Going to the Movies!

Had my first movie theater experience in NYC. Wow. Prices that just make your jaw drop- a $13 matinee! Yikes! Add that to the $11 concessions and my daily budget was blown. I was worried at first by the theater because apparently some people (from their Yelp reviews) can't figure out the whole escalator to your movie theater thing. It isn't difficult. You have a theater number printed on your ticket. Follow the signs that are posted quite visibly and you'll get there no problem.

Cupcakes and Martinis

Image Courtesy of Stacie Joy for CTTC

After finally finding a tailor whom I hope is doing an excellent job on hemming my pants, I decided to finally treat myself to an authentic NYC experience: the Cupcake. I walked into Crumbs on 3rd and E 79th and my eyes feasted upon the delightful number of choices available to me. The guy behind the counter asked if I knew what I wanted but I wasn't ready. I wanted to savor the moments of decision making. I rarely indulge in these types of treats. I'm trying to lose weight as I feel my own personal battles with weight need to be waged in order for me to tell patients the same. I eventually settled on Dulce de Leche to harken back to a time I spent living in Texas where Dulce de Leche is a standard desert on every menu.

I sat down at my little corner table and just smiled to myself. Here it was: my first cupcake as a New Yorker. A special moment. A wonderful moment and in the end, that singular moment of delicious anticipation where I held my fork ready to make the initial cut into the cupcake was all there was for me.

Because at that moment, two of perhaps the worst children I have ever encountered came into Crumbs. These two boys were around five and seven years of age and came barreling into the shop a good minute before their harried mother came in after them. The commotion. The screaming when the younger boy discovered his favorite cupcake was sold out for the day. The elder's protests when the younger tried to touch his chocolate bar. Because, yes, when your children are already running around like wild banshees the best course of action is most definitely to buy them each a 500 calorie cupcake. While the mother stood in line, the boys played a game of Simon Says wherein the elder child had the younger perform tasks in order to have some of the previously mentioned candy bar. Tasks like crawl on the floor or roll on the floor.

My cupcake lost all joy for me. The moments of silent enjoyment lost I threw away my cupcake partially eaten as the children now having their cupcakes took turn picking off pieces to throw at one another at the table next to me. The mother mouthed her apologies to me for her sons' behaviors and I nodded in a friendly "ain't no thing" style.

The whole experience proved to me why I should never be a mother. Because I would be mentally fuck with those children. I'd let them run around and do their thing. Then, when I got those cupcakes for them, I'd make them throw them away uneaten for the complete and total disregard of their mother, their environment and any proper rules of conduct in the public sphere. I'd drag their little butts home and send them straight to bed (after a thorough scrubbing in the bath from the whole rolling on the floor thing) and their cries would bring me joy. JOY!

I decided to go to a grown up place where I'd be able to have a moment of piece- a completely different NYC experience- a martini.

I got this lovely drink at Spice, a Thai restaurant at at 1411 Second Avenue at the corner of E 73rd St. It was a Pineapple and Ginger Martini and it was the bees knees man. The ginger kept the pineapple from making the drink to sweet and gave it just a bitter enough taste to remind you there was alcohol in the cup. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Definitely going to return to try the food out too.

Blood Donation Rejection

I tried to give platelets at the NY Blood Center today. I was rejected because my hemoglobin was 12.4 and 12.5 is needed. I wasn't upset but was quite impressed by the number of similarly aged people in there also donating platelets. Most of the time when I donate platelets there is a good twenty year age difference between the other donors and I. After years of seeing no one within two decades of my age donating blood or platelets, it was so good to see other people my age donating.

My First New Yorker Breakfast

Yes, I am partial to the Ess-A-Bagel version of a bagel. Although I am going to 'experience' NYC and not just stick to this well-known and wonderful bagel bakery.

On a side note, while walking to Ess-A-Bagel (very recommended- both the walking and Ess-A-Bagel), I turned the corner and a bunch of pigeons flew into the air John Woo style except for the fact that I am not in an Asian action movie, they weren't doves and I wasn't shooting at anyone. Also, I am pretty sure that when actors are in a scene like that they aren't thinking, please don't let any of these fucking birds shit on me.

Good Health Cafe Review

Good Health Cafe @ 1435 1st Ave btw 74th and 75th streets.
Absentee service while not terribly busy detracted from an already mediocre meal makes this place not worth a visit.

I got a Crispy Soy Chicken n Bacon Burger. While the chicken patty wasn't morningstar farms, it might as well have been. I could have bought my own patties, bun and bacon and made this concoction at home. The vegetables on the burger were fresh but the vegan mayo and honey mustard were of such little quantity as to be absent altogether. What I could taste of the honey mustard was that it was quite good, but there simply wasn't enough on the burger. For a $9 sandwich, the pathetic number of chips served aside the sandwich was quite insulting. My dining companions's Grilled Chicken sandwich was equally disappointing and for lack of a better description: boring. None of the food knocked us out of the park. If you are in the neighborhood and nothing else catches your eye or has a table, it is possible to eat here and I don't think I can find any less of an exciting term to describe the Good Health Cafe.

Moving In

I'm new to New York City. One spring morning, I checked my baggage and got on a plane as a resident of Toledo. A few short hours later I became a resident of New York City.

I didn't intend on going to grad school in the Big Apple. Truth be told, I threw my hat into this school's applicant pool on a whim not thinking I would actually be considered. When I was accepted I was shocked. A few hours later it dawned on me that it would mean moving to New York City. Unlike my husband,I was never one of those people who was dying to live in NYC. It was a place one visited on holiday and I never had the desire to move here. Not so for them. NYC is the place of their dreams.  They are invigorated by the very movement of the city.  I am channeling (or trying to) their enthusiasm while living here.

Schooling doesn't intimidate me as much as living here does. While I am in graduate school, this blog is focused on living in New York City.  The twists and turns I encounter as I try to navigate the city.  It is going to be an adventure.