celebrity sighting no. 2

Wow, I have had a big week regarding celebrities! Today I was walking around the library at work and one of my friends who is also an intern came in, and I heard her say "where is Perryn?" So I peeked my head around the corner and she said, "Ivanka Trump is on the 6th floor in a conference room! Come on! We're going to look at the "model shop" upstairs..." So of course, I ran along behind!

I have no idea what in the world she would be doing at Perkins Eastman that would require an architect or designer, but that doesn't really matter...I'm just glad we have glass walls in all of the conference rooms on the 6th floor :)

She looks exactly like she does in this picture (I guess that makes sense, since this IS a photo of her) but she has super thin hair. It was in a pony-tail and it was literally as thick as my pinky finger. I guess you can't expect much, though, seeing the hair genes she comes from.

GG, I bet you know who this celebrity is, don't you?!

celebrity sighting

My first celebrity sighting in NYC : Gavin Degraw!!!

(unless you count Taylor Hicks, who was on my plane to NYC when I moved up in May, but seeing as he's from Birmingham, and he performed at a half time show at Auburn this past year, I don't really count that...)

chocolate overload

If you want to experience chocolate at its absolute best, you should plan a trip to Max Brenner's Chocolate by the Bald Man. It is quite the place, believe me...that is, of course, if you like chocolate. The dessert menu all by itself is about 20 pages I think - it's actually bigger than the regular food menu. And the minute you walk in, you feel like you magically been transported to the Willy Wonka factory...

In order to more accurately plan your trip to Max Brenner's, you should check out the menu!

We had a girl's night at Chocolate by the Bald Man on Monday after work to hang out all together before Maggie leaves for her journey across the pond. She'll be in Africa for a month!

Maggie and her Chocolate Lava cake...

Chocolate Mess - for 4

The cup said "Drink Me", so I did.

Me, Pam, LeeAnne, and Carrie - more dessert than I've ever seen!

The dessert after all the damage was done...

lady liberty and yoga

Saturday, along with the machine gun-wearing police at the Time Warner Center was an interesting/fun day. 

There, apparently, was some sort of free Yoga session going on dead in the middle of Times Square. I don't know how everyone else feels, but I'm pretty sure I could never reach maximum relaxation and peacefulness in a place like Times Square...

Then, Saturday night we went on a boat tour around the bottom half of the island of Manhattan. It was really beautiful because it started getting dark by the end of the tour, so we could see the night skyline in Manhattan - and it was so informative with a lot of interesting facts about the history of New York City and America.

Lady Liberty at sunset

Brooklyn Bridge - which was almost twice as long as any other bridge in the world when it was built. It was actually named the 8th World Wonder at one point.

Domino Sugar factory that recently closed. They're thinking of turning the building into apartments!

Night view of a New York City skyline (a little blurry...)

Dinner at the Burger Joint after our boat tour. 

This could be one of the most deceiving things I've ever experienced in New York City. Burger Joint is in the Le Parker Meridien Hotel located on 57th Street and 6th Avenue. You walk into this beautiful grand hotel in an exquisite neighborhood of New York City, then you slip behind a big red curtain and all the sudden you witness a transformation from 5-star hotel to wood-paneled walls with posters and sharpie signatures all over the place. Crazy atmosphere...really good food! 

my firm!

LeeAnne and I took this picture in front of the Perkins Eastman sign in Times Square. One of the big projects my firm is working on is the TKTS discount ticket booth (for broadway plays - you can get 50-60% off broadway tickets to most any play here, usually involves waiting in a long line, but definitely worth the wait!)

Riley

In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned that I was dog-sitting this weekend. So, on Saturday, I took a few pics of Riley so everyone could see what an adorable little dog I got to hang out with this weekend - and, Mom, I still reallllllly want a dog! Graduation, maybe?!

