There is much to tell, but not right now. Right now I am home. Home at last. Thank God almighty I am home at last.
And yes, I did cry upon landing in Austin. My home.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Monday, December 3, 2007
Awesome Last Week
So I've been bad about blogging lately, but needed to say I've had an absolutely great last week in the city! So much fun. But let me tell you - I can't do LESS THAN 40 temperature wise. Brrr. Maybe I don't have the right clothes, but my limbs really don't work as well when it's in the 30s (or 20s!). But... I did get a treat yesterday: SNOW!! I woke up and walked outside to a beautiful snow storm, and a layer on everything. Very pretty send off :-). Yes, I have pictures... need to post them.
So, here are highlights of my last week in New York:
Tuesday: Fabulous dinner with old friend Holly. Again having a lot in common about traveling, relationships, family. So fun to re-connect! And with some trouble, got my bag back after they lost it on the way back from Thanksgiving.
Wednesday: Had going away lunch at work - Indian food. Then home early to catch the lighting of the tree in Rockefeller Center! THAT was crazy - being stuck in a huge crowd of people seeing a small part of the tree, waiting in the cold for 2 hours while hearing famous people sing, then instantaneously the lights came on and we were out of there! Funny to wait that long for a tiny thing. I could go now and see the lights lit up :-). But it was an experience - a NY experience. Most things here involve a mob of people. But at least they are used to it.
Thursday: Good day at work, then leaving for modern dance show by old company "Alvin Ailey"! Went with carpool guy to Greek place in midtown before the show - we got appetizers, but they were fantastic! I loved the pan-friend cheese and the spanikopitas :-). Then the show itself was fantastic - amazing bodies those people. Good music, good energy, neat costumes - all a good night!
Friday: Final presentation at work that went well. I made people laugh :-). Had free night in the city - my luck at finding dinner wasn't so good though - ended up with pizza. Went to Grand Central to hear Yale's glee club, but that was short-lived, so hurried back down to Union Square to see movie "Enchanted". I liked that it was set in Manhattan and I recognized everything. Story was good, but I guess it was too story-book, predictable, perfect ending for me. I thought I'd like it, but I wasn't that satisfied...
Saturday: Cold day in the city! Was around freezing... Headed out and got a pumpkin muffin at the Farmer's Market, plus an apple cider donut and apple cider :-). Yum. Then walked around the Christmas Market booths - there were many of them! - shopping for people's Christmas gifts. I think I got them all - and some treasures! Fun stuff :-). Then headed home and went for my last bike ride in the city. Was really cold - needed different clothes, but I made it up to Central Park (going by Macy's windows) and around the park - 5 mile loop instead of the usual 6 this time. Was happy to be in the park, but man is cold painful. I really felt uncomfortable at times. And of course on the way there and back had to pray to taxis not to kill me. On the way back, I stopped at the discount booth in Times Square for tickets to Avenue Q!! Despite the line being long and me almost getting in trouble for having my bike in line with me (ladies in front of me defended me), I made it and got a great ticket. Yay! So then rode home while the sun was setting with my face red and chapped and me freezing. Actually rode to the bike shop where they boxed up my bike for me, which I then mailed back to Austin! And took the hottest, most satisfying shower - yay :-). Then headed uptown again for dinner and the show. Ate again at my favorite Afghan kabob house. Guy there even missed me :-). Gave me free dessert again... Had some tasty lamb and okra and their bread is awesome! Then to Avenue Q! Great show - slightly offensive, actors were great, puppets were great - good show all around :-). I bought the soundtrack for the funny songs. Then headed down to meet my softball friend Mo at a bar for the last time... He was sad to see me leave. We enjoyed a couple of beers, then I headed home in the f@#*ing cold weather! Couldn't feel my legs when I got home... Yes, 25 is too cold.
Sunday: Woke up to beautiful snow :-). At least there's a reason for the cold that way! Went to brunch with friend Collin who got me tickets for the music shows at the club a couple weekends ago. Hadn't met him before, but he was a really nice guy - easy to talk to and fun! He's a nerd (gamer), even though he's into music, and he loves food and does Kung Fu too! So we had enough in common. We ate brunch at a neat Southwest kind of place. Had bread with blue corn and jalapeno in it - bizarre. I had some good spicy scrambled eggs with goat cheese, biscuits, ham, and grits :-). Tasty. Fun times. There are cool people in this city! Then headed to Grand Central to check out their Christmas Market. I'm a sucker for these :-). Then hopped a train to go out to Westchester for my 2nd line bosses going away dinner for us Texans. Mentor Martin gave me a ride. There was snow out there too :-). It was fun just to hang out with my advisor and her family - I talked to her kids and played games with them - they are sweet. And the lasagna they made was tasty. An enjoyable night. Except I missed a train or so getting home, but made it and did some packing at home - fun times... Almost ready to go home!!!
Unfortunately I got sick last night. Was sneezing a bit, then felt bad last night, and woke up several times at night with a really sore throat. My voice is funny today and I'm a bit congested... Ugh. I hope it doesn't last :-(. But it doesn't matter - I'm here on my last day of work at IBM! Of course my carpool guy was sick, so I had to take the train on my last day :-(. But I made it and it'll be my last day physically here :-).
So hope I don't feel like crap for too long. Tonight I want to go by Rockefeller Center and try my hand at skating there hopefully :-). That's my last NYC thing to do. Then just finish packing! Exciting! Can't wait to go home to Austin - almost there baby :-). But - it is the end of an era. I can't say New York hasn't been challenging for me, but it has been an adventure. And sometimes we need to be challenged anyway. I'm proud of myself for making it, and I'm so grateful for the experience - for having had this opportunity. Wow, has it been amazing and eye opening and fun :-). And I've learned a lot about myself too. So, it will be with a sad wave that I say "Goodbye" to New York tomorrow - to the city that never sleeps - to my Empire State Building. I will always remember you...
