A little bite of the big apple

I am a lucky girl. Truly. My friend, Em, invited me to get in on an excellent airline deal to NYC with her. So of course I did. We spent last weekend enjoying the city and each other's company.

It was simply lovely. Our main wish in going to the city was see the luminous Ms. Graham
in "Guys and Dolls." So, imagine our horror and heartache when we arrived and discovered that the show had been cancelled, and the last performance was four days earlier! To say we were disappointed would be an understatement. Mustering our strength, we decided to get tickets for "9 to 5" the next night instead. Not the same but a good alternative.

Friday began with a trek out to the Doughnut Plant. I had seen it featured on a Food Network show and was determined to try some of the delightful doughnuts. I swear, I could eat a doughnut everyday and never get sick of them. Love them. We found the cute little shop and saw the owner himself out front. He's the one in the shorts.

At first I thought I would only get a couple (didn't want to go overboard), but then I reasoned that it was not likely that I would be returning soon to try all the other kinds, so I bought four with not a hint of shame. Here I am sampling my first, a jelly-filled with a peanut butter glaze. So, so yummy.

After enjoying our morning treat, we set out to do some shopping and just general city strolling. It was a great day (the incessant rain had stopped), and we saw some great stuff. One of my favorites was a glorious hat shop. I wish the picture did justice to the gorgeous creations on display. Why don't we wear more hats? Em thought I should get one and then go to the Kentucky Derby. Hmmm . . .

For lunch we decided to try out the Shake Shack. It's a little burger stand in Madison Square Park. It's quite popular (we waited an hour in line - I know, I know) and after getting our food, I could see why. The burger was very tasty, and I even loved the crinkle-cut fries. Em and I agreed that, oddly enough, the weakest part of the meal was the shake. But it was so nice to sit outside and enjoy good food with a great gal in a fun city. It was one of my favorite moments.

We saw "9 to 5" that night, which starred Ms. Allison Janney. It was a fun, energetic show. We both loved it. Afterwards we went out to Times Square because a) it was right by the theater and b) one of my brothers was there. What was my brother doing in New York? Well, he had come out to attend the US Open with a friend. They had only arrived that afternoon and had spent a few hours hanging out in the lawn chairs put out in Times Square for the summer. We had to take a picture because when else is this going to happen? By the way, my brother is the guy in orange. I have no idea whose brother that is in the plaid.

Saturday was a soggy day, but we still went out and had a great time going to Chelsea, Greenwich and such. We also made a special trip up to Tiffanys for me. I don't believe you can visit the city and not make a stop at Tiffanys. This time was extra special though because I came out with this:

Yes. My very first, very own little blue box. I had saved up to get a special souvenir. I was so excited that I didn't even open it for a couple of days. I just sat and stared at the box. Sigh.

That night we saw another great show, "39 Steps" which is a Hitchcock comedy. It had four actors who played over 100 parts. It was hi-larious and extremely well done. Sunday we took it easy and finished up things by visiting the East Village, the Upper West Side and Central Park. Then, unfortunately, we had to head out to JFK to come home. Good times usually have to end. I was made starkly aware of that when I made it back to SLC, but my luggage did not.

My thanks to Miss Em for such a great weekend. If I'm lucky, I'll get to go back soon.