charleston girls weekend

here's a few words to describe charleston, south carolina - historic, lovely, hot, bright, charming, hot, considerate, hot, relaxing, fun, hot, culinary, humid and beautiful.  oh wait, did i mention it was hot?

netter, doc and i headed southward to celebrate the amazing accomplishment of doc in earning her doctor badge and the all important white coat.  we chose the first week in june to hit the streets of charleston and guess what, it was hot!  i mean melt your face off hot.  coming from new york i thought the south couldn't be worse but i was wrong.

dear aunt jan-baby, uncle john b and my NC tar heels loving cousins, i truly admire your ability to be outside for longer than 15 minutes during the summer in your hometown of charlotte, nc without wanting to throw yourself into the nearest body of water to cool down.  i'm sure you know this already, but i can teach you that the modern day inventor of the air conditioning unit is a lovely man from albany, ny named willis carrier.  i think we will all be in a line in heaven to give that man a hug. love, me

our first destination was to dive into the southern cuisine at the waffle house.  very filling and so cheap!  afterwards, we headed to boone hall which is the home of the amazing oak drive.  the trees are exquisite as was the homemade key lime ice cream with crushed graham crackers.  our house tour guide was in full hoop skirted glory.  we had a great time but were completely ready to feel the glorious a/c blasting in our faces.  the evening ended with a stop at the local piggly wiggly where we got the piggly wiggly card and saved some dollars off our choices of bagels, strawberries, animal crackers, granola bars and bottled water.  then we headed for a scrumptious meal at my cousin jess' recommendation of jim 'n nick's BBQ.  since it was around the corner we were game to give it a go.  that's where we fell in love with the cheddar biscuits and lemonade as previously blogged. 

next day was all about more plantations.  we started at magnolia plantation which is renowned for it's gardens.  highly enjoyable to walk around the grounds, see the home's interior, get lost in a hedge maze and see quite a few alligators and other wildlife up close.  after magnolia it was off to the formal gardens of middleton place.  the grounds reminded me of the beauty of the gardens in places like london, paris and budapest.  loved the dairy, reflection pool, small chapel and animals on the farm.

did i mention that through all of these activities it was in the mid 90s and super humid?  oh i didn't; well it was very hot and very humid to the point of pure exhaustion from being outside in the sun.  while eating lunch at middleton place at 3:30pm i located a local water park that unfortunately closed at the very early hour of 6:00pm on a saturday.  but we were desperate so after lunch we packed up and headed there to use our recently acquired piggly wiggly card to get a $3 discount on the price of admission for a total of about 85 minutes of water sliding, wave riding and most important of all, lazy river lounging.  we were literally the last people out of the lazy river.  they had to ask us to leave.  one of the most refreshing moments of my life and worth every penny of the $16.99 price for 85 minutes of pure happiness.

sunday we slept in.  ate breakfast together while chit chatting.  changed into our swimwear and followed the masses to the beach.  found a free parking spot in the shade of a tree (very important!) and hiked to the coast.  slathered on the sun screen and began the melting process.  after about 10 minutes of laying out we couldn't take it anymore so rushed for the water.  the water was amazing!  very warm and clean.  at one point dolphins swam right by us about 20 feet away.  it was fantastic!  so relaxing and it helped me maintain my summertime glow.  might have left with a severe left forearm sunburn.  kids, always wear sunscreen and reapply after being in the water.

that night was the dinner celebration of doc at husk restaurant.  all of the food was amazing except the bacon corn bread.  never thought i'd say this but there are some things that bacon shouldn't be added to for "enhancing" the flavor.  corn bread is definitely one of them.  and we all looked really cute in our sophisticated skirts and sandals.

monday we slept in.  ate breakfast.  doc and i headed to the slave mart museum for a little history lesson.  picked up a little lunch from the very cute bartender at another fabulous restaurant called 82 Queen.  doc had the best suggestion of all to stop at jim 'n nick's to pick up the addiction inducing lemonade.  then it was pack up the jeep.  stop at walmart for large bottle of aloe vera gel with lidocaine for yours truly.  drop off car at airport.  get through security and wait for flight.

