first couple of days in nyc

i had such a lovely birthday this year. rich surprised me with a trip to new york city. he had meetings most of the week including my birthday, so we spent most of the week there through the weekend. we had a fantastic time. it had been so long since i'd been, and i've never really gone for fun as an adult. we did do a couple of touristy things i'd never done, like a trip to the top of the empire state building. thank goodness there wasn't a line.

tuesday night after rich went through all his emails and i had circled the neighborhood snapping street photos, we had dinner at this little spot called cinema. can't find a website, it's on 2nd avenue between 69th & 70th. lobster spring rolls, spicy goat cheese pizza, frittes...tapas and such, delicious. a delightful birthday dinner.

wednesday morning was brisk and gorgeous. i had walked for an hour to 14th street in chelsea, when i got a call from shawnee's brother jacob. i met him (literally, for the first time) and his friend parisa at the whole foods in columbus circle for lunch. parisa is actually from my hometown...small world. i trecked up broadway through times square and made it there in an hour and fifteen minutes. after some indian food and birthday cookies, we walked over to central park to throw the frisbee. good times, they're both really fun, and what an incredible view we had. it wasn't crowded, but there were quite a few people out and about. and dogs, lots of dogs.

parisa had to go to work, she's a dances with a company and had a performance that night. jacob decided against his mundane responsibilities of laundry and kitchen maintenance, and we walked around the park. who could blame him, i've done the same thing. we only got as far as the Met before we walked out to park avenue. there, we saw a slew of media in front of the building where now former governor spitzer lives. we walked on and cut back into the park after the Met and circled back exiting the park again on the west side and cruising by lincoln center. jacob went into best buy, and i walked back to the hotel. i couldn't wait to call shawnee and tell her how much fun we'd had...

rich and i met my uncle for dinner at la colonial. french vietnamese on lexington and 57th. we were going to take a cab, but they were all full, so i got some more walking in. thirteen more blocks! we had a really nice dinner, uncle jim is fun. his new granddaughter arrived a bit early, so my aunt was in boston. she actually arrived on march 11 which happens to be my birthday, it's very exciting to have another pisces in the family.