Empire State of Mind

Bonjour my fab lifers! Did you miss me? I haven't forgotten about you! I have just been in withdrawals (from my trip) and am just now getting over it...

So...I'm back from my trip to the BEST city on earth: New York! And as expected, it was absolutely FABULOUS and more! We had a great time and I have SO much to tell you all! I may have to make it a series of posts because there is just too much fun to tell you about! We packed a lot in our short week there so I will give you some highlights of the stuff we saw, did and ate! A totally fab 10, if you will...so without further adieu...on to my top 10 fave things about this trip to New York:

1) Our hotel - The Eventi Hotel was AMAZING. It was new and modern and the people were so nice! Our room was awesome: the bed and pillows were SO comfortable (no bed bugs!) and the bathroom had a "rain shower" head! So luxurious! Every day at 5:00-6:00pm, there was a wine reception in the lobby which we took advantage of when we happened to be at the hotel. The location was also pretty awesome, a couple of blocks away from 2 major subway lines and just a few blocks from Herald Square. I'm so glad I strong-armed Jeff & Trace into staying there. hee hee.

2) The Subway - this is hands-down, THE best way to get around New York. We bought an unlimited ride metrocard when we got there ($27) and it lasted us the whole week! We went everywhere on the subway and we never had to wait long for one. It was fast and always entertaining. We had some singers (good and bad) and some musicians, and the occasional crazy person...but hey, it wouldn't be NY if we didn't right? The only thing I won't miss? The walk up the stairs after getting off the subway. Killer!! (I guess that's why everyone is so slim there! lol)

waiting for the next train...

3) The Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island - New York is full of history and the Statue and Ellis Island are no exception. Just knowing that what you're looking at is the same thing immigrants in the past saw when they first came to America is absolutely amazing. I would say the best view is when you are actually on the ferry on your way there! Ellis Island is also pretty cool. Remember that movie "Hitch"? Will Smith's character was trying to woo Eva Mendes' character by showing her a piece of her family's history...unfortunately it didn't turn out the way he wanted it to...well, my husband and I kind of "re-enacted" that scene. Too funny! I may post that video...we'll see! haha! But it was definitely cool to see the "logs" of people that came in. We also remembered the scene in the Godfather II, when Vito Corleone came in as a young boy, and sang to himself in one of the dorms. So sad. But it was cool to be there. We took some nice "artistic shots" there too. And it was nice and sunny too, so all in all, it was a perfect day for a trip through history.

4) Shopping - OBVI. We went to the best outlet mall EVER - Woodbury Common. They had everything you could want and more! Before we went, my cousin (who lives there) asked us if we were going to bring our luggage with us. We were like "What? Why?" She said that people went there with huge luggages to cart their purchases around in. We thought she was joking. She wasn't. When we got there, we saw that not only was it true, but it was actually quite a smart idea! We got some crazy deals here! (more on this later)...

Then back in the city there was 5th Avenue (Saks! Louis Vuitton! Tiffany & Co!), the 3 B's: Bergdorfs, Barneys and Bendels, oh my!, SOHO, Herald Square - everywhere you looked, there was something to buy. Even the street vendors were pretty awesome! (I wish I bought more!). And, Century 21 (which is supposed to be NY's "best kept secret") is not really a secret anymore - it was like a mix of Boxing Day and Black Friday there - people were going crazy!! My husband got 3 pairs of William Rast jeans, for a ridiculous $80.00 each. (Unfortunately, Trace and I spent the whole hour on a mad search for flip-flops! Our feet were KILLING us!) It's so hard to not be so overwhelmed with everything...next time though, I'm bringing my luggage.

5) Croque-Madame at Pastis -  I've been on a search for the perfect Croque Monsieur or Madame ever since the french restaurant close to my work, Mirlycourtois closed down. Well on our last night in New York, my search came to an end. I had the most delicious, delectable, exquisite Croque Madame I've ever had. Oh, I'm sure someone will tell me they've had something better, but I'm telling you - like that show on Food Network - this is THE BEST THING I EVER ATE. Omg. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. It was so good. I think I'm in love.

