Deck the Palm Trees

So, as you may have guessed, I made it home... And with only a few hours of de-icing delays.

Here are the highlights of a fabulous California Christmas:

Riding in Lucerne Valley. The dry lake bed wasn't quite so dry this year, but it was SO fun...

Skiing with the Melissa Sister, Kick @$$ Ski Patroller. She OWNS the mountain. Dad came too, but I promised not to post those pictures, they are just too cool...

There was a lot of baking going on. In addition to baking and decorating sugar cookies, we also made lemon bars, and peanut butter blossoms, and cranberry peach cobbler, and fudge, and cinnamon rolls...

My brothers are getting to darn old, to darn tall and to darn handsome:

Me and the Emily sister at the annual "learn how to translate a gourmet menu" event, where my dad teaches us which one is the salad fork and what "scallions" are. I passed this test many years ago and now attend for recreational, rather than educational purposes.

As is clearly evidenced by my maturity... or not.

So NOW, I'm back in the city. And I gotta be honest, I'm a little torn. I had so much fun with my family that I didn't really want to leave. California did feel like home, and the glitter and giddiness of being new to the City is starting to wear off. But I still got a little spark of happiness when I saw the Empire State Building lit up as I crossed the Triborough bridge; and it feels great to get back to my independent, grown-up life again.

So here comes the New Year... And there's nowhere quite like New York City on New Year's Eve. I'll be sure to tell Carson Daly you said hi.

My First Blizzard

No east coast experience would truly be complete without learning how to navigate life outside in a blizzard... But just to make this blizzard extra-special (and by extra-special I mean extra inconvenient) it decided to come at the beginning of the holiday travel season on the day that I'm supposed to be flying home for Christmas.

Flights out of JFK are currently delayed 3 - 5 hours. I love New York, I love New York, I love New York, I hate blizzards, but I love New York.

At least it's all pretty and white and magical looking outside. As long as I get home sometime this weekend... Let it snow!

Nutcracker

I couldn't go through Christmas in New York without seeing the Nutcracker at the New York City Ballet in the Lincoln Center. Luckily, my ever-awesome roommate Sarah wanted to go too!

The performance was beautiful. That music is just so timeless and iconic! The children who performed were very impressive, to say nothing of the principal dancers who were beyond description.


Sara, Sarah and Stage...

Program:

Post-ballet glow:

... and yes, the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy is totally stuck in my head now.

City Lights

Nowhere does Christmas decorating quite like New York City.

Madison Square Park:


Near Rockefeller Center:


Radio City Music Hall:

Nutcrackers (for Mom):


The closer you get to Times Square, the bigger the decorations get:

The diamond district, clever:

Lord and Taylor:

The Christmas Tree of all christmas trees, Rockefeller Center:

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

The Ugliest Sweaters of All

The "Egg Nog and Moose Mugs" Ugly Sweater Christmas Party has become an honored tradition in NYC YSA land. Those pictured here are only a very small sampling.

May the ugliest sweater win....

Tony, Ben and Richard...


Evan, Kathryn, Megan, Josh...


Melissa, Jane, Me and Kevin...


Sara and David...

The fun never stops...

How fabulous are Jeff, Rustin and Eric? (with Jane in the middle)

Say "fuzzy pickles" (sorry, lame family joke)...

A new bar has been set in the ugly sweater department. Who knows what will happen next year?

TW Holiday Party

Every year, Time Warner throws a gi-normous holiday party at the Grand Hyatt next to Grand Central Station. This year, the theme was New York City (imagine that). The decorations and the extent that they went to was actually pretty impressive.

They had big green screens and took pictures that they imposed over famous shots of the City. They had a huge dance floor, where all three of my bosses got out and danced! (and which I stayed away from, because it was a mad house out there). Food of every kind imaginable (sounds like New York to me) and in the foyer they even had little mini carts with hot dogs and street waffles.

My favorite part were the little photo booths, where Brooke, Melissa and I managed to squeeze all three of us in...

And one you can actually see...

Happy Holidays!

Ice Ice Baby

My Relief Society is so cool that we went ice skating in Central Park for Enrichment this month. There are actually two ice skating rinks in Central Park (little known fact), and we went to the secret one at the top of the park called Wollman Rink. It's three blocks from where I live.

I had forgotten how completely fabulous ice skating is! It is my new favorite thing, and I want to go all of the time now. Though it makes me want to watch Miracle and The Cutting Edge, and I still get to urge yell out "toe pick" every 10 seconds or so...

