New York Minute

Our room looked just like this. Platform bed,
Archipelago Designs faux fur throw, so cozy.
Amazing view of glittery city.

It was a nice metropolitan getaway. Dan and I relaxed and had fun. Travel notes:

1. Mass transit. We took the bus and two subways on Saturday. We left Montclair near 2 and were in our hotel room on the Lower East Side by 3:10 p.m. 
2. Three’s company. I had to bring that darn CPAP machine along.
3. High style. Dan booked a room for one night on the 14th floor of The Public, a hip, glam, young hotel designed by Ian Schrager of Studio 54 fame. Nice minimally designed rooms with thoughtful details, from small, cube/shaped fridge with crystal-clear door to large, flat shower head [warm rain pouring, not dribbling] and modern reading lights over the bed--you fold them into the wall. Website tagline: LUXURY FOR ALL.
4. Cafe society. We remembered that our nephew, Chris; his beautiful, French partner, Marie-Camille; and their friend Nick live in an apartment just a quick walk from the hotel. We texted them and they suggested we meet at 9:30 at Anyway Cafe on 2nd Street in the East Village. It was a cozy, quirky little Russian place. Items on our table included absinthe, espresso martinis, gravlax, caviar. Live music. We really enjoyed it. Felt like we were somewhere far, far away from Montclair--Europe, maybe.
5. The moon! We were on such a high floor that the moon seemed really close as we went to sleep....if we opened the sheer drapes and craned our necks, we could see its texture, its light so bright. [You can also push the "drapery" control button to lower the shade.]
6. Broadway show. "The Book of Mormon" was funny, energetic, witty--a lot of rollicking laughter in our audience seats. I will admit some of it was more actively obscene than I anticipated--and vivid images of the "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream" linger. But I love the songs "Turn It Off" and "Man Up"--have them on Spotify already--and the dancing, jumping, joking. Laughter is healthy. Such great music. "Hello," the opening song, features multiplying Mormon doorbell-ringers holding their blue books. I also didn’t know coffee was against Mormon rules until I saw the Starbucks-style cups in hell! I liked learning about Mormonism--I think the only Mormon I’ve known was a handsome, blonde, clean-cut, all-American college guy who was in our group of interns at The Nation magazine in the summer of 1982. Wow, working at a liberal magazine in the Village--how did that fit in? [That was also when AIDS was emerging in the U.S., and the Mormon show depicts the epidemic in Uganda, where the young missionaries live.]

Punchy comes home tomorrow....school holiday. We are back in our humble living room. 

TCOY

1. Good skin care. Like my naked + thriving detox oil for face.
2. Liked showering with the body wash at hotel.
3. Time and space, strolling, going to Russian place with Chris & Co., checking out a tiny place called Caffe Vita on Ludlow Street, where the latte was just what I was after. Beans I had never tried before; rich, creamy cap; beautiful design made by barista Megan. 
4. Getting to know Dan again/better. We talked and listened and it was fun. We didn't have to focus on Punch and we couldn't bicker, as we tend to in car, because we were on public transportation! I learned things about him that I didn't know even after almost 5 years of dating and 28 years of marriage. For instance, when we walked by Orchard Street, he told me his mom took him there to get a leather jacket when he was heading to Beloit College in Wisconsin. He said people put things out on the sidewalks to sell. I think he was wearing that brown leather jacket the night of our first kiss.

$ MONEY OUT OF POCKET

Dan booked hotel and got show tickets....I know that is our money, but I didn't make the purchases. Here is money I spent Saturday and Sunday:

• Blowout and pedicure, $35 each. Plus tips, total $88.
• One falafel in pita for me and Dan to share + jar tip, about $9.
• At hotel, large bag of honey-mustard breadsticks, small coffee + jar tip, about $14.
• Tip for housekeeping, $5.
• Tip for holding our four bags [including tote and CPAP] while we walked around the Lower East Side today, $4.

TOTAL FOR TWO DAYS: $120.