Day 103 - Day 107

December 17 - December 21, 2009

Caitlin's Trip! She is my first friend to visit me in New York City! We had so much fun! I had to work a couple of days, but she did great going around the city by herself!

Caitlin arrives and I'm working. Boo! But it's okay. She is exhausted from finals, so she naps and meets me at my work. Work is crazy as usual and Caitlin shows up early. I feel so bad because I see her and I say, "Is it 8:00 already?" I should have said, "Oh my gosh! I'm so excited to see you!" I was thinking that, but the earlier comment came out first. I introduced her to The Capital Grille's Stoli Doli's. (Sp?) It's a pineapple infused vodka drink. We infuse the vodka for so many days! They are delicious! Then we head out in Hell's Kitchen! It's typically a great place to go, but because of the weather being so cold, people are starting to hybernate!

I take her to Ariba Ariba Mexican Restaurant. I've told you about this in previous blogs. It's so good! Caitlin loves it and we have some great margaritas! We had some great conversation too! It's so nice to catch up with a great friend! Then we head to the bars, where I tell her are always full of good looking men! Instead, we meet some drug dealers from Columbia!

Oh yes! Go figure, right? Only with Caitlin would this happen! Haha! So, I start to make fun of them, but in a way that they wouldn't know it. Caitlin is laughing hysterically and they are just staring at us with blank faces! It looks like they seriously just got off the reservation in Wyoming or something. It's so funny! Check out the pictures! The one with me is the completely cracked out dealer, while the guy with Caitlin is his creepy cousin. It was a Columbia invasion at Zanzibar, so we left!

We go to Mercury Bar next, which has maybe five people in there. We're having a drink, I look over, and who do I see? The reservation chief from Zanzibar who was hitting on Caitlin! Lol! We leave and head home.

We do some serious shopping while she's here! We go all around 5th Ave. I take her to H&M, where they have some great sales! We go into Louis Vuitton, where Caitlin picks out her future Louis, and then we go to Cartier, where I pick out my future engagement ring. Now, I just have to find the lucky sucker to buy it for me! Hehe! Which brings me to my next point! Caitlin got to see Mr. Firefighter! Whew hew! I'm so glad someone saw him to prove that he is really a real person and I'm not just fantasizing! =) Of course, I get so nervous, I just quietly say "hey," as he smiles at me. Caitlin finds it hilarious on how shy I get around men. I don't! I need to fix this problem people! I'm like a third grader trying to ask my crush to sign my yearbook!

I tell her I want to take her to Macy's! It has these great Christmas decorations and it's a staple of this city! So, we go. We get there and we go up the escalators. Let me replay the scenario for you.

Caitlin: "Hey, the escalator is on fire." (Small flames are coming out of the up escalator)
Me: "Oh, yeah it is." (We both just stop and state)
Caitlin: "Maybe we shouldn't be those idiots who just stare."
Me: "True." (We start shopping. Yes, we start shopping.)
(We go up the escalators to the fourth floor and continue to shop)
Me: "Wow, it really smells like smoke up here."
Caitlin: "I know. Do you see the smoke?"
Me: "Yeah, that's crazy!"
Caitlin: "Ok, well I'm going to go try this skirt on."
Me: "Ok!"
(Caitlin comes out of the dressing room)
Macy's Worker: "Everyone evacuate the building, please. Please, evacuate the building!"
(A sudden rush of panic came over me. I'm gonna die in Macy's! We head towards the one exit and we look over to see a fireman axing the ceiling and water comes rushing out of it)
Caitlin: "Oh my God, Ashley, look at that fire fighter!" (laughing!)

I'm pretty sure Caitlin and I were the only ones laughing about the situation. We found it humorous. We're not going to die and every one is freaking out, cussing at people, shoving people, and forgetting about Christmas cheer! =) So...we're leaving and Caitlin wants a picture of the firemen. So, I go to take one and this guy shoves his way through the door people are trying to get out of.

Lady with baby in stroller: "What do you think you're doing? Fuck you. Merry Christmas."
(What? Did my ears just hear what I thought they did? Did she really just tell that guy F-you and Merry Christmas in the same sentence? Ha! After that, you bet I'll have a Merry Christmas!)