6) Late Night with Jimmy Fallon - This was a really fun experience! There was a lot of energy in the crowd and we also had amazing seats (we were in the 3rd row!). The guests were Johnny Knoxville from Jack-Ass, Judah Friedlander from 30 Rock and the musical guest was Everest. Jimmy Fallon came around after the show to shake hands with the crowd and my husband was able to high five him! Cool! Also, he's pretty cute in real life. hee hee!!! Also if you had a chance to watch that night - we were TOTALLY on TV!!! Famous!!!!



my husband's wrist (not mine! in case you were wondering about the hair...lol)

 7) Celebrity Sightings - On our very first night, as we stepped out of our hotel room, who should we see? Chef Ming Tsai of Food Network fame! He was staying in our hotel, on our floor! We rode the elevator down with him and my husband got a pic with him. A few days later, we saw Danny DeVito. He walked right past us and I seriously wouldn't have seen him if it wasn't for my husband. I'm a total zoner when I walk so luckily my husband is a little more observant than me. I bet I could've seen SJP, if I wasn't such a zoner. Oh well, maybe next time!

ming tsai totally looks like my high school friend, souradet

8) Wicked - I know I keep saying everything was the best of this and the best of that, but this Broadway show was definitely the BEST highlight (out of all the highlights!) on this trip. I was seriously so emotional after watching this show - it was SO good, it literally brought me to tears (you know how I cry, when I hear really good music!) The singing, the acting, the story - the whole combination was perfect. If you ever have a chance to watch one show in your life, make it this one.

 

9) The views from the Top of the Rock and Empire State Building - We went to Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Centre) during the day. The best thing about this view is that you actually get to see the Empire State Building! New York is a total concrete jungle. It's amazing to see all the buildings...but then you go on the other side and you see...Central Park. A huge green space in the middle of the big city. It's amazing.

But then, we went to the Empire State Building in the evening - and it was even better! New York at night is just gorgeous! What a memorable experience.

10) Central Park - this vast green space, extremely well maintained and so tranquil in the middle of all the chaos of the city is really beautiful. We walked down the "mall" which is that major walkway you always see on shows or movies. I loved it. We had a personal photo tour in the park and our tour guide/photographer Marc took some really great pictures there.

I have to add one more thing to my list - a little shout-out to my travelling companions - Team Wabaki : My husband, my cousin Jeff and his fiance Trace - without who I would not have the wonderful experiences I had. We had an AWESOME time together and we can't wait to do it again!

And my cousin from New York: Lerms, her husband John, and her 2 daughters Jem and Jen - it was sooo great to see them and we are so thankful for their generosity and hospitality.

I have so much more to tell you all but I will have to continue it in other posts...hope you don't mind...I'll be gushing about New York for a while : )

"Cryyyyy-ing Over You"

So I think I have finally, finalized my outfits for my big trip to New York. Ideally, I would have wanted to have a nice big, poufy, tulle skirt a la “Carrie in the opening credits of SATC”. Alas, it is not to be. (Though, if I see one there, I’m gonna get it...Maybe.)

I have opted to try and be a mix of simple, stylish and comfortable. I’ve tried not to bring my whole closet (just half!), but I have to remember that I will also be shopping (as if I could forget) so I suppose if I have to, I can wear my new purchases. For some reason though, I hardly ever like wearing stuff I just bought right away. However, this may be the time to do so (especially if I run out of clothes to wear!). Hm… I dunno. I can’t stand cutting the tags off right away. What if I change my mind and need to return it?

In my family, if you wear something new right away, my dad calls it “Crying in the Rain”. I never really knew why he said that. But I guess it means that you’re so excited to wear or use something new, that you’ll wear/use it even if it’s raining (and it will possibly get ruined – so it’s “crying”). Haha! I never really thought about it until today. My dad is funny.

One of my sisters-in-law, when she’d get a new purse, she would do the “change over” of stuff immediately. I mean, she’d be walking to the cash till to pay for the bag, and her stuff would already be in it. That’s for sure “cryin”! She saw it, she loved it, she bought it. No regrets. I’m the opposite. There are very few times when I’m absolutely sure that I want to buy something. Many times I’ll buy things because I’m sure it’s fate (ie. The Perpel Dress) or because it’s the last thing in my size (ie. The VLG boots) and if I don’t get it, I’ll regret it forever. My brother-in-law calls me the “Queen of Returns”. I’ll buy things, but I’ll leave the tags on (just in case I need to return them) and I’ll hardly ever wear them right away. The item will usually sit in my closet forever waiting for the perfect occasion. Like, my Perpel Dress. Yeah, its still hangin there…but oh, I would have been SO depressed, had I left it in the store, when it so obviously was crying out for me to bring it home! (I’m sure an occasion will come when I will finally cut the tags and wear it!)It’s there, along with my VLG boots. I know what you’re thinking… “She still hasn’t worn those?” Well, let me tell you why:

1) When I bought these wonderful suede boots, it was the dead of winter, so Hellz Naw was I going to ruin them stomping around in the snow.

