a mall on a vacation. I'm not much for shopping. But it houses food from Thomas Keller. I need to give you a bit of a background to help you understand just what this means.

Clin and I enjoy reading books about food, chefs, food critics, and food. The first time I heard about Thomas Keller was when I read Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl. Good book. A bunch of food writers mention Thomas Keller in the same sentence as four star, best food, amazing, gastronomical feat, and every other positive adjective you can imagine. They often talk about his restaurant, The French Laundry which is in California.


Then I read Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter, the true story of a waitress working at Per Se, Thomas Keller's restaurant in New York City. Fascinating book. Read it and you will begin to understand our interest.

See the blue behind this tree? It is the door to Per Se. At the Time Warner Center. Not a door that Clin and I will be able to enter. Any. Time. Soon. But I felt privileged to be in its presence.

Thomas Keller views eating, cooking,and food as an artistic, whole body experience. So much so that the meals at Per Se are $275.00 for one dinner. Yep. They offer a different menu every day. It always consists of a 9 course tasting menu, either vegetarian or the chef's choice. Reservations can be made two months from the day, and fill up quickly.

So I stared at the door, lovingly. Stared at the menu. And moved on to Bouchon Bakery, the bakery for Thomas Keller's restaurants. Hoping to get a taste of what hides behind the blue doors, we ordered the following.

From top, clockwise: cherry cream cheese danish for Clin, cherry pistachio brioche for me, macarons for later, and a chocolate almond croissant to share.

Heaven. Heaven. Heaven. Even Clin's danish (of which I am usually not a fan) was wonderful. And if you have never had a Parisian macaron, fix that now. If you see one, just buy. Don't think. Just buy. I always do.

Enough with food, and on to shopping! We are such shoppers. Clothes are all we think about. (Ha! right!) But we made an exception to see what the big brouha-ha was regarding Century 21.

This store is insanity. It is a huge maze of racks and shelves of clothing. And it is crowded. See the image above for our Where's Waldo moment. Can you spot Clin?

Evidently you can get name brand items on the cheap here. I wouldn't know. I had a panic attack. I had many, many panic attacks. There were so many people here. So many floors, racks, small spaces, lines, and people. One would have to search deep to really find what they are looking for. So that means time. And I panicked because we did not have time. And Clin does not have patience for my style of shopping - which entails a lengthy look until I find something worthwhile and cheap. (Cheap for me is probably really, really cheap for you. Or free.)

So we left. My panic left. And on to my most anticipated moment of the trip!!!

Clin arranged for us to participate in the Original Multi-Ethnic Eating Tour of the Lower Eastside from Big Onion Walking Tours.

History. Food. My two favorite things about NY. I love the buildings. I love that within such a small area, one can find where so many important (or unimportant) events in history occurred. All of our travel guides have highly recommended Big Onion Walking Tours. I have always wanted to go on one - but with the high school students in tow, this was never possible.

In a group of 20, we were led by a PhD student from Columbia. Our first nosh was fried plantains. As we ate, our guide pointed out the spot where Boss Tweed died. There is a high school on the spot now that is the most ethnically diverse in New York. And, interesting fact, Walter Mathau graduated from it.

Next stop, The Pickle Guys. See this picture? It's barrels and barrels of pickled goods. Olives, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, celery, carrots, kraut, horseradish, herring, lox, EVERYTHING PICKLED.

A complete dream. I have discovered my future. I should completely open a pickling shop in Utah; using a seasoned mixture of brine, and making the most amazing food. And then my family will live off of pickled delights. I'm giddy with the thought.

We ate complete sour pickles. Mmmm. The best pickles I have ever had in my life.

Halva - we then sampled this sweet Middle Eastern treat. Made from sesame seeds and honey, it was really nice.

Lychee - we headed into part of China town, which is expanding (in case you didn't know). My mission dream was always to come home and open a greenhouse in which I could grow lychees. I have not yet realized this dream, but this little moment was a nice reminder from the past.

Here is Clin eating a dried rose petal. It is the red piece in his hand. It tasted nothing like a rose. We also had dried plums. Ymmmm. I wanted to bring some home - but the store name was in Japanese, and I cannot remember it at all.