She takes me to New Moon! Yay! Finally! Can I just tell you how amazing it is? I'm sure everyone already knows because I'm probably the only one who hasn't seen it. I was amazed! The graphics were awesome, Rob Pattinson is gorgeous as always, and they did a great job of capturing all of the details in the book and condensing it in the movie. So, I'm still Team Edward. I think Jacob has a rockin' body, but I don't really think I'm digging his face. I think he's attractive, don't get me wrong, but there's just something about Edward's oddness and peculiarity that gets me every time! Jacob is a sweet character and I'd date him!

Chinatown. Oh my goodness. I love taking people down there who have never been! It's so funny to watch them! Caitlin had me do all of the bargaining, but she got a lot of good stuff! A handbag, a gift for her boyfriend, a necklace, and a scarf! I love bargaining, it's so much fun! I also like asking where they get their stuff from and if it's stolen! It totally gets a rise out of them, they get mad at me, then they give me a deal! Hehe!

Other foods we ate: Pinkberry! Which she loved! Little Italy restaurant and then to the bakery for some tiramisu and cannoli from the Cannoli King! The Bagel Bar was her favorite breakfast place! They have great bagels and quite a good variety of cream cheeses!

So it snowed all day Saturday! Caitlin got some cool pictures of it though from my balcony! We are the two lovely ladies who decide to venture out into the winter blizzard. We head to the Meatpacking district for a little dancing! Instead, we end up at the overly priced bar next door! We were not about to pay $20 to get into a dance club, where there are only 30 people inside! That's just insanity! Instead, Caitlin spends $38 on two drinks next door! Welcome to New York! Maybe after an hour and Caitlin practicing her modeling poses in the downstairs lounge, we trek out into the ten feet of snow to catch a cab home. Luckily, a driver in one of those black cars with the tinted windows asked if we wanted a ride. Caitlin is a little hesitant for legitimacy reasons, which is totally understandable and the responsible thing to do. I, on the other hand, am freezing and just need a warm place to sit! Hop in sister!

I was sad to her go, but will see her soon when I get home! Our trip was so much fun and I hope she had as much fun as I did!

Brett Visit: Day 8

After all of the long nights, we do not wake up for Black Friday. I could only imagine what the stores were like. On our tour bus we saw people sitting outside of Best Buy at nine o’clock. The store didn’t open until five! So we head out at around 9:00 am. We did a little shopping and then headed to Macy’s. I finally found a grey coat that I have been looking for the whole trip. And Ashley finally bought some boots. I could hardly believe my eyes. She was in the checkout line and not because of me! We bought everything we wanted and took the wooden escalators to the main floor to head out. This guy steps in front of us and says, “Would you like to complete a survey about your shopping here today?” I'm like no way this is not happening; I just want to get some cool air. I was dying of heat because I had a coat and a hoodie on. And Ashley says, “How long will it take?” he says,” Well it’s a live interview with CNN.” She looks at me and with out hesitating I say “Do it!” You have to.

She gets ready to do the interview, so I call mom and everyone to let them know. I set our bags down and attempt to tape it with my phone and take pictures at the same time. Then some moron decides that he is more important and just stands in front of me and tapes it. I was like really? So I said, “Get out of my way!” He didn’t hear me so I said some things that aren’t worth repeating and he nicely moved out of the way. It was so cool to see her on camera. She did really good. She didn’t stutter or pause and have to think at all. Very impressive. I was happy for her. I couldn’t believe that out of the 500,000 people in this store, she was chosen.

Ashley has to work, so I go out again on my own. My goals were to go to the Air, Space and Sea Museum since I missed out the other day. And I was going to go to the library to look at how big it was. So I head to the museum. It is massive. The museum consists of the U.S.S. Intrepid, the Concord, and a submarine. It was so cool. They had all kinds of artifacts and old equipment and uniforms. They had the control rooms, the sonar rooms, and the stairs were the actual stairs of the ship. It was so cool. And on the main deck they had around 40 jets and helicopters. It was so cool to see them up close. There was so much information to soak in and it was all so interesting.

I spent a little longer than I planned there, so I had to decide to either go to the library or to Little Italy to the cheese deli. I obviously chose the deli. So I head to the train and Ashley gave me her pass that had no money on it. That was so nice of her! As I waited on the train this very attractive girl comes and asks if I live by her because she is lost. So I tell her, “Yeah I just moved here, what's your question?” I gave her the right directions. My parents would be impressed. So I get off at Little Italy and head to the deli. They are supposed to have the best sandwiches. I find my way there and it’s really authentic. The group in front of me ordered 12 sandwiches so I had to wait. Fine with me it was worth it. I ordered the Italian. It was Italian meats with provolone, and dried tomatoes with olive oil and vinegar. It was fabulous. The meats were all in hunks and the cheese in blocks. Every sandwich was cut to order. It was fantastic. I can’t wait to go back.

