The Aftermath

I'm sure many of you have been watching the news and have seen the extremely devastating effects of Sandy on the Northeast. Parts of Manhattan were hit very hard as well, but luckily we live north enough to avoid any power outages or flooding. We certainly had a lot of extremely strong winds and the howling of that was a haunting sound to listen to all evening.

 

People are out and about today, probably just trying to get some fresh air, but the city is still pretty quiet and many places are closed. Mass transit is still shut down and will be for quite a few days while they assess the damage of the flooding and this keeps millions of people from getting to and from work. We took a quick walk this afternoon around the blocks immediately around our apartment and here a few pictures I took and some of the damage we saw.

 

toppled over lights and signs

 

an awning to a neighboring apartment that was ripped from the building and stripped of its fabric

 

 a dangling convenience store sign

 

countless numbers of tress with broken limbs or uprooted all together

 

We feel so blessed to come out of the storm virtually unaffected,

but are certainly saying many prayers for those who weren't so fortunate.



Sandy

This isn't the first time I've made a posting about a hurricane heading our way, although when we lived in the Caribbean it seemed a little more expected. Who knew New York City would be in the direct path one of the biggest storms this hurricane season?

 

 

 

Well, we're prepared! We loaded up on water, batteries, candles, lanterns, and flashlights...as well as some other essentials like beer, Oreos, granola bars, and chips and salsa. Got to cover all your bases, right?

 

With all transit being shut down completely by this evening we'll be staying put in our little apartment for the next 2 days or so. Good thing we like each other because we sure are going to be spending a lot of time together, potentially without power.

 

On that note, here's a direct quote from my dear husband:

"My two main concerns are keeping you safe and being able to watch the 49er's game on Monday night...in no particular order".

 

Thanks babe. I always know I can count on you!

 

Send us luck (or perhaps an oar and a canoe).

Apt. 4FE

We've been here almost 4 months and I feel like I've been promising photos of our apartment for well, almost 4 months. After all your requesting and nagging...finally, here are some pictures of our apartment. Our perfect, tiny, New York City apartment. We absolutely love it and hope you do too.

 

 

 

 

Hope you enjoyed the quick tour!

Total Nerds

We have sort of a thing in my family...making lists.

My dad, especially, likes to make all kinds of lists. One that was started for me as

a little girl was a list of states I had been to. By the age of 17, I had been to all 50! It's really something I'm proud of and I hope to achieve with my kids too.

 

Well, now that Kyle is a part of our family, he's gotten into the whole list thing too. States and presidential gravesites are his top 2 and this trip really added to each of those.

 

 

Grand Total:

States visited: 47

Presidential gravesites visited: 23

Not too shabby if you ask me.

Fall Getaway: Part 2

There are always a few things you really remember from each trip. For us, other

than the leaves, it was the covered bridges and some of the tasty treats we enjoyed.

 

To me, nothing saying Vermont and New Hampshire like a covered bridge. They're just so adorable! They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and they're still used! We went on a few tiny side roads
to find a handful of these gems, but if it was up to me we would have visited every single one.

 

 

 

 

And oh, those maple candies. They just melt in your mouth. Worth every canker sore.

 

Mmmmm. The deliciousness of fresh apple cider.

 

 A stop at the Ben & Jerry's Factory in Vermont was fun.

 

and tasty! 

 

The fall atmosphere was pretty great, but really, any time I get to spend with this guys is the best.

 



Fall Getaway: Part 1

Fall is in full swing in our neck of the woods and I'm in love with all of it. The air is definitely

crisp, the leaves are just starting to change, and our dinners are becoming a little warmer and cozier.

In order to get a full grasp of this whole fall thing, a totally new concept to us, we thought

we needed to get out of the city and head north to New England. (We did have an ulterior

motive for heading north to other states, but that's another story for another day.)

 

Let me just say that New England is like "Fall Wonderland". No wonder there are actual

fall foliage tours that take place here. Trust me, we saw some!

 

I'll try not to bore you with picture after picture of yellow, orange, and red leaves (I hate to rub
it in to family and friends in AZ still battling 90+ degrees), but I may not be able to
control myself. It's just too beautiful! Anyway, here's a glimpse, part 1, at our weekend favorites.

A breathtaking waterfall just off the road in Connecticut

 

 Oh, and a quick kiss by that very same waterfall

 

Playing in the leaves like a child...and loving it!

 

The Mr., watching fly fisherman below, and wishing he was by their side

 

Eating lunch at adorable little cafes like this. Great food with a small town feel.

Visiting the Norman Rockwell Museum. We love his paintings of classic American life.

Strolling through quintessential New England towns like this.
Burlington, Vermont and its farmer's market were basically picture perfect.

And of course, looking at hills of golden leaves.

 

 Stay tuned for part 2 and more pictures.

High Rollers?

So Forbes just came out with a list of the most expensive zip codes in America and guess which

one made the top...OURS!!! 10065 is apparently home to some pretty pricey pads. I'm not too sure how to feel about this. Impressed? Depressed? Honored? Either way I'm pretty sure we're at the bottom of any sort of number compiling they did. Don't get me wrong, we love our tiny little place, but we are a far cry from the maids (yes, in uniform), chefs, and full on staff I see out and about at

some of our neighboring apartments. It's truly unbelievable the difference in lifestyle, or bank account balances, between us and them. I mean, I actually make my own bed. Crazy?!?!?

read the article

 

(our little bungalow is pointed out below amidst the blue area that is 10065)



When Family Comes to Town

We've been known to be pretty adventurous in the city. This includes both the standard spots and hidden gems alike. When family comes to town, especially with a newbie, it gives us all the more reason to don a camera, a map, and become full on tourists. Let the siteseeing begin!

 

Here are some highlights of my mom and grandma's visit to The Big Apple...

 

a walk on the High Line and Chelsea Market

 delicious soup dumplings at Joe's Shanghai in Chinatown 

a double-decker bus tour, so touristy!

John's pizza, it's good every time

looking for rats in the subway tracks

a ride on a quadricyle around Governor's Island

 





  

We shared stories, adventures, and great memories. Thanks for coming to

 

New York City Mom and Grandma. You're welcome back anytime!

New Hair

Most of you know me as a blonde. But, I must confess, I'm a fraud! My real hair color is much darker. In fact it's down right chocolate brown. Keeping up with my ever growing roots is hard work and it gets pretty expensive, especially in NYC. We're talking $250 (minimum) for a cut and color!

 

So, against my own intuition, against Kyle's preference of me as a blonde, and against every hair dressers aversion to "at home/diy hair color"...I did it! I went to the dark side!

 

the before...

 

the after...

 

I think I like it and Kyle says it's "growing on him".

 

What are your thoughts?