On to Little Italy. Parmesan, fresh mozzarella and salami. I'm in love with cheese. I'm in love with Parmesan. I'm in love with Italy.

We ended our walk in the heart of Little Italy, eating small Cannolis. These were better than large cannolis. Why? More crust to the cream. A better percentage overall. And the taste lingered in my mouth the rest of the afternoon. Delightful.

This was the experience of experiences. The next time Clin and I go alone, I plan on booking every single Big Onion Walking tour. Every. One. #1 on my list? Greenwich Village.

Stay tuned for part 2: Will the snacking continue? Will it ever end?

a thursday in new york. part 2.

After lunch we split up. Clin had a great deal for our evening show and headed to the box office to purchase tickets. I ran back to the hotel to drop off a bag and make sure our room was switched. Good thing I went back because they forgot (shocker!) to take care of our room switch. New room keys, awesome room, beautiful smell, and we met back up at Letterman.

Here we are in the standby line. There was a group of about 40 waiting for standby. And a HUGE line to get in. (Side note: we were pretty poorly dressed compared to those who had tickets. That alone should have excluded us from getting in.) We were told that we had to wait in line until all seats were filled and then they would fill only the empty seats.

That is when we learned that John McCain was on the show and we thought we had noooooo chance of getting in.

After an hour of waiting for everyone to get wanded by major, MAJOR security, we got in. We were the last 2 let in. I'm serious. We. Got. In. Balcony seats. And while Letterman's head was hidden by prompters, I had a great view of his hands. Fun, fun, fun. This is what I noted:

• The base player was crazy. But very entertaining.
• They actually allowed for the commercial breaks.
• Letterman took off his suit coat every time they went to break.
• His mug was refilled half way though the taping, McCain's was not.
• Letterman did not talk with McCain during the commercial breaks; instead he was surrounded by the same 3 people (I assumed they were writers).
• And I could tell that Dave was saving the Gordon Liddy line until right before the commercial break. I liked that part.
• I'm glad that Letterman was tough on McCain. It made the show interesting.

Oh, and the musical guest was Ne-Yo. He had awesome white shoes.

Here's a clip of the show. Fast forward through the commercials at the beginning. Oh, and the people laughing? That's us.



After supping on the delightful combination of entertainment and politics, we headed south to our Broadway show - 13. I love the composer/lyricist, Jason Robert Brown. Haven't heard of him? You need to fix that. Like now.

So 13 is about thirteen year olds. The script itself feels very......thirteen. The music is the best part about it. Oh, and the actors are extremely likeable. No one in the cast is older than 17, and even the band is 18 or younger. Overall fun. And I kept thinking, imagine if you had a class of high school students this talented. The world as we know it might end.

To give you a taste, here is a promo that was on MTV news.

Celebrity Sighting #1 - Jason Robert Brown and His Wife and Daughter were in the audience that night. They walked right by us. The second Clin realized who we were sharing the room with, he perked up like a pigeon. (Do pigeons perk? If not, please replace with the perking animal of your choice.) And while I tried to explain that he already had his signature and a picture with him (Mr. Brown came to the Utah Theatre Association Conference a couple of years ago and we stalked him then.), Clin heard not a word. He was out of his seat and getting the signature for the program which he can now frame and hang on the drama room wall. Mr Brown you are very gracious. Thank you.

SideNote - I keep thinking, many families had brought their own children to see the show. But like I said, it is very thirteen. In. Every. Way. Would I bring even my thirteen year old? Clin - would you?

We were out of there by 8:30. That's right. No intermission and 7:00 PM start equals early out. So we did what anyone would do. Eat!

Clin had a hankering for Mexican. We tried Rosa Mexicano. $14 guacamole. What? But they make it at your table. You get to see what is in front of you. And it was a lot. A. Lot. Here's our demonstration.

We shared an entree of mole that was pretty good. The waiter, again, seemed disappointed because we didn't order drinks or two entrees. But we ordered an appetizer the size of an entree. What do you expect? I didn't get a picture of our meal, but I would say it's no better than what we can find in Utah. Nothing out of the ordinary or special. It did taste good.

And the day ended. Happy. Excited. Crashing to the sounds of Letterman on the TV.

a thursday in new york. part 1.