I walk around Times Square once more while I wait for Ashley. And I am walking to look at a pair of shoes I saw earlier, a pair of grey Nike Shox. I hear something like running water to my right, I look over and it’s a guy standing on the curb peeing in the middle of the street. By now I came to realize that nothing should surprise you in New York, so this didn’t even make me look twice, people just don’t think right in this city.

Then I head to Pinkberry. A frozen yogurt. It was phenomenal. I topped mine with strawberries and white chocolate. It was so good. A perfect treat while I wait for Ashley. I didn’t have it for long because it was so good to take a break from eating it. My dad would have sent me back to New York if I didn’t eat there before I left.

Ashley gets off work and we head out for our last dinner. We go to Arriba Arriba. A restaurant that is known for its abundance of homosexuals. That was a little awkward, but they played good music. We start off with margaritas, I got banana and she got raspberry. They were delicious. We ordered guacamole dip, because I have never had it. It was awesome. Ashley got some enchiladas that were muy bueno. Mine, not so much. I got enchiladas in chocolate sauce. It was actually chocolate. I wasn’t thinking actual chocolate, who does that? Anyway I didn’t eat very much of it. I held out for Max Brenner’s. It was an amazing chocolate factory. I ordered key lime pie in an Oreo cookie crust covered in white chocolate. Ashley ordered some chocolate cake with raspberry filling. Hers game on a platter with a strainer full of chocolate, ice cream and a chocolate shake in a shot glass. It was delicious. Mine was served with a mini old fashioned milk jug full of white chocolate. It was so amazing. We didn’t really talk all that much we were both overwhelmed with chocolate.

Next we head to the bar Snug. It has happy hour from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. It was a chill bar and a lot of fun. Ashley looked like she was about to fall into a coma. And I was pretty tired myself, so after a few drinks we call it a night.

Day 82

November 27, 2009

Black Friday! I’m pretty sure it’s one of the best days ever invented. It should also be considered a national holiday. Don’t you agree? Sure, sure everyone complains about the insane amount of people, but c’mon now…when can you ever get a set of knives for $10?? Okay, I didn’t get them either, but if you wanted to, you could! An electric blanket for $50? Please. You don’t have to ask me twice!

Before work, Brett and I go shopping. I wasn’t crazy this year and didn’t go at 5 a.m. I’m shocked with myself! But honestly, with all of the craziness Brett and I had been doing the previous days, I was too exhausted to lift my head at 8 a.m., let alone 4 a.m.! We still got great deals and avoided the majority of the crowds. Until…we hit Macy’s! You have to go to Macy’s on Black Friday—only the one on 34^th Street. The largest one!

Brett gets a great deal on a coat, and get a great deal on some fabulous brown boots with a gold buckle! Whew! They make my legs look so sexy. ;) jk! As we’re getting ready to leave, because I have to go to work, a man approaches me in jeans, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes, saying, “Excuse me, ma’am.” I’m thinking to myself, Are you really going to try and solicit me in the middle of Macy’s make-up department on Black Friday? I was instantly irritated. But my frown quickly turned upside down when the words, “I’m from CNN,” came out of his mouth!

He says to me, “I’m from CNN and I was wondering if you’d be interested in doing a live broadcast. You look like you have a lot of energy.” I look at Brett and he says, “Do it!” So, I do a small shrug and say, “Sure, I can be energetic for CNN!” =) Hehe. So, he walks me over and introduces me to the broadcaster and tells me where I need to stand and says not to answer just yes or no to questions. Okay, that’s easy! I’m quite the talker, so I will have NO problem chatting it up for 15 seconds.

We’re getting ready for air when the broadcaster says, “You’re name’s Shirley?” What? Are you kidding me? Shirley? I think to myself. “It’s Ashley,” I kindly reply. Do I look like a Shirley? I’m 25 years old, born in the 80s! My parents would have had to do some serious pot when I was born to be named Shirley! Just because you know I’m from Iowa, give me some credit here Ms. Broadcaster! Shirley is a great name, so don’t think I’m knocking it. I just thought it was funny that of all the names she could have misunderstood, she chose Shirley!

