Last weekend, AJ and I had way more fun than we were expecting at a baby shower for Iris. Everyone has been crossing their fingers for this little one, since Iris went into pre-term labor a few weeks ago and is on bedrest for the remainder of her pregnancy.
On Saturday we got to celebrate with her and David as they get ready to welcome their incoming baby boy. Once again, Iris, Jessica, Serena and I were all able to get together for another life event - we've been very lucky to make it all happen! Serena left before we could get a picture, but who can blame her, she has a 5 month old baby girl now.
He's not due to arrive until September 21, but here's hoping this little one doesn't come an hour before August 30, and more hopefully August 31!
I haven't been back to New York since I moved home, and that all changed this past week. The one work trip I take in the summer is an annual forum in Washington DC during the last week of July. It's a miserable time to be on the mid-Atlantic seaboard with the heat and humidity, but it was the cheapest way to get us both out to NYC... after my conference I took a bus up from DC and AJ took a red eye in to the city.
The conference itself was really good, as usual. It's probably my favorite event to go to all year. And, I got to see a lot of familiar faces, including Jessica, Chrishon and Haley. On the last day of the conference, we got out around lunch, so my boss Anju, Jessica and me went to the National Portrait Gallery and got to see (among many others) the new Obama portraits, Barack and Michelle. Loved them!!
Then Jessica and I went to the National Archives and saw the Magna Carta, Constitution and Declaration of Independence. One guard told a little girl to stop banging on the glass or Nicholas Cage would come steal her LOLOLOL.
Jessica left Thursday evening and I had an early night since I had to get up at 5am to catch my 6:30am bus to NYC. I used to take the Bolt Bus all the time from NYC to Boston, Philly, Baltimore and DC, so it was just like old times! We even stopped at the old faithful Welcome Center in Delaware...
...which has since been renamed the Biden Welcome Center! I enjoyed that.
For all the year I've taken Bolt Bus, I never had a problem... until this time! We were soooo closeeee to New York City, we had passed Newark Liberty Airport and could see the NYC skyline... and the bus basically broke down on the side of the road, and we had to wait for another to come pick us up (oh and it didn't see us the first time and overshot us LOL) and then get on that the rest of the way. Delayed us a good hour in the end, but I wasn't exactly in any rush so I didn't totally mind.
Thankfully we were able to check in pretty early (instead of waiting until 4pm - sheesh!) and we were down near Ground Zero. We went up to the Flatiron to meet my friend Kevin for a really fun lunch. We went around to Eataly and had drinks and oysters (we actually had a lot of oysters that weekend) and then we went back near the hotel to see Alexander Hamilton's grave in Trinity Church, and then had to take a nap.
We rallied super late and ended up going out to the Village for pizza and drinks and general merrymaking. I tried to take him to Fat Cat Jazz but there was a dumb cover so we said neverminddddd!
I left this on the wall in John's on Bleecker pizza
I only now learned that the roses are placed in
the names at Ground Zero on their birthdays
Day 2 was friggin hot, but was more uptown fun. Chinatown, Central Park and some Upper West Side. It was crazy how familiar it all was, I felt like I had never left. All the smells were the the same, the hot air on the subways, the alerts and dings and cars. Of course some things changed, like some tap and go options for riding the subway, and the extension of the 7 train to 34 Street Hudson Yards and the crazy Oculus center. But it all still felt very familiar overall.
At my favorite place - Crocodile Lounge!
On the subway
We got super lucky with the timing of our trip, because Jayna was also coming to town for work. So on Sunday morning, we met up with her and Jenny and Jenny's husband and kids for dim sum in Queens. It was the first time Charlie's Angels had been reunited together since Jayna's wedding in June 2016! It was so much fun!! And Olivia is getting so big! And it was my first time meeting Kingston. Dim sum was also delicious and we stayed there forever talking and reminiscing. Definitely the highlight of the trip!
We were crashing with Jayna that night at her hotel, but since she had a welcome reception to go to, AJ and I decided to go to the Yankees/Red Sox game, and made it a point to visit my old (first!) apartment in NYC on the way up, and stop by my favorite bar.
All the feels! Here I was on 106 & Columbus, second brownstone from the right.
Holy geez it got cleaned up so good!! A better buzzer system and cleaned up and tiled and basically just getting super bougie now! I probably wouldn't even be able to afford that place now haha. Although I do miss how it was when I was living there in 2010, 2011.
We stopped by my old haunt 1020 and I should've known my bartender and friends wouldn't be there since it was a Sunday evening (and I would be there after work on weeknights) but it was still fun and a good nostalgic time, and I did still know the bartender who was working that evening, Ray.
It was fun seeing a Yankees/Red Sox game. Man were those Yankees fans mean to Boston LOL. And it was fun to see Cameron Maybin with them. I've liked him since the Padres! (Thanks Pam and Doug). And then I was stoked when he came to the Angels. And then I was sad when he went to Houston, but happy for him because he won a World Series, and now I got to see him again in New York.
We left late Monday night so we had all day to go explore more of the city. Times Square, Grand Central Station, Brooklyn Bridge, lunch at a whimsical restaurant (with half a dozen oysters each).
Mermaid in Starbucks by Rockefeller Plaza
Grand Central ceiling - I love the Zodiac!
I love the Audrey piece!
It was a really good time (despite the heat and crowds) and man I could have done and seen so much more! It's hard to cram 4 years of memories into a quick weekend!
Our new favorite game at the Newark airport
Man I love the East Coast! I had a great week. Even though I enjoy being home with my puppers and kitters, it was a right good time.
