The weekend

My mom arrived last week to help us prepare for Max. I had some last minute shopping, laundry, cleaning, and decorating that I really wanted finished but just couldn't seem to get done.

Garrett took the opportunity during the beautiful weekend to ride into NYC. He had initially planned to ride over the George Washington Bridge but ended up going all the way into Central Park. He had a lot of fun and will probably blog about it later.

My mom and I painted letters for Max's wall and then Garrett hung them. I asked Max to wait until we had his room ready and then he could come.

He's a very obedient boy.

Xanadu

Xanadu is an un-apologetically over-the-top show that's goal is to entertain.

And it succeeds!


My former student and all-around special girl Caitlin was visiting the city this week, so we got together to catch up. At TKTS, we scored third row tickets! Then, we went to Starbuck's. (I don't feel like my tall chai frappuccino is so bad for Max now that I know it only has 45 mg of caffeine.)

Then, I took her to Ellen's Stardust Diner because it's the perfect location for theater lovers because the waiters sing and dance. Imagine the diner in Pulp Fiction where the actors dance. The diner was having some sort of Elvis celebration there with a couple of singing Elvises. So, of course, we ordered the peanut butter, banana, and jelly sandwich. Yum.

My friend Colleen promised me that I would love Xanadu because it was so absurd and self-effacing. She was right. When I learned Whoopi Goldberg was in it for a month I really wanted to see it.

Below is Kerry Butler, the star of the show.
If you look hard, you can see Whoopi on the left and Cheyenne Jackson, the male lead, signing autographs. Whoopi was very gracious.
It is a silly diversion that only lasts 90 minutes! Pegasus resembles a carousel horse. Actors wear roller skates, leg warmers, spandex under shorts, as well as garb of ancient Greeks. Plus, 2 of the 9 muses are played by guys. Curtis Holbrook was one of these sisters, and he was so funny I had to make myself stop watching only him.

Obviously, Xanadu doesn't take itself seriously. Which makes it work. Unlike other shows on Broadway, you're so busy laughing that you never have the urge to look at your watch.

Baby Shower at Lady Mendl's

On July 19, our friends in the area surprised us in NYC with a baby shower for Max. I wondered why my mom and Garrett thought it was a good idea to go into the city on the hottest day of the year so far when they'd been being so nurturing and protective otherwise. I think it was at least 95 degrees--and in the city, that's hot. Anyway, we tromped through Chinatown and then Garrett wanted to go to Union Square. Since he likes hanging out in parks, I didn't think anything of it. Besides, a Babies R Us across the street shone like a beacon because I knew they were bathroom friendly to moms-to-be.

After my pit stop, Garrett encouraged us to walk a certain direction and I saw my friends Stephanie and Alison chatting it up on the sidewalk. I momentarily thought, "Wow. Small world." Then I saw Colleen, Josh, Paul and baby Ellery with gift bags in tow. They yelled, "Surprise! It's your baby shower!"

We then strolled to The Inn at Irving Place, which is an inn that also houses Lady Mendl's Tea Salon. Yes, Lady Mendl's! None of them knew it, but this place was bookmarked on my computer long before we even moved here. I've wanted to go but figured it wasn't going to happen. Luckily, my friends know I'm a sucker for a tea party. I was delighted!

Other than the fact I was sweating like a whore in church, it was perfect. The flowers were gorgeous. The tea was delish. We sat down for a five course high tea and even the boys enjoyed themselves.

Here's a pic of the final course that most of them were too full to touch:

Ellery was adorable in her dress and looked exactly how a little girl should look at her first tea party. Here's a picture of Garrett doting on her.It was a perfect afternoon.

Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps

My mom's birthday was last Monday. She arrived here on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I took her into the city to celebrate her birthday.
We watched The 39 Steps, which is rife with verbal and visual allusions to Alfred Hitchcock's movies. Just as he made an appearance in all of his films, his silhouette even slipped into the play. I knew it would be good, but I hadn't anticipated how funny it would be. The actor's capacity for physical comedy was impressive. Three men and one woman performed a large cast of character. In one scene five characters had a conversation played by only two men. One of the guys had a hat on his head and a hat in each hand that he switched for each persona. Hilarious.

