Manhattan....."now that's what I'm talking about..." (Nikolas' new favorite phrase). One word sums up our trip to NY to participate in the Parkinson's Unity Walk-- FABULOUS!!! (I will do a secondary blog entry just for the Parkinson's Unity Walk photos and videos next.) This weekend was truly like no other. It was so much fun!! I have two favorite places in this world-- MONTANA and MANHATTAN. They're polar opposites from each other. But each time I visit either place I'm reminded of how spectacular they each are in their own ways. I can put into words why I love Montana, but I have a harder time doing so for Manhattan. It's just...well, awesome. There's no place like it! Anyway, enjoy our photos from a very busy weekend. Nikolas had this to say as we crossed over to Jersey via the Lincoln Tunnel: "I wanna go back to New York." Now, that's my boy........ =)
Our journey to NY started a bit oddly. I was watching the Today show on Thursday while I was packing for our weekend. I heard, "and here from Montana...." so I looked up. I thought...."gosh, that really looks like my cousin's wife... No.... that can't be.....It is Sarah!!!" Really, I kid you not. How many times have you watched the morning show and actually seen somebody you knew out there on the plaza? Yeah, me either!! Sure enough though, it was her! She and some friends were up for the Boston marathon and were spending a few days in NY. So when we got into NY, the first person I called was, who else? Sarah. She was on her way to Ground Zero....and ironically, so were we. I guess a happy reunion is a fitting occasion for a location of such heartbreak and destruction. Wow, what a crazy coincidence, huh?!?
Ground Zero is completely blocked off and fenced from view. Not much can be seen but the cranes in the spot where the towers used to be. Quite a void.... in so many ways.
I just don't remember NYC being so pretty! It was cleaner than I remembered, too. There were definitely more flower beds in NY than there are in our neighborhood!
Calling all you Kings Pointers.....how many of you frequented Puglias in Little Italy during your academy days? We were so psyched to find it still open for business! We had a wonderful Italian meal under the streetside canopy. It was crazy busy there, too. Ahhh.....the memories!!
Never did I think I would be taking my little boy back to Puglias some day for dinner! How fun is that?!
It was pretty cool to see a stage set on the walk back from the subway to our hotel. I think Nikolas would have stood there all night and watched it had we given him the chance!
Saturday was the big day...the really, really long day! We were out of the hotel by 6 am on our way down to NBC Studios to watch the taping of the Today Show. We were a little later getting there than we had hoped....who knew that the B train didn't run on weekends?? We sure didn't! But, we made it anyway. Nikolas is a picky eater and we were so pleased to see him enjoying his fresh, hot NY bagel. Thatta boy, Nikolas! =)
6 am on a Saturday must be the quietest time for the subway! It was almost spooky!
What a fantastic sight upon exiting the subway station.
Rockefeller Center, the NBC Studio. You've all seen Larry (is that his name...I seem to be drawing a blank....), right? He never misses a day. He didn't miss this day either!
So, I didn't get my 30 seconds of fame, but I did get a passing glance at 0730. Any of you see me waving? =) Ok...now am I the only one who gets my sign?? Sven did not get it at all. Here's a hint......"1-2-3-4" by the Plain White T's. Well, I thought it was cute anyway..... =)
Ok, so I know I'm terribly cheesy, but ....oh well. =) I had DVR'ed the Today Show on Saturday just in case we got on. Can you spot me? Look for my pink jacket....After the morning show, we went to a place called Burger Heaven that was recommended by one of the guys working on the show. It was the greatest little diner!!! If you're ever in Manhattan, I highly recommend it (20 East 49th Street). A hot breakfast really hit the spot after a few chilly hours on the plaza. After breakfast, we leisurely made our way to Central Park (for the Parkinson's Unity Walk) enjoying the quiet Saturday morning streets of Manhattan.
One of our favorite memories from the weekend was Saturday evening. After the Walk, we took a cab back to our hotel and got cleaned up for a night on the town. Thanks to Kelly we got some great advice as to which direction to head for a nice dinner. We found a Japanese restaurant and Nikolas was thrilled to have sushi. They overflow seated us in the lounge where there was a giant screen playing the Yankees game. Nikolas loved pestering me every time Boston scored--- he'll cheer for anyone playing against the Yankees! (Oh how he loves to get under my skin....!) We had a great family dinner and then roamed around Manhattan as the sun set. It was a warm, pleasant evening and we really enjoyed ourselves.
We were up for a thrill so we paid a bicycle taxi to give us a ride. My oh my. For those of you who remember, I was in a 3-car accident in a cab in New York enroute to the academy the first time. NYC taxis freak me out to this day........ after we got into the pedi-cab I thought "What on God's green earth am I doing?? This is JUST as scray!!" See for yourselves from the video below. You'll have to excuse Nikolas. We keep on him not to say "OMG" (the full version) but it was spewing from his mouth like a volcano during this adventure...... You'll see us pass by Radio City Music Hall where the NFL draft was taking place this weekend.
For our hotel, we went for budget. We stayed at a hotel that used to be Columbia University dorms back in the day. I was shocked when we opened the door the first time and saw how small the rooms were. It worked for the weekend, but I doubt we'll stay there again. I must say that the location was great.... on the west side of Central Park only a few blocks from several subway stations. The neighborhood was clean, quiet and overlooked the Hudson River. Here's a view from our room 11th floor room at night (btw, even the elevator was so small that I chose the stairs religiously!):and the same view during the day. Pretty spectacular!
We didn't want to get too late of a start back to MD on Sunday, so we didn't plan too much. We had breakfast at a local diner (mmmm......fresh bagel with salmon locks.....). Afterwards, we walked to Central Park and let Nikolas be the little rock climber that he is (Central Park has lots of BIG rocks... it's very cool). We couldn't believe how relaxed we felt in the heart of Manhattan. It was quieter there than in our neighborhood!!
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We got home about 4' Sunday and had Nikolas in bed by 7'. He had gone upstairs and then yelled down, "Ok, mom, I brushed my teeth. I'm ready for bed." I told him we'd be up in a minute to tuck him in. When Sven and I got upstairs, he was already asleep! What a tired boy!
I'd say our trip to NY for the Parkinson's Unity Walk was a GIANT SUCCESS! We all had a great time. An experience not soon to be forgotten. Stay tuned for footage from the actual walk.........
As I sit here two days after returning from NYC and doing the Parkinson's Unity Walk, I have one thought: I wish I could go back and do it again. It was a fantastic experience. The spirit of optimism and unity (thus the name) was overwhelming. I saw no fear and despair, instead pride and strength. There were people with Parkinson's, family members, friends, young, old-- everyone was represented. The energy was contagious. I felt honored to be a part of something so much bigger than one person-- an event that truly changes lives. I just checked the website and so far the donations for the walk total $ 1,216,320 (donations are accepted through June 1, by the way). That is $1,216,320 of funds that will go directly to Parkinson's research. How incredible is that? That makes my $2,294.70 seem insignificant, however I know this is not the case. Thousands of walkers accumulating thousands of dollars can and do make a difference. Maybe part of this money that I helped raise (that you donated) will unlock the doors to the cause of Parkinson's, better treatment of symptoms and ultimately a CURE. For this I walked, for this we all walked. I will keep walking until a cure is found. As a cherished friend told me, "The ultimate finish line will only be crossed when they find a cure for PD." Amen to that. Thank you ALL for your support and your donations. Your generosity during times of such hardship are appreciated more than you know. Thank you for being a part of this experience with me and my family. As it was so blatantly obvious on Saturday, support makes all the difference. I hope my mom knows how much we all love and support her. We love you, Mom!! 
