Happy Birthday Mom!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!

Last year on this day we were celebrating in NYC!  Such a fun day.  Here is one of my favorite pics from that day.  Such awesome memories....

Another Rainy Day in New York City

So today here in the Midwest it rained.....alot.  It was a rain that took me back to our time in NYC when it rained pretty hard, nonstop.  There was no end in sight.  Did that stop us?  Not one bit!  We knew we would not melt, that our clothes and hair would be soaked and that it would be a tad inconvenient but it most certainly would not hold us back.  We threw on some ponchos - did the best we could to keep our cameras underneath them and we quickly arranged plans and tried to hit some places indoors.

On a side note.....one camera had some issues from water but opening it up and airing it out overnight it bounced back.  The other...... well let's just say mom upgraded her camera after that trip.

Here are some photos of our rainy adventures that were swirling around in my head today.

Good time to visit the museums!  Recognize "Rex-ie"?

Odd seeing Times Square so quiet!!!!

Pics!

Some more random pics!

Getting ready to head to the airport....

Only a tourist could find excitement in being stuck in traffic at the Holland Tunnel! ;)

We made it in!

We definitely don't park cars like this in Nebraska!

Hello Kitty store

Wishful thinking!!!!!!!!

Sister Act

Looking through some photos tonight and I came across some from the night we saw Sister Act on Broadway.  What a great show!!!!  I remember the movie coming out when I was in high school.....and singing songs from the movie in choir!  Wow!  That seems like forever ago!

I always enjoyed the movie and the music so this was a great choice!  The show was in it's final weeks on Broadway when we saw it but it is out touring now.  I'd definitely recommend seeing it!  We were also fortunate to see Raven-Symone starring as Deloris.  She and the entire cast were amazing!  We also got to meet Raven at the Stage Door after the show!  Such a beautiful girl and so very sweet!

The Broadway Theater was beautiful!

Ready for the show!

Line at the Stage Door

It's been awhile.....

Wow!  Summer comes and the time just flies by and gets away from me!  There's been so much going on and there's alot of fun things coming up before Fall hits.  However....this year I am super excited for Fall.  October especially.......  Because we are going back to NYC!!!!!!!!!!!  I can not wait.  The countdown and planning has been going for quite some time and we are now under 100 days until our trip. =)  It's going to be absolutely amazing and this time we are going for 11 days!!!!!!!  It really does get harder to come home each time.  I know every moment of the 11 days will be filled with fun and excitement!  We will do some things again that we love, and of course "The List" has acquired many new things we have found that we plan to do.  It's just going to be so amazing!

A few weeks ago I found myself in Las Vegas with my husband for a conference he went to for work. I remember back somewhere around the year 2000 when we first went to Vegas and I was in awe of the city and especially New York New York Las Vegas.  At that time I had not been to nor really dreamt I'd ever see the "real" New York so I spent alot of time there taking everything in and thought it was really neat.  Which it is......  However, there is only 1 New York City and there's "no place in the world that can compare"!

Frank Gehry building I stumbled upon when out for a walk....  I learned more about this amazing architect after falling in love with his work in NYC.  A fun surprise in Vegas! =)

This trip, while he was in conference, I found myself wandering back to NYNY Hotel and Casino looking for a little spark of the excitement of my favorite city..........  And while things were cute and kitschy - there was nothing that could compare.

I did my husband to Serendipity 3 - and while the food was just as good as the original - the atmosphere and feel of NYC could never be duplicated.  I also took him to Max Brenner's Chocolate By The Bald Man in the Caesar's Forum Shops which was fun as he has heard me talk about the one in NYC so much. =)  And lastly I was really hoping to take him to the new Carmine's opening in Caesar's as well but it wasn't open just yet.  Maybe next visit =)  My point...... there is only one NYC and while things may be originated there - you can try and replicate them all you want but the energy and feel of that city  lives in NYC and nowhere else!  It's hard to describe.

So even as busy as things have been this summer I always find time to keep up on the goings on in NYC and add to our growing "list" of things to do.  We already have some event tickets and a calendar that is very quickly filling up as there are so many awesome things we are planning to do.  Our NYC vacations are non stop from the moment we arrive.  We want to take in and live as much of the NYC experience we can possibly pack in to each moment.  And we love it all.  I will confess.....since unpacking from Vegas - one suitcase remains out.  And there just may possibly be a few silly things already packed in it for October.  That's just how excited mom and I get for our trips there!

A few random shops from inside New York New York Hotel and Casino....

One of me and the husband in front of the famous Las Vegas sign

And opening soon in NYC!  Minus 5 Ice bar!  It will be in the New York Hilton Midtown.  A very unique experience that we really enjoyed at the Monte Carlo, Las Vegas!  I can only imagine what NYC themed sculptures they will have in the New York location.  Would be fun to take mom there!  We are from Nebraska - we can take the cold!!!!!  =)

NYC Subways

Today my mind was wondering once again thinking about time spent in the city.  I think about how exciting it was to ride on the NYC subway and all of the interesting experiences we had while doing so.  You see performers dancing, and singing on the street corners in Times Square and throughout the city but there seem to be so many more in the subway stations.  And they all are wonderful!  We saw pianists, a brass ensemble, a full rock band, individual singers with guitars, break dancers, violinists, a steel drum band, people doing acrobatics, ect.  You just never knew what would be around the next corner!!!!!!  At one stop an acapella group hopped on our train and sang their way through the car collecting tips and got off at the next stop! An interesting side note:  people wishing to be a street performers in NYC must have a license and need to go perform before a board before being granted the permit.

Sure the first few times riding the subway are a little scary - because you just don't know what to expect and how you will know where to get off.  And then when you do how do you find your way back on!!!!  So many stations, so many lines and so many stops!!!!  We were very fortunate to be on a train with a native who gave us some great tips and it built our confidence so much we got around like we knew what we were doing! =)  Only 1 time did we get on a train and realized it was heading the wrong direction, this was on our very first big trip.  We got off and had to find another station to board a train heading the other direction.  It was in a sketchy neighborhood and I'll be honest we were a little nervous.  But quickly found the station and got back safely.  Probably the only time on a visit I was a little nervous of our surroundings.

And one more thing to remember is the door open and close....FAST!!!!!!!!!!!  One particular stop, again on our first big trip, I made it off the car and the doors closed between my mom and myself!!!!!!  We didn't know our way around the city at that point and it was pretty scary!!!!  We gestured through the car windows that she would get off and the next stop and call my phone and we would figure out how to reunite!!!!  Luckily the train was in the Times Square District headed to Columbus Circle and those areas are easy to navigate.  We ended up on cell phones using landmarks as we walked down the streets to reconnect and it was ultimately the Ed Sullivan Theater, home of David Letterman's Tonight Show, that brought us back together.  From that point on at busy stations we stood side by side and sometimes arm in arm and stepped on or off the car together at the same time!  And we have a plan in place should we ever get parted again!

So it probably still sounds a little scary..... but it really is fairly easy to figure out and stations have attendants that can help you.  The stations have maps you can get to help too, however we found on a few occasions that they were completely out!  So if you are in Times Square near the visitors center stop and check it out and grab their free subway maps too!!!!  Some stations are so huge its very easy to get turned around.  But it's all part of the NYC experience!!!!!!!!!  Being able to navigate the subway opens the city wide up - it's awesome!  And you can't beat the cost of a Metrocard!

And if that isn't enough to wow you......just think about this amazing network of rails, and stations underneath the city and what it takes to keep everything functioning and on time!!!!  It's mind boggling to me!  I've watched shows on how they built the subways and its just amazes me!!!!!