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Posts Tagged ‘Living in Manhattan’

Wordless Wednesday: Rain, Rain, Go Away…

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on May 18, 2011| Leave a Comment »

This is the third day straight of rainy, miserable, gloomy weather. It is even a bit on the chilly side. The forecast for the rest of the week does not look very promising. I want the glorious days of spring time in Manhattan back! This weather is making me sleepy and extremely un-motivated. So, in order to brighten my day and hopefully yours, I am posting some pics of some of my favorite moments in the sun over the past few months. Here’s to sun filled days ahead =)

Popsicles in the Park

Beer on the Patio 😉

Lady Liberty shining in the sun

On top of the rocks in Central Park

Bridge view- Central Park

Empire State Building

Brooklyn Bridge

Brooklyn Bridge

A little nap in the sun

Streetscape

Enough with the showers for spring flowers...

The kids want to go outside and play!!

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A Super Hero Filled Weekend

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 16, 2011| Leave a Comment »

On Friday I was very generously given tickets to go and see the controversial revamped broadway show “Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark”.  I was extremely excited to see this newly improved show, in it’s second night in previews. The original show had been plagued with bad luck including accidents, injuries, horrible reviews and technical mishaps. Many New Yorkers, myself included were not going to waste time or money to go and see the show. However, after pulling the show off of the box office for a few weeks and re-doing much of the story and some of the music I have to admit I was extremely curious to go and see the new and improved production. If anything, it would definitely be something to talk about.

So, on Friday evening I headed into Times Square to go and see the show. Since it was a gorgeous evening I made the rookie mistake of getting off the subway one stop early, thinking that it would be a nice night to walk. BIG mistake. Times Square on a beautiful spring Friday night is madness. There are tourists everywhere and groups of people just stopping and staring or taking pictures. I felt like I was a salmon swimming up stream. And all the characters were out- pan handlers, street performers, tour operators, suspicious looking types, the police and even a few famous faces, like this guy:

Maybe he was on the way to the show?? 😉

The madness of Times Square

I eventually weaved my way down to the theatre on 42nd Street and waited for my handsome date to arrive so that we could go on in and catch the show.

My handsome date Eric =)

I am going to be completely honest here. I was expecting to be disappointed. My attitude going in was definitely jaded, I was prepared for the worst. So, I was more than pleasantly surprised when I began to get swept up in the magic of the theatre and after a slow moving start I really started to enjoy the show. By the end of the first act I was in awe of the incredible technical feat that this ambitious musical had taken on. It is unlike anything I have ever seen before. The high flying stunts are breathtaking and the music is edgy and dark. There is a story and it follows the classic Marvel tale that is beloved by soo many. I enjoyed it. In fact I more than enjoyed it. It was a breath of fresh air, something unique and different from the many classical broadway shows of the season. At the end of the show the audience gave it a well deserved standing ovation. The critics want this show to die a painful and expensive death because that news would sell. Personally, I am hoping that this new version with rise above the naysayers and through word of mouth people will come to see this show. It truly is a one of a kind spectacle!

Pre-performance curtain for Spiderman-Turn Off The Dark

It really was a super hero filled weekend because I also saw the movie “Thor” on Saturday night. It was date night and I lost out. I really wanted to see “Bridesmaids” but Ron convinced me that it would be a good movie to see with my girlfriends and therefore we should opt for the action packed adventure- fantasy film. I have to admit that I actually liked “Thor”. It wasn’t the best movie I have ever seen but the story line was good, there was lots of action and plenty of eye candy. Hello Chris Hemsworth !  And, the company wasn’t too bad either 😉

I think I am now good for a little while as far as my Marvel Comic book character fill. It is time for some bubbly and a good laugh with the ladies… who’s in for “Bridesmaids”?

Have a wonderful week… stay dry!

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A Little Face Time With Rob Lowe ;)

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on May 2, 2011| 2 Comments »

So, before the breaking story last night with the incredible news that Osama Bin Laden had been killed, a little tweet on twitter caught my eye. Rob Lowe would be signing copies of his new book “Stories I Only Tell My Friends” at the Barnes & Noble near Rockefeller Center on Monday. Huh. I am currently reading Rob Lowe’s book (on my Nook) and am really enjoying it. It is well written and quite captivating. I decided that I would venture into midtown to buy a copy of his book and get it signed by him. As my wise husband said “Are you really too busy to go and meet Rob Lowe??”. Um, NO! And so, this morning I embarked on my latest adventure in this great city.

I popped out of the subway in Times Square. I have to admit I was a bit tentative to see what the mood would be like there. Would there be protesters, people still celebrating or would there be a larger police presence? To the contrary it was actually a very quiet morning in Times Square, lots of tourists as per usual and the hustle and bustle of people going to work. The only noticeable difference was that people were stopping to read the news headlines that were flashing across numerous screens.

News headlines in Times Square-May 2, 2011

I continued on my way to the B & N. I arrived at 11:00 and Rob Lowe was not scheduled to arrive until 12:30. There was already a line that wrapped around the block. Not too bad. I debated if I actually wanted to stand around and wait. And then I gave my head a shake! First, this was Rob Lowe I was talking about and second, I live in NYC and am currently not working if I don’t take advantage of these situations now, when will I??!! I went in, bought the book, received a wrist band and made my way to the back of the line. Luckily I ended up standing on line with some interesting and fun people who made the time go by faster. We chatted about movies, Osama, celebrities and also the strange mix of people that were waiting to see Rob Lowe. Because it was a very weird mix. There was a guy who had flown in from Florida- can you say stalker??!! I figured it would be largely women my age or older who had always had a wee bit of a crush. Not so, there were lots of men, younger girls and much older women. I guess he appeals to all audiences. It was definitely a fun people watching moment.

