Lately I've been really grateful that I don't just love Benson but I actually really like him too. We truly are best friends and this last year has given me proof of that everyday.
Recently I got offered a babysitting job similar to the first one I ever took in the city. I work only a few hours a week to help a newly pregnant (and oh so nauseous) mom with her 18 month old boy while her husband travels for work. Last week they asked if I would travel with them. Each trip international, about 5-8 days long. Basically I would go and we would sightsee. Dream job. Except, I don't want to visit London, Dubai, or even Mexico without my best friend by my side. The days of desiring my independence to "do what I want" are over now. I want to do what he wants to do, what we want to do.
This morning we slept in because this was the first Saturday in months that our day wasn't booked from beginning to end. Benson was delighted to turn off his alarm last night before jumping in bed. We both woke up around 8:30 and went in and out of conciousness every few minutes. At 9:20 I woke up and remembered the hot water was being shut off from 10-3 and I had a sink full of dishes to do and needed a shower in a bad way. Plus, Bens wanted to go running and would need to shower as well. We had just under 40 minutes to get all that done. We jumped out of bed and got started. Surprisingly, we got it all done just in time and decided to do what all responsible adults would do. We got back in bed.
After talking and napping for far too long we had brunch in bed. It looked like this:
It was perfect and it made me realize that these moments happen to be enjoyed. One day we'll have kids and for the most part sleeping in and naps together will be a thing of the past. But I'm sure we'll look back on the laziest of Saturdays with the fondest of memories, and I'm glad we've had this time to become the best of friends.
Since the NBA 2013-14 season schedule came out this summer Benson has known that two days after his birthday the Jazz would be playing the Nets in Brooklyn. Since then we have been scouring StubHub for good tickets, because that is how he would like to celebrate his 27th year of life. For me it wasn't so easy. Benson asked me multiple times what I might like to do. Should he plan something? Should he surprise me? Every time he asked I came back with my usual, "I don't know, you choose..." Finally the day before my birthday I decided I wanted to explore the city. In fact, I wanted to visit all 5 boroughs that make up New York City in one day. After some research and planning I came up with a schedule that had 1 or 2 locations to visit in each borough. We started in the Bronx, crossed Central Park in Manhattan, spent some time in Queens, rode the ferry to Staten Island and then from there biked into Brooklyn. It was a perfect day and a perfect way to celebrate my birthday my way. We weren't able to do everything we were hoping, but I am excited to sometime spend a whole day in each borough, catching all the things we missed.
Our Bronx to Brooklyn Adventure:
A Day of Mostly Food and Pictures...
Did you know that Bronx has a Little Italy as well? That was our first stop, and it was awesome! It was pretty far out from public transportation so we walked almost 20 minutes from the Subway to get there. It really is a hidden New York gem. More authentic than it's Manhattan twin, this Little Italy is a must visit for all New Yorkers!
We Found a little market along the main street. The displays were colorful and everyone was busy working. It was seriously so delightful. I must admit though, I am a sucker for markets!
Inside the market there was a station of men and women making cigars. You got to see every step needed to roll a quality cigar. From the woman spraying the whole leaves down to the man filling and rolling the tobacco, and even the man who makes sure they are the perfect length by clipping the ends. I don't smoke 'em but it sure is interesting to see how they are crafted!
Our jaunt through Manhattan was just a quick way for us to get from the Bronx to Queens. We used Central Park as our means of getting from one side to the other where we could take a train to our next destination.
Next, we visited Gantry Park in Long Island City, Queens. On our walk there we ran into the LIC Flea Market and couldn't resist a stop to see the wares. It proved to be delightful and the food was great. Have I mentioned how much I love markets?
After Queens we realized that we were quickly running out of daylight. We had two more boroughs left to explore, and lots more activities to check off our list. Staten Island was our next and shortest visit. There are some things to see in SI but not many. We asked the guy ringing us up at the corner store what we could see in Staten Island. He looked at the clock and looked back at me replying, "it's after 5:00, so nothing." We got off the ferry and boarded again just 15 minutes later...
My plans for Brooklyn had been big. I wanted to go the the Brooklyn Flea and then see if we might be able to make it to Coney Island to ride the Cyclone. After seeing the LIC Flea I felt that my outside market quota had been met but I was sad to give up on the idea of going out to Coney Island...oh well, it really was a long shot anyway. Instead we decided to ride Citi Bikes from the bottom of Manhattan, where the SI Ferry dropped us off, all the way over the Williamsburg Bridge into Brooklyn. Williamsburg is know for hipsters, crazy sights and good food, which seemed the perfect way to end our night. We met up with Christian and Kim in the LES and enjoyed a nice ride to the Sea Thai restaurant for dinner.
Oh, hey hott husband man. Wanna give me a pump on your City Bike?
Shortly after this picture was taken the lady behind us put her napkin over the candle at their table and started a small fire. Not to worry, the waiter, in a very quick ninja-like manner just put it right out.
The Final Crew
My birthday was great. Seeing all the cool things this city has to offer made me feel grateful to live here and excited to explore some more...Thanks for being pretty cool, most of the time, New York City. I'm really getting to like you, and getting to hope you like me.
I chose this version of the song because I love Julie Andrews. But if you ever get some time you should Youtube all the awesome versions done by amateur theater groups and schools. I spent far too much time watching them...
