New York: Saturday and Beyond

On Saturday's agenda: shopping!

We made a list of the stores we wanted to visit around 5th, then plotted a route round them all that didn't involve too much doubling back. We had a great time browsing, but an even better time purchasing :). I got some beautiful special-occasion jewellery; it will look great at Christmas with my LBD. I left it at the store until Monday as I won't need it while I'm here. The store even cleaned all of my other jewellery for free!

We made time for a gym session in the afternoon, then headed off to Madison Square Garden for a hockey game in the evening. It was New York Rangers vs Florida Panthers and we really enjoyed ourselves. The Rangers lost, unfortunately - and by that I mean unfortunately for us, as it didn't please anyone sitting near us - but it was a great night. We bought the obligatory hot dogs, enormous drinks and, of course, a foam finger :).

Sunday was a busy day: gym first thing, then Rob went to a barber's down the road for a haircut and shave while I spent a couple of hours in the spa having a facial and manicure. We just had time for a delicious lunch at the hotel (which was free - part of our package) before going to the Gershwin Theatre for the matinee performance of Wicked. I needed the loo before it started and the queue was really long, but we were in plenty of time. A lady behind me in the queue remarked that there were only two stalls in the toilets, and something about it being because this theatre was so old, so I looked it up when we got back. It was built in 1972! I guess someone's idea of 'old' is all relative...

It was my third time seeing this show in just over two years, but the first time I'd seen it on Broadway. It was fabulous; the fact that the stage was so much wider than the one at the Apollo Victoria in London meant that the view from almost any seat was unobstructed. Great cast, great songs, great show.

After the show we had a quick stop at the hotel to change then we got a cab to the Upper West Side to meet Mark, Daniela and David for a meal, which was lovely. The last time we saw Daniela was in 2005 and she was 6 months' pregnant; they've got two boys now. We had some really good food in good company.

Monday was a slow day: just a trip to the luggage store to buy a new suitcase (we planned to buy one all along as we need another one, but it's a good job we did as our purchases from just four days almost filled it), a walk up to the jewellers to pick up my bling and a quick stop at a shoe store for some Fitflops. Just as we were waiting for our car to pick up us to take us to Newark, it started raining. I couldn't believe we'd spent all weekend in New York in November and the only rain we saw was in the cab on the way in and for 5 minutes before we left. And it wasn't even all that cold - incredible. Shame the weather hadn't been this nice when Mum, Jen and I were here in May...

Rob commented that if a 6- to 12-month work assignment came up