New Year, New York.

I am trying to start the new year off right and actually posting, you know, once in a while…

It's true, I never got around to posting about the Great Porter Migration of 2010, but it was pretty awesome. 3 generations of Porters (my grandfather, father and I) flew across the country, saw New York City and then Niagra Falls and then took the train back west across Canada. We were having so much fun that as we looked out over the map of the railway system, we vowed to plan another trip. It all started with “where else could we take this train?”. The most exotic place was Churchill Canada. I only call it exotic because it is the farthest the railway goes and the most north –actually just inside of the arctic circle.

Now we’re all for travel for travel sake and stuff, but we figured that there had to be a reason the railroad would go all the way up there to the seeming middle of nowhere. So of course we googled that.

It turns out that up that far north there are a) polar bears and  b) a chance to see the aurora borealis. Let me do that math for you a + b = we were sold.

At that point the issue became when and how and then Grandpa decided that 92 was too old for that kind of cold, then dad got a hold of google again and it morphed into a whole different animal.

Which is how I find myself in New York City again knocking around for a few days with Dad until we get on the plane to Iceland.

We arrived on the red eye this morning, properly red eyed but hungry for some city sights and well, just plain hungry. Also Cold. So Cold. Stepping into the air was like being slapped in the face with a cold, mean, mean hand. I can only discribe the windy New York cold as stinging. 

After some frustrating attempts at the subway we finally made some progress and visited the Waldorf Astoria. It seemed like a good place to look around while drinking some tea.

A beautiful building with a nice history exhibit so you can see the Waldorf Astoria of the past.

After a bit more wrestling with the subway and street maps we made it (just in time!) uptown to grab our timed tickets to see the Girl with a Pearl Earring which is showing at the Frick Collection. The Frick was pretty crowded, but worth it. There were a few Rembrants, Monet and other Vermeers. 

By that time we were hungry again and on the look out for some broadway tickets, so we headed to Times Square and ate at Tout Va Bien. So good. Before befriending the waitress:

After befriending the waitress (now with wine!):

(I love being a Porter!)

Times Square

On the way home we scored some great matinee tickets for the Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and were ready for bed. 

A great first day, it's going to rain tomorrow so hopefully it will be a bit warmer. We can wish, can't we?

Birds of a Feather

If you haven't heard, Dr. Seuss kept a secret hat closet in his house.

 Everything about that statement makes me smile. 

SECRET. HAT CLOSET. DR. SEUSS. 

This closet was filled with crazy hats he had collected and he would open it up at dinner parties and let everyone pick a hat to wear. 

“In Dr. Seuss’ home, a bookcase opens up with a false door, and behind it are literally hundreds of hats, as well as paintings he never showed to anybody.” (Click to see the article)

The subject only gets better the more I read about it. 

Best of all, the hats are part of a traveling exhibition. Knowing my friends, a day trip to see the exhibition is going to be the easiest sale I've ever made. 

Also, everyone I know (MIMI!) is hereby informed that 1) I'm not going to wait until I am a crazy old lady to have a secret crazy hat closet. 2) If you help me build a secret hat closet, you get to know the location (duh) 3) At dinner parties, be prepared to pick a hat to wear.

 Don't say I didn't warn you. 

Another data point

Another piece of evidence that we use the word "Adult" pretty loosely around here. 

This was the "Adult's" snack for the night:

The new Snack of Champions. Jealous?

Changing Weather

It seems that a neighbor left their sprinklers on......

 and with a recent cold snap there became a "scene"

It seemed as if all the houses where in the middle of a regular California winter, 

but then one was having the Minnesota version.

Didn't the groundhog say there would be an early spring?!

Know thyself

Having read The Great Gatsby, and having had listened to a few Jay-Z songs in my time, I would have thought I'd score better on this quiz. (I expect better from Mimi)

Jay-Z or Gatsby?

Worst Idea so far this week.. er month? Maybe year.

You know what's worse than having to use an almost too short step stool to clean off that spot of sauce on the kitchen ceiling?

Realizing, after having scrubbed that little spot,

 that that dingy grey is in fact not the color of the ceiling and now that you've washed that little area,

 it is totally obvious that the ceiling is white and the rest is just... dirt?

Yeah, dirt sounds the least bad.

 Let's go with that. 

Now, with that little spark of ambition, 

you've bought yourself a whole afternoon of washing the kitchen ceiling!

The whole experience was worse than it sounds.

 At some point I actually felt the need to wear gloves because it was getting gross. 

Next time, that spot of sauce is going to stay there. And next time you come over, I suggest you politely ignore said sauce. 

Distractions

I am trying to get caught up (bwaahahaha) on posting, but until then let me distract you with some videos and pictures of the girls from the last couple months.

Clean Kidlets!

First veggie!

Realizing it's actually winter

Starting to Babble!