NYC trip

Guess I still suck at blogging. I don't know what it is about this time of year - I always seem to experience a slowdown of my life - the inability to focus and accomplish. I actually seem overwhelmed which is ironic since my life is fairly carefree and stressfree.

Big event lately was a weekend trip to NYC with my 69-will-be-70-in-May Mother. She is originally from the south - born in Louisiana and grew up in Mississippi and Alabama. In past years, my parents have left NY after Christmas to go south but haven't lately. They also live about 1.5 hours away from me and their winters are much much harder than ours. All this is to say that my parents were getting on each other's nerves and needed a timeout from each other - hence the NYC trip.

Before leaving, I asked her what she wanted to do. Three times she said she wanted to see a Broadway show but she knew they were very expensive. Needless to say, the husb said to get her old lady butt in a Broadway show seat no matter what. LOL We decided to see Mamma Mia! in a Saturday matinee because it rained ALL DAY Saturday. The husb ordered the tickets online Friday night about 11:30 and had they held at will-call. My mother thinks he had some kind of influence in order to get tickets in the middle of the night. She really doesn't understand the internet all that well LOL.

She was so psyched about that show - it was all she could talk about. She told people on the subway she was going to see a show. As we walked through Times Square, she told the men handing out free comedy club tickets, "No thank you, we are on our way to see a Broadway show, my son-in-law got me tickets!" She called my dad during intermission and told him she was at a 'real' Broadway show.

Her proof that she saw a 'real Broadway show':

Walking through Time Square after the show - Mom treated her granddaughter to some frozen yogurt:

Styling Mamaw and granddaughter in the rain:

Bryant Park (I think), my mother wore that oversized rainjacket and lugged that big old purse around every day!:

One evening we walked half way across the Brooklyn Bridge - it was a magical:

My daughter works part-time for a hosiery company in the Empire State Building. She is computerizing and organizing their inventory. I joke around that she could just be folding socks and who would care? It's on the 50th floor of the Empire State Building. First of all, my mother was told she worked at the ESB but until we went there, it didn't dawn on her that it was THE real Empire State Building. And then, she heard me talk about the sock folding and didn't realize I was joking. She started bragging to people (she talked to EVERYONE - on the subway, on the street, in stores anywhere) that her granddaughter worked in the ESB, only folding socks but it was a start and might turn into a real important job if she continued to do well. Oy.........

My daughter lives in a sixth floor walk up. My mother, after pounding the NYC pavement for 10 hours straight on both Saturday and Sunday, then had to climb all those flights. It was amazing. I only hope I am capable of the same when I reach 70. I tried to snap a pic of her heading down the stairs. The first time she was moving too quick for me!

Then I got her:

My mother pretending to be asleep on the subway. She couldn't keep from laughing.

Take a good look at her face and her skin. When we were kids, my sisters and I used to make fun of her because every night she slathered Ponds cold cream on her face and vaseline all around her mouth and lips. We used to laugh at what we called her greasing up routine. Well, she is 70 years old and her skin is amazing. I have just put Ponds and vaseline on my shopping list for this week.

My mother with some new friends she met on the subway. They were tourists from Equador and Argentina that she started chatting up. We were on our way to the Staten Island Ferry and so were they. Because of subway construction, getting to the Port Authority was mixed up so she volunteered her 'city granddaughter' to lead they way for everyone. I told my daughter to raise her umbrella like a tour guide so we could all follow! LOL

It was an awesome, awesome trip.

NYC - Part III

Day 3 in NYC.

Since we hoped to leave in the early afternoon, we used this day to get a couple of letterboxes in the Riverside Park area and we wanted to eat lunch at a place I found on the Internet - Strictly Roots. Strictly Roots is at 2058 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd (aka 7th Ave) between 122nd and 123rd.

Okay, after the disappointment that was Vegetarian Dim Sum House (I am beginning to wonder if all the Americanized Chinese takeout I have eaten over the years has corrupted my palate and I am just unable to enjoy true Chinese food. After all, this place is raved about so much - did we hit it on a bad day or do I just not know good food when I eat it?), Jen and I needed some good food. We needed to hit a place that would feed us, feed our souls and minds. And boy, did we find it. This place has some mad, cheap grub that will stick to your ribs. The food is served cafeteria style but they also have fresh, made to order items on their menu. We stuck to the heating trays and just pointed up our lunches. Each item is priced differently, by serving. Jen asked for the plantains and the tempura tofu which were each $1. Yeah. $1 per serving. She got a juice and was all set for $4. Her plate:

A close up of the plantains:


Man, these were good. I was picking the caramelized sugar out of my teeth all the way to the Delaware Water Gap.
I ordered the collard greens, the red beans, and the mac and cheese. With a juice, my total came to $10. Even though we shared each others food, we still couldn't eat it all.

The collards:

I loved these. Jen thought they tasted overcooked and from a can but I know better. My mama is from Alabama :-) These were delish.
The mac and cheese:

This was good. Day-um good. We ate all of this. It was creamy, cheesy and pure comfort food. I would go back just for this.
The beans were okay, but with plates full of stand out food, they suffered by comparison. They had some baked goods but we passed on those because of the amount of food we ordered.
The Strictly Roots mural:

Yeah, get thee to this place :-) But avoid the bathroom - yeesh. That's all I am going to say about *that*.

One last thing - per my previous post.....do you have any idea how hard it is to letterbox in a city that people can't wait to help you out? Walking around with papers in hand, looking confused guaranteed someone stopping to offer directions. We had a person pull over in their car while we were at the Cloisters! So, in our best helpful tradition and to try to keep the NY nasty reputation alive, I offer you this:

This is Jen, trying to discreetly rehide a box in the Riverside Park area. Miss White Shirt and Black Purse is lost and is supposed to meet someone here. She decides, of all the helpful and nice NYers around, to hit us up continually for advise and directions. Us! The only people around who don't want to strike up conversations with complete strangers, who could care less if someone is lost, who don't want to talk to ANYONE. We are only concerned with getting the box, stamping in, rehiding, with no one else around the wiser. She came up to me 3 times - 3 TIMES - with inquiries about the location, the time, can she borrow my phone, blah, blah, blah. I am proud to say that I did my best to brush her off and turn her away. It is sad when a couple of folks from Syracuse pretty much display the only "typical' NY behavior :-)

Edited to Add: Strictly Roots menu

NYC - Part I

Been back from the Big City for almost a week but haven't blogged the trip yet - I am a disgrace in bloggerville :-) Jen was prompt with her account. She is much more responsible than I. LOL

Ah, what can I say? New York. I LOVE New York. Luve, lurve, heart it. Anyway you want to say it.

We drove down on Saturday afternoon (in the Prius, 50.9 mpg, thank you very much!) and arrived around 5:30. We stayed with my daughter who has a very nice two bedroom apartment she shares with a roommate, in the Washington Heights area. We lucked out and found an awesome on street parking spot on W 170th, right across from a police station. The prius was parked and stayed right there until we left Tuesday afternoon. The apartment is a 6th floor walk-up and everytime I hiked those stairs, I thanked myself for all my running!

We went to Jen's old college friend, Christie's play that evening. It was good. Really good. A very, nicely professional production. I don't know what I was expecting but I enjoyed it a lot. We then went to the afterparty at a bar around the corner from the playhouse. Both of Jen's friends from school, Christie and Jody were very nice, friendly and welcoming.

Kate and Jen on the subway to the theater:

The crowd outside the theater after the play let out:

Successful Wells Alumnae, Christie, Jen and Jody (?), all a credit to their university:

Party On Garth! Seriously, that is my beer she is holding, Jen only had a soda in the bar :-)