Melissa, Me, Roommate Sarah, Amy...

The faces say it all...

I was impressed with Anne's uppity leg action...

Bums on the bench... Sarah, Melissa, Kamla, and Amy...

Toe pick!

Turrets Man!

I was walking back to my office after lunch yesterday, and walking down the side walk in front of me was a man in a black coat screaming angry obscenities... at no one.

There was no one there.

I know this for a fact, because he continued to walk in my direction, cursing vehemently towards the direction of the street... where no one was standing, for several blocks.

I'll bet that doesn't happen in your neighborhood.

Thanksgiving, NYC YSA Style

Because, I'm the queen of catch up blogging...

Thanksgiving!

What do you do when you live too far away from your family to go home for Thanksgiving? You get everyone in your ward together that hasn't gone home... and you all learn to cook.

At first, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find people to have Thanksgiving with, however, I discovered that my fear was misplaced. We had a rousing group of 18 people who entusiastically RSVP'd, and then as we all started cooking there was a lot of, "Well, I've never done this before but I think..."

My yams and apples (a hardcore family tradition, which I have yet to perfect) were edible, but not stellar the way they are when Aunt Andrea makes them. Valerie did an impressive job with the turkey, Tony rocked the stuffing, but the really impressive feat were Eric's apple pies (which he constructed while on the phone with his mom while she walked him through it. Apparently, half the group called Eric's mom for cooking advice.)

In the end, all of the food was great. We laughed til we cried, ate til we got sick, and were very grateful to have friends to gather with and give thanks.

We named the turkey Snoopy... Don't ask me why...

Eric and Steve handle the manly business of turkey carving...

Luckily, Anne and I were on hand to cheer them on. Turkey carving is tough work...

THE SPREAD...

Filling up the plates in kitchen... (We had to go in shifts, 'cause there was no way we were fitting 21 people in that kitchen.)

Luckily, we could fit 21 people in the living room! (There is a gorgeous view of the Hudson River out that window.)

Post-turkey tryptofan coma...

Of course, it didn't take long for us to recover enough to eat dessert! Tony setting up the pies...

Eric, showing off one of his now-famous apple pies...

After eating and sitting around groaning in pain, a few of us made our way over to the Bishop's house where there was more dessert (which no one could manage to eat) and karaoke. I think the highlight of the day was watching Bishop and Sister Wilcox sing a cheesy 80's love duet.

SO much to be thankful for. :)

Lingos!

Every year the Manhattan Young Single Adult Wards put on a Film Festival called Lingos.

This is the best of this year's offerings....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-Kl2T3bQm4

WE certainly got a kick out of it.

6 Months in the City

Today is December 2nd, six months to the day after I arrived in New York City.

Two things stand out:
1) It has flown by.
2) I'm so glad I came.

I remember as I was packing that I would have those occasional, "What on EARTH am I DOING?" moments, and another really violent one when the plane took off out of the Long Beach airport.

However, after I landed at JFK, as we drove towards Manhattan and I saw the skyline... ***** There aren't really words for that feeling, so I'm not going to try. And the truth is that I'm SO happy here, I kind of feel like its unfair... What have I done to deserve a perfect life? Suffice it to say that I'm more grateful than I have the power to articulate that my path in life has led me here, at least for a little while, and hopefully a little while longer.

But enough of that sappy stuff.

After 6 months living in NYC, here are my 6 favorite things about it:

1) The people - The brilliant, talented, smart, interesting, diverse, dynamic, beautiful, inspiring and challenging people that I get to associate with every day.

2) The church - The Manhattan 8th Ward, our wonderful bishop, my calling as an FHE leader, working with the Sister Missionaries, watching some of my amazing friends decide to be baptized. It is the solid foundation that keeps me from being swept away in the torrent. I fully admit that I would be a worldly mess without it.

3) The city buzz - The movement, the lights, the sounds, the bustle, the hustle, the whoosh, the swing and the sway. The buildings vibrate with the sounds on the street and the streets vibrate with the rumble of the subways beneath them. The city just has a life of its own.

4) The food - The food here is amazing - from the pizza on the corner to the celebrity chef restaurants. You can get every kind of food and every hour of the day. You can get decent Thai or Mexican food in most places... but where else can you get Cuban, Afghan, Ethiopian, Mediteranean, Morrocan, Irish, Hungarian and Vietnamese? At 3 am? Nowhere! *cough* Not that I'm out that late. *cough*

5) The walking - Everything is up close and personal without the buffer of your car between you and your surroundings. The walking and the occasional awkwardness of having to interact with the collosal mess of humanity of a daily basis is what separates those who love the city from those who merely like it. Don't get me wrong, it isn't always pretty, but it IS always interesting. Plus, I've just come to love using my own two legs to get myself everywhere.

