*Was held hostage for a short time on a Super Shuttle van
*Ate: ravioli, calimari, butternut squash won tons, hot chocolate with chili peppers, sushi, malaysian shrimp, homemade s’mores, poached eggs on a ham and cheese biscuit, pumpkin scones, tossed salads, huevos rancheros, mango-papaya crepes, and Icelandic yogurt (not in one sitting)
*Discovered that Alyssa has the best shower in the greater Manhattan area
*Used an irresponsible amount of hot water in said shower
*Wandered Fifth Avenue and became intoxicated with the window displays and the city dressed up for Christmas
*Ate in a busy diner and sat in the window watching the busy passers by
*Stood in line to get into FAO Schwarz; and once inside, filled my arms with treasures for my boys
*Had a reality check concerning money and luggage space and put half of it back
*Had my nails painted by a woman who said I looked twenty-three
*Gave said woman a tip and then hugged and kissed her
*Discovered the amazing phenomenon that begins with a website and ends with amazing food delivered to your doorstep
*Got dressed up and went to a swanky party in shoes that hurt like a lovesick teenager
*Watched a dumb movie
*Had brunch at the most darling diner ever, ever, ever
*Shopped in SoHo
*Shopped in HoHo
*Shopped in Yoko Ono
*Shared a cup of hot chocolate and some truffles that were so good they nearly blew my mind to smithereens
*Enjoyed live Jazz as we waited for the subway
*Did I mention the ordering in of food? It’s addicting.
*Saw one of the best movies ever: Juno
*Stayed up until 4:30 yakking
*Woke up earlier than seemed humanly possible after yakking all night
*Witnessed Alyssa’s grocery delivery…soo cool
*Had brunch at Norma’s
*Thanked heaven for a friend like Alyssa who likes to order different things and switch plates half-way through
*Wandered more shops and found more treasures
*Saw the bustling crowds at Rockafeller Center
*Visited Alyssa’s office and saw her lawyerly filing cabinets full of shoes—er, important files
*Saw the Rockettes show, high kicks and everything
*Was relieved when the wisemen during the live nativity did not break into dance
*Had a Brazilian pedicure, complete with freshly prepared snacks
*Helped decorate Alyssa’s fantastic apartment for her annual holiday dessert party next week
*Had a one-on-one cooking lesson from Alyssa—RED VELVET CAKE
*Offered to lick all the wayward cake splatters
*Vowed to try the recipe when I get home
*Girl-talked some more
*Looked at Alyssa’s photo albums and learned more about her family
*Saw pictures of Liz, Emily, and Michele (nice black and white photo, guys!)
*Slept on the patchwork quilt above the buzz of the street
*Finished filling in the gaps in my Christmas list
*Met Alyssa for a last lunch and hugged her goodbye
*Hiked with my big bags to Carnegie Deli to get a slice of cheesecake for Ryan
*Huffed and puffed with my packages on my way back to the apartment
*Stopped for a rest, miraculously in front of a Mailboxes, Etc.
*Shipped my heavy bags home to Utah
*Enjoyed the rest of my walk
*Gathered my overstuffed luggage and grabbed a cab to Penn Station
*Was grateful for my cabbie who, upon realizing that my luggage outweighed me by at least 100 pounds, turned his meter off and drove me to another entrance and helped me get red cap service
*Was escorted to my exact seat on the exact train car by a friendly red cap who kept my train station experience from being a total disaster
*Sat on a quiet train that smoothly poured and swayed over the tracks
*Was overwhelmed with gratitude for Alyssa and her amazing hospitality, and to my mom and Mrs. Smith for all of their help back home
*Made my way to Newark, Delaware to meet my honey
*Decided that everybody deserves a chance to see New York City at Christmas time
UPDATE: Check out Alyssa’s much better report here. Thanks again, Alyssa!
Here is one of my favorite images:
