New York – LongLegsBigCity

Koala in NYC

January 17, 2024 2 Comments

The best part about living in New York City is that everyone always visits. There’s no need to travel to see friends, because friends always want to come to see you! New York is the best city in the USA (not biased at all), and there is so much to do.

However, the worst part about living in New York City is ALSO that everyone always visits. If you think it’s exhausting living in the most populated and dense city in the world, navigating without a car, dealing with constant weather changes and no changes of clothes etc., imagine that PLUS showing people around and walking through Times Square. Blegh. My favorite is when someone asks if I’ll be meeting them at the airport. HAHAHHAH No. I will not. What would I do anyway? I can’t go to the gate and I don’t have a car. I will be in my living room waiting for your Uber to arrive.

Anyway, as I mentioned, the complicated part of every tourist’s first NYC visit is that they always want to see and do the same things. Times Square. Freedom Tower. 9-11 Memorial. Top of the Rock. The high line. Broadway shows. The Met. MOMA. The New York Public Library (Carrie was supposed to get married there, you know!). Central Park. 5^th Avenue. And don’t get me started on tourists wanting to go to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. I generally advise that it’s a full-day activity and I will meet them when they get back for a late dinner.

I know I sound like a complete B, but it’s very difficult to have tourists in town, when every tourist wants to see the same things that you’ve seen 100 times.

But what happens when the New York visitor used to live in New York, has already done all the things and been all the places, knows how to navigate the subway alone, and doesn’t actually need you to act as a tour guide? Well then, you have fun. And that’s exactly what I have been doing for the past two weeks.

I’m very lucky to have a BFF who lives halfway around the world in Australia, and I’m even luckier that she visits often and we see each other in 3D almost every year.

I met Katherine from Craig’s List, which is where all great friendships begin. (I don’t think I need to tell y’all that is sarcasm, but please do not go searching for new friends on Craig’s List, that is actually how all true crime Netflix documentaries begin, not friendships.) It is, however, how our friendship began. It was March 2014, and I was living in a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment that we had broken into 4 bedrooms. We were searching for a lucky 4^th roommate to join our home. I was living an EXTREMELY miserable life as an attorney, and I was hoping our next roommate would be a fun addition to our crew. Kat showed up to our living room for an interview and we loved her immediately. Her accent, her cleanliness, and did I mention her accent? She had just graduated college and was in New York for a year, looking to explore all of the arts and culture that it had to offer.

The rest is history. She became an integral part of my friends group, and we showed her all of the American things she needed to know, like how cold it gets at Christmas at this latitude (she carried a Christmas tree home from a street vendor with me), and how even though we don’t know much about soccer, we still will drink excessively if the US is playing in the World Cup. We also introduced her to her first Bloomin’ Onion, which, curiously, they do not actually have in Australia. Who knew?

Christmas in Winter, a new concept for an Aussie!

Even though she moved back to Australia in 2015, she came back to visit in the summer of 2016, 2017, 2018 AND 2019. Then she came back to the US for her glorious post-Covid return in 2022, once Australia allowed their citizens to leave again, and she came to Mexico for my wedding. I was so honored to have her there, and I knew I HAD to go to Australia. I had been talking about it for years. Finally, in fall of 2022, I went to visit. We spent two weeks together and had a blast.

Then, 3 weeks ago, she came back to New York. So, what does a person show a “visitor” when she’s seen all the things? Well, as it turns out, mostly restaurants.

A few weeks before Kat’s arrival in the big apple, she sent me her notes app with a full list of 30+ restaurants she wanted to hit. The timing was perfect because the first week she was in New York, I only had two days of work. This left plenty of time for eating. My friends all mobilized because it’s not every day that a person from 10,000 miles away visits! We had a friend fly in from Florida for 5 days, a friend from south Jersey come in for two days, and a friend who was away in Florida for Christmas flew back early to spend time with Kat.

We ate a LOT. We went to Parm. We went to Papaya Dog. She got Halal Guys. We had happy hour at a Mexican place. We had brunch at Bubby’s. We had another brunch at Maison Pickle. We had gelato at Anita. We went to JG Melon’s. We took her to Raising Cane’s for the first time. We went to a HUGE family-style dinner at Carmine’s. We had the special Upper West Side flavor at Ample Hills ice cream (Night at the Museum).

Speaking of museums, visiting museums is her truly favorite activity in New York, but since I don’t love/understand art, I mostly let her get her art fill while I worked. However, she did persuade me to go to the Jewish Museum, which I had never been to before. My mom drove in from Philadelphia for a day visit to see Katherine, and we started the day with bagels, as any good Jew crew does before visiting the Jewish Museum. There was a very interesting exhibit on of photographs of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s collars. Also, there was a beautiful fashion exhibit of Gaby Aghion and the house of Chloe.

First time at Cane’s! The live DJ really is the pièce de résistance.

Besides eating and one museum, we also went to see two Broadway shows. The first week, we went to see Gutenberg!, which was absolutely hysterical. We laughed out loud the entire time. While it considers itself a musical, and there are a lot of songs, I wouldn’t say the music was memorable. The comedy, however, was amazing. Also, the entire show was done by the two main actors: Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells. There were literally 0 other people in the show. The only exception was that 10 minutes before the end, there is a guest star every night, and it is always a surprise. The night we went, it was Billy Crystal and people were agog. It was such a fun addition.

For the entire next week, I entered the lottery to see at least 7 different shows every day, and eventually, I won! I ended up winning tickets to see Kimberly Akimbo, which we both had heard amazing things about, but knew absolutely nothing of the plot. When you win lottery seats, you never know where they will be in the theater, and since the tickets are $40/piece, you get what you get, and you don’t get upset. Well, our seats were in the front row. FRONT! Row AA. This was only the second time this happened to me, the other was when I saw Frozen in February 2020. It was a bit annoying craning our heads, but we could see every actor’s facial expressions and it made the experience even more unique and exciting.

We loved Kimberly Akimbo. It was very different from Gutenberg! still funny, but also heartwarming, and cute, and I may have even cried once, what else is new!? I highly recommend it.

Besides Broadway and food, we did a lot of walking around the city, through Central Park, up Riverside Park, through and around Little Island, and into shops in Tribeca. We also did a lot of hanging out with big groups of friends. It was a huge change of pace, given that I was mostly a hermit recluse for the entirety of 2023. Who knew that all it took for me to leave my couch was a friend who traveled across the world. She even got me to stay out on New Year’s Eve until 2 am! I later learned that she was out until 5 am, including a late-night Taco Bell run, but I was impressed with myself for my 2 am bedtime.

I don’t know yet when I’ll see her next, but she’s always welcome to come back to New York, especially because she doesn’t ask me to go to the top of the Empire State Building!

Travel

Niagara Falls

October 18, 2023 3 Comments

Last weekend I went on a belated birthday trip with Chris to Niagara Falls. This trip was supposed to be a surprise. Back in June, Chris surprised me with a belated birthday trip to Chicago. The main problem with me planning a surprise, though, is that I have no mental capacity for planning or surprises. Also, Chris loves to use credit card points and frequent flyer miles. So, instead of making it a surprise, I said, “do you want to go to Niagara Falls for your birthday two weeks late?” and he said yes, and then he booked us the flights and hotel rooms. Yes, two different hotels, we will get to that later.

Thursday, we had a 7 am flight. This departure time, of course, was thanks to my sweet husband who doesn’t require 8+ hours of sleep like my depressed self does. Despite his favorite hobby, morning-of-trip-packing, we managed to make it to the airport on time and we were even upgraded to first class. The trip was off to a great start. The plane didn’t have TVs, but thankfully it was ungodly early, and the entire flight took 50 minutes so I mostly dozed. We landed and we were at our hotel in Buffalo by 9 am. Unfortunately, since hotels don’t allow check-in that early, we took up residence in the lobby and we asked the front desk to hold our suitcases. Thankfully, the lobby was huge because we both had very full days of work. I know what you are thinking, “this blog sucks, no one wants to hear about you taking an hour-long flight to make zoom calls in a different part of the state.” I agree. Don’t worry, it gets better, but not quite yet.

