Lady Liberty

Moving to New York was partly an investment in memories.  We wanted to be sure and do anything we could in order to get the full experience.  That being the case, when I read that the Statue of Liberty, for the first time in history, would be open to tour for one night I had to jump on it.  It was touted as a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity according to The Gothamist.  I try not to miss those.

The occasion was in celebration of National Park Week and also to bring awareness to Ken Burns' new documentary on the history of National Parks in the United States.

Neither Paige or I had ever been to the Statue, and to be honest, did not have a major drive in visiting.  However, after this visit I am definitely glad we did and am looking forward to visiting again so that I can go into the crown.  Tickets for the crown are currently sold out through November.

Here are a few pictures, however viewing on blogspot doesn't really provide justice as the quality is affected.

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After Miss Julie

After Miss Julie is currently in previews at the Roundabout Theatre in Times Square and will be showing through December 6th.  We were fortunate enough to receive comp tickets to last night's performance and had excellent seats.  It was also special because it was the first show we've been able to see since moving to New York.

After Miss Julie is set in a large country estate outside of London in July, 1945. The British Labour Party had just won their famous landslide election victory over Winston Churchill's Conservative party promising radical change and reform.  The production features Sienna Miller as Miss Julie, a young woman who seduces her wealthy father's chauffeur, whom is soon to marry another woman. (Personally, I found this somewhat ironic because this isn't too far from her recent paparazzi captured rendezvous with a married Balthazar Getty)  The chauffeur is played by Johnny Lee Miller, whom you may recall as Sick Boy from Trainspotting and the lead in the sitcom, Eli Stone.  Marin Ireland, a Tony Award nominee, plays the scorned woman and has been in numerous theatre productions.

We really liked the play and were really happy we were able to see it.  It was nice to see formal theatre as the last shows we've seen have been musicals and theatrical displays (i.e. Stomp, Avenue Q, Fuerzabrutta, etc).  Here there was nothing to hide behind and talent takes center stage.  I found Sienna's performance very honest and believable for her largest theatrical role.  I thought Marin Ireland shined in her role, with her experience being very evident in her facial expressions, tone, and stage presence during silent scenes.

(pics to be uploaded soon)

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Dinner Party

Sunday night Paige and I hosted our first dinner since moving to New York. Paige is an excellent cook so I always look forward to these. We had one of Paige's close friends, Mike Vitris and his girlfriend Emily over. The main course this night was a lasagna which was excellent and led to over consumption by each of us. Emily brought over an excellent Zucchini bread which was nice as it reminded me of the z bread my Me Ma used to make. It was such a great way to end the weekend, 3 bottles of wine, incredible food, and great company.

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coin laundry

Today I did our laundry here for the first time in this apartment. Like many places in New York we do not have a washer and dryer in our place so we have to go down the street. The plus side is that I was able to write some blog updates while waiting on laundry to finish. I didn't have an internet connection so being productive in other ways wasn't an option. It is a great opportunity to people watch and see who lives in your neighborhood.

Most interesting person there this morning was a homeless lady doing laundry. I guess I assumed laundry was something they didn't do. Although, they have to wear something while they are washing their clothes and she opted for an outfit that was so incredbily drenched in urine I felt I was going to have to rewash my clothes. But cheers to her for making an effort to stay clean.

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Sensei?

First MASTER SPLINTER sighting since we've moved to NYC.

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First Grocery Experience

So while Paige was at work I decided to venture out on the first real grocery store experience in NYC. I google mapped the nearest store, which happened to be a Gristedes, and nervously made the couple block walk. I was only going to pick up lunch stuff and other one off items to make do until the weekend when we can get a full list together. First off, there is not much of a selection and secondly, there is not much of a selection. These stores are a 1/4 of the size of a normal grocery store in Atlanta while attempting to carry a wide range of products. After checking out I left with lunch goods for a week (i.e. wraps, turkey, mustard and mayo), 2 bags of salad, salad dressing, chicken, bottled water, and some deodorant for $66.41. Yes, I was a little sticker shocked.

I have decided for our first shopping experience after we move into our actual apartment (the big stockpile of items) we should probably rent a Zip car and drive into Brooklyn for the Target Superstore. It will work out to be cheaper and provide a selection I am used to.

A side note: I felt somewhat like a leper when the cashier asked me if I had reusable bags or if I'd need plastic bags. Also, I'm pretty sure everyone was staring at me walking the few blocks home carrying groceries in plastic bags. Reusable bags are a must!

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