Lazy Sunday

The word of the day is LAZY.   Kind of.  The irony is that we set this day aside for a fairly relaxed, no set schedule day, and I think across the board we agreed that it was the day that we all felt the most tired and blah.   I tried to explain the "Lazy Sunday" rap to the others but no one knows what I'm talking about it - it will be a goal to play it for them...  "the Chronic-what-cles of Narnia!"

We start off SLOW – well, Becki and McKay go down to get mani-pedis.  They had been wanting to do that in the city, and after a couple of days on our feet, they were ready.   They just wanted some little affordable place, not some NYC celebrity treatment place that cost an arm and a leg – but I warned them that they also didn’t want to just want into a place that was “cheap” and get a fungus.   They spotted a place just across the street from where we’re staying and Becki looks up the reviews on her handy dandy NYCWay app – and they’re good to go. 

They take showers and get ready, and BMc is excited that everyone is awake so that she “can shower with music”… we’re not sure what that means exactly, until she gets in and we hear the music, and her, singing along.  She likes to shower with music.  

They go for their mani-pedis -  and the place was really nice, affordable and they communicated prices well instead of just doing things and giving you a surprise bill at the end.   Bmc picked out a color that was a “gel” (that’s code for “expensive”) and if she would have used it, it would have cost 3 times the amount that a normal mani-pedi cost (like $97!) -  instead she got green for her fingers and orange for her toes… it’s like Halloween a little – but she looks good.   Becki got purple toes, and had a lady that was going to try and convince her that there was this orange color that would go great with that for her fingers.. UH NO!   Becki is in fear of color on her nails.  Another woman who worked there took her aside and said, “You want French?  I take care of you.” – and then Becki was in the celebrity seat in the front window of the store.  She was the one that people gawked at as they walked by.   So she’s famous now.  And we know her.  J

Meanwhile back in the apt, I was blogging my little heart out (that really long Saturday post), and we were watching CNN.   We see the news about a Mermaid parade that we missed on Saturday in Coney Island.   Dang.  But there looked to be a lot of people and most were weird men who just wanted to see women dressed up as half-naked fish.   So maybe it was a good thing that we were busy.

The girls get back and we all head out for brunch.   Continuing to make new verbs, we are brunching.  Literally our only plans for the day are mani-pedis, brunch, see if we can get tickets for Harvey, and shop a bit.   See? LAZY.   And the things we’re doing are all really close to each other – mani-pedi across the street… and brunch is in the open plaza as you step out of our front doors.    The girls noticed the menu on a placard as they walked by and sent us a pic of the menu and it looked pretty interesting!    They had Frosted Flake French toast, granola pancakes with warm bananas – oh and “orange flowers” - frozen margaritas mixed with mimosas.  Becki and I have one…  and then just one more… We are in love.    We all determine that one of us MUST order the Frosted flake French toast, and then in fairness we order one for the table to share so that we aren’t eating half of someone else’s breakfast.   We get it as an appetizer – hmmm… breakfast appetizer, I think that it’s a new trend that we’re starting.  And when I say breakfast – that’s not really what I mean because it’s like 1:30 at this point.   See? LAZY! 



BMc's green and orange

Mmm, orange flowers



Frosted Flake French Toast

Those drinks are sneaking up on Becki and I – uh, whoa.   We’re thinking now that maybe starting the day off with alcohol wasn’t the best idea after all.  But they’re so GOOD.  I think the biggest mistake was that we didn’t get the water that we asked for, so we were drinking our orange flowers for thirst and not for just sipping and enjoying.   Bmc videos a bit of our public non-sobriety (not really drunk, but not really sober), and notes that she sees the pleasure that I gain from capturing silliness on video.  J

 We’re sitting outside, and the tables are like the iron patio furniture, with holes in it.   Becki is having a hard time with spilling and dripping sticky things through the table (her drink, syrup..) and BP is a little nervous about being dripped on – but she can’t get too close to BMc because her pant leg is “flapping” in the breeze and touching her leg (the nerve!).   She’s feeling a little hedged in.  There are fake owls perched in the trees above us to scare off birds that might fly through and beg for scraps – and on occasion we hear them screeching.  Took us a minute to figure it out.     

