It was like a Zoo.. except all the animals were dead.

One wonderfully rainy Saturday I went here:

The Subway obviously had me completely enthralled.
But that was just the start.
One time in elementary school I went on a field trip to Space Camp for the day.
Seeing as how an Astronaut was one of the many things I wanted to be
when I grew up
I was ecstatic!
Half way through our star trek inspired digital voyage
I realized I was the pilot of our space craft.
(the job descriptions must have been quite hazy when mine was chosen..)
Somehow I failed my crew and the mission came to an abrupt end
when I lost control of the Nintendo 64 joystick
and collided with a star.
Which must have been why I was mesmerized by the I Max film about stars.
(inside the replica sun made of steel and hanging from wires
but the sun nonetheless).

There were also small fossils.

And half fossils.

And big fossils!

There were hats with whales.
(the gift shops were beyond my wildest expectations!)

And life size whales!

And there was so much more!
It was so much fun
I absolutely loved it!!

2 a.m.

So we thought if we started waiting in line at 2 am we would get a chance at seeing

Lady Gaga
perform for free at The Today Show.

We thought wrong.
The fans
(some in their own crafty get ups
refer to below)
who started camping out on the sidewalks of New York
3 days in advance
(refer even lower)
were clearly thinking right.
She even bought them pizza.

After schmoozing the
security
event staff
fast pass holders
vip fan liners
regular fans
and even
police
we gave up.
And went to a diner that enticed us with their ever catchy motto
"Belgian Waffles are excellent anytime!"
Which I completely agree with.

After multiple valiant efforts
I guess this is what we missed out on...

The Shake Shack.
One thing I have come to learn is that
if there is a line
I should probably get in it.
So I did.
And I ordered.
And I didn't even care that they mistook my name as Lidsay.
Because it was the best hamburger
I have ever eaten!

... and then we got married.

When someone asks if they can marry you
in times square
for free
all you can say is
yes.

Oh, Monday is a holiday because of the holiday? I love that.

And to think, I thought that this recession was a bad thing.
That was before I had the Gray's Papaya special.
2 hot dogs and some fresh squeezed pineapple juice was just what I needed.
Well, that, and a bike.

We rode them through the city
(sharing the street with a NYC taxi doesn't go over well
when you have no idea what you are doing)
and then all through Central Park!
It was by far the greatest thing I've done so far.
And the best work out I've gotten in at least 2 years.
Right before our bike ride
we discovered some fantastic hidden treasures...
refer to picture below


And then the homeless man came back.

now you see my hair..

now you don't.
I had the pitchfork in prime fighting position..
just in case.
Apparently I wasn't doing a good enough job at looking homeless.
I still don't really know what happened.
But the rest of the day followed with this

and then this

The Stardust Cafe is entertainment in it's purest form.
The servers are performers trying to make it on Broadway.
So as they serve you your food, they also sing all the classics.
We loved it!
I loved the whole day.

july 4th 2010

A bunch of us headed down to the pier
where we camped out by the water
(for 5 hours)
with blankets and snacks on the grass
waiting for the show in the sky.

(I wasn't quick enough with my camera to capture the festivities
so I turned to google)

since i didn't get a 4th of july last year
i was extra happy to celebrate it loud and proud.
Justin Beiber and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir were
the chosen entertainment for the celebration,
and I don't know why this collaboration wasn't thought of sooner!
It was also rumored that the entire twilight cast was in the city
celebrating our nations independence...
and I'm both proud and happy to say that I saw every single one of them.
With a bowl of popcorn in one hand and a diet coke in the other.
It was such an incredible and memorable celebration.
I think America is definitely more free in New York.

i left the city of lights to see them become man and wife.

it was a perfect day.
more to come

How do you know when you are on a flight to Utah?
The passengers are 78% children.
Half crying.
Strollers line the walkway to the plane.
And an occasional oh my heck bursts from a few rows back.
You will also get judgmental stares for watching anything other than the Disney channel on the plane TV.
And yet I still love my hometown
and everything that comes with it.
But it was worth the plane ride
because when I stepped out of the airport
I had cafe rio waiting for me at 1 am.
thanks mom
I had been craving it for weeks!
The next day was full of manicures
and Zupas, our favorite!

I think our fridge knew I was extra excited to see it.
and all of it's free contents.
which is why it broke the day before i came home.
so my little sister emily
took my mom and I on a date.
mini golfing.
It was great to see that
I'm not the only one who is horrible and mini golf
(ahem... mom).

I had a great day with the girls!

Manhattan Temple

I ran down block after block
with stare after stare
in heels
and even got stopped by police
to have my bag randomly searched.
probably because i looked like a maniac.
which is why
I'm pretty sure they were disappointed when all they found
was a temple recommend and strawberry chapstick.
But I finally made it before they closed
it was so good to see Rebbie there waiting for me
and I heard what I haven't heard in weeks:
nothing.
quietness.
and it was so worth the run.

oh.

I knew I would be blessed for going to all three hours of church on Sunday.
And when I came out from the edifying meetings of the Sabbath
this had just started.
The Gay Pride Parade
I learned 3 very valuable lessons from this.
1. Less is more when celebrating your sexual preference.
2. Animals have a right to express their sexuality as well
(refer to above)
And most importantly...

always wear socks.

Rockaway Beach

oh how i love the beach
mainly because the beach stays with you for weeks afterward.
in your shoes.
in your bags.
clothes.
the seams of your swimsuit.
it even manages to make its way into my room somehow.
maybe its because i brought home
inconveniently large shells
covered in sand.
yes, i am equivalent to a 5 year old with a shovel and pail
collecting sea shells by the sea shore.
But at least it was our own private sea shore!
there was no one there- and the beach was so beautiful
the weather was sunny and warm
with a slight ocean breeze
and propeller planes flying overhead
carrying banners behind them.
it was such a great day at the beach.
until we got home and realized
you are never too cool for sunscreen.

sometimes all you need is a sack lunch and
perfectly color coordinated hat and short attire.

we came home and walked a couple streets down
to the home of the best tacos i have ever eaten:
bario chino
and i also quite enjoyed my enchilada verdes.
i cant wait to go back and eat more tacos.

Oh. And P.s.

The sole of my shoe broke in half. I think this is the equivalent of when you sit on a bike and the tire goes flat. My eating has become much too excessive. I would like to blame the split on excessive exercise, however, I'm pretty sure it was my weight that did this one.