2) I couldn’t wear them in Spring/Summer because Hello! They are so obviously not a summer shoe.

3) I don’t have a Lady Gaga outfit to wear with them yet…and

4) They are really kind of high…I will probably fall and break my ankle.

Hm…I suppose I didn’t ACTUALLY need these boots…but that salesguy did say they were so “very Lady Gaga”! So I couldn’t very well return them! Anyways L’Halloween is coming up – I can wear them while giving out candy to the kids…I mean, when else am I gonna wear these ridiculous boots??!!

Perhaps poppin tags right away is a better way to go?! It shows that I have no regrets, and that I DO actually need what I buy, thereby proving that I really “can’t live without it!” To that end, I’ve decided that if the Shopping gods bless me with a “Day of Lucky” in NY, then I will for sure be “crying in the rain”.

Besides, I probably won’t be able to return it anyways.

"Whenever I pray, I fall asleep."

I have to admit that last week, when they showed the preview for this week’s show, I wasn’t overly excited. I mean, I knew that it would still be good (c’mon, it’s Glee people), but I just didn’t want to have to think about religion on a Tuesday evening, watching my favorite show. I mean, I just feel like that kind of talk is for church on Sunday. Now don’t get me wrong, I love God and Jesus and I always try to be a good person (some days I even succeed!) and I definitely do not want to go to Hell (which I imagine to be a place where everything is regular price and nothing ever goes on sale), but I’m not overly religious on a daily basis…except maybe during Christmas, Holy Week and funerals. I do pray – but sometimes it’s like how Finn was praying to his Grilled Cheesus. (ie. “Please God, don’t let someone buy that last pair of ruffle booties in my size!”) So when they previewed this week’s show, I hoped it wouldn’t be overly “preachy”.

After watching the show…I have to say, it was just, okay.  There were some parts that were well done, but other parts were definitely a bit more “preachy”.

First, the good:

I love Kurt’s dad. I love how one would expect him to be all “rough around the edges”, but instead he’s sweet, kind and understanding. And even though he doesn’t quite understand him, he loves Kurt so unconditionally! My favorite song of this episode was when Kurt sang that beautiful and usually upbeat song, “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”. Heartbreaking. I enjoyed Mercedes first song “I Look at You”. Songs like that always have me tearing up. I also liked her “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” at church and how she was able to get Kurt to come to church by mentioning he could wear a fabulous hat! (“You had me at fabulous hat!”) The show also managed to throw in some laughs, courtesy of Finn’s Grilled Cheesus. The look on his face when Rachel let him touch her boob was so cute. He’s so adorably clueless. I didn’t mind his “Losing my Religion” – his voice was kind of raspy, and I didn’t think it was awful. Then there’s Sue. I always like it when they show us glimpses of “Nice Sue”. Even though we all love Mean Sue, its good to see that she’s human too, that perhaps she’s not always just being mean, for the sake of being mean, but that she’s someone of many layers. She’s not necessarily “good underneath” per se, but she is also not as cold as she would have us believe.

Now, the not so good:

Puck’s song “Only the Good Die Young” – I didn’t care for it. I like Puck’s voice, but I really just didn’t care for the song. Then Rachel with her rendition of Yentl’s “Papa Can You Hear Me?” I kind of thought it was a little too much. And I’ve also decided that I really don’t care for her bangs. I’m over them. Cut them or pin them back already.

I feel kind of indifferent about the last song “One of Us”, but I did like Tina singing the first part – she has a good voice, that I hope we will hear more of in the future.

