March 12x12

The day started ridiculously early.  When I took this picture, I was up and dressed, packed and almost ready to walk out the door.  Coffee in hand. 

It was all worth it, though.  What a fabulous day.

Sitting in the airport, one my fellow travelers- after taking a Zantax for her fear of flying – noticed we were flying on a small, commuter jet and texted her last wishes to her mother from gate A7. 

“Take a nice trip with my money and donate the rest to the ASPCA.” 

Her mother’s reply: What’s the ASPCA?

After a cab ride of endless traffic, we hit the streets for some shopping.  The cold and rain, along with an intense desire to find deals, steals, and irresistible finds, drove us into H&M for a thorough visit.  We canvassed their three floors and emerged victorious.

At tiny tables wedged between the kitchen and the wall, we devoured a warm pizza lunch.  We entertained ourselves watching the hopelessly unorganized supervisor try to communicate with his non-English speaking crew and observing the constant stream of locals pouring into the little pizza joint – ironically called Firehouse Pizza.  It was a welcome break from the cold and wet.

Heading onto MoMA, I ooooohed and aaaaaaaahed at Monet’s Water Lilies.  We laughed and marveled at Burton’s quirky perversions, questioned and stared at the performance art and all agreed that some art just isn’t for us…namely the scary stuff. 

Afterwards, we ducked into the Magnolia Bakery for a sweet treat on the go, paired it with a glass of wine at a warm, dry pub before making our way back to the hotel to check in and freshen up.  We were checking out our view of the Empire State Building and gray skies when room service surprised us with a gift from my brother Jethro – a yummy bottle of champagne to celebrate our retreat. 

An old friend of mine (whom I hadn’t seen in too many years to count) met us at our hotel, guided this group of lovely bumbling tourists through town to a little dive for a drink and hailed us a taxi like a true gentleman.  He sent us to the Coffee Shop for the most delicious fries and chive dressing….on the side of our burgers, of course.  Girl talk poured all over the table like the little bottle of Heinz 57 and our energy finally began to wane.

Back in the room, Steph and I giggled like girlies playing with our cameras and smiling at  faces and moments frozen in time on the digital display of our DSLRs.  While our roommates slept, we shared one set of earbuds, Zuned some tunes and Googled craziness on my Blackberry.  It was the adult version of hiding beneath the sheets with a flashlight past lights-out. 

What a fabulous day.