Alexander McQueen, the beach, and all things beautiful

It feels weird to say, but when there is not much going on it is hard to keep up with the blogging...or I am just really enjoying being lazy these days.  Yeah, it's probably the second of the two, but I am blogging now, so here we go!  

Alexander McQueen's Savage Beauty

Thursday of last week I went to go see the Alexander McQueen exhibit Savage Beauty at the Met and it was absolutely amazing!  For those that are not into fashion, I would still highly recommend checking out the exhibit because, well, it is just gorgeous.  His ability to craft clothing so that he can deconstruct it and propel fashion forward was impeccable.  He was such a compelling figure and his clothes were nothing short of visionary.  The exhibit was incredibly crowded, but take it from this claustrophobic kid: it is well worth it!  The things that man did with forged metal, headpieces, and fabric, not to mention the shows he put together, were unbelievable!  I am still thinking about this show almost a week later it was that good.  I mean heck - even if it wasn't that great of a show, at least I was not out in that awful NYC heat!  There was a record-setting heatwave last week (102 recorded in Central Park - yipes), so just being indoors was a true blessing!  This piece was a favorite of mine...along with this one.  And this one is pretty hot too - I mean, really?!  Razor clams?!  Crazy amazing!

After seeing Savage Beauty I had dinner in Astoria with the bro and his lady friend.  Adam's Boo Rachel and I had a drink at a neighborhood bar while waiting for Adam, and I must say, my drink was really good!  It was a Dirty Pickle Martini - totally amazing, especially given the fact it was a vodka martini rather than a gin martini...bonus points for that bar!  For dinner, we had mussels, which was a nice treat.  Thankfully I had the night off from kitchen duty too, which meant I had the chance to sit and watch television (did you know they were doing an NY Ink series?!), not to mention eat some good food.  All in all, it was a successful day of events!

The Beach

The next morning, Adam and I woke up early, drove to Queens (I have now driven successfully in three boroughs of NYC - Queens, BK, and Manhattan) and met Rachel, who drove us to a beach on Long Island (pronounced Lon Gisland for those unfamiliar with the area).  It was a great time had by all, albeit incredibly hot!  I began sweating in the car and didn't stop til about three hours after we finally made it back home, but it was so worth it to put my legs in the water.  Finally - I am back on the right coast.  It just felt so good.  Plus, after the beach, we went to get some ice cream, which, if you know me, is ALWAYS a good time!  I do love me some dairy, and this trip was no different.  We went to a roadside stand and I got banana fro-yo (non-fat, of course) with rainbow sprinkles.  The thing I love about these places is that when you say small, it really means the biggest size they have...without fail.  It is wonderful.  Needless to say, I was stuffed after my small.

A Drizzly Afternoon

As if this whole two-weeks-in-NYC wasn't good enough, today saw cooling temperatures and a light drizzle in the afternoon when Grrtrude and I went out for our afternoon walk.  It is such a relief to see rain come at random times rather than just during a two or three week period (those who have experienced monsoons know what I am talking about).  Grrtrude is not a fan of the rain, but I wanted to mosey along with the wet weather - very refreshing, and very much what this city needed!

I have a few more days in this glorious getaway of a city before heading off for a weekend in Boston and a week in New Hampshire, where I intend to ride myself back into some semblance of fitness.  And then, after long last, it will be time to head to Ohio, my new home.  I know it will go by quickly, but I am really trying to enjoy it all while it is here.  

Until next time (which hopefully won't be a week or more in the making)...