Christmastime in New York City

I know, I haven't touched this blog in a year. I'm so ashamed. Here's hoping 2022 will be the Year of the Return of the Blog. I think I said that last year, but hopefully I'll mean it this time. :) 

But for now, I did want to post at least once in 2021, so I figured I would post about my trip to New York City from earlier this month. Unlike last year, I was able to take a few big trips this year.

My niece Alice and I (we are six years apart) starting planning a Christmas NYC trip in December of 2019. We originally had planned to go in December of 2020, but we all know how 2020 went. THANKFULLY we got to go about a week before things started shutting down again this month (because I would have been devastated if we had finally gotten there only to have everything get canceled on us). 

I had been to New York City twice before, in 2007 and in 2018, but had never been at Christmastime, and that was something on my bucket list. Yes, I have a long bucket list.

We landed mid-afternoon on Dec. 8 and had just enough time to check into our hotel before we headed out to meet my friend Cara for dinner. Cool story about my friend Cara- I "met" her last year when my friend Eric starting having Facebook video group calls with a few of his baseball friends. It was something to do during shutdown, and I was able to meet some amazing people. She and I realized we had so much in common and became fast friends. We were both super excited to finally meet in person. 

Me and Cara-the best of friends finally meeting in person!

We ate dinner at an amazing Sicilian restaurant called Norma (not the same as my Norma's in Dallas, but still good) and were able to get a mini tour from Cara around her part of NYC. While we were out walking, it started raining lightly. Alice and I were like giddy little kids when the rain turned to snow. It only snowed for a little bit, but we got to be in NYC in winter and it snowed. The trip was a success at that point, and we had only been there a few hours. Lol.

We were very happy we bought warm winter jackets for our trip. We definitely needed them for the majority of our trip.

Snow!

Since I had been to NYC before, I made sure Alice got to see everything she wanted to while we were there. The first stop on our first full day was the Statue of Liberty. I went in 2007 but was excited to go back. We booked tickets on the first ferry of the day. I highly recommend going early in the day- it won't be as crowded. Last time I visited the Statue of Liberty, the pedestal was closed, so I was looking forward to touring that. The crown is still closed, so that wasn't an option for us. Let me tell you-it was freezing. It was 24 degrees, the wind was blowing, and we were by the water. We decided not to complain about our 75 degree winter in Texas after that moment. 

On Liberty Island

When we got into the pedestal, there was a sign that said it was 176 steps to the top of it and we thought, "oh, that's nothing, we will take the stairs instead of the elevator." By the fourth flight of stairs, we were regretting that decision (as you will see in a photo below). Lol. But we persisted. The view from the pedestal was great, I'm glad we got to go up it. I bet the view from the crown is even better, maybe one day I get to see it. We also went to the new(ish) museum on Liberty Island, which was cool. The original torch is on display there, as well as a replica of Lady Liberty's foot (I did a comparison with my foot). I even earned my junior park ranger badge. This is a long story that started earlier this year on my baseball road trip with my friend Lisa. I'll try and recap that trip at some point so you can see how my goal to become a junior park ranger at national parks is now a thing. Lol. 

Liberty Island

We spent more time at Liberty Island than I thought we would. We had plans to meet my friend Eric for lunch, but we didn't leave Lady Liberty until almost 11, and we still had Ellis Island to visit. We told Eric lunch was going to be late. We didn't get to spend as much time as we could have at Ellis Island (honestly you could spend a whole day doing both). But it was still cool to visit again- some of it I remembered from my 2007 trip and some of the exhibits and layouts were newer and not familiar to me. And yes, I got my junior ranger badge. 

Top: My trip in 2007. Bottom: My trip this year.

It's crazy to think how many people passed through this room on their first stop in America.

Pretty sure if all the other park rangers aren't available, I'm in charge. Lol.

By the time we left Ellis Island, we were STARVING and ready to meet up with Eric. We decided to meet at the dining area of Grand Central Terminal, since it was near Eric's office. It was so good to see my friend Eric again. I met up with him during my NYC trip in 2018 and also got to see him this past July when he and our friend Rob came to Texas to visit me (I'll try and recap that visit at some point). Eric only had a little bit of time to hang out that day, but he was able to give us a tour of his office lobby, which is the building used as the Daily Planet in the 1978 Superman movie. It's a good thing we knew him because a security guard was about to kick us out until Eric said he was an employee. Normally you have to be part of a tour group to be there. Eric agreed to meet up with us the next day so we could hang out longer.

