"Forget it. I'm killing Penguins. We'll go Food, Reynolds, Eagle."

Fitz had early morning yoga and I slept in. I'll join her this week but I'm not trying to be all about it everyday. We had to rush out to Brooklyn so we grabbed a latte and bagel to go on the subway.

If I lived in NY I think I would want to write stories or do a photo series about the subways. I love watching the people, like the women on this platform, the performers, the rush of students in the afternoon, the groups of friends, the readers, and business men all going about their day squashed together on their commute. Every station is decorated with a mosaic or stained glass or paintings and I'm amazed by the amount of time that went into each piece that I'm not sure people even recognize as art.

Our trip to Brooklyn was to visit Anne Nichols', another old camp counselor, school.

She was just starting to facilitate her book club with a group of five 6th graders and Fitzie and I got to sit in on the conversation. I love getting a glimpse of other schools and seeing other teachers in action. Her students were awesome- identifying personification and metaphors, making inferences, discussing the theme of the book.

The school is bright and just bursting with positive messages. I had to stop to read every sign--I wish I could plaster these all over my school and paint the hallways a rainbow of colors.

Wouldn't you want to come to school here?

 

I'm so glad we got to see Miss Nichols in action and catch up with her.

We headed to Marissa's, Fitz's roommate, favorite restaurant for lunch.

I was thrilled that they not only had Diet Coke but there were crayons for us to draw on the paper tablecloth.

Fitz and I love making Top 10 lists.

Next stop was Kleinfeld.

Yes, of Say Yes to the Dress on TLC. (please see below)

While Fitz talked to the front counter about setting up an appointment, to serve as a distraction, I unsuspiciously wandered around the lobby taking this picture...

And looking in the main room to take this one... But you're not allowed to browse so I couldn't go in any further.

Then we found out you can check out the shoes and jewelry (which I forgot to take pictures of) downstairs. This made us laugh:

Fitz noticed this hanging at the top of the stairs attached to three dresses. Do we think Martha is getting married... three times? Do we think they're for her magazine? Does she have a magazine? Are they for her TV show?

On our way to Union Square we decided to look in the Baked by Melissa mini-cupcake store.

They were just so mini and precious and delicious looking that we had to get some.

We took our cupcakes into the park and found a seat by Ghandi. Namaste.

(Top L-R): Birthday Cake, Chocolate Chip Pancake, Cookies & Cream

(Bottom L-R): Cinnamon, Cookie Dough, Birthday cake

Cinnamon was the winner for best taste.

Later that evening we headed to CBS to watch the 6:30 Evening News from the control room.

In the broadcasting there is no food, no drink, and no noise. Fitz and I sat in the back of the room to watch all the action. I couldn't take any pictures but let me just tell you it was kind of nuts. There were maybe 70 screens in the room of different camera angles, networks, on location stories, and teleprompters. Everyone in the room had a different job and the man in charge was shouting out directions.

"They teach us to be respectful not disrespectful. Let's try that... Harry used the f word. Remember you're on a live mic... Penguins are in, looks like we're going to be adding the penguins... There's just too much time."

We toured the station and I could start documenting again. This is where Fitz goes during broadcasts and checks all the information that they're putting up on the screens.

The studio set

The news room

Fitzie's desk and what she looks like when she's hard at work everyday

We walked a lot today. Like miles around New York. Actually, we think we may have walked all of NYC by now. Seriously. During our walk we passed the crew set up for the filming of Men In Black III.  Wish we could have seen Will Smith but he was nowhere to be found.

Dinner was at Chinatown Brasserie. Such a cool atmosphere.  We tried dumplings (for the first time ever), dim sum, general tsao's chicken and wielded our chopsticks with skill.

What chinese meal is complete without a fortune? This one makes me think of Team CILT.

"All my dreams are coming true!"

After two car rides, two planes, one airtrain, two subway trains and a short walk I made it to Sarah Fitzpatrick's apt in New York City!

Sarah is one of my oldest and best camp friends. We met the summer we were CILTs and started on staff in 2004. During our camp years we were counselors in the LV, coords together in 2007, and CILT partners in the Longhouse in 2008.  She is also one of the coolest people I know and easily the best tour guide I've ever had in D.C. and Chicago. I've been so excited for this trip.

I braved the subway system by myself from the airport, which I was very proud of, and was so excited to see her week-old apartment right away. We didn't waste anytime getting into the city.

Our first stop was the Shake Shack right in the middle of a park two blocks away.

I loved watching everyone's outfit while we waited in line. Best cheeseburgers, fries, and shakes in NYC.

Weather.com told us today would be the only sunny day of my visit so we knew exploring Central Park was a priority. We hiked a good 30 blocks through the park up paths, over rocks, and around lakes. I swear the whole park is a movie set. Everytime we turned a corner I said, "OH MY GOSH! THIS IS WHERE THEY FILMED [fill in the blank]!"

This is where JLo walks during Maid in Manhattan.

This was beautiful. While we were walking through there was a violinist serenading us. I love that the musicians everywhere.

I know this fountain is part of a movie too but I can't figure it out. I want to say they ride bikes around it... maybs that's wrong. Help me out people.

Emily and Kata  have told me that   they think is the fountain from Hitch when Will Smith's lip is extra fat. Kath  commented, "I know that Elf, One Fine Day, and Enchanted all had scenes at the Bethesda Fountain. Not sure about Nanny Diaries."  Peanut knew it was in Enchanted too. Mags thinks its in Home Alone 2 and  Enchanted. MaryKate said it's also in 500 Days of Summer. Annie said it's in Stuart Little 2, Godspell, and When in Rome but I'm pretty sure that movie happens in Rome. And Beef figured out the movie with the bike- Mr. Deeds! You guys are great. Are these  other places in more than one movie?

