New York, New York

Wendy: The NY visit was filled with other non-artistic things as well. Zona and I spent a few days doing girlie things like getting our hair and makeup done, and shopping at the world famous Barney's. Zona got the most expensive haircut ever paid for, by a lady who cuts hair for movie stars. She looked awesome! Mine, on the other hand, was a little more out there and crazy looking (I went for having my hair corn rolled and ended up looking a little scary; see below). Speaking of movie stars, we saw Olympia Dukakis and Antonio Banderas while wandering around, as well as several famous looking models whose names we didn't know. I also had the fortune of sitting next to Eugene Levy on my plane ride to NY. Levy is the guy with two left feet in the movie Best in Show, but he didn't laugh at my comment that I was relieved to see he didn't have two left feet in real life. I thought I was being witty, although he didn't seem to share that opinion!

The food in NY was amazing. Cafe's with everything imaginable. Suzanne and her husband Michael had us over for dinner a few nights, and while Suzanne cooked up yummy food Michael made funky exotic cocktails like "the aviation" (delicious, gotta try it). I think I gained 20 pounds in 1 week...and I would have gained more if not for all the walking we did. It happened to snow really really hard for the first few days, but there was no way we were letting that stop us. We figured out the subway system, rented umbrella's from the hotel, and braved the elements. We had places to go and people to see, there was no way around it.

Ground Zero of the World Trade Center site was intense, and became a very emotional experience when Zona and I visited her photographer friend, who showed us his photos from September 11 and the weeks surrounding it. There is just no way to grasp the magnitude of the attacks from TV and west coast media coverage. I'm so thankful that my family and friends are safe.

And finally, and most wonderfully, was a visit to Yonkers to have lunch with Andy's grandma Bea. She showed us around the house where Andy's mom Judy grew up, and walked us through many family pictures and stories. She showed us many of Phil's drawings and his recreations of famous paintings (Phil was Grandma Bea's partner who passed away last year; he was an attorney who dabbled in art as a hobby, but clearly could have made a good living as an artist). She cooked us a tasty meal, complete with soup and desert, and then took us for a drive around her neighborhood. She may be in her 80's, but that girl drives like a 16 year old!

Grandma Bea and her home

Tribute to September 11 victims outside a NY firestation.

Phil painted this picture after Grandma Bea saw and liked the original at the Met. The original showed the girl smoking a pipe, which Phil removed in his recreation since Grandma Bea preferred it without the pipe.

Mural next to the World Trade Center site.

Wendy and Grandma Bea. Isn't she the most beautiful Grandma you've ever seen?

A botched hair styling day.

April 6th - April 13th : New York City, New York!