a weekend in nyc in photos

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Don’t worry. These photos all have people in them. This is not one of those posts (I have plenty). I just thought it’s been way too long since I’ve posted any photos of myself…and my family is so adorable (even the old peeps). I figured since my sis-in-law had posted all of these on FB, I could post them here. Hope that’s true…
Waiting in the taxi line after connecting in the JetBlue terminal at JFK. And yes, I basically flew in my PJs. And yes, this is me after a red eye and without any makeup on. Hot, right?
Day one in Times Square. After naps…but still tired.
A little harbor cruise. My brother was enjoying it, I swear. 

Empire State Building. For those wondering, I prefer Top of the Rock for its park views, but you do kind of have to do this one.
Our night tour. Isn’t my nephew the cutest?!
Shelley might be holding that balloon because she won “best tourist” of our night tour. That’s our tour guide on the left. She was so fun!
Central Park on Sunday. My brother was kind of over the walking at this point.

Monday morning on Liberty Island. You can see the new World Trade Center in the background. I can only imagine what that view was like when the Twin Towers were still standing.

The end. See, that wasn’t so painful!

life in tilt-shift

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It’s been a busy couple of weeks. And in the middle of it all, things got a little crazy. The only way I can describe it is to say that I felt like I was living my life through a tilt-shift lens. I was still going to work. I was still playing soccer. I was still teaching Primary. I was still hosting houseguests, and hanging out with friends, and seeing movies and Broadway shows.  I was still living my life, but almost everything was a blur, pushed into the background and this one thing*, this one issue, was the only thing in focus.

As I’ve thought back on similar moments in my life, moments when really hard or bad or sad things have happened, it’s always the same. I always get lost in a tilt-shift view. I think it’s probably true for most people. I feel like my life will never be back in balanced focus. How could it be when something so difficult has turned my world on end? (A little dramatic, yes…but that’s how it feels.) I know nothing will make it go away. There’s no photoshop for life, but slowly, the focus shifts shifts given enough time and what was the only thing in focus becomes just a few pixels in my current life photograph.

And that’s where I am today. The focus has shifted and I can see everything again and life is good. Sure, there is this new thing that is part of my photo, but it’s just one thing in a photograph capturing my whole life. Not the only thing. Just one of many. And now that I have this analogy for these moments, I’m hoping I will learn to adjust the focus a little faster every time, or at least remember that, eventually, the focus will change, because for me there’s nothing worse than being in the depths of a tilt-shift moment without hope of balance returning.

*I know most of the time I am ridiculously open on the blog…but this is one of those times I just can’t be. But I still need to write about it because writing is my catharsis. I hope you’ll understand.

new york in a long weekend

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Living in NYC, you kind of forget that most people aren’t used to walking so much. Or so fast. And that people don’t readily understand distances when they are walking them in regular shoes to get somewhere and not for exercise purposes alone. And so, in an effort to ensure that my brother, sis-in-law, and nephew saw all they could possibly see, I may have overestimated how much we could do/see/experience in three and a half days.

