Hello New York, It's Been a While

 You have heard the saying, "be careful what you wish for, you may just get it", this fall is proving it to be true.  There were times when I would have been thrilled at any opportunity to get out of town.  Lately, all I have to do is wistfully mention a place I'd like to visit, and TJ has booked a flight in a couple of hours.  Apparently, flight booking agent is his new retirement hobby.  This can be a blessing and a curse.  I think I need to be more calculating in the places I suggest...I've always wanted to visit New Zealand.  He has now planned for us to be out of town for at least a long weekend every two weeks for the foreseeable future.  We will be doing the "tour de children and grandchildren" until mid-December.  Add in one recreational indulgence I merely suggested, and my travel agent husband booked, and our year is now going to be lived in two-week intervals.  I would complain but then people might throw things at me.  Maybe this will also give me some good stories to share in the upcoming months.

Last weekend...or the one before, we took a trip that had been in the making for a long time...like 50 years.  It was TJ's 50th high school class reunion.  I find it absolutely mind blowing that we are old enough to be going to 50th reunions for anything!  I feel like I am only 50 myself!  (oh, I wish!)   If you recall, because I am sure you remember, his 40th reunion was an inspiration for me to witness.  I would say the guys picked right up where they left off 10 years ago.  Attending an all-boys Catholic school in the 70's forged some strong relationships among some very good men.  There were at least 50 - 60 attendees in my scientific guestimation.  The appreciation these men have for each other, especially after 50 years, was palpable.  Not only did they each take time out of their lives to attend, they also took time to speak to classmates whether they "hung out" in high school or not.  Common themes in conversations were - 1. retirement...are you retired, when did you retire, how do you spend your time now? 2. Children and grandchildren 3. Travel 4. knees, hips, shoulders and general health 5. and the inevitable..."remember when you"...or "remember when we?".  I tended to home in on the travel conversations and have concluded that we are certainly in the "see the world while you can" years.   One of the more eye-opening parts of the weekend was the school tour, which we had planned to skip, but due to the rainy weather ended up attending.  The level of technology in the school is amazing!  The high school felt more like a university!  I need to go back to high school!  (not!!!)  My hope is that today's students are able to forge the long-lasting friendships these men of years ago forged while living in our current instant and disposable society. 

I give you the class of 1973
Archbishop Stepinac High School

While we were in a place that experiences Fall as a real season and not just a calendar change, we drove up to a lovely reservoir on Sunday and hiked, hoping to see some leaf color.  The hike was lovely, the Fall color was just beginning.  We bravely drove into Manhattan and returned our rental car.  The next two days were spent getting in plenty of steps, eating great food, seeing and feeling all that New York can give and embracing it!  The last time I was in NYC was December 2019, before the world changed so drastically.  Previous to that trip we were frequent visitors and I really missed all that is the Big Apple.  The energy in that city is something special.  The entire weekend made me think about whether I am an introvert or an extrovert because I felt so alive being there.  Those of you who know me might be saying to yourselves, "total extrovert".  I would be inclined to agree with you.  The way being with people brings me to life and feeds my energy level is the sign of a true extrovert.  Upon closer examination, I wonder if while I do feel so much more alive after weekends like last weekend, I also look very much forward to coming home and just being.  

Teatown reservoir

This introverted extrovert personality sounds very much like our next few months.  We are going to be traveling and enjoying the energy of being around so many wonderful people only to return to our home base and enjoy the peace of being "home" with our batteries fully charged.  Too much of either can make me feel "off".  I have noticed since we got home that I have felt great!  The combination of all the socializing along with the energy of NYC brought me home feeling like myself.  I also noticed it made social outings easier than they are after a week or more in my comfy routine life at home.  I should remember this for the future...but will I?

Back to New York.  We only had 2 nights in the city and did not have any solid plans other than dinner reservations.  I am sure there was a play we would have enjoyed, when is there not?  There was probably any number of things we could have done but I just really wanted to walk around the city.  On Sunday, after we returned our rental car, we walked from 37th Street down to SoHo and just took it all in!  Sundays are such nice days to walk the city especially in nice fall weather.  We stopped here and there, we sat in the park and watched, walked a little more, sat outside and had a glass of wine, continued and finally reached our restaurant.  Our plan was to take a cab back but after dinner, but it was just so nice outside we decided to walk back and call a cab if our legs wore out, they did not.  We stopped in a bar around the corner from our hotel to watch the end of the Astros vs. Rangers baseball game.  The bar turned out to be an LSU bar!  Go figure.  We found our place.  19,000 steps later we slept very well!

Dos Caminos, a walk through the woods followed
by a walk through the city.

Watching the Astros surrounded by LSU swag in NYC.

On Monday I did have a few items I wanted to check off my list.  First, eat an authentic New York bagel for breakfast.  We stood in line to get bagels at Liberty Bagels, and it was so worth it!  The soft bagel sandwiched the most delicious schmear!  We wisely chose to split one sesame bagel with lox and dill as we raced to our appointed entry hour at The Summit.  I had seen this place mentioned in my researching and immediately knew I "had" to go!  I was a bit worried TJ would not love it as much as I would, but he loved it too!  How had I missed this place?  We found out it has only been open for 2 years, that's how I missed it.  Our eyes were treated to some of the most spectacular views NYC has to offer.  What a creative, mind bending and beautiful immersive experience, not to mention a photographer's delight.  We were also blessed with some chamber of commerce weather.  If ever there was a day that makes one want to return to the city, this was the day.  Lunch was at a random local deli and worthy.  Next stop on my walking tour was Central Park to find Phil Rosenthal's (Somebody Feed Phil) park bench.  We followed the directions and after a couple of tense moments spent questioning each other's intel, we decided to just walk a bit and found it immediately.  We paid homage to Phil and Monica, took our selfie, tagged Phil and hoped he would say "hi" back.  Love that guy! Then we pretended we had money and walked around the Upper West Side, shopped and enjoyed a glass of wine in a sidewalk cafe and watched people.  The best part of the day came on our walk home after dinner.  We passed a place named Keen's Chophouse.  TJ stopped in his tracks.  His father brought him to Keen's on his 10th birthday for dinner.  We just had to go in and see if it was "that" Keen's.  It was!  This was the exclamation point at the end of a weekend walk down memory lane.  

The Summit was a visual treat!

Mind bending

Somebody Feed(s) Phil, I feed TJ!

You should zoom in on this one and see the names on the pipes!  
TJ's Dad smoked a pipe too and I am sure he smoked his 
when he brought 10-year-old TJ here for dinner.

Walking down memory lane.

You would think nothing could top or even match NYC and most of the time you would be right.  Now, I won't say this topped the city, but it did provide a gentler re-entry to suburban life.  We were treated to an evening cruise down Buffalo Bayou in Houston the evening we returned home.  I had low expectations for this, aside from the good friends who we would be spending time.  Boy, was I surprised!  The chamber of commerce weather followed us home and downtown Houston showed up!  We were celebrating one of our good friends becoming a citizen of the United States.  It was a good way to remind us that home really is a good place too.  We need to explore our own city more like tourists sometimes!

Buffalo Bayou showing off.

Believe it or not...
this beautiful scene is the jail building.
The windows are only open at the very top section of each, and the rest of the window is fake...

Golden hour...over.

While it is nice to go away, there's no place like home.  Going away seems to charge my inner extrovert battery but coming home gives my introvert time to appreciate both the away and the home.  I am very thankful for both!