Run

J and I run. I have the disease and I've infected her, I think. We aren't the short short wearing runners you see effortlessly gliding like a gazelle in the distance, we are the average looking, hard working runner - we run to say we've run, to eat what we would like (sometimes) and to just get out there, see the world (or middle America) and say we've done it. I would like to say I've done a loop around Central Park and well we might have to, as I am preparing for a marathon, an if we find a hotel without a treadmill that I can haul my tired self onto a 5am I'm going to be in trouble....

Central Park is the runners mecca, it's up there on the things for non-NYC runners to do, on the same list with qualify for Boston, run London etc., or maybe that's just my list... So yes if I could have my heart's desire we would get a good hotel close to Central Park and we'd cover my daily 6-10 miles before we hit the streets.

Photo: Paula Radcliffe (winner of the NYC marathon) http://www.flickr.com/photos/casadedarnoc/1875472306/

Enjoy Earth Day - Eat a BIG APPLE

Here's what the nice folks of NYC are doing for Earth Day today (or Administrative Personnel day, as S&P called it.):



See New Yorkers celebrating Earth Day today:


...And at the first Earth Day, 1970:

Shoes? Bah I can't believe I'm saying this but

I'm in a shoe rut, I'm dried out shoe wise, it's temporary don't worry my lovelies. I know that it is my bank accounts way of ensuring I do not go shopping before NYC, though I have to say I saw this lovely convertable dress... anyways back to my shoes. I love shoes, I must not go all bi-polar on this issue too, *yogic breathing* I would have to say as much as I love pom poms and all that I love a good classic shoe, the kind Ms. Von Tesse pulls off. So in honor of her and the shoes (the red ones) I wish I had for an upcoming party I will be attending in an attempt to *cough* seduce *cough* someone, these:

Events

Following on a previous post, it occurs to me that we should figure out what's on in NYC the week we are there. The following is from an Events page - it's suspiciously short, given it's a city with a bazillion residents, you'd think there would be more going on in the spring...

Ladies and Gentleman, we may be able to attend the New York Dachshund Festival. OOOoooo SQUEEEE! This makes our visit even more worthwhile. Really. OH! And S&P, we could take in the Fertility and Adoption conference... because that's what two women in their late 20s wanted to do with their vacation to New York. Really.

All kidding aside, I'm hoping we get to the International Food Festival and the Washington Square Public Art Exhibit. If anyone out there has access to a more complete look at public events coming up in NYC in May, please let us know by leaving a comment. Thanks!

May

• Great Five Boro Bike Tour
• As the nation’s largest cycling event, the Great Five Boro Bike Tour attracts some 30,000 competitors to weave through the five boroughs on a 42-mile course. For more information, call (212) 932-0778.
• New York Jets Taste of the NFL Benefit
• The New York Jets sponsors an annual dinner in early May each year hosted by local 5-star restaurants, where guests can meet past and present football legends and participate in a silent auction, with proceeds benefiting programs that fight hunger. The specific restaurant venue may vary from year to year. Call (212) 485-8050 for more information.
• Ninth Avenue International Food Festival
• May transforms portions of Ninth Avenue from 37th to 5th street into one of New York's best street fairs. Call (212) 581-7217 for more information.
• Artists for the African Rainforest
• Celebrating a night for artists as well as Africa, the $500 per person fundraiser benefits men, women, and children of the Eastern Arc Mountains. Awards to activists are also announced. Call (212) 431-5508 for more information.
• Family Matters: National Fertility and Adoption Conference
• Hosted by the American Fertility Association, Family Matters: The National Fertility and Adoption Conference is the largest annual event of its kind. More than three dozen workshops are led by top physicians and healthcare professionals, providing fresh perspective on in vitro fertilization (IVF), female and male factor infertility, ovum donation, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), blastocyst transfer, alternative medicine, urology, adoption issues, and more. An exhibit hall features IVF programs, egg donor-surrogacy programs, urologists, and others. Meet face-to-face, ask, and learn. Call (212) 714-3537 for more information.
• Spring Dachshund Festival
• Every May, Washington Square Park hosts a party for Dachshunds and their owners, sponsored by the Dachshund Friendship Club. Call (212) 475-5512 for more information.
• Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit
• For more than 70 years, the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit has featured some 250 artists in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village. Call (212) 982-6255 for more information.
• Art & Literacy Street Fair
• Maria Hernandez Park hosts a procession of children singing and dancing around the park at this street fair sponsored by the Coalition for Hispanic Family Services Arts and Literacy Program. Call (718) 497-6090 for more information.

However - I seem to have hit a sort of paydirt with Google Calendar - which the New York Parks and Recreation department uses to post all public events scheduled in its parks. Lucky us, it's so packed with events it's hard to read!

New York Minute: Art, Hula Hoops and Public Exhibitions

I'm re-naming the just-named "New York Reminder of the Day" to New York Minute.

Because I'm cliche'd like that - and maybe slightly nostalgic for the pre-anorexia-drugs-and-rock-and-roll teen extravaganza film by the-olsen-twins-turned-mary-kate-and-ashley , New York Minute, in which MK&A take over manhattan pretending to be real grown-ups. Or I'm just being ironic. Don't ya think?

In any case, I came across this on the innertoobs and thought it was a perfect New York Minute:

Storefront opens Hula-hoop dome

New York’s iconoclastic Storefront for Art and Architecture is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a 26-day sequence of nightly events taking place beneath a lighted dome constructed out of white hula hoops. Built in Petrosino Park, a tiny sliver of green sandwiched between Soho and Little Italy, adjacent to the Storefront’s Kenmare Street location, the pavilion was designed by Korean architect Minsuk Cho and from a distance looks as if the moon has suddenly made a guest appearance in Manhattan.