doc and i had a little stop over in atlanta where we grabbed some chili's appetizers for dinner and then boarded our flight to la guardia.  and then the trip ended and we sent doc to utah for her trek to her new home and life as an intern at the university of michigan.

love my friends so much.  love my friends who will travel with me.  love to see new places.  and love to learn the name of the modern air conditioner inventor - willis carrier.  i love you willis carrier and wish you a magnificent mansion in heaven fully equipped with central air.

boone hall plantation

doc enjoying the refreshing taste of homemade key lime ice cream

slave cabins at boone hall

jumping with glee on the oak tree drive to boone hall

this is what absolute heat and exhaustion looks like

magnolia plantation

swamp at magnolia plantation gardens

famous bridge of magnolia gardens

hugging a very large tree

magnolia's historic places plaque

magnolia garden

formal gardens of middleton place

middleton place plantation

update to summer "to do"s

UPDATE to my 2011 "to do" summer list (in no apparent order):

1. see Lion King on Broadway
2. enjoy Shakespeare in the Park - preferably all's well that ends well
3. attend Museum Mile Festival on Tuesday, June 14th (museums along Museum Mile are open late and free with cool street artists, musicians, etc all along fifth avenue) - completed in the rain (see # 13)
4. play tennis in Central Park
5. finish my photography course with my final photo being a night shot of the Brooklyn Bridge
6. attend Super Saturday Men's Semifinal matches of the US Open - tickets purchased for Saturday, September 10th in section 315 row Y
7. get a spa pedicure with extra massage once a month - June's pedicure done
8. eat at Grimaldi's in Brooklyn at least once then take a ride on the water taxi
9. celebrate my birthday with something fabulous! - plan in place to celebrate with fabulous activity
10. grab a group to enjoy philharmonic and opera in the park - Philharmonic in Park cancelled :(
11. rent a bike to ride the trails of Central Park
12. dip my feet in the water of the Atlantic Ocean - spent a glorious Sunday at beach in Charleston, SC
13. see the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art - spectacular exhibit at the Met; loved the 15 minute wait to see it and never knew how clothes can transform into art until viewing the Alexander McQueen show
14. begin my weekly Wednesday Rock Band open house for friends
15. enjoy a performance of Broadway in Bryant Park for lunch on a Thursday - lunching with friends every thursday to enjoy all the free broadway as possible starting july 14th

i'm a Mormon

i joke that i ran away from home when asked how a born and bred west coaster made her home in new york city.  in many ways it isn't a joke.  i did run away from what was comfortable, status quo and kind of predictable.  i wanted to spread my wings in a place where i would encounter countless people who weren't like me.  hence why i chose new york or maybe new york chose me.  but new york has never affected who i am and want to become.  being Mormon defines me as a person.  all of my decisions are based on my faith and knowledge that i am a child of God. 

currently being mormon or anything related to mormons and our personally cherished beliefs is up for discussion, research projects, pieces in national publications like the new york times or washington post and musical theater productions.  the biggest thing on broadway right now is a musical called the book of mormon.  this show swept the tony awards and is currently the hardest ticket to get.  a couple of people have asked me if i would go/want to see it.  i truly support the statement of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in regards to this production: 

"The production may attempt to entertain audiences for an evening, but the Book of Mormon as a volume of scripture will change people's lives forever by bringing them closer to Christ."

i don't need to spend hundreds of dollars to be entertained by artists mocking and defiling what i hold sacred but i also don't judge those that do see it.  that's the most wonderful thing about life...we get to choose.  the gift of free agency is such a powerful tool and is what brings us individuality.

the interesting little sidenote (as told by my stake president on sunday) about the musical's dominance of the great white way is that now hotel chains throughout the city are contacting the Church's public affairs office requested hundreds and hundreds of Book of Mormons because guests are stealing them from their hotel rooms in prestigous and pricey hotels like the ritz carlton and waldorf astoria.  who knew The Book of Mormon would be a souvenir item in new york city?  pretty sure God was the One in the know. 