Of all the things I wanted them to see and they wanted to see the only things we missed were Tom’s Restaurant (aka the Seinfeld diner), the City of New York Museum (which actually isn’t that amazing…except there’s a movie they show that I really like), and walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. Now, how much we got to take in the other things…well, that’s another story. We kind of hurried through a lot of stuff. And the bus tours did not cooperate (I will be getting some money back when I call tomorrow).
I’ll post some of the more fun stories a little later, but I wanted to just get the details down so I could have a record of what we did/saw/experienced…so you can now stop reading this post if you haven’t already.
Friday:
They arrived on the red-eye from PHX, I was on the one from SLC. Taxi home from the airport. Apartment Tetris in order to fit both queen and twin air mattresses in my living room. 
Power nap so we can make it through the day. Out the door at 11. 
Pick up tickets for tours, etc, at Times Square. Grab Shake Shack to go and eat while basically power walking to the pier (only like a mile…nbd). We’re the last people they let on the boat which was a Christmas miracle. Fabulous harbor tour. 
1:30 get off the boat and head back to Penn Station to get the subway downtown for our 3:00 reservation time for the 9/11 Memorial which was amazing. We also stop at St. Paul’s cathedral. After the memorial, we pop over to Wall Street and get to take in the Occupy Wall Street crazies in person (video to come). Oh, and we get a pretzel from a street vendor. The fam likes the pretzel. 
We then head down to Battery Park to catch the tour bus that never came! So subway it is…up to 59th Street and then a walk across town…taking in the Plaza and all of the fabulousness that is Central Park. Dinner at Carnegie Deli. This has been on my list for a while, so I am excited!
And day one ends with The Lion King. It is really good. Also something I haven’t done before, so I am very excited to get to see it…even though it might not have been top of my list. It should have been. It really was so good. 
After the show, we head over to Junior’s so the fam can have real NY cheesecake. The wait is way too long, so we get it to go and head back to my apartment to enjoy cheesecake in our PJs while watching 30 Rock (this is what we will do every night when we get home). Shelley also discovers black and white cookies at this point. She’s a fan, as are the two men.
Day one ends with me feeling very successful. Granted, my fam is pretty easy going, but still such a relief that they enjoy day one as much (if not more) than I hope they will. And my brother makes it really fun for all of us because his head is full of interesting information about all kinds of stuff.  
Saturday: 
We sleep in a little. Josh and I go grab real New York bagels for breakfast. Finally get out the door (I’m not very good at sleeping in) and take the bus tour (after waiting a little for the bus to finally come). As we wait for the bus, we chat up the City Sights guy there. He’s very friendly and quite entertaining…giving my family the impression that New York is full of nice people. 
The bus tour starts and it’s pretty good. Not a huge fan of the tour guide, but whatevs. I’ve already kind of exhausted everyone, we they are happy to sit on the bus. We see lots of fun sights (including the street where I lived during my internship–Cornelia St). 
We get off at Battery Park to do Liberty and Ellis Islands. The line is ridiculous. So back on the bus tour we go (with a better tour guide). We get off at Rockefeller Center and take a look around. Then head down to the Empire State Building. We do this additional little Empire State Building Experience thing that was super corny, but kind of cool. 
From there we hit Grand Central so they can see it and then head over to Times Square on the shuttle to get on the night tour stopping at Shake Shack for dinner (yes, again) before getting in line. This line goes pretty fast and we have this awesome (if slightly crazy and sexually frustrated) tour guide. She is seriously awesome. I don’t think seeing the city at night will ever stop amazing me.
We get back to Times Square and do a little shopping at the Hershey’s store and the M&Ms store. My brother makes an Ms mix that might be the best I’ve ever had (no offense, Alisa). And then it’s home and time for bed (after 30 Rock and some pizza and garlic rolls from Famiglia next door). 
Sunday:
We get up and go to church. Brad keeps commenting what a different life this is. It’s fun to have them at church with me. After church we head home to change. Brad really wants a nap, but it’s not happening. We head out. 
I really want to go to Good Enough to Eat, but the line is really long. So we head down to Sarabeth’s and, in reality, probably wait just as long. I’m starting to stress out because we are burning daylight and we still have museums and the park. We wait quite a long time, but everyone loves the food so it works out. 
After lunch, we hit the American Museum of Natural History (aka the “Night at the Museum” museum–I haven’t seen the movies, but my nephew has informed me that it’s very disappointing to realize the movie takes so many creative liberties). The museum itself does not disappoint. And I have a lot of fun seeing things I’ve never seen, having only been there once. Brad gets distracted by all of the “shiny” objects (information about dinosaurs, etc) so we have to pull him along.
After the museum, we head into the park; Belvedere Castle, The Lake, Bethesda Fountain, and Poets’ Walk were the highlights (and about all the walking they wanted to do). We head to SE corner to get the uptown bus tour, only to discover that there’s a parade on Fifth Ave so much to Brad’s disappointment, there is more walking across the park. As luck would have it, the Wafels and Dinges cart is at Sixth Ave, so I let them rest and introduce them to my favorite waffles ever! 
After the rest, we head to Columbus Circle to catch the bus. I can’t find the bus stop, so we head to the next one. And wait. And wait. And wait. My anxiety is starting to kick in and I call City Sights to see what the deal is. We watch five busses from another tour company go by. Brad just wants to sit down. I don’t want to miss the tour because there are some cool things on it. And we’ve already paid for it. Finally, a City Sights bus comes. And there’s no room on it. Another call. More waiting. Shelley then calls…and Shelley can be scary when she wants to be. Even scarier than me. (I know, right?) 
So, finally a bus comes and…it’s our favorite tour guide. We take the tour and it’s great and then we head back to my apartment. Everyone is beat, so we rest for a minute and then head to Big Daddy’s for dinner, which is a perfect end to our day. And then we watch some 30 Rock.

Monday:
I get everyone out of bed early so we can make it downtown and have time to visit the Statue of Liberty (which I’ve never done) and Ellis Island. Then we make our way up to Union Square and I introduce everyone to Max Brenner. No time to eat, though, so Shelley just picks up a couple of fun souvenirs for her mom. And then it’s off to H&M. My family does not know the glory that is H&M. And now they do. Josh, Brad, and Shelley all find stuff they liked. And Shell finds some great stuff for my two nieces who stayed at home.

And the final stop on the tour de New York? Doughnut Plant and it does not disappoint. Then back to my apartment. A little more 30 Rock and off we go to the airport, via public transit, you know, so they get the tourist and non-tourist experience.

It was so fun having them here and I still miss them. They are now, with the two girls, in Hawaii and I’m super jealous I’m not there, but I have to pay the bills somehow.

