NYC - Around Town

This is the Dakota where John Lennon was shot. We saw this building from inside Centra Park and Chris was pretty sure it was the Dakota. I'm not sure which side of the building was the site of the assassination.

And who doesn't love a little fashion show? Hats anyone?

We took a little break in our travels to sit and people watch while Chris and Brent went to some record store. There was a guy there feeding acorns to the squirrels. I think most of the folks sitting around us wanted to kill the guy because the furry little buggers became a real nuisance.

NYC - STOMP!

Chris and I spent some time checking out all the shows o see if there was one where the times and the price and all the planets aligned! STOMP seemed to fill the bill the whole way around. Believe me, we made an excellent choice with this show. Here Gwen poses with two of the performers after the show. They were great and kindly autographed Gwen's program too.

I would highly recommend this show. The precision moves, sounds, and the humor comgined to make this a fantastic performance. We all enjoyed it, but the two music buffs, Grandpa and Gwen, were totally into it.

Gwen had fun trying to copy all the moves afterward. She made me laugh as much as the show itself! I'm glad we had the chance to share this with Gwen.

NYC - Night and Day

There are several things that Gwen loves to do when she's in the Big Apple. The American Girl Store, H&M, Central Park, and Times Square at night. This kid just loves the whole hustle and bustle of the city. She will walk for hours and hours and never complain. She simply loves it.

Times Square is fantastic whether you visit during the day or at night. With all the lights, night could very well be day. It's just so fun, but you have to have a high tolerance for crowds. Mine is pretty low, but it's always fun to go check it all out.

Brent and I had just gone to see Pirates of the Caribbean a few weeks ago so we loved this. Kera said no to our usual forray into Toys R Us, but we did visit the Disney Store.

NYC - The Fleet Week That Wasn't

Ok, I admit it. I wasn't real excited about the whole Fleet Week thing. It's not that I have zero interest in seeing the ships, I just have very little interest in doing it with my darling husband. This is just one of those kinds of things that Brent is better off doing with one of his guy friends. While I'm willing to spend two or three hours wandering around, that's about my limit.
After breakfast with my cousins, we were a bit late getting down there. The line was ridiculous, and neither one of us wanted to stand in line that long.

Brent just couldn't make up his mind. Yes, he'd like to go, but perhaps Fleet Week would be far more crowded than he wanted. The schedule we made up didn't suit him. He didn't order tickets on-line ahead of time. But, trust me, it was all my fault that he didn't get on board the Intrepid.

NYC - It's All About the Food!

One of the best things about NYC is the incredib le variety of food. Going with Kera, Chris, and Gwen insures we'll get a real variety, including some fantastic vegan restaurants. I wish I had taken more pictures of food because it was great.

First stop on Saturday after getting the keys to our apartment was San Loco, a little hole in the wall Mexican place in the St. Mark's area. I love their guacamole, it's fantastic! Right across the street is Pomme Frites, a Belgian french fry place with a gazillion different dips. Of course, all those dips and Gwen's favorite is the malt vinegar! Ugh!

We wandered around Chinatown and ended up at a street fair in Little Italy. All these fantastic Italian desserts and what did we have? Unbelievable frozen fruit ices that were just so flavorful, they were to die for. Gwen got the last of the watermelon, that little stinker, although my mango ice was pretty darn good too.

Unfortunately I don't have pictures from Soy and Sake which is a great vegan place in the village. When will I learn that they give you so darn much food that two could easily split an entree. I had the bento box and OMG, it was fantastic!

Kindergarten, Here I Come!

Kylie is definitely a big star in a tiny little body. You can tell from the grin below that she was so proud of herself. She had some proud parents and grandparents in the crowd rooting her on too!

Quite the little artist, Kylie points to the picture she drew of her family: Mom, Dad, and Kylie.

Kylie displays and describes her artwork to her Mom and Dad.

It was so cute listening to her tell the story of her artwork to Travis. Congraulations Kylie! You're gonna take kindergarten by storm!

One Year Ago....

Well there's just nothing to a year is there? One year ago today I began my bionic journey with two brand new knees. It's been a heck of trip and I have never been so challenged nor struggled so much. The struggle has been both physical and mental. Physically trying to get both knees working was a challenge that was almost more than I could bear. Mentally it just about broke me. Strength comes from all kinds of places: faith, family, friends, and sometimes you just find it somewhere deep inside. At the end of the day, I've been very blessed.


A year later I am able to walk all over New York City for three days. I work my way through my yoga class, substituting for poses that end up on the knees, but doing pretty good. My spin bike is only about an inch off the optimal seat setting. I still struggle going down stairs, but I continue working on it. With the exception of heat flashes, I pretty much sleep through the nights. I can move from one position to another without waking up in pain. While things aren't perfect, I am so much better than I was prior to surgery.

Thanks to my husband, my family, and my friends. You know who you are. You're the one who sent me cards, called me, and visited. You're the one who came to stay with me, cooked for me, did my laundry. You're the one who encouraged me, helped me with never ending painful exercises. You're the one who listened to me when I cried and held me while I sobbed. You saved me. I can never thank you enough.