Ein Ripoff

December 1st

Every year my aunt and grandmother come down to the city for the day and contribute serious tourist dollars. Being a local it is hard to enjoy midtown amidst holiday hell, but I always look forward to spending quality time with some of my favorite women in the world.

We began the day with a viewing of the Rockefeller Center Tree and continued on to lunch at the tasty and relatively inexpensive Becco. (However, my grandmother declared that her tiny German beer was "Ein Ripoff!") After lunch we went to see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Broadway where I captured one of the best photos I have taken all year! My gram is hilarious!

After the play, we attempted to go into M &M world in Times Square but the men with bullhorns directing traffic up and down the escalators turned us off immediately. Perhaps because I avoid that area of town like the plague, I'm constantly amazed at how Disney and clean Times Square has become. When I was a kid, we used to get right in a cab after a play because my father didn't want us to notice all the hookers and XXX stores.

After fortifying ourselves with several Irish coffees, we toured the diamond district counting carats (9 carats, ah ah ah.) and perused the craft stalls in Bryant Park looking for holiday gifts. I think that tree is more beautiful than the one at Rock Center.

Thanks ladies for a wonderful day! See you in a few weeks. XOXOXOXOXO!