New York City, New Years Eve: It's Phishy! (or, An Ode to Dad)

Well hello! So glad you're still around and interested in finding out about what happened for New Year's almost 2 months ago! Since we've waited this long, let's just dive right in, shall we?

And I think I'll try to make this less wordy and more picture-y (but ya'll, that will be hard for me... I'm a bit long-winded when it comes to writing.)

Before we go, though, I'll give some insight into the title of this post. Besides being about NYE, it's also a 'thanks' to my 'papa' (ala Downton Abbey) for all he did to make it happen. AND for being my biggest blog fan. He's been asking me to write this post since I posted my last entry. So Dad, thanks for the motivation.

Here we go:

Favorite city and two of my favorite spots in it, the Chrysler Building and Grand Central Station (which is celebrating it's Centennial this year, how cool!

Our first Wook sighting of the run

The Tempest Bar- the spot to meet before a MSG Phish show.

Night one seats

A fairly empty Grand Central around 1:30 a.m.

Breakfast in bed the next morning

Trying on some vintage engagement rings in the City. This one's from 1905.

This stunner is from the 1890's! LOVE! SWOON!!

Pretty

A dreary day on Park Avenue

It's always warm and cozy inside the Algonquin

Night 2 SOP meet-up 

'Lotta beards here

Night 2 seats

Take the last train to Stamford

Breakfast (lunch) in bed the next day:

Just a little nippy

Bundled up for the cold. "It's gonna be co-old!!"

Magnificent walk down Madison Ave from Grand Central to MSG. Fantastic old buildings!

And this beaut.

And these weirdos

Night 3 seats

I spy an Electrolux

Sigh. Ain't it grand?

Fancied up for New Year's Eve

top: Calypso/skirt:Lilly Pulitzer/shoes:Lilly Pulitzer

Bubbly for the car ride into the city (AWESOME Christmas present from my Dad- a car service into and out of the city on New Years! SUCH a treat, thanks Dad!!)

The ceiling of Park Avenue-Winter all dressed up for NYE.

Seriously, eat here. The menu and decor change with the seasons. Winter was dynomite. Phil had yellowtail sushi that I'm pretty sure was life-changing, and veal; I had the world's best kale salad and king crab legs, and we split some pineapple gelato/cake thing for dessert. Un-freaking-believable. (Thanks for dinner, Dad!)

VIP passes to the ABC New Year's Rockin' Eve party in Times Square. (Thanks AGAIN, Dad!!)

Phil's thinking: "I wish I was at the Phish show right now..."

Private entrance right out onto the street for the ball drop

Lots of reallllllly cold people!

Look at us all warm and cozy inside, and them all cold and having to pee outside.

Some people. And a lot of booze. Psy!

Everyone emptied out for the ball drop- we were bringing up the rear

Happy New Year! The confetti begins...

Don't see me!

Makin' it rain (confetti)!

Ours

Not all ours

You know it's a good night when you have confetti in your drink

Not related to New Year's at all, just a sweet face to see when you finally return home from a stellar New Year's trip to the Big Apple. 

The end!

Christmas in Connecticut

Have you ever seen that movie? It's great, you should.

We left sunny Florida to fly up to Connecticut and stay with my dad over the holiday. Yes, my parents are still married. We moved up there in 2006 when my dad got a job in NYC, and though there was a lot to love and some wonderful friends and memories, my mom and I moved back to the sunny south in 2010. My dad still works out of the city, so he has a place in Connecticut. It's unusual and unconventional, but it works for our family. Plus, we kind of have the best of both worlds. He comes down here to golf in the winter, and we go up there to get our New England/city fix.

Pillow: Francesca's 

Our second night there, I went to a little get-together at this lovely lady's house. Ms. "Warwa" and I taught together, and I miss her sunny disposition and camaraderie in the classroom. Co-teaching was sa-weet! And her beautiful baby girl is just the bee's knees- so wanted, so loved, and so very cute. It was great to get together with friends and catch up. 

It snowed on Christmas Eve- just a light dusting. Most of it was melted by Christmas morning, but it was lovely to watch it come down. My mom and I even got out and wrote some snow messages.

My dad has a cute little studio apartment in New Canaan, just a short walk from town where there's excellent shopping, good restaurants and a train station. Here's the kitchen I cooked in for a week. Just like living in a college dorm... hot plates! I managed to whip up a few things in there, including this recipe. (By the way, that's Rowayton Market's potato leek soup warming in the pot. Man, do I miss that stuff.)

Because of the small space, we kept it pretty simple with our Christmas set-up. Here's our little Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

I love my old stocking- I've used it for as long as I can remember. And look what's peeking out!! Astronaut strawberries! Trader Joe's makes killer freeze-dried strawberries (which is basically what astronaut food is), but these are whole strawberries, and are one of my favorite things. Random? Yes.

And our fireplace. It's the famed WPIX Yule Log. A New York City Christmas tradition.

We ate Christmas dinner at the Roger Sherman Inn, which dates back to the 1700's. That's one thing I adore about New England- all the history everywhere around you.

The day after Christmas, my mom and I drove into our old hometown of Rowayton. I really miss a few good eats from up there, including the spectacular lobster rolls at Brendan's 101. No mayo or celery pieces in this bad boy- just succulent, big pieces of lobster meat nestled inside a toasted, buttery roll with a squeeze of lemon on top. Tastes like the sea; tastes like New England.

We drove out to Bayley Beach. It was a blustery, COLD day. Sorry for the finger smudge in this pic, but it really captures the grey coldness- the bare trees, icy water, and Long Island in the distance.

Mom all bundled up on the beach. Sure looks different than our Florida beaches, huh?

Bikini and flip flops? More like leather jacket, long underwear and Uggs.

We drove out to a part of South Norwalk that suffered quite a bit of damage from Hurricane Sandy, and started to head home right as it began to sprinkle. This picture looks like what the next 3 months will be like up there. Brrr, I'm getting chilled just looking at it (either that or my ceiling fan is turned up too high.) But man, the Spring sure is pretty. That's one thing we don't get here in Florida, the changing of the seasons. I really miss Autumn, and Spring is so beautiful when it begins to emerge, with the bulbs pushing up out of the ground, the trees coming into bloom, and the robins everywhere. I think I played Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles on repeat around February of each year when I lived up north.

Little darlin'
It's been a long, cold, lonely winter.
Little darlin'
It seems like years since it's been here.

If you follow me on Facebook, you might have seen this picture. It's 5:00. In the evening. And it's dark.  Ouch. 

Coming up next, Phil arrives (the boyfriend, for those who don't know) and we begin our New York City adventures. Stay tuned!