Note if you're planning a trip to NYC: It's hard to know Broadway performances some men will like, but this one can be enjoyed by even the most theater-reluctant.
Before the show we ate at our favorite restaurant Langan's. I ordered the Maryland crabcakes and she ordered the porkchops. We split them and they were divine. After the show we stopped by Maxi's (I think that's the name of it) for dessert--crepes--before getting on the train. I hope she enjoyed her birthday treat as much as I did!

31 weeks

You know Max is getting big when my girth begins to dwarf Garrett! This picture was taken Saturday evening in the East Village where our friends live.

Superheroes at the Met

I love the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There's so much to see and something for everyone. If you like paintings, they got 'em. If you like photographs, they got 'em. If you like nude marble sculptures, they got 'em. If you like ancient armor for horses, they got 'em.

What's that? You like superheroes? And you like fashion?

They got 'em...through September 1.

A special exhibit links superheroes with runway fashion. It's so cool! Not only do you get to see actual costumes from Superman, Batman (the one not yet released!), Spiderman, X-Men and more, but you also get to see the fashion inspired by them. The show is divided into categories, so when you're examining the actual Spiderman costumes, you also get to see clothes from the lines of major fashion designers inspired by that superhero.

If you're in NYC, check out this exhibit. Like at all museums, though, be sure to read the information instead of just looking at the stuff and walking by. It makes your time much more interesting. I learned a lot about comic books. Plus, I learned that these superheroes of ours are metaphors for what's going on in the real world.

Blog that should exist

I often think of blogs that should be. The one that would be the most useful is Public Restrooms in NYC. My brother told me Seinfeld had an episode discussing the lack of public facilities in New York which made me think someone else may have already created this blog. Well, guess what? A specific blog may not be out there, but some nice people have written articles that have the information.

New York City Travel Information

New York Restrooms

Clean Bathrooms This one teaches me that all of these resources can't totally be trusted. It indicates that Starbucks is a good location. Well.... I've been to two Starbucks in NYC that did not have public restrooms.

Reviews on Restrooms

The difference between NYC and NJ

I look pregnant. Really pregnant.

I know this because three people in the last week have congratulated me, asked my due date, etc. Also, many people look at my belly and give a little smile. I love this new experience. It's like kind strangers are wishing our little Max well. Plus, I no longer fall into the questionable category of pregnant vs. fat. I look as pregnant as I am!

Which is good since I'm 6 months along.

And you'd think it would have perks on public transportation.

However, I've learned an ugly fact about where I live.

In New York City, people notice I'm pregnant and open doors or offer seats on the subway.

On NJ transit, I stand in the aisle of the train while people look at my belly, look me in the eyes and then--I kid you not--close their eyes and snuggle back into their cozy train seats. This is while I'm standing, uncomfortable and thirsty, waiting for fifteen minutes on a delayed train before our fifteen minute ride even begins. (Thank goodness there are usually seats available for the 45 minute connecting ride!)

I know what you're thinking. She's had one bad experience. NO.

I didn't mention the attitudes at first. Now there is an established pattern. It wouldn't be so bad if the meanies weren't so blatant and smug about being comfy while they know I'm not. And, I know it sounds presumptuous of me to expect a person to be polite to a pregnant or elderly person, but that's what our society is supposed to do, right?

So, whose mama taught 'em right? NYC or NJ? Draw your own conclusions.

Our Perfect Day

Yesterday was one of the reasons we moved here. It was one of our favorite days that we ever spent in New York City.

The day began in an exciting way as we watched in awe as Max moved around in my belly. We saw him shake me like an earthquake. At one point, he rolled over and we saw his rump then his shoulder slide along my tummy. Then again, we don't know exactly which parts they were, but I felt a definite kinship with the movie Alien.

We rode the train and arrived in time to catch lunch before the show. We went to Langan's, one of our favorite restaurants in the city. Not only is the food tasty, but also the waitresses speak with a charming Irish lilt. Both entice us into returning after all these years. We were in a bit of a time crunch, so we each ordered something less fancy than we usually do. Garrett enjoyed crab cakes while I had a traditional fish and chips. The best thing we've ever had there, though, was fish (snapper?) with carmelized cabbage. Yummy.

