The Big Apple of My Eye

Sadly, we returned from NYC days ago, but I haven't written because it also happens to be the last day of the six weeks. Therefore, I've been grading papers like a madwoman trying to get grades complete before report cards go out.

The rest of the trip went something like this:

Ground Zero was a total bust! Both hubby and I were under the impression that the fountains were complete and open to the public. As I mentioned in my last post, I was anticipating a very intimate moment with a place that held so much emotion and memories because the last time I was in that location, I was at the top of the World Trade Center. It turns out that you have to have advance passes before being aloud to go around the construction fence to see anything. Since no one told us this, here is all we got to see:

Now there was a wall across the street with a huge metal plaque that people were trying to get photos of, but that was such a mess that it wasn't worth the effort to push my way through. Talk about incredibly disappointing.

We weren't sure what to do at this point since we had anticipated spending some time here. Fortunately, it was lunchtime and there was an Artichoke's Pizza nearby. A dear friend recommended giving them a try, so that's what we did. IT WAS AMAZING! They gave us a slice of their Artichoke pizza and Margherita Pizza. The Margherita was the best I've every tasted, and the Artichoke was like taking artichoke/spinach dip and just slathering it all over a pizza crust! Dear God! It was delicious. I completely understand why someone would crave that pizza:).

We still had some time to kill before dinner and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, so we went to one of my favorite museums anywhere: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. That place is so huge, one could visit it every day of the week and never get to see everything. Since we had a limited amount of time, we took a one hour "everything" tour which really meant seeing about 8 major pieces within a specific section, and then we saw a special exhibit on satire in art. I REALLY wanted to see the shoe exhibit in the fashion section, but it was closed and all that remained were shoe exhibit themed gifts in the Museum shop. Boo. I did at least get to see one of my favorite spots in Manhattan.

We have some Tiffany glass at the DMA, but it isn't a beautiful as this!

It was finally time to get ready for the show! We cleaned ourselves up and headed out to grab a taxi to a restaurant in the Theater District. Apparently, a cab driver can decline to take you where you want to go. FIVE cabs refused to take us to the Theater District, so we started walking AND sweating in our nice clothes. We got a few blocks in and met a pedicab guy who was willing to take us. He turned out to be a great guy and suggested that we go to Orso instead of the restaurant we were heading to. Hubby was suspicious that the guy was getting a little kick back for recommending Orso, but it turns out that wasn't the case at all. The guy Google voiced the number for the restaurant and got us in! He even told us that famous people tended to eat there.

Orso was pretty dang awesome. The Lemon Drop I had was super yummy, and I had quail for the first time ever. Then who should go walking out the door (and right past our table): JEFF GOLDBLUM! Hubby didn't see anything but his back, but I got a perfect view and made eye contact and smiled:). It was pretty neat!

The show itself was entertaining, upbeat, and fun. There was a surreal moment when it occurred to me that Harry Potter was acting, singing, and dancing on stage with a pretty darn good American accent. Then the thought was gone, and all I saw was Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette putting in a fabulous performance. In the end, this is as close to Mr. Radcliffe as I got:

I begged to wait around after the show to see him up close, but the metal barricades and police tape restraining 100+ teenage girls was a major deterrent for my husband.

Sunday was THE big day. We were headed to Queens to see The Museum of the Moving Image. I planned to dedicate an entire post to pictures of my Jim Henson exhibit experience, but alas, photography was forbidden. Out of respect for the Henson Legacy, I obeyed. 

It was an INCREDIBLE exhibit! There were actual Muppets (Kermit, Miss Piggy, Bert, Ernie, Mahna Mahna and his crew, and more), many of Henson's sketches and ideas posted around the exhibit, costumes and items from Dark Crystal, and videos chalk full of biographical information. The Museum was pretty cool itself. Since it focused on the "moving image," there was all sorts of film stuff. I was able to play with sound effects and voice overs. There was information on the evolution of the movie industry, costumes, make-up and prosthesis from various films, etc. It was all interactive as well. 

In the end, one moment remained the day's crowning glory:

I'm pretty sure my face says it all.

We ended our trip with dinner out with a former student of mine who is currently attending NYU. He's living the New York life and loving it! It was great to see him and a perfect way to end a perfect weekend.