NYC from the ground

WOW! Now that's a lot of walking!!

Sacks Fifth Ave

Shopping on Fifth Ave-and yes, we did buy something!!

NBA Headquarters

They were just finishing up the NBA draft at Radio City Music Hall while we were there.

NYC Stock Exchange and Wall Street

Trump Building

Church

Tiffany & Co.

-and no we didn't buy anything-are you CRAZY?!

Church across from ground zero

Lombardi's

the BEST pizza in Little Italy...definately worth the wait!

Mr Softee...OK...YUMMY!

Empire State Building

NYC from the air

Daytime

Rockefeller Center

NYC from the sky

Nightime

I will sadly admit to calling the Empire State Building the Eiffel Tower the entire time we were there. Maybe this trip came too close on the heels of Paris? ...NAH!!!

The Shows

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

I am all amazement-He pulled it off. I can't say that it wouldn't have been better if the lead had been a real singer/dancer...but he did pull it off. It helps that the supporting cast was great and on their game. All but the other big name John Larroquette (of Night Court fame.) He was horrid! He mumbled and spoke too quickly and you only understood about 5% of what he said the entire show. Radcliff (Harry Potter as we all know him so well) was consistent and hit his stride about 1/2 way through. Once the matinee teenage audience got over their giggles from being in his presence that is.

Catch Me if You Can

WOW and double WOW!! It's not that the plot was anything outstanding, but the leads (Norbert Leo Butz and Aaron Tveit) were giving 150% the entire time! Monte leaned into me at one point and asked, "How is he still doing this?" They were amazing! I am shocked that the Tony announcement yesterday didn't include either of them. And YES, we were stage door lurkers at each show getting autographs and taking pictures. (Radcliff was a no show at the Hirschfeld stage door by the way. )

Wonderland

If you want to have a fun easy ride and don't mind yet another take on the classic Alice in Wonderland then take a trip down the rabbit hole at the Marquis Theatre right in Times Square. We had a blast! Sure there are a few little holes in the plot, but to me a good musical has bright big costumes, big voices, and you leave singing a few of the songs. This one most definitely covered the requirements. It doesn't hurt that my friend Danny Stiles was making eyes at me in the fourth row all evening as Morris the March Hare.

(Danny is on the marquis just above my left hand-sunglasses on)

Time Square

The city seriously NEVER SLEEPS!! In fact, Time Square doesn't even get hoppin' until around 1am! A street performer came walking by with his props and said to a friend that was already going, "Why you out so early tonight?" at 1am people!!

OK frightening...does that Cuban brunette look anything like me? You should see Monte's finished product! He looks like an Italian/Cuban crime boss!! A woman walking by said as I was snapping this photo, "Oh my @#$% do NOT pay her for that!" I just couldn't stop laughing.

$5 cupcakes?!

Magnolias Bakery

Where the cupcakes are $4.75 and no bigger than the ones you'd make at home. I shudder to think of what their cakes cost! But when in Rome...

I'll let you in on a secret-mine are better...shhhh don't tell or they'll be knocking down my door at my prices!!

Central Park

I now see the draw of New Yorkers to Central Park. After a few days in the concrete jungle you are desperate for some green. Forget people watching, here you can dog watch, street performer stare, ride bikes, ride trams behind someone else peddling (our bicyclist just about had a heart attack going up hill) and count how many different languages you can hear as you walk.

Unexpected Tours

Our final day we had been "walked out". At least I had. So we decided to slow the trip down and we toured the NBC Studios. We saw Jimmy Fallon's Studio, the Dr. OZ Studio (collective ooh and ahh's please) and the Saturday Night Live Set!

A tour that we took on a whim ended up being really cool. Radio City Music Hall. There is so much entertainment history in this building! They were just taking down all the props for the NBA draft they hosted that week while we were touring. The stage and it's 4 different elevators, and rotating levels was so cool to learn about!

the BEAR

Have you seen THE BEARS at COSTCO? These beautifully soft and horribly huge BEARS at COSTCO? They were there last summer too. Brown, yellow and white. Last summer, right before Seth and Clyde's birthday. Do you remember the post about Seth's blue eye's filling with tears when he saw them? "Mom, I've just gotta have one?" Seth and Clyde have had theirs since August. (long story short-an extra was hidden in a storage closet upstairs-for purposes that never came to fruition.) It ended up going to Monte Birk as part of a rewards program we had going at home this school year. He's had his BEAR a month. Poor Jackson...poor sad Jackson. He fights his brothers for a chance to cuddle with their bears every night. He never wins the battle though. For a month now tears ensue at bedtime when they all cuddle up with the BEARS, all but Jackson. Honey Bear, Hugeness, and Books Gardiner. Well...Jackson got his Birthday money from Grandpa Arnett today in the mail. What did he want?

the BEAR.

He brought a little slice of heaven to all the elderly COSTCO patrons today as they watched him interact with his BEAR. (I should know, more than 5 of them commented to me on how he was the cutest, luckiest, happiest child in the world today.)

Welcome to the family Polar Bear Gardiner.