If you haven’t been

If you haven’t been to the top of the Empire State Building, you need to.  Go. Just once. The view from up top is remarkable.

We played

We played in Central Park. Took way too many foliage pictures. One of us accidentally gracefully slide down a pile of rocks (me). One of us ate a street meat hot dog (her). And we both couldn’t care less that it was rainy and muddy.  It was a perfect day in the park.

 

I was never a Beatles fan

I was never a Beatles fan UNTIL I took History of the Beatles in college. Yes, it’s a college class. And yes, in hindsight paying some thousand dollars to take it probably was not the smartest. And now that I think about it, I spent the hour before the Beatles banging on drums and cymbals and xylophone type instruments in a gamelan music class. I’ll just keep that in mind next month when I’m making my fourth student loan payment of 26. (Excuse me while I go cry).

Anyhow, because of the class I grew a fondness for the band and their music. And so, while Leslie and I were on our way to Central Park we stopped by the Dakota where John once lived.

 

I swear

I swear, I just have the best luck. TODAY while I was waiting for the train the subway smelled like something awful. Like, way worse than it usually does. I tried relocating myself away from the smell, but just couldn’t get far enough.  I was almost concerned that someone lay dead under the platform.  Thankfully (or so I thought) the train pulled up and I got on, but then the smell magnified by 1o. Literally everyone who walked on the train walked back off and to another car.  As I’m really trying hard not to vomit, this lady turns to me and says “There is a homeless man walking around and I think he went number two in his pants.”  No words. I wanted to say to her “Are you sure he’s walking around, because no living thing could produce that smell. It’s the smell of DECAYing corpse.” Instead I just frowned, which I’m sure she couldn’t see because my arm was covering my face.

My long time friend

My long time friend Leslie came for a visit last week.  I think she may have seen all of New York and then some.

Sure wish I didn’t have that beer in my hand.  Ever notice how a misplaced item can totally ruin a photo? Oh well, this is true to form and how we kicked off her vacay.

Not a bad way to spend the day

Not a bad way to spend the day. Walking around the City with an old friend, making two new friends and watching little kids fall on the ice.  Thank you, New York.

Broadway before and after

Broadway before and after the Yankees Ticker Tape parade.  The office had a great view. My favorite part? The spectators getting tons of shredded paper dumped on their heads.  Ah yes, what fun. Until a fire starts in the subway below the street. That happened.

Please don’t ask me which player that is (Duckie??), I just hit record.

On the subway

On the subway (ah, love it when sentences start out this way) I didn’t get a seat on the way to work. This happens about once a week, so I suck it up. But yesterday morning the woman I was hovering over happened to get off the train. Score! This never happens on this particular train. If I don’t get a seat when I get on, it’s standing room the whole way. So, I sit down for a whole five minutes till the train arrives at the next station and the conductor announces that there is a medical emergency on the train and that there will be a train coming soon to take us. Lame! I stay seated as droves of people get off the train and move to the next track.  I am strategically weighing my options. I decide to get on the other train, knowing I’ll have to stand the rest of the way. And so we’re clear, it’s 45 minutes. Just so, you know, you don’t think I’m a total wuss. Anyway, I get on the other train, smooshed in between one grumpy person and the next. We’re riding along, and what do I see? Oh, it’s just the train I was on near empty zooming past. Great! So on top of being 1o minutes late to work, from the “emergency” I had to hear (over my iPod) this little exchange from two fellows somewhere smooshed behind me:

Angry Dude: F***!! Jesus Christ, Man.

At Fault Dude: (whispering) sorry…. sorry….

Hahahaha. Everyone who had enough room to turn around did, I could only manage a slight head rotation. Initially I thought maybe At fault Dude threw up on Angry Dude (this happens more than you’d think), but seeing as how there was no puke on the floor when I exited, At Fault Dude probably just farted. Loudly.

The weekend

The weekend before last I made it home for a few busy days. It’s rough trying to fit in everyone I’d like to see in three days (and maybe even harder finding time to enjoy my favorite food places.) But one thing’s for sure, I felt refreshed. Until tonight it had been 10 whole days since I thought “what am I doing here” (my daily mantra). Ah, to be happy. What is that like? Oh, I know…

Sister, Dad, Mom, Me, Brother*

*Brother seems to be missing. He was likely in the bathroom practicing the dance moves he debuted at the wedding reception. As my mom said, “Dammit Jack, that could have been our Christmas photo.”

Mission: Bagel Extraordinaire

Murray’s Bagels

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Before meeting up for a movie in Chelsea with one of my friends I stopped by Murray’s Bagels for a lunch time snack. I had been there once before, prior to starting my hunt for the best NY bagel.  Both times I left with a cinnamon raisin with plain cream cheese. And both times I felt that it was pretty good. Pretty good. Not great.

My problem with NY bagels is that they taste dirty. It’s kind of hard to explain, but I think of it like this… The water in NY is dirty and gross. To make a bagel it must be boiled in water then placed in the oven. And you’d think that by boiling the water it’d get all cleansed and shit, but no. You thought wrong. Because the bagels taste like dirty water.  Always. Everywhere. But don’t ask a New Yorker, they’d scoff at your dirty New York water comment.