police scene: do not cross

Saturday morning, I was meeting LeeAnne and her sister, who was in town visiting, at the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle to grab lunch from Bouchon Bakery (which, by the way, props go to Katherine for introducing us to such a treasure of a restaurant) and then we had plans to head to the Sheep Meadow in Central Park to enjoy lunch and a nice afternoon in the park. Before we went in to get our lunch, we waited outside for a few minutes to see if anyone else came along late that we should wait for. As we were standing there chatting, all of the sudden several (probably 5 or 6) police cars drove up right in front of the Time Warner Center with their lights on, parked in front of the building, and all started getting out of their cars - motorcycles, Suburbans, Impalas...the whole shebang. LeeAnne, Nicole and I started looking around at first wondering if someone famous was about to get out of the car. LeeAnne suggested Lassie. Then before we knew it, the police officers were opening up the back of the Suburbans and getting out bullet proof vests, putting on helmets and masks and then...arming themselves with machine guns! At this point, we started to get a little nervous and began to wonder who could possibly be inside the mall or around the premises. And who could possibly be about to run outside of the mall and open fire on hundreds of innocent bystanders. If you know me at all, you probably know that I'm sweating bullets at this point - about to cry and ready to run as fast as I can. But for some reason, we continue to stand around to see if we can get some insight into what's going on. We all agree that if there is someone inside the Time Warner building, then we shouldn't go in. After a few minutes of debating and gawking at the policemen carrying machine guns, one of the officers walks up to us and says "what's going on here?", in which we let the officer know that he took the words right out of our mouths. Then as we continued to converse, he kindly let us in on the secret, that apparently, this what the members of the NYPD do on Saturday mornings - drive around to random spots in town - looking like they mean business - get out and get all their garb on (including a MACHINE GUN) and "scare the heck out of people." He said, "it's not everyday that you see someone walking around with a machine gun, is it?" You can't believe the looks on our faces at this point. When I asked the officer if there was any cause for concern, he stated "Do you think I'd be standing here talking to you if there was a cause for concern?" Ok, good point officer. But I would also never suspect for law enforcement officers to cry wolf when innocent civilians are involved...hmm, I guess I'll think twice next time I see a police officer carrying a machine gun.

It's a little hard to see, but here is our friend (and I use that term very loosely...) assembling his "outfit"

Mohammed Ali

No, I am not talking about the one who "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee", but instead my cab driver. Tonight I was coming home from a friend's apartment who I am dog-sitting for, and I had the most interesting conversation I have ever had with a cab driver in my entire life. It started when I was trying to hail a cab and Mohammed was, apparently, honking at me to let me know he was available, but he was behind me so I didn't hear him or see him until I turned around. When I got in the cab (a mini-van cab, might I add) he told me that he had been honking at me, but he thought I "didn't like his face or his car or something." I assured him that it had nothing to do with his face, I just didn't hear him honking. Then after I told him my destination, he asked if I was originally from Manhattan...which shows he was already a little confused. And then he asked if I was Jewish, because the skirt I had on reminded him of Jewish and I was quiet like the Jewish...and I have blond hair NOT like the Jewish. So I asked him about that - if my blond hair still made him think I was Jewish - and he said yes, yes. Apparently a neighbor or someone who lives very close to him is Jewish, yet she wears the same kinds of "pretty skirts" that I wear, with the same haircut (and blond) and the same face. Interesting, huh? Then he started telling me how he picked up girls in downtown Manhattan on the weekends who were drunk and hardly had any clothes on - not like me, who was dressed very nicely and prettily, he said. He said girls should be ashamed for the way they acted and dressed these days. I agreed. Then he told me about today, when he was driving, he saw a Korean or Chinese girl (he said he couldn't tell the difference) crossing the street at a crosswalk, looking down at her cell phone, bothering no one, when a guy started talking to her. Mohammed relieved his anguish and disgust by telling me how much it bothers him to see a guy say "*whistle* honey *whistle* *whistle* love you"  to a girl he "has no friendship with or does not know." Even though it is refreshing to hear these things from a guy - at this point, I am about to lose it in laughter in the back seat of this mini-van cab with the convo that I am having with Mohammed. Then he tells me that he has only been outside of NYC once in his life, and that was to go to Colin Powell's office in Washington DC. I got excited to hear this - and enthusiastically asked him how that trip was - then he informed me it wasn't any big deal. Apparently Mohammed is a pretty big deal in Pakistan because his cousin is some high up official there and another member of his family is a pretty big deal there...blah, blah, blah. So, then I start to wonder if he is in any way related to Osama bin Laden? And if Osama bin Laden even came from Pakistan? And why I am not more up-to-date on my current events and world news? Anyway, after this he starts to tell me how he never drank once or smoked once while he was in college and he went to mosque 5 times a week, but he was always denied entrance into events and bars in college, so he drove a cab all the time because of this...blah, blah, blah. Then he tells me that people in New York City do not trust him or always think he is up to something because he tries to make friendships and talk with people in his cab. "See, you talk to me, I talk to you, we make friendship, I don't ask your information, but people still do not trust me. People in New York are not so nice. You are very nice and friendly, and then you will go on your way and I will go on mine. That is my mission in New York City - to make people more friendly and to see that I am not up to something." I told him he should move to the South. Then we finalllllly arrived at the Markle. I told him it had been nice talking to him, and he told me his name was Mohammed Ali - then, he chuckled and said "easy enough, right?" He told me he hoped to see me again in a cab sometime, and God Bless. 