All in all, some good singing, but a little too much “existential crisis” (is that the appropriate phrase?) this time. I suppose the title of my post sums it up - the show wasn't as exciting or as fun as it usually is. (One of my friends was even "annoyed" by it all - and she's the one who cries for EVERYTHING!) Anyways... like I said in my last recap: Glee always manages to mix in some laughs, and some seriousness, but this time perhaps a little too much seriousness? I’m so glad that Kurt’s dad is coming out of his coma. It would just be too much if he died. Tina said "Last week we were too sexy; this week we're too religious! We can't win!" However, from the previews for next week's show, it looks like we can expect something a little more light-hearted than this week's sombre episode. Thank God for that!

Until then...see ya next week my fellow Gleeks!

 
One last thing – was it just me, or did you all cringe when Finn ate the last half of his Grilled Cheesus? I mean, how old was the sandwich by then anyways?

Oh you Fancy, huh?

So this past weekend I got glam-ified!

After many months of just thinking about it, I finally went to get my eyelash extensions! I absolutely love them! I find myself blinking more (but only because I want to attract attention to them. LOL). The process wasn't too bad actually and there were only a few times I wanted to scratch my eyes out. Haha! No really, after forcing myself to get through a couple of instances of itchiness, the final product was well worth it. I'm still getting used to NOT rubbing my eyes, but I'm thoroughly enjoying the "come hither" look it's giving me. So much easier than the usual falsies I attempt to put on and so well applied that you can't even really tell that they're extensions! I totally recommend them if you are lacking in the long luscious eyelash department like I am. It's like those cartoon characters with the long eyelashes, that make that "ding, ding, ding!" sound when they flutter them. Seriously, me and my friend (who came with me to get hers done as well) have been batting our eyelashes all weekend.

Also, I got my hair did on Friday evening - I'm now my "evil twin" (this is what I always say when I get my hair color darker for the fall). Gone are my Spring/Summer 2010 blond highlights - they are now replaced with a nice rich cinnamon brown, which I'm enjoying...though I do miss my fun highlights...I may have to re-visit them in February! My hairstylist girl does a fantastic job on  my hair color, but for some reason, she doesn't want to cut it...perhaps it's because I was saying I wanted to grow it...but still. I figured since I'm going to NY, I needed an "edgy" haircut! So I got the girl who did my eyelashes, to just give me a quick haircut at the back too! I don't know how edgy it actually is, but I love it. It's just the right amount of angles I want. I figured I needed a new look for New York!

On Sunday, my sister also taught me some eyeshadow techniques. She's been getting really good at doing eye make-up and has shared some of her expertise with me. I just need some more make-up brushes. (My husband is asking - how many brushes does one person need?! The answer is A lot.) I also need all of the colors she uses. That's only - what - $50.00 on eyeshadow?! Yikes. Okay, maybe just one for now...

I haven't gotten my nails done yet, but I'm absolutely LOVING the Joe Nail Polish from Superstore right now! It goes on smoothly and stays on for a long time, they have very stylish colors, the top/base coat is in one bottle AND, you can get 3 for $10.00. You can't really beat that with a bat.

Man, it ain't cheap being a girl. But it sure is fun!

Britney vs. Brittany!

Sorry my fellow Gleeks, I know this is kind of late and you've all probably read everyone ELSE's Glee recaps of the Brit vs. Brit episode. I've been extremely busy at work and at home this week and I've barely had time to even watch my shows! I'm behind on a couple of shows, but I hope to catch up tomorrow night.  And without further adieu...on to my (very) late Glee-cap!

So how did we feel about Tuesday night's highly anticipated Britney Spears episode of Glee? Was it as EPIC as I predicted? I personally believe it is a resounding "Oh Hellz Yeah!"

The Britney videos performed by Brittany, then Brittany and Santana and lastly Rachel were SO well done. Dare I say, better than even Ms. Spears herself?  First, Brittany was/is absolutely an amazing dancer and completely channeled snake-wielding Britney for the "I'm a Slave 4 U" video (and her other incarnations: "Oops I did it again Britney" and "Toxic Britney") ...Then in another anesthesia-induced haze, Brittany and Santana rocked the Madonna/Britney duet of "Me Against the Music". Craziness!! Santana definitely "Got up in my grill!" (LOL) Of course, Brittany is always the scene stealer and this episode was no exception! This girl always has the best lines. ("It's like a Jewish Cloud") And she delivers them so deadpan, that you can't NOT laugh! It was nice to see someone other than Rachel taking the spotlight. However, I have to say, my absolute favorite Britney-esque video was "Hit Me Baby One More Time" only because it was SO the original video. (Finn as the "basketball player") LOL.

