lost in new york...19 december 2008 gratitudes

it was sooooo nice to have one of my oldest friends, kristie day, pay me a visit (i had initiated a count-down til her arrival). even though i only had one full day off with her, i hope i showed her some holiday cheer, big apple style. she even humored me while i pretended to be a new york tour-guide/ macauley culkin in home alone 2.

1. introduced my favorite cold-weather drink to her, a teanychino, at teany in the lower east side. it's like an indulgent improvement on chai tea.

2. combed the perimeter of bergdorf's, drooling over the windows. i mean, i could live inside each little vignette. so many sequins. so many towers of cakes and candies and sweet treats. so many small woodland animals. so many clocks and chess pieces and accordions and painter's palettes and glitter and magic.

3. watched a breakdancing troupe dazzle a crowd with acrobatics and moves that left everyone all clapping and hollering.

4. awkwardly maneuvered through the throngs of people in f.a.o schwartz. a little more modern, and a little less enchanting than i had remembered. it's a tad unnerving (although incredibly progressive) to see "green" santas and eco-friendly toys. for some reason "environmentally aware" doesn't conjure fond childhood memories to me. in my humble opinion. but i'm happy that is the direction of the future.

5. cruised central park on a horse-drawn carriage ride. our horse was eleven years old and named patricia. but she didn't have a fun, festive, feathery headpiece like most of her pony friends. i haven't seen central park like this since i was a very, very young girl with my parents. kristie and i curled up under the wine colored, faux-fur blanket and listened as the driver pointed out landmarks. i learned the difference between a carousel and a merry-go-round. and we saw a crazy man dancing and swearing at a curiously inquisitive little squirrel.

6. dragged kristie into the plaza hotel. i grew up staying there with my parents and it makes my heart ache to know it has been turned into luxury condominiums. i hadn't been inside the plaza in at least ten or so years, and i felt such a nostalgic wave come over me. i snuck into what used to be the edwardian room; a formerly grand dining hall where i cold-called donald trump and gave him my father's business card. i was eleven. it is one of my father's favorite stories to tell people. my networking skills run deep, i suppose. anyway, now this elegant room has been stripped of its glamour. nothing but a few decorated christmas trees and foldable picnic tables inhabit this space. it was like seeing a broken down stage set, after the close of a marvelous broadway play. oh it hurts. i guess everything has its day in the sun before its time passes.

7. ate yogurt at bloomingdale's 40 carrot restaurant. anyone who knows this little spot is the original purveyor of frozen plain yogurt. this place is the predecessor of pinkberry. the portion size is out of this world! the "regular" is a boat of three soft-serve mountains, with toppings of your choice. kristie looked at her bowl with eyes wide like saucers. i finished mine like a champ. she made a valiant effort in finishing, but i'm afraid she is no match for my sweet tooth. *and she is a hot doctor who knows better*

8. watched ice skaters and holiday revelers gather at rockefeller plaza. now i'm embarrassed to admit this, but this new york tree puts to shame the pitiful atlanta spruce that tops lennox square mall! i can't believe how full and perfect this one is! atlanta's is always laughably bare and looks like it was shot down from the forest. thread bare and bullet ridden, i swear. but this one...sigh. it even shimmered every 15 minutes or so.

9. ran into the today show filming a "best in 2008" special. it was the cutest thing. kristie was so excited, and we were all bobbing and weaving to get a closer look at meredith viera, ann curry, al roker, and matt lauer. she had been dropping hints that she wanted to wake up early and go see a taping. now, i love me some kristie day, but i am hard-pressed to believe i am capable of waking up before 8 am. fortunately, the stars were aligned, and we got a very close glimpse of her favorite morning crew. yay.

10. finished the lovely day with dinner at freemans. bless her heart, all kristie really wanted was new york pizza or hot dogs, but i was a brat and insisted i take her to my favorite spot. but she, like always, humored me and even put on a dress and heels.

well day day, ahem, doctor day, next time i promise we can go get a hot dog at grey's papaya, or a slice at lombardi's, and keep it low key. and maybe we'll even see a taping of conan or david letterman. i love you and i'm so glad we've been friends since the 7th grade. i hope i see you over christmas.