We get the bill and we’re dividing it up – this won’t even be funny to anyone but us (and maybe not even to us, but it was really funny at the time).  I’m sorry in advance – but Dana turns to me and says, “You're 12 dollars” – it sounded like an insult, like I was cheap!   Oh yah, well “YOU’RE $12!”… and I point out that she is incorrect – in fact the $12 is for 4 drinks – of which I only had TWO – so I am $6!  So there.   I’m even cheaper than $12.    Becki is struggling with picking up her pancakes to put in the to go box (we’re going to run them upstairs)….  “Help!?”   Can someone watch Becki?  She needs a little assistance here.     I’m a little thirsty… I need water.  BP says, “Well you have a water bottle”… I know.   But I wanted THEIR water that they were supposed to bring to me.  

While we’re sitting there at the table, BP is keeping up with the twitter feeds of all the celebs hanging out in NYC with us  – and Hugh Jackman just posted about us!   Even posted a picture of us!   Well he posted about Tropfest, and posted a pic of the crowd from the stage (and I’m sure that we were in it).  

We head back to the apt for sunglasses (mine), water bottle (BP) and bathroom (all).  There is still much silliness.   Becki and I are in a bit of a state.   BP cannot find her Kleenex box.  She’s quite sure that someone stole it.  It's square.  Not rectangle.  And they're puffs, not Kleenex and she just had them so someone stole them.   The scariest part is that it's only the 5 of us.   There is a thief among us.

 It’s after 3:00 now and we have had brunch – we hit Starbucks on the way to Time Square – Becki and I need caffeine… yah, that’s what we need.    Starbucks!  We should do that.  Now?  Ok!   We are Starbucking.  Becki is standing right behind me but somehow she isn’t the next person to be waited on – seems to be a pattern in NYC and line etiquette.   BP and I were out on Time Square looking for a bathroom (when we were coming back from our time with Hugh), and BP was standing in the line for the bathroom, clearly next – and this blonde chick steps up right in front of her just as the door is opening and gets in there – and then decides that she doesn’t want to use that bathroom anyway, and lets the door shut – it’s now locked.   You have to buy something to pee.   Gotta pay to pee (that’s from Urinetown)  And you gotta be aggressive if you want to hold your place in line in NYC!

TKTS opens at 3:00, and they were saying that Harvey tickets don’t post until 3:00 when they open because it’s only been running for about a week so there aren’t a lot of extra tickets to the shows yet.  So we have to go to the TKTS BOOTH. Soon.  Now...  At least that’s what I say in my head.   On my lips it sounds more like “Soo-now”… the others in my party gain a bit of pleasure from repeating that over and over.   Soo-now…  soo-now…  Try it.  J

We get to TKTS just after they opened.  No Harvey tickets.  Sadness.  We will try for another day.  Or possibly just stalk Jim Parsons at the stage door.   So we truly have no plans today.   We think that maybe we can go back down to the village this evening and check out the shops.  We’ve heard it’s a fun place to be at night and there are unique little shops down there.   For now we head to Foot Locker (not just ANY Foot Locker – *Time Square*, bling bling Foot Locker) so that Becki and BMc can look for shoes.  Becki has a true blow out.  She is in need.   Dana and I have found "the visitors center" (which is what we’ve come to call any place that we can sit and wait).  BP heads off to find a bathroom.  Dana hopes that she can find her way back – this is a girl that turns the wrong way every time we get off the elevator in the apt.   Can we trust her to find her way back to us once set loose alone in Time Square?  But alas, she returns safely to our relief. Becki and BM have success!  They bought shoes and Dana bought a song that was playing while we were waiting...   Becki got purple and BM got green - Matching their nail color?  Hmmmmm….   Dana and BP and I keep checking on their progress from the comfort of our seats, we’re watching the door too, we expect to see them walk out any moment.   Then we get a text from them, “Where are you?  We’re in Toys R Us?”    What????  We’ve for 45 minutes, patiently (or not so patiently) waiting for them to shop and try on and purchase… we waited for them to go to Toys R Us, and then they leave us sitting in Foot Locker?   It’s all good.  We’re just acting cranky for the fun of it.  

Our own personal "visitor center"

Purple for Becki and Green for BMc



We find them in Toys R Us which is just next door.  This place is HUGE!  There is a full sized ferris wheel inside, and 3 floors of kids and madness!   There are more lego displays, huge one of the Hulk that Becki got a picture of, and just lots of fun things to see.   I was kind of in a funk today, starting the day slowly and with brunch alcohol is not something I will do again – and I think that we were just BEAT down from the past two days of running everywhere and doing everything – but I told the others at one point, I think missed a lot today.   There may be gaps in the blog.   Oh well!

