Round #3 NYC!

I have been home now from 2 trips and need to post about each one. I don't know if it is my pregnancy or just plain laziness that is keeping me from the blogging world, but I am starting to miss it. :)

The second week of November I took my third GIRLS trip to New York City and it was fabulous. Melanie, Brooke, Elise and I all left on Saturday and stayed until Tuesday. It was perfect. Yummy food, great shopping and spectacular shows. We ended up getting to see three shows in all.

1. Radio City Christmas Spectacular

2. White Christmas and. . .

3. In The Heights

I seriously loved them all.

We also got to see our old friend Kim Kitley that used to live here in Pittsburgh and that was great. I am actually going to cut and paste another person's post about it. I think I have forgotten too many details to write them all down. So don't judge me for plagiarizing. :) And a special thanks to either Melanie or Brooke. I let you try and figure our who. :) I did changed several things so it isn't as obvious. :)

This time round I mostly went to New York to be with friends and to see Broadway plays. I didn't feel the need to rush around to all the sites (which I felt we covered most last time we were there). We stayed on the 36th floor of the Marriott Marquee which was right on Broadway in Time Square. It was a great location (we stayed there last time, too, and I just love it).

We arrived about noon, and decided to hit Soho first. We went to a couple stores, ended up purchases some things at a local NY favorite little boutique, Gap (I know, real exotic), eating a really yummy sandwich from Dean & Deluca's, (I wolfed down the hugest apple fritter on the face of the planet) and running off to see the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular (you know, the one with the Rockettes). It was a pretty good show, and put me in the mood for Christmas. I was teary at the nativity and bringing live camels in. While Melanie reminded me how hard it would be to actually keep those animals in NYC. Still, it was touching. :)

Brooke and I both immediately saw the sigh for White Christmas and went to find out ho much the tickets were. The response, $120, was not really an option for us. Bummer. But then the ticket agent mentioned that they do a lottery an hour before the show, we said, 'Yes, please!" So the next day, we went to Union Square for breakfast, stopped by the American Girl Doll store for a quick visit (I know I am an adult, but I was with some girls who are a little passionate about AGDs), and then went to put our names in the drawing for a ticket to White Christmas. The way that the lottery worked was that each person could put in one name for a chance at two tickets for each name. They had 22 tickets to give. If your name was drawn, you could purchase two tickets for 26 bucks a piece.

Now, I never win anything, except I did once win a give away on a blog, so I had little faith in the drawing. But we all ended up getting called and freaking out at the same time!!! The tickets were front row, right dab in the center. Excellent! The play was awesome, with several song and dance numbers added that weren't in the movie and most of the favorites! Being drawn was probably the most exciting part of our whole trip!

After the show, we ran uptown to a really good little pizza place called Patsy's. Thanks to Lisa for guiding us to so many delicious places. So good. Then we hustled back down to time square to make it to another show, "In the Heights'. Elise and I were shoving our faces as we ran down the street. Pregnant girls gotta eat! It had an urban Latin vibe and it was funny and very well done. I loved it I think most of any of the shows. And I loved that I could actually understand everything they were singing and saying. Who says missions don't serve me in the future? :) Just kidding.



Afterwards we went to Cafe Lalo. It is the same little cafe that Meg Ryan waits for her blind date in You've Got Mail. The dessert was good, but I mostly liked the atmosphere.

The next day we met up with our friend Kim (who accompanied us on our last NY trip) for breakfast at Norma's,where I ate a SCRUMPTIOUS egg quesadilla. And the hot chocolate was divine. I got my own bowl of melted marshmallows and whipped cream. HEL-O!! Afterwards we went to FAO Schwartz (the toy store from Big), walked down 5th Avenue, went to the top of the Rockefeller, and saw Kim off at Grand Central Station.

On the last day, we visited Ground Zero, Century 21 (a store, not the real estate agency), rode the Staten Island Ferry and then we divided into two groups- one headed for the Doughnut Plant, the other headed to the hotel to check out and get at taxi. Well, everything took longer than planned, I underestimated the length of the taxi ride to the airport and we ended up making a mad dash to the airport. We barely made it- it ended up with Melanie running through the terminal in just her socks, and the rest of us running behind with our bags and boxes of doughnuts, with "Run, Run, Rudolph" in our heads. We BARELY made it. So, here's me. All fat and pregnant, RUNNING (more like wobbling), BARLEY making my flight because I had to buy 1 dozen doughnuts. :) And I wonder why I am gaining weight so rapidly.

But we made it and the doughnuts were worth the adventure. I think Melanie was shocked to see h ow fast I could eat that first Tres Leches doughnut. One second it was in my hand and then next, it disappeared. I got skills! :)

So, thanks girls for a SUPER DUPER fun trip. I had a great time with you. So many fun memories we shared. Especially just sitting in the hotel room late at night. Speaking of the hotel room, how did the 2 pregnant girls end up in the same bed. I think there was some planning on Brooke and Melanie's part. :)

And especially thanks to my wonderful husband that played SUPER dad with the kids. You truly are amazing and I love you for doing so much for me.

And next I will post about my Thanksgiving trip to Utah. Give me a few weeks. :)