We flew in on a Thursday night and went to Serena's place and went straight to bed cause it was pretty late and Serena - who just got a job working for the Tyra Banks show - had to get up and work. We were also told to expect crazy loud construction outside our window at 7 am. So off to bed we went and we woke up the next morning at like 8 something to no noise whatsoever! They must have known we were coming and decided to keep it down. =)
The first day since Serena was working, we struck out on our own. I had never been to the city when it was the holidays and I wanted to see the huge tree in Rockefeller Center and maybe catch a peek of Matt Lauer and the gang. So we bundled up - it was about 30 degrees the whole time we were there - and went to get some breakfast at Dean and Deluca while we watched Al Roker outside doing some cooking bit for the Today show.
Then Jason took lots of pictures of the tree and decorations with his new awesome camera. Here are a couple...
Here is a picture of me in front of 30 Rock trying not to freeze. =)
So after we had some breakfast, saw some celebs and took in the beautiful Christmas decorations, we went to the MOMA. The last time we were in town they were renovating it so they had it moved to Queens and it was about 1/10 the size of the real deal. The new MOMA is awesome! They had so much awesome art. Tons of Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh, Matisse, Warhol, Pollock, etc. Their newest exhibit was this huge room where there was a circular couch in the middle and these movies playing on the walls around the couch. You were invited to remove your shoes and hang out on the couch for as long as you wanted and to just experience your surroundings. So we laid down for a while at the end to rest. They also had a Van Gogh exhibit going on so we got to see that. They had paintings from all over the world brought in. A couple I had seen at the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, but they had the famous Starry Night painting that everyone knows and I had never seen it. Van Gogh is my fave so that was a nice treat.
After the MOMA we went up 5th Avenue, still admiring all the beautiful decorations, and went to eat at this place called Pop Burger. Serena suggested it and it was DELICIOUS. Really good burgers and fries. Yum. After that we walked down to Time Square to get in line at the TKTS booth for some half price theater tickets. We got tickets for Avenue Q and then went back to Serena's to crash for a bit.
That night we met Serena at a place called Vynl, which was sort of a retro diner type place with really good food. They had some of the best mac and cheese I have ever had. Then we walked over to the theater and watched Avenue Q. It was hilARious. It is unlike any show I had seen. First, most of the characters are puppets, but not like a puppet show. Like the people controlling the puppets are walking around with the puppets and talking for them, but some of the characters are just normal people. Second, it is about the most un-PC thing you have ever seen. Which, of course, lends itself to huge laughs.
After the show we went to the Divine Bar across from Serena's place and had dessert and then headed home around 1, which is when things started to go downhill. As soon as we got in bed, Jason started feeling bad. Next thing I knew he was in the bathroom 'disposing' of everything he had eaten that day. Long story short, he had a pretty bad case of food poisoning that kept him up all night and in the bathroom about every 20 minutes puking. I have never seen him so sick and felt so awful for him and totally helpless to do anything for him. I just tried to ply him with water so he didn't get dehydrated. By about 9 am he was up, but no longer upchucking, however he basically spent all day on the couch watching football. Not the worse way to spend a Saturday for him, but I think he would have preferred to be out and about. He told me to go on and do stuff without him though, and I had already planned to see another show without him anyway - he isn't a huge musical fan, can you believe it? - so I went and stood in line again for tickets to see Gypsy. Now for those who don't keep up with the current Broadway goings on (I am guessing that is about 99% of my readers), Gypsy was revived earlier last year with Patty LuPone starring and it won tons of Tony awards so I was really excited about it.
Before the show, though, Serena and I went to meet her friend for brunch at this place in Chelsea or maybe the Village. Can't remember and now I can't even think of the name of it! Wish I could, cause it was great. It had a fire place and a jazz band and just a really cozy feel to it. When we walked in it was pretty much empty, but they told us we would have to eat at the bar because they had no room for us. We are looking around obviously confused, but turns out they had a tour bus of French tourists coming in soon that would fill the entire restaurant. So we ate at the bar, which was still very tasty and had a good time chatting until I had to go to my play. I got in a cab and uptown JUST as the curtain was going up and the play was AMAZING. I love musicals and plays and when I see a really good one that just gives me goose bumps, there is nothing better in the world at that moment. I loved it.
So after the play I just ran by Dwayne Reed (NYC's version of CVS) and got Jason some sprite and crackers and headed back to Serena's. He was still feeling really crummy so we ended up cancelling our dinner plans and me and Serena went to this Mediterranean restaurant down the street where you get like samplings of hummus, artichoke dip, elephant beans and all kinds of delicious things that you don't see a lot of in Dallas and it was so dang good. I so wish I could find a place like that around here. It is so great to get to expand your horizons beyond your bubble when you travel, but then you are always reminded when you get home that, oh yeah, you live in Dallas where there is like one Greek restaurant and it is in Plano. Oh well. Just gives me something to look forward to for next time.
So that night we watched the Big 12 championship, which we wouldn't have gotten to watch had Jason felt better, so at least that was good right? The next day Jason still felt kind of crummy, but Serena had procured floor tickets to the Nick's game at Madison Square Garden and he wasn't about to miss that. So we met Serena's friend there and had a great time. I have never been that close to the action before and we were like five rows away from David Duchovney and Tea Leoni sitting with their two kids, as well as Spike Lee and his son. Pretty cool.
After the game we did a little window shopping around Macy's and Sak's and back up to Rockafeller Center to go to the top of the rock. It is a new observation deck at the top of that building sort of like the Empire State Buildings. So we went up to see that and then we walked back to Serena's and just ordered in food since Jason still wasn't 100%.
