My Last Week of Retirement

Monday started with a trip to Richmond ,Va. to help Lindsay move. She needed me by 9:00am. We moved, unpacked, put together 2 pieces of furniture (with lots of bad words on my part), and hung all her pictures. She only told me I was yelling at her twice. That is a record. At 5:00pm on Tuesday I collected a chopped salad and a carnivore pizza at Sette, (www.settepizza.com/) The food was great even 1 1/2 hours later. The crust was crispy and the roasted tomato sauce was an extra touch. The balsamic dressing was some of the best.

Wednesday was perfect. I packed and talked to friends. So many called, I would be real sad except I am coming back to all the great people in my life.

Thursday morning I was up at the BUTT CRACK OF DAWN. Steve takes me to Starbucks to meet Cindy. She must be a great friend to get me to the airport this early. The trip was uneventful, no flats or traffic.

New York airport, not pretty but who cares my luggage is here. I am on my way to my apartment. The taxi cab is so New York. Will not speak to me because he stays on his phone the entire time. He tries to let me off 2 blocks from my apartment, with 70Lbs. of luggage, NOT. He than backs up 2 blocks on a one way street in lunch hour traffic. Then he wants to be friendly.
My new home, 160 Bleecker St. for 2 1/2 months. This place was not as advertized. Air conditioner is broken, internet doesn't work, and it's filthy. I wanted to cry. And if you know me, that does not happen often. Trips to the store for cleaning supplies and other stuff. I am now armed with what I need. A brigade of repairman of several different nationalities were all very friendly, helpful, and supportive of a newbie in New York City. Hours later and I find this place exceptable. Not perfect but very New York, this is a adventure after all. I have 2 hours till orientation. I walk to Bathazar's (www.bathazarbakery.com/) sit at the bar and order a late lunch. I am starved, I have not eaten all day. I have a caramelized goat cheese tart and a roasted beet salad. I have a glass of red wine and chat with my bartender. A nice young boy from NC. He is going to marry a New York girl. His future father-in-law says anyone from NC is good for his daughter. Our reputation preceeds us. FYI roasted beet salads are on every menu, they are the thing right now.

Orientation was very easy. There are five of us shall we say baby boomers. I felt pretty good about that. The chef told us that the older people sometimes make the best students. They are giving up more to get here.

Steve comes in at 5:30. I am excited to see him. The apartment is clean and looks better. He walks in and says, "I like it, I thought you were going to cry. I was worried." Well cleaning helped but I refuse to clean the blinds. Besides they are so dirty that no one could see into my room with they wanted to.

We walk and find a restaurant Steve has read has the best seafood in New York. The www.nycfoodie.com has great restaurant reviews written by a guy that just loves food. Lure (http://lurefishbar.tumblr.com)
Steve ordered Shrimp tempura sushi with spicy tuna on top and Fresh shrimp and tagliatelle pasta with homemade Italian sausage bolognese tomato/ basil pesto. My food was good but his was special.

It's Saturday and we walked for miles today exploring. We ate street food and covered about 10 miles before it was over. I would lose weight if I would stop eating. That's the Bleecker St. Pizza behind Steve. Food Network's best pizza in NYC. Really good and different crust.
Tonight we are eating at Commerce Restaurant, (www.commercerestaurant.com) We were told this was a good place on a Greenwich Village food tour last year, and told others. They said it was great. So we had to go. The story is a sea captain had two daughters that hated each other. He built them separate houses across the street from the restaurant. The houses back up to each other with no windows on the side facing each other. One sister eventually killed the other. The frescos on the walls of the restaurant depict the story.
Roasted sweet potato tortellini with hazelnuts, pomegranite and buerre noisette Marinated Hamachi ceviche with yuzu, tomato, chili, and cilantro
Milk poached veal meatballs with spring onions, chanterelles and asparagus
Bread was little pretzels, rolls, and soft herbed breadstickes so hot the butter dripped off. The butter was really good too.

In New York they are putting pianos around the city and inviting people to sit and play. On our way home we had the pleasure to sit and listen to a artist play.
This piano is chained down, but that did not hurt the sound.

Sitting in my apartment with my Steve and drinking good coffee. Thinking about ya'll. Happy Fourth of July
Yvonne