Where have I been? What have I been up to?

I’m overwhelmed. I like to blog about the “goings-on” of life, but wow. There’s been a lot going on. So, instead I’m going to give you lists of the good stuff with very little commentary – if you have questions, ask!

First, I got married in NYC. I have hundreds of photos but instead I’ll just share with you my “check-ins” from the SWARM app on my phone.

NYC via SWARM app

MONDAY-

RST – our flight was cancelled Sunday morning, so we had to re-book with a different airline, avoiding O’Hare on the way to NYC. Got in a few minutes earlier than we would have, so it was all good!
MSP
LGA
Brooklyn Bridge
Office of the City Clerk – Marriage Bureau – Got dropped off at City Hall, which was not open, because it’s not where you get married! I had the address, just not the correct name!
London Terrace Towers – Where Troy lives! Love his hospitality!
Toshi’s Living Room – a Funky place; met everyone here and moved on…
O’Reilly’s Irish Pub – good grub and quieter atmosphere!
230 Fifth Rooftop Lounge – beautiful place!

TUESDAY

London Terrace Towers – up and at ’em, heading out for a walking tour!
Staten Island Ferry – Whitehall Terminal
Battery Park
Bowling Green
Federal Hall National Memorial
Trinity Church
National September 11 Memorial and Museum
City Hall Park Gas Lite Bulbs Fountain
Wafels & Dinges – Pagadder Card
Wo Hop Restaurant
Chinatown
Becco – great Italian restaurant with a prix fixe meal before theatre! Toasts, tears and laughter!
Lyric Theatre – ON THE TOWN! A great musical during preview week. Appropriate for a bunch of people experiencing NYC for a short time – and getting the most out of it!
Times Square – the Red Stairs
O’Lunney’s – birthday drinks! I almost forgot that my wedding day was actually my birthday, as well! So after midnight we had a toast to the awesome day ahead! I still don’t remember that I turned a year older, so maybe I’ll remain 45 forever?

WEDNESDAY – WEDDING DAY!

Office of the City Clerk – Marriage Bureau – #woohoowedo2014 ! A perfect ceremony!
Starbucks – a brief reception, due to drizzle! Then on to our ROLLING RECEPTION!
Grimaldi’s Pizzeria
High Line
Central Park – Bethesda Fountain
LOVE Sculpture
Empire State Building – 86th Floor Observatory
Archer Hotel New York – checked in and met the crew at the rooftop bar, Spyglass!
Periyali – Greek dinner!
Marie’s Crisis – singing along with every song!
Archer Hotel New York – what a beautiful day!

THURSDAY

Times Square
M&M’s World – met Rob here and also went to the Hershey store!
Pie Face
MSG Entertainment HQ
High Line – the newish part!
Joe the Art of Coffee
Archer Hotel New York – a disco nap!
Guy’s American Kitchen and Bar – dinner with Troy!
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre – “It’s Only a Play” – a fun play with a star-studded cast!
Junior’s Restaurant & Bakery – treats for morning
Shake Shack – treats for now! “Great White Way”
Times Square at midnight

FRIDAY

Carnegie Deli
Bethesda Terrace
Heartland Brewery
Stephen Sondheim Theatre – “Beatiful – The Carole King Musical” SO GOOD!
Swing 46

SATURDAY

Chelsea – leaving in a downpour!
Queens – Midtown Tunnel
LGA
ORD
RST
Whistle Binkies on the Lake – with Tony and Tien!
The Doggery

SUNDAY

Willow Creek Golf Course – our wedding reception!
Whistle Binkies on the Lake – with Kim and Eric, Maureen and Dennis! Yay!

MONDAY – Chris back at work, Danette unpacking!

That was a whirlwind of a week – and I know there were stops I didn’t “check in” but it is a fun way to keep track of a vacation!

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And then life after the wedding …

There was FOOTBALL! Gunnar’s senior year, filled with wonderful highlights and honors!
There were meals – at Burdey’s, at Panera, at Caribou, at Jessie Street Java, at Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery, at Victoria’s, at Chester’s, at The Thirsty Belgian, at Cowboy Jack’s Saloon, at Chipotle, at Brothers, at Pho Chau…
There were movies – GONE GIRL, ST. VINCENT, DUMB AND DUMBER TO, and HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART I.
Garrison Keillor came to Rochester and we enjoyed his live radio show
Basketball has begun and I look forward to watching TRAJAN and GRACIE and REES play during this season!
Thanksgiving was a blast – relaxing and fun. Highlights were sledding with Kaydee, listening to what everyone was Thankful for this year, and playing HEADS UP. Download it to your phone or iPad if you haven’t! It’s a hit!
Notice: Not a SINGLE BOOK WAS READ! Oh my. I have been catching up with my Oprah magazine, and slowly reading a great book. I am going to fail miserably at my Goodreads goal, but I’m really ok with that. Life is SO good.

Now it’s December. I am hoping that in December I can connect with many friends and family, enjoying TIME and conversations with everyone. I tend to enjoy Thanksgiving more than Christmas because I get stressed about presents, but I hope that I can focus on relationships instead of receipts this December, so that Christmas can be celebrated as it is intended.

Ah, life is good! I am blessed!

And I’m Ready to Go!

I’m excited for the adventures to come this week!

July to August 115 — First Ave Danceteria

Adventures begin Saturday with Kieran’s Irish Pub and First Ave for Glen Hansard! I’m excited to see him in concert for the second time! Someone was tweeting during a concert in Washington DC last week and they were amazed so I am prepared to be amazed.

Thankfully I am packing slightly lighter than this – but only slightly! 🙂 How many clothes does one need for four days and nights in NYC?? And how many pairs of shoes to go with those clothes? And how many purses to wear with those outfits?

Goodness.