there is also a new billboard gracing the bright lights of times square.  the Church has begun it's "I'm A Mormon" campaign throughout the city.  i love this campaign because it shows that each member of the Church is a person like their neighbor trying to be a good person, make right choices for their circumstances and love their family.  we aren't fire breathing, stone throwing, crazy people who should be thought of as odd.  although i think we have the best possible differences from the majority of humankind - eternal families, healthy lifestyles, fidelity, integrity, strong work ethic, devotion to God, personal revelation, and of course, The Book of Mormon. 

i embrace my differences from my co-workers, friends and commuters.  it's the reason i left the happy valley of utah/arizona to come to the big bad city.  it has been so fantastic to watch the Church grow in the city and embrace it's presence in pop culture with dignity and integrity. 

this week's simple moments

1.  number of hours slept on sunday night will generally be the normal amount for the rest of the week
2.  a trip to jersey twice in one week...thanks a zipcar
3.  water leak under bathroom sink is now in week 2
4.  rock banded and just danced with neighbors on a sunday night
5.  bought music by the carpenters to remind me of my stress free childhood and family summer vacations

deep end of honesty

this post marks my 82nd for the year.  the exact same amount of total blog posts for 2010.  i'm on a blog roll (get it...ha ha).  so here goes my 82nd post...

while at dinner with texas spencer and his EY colleague at the scrumptious John's Pizzaria he mentioned he enjoyed a blog written by the wife of a friend because it was "real" and she was "honest".  his statement made me reflect on if my blog posts showcase my "real" emotions, activities, thoughts and impressions as well as if i fully dive into the deep end of honesty or just wade in up to my knees.  after much internal reflection i decided that i am "real" and honest on this blog but at the same time choosy when it comes to what i write about and send into the world of cyberspace where my mother's eyes can view it.  i think my personal reflection result means that i'm a pretty positive person and grateful for my blessings.  but don't get me started on the topics of tourists in the city, when someone doesn't do what i want them to do, walking slowly, disorganization, chewing with your mouth open, not being ready to order your food when you reach the register or an attitude of entitlement and condescension. 

this blog isn't really meant to be my personal journal where i can practice signing my name with the last name of my current crush - i think Pinky Reynolds has a nice ring to it (i'm looking at you Mr. Ryan Reynolds).  instead it is to give friends and family a bird's eye view into my travels, adventures, thoughts, things that make me laugh and decisions i'm making.  i hope you'll continue to join me as i highlight moments, activities, thoughts and impressions of my long term relationship with new york city.

be still my beating heart

a man who can sing, dance while cracking a joke make my little black and cynical heart go pitter-patter.  watching neil patrick harris and hugh jackman duet on last night's tony awards tugged my heart strings and made me want to pay any amount of money to see these two men sing, dance and crack jokes in person.  love me some triple threats.

this week's simple moments

1.  thin mint cookies over vanilla ice cream is my current favorite treat
2.  any kind of bad weather shuts down the subway and bus service
3.  taxi line at La Guardia airport isn't horrible if you arrive after 11pm
4.  very windy conditions in times square can make it difficult for the skirt i was wearing to not fly away
5.  dinner with old friends makes me very, very, very happy especially if they can expense it.  thanks texas spencer!
6.  the new york public library no longer accepts book and movie donations
7.  spent two hours in best buy and didn't buy anything
8.  nylons with flip flops is not a good combo
9.  is $104 a lot to spend for unlimited subway and bus service in five boroughs
10.  it's definitely summer based on the fact i shave my legs more than 3 times a week

souvenir from the south

been in charleston, south carolina for four days. it was a great trip. learned that the south is very very warm. as doc said, she is naming her first born AC. totally agree that the inventor of AC deserves a huge hug and kiss in heaven.

we wanted an authentic experience so I asked my cousin Jess for a few recommendations since she is one of the coolest born and bred southerns I know. she recommended eating at Jim n nick's BBQ to enjoy their cheddar biscuits. we went there on the first day of our trip and enjoyed some highly enjoyable food but fell in love with their lemonade.

after ordering food for lunch from 82 Queen we made a special stop to get another round of lemonade from Jim n nick's. truly the only thing I bought as a souvenir was an order of cheddar biscuits for the plane and a large icy cool lemonade. thank you charleston. more to come about our adventures in charleston once I'm home and ready to blog, blog and more blog.

