Wish I'd had Hermione's time-turner!

Four days is just not enough time to go back home, visit with an old friend, and see/do all there is to see/do in NYC... *sigh* A time-turner would have come in handy, but since I couldn't get my hands on one we just had to cram as much as we could into my long weekend! It was a BLAST and I am so grateful to have had the chance to go back and spend some time with my Squirley, catching up and reminiscing on old times. She's the little sister I never (biologically) had and though it's been many years since we last saw each other, it was like time had never passed. Friendships like those don't come along very often and are definitely something to treasure. (Love you Squirley!!! *MUAH!*)

Rather than some long and boring travelogue I will share some pics and highlights of my trip. Ready? Let's go!

Shirley and I wore these shirts to the midnight Deathly Hallows showing! (A play on the Brittish "Keep Calm And Carry On" posters)

Waiting for the movie to start with our wands!!!

Oh, and did I mention we got mani/pedis beforehand? Yup, I sure did ask for Harry's scar!

On the N train on our way into the city for the Harry Potter Exhibition!

Shirley & Will (her awesome boyfriend!)

Mr.Weasley's flying Ford Anglia!

Lookie, we're at Hogwarts! ;) Sadly we were not allowed to take any pictures inside, which is a real shame because it was an a-ma-zing exhibit with all the real costumes and props from the movies. We even got to play quidditch with some real quaffles! Soooo much fun!!!

Pausing for a pic (like the tourists I used to hate so much) at Times Square!

... and another one by the Empire State Building!

So many subway stations were just plastered with Deathly Hallows posters, LOVED it!!!

We ate a lot back in Queens, home to some of the best food ever! Here we are outside a Uruguayan parillada (grill) and bakery. I think we consumed 5 lbs of dulce de leche filled treats each!

Outside a yummy Colombian bakery where I got my favorite childhood soda, Postobon Manzana!

Squirley enjoying a Colombian empanada!

Postobon and an alfajor, life can't get much better than this!

We also had some great food in Little Italy and Chinatown!  Afterwards, we had the most amazing time doing an interactive LiveInTheater murder mystery called the 1873 Ryan Case. Basically you run around certain parts of the city (for us it was Chinatown/Little Italy) as "rookie cops" trying to solve a murder. You follow a map and are on the lookout for suspects and witnesses, all dressed in period costumes and in our case talking in thick Irish brogues. It was so much fun!!! After questioning them you return to HQ, are given time to discuss your findings, and the suspects/witnesses are all lined up for 2-3 more questions. Then you have to present your theory as to who did it, why, and how. Such a neat (and different) theater experience!!! 

We drove through my old neighborhood in Queens. Maybe next time I'll brave the ghetto part of Brooklyn I lived in for my first 13 years!

 Two blocks away, my stop on the 7 train.

The yummy treats I brought with me back home: Junior's Cheesecake (best in the city!), Uruguayan dulce de leche, and Colombian soda! Yuuuuuuummy!!!

All in all, a fantastic trip!!! We're hoping to be able to get together again next year (this time with Ben!) and hit up the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! My parents don't live very far from Orlando so we can have their house serve as HQ with DisneyWorld/Hogwarts an easy drive away! WOOT!

PS> My review of Deathly Hallows is forthcoming. I must go see it a second time before I give my definitive opinion.  I still don't quite know just how I feel about the whole thing... I loooooved some parts, h-a-t-e-d many others. Striving for some cohesion of thoughts and feelings on this one. Stay tuned.

Another Christmas Classic!

For those that grew up in Latino homes, that is... :)



It's about journeying to Bethlehem to see Baby Jesus with a little donkey. :) *sigh* Brings back memories of dancing around the kitchen with my mom, singing along. Good times, good times!

It's that time again!!!

I shared this last year and thought I'd do so again, for any new readers that missed it. It's one of my favorite Christmas songs I grew up listening to... ahh, it makes me so homesick!!!
Enjoy!



For more info on the song, click on "this" up above.

Ahh, I'm it!

Shannon has tagged me (for my supposed coolness due to the fact I went to highschool in NYC!) so here we go. Join me as I take a trip down memory lane to the days of Stuy. (Thats pronounced "stye" as in the bump in your eyelid... NOT "stoo-ee")

1. Did you date someone from your school? Nope, I dated someone from church. He went to school elsewhere.

2. What kind of car did you drive? 1988 Toyota Corolla, but never to school. I took the subway. There's no point driving to school in NYC, they don't have parking lots!

3. It’s Friday night...where are you? Hanging out with friends, at church activities, or at home doing homework... dorky, I know.

4. Were you a party animal? Are you serious? I had to be home by dark which in the winter meant 5:30-6ish. No... defintely not a party animal.

5. Were you considered a flirt? Nope, I was painfully shy around guys I liked, and just buddy buddy with those I did not.

6. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? Nope, I was never a musical person... not for lack of trying though, I just think that gene is dormant in me or something.

7. Were you a nerd? Well, lets see here... I went to a specialized Math/Science highschool, I self-grounded (yes, you read correctly, my parents never had to ground me... I took away my own privileges)if I got anything less than a 90, I got up at 3am sometimes just to get extra studying in, and I used to write reports on random things (my favorite was on Forensic Pathology summer before 10th grade) during the summer "just for fun." Ummmm, yeah, definitely a nerd!

8. Were you on any varsity teams? XCountry & Track

9. Did you get suspended/expelled? Oh my heavens, no! Plus my school just kicked you out if you failed more than 2 classes, much less put up with bad behavior... With a waiting list, there was no room for people that didn't deserve to be there.

10. Can you still sing the fight song? Umm... you know, I'm not quite sure we actually HAD a fight song... I never went to a single football game (it wasn't the cool thing to do in NYC, not at my school at least) so who knows, maybe there was and I never knew?

11. Who were your favorite teachers? Hmmm... Mrs.Bierig and my Infectious Disesases teacher that I can't remember for the life of me!

12. Where did you sit during lunch? If I was staying in, the cafeteria (only place you could eat) or McDonald's if I was out, Jr. & Sr. years.

13. What was your school's full name? Stuyvesant High School

14. School mascot? heehee... Pegleg Pete! (see the link above for an explanation) Actually, most of the teams had different names, like Pirates/Penguins(swimming), Phoenix(basketball), Sticky Fingers(Ultimate) etc. Peglegs were football, by far the funniest.

15. Did you go to Homecoming and who with? We didn't have homecoming... remember what I said about football not being very big in my school? Yeah, so not important.

17. What do you remember most about graduation? Wondering when it was going to end... oh, and praying I wouldn't trip on the stage at Linclon Center. (No football field to graduate in, so we used Avery Hall @ Lincoln Center)

18. Where did you go senior skip day?Hmm... I don't think we had one?

19. Were you in any clubs? Interact (Highschool branch of Rotary Club)

20. Have you gained some weight since then?Uhh... yes.

21. Who was your prom date? A bunch of my friends and (both girls and guys) all went together, so stag I guess?

22. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? No... I live too far away... besides, I doubt any of my friends will, they're all far away as well.

Geez, that wasn't as pleasant of a jog down memory lane as I thought it would be. The more I think about it, the more boring my HS experience seems. Oh well, thats what I get for being a supernerd, huh? College was way better! ;)

Ok... I tag... anyone that wants to!