One Year Later = Lost

Today marks the first day of the 2nd year of marriage for my husband and I. Exactly one year ago today, we were most likely in the Fort Lauderdale Airport finding out that our cruise ship was running late and we would be in a “holding pattern” until it arrived.

One year anniversary means paper. I thoughtfully put together my hubby a shutterfly calendar of our children (doggie and kitty) for his work office as well as 3 framed pictures, one for each of us. I must say, his present to me tops this random collection of paper.

We went to New York City for the weekend, leaving on Thursday night, October 5th. I am not quite sure what counts for the “paper gift.” It could be the receipt for our hotel room in Times Square, or the theatre tickets or the MANY receipts we accumulated throughout our trip. Either way, this trip can be summed up as amazing!

It began after work on Thursday, when we piled the good old gas hog Suburban with our stuff and stuff for our dog. We secured the house, patted the kitty goodbye and headed on the road. We left at 4:30 to get into Youngstown (where my parents would be watching the G-Dog) about at 7….we dropped him off, got him settled, gave the grandparents the OK to spoil him, and then headed back on the road. We arrived in Tannersville, PA (home to my brother-in-law) at about 1:00AM and stopped for the night. We crashed hard and awoke at 4:30AM to head into the city.

We got through the tunnel at about 6:30AM and parked at our hotel. It was in PRIME location. We were a block away from Times Square and across the street from the Gershwin Theatre where Wicked was playing. We parked and checked our baggage and headed on down to the Today Show. This was a crazy morning here at the Today Show. That wedding was going on that they voted on and about a MILLION people were outside trying to be a part of these random people’s special day. We just got some breakfast at Dean and Deluca and then headed to the NBC store. Shopped a bit and then headed downstairs in Rockefeller Center to have a pit stop and catch the subway downtown.

After much deliberation on the platform, we got on the correct train downtown and got off near Soho. We walked through the ritzy area with no celebrity sightings since it was UBER early and headed to Chinatown. This was our first occurrence of getting lost. I wanted to do some shopping. For those that know me well, I am a HUGE purse junkie. Love them, gotta have them. I was out for some new satchels. I just planned on hitting up some stores along the way to see our “ring guy” (the place Dan bought our wedding rings in the diamond district who also happens to be the “jewelry guy” for the infamous Flava Flave). Dan was a bit disturbed that we were not going to go to the same shop we went the last trip. Well, I did not have this information on where this shop was and if you’ve ever been to Chinatown, all the stores look alike and pretty much sell the same crap. Back and forth up Canal Street, it starts to rain and I cannot take the smell of passing any more seafood shops. We admit to defeat and call information to get the phone number of my buddy that recommended this place. We disturb her at work for her to direct us just a jaunt over from where we were to the store and we thank her profusely….Trish, still sorry about that call but you were a lifesaver. About 10-15 minutes later in this TINY store, we emerge clutching a bag of 6 purses and a HUGE smile on my face. (yes, it is a sickness, I understand that but they ALL are not for me, one is a gift, one is for mom and one MIGHT be for a co-worker of husband’s, I haven’t decided yet)

After this accomplishment, I pretty much skip to Vinny’s, the “ring guy.” We get our rings cleaned and hubby pulls out just about ALL of his watches before he finds one he likes and purchases it. He couldn’t stop raving about his new Swiss Army Watch. So we are both happy and we catch a cab to the Seaport area where I get to see the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time and get to stand in line for the TKTS store in hopes to get some show tickets for the night. We make some friends in line and chat up a storm until the store opens and the line begins to move, we score some ½ price tickets to see “The Producers.” I was bummed because I was dying to see Chicago but this show lived up to the hype and more and I think it was more hubby’s speed.

We mull around the pier a bit before catching a cab to Katz’s Deli (where Harry Met Sally once for lunch) and ate and ordered WAY too much food. We looked at the pictures on the wall and then caught a subway back to our hotel. We got our room key now, since our room was ready and I was EXTREMELY excited to see that we were on the TOP floor (11th) AND facing the street (7th Ave.) What a view! The room was SUPER nice and we curled up and took a much needed nap. I got a shopping itch 1/2-way through my nap and took to the streets on my own and bought some “street pashmina’s” (one for me and one for my mom) and that seemed to satisfy me. I got back to the room to get ready for dinner and our show.

We had 5:30 reservations at Carmines on 44th street which I mistakenly led us 2 blocks down too far and mis-typed the address to be 40th street. All dressed up and arriving at a comic book store on 40th street, we AGAIN, call information to get the address and have to trudge 3 more blocks BACK the way we came, through millions of people in Times Square to make our reservations. We make it and dinned on Caesar Salad and Chicken Marcella and washed it down with a bottle of wine. For dessert, we had strawberry short cake. We then have to waddle back down the street, which I directed us the wrong way again, to St. James Theatre. We were one of the first in line to get into the theatre and we wait to see The Producer’s. Two thumbs up from us! It was hilarious.

Even though the city does not sleep, we had to after the show, and headed back uptown (the correct way) back to the hotel to soak my feet from wearing heals and slip into bed.

Rise and shine, nice and early, and we load up the car and head to IKEA in New Jersey. Much to my husband’s disliking. We follow my mapquest directions to Elizabeth, NJ and we see the store from the highway but end up circling the Newport Airport for ½ hour trying to find the service road that takes us there. 2 toll booth ladies directions later, we find it and park with ½ hour before the store opens. The door is open though, apparently for some AM Swedish Meatballs and we head inside, jump a rope to look at what we were there to get, get yelled at, and wait until they officially opened. We load up the car with 2 bookcases, curtains and a couple baskets. Now, we are ready to head back to PA for some family time.

We meet brother-in-law, sister-in-law and niece at a Pumpkin Festival and visit for a bit, have lunch and do some country shopping. We hit a couple more pumpkin farms and an apple farm before we retire to their home. We get home for the guys to plop down to watch some football with a frothy beverage and the women itching to do some shopping at the outlets a couple miles down the road. We load up the baby, stroller and head to the Crossing’s Outlets. Here we minimize the diaper bag to only the necessities since it would be taking up prime real estate in the stroller and head to the stores. We get some clothes for the baby and I find a Coach collar for my poocher, a couple sweaters at the Gap, a shirt at the Gap, 2 new wallets to match my previous purchases, some cologne for hubby and yes, one more purse. We run back to the car, now realizing that we had 6:30 dinner reservations and it was now 6 since we never thought to look at our watch, we run home and load up again for a nice steak dinner with family.

We hit the hay hard to get up, again, much early in the morning to hit up breakfast with the family and then head on the road to pick up the poocher and head home to eat year old wedding cake.

Pup had a good time at Grandma and Grandpa’s house since they have a lot more noises, leaves, wildlife and such at their house than we do at home and he came home EXTREMELY sleepy and EXTREMELY spoiled. Kitty somehow locked himself in the spare bedroom sometime during our trip and was relieved for me to rescue him. Good thing everything he needed was in there.

So we made it….back from our amazing trip and one year of marriage later. Wonder what we are gonna do next year?