We had just enough time after saying bye to Eric to take the subway back to our hotel in Chelsea, change clothes, and get over to Radio City Music Hall for the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular. Seeing the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall was a MUST for me on this trip and I'm so glad we were able to go. We saw them on Dec. 9 and by Dec. 17, they had canceled the remaining shows of the season due to COVID outbreaks. 

The show was amazing and better than I could have imagined. Now, I wasn't that person who took photos and videos during the whole performance (like the lady on the row in front of us), but I did snap a quick photo during the curtain call, just to get a photo of the stage. Everyone working at Radio City Music Hall was so nice- from the concession workers to the ushers. It was just a wonderful experience.

Not gonna lie, I teared up when the show started. I was so happy to be there.

After leaving Radio City Music Hall, we made our way to Rockefeller Center, because seeing the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was another MUST for me on this trip. Did I tear up again when I saw it? Maybe. You don't know my life. After we took all the photos of the tree, we walked around 5th Ave. and looked at the window displays and Christmas lights. We also made a stop at FAO Schwarz toy store. The doorman was dressed as a toy soldier and was so nice. He kept everyone waiting in line entertained (because yes, there was a line to get inside). 

Saks Fifth Avenue had a great Christmas light show on their building. I didn't take a video of it (because I always forget to take videos on my trips), but I found this video of part of it on YouTube. 

Friday morning we went ice skating at Bryant Park. We were told that ice skating there was better than Rockefeller Center because 1.) it was cheaper and 2.) it was less crowded. We didn't care where we were- we were ice skating OUTSIDE in New York City. And yes, those are matching Buc-ee's sweaters. You can take the girls out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the girls. :)

Yes, that S'mores hot chocolate was amazing.

After ice skating, we met up with Eric again and walked from Bryant Park over to Central Park and to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (we didn't go in though). Eric gave a great New Yorker tour of the city. I told him he should charge people (except me, of course) for these amazing tours. He also gave a great tour when I visited in 2018. 

We went by Tiffany's but didn't have breakfast. :)

After being able to spend a good part of the afternoon with Eric, we went back to our hotel to drop off some items we had bought, and then headed to Brooklyn to walk the Brooklyn Bridge and to see the Dyker Heights lights. 

We paid for a tour of the Dyker Heights lights and really enjoyed it. You could see them for free but since we were from out of town, it was nice to have a guide walk us through the neighborhood, and even give us insider information about some of the homes. There was security and NYPD around the whole neighborhood directing foot and car traffic. The tour ended with a cup of hot chocolate from John's Deli (we were told it was the best deli in the area). If you are ever in that area around Christmas, I highly recommend this tour. 

Bottom left: Our tour guide was actually a guy who portrays Santa in the area- he was super nice. Check out his Instagram page.

While on the tour, we passed by a house decorated all in green lights (to resemble The Emerald City from The Wizard of Oz). A man was at a table talking about his son Michael, who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. We stopped to talk to him and give a donation. He asked where we were from and when I said Dallas, he said he was a huge Dallas Cowboys fan (yes, they exist in New York!) He was so nice, we became instant friends. I highly recommend checking out their webpage or Facebook page for more information on Michael and their non-profit.

New friends!

Saturday morning we were supposed to go to the Empire State Building but it was super foggy near the top and we were told we wouldn't be able to see anything. Thankfully, they let us inside to the second floor so we could switch out our ticket for the next day. 

A foggy Empire State Building

We did stop for a quick photo op before changing out our tickets. And yes, we were all about matching outfits this trip. We used to do that as kids, so we brought it back. Lol.

After the change of plans that morning, we were able to meet up with my friend John for a few hours. Yes, I have several friends who live in NYC and can't miss an opportunity to see them. He gave us a tour of his office (he creates costumes for musicals and plays), which was super cool. I don't want to post photos of those costumes without permission, but here is a photo of me and John. We've been friends for 25 years. :)

We decided to take in another show on our last night in town. We looked at getting tickets to a Broadway show, but decided we wanted to stick with a Christmas show, so we got tickets to 'Twas the Night Before...by Cirque du Soleil at Madison Square Garden. If you have never seen a Cirque du Soleil show, I highly recommend it. They were great! It was my first time to see one of their shows and I really enjoyed it. I found this on YouTube if you want to see clips from the show.