I confess that after I got all excited about posting this, I realized the date on it was 2007, so the 25th anniversary they speak of is now a 27th anniversary and likely to not inspire construction of an outdoor geodesic dome made of lit hula hoops. Undaunted, I say - this is one of the things I'm looking forward to the most for our visit to NYC in the spring - we will be there at a ripe time for outdoor exhibitions, displays, performances, and architecture (arguably, most of architecture is outdoors, no?), and hopefully at just the right time for great weather.

I envision strolling through central park, stopping to admire some street artist's work, going to the craft and veggie markets on the Wednesday and Saturday, and finding the out-of-the-way galleries that do crazy things like this.

New York - I expect thee to surprise me. Do not disappoint!


(Just for fun, here's a clip of the aforementioned New York Minute featuring La MK&A. Enjoy - don't deny it. I know you will.)

Shoes, Shoes and More Shoes...

Shoes make me happy. They make me happy because feet always remain the same size, they do not cause muffins, VPL's or any unfortunately creasing. The right pair of pumps push up, bump out and make you walk and look well, like a woman, and is that so bad? Sure I will admit I've had my fair share of walking barefoot with pumps in hand(where's a guy to carry you when you need them), bleeding ankles (those shoes got donated after that night...) and lost toenails (the same pair I walked barefoot with - and I still own them, they're red peep toe stilettos I searched too long for them to give them up) amongst other tragedies... none so great though as being told by Dr. K that I had to choose, give up heels or running. It is the only thing I've ever fought with a doctor on, and it's even in the consult letter - don't worry we're still friends and I still baulk at him every time he says it.

Shoes though for two years of my life made sad, and they still do at times when I think about where they come from. I have to say I was a vegan, you can say whateveryouwant for me jumping ship. See the thing is I still really prefer not to buy animal products (or eat them) when it comes to my clothes. You will not see me in furs or leather or with a leather purse. But I do have leather shoes, primarily because I just can't afford Stella's shoes or Natalie's line. But we can look right? Above is a beautiful pair (peep toe, pompom and T-strap all on one shoe!!) from Natalie Portman's line available in Soho...

New York Reminder of the Day: Sexy pick-me-ups (and Miranda)

The first ladies of NYC, the Sex In the City girls, get their groove back on when Miranda finally finds she fits back into her pre-pregnancy skinny jeans. In honor of S&P's passion for hot shoes and jeans, here is the clip.

I am S&P and I am addicted to shoes... but just look at them!

So I think we've made it very clear that I have an issue/addiction/obsession with gorgeous shoes, and so on that note J has requested that I start posting all the shoes (generalized) that I would love to procure. Numero Uno on that list is these - the real McCoy, a pair of Louboutin platform, almond toe, animal print pumps. Why because I believe that these are possibly sexier than a pair of boots. I know that just about every man I know would disagree, and thus why I do own a pair of boots and not these shoes, yet. I will not be buying these shoes because, well there are many other to be purchased as well, but their lower end counterpart will not go unloved. I was trying explain this need for these shoes to J, that they represent a guaranteed sexy pick me up. These are for me the thing that a manicure, a pair of skinny jeans (Sex in the City - Miranda) or one of the numerous other weapons women hide in their repertoire for that special real date, I loathe my JLo day or I can't believe my barista didn't give me my regular free latte, my flirting mojo has lost me day. That and well most days I feel too Audrey for my liking and not enough Marilyn, maybe that rocks some men's boats and even women, but it doesn't do it for me and I hope these shoes do it for someone, as I need all the help I can get.

New York Reminder of the Day: The Guggenheim

** Reminder of the day is a feature in which we obsessively document the daily reminders of our upcoming trip to New York. Enjoy the minutiae!

J was reading National Geographic today (because that's what she's like, folks. She reads National Geographic.) and we noticed a small article and photo of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, better known as the Guggenheim - one of New York's famed museums.

The Goog, as I have decided to call it, is famed from roles in recent movies such as
The International (in which it was the location for a massive, 20-minute-long shootout starring the luscious Clive Owen), and as the site of an extra-terrestrial manhunt by the slightly less luscious Will Smith in Men in Black. It was opened by Solomon R. Guggenheim as a permanent home for modern, contemporary and post-impressionist works of art. The Building itself is also a work of art whose spiral design done by Frank Lloyd Wright is recognizable by people around the world.

Coincidentally, there are also some important pieces of art and culture in this museum, collections by Cezanne, Gauguin, Picasso, Monet, among others. See current collections.

What I would love to do is go to one of their Art After Dark parties, taking place on the first friday of the month, mixing fashionable people, fashionable art, drinks, and the best DJs and town. Sounds like a rave for the young intelligentsia.... perfect for J and J. However - sadly, this event is over until the fall. ARG!

Play Ball!

While my band loving Aussie was away this weekend, I found myself listening to a lot of sports talk radio - I guess the silence was getting to me. Surprise! It's baseball season starting now, or more accurately yesterday. Now I know J hates hockey and I have no love for any New York teams, especially the Rangers since they took the cup from us... but I was wondering why not a baseball game. It's Yankee Stadium, I mean just think how many dates we might be able to swing in the future J if we say we made sure we made sure we were there to see the boys play. Now I will admit I think it's about the most boring of the sports games, and I really only will watch the playoff if the Jays are playing and well that hasn't happened in eons so, it hasn't happened in this decade. But it's the Yankee's it as quintessential as Lady Liberty... I know my argument is weak but let's say I might be willing to give up Saks and maybe Bloomingdales...

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/seth_holladay/181599940/