The next day, sadly, we had to leave. Jason still wasn't feeling super, so we just got up and went to the airport to try to get on an earlier flight home. I guess no one is flying cause all standby people got on the flight and there was tons of room to spare! So we got home around 5, got something to eat and I am pretty sure we were in bed by around 8 pm. Not sure what made Jason so sick, but he has made a full recovery and hopefully it won't be another 5 years before he gets to go again. Thanks Serena for being so hospitable! We love you!
So after we had some breakfast, saw some celebs and took in the beautiful Christmas decorations, we went to the MOMA. The last time we were in town they were renovating it so they had it moved to Queens and it was about 1/10 the size of the real deal. The new MOMA is awesome! They had so much awesome art. Tons of Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh, Matisse, Warhol, Pollock, etc. Their newest exhibit was this huge room where there was a circular couch in the middle and these movies playing on the walls around the couch. You were invited to remove your shoes and hang out on the couch for as long as you wanted and to just experience your surroundings. So we laid down for a while at the end to rest. They also had a Van Gogh exhibit going on so we got to see that. They had paintings from all over the world brought in. A couple I had seen at the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, but they had the famous Starry Night painting that everyone knows and I had never seen it. Van Gogh is my fave so that was a nice treat.
After the MOMA we went up 5th Avenue, still admiring all the beautiful decorations, and went to eat at this place called Pop Burger. Serena suggested it and it was DELICIOUS. Really good burgers and fries. Yum. After that we walked down to Time Square to get in line at the TKTS booth for some half price theater tickets. We got tickets for Avenue Q and then went back to Serena's to crash for a bit.
That night we met Serena at a place called Vynl, which was sort of a retro diner type place with really good food. They had some of the best mac and cheese I have ever had. Then we walked over to the theater and watched Avenue Q. It was hilARious. It is unlike any show I had seen. First, most of the characters are puppets, but not like a puppet show. Like the people controlling the puppets are walking around with the puppets and talking for them, but some of the characters are just normal people. Second, it is about the most un-PC thing you have ever seen. Which, of course, lends itself to huge laughs.
After the show we went to the Divine Bar across from Serena's place and had dessert and then headed home around 1, which is when things started to go downhill. As soon as we got in bed, Jason started feeling bad. Next thing I knew he was in the bathroom 'disposing' of everything he had eaten that day. Long story short, he had a pretty bad case of food poisoning that kept him up all night and in the bathroom about every 20 minutes puking. I have never seen him so sick and felt so awful for him and totally helpless to do anything for him. I just tried to ply him with water so he didn't get dehydrated. By about 9 am he was up, but no longer upchucking, however he basically spent all day on the couch watching football. Not the worse way to spend a Saturday for him, but I think he would have preferred to be out and about. He told me to go on and do stuff without him though, and I had already planned to see another show without him anyway - he isn't a huge musical fan, can you believe it? - so I went and stood in line again for tickets to see Gypsy. Now for those who don't keep up with the current Broadway goings on (I am guessing that is about 99% of my readers), Gypsy was revived earlier last year with Patty LuPone starring and it won tons of Tony awards so I was really excited about it.
Before the show, though, Serena and I went to meet her friend for brunch at this place in Chelsea or maybe the Village. Can't remember and now I can't even think of the name of it! Wish I could, cause it was great. It had a fire place and a jazz band and just a really cozy feel to it. When we walked in it was pretty much empty, but they told us we would have to eat at the bar because they had no room for us. We are looking around obviously confused, but turns out they had a tour bus of French tourists coming in soon that would fill the entire restaurant. So we ate at the bar, which was still very tasty and had a good time chatting until I had to go to my play. I got in a cab and uptown JUST as the curtain was going up and the play was AMAZING. I love musicals and plays and when I see a really good one that just gives me goose bumps, there is nothing better in the world at that moment. I loved it.
So after the play I just ran by Dwayne Reed (NYC's version of CVS) and got Jason some sprite and crackers and headed back to Serena's. He was still feeling really crummy so we ended up cancelling our dinner plans and me and Serena went to this Mediterranean restaurant down the street where you get like samplings of hummus, artichoke dip, elephant beans and all kinds of delicious things that you don't see a lot of in Dallas and it was so dang good. I so wish I could find a place like that around here. It is so great to get to expand your horizons beyond your bubble when you travel, but then you are always reminded when you get home that, oh yeah, you live in Dallas where there is like one Greek restaurant and it is in Plano. Oh well. Just gives me something to look forward to for next time.
So that night we watched the Big 12 championship, which we wouldn't have gotten to watch had Jason felt better, so at least that was good right? The next day Jason still felt kind of crummy, but Serena had procured floor tickets to the Nick's game at Madison Square Garden and he wasn't about to miss that. So we met Serena's friend there and had a great time. I have never been that close to the action before and we were like five rows away from David Duchovney and Tea Leoni sitting with their two kids, as well as Spike Lee and his son. Pretty cool.
After the game we did a little window shopping around Macy's and Sak's and back up to Rockafeller Center to go to the top of the rock. It is a new observation deck at the top of that building sort of like the Empire State Buildings. So we went up to see that and then we walked back to Serena's and just ordered in food since Jason still wasn't 100%.
The next day, sadly, we had to leave. Jason still wasn't feeling super, so we just got up and went to the airport to try to get on an earlier flight home. I guess no one is flying cause all standby people got on the flight and there was tons of room to spare! So we got home around 5, got something to eat and I am pretty sure we were in bed by around 8 pm. Not sure what made Jason so sick, but he has made a full recovery and hopefully it won't be another 5 years before he gets to go again. Thanks Serena for being so hospitable! We love you!
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