I Phone

I' m blogging in places I never thought possible thanks to Mark and this nifty new phone. I've taken the giant leap from Verizon to AT&T and so far I'm impressed. I'm looking forward to all the neat extras and apps available to download for free. There's nothing more I enjoy than free crap.
On another note, thank you presidents- or whoever is responsible for today's blessing ( a day off)! I wouldn't go as far as to say I was productive but I sure had fun making a big mess with some paint.

Flower Bed

     This weekend really flew by. Thank goodness I have tomorrow off!  My best friend Brittany from Rome came to see us and brought her little dog, Sophie to visit Gus!  We had a great time doing lots of fun things.  We spent a lot of time in the yard, went to the movies and out to supper with my brother, Garrett, and his wife, Tori.  

     My weekend fun began Friday afternoon.  I got off work early and literally "dug in".  Let me first say that Mark totally doubted my gardening skills before this weekend; he under-estimated my abilities.  After some persuasion, he agreed to me yanking up a few shrubs in the front and replacing them with some border grass and a few flowers. Several blisters and a sweaty bra later... taa daa!

     Mark said a few days earlier that the project "had" to be completed in one day.  When I asked why, he told me the homeowners association wouldn't like it if we didn't.  I was caught off guard. My rebuttal, "What? Who is the HOA?!?". Mark just grinned and pointed to himself.  Right away, I knew I had to do it well- no problem- and do it quickly.

    Friday afternoon I removed the shrubs, weeded bought a few plants and prepared the bed.  Saturday I purchased more and planted everything with the help of Mark and Britt.  It was definitely a job as small as the flower bed is.  However, I'm extremely happy with how it turned out.  I'm so happy with it. Thank you baby and thank you Britt for all your help! I love you guys:)  

My handsome husband watering our new grass and flowers!

 

 Good friends help you garden!!

 Brittany helping out:)  The one woman "clean-up crew."

The weather was so nice this weekend.  I had an awesome job working outside. 

Traveling New York

     We actually got a great deal on airfare to NYC which was awesome. We arrived at LaGuardia in the early afternoon and took a cab to the hotel. We'd been told to take a taxi- we'd come out better in the long run versus shuttles or a town car. The taxi cost us ~$40 to the hotel in midtown, which wasn't horrible considering the bridge we crossed into the city was a toll bridge.
     We walked from the east side to west side across Manhattan on our first day. Covering so much ground made us realize we'd be exhausted by the end of the trip if we didn't get smart with the subway transit quickly. Mark and I both purchased a Metrocard for ~$28 bucks each. We enjoyed unlimited subway transit for that price!
     Some people where sharing a single card; however, a family in front of us were sharing and after two attempts the subways gates locked and blocked the next person using the same card from passing through. Seeing this, we decided it was fair enough to pay the price for two and not have to worry about being denied access.
      The hilarious thing was that so many native New Yorkers were disregarding and jumping over subway entry gates. I wasn't exactly stunned, but found I it very amusing. Others just opened the emergency exit door that led to a siren that alarmed gate attendants that just paid little to no attention to the occurrence. This made me a question... If I lived here would I pay fare or just jump the gate??? (Mentally picturing myself jumping over and busting my knee cap in the process.)
     Once arriving to the general vicinity by subway, we walked the streets. So definitely be prepared to do some major walking if you don't want to fork out the dough for a cab! Nonetheless, they're some of the most beautifully busy streets you'll ever experience. Most people you pass are on mission and have somewhere to be 5 minutes ago or are tourists trying to maneuver the city just as you are.  
       

New York City

     Mark and I traveled to the city for a mini vacation this past week.  I'm going to post a few entries chronicling our adventures in NYC.  Our flight out of Valdosta saved time and money by us not driving to and parking at Jacksonville International Airport.  Props to my amazing husband for planning the trip and for finding a great deal on the tickets! Travel was easy enough- besides making the mistake of wearing a hoodie while flying. I was patted down in the airport for looking suspicious. It supplied Mark with a few good laughs at least- well worth it he'd say.
     We flew into LaGuardia and caught a taxi into the city. The hotel was nice but smaller than your average hotel room.  We stayed in midtown and were within short walking distance of a subway entry.  We walked from one side of Manhattan to the other on our first day, but quickly realized that we needed to figure out the subway system for the remainder or the trip. We did and it proved to be a huge relief, shooting us from one place to another.  
     NYC is remarkable, so vibrant with city lights burning 24/7. Taxis sprinkled the streets with yellow looking down from above.  Subway trains rushed through tunnels pumping passengers from one stop to the next just like veins carry blood from organ to organ. The city was a giant- so full of life with its own pulse- never sleeping. Manhattan was incredibly busy and thrilling.
    The next few posts will  lend sound advice to those planning a trip to New York City and hopefully will make someone else's trip more enjoyable.