Finally, our room was ready, so we went upstairs to check it out. We opened the door and found a massive table, a desk, a coffee bar, a fireplace, and a sofa. No bed. There was a conference table that sat 12 people, but no place to sleep. I started laughing hysterically because I truly thought Chris booked us a meeting room instead of a hotel room. It was only then that he remembered that the front desk had said we were in 1501/1502, so we went back into the hallway and sure enough, our keys opened the adjacent room as well, which thankfully had a bed. We later discovered a third door in the hallway that we could close so that we could prop the two rooms open and create a suite. It was a bizarre set-up but it did give us two bathrooms, so I couldn’t complain! We went out to get a late lunch/early dinner, and then, as it happens when you wake up at 5 am, we went to sleep. What a thrilling first day!

Day two started the same way, with work and emails. Eventually we ate breakfast together and continued with our work day. Around lunch, I went for a walk and explored the Erie basin. I came across the African American Veterans Monument, and multiple Navy ships including the USS Little Rock and USS The Sullivans. I had no idea there would be ships docked in Buffalo, but you learn something new every day. I walked back toward the hotel and came across the McKinley Monument, which I later found out was built because President McKinley was shot in Buffalo when he attended the Pan-American Exposition in 1901. Every time I go somewhere in the United States, I realize how little I learned in high school AP US History.

Back in the hotel I worked some more, and thanks to Chris’s hotel status, in addition to the executive suite we also got a 4 pm checkout. This was when the real adventure began. I decided to shower before we switched hotels, and just as I was getting out of the shower, housekeeping walked into the room. Chris explained, as I was in a towel, that we were checking out in 45 minutes. 10 minutes later, a different housekeeping person walked in. I put on clothes, and 10 minutes later, another random man entered the room with a key, the guy staying there after us. This had never happened to me before. Three people walking in? Including a subsequent guest? While I was in a towel? My husband (a man) did not seem phased by this at all. In fact, he didn’t even mention it when we checked out. A woman would never.

Anyway, we finally checked out and went to continue our adventure on the other side of the US-Canada border. The problem, of course, was that there was an international border. My sweet husband, who I really cannot blame because I did exactly zero research or planning myself, said he checked Reddit and that it would be “no problem” to cross the border. Unfortunately, there was a problem. You couldn’t order an Uber, and the hotel couldn’t guarantee that if they called a cab, they would be able to take us across. We decided to take an Uber as far as we could and figure it out. Chris said we could walk across the bridge. With our bags. I was not pleased. Do not fret, we left our Uber at the border, and a man approached us and asked if we needed a cab. Me, a woman, would have said “no thank you, stranger, I do not want to get into your car.” Chris, a man, said, “that would be great.” Readers, do not worry, I am still alive to tell the tale. Our cab driver ended up being a main character of the weekend. It turned out he used to live in Manhattan and had a store 2 blocks from our apartment. He told us that we could see what we needed to see in Niagara Falls in 4 hours, and then we should go to Toronto HAHA. A true New Yorker. I will admit that made us feel better, since we only had a day and a half there, and I was scared we would miss out.

We went into our hotel room and the view was amazing. We were on the 37^th Floor, and our room overlooked Horseshoe Falls. But the sun was setting quickly, and we wanted to go down and get an up-close view, since it was supposed to rain the entire next day. I assumed the Falls would be impossible to see at night, since they were natural, but I learned quickly that I was wrong, they are lit up by multicolored LEDs from 6 pm – 2 am every night. Anyway, I didn’t know that at the time, so we thought we were on a time crunch. The valet told us that we could walk down to the Falls, or we could take the “incline,” which would get us there in 4 minutes. We opted for the lazy way, and found that the “incline” was just a 30-foot funicular. It was hilarious because we could have easily just walked up the hill, or they could have built a staircase, but they didn’t and instead charged $7 roundtrip. We were on vacation, so we splurged and took the 15-second trolly ride.

This is where we found out cab driver. On the side of the road.

It was worth it. It was truly spectacular. I didn’t know, but “Niagara Falls” is made up of three Falls, the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Horseshoe, or Canadian Falls. While the first two are all in the United States, 90% of Horseshoe Falls is in Canada (Americans will be quick to tell you that all three are technically in the USA). Despite where they are located, the direction of the Falls is such that they are much better viewed from Canada. From the United States, it’s more like infinity pool vibes and you can’t actually see where the water drops down to. According to their official website, 3,160 tons of water flows over Niagara Falls every second. That is so much water. It’s hard to wrap your brain around.

Chris and I took many photos at the Falls. Of the Falls. Selfies of us at the Falls. Then we had some strangers try to take photos of us at the Falls. We learned quickly that strangers are mostly shorter than us, and while we are fantastically photogenic, if you take photos from below, you will get great pics of us, but you will have exactly zero of the scenery in the background.

I learned a lot of facts about the history and usage of the Falls, but I won’t bore you with all of them. I did find it especially interesting that 50-75% of the water is diverted to hydroelectric power stations depending on the time of day and year, and those stations supply more than one-quarter of all power used in New York State and Ontario. The water is then returned (unpolluted) to the river. This means that the crazy amount of water we saw and experienced was less than half of what it could be. Also interestingly, some people try to go over the Falls. Most of them try to do this in barrels, and most die. But some survive! In fact, the very first to do it successfully was a woman, Annie Edson Taylor, who achieved her daredevil dreams on her 63^rd birthday. She tested her barrel in advance by putting a cat in it (who also survived!). There are now steep fines for people who attempt this, but as our tour guide advised us, you only have to pay if you survive!

Speaking of our tour guide, Saturday was the big day. The one thing I did to plan for this trip was book a tour. I specifically booked a tour that went to both the American and Canadian sides. The universe, which has recently not been working in my favor, had another joke up her sleeve, and decided to forecast for rain the entire day. WOMPWOMP. Good news is, we were planning to get wet anyway. Our tour guide told us that rain is actually great because it reduces your inhibitions of being wet at the Falls, because you’re wet anyway. My therapist loves a good reframe, so I decided to opt into this one, too.

We started the day with a bang: my favorite part, the Maid of the Mist boat ride. We suited up in our ponchos and boarded the double decker boat. It was spectacular. We rode right into the basin of Horseshoe Falls, where it felt like we were in the side wall of a hurricane. The water, wind, mist, and turmoil was all around us, and then the boat did a 360 while we were poured on from the waterfall. It was awesome. In case we weren’t wet enough, our next stop was to the “Cave of the Winds.” Despite the name, this is not an actual cave. It was a cave, and there were tours from 1841 to 1920, but a rock fall collapsed it, and now it’s a series of walkways built into the outside of Falls, which is actually torn down and rebuilt every single year. The walkways bring you right to the base of Bridal Veil Falls, and there’s even a Hurricane Deck, where you are basically inside the Falls. It is very. Very. Very. Very. Wet. My feet were not dry until many hours later when I got back to the hotel.

The rest of our tour took us to a few other amazing views, including Three Sisters Islands, where we could walk little pathways into the middle of the Niagara River, and see where it flowed down to the Falls. Then we headed to the Whirlpool Rapids, which were absolutely stunning with the changing colors of foliage. Again, from their website, “Horseshoe Falls crushes into the narrow Niagara Gorge, creating the whirlpool rapids […] where the gorge abruptly turns counterclockwise. The river’s abrupt change of direction creates one of the world’s most mesmerizing natural phenomena.” Our final stop of the day was the Skylon Tower, where we took a 52-second elevator ride to observation decks 775 feet above the Falls. The views were amazing, but the ride up was my favorite part!

We headed back to the hotel where we took a nap, because we’re old, and then we went to dinner at a nice restaurant in our hotel with a view of the Falls, again lit up for the night.

