Back in Lotusland

Well, we arrived home bright and early on Monday morning. I've had a couple days to recover and now feel up to posting about my trip, bootcamp this morning notwithstanding!

It was a jam packed week, but we managed to spend some time relaxing in our gigantic hotel suite. Thanks for the mysterious upgrade, Salisbury Hotel!

I didn't avoid shopping entirely, but A&E held me back from doing any serious damage at Century 21. I did spend a glorious sunny morning checking out Park Slope in Brooklyn, picking up some sweet vintage deals (hello $35 Frye boots!) at Beacon's Closet, and a handknit scarf at Flirt.

Of course, we ate a wonderfully diverse array of cuisines, including Venetian at Osteria Laguna, wine and cheese at the Drunken Horse, and Persian at Persepolis. Modern American cuisine was well represented by The Red Cat, Stonehome, and 508, and those onion rings at the Heights Cafe can't be beat.

We added a few things (like MoMA) to our original itinerary, but most notable was riding our rental bikes through Central Park and Harlem, which was one of the highlights of my life. I still haven't made it to the Tenement Museum, but perhaps the third time will be the charm!

Our raison d'being there was for E to compete in her fifth straight American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. She made us very proud by placing 34th overall (out of 680!!!), and sweeping the foreign division handily.

All in all, a truly memorable vacation with two of my very favourite people in the entire world.

Taking a bite

Tonight I'm heading to New York City for a girls' week with my two besties, A&E. We'll be doing lots of eating and sightseeing, of course, and if I learned anything from last month's trip to Orlando, the most you should probably expect is a name-dropping post upon my return.

We've got big plans, including the Museum of Sex, the Museum of Natural History, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, and That Championship Season, for starters. Then there's what may well be the pièce de résistance of our visit: the St. Patrick's Day Parade, and the partying that is sure to ensue.

With the support of my non-shopping friends, I will try to resist the lure of Century 21. The plan is to spend all the money I would have spent shopping at eateries like Eataly and The Red Rooster, and, in my case anyway, copious numbers of black and whites. I'll let you know how it goes!

I'm back!

I know you're all very disappointed that I didn't blog while I was away, right? The truth is, I had neither the time, the inclination, nor the internet access to do right by you, dear readers. I apologize.

I did, however, witness the launch of Discovery first hand from Cocoa Beach, which was a rare treat indeed. Other treats included fabulous meals at Narcoossee's, Joe's Crab Shack, Jack Baker's Lobster Shanty, and my family's perennial favourite, the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre. I hear secondhand from my parents that their dinner at Victoria & Albert's was nothing to sneeze at, either. While they were there, my sisters and I spent a rather eventful evening at the Wall Street Plaza, before heading to the rooftop bar at Vain. I have to say that my time spent enjoying cocktails outdoors the other day made the snow a little harder to take upon my return. But alas, here I am, ready once more to share with you the chilly wonders of East Van. It's good to be home.

I Can Has Pixie Dust!

Tomorrow morning I'm getting on the first of three flights that will take me to that mecca of crass but irresistible commercialism, Walt Disney World! Not necessarily the destination I would have picked, but it will be an extremely fun family vacation, nonetheless!

I'll try to slip in some restaurant reviews, but consider this your warning that any content forthcoming this week will be of the Floridian ilk. Shield your eyes if you must, East Vanners, this could get sparkly.