I've Thought About Cutting It...

...but then I saw the pictures on the sidebar and decided he can rock the long hair look better than a shaved head.

Vocab at the D's home

I walked into the room as Bill was helping Kyra study for a vocabulary test she was having tomorrow. The room stunk, Bill had, well, passed gas. And the party had just started.

B: Unjulate
K: I don't know.
B: This was Larry's word. He said it on the golf course all the time. He would look at the course and say he didn't like the unjulation. He didn't like all the waves on the course.
K: OK
B: To move in a wavelike motion, smoothly.

B: aupicious
H: It's something your parents are not.
K: Oh, kay...
H: we're not favored by fortune or rich, we're not promised success.

K: Mom, how do you pronounce this word (assuage). Our teacher asked the class and a lot of people said "a sausage".
H: ah-sawj (That's how I'd write it anyway not like the dictionary puts it down)
B: assuage
H: it sounds like "massage"... think about that word
B: to make milder or less severe
H: see, when you massage someone it makes them hurt less (eventually)

B: ascertain
K: what?
B: ass-cer-tain
H: you make it sound like it has something to do with your ass
K: (laughs) it's not even spelt like that, dad
B: it means to find out definitely
H: well, we know for sure that the smell earlier came out of your ascertain

Good Bye, NYC

It wasn't until this weekend that I took the subway and bus maps out of my purse, making it official that my New York dream was officially over. It was a good 5 days, sweet city, I'll see you again soon. I promise.

On that note, I've updated the picture posts that I put up by adding the who's and where's that they were. I took a TON more pictures, but may just decide to scrapbook them all since I doubt that anyone really needs to see 10 pictures of Central Park, obscure on location shots from my favorite romatic comedies, or address fronts of buildings that not even I cared about, but was in the neighborhood so I figured I might as well get a shot.

10 St Marks Place

This is the Huxtable residence, from The Cosby Show. Interestingly enough, unlike Friends and Seinfield, they actually filmed The Cosby Show in New York. (on a sound stage in Astoria, to be exact) I say, "interestingly" because this show really only took place inside their house. They didn't meet friends at any NY locations, nor did they refer to the city during many of the episodes. I will say that there is a nice little park JUST accross the street, so when Theo and Cockroach went out to shoot hoops, there really wasn't very far to go.

66 Perry Street

These are Carrie's steps from Sex in the City. Well they aren't ALL of her steps because there is a chain across the bottom of the stairs with a sign that says, "no tresspassing". I kid you not. It kind of ruins a picture if you are posing people in front of the place, which is what some other people were doing as I arrived. This happened to be one of only 2 buildings that I went to that were on other people's tourist locations. (I kind of met up with these same people and others at the Friends building).

Corner of Groove and Bedford, in the village

Yep, this is the Friends building (90 Bedford), home to all the friends at one point or another, except for Ross unless you count the time he lived with his grandma (or something like that). I took another picture of the building across the street where "ugly naked guy" would have lived. Let's just say that it would have taken an extremely long poking device to see if he was dead, but totally doable- there are a couple of trees between the buildings so I don't think anyone would have noticed the poker.

While walking from this building to the Huxtables I found several other interesting sites:

• Chumleys (86 Bedford), a former speak easy that apparently had a secret entrance. It was gone, completely gutted with barricades around it. Looks like the police finally shut the place down.
• The Narrowest Home in Manhattan (75 1/2 Bedford). It's seriously 9 1/2 feet wide. Home to an old poet or something. I took a picture of the plaque outside so I'd know for later.
• A delish bakery where I bought a piece of crusty bread to take to my aunt later. I ended up eating it when I realized I wasn't going to get my pastrami sandwich and that my aunt was in a grouchy mood.
• A Hardware Store (in the village, somewhere). They close at 8:30 on the weekdays, earlier on Friday and Saturday.

205 E Houston Street

Maybe I should have shown the inside of this place, but I didn't get the best shot once in. They hand you a ticket on your way inside and it is super duper busy. There are something like 5 deli guys taking orders and the ticket giver kind of gets annoyed when people are standing around and tries to get everyone to file in and get in a line. This shoving kind of worked to my advantage, however, as I noticed that the pastrami sandwich I had been wanting was $15.95. Well, for that price, I can see why Sally made such a scene in the place during a nice discussion in When Harry Met Sally. And, since I'm a big Harry/Sally nerd, I will point out that the lady that says, "I want what she's having" is Rob Reiner's mom and, since she's already sitting, would have already placed her order.

So what did I order? Not a thing. I made my way to the back, went to the bathroom, tried to nonchalantly take a picture of the place, and then exited, returning my ticket to the kind cashier in the booth. I decided this was done often enough since my ticket actually said, "please return your ticket upon exiting, whether used or unused". I imagine they're just keeping track of how many crazies go through the place. If I had been with Bill or something, I probably would have stayed and forked out the money. Next time, for sure.