We had an amazing time, and just like our cab driver said, a day and a half was plenty of time. We saw what some people call, the 8^th natural wonder of the world. Some do not say that, but some do. We spent time together. We slept 8 hours/night. We ate great food. And we were home by 3 pm on a Sunday. That’s what I would call a successful trip.

Selfie with our best tour guide #TeamJessica
Chris loves state parks!
Squint and see which pink ponchos are Chris and me!
Selfie before getting soaked
Actively being rained on by waterfalls
Cute, not yet saturated.
About to be saturated…
Very, very wet.
Such a majestic view.
I was ready to hit Bridal Veil Falls and the Hurricane Deck!
Chris and I soaked.
It’s hard to explain how loud it was here.
Inside Bridal Veil
HURRICANEEEE
Whirlpool Rapids in all of its fall foliage glory
View from Skylon Tower. Breathtaking.

Long Legs and other Personal Problems

DIY Furniture Fail

March 15, 2021 No Comments

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I have too much time on my hands and I saw this cool thing on the internet so I’m going to try it!” And then you totally failed?

Well, I’m not sure if you have, but I know for a fact there are some other people who have – there’s a whole show on Netflix called Nailed It that is based on this premise.

Since we moved into a new, much bigger apartment, we needed to furnish it and didn’t have money but had nothing but time, so I decided to try my hand at some DIY. Spoiler Alert: I did not nail it.

The goal: obtain some cheap or free pieces either from stooping or the Buy Nothing Facebook group (more on that another time), and then refinish them to be gray to match our blue/gray living space area theme.

More specifically: sand, gray stain, and finish a shelf to hold our stemless wine glasses and serve as wall art, a media center, and a coffee table.

Things started out pretty well. I found this awesome shelf on the street that my sister stored for me for a day. Free.

I saw a media center with GREAT bones on Buy Nothing, and paid Stoober $40 to transport it. Chris and I had to take it down 4 flights of stairs, which left me sore for 4 days, but #worthit.

I found this VERY cool coffee table that looked like it was made of crates in our building, that someone was throwing out. It had wheels, and totally fit in the theme of our décor (if it had been gray). Free.

Shelf on the Street (Like Elf on a Shelf but free)

We had random furniture all over our apartment while I got up the nerve to go to the paint store. It took me a week. I finally swallowed my pride after doing some preliminary googling, and I asked the guy at Benjamin Moore to “please speak to me like I am a stupid person who has never done any DIY before… because I haven’t.”

The man could not have been nicer. He explained sand paper, and told me I would be much better off getting a hand sander. He explained protective eyewear. He explained paint thinner for cleaning purposes (I still don’t totally understand this), and also helped me pick a gray stain. I had taken photos of all of the items and showed him, but since I didn’t purchase them and couldn’t be 100% sure if they were wood or laminate, I knew there was risk involved.

Thankfully, my brother-in-law had a hand sander I could borrow, so I didn’t need to purchase that, either. I watched 5 YouTube videos on sanding and loading spring-load hand sanders, then I put down some drop clothes and got to work. I decided to start with the smallest project, the interesting shelf thingy (very technical term).

Look at that hope and optimism in my eyes.

I had our air filter on high, the windows open, and our vacuum on hand. But WOW. It was LOUD. I was very worried about pissing off our brand-new neighbors. Also, despite the drop cloth, it was still going EVERYWHERE! About 10 minutes in, I went downstairs to investigate the possibility of using an outdoor outlet. Unfortunately, both outdoor spaces were closed due to snow/ice, and the only other outlet was at the entrance to our building. I asked the doorman and he said I should probably pass it by the super. I gave up on that plan and went back to my living room.

After sanding, I tried to clean up all the residue, and went on to step #2. Staining. Well, guys. I messed up. I used the FINISH. But only on one half of one side before I noticed, and thankfully, it was the top that no one would really see unless they were super, super tall. After switching to the actual stain, I proceeded. It didn’t look gray. I double checked the can. Gray. I waited. Still not gray. I waited overnight. Still not gray.

I added real googles for the paint/stain fumes.

48 hours later, the house STILL smelled like fumes and sawdust and the shelf was… you guessed it… NOT GRAY.

I decided to take my mind off of it by taking a Peloton class. (Yes, I will mention Peloton in every blog. I promise a full post on it soon).

All of a sudden, my entire neck broke out in what can only be described as a massive rash. It was bright red. Swollen. SO itchy I could barely finish the class. Of course, since I’m including this detail in my DIY blog, you already are guessing it’s from the project, but at the time, I was completely flummoxed. Remember, I hadn’t done anything with the project in almost 2 days! I thought I became spontaneously allergic to the peloton bike. Or my towels. I switched to 100% cotton tshirts. I tried working out in a different room. Nothing worked. I continued to break out in a serious neck rash every day when I sweat. I stayed up late, night after night, until my googling came up with this tidbit:

What to do about an itchy neck:
Toxins: Sometimes, exposure to toxins in the environment may be enough to cause an itchy neck. Working with chemicals or small particles such as wood fiber may increase the risk of irritation.

TADA solution. Sorta. I went about trying to figure out how to get rid of the toxins. Step 1: get rid of the paint. I gave it away on Buy Nothing. Step 2: vacuum EVERYTHING. The bookshelf. The rug. The couch. The windowsill. Step 3: clean out and empty the vacuums. Step 4: wait.

If you were wondering about the shelf and you read this entire blog hoping for an “after” photo, I apologize. It does not exist. I threw away the shelf. I took the media center back out to the street. I sold the coffee table for $40 on FB marketplace to try and make up some of the money lost on supplies and stoobering. Unfortunately, no amount of money made up for 7 days of neck rash. Eventually, it did go away. Meanwhile, you can find me on Amazon/Wayfair looking for a NEW coffee table that requires zero skill from me.

Big City Living

We Moved! … Again.

February 28, 2021 2 Comments

We are 2 months into 2021 and I have already failed at one of my annual goals because I have not posted a single time in February! I have an excuse though… we moved! 3 years ago, right around the beginning of this blog, we also moved and I posted about it, and even then, it was not our first apartment together. We are officially in our 3^rd apartment together and we have passed 1 full year of engagement. Don’t ask about wedding plans. The last time we moved, it was a true saga, and again, during Covid, it was a saga again.

Anyway, we have a new place, YAY!

Apartment number one together was about 700 square feet and at the time, it felt HUGE! Both of us had just come from years/forever of living with roommates, so to share a massive bedroom AND have the kitchen and living room to ourselves was glorious. But we knew it was temporary. We had gotten a month free off our lease as a signing bonus, so we knew we wouldn’t want to stay and pay a LOT more money the next year. Then in true NYC landlord fashion, they raised the rent even more than we predicted, so we left.

Apartment number two together, we figured, why don’t we save money for a year, downsize to a smaller place, and save for a bigger place the next year? We tossed a lot of furniture, decided we had to choose between a desk for Chris and a dining table (desk won), and we moved into about 525 square feet. It was SMALL, we lost 25% of our space. But we loved the location on 72^nd Street, a stone’s throw from the Dakota building and Central Park, AND we knew it was temporary.

But then when it came time to re-sign the lease, we figured, why not stay another year and save even MORE money? And then the next year, same thing. Only problem? One month after signing on for a third year, Covid hit. We fled to Texas because we knew there was no way we could quarantine 2 people in 525 square feet and work from home with our very call-heavy jobs.

Our old apartment full of boxes, and then completely empty!

On the one hand, we were thrilled not to be paying more money for an apartment that we weren’t even living in, but on the other hand, we didn’t want to stay in Texas forever and staying home in that tiny space was really not an option. We did in fact return to our tiny home in September knowing we only had a few months to bear.

Thankfully, the rental market was in our favor. Our landlord sent us a lease renewal with no rent increase, but we knew we needed to leave anyway.