For my birthday, Garrett bought us tickets to see November. It's a political spoof on a presidential election. Nathan Lane plays an ultra-conservative president. See... it's funny already, isn't it? Laurie Metcalf is nominated for a Tony for her performance. Dylan Baker, Michael Nichols, and Ethan Phillips shared the stage to create a funny show. After having the picture taken above, we saw Metcalf signing autographs. We had incredible seats and were impressed with the beauty of the Barrymore theatre. It was built in 1928 and holds the glamour of the time. Afterward, we dropped by Starbuck's and spent a few hours in Central Park. From a bench, we watched the people, squirrels, and giant pigeons. We walked a bit before sitting on a rock to watch the children play in the enormous playground. Then we stood in line for the porto-potties--THAT's an experience I never want to repeat. Afterward, we watched a baseball game where the Randy's were kicking Los Cocos' butts, and the latter's catcher, Diablitos, was not a happy camper. Eventually, we moved to another bench and watched the cyclists and carriages and skateboarders.

We wandered to a nearby mall at Columbus Circle. Garrett said the building is where CNN tapes each morning. I was thrilled because they had an Aveda shop and I was able to purchase Rosemary and Mint shampoo and conditioner. I love the smell of that stuff!

Throughout the day, we popped into wine shops to ask them if they carried any non-alcoholic wine. I'd just seen an article about several brands. Really, the only craving I have during pregnancy is for a good red wine. The article seemed fortuitous. Sadly, most of the workers greeted my question with a look implying I was a silly girl who should just go find some grape juice.

We then took a bumpy cab ride to Little Italy. It seems that they have a lot of festivals there in the summer, and we were not disappointed. We ate at Novella's and I still get happy when I think of how tasty it was. We dined alfresco, so we had a good view of everyone at the festival. We also were easy access for the nun who was collecting for St. Anthony. She made her rounds to all the diners. Maybe that was the purpose of the festival??? The tour busses rolled by on a regular basis, and Garrett smiled for the cameras. There were so many flashes, it was like a red carpet shindig. I think Garrett likes the idea of being in so many photo albums. We realized that we'd enjoyed our time past meeting the train, so we made our way to Port Authority Bus Terminal. We'd never caught the bus from NYC to NJ--and it was not easy! When I was almost in tears and had totally given up, Garrett pressed on. Eventually, the guide I'd printed off the internet gave us enough information to find our way. Believe me, we would have asked for help, but the information booths were closed with signs directing us to the other closed information booths.

When we got off the bus, we dodged a few raindrops. Once under the safety of our stoop, the skies unleashed the rain.

It was a good day.

Wednesday, May 14--23 weeks!

I took the bus into the city today to see my friend Stephanie and a show. The beautiful day and fun activities made up for the beginning of the journey. The smells of the perfume in the magazine I was reading and the guy sitting beside me combined with the stop and start motion of the bus to make me wonder if I would have to use my purse as a barf bag. Nausea, be gone!

Once in the city, though, it was a perfect and gorgeous day. We ate lunch alfresco at a little French restaurant. Then we went to a show called Perfect Crime. It's the longest running drama in Broadway history. According to the program, Catherine Russell, the lead, has missed only four shows in 20 years. (We speculated that she must be either one dedicated or incredibly lonely woman.) The show was a good mystery. Max and I didn't exactly like the gunshots much--he jumped around a lot! The men in the show were all impressive. The show is at the tiny Snapple Theatre. It's a cozy, and worthwhile experience.

After the play we went to a bridal boutique. Stephanie is marrying a super-nice guy on 8-8-08 in Paris. Unfortunately, we won't be able to attend because it's only a month from our due date. Still, it was fun to get to help her with her wedding dress. It was one of those afternoons that made me thankful we moved here.

While at the boutique, we observed a bride-to-be having a horrific problem with sizing a dress for her August wedding. Apparently, she'd selected a mermaid style gown several months before. At some point during the engagement she got pregnant. She's currently three months along and one of her breasts alone equaled the size of my belly. She was huge. They were trying to find a different gown and order it in the right size to fit her. None of her friends or family could go with her that day, so Stephanie and I befriended her. My heart hurt for the girl. She was such a sweet thing. Getting married and having a baby should be joyous occasions. I feel so bad for her that the two are getting crammed together with one tainting the pleasure of the other. I hope she has a lovely day.