Washington Square Park

Ah, the arch at Washington Square Park (5th Ave and 6th St).  I can now say that I've been there.  This park is used for a lot of filming.  Most recently I saw Ronald McDonald and some kids running around in front of it.  There is (or was, I didn't see it) a corner of the park with chess tables where they filmed Searching for Bobby Fischer. Harry goes running by the park on New Years Eve when he decides he loves Sally, but this is also the first NYC scene from When Harry Met Sally. Sally pulls up to the arch to let Harry out, they shake hands, and don't see each other for another 5 years.

I'd go back. It's a nice little park and easy to walk from end to end. There is a fountain in the middle that kids can run around without you losing site of them, plenty of seating, a playground, some food vendors, and several musicians and performers positioned strategically throughout the park.

89th and Central Park West (32 W 89th St)

When I was looking up movie/tv sites in NY City, this was the only residence that I really cared about finding. I mean seriously, outside of this one picture, I could not have identified a single one of the pictures that I took without having been there and told what it was. I absolutely love, love, LOVE the winding steps to this brownstone and can picture Sally lecturing Harry that "you don't have to show every emotion you have the second you have it." This argument happens as the two of them are helping Jess and Marie set up their new place in When Harry Met Sally. Moments after Harry and Sally make up, Jess comes down the steps with his stupid wagon wheel coffee table.

(I feel so New Yorker-y, having used the term "brownstone" appropriately there.)

91st and W End Ave

Mr. Pitt lived in this doorman patroled, ivy covered fancy building.  Elaine worked for him during a season of Seinfeld. I was way across the street when I took this picture and it was the only time that a real New Yorker said anyting to me while I was snapping a shot. He told me that a squirrel lived in the ivy and that you could see him come out almost every night. Those west siders sure are friendly.

328 W 89th Street

So many emails were composed behind this door, and so many witty conversations took place in this apartment. It wasn't until the end of the movie that Meg Ryan came bouncing down these steps, off to meet NY152 for the first time, that you got a good look at the place from this angle. (It would, however, be the wrong way for her to walk if she was headed to Riverside park.) The opening credits of You've Got Mail really give this neighborhood and the front of this apartment a great deal of charm. Watch closely as it changes from animation to real life and see the jogger move from digitization to real form as he runs. So cool!

I seriously love this movie SO MUCH! I spent 2 days strolling around the upper west side, trying to soak in the atmosphere that Nora Ephron tried to portray that there are parts of Manhattan that are just neighborhoods. SO TRUE! I giggled at myself as I found the Starbucks Kathleen and Joe bought their coffee at, walked down the sidewalk that they nearly crossed paths on, stood up eating a hot dog where they set their final date before she found out who he really was and...(I can't believe I'm admitting this, I'm such a romantic comedy junkie!) located several spots that I feel inspired the movie, it's bookstore, the nut shop, etc. Oh, what a delightful 2 days!

83rd between Amsterdam and Broadway

I was delighted to show up and find that this little place, Cafe Lalo, was just as quaint as it appeared in the movie, You've Got Mail. I believe they actually did film inside this restaurant, and there is a cute little ding on the door as you walk in. Can you picture Tom Hanks shaking the railing declaring, "I.knew.she.would.be." after his friend told her that his date was beautiful? Probably not, I'm the only that can quote the majority of that movie. Anyway, although this might not be the best place to bring kids for lunch, there is a children's museum right across the street they may enjoy (Monday is reserved for school groups).

112th and Broadway

This was the first place I went on this trip to New York. Not because I was that excited to go, but mainly because I'd been on two different airplanes (neither of which served any kind of food, not even salty nuts or stale pretzles) and I was hungry. I was all set to order Elaine's "big salad", but was disappointed when it wasn't on the menu. The inside wasn't at all like Monk's is on Seinfeld, but there are a bunch of Seinfeld pictures all over one wall. None of this was disappointing to me in any way, mind you, I am just stating facts. I enjoyed my eggplant sandwich, but have had better right here in Scottsdale at Delfalco's. It is the atmosphere that I always appreciate while on vacation anywhere. At one point, the Greek owner hurriedly filled my water glass as several servers (all male) leaned back to watch the NY Knicks inevitably beat the Miami Heat. It is so entertaining to watch any NY sporting event around true New Yorkers. If you have time, head east down 112th and go into the church at the end of the street. My aunt says it's gorgeous inside.

But seriously, how can you look at this sign and not be singing in your head the little "bu-duh-dum-du-dum-duh" jingle that intro's some stupid conversation that will undoubtedly ensue?

I'm back...but really I'm gone

I don't know if I've been too busy to blog, or just haven't had anything good to blog about, but I've been reluctant to do it lately. It's always fun and rewarding when you know people are reading and commenting, or if you're just trying to journal something to remember. This post here is actually just a little set up post for what is to come...my journey of movie and TV sites in NYC. And because swyping on this phone of mine is painstakingly slow compared to my semi awesome keyboarding skills, it will be pictures only and I'll fill in the details later. If anyone is out there and wants to take a guess at the site, or leave me a quote from the movie or episode, feel free. Your choices are: Seinfeld, Friends, Sex and the City, You've Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally, Serendipity, Enchanted, Big... and probably many other that share filming locations.