Sunday was our last day in town. Our flight didn't leave until 5pm and we used every bit of time we had before heading to the airport.

The last "MUST" thing that was on my NYC Christmas Bucket List was to get a photo with the Macy's Santa Claus. Miracle on 34th Street (the 1947 version) is one of my favorite Christmas movies so of course, that is what inspired this. 

You had to book a reservation online (no more than 5 days in advance) to get a photo with Santa. They don't even allow walkups to see him. We tried so many times to get a reservation, but there kept not being times available. I got a tip that they released time new slots at 5:30am EST every morning. The Monday night before our trip, Alice (who is an overnight ER nurse) logged on at 4:30am CST and was able to get us a reservation for that Sunday morning. Weehoo! 

Santaland was great-we got there five minutes before our reservation time and were allowed to walk right in. You went through a maze of decorations and photo op spots. Once again, everyone was super nice. And yes, we dressed alike once again. When we finally got to the room with Santa (fun fact: there were multiple rooms with a Santa so they could see more people) he was so friendly and asked us what we wanted for Christmas. I said I wanted the Texas Rangers to win the World Series and he chuckled (umph). We all had to wear our masks, but it was okay- we got our Santa photo. We were probably giddier than we should have been about it.

After our photos with Santa, we went down the street for our tour of the Empire State Building. It was a BEAUTIFUL day- I'm so glad we were able to reschedule our visit. We only went to the 86th floor and not the very top (102nd floor) but it was still a great view. I had never been before in my other two visits to NYC, so I'm glad we went.

Me: Don't be dramatic.
Also me: 

Our hotel was about a 12 minute walk from the Empire State Building. We were able to get a tour, visit the gift shop, and get back to our hotel by 2pm. A car service was picking us up at 2:25 to take us to the airport, so that gave us 25 minutes to spare. 

We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn New York/Manhattan-Chelsea and it was a lovely stay. Everyone was super friendly and they provided free coffee and hot tea all day. People complained online about the rooms being small, but honestly, the only time we were at the hotel was to sleep, so it didn't matter. And it didn't seem super small to me. It was clean and we had no issues while we were there. It was a close walk to so much that we wanted to see, and we were one block from a subway station when we needed to take that. 

View from our room on the 19th floor

So that's a recap of my NYC Christmas trip. I'll try and recap my other 2021 trip by Saturday. If not, maybe next year. As always, thanks for reading!

XOXO!

2020: What A Year

There are a lot of words that can sum up 2020-but I try and keep this blog family friendly, so I won't post any of them. I have no excuse for not posting since February- it's not like I was too busy going out with friends, or traveling, or doing anything "normal". It just goes to show, a person can be lazy even during a pandemic when there is nothing else to do but stay home.

So, I decided to end 2020 with a recap of my year and how I coped during all of this craziness. That being said, I do hope that everyone is doing well and staying safe. 

I last posted in February, and until about March 16, things were going "as normal" as they could. I had already planned out my annual baseball trip with my friend Lisa and I was going to see a Padres game in late March when I was on a business trip in San Diego. I also had a front row ticket to see the Monkees on their 50th Anniversary Tour, and I had tickets to see Julie Andrews speak. Oh, if I had only known what was in store for us this year.

Feb. 28-Mar 1: I worked at my first comic con show in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It was a lot of fun- and I even got time to meet some of the guests who attended. My friend Donna was the organizer of it, and I hope one day we can start having cons in person again because I would love to volunteer at another one.

Top left (clockwise): Guy Gilchrist (cartoonist for many things, including Muppet Babies and Fraggle Rock); Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson from Little House on the Prairie); volunteers of the con with actor John Wesley Shipp; John Wesley Shipp (best known as Dawson's dad on Dawson's Creek); Charlotte Stewart (Miss Beadle on Little House on the Prairie). 

Mar. 7-8: I went to San Antonio for my first half-marathon- the one that I trained like four months for. My sweet friend Corina decided the week before to go with me (and I'm so glad she did, she kept me from giving up when I felt I was in over my head). We got there the day before and visited the Alamo (because that's what you do in San Antonio) and we had dinner with my Aunt Beth. We stayed at the Menger Hotel (which is supposedly haunted), but we sadly didn't see any ghosts. The half-marathon actually went very well. It was nice having a friend there with me. She is an expert at races and gave me a lot of good advice. She also told me to suck it up when I started complaining. Lol. We were able to stop in Austin on our way home, and I got to see my BFF Mandy for the first time in over two years. It was a great trip. 