As for me, I was officially 23 weeks that day. The people at the bridal shop didn't even notice I was pregnant until it came out in conversation. I guess they thought I was just built funny. Hmmm. I'm not really sure how to take that.

New York Auto Show March 29, 2008

While my mom visited, we had only one pretty day--and it was frickin' cold. So we went into the city and checked out the New York Auto Show. Garrett claimed it was the biggest in the nation and we'd be impressed. Surprisingly, for a gal who usually can identify a car only by color, I thought it was pretty cool. That's G and my mom in the pic above.
It didn't take long for me to get exhausted--and hungry. So, yeah, I ate the whole pizza by myself. You didn't think my face could get that round just from the baby, did you? And, that pooch around my belly... well, that's not my shirt bunching up--which is what I thought when I saw it.
The most exciting aspect of the show was seeing this car--even though a bunch of guys and little boys made no effort to get out of my way so I could get a better view. Do you recognize him? It's Bumblebee! From Transformers! I just know that if those people would have gotten out of my way, he would have transformed and had a chat with me. I'd like to ask him why the amazing theme song from the cartoon didn't make it to the movie. Seriously, I was so disappointed that I had to sing it to myself. It probably annoyed Garrett.
Isn't she pretty? This is my new car. You can't exactly tell from the picture, but this little Jag looks like a kitty cat in the face. Me-ow.

February 24

My mom and I watched the Broadway production of August: Osage County. The guys went to the Natural History Museum, which they said is nothing like Ben Stiller's movie At the Museum.

The first act was especially good. I thought it seemed to have elements of Steel Magnolias and Terms of Endearment. Tracy Letts created a believably kooky family--even if a certain subplot was a little icky. As the play continued for three acts I wondered if the theater was trying to add to the setting of an Oklahoma August by smothering us. I think I'd seen a show in that theater before and remembered a leaky roof that did not help the fact that it was frigid.

One of the reasons we'd wanted to see the play was because the playwright was the son of Oklahoma's own Billi Letts, who wrote Where the Heart Is (you know, the Oprah book that became a movie and was about the girl who had a baby at Wal Mart). Letts has such a knack with creating characters, we wanted to see if her talent rubbed off on her son. We met her at HAWK's Heartland writing workshop last summer, and she glowed with pride as she spoke of her son's play. Below is a picture of some of my writing pals with the author:

The show was a family affair. Her husband Dennis Letts played the father. His monologue opened the show. We were disappointed to see that someone was filling in for him. When Mama returned home she explained why the actor missed the show. After reading local Oklahoma papers, she learned he'd died that Friday--two days before the performance. My heart goes out to their family in their loss. I've heard her speak a couple of times, and she seems like a sincere person whose pride and love for her family are evident.

Saturday, February 2, 2008

At Garrett’s suggestion, we went to Tiffany's in NYC today. Our tenth anniversary is coming soon, so I didn’t argue about it. Okay, I did a little because there are probably cheaper places to go. Of course, it didn’t take long for me to agree to his argument that it was an experience as well as an anniversary gift.

Tiffany’s has several stories. Each one is filled with sparkles galore. One floor contains diamonds and gemstones, another is mostly silver, the top is china and baby things. Tourists, couples, girlfriends, family milled around. If you’re in NY, add it to your touristy list. The Tiffany diamond alone is worth the trip. It’s an enormous yellow diamond set with a diamond bird. It’s only been worn by two women, and one of them was Audrey Hepburn.

We eventually found our way to the counter with the Celebration rings. Anyone can celebrate events with different rings that stack on top of each other and create a thing of beauty. While waiting, a man in a suit came by with a tray of petit fours. Each one was traditional Tiffany’s baby blue with a little white bow of icing on top. They mimicked the gift box customers take home. They also tasted similar to our wedding cake, which I still think was exceptionally delicious for cake.

Melissa was our salesgirl and she went through a variety of rings and helped us figure out the one we wanted. She also wrote down additional ones we liked for future celebratory occasions. While paying, most people are offered champagne. Due to the pregnancy, Garrett joined me with sparkling water.