Apartment number three, our NEW place is GLORIOUS. It’s more than twice the size of apartment 2. It has everything you could possibly dream of in New York. Two bathrooms. An extra bedroom for Chris to have an office. Natural light (a LOT). A dishwasher. A side-by-side fridge with ice dispenser. Space for a dining table AND a sectional. AND… a washer dryer. IN UNIT!!! We are literally living the dream. I have actually dreamed about doing laundry in my own apartment.

SO MUCH ROOM FOR ACTIVITIES.

Also, I got a Peloton. More on that later. Our second week here, Chris’s table he was using as a makeshift desk started to collapse and he called for me to help him. He got mad that I didn’t come but it was because I literally didn’t hear him. Our space is big enough to not hear each other. Wild.

But… moving sucks. Even though we again hired people to pack us, it is just difficult to readjust to new space, a new neighborhood, a new life! So I apologize for being MIA, I promise I’ll be back now, fast and furious, so I can tell you about my new #BigHomeEnergy. And also my Peloton. Yes, I just mentioned it AGAIN. I didn’t even talk in this post about the complications of moving during Covid, but that’s for another day (soon!).

Big City Living

Crying In NYC

December 7, 2020 5 Comments

It’s beginning to look a lot like… we’ll be staying in the house for Christmas. That’s not exactly how the song goes, but we are still deep into this global pandemic and it’s not looking like it will clear up by Christmas, or New Years (or Easter 2020, as some people may have thought).

It sure has been a depressing year. Trips canceled. Lonely in-apartment nights. Enough DoorDash delivery to keep the restaurant business afloat (almost). And I don’t need to remind you of my own personal tragedy, being canceled last minute from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

If you’re feeling like you need a good cry, and these constantly streaming Hallmark movies aren’t doing it for ya crying in the house, then this blog is for you. I compiled a list of great places to cry in NYC. I started brainstorming this list 7 long years ago, before I quit my job as an attorney. Back when I was practicing law, I cried in public at least 5 times a week. I don’t know if I’d say I’m proud of this fact, but I do think it qualifies me as a bit of an expert.

Recently, even Meghan Markle commented on this phenomenon in the New York Times. She said,

[My cab driver] explained that New Yorkers live out their personal lives in public spaces. “We love in the city, we cry in the street, our emotions and stories there for anybody to see,” I remember him telling me. “Don’t worry, somebody on that corner will ask her if she’s OK.”

Sometimes that’s true. People ask if you’re ok. But most times? They’re too busy to notice. Which is great for me, because I usually don’t want anyone asking me about why I’m crying. I just need a good cry, ya know? Let’s start with the one the Duchess of Sussex witnessed.

The Sidewalk

New Yorkers walk everywhere. So it only makes sense that our cry-fest begins here. We are on our way somewhere. Deep in thought, deep in podcast or playlist, and all of a sudden, a deep depression hits. Do we wait to get somewhere enclosed? Hell no. We let it out on the street corner. Most of the time, we’re walking too quickly for anyone to see our tears. Or it’s winter and they’re frozen to our cheeks anyway. If, god forbid, we are stopped at a traffic light (and there’s actual traffic… because if there isn’t we’re jaywalking), then someone may see our tears. Not to fear, there is likely someone much more interesting on that corner asking for weed money on singing very loudly for all to hear. What if we don’t make it to the sidewalk in time??

The Elevator

This is a classic. Perfect for a quick cry. It’s isolated, enclosed, and feels like a womb. It often smells like urine or some residual curry, but not to worry, once the tears are flowing, your nose will clog up anyway. Main issue with the elevator cry is when you think you’re home free on a solo trip and then it stops and a random person gets in. Thankfully, normal human elevator etiquette is to stare at the wall and make zero eye contact until getting off to say, “have a good day.” Tears do not usually derail this social contract.

In the Lobby to Your Doorman

This is usually reserved for drunken tears. This should be our LAST RESORT. Let me repeat, do not do this regularly. You need to face this human the next day. And the next. You need to pretend you are just a normal happy person who orders from the same Chinese delivery place 3 times per week. Better to not cry in front of your doorman. However, if you MUST speak to someone about your tears and drunk dialing your parents is not an option, it’s best to cry to your doorman after 2 am. Then the doorman knows you’re just drunk and gives you a free pass (even if you’re not, I suggest pretending). ONE FREE PASS, GUYS, use it wisely.

In a Crowd

This is hit or miss. If it’s a crowd of New Yorkers, they will likely not bat an eye. New Yorkers DGAF about you, and even if they did, they probably don’t at the moment because they are too focused on why there is a crowd, and annoyed at how big it is, because they have places to be. If it’s a crowd of tourists, you are in for a bumpy and intrusive ride. Tourists always ask too many questions. During Covid, I do not recommend even being near a crowd, so let’s take a rain check on this one for now.

On the Subway

HIGHLY recommend this. First of all, pre-pandemic, subways were crowded and nobody looked at anybody. Even in the pandemic, people are reading Kindles, listening to music, trying to breathe as little as possible and not touch anything. A lot of concentration is involved. Nobody bothers you on the subway. On the off chance that a homeless man tries to comfort you (this happened to me in 2014), it will at least make for a fabulous Facebook status.

At a Bakery

Guys, this is fool-proof. You’re already there buying sweets for yourself so the assumption is that you’re depressed or PMS-ing. Why not add some tears for good measure? It almost makes more sense to be crying in a bakery than to have dry eyes. Plus, that banana pudding is just SO DELICIOUS, they may be tears of joy.

At Home

Pre-pandemic, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this. Your roommates or significant other will ask questions. It’s too intimate. You’ll need to pretend you were watching an episode of This Is Us, even if you’re clearly watching Great British Bakeoff. But during Covid times?? We need to normalize crying at home. First and foremost, crying with a mask on is not fun. It’s messy. It’s runny. The snot combines with the saliva and then you wipe it with your mask which gets wet, and then gets cold and freezes, it’s just not a good idea. So if you don’t want to cry with a mask, that leaves one option.

Perhaps just this year, let’s cry at home. But once these vaccines start rolling out, we will be crying and mourning this lost year for many months to come. Bookmark this page and be ready to let the tears go.

Big City Living

I Miss New York

August 19, 2020 2 Comments

You always hear “I <3 New York” from tourists and residents, but you rarely hear “I Miss New York.” In fact, in the past few weeks, New York has been getting a bad rap. There are articles popping up, even in the New York Times, about how “New York is Over.” And then there are die-hard New Yorkers who are coming for them. It’s become incredibly factious.

And honestly, the die-harders would probably say I have no right to speak on the issue, since I “fled” the city on March 14^th. I’ve crossed the 5-month mark. This is by FAR the longest I’ve been away from my home city since I got there. Not that it was exactly my choice.

Speaking of my home, last week was New Yorkiversary! August 12^th, 2010. A decade in New York – minus 5 months. And it feels so wrong not to be there for my anniversary, not to be able to celebrate with my friends or with my sister who lives 13 blocks from me (now 1,500 miles away).

Anyway, being away from New York, I feel like it gives me so much more of a right to stand up for it. I can talk about all of the things I miss. The things that make New York unique. Now, from an outsider’s perspective. Also, I still pay more than $3,000/month for a 500 square-foot, one-bedroom apartment, so I feel like I have a right. One does not pay that kind of rent for an uninhabited apartment unless one really loves New York.