Waiting patiently...

Line Friends 😉

I have to admit, as the line moved closer to him I was getting a little bit anxious, what exactly would I say to Rob Lowe when we were face to face? I mean it would be really embarrassing to just stand there and stare at him. I am happy to report that my many years of ahem, thinking on the spot, helped me out. This is how it went down:

RL: (looking up and making eye contact) Hi there!

Me: (Trying not to stare too boldly into his amazing eyes) Hi, how are you?

RL: Great, thanks for coming.

Me: I am really enjoying your book and I am also watching re-runs of The West Wing, one of my favorite shows of all time.

RL: I am soo glad you are liking the book. If you are reading the book and watching The West Wing (laughs) then you really don’t need to know anything else about me. Thanks for coming out today, have a great day.

Me: (Trying not to swoon) Thank you, my pleasure.

And then I walked away a wee bit stunned that I had just had a tiny little conversation with Rob Lowe. He is charming, personable, gorgeous and best of all… made beautiful eye contact while talking 😉

Yep, there he is.

He's talking to ME! (or at least my crazy curly hair)

One last pic cause he's so damn cute!

And now, I am back home doing laundry and rushing around to finish up errands before the kids get home! Back to reality. But I have to admit I am doing it all with a bit of a twinkle in my eye and a bounce in my step. Have a great day everyone!!

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Wordless Wednesday: A Walk From The East Side To The West Side

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , on April 27, 2011| 6 Comments »

It is another glorious Spring day in Manhattan. I had a doctor’s appointment over on the upper east side this morning and since the weather was so beautiful I decided to walk home back on over to the upper west side. Here are the pics I took as I walked. Enjoy and have a fabulous day =)

Walking down Park Ave.

E. 86th Street

No pee, pee, please!

Gorgeous lamp posts

Always remember to look up!

No, not the Dr. I was visiting 😉

5th Avenue in the sun

A moment of quiet

Peeking in to Central Park from 5th Ave.

The Met

Looking down toward the steps of The Met

Falling in behind a field trip

Side view of The Met

In full bloom

Strolling through Central Park

Trees over looking the Great Lawn

Turtle Pond with Belvedere Castle in the background

Romeo and Juliet Statue

Views back on the west side

Central Park West

W. 81st Street

The Planetarium at the AMNH

Columbus Ave.

Home Sweet Home!

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Fabulous New Find: Fort Tryon Park and The Cloisters

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on April 15, 2011| 3 Comments »

It has been a bit of a crazy week for Ottawa reunions. Just back from a fabulous weekend in Montreal with three cherished girlfriends from Ottawa, I had another wonderful friend visit NYC for a couple of days from the Nation’s Capital. Alison and I had a great couple of days just catching up, reminiscing and exploring. She had fun checking out my new life as a Manhattan dweller and I loved hearing about her adventures back in Canada. Alison even had the chance to witness my New Yorker attitude as I yelled at a passing driver who nearly ran us (and numerous other pedestrians) over at a cross walk. The expression on her face was priceless. Oh ya, I’m badass!! 😉

Alison and I at Fort Tryon Park

The great thing about my friend Alison, is that she is a planner and came with a list of things that she would like to do for her limited stay in NYC. We ventured to St. John the Divine Church, Magnolia Cupcake, The Lego Store, FAO Schwarz, The Disney Store, Rockefeller Center, strolled through Riverside and Central Park and walked up and down the streets taking it all in. But, the coolest place she wanted to go to was Fort Tryon Park and The Cloisters. I had never heard of these two places and was eager to head out and see them.

We hopped on the A train and headed to 190th street. It was an absolutely beautiful day- sunny and high of 60’s. When we arrived at 190th, we (I) made the mistake of exiting through the tunnel and we ended up at the wrong entrance but we were able to see the beautiful rock wall ridge and a very unique subway entrance in the process.

Subway entrance built into the side of the rock wall

We headed back into the subway and took the elevator up and exited on to a beautiful and peaceful setting- the entrance to Fort Tryon Park. Fort Tryon Park is truly spectacular at this time of year and I am sure it is amazing at any time of year. Right now the trees and flowers are starting to bloom and it really is an incredible escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday city life. There are winding, wide open trails, beautiful gardens and pathways that have majestic views over looking the Hudson River. I fell in love instantly.

View looking out over the river with the George Washington Bridge in the distance

Tree lined pathways

Towards the end of the sprawling park is The Cloisters Museum. The Cloisters “is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe”. It is an extremely quiet and serene place where you can see works of art, sculptures, treasures, tapestries and architectures from the Middle Ages. I loved wandering through the cool, peaceful, castle-like setting. Alison described it as escaping to France for the morning. It really did feel like we had left Manhattan and were visiting a the European countryside. I didn’t hear a single siren or car horn 😉

The Cloisters Museum

Cuxa Cloister

Gothic Chapel

One of the incredible tapestries on display

Statue in the Late Gothic Hall

It was a fabulous new find. I love it when people come to visit in the city and they show me new places. I am adding Fort Tryon Park and The Cloisters to my “must do” list of things for people who come to NYC. Next week, the girls and I will definitely venture out to explore the park during spring break. They will love the wide open spaces to run around. It would also be a great spot for a picnic lunch and a good book. Right now, I am gearing up to see a couple of more visitors from Ottawa and family are heading our way too. I can’t wait to see everyone, but I have a feeling that in about a week or so after all the visitors leave and the girls are back at school I might be sneaking back to the park for a bit of peace and quiet =). Enjoy the weekend everyone!!

Not a sign you see very often in NYC!

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