...with a trip to New York City this weekend, babysitters included! I can't help it if this post is all about how wonderful my hubby is (...
hello "Seriously So Blessed!"...) I gotta write this down. So if you think you're going to be jealous, which you
will be,
don't read on. Please. It may save you an unhappy marriage. (end of sarcasm) This really is for
my memory's sake.
It started with an innocent trip to the grocery store. We were in the parking lot writing our last-minute items on the grocery list when Juan pulled out a folded paper, along with a box of Andes Mints. Now, I didn't even notice the paper (who would?) because those Andes were calling my name. Luck had it that those were for ME and once I had sufficiently stuffed five or sixteen in my mouth, he told me to look at the paper. It was a printed bus schedule/receipt with these words scrawled on top, "Clue #1... Happy Valentine's Day."
Departure: Philadelphia 30th Street, Friday February 11th
Arrival: New York City, Penn Station
Return Date: Saturday, February 12th (You may notice that it wasn't officially Valentine's Day, but we've actually never celebrated Valentine's Day on its official day--flower business--so why conform now?)
I read those words and cried... no, SOBBED. I have wanted to spend some time with him without the girls for so long, that he couldn't have chosen a better gift.
Besides being enamored with him, I respect my husband for all the forethought this surprise took. He made hotel reservations, dinner reservations, bus reservations and scheduled babysitters about a month in advance. (THANKS SO MUCH KURT AND AMBER!)
We checked-in at the hotel then took off for some yummy lunch at
Pinche Taqueria. The tacos were so-so, but the Milanesa sandwich was Oh-so-Good. Then we took a walk down 5th Avenue, then down to SoHo to see all the new window displays and were definitely not disappointed. I love the creativity and no-boundaries attitude that the boutiques all exude. Dinner was at
La Cucina de Pesce, a small Italian place in East Village. The food was good, but I learned something new: unless you are a vegetarian, don't let a vegetarian server advise you what to order. My food was good, but Juan's food (his own decision, I might add) was DELICIOUS! He ordered a fettucini dish with shrimp, scallops and crab meat in a creamy sauce that made my palate jealous.
Come to think of it, I traded dishes with him half-way through the meal. As a gentleman, he let me order the chocolatiest thing on the dessert menu, too. We finished the day stopping at
St. Patrick's Cathedral to take a peek inside and, my-oh-my, it is very cool and something I'm so glad we were able to see before we leave the East Coast.
Today (Saturday) could easily be dubbed the "Subway Day" because that's where we spent most of our time. No complaints here, though, because I am a huge fan of observing things in their natural habitat, and there's nothing more natural than a crowd in a New York subway. Since we were shuffled back and forth from line to line because of weekend construction, we saw all sorts of things that added up to be an essential New York experience; for example, there was a guy hunched over in the middle of the hall, peeing into an empty water bottle. Also, I will never forget the innumerable amount of girls traipsing in booty shorts over colored tights topped-off with platform stilettos. (I might add that even with three layers of warm clothes on, I was still cold.)
Juan and I were able to go to the
Manhattan LDS Temple while we were there and although I think St. Patrick's is beautiful, it pales in comparison to inside the temple. Juan hit another home-run with his selection of where we ate for lunch.
Darbar is a little Indian buffet near Grand Central and the food there left me completely satiated. Not too crazy, not too dull with a spice just-right and perfect Naan. It may have even cured me of my disdain of goat meat!
We also had a perfect ending to a perfect weekend getaway. As we arrived at our bus stop about 45 minutes before it was scheduled to leave, we were told that we got there just in time to catch the earlier bus to Philly if we wanted. No standing out in the cold wind for another 45 minutes? Yes, please!
Juan, you are a truly amazing person and I'm lucky to have such a romantic like you. Thanks for the much-needed, much-appreciated time alone with you. Hope I can surprise you with something just as wonderful someday because you deserve it
and more. Mwah!
