I think we should be friends...Tim

My how quickly the summer is going. That always seems to happen though. I'm eagerly awaiting some sun, sand and R&R down in Nags Heads in July. It will be here before we know it and for that I'm very grateful.

Now, back to the post. When we first moved to the Upper West Side, I remember seeing Tim Gunn walk across Broadway with a grocery bag of odds and ends, including paper towels. My first thought was, "Tim Gunn! He shops just like us." My second thought was, "Oh crap, what am I wearing?" If you don't know who Tim Gunn is (which, I guess if you don't get Bravo or now, Lifetime then maybe I can understand) then you would want to know why I would worry about my outfit. See, Mr. Gunn is a fashion consultant/guru, most well known for being on Project Runway.
Tim Gunn is my neighbor too. It has become a joke with The Husband and myself, who can see him more? So far I'm winning. He lives in the building right beside us and I probably see him at least twice a week as I walk Miss Bailey. Of course, it's usually in the mornings when I'm wearing my pajamas outside (yes, I know. I wore my pajamas outside.). I was mortified as I walked past him. They weren't even cute pajamas but an old Elon tee-shirt and bright Carolina blue shorts. Ick.

A few weeks ago I saw him (again, walking Bailey) but I was prepared with a more appropriate outfit. This time, I got a little smile. Score.

Just last week, The Husband and I were talking and I mentioned that I hadn't seen my friend, Mr. Gunn in the mornings, per usual. That afternoon, I stepped on the 2 train and lo and behold, there he was. I quickly looked down at my outfit and noticed that it was not my best, but still not pajamas, so I was okay.

I think we should be friends. Maybe one of these days I'll get the nerve to say hello and maybe ask for a picture. Of course, only if I'm wearing a good outfit.

Image from Google.

I want to know...

...who the hell has time to do yoga in the middle of Times Square, in the middle of the day, for Summer Solstice? Maybe if I did yoga in the middle of the work-day, I would be less stressed. But, then I probably wouldn't have a job so...
New York has been kicking my a$$ lately. I counted three, yes, three grey hairs on my head this week and it's only Wednesday. The a$$ kick started last Friday when my flight to RDU was canceled due to weather. Because there were no more night flights, The Husband and I were booked on a morning flight out of JFK. I was disappointed that we wouldn't get in until Saturday but hey, at least we had one night...and then Saturday happened.

We drove out to JFK, went through security (which, is never fun) and as we looked up to find our gate, a big ol' canceled signed appeared by our flight. Again? You have to be kidding me. Apparently due to storms the night before, there was no crews to fly for Saturday. The next flight out wasn't until 1:30 p.m. from LGA (sigh) and wouldn't get us in until 3 p.m. After two failed attempts to leave the city, we called it off not wanting to go through another canceled or delayed flight. I cried like a baby. You know, that deep down cry from the pit of your stomach, where you can't stop and makes your face look swollen? Yes, that was me - in the middle of the airport (and to be honest most of the day). Why was I so upset? Well, I missed my best friend from high school's wedding that night. Yeah, it sucked.

And I won't even get into work on the blog but if I told you, you probably wouldn't believe me.

New York, I love you but darn it, you really wear me out sometimes. Okay there. Feels better getting it out.

Back soon with more positive news. Just keeping it real on the blog so thanks for listening to me whine and moan:)

Follow Friday

Do any of y'all participate in follow Friday on Twitter? Maybe participate isn't the right word. I'm still getting used to this Twitter thing. I find myself thinking, "do I really have something interesting to tweet today?" and more importantly, "does anyone really care?" Probably not.

If you are on Twitter and in the city, you should follow Gorilla Cheese NYC. It's a grilled cheese food truck that moves all about the city and tweets its locations. They still haven't come close my work or home neighborhood, but I'm still following.

In other news, I finally found a hot minute to blog. (and I thought summer was suppose to be slower?). Well, since I only have a minute, I'll leave you with some quick photos from Lonny. Who doesn't like looking at pretty rooms on a Friday?

Off to NC tomorrow for my friend's wedding this weekend. Can't wait to be down south and see friends and family and celebrate Dad's Day!