Why yes, I did have Alamo socks for the Alamo Half Marathon. Also, I bought that red cap at the Alamo, and it is one of my favorite caps now. I wear it a lot when I'm out jogging or walking (you'll see it in many more photos). 

Monday March 16 is when things started to change. We heard rumors going around the office that different departments would work from home one day a week, and by the end of day, we were told we would work from home that Wednesday. I got a call that night from my supervisor that we would work from home Tuesday and Wednesday. By Wednesday afternoon, we were told we would be at home for the rest of the week. And then by Friday, we were told we would be working from home until further notice. I never imagined that in December, we would still be working from home. To be honest, I love working from home. I like that I can wear my "daytime pajamas". I also feel I'm more productive and I get more accomplished during the day. 

My company still offered free flu shots, so I went up to the building for that in September. They had socially distanced areas set up out front of the building for the flu shots. It was well organized. I did go back into the building for the first time since March a few weeks later so I could sign a retirement card for a coworker. I went by my desk and it was how I had left it- with my calendar still on March. It was weird. Lol.

So, what all did I do to pass the time in 2020? I took a LOT of photos while wearing masks.

I also took unmasked selfies. 

I got excited when I was cleaning under my sink in April and found two new bottles of cleaning supplies. Lol.

I also stocked up on Elderberry to keep my immune system in good shape. I had started taking it in February to make sure I stayed healthy for my half-marathon. 

Since all in person races were canceled, I signed up for a lot of virtual 5Ks, and three virtual 10Ks. For those not familiar with virtual races, you sign up and they send you the shirt, bib, and medal, and then you log in your time once you are done. Yes, it's all on the "honor system", but if I'm spending money on a race, I'm going to complete it and earn that medal. Lol.

After spending 11 weeks alone in my apartment, I was able to safely go see some of my family for my birthday in May. Let me tell you, 11 weeks without a hug was almost the death of me. My sweet kiddos made sure Aunt Rachel got plenty of hugs that weekend to make up for it.

I did more eating at home this year, but I made sure to support local businesses by during curbside pickup every so often. You can probably guess the three places I supported the most. Lol.

When restaurants opened back up (to limited capacity), I did make a trip to Norma's Cafe (as you can tell, I was very excited). I have felt very safe and comfortable the several times I've had a meal there during this time. 

Since I was eating at home more, I was excited to get a Mandoline from Tupperware, which slices and dices vegetables (I love cooking veggies in my air fryer). It was all fun and games until I sliced opened my thumb. **insert face palm emoji**. Thankfully I didn't have to go get stitches (this was decided after sending a lot of photos to my niece, who is a nurse, and she told me how to take care of it and that it didn't need stitches). I'll spare you a photo of the actual injury. For those wondering, it has healed quit nicely. And yes, I have even used the Mandoline since then. 

By early summer, I was finally able to see some friends in person. Well, I could see their eyes since we had masks on, but it was better than nothing. 

I also worked on some crafts during the year (I should have worked on more, but again, laziness took over). I am leaving out photos of some of the crafts because they are gifts I haven't delivered to friends yet. The top two wreaths are ones I made for my apartment. The bottom wreath is one I made for my neighbor because I noticed he didn't have a Christmas wreath up. The map at the top are all the states that I've visited, I have four left to go to. I have a photo of me in each state. The bottom photo is a tissue box cover that I made for a friend- his bathroom has a Batman theme.

When I wasn't working on crafts, I spent time working on jigsaw puzzles. I don't have a table, so I have a large foam board I use for puzzles, The only problem is that I forget I can't sit on the floor too long, and my back will start to hurt. Getting old is horrible. Lol.

My folks, oldest sister, and I took a short trip to Galveston in August. We were able to social distance on the beach for a day and it was very relaxing (the closest people were over 200 yards from us).

My dad and I recreated a photo we took when I was seven. :)

I also took a stab at baking during the pandemic (despite being a walking disaster in the kitchen). I know, this is a shocker for anyone who knows me. I'm by no means ready for my own cooking show, but I've had fun. 

I shared my political opinions on social media.

If you know me, you know this is as political as I get. I hate politics. Lol.

