Catching up...

I am trying to play catch up. I have done so much in the past few months but haven't written about them. So here I go.

Robin's visit-July
I know you are all probably thinking, July, really. You are that far behind but unfortunately that is correct. In mid-July one of my best girl friends came out to visit, Robin DeWitt Winder. She was out here from July 8-11. I found out just a few days before that she is pregnant so I hoped I didn't run her to the ground because I had to worry about her and the baby. She flew in on a red eye flight Tuesday morning and we hit the ground running. We started out on the infamous double decker tour bus and traveled around the city.

We were out walking around when we saw these two cops trying to break into their own car. It was very funny and I couldn't resist taking a picture.

We got off the bus to go visit Ground Zero. There is a memorial tribute that I have never been to before but we decided to take a look in. It costs $10 to walk through and all the money goes to the families of 9/11 victims. It is something that I think everyone should do. If you were alive at that time, you remember that day as if it were yesterday. It has recorded audio of police officers and fire fighters who were in the buildings. Different objects that belonged to the people who either in the building or firefighters were on display. It was a sobering experience. They have tissue boxes on almost every corner, so be prepared. It was tough but if you remember that day, I would recommend going. Once we finished we went to a New York Mets game. Our seats were incredible. I got them for a great price and they were three rows up between third base and left field. I have never been so close that I was afraid of a line drive coming right at my face. After the game we went to my favorite dessert restaurant, Serendipity 3. That is were you get the famous frozen hot chocolate, but I get an amazing caramel sundae. Oh, I can't wait to go back and get another one.

The next day we went on another tour of the city on the double decker bus and to the Museum of Natural History which is probably my favorite museum in New York City. It is the place where Ben Stiller is a night guard in the movie A Night at the Museum. This is an inside joke but I had to add it to my blog to remember it. If you were there you know what this is about.

After the museum we took a short cruise around Manhattan. It took us down by the Statue of Liberty and on the East River by Brooklyn. It was a lot of fun and gave Robin her first look at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. That night we went to the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. It is a really fun museum to take pictures with your favorite celebrities.

The following day (Thursday) we did our last day of the tour bus and took a stroll through Central Park. We also went to the Top of the Rock and top some pictures.

The night we went and saw a Broadway play, Legally Blonde. It was really good and I thoroughly enjoyed it. After that we spent sometime in Times Square shopping and taking pictures. The next morning was Robin's last day. We went to Ellis Island which was a lot of fun and also my first time there. It was a very educating experience to learn all about Ellis Island. The following week was the MLB All-Star game at Yankee Stadium so they were having all sorts of things going on throughout the city. One of those activities was the All-Star Fan Fest at the Javit's Center. It was a lot of fun. They had all sorts of fun things to do and everything was free after paying the entrance fee which wasn't that much. We got our own baseball card, a picture of us catching a ball going over the fence, show off our mad softball moves. It was every baseball fans dream. It was definitely centered towards little kids but Robin and I had a lot of fun, we were like big kids.

Each MLB team had a Statue of Liberty decorated with their team logo and colors and they were placed all over New York City. The Arizona Diamondback's Statue of Liberty was located down in Times Square and the only time I was there I didn't have my camera. They were really fun to try and find. This one was in the Javits Center where the Fan Fest was.

The umpire behind the plate is a real guy. It took us a minute to realize this but he never smiled and he would just stare at you. He was a little creepy and funny at the same time.

After this we had to rush to the airport but I didn't give us enough time to get out of the city. She ended up being late and missed her flight. I felt bad because she really missed her husband and wanted to get back. I got her to the airport and she was able to get a different flight. She arrived in Arizona not too long after her first scheduled flight was supposed to land. I felt better when she called to say she was in Arizona.

I love having visitors and Jesse is coming Monday!! I can't wait. After having my parents, Mandi, and Robin here, I feel like I am becoming a better tour guide and now what not to do and what works better. I am a little worried because it is supposed to rain and snow and have a lot of wind. Jesse is definitely going to get a taste of a New York winter. Good luck is all I have to say.

Broadway
Since moving to New York I have been to 13 Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. Some with friends and family and others for work, (I know my job is tough). Anyways, the most expensive show I have seen was about $60 but my parents paid for it (it was while they were in town). That is what is nice about living in New York. You can try for the lottery and cheap tickets whenever you would like and if you don't get them that week, you just try until you get cheap tickets. Right now everything is cheap due to the state of the economy so I plan to go to more shows. The list of shows I have seen and my ratings for those shows are...
Wicked *****
Mary Poppins(2) ****
Mamma Mia ****
Legally Blonde ****
Xanadu(2) ***
Gazillion Bubble Show ***
Gypsy *****
All My Sons ****
13 ****
In The Heights *****
Billy Elliot ***
Slava's Snowshow **
I also have tickets to see In The Heights again and I have tickets to an Off-Broadway show called Altar Boys. Seeing a show on Broadway is a must do when visiting New York.