I wake up to sirens - and my first action is to have Clin call the front desk and get them to change us to another room. They say no problem. So we make a mad dash to pack the little that we un-packed. Shower, throw our faces on and we are out of there. The air on the elevator was a fresh breeze and the air of Times Square? Tropical. The trip is looking up.

Our first stop? Food! Clin's made a list of places recommended, and we set out to start checking them off of our list. Just south of Central Park was our breakfast destination. Sarabeth's.


This is what I ate. Lemony goodness, and the richness of the ricotta almost made them smooth and creamy. I think that Clin had an omelet. But I was so wrapped up with my food that I completely forgot to take a picture of his.

Bellies full, we headed up the east side of central park. The leaves were just starting to fall. The weather felt like a nice spring day. No. Warmer than spring. At 11:00 we took a break on a bench to call Mr. Letterman. Both of us spent 5 minutes or so trying to get through and Clin actually made it. The smaller the standby number, the better chances of getting in. I assumed we had no chance, because that's the realist that I am.

Mr. Letterman asked Clin if he knew the color of the announcer's hair. RED! Of course. And that useless bit of info, just sitting in Clin's brain, became useful as we got standby tickets #7 and #8. Still no chance - but we would see...


On to more intellectual pursuits. The Frick Museum. A beautiful mansion, full of artwork. I LOVED IT. I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE. The price of admission includes a headset. As you see a piece of artwork you can enter the number and the headset tells you everything you need to know. AND it tells you the history of each room. I actually liked it more than the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Crazy interesting and not overwhelming.

My only disappointment? The upstairs was roped off. I wanted to see the entire building.

Oh wait. My only other disappointment? Clin tried to get an educator's discount. This is how it played out:

Girl behind the desk: No, we only give discounts to students.
Clin: I have my student i.d.
Girl: Oh, are you a student?
Clin: I have my student i.d.
Girl: are you a student?
Clin: I have my i.d.
Girl: Are you a student?
Clin: I have my i.d.

This seemed to go on for.ev.er. I focused on the floor, willing myself to disappear, and finally nudging Clin to move beyond the skip in his brain.

After nourishing our eyes, it was time to move on to our next meal. Lunch. Jean George - Nougatine. Let me set the scene.

Jean George is a restaurant with multi-course meals for $150.00. Beyond my price range. But not beyond my dreams. Nougatine is connected to Jean George, kind of like eating in the kitchen. Similar food, from the same chef, but lower prices. They have a 3 course prix fixe lunch for $24.00. This is splurgable. But we had no reservations. We showed up and they sat us at the bar!!! We got in. They only had 2 seats...just for us. The following is a photo essay of our amazing meal.

We both got the soup. I should have ordered the salad just to taste everything, but this was gooood.



A word about sitting at the bar. We don't drink. Every one around us is drinking, and we are feeling a bit guilty. A bit out of our element. I quietly ordered tap water. I hate giving in to the guilt. I need to enjoy the crazy looks from the waiters. Clin ordered a homemade soda. $6.00. And it stunk! P.S. The glass that I'm holding was the best glass I have ever drank out of. The rim was so thin, delecate. I'm serious. We both noticed that it made our drinking experience different. So much so that I took a picture.


Clin ordered this. It doesn't look so great in this photo. The strange shape in the front is some type of mushroom. But I will tell you, the carrot puree? The best thing in both of our entrees. I would bathe in it. Lick the plate good. Honest.

Oh, and a side note? Clin was obsessed with looking for famous people. The entire trip. And he thought for sure we would find some at this restaurant. So he spent the meal looking behind him. And every time the wait staff came behind us carrying trays overflowing with beautiful food (meant for those at Jean George), he would practically scream for me to turn around and feast. I would have taken a picture but I really was trying not to be obnoxious.

My meal. It rocked. I loved it. The potatoes are under the steak. And I usually don't enjoy eggplant, but this seasoning had olives in it. Yum.

Clin's dessert. Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

My dessert. Awesome!

And that is where we will take a break. Stay tuned to answer the following questions: Will we make it on Letterman? Will we find food better than Nougatine? Will we meet anyone famous? Will we survive?

recapping my surprise.

