NYC, Part 3....

The last two days of our trip were just as magical as the first two.  Looking back, I still can't believe how much we did in such a short amount of time, and how when it was all said and done there wasn't a thing we wanted to do we didn't get to do.  Sunday we had tickets to see Wicked and plans to meet my college friend for brunch.  The rest of the day was up in the air.  We hadn't had dinner Saturday night because we were so exhausted when we got back to the hotel we couldn't even make a decision about what to get.  M was starving and brunch wasn't until 11 so I ran over to the little Bouchon Bakery across from The Today Show and grabbed coffee and pasteries and then stumbled upon Magnolia Bakery on my way back to the hotel (they had the roads blocked off again so I had to go the long way around - this seems to happen a lot there) and had read all about how if you were in NY you HAD to get the banana pudding at Magnolia Bakery so I got the small clearly underestimating the ridiculous goodness that one little container could hold because we devoured it in about 3.5 seconds and were left wanting more.  
Thankfully Stephanie appreciated my need to not make one more decision that weekend and chose a great place for brunch - The Smith, near Lincoln Center - and it couldn't have been more perfect!  We met at 11 and spent the next couple hours catching up (we had only seen each other once since graduation from UNLV in 2000 and that was in 2009 when she and our friend, Marcie, came to KC while I was going through my divorce).  M asked her all about life in NY because after two days in the city she had a lot she wanted to know.  We enjoyed our visit and after a fantastic meal, M and I headed up Columbus Ave. through the Upper West Side to the American Museum of Natural History where we had hoped to see the dinosaurs, but the line was too long so we walked back down along Central Park, stopping at Strawberry Fields before taking the paths through the park back towards our hotel.  We had one last major stop before getting ready for Wicked - Top of the Rock - and we were there at the perfect time...no real wait and the sun was just low enough to make the view all warm and shimmery.  We stopped at each level, enchanted by every detail of the city below us, feeling as if for a few moments nothing else mattered except taking in as much as we possibly could: trying to memorize not only the view, but the way I felt standing next to my mini and thanking God I got to share this with her.  (And, yes, the view was better up there than at the ESB because the ESB was PART OF THE VIEW from up there and that made it even more magical.) 
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We freshened up and walked the three blocks to Times Square in search of pizza before seeing Wicked and found two fantastic slices of pie (okay, I will likely never call it that again, but I know that's what they call it so I'm trying to be authentic) at Famous Original Ray's Pizza on 7th Ave.  The place was tiny and crowded - always a good sign - and the guys behind the counter (who flirted mercilessly with every girl in there and we were no exception) were quick to give us our pizza - cheese for M, margarita for me.  M had learned how important it was to grab seats when they came available so I joined her at the table we were sharing with a couple (this is normal there - not something we're used to in the Midwest, but we thought it was pretty cool...although, I think if we were doing it in the Midwest it would be more of a communal thing, but there everyone kept to themselves).  After pizza we ran into the giant M&M's store and filled a bag with all sorts of colors and types (why does something so everyday like M&M's taste so much better when bought on vacation from a giant, hyped-up super store??) and then stopped in a little souvenir shop to grab a couple things before walking the two blocks to the Gershwin Theatre where we joined the crowd of people gathered in the lobby trying to stay warm while waiting for the show.  
Let me just say...I saw Phantom of the Opera on Broadway the last time I was in NYC, but was so incredibly excited to see Wicked - more so than I had to see Phantom - likely because I couldn't wait to see it with M, but also because I knew the level of talent we were about to see and we were not disappointed.  We were six rows back on the right side of the stage and our seats were PERFECT.  We were mesmerized from the moment the first actor stepped on stage until the very last second.  For two and a half hours we felt like a part of the musical, so close we could see their expressions, near enough to see them looking right at us...we could literally feel the power of the music as Elphaba closed out the first act with "Defying Gravity" and left M saying she HAD to get the music!  We were speechless as the curtain closed, almost exhausted by what we had just seen.  We left wanting to see it again, and feeling a little sad that it was over.  If you haven't seen Wicked...do it!  Pay for the good seats (our's were $160 a piece and worth every single penny), take your daughter and go.  The storyline is so much more than you might imagine and hits on topics our kiddos are facing every day - inclusion, sticking up for those who can't take care of themselves, loyalty, the power of diversity, the fact that family comes in all shapes/sizes/colors - and it was just INCREDIBLE.  We left the theatre feeling magical and thankful to have been in the presence of such talent.  
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Our final morning in NYC started early...super. early.  Like 4:15am early.  But, in the name of making dreams (mine, not hers - this final adventure was selfishly all for me and she was a good sport about it all) come true, no hour was too early.  For anyone who has known me for any amount of time, you know I ALWAYS dreamed of being on The Today Show...of being Katie Couric (no, I'm not a stalker, just a dreamer).  So, when I knew decided we were going to NYC, I was very intentional to stay near Rockefeller Plaza so being a part of a show one morning would be more likely.  So, we were out the door of the hotel at 4:50am and the first ones in line at 5am!  No, I hadn't had coffee and it was all of 25 degrees out, but nothing was keeping us from making this happen.  I made friends with a security guard (shocking, I know) who loved hearing we were from KC (he's a big Jeremy Guthrie fan) and told us exactly where to stand and gave us a few pointers so we'd know what to expect.  The plaza was all set up before we got there and we could see people inside the studio preparing for the day's show.  It was MLK Day so I knew there was a good chance Matt Lauer and All  Roker wouldn't be there (I was right, but that didn't take away from our experience).  People started lining up with us and everyone had signs or birthdays to share and everyone was excited for the chance to be on tv.   At about 6:45 we were finally allowed through security and since our friend the security guard had told us right where to stand, we made our way around the barricades and got ready for the show to start.  We could see in the windows and there were monitors in front of us where we could see the anchors sharing the day's stories.  The cameraman came around and recorded our shout outs, and we had no idea if ours would be played or not, but ultimately we made the cut!  There was a lot of standing around in between segments and then the anchors came out for the first time at 7:30...and they were literally a foot in front of us!  We got to chat briefly with them, and they were incredibly gracious about taking photos and saying hello.  M and I were beside ourselves!  When they came back out at 8:30 they did a longer teaser for an upcoming Valentine's Day contest they were promoting, and when Tamron Hall didn't want to say "Will you marry me?" to Willie, she turned around and handed me the microphone so I could say it!  Friends!  I WAS ON THE TODAY SHOW!!!  Not just in the crowd, or even in a shout out...but, I spoke in a microphone (to be honest, I would have said ANYTHING at that point so I don't care that what I said was cheesy)...on The Today Show.  Yes, I'm a total nerd.  Yes, for me, that was an absolute dream come true.  It was one of the best moments and I got to share it with my girl.  After four hours standing in the cold, we were hungry, tired and ready to thaw out so we grabbed coffee and food from Bouchon Bakery and booked it back to the hotel to sneak a quick nap under the covers before heading to the airport.  While we were ready to be home, we loved NYC.  There isn't a thing I wish we had done, nor a thing I wish we had done differently.  The city was kind to us and we left loving its beautiful chaos.  I would go back in a heartbeat and while I can't ever see myself living there, I can see why so many people call it home.  The neighborhoods and people, the food (oh. my gosh, the FOOD!), the sites, the history, the art, the culture, the talent, the lights and the sounds...each a part of why this city is so magical, so over the top in so many ways, yet so incredibly personal and inviting in all the ways that matter.  NYC, you've got a piece of my heart and I look forward to the day we meet again.
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