Here are some of the things I miss:

Singing like no one’s listening… because they’re not. Sometimes I like to sing to the music in my ear pods. In a subway station, walking down the street, wherever. Sometimes alcohol is involved, sometimes I’m just feeling the song. And nobody looks at you twice because you can be guaranteed that you are not the weirdest thing they saw that day.
Wearing anything you want. Again, there are weirder outfits than yours. Crocs and PJ pants to the bodega for emergency Sunday morning Gatorade? Bra not mandatory. Speaking of…
Bodegas. I don’t miss the cats (IYKYK), but I miss that there is always a corner store open with anything you might need. Advil, sausage, egg and cheese sandwich, foil. Pretty much anything. Also, you can walk there!
Walking. As you read a few weeks ago, we went to Top Golf for a social distanced date night. And as we both ordered drinks, we looked at each other and realize, “EW one of us has to drive??? Lame.” In the five years of our relationship, we never have had to deal with that. Even on vacations, we had Ubers or public transportation.
Doormen. Not all people have them, but it’s much more normalized in New York. I miss drunkenly asking my doormen how their day was when I get home at 1 am. I miss the feeling of always having someone to smile at when I get home (I know some people would hate this – I’m friendly, I can’t help it). I miss someone to empathize with about the weather. I wonder if they miss me?
Running into friends in Central Park. When the whole city centers around the same park, it’s easier to accidentally find people there.
Flexible/Multiuse Space. Hear me out. New Yorkers are THE BEST at using the space they have. Whether it means building custom bookshelves that literally go to the ceiling, or having a table that functions as a desk, a dining table AND a library, there is no wasted space. I cannot imagine owning an ottoman that is not a comfortable chair, and also opens for storage. Or a TV that is not mounted on the wall. In Texas we a half-full walk-in closet in our room. In New York, it would be an office. Or a nursery. I think this makes New Yorkers incredibly talented and creative designers/innovators.
Sidewalk Waterers. Is anyone in NYC keeping them accountable?? If a sidewalk gets watered and it isn’t on my Instagram story, does it even get clean???
Food. I swear, guys, I didn’t realize the quality of food we have in New York. Don’t @ me, of course I knew about the Michelin star restaurants. I’m talking about fast-casual. The things we order from Seamless. Every restaurant we order in from in New York is AMAZING. If it isn’t, it closes. It’s crazy the sh*t food they get away with here in Texas. I had a sushi roll the other day… let’s just say I wish I hadn’t.

There are a lot of other things I miss about New York, but some of those things aren’t happening now anyway because of the pandemic. Those things include: sports, Broadway, boozy party brunches, the people in general, and the subway entertainment (I’ve been gone too long if I miss them). But I’ve got big news, we officially booked our tickets to come back to New York! One month and counting. It feels so wrong to be missing my 10^th 9/11, but I will be thinking about my city and the struggles it will continue to get through as we remain New York Tough.

It will certainly be a challenge to work from home together with my new-fiancé in our tiny-home, but I can’t wait to get back to my city. I left a piece of my heart there, and despite what the internet-trolls say, I know it’s still there! Pandemic notwithstanding.

Long Legs and other Personal Problems, Miscellaneous

Date Night

March 10, 2020 No Comments

It’s TUESDAY!! And that means Date Night. Date Night is something that is sacrosanct in our house. It’s how I have lasted years through CFA studying, and years in a relationship in general with someone who works upwards of 70 hours/week. Every Tuesday, there is a recurring event in my google calendar, (shared with my fiancé), “Chris and Emily Date Night.”

Why Tuesday? To be honest, date night started at the very beginning of our relationship. Girls love to create their own rules to make sure they don’t seem too “available” or “easy.” My self-designated way of doing that? I told him I was only free on Tuesdays! It made me seem unattainable and super busy, it meant no sleepovers (duh I had work the next day), and it was a great way to get through the week. Both of us had busy schedules, I was teaching 3 classes/week at the gym and he was working 90 hours/week at the time. It was important to set aside time to see each other. Slowly, it became a tradition. Nowadays, if I have something else I need to do on a Tuesday, I ask in advance if we can switch date night to another night of the week. I love that it ensures that we see each other or make dedicated time for each other at least once.

When we moved in together, I didn’t think date night would be necessary anymore, but I was wrong. Even if we fall out of the habit for a few weeks because of work travel or other things, we can always feel the distance start to come between us. I guess that’s what living in New York means, everyone is so busy!

I know what you’re thinking… every week??? Don’t you run out of things to do? Isn’t it expensive?? No, and sometimes.

When we first started dating, I used to complain that Chris’s only date ideas were going out to dinner. Not that I don’t like dinner, hello, I LOVE food, but I like doing activities. A long time ago, I sent him a list of possible ideas. Now, I have a running list of date ideas in my Bullet Journal. Some still involve dinner, but at cool spots, like a Liberian restaurant, or a Japanese place that has a prix fixe menu set to old-school vinyl. And some involve actual activities like mini golf, bowling, pottery, and holiday markets.

DANGEROUS Date Night, ax-throwing in Brooklyn.

Some of them are relatively cheap or free, like walking around a new neighborhood, and some of them are pricier, like seeing a Broadway show. And about half the time, they don’t involve going anywhere at all! One of my favorite date nights involves cooking dinner at home, watching Netflix (we STILL haven’t finished The Wire), and maybe walking across the street for ice cream after. The purpose of date night isn’t to spend money or explore new places (although the latter is a cool perk), it’s to spend time with each other and not get lost in the hustle and bustle of New York. It gives us a designated day of the week where I promise not to teach at the gym or go out with friends, and Chris promises to try and get home from work at a normal hour.

Most recently, we went to Dave & Busters. Taking the subway and the getting out at Times Square, especially amidst the Corona situation, is not usually something I would volunteer to do. The food was sub-par and the table was a little dirty when we got there. But the drinks were half off until 7:30 (helloooo $6 watermelon margarita!) and the quality time together was so much fun! We spent an hour after we ate just playing air hockey, ring toss, skeeball, corn hole, and various other games. I think we got a LOT of tickets, but it’s all virtual on the cards now, so I can’t be sure. We had so many credits left on our play cards, that we decided we’d need to go back another time and cash out on our winnings, then.

Air Hockey Champs. By that I mean me. I am the champ (ok, I lost twice).

I always think of myself as a trendsetter, but Date Night has definitely caught on with some of our friends. I recently found out that two close friends of Chris’s have take the idea themselves, and they designated Wednesdays as date night. Having a weekday date night makes it low pressure (no need for an all-night Saturday marathon date) and it’s also easier to make reservations or get tickets to things. I hope to combine some of my “Date Night Ideas” with my “New York Bucket List” items soon, like going to the Guggenheim or seeing Alvin Ailey. Good thing there are 52 Tuesdays per year!

Do you have any awesome date ideas? Leave them below in the comments!

Miscellaneous

The Proposal (And Emoji-FIANCÉ’S Grand Reveal)

February 25, 2020 8 Comments

This may be the most exciting blog I’ve written. I know you guys loved to read about my student loans and fitness classes, but what you were REALLY waiting for was a proposal from the mystery-man-behind-the-emoji. And it happened! I was completely surprised and I had no idea I would be publishing this blog this week. I thought I was going to write about HelloFresh. No offense to HelloFresh but this far exceeds anything that post would have been.

Of course the first question everyone asks about the proposal is, “How did he ask??” Actually, the FIRST question everyone asks is, “When are you getting married??” But when I tell them I have no idea, the next question is “how did he do it?” Since the proposal was a surprise, I decided to write this blog in first person, mostly in the order in which I found out the details, not in chronological order. There was a lot of pre-work and scheming that went into the proposal, ring choosing, etc, but I didn’t know about any of it until after. Let me start on Friday night, Valentine’s Day.

As is the case with pretty much every night we try and go out, I was running late. I had taken a comp day from work because I had been working long hours all week. Even though I woke up at 6 am to go to the gym, I was relaxing and running errands all day. Gym, laundry, grocery store, etc. My emoji-boyfriend (… um… emoji-FIANCE… um… should I call him Chris now?) was also working from home Friday, so as I was folding the laundry as he was in the shower getting ready for our date, which was a surprise.

