I'm in New York!!!!

Me, in Central Park.

Oh my god, you guys! I'm in a whole other country! At last! It's only taken me nearly 38 years, but finally I have set foot outside Australia! I've been in New York for three days now and I still don't think it's sunk in. 

I'm in love with the place already, and I've barely even scratched the surface. I haven't ventured too far downtown so I'm yet to see the iconic sights like the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building. I expect the love affair to deepen dramatically once I do... 

You'd think those landmarks would be the first things that I would go see, but I'm spreading out the awesomeness. Just being here is enough awesome to sustain me for now.

What have I seen? Squirrels! Sounds ridiculous to get excited by them, I've obviously never seen one before. When I saw the first one, it took me by surprise and, in my head, I shrieked, "Oh my god! A squirrel!". I took a photo of course. 

I spent Saturday exploring Central Park and it's amazing - huge, beautiful, full of people and so much to see. New Yorkers truly are spoilt to have such a vast patch of green in the centre of their huge and bustling city. The view of the skyline from the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir is spectacular and the water features are postcard perfect, especially The Lake with all the row boats punting about on it. The bridges are beautiful and the wrought iron lamps! They've got loads of olde worlde charm and there's so many of them everywhere. 

I saw a pair of geese with a clutch of gosling, loads of turtles and an owl. Yep, an owl. There was some kind of bird day on at Belvedere Castle and a woman was giving a talk about owls with a massive owl sitting on her arm. It looked pretty unimpressed, but it was awake when it should have been sleeping afterall. I felt like we had something in common.

Today I went to the Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Modern Art and saw works by Warhol, Picasso, Matisse, Kandinsky, Monet and Van Gogh. I got quite a buzz from knowing I was standing in front of the real deal. 

I've eaten some New York staples - hotdogs and pretzels from street vendors and chicken soup with matzoh balls. Tonight I had a toasted bagel with cream cheese and it was delicious. I foresee more of those in my future.

I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself for finding my way around without too much trouble and I've managed to buy a weekly Metrocard from a machine at the subway and catch a bus back to my hotel twice. Go, me! I should save the self-congratulations for after I work out the subway...

Sorry this has only one photo - I have loads more obviously, but it's time consuming to upload them and I'm doing this at a net cafe.

A strange musical coincidence

You know how I like silly coincidences? Here's another one: last week I had a brief discussion with a friend about the Crash Test Dummies' song Mmm mmm mmm mmm, which was a huge hit when we were at uni (don't ask, I don't recall how it came up).

Then last night my friend Paul texted me about a bunch of acts that are performing in New York while I'm there and Crash Test Dummies is one of them. Funny, I said, I was just talking about that old song the other day...

But that's not all! Paul went to a pub tonight and no points for guessing what song was playing. Yep. That one. Weird. I haven't thought of that song in probably more than 10 years - let alone heard it - and now it's popped up three times in the space of a week$ and a bit.

In other, less freakish, musical coincidences, today I posted a YouTube video of Frank Sinatra's New York, New York, to get me in the mood for my trip (two sleeps!) and tonight a snippet of the song featured in one of the rounds on Spicks n Specks.

Feast!

Lemon tart and tea

I was distracted by stuff last night and forgot to post, but if I had, it would have been to tell you that my friend Paul had invited me to help spend a $250 Crown dining voucher tonight. Of course, I did not decline. Are you nuts? Who says no to $250 of free tucker and drinks?

We went to Breezes, which is on the top floor of the casino complex - just past the huge Crown Towers swimming pool (which had two people in it) and at eye level with the huge glas flares along the promenade that blast balls of flame into the air on the hour.

I don't know how much of the $250 we used, but we had three courses each, with drinks, and were full as googs by the end of it. The best bits were the creamy mashed potato (how awesome is restaurant spud mash? You just have to try not to think about how much cream and/or butter has gone into it) and the roast pumpkin ravioli I had for entree. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

Also, only three more sleeps until I leave!

Awesome coincidence

Remember I wrote yesterday how I enjoy that freshly-clipped nail feeling? Well, last night after publishing that post, I had a hot bath and settled in to read The Book of Awesome.

And what should crop up on page 234? Finally clipping your fingernails after you've been meaning to do it all week!! It's like the author Neil Pasricha read my mind....from the past.

I don't like my nails long but I also don't like cutting them, so they usually end up way too long, and interfere with my typing and texting before I do something about it and then aaaaaah. Short. All good. 

I had some time to kill in the city tonight so I went to Borders and bought some books for my trip - two Penguin classics: The Lucky Country (an Australian classic) and Breakfast at Tiffany's, which is set in New York. Quite fitting, I thought!

Giggling, list writing and manicuring

My friend sent me a video of her seven-month-old, Thomas, (one of my 'nephews') having a fit of giggles yesterday. It's impossible not to laugh along with him. He almost looks like he's putting it on, such is his enthusiasm. So cute and funny.  

I wrote a list of things to pack for my New York trip today. I wasn't feeling mentally ready for the trip, but now I feel a little more prepared. Love a good list.

I dislike having long fingernails, but I really like that fresh (DIY) manicured feeling.

At last, opening night

I came through the park on my way home tonight just in time to catch the end of the opening night light show at AAMI Park, Melbourne's newest and coolest sports stadium (which looks set to become nicknamed Bubble Dome). It looks amazing, especially with the lights reflecting off the drizzle.

Here's a cool time lapse video of construction of the Bubble Dome. Keep watching at the end to see what it looks like inside. I love it. Shame I'm not interested in either of the sports that will be played there...

Mmm...giant jaffas.

More flowers, less money, short week

I arrived at work today to find a bunch of white/cream roses and lilies from a friend in Sydney. Just gorgeous.

I really like it when I have a lot of coins in my wallet and I can pay for my lunch without breaking a note. It lightens the load and feels like I'm spending less money.

It's nice going back to work on a Thursday, especially when it's pay day.