When we left, we held hands that clasped a little blue Tiffany& Co. bag that contained a little blue box with a white bow.

Garrett was right. It was a lovely experience.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

We rode the train into NYC. It was Garrett’s first ride, and I felt pretty cool that I knew how to get us places. We listened to the iPod as Garrett played some appropriate tunes such as “New York, New York” and assorted songs by Jersey boys Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen.

Central Park, as usual, was beautiful. We sat on a bench in the sun and marveled at how people simply gave their money away. Michael Jackson’s music blasted from a portable stereo system. A guy in a silver sequin jacket and hat called out to the crowd and said things like, “Okay, here we go!” and “Let’s start this show!” while three guys dressed in green tees and sweats looked like backup dancers. People walked by and dropped money in their bucket without even watching. Eventually a crowd formed and they did a little break dancing. A few blocks away, a team dressed in red were doing the same thing—but they danced a little better.

We bought some birthday and baby gifts. We ate at Sarabeth’s. We dropped in on our friends Steph and Josh in the East Village. We walked a lot.

Subway sighting: No rats were visible this time, but a lone umbrella lay between the tracks.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Garrett and I drove to West Point tonight to visit the newest property of the U.S. government. Our friends Alison and Paul had their beautiful baby girl Ellery Rose yesterday. (Many people say babies are beautiful, but they’re usually lying. This time it’s totally true. She’s precious.) Congrats to their new little family.

It was great to get out of the little box (AKA our apartment) today. Not only did we get the great news about their baby and get to visit, but I also ventured into the city to see my friend Stephanie via train and subways. I must have had that little lost girl look on my face because most of the time people offered help before I asked for it. I didn’t get lost and got to where I wanted to, so that’s okay. The NYC subway system makes a lot more sense to me than the NJ trains—and don’t even mention the bus schedule. Geez, it’s confusing. I’ll figure it out eventually. In the meantime, I’ll depend on the kindness of strangers. They’re so friendly. Some are a little overly friendly. I was asked out twice on the way there. I guess my new puffy warm coat makes me a hot ticket around here.

Steph and I went to an East Village tea room called Podunk’s. We’d both read an article online where it was listed as one of the top eight tea houses in the city. http://gonyc.about.com/od/restaurants/tp/tearooms.htm I’d read reviews where the woman who ran it either sounded like a sweet little frau or a demonic evil witch. The online reviews mentioned an unwritten rule about using cell phones under the threat of being cussed at and having things hurled at you, so we dutifully turned ours off before entering. I’d also heard that if it’s empty, we shouldn’t go in because she’s maybe chased people out. It was empty, but we were adventurous and entered anyway. I’m so glad we did. We had a delightful tea in a charming area with mismatched tables and chairs. The lady behind the counter was as sweet as her chocolate chip cookies. When I tried to pay when we picked up our tea, she said, “Oh, no. No one should ever pay before tea. It’s just not right.” After savoring her vanilla coconut tea, I asked her if she took debit, credit or cash. She smiled apologetically and said, “We only take cash, check, and IOU here.” Our eyes about popped out of our heads at the last part, but she told us we looked trustworthy and it’s always worked in the past. We had enough cash, though. To top off the day, I told her that Stephanie thought her cookies tasted like the ones her great-grandmother baked. Steph said she hadn’t had one since the ‘80s and wanted to purchase some. The woman didn’t even hesitate but popped a couple in the bag for her on the house. I’ll try the place again. Hopefully, it will be as sweet as it was today.

Subway sighting: I saw a rat the size of a small cat or a good-sized squirrel on the tracks today at the subway. I’d seen smaller ones in the past, but this one was a prize-winner.

Garrett had success at work today. Well, the gym at work, at least. The company makes them undergo a fitness evaluation before allowing them to use the facilities. Garrett completed more pushups than anyone had ever completed. He was upset. He didn’t know it was going to be a competition. If he had, he would not have worked out that morning before going to work (yes, that means he works out twice a day). Instead, he claims he would have trained specifically for the evaluation, so that no one could unseat him. Nah, he’s not competitive.