A fun To Do list

Tuesday, Tom and I decided to go see the Mets play the Pirates. We bought some sandwiches and jumped on the train, than got a couple tickets in the upper deck. It was a lot of fun. There was Mr. Met, Cowbell Man and the Mets kicking Pirate booty. There were several home runs for us to jump and yell and high-five over. The pitcher even scored his first home run ever. P.S. The boys who sat in front of us were slobs.

Wednesday we went to the Bronx Zoo. It was warm and sunny. We got to see lots of cool exhibits and I had a lot of fun playing with my camera (see Ebony Langur at left and tiger below). A butterfly landed on my dress a couple times, which I enjoyed.

There were tigers, giraffes, a mouse house that was full of cute-yet-creepy rodents and various cute primates. We had a lot of fun at the gorilla exhibit, especially watching the babies play. They reminded me of children playing, but the adults looked to Tom like people in gorilla suits and the babies looked like aliens. Okaaaaay. I just thought they were cute.

Thursday was the day of the Amanda Burkowitzs. Yes, Tom knows, not one, but two young women who are named Amanda Burkowitz and have the same birthday (though in different years). We stopped by the birthday parties of each. First we went to Bar Nine for the party of the Amanda who used to be Debra’s roomie.

After a drink and some chatting, we hopped a cab downtown to meet up with the Amanda with whom Tom attended Stuyvesant High School. We did much chatting until it was time for…Tada! The Simpsons movie! The movie was opening with a midnight showing that night, and she had acquired tickets for us. The movie was really rather funny, like a classic episode from the show’s strongest point. Then, on the way home, we had a rather hard time getting the train back to Tom’s. Grr. That’s one thing I won’t miss about New York: standing in a steamy-hot tunnel while waiting for a train that never seems to arrive.

Friday, Tom and I decided to take advantage of Restaurant Week. We went to Smith and Wollensky. The place had an amazing floral arrangement (see photo at left), cloth hand towels in the bathroom and filet mignon so buttery and soft! I ate just about every bit of those 12 ounces. Best meat ever. Seriously. It made me forgive the fact that it took us a million years to get water and our bread basket.

Then we walked back across the Brooklyn Bridge. I don’t know why, but I’d been wanting to do it for a while, and Tom gamely agreed. The breeze was so cool and refreshing and I got a chance to play around with my camera, snapping photos. My camera was acting up a little, which makes me nervous because I love it so much. Why did it stop working? Whyyyyyyyyyyyyy?

Saturday, Tom had his last few games of bocce for the standard season. They lost their first game (and to a team they had expected to beat easily). Thankfully, the made a comeback and beat their next team for an 8-2 record, coming out first in their division. On they go to the…finals? Championships?

Meanwhile, I was at the Cloisters with Madrid. The Cloisters is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As I understand, it is composed of the pieces of various Cloisters (convents or monasteries) all over Europe. The art is gorgeous, especially the famous unicorn tapestries. I liked the architecture, the courtyard gardens and the natural park setting even more.

Madrid has been such a good friend to me, and it was nice to spend time with her. Then we met up with her hubby, Chris, for supper. I had a glorious Ruben sandwich and garlic mashed potatoes while we all talked.

Then it was home to read the new Harry Potter book while Tom was still out with his team. I just finished it today. Tom and I have been sharing a copy he bought. We’d both been hoping to finish the book before anyone spoiled the ending for us. I’d been hoping to finish it before leaving for Iowa, so I wouldn’t have to drop $30 on it and subsequently find room in my baggage for it. So hooray! Done. I promise not to say anything about the book and/or its ending.

Now there’s just three days left for me here. I’m so excited to see my family and pets and the farm and Iowa. I’m excited, too, for the educational experience to follow. But it’s hard to leave. It’s hard to leave everything that’s here.