summer "to do" list

we are in the sixth month of the year 2011.  how did that happen?  i think my trip a month plan has contributed to time flying by with the greatest of ease. 

summers in the city are always full of gleeful activities and attractions.  have begun to contemplate my "to do" summer list.  always try to jot some things down that i've wanted to do in the city but just haven't gotten around to in last 8 summers so decided that this is the year!  and some things are just so much fun that you have to do them every summer; example = US Open

my 2011 "to do" summer list (in no apparent order):
1.  see Lion King on Broadway
2.  enjoy Shakespeare in the Park - preferably all's well that ends well
3.  attend Museum Mile Festival on Tuesday, June 14th (museums along Museum Mile are open late and free with cool street artists, musicians, etc all along fifth avenue)
4.  play tennis in Central Park
5.  finish my photography course with my final photo being a night shot of the Brooklyn Bridge
6.  attend Super Saturday Men's Semifinal matches of the US Open
7.  get a spa pedicure with extra massage once a month
8.  eat at Grimaldi's in Brooklyn at least once then take a ride on the water taxi
9.  celebrate my birthday with something fabulous!
10.  grab a group to enjoy philharmonic and opera in the park
11.  rent a bike to ride the trails of Central Park
12.  dip my feet in the water of the Atlantic Ocean
13.  see the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
14.  begin my weekly Wednesday Rock Band open house for friends
15.  enjoy a performance of Broadway in Bryant Park for lunch on a Thursday

that is my list as it stands right now.  any and all are welcome to join me on the above.  here's to another great summer in the city.

it's all about priorities and perspective

while waiting for my name to be called at the lovely allergists office i pulled out my iPad to read.  when the nurse called my name i had the iPad in my hands as i walked up to her.  her eyes fixated on the pretty pink cover and electronic marvel of my iPad.  she asked me to open it so she could see it.  since i am a shallow person and love compliments about my hair, shoes, jewelry, or electronic toys i was happy to oblige.  i even let her hold it. 

she told me how she really wants one but can't justify spending the money.  i totally sympathized.  especially after just having my personal realization #3.  as i was sitting down to get my first round of shots she proceeded to tell me that she couldn't spend the money because she had just purchased a pair of christian louboutin shoes that cost $2,000!  i tried to contain my astonishment and asked if she had a special occassion for the shoe purchase.  she told me that she wanted them and it was her birthday.  she hasn't even worn the shoes outside just slept in them.

i try not to judge or compare other's decisions to myself but when i heard about the $2,000 shoes that aren't to be worn i started to feel a bit better about my financial choices.  it is all about priorities and perspective. 

a couple of examples of christian louboutin $2,000 shoes are below.  still think my $300 iPad was a better purchase, but to each his/her own.

$1,995 at Barney's

$3,095 at Barney's

be careful what you wish for

it is hot.  it is humid.  it is smelly.  it is necessary to run the air conditioning.  it is now time to get pedicures, shave my legs daily and carry sunglasses in my purse at all times.

wanted the rain to go away and now it has.  it has been replaced with hot humidness.  is it wrong to kinda want the rain back?  would really love some 70s with low humidity.

and when did it become almost june?  i mean really!  anyone, anyone...

rain, rain go away

here's my dilemma...

rain means my allergies are exceptionally managable.  however, rain means that i often arrive at work or home with damp shoes and pants as well as stuck inside during lunch hour.

no rain means the opportunity to walk home from work while chatting with old friends.  no rain means being outside in the sunshine and surrounded by people while wearing casual footwear. 

but then my allergies get worse...do you see the cycle?

now that i've opted to begin weekly allergy shots for the next YEAR, i think i'm going to choose the no rain because then i can be outside and the humidity levels are generally comfortable.  so i beseech you rain to please go away at least for the foreseeable future.

personal realization #3 a.k.a. the bath earrings

i like nice stuff.  i like to travel in first class.  stay in hotels that are at least 4 stars.  buy jewelry (full of semi-precious and precious stones & metal) for souvenirs while on vacation.  latest technology purchases fill me with glee.  tickets purchased to attend broadway shows or concerts must be in a certain section or i won't go.  paying over $50 for a steak seems perfectly reasonable to me.  buy only brand name food stuffs from target. 