Two friends and I went to the town of Jefferson over Labor Day weekend for a little getaway. It's a cute town and we had a lot of fun. We went on a ghost tour and stayed in a haunted hotel, but again, I saw no ghosts. I was kinda bummed, maybe next time I'll see something. But, we did meet a professional paranormal investigator- Jeromy Jones. He and his wife bought and now own the Jefferson Hotel. I plan to stay there next time I visit Jefferson. 

So, my college roommate Mel and I went to New Orleans for Spring Break our senior year. We realized when we got home that we didn't get a photo by the Louisiana state sign, so 20 years later, we got a photo by it. Lol.

Meeting Jeromy Jones

We also went to the town of Elysian Fields (which isn't far from Jefferson). This town was founded by my great great great great-grandfather, so I wanted to go by and see it.

I also did a day trip to Waco with these same friends in October (to celebrate Mel's birthday). We went to the Waco Mammoth National Monument, Dr Pepper Museum, and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. It was a lot of fun. I did put my hand on the wall of the Dr Pepper Museum like I was entering the Promised Land (and yes, I used hand sanitizer afterward). Lol. 

My alma mater's Homecoming was all done virtually-they mailed alumni these Homecoming decorations and supplies so we could celebrate at home. It was the 175th anniversary of our school, and we were supposed to have a big celebration. Maybe we can do that next year. And yes, that cake mix and icing is what I used for the cupcakes in the baking photo above.

The State Fair of Texas was canceled but they did have a drive thru option. It was a lot of fun, and I have to admit that I liked being able to get a photo with Big Tex without a lot of people in the background. They had it set up very well. The entry ticket got you a photo with Big Tex, lots of food, a drink, and a Midway game prize (AKA a stuffed animal). I really enjoyed it. And yes, I did my annual photo of my corny dog with ketchup so I could cause great controversary on social media. Lol.

Even though there were more important matters going on, I was sad that we didn't have in person sports, especially since it was the inaugural season of the Rangers new ballpark. Not only was baseball season shortened, but then fans weren't allowed in to see the games. At least, not until the NLCS and World Series, which were played at the new Globe Life Field (sadly the Rangers weren't playing, but hey, I got to see live baseball). I was able to attend a game of the NLCS and the World Series. They only sold 11,000 tickets and they were sold in pods of four- you had to buy four (it was to keep people by people they knew). They had the seats not sold zip-tied together so people couldn't move around to other seats. And we had to wear a mask unless we were eating or drinking. The Braves were in the NLCS, so my first photo in the new Rangers ballpark is of me wearing my Steve Avery shirtsey. :) The new ballpark is nice and I'm sure it will grow on me, but I do miss the old one.

Like a lot of other people, I did online church for the first time ever. My church has done a great job during this time. After watching the "Big Church" service, my Sunday School class would meet via Zoom. Yes, I still call it Big Church, I don't know what else to call it. The church held our spring food drive back in April- but instead of dropping supplies off in boxes inside the church, like we usually do, we did a "drive by" food drive. A church staff member (wearing a mask and wearing gloves) took the canned goods from our trunk or back seat and then left a packet that included our Good Friday communion (Lord's Supper to you fellow Southern Baptists). We did about six months of only online services before the church opened back up (to strict guidelines). Rows are spaced further apart and you can only sit next to someone who lives in your house. **Cue the song "All By Myself" playing as I sit alone on my row.** They also limit how many people are allowed in each service. Masks are required to enter and they recommend no handshakes or hugs, only elbow bumps. (**Full disclosure: there are a few members who are okay with hugging so I totally hug them- with masks on of course**). 

Some photos from the Spring food drive "drive by". Also, for Easter Sunday, I actually got all dressed up for online services. And yes, I gave myself an Easter basket. My mom was upset that I was going to miss coming home for Easter, so I bought stuff so I could have a basket. Like I need an excuse to buy chocolate. 

Going to church looks a little different right now

The non-profit I work with (Who Needs Sleep) was able to hold our 4th annual 36-hour telethon, despite the pandemic. We limited staff members to only about seven of us, and all guests had to wear a mask until they were on stage. It was a big success and we raised over $5,000 for two local cancer-related charities. 

So, it might not be as exciting as previous year recaps, but I can't complain too much about 2020. It's made me appreciate the little things in life- and what I've taken for granted. I hope after all of this we all can be better versions of ourselves.

Happy New Year to you all and I hope 2021 brings you happiness, blessings, and peace. 

Much love,

Rachel