This is part of 27 dresses when the sisters are talking about where the wedding ceremony should be. Look over our shoulders to the right...

Remember their parents got married her and the sister wants to have her's there too. There were paddle boats out on the lake and so many tourists (yes, like me) taking their picture.

I really flipped out when we walked up to this castle. It's from Step-Mom when Julia Roberts is doing the Rapunzel photo shoot in the park and the kids have to wait for her and are so bored.

You can climb up in the castle! I thought it was hilarious that they had signs posted that you can't have weddings or cameras on tripods in the castle.

This is THE window Rapunzel leans out of for the shoot. Oh. My. Gosh. So exciting.

Fitz and I were discussing how appropriate it is to take pictures of strangers and she told me about how she had learned in Columbia Journalism classes that it is fine to take pictures of anyone in a public place. Just then we approached this brigade of bladers in some type of club or class. I gave Fitz my camera and told her to go be a journalist.

I'm obsessed with these pictures. Children. Blading 4 Life. A little Manhattan child with a dog who really wish she were blading instead.

Can you see the coach in the back cheering on the girl in the pink? She was telling him that she had fallen and he told her, "Oh, but you did it so well."

Pretty sure this ring around the lake is where Charlotte runs in Sex and the City when she decides to run again while she's pregnant. I told Fitz she should probs run and she took off racing this runner girl.

Fitz didn't stop after I took the picture either, but just kept going and was so proud she won. In boots.

For a few months I've been saying that I don't have a Twitter yet because I'm getting one on Spring Break. Today it happened. I can now tweet. Oh goodness. I'm not sure if this a good thing yet.

The NYC subway system is a little bit crazy. I love all the musicians. Late tonight we had a moment singing along with a woman playing guitar while we waited for our train.

We ran into an Aunt of one of Sar's friends and this dear child Maya. She crawled her way through a crowded subway car to get to us. She's a treasure.

Tonight was the first game of the season for Fitzie's new kickball league. Her friend Betty (far left) organized the team and was so excited that I could sub in tonight. Small world- Betty and I both went to Camp Jewell in Connecticut as children, so great.

p.s. Michael Kraft's twin was on another kickball team. We saw him across the courts when we first arrived jumping around, cheering, and occasionally playing hopscotch while in the outfield. I momentarily thought maybs Kraft forgot to tell us he was coming to the city.

Pre-game huddle. This group of people was hilarious and I wish I could come back to play agin. The Kicksters were outnumbered tonight and we may have lost 0-20 but we put up a really enthusiastic fight.

Giant slices of pepperoni pizza and Diet Coke on the run. Could I possibly imagine a better dinner? I don't think so.

Jay, Fitz's friend from HS in London, has a band that plays every Wednesday on the lower East side. I loved meeting this group of Minnesotan friends and hearing the band play.

 

"Holy sweet nibblits, good job!"

I'm so thankful for another day of Spring Break in Indy- late-sleeping, tv-watching, frozen pizza-eating, blog-writing, letter-returning, and couch-sitting. Strange additions included changing my oil and having a fashion show with Sar when we packed for our trips (her to Newbergh and me to NYC).

All that my Indy Spring Break was missing was a dinner with all the camp girls. So a few texts later we found everyone that could make it at McAllister's.

Unofficial meeting of the FBC. 

Emily Chase is demonstrating her Rebecca Black app- buttons that play different parts of the song "Friday" that can all be pushed simultaneously. Emily told us about how she warms up her feet in the sink every morning and how she sat on her stairs for 45 minutes the other day without her phone or anything. Just sat there. When she got her cartilage pierced she yelled, "My name is Emily Chase. My name is Emily Chase. My name is Emily Chase," over and over again because that's just what she does.

Everyone told stories about their Spring Breaks- Niki visited Georgetown Cupcakes, Emily rode a zipline in the Dominican Republic, Avery attempted windsurfing, Molls and Carly went to Siesta Key.

After rain the past few days I decided that taking some pictures outside was necessary. Everyone loves a good jumping picture...

and a candid...

and a smiling...

Since it was Spring Break it just seemed like the proper thing to do was to go get some frozen yogurt at Huddles. I'm sitting at the table with Molls and Niki when I recognize the girls who walks in. "Oh my gosh, I know that girl! I was friends with her when I was a camper," I told them. Not sure if she would remember me I yelled her name. Katie turned around and recognized me right away, "Oh my gosh! Hi!"

We talked for a minute before she got her yogurt and then she came right back to sit with us.

When Arielle and I were little we would sign up for clinics every week and play with all the real campers all day long. Every week we would befriend a few of the people in our clinics. Katie was one of those kids. We think we were in country line dancing together. I remember hanging out during trading post time--Katie and her friend Tessa running around telling "your momma" jokes to all the counselors and Arielle and I thinking they were hilarious.

That was 10 years ago. Now she's 20 and a student at Anderson and IUPUI (and she saw me on campus last week but didn't know if I'd remember her).

Tonight we laughed like a day hadn't passed.

We told her that I take a lot of pictures because of Overlap and that she would get used to it. She thought it was strange that I just kept taking pictures of her. It's normal. We played the "Oh do you know...? Do you remember when we...?" game and she told us insider Huddles information since she works there.

Molls attacked me when Mags called. Hm... nice Molls.

Molls and I traveled over to Target where we ran into Katie AGAIN and then all walked around together like we had planned it. I love that you can just tell some people are meant to be you friends whether you're 14 or 24 years old.