realized that in the last 4 years or so a shift has occurred where i will generally always choose the more expensive of two options because i'm willing to pay for "quality". not sure why i think it's okay to pay almost $200 for a handbag because it was purchased at the outlet and i have an additional 10% off coupon. i've become very good at rationalizing purchasing what i'm realizing are luxury items because as l'oreal has taught me with it's clever marketing..."i'm worth it."

i do think i'm worth it but i also think i need to reevaulate how much i'm worth if i ever want to buy an apartment, spend two weeks in australia, have a nest egg in case (heaven forbid) a family member goes through hardship, etc.

decided that the shift occurred after my trip to london in the fall of 2007. while on a quick trip to bath, netter and i wandered into a jewelry store in the main square. i found these gorgeous pearl and diamond drop earrings. the saliva in my mouth went into overdrive when i put them up to my ears. if ever a pair of earrings personified me in metal and stones, it was this pair of earrings. the price tag was £169 equalling about $400. we were scheduled to get on the bus super soon so i had to make a decision about whether or not to purchase the earrings. i chose not to buy them. just couldn't justify spending that much money. i have wished on numerous occassions that i had chosen the "i'm worth it" path and brought those gorgeous earrings with me back to the states.

now i use the bath earrings as an example of whether or not to purchase something that i want but maybe might need to spend some serious time contemplating. if a friend is with me as i'm contemplating all he/she has to say is "bath earrings" to put me in the thinking of whether or not i'll really regret not purchasing whatever expensive but pretty thing i'm holding in my hands.  generally the "bath earrings" result is my suitcase is crowded because of all the things i purchased knowing i would really regret leaving them on the store shelves.

this week's simple moments

1.  got a manicure and it looks awesome
2.  tried to donate books to the library...they said 'no thanks'
3.  learned i'm allergic to just about everything
4.  took the subway home twice this week
5.  this is my 500th post!

pinkies unite!

there were at least three other girls who i grew up with that had my same first name.  in church there were three of us that were literally born one after each other.  since i've moved to the eastern side of the USA i've run into very few women with my first name.  that all changed about a year ago.

the upper east side manhattan 2nd ward boasts three "pinkys".  that's right...three.  all three of us have leadership positions in church also.  pinky2 is relief society prez, pinky1 is young woman's prez and then there's me (aka pinky3) in the primary presidency.  when pinky1's name was read about young woman prez i had a brief moment of panic where i thought i was to fill that position and i didn't remember.  thankfully her last name quickly followed her first and i could breathe a sigh of relief.

it recently dawned on me that we needed to harness our natural power and unite in a pinky play date.  last saturday was the inaugural one.  we had root beer floats, explained how we got our name, chatted and played rock band at my apartment for a few hours while the wind blew outside.  it was so much fun!  i look forward to many more pinky play dates. 

i apologize to those who i informed about my play date and turned away an invitation because your first name wasn't pinky.  please forgive the pinky exclusivity.

three days = three movies

spent last weekend in CT with clare.  as always our itinerary included personal pampering, eating, a little shopping and lounging.  this weekend had the added bonus of being the beginning of the summer movie season so of course we had to support the hollywood industry.  we ended up watching three movies in three days.  well done us.

viewed the moral dilemma rom-com Something Borrowed first.  it was a full house of women sighing over the comedy of john krasinski and gorgeous green eyes of colin egglesfield.  enjoyed the movie.

saturday's choice of viewing was hunky superhero of Thor.  well done chris hemsworth and kenneth brannagh.  think it was an improvement since my last experience with thor during Adventures in Babysitting. 



last but certainly not least was time with dwayne, vin and paul along with a lot of hot cars in Fast Five.  clare and i highly enjoyed this viewing.  i'm sure you can understand why - excellent dialogue, great characterization, scenic cinematography, deep drama and moral discussion.  or maybe it's because dwayne, vin and paul are really easy and highly enjoyable to look at on a giant screen.  i'm going to go with the latter...

the intelligence of an almost 5 year old

it's no question that i am rapturously in love with my nephews and nieces.  they are some of my favorite people in the world.  always very happy to be auntie pinky.  it was with great joy when my sister in law sunshine texted me this past week.