New York City is a city with 8 million people in it. But, with even the smallest efforts, you begin to see, that just because it's big or because everyone in it isn't from the same place, people are still seeking to make friends and connections. No, Mom, I didn't give him my bank account number or invite him in to have dinner with me at the Markle, but it's nice to know that people still appreciate friendliness, even in such a big and bustling city as New York. And just because New Yorkers don't go out of their way to be friendly, doesn't mean they don't appreciate it (or even love it) when someone else does.

And, if I knew how to request a cab driver for whenever I needed a cab, I'd call Mohammed Ali, every single time!

auburn reunited

Auburn NYC girls at dinner @ Benny's Burritos

and this is what they served the chips in...a Chinese takeout carton

wally world

I found out last week that my intern coworker has only been to Wal-Mart ONCE in her entire life...that can't be American?

embarrassing moment: 1

Sunday night after church I was enjoying a nice dinner, good company at an amazing restaurant - the Pier Cafe or something like that. It was on the Hudson River with a beautiful view of the sunset, the river, and the Sunday night "dance night" festivities. Because we were near the water, we were under a bridge - it was either the Westside Highway or Riverside Drive, I'm not sure. So in the middle of a conversation I glance up at the bridge, when all of the sudden I see a bike speeding across the bridge at probably 60-70 miles per hour, or some incredibly unbelievable speed for a bike, with NO ONE riding on it. I kinda freaked out and interrupted the conversation and started pointing at the bridge and the bike zooming past! OH my gosh - look at that bike! There is NO ONE RIDING THE BIKE! My mind is going in a million different directions - how is the bike going so fast? What happened to the person who was riding it? WHY is someone pushing a bike over a bridge and letting it go? The bike is going down hill and picking up speed as it goes down?

.....and then, as everyone is starting to look at the bridge and trying to see what I am pointing and shouting about, I realize what just happened. The 'runaway bike' was strapped to the top of a car that was driving by on the bridge. The true blond finally came out.

I really have been working on thinking before I speak. Of course, I chose not to think before I spoke in a group of mixed company that I mostly didn't know that well.

southern accent = hillbilly

I forgot to mention in my last post, when I was in Brooklyn on Saturday, some of the kids that were there called me over to their table because they wanted to hear my "accent". (I wasn't really sure what they meant by "accent"...but I obliged anyway.) As soon as I told them I was from Alabama, they all erupted into laughter. "What are ya'll laughing at?!" was my next question, which brought even more laughter and a few blank stares...

I asked them if they had ever heard the word "ya'll" before and they said NOO. So, then I asked them if they liked my Southern accent, and they said "hahaha - you sound like a hillbilly." Gee thanks. Then when I inquired further, and asked them how they knew what a hillbilly was, they said they saw it on TV.

I can't decide which hillbilly they thought I sounded most like - Jethro or Ellie May?

the calm after the storm

Doesn't exist in New York City.

This morning I met some friends at 8:15 AM to ride over to Brooklyn and volunteer with the Hope for New York program. It is a organization that is widely supported and endorsed by Redeemer, and it is an outreach program to help the homeless, unloveable, unfortunate people in New York City. So, I went over to Brooklyn and helped serve food to the homeless and needy and other members of the church there, and then mingled with them and ate breakfast to try and get to know them a little better. Pastor Ron of Living Waters Fellowship (the church where this takes place) does all the cooking - eggs, sausage and pancakes - and his wife Anna and a few other ladies help out with the serving details. This is always such a good experience for me because it is so humbling. And it puts me WAY out of my comfort zone (and it's super early to be somewhere on a Saturday morning). However, every time I go, I get the most overwhelming joy from being there. It is such a fun and enriching thing to help people who really need it. And because I didn't grow up doing this sort of thing, it is always really difficult for me to jump right in and "mingle with the homeless people", but New York is bringing me out of my comfort zone in a lot more ways than one, and I couldn't be more thankful.

                                                            

               These are some of the kids who come to the free breakfast on Saturday mornings.

