Flying

My mom came to NYC for a visit!

Saturday Night: Showed her a good time in Bayonne. Took about five minutes, and then decided to take the Light Rail to Hoboken for an Italian dinner and an evening stroll.

Sunday: Checked into The Amsterdam Court Hotel, an inexpensive place to stay (by NYC standards) right smack in the middle of the Theater District! Went on carriage and carousel ride in Central Park, FAO Schwartz, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Empire State Building.

Monday: Dunkin Donuts for breakfast! The Statue of Liberty...
Funny story... this is the second time my mom has visited the Statue of Liberty. The first time was several years ago, we were crammed in the ferry waiting to get off, and I asked her where we were going next. She answered "Chinatown." Only, she said it a bit like the character Mickey Rooney plays in Breakfast at Tiffanys. You know. Well, it just so happened that an Asian man was standing in front of us at that moment, heard, and was a bit, well, offended, I suppose. Oh, mother. Well, on Monday, as we stood in line to get onto the ferry, it happened again. We were surrounded by many British folks, who are visiting the U.S. because of the whole dollar/pound exchange going on over there right now. She decided it was the most opportune time to discuss this with me, and the way it came out, although in a whisper, wasn't meant to be offensive, but could have been picked up as. I think we both actually might have also said "Ello, Guvnah" a little bit too loud soon afterwards, too. In fact, now that I think about it, the lovely British couple from just outside the Wales/England border didn't talk to us anymore after that! We came to the conclusion that there must be something about being near the Statue of Liberty that makes my mom's freedom of speech come out.

We also visited Chinatown, Little Italy, Da Nico's Italian Restaurant for lunch (our favorite restaurant in NYC!), World Trade Center site, and took a walk on Brooklyn Bridge.

Tuesday: Dean and Delucas for breakfast, Bloomingdales, Serendipity's 3 for lunch!!! I've always wanted to eat lunch (and more importantly, dessert) here.

The New York City Public Library!!! Carmine's (yes, Italian once again. what can I say? we're addicted to our spaghetti and meatballs, fettucini alfredo, bread, and wine!) As you've all probably heard, not only is there a Writer's Strike, but also a Stagehand Strike here in the city. So, our plans to go see Wicked or Young Frankenstein were cancelled, but instead, we got half-price tickets to a Broadway play called Mauritius. It was fantastic!

All in all, my mom and I had a great time, feel like we know Manhattan like the backs of our hands now, saw Gene Simmons from Kiss, and also, could really go for some Italian right now.

Visited Salt Lake City, Utah while on a four day trip.

Downtown Salt Lake City is extremely clean. Like, freakishly clean. I even saw at two different times, two different people walking along the street, lean down, pick up some trash, walk thirty feet away to the nearest trash and throw it away. Mind you, these were things like, dirty socks and candy wrappers.

Just got back from a 4 day trip.

Had a long layover in downtown Denver on Halloween night. At one bar, I met a man who was not only a professor, but a Bush-bashing NRA-loving Athiest Republican. Plus, he was dressed as Charlie Brown.

What a conversation we had.

Went shopping along 16th Street Mall in Denver and found another cool bookstore called Tattered Cover. Bought I Capture the Castle. I'd seen the movie and loved it, and am enjoying the book so much more. As always. In Seattle, I found a radical-based bookstore called Left Bank Books in downtown which was fun to walk through. Bought an old British publication of To Kill a Mockingbird. I've decided that on my long layovers I will go out in search of independent bookstores, buy a book and write inside the cover the details of my trip. So much more interesting than postcards, teaspoons and shot glasses in the long run.

While in Seattle, visited the original Starbucks (one on every corner, Claire!) and Pike St. Market where I had a large salmon nearly slap my face as it soared between the hands of overall-wearing workers. It even rained a bit on me! I believe I was the only one happy about this in the crowd.

It was in Seattle where I felt the first real impact of being suddenly in a place I'd never been before. (From ocean to ocean in a day!) I think it might be because I've always wanted to visit the northwest. As I looked from harbor to skyline and up up up long, tall streets that seemed to reach the heights of the financial district skyscrapers, I felt a bit overwhelmed and excited and out of breath.

Tomorrow I have a Newark to Dallas to Houston and back to Newark turn. Then, Monday I have off! Heading to NYC for the day. First item on my Things To See And Do In NYC Checklist: Library card from the New York City Library.