I don't think that I like surprises anymore. I need a little time to prepare my brain for things. For visitors, for outings, for change in general. Everything goes much more smoothly if I have a heads up. That is what I have learned from Clin's most recent surprise.

I tend to get anxious before trips. The morning of departure, Clin and I are sure to have a squabble over something if we are packing together. This trip Clin was working the morning of departure. And I was running around, stressing that I wouldn't get the house relatively clean. That I would forget to tell Mom some important information regarding Millie and Ellis's particulars. And it always goes that certain things on my travel to do list remain incomplete.

After a morning of packing, stress, and checking things off of my list, my emotions were pent up. I was ready for Seattle. I was ready to see one show (1 dress. check. heels. check). And I was ready for rain (umbrella. check.)

By the time we get to the airport I am tired. Looking forward to a cushy hotel. cushy food. and cushy sleep.

And when I pressed the check in screen of the Delta kiosk, Seattle was no where to be seen. New York City. And all the thought and preparation I put into packing flew away. My only thought:

I know how to pack for NYC. I've been there. I didn't pack anything that I would have packed had I known where we were going. I refuse to wear heels in NY. I only have one dress. NY means multiple evenings of theatre. I don't have multiple evenings of dress and I REFUSE to wear heels in NY.

I could not get my mind off of the unnecessary weight and space my heels were taking in my suitcase.

The thought of a long plane ride compared to a short hop to Seattle brought me down a bit. I mean I would have brought a book rather than a magazine. See - I don't travel well. Movement, in general, makes me sick. Throw up, heat, unable to function sick. So when I travel I wear out. And I was starting this trip already worn.

As we talked about the trip, I discovered that everyone I knew already knew where we were going. What fun is that? Surprise for me alone? And I was angry. Just in general. Because my mind had not had a chance to settle into the thought. To prepare.

And by the time we got to the hotel I was not thinking straight, but excited to be going to a hotel. To sleep. To actually begin the vacation. And then the vacation began.

We were booked in a smoking room. The clerk made me feel stupid that I wanted non-smoking. Even going so far as to say, "It's just as clean as the other rooms." So we agreed to look at it (I know. Why would we even look??) And we got into the room and it was pretty, and it stunk, and the bathroom smelt like urine too.

Back to the front desk only to discover that the last non-smoking room was gone. And I was about to fling myself over the counter at the clerk and smack him around a bit. What? Why would you send us to check out a room if you were just going to give away the last non-smoking room? Don't you think that would have changed our decision?

So we returned to the smell. And I couldn't stop thinking about how stupid I was to think I could even sleep in a smoking room. That I even considered it. And then I realized the ramifications: my clothes will smell. My hair. My suitcase. Ahhhhhh!

And an hour or two later, when I was still awake due to a complete focus on breathing without using my nose, I burst into tears realizing that I was in hell. And the quick fall into sleep, and quick change to a new room was many more hours away than I originally expected.

Okay - so this sounds really petty. And I sound like the worst, most ungrateful wife that ever existed. And I probably am. But I wasn't mad at Clin. I was really excited - just angry in general. On the surface. And I don't handle fatigue well. Can you tell?

Go here for Clin's take on day one of our grand adventure.

home.

As most of you know, Clin and I set out on our grand adventure to Seattle. But someone forgot to tell the pilot and we ended up in New York!

Oh. Wait. Someone forgot to tell me as well. I'm reminded, again, that Clin is really good at keeping secrets from me and is awesome at sharing them with everyone else.

I have not had a minute to put anything together about the trip. But be aware. Soon, so soon, you will see many, many pictures of food. And more food.

asking, "How do you live there?"

The following is the final post regarding our trip to New York with a group of 64 - most of whom were high school theatre and film students.

Everytime I go to New York, one thought plagues me the entire time:

How do people (especially those with children) manage to live there?

I find myself staring, and pondering the thought everywhere we go. I realize that the majority of the places we take students are probably more touristy, and not necessarily where families live.

My one thought is that perhaps most people in New York are single. And if they do have a child - they limit it to one.

I saw many people who were, or looked, single. Is that why New York has so many bars? One restaurant that we went to, I watched as no one sat at tables, and everyone went to sit at the bar. They sat, and talked with strangers next to them, and waited for more strangers to enter and sit next to them. I don't usually sit at bars. I prefer booths, or tables - bars aren't very comfortable. Is that so singles don't mingle too long?

