FRIENDS IN NEW YORK

Here I am finally with the last day of our NYC trip!  It's been a week, guys.  But I haven't forgotten about this last post.  I just simply haven't been home or on my laptop in about a week.  Long time, no see, eh?

BAREBURGER

You see that beautiful hunk of sexiness right there?  That, my friends, is the best burger I have ever had the absolute privilege of tasting.

DAY TWO IN NEW YORK

Our second day in NYC was the only full day we had, in terms of not being on a plane at any point that day - short trip, I know.  We knew we had to make the most of it, and one of the most important things we wanted to do whilst in New York was see the 9/11 memorial.  When I was there last, it was still being built, so it was a first for all of us.  But of course, we also needed to hit up as many food spots as possible, so that's what we started with.

BERGDORF AND BROADWAY

As I mentioned, I recently jetted off to NYC with my mom and sister for my sister's spring break, and especially to go see Les Miserables on Broadway with Ramin Karimloo.  Of course, that was only the beginning of it!  And I must start off by saying just how frickin' COLD it was!  Cold is an understatement.  It was bloody freezing.  The wind was the worst part.  Ugh.  Spring clearly has not sprung in NYC - I've been spoilt by this Florida weather!

new york part 2: awkward and awesome

Part two of my spring break trip to NYC consists mainly of the views from the top of the Empire State Building, of which, believe me, pictures cannot do justice.  Also just a few from walking around the streets of New York.  And by the way, most of these awkward and {mostly} awesome tidbits are NYC-themed.

Awkward

• Trying to spell "dontcha" {"dontchya"?}.  You know, the made up word that's a conjunction of don't and you.
• Realizing your about to go the wrong way, and turning around to a whole crowd behind you about to run you over.  Also, making a weird squeaking sound when this happens.
• Walking down the street, then realizing you're walking the wrong way, so you either cross the street and head back the way you came in order to avoid the awkward/embarrassing 180-degree turn, or look at your phone and fake that something urgent has come up and you must do a sudden stop and turn in the other direction.  Either way works, and either way, you're still awkward.
• A bird pooping on you.  No, wait, that's just gross.
• Getting sick on spring break.  In NYC.  Lemme tell you something'... it sucks.

Awesome

• Free nutella snack packs from Boloco!  And the guys who gave them to us.
• The Central Park Zoo.  Actually zoos in general are pretty awesome, especially if they have giraffes {the epitome of an awkward and awesome animal}.
• Mint lemonades from Le Pain Quotidien are the most delicious and refreshing drink ever.  And super good when you're sick.  If only they had them in Boston...
• Going to see Seminar again {long story in which neither Book of Mormon nor Phantom of the Opera had student tickets} and getting to meet Alan Rickman a second time!!!  I can die happy.
• Jersey bagels are pretty scrumptious.  Just sayin'.
• Super warm NYC weather!  I'm talking no jackets required, not super windy, sunny, almost 70 weather.  The season for shorts, sandals, and skirts/dresses without tights is upon us!
• The first cherry blossoms of the year {pictured above}.  Aren't they a lovely sight?

Happy Friday!

new york part 1: central park zoo

So.  This week is my spring break, and I went to NYC with my friend, then down to her home in Jersey for the night.  These photos are only the ones from the Central Park Zoo because since I took so many, I figured they deserved their own post.  I'd never been to the zoo there {actually it's been a while since I'd been to one in general - I'd forgotten how fun they are!} and saw some really beautiful birds, a very shy snow leopard {hence the absence of those photos}, and some absolutely adorable red pandas.  Not to mention, those seals, which are quite the models.  They pose like pros.  They should get a Vogue cover.

Part 2 coming soon.

that one time I went to new york and never slept

As I mentioned previously, I agreed to go to NYC with my friend while she auditioned for The Voice.  We left on a 10 o'clock bus out of Boston on Friday night, arriving in NYC around 2:30 am.  We went into this diner on the street corner until about 4, when we left to get in line at the convention center, which didn't open until auditions started at 7 am.  This meant waiting outside for about three hours, let me tell you something - it was cold.  The temperature wouldn't have been quite as bad if it hadn't also been super windy.  Finally {right before I was sure my feet would fall off from frostbite and my legs would be permanently frozen} they let us inside.  Family and friends weren't allowed to stay with those auditioning, so I waited downstairs in the cafeteria.  This would have been fine, and it was still better than outside, but the building was air conditioned to an unnecessary degree.  The bathrooms were the warmest place, and I assure you, I considered camping out in there a few times.  Then when my friend came back about two hours later, we decided that we were in no shape to be hanging out in the city - we were freezing cold, and without sleep.  So, we bought a bus ticket for 10:30 online, and skedaddled to Penn Station.  Well, let me tell you that Penn Station is a train station only - no buses leave from there, even though that's where we'd been dropped off.  When we finally got to the bus station, we literally visited about four different counters over the next two and a half hours, talking to about ten different people, all who told us to do something different.  We missed our bus, couldn't get our ticket switched, and finally just waited for a 1 pm bus to take us home.

I can't even tell you how nice it was to get home, take a hot bath and watch Firefly on Netflix, get in my pajamas, and be in bed and asleep by 9:30.  I didn't even get up this morning until 11, which including the daylight savings hour, means a glorious thirteen hours of sleep.

awkward and awesome friday

I bet you're wondering why I have a photo of Times Square up there.

Well, being the spontaneous-ish person that I am, I agreed to go back {duh!} with my friend who's auditioning for The Voice tomorrow in NYC!  We're catching a bus tonight at ten, then hightailing it to the city that never sleeps. {Appropriate choice of words, eh?  Eh?  Because, erm, we won't be sleeping much.  You get it.}

Awkward

• Waking up at four am to a mysterious and invisible thing in my eye.  First, how does one manage t get something in their eye when they're asleep?  And second, ouch!  My eye was bloodshot and watering like crazy - I'm sure I looked quite scary.
• Getting compliments on my red hair, but then the complimenter proceeds to watch me for several minutes...  Ummm, can I help you?
• Fried ice cream.  I don't understand how it works, but it does,which makes it... kind of awesome?
• Now that I'm done with the show, I have a lot more free time than I have all semester, which you would think would be awesome, but somehow, it feels slightly {dare I say it?} boring.  And yet, I'm still grateful for it.  Which is why it's mostly just awkward.
• A "customer" {who we decided must be a homeless man - he was in a pretty rough, erm, dirty shape} take out a bottle of alcohol, spill all over the floor where he's sitting, then pass out in a drunken stupor on the counter he's sitting at.  It was unfortunate on multiple levels.

Awesome

• One of my coworkers brought some lovely yellow daffodils to work today and set them up on the windowsill by the bar.  A nice little bit of spring to admire while fervently wishing the rest of it would stop slacking and just make a full on appearance.  For good - or at least until summer.
• It's officially spring break!  Cue happy dance arm.
• I'm going back to New York!  More happy dancing.
• TWICE!  Full on happy dancing.

Be back on Sunday, probably to rave about New York.

new york, new york

Yes, that's Alan Rickman!  And no, no zoom was used for this photo.  I don't usually brag, but in this case, as he is my favorite actor, I kind of have to!  We went and saw Seminar tonight on Broadway at the Golden Theater, and I have to say, it was absolutely fabulous!  Then we waited at stage door to get photos and autographs from everyone on our playbills.  I can tell you right now - that's getting framed!

The writing was immaculate and we could really hear the voice of the playwright {a talented woman named Theresa Rebeck} through the script.  The costuming was clear, and right away gave an idea of each character.  The set was simple to start, yet detailed, and then changed towards the end of the show to reveal a much more complex and impeccably detailed set.  The set change was quick and silent {the fly system must be awesome!}.   The actors {all five of them} were very clear in their choices for their characters, and all performed very well, especially the actress playing Kate, a woman named Lily Rabe.  Overall, I would see this show again, and I'll be looking for it at the Tony's!

I have to say... I love New York!!  I really could see myself living here, and hopefully, I will one day when I'm stage managing touring and Broadway-based shows.  Not only is the theater everything I could hope for and more, but the fashion is amazing.  I've been rocking a bold lip color {which I've really been into these days} almost every day.  In the photo above, I'm wearing MAC's Russian Red.  The shopping here is immense and we've found some great sales!

I really could go on and on, but whew!  My feet may ache from all the walking and standing from the past few days, but my mind is whirring!  I don't want to leave!  Fortunately, we still have a couple more days...

we're leaving today

I'm leaving for the Big Apple!! My friend and I are waiting at the airport to board as I type, and getting so excited to be in NYC! I've never been, and am so happy to finally be going. When I wake up, I'll be in the city that doesn't sleep!

start spreading the news

Photo Credit: photocorrect.com

I'm leaving Sunday for New York City!  One of my best friends and I are going for six days before I have to head back up to Boston for school.  I can't wait to be in a city so full of theatre, fashion, and art!  The culture in New York is so incredibly vibrant, and I'm so psyched to be able to experience it for the first time!

2012, you're lookin' good.