Memories From NYC

I spent most of last night on the living room couch watching Downton Abbey. About three weeks ago, my husband and I became fans, and we’ve spent many evenings since then watching season 1 and 2. Last night, we finally made it to the Season 3 premier, so now we’re just about caught up. It is sooo good!

Before we became couch potatoes, Tom picked me up from the airport. When we got home, he  had soup, salad and a loaf of Rosemary bread all ready to go for dinner. He almost always makes Sunday dinner, and last night was one of my favorites-Tom makes a great navy bean and ham soup! I put on a pair of old gray sweats, we chatted, and caught up on news, and watched Downton. It was wonderful and relaxing.

And just about the complete opposite of my time in New York!

Last Thursday morning, I flew to NYC. I stayed in a hotel at Times Square with my good friend Mendy…and we kept very busy. We had a lot of good times, and laughed a lot, too. Here’s a few of the highlights…

1) Mendy is a subway pro. So after she coaxed me down to the subway station, off we went to Chinatown and Little Italy on Thursday afternoon. It turns out that neither of us can read a map very well, so when I was noticing all the people around a detention center and correctional facility, it was a sure sign that we should have turned left instead of right! Before we knew it, however, we were sitting in the window of a fifty-year old Italian restaurant eating gnocchi and watching the sun go down. That was awesome.

2) On Friday, it was ‘Shelley Shepard Gray Day’ at Harper Collins. It wasn’t really,of course! Actually, I found out that’s what they call days when authors visit their offices. My editor treated me to a wonderful lunch, then we had a meeting with lots of folks who work on the books and the promotion and marketing and sales and cover art. It really does take a small village to publish a book! One of the highlights of my visit was my long awaited tour of the offices. It’s like a very big maze inside there! (thank goodness no one asked me to go anywhere without an escort~I’d still be wandering around the sixth floor!)

3) On Friday night, Mendy and I got a cab to a wonderful seafood restaurant, and then got stuck in the rain. It was pouring rain after dinner, and we had 25 minutes to get to our play for the night, The Lion King.  After waiting at a nearby hotel for 10 minutes, trying to get a cab (all were full, of course!) we had to walk to the theater. Yes, I was in heels. Yes, I had left my umbrella in the hotel room.  No, I didn’t have a scarf or a hood on my coat. We made it to the theater on time, but just barely. I was so wet, water kept dripping down my neck for the first fifteen minutes of the play! Mendy said I looked like a wet rat.  Once I got a little warmer and drier, I forgot about everything but the play, though. It was excellent!

4) On Saturday, we slept in, then headed over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I love art museums, and we spent four hours wandering around and enjoying our favorite paintings. Saturday night, we (okay, I) decided to make sure we were in walking distance of everything! We went to an old Italian restaurant, then went to Phantom of the Opera.  It was so wonderful. I really do love that play.

So, those are the highlights! We walked a lot, ate too much, had a few tiny adventures, and generally had a wonderful time! Today, it’s back to work. And laundry. And cooking. And errands. I’m okay with all of that, though. There’s something to be said for being home in an old pair of jeans and the opportunity to give thanks for a wonderful trip with a really great friend.

Shelley

A quick photo from my phone of Little Italy at Night. I loved the lights hanging over the streets!