New York, I Love You

OH, NEW YORK...

Can I get a "OMG" please?  Val and I loved it. 

We're already in withdrawl and it hasn't even been a month. 

Ye gads.

Central Park.  Happy sigh.

We got there on a Tuesday and for the first 3 days the weather was fan-freaking-tastic.  We're talking 70 degree weather in October my friends.  Awesome.  The Californians brought the sunshine with them.

You're welcome New Yorkers. : ))

Had the BEST TIME EVER navigating the Subway.  LMAO. It's super fun. Really. 

Try it next time you're in town.

Said a prayer (in my own non religious, yet totally spiritual, way) at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Absolutely breathtaking.  I've never FELT history.  I've never FELT reverance. Amazing.

All in all, we...

Went to Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Center) and took in amazing views

Went to Broadway shows (Mary Poppins, Chicago, and The Phantom of the Opera)

Visited numerous Starbucks. People watching and coffee sipping ensued.

Took the (free!) Staten Island Ferry past Lady Liberty herself.

Visited the 9-11 Memorial and St. Paul's Chapel

Had pizza in Brooklyn at Grimaldi's (yum-o)

Visited Central Park

Explored the Museum of Natural History (Night at the Museum, anyone?)

Had cupcakes.  Twice.

Hit up Times Square

Visited with numerous girlfriends (and one guy!)

Went to a Roller Derby

Braved a Haunted House (well, Val went in, I opted out...lol)

Played in FAO Schwartz

Ate.  Well. 

Saw an appropriate movie ("New York, I Love You")

Climbed FIVE flights of stairs to our apartment.  Twice a day.

Learned all about NYC apartments ("What's that sound!?!  Is someone breaking into our apartment???  Oh.  No, that's just the radiator kicking on.")

Walked.  A lot.

Visited Yankee Stadium

Took about a bazillion pictures.

Learned all about New York weather. 

Quickly. ("Don't like the weather?  Wait 10 minutes, it'll change")

Saw Carrie's apartment from Sex & The City

Realized that New Yorkers get a bad rap.  They very friendly, outgoing, and helpful people! 

Ok, so we did get called "a--holes" once on he Brooklyn Bridge (absolutely hilarious)!

Our trip would not have been anywhere near as fulfiling and amazing had it not been for our awesome friends.  In particular, our personal tour guide, Sarah worked her butt off prior to our arrival.  And once we were there she took it upon herself to always be there for us.  We had such a blast because of her! 

Love You Sarah!  

 I really enjoyed getting to know her cousin, and good friend of Val's, Amaya. 

She's a fabulous. One of those people you meet and instantly love. 

Yours truly, Val, Amaya

We were lucky enough to meet up with some other friends of ours,

grabbing lunch here, and breakfast there, with them. 

Awesome.

I'm sure I left out some obvious things we did. 

I may follow this post later with

 "Things Krista Learned while in NYC."

NEW YORK, I MISS YOU!

photo credit: 2/3 of the pics were stolen from Val  : )

Best Friends Trip!

How could I forget the big news?!

Val and I are going to NEW YORK!!!! Girls trip in October to visit some friends. I've never ever been and have been dying to go. I'm so excited. I can't wait to see some of the fall colors, visit Central Park, Times Square, and hopefully see a broadway show. After hearing about the trip, our other BFF Moni might come too!

Would it be lame if I sing "Oh Happy Days" now? Ok, ok, admittedly I don't exactly know the words to that song, but if I did, you can bet I'd be singing!

Costa Rican Goodness

I've done great with certain things on my to do list (let's keep it simple from here on out. To Do List = TDL, mkay?). So anyway, I have given up coffee. Haven't had a drop since April. :::cough:::

Ok, well thats not entirely correct.

My coworker just got back from her honeymoon in Costa Rica (awesome honeyoon locale, dont you think?) and presented me with a kick ass bag of Costa Rican goodness (aka Cafe de Costa Rica). Which automatically made my sense of smell 1000% heightened.

I sit maybe 12 feet from the coffee pot at work. The smell is incredible. (I sound like a junkie! lol!) After nearly 2 months of no coffee, no caffeinated beverages of any kind, I had about an inch of coffee in a little papercup this morning.

It was divine. It was a perfect amount. So maybe I'll ammend my goal and just lessen the caffeine in my diet. I was up to 2 cups a day, which for me was way too much.

In other news, I talked my gym into lowering my outrageous monthly fee to a reasonable amount, so I'm headed back tonight. I am so so so tempted to start tanning again there, too. It made me feel so good physically, and mentally. But I'm defintely wary of the whole you-could-get-skin-cancer-dummy risks involved too. Oh yeah, there's that.

And as I promised more pictures, I'll leave ya'll with a pic of me and the BFF a girl could ever have. That's Val on the left, and yours truly on the right being the nerds we are.