So, here are highlights of my last week in New York:
Tuesday: Fabulous dinner with old friend Holly. Again having a lot in common about traveling, relationships, family. So fun to re-connect! And with some trouble, got my bag back after they lost it on the way back from Thanksgiving.
Wednesday: Had going away lunch at work - Indian food. Then home early to catch the lighting of the tree in Rockefeller Center! THAT was crazy - being stuck in a huge crowd of people seeing a small part of the tree, waiting in the cold for 2 hours while hearing famous people sing, then instantaneously the lights came on and we were out of there! Funny to wait that long for a tiny thing. I could go now and see the lights lit up :-). But it was an experience - a NY experience. Most things here involve a mob of people. But at least they are used to it.
Thursday: Good day at work, then leaving for modern dance show by old company "Alvin Ailey"! Went with carpool guy to Greek place in midtown before the show - we got appetizers, but they were fantastic! I loved the pan-friend cheese and the spanikopitas :-). Then the show itself was fantastic - amazing bodies those people. Good music, good energy, neat costumes - all a good night!
Friday: Final presentation at work that went well. I made people laugh :-). Had free night in the city - my luck at finding dinner wasn't so good though - ended up with pizza. Went to Grand Central to hear Yale's glee club, but that was short-lived, so hurried back down to Union Square to see movie "Enchanted". I liked that it was set in Manhattan and I recognized everything. Story was good, but I guess it was too story-book, predictable, perfect ending for me. I thought I'd like it, but I wasn't that satisfied...
Saturday: Cold day in the city! Was around freezing... Headed out and got a pumpkin muffin at the Farmer's Market, plus an apple cider donut and apple cider :-). Yum. Then walked around the Christmas Market booths - there were many of them! - shopping for people's Christmas gifts. I think I got them all - and some treasures! Fun stuff :-). Then headed home and went for my last bike ride in the city. Was really cold - needed different clothes, but I made it up to Central Park (going by Macy's windows) and around the park - 5 mile loop instead of the usual 6 this time. Was happy to be in the park, but man is cold painful. I really felt uncomfortable at times. And of course on the way there and back had to pray to taxis not to kill me. On the way back, I stopped at the discount booth in Times Square for tickets to Avenue Q!! Despite the line being long and me almost getting in trouble for having my bike in line with me (ladies in front of me defended me), I made it and got a great ticket. Yay! So then rode home while the sun was setting with my face red and chapped and me freezing. Actually rode to the bike shop where they boxed up my bike for me, which I then mailed back to Austin! And took the hottest, most satisfying shower - yay :-). Then headed uptown again for dinner and the show. Ate again at my favorite Afghan kabob house. Guy there even missed me :-). Gave me free dessert again... Had some tasty lamb and okra and their bread is awesome! Then to Avenue Q! Great show - slightly offensive, actors were great, puppets were great - good show all around :-). I bought the soundtrack for the funny songs. Then headed down to meet my softball friend Mo at a bar for the last time... He was sad to see me leave. We enjoyed a couple of beers, then I headed home in the f@#*ing cold weather! Couldn't feel my legs when I got home... Yes, 25 is too cold.
Sunday: Woke up to beautiful snow :-). At least there's a reason for the cold that way! Went to brunch with friend Collin who got me tickets for the music shows at the club a couple weekends ago. Hadn't met him before, but he was a really nice guy - easy to talk to and fun! He's a nerd (gamer), even though he's into music, and he loves food and does Kung Fu too! So we had enough in common. We ate brunch at a neat Southwest kind of place. Had bread with blue corn and jalapeno in it - bizarre. I had some good spicy scrambled eggs with goat cheese, biscuits, ham, and grits :-). Tasty. Fun times. There are cool people in this city! Then headed to Grand Central to check out their Christmas Market. I'm a sucker for these :-). Then hopped a train to go out to Westchester for my 2nd line bosses going away dinner for us Texans. Mentor Martin gave me a ride. There was snow out there too :-). It was fun just to hang out with my advisor and her family - I talked to her kids and played games with them - they are sweet. And the lasagna they made was tasty. An enjoyable night. Except I missed a train or so getting home, but made it and did some packing at home - fun times... Almost ready to go home!!!
Unfortunately I got sick last night. Was sneezing a bit, then felt bad last night, and woke up several times at night with a really sore throat. My voice is funny today and I'm a bit congested... Ugh. I hope it doesn't last :-(. But it doesn't matter - I'm here on my last day of work at IBM! Of course my carpool guy was sick, so I had to take the train on my last day :-(. But I made it and it'll be my last day physically here :-).
So hope I don't feel like crap for too long. Tonight I want to go by Rockefeller Center and try my hand at skating there hopefully :-). That's my last NYC thing to do. Then just finish packing! Exciting! Can't wait to go home to Austin - almost there baby :-). But - it is the end of an era. I can't say New York hasn't been challenging for me, but it has been an adventure. And sometimes we need to be challenged anyway. I'm proud of myself for making it, and I'm so grateful for the experience - for having had this opportunity. Wow, has it been amazing and eye opening and fun :-). And I've learned a lot about myself too. So, it will be with a sad wave that I say "Goodbye" to New York tomorrow - to the city that never sleeps - to my Empire State Building. I will always remember you...
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