And what did you think about the introduction of Uncle Jesse himself, John Stamos as Emma's dentist bf, Carl? ("Have mercy!") He is actually pretty hilarious and I have to say, he's still got it.

I don't know if I loved Artie's version of "Stronger", however, Glee always has this way of taking something silly, but giving it a deeper meaning. Like, you think the show is going to be all funny and light, but a lot of the time it throws in something that is even a little bit uncomfortable...(for example in last week's ep where Will and Sue are mean to the new football coach) One of my friends was so moved by it, she totally cried. (You know who you are...) Anyways, this week, it was Artie, who wants so badly to get back with Tina, that he wants to be on the football team...it's like, you root for him, but how can he really compete with Mike Chang (and those abs!) Speaking of abs, did anyone else notice that background dancer girl in the "Hit Me Baby One More Time" vid? My husband kept yelling "EASY there ABS!" everytime she came on the screen. (Okay already, husband of mine, I get it, you admire her abs! Eye roll.) 

And lastly, "The Only Exception" which Rachel sings to Finn. Truthfully, who hasn't felt like her? Finally, getting the guy of her dreams, and then so unbelieving of her luck, being so scared of losing him! Of course she would find comfort in the fact that he wasn't "cool" anymore, that no other girl would give him a second look, now that he isn't the quarterback anymore, that he was a "loser" now, just like her. I almost melted when Finn tried to reassure her saying that when he got a touchdown, he would point to her in the stands so that everyone would know that she was HIS girlfriend. But of course that wasn't enough, and Rachel, being Rachel needed to have her own proof of his love, testing Finn's loyalty and fidelity by having Quinn proposition him and hearing for herself how he felt. It kind of gave me a bittersweet feeling. Then there was Mr. Schu sadly having to accept that he wasn't like Carl and that (for now, at least) Emma was no longer his and Terry (yikes! she's baaack!), terrifyingly calm in those big jackie-o sunglasses and that ridiculous but exquisite fur jacket (I want one!) reminding him (and us) that she's still there, waiting patiently until he realizes SHE is the one for him.

So how does a show manage to mix all of those above emotions, the excitement of those anesthesia-induced dance numbers, that nerdy guy's butt sweat on a chair, and a "sex riot"? Easy. It's Britney. Bitch.

Until next week... G'nite from G'Lee

My First Taste of Fame and Fortune...

So last weekend, my husband bought us Singstar for Playstation 3. (Yes, I realize I don't need one more thing that forces me to be in front of the television). However, it was only $20.00 including the mikes, and Ne-Yo's song "So Sick" was on it, as well as Britney Spears' "Toxic". Good times. (Even though, those are really the only 2 songs we've been singing.) This past weekend though, we found another disc to play on the Singstar: ABBA. Don't laugh, I know you know all their songs too! You can't help but smile and sing along to these songs, which if you really pay attention, don't actually make THAT much sense. (What exactly is a "Chiquitita"? It makes me think of bananas...) I realized that I don't know a lot of the beginnings of the songs, but boy do I know the choruses!! They show the "videos" while you sing and they are all wearing those glorious 70's outfits! Anyhoo, all weekend I've been singing "Mamma Mia" and "Super Trouper".

Super Trouper. haha. I have a funny story for you.

When I was a kid, I was in a singing group called...The Super Troupers. True story.

My family and I were over at a family friend's house for dinner one night. They had a daughter who was two years younger than me (and two years older than my sister), and her cousin was also there and he was a year younger than me. While our parents sat and visited, the 4 of us were playing upstairs and listening to the MiniPops album. (You know - the MiniPops - they were kids that sang popular songs and they were awesome!) Their album was composed mainly of medleys and one of those medleys was the ABBA medley. (This explains why I only really know the choruses and not the whole song...) Anyways, we (I) decided that we were going to perform this MiniPops album for our parents. Since I was the oldest, I was also the ring leader. This meant I chose who was going to sing what song. We only had one boy in the group, so he had to sing all the "boy songs". I divided up the rest of the songs between myself and the other girl. Since my sister was the youngest, she was tasked with a lot of the background "vocals" and backup dancing. After we/I determined who was singing what, we went about practicing dance moves (ie. shuffling from side to side) and figuring out the singer transitions (ie. getting the singer of the next song out as soon as the song changed). When we were almost ready, I sent my sister downstairs to announce to our parents and their friends, that we would be performing in half an hour...

