Liberty View and rooftop party... night on the town!

So my friend Mark Wienberg, just recently returned to live in the city for good from a travel abroad in Italy, yeah don't worry about it, he rolls like that. So we met up with my roommate and her good friend Anthon who was visiting from DC.  To give Athon the true NYC experience we went to a favorite spot, Liberty View, which is a delicious chinese restaurant in Battery Park which over looks the Statue of Liberty. Well, since we all didn't know each other we were making small talk and through-out our conversation, an Ohio connection kept coming up. 1- it came up when they asked how my trip was, 2- Anthon told us how he was planning on going there next weekend, to Sandusky. 3- Danni and Anthon met some people who had potential career connections, from Ohio. 4- At the rooftop party our good friend told us he is leaving to go to grad school at Bowling Green, in Ohio 5- the next day at church we heard a friend recently took a residency in Ohio, and mind you most of these comments were independent of each other, it just kept coming up... what is it with Ohio? 

We then had fun dancing on the roof and socializing at the party... we had so much fun.. in the morning we made waffles!!! well close, Anthon made us some yummy german pancakes :)

Sandusky, Ohio= Cedar Point= headquarters of roller coasters.

Living it up in Ohio!!! Who knew??

As my sister's Loni Young women's girl so profoundly said, "What's worst than one Loni, is four Lonis'," meaning her and all of her sisters, it's quite true, we all act crazy when we are together. So since I am no longer working and I am in the transition of moving. I was able to catch a ride to Ohio with my mom and sister's to prolong our sisters trip :) We stopped in Philly to visit our cousin and then we drove the 7 hour trek. I have mastered the art of lounging and have followed the "underachiever manifesto's motto: Do nothing and feel great about it." My sister had a neighborhood block party to an MJ tribute (we are die hards, who knew?). We went to the Zoo for my newphew's 4th birthday (my mom said she would rather run a marathon, I tended to agree). We did scrapbooks, ate yummy baked goods, went to Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky and can not forget the opening night of Harry Potter at midnight with the die hard fans with their caps and wands (we're obviously not that extreme, no offense to those who are).  So you knew Ohio, could be such a rockin place?

Sister's trip to the big Apple!

So my sister Loni lives in Ohio and my mom and other two sisters came to stay for the month of July, so since I am leaving they decided to be advantages and come and visit me one last time. So they all drove up to the city. It was a quick trip but always worthwhile when you have your sisters, it doesn't matter what you do, it's always fun. So they arrived late Friday evening, I came home to find them playing phase ten... in NYC, really? Then on Saturday I took them to visit Harlem for their very first time, I introduced them to Sylvia's a great soul food place, which they weren't too impressed, sorry Sylvia :( but I still liked it. Then we walked down to the famous Apollo theater. There was like Michael Jackson hysteria, with cds, dvds, t-shirts, pins etc. It was fun. Then made some stops at H& M, and some other fun and inexpensive stores. We bought these cute hats for like $3, decided to sport them and scream that we are tourists... it was great fun. Then this last picture is the boxes the door man at my building so nicely left outside my door, for me to use to move. Part of the purpose of their visit was to help me pack... well not so much :)

Start spreading the news....

I am leaving the city that never sleeps...... so as for those who are aware, I have been contemplating whether to stay out it New York upon graduation and continue to work at the substance abuse agency in the Bronx where I interned or move back west. I happened to apply to a job with the school district in Las Vegas, they informed me I got the job. Feeling split emotions, not knowing whether I wanted to stay or go... I kept mulling it over. Until finally I felt like Las Vegas made the most sense... not only with the pay being similar to NY and cost of living so much lower, being close to home and having summer's off was very appealing. Once I made the decision, it felt so good to have clarity and felt it was my time to move on from my once beloved home of New York. How greatly I will miss so many things it has to offer, but more importantly the people I have met and relationships I have developed. I truly believe in the saying "It's not where you are or what you are doing, but who you are with that really matters." 

