Day Seven

It's the end of my first week in NYC!

Today was a sunny, blustery Saturday. I ventured over to another one of my prime destinations: Saks Fifth Avenue, about four blocks east of my apartment. The streets were packed. I came upon Rockefeller Plaza, and there was the giant 71' Christmas tree! Workers clambored around branches on scaffolding that encircles the 40'-wide tree, stringing lights in preparation of the official lighting on November 30th. This section of town is absolutely beautiful! The skating rink, promenade, U.S. state flags, beautiful Cathedral, and the bright lights making up a gigantic ball-shaped Christmas tree ornament just beyond the glass front of the NBC Experience store...so many sights to behold all at once! I loved it.

Saks was awesome. It's TEN floors high! Unbelievable. There was barely room to walk amongst the crowds there. I checked a few price-tags and repeatedly my jaw fell open. There was this neat, big, fuzzy, purple lady's hat for $750!! A jacket for $1,850. Ear muffs were $25. The list goes on forever.... I visited a few floors then decided it was time to go to the American Girl Place right across 49th Street, for my niece Zoe in Tennessee.

The crowds in this store were unbelievable. The little girls with their moms were so cute and just as much in awe of this store as I was of Saks. I've never seen anything like this place. There were male ushers at the front door, directing foot traffic to and fro. I stopped in the lower lobby and called Zoe so I could tell her where I was. She screamed with delight!! I had so much fun. I got her something New-Yorkie for her doll, and something special for herself. (Never mind that I finished my Christmas shopping a while ago. I couldn't resist! Man, they had everything in the store for her doll--little fur-lined ice skates, jewelry, hair bands, a pet kitty cat and kitty pillow--you name it.)

I was wearing the wrong shoes, so I walked home through the street fair where everyone was selling the usual--Cashmere scarves for $10, NY t-shirts, Italian leather gloves for $29 and up, shisk-a-bob gyros, sterling jewelry, designer socks, watches, and freshly made candy-coated bananas and marshmallows, just to name a few items. After resting my feet at home for a couple hours (while scanning the Internet apartment rental ads), I donned my sneakers and ventured out again.

Walked the one block to the Food Emporium to get kitty litter and TP. I picked up two beautiful HoneyCrisp apples on my way to the check-out stand, too. I could NOT believe the price of toilet tissue. I paid $5.99 for a 6-roll pack! A buck a roll! Thank God I had a dollar coupon. For the first time in my life, a one-dollar coupon bought me only a roll of toilet paper. Wow. Then, as the cashier rang up my order, I said outloud, "$4.43 for two apples?!" Even she seemed a bit surprised. "You still want 'em?" I thought, maybe they have gold cores (like the paper centers of the toilet paper rolls). "Sure, go ahead." Twenty-two dollars later I lugged the 20-lb. bag of cat litter home and thought, "For now on I won't tell Mama to NOT bring toilet paper when she visits." And to think I used to give her a hard time for bringing TP on visits. I think that'll be my new lodging fee for overnight guests. BYOT.

Back outdoors, I hopped on the C train and jumped off at the first stop (59th St.), which put me a block or two from Columbus Circle. I stopped in at Duffy's (the discount clothing store for millionaires) and bought lined leather gloves and ear muffs. I held myself back from buying clothes. I'd already spent $3 grand on my new work wardrobe in recent weeks!

I walked around Columbus Circle, at the edge of Central Park. This part of the city, too, is incredible! Along the edge of the circle (the center of which is under renovation right now), is the amazing Trump Tower--a gorgeous, tall building that looks like it is made of smoked glass. Near that is the Time-Warner Center. It's a huge, fancy, glass-encased shopping mall with only the best stores--J. Crew, Sephora, Hugo Boss, Borders Books, Crabtree and Evelyn, Godiva, Williams and Sonoma--you get the picture. The inside is very open, loft-like. Standing on the 2nd floor mezzanine, I gazed out at the buildings, the park, and the fuscia-colored sky through a huge 3-story wall of glass. It was SO beautiful at dusk today.

On the way home I got the rest of the groceries I needed. Grocery shopping is probably the single-biggest-pain-in-the-butt experience that I have to deal with here. I'm still suffering from sticker shock. I was going to get some of those low-cal frozen entrees for lunches--to save money--but MY GOD they were $4.59 each. For a LEAN CUISINE! It wasn't even worth buying with my 25-cent coupon. Maybe it's time I became a vegetarian, so I can afford to feed myself for the next few years here. I might even have to give that up after I rent my own apartment. :)

So I had a bagel for dinner tonight. Maybe later I'll treat myself to a 2-dollar apple.