6) I will never be bored. There is SO much to do, SO much going on. Each neighborhood of Manhattan is like its own little world with its own culture, its own vibe, its own style, and hundreds of place to investigate and suprises to discover. We have the best of everything (except nature, although the parks are lovely) - sports, art, music, shopping, fashion, history, religion, culture, landmarks, the avante garde, and the traditional.

I heart NYC.

Mom Came To Visit!

I adore my mother. In case I haven't already made that abundantly clear. I'm pretty much crazy about my whole family, because they are amazing, but my mom is my best friend in the whole world. And we're sealed, so I get to keep them forever.

But I digress...

In the second week of November, Mom came to visit! I was originally waiting to blog about it until I got more pictures, but I decided to keep in simple.

When Mom arrived on Wednesday night, we commenced with my favorite tradition: We went straight to Times Square and the had dinner at the "mafia pasta place." This is what we did on the first night that we came to New York when I was 17 with Mom and my sister Melissa. It is what I did on my first night in New York, and what I did with Michelle when she came to visit, and once again with Mom when she arrived.

Me and Mom in Times Square:


The "mafia pasta place" is actually called the Pasta Lover's Trattoria, and its on 49th Street between 6th and 7th Avenue... just off the north east end of Times Square. When we originally found it 8 years ago the chairs were plastic, the tablecloths were red and white checked, the bowls of pasta were the size of beach balls and there was a table full of rough looking guys in suits in the back. Hence, our christening of the "mafia pasta place." Since then, it has been revamped a little, so that's its more upscale. But the food is still fantastic.

The next day Mom met me for lunch (I had to work) and got to see my building and the Flatiron/Gramercy Park neighborhood. After work, we met my roommates at Blockheads for the best burritos on the Upper West Side.



Mom loved Katie and Sarah, and I had to agree they are pretty fabulous. I moved into my apartment without ever having met them, taking a huge chance and moving in with strangers, but it has worked out better than I could have hoped for. Aw, I have the bestest roommates ever.

Friday I took off of work, Mom and I walked through Central Park, got brunch and went shopping in China Town. Everywhere we went, was, "Wow, I can't believe you live here! I can't believe you do this everyday." Let me just say that my Mom is a pretty cool customer, and although she is never short on kindness and praise, for her to be impressed was a pretty huge compliment. I felt very grown up.

That night we met my other great friends in the city for dinner at ilili.

Melissa Bannister, Kate Sonne, Kristen Vander Hulst, Me, Mom:



Again, we had so much fun... this was really the highlight of the trip for me. I got to show off the people that I know and love so much here in the city to my mom, and I got to show off my mom to the people that I know and love in the city. Its so much easier to tell stories now that Mom actually knows who these people are!

On a side note: ilili is a very cool place. Located on 5th Ave at around 27th Street, its got a very modern vibe and cool but understated decor. The food is Mediterranean and will knock your socks off. I highly recommend it.

Saturday was a perfect day, even though it rained buckets. We got brunch at Cafe Lalo (charming in everyway, made famous by You've Got Mail), which is on 83rd between Broadway and Amsterdam. We went to the MoMA and saw and exhibit that just opened on one of my favorite artists, Joan Miro. We got out of the rain for a bit and caught a movie in Times Square, followed by awesome New York Jewish Deli Food at Roxy's. We finished off our perfect day with Mary Poppins on Broadway.

Sunday we said goodbye and Mom went back to sunny Southern California. It was SO wonderful having her here and getting to share all of the thing that I love about living in New York.

Now if I could just get the rest of the family to come...

Ghost Town

Apparently on the day before Thanksgiving, in a company where they give you lots of paid vacation time, everyone takes the day off.

My office is like a Ghost Town today. Just me, my computer and the tumbleweeds blowing in the wind.

I like it in a box, I like it with a fox...

This is about to be the saddest day of my mother's life, because I'm here to tell you that I love New York, even in the cold, cold, cold dregs of winter.

The high today in my neighborhood is 30 degress and the low is 24... That means, 100% below freezing, all day long. I woke up with my window cracked, because the furnace in my room is out of control. I had brunch, went to the gym and picked up some shampoo on the way home. As I reached the last block before my apartment, I could feel my ears aching with cold (although the rest of me was fine, thanks to my goose down/faux fur jacket), and the winter afternoon sun making patchy spots of light on the sidewalk.