I know that I overpacked, I always do, but I will have choices. I haven’t even checked the 10 day forecast yet, so I packed for most eventualities. Most. I am not ready for cold or snow. That won’t happen this week, although they are talking about some of that crazy weather for MN next weekend!

Things on the agenda for this NYC trip:

The movie “Pitch Perfect” – looks like a fun movie for music-loving people!
Depending on the weather, maybe a trip to the top of the Empire State Building (I haven’t been during the day) or a walk over the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge!
A walking foodie tour of Greenwich Village with Adriana Trigiani‘s tour group!
Central Park in the Fall!
The High Line in the Fall!
Avenue Q off-Broadway!
The Strand book store!
Forbidden Broadway!
Once – for the second time!
Bring It On!
Any other adventures that may come my way on my birthday week in New York City!

Sounds like I will need lots of energy for the City that Never Sleeps – So I’d best be getting sleep now – if I can! I’m so excited to be on my way…

travel — print by Mae Chevrette – She does beautiful work and I want them all! http://www.etsy.com/listing/110518539/limited-edition-14-x-11-paper-print-the

Perez Reviews: Forbidden Broadway: Alive & Kicking! (perezhilton.com)
Lists (walkietalkiebookclub.com)
New York City 2012 (walkietalkiebookclub.com)
Review: Glen Hansard (backtorockville.typepad.com)

New York City 2012

Wow! I’ve been home from NYC for a week now! The trip was indescribable and a blur, much like the photo above! I loved every minute: loved every show, loved the time spent with friends, loved my sleeping accommodations, loved the nighttime, loved the walks, loved the musicals, loved the play, loved the theatre district walking tour, loved the YouTube screenings… loved it all. It simply flew by and I cannot wait to go back. I’m thinking October, if it works for you Troy!

Highlights: Click the links to see clips or the official sites for everything below!

June 2012 007 — Monday: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was such a fun show to start off the week! Literally dancing in my seat and singing along to the music! Quite a spectacle – so glad I got to see it, as it closed last Sunday!

IMG00135-20120618-2320 — Luis and I at Carnegie Deli

After the show we went to Carnegie Deli for some late night “snacks.” The portion sizes are crazy! I ordered a chocolate cream pie and didn’t expect to get the whole pie piled on one plate! Yummy!

Tuesday I walked a lot on the High Line, attempting to walk off the previous night’s dinner. 🙂 The High Line is a new park that is built on an abandoned railroad bed above 10th and 11th Avenue on the west side of Manhattan. I walked its length, getting off in the Meat Packing district and enjoyed lunch at a French restaurant and then rambled around Greenwich Village a bit. I took a lot of pictures of interesting buildings and sat in a few parks for shade, when needed.

June 2012 104 — On the Broadway Stage! Once: A New Musical

Tuesday night we saw Once: A New Musical. It was just sooooooo good. During intermission they opened the bar onstage and we got to go up there. It was fun to stand on the stage where the performers/musicians had been standing. It was a great show – the music is made right on stage and I either had goose bumps or tears in my eyes throughout the entire show. The show flew by and before I knew it, it was done. Troy and Luis were kind enough to wait at the stage door with me and I got Steve Kazee’s (Guy in Once) autograph. Ah. Afterwards, a delicious pub meal at the Playwright’s Celtic Pub – although it is noted that it wasn’t true Irish fare offered, as there were some Mexican offerings on the menu. 🙂

June 2012 131 — Kevin, tour guide, and George M. Cohan (“Give My Regards to Broadway”!) statue at Times Square

Wednesday Troy and I signed up for a walking tour of the Times Square Theatre District. Kevin was our tour guide, and of course he was an aspiring actor. It was a lot of fun to walk around the district and learn about the history of the theatres and how Times Square has changed. It was beastly hot on this first day of summer, so a brewery lunch was a perfect respite before the matinee of Newsies! A great fun show! I took pictures of the cast after but somehow I saved them so that I can’t get them off my camera. Ugh. But what fun, that show was. Great singing and dancing. Loved it! Seize the Day!

June 2012 170 — Adam Chanler-Berat (Boy) from Peter and I!

June 2012 172 — Christian Borle (Black Stache) and I after Peter and the Starcatcher

We freshened up and ordered Chinese before our second show of the day, Peter and the Starcatcher! What a joy that was! I loved the books by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, and the play was so fun! Very musical, very funny, very smart! Black Stache cracked up the cast on stage, and it was just a delight to be there! He obviously doesn’t like to smile offstage, as he looked so serious while taking pictures with the stage door fans. But I smiled big enough for the both of us! How fun. His last day in the show was last night, as now he’s focusing on Smash, the TV show. I’ll have to catch up with it!

Then…

Delicious desserts were brought home to savor while we sat up late (again!) and talked and talked and talked. Ah. Good times.

Thursday was the hottest day of the week so I jumped in a cab to 80th street, wandered Zabar’s for a bit, and then grabbed coffee and a muffin and walked to Central Park and sat in the shade. I took a LOT of photos this day, and I walked a lot of the city. From Central Park I walked down Fifth Avenue for some window shopping, and then caught a cab back to 18th street to meet Kaitlyn for lunch at Room Service (yummy Thai!). Then more walking around Chelsea and on the High Line. Then back to Troy’s to rest my weary feet. I had blisters in several places, I think because of the heat of the day.

June 2012 256 — After Nice Work If You Can Get It

And then the finale of the week – Nice Work If You Can Get It! what a fun show! It is so beautiful to look at and reminded me of an old Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movie. The dancing, the Gershwin tunes, the beautiful costumes and set, the bootleggers and the high society. How fun. And to see Matthew Broderick and Kelli O’Hara was a treat! I can’t wait til this Broadway Cast Recording comes out!