It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog post. Things have been surprisingly slow around here but in a fast kind of way. The saying “hurry up and wait” didn’t make any sense to me until I started this job, but working in the fashion industry has helped me understand it. I’m either working 12 hour days and walking nine or ten miles running errands, or I’m sitting in the office doing computer/logistical work for the upcoming days where I’ll be working the 12 hour days and walking nine or ten miles running errands. I can’t really tell you which I like more, since it kind of depends on the day, but it’s been really nice to have a little bit of a lull in activity at my halfway point of the summer.
Y’all (yes, I surprisingly still say y’all even after living in New York City for six weeks). Yes, you read that correctly. My summer in the City is halfway over. Over halfway over, actually. I have exactly 33 days left here. How did that happen? It’s flown by, but it’s also dragged on. While part of me loves my life here, another part of me can’t wait to get back to life in Dallas. But, I’m listening to the wise words of my dear mother, and doing my best to not wish my life away. I’m trying to live each day to the fullest and take it all in (even when I’m only steaming clothes and making coffee runs). 
The weekend before the Fourth of July was one of my favorite weekends I’ve had so far, since Kade came! Yay! He got in on Friday night, and we had great plans to hit the town running. Of course, we were quickly reminded of the saying “If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans,” since not two minutes after leaving the apartment, I stepped down wrong on the stairs, broke my shoe and fell head first down the entire flight. Aside from some severe bruising on my knees, legs, hips, arms and elbows, I was ok, but we decided that it’d be best to sit the night out. We drank wine and watched The Incredibles, instead. A fine alternative, in my book.
The next day we acted like tourists, having brunch at Parker and Quinn near Times Square. Mediocre drinks, but great food. We then walked in and out of random dives and bars before deciding to go to Rockefeller Center. When we got there, we decided to head all the way to the top to get the best view of the City, and it surely didn’t disappoint. We had dinner at The Smith, where they served us hot, bubbling, out-of-the-oven mac ‘n cheese that filled our calorie quota for the year, fried calamari, and a great burger and salad. The takeaway? Don’t order one of everything on the menu if you plan to go out afterward because you’ll be too tired.
Sunday came along, and we went to brunch. Again. If you’re surprised, you’re clearly not friends with us. Bottomless brunches remain one of our favorite couple-y activities, even in a city other than Dallas. We switched off between mimosas and bellinis, and took full advantage of the hour for which we had unlimited drinks. Then we made our way down to East Village where we had a reservation for lunch. (I swear, all we did was eat and drink.) We ducked into Frank’s, a classic, well-known Italian restaurant, and ordered two pasta dishes that we really weren’t hungry for since we finished brunch approximately three hours before. Oh well. We had plenty for leftovers.
Monday we went to the Met Museum with every other tourist in the City. It was packed, but I feel extra cultured after staring at various paintings and sculptures for nearly two hours. If you can’t tell, museums aren’t my favorite things in the world, but I did enjoy several exhibits, my favorite being Degas’ Little Dancer sculpture, that came highly recommended by my fabulous, art-loving roomie, Kate.
Of course, we worked up an appetite looking at all that art (it’s more work than you’d think, people), and just decided to walk until we found a place that looked appealing, and we found a hidden gem. It’s called Mel’s Burger Bar, and they outdid themselves with a bottomless brunch that wasn’t just one or two hours, but three. We had burgers (duh), sipped on more mimosas and chatted with our amazing waitress, Sydney. Then we had a competition to see who could swing the silver ring and get it on the hook on the wall the quickest. Kade demolished me, although I did manage to do it twice (and he even got it on video!).
More on the food adventures of Morgan and Kade. That night we went to The Press Lounge, a shwanky rooftop bar that overlooks the Hudson River with great views of the City’s skyline. (Pro tip: pregame this place because drinks are obscenely expensive.) Then we went to West Side Steakhouse and shared a T-bone steak, mushrooms and mashed potatoes, with a great bottle of wine. It was the perfect last night date night for us.
Sadly, on the actual Fourth, Kade had to head back to Dallas for his adulting responsibilities, but having him in the City provided for some great memory-making and exploring, like always.
This past weekend, I went to my very first Yankees game. While I’m convinced that most of my baseball-loving friends and family now want to disown me for buying a jersey, Maggie, Lauren and I had a great time. We feasted on ballpark hotdogs and french fries, took Instagram-worthy photos, and even learned a thing or two about baseball. I think my dad would be proud if he knew that.
Speaking of my dad, I’m especially excited for this upcoming week to go by quickly, since my parents will be here on Thursday! Updates from adventures with Dennis and Julie to come.
xx
Morgan in Manhattan 