I had showered earlier and asked him for a brief outline of the date, so I knew what to wear. He said, “dinner and a show, but not crazy fancy dinner, I know you hate that” (true), so I pulled out a semi-casual dress. When he got out of the shower the apartment was completely steamy, and if you’re a girl with any sort of wavy hair, you know that means – absolutely no style will hold in your hair. Of course this caused me to be even later. I quickly straightened my hair and put a 1-minute French half braid in my hair. This may seem like an inconsequential detail. But it just proves how much of a surprise this proposal was. I would NEVER have had my hair straight and/or with a haphazard braid if I had known. HELLOOO I have 4 different curling wands/irons AND A BRAIDING BUSINESS. I would have PREPARED. Alas.

We left the house 15 minutes later than intended and headed to one of our favorite wine bars in our neighborhood called Vanguard. Luck was with us, because there were actually two seats left at the bar next to each other, which I was surprised about on Valentine’s Day. We each had a glass of wine and paid as soon as the bartender poured because we were in a hurry for our dinner reservations. I couldn’t tell you a single thing we talked about, probably a show we are watching on Netflix. After our wine, we put our coats back on and the only clue I had was that we were taking the 2-3 train southbound.

Around 14^th street, Chris asked if I knew where we were going. I said, “no clue, somewhere downtown?” When we got off the train at Chambers Street, I still had no idea, but I remember making a comment about being jealous of girls going out in groups for Galentine’s Day. LOL I mean, don’t get me wrong, obviously I LOVE my FIANCE but also I love my girls. If i had known there was a diamond on the horizon I probably would not have made that comment.

We were walking for what seemed like an hour in 18-degree weather (it was about 5 minutes), when Chris asked again if I knew where we were going. Again, I said no, but then I realized that we were in front of Bubby’s in Tribeca, the restaurant where we had our first date. For a SHORT second, I thought maybe he would propose, but then I realized it’s just a restaurant we both like, and that he could probably get a reservation there on Valentine’s Day. Also, the Tribeca location where we met was closed for renovations for a few months, so I figured he just thought I’d be happy it was open again.

Before the date even began he brought me home flowers while I folded laundry!

The hostess seated us, and the server announced a prix fixe option including unlimited champagne for 90 minutes. Since we both don’t love champagne and we also wanted to order off the menu, we said no to prix fixe, and ordered our own drinks. I had a Bourbon Sweet Tea. Yes, this is an important detail too, so you understand how much we are about to drink. It was mango infused bourbon, sweet tea, & lemon. Of course we ordered biscuits to start. If you ever go to Bubby’s, GET THE BISCUITS. In hindsight, I was certainly glad I had some carbs in my stomach because by the time the meal came, I was too excited to eat.

Some of our conversation at dinner was about our first date, what we talked about then, etc. Chris later told me he was trying to set up the proposal, but as usual, I was completely oblivious. He also later told me that he took the day off of work because he knew he was going to propose, and I ruined his alone time by taking a comp day – also completely oblivious to that. ANYWAY.

When our main courses arrived, I started cutting up the avocado in my cobb salad when Chris said, “before we have our food, I have a question to ask you.” FULL STOP. That was when I knew. If you know me, you don’t come between me and my food unless it’s for something amazing.

Then Chris started in on his semi-planned proposal (maybe he planned to practice in the mirror all day, but I ruined those plans by hanging out on the couch).

He said that since this was the place where we got our start, he wanted it to be the place where we had our next start. Then he said a lot of amazing things about me and how much I mean to him. I pretty much blacked out when I realized he was going to propose. But I later asked him what he had said, and my memory was almost spot on. Then he asked me to marry him and took a FABULOUS ring out of his coat pocket. AND I SAID YES!! I was so excited I couldn’t even cry. I did say, “Should I be crying? I feel like I should be crying.”

Now before I go on with the story of the night, I want to take a quick break to address this ring. Y’all… this thing is GORGEOUS. I mean. Showstopper. He did SO WELL. This is not the first time my adorable fiance has bought me jewelry, and let’s just say, it’s been hit or miss. We have made exchanges on more than one occasion. But this?? 100% perfect. How did he do it??? Well duh, he had some help from my friends. I couldn’t leave something this important up to chance. I mean, ladies and gents, we had been dating for 4.5 years. Yes, I was COMPLETELY surprised that he proposed on that night, but did I think it was coming?? I sure hoped so! I had sent a photo of the type of ring I wanted to anyone I thought he might ask. My mom had it. My best friend had it. My sister had it. His sister had it. Sure enough, I found out later that he asked my BFF and she did me proud and showed him the photo. And he got it exactly right, if not better because it is SO SPARKLY. I didn’t post a photo on Facebook because that’s tacky but if you want to see it, I’ll gladly show you. Either in person or photographic evidence. Ok, now back to the story.

So remember we already had a glass of wine at the wine bar and a whiskey drink at dinner because we hadn’t picked the prix fixe option? My now-fiance had called the restaurant ahead of time to tip them off, so the server was waiting for the right moment to bring over a bottle of champagne, on the house. I don’t love champagne but I do love free stuff! Needless to say, I could barely eat because I was so excited. So instead I just guzzled champagne while staring at my ring every time I brought the glass to my face. The next day’s hangover was worth it.

We finished the entire bottle of champagne and got ready for the next stop of the night. But first, I went to the bathroom and texted a photo of the ring to my best friend. The text read something like, “This is completely unexpected so my nails look like sh*t and don’t show this photo to anyone but OMFG!!!” Of course she started texting me back with a million questions but we were already en route to our next destination, West Side Comedy Club.

We love going to comedy shows together, and especially when they are right in our neighborhood! This show was a special 9 pm Valentine’s Day show about relationships. There were single comics, queer comics, comedians who were enagaged, comedians who were married and performing together, comedians who were married and performed separately… it was a lot and it was hysterical. I love shows with multiple acts because if one person is terrible or not your style, you only have to put up with them for 10 minutes. But overall, they were hilarious. The tables had chocolate Hershey kisses and hearts on them, and best of all, despite the club having a 2-drink minimum, our server forgot to come back to us so we only had to have one drink each, which was ideal after the chugging of the bottle of champagne at dinner.

Insta-story continues (no one knew I had a ring on my rfinger!)

When the show was over, we hustled home in the cold and passed out. Too much to drink. I woke up early the next morning because I had to teach a spin class. One of the girls I see often at the gym saw me helping someone adjust their bike and said, “Did you get engaged or have I never noticed that ring?” and I said, “I got engaged,” and she said, “Congratulations! When?” and the whole room went silent just as I said , “Last night.” I went from telling two people, to telling 25. Woops.

After spin class, I took a quick shower and rushed off to get my nails done so I could take a proper photo of my new pet rock, as I have taken to calling it. I used the ring light (no pun intended) that I have to take hair photos to show off the SHINE properly. Once my nails were 100, we went out to brunch and then Chris told me he booked a hotel room for us! We packed overnight bags and headed to the Conrad Downtown.

We had a water view room where we could watch the ferries go to and from New Jersey. I was in the room for approximately 60 seconds before I put on the softest most luxurious robe ever and sat down in bed. Chris promptly took a nap and I read my book. Being engaged is EXHAUSTING! After a little energy boost, we finally started the mandatory phone calls and texts to tell people before the news broke the internet. It’s not like I’m Kim Kardashian, but y’all know people have been waiting for this for literally years. Legit, every time I go on a trip with Chris, my DM’s are filled with messages that just say “💍?”

The second we got there I put on the robe

We called his siblings, and I texted my friends, I called my siblings, and after a few hours of that, we went to dinner at El Vez. I usually don’t drink at dinner, but it was a celebration! I had two margaritas. Ok, I had three.

