Day 10 Shopping, Shopping, and More Shopping

Yes I got to go shopping by myself, without an escort. I had a great time, although I have to admit it would have been more fun with a daughter. Steve stayed back at the apartment and had a lazy day. He tried to work on putting our new vacation rental out on the web, but discovered I had been the one to do that in the past. I had forgotten it was me, so I told him to do it. So now I get to do that on my off time here. But as Amy has reminded me a small price to pay for being here!

Anyway, my goal for the day (yes sad to say I can't just enjoy the day and go with the flow, I have to have a goal and a plan) was to go to the fun places I couldn't stop at with Steve, and then to some places Rebecca and Lizzie recommended, and then if I had the energy to go to the fashion district. The night before I planned my route, figured out all the trains, transfers and etc. Lizzie will appreciate this more than the rest of you.

I went to the Cake supply store first and boy was that cool! I am glad I still don't decorate cakes or I would have spent a fortune in there, instead I bought a few cute cookie cutters for tea parties, some racks for my pressure canner, some sprinkles(they have them in every color under the sun!!!, and some cute candles if Jake and Lyndsey want to use them for a b-day cake. They look like color crayons. I saw some car candles too that I wanted to get for Tanner, but decided to order them on line later if Lizzie wanted them.

After that back on the train to the paper store. At first I thought this is nice, nice and expensive!! But as I traveled through the store, I found some nice gifts and some neat watercolor cards, the kind you paint on yourself. I was so excited, I got all inspired and wanted to change plans and go to the metropolitan museum of art instead. But that would mean too much work, so I stayed with the plan. I left there very happy.

Next back on the subway I went to the "Village" and spent my life savings on some olive oil that I am very excited about. Some for making bread, one for cooking fish-it is infused with lemon, yum, yum, and one with basil. I hope I wasn't fed a line, but to me they did taste different, Steve thought I was nuts of course. Oh well, it was fun!! Because we took the walking tour, I got them 10% off and free shipping. She said if I wanted to order more I can always get the 10% off because of the tour I was on. I am going to research when I get home to see if I was taken to the cleaners or if what she said was true. For those interested, you can talk to me on the phone about it. One thing she did say though, is Olive oil is only good for about a year to a year and a half if stored in a cool dark place.

Then I ate a nummy vegetarian, hummus san on whole wheat bread. Got to keep my hippie roots close. After looking at more scones than I have seen in a long time, I couldn't resist. After my san I ate a cherry scone made with cream mmmmmmm........ I was getting tired by now, but I still wanted to go to the fashion district. So off to the trains (subway) I went again.

I got back up to the street and I asked two different people which way to 7th ave, and after I had walked almost 3 long ny blocks, I could see 5th ave. By now I was starting to think this isn't worth it. The fashion district is on 7th ave. another 3 blocks back. Now the math might not add up, but there is Broadway in between at the spot I was at. As I was walking back towards 7th, I noticed a Banana Republic store. It sucked me in. It was the biggest Banana Republic I had ever been in. It had two floors, both larger than a regular store with the men and womens on the same floor. The first day we were in Ny I saw a suit in the window from the top of our double decker bus. I wanted it badly. I found it and of course they had the two of the pieces in my size,but not the jacket. I tried on several other things, found a pretty lilac blouse on sale, left a sad girl. The sales clerk looked on the computer for the jacket at the other 8 or so stores in Manhattan, and I noticed one of them wasn't very far from where we are staying. Soooo I thought, if I had the energy, and time I would stop on the way home. By now I was tired and discouraged. I had wanted to walk up 7th ave. Well, what should I run into but an Ann Taylor loft. I went in there and did find a couple of things but mostly was reminded that I like Ann Taylor better than the Loft. I think I will quit trying at the Loft. By now I was really tired and we had a dinner appt, so I thought I will just go home. I looked at my watch and thought I have just enough time to go to the other Banana Republic. So off I went on another train. They had the whole suit, but it was too low for Steve, I knew that w/o showing it to him, after a full 30 min of sales clerks (3 of them) tried to find a way to make it work, I was starting to give up, then I looked carefully at the suit and realized these were all young girls, and didn't understand that this was truly a vintage style suit and I could put a scarf, or something with it that would work. So very excitedly and in a hurry I grabbed my suit, and another blouse that was on sale and literally walked as fast as I could out the store and to the subway. I made it back a happy, tired girl that was very grateful we were going out to dinner. It had been a great fun diverse shopping day.

Steve and I then went to dinner at the French Culinary Institute Restaurant. It was quiet, and beautiful. I liked my dinner quite a bit, I loved my dessert. I had an arugala salad with pine nuts, stuffed tomatoes with couscous topped with a light lemon dressing. I have decided that I like arugala alot, and that lemon dressing is the cool new dressing. Steve ordered a corn soup that I thought was delicious, but he didn't like at all, so they brought him a salad also. We both slicked our plates clean. There was more bread in the bread basket than I have ever seen. I ordered Pork chops since I don't normally have them, spicy roasted mashed potatoes, with a nummy jalapeno muffin. Mine was all very tasty, but the pork chop was tough. I think they should take a lesson from Tyler, I watched him make some that looked like "butter" to quote an late 80's phrase. Steve made the huge mistake he is never going to make again, he ordered Salmon. Every time he does that he says he will never do it again. I have to admit, I tasted it and it wasn't very tasty and was also fishy. Our desserts though were to die for. Mine was a passion fruit cheesecake with a hazelnut crust. mmmmmmm Steve ordered Creme Brule. Also mmmmmmmm! Instead of a dinner mint we each were given a croissant for later. Also mmmm. Besides all the food we sat by a very fun and fascinating couple. They were probably just about our age or maybe a little younger. They still had kids at home, the man was Black, the woman was white and French. She said that in France it is all about the food. I thought we must have some French blood in us some where. We had so much fun talking to them. We were actually eating our dessert when she commented on your dads, dessert. Our tables were very close together. We talked all about France, Oregon, our lives it was really fun.

It was a very wonderful day. I went to bed very tired but having had a great day.