Pictures to come…

To be continued…must sleep now.

dear you…inspired by my slightly damaged ego

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I have a feeling not all girls feel the same way I do, but whatever. I’ll own this. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on what my goal is), I think the majority of men who read my blog are married, so this information won’t be useful. Except to me because sometimes public venting (you know, to my 50 some anonymous and not so anonymous readers) is the way to go. And by useful, I don’t necessarily mean that I’m educating you in the ways of women, but this will give you insight into just how crazy we can be. And by “we” I mean “I”. So here goes…

Dear guy friend,

I don’t care how established we might seem as platonic friends, unless I initiate the conversation I probably don’t want to talk to you about my single girlfriends so that you can ask them out. It’s not that I don’t want my single girlfriends to date. I do. And it’s not that I don’t want you to date them. Assuming we’re friends, I probably think you’re a good guy worth dating. It’s that, inside my head what I hear is not, “Hey, is your friend dating someone?” What I hear is, “In case there was any doubt, I’m not at all interested in you in that way.”

Don’t worry. I’ll answer you. And I’ll pretend like it’s not a big deal. And I’ll get over it. And in reality, I’m probably not interested in you that way. But it will hurt my feelings and/or ego for a little bit. So maybe, instead of asking me if my friend is dating someone…just ask her yourself. It might be a bit of a risk for you, but it will be flattering for her and it will keep me from getting my feelings hurt. And, if you need her contact information…well, that’s what Facebook is for. You see, I want you to be successful. I want you to date. I want you to find love. Just not at my expense.

Love,
Chloe

Okay, so now that I write it down, I realize just how pathetic this sounds. But, you know, I’ve never claimed otherwise.

my family is about to meet my city

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A week from right now, I will be returning from Utah on the JetBlue redeye and I will be meeting my older brother, sister-in-law, and 17-year-old nephew in the JetBlue terminal (my favorite terminal at JFK, btw) at which point we will take a cab back to my apartment, drop off our luggage and set off on a fabulous New York tourist adventure.

I am very excited about this. I can’t wait to share my city with them. However, while thinking about them visiting (I don’t think my brother or nephew have ever been east of Denver), I’ve also started to worry about what they will think of this place that I have completely fallen in love with.

Because of the fam’s impending visit, I have a heightened awareness of just how crazy/dirty/crowded/smelly this city is. I was discussing this with a coworker today and he totally gets it. For instance, last week when I was heading to the gym early one morning, there was a guy passed out on the stoop in front of the building next to mine. He was still there when I returned. I wondered to myself if he might actually be dead so I stopped and watched for a moment to make sure I saw him breathe. When I left for work an hour or so later, he was finally gone. I didn’t think much of it. Just another day in New York. But then I think about my nephew who has spent his entire life in very suburban Arizona and, well, I think it’s going to be interesting.

And yesterday, as I was rushing down the stairs to the subway platform I realized there were no trains right there, so I slowed my pace a little. And then I smelled it. Well, him. And I went ahead and started rushing again just to get upwind from the stench and ensure I wasn’t in the same subway car. I’ve never smelled death, but I’m pretty sure that’s what rotting flesh smells like. Oh, and let’s not forget about the crazies on the subway who talk/sing/shout to/at no one in particular about who knows what (veganism, racism, Jesus…).

There are things that you just get used to. Homeless people sleeping in church doorways. Gum spots all over sidewalks. Watching your step for dog poo (at least I like to believe it’s dog poo). Rats on the subway tracks–or the sidewalk on trash day. The smell of urine.

I know those of you who have never been here or lived here are probably wondering why anyone ever chooses to live here, but until you do, you just can’t understand. It just becomes part of you. I just hope that my family will be able to see what I love about it, because guaranteed they are going to experience all of the craziness because that’s Murphy’s law.

On top of all of that, I have been thinking about all the helpful tips I want to share with them. Like the fact that walking in New York is like driving anywhere else. For any of those of you who have never been to New York, but may someday come, here’s a little tip. If you just follow the rules of driving when you’re walking, you will be fine. If you’re going slower, stay to the left. Don’t just stop in the middle of the sidewalk. Watch where you are walking or you’ll likely end up running into someone or something. When walking in a group, think about it like you’re caravanning in cars. Single file is ideal. Two by two is the max. If you want to stop and take a picture, look up at the Empire State Building, or anything else, pull over to the side of where ever you are. And for the love of everyone who is trying to get to work on time, subway turnstiles should be treated like toll plazas…your ticket should be out and ready to go so you don’t stop traffic. The one exception is jaywalking. Everyone jaywalks…just watch for bikes in addition to cars.

I seriously can’t wait for them to come. And really, I think it will be great. At least I hope it will be. In some ways, I feel like I’m in a relationship with New York and I’m finally letting part of my family meet my city and it’s exciting and terrifying all at the same time. I don’t need them to love my city, but I do need them to see why I do.