In The City That Never Sleeps - Part II

Sushi. It's one of those things that has to be done right. Fresh. Cut well. Expertly presented. I was hoping the sushi restaurant we chose would have all of those components and I was not disappointed. The Omakase that we dined on was fabulous. Each new course that arrived was beautiful and tasted divine. The black cod, the Spanish mackerel, all melted in my mouth. It was my first omakase experience and certainly lived up to the hype. A little dry hot sake made the meal even better. I was worried at one point that I may still be hungry when we were done eating, but when the last piece of sushi was almost a struggle to eat, I knew it was just the right amount.

The dinner was not only gastronomically satisfying, it was also enlightening. I realized that no matter how well manicured people's lives appear on the outside, we all struggle with emotional issues on the inside. This was both a blessing and a complete bummer to discover. On the one hand, it reassured me that I am not the only person around that deals with struggles. I am not a freak! On the other hand, it is saddening to know that others hurt. But I suppose that's just how life is - it's messy.

After licking our chops post dinner we headed out back on to the streets of Manhattan. It's amazing to me how alive the city is. It's electrifying. Everywhere we went, there were people. Everywhere. Times Square was the most fascinating eye candy. It's just a giant ocean of people. Moving in every direction. There was even a bleacher-like sitting area which was completely covered in people. Is that like an observation deck? The lights, the sounds, the colors. I was mesmerized. I remember being in Times Square my Sophomore or Junior year of high school, circa 1989 perhaps, and thinking it was a cesspool. It was darker, danker, and somewhat seedier. And now, it was like a glossy spread out of a magazine or a clip from some movie. Times change.

Eventually we made it back to our hotel for some cocktails in the lounge. This was the same lounge that I walked past as I checked in to my hotel at 7am and yet it seemed so much more inviting. The glowing fireplace encased in glass, the brown leather seating areas situated perfectly for intimate gatherings. It seemed to make so much more sense at 10pm than it did at 7am. Fireplaces glowing at 7am seemed a bit surreal. I opted to stay downstairs rather than going upstairs to change. I feared that the moment I would have stepped in to my room, I would have collapsed on the bed for some much needed sleep. Instead, I ordered a Caipirinha and made myself comfy on the couch. More talking ensued. An hour (or more?) passed and we were finally back in our rooms for some way overdue sleep. The bed was deliciously comfortable. I could have slept forever! And yet, at 8:15 the alarm made its presence known and it was time to start day 2.

(to be continued)

In The City That Never Sleeps - Part I

Ok, let's talk New York. For those who are not in the know, I visited NY this past weekend. Alone. Without kids or husband in tow. And better yet, it was to meet women I had not met before. Does that sound like online dating for mommas or what? So Bridget, Joanna, Laura, Lindsay and I made plans to head out the Big Apple to meet up after years of following one another's pregnancies, birth of our May babies, blogging, facebooking and tweeting. The time had come!

On Thursday, I got off work at 5pm and headed to the airport to catch a quick commuter plane to LA and from LA I hopped on board an American Airlines plane (First class even!) to NY. Thinking I would actually get some sleep on a first class ticket is really just foolish on my part. It's not comfortable sleeping on a plane, regardless of what class your ticket is. So basically, 6am New York time rolls around, and I land at JFK. I am pretty exhausted, but so excited I don't really stop to think about it. I grabbed my luggage, caught a ridiculously expensive cab to Manhattan and checked in to our beautiful hotel. I had the whole day to kill, so I wandered around the streets for a good 6 hours, stopping to get a haircut and color, and shop at the various awesome stores. The weather was perfect. Sunny and clear skies. The pulse of the city was electric.

Now about the city itself. It's amazing to me that more pedestrians don't get killed. Seriously. They walk across the street regardless if the sign flashes green or red. They have somewhere to be, and gosh darned it, they are going to get there fast. And the cars are no better. They seem to ignore traffic rules and honking is like a national past time around here. Do drivers truly believe that honking the horn is going to somehow make whatever is happening happen differently? Or is it just pure letting off steam? Odd. We don't really do much honking in San Diego. But the pedestrians also had really nice shoes. All of them. In fact, everyone in NY just seems to be dressed so stylishly. Even casual clothes were well put together. And the shoes. The shoes were awesome! I tend to focus on people's shoes a lot, and in the city people wear great shoes!

So eventually it was close to 3pm and the ladies had arrived! I walked back to the hotel to meet up with everyone. I walked in to the hotel lobby and there they were. In the flesh. And they looked just like I had expected! Lindsay, the tall one with the sweetest voice and smile, Laura with the warm and calm demeanor and a cute curl to her hair, and Bridget as stylish as I expected with those beautiful green eyes I never noticed before. My insecurity was already starting to get the best of me as I felt hot, sweaty, gross and badly in need of a shower and nap. But this was the city! And we had stuff to do! A quick stop in the room and we headed out to grab a bite to eat and wait for Joanna to arrive.

We eventually made our way to Bryant Park where we stopped to grab cocktails and snacks at the Bryant Park Cafe. It was so lovely! Outdoors, comfy little chairs, a view of the park, people watching heaven. The cocktails were strong (as Lindsay pointed out a few times!) and the snacks were tasty. We talked about spouses, kids, travel, jobs, and everything else under the sun. The conversation flowed easily and soon Joanna arrived by train and joined us at our table as well. Joanna was much more smiley in person! And so funny! She had this awesome sense of humor that's peppered with intelligence and wit. I was begining to feel a little loopy at this point. I just hoped I was holding it together enough to maintain a coherent conversation. Did I mention I had also lost my voice at the begining of this trip? Hilarious. I go on this trip to spend my time talking - and here I am trying not to sound like I had swallowed some sandpaper.

Our time at the cafe was wonderful and soon it was time to depart and make preparations for our next outing - SUSHI! We headed back to the hotel to get ready. I was trying so hard to hold it together. I sort of felt like I was floating, not really grounded at all. Lack of sleep was really starting to catch up with me. But I'm a trooper! And I was really looking forward to Omakase from Sushi Gari in the Theater District. Bridget and I got the opportunity to shack up, so it was a sheer joy getting ready with her. I was so impressed with her ability to seem 100% comfortable in her own skin. I completely lack that ability, so I'm always in awe of those who are. She's sassy, confident, with great style and ease. My hero. Eventually, I got myself together, dressed and with makeup on and we made our way to the lobby to begin our evening activities.


(to be continued)