So, I’m not supposed to answer yes or no to her questions. So, don’t ask me yes or no questions, lady! She says, “Have you found the sales to be helpful?” I’m thinking, Well, yes. Duh! It’s Black Friday. I reply with something like, “The sales have been great. Everything is 30, 40, and 50 percent off. We’ve found some great deals!” Hehe. All the while, I occasionally tilt my head towards the camera and talk at the camera, so America can get a look at my face! =) Haha, I love it! And instead of asking me, “Have you bought anything?” ask me, “What have you bought today?” You saw my bags; you know I bought stuff! You’re the professional, not me and I have better questions than you do! Maybe CNN should hire me! I consider myself pretty relatable to all types of people. I think I’d be pretty darn good at interviewing on live television!

  

Side note: If anyone can find this interview on the Internet, please let me know! I have Googled this to no end and can still not find anything! I want to see it, so please get in touch with me if you find it!

As we’re leaving I ask Brett, “I wonder if anyone saw this.” The whole time, in the back of my mind, I’m thinking, Dyanna (my friend from back home), loves CNN. She always watches it! What do you know? My phone vibrates and it’s her. I already know what she’s going to say before I even pick up the phone! She saw it! Awesome! My uncle Mick and cousin, Tyler saw it too! Hey, that’s good enough for me! Everyone gets 15 minutes of fame, and I still have 4 minutes, 45 seconds left! Whew hew!

I go to work at the restaurant for a little bit and Brett explores around, spending the majority of his day at the Sea, Air, and Space Museum. It’s literally, a block away from my apartment, sitting on the Hudson River. Yes, I live by the water, which is beautiful when it’s nice outside to take a walk or go for a run on a nice day! Check out his pictures below. If you have further interest, visit their website! It looks really cool…I wish I could have gone with him!

 

After work, Brett and I go out for one last dinner before he leaves. =( Ariba, Ariba Mexican Restaurant, here we come! I love Mexican food and so does Brett, so it worked out perfectly. So, I do warn him that when we walk in, there will be an over abundance of males, occupying this restaurant. Males that like other males. He seemed okay with it, until we walked in. He’s not anti-homosexual, but in Iowa, you don’t tend to see many, so he was a little overwhelmed. Totally cool, but not really sure where to look, or what to do! Hehe.

Brett got a banana margarita, which is probably the best margarita I’ve ever tried. I got the raspberry, which was great also, but the banana…whew hew! Delicious! I’m not a fan of margaritas, but Ariba, Ariba’s are fantastic! They make you want to stand up and yell, “Ariba, Ariba,” with your arms flailing in the air, after you stand up from drinking one! The food was great. Brett got some enchilada or something with chocolate sauce. Yeah, I just made a gross face too. He thought the chocolate meant, “dark sauce.” What, Brett? Really? If it were dark sauce, they would say dark sauce. Chocolate means chocolate, you dummy! Hehe! My food was great!

Next stop…Max Brenner’s! Completely on the opposite side of town, but well worth the trip! They have absolutely, hands down, the best desserts you will ever eat in your life. But only if you are a die-hard chocolate lover like Brett and myself. Check out our desserts and you have to check out their website! All we kept saying is, “So good. This is so good.” I could eat there everyday!

Next stop…The Snug! It sounds so cute, huh? It’s a fun little place in Hell’s Kitchen I like to go to. Happy Hour is from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.! That’s fantastic! We meet some of my friends and hang out for a bit. Brett and I are practically falling asleep at the table because we are so full and so tired from the week. It’s about 2 a.m. or so, so we decide to call it an early night.

Note to self: Laughter is the best medicine! Truly! When your brother makes you laugh until your stomach hurts, it makes you feel good and makes useless distractions go away! In my opinion, being witty is much more comical than straight up humor. My brother and I are more witty than comical, which makes things we say often funny. Always make sure to laugh—whether it’s at a joke, at yourself, or the lady who biffs it on her face in the middle of the street. It’s great to laugh at yourself! I do it on a daily basis! What a better way to understand yourself than through humor? If you can’t laugh at yourself, and make fun of the stupid decisions you make, or the ridiculous things you say, than there’s something wrong with you! Have enough confidence and self-esteem to release your inner dork, embrace your quirkiness, and let loose! When people say, don’t take yourself too seriously…listen to them! Why waste your time? It’s no fun to be serious all the time!