5 Chicks & The Big Apple!

1. Out of State Girls' trip

2. New York City

Knocked those 2 off my 'never done before' list in one weekend.

Special thanks to Mandy Henderson for planning it

and her sister, Kim, for turning 30 and giving us a reason to go!

On the ground in NY ...

Mandy & I on the plane -

she was pointing out all the biggies in the city as we flew in ...

My first live glimpse of Lady Liberty ...

The street in Brooklyn where we stayed.

Crown Heights district. We later found out

this wasn't such a great place to stay. But

we had no issues.

Makes you think of the Huxtables, right?

Or maybe 'You've Got Mail' ...

First up on Mandy's agenda for us: The Jimmy Fallon Show at NBC

*freebie*

Our purple bands that show we are allowed

in the studio for the show ...

Waiting in line to go thru security ...

Off with the purple, on with the green.

We were pulled out of line and asked if we wanted to

stand on risers behind the guest band Pavement

and be 'dancers.' We're makin' memories, so of course we

said yes! We got WAY more camera time than we ever

could have wished for and the nightmare - I mean memory-

is forever etched in our brain. And our hubbies and friends'

brains that watched it.

We will never live it down. Yikes.

First steps in Times Square. One word: wow!

Vegas can't be much more lit!

Little did I know that taking this picture would foreshadow

plans coming up the next night ...

Little Italy - where we ate dinner.

Some kind of Festival of Saint ??

was going on. It was a big deal. Carnival type

atmosphere.

Dinner at Farrara's. Mandy said this was highly recommended

by a chef on Food Network as one of the places she'd want

to eat at before she died.

It was delish.

Look! A taste of home all the way in The Big Apple!

Friday's sites: Chrysler Building

This is for my BIL. the electrician.

That's an insane amount of wire!

The New York Public Library.

This was the oldest Bible still in existence.

Sorry I can't remember how old it is! Maybe

1700s? From Germany?

Pretty sure this was one of those obnoxious tourist shots ...

the place was extremely quiet, until we came.

Motto for Friday: Stay away from cameras.

We were still reeling from the Jimmy Fallon/Pavement

experience.

But right outside library, Inside Edition was interviewing

about the president of the library and his enormous salary.

Okay ... why not get a little more face time, right?

What can it hurt? I felt sure they'd edit me out.

Lo and behold, 2 weeks ago I got a facebook message

from a friend that randomly saw me on TV when she caught

the tail end of Inside Edition. Yikes x2!

Inside Grand Central. It was b-u-s-y!

YUMMMM ... lunch on Friday.

Obnoxiously ridiculous pastrami sandwich.

Mandy and I split it and still didn't finish our portions.

It only cost $24! WHAAAATTTT??!!!

But totally delish.

Ahhh ... another taste of home ... Saxby Chambliss on the wall ...

Central Park

Central Park ... amazing how much rock is in that area ...

If I were a New Yorker, this would be the view that would help

me keep my sanity. 'Cause its a crazy place.

At the Apple store ... we had to walk into that glassed area and

down a spiral staircase to the store.

Just another Friday at the Apple Store in NYC. Seriously.

And I thought the one at the Mall of GA was crazy.

St. Paul's Cathedral. So pretty. So cold.

Made me sad.

Mama Mia! We waited and got 'leftover' tickets.

Scored box seats.

Definitely the most fun show I've ever seen.

The music was fantastic.

The dancing usher was the cherry on top!

Part of our crew. Kim and then some friends

from NY sat in the box all the way across the

theater from us.

Saturday morning objective: run the Brooklyn Bridge.

There she is ... pretty massive.

Fun shot ... after our run.

Waiting on the subway. Amy in rare form.

(Which is probably not really that rare.)

Speaking of subway ... that was an experience

in and of itself. Lots of really good people

watching. And interesting clothing choices.

1 rule of fashion in NYC: anything goes.

This was on the rooftop of one of Mandy's and Kim's friend's apartment.

What a view. But what a price tag!

Cool space - notice the outdoor

shower to the right ...

Chelsea Market for lunch on Saturday.

We window shopped for lunch and then went back to

a little deli with wonderfully fresh looking food.

This was my BLT with avacado. So good.

Dessert was a cupcake from one of the bakeries.

This was Mandy's tirimisu cupcake.

Diggin' in ...

Kim doing the same ... on her red velvet one.

And Amy as well ...

Then to Ground Zero.

This cross was made from the remnants

of the Towers. Powerful.

St. Paul's Chapel was the only building on the block

that miraculously didn't sustain damage in the attack.

It was set up as a rest center for the recovery efforts.

Definitely a sacred place.

The bell sent to the US by Britain after the attacks.

Inside the chapel there is now a type of museum set up.

All those who died on 9-11 have their names on this flag.

Very moving.

Just a sampling of notes that were sent in during the

recovery days. They were taped up on the pews in

the chapel for all the firemen and rescuers to see

and be encouraged by.

Badges from all the different rescuers companies.

I tried hard to find one from GA but it was

so overwhelming.

A banner from Oklahoma ... touching, as they truly knew

what NY was experiencing.

These are the pictures that were put up around the

collapsed Towers as family and friends were frantic

to find missing loved ones.

Looking at the pictures and imagining how horrific

it all was ... wow.

A little Southern love.

Saturday afternoon - Battery Park and the Statue of Liberty.

Fun shot, but Lady Liberty can't be seen.

Dinner Saturday night at Butter.

Mandy picked it because one of hers and Amy's

all-time favorite chefs owns it ...

Alex Guarnaschelli.

And would you look who was actually there,

cooking that night?

Alex Guarnaschelli herself!

Our sweet waitress found out that Amy & Mandy

loved Alex and asked her to come out.

She talked with us for about 10 minutes like she was

talking to old friends. Mandy and Amy were

STAR-STRUCK!

Sunday morning run around the reservoir in Central Park.

Gorgeous.

And a 'no dogs, no strollers, no bikes' sign.

I loved that most of all. Made the running much smoother.

No leashes to avoid.

One last shot as we get ready to head to the airport.

Great time, great friends, great memories.

Can't wait to do it again!