Then after our trip to Brooklyn, I came home and crashed for about 4 or 5 hours. It was rainy and stormy, and I had only slept 5 hours the night before, so I decided it was the perfect afternoon for a nap. Usually I hate taking naps because of the way I feel when I wake up, but this was just what the doctor ordered. I slept for about 3 hours until I was awakened by the loudest thunder I've ever heard. I don't know if it's that I'm on the 8th floor here and I'm closer to the clouds and thunder or what, but I have never in my whole life heard thunder so loud. So I continued to lay in bed for a while, and then after the weather calmed down a little bit decided I wanted to venture out for some dinner. I thought since the weather had been so intense, the city would be nice and calm...and maybe even deserted. I was way off - hence the title of this post. People running everywhere. Taxis honking. People yelling. It was just as hustle and bustle as ever. So I went down to Union Square and had dinner at my favorite deli - Toasties. I sat at a table in the back by myself (completely thrilled to be sitting in a restaurant eating by myself) and watched the news. It couldn't have been more enjoyable. Then I decided I would go to Barnes & Noble in Union Square and check out a few things, read a few books for a while. So I did this and while I was in B&N, another torrential downpour overtook the city. I waited around for a little while to see if it would pass, and then all of the sudden I had an overwhelming urge to be out in the rain. (If you know me, you know I hate to get dirty and wet and my absolute LEAST favorite thing about New York is walking anywhere when it's raining...) I'm not sure why this came about, but it just seemed very peaceful and calming, so I left the bookstore in one of the hardest rains I've been in in a while...and I intentionally walked through every single deep puddle I passed on the way home and was completely soaking wet when I finally made it to the Markle, and I loved it.

And, as I walked 5 blocks home, I finally found the calm of the storm in New York City. But as most things are here, it was a little different than normal - the calm came during the storm, not after.

convo with the Markle dining hall worker

Markle dining hall worker: Hello.

Me: Hello. Umm, I'll have fish and new potatoes..annnd, um, that's all.

Markle dining hall worker: That's all?

Me: Well, actually, I guess I'll have some broccoli.

Markle dining hall worker: Yes, you have to have your vegetables.

Me: You're right. At least that's what my mom always told me (smile)... thank you.

(About 2 minute pause of no talking.)

Markle dining hall worker: Where you from?

Me: I'm from Alabama.

Markle dining hall worker: Ohhhh, Ala-bomb-ah!

Me: Yeah! How could you tell I wasn't from around here?

Markle dining hall worker: I want to go to the Ala-bomb-ah some day! Anywhere that is South, I want to go! I hear the people are so nice there.

Me: Yeah, they are! You should definitely go visit.

Markle dining hall worker: I want to eat there. Some fried chicken. And mashed potatoes.

Me: Yeah, it's so good. If you go there, the food is really good...you're making me hungry for Southern food.

Markle dining hall worker: I not eat at any restaurants. I just go to someone's house and eat something they cook. I hear people just take you into their home and cook for you.

Me: Yeah, they will! People love doing that kind of thing in the South. And the food is so great.

Markle dining hall worker: Yes, I walk down the road and say 'I want to eat someone's food who will cook. Take me into your house and cook food for me.' (with a very big smile on his face)

Me: Oh yeah, people in the South are so nice. They would definitely love that!

Markle dining hall worker: Ok, have a good night. See you later.

Me: Ok, bye.


I always seem to have some interesting experiences when people find out I am from the South...

me and 'Big Bob'

Evidence of the photo shoot I had at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party

(yes, I realize this is clearly not the best picture ever - but I know the GG's and Anna Curl will love it!)

bbq comes to the big city

The Big Apple BBQ Block Party was this weekend and it was a blast! I stumbled across it last summer after a friend told me and some of my friends about it. Of course, we went in search of sweet tea (surprise, surprise) which by the way, they didn't have; nonetheless, BBQ is still music to a southerner's ears. But, I did find something even better last year when I went - Big Bob Gibson's of Decatur, Alabama had a trailer selling BBQ in New York City. And we're not talking about thousands of booths from every BBQ place in the world selling BBQ - there are about 15-20. So, I thought this was a pretty big deal. Of course - last year, I marched right up to the table and told them I was from Alabama and that I grew up coming to their restaurant when I visited my grandparents...and they were indeed happy to meet another Southerner, but no free food or special treatment.

