Shoot the Freak!

What child of the '80's doesn't remember that scene from "Big" when a young Tom Hanks puts the coin in the "Zoltan Speaks" future-telling machine at Coney Island and wishes that he was "big?"

Well, it's a great scene. At a great place. In a great city.

Today's "List Adventure" took me and my friend, Heather, on an hour and a half ride on the 2-to-the-Q train to the Coney Island/Stillwell Avenue stop.



A day at Coney Island doesn't start until you've eaten a Nathan's hot dog. Home of the world-famous hot dog eating championship. Best. Hot dog. Ever.





At one point, the announcer said, "Just shoot the freakin' freak, dude." Weird.





A Coney Island classic.



A compromise between the red and blue cars that swing around wildly on the ferris wheel and the white cars that stayed still. Rides are always better with friends screaming in your ears!



I loved it.



And Heather....screamed the entire time!



My ride on the Astroland Cyclone got delayed by a 30-minute thunderstorm. We huddled under the Cyclone ticket counter awning to wait it out.



What better way to wait out the rain than by winning a few pieces of cheap plastic jewelry and playing arcade games?







By the end of the day, between the two of us, we had two Diet Cokes, two regular hot dogs with mustard and ketchup, one chili dog, two bags of cotton candy (saving one for tomorrow!), one mint chocolate chip ice cream cone, and french fries. Now THAT's a good day.





Brooklyn Cyclones v. Aberdeen Ironbirds (what's an ironbird?) at Keyspan Park. P.S. - It was also Super Hero Night, so every kid who dressed in a costume got to run onto the field before the game. See how many Batmans you can find!



Finally. The Cyclone at night. What an awesome ride.





Wait. Am I tall enough for this ride? It's embarrassing, but I actually said those words. Fortunately, I just made the cut-off.



Gives you a sense for what the ride's like, doesn't it?





2 more things to cross off "The List!"

Bryant Park - A Bit of Serenity in the Midst of Madness

I remember the first time I went to Bryant Park when I moved here 5 years ago. I thought I had found the city's greatest secret! Just two blocks away from Times Square, the park is green, peaceful, and serene. How could this be? 200' away is one of the most densely populated places on the planet!

The park is flanked by the beautiful architecture of the main branch of the New York City Library, and several incredible skyscrapers. And every Monday in the summer, it hosts "Screen on the Green" - just like an old-fashioned drive-in (minus the making out in the back seat and the people who rollerskated up to your car window to give you your milkshake).

Yesterday, before our Kirsten's bachelorette party, Liz and I went and sat in the park for a few minutes to chat. It was a great way to start the weekend.



For the free movies on Monday nights, there are up to 15,000 people here on the lawn!



My friend, Liz







Some quick, candid shots

My first....bachelorette party

Believe it or not, I didn't have a bachelorette party. I had a LOVELY bridal shower with lots of girlfriends here in New York, and at the end of the night, my friend turned to me and said "What do you want to do next?"

We ended up on the couch with my fiancee, my best friend, and my sister watching "Flip This House." What a couple of wild and crazy gals!

So, last night marked my first bachelorette party with a friend of mine. I will post one picture here - and leave the rest to your imagination. Happy almost-wedding, Kirsten!

Art for a Cause

(Courtesy Galleria on Third)

Tonight, some colleagues of mine and a friend who is visiting from Atlanta (and moving here in a few months!) went to Galleria on Third - a frame shop and part-time art gallery in Murray Hill. Every few months, the owner Shadin Hossain, hosts an art show, with 100% of the proceeds going to various charities like World Vision and The Smile Train. (Read more about Shadin's heart for the poor in this New York Daily News article from October 2007.)

There were several photographers featured, but the focus of the show was a photographer who has taken several Vision Trips with World Vision and has photographed her travels along the way. Leah Cornwell has some incredible pictures from her trips to the Galapagos Islands, Africa, and Peru, among others.


(Courtesy Leah Cornwell Photography)

If I had $(cough-cough), I would've bought one of her "Bloom, Floral Composites" pictures. They are beautiful!

Instead, I brought some artwork I bought in Bangkok, and Shadin is going to frame those for us. But if you're in the market for some great photography for your home, check it out! You'll get a great piece of art, and children around the world will benefit from your donation to World Vision's work.

The Phil in the Park

The New York Philharmonic in the Park is one of my favorite things to do every summer in New York City! It's so relaxing to bring a picnic, sit under the "stars" (we have about 3 visible stars in NYC), and listen to the Phil. Brian's friend from Atlanta, Beth, just moved up here a few months ago and joined us. We're so glad she came!






Beth made butterscotch brownies - yummm!



Me, Jenn, Dawn - enjoying Zabar's, Whole Foods, and Fairway!



The best ending ever - fireworks! We were sitting right by several families with young children, and even better than the fireworks was listening to the little kids keep going "Oooh! Aaah!" at every colorful explosion.

Coldplay at Madison Square Garden - for FREE!

A few months ago, I read an article online about Coldplay giving away tickets to two free concerts - one in London and one in New York. So, my friend, my husband and I all entered the lottery - and two of us won tickets!



The concert was amazing. We had great seats - in the mezzanine - looking directly at the stage. A few minutes after the show started, we notice a group of security guards gathered around the exit near our section. They were talking and pointing to the stage, and then they'd look back up in our direction. Brian and I put on our "reporter hats," and we figured out that someone special was coming to our section. Was it a guest singer? Was Coldplay coming up here? Was it just a VIP guest seated in our section?


Halfway into the concert, Chris Martin says "Ok, guys. We're going to try something a little bit different tonight." He and the band left the stage, walked up to our section, and played an acoustic version of "Yellow" with just a guitar and a tambourine. The spotlight was on them, so you could only see a few people circle around them, and they were just a few feet away from us! It was almost transcendent.




(http://www.themodernage.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/coldplay_msg_viva02.jpg)


I have a new concert to add to my "Top 5" list.


Top 5 Best Concerts Ever:

1. U2 at Madison Square Garden, 2006
2. Sigur Ros at Bank of America Pavilion (Boston), 2006
3. Coldplay at Nassau Coliseum, 2006
4. Dave Matthews Band in Central Park, 2005
5. Coldplay at Madison Square Garden, 2008

A Rainy Day in Riverside Park

On Sunday, we took a stroll through Riverside Park. We had tried to go kayaking for free at the waterfront, but the rain kept us away. So, as soon as the clouds broke, we walked up from 79th Street and wandered around Riverside Park for awhile. Everytime I see hydrangea bushes, I reminds me of our wedding (I used a lot of hydrangeas in my flowers - and love them!)









Does anyone remember that book, "The House That Katy Built?" This little cottage on Riverside Drive and 95th Street reminds me of that book. So cute!