After Toys R Us the only other thing that we really wanted to do was shop for cheesy NYC souvenir stuff and there is plenty of that to choose from!   We head to a shop that says that it’s Broadway stuff, and we like that…  it seems that the Brittanys take much longer to make their way through a shop than Dana and I.   So we’ll always be just a little ahead of them.   There is another shop just next to that one and we spend some time in there too.  But then we see this cool street festival on 44^th Street, right off Broadway – so right there at Time Square.   There are tons of great vendors there with tables of stuff from leather wallets and bags, to bracelets, glass jewelry, scarves (BP needs one, she’s a scarf girl!) – and food too.  There are kabobs and smoothies and these odd corn cakes with mozzarella in them (we get one and try it – meh).   I get a new wallet and a cute bohemian style shoulder bag, BP and McKay bought some hair trinkets, Dana got a cute wallet that is SO her – and Becki was looking at these cute dresses!   She haggled her way into a deal and got TWO!   They’re super cute!   This was the best thing – just what we needed.    They closed down at 6pm and we had perfect timing because that’s when we were done too.  



Street Fair!

Cute scarf shopping



I think they're so YOU!

Cute dress!!

Corn cakes - worth a try!

Naked Indian!!

We hit one last store – this huge souvenir shop and we got a few more trinkets for us and for people at home (so we can’t share).   And just as we were getting ready to leave the shop we got the news that our friend Amy Slama had passed.   I don’t feel the need to make any more comments about that – we all dealt with it in our own ways.   We miss her already. 

While we were standing out in Time Square, they noticed the “Naked Indian” – BM decided that since she had a picture with the naked Cowboy that it would only be fair to get one with the Indian – equal time.  

We were so beat!   And after not really doing anything – we went back to the apartment to chill.   On the walk back we see these guys signing at some tables in the plaza next to our apt building.  The Brittanys are sure that they’re Deaf and want to go talk to them… Becki, Dana and I are happy just to get back to the apt.   The Brittanys debate about how they’re going to approach them – just sign next to them or be bold and go up and talk to them?   They come up to the apt with us, but then go back down to get food from this guy who is becoming our favorite vendor (the same guy that gave the free food before).    They got up their nerve and approached them and introduced themselves as interpreters from the St. Louis area, curious about deaf events in the area this week.   They suggested a website for local Deaf events and then BMc told them at that we were going to see Tribes on Wednesday – they love Russell also and seemed to know him.  They said that he was so great, and said that when we go, that Russell leaves out of the front lobby because there really isn’t a stage door, and that sometimes he tries to sneak out.  We will be on the look out!  

We rest up a bit because we want to head back out to Time Square at night – so at about 11pm we’re back up and out on the town.   We head to the M&M Store to grab snacks for us and people back home, and then we went to another NYC store that was across from there.  It was basically the same stuff as the one that we went to earlier, but more expensive – totally going back to the other place to get the things we wanted.    It’s raining – and literally it’s the first time that we’ve been out that I decided to leave the umbrella behind.  Great decision making skills, this one.   So we’re walking in the rain (not singing or dancing in the rain) – and we’re just a LITTLE wet.   We want to do pizza again and the other girls want to try out the place that BP and I went the night before with the super cold soda.   

This time around Dana and I just get a pepperoni, Becki gets a cheese (with mozzarella and ricotta), BP tries the BBQ pizza but regrets not getting the hot wing pizza again, and BMc is very happy with her margarita pizza.   We even try a bit of their dessert – I get a famous black and white cookie (it’s a thing that most of the websites said was iconic NYC and a must try, but it tastes just like a cake/cookie with thick icing that is black and white)… Becki gets the cheesecake (she wins), and the Brittanys get cupcakes that are a little too dry. 

We did a little shopping, had a little silliness – but no naps and we were so worn out!  I didn’t even get this blog written up , but Dana reminds me that it’s not homework.   But if I don’t do it while it’s fresh then it loses a little something.  

Monday we’re back in the swing of things with a trip to the NBC studio tour and the Daily Show!

Modelling for us back at the apt