Faking It

My last day in New York. It was bliss. I slept in a bit, not too late because the weather channel said there would be scattered thunder storms with rain and I was planning to go to the Central Park Zoo and didn’t want to get there and have all the animals hiding because they were wet. But it never rained at all. I got to Central Park and walked through the crowds of people watching the street vendors draw caricatures and portraits of their children, the guy making balloon animals and selling cotton candy to the ticket window for the zoo. It isn’t very big, the zoo only has four main areas that house a few animals but I was there to see the Polar Bear. I LOVE Polar Bears and there aren’t any in the Phoenix Zoo which I was just at over Spring Break and it’s not a real zoo without Polar Bears, although they make no sense in a desert climate. I get it, but I hate it. The main entrance leads straight to the Tropic Zone or the Sea Lions and I went to the Sea Lions first. There are 3 that han...

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus. I woke up at 6 a.m. to make it down to Battery Park before 9 to get on the ship that would take me to Liberty and Ellis Island. I've been getting closer and closer to this Statue since I arrived and today was the day I finally stood on the same piece of land as she does and saw her right up close. I knew ther...

Don't worry, we won't. Not much. Today I completely changed the plan. I felt quite spontaneous. I went to SoHo and went shopping and by shopping I mean I walked around a few stores that I could never afford and looked at everything. I sat in a couple of parks and did some people watching. I went to the Museum of Sex. And you're going to read about it. I walked from the train station to Broadway and Broome in search of Top Shelf. It is a really cute store! It's kind of like a more ritzy, expensive Forever21. The first shirt I picked up was $310. Insanity! People were walking around with armfuls of stuff! We are still in a recession right? It's great to keep the economy going but wow! I've been in search of a purse because it'll be easier to transport back to Phoenix in my suitcase than another pair of shoes, but the purses I picked up were crazy expensive! The cutest clutch with a flower print which would look perfect with the dress I had worn at graduation w...

Today was really slow. I didn't have a lot planned, but I figured walking across the Brooklyn Bridge would take a while. I didn't do it. It was hot as balls today. It's 11 p.m. and 89 degrees with one million percent humidity. Gross. I got up this morning and got on the train to go to Brooklyn. I had the day planned out; I do that. Go to the TKTS window and see what I could get, go to Junior's and try this "cheesecake," and then walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, take pictures, get on a train and be back to Queen's to move my things before Monica's dad got here. As per usual, it did not happen like that. The mixture of frustration and heat made me unbearably cranky, but everything worked itself out. I actually enjoyed the day overall. Not some bits, but overall, good day. I had mapped out the directions from TKTS to Junior's and from Junior's to the Bridge, but forgot from the train to TKTS. It's not really that far, but for some reason the loc...

This vacation is everything I wanted it to be. And more. I can't believe I'm here and doing everything I've been doing. And in celebration of my having been in the city for a full week, I tried wearing my bangs on my forehead again and they didn't get sweaty at all! I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. For 6 hours! It was amazing! So huge!!! I paid $5 and went to the Met!!!! I literally cannot believe it! There are 2 floors, and while you may think, as I foolishly did, only 2 floors; 2 floors stuffed full of art and relics, it's so incredible!!! I started on the first floor and had no idea where I was going even though I had a map. But I figured it was better to wander and get lost than to try and figure it out. The only thing I wanted to see was the special exhibit called "American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity." It was on the second floor so more on that later. The museum has an incredible collection of Greek and Roman Art and I started ther...

I'm trying to remember what happened today. I am exhausted. I went on the Circle Line Cruise around the harbor and then to the American Museum of Natural History which I LOVEd!!! I got up late this morning because all of this is starting to catch up with me. But I had timed it out last night that I would still make it to the train and the Pier on time. Except that yesterday the sky looked a little overcast and I was going to be on a boat so I didn't want to get cold in case it rained or was windy so I brought a sweater with me. Which was a good idea; what wasn't a good idea was recycling. You can drink the tap water here which is AMAZING!!! So I've just been refilling my water bottle and toting it around with me. And yesterday it emptied into Monica's purse, that I've been borrowing, and into my sweater which soaked it up like a sponge. Anyway, the point of this flashback is to let you know I had emptied the purse and all contents of my purse in addition to what...

It is Sunday after all. Some guy on the street was really happy to have gone to church to thank God for his life. Amen. Today was interesting. I saw New York from a different perspective, experienced nature and wildlife, I had wanted to go to church in Harlem, but I got lost in the train station and by the time I got down there the service had started half an hour ago. I was extremely stiff this morning so I was walking like a 90-year-old with scoliosis which didn't increase my chances of walking the five-ish blocks to get there before it was over. So I just walked around a bit and looked at a few blocks of the neighborhood before going back to the subway. Where I saw a rat. I haven't seen one here yet. I heard New York was full of giant dog size rats but this was the first one I've seen and it was huge! I think he had a little leather jacket slung over his back. If he had ran up to me I would have given him my wallet. Later, I was transferring to a different train and whil...