I told Chris how much anxiety I was having about posting on social media. The pressure is intense! I have been seeing engagements on my feed for at least a decade. I have seen everything from cliche to disgusting. I didn’t want to be either of those things. I definitely was not going to post “I said yes!” I thought about just posting a photo of us from the restaurant. But people have been seeing photos of us at restaurants for YEARS. I didn’t think people would believe me without seeing the ring! But I don’t believe in just posting a photo of the ring. So garish. So materialistic. Also, it’s not about the ring (but goddamn that thing is so pretty). I said to Chris, “Quick, get me with this taco so I can show people the ring.” Chris is great at taking photos of my hair. But of me eating? Not so much. There were ten outtakes. We finally got a good, “Does this taco make me look engaged” photo, which is very on-brand, and cliche but not too cliche, and I decided to post the taco and the happy couple pic. But I still wasn’t ready.

When I was asking him who else I needed to tell, it came out that he went all the way to Philadelphia to ask my parents for their blessing! I had no idea. He had told me he was out to dinner with a friend in New York, which I blindly trusted. I guess that’s a good thing? Anyway, my parents already knew when he was set to propose. My mom took a photo when they were together in Phily and wanted to post it on Facebook, which my dad and Chris promptly told her would ruin the entire purpose of the surprise. And since my mom can’t keep a secret and knew she couldn’t post about it, she told my sister. Then she felt bad so she told my brother, as well. And my sister didn’t want to hold it in, so she told my best friend. BASICALLY, everyone knew except me. This made breaking the news much easier.

We went back to the hotel Saturday night, slept a longggg time, and when Sunday rolled around, I was finally ready. Around 3 pm, I said to Chris, “Are you ready to break the internet??? Let it rip!” And I posted on two Instagram accounts and on Facebook. As of this writing, we are at 392 likes on Facebook. I still need a good photo for my Braidstagram with ring on display, I’m waiting for the perfect moment.

It’s been a little longer than a week since he proposed, and I’ve slowly been asking him details about how he planned it. Turns out, it’s been a long time coming. He bought ring-sizing instruments from online and sized one of my rings when I was at work. I fully sabotaged this plan by telling my best friend the wrong size, which he trusted. The ring is currently back at Blue Nile, being resized… I miss it so much.

I promised you guys a grand reveal of his face once we were engaged, so here it is: the very happy couple a few minutes after his proposal. Was his cute face worth the wait? I SAY YES!

Fitness

I Ran a FREAKING MARATHON

November 7, 2019 2 Comments

I ran a freaking MARATHON. Do you know how long that is??? 26.2 miles. I literally ran from Staten Island, through Brooklyn, into Queens, into Manhattan, into the Bronx, and then BACK into Manhattan. On my own two feet. And yes, I am pretty damn proud of myself. And the only thing that matters is that I FINISHED! And also I got a pretty SWEET medal shaped like an apple.

When I ran my half marathon back in 2017, I took you mile by mile stream of consciousness through the course with me. Since this course was twice as long, I’m going to save that for a second installation. For this one, I want to tell you all about what went WRONG for this race. Then I will tell you guys what went RIGHT. And then next week, I will take you through my thoughts as I made my way from Staten Island, allllll the way back to my home borough.

I told you guys a little bit about my training back in mid-September, and after that day, things went a little downhill. Almost everyone who runs a marathon will tell you that they didn’t have the perfect training, so I wasn’t incredibly worried about it, but I was a little. Here’s what happened. First of all, I started traveling a lot. I traveled to Paris and had no problem keeping up with some training because my mileage was low then. But according to my training schedule, I was supposed to run 18 miles one Saturday while I was on vacation in Greece, and I just knew that wouldn’t happen. So instead, I shifted that run a week early, and hoped to do a 20-mile run when I came back from vacation. I successfully completed the 18-mile run in Central Park (BRUTAL), and in the process, I hurt my foot. I can’t say for sure what I did to it, because I was too scared to go to a doctor. I took my talents to WebMD, and I was convinced I had a stress fracture. So, I did what anyone does, I decided to take a week off from running, and just walk 20,000 steps/day in Greece. I’m sure that is what any doctor would have recommended…. NOT! Anyway, when I actually got back to the States, I decided not to run the 20-miler at all, and to instead focus on getting to the start line with healthy limbs. This was Strike 1 to my well-intentioned training plan. It meant that I’d have to find 8.2 additional miles within myself during the marathon to take me from my longest run of my life (18 miles) to the marathon finish line. However, I was feeling good, and my foot pain cleared up significantly to the point where I was still able to do a 10-mile training run 2 weeks before the race with the NY Flyers, which let me see the last 10 miles of the marathon course and try to internalize it. Everything was going semi-according to plan.

Strike 2 came the week before the marathon. I knew I had to travel to California for work during the Fall, but I was presented with only two options. Either the week before the marathon, or the day after. I knew that the worst possible thing for recovery was sitting still. And even worse, to be cramped in a small space (HELLOO LONGLEGSbigcity) for 6 hours. I thought I was being smart by picking to travel the week before the race. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a bad idea as well. Not only did it throw off my sleep schedule, you guessed it, as one does when they travel across the country and back within a 48 hour period, I got sick. Very sick. I actually made a doctor’s appointment from the airport in LA and went there directly after my flight. Ok, not directly, I showered first because I am not gross.

Anyway, I guess the travel and the sickness count as strikes 2 and 3. The good news was that I did not have strep, which is what I predicted. The bad news was that since it was not strep, there were no antibiotics to help me, and the doctor said it was likely to get worse before it got better. And it did. I spent the next 2 days trying to get better. I called out of work, overdosed on Mucinex, finished an entire bottle of airborne gummies, took multi-vitamins, went to Juice Generation and maxed out on fruits and veggies and ginger, and still yet, I woke up Sunday very sick. But not running was not an option, so I packed Dayquil in my race bag, and I headed to the start village anyway.

Now guys, I already started this blog by saying I RAN A FREAKING MARATHON, so obviously some things had to go right, right? Hell yea. A lot went right. First of all, I FINISHED THE FREAKING MARATHON!!!! Did I say that yet?

Another thing that went right were my friends in the start village. I was a little nervous and loopy from my Dayquil, and I took the ferry to Staten Island alone. I was afraid I wouldn’t find my friends, so I brought a magazine for my 3-hour wait until my start time, but soon enough, I found two of my friends who were in the same corral as me, and we hung out and chatted so my nerves couldn’t kick in. They kept me company in long port-o-potty lines, and we even went to the “therapy dog” section of the village to hang out with some doggies. I don’t love animals, but it was distracting and that’s all I needed. Of utmost importance – my friend’s friend brought extra body glide! I thanked him profusely later, as I watched person after person go to the med-tents for Vaseline popsicle sticks they were handing out for chafing purposes and I was a-o-k.

Keeping warm in the start village
Group Pic!
I don’t love dogs, but the distraction was nice.
Shedded our layers, ready to run for hours, starting with the Verrazano behind us!

Speaking of med tents – I didn’t need them AT ALL! I have been plagued with injury after injury for the past few years. Ankles, knees, hips – you name it, I had it. The fact that I did not have to stop once for help was a feat in and of itself. My left ankle flared up a bit and I sprayed it with some Biofreeze at mile 20, but it was definitely still runnable. I think my sickness was a blessing in disguise here. I was so distracted by my runny nose and debilitating cough that I was barely focusing on my legs at all!

This was basically me the whole race. When I wasn’t coughing.

Now about the MOST important thing that went right: the spectators!! I had heard that from many runners throughout my years, that the NYC Marathon is like no other because the crowds are great, and everyone absolutely proved it to me. The main thing I knew I wanted to do from my years of cheering for the marathon, was to put my name on my shirt. So I got my iron-on letters from the same Etsy shop where I ordered my iron-on for the half marathon (for that race, I put “I Hate Running”) and I put EMILY emblazoned on the front, and “Braid in Manhattan” on the back. The crowd delivered. From the second I stepped foot in Brooklyn, I heard “WELCOME TO BROOKLYN EMILY!” And for the next 25 miles, people cheered me on when I needed it the most. The spectators were electrifying, and they were there the ENTIRE time. (Except for the Chasidic community in Brooklyn, but that’s for the next post.) By mile 25, every time someone said “Emily, you are SO CLOSE!” I knew I could pick it up to a jog again and bring it home. I actually increased my speed the last two miles because of the morale boost from the random strangers! It was awesome.