However, I stepped it up a notch this year. I wore my Big Bob Gibson's t-shirt that I've had since 8th grade to the Big Apple BBQ Block Party. If you know me very well at all, you know this is NOT like me to do something like this, but with much coercion and prodding, I did it. And boy, did I get special treatment this year! I just quietly noted to the lady who was serving the food that I was trying to help them advertise and pointed to my shirt - first, I got extra BBQ because of it (just what I need...) and then I got to have a photo shoot with the owner - not Big Bob, unfortunately, because he would about 115 now - but the current owner, the proverbial Big Bob. I got "special access" to go back to the smoker and get my picture taken in front of that. I got a picture with ole proverbial Big Bob himself. Pam and I got one together - all because I wore my shirt. 'Big Bob' even took some with his camera, so I asked him if they were gonna put them on the wall...we'll see. I have eyes who are gonna be on the lookout for me in case I never make it back to Decatur, Alabama.

And then, much to my surprise, I went back on Sunday and 'Big Bob' recognized me! Keep in mind, when I went on Saturday I had on a hat, a tshirt, no makeup...the look of a grungy, dirty college student (don't worry - a picture is coming - because I'm sure everyone can't wait to see the image I've just painted in your minds...) and then on Sunday I came straight from church - hair down, makeup on, a dress...and he recognized me and asked where my Big Bob Gibson's tshirt was :)

eating orchids

Let me just preface this post by saying, that some people in New York City are craaaaazy. Today at a lunch presentation we had at work, I was sitting next to a man who I just met - all of the sudden I glance over and he takes a huge bite of a FLOWER that is on his plate - and a bright purple orchid at that. I noticed when I was going through the line that there were flowers garnishing the cookie tray and thought it was a little strange...and then I saw the man EAT the flower. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do to try and not erupt into laughter. So then after the presentation I asked the other intern Belinda, "do people in New York eat flowers? or is that weird?" She started laughing too, and then said - that's weird.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchid#Uses - after some minor research, as I suspected, orchids aren't really primarily for eating.

This is Fernando Lopez, known to Perkins Eastman employees as the "Orchid Eater"

- courtesy of the Perkins Eastman seating chart office map (which I had to search long and hard for to find my little friend Fernando, since I didn't know his name until I found his pic)

elevators are scary places...

when you get stuck in them! Yesterday morning on my way to work, I got on the elevator just like I always do. We stopped on 5 to let someone off and then - BAM! a huge bump - much larger than the normal jolt that you sometimes feel on an elevator. And then NOTHING happened. We didn't move. No numbers would light up. Luckily for me, I was crammed in with about 6 other people - one girl with a hot cup of coffee that was sending off scorching steam into the elevator with no air conditioning that was already about 115 degrees. It was like one of my worst nightmares realized. And then the approximately 86 year old lady with a bandana on her head was shouting out orders of what everyone should do - press the alarm button. use the phone. press the intercom button and tell them we're stuck. Then the other slightly older little Asian lady (still in her pajamas and robe, might I add) - we'll say 50 years old, just to be generous - started yelling into the intercom "We're stuuuuuuuck! We're stuuuuck in the elevator!!!" and ringing the alarm bell for about 1 minute intervals each. Then - she spotted that I had my cell phone with me. CALL THE FRONT DESK AND TELL THEM WE'RE STUCK! So, luckily she has the front desk number memorized by heart, and spouted it off to me. I called and told them we were stuck on the elevator and they said they already knew and Jose was on his way up - thank you, Jose. Then little Asian lady remembered that I hadn't told them we were stuck at the 5th floor, so she made me call them back. This time they were slightly frantic - "We know you're stuck on the elevator! We have sent Jose up there! REMAIN CALM! JUST TRY TO REMAIN CALM!!" So, we continue to wait and debate on what we should do when we hear a large bang on the door of the elevator. This sets the old ladies into a tailspin. "Everyone back up!!! Back away from the door!" And then they started banging on the door and yelling "We're in here! Help!" I felt like a sledgehammer was about to come busting through the elevator door and take us all down - luckily, it was just Jose. Somehow they pried open the elevator door, after almost 15 minutes of scorching torture, and we all climbed out of the elevator that had descended about two feet on it's initial drop before it quit. Dripping with sweat, we were all hoisted out of the elevator by Jose and a few other kind workers. Oh, what gems. Thank you for getting me out!

people say new yorkers are so mean

Well, I beg to differ. Today I was crossing the street at a crosswalk on 13th Street and 6th Avenue and I had to stop dead in the middle of the street to sneeze twice, and THREE people who were passing by said 'bless you' to me. I could be wrong, but the only difference I see in this scenario than if I were in Alabama is if I were in Alabama I probably wouldn't have been crossing the street at a crosswalk...

laundry

So I moved here on May 15 and today is June 8 and I am just now doing my first load of laundry TODAY. You can do the math on how long that's been...

