1 Year blogging Anniversary!

So remember a year ago when I returned from presenting at a national conference in Houston? I decided to start blogging..to share my stories, and fun and adventure. Sometimes the blogs have been reflective, sometimes, reminiscent, and sometimes very random. But, nonetheless, here we are a year later still blogging, for better or for worse.

This weekend? Another adventure. On tap? A trip to NJ to visit our daughter, who, apparently, because she is now engaged to be married, has decided to move to the Lone Star State come May. And I thought I would never have to go back to Houston again! The sacrifices we make for our children.... anyways, back to the adventure.

Central Park, Tavern on the Green, walking the streets of NYC in the rain...I mean, rain dripping off my nose, off my forehead. "We still have 10 blocks to go! I refuse to walk into the Tavern dripping wet!"I have never seen so many umbrellas in my life. Everybody had an umbrella..except for us, of course. We walked up Broadway past the M and M Experience Store, past MTV, past Times Square and the new red carpeted steps to nowhere , past ABC Studios, past the Fashion District...stopping under every overhang we saw. It was not going to stop raining. So we dashed across the street and hailed a cab outside The Brooklyn Diner, and off we went..dripping wet all over the leather seats. NYC cabs are nice! GPS, commercials, where's the Cash Cab when you need cash?

We arrived at our destination: Tavern on the Green in Central Park. I heard there's a zoo in Central Park- I think we found it. They collected our jackets "We do not allow coats hanging of the backs of chairs." We tipped the lady handing out paper towels in the bathroom. And then we were escorted to our seats under the most garish green crystal chandeliers, I have ever seen. Several tables were festooned with balloons...I get it, we're in the party room! Baby showers, birthday parties, tucked in between romantic couples, and elderly ladies doing lunch. Loud and crowded and hectic. This was not what I imagined. And what about all those coats and baby bags hanging over their chairs?The baby shower ended with screaming, crying children, and in came the walker brigade! Two tables set up for a 90th birthday party...elderly and deaf..more yelling. Ahhhh!

So our very expensive lunch experience came to an end and we decided to walk a bit in the park. for about 10 minutes. Until it started to pour again. "Taxi!" Why is that doorman laughing at us? He was on the inside, looking out..as we hailed another cab. back to Penn Station. Have you ever seen cattle being herded through a gate? This is how stampedes get started. Do you know what happens when crowds of people go down an escalator then STOP at the bottom instead of keeping pace with the speed of the elevator? Fortunately, disaster was averted.

Back to Westfield to shop in my favorite Houston store for some new jeans, and then back to Park St. to look at photos of what else...Houston! Ah, well, At least I know how to get to the mall.