3 was the most children with one person that I observed. And I only saw that one time. In fact, I felt for this woman, as she tried to keep the two toddlers near her while maneuvering a stroller. And a kind man helped her carry the stroller down the stairs - as they were heading to the subway. (Don't even get me started on subway control and kids - subways are not stroller friendly - and Millie would not be aware of her surroundings and accidentally walk off the edge of the platform -and I would be overwhelmed and either miss the train or leave a daughter on the train, etc. Oops - I got started on my own.)

In fact - I saw more dogs than children. Which is fine because I could never imagine raising a family in such a big city. The playgrounds in the middle of buildings, surrounded by fence instead of grass, and other than Central Park there wasn't much space for a child to run around.

And I'm just in awe of those who do it. And everytime I visit it is one of the most fascinating attractions - watching people live.

photo via vestitoverde

saying, "Come on! Be a Parent."

I learned some new parenting techniques while in New York.

If you care about your child going to college, keeping a scholarship, moving on in life - and if all of those things depend upon that said child taking the ACT, then it should probably happen before a trip to New York.

If, by some crazy act of allignment that no previous ACT times workout and the last and final opportunity to take the test arrives at the same time this child happens to be in New York - the following is highly recommended:

1. Know the Time and Date of the ACT test.


2. If the test is at NYU - make sure that the child knows which building, a room number, and has a telephone number to contact the testing service just in case. Walking into an NYU building on a random Saturday morning and asking where to go to take the test probably will not work.


3. Know the required method of payment and make sure the child has that type of payment. Asking roomates if they brought a check book the night before the test will not solve the problem for two reasons: 1) It doesn't have the child's name or address on it, 2) It is an out of state check.

Good advice for us all - I would say.

eating and eating and eating (part 2)...

The following is a continuation of my report on our trip to New York with a group of 64 - most of whom were high school theatre and film students.

Clin's Detour:

Great idea Clin. Walk to central park from the Natural History Museum (just across the street) but take a detour since it's lunchtime. We walk about four blocks south and one or two blocks west in search of the infamous Gray's Papaya. All with a group of about 60 hungry/tired people. But it was worth it. We arrived, lined up and they had us out of there in about 30 minutes. Most got the recession special: 2 hot dogs and a papaya drink for $3.50. This includes the tax. Yup - that is a true special. And I will say - best hot dogs ever. I mean it. Costco hot dogs are dust in comparison.

Then we, as a group, headed south one more block and returned east a block to hit Magnolia Bakery. Again - I thought it would be crazy. Clin and I visited the original location a couple of years ago and it is tiny. I thought the group would be lined up the rest of the week, and no way would we make it to Central Park. We were out of there in 15 minutes. They were fast, the location is much larger, and they have room to sit down and eat. It was very enjoyable.
And can I just mention? - I'm not a cake fan. Never have been - but the banana pudding beats all and was worth it.

Thank you Meredith for the banana pudding tip. That's right, Clin and I have a New York friend (although we knew her back in the Provo days), and not only was she kind enough to give us tips on the best - she works at the store. She also decides what is made each day as well as does teh writing on the cakes. And her story is really interesting - so head to her blog and read if you're interested.

Public Apology Tangent:

Meredith -
I'm sorry that I didn't end up calling you on Saturday of our trip. By the end of the week, we were so tired and focused on getting kids where they were going, that it never seemed liked we had much time to plan ahead and do anything. Please don't feel slighted. I'm not really great at friend making, or keeping. So I hope this didn't spoil the friendship that may have remained. I'm so proud of you and will keep reading your blog and living vicariously through you. Jackie

Other food eaten:

Norma's - Told the wait was 45 minutes, ended up waiting 2 hours. Mom and Dad actually waited with us. After that wait anything would taste good. I orded exactly what I had 2 years ago - The Waz-za. It is a waffle with fruit in it and fruit on top with a creme brulee top. The creme brulee is what forced me to get it. Now that I look back, I would have preferred to return to S'Mac or Peanut Butter & Co.