I sighed contentedly, even happily to myself, and then I thought, "Oh dear. I'm still happy here. I'm still really, really happy here. Even with the sharp wind blowing and my ears aching, I am still happy here."

If there was one thing that I thought could test and try my love for this city, it was winter. Being unaccustomed as I am to even the slightest chill, I was afraid that there was no love in the world that could make me happy in bad weather. Round 1: New York, 1, Winter, 0. Now, I'm not saying there won't come a day when I get on this little blog and go bezerck over some blizzard outside. But so far, so good.

And then I thought to myself, "I like in the cold, I like it in the sun. I like in the rain, I like it on a train. I like it in a box, I like it with a fox. I like it here or there, I like New York everywhere."

Sorry Mom.

The Divine Madame DVF

How famous do you have to be to be known only by your initials?

DVF. Diane Von Furstenberg.

Tonight I met the fashion-designer-turned-cultural-icon at a function put on by TWWN (Time Warner Women's Network). The function was called "Be The Wonder Woman You Can Be," in honor of the 4th Anniversary of TWWN as well as a recent venture between DVF and DC Comics which resulted in a Wonder Woman inspired collection designed by DVF as well as a comic book printed by DC Comics, inspired by DVF. The highlight of the evening is when Diane was interviewed on stage by a well known journalist and told stories about her life and her career and how she came to be who and where she is today. She talked about her mother, who was a holocaust survivor. She talked about the people that gave her the breaks that led to her career. She talked about some of her good choices and some of her bad choices. She let us all in on some of her peculiar habits. She dispensed some fascinating advice. And yes, at 60, she looked fabulous.

In case you are unfamiliar with Diane Von Ferstenberg, let me give you some of the reasons why she is famous and so very cool:

1) She invented the wrap dress. No joke.

2) She was formerly a princess (by marriage to her first husband).

3) She was a regular at Studio 54 during its height, and was photographed by Andy Warhol at that time and immortalized in one of his iconic portraits.

DVF herself, in front of her Warhol portrait:

... Only in New York.

Broadway Baby

Last night my friend Tony, who is an actor/singer/dancer/crazy-talented person, rented out a dance studio and taught a class for his friends. For free. Just for fun.

Tons and tons of people showed up, because... How often do you get to take dance lessons from an entertainment professional? Never. (Unless you live in New York and know amazing people.)

Tony has toured the country... correction, the world... with various productions. So last night he taught us a dance from this year's Tony award winner for Best Musical, "In The Heights." It was a sort of Broadway/Hip Hop combination. We danced for an hour and a half, with Tony patiently walking us non-professionals through the steps and then giving us pointers on acting and not just dancing. We had SO much fun. And here are a few things I learned:

1) Oh that's right! I LOVE dancing.
2) Holy cow, it's so much harder than it looks.
3) I love my friends for being willing to get out there and try this, even if we weren't not exactly ready for the spotlight.

... But maybe someday. ;)

Management Dinner

So every year (maybe every quarter, I'm not clear on this yet), the IT department has a meeting with all of the Managers, Directors, VP's and Project Managers to talk about the projects for the past quarter and what the different groups have accomplished, and then to talk about what we'll be working on in the next quarter.

Afterwards, there is always an event of some kind, which is kept a secret until the meeting is over and we depart. One they had drinks at Chelsea Piers and then dinner on a boat as it went around Manhattan. This year however, we were taken to the Culinary Institute of Education, where we split into groups and we were instructed by Master Chefs as we made dinner together. this scene was complete with white aprons and white paper chefs hats.

I got a kick out of watching all of my work friends in such a different setting. Some people were clearly comfortable in front of the stove, while others stuck to whisking salad dressing or chopping vegetables instead.

Amir wasn't afraid to stir the chocolate sauce:


Mike, Mark and Melissa managed the brussel sprouts:


My boss Lawrence, chops some mean parsley:


I made dessert!:



Darn Melissa for being the only person on the planet who actually looks cute in those hats:


How many IT people does it take to make dinner?:


Cesar (our Sr. VP), Brooke, Melissa, Me, Mark (our VP):


After cooking, we enjoyed the fantastic food. I like my bosses, Lawrence and Mark, so I sat with them:



As the girls of the department, we like to stick together. Brooke, Melissa and Me: