NYC 2011

We had a fabulous time in NYC despite the hurricane. We got to see some good friends, we ate so much good food and we really enjoyed not being in the Texas heat.
Here's a little overview of what we did.
WEDNESDAY:
We flew into JFK, checked into the Excelsior Hotel on the Upper West Side and met mom and dad for a happy hour bottle of champagne. Then we changed and met our friends Nick and Tina and walked down to the Ocean Grill for a delicious and very fun dinner.
THURSDAY: Michael's 40th Birthday. We woke up and opened presents and then walked down to the Good Enough To Eat restaurant for breakfast. I had a divine asian tofu scramble and Michael lusted after it. We also had mimosas. Then we met mom and dad and shopped a bit for hotel snacks at Zabars. (I love to browse in there.) After we dropped off the snacks we walked across the street from the hotel to Museum of Natural History where we watched the planetarium show and explored the dinosaur hall. We ate a late lunch at a great vegan restaurant nearby called Blossom. The food was truly amazing. Then we walked around some more and went back to the hotel for a birthday nap. Later that evening we went with Tony and Pam and mom and dad to the Blue Fin restaurant in Times Square. After sushi, sake and birthday cheesecake for Michael, we walked to Don't Tell Mama, where we enjoyed the piano and the singing. My dad had been begging me to "sing in New York" so I got up and sang "Maybe This Time". I was so terrified that my knees were literally knocking together. But it made my dad happy so there you go.
FRIDAY: Mom and Dad and Michael and I took a long walk through central park and visited my dad's park bench where we has a plaque with some of his poetry. Then we met Pam and Tony and my friend Jamey at the Boat House where we fought past protesters, had a lovely lunch and watched a cold front/storm roll in. Jamey took Michael and me to a fabulous hotel called the Standard. The rooftop bar was very trendy and fun and we all had a drink there and enjoyed the sunshine and the views and then we went to their swanky lounge and had another martini. We walked down the High Line and found a great California Punk Brass Band playing. We listened a while and then said good-bye to Jamey and made our way to Little Italy. We found out then that our flight was cancelled and Michael and I spent a good hour on the phone trying to get another one. We met at an Italian restaurant called Il Cortile with Carol, Mario, Tina, Nick, Tony, Pam and Mom and Dad. The food was abundant and delicious, but I was in a right tizzy over the hurricane and was no fun at all. I was worried later I ruined it for everyone, but mom promised me they all just ignored me.
SATURDAY: We went out early to look for food and flashlights in preparation for the storm. We walked a bit until it started to pour down rain and then we ducked into a little restaurant near Lincoln Center for an early lunch. We walked some more as the rain eased for a bit and toured my old neighborhood. We had a nostalgic drink at the Firehouse in my old 'hood. Then we holed up in the room while it rained. That evening we met mom and dad at the hotel restaurant/bar which was totally awesome! It's called Calle Ocho and it is way better than any hotel restaurant I've been to before. They had great mojitos and wine and the food was fantastic.
SUNDAY: We stayed inside while the hurricane happened. There was a moaning wind and sheets and sheets of rain, but other than that it was very tame. Our airconditioning unit took in some water and broke so we changed rooms and then laid around some more and watched a movie. Around 1:30 the rain eased up and we all went on a long walk (the transit was shut down). We walked by Lincoln Center then to Columbus Circle and then down to Times Square. Lots of people were out walking. It was very, very windy, but other than a few broken windows, we didn't see much damage. There were still lots of reporters in Times Square. We eventually made our way to "restaurant row" and had a light late lunch where we met Michael's friend, Pat. Then we went a few doors down to an indoor beer garden (it had begun to rain again) and had several beers. (my friend Jamey met us there as well)
MONDAY: We had breakfast with mom and dad at Good Enough To Eat again and then made our way to the airport for a long day of travel. I was so happy to see my children when we got home!
It was a good trip. I was very sad to miss our fabulous seats at "Book of Mormon" and I was mad at myself that I was such a bad sport at our Italian dinner, but other than it was pretty wonderful. I love spending time with our friends in NYC and we did many things I hadn't done before. Michael and I spent some quality time with each other and enjoyed our forced relaxation. I love NYC so much. I would live there again in a heartbeat if only I could bring my family and friends.