Max Brenner: Chocolate by the bald man - Overrated. I was so looking forward to this place. I was expecting to be wowed. It was compared to Willie Wonka, a menu of all desserts. Clin and I ordered the Sharing, which is a Tasting for Two of their different treats. Always the way to go when there are too many choices, right? Wrong this time.


Let's refer to this visual. We received a plate of items (above) that included: 1) chocolate and peanut butter snack, 2) banana split waffle, 3) chocolate sauce, 4) pop rock candy chocolate lick, 5) chocolate-covered ice cream.

Then they also brought us a dark chocolate fondue (upper right of the picture), with strawberries, bananas, marshmallows and a grill to toast the marshmallows.

We were so sick. It was too much. Too rich, too dark, and did I mention too much? (My favorite was the pop rock candy chocolate lick). One problem was that we had no idea how we were supposed to eat some of the items, if other things were meant to mix with others, and soon everything began tasting the same.

A warning to the wise - stick with the milkshakes. Everyone seemed to love them.

star struck.

The following is a continuation of my report on our trip to New York with a group of 64 - most of whom were high school theatre and film students.

Walking around New York, visiting the theatre, mingling with the famous.

1. Mario Lopez - Hot dog vendor by day, member of the cast of A Chorus Line by night. He walked right by me wearing a back pack and white tank top. (And no I am not stalking him - I'm thinking perhaps I have some type of magnetism that just draws A. C. Slater to me.) He is shorter in person.




2. Lead Singer of Counting Crows - Enjoyed In The Heights with him. We shared a moment. He a few rows in front of me....me, a few rows behind. His hair is much crazier in person.


3. John Slattery - Clin spotted him in the will call line for Boeing Boeing. Right in front of us. Yes, I could reach out and nuggy that beautiful grey head of his. Instead, Clin touched him on the shoulder and I promptly looked down, or at other people, or anywhere else so that he would know that I was not associated with Clin nor did I, in any way, support Clin's actions. Clin said that he enjoyed him in Ed (which I really did enjoy him in), and he said "Thank you, I enjoyed doing that show." I got the feeling that he was not pleased to be pointed out like that in a crowd. Clin did not get that feeling. Again - he is short.
   
4. Mr. Charlie's Angels - spotted in the will call line for Boeing Boeing. He went up to Mr. Slaterly and shook his hand and the two stood in front of the theatre talking for quizte awhile. Must be the mutual actors association - you know, both act.... Perhaps there is a trust involved if you both act in major movies/TV. Mr. Angel is also short.
   
5. Megan Mullaly - We saw a few famous in various productions - but our group got to stay after Young Frankenstein and talk with cast members. Megan happened to join the cast members and talk with us. This is what I learned: She is short, didn't get Will & Grace until in her 40s and thus totally looks younger than she is, she let the other (lesser known) cast members talk most, has never had voice lessons, very down to earth. Go Megan!
   

eating and eating and eating...

The following is a continuation of my report on our trip to New York with a group of 64 - most of whom were high school theatre and film students.

When Clin and I go to New York - a highlight is the food. I blame my interest in new and fun food stems from too many hours spent with the Food Network (although Clin's family says that he has been food obsessed since birth.)

Some of my favorites:


S'Mac - I can't believe that we did not take pictures of our food at this place. But here we are in front of the menu. This was my trip highlight. Not very expensive - and a.maze.ing. What can I say? It's all Mac & Cheese. I got the Mediterranean, Clin got the Masala Mac, Brent (another chaperone) got the Alpine, and Amanda (Brent's wife and chaperone extroardinaire) got the Napoletana. I liked mine - really rich with Goat cheese, but I really loved the Napoletana bite that I had.

My only disappointment was that we did not go back. I thought about it the rest of the trip and it still lingers in my mind.

ChickaLicious - I can't remember where I heard about this place - but we were looking at their website over a year ago. We stumbled upon this dessert bar trying to find another restaurant. Completely lost, not planning on eating a meal of dessert - but the second we saw it we said oh yeah - we've been meaning to eat multiple courses of dessert. And it was perfect. Not too much, and oh, so good. Go here now.