Taken by a friend/spectator/morale-booster
Show off them braidz!

And last but CERTAINLY not least, extra shout-outs go to the spectators I actually DID know – my friends and family. Starting at mile 4, I knew people along the racecourse at almost every other mile. It gave me something to look forward to, an excuse to stop for selfies (and cough breaks), and in some cases, a running buddy. At mile 4, I saw my first coworker. In an office of only 10 full-time employees, 3 of them came out to cheer separately! At miles 4, 8 and 25, I had the support of my office. And I know Brooklyn is meant to have great crowds and energy, but the energy you get from people you actually know is different. I was so lucky that my crew from the gym where I teach came out to cheer for me, as well! I saw 4 different people from my spin classes, and I was able to stop and say hi before I was on my way again. It was the first time I was thankful to teach in a different borough from where I lived. And then as I was about to go into Queens, I had a group with my sister, her husband, his brother, and they were cheering and screaming and even got a short video of me running up to them!

Best part about friends on the sidelines: extra water and TISSUES
Sister-Sister!!

When I hit Manhattan, it felt like I knew people every other block. First there was a group of 17 people (SEVENTEEN!!!) at 64^th street. They had signs and they were cheering so loud, I heard people near them asking if I was a celebrity! And my sweet boyfriend brought a shirt for me to change into, which I originally planned to do, but decided I was too exhausted. Then 4 blocks later, I saw more friends and my sister AGAIN! The MTA clearly travels faster than my feet. It was so awesome to see my sister two times. I saw some other spectators multiple times, as well! It helped my morale because I was thinking… if these people are so dedicated to cheer me on throughout this race, then I better give them what they’re looking for and keep chugging along!

10 blocks later, I saw another friend and her baby out to cheer for me some more. And 10 blocks later, there was a huge University of Florida Gotham Gators cheer squad with a sign for me! I stopped for a few chomps and then kept chugging along. I won’t take you mile by mile, because I already promised that would be another post entirely, but I do want to mention my final push, helped specifically by another friend of mine. I saw her at mile 19, and she told me she’d catch me again at mile 22. She didn’t know at the time how important that would be for me. By mile 20, I was coughing a LOT. It was taking so much energy for me just to breathe that running was getting extra tough. When I saw my friend at 22, I was on the struggle bus FOR REAL. I didn’t even try to pretend I was running when I saw her. I solely walked up to her, coughing all the while. She saw my struggle and hopped right into the racecourse, holding her neon pink poster board and everything. She literally ran the entire mile 22 with me, stopping to walk when I needed coughing breaks, and joking with me to keep me laughing. She even turned on Instagram Live at one point, joking with me about the bleeding-nipple-chafing she had witnessed, which kept me laughing through the coughs. Once we hit mile 23 and I knew I had “only” a 5K to go, she told me to run like I trained and that she knew I could finish strong. I don’t know how I would have gotten through that mile without her!

Some of the group of 17
More of the 17, including my sweet emoji BF
Gym buddies!
More of the YMCA Crew in Brooklyn
The second time I saw my sister! Much sweatier than the first time.
Old gym friends further in Manhattan
More friends
Coworkers!
GO GATORS!

The energy and support I received all day was just unbelievable. I had people tracking me from Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and even Singapore. By the time I turned my phone on (it died at the finish line), I had 78 text messages, 3 Facebook messages, and 26 Instagram DMs. I was BLOWN away. When I got home, my sweet boyfriend presented me with flowers, and even more romantically, with 2 bags of ice. He helped me into an ice bath and brought me water and more meds while I sat in it.

When I saw my friend the night of the marathon, she asked me if I loved it. The answer is pretty simple: no. I don’t love running and running 26.2 miles is absolutely torturous. HOWEVER, I feel incredibly accomplished and I’m so happy I did it. People keep asking me if I plan on running it again and the truth is, I think once is enough for me. But there is a small part of me that wonders what I could have done if I had gotten to 20 miles in training, and if I hadn’t traveled the week before, and if I hadn’t been incredibly sick. And as the days pass and my legs feel normal again… I am thinking maybe I could try again??? I am currently signed up for the lottery for the 2020 marathon. I have lost the lottery 5 times before but if it’s meant to be…

SUCCESS!!!
See you next year? LOL

Big City Living

⭐Hamilton⭐

March 18, 2019 1 Comment

Saturday night I went to see Hamilton. If you’ve been living under a rock and you haven’t heard of it, it’s a musical on Broadway. According to Wikipedia, “in 2016, Hamilton received a record-setting 16 Tony nominations, winning 11, including Best Musical, and was also the recipient of the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.” So yeah, it’s sort of a big deal. And since it’s such a big deal it’s semi-impossible to get tickets. For example, on Ticketmaster right now, the cheapest seat is $448. Per person.

To be honest, there are some serious Hamilton-heads out there who know every single lyric and even go to themed-spin classes with the songs. I am not one of them. Or I wasn’t. In fact, I didn’t even know any of the music before this weekend. Except the one song performed on the Tony’s. I always knew I wouldn’t have the money to go to see it on Broadway so I figured, why bother trying to know the songs?

My best friend was in town over the weekend from Seattle because her boyfriend bought tickets to Hamilton on presale OVER A YEAR AGO. He flew from Seattle to see it! He had 4 tickets, and at the last minute, one of the people going to the show canceled. I told him I would advertise the ticket on my Facebook so he wouldn’t lose the money. My brother, the protagonist of this whole story, LOVES Hamilton. He has seen it on tour, but never in NYC. He saw my Facebook status and texted me asking why I wasn’t going. He said “do you know the music? Is money the only thing holding you back?” He knows my student loan situation. I was about to text him back when I heard phone “CHA-CHING!” and I saw that he Venmo-ed me the money for the ticket!! I texted him back my extreme gratitude and deleted my Facebook post advertising it to anyone else – I WAS GOING!

I called my brother, so he could tell me his favorite songs, and I got to listening! I had 24 hours to learn a VERY LONG soundtrack. Literally, there are 46 songs. I listened to the songs all day Saturday and by the evening, I had a better idea of what would go on. The play was LONG. But it didn’t seem like it! The lyrics are fast, since most of the songs are rapped, and my brother had warned me I would probably not understand all of the lyrics. However, maybe it’s the decades of listening to rap, but I understood a lot of it! The music is super catchy and I’ve been listening to it ever since.

Mandatory pre-show marquee pic!
Playbill pic.
THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS!
In our seats waiting for an amazing show!
Besties on Broadway.

The coolest part of the story, if this isn’t cool enough already, is that my best friend’s boyfriend and his brother, went to school with the musical director, Kurt Crowley. They’re from Helena, Montana, and not too many people are from there, so they kept in touch. Kurt stayed after the show and let us onto the stage to talk with us about the show, and to take photos. There were actors from the show all around us on stage signing Playbills, but since I didn’t know the cast well, I didn’t ask for any signatures. We did get some awesome pics, though! And it’s an amazing experience to be on a Broadway stage, looking out at the theater; it’s not as big as you’d think! We took some more photos, and then left. We hadn’t realized that more than 3 hours had passed! A testament to a great show is that there can be nearly three hours of FAST speaking, and it seems quick.

Full cast post-show, asking for donations for something (I wasn’t paying attention when they started asking for more money)

I feel the need to end this post with some serious cliché’s – it was such an incredible experience to be IN THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENED IN THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD! I recommend it to anyone who has the money, or a SUPER SWEET BROTHER with the funds. THANK YOU AGAIN, BABY BRO!

The guys & Kurt Crowley.
Selfies on Stage.
THE STAGE WHERE IT HAPPENED!

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