random highlights, quotes & commentary. nyc on new year's eve

Tuesday... departure day

"We have a possible oversold situation on the flight to New York Laguardia." (gate agent in Columbus)

(For those of you who don't know me...I love little kids, I like to smile and make faces at them...)
"Don't look at me!" (little boy swinging around his stuffed dog at airport, to me)

First stop, Chelsea Market. It must be a local secret...there are no signs to the place.

Black Lentil & Smoked Turkey Soup. Really, really good.

"M'aam, no photographs here." (lady at Elenis while I was trying to photograph cookies.)

Walking.

More walking.

"How much for the pink glitter 2009 glasses?" (my sister)

"How much for the earflap hat?" (me)
"You are NOT getting that hat!" (my sister)

Tinsel Trading. So much ribbon...didn't even know what to do with myself.




That Store Across the Street. Spools of vintage ribbon on sale...are you kidding me!?

Lobster & Red Pepper Pasta at Tre Dici. Ridiculously good.


Wednesday...New Year's Eve

ABC Carpet & Home. The displays! (The prices!)

"You pick where we have lunch today." (my sister)

"I can't find anything on this menu." (my sister)

"Do you have diet soda?" (me)
"No, we don't have soda here." (waiter)

"I just want to stand up on this table and tell all these people that there are no proven studies that organic is better for you...and it costs twice as much!" (my agriculture-educator sister)

My lunch, Black Bean Hummus Tartine. Yum!

"My stomach's upset." (my sister after eating her organic quiche)

"My feet hurt." (me)

Fishs Eddy. Love that store!


"Look at those treehouses in the trees!" (my sister)
"I'll bet they're for homeless people." (sis)
"How would they get up there!?" (me)
"I'll bet they're for some kind of birds...endangered eagles or something." (me)

Walking.

"You pick dinner tonight." (me to sis)

"Can you tell us about the Chicken Scarpariello?"
"It's divine...I could bathe in the lemon-butter sauce."
"Hmm, is the marinara sauce chunky or smooth?"
"Smooth."
"What about the shrimp dishes?...I think we need a few minutes."

"We'll have the spaghetti & meatballs."

"That's a big plate of no." (a quote we loved from our waiter, James at Carmine's...we're totally using this line!)

"Hey James, we have a question for you...today, when we were walking, we saw these houses up in some trees. What are those for?"
"Oh, that's an art project."

(to policemen at 6 blocked-off intersections...) "We're trying to get to the theater."

39 Steps. Funny play...so awesome to go to the theater in nyc!

"Go to the bathroom...there won't be any in Times Square." (sis to me)

"You'll have to keep going down to 59th St." (policemen at each & every intersection for blocks & blocks."

"Hey look, there's a Starbucks with a bathroom. Let's stop really quick before we get to 59th St." (me to sis)

"The bathroom will be closing in 20 minutes, regardless of where you are in the line." (manager dude at Starbucks.)

"I'm sorry, the bathroom is CLOSED now. (Starbucks dude to the man in front of me after waiting in line for 45 minutes!)

"Suck it up, we're going." (sis to me)

"People with bags to the right, no bags...to the left."
"People with bags to the right, no bags...to the left!"
"Have your cell phones and cameras OUT." (policemen at 59th St.)

Waiting in holding cell #1.

"There's no reason to run...there's no hurry!" (policemen at crosswalk after holding cell #1)

"We got IN!" (sis)

Twenty minutes later..."Mooooo......moooo...." (sis referring to the people that were being herded into our permanent holding area for watching the ball drop, 15 blocks back.)

"Where exactly is the ball?" (me)
"See that little tiny, blinking light?" (sis)
"Uh huh."
"That's it."

"Seriously, no bathrooms!?" (little gal in front of us to the policeman after she inquired where the bathrooms were.)

"They should have mobile bathrooms or something here." (little gal in front of us)
"Hold it." (little gal's friend)

Pushing and shoving within the permanent holding area. I've never really seen 1 million people gathered in one place. Scary, really scary.

"Want to go back to the hotel?" (sis)

"Yes." (me)

"Where are you girls going?" (pedalling taxi driver)
"It's okay, we'll wait for a cab."
"Just tell me where you're going...I'll get you there faster than any cab!"
"Holiday Inn...how much?"
"$35."
"It's okay...we'll wait for a cab."
Pedalling taxi driver pedalling away, "You people really need to get some @#$%^*% holiday spirit."
Thank you, Mr. Pedalling Taxi driver for swearing at us adding insult to injury that we weren't watching the ball drop up close & personal.

Jalepeno pretzels and diet cream soda while watching the ball drop on our tv in the hotel room.


Thursday... New Year's Day

Front desk guy says as we're heading out, "It's CRISP out today." (Um yeah, in Ohio, we call it BITTER!)

Meeting Amy's nice friend, Yolanda.

The tree in Rockefeller Center.


The windows at Anthropolgie.






"Seriously, can I hold it!?" (sis to the cotton candy man)

"How much for the earflap hat?" (sis to the street vendor)


Really, what an adventure! Wouldn't have wanted to experience it with anyone else, Amy...thanks for a fun (and educational!) trip!

We both highly recommend watching The Ball drop on tv from the cozy comfort of your own home. But for shopping, dining, people watching and walking...we heart New York.