Washington DC

The best part was hanging out with Matt and Ash because I never get to see them and besides that, they are just really cool. The hohocaust museum brownie comes in at a close second though.

The worst part was the torrential downpoor. For those less fortunate souls who have never experienced East Coast rain, let me describe it quite accurately as walked through a river of which the current travels up, down, in, out, sideways, and diagonal. It's something you have to experience to appreciate the true magnitude of real rain.


BELOW: At George and Martha's (mount Vernon), along with nearly all the middle school students in the nation.


Below: On our tour of the Capitol. My shorts were as saran wrap shrink wrapped around a layer of slimy sweat. Jeans = bad idea.


Below: The Natural History Museum (along with every elementary student with loud vocals in the nation)


Below: The Senate


Below: We did a temple session- big coincidence: John and Julie Feltwell were doing the exact same session!


Below: Dear Katy and Luke- do you remember trying to figure this out? That was still one of my favorite trips EVER!


Below: Arlington. Mom shed actual tears for Audie Murphy. She even self-videoed her own remarks at his graveside after a moment alone with him. I should get a hold of that footage and post it.


BELOW: Me giving my rendition of MLK's famous "I have a dream..." speech (which I had just finished teaching to the 8th grade. I think a Japanese couple taped it. I didn't hold back.


BELOW: Have you read Team of Rivals yet? First time I ever bawled reading a biography. Seriously, this is the first person I'm requesting to meet when I die. How did he do it? What politician appoints all of his enemies to his cabinet? Maybe Obama should read that book...


BELOW: It was the day after memorial day so there were hundreds of personal notes to dad's, grandpa's, etc... you had died during Vietnam. I may have cried.


BELOW: The may or may not be the MINT. Oh- sORRRRRRy- the TREASURY. hehehe.


For a complete list of sites seen please visit Matt and Ashley's blog. I'm missing Oprah.

New York, New York

I will never, in all my life, get sick of going back to New York. We are so LUCKY that we got to live right in Manhattan! I'm so glad I pulled Quinn (quite reluctantly) to NYC and I'm even more happy that he came away loving it as much as I do... sometimes I wonder if not more when he starts to tear up describing Yankees games!

On seperate vacations: I highly recommend it. This is not the first time Quinn and I took seperate summe vacations. I think the success of it all began when I went to St. Thomas and he went home for the Deer Hunt back when were living in Manhattan. It worked really well then and continues to soar on our charts today. I think our last trip to NUC in December convinced us that we needed to split up this time. We are just so particular about NYC that it works best that way. If you're into that games, the dives, and more sightseeing than shopping: Quinn's your man. If you breath Broadway, shopping tell you drop, and braving the village for cupcakes: I'm your girl. We both live for the food in NYC so you'll get John's Pizza and a panini with both of us.

This time around, Q and I flew in on different planes, stayed in different hotels in seperate sides of the city, had different agendas, met up with different people, and even stayed there different days. OK- for the sentimental folks in the peanut gallery that think we need some sort of intense marriage counselling... we did manage to hook up for dinner at Alfredo's in Rockefeller one evening. That's it though. Don't get me wrong, I love the kid- but my NY stay was perfect and I think he'll say the same about his. We're just too partial when it comes to our favorite place on earth.

BELOW: Fulton Station is being completely renovated. Luckily we know our way around the city and the trains so we didn't skip a beat!


BELOW: Mom and I just finished 3 hours of Auvi and Offer's tap workshop at the Broadway Dance Center.


BELOW: The Met was packed. I don't know know how they did it, but in the time it took me to explore the Eqyptian wing, Matt and Ash hit everything from Greek Urns to European Art.



BELOW: Central Park was gorgeous and I wolfed down a coconut bar in honor of Alana- Oh those things are good!



BELOW: These are more pics from "The best day on earth." I spent a fortune at MAC, but that makeup is TOTALLY worth it.



BELOW: We went to our old ward. Mom said, "boy, this ward is sure taking the multiply and replenish the earth thing seriously." There were SOOO many new kids.


ABOVE: Bet you can't guess what's in the bag. I got a slice everytime we walked past. Lisa's has the best Pizza Bianca in the city. Oh what I wouldn't give for some now.

10 Things You'll Never Hear Me Say

1. Nicole, next time we go to New York, can we go to a Broadway Show??

2. Nicole, can we turn off the t.v. and talk.... just because?

3. Can we get some type of a rodent or bird as a pet?

4. Can I get Chipotle sauce on that? (hate that word)

5. Nicole, don't you think we should have taken your last name?

6. Can I get a Huge jacked up truck, put a no fear sticker on the back and hang a visor from the mirror?

7. Son, are you sure you don't wanna try out for the school play instead of the baseball team?

8. Can we wear full matching baseball pant uniforms to our rec. softball games and get matching bags with our names embroidered on them as if it's the only thing we have to live for? (I could drive my truck from #6 to the game)

9. Nicole, can we invite other married couples from the ward over for game night?

10. I think I'll become a vegitarian.

The Best Day on Earth!

I know it's been over 2 weeks- but I'm back in town and realize that I have alot of blogging catching up to do... so let it start with this:

The best day on earth was May 24th, 2008, the first official day of summer vacation. Here's how it went down:

Directly after school let out, I jumped on a plane at SGU and by midnight, I was hailing a cab at JFK. My driver promptly took the Brooklyn Bridge route and in less than an hour I was riding into my old neighborhood of downtown Manhattan. I pulled my suitcase across the cobblestone of Seaport and soon met up with Matt, Ash, Mom, Meg, and Mark. A few quick hours of respite and I awoke, happy as a lark, to be back in the city. We all seperated, and Ash I (following a complimentary breakfast: hello NY bagles!!!) rounded the corner past my old apartment (which went condo) and headed into Century 21, the most fabulous shopping mecca in all the world.

You'll never believe it, I managed to keep within my budget of $300.00!!! Next stop: Street fair in midtown (don't you just love the NewYorkled newsletter?... which I still read avidly). We met up with Matt and Mark and cleaned the place out of $2 jewelry. A polish hotdog and 10 pounds of beaded bliss latter, it was time for the grandaddy of pit stops in the village. Take a look at the pics below. If you know New York, and you know cupcakes, you know exactly what I'm talkng about. Mark didn't believe me when I told him I was buying 4 for myself and didn't plan on sharing a crumb! Divine delectableness!!! The line was half a city street block long but, as many of you know, it was worth it.


Next stop: Enjoy the most beautiful perfect day walking through the Villiage and into SoHo. We found the MAC shop and I unloaded more of my tax refund (alot more). After that it was time for Broadway (what else?), so we took the red line to Time Square and met up with Mom (who had been tapping all day at the Broadway dance center) just in time for the curtain call of Little Mermaid.

Then, just when you think it can't get any better, time for John's Pizza. FINALLY!!! real pizza. Get a load of this white riccota pure palate tintelizing perfectness!! I look horrible, but who cares, it's the pizza you should be interested in. I crave this stuff like you wouldn't believe!!!




Alas, with the bright hope of a new day in NY tomorrow, a full 10 weeks of no middle schoolers ahead of me, and the possibility of meeting Quinn for dinner tomorrow, I end the night in sweet dreams of summer.

Now if that isn't the perfect day, I don't know what is!

Quinn and Robb's New York Trip

So, People asked me what I did over Memorial Day and I said... Oh Nothin' just spent the weekend in New York and slept in the same hotel room with one queen bed with a 37 year old man........... Than man though is my friend and co-worker Robb Pulver and we had a hell of a time!! And yes, of course it included a Yankee Game! Here are a few pics and some clips from that hallowed ground that is Yankee Stadium.




A-Rod gets a Hit!! and New Stadium Pics

Jeter

A-Rod

Mariano



The Alley Way behind the Stadium, you can see Stan's in the background. It is way fun to be out there at the end of a game.

New Stadium Construction

Jeter swing and a miss but I could still sit there and watch him do that all day.

The Giambino at the Bat! - have you seen the new mustache?

One of the Tense moments in the game, the stadium was Rockin!!

In the 3 games prior to this one, the yankees had scored over 20 runs. They were behind in this one though and I thought they were going to lose. But, they came back and scored 4 in the bottom of the 8th. this video was during a pitching change during the comeback.

Ok, so... just when you thought that Jor Girardi was going to stick with middle reliever, Edwar Ramirez, an awesome thing happened! Ramirez was on the mound warming up to start the 9th and try to finish off a comeback win, when all of the sudden, right before the first pitch, Girardi hopped up out of the dugout and made his way to the mound and signaled for Mariano Rivera. Mariano's entry song, Enter Sandman started to play and the place went nuts!!!! I was so glad that I got to see Mo save one more game!

Mo shuts em down with a 3 up 3 down 3 strikeout inning!! It was amazing! This very well might have been the last of many games I have seen in Yankee Stadium and if it is, I would be just fine with that. I almost feel like they came back to win just for me!! I got to see them shake hands after the game one last time and hear Frank Sinatra's New York, New York over the PA. (when they lose, they play Liza Minnelli's version and it sucks!) Anyway, It was an amazing game..... I gotta go now cause I'm gettin a little choked up.... Go Yankees!!!!