 Finally, the time came for us to perform and though there were some mistakes ("No YOU'RE supposed to sing this one! No you are!" etc...) we were a HIT! We even got paid. We ran upstairs, giddy from the high of performing and congratulated ourselves on how well we did. Then I divided up the money. We each got $1.00! It was our first taste of fame and fortune...And with that, the "Super Troupers" were born. 

After that, we had "gigs" at any and every party our parents had. I made posters and had my mom photocopy them for us on different colored paper. We had curling irons for our microphones, our dance moves got (slightly) better and so did our costumes (kind of). We began charging for our "mini concerts": $0.25 for adults and $0.10 for kids. Soon I appointed a stage manager, who was in charge of turning the record around, and an accountant,who collected our money. It was a great time in our lives...

Eventually though...like most groups, we had some "creative" disagreements which finally led us to disband. Our era, like the Beatles, was over.

But every now and then, I remember the glory we had...and it was AWESOME. And hearing these songs on Singstar by ABBA just brings me back to those days...

Hm...perhaps a reunion concert is in the cards?? (Of course now, we'd have to charge more.)

Style Vs. Comfort: Round 2?

So everytime I go on a trip where a lot of walking is involved, my feet always become my worst enemy. I know everyone always says, "WEAR COMFY SHOES!" But here's the thing: I think that no matter how comfortable your shoes are, after walking around all day, your feet/legs are going to hurt! To this end, my goal in life has been to find comfortable AND stylish shoes. It has definitely not been an easy task in previous years. When I'd find something stylish, I'd have to sacrifice the comfort, or vice versa. Well this year, I was able to find these great platform-ish heels that were pretty comfy as well! Don't get me wrong, after wearing them all night during our Girls Night Out in Vegas last June, well...you saw the video. It took me 10 minutes to get from the bed to the bathroom. Actually though, that was quite the improvement from my first trip to Vegas, when I my feet hurt so much they were literally BLEEDING. (Now that's suffering for fashion!) I had bandaids on each one of my toes. There was nothing I could put on my feet to make them feel better. I cringed every time I took a step and I swore that I would never again put myself in that kind of pain. In fact, I believe that this commitment to not having bleeding feet again is what got me my current job. Don't laugh!! I'm pretty sure it's true!!

We had come back from this foot-killing Vegas trip at 4:30am. I had an interview for a new job at 1:00pm. I went home and promptly fell asleep until noon. I got up, soaked my feet for as long as I could, and got ready in time for my interview. My (soon-to-be) boss asked me the usual interview type questions: What are your strengths? (Organization and commitment to crossing things off my "to-do lists") What are your weaknesses? (Being a perfectionist! Haha. No, actually it was "Not being able to say "no" to work" :) I'm such a cliché!)...And then he asked "Have you ever made a decision you regret and what did you learn from it?" Well, at this point, my feet were still throbbing, and as I tried to wriggle them in my heels (UGH!) I winced and answered "Well...the only thing I can think of right now, is how badly my feet hurt. I wore brand new shoes to Vegas which was an awful decision and one that I truly regret! I definitely learned my lesson and will never wear new shoes (no matter how fashionable) on a trip to Vegas again!" He laughed loudly and wrote on his pad of paper "Sore feet". He excused himself from the interview, while I sat there, cursing my feet,  those fabulous, leopard print peep-toe skimmers that were my downfall, and myself, for what I had just said. UGH!!! What was I thinking? And then he came back and said, "We would like to offer you the position, if you want it?" Obviously I said "Yes!" (Anyone that would hire someone, despite the fact they had made a bad decision about their footwear HAD to be a great boss!)

Anyways, in preparation for my upcoming trip I've decided to bring some über comfy (yet stylish) flats, that also happen to be very light! I'm planning to carry these around in my bag so that when my feet inevitably start to hurt, I can change into something comfy...Smart, no?

Hopefully, I will decide to change into these BEFORE my feet start to bleed! (However, I am also hopeful that I will be able to walk around New York in my stylish heels for as long as possible - they do complete my outfits, after all.)

I know, I know. Some people just never learn. (I've already packed my bandaids.)