Savage Beauty

This past weekend, The Husband's parents were in town visiting. I'm so fortunate to have in-laws that are awesome. We always have a great time together and as my grandmother would say, "ain't nobody hit nobody with nothin'."

My father-in-law is a very talented artist. We even have one of his pieces hanging in our kitchen (note to self: take picture of aforementioned piece for blog readers). Since he is an artist, we usually go to the Met, once or even twice, during their visits and listen to him as he gives us short lessons on paintings, drawings, exhibits, etc., always teaching us something unique and interesting.

While we were there, I noticed a line of people wrapped around an exhibit. Whenever I see a line, I ask myself, "Do I need to be there? Is it that good?" Well, I quickly learned that it was the Alexander McQueen, Savage Beauty, exhibit. Though, I wasn't about to stand in line, I did peak around the corner and saw two of his dresses - gorgeous! I'm hoping to go back to the Met after work this week to check out the full exhibit and hopefully avoid the line. Here are some shots from the site. Stunning!

Have any of y'all been?



All images from www.met.com.

P.S., The BBQ festival was also this past weekend. Though we missed this year's festivities we have been in the past and it was delicious. Did any of you New Yorker's make it out? There was a one NC BBQ restaurant there.

What can $1 Get you in NYC...

....a lunch! For those of y'all in NYC tomorrow, Living Social is offering certain menu items at selected Midtown restaurants tomorrow for just $1. Visit Living Social tomorrow starting at 6 a.m. to purchase your $1 deal. You must redeem your deal between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

For more info, visit LivingSocial.com.

Happy cheap eating!

What's the hold up?

I know, I know. I have been a bad blogger. I should really carve some time out a few days a week to write, but when I got back to work last week, things got crazy and sitting in front of the computer after sitting in front of the computer was not something I wanted to do. Excuses, Excuses...

We're are still adjusting to the real world. The jet lag was actually a good thing and got me out of bed and ready to start my day before the morning news shows even started. It's beginning to wear off though and I think by week's end, I'll be back to my old routine.

France and Italy. Ahhh, they feel so far away right now. If you are looking to plan a trip, I highly recommend one similar to ours. Instead of boring you with lots of stories, I'll include a list of favorites along with photos. It's more fun that way...

France
- Rosé vino - I don't know what it is, but Rosé in France is much better than Rosé in the states. But isn't most food and drink? The Husband and I had Rosé with most of our dinners and wish we'd brought a bottle or two home with us.
- Tartan - This was by far the best restaurant in Nice. They serve delicious freshly made brick oven pizzas that melt in your mouth. Seriously, nothing better. The owners don't speak French so we had fun trying to communicate.
- Farmer's Market - This isn't your mom's farmer's market. It's an everyday event (except Mondays) where artisans, farmers, etc come out and sell their treasures. This was a great place to pick up keepsakes and gifts for family.
- Pebble Beaches - You can always rent a beach chair for 20 euros a day, but I would go the free route and sit on the pebble beach instead. Though it can be a bit hard on the tush, it's much better people watching and guys, the girls are topless. Well, at least the old wrinkly ones.





Italy
- Pasta Pasta Pasta - Italian is my favorite cuisine. If I could eat pasta everyday I would and I did in Italy. Cinque Terre is were pesto originated so it comes with every pasta dish and is probably my favorite thing from the whole trip.
- Hiking - If you visit the Cinque Terre, you must hike the five towns. I warn you, it's damn hard. I had to stop several times to catch my breath and almost thought I was going to faint. But, the views! They are amazing...
- B&B - We stayed in the most quaint and beautiful Bed & Breakfast. There are not many hotels (or any) in Cinque Terre so most tourist stay in locals' homes. Ours had an lovely terrace where we ate breakfast each morning and took naps in the afternoon. Life was hard.
- Rick Steves - If you are going to travel to Italy, buy Rick Steves book. Especially if you are going to Cinque Terre. The locals love him and if you show some of them his book, you can get discounts. No kidding, we got 10% off at our B&B.






Back to more Southern in the City topics later in the week!