So I have started packing my bags, quit my New York employment in preparation for my move out west to reunite with my desert roots to Sin city. "So here's to you New York, New York"

Celebrating the Fourth in Style

So for the Fourth of July, to try to follow the traditional have a BBQ and eat apple pie. We felt we needed to be somewhere that was conducive to have a BBQ. So I invited a few friends (Brenda, Danni, John, Dave, Libby, Jeff, Kim and Tyson), to spend the Fourth of July weekend at my parents place in upstate NY a little place called Ogdensburg, aka Amishville, because it is that quaint, Amish reside there. It's a house on the St. Lawerence river, which is literal across from Canada. The weather wasn't the best, but we made the best of it, played games, ate delicious food thanks to Brenda :) sat on the dock and just hung out. It was very relaxing and felt good to have a quazi family feeling for such an important day in history. It was our friend John's 25th b-day so we had a little cake and such for him, and even paid our tributes to our country with a flag ceremony, only let down was no fireworks, illegal in NY.

Then half of the people left and Kim, Libby and I crossed over to Ottowa, Canada to take Tyson to the airport and to make a day of it. We then drove through the Adriondacks and pit stopped in Lake Placid, to meet a bobb sledder who knows some of my bobb sled friends... small world.

It was a very rejuvenating and much needed get away for all parties involved :)

MJ Tribute

Okay, okay I know that this has saturated all over the news and media. But living in NY, celebrity deaths or the birth of new ones aka Obama, it explodes here. T-shirts, pins, posters, etc. I get a sense of what Beatlemania must have been like. Even though it gets old, it's kind of like a uniting school spirit feeling. But I will say, I was sadden by the death of Michael Jackson, he definently had his problems, which probably makes me feel for him more, he seemed to carry such sadness and loneliness in his life, I say his was a slow and silent suicide, by him taking drugs was his way of not liking what his life was in the present. However I am not here to interpret but merely pay my respects and tribute. I believe he was one of the greatest entertainers of all time, such creativity and originality. He was so talented. I love and also have been touched by many of his songs. There is also a nostologic side, I remember my older brother loved his Bad CD back in the day, and my younger sisters to this day there favorite DVD to watch was his number one hit music videos, secretly wish I had that DVD :) Anyways the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, where the Jackson five performed on Amature night, was doing a MJ tribute for their Wednesday Amature night. I kid you not it was the funnest thing I have ever done in the city, it is a must on the NY list. You actually boo off the act if you do not like it, screaming, shouting, comedic act by the MC....It was hilarious and such a culture experience, it goes down as one of my top NY moments. I reccommend it to anyone, it was extra special with some of the dances and songs being tributes to MJ, "The King of Pop" Don't worry I did buy a t-shirt as a memorablia :)

Back in the NYC

Returning back from my nice, chill trip of beautiful Utah to the concrete jungle is always a hard adjustment. We call it the "funk," however for some reason, even if I am not feeling terribly excited to return when getting off the plane and driving back into the city it's a weird feeling of comfort like I am finally back home. Funny how two extreme differences can feel like home. NYC will always be like a second home to me :) When I returned I was graced with a new darling and fun roommate Danni Wright. She's from Seattle, going to BYU and doing an internship out here. She's been super great to live with, does her own thing, yet we have fun hanging out. One night we went running around Battery Park and on our way home saw them filming a movie with Nicolas Cage, I asked the guy next to me what they were filming. He had an accent of some kind, so I asked where he was from, Switzerland.  Of course the traveler that I am engaged him in further conversation, come to find out, him and his buddy cycled across country from LA to NYC in the past two months, hiked Grand Canyon and such.... how cool!!!! That will be a goal and dream of mine, not only a foreigner, a biker, athlete and pretty eyes... I am moving to Switzerland (JK).  Then another night, a friend of ours in the ward got in a bike accident (no intention for the bike theme), since I am not a cook, I felt guilty not cooking anything, so I bought him some oreos, only intending to visit for a minute. We ended up taking a view of their roof top, going to the movies and then getting ice cream afterwards, it was kind of a fun bonding time :) I love random experiences like this that NY has to offer. Never know what tomorrow will bring.