Anyway, I knew Mom would be proud of me for a couple of different reasons :

1. First and foremost, I did not buy fabric softener to do my laundry for the entire three months this summer (in case you don't know the history behind this, yes, last summer I washed my clothes in fabric softener for the entire time that I was in New York and continued to be oblivous to this until someone so kindly pointed it out to me about a month after I returned to Auburn...)

2. As you can see, I was running low on clean underwear...so I had to re-wear a few times. Aren't you proud Mom? Isn't this what you always tried to teach me to do??

ahhh, it was such a long, busy, crazy week at work. At least 2 days this week, I stayed late in order to be able to complete a project on time. And now, instead of being able to enjoy my Sunday afternoon, I am working on a stupid assignment for my internship class. Why does Interior Design at Auburn INSIST on making life so difficult? And now, not only did they insist on doing that for four consecutive years, but they tacked on a summer to the end of that to draw out the pain and misery that is inevitable for anyone completing the program in order to have 3 more months of control over my life...yes, my Sunday is ruined because I have an assignment due at 10 AM in the morning. But because I am doing an internship to WORK, I can't work on my assignments during the day at work, and I'm so exhausted when I get home at night, that I usually can't find it in me to work on them then either.....ah, I feel like I am in middle school again saving all my homework until Sunday night after dinner. Except this time, I actually have a good excuse for not doing it earlier. It's called working in the real world...

basically, a shrine to katherine

and the epitome of a perfect weekend.


It started with dessert after our fellowship group at Cafe Mozart.

3/5 of last summer

At Rockefeller Center in front of the "gold man"

Me, Michelle and Katherine at dinner with the "original" fellowship group

FG - thanks again for dinner, Feng!!


Spot the ball, Super Pig!

Why such the mean face, LeeAnne?!

I think this picture makes evident Kat's true love for phototaking as a pasttime...

Riding bikes along the Hudson River

We met each other exactly one year to the day this picture was taken (I like to think we were celebrating our one year anniversary...)

roomies...soon!!!

ps - Amy Jicha, you could also have a shrine devoted to you if you would come visit us this summer...or anyone else that comes to visit :)

still coming soon

well, I didn't quite get the chance to post my pics last night (sorry GG's) but I'll hopefully post them tonight...check back again!

that's what weekends are for

Having fun. So, I may regret saying this one day and I may really start to miss college, but having a job is the best. It is so great to come in on a Sunday night from a fun-filled, exhausting weekend and not have anything to think about except starting the week on Monday morning. No homework. No quizzes to study for. Nothing. It's great. But, as I'm sure with everything, that joyfulness and fun with slowly fade as the newness wears off. Nevertheless, I'm enjoying it while I can.

This weekend was pretty incredible. Kevans (that's Katherine Evans, for those who don't know) came in town this weekend for a long layover on her trip to the Middle East - Turkey for a month and Jordan for a month. (blogging is inevitable, as she says... "kat goes (mid) east" http://evanska.tumblr.com/ ) Anyway, it was just like "old times" - way back when (when we were 21). Anyway, Friday we were reunited at our fellowship group. Saturday we all braved the rain and thunderstorms together in the city, went to a movie, and reunited with the "original" fellowship group for dinner. Thank you, Feng, for my dinner :) And then Sunday, was incredible. Perfect weather. Perfect activities. We met for breakfast then went on a hunt for bike rentals. We finally found them at Pier 84 on the Hudson River near 42nd Street and the West Side Hwy. We rode all the way down to Battery Park City (don't worry, Mom, there was a bike path...we didn't ride on the busy highway) and this could have been one of my most favorite things that I've ever done in New York City. (Ranks close up there with the kayaking, Amy Jicha...) Then after church we went out to eat with Buck and Christine at a restaurant called the Boat Basin on the Hudson River, which was pretty bizarre and somewhat of a different dimension - it was so weird. It felt like we stepped out of NYC and into Gulf Shores. I rather enjoyed it, and the company was good too.

So, I should probably get to bed now. Just because you don't have to do homework on Sunday nights doesn't mean you can stay up all night...

ps - pics are to come. I just can't upload them to my blog in my room...I have to trek all the way down to the 4th floor because the internet is better there , and since I shouldn't even be awake right now, I probably should save the photos until tomorrow...check back!