Clin and I both ordered the Prix Fixe - which comes with an Amuse, an Entree Dessert, and Petit Fours. Here Clin poses with his entree - which was a type of fruit/dessert soup and was like eating light clouds with a bit of air.

My entree was the Warm Chocolate Tart with Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream and Red Wine Sauce. I wanted something chocolatey but also the pink peppercorns intriqued. I mean, come on, who has ever heard of pink peppercorns? It was really great. I ate slow, made it last, and kept telling Clin that I scored the better entree. He disagreed.This is an image of the petite fours, which consisted of: homemade marshmallows covered in coconut, chocolate truffles, and pecan shortbread. My tastebud's happiness from favorite to least: Shortbread, truffles, marshmallows.

I wanted to return to this establishment as well. It is tiny. Only 20 seats, the owner is right behind the bar creating the desserts in front of you. You can see the only back room, which is smaller than a bathroom, and then there is also one bathroom - that is it. Everyone is right there with you, while you eat and talk. And everyone is very, very nice. Clin and I were the only ones eating at the time....talk about royal treatment.

Peanut Butter & Co. - This picture is of Amanda, Me, and Brent in the back of the Taxi trying to book it over to Peanut Butter & Co. This has been on our list for a few years, and it is a bit out of the way as far as the planned itinerary goes. We had to make a concerted effort. But it was well worth the wait. I was dreaming about peanut butter the rest of the trip and am sad that we didn't purchase a bottle to bring home for us.

I ate the fluffernutter (my first ever), and it was so rich I could only eat half. Clin got White chocolate Wonderful Sandwich (White chocolate peanut butter and orange marmalade - and I thought it also had almonds on it as well.) Oh, heaven. I ate the second half of it as a midnight snack and it was divine!!! And it was very, very messy.

The store is tiny - no place to eat. So we headed down the block and ate in a tough looking section of Washington Park. Our table was a chess board and we had sets of people playing chess on each side of us (you know, making money by winning). We felt out of place, but it was fun to watch.

Momofuku - Noodle bar. What's up with trendy restaurants not having a sign or even anything on their door (ChickaLicious too)? We got lost finding this place (but then happened upon ChickaLicious). But when we did - oh, wow noodles.

To Be Continued...

reveling in theatre.

The best part of NY is the theatre. Lots and lots of theatre. It is usually different from year to year, and everything else that we visit (Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Ellis Island, Grand Central, Museums, etc.) we have seen at least 3 or 4 other times. But the theatre...all new.

We saw 8 productions this time. And I thought I should rate and review here. You know, in case you decide to jaunt on over to NYC and see some theatre; you can use my esteemed opinion in making your choice.

1. In The Heights
   
   
1. I am so in love with this musical. You know, hip-hop dancing, rap, ethnic corner of the world - completely up my alley. If you know me, I'm all about that. The script is a simple story - probably predictable, but that simplicity lends itself to the reality of the feelings behind the music. And witty, witty humor.


2. Great dancing. Transitions between scenes - dancers come on, they make a dance move as if a complete dance break/song is about to burst out and then....new scene begins. Talk about smooth.


3. Bonus! My parents (of the baby boom generation) were able to understand the rap. And they weren't offended. That means - family friendly:)


4. Finally, I love Lin-Manuel Miranda. He wrote the music and words and came up with the concept, and is one of the lead characters. I will repeat: I love Lin-Manuel Miranda. Not in the husband/wife type of love. No....I love him for every other reason. Such as:
   


1. He was a 7th grade teacher for a few years - after graduating from college, writing the original draft of the musical, and before becoming a broadway star. I'm partial to teachers.


2. He is really likeable as the lead, Usnavi. And the lyrics are very witty. He won a Tony for music/lyrics.


3. To promote the show he re-created the song from High School Musical 2 where Zac Effron sings on the golf course. But he changed the lyrics and filmed it in Central Park. That's right, dance moves and all. Go ahead and watch. I dare you to tell me that he is not likeable.
   
   

2. Jersey Boys
   
   
   
   1. Continual singing and dancing. And the whole time I'm thinking (and everyone else in the audience is as well), how can they still be singing and dancing and sounding so awesome?
   
   
   2. Watching all the 40+ yr old audience get into it. Something about reliving their youth? I don't know, but they go crazy for this music.
   
   
   3. My favorite moment - a man in the lower part of the balcony stands up and starts dancing at the beginning of Sherry Baby. He then realizes slowly that no one is standing with him. The woman next to him tugs on his pant leg and he slowly sits down. Awe. Some.


3. The 39 Steps
   
   
   
   1. I'm not a Hitchcock fan - but this was so entertaining. Very theatrical. Minimal props - stage looked like we could see back wall and side brick. 4 characters and only 1 of them played the same character throughout. 3 others played what seemed like a 100+ characters. (including a muddy bog. That's right. One man portrayed a muddy bog.)
   
   
   2. One man fell backwards onto his back, his legs flipped up and kept going over his head and he ended up on his stomach. All without padding. Take that Donald O'Conner.
   
   
   3. Fun. Ny.


4. (or 5) Mary Poppins
   
   
   
   1. Story was a bit weak. Why does Mary Poppins leave half way through? What makes her come back so soon after?
   
   
   2. Okay - the critics weren't too hot on this, but come on. It's Mary Poppins. Fun music, great dancing.
   
   
   3. I am in love with Bert. He is so likeable. I watched him in every dancing number, couldn't take eyes off of him. Did I mention that I'm in love with Bert?


5. (or 4) Boeing Boeing
   
   
   
   1. Very funny.
   
   
   2. Women portrayed were a bit over the top. But funny.
   
   
   3. I love you Christine Baranski.
   
   
   4. Mark Rylance made this extremely funny. He won a Tony and deservedly so. His character was the strongest part of the show.


6. Wicked
   
   
   
   1. What's that you say? Number 6 on your list? You are shocked. I can tell. Please note: I have seen it 3 times now. Nothing beats seeing it the first time. And nothing beats seeing Kirsten Chenowith as the original Glinda.


7. (or 8) Young Frankenstein
   
   
   
   1. 100% innuendo and double entendre. Or, as I like to call it, boy humor.
   
   
   2. I just don't find boy humor funny. I don't know why. I don't think it is very witty, an easy joke - and I don't see the humor in it.
   
   
   3. Production quality was great.
   
   
   4. Igor was hilarious. Hi. Larious.


8. (or 7) Spring Awakening
   
   
   
   1. Beautiful Music
   
   
   2. Staged in the style of Brecht. I love that.
   
   
   3. Script was very cliche. Come on. The whole first half is about teenage sexual angst, and the second half turns into Romeo and Juliet-ishness. I understand the turmoil associated with keeping such things secret - but this was taken to an extreme level. A bit overdramatic. A bit high school drama. I thought that I would be changed, moved, feel something. Just when I was feeling that the show was saying something deep/beautiful, the storyline took me out of it.
   
   

home.

Back from NYC. It was a good year. All in all - there was only one student that drove me nuts. Out of a group of 64 that counts as a really great year.

Our trip was exciting, in a calm way. (Nothing tops the excitement of 2006 travel agency cancellation/bankruptcy the Friday before we left.) I'm going to write about the trip from a topical standpoint, rather than a daily journal. For a more detailed re-telling head to Clin's Blog.

returning from NY.

Monday Agenda:

1. Freetime to see and grab anything last minute. (e.g. macaroons, garlic knots, and more macaroons)


2. Wrangle our group onto shuttles.


3. Board plane and sleep.

in NY....still.

Sunday Agenda:

1. Norma's
2. Matinee: Boeing, Boeing
3. Evening: Our Choice (Tony Awards tonight so not much is actually playing. Clin and I may see Avenue Q - since it is playing and we still have not seen this.)

Reminder to you All:

Watch the Tony Awards! And please tape them as well, just in case our VCR does not work. What's that you say? You're shocked that we do not have a DVR/Tivo? So is Clin. But that is for a future post.

still in NY.

Saturday Agenda:

1. Take students to Empire State Building
   


2. Clin and I jaunt to J.P. Morgan Library
   


3. Matinee: In the Heights


4. Evening Show : our choice. (39 steps, or Sunday in the Park with George, or Gypsy....too many choices.)

in NY. (cont.)

Friday Agenda:

1. Ellis Island - my favorite


2. Walk to Wall Street to September 11 site, to China Town


3. Wicked