Barb & Mitch: New York

Being in New York makes me so happy (although now I'm exhausted). I hadn't been in over 5 years, so I was super pumped to go. Mitch had a conference and I just tagged along. Main Idea of the story - I walked for 3 days straight.

Recap:

Friday - Took the train from New Jersey into the city. Dropped Mitch off at the hotel & I hit the streets shopping. Wasn't impressed at all with H&M's current selection, but hit up a few other stores (sad to say it's probably not anything I couldn't have gotten at home). Chilled at Madison Square Park and saw a cool light installation that was probably pretty awesome at night...but I thought it was awesome in daylight. Walked all day in gorgeous 50 degree weather and finally made it back just in time to check into our room & get ready for cocktails and dinner with some other Texas folks.

Couldn't take the heels any longer...switched to ultra classy flip-flops

Saturday - Subwayed or walked it all day!! Went down to the Village to do a little flea market browsing. Found several things I really wanted, but didn't want to hassle with trying to find a FedEx to ship the items home. Did find some interesting things that I'm still trying to figure out why someone would purchase at all!!! You'll see...

random cool setup outside a bistro

Flea Market in Chelsea

Loved the colors

No explanation...just WTF!!!! They were life size or larger

for my sewing peeps

Headed over to Chelsea Market for a late lunch...Lobster Roll & Oysters (didn't have Blue Points, but these did just fine). This was the highlight of the day. Also, I ate lunch with a complete stranger and her two-year old who couldn't find a table, so they sat with me.

Mitch got done early, so I begged him to travel WAY Uptown to see The Cloisters. I was totally not impressed. Maybe it was the rerouting of trains all the way there...off, then on, then switch, then back down, then up again. We hightailed it through Fort Tyron Park thinking we would be really late and not get to see much of the Cloisters. Got there, refused to pay full price b/c they closed in 45 minutes & wouldn't be able to make it to the Met that day anyway. It was all Medieval art from Europe. Oh, wait! I saw tons of that when I was actually in Europe. We did see a judge from Chopped though. By then, I had lost it...I guess I was exhausted & disappointed that it wasn't way cooler, so I cried. Then we started to take the bus back down (which would go right by our hotel)...40 minutes later we were still not to Central Park...so we walked 6 blocks back to catch the train. Cried with my sunglasses on in the train. Got to the hotel, cried because who even knows why....then the Rangers were on and they sang the Star Spangled Banner...and I CRIED!!! I cried it all out, then I was good.

Fort Tyron Park

The Gardens at the Cloisters

After all that...I got what I wanted...Sammy's Noodle Shop in Greenwich Village (with my husband and no other company). I can't be in NYC and not eat there. Nothing fancy...just a little Chinese place that serves awesome chilled spicy noodles. (And I didn't have to eat with the rep or Mitch's boss...which normally I wouldn't care about, but she said the restaurant we had reservations at sucked). We walked around that evening, saw Washington Square Arch and went to bed before midnight b/c we still wanted to do more before leaving. We did enjoy a delightful display of amazing and not so amazing Halloween costumes.

Sammy's

Washington Square Arch

Photos below should be self-explanitory :) and Yes, I know I'm mean

Trying not to get involved with my meanness

Sunday - Went to the Met...started with everything, then decided I just needed to see the European Paintings. I love art, but I how can you even begin to fit it all in?! Walked through Central Park before heading to the Guggenheim...Admitted to ourselves that we were so tired we could barely walk, then went back to rest before catching our flight. Sadly, the Guggenheim didn't see our faces.