nyc or bust

i have to blog even though i can post no photos as i left the usb cable at home. drat.

we love new york.


leeor has a special relationship with this city, as he attended nyu as an undergrad and studied film. i have my own relationship with the city, as well, as i came here after college, young and starry-eyed without a clue, and had big adventures, as well as one big melt-down. that's another story.

the 3 of us are having a love-in with the big apple.

avi was amazing on the flight. save for a couple of moments during which he desperately writhed to get down on the ground and crawl around, we were all good. and it's great to stay in an apartment; it's a one bedroom and he's in the pack n play in the bedroom with us and it works just swell. i mean, he was up at 4:50 this morning after turning in at 8:30 last night, but what can you do? leeor got up with him and i slept a bit. avi napped in the ergo today as we cruised central park.

baby; it's cold outside. these 3 californians were feeling the brrrr today as we walked the town from about 9ish til we got home tonight around 8pm. wowee. avi was a champ. he had one meltdown on the subway this afternoon; i realized he hadn't nursed since this morning and had been cooped up in the ergo or stroller or in arms all day. the kid needed to get his ya-yas out! so we went to barnes and noble, blessed place, and he crawled to his content in the kids' section.


we had quite a day. we went to columbus circle, central park zoo, the boat house, john lennon's imagine shrine, the dakota bulding (all told, we walked from east 52nd to west 77th and then back to rockefeller center), saw the tree at rockefeller and then avi tripped out at times square. he was all big eyes and open mouth there. we ended our day near union square with a fancy dinner at craft. we are big fans of bravo's top chef; craft is owned by the main judge on that show. it was really, really nice. we had a throwback to the early days of dining out with avi; mid way through dinner, the tired little bear nursed himself to sleep and slept in my arms as i devoured new american cuisine and drank wine from south africa. it was a great ending to a big day in new york.

last night we went to a local diner after we arrived; i just love new yorkers. lots of people want to talk to avi or talk to us about him. and no one does a diner like new york. there was this old jewish couple, in their 70s, eating at the diner. he kept sending his coffee back. they started talking to us about all kinds of things. i was sort of half-listening, walking avi around (he was finished with dinner by then) as leeor held the discussion. there was also a pair of elderly men who came in while we were eating; one of them was bleeding heavily from his cheek, while the other had his arm in a sling. elderly gangsters? had one of them fell? and while the diners silently looked on, no one said a word.

i am constantly stirred by this world we live in, by the way people differ from city to city, and am fascinated by the stories that are lurking around every corner. new york is epecially poignant. and this was only the first day of our vacation! i love being on vacation, loving having a whole day to spend with my guys. i love new york.