The Big Apple, September 2011

I know you've been just dying to see pictures of my big husband/child-less trip to NYC, right?  First of all, can we talk about the fact that I actually went on a husband/child-less trip all the way across the country?  After Molly and I received about a million words of approval from everyone and their mom (except my mom), we pulled the trigger.  I held Molly's hand and helped her do some deep breathing on the flights there and she carried the preggo girl's fifty pound bag up subway stairs in the city.  We were a great team.  I have to say, traveling together can make or break a friendship, and we are still talking.  It was a total success!  We were obliged to take a grimy subway shot when we finally made it into the city...  Look how sweaty and dirty we are!  Honestly, sweaty and dirty is pretty much how I felt the entire stay.  And that is why when I tell people about it, I tell them it was both "awesome and awful."

The first two nights, we stayed with Molly's lovely friends on the Upper West Side.  They have a toddler and the mom is due with baby #2 sometime around Thanksgiving.  I don't know how people have children in the city.  Seriously, everything seems so much harder (and not to mention, more expensive.)  Try taking a stroller across town on a subway during rush hour.  No, thank you.  And how with more than one child?  NYC moms are troupers.  I was exhausted just carrying around a fetus.  

Molly got us tickets to see three tapings of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and we were also able to audition to be contestants.  To tell you the truth, I was pretty confident I would pass the audition test.  We figured it would be some combination of personality interview and trivia knowledge.  With Molly's and my collective world experience and sparkling charm, we were sure to get through!  Not so much.  Ever wonder why the only contestants you ever see are from NYC and the surrounding areas?  It is most certainly because they visit the show often and repeatedly take the test.  Study what you missed, come back in a month, and you're good to go, assuming you get the same test.  We had ten minutes to answer thirty impossible answers, one of which was "After Napoleon was killed, his body was said to have returned to his home country buried in what? A) honey B) vinegar C) yogurt or D) olive oil.  Ummm...yeah.  They didn't teach me that one at Princeton. 

Despite our apparent ignorance, I couldn't believe what happened next.  We knew from watching the show that sometimes they pick someone from the audience to answer one question for a $1000 prize.  Prior to the first taping, a young guy pointed at me and asked if he could speak to me down on the stage. He explained that he had chosen me to be the audience member question person if there was time at the end of an episode.  I was not guaranteed a spot, but he told me there was a good chance I'd get on.  Turns out, the guy's name was Logan and he was an LDS dude from Bountiful, Utah.  I told him I must have had the Mormon sparkle in my eye!  In the end, there was no time, but still weird and cool that I was picked out of 400+ audience members, eh?  Maybe it was my red lips...

The LDS temple/meetinghouse had the nicest potty on the block.  Fewer crazy armageddon protestors outside than when I was last there in 2005...  

New Yorker friends, please don't hate me for saying this.  Your "farmer's markets" looked lovely and all, but why does your produce and dairy have no taste whatsoever?  I'm serious, the eggs tasted like watery air and the fruit not much better.  Thanks, but I'll take Utah-grown apples over those any day.  "Locally grown" takes on a less desirable meaning when you're in the middle of a concrete jungle.  Don't let the higher price tags fool you into thinking you're getting something better.

One of my goals during our trip was to experience Katz's Deli.  And DID we.  We accidentally took an hour and a half bus ride to go all the way south to the Lower East Side.  I was extremely cranky on the way there because my bullemic trucker of a baby boy was eating my insides.  I needed food NOW.  One might think my heavenly reaction to my Pastrami Reuben was due to my hunger pains, but I beg to differ.  It really was that good.  I dream about it frequently.  If you haven't tasted one, you haven't lived.

We made some friends with some real NYC Italians in the outdoor market in Little Italy.  We kind of wanted to take them home with us...move over Wes and Vic!

Thousands of veggie magnets!  

We really started to feel like we were far from home when we stepped off of the Subway and onto Time Square for the first time since we arrived.  When I'm there, I kind of feel like it's someplace really exotic, like Tokyo.  And when they say that New York is the city that never sleeps, all of those non-sleepers are gathering around Time Square.  

I don't care what Molly says, Memphis was AWESOME.  I don't think she could truly appreciate it in her  insomniac state...The lead guy, Chad Kimball, was one of the best actors I've seen on a live stage.  And I'm not the only one who thinks so; he was nominated for a Tony!  Too bad you won't be able to corroborate my opinion...his last performance in Memphis was October 23.  

Of course, another goal and highlight was meeting up with Lydia after her Boards.  We got to spend the last half of our trip with her, staying at her aunt and uncle's house in beautiful Brooklyn Heights.  You wouldn't believe my description of their brownstone if I told you.  It was glorious and has been featured in several decorating/architecture magazines.  

I don't know why we all looked so tired/puffy this particular morning.  Perhaps it was because Lydia just finished an insanely hard test, I was pretending like I wasn't preggo and walked 10+ miles/day and Molly hadn't slept since Utah...

Soho!  

Oh my gosh, the FOOD.  Fried eggs, hominy grits, chorizo, cornmeal flapjacks with salted butter and blueberries?  I mean, really.  I can't even talk about it.  I'll cry.  Maggie knows how to pick 'em (it's her job, actually.  She works for Serious Eats.)  It was so good to see our Roaring 20 buddy and eat an amazing brunch!  And to top everything off?  Pie for dessert.  Wow.  

Photo shoot in Soho, with a red door.  

Little did we know that it was Broadway Week with 2-for-1 tickets!  Had we known sooner, we probably couldn't gotten tickets to other shows we wanted to see for less...What's better is that students get $20 tickets to some shows and I just so happened to have my old Princeton ID!  We showed it to the ticket lady at Jersey Boys and all three of us got front row $20 tickets (right corner, partial-ish view, but still awesome)!!  We danced in the streets.  

We took this picture for our babies, and only later realized that the guy was probably homeless and the costume had probably never been washed.  Eww.  You're welcome, Liam!  

Oh, and we bought bright pink lipstick at the Mac counter at Macy's.  Because we just had to...  

And our lipstick matched this stretch-Mini.  

Lydia and Molly entered the lottery for Book of Mormon Musical tickets, but no dice.  I was tempted to show the managers my temple recommend to see if that would help, but decided they were probably the wrong crowd for that.  I had made up my mind that I would see Wicked alone, since Molly and Lyd had both seen it before.   I couldn't go to NYC and not see Wicked, right?  

While waiting to hear on the lottery results, we attended a mass at "The Actor's Chapel" across the street.  Ironic.  

So good to see my old college buddy, Justin!  (Lydia and he dated for like half a decade and remain good friends.)  He bought us delicious Indian food because he's one of those evil rich Wall Street guys who takes money from you and me...just kidding...

I basically had a box seat for Wicked and it couldn't have been better.  I felt like I was riding the musical.  Do you see where the balcony comes to a point on the right against the wall?  I was there, but on the left side.  There were flying monkeys.  There was amazing talent.  I was transported.  

I don't know what was wrong with me that night, but this is how I looked after Wicked.  I basically balled my eyes out during all of the major numbers.  I was overwhelmed with joy!  The ladies surrounding me totally understood (while laughing at me.)  I'm pregnant, okay!  But really, I may never hear a voice like Elfaba's in person again in my life.  It was that good.  

6am taxi ride to 34th St. Penn Station.  Thank you, Molly and Lyd for my taxi gift!  I still don't think I would've made it carrying that suitcase through the subways...oy vey.  Thank you, Molly for being a perfect travel partner.  This was a trip I will treasure always (although I needed like two weeks to recover.)