Rhode Island-September
I took my second trip to Newport, Rhode Island to finish my tours of the Newport Mansions. I went with Sarah Gilliland. We left earlier Tuesday, September 23 and drove to Rhode Island. We had just met not too long before this trip so we had a lot to talk about. We got along great and there wasn't much silence. We got to Newport and started our tours of the houses. We went to The Breakers and The Elms. I found out that The Breakers was one of the first houses to be available for tours but when it was open for tours there were still people living in the house. Part of the house was blocked off for privacy but it was a little weird. After the mother died the whole house was given to the Newport Conservation Association (or whatever it is called) and nobody lived there anymore and the whole house was open to the public for tours. Below are the pictures from the differnt houses we saw. I don't remember which house is which but they are all amazing.

This was taken in the second floor patio of The Breakers. Could you imagine having this view. I would love it.

After the tour of the houses we went on a romantic sunset sail. We didn't really plan to go on the sunset sail but the time just worked out with everything else we had planned. We were the only non-couple. It was a little awkward and we tried not to give anyone the wrong idea but I think we failed. Just kidding. We had a lot fun. It was really cold, the wind picked up but Sarah and her handy dandy shawl to keep her warm. We got some great pictures of the sunset. I would definitely recommend going on a sunset sail but preferably with someone of the opposite sex, it could be really romantic. These are some random pictures from the sail.

I just love this last picture of the Rhode Island Bridge, it has a name but I don't remember it.

Road Trip to Maine-October (pictures are now here!)
I had this trip planned earlier with Krista but she left New York before we were able to make the trip. Sarah and I were talking and we decided to make the trip to see all the fall foliage in the Northeastern states. It was an amazing trip. We left early Tuesday morning and got to Maine sometime after noon. On the drive there we witnessed a crazy car crash. A Semi hit a car and it flipped and spun and it also hit a van. It was a while ago and I don't remember it all but it was freakin crazy. At first I didn't realize it was really happening. It was is slow motion and just like in a movie. The lady driving the car lived and was okay as far as we could tell but definitely shaken up. We stopped to see if there was anything we could do but when they said they were okay and the police were on the way, we decided we could leave. We continued on and drove through Conn, Mass, New Hampshire, and finally onto Maine. We stayed at a Bed & Breakfast in Portland, Maine and that is where we spent our first night. The Inn at St. Johns.

Near Portland, Maine there are a lot of little islands and we were going to take a little cruise to see the islands. There was one cruise that was 45 minutes and went to one place and came right back or there was another one that was called the "sunset cruise" that lasted an hour and a half and went to more islands. We decided to do the sunset cruise. Don't ask me why Sarah and I always end up on the sunset cruises. It has become a little joke. What we didn't know before we bought our tickets for this cruise is the sun actually sets less than half-way through, so the majority of the cruise was in the dark. It was still fun but we really couldn't see anything. The islands were so dark.

We went back to our Bed & Breakfast and get ready for bed. Oh, funny story about our little Bed & Breakfast. We were staying on the 2nd floor and when we got to our floor I saw our room number on the door and unlocked the door and opened it. I was surprised to see a bathroom. I looked inside and that was all I saw. I was a little confused...Sarah just started laughing, apparently the face I made was pretty priceless. We realized that this was our private bathroom and our actual bedroom was just down the hall. Our room was very nice. I had never stayed at a Bed & Breakfast but it was nice and quaint. I would definitely recommend that hotel if you are ever near Portland, Maine. I would love to go back to Maine in the Spring or Summer to do some whale watching, apparently it is supposed to be a great place for it.

The next morning we took our time to get ready and then we took off for our adventure through the northeast United States. We were taking a scenic route through New Hampshire and Vermont. I love the colors of fall. These are some pictures of our travels through the Northeast. I have no idea which state we were in when these were taken.

I had to stop to take this picture. All we ever see in Arizona are deer and elk. I was hoping to actually see a Moose but we had no such luck.I have never experienced the four different seasons before I moved to New York and I love it. Arizona has its own great attributes but it will never have a fall like these states. The colors were seriously amazing. I never knew trees could have such bright colors on them. We stopped at a couple places, once at a little souvenir shop near an overlook of Vermont and another place that we could throw leaves and nice little stream somewhere I think in Vermont.Both Sarah and I are from Arizona and we don't get to experience fall and we have never played in leaves like these. It was a lot of fun but really cold. The leaves felt like ice.

The following are all the states we went through minus New York & New Hampshire, when we were getting back to New York it was too dark for a picture and I thought we had one for New Hampshire but I don't know what happened to it.

We finally made it back to New York late Wednesday night. As I was getting out of the elevator at my apartment, my boss was getting into the elevator. She saw my luggage and asked where I went, I told her I took a drive up to Maine. At first she didn't say anything but the next day she said I can't believe you took a drive to Maine and back in two days. She thinks all my little adventures I take are crazy. I think most people do but it is so much fun, I love being young.

Next up Random Fall of 09 and the many things I have done at work.

XOXO,
Jeni