she let me know that her oldest son, the soon to be five year old blake, had told her sister (his aunt also) that i was his favorite aunt.  that's right...i was the favorite auntie.  woo hoo!  of course i made a point to have sunshine point out this little conversation to my sister moocher.  i'm such a kind and generous soul...

thank you blake for speaking honestly and from the heart that i am your favorite aunt.  all of your aunts love you and want you to be ecstatically happy.

think our close relationship was solidified when coyote picked me up from the airport with a 3 year old blake who pulled out of his arms and ran to me to pick him up as i got off the escalator.  wrapped me around his little finger at that moment.

this week's simple moments

1.  used coupon to see broadway royalty sutton foster and joel grey in anything goes.  it was excellent!
2.  never so happy to take a zyrtec pill
3.  ate at mcdonald's and arby's each twice within a seven day period of time
4.  trains back from connecticut on mother's day are CROWDED
5.  have legitimate reason for leading a cat-free life...i'm seriously allergic to them

a note to my allergies

all my life i have suffered from horrendous allergies.  i remember once in 4th grade riding my bike home from walnut acres elementary school that my eyes had swollen shut and i couldn't see.  once in utah in june they were so horrible that i was taking my 24 hour relief allegra pills about 4 times a day to try to stem the pain.

those two incidents combined weren't as bad as my suffering today.  the last two days i haven't been allowed to take allergy medicine because i'm finally being tested for what i'm allergic to on tuesday morning.  i would give up just about anything right now in order to take a small little zyrtec pill.  but alas...only 12 more hours until sweet relief from this absolute horribleness. 

i promise never to complain about my allergies again if only i can take medicine again...

oh tuesday night

i'm still awake because there is just way too much television to be enjoyed on tuesday night.  why did the voice have to actually be good?  why does alicia florrick on the good wife have to pull me in emotionally?  why do i want to root and be motivated by the contestants on the biggest loser?  and then there's glee.  oh sweet glee.  i love you glee but i'm ready for you to be just a bit better.  ready for the story line to dictate the music rather than wrap the story around a song you want to do.  and please no more gwyneth paltrow.  just sayin'.  no hard feelings.

not to mention that white collar is back on june 7th at 10pm on USA Network.  everyone set your DVRs. 

san francisco/muir woods/alcatraz/walnut creek pictures (lots of them)

pictures from my days and nights visiting the city by the bay

 2270 English Court (ages 6 - 11)

 Walnut Acres Elementary School (K - 5th Grade)

 Foothill Middle School (6th - 7th Grade)

 LDS Church for Ygnacio Valley Ward

1111 Snyder Lane ( ages 11 - 13)

a trip to san francisco

for the entirety of my vacation in san francisco i couldn't get the jingle for rice a roni out of my head.  "the san francisco treat..."

netter and i had a great time.  for one of the first times i felt like i actually relaxed on my vacation.  no alarms to get up at the crack of dawn.  no moving quickly from place to place.  no carrying massive amounts of gear on the off chance it might rain, snow or be intensely hot.  no fighting over who would get to shower first.  no hourly planned out itinerary to complete everything on our to do list.  it was great!

we rode cable cars. ate sourdough bread and ghiradelli chocolate. saw the pier 39 sea lions squawking. rode the double decker bus around the city with some sublime narration. took in a san francisco giants game at at&t park. walked along the bay. ate sunday brunch. saw a movie. bought cool accessories at the apple store. sat in union square to people watch. ate an amazing meal. took a zipcar to muir woods and felt its serenity. took a random road to the beach for brilliant sunshine. drove across the golden gate bridge and down lombard street.  night toured alcatraz island.  chatted with some australian tourists who were visiting the states.  attended the oakland lds temple.  visited my walnut creek life. saw english court house, elementary school, middle school, church building and final house.  drove to san jose to see netter's childhood home, schools and swim team pool. ate at cheesecake factory in palo alto. took another ride on the cable car.  hopped in a cab and flew home.

such a great and relaxing vacation to be in san francisco.  it had been many moons and i really enjoyed my time in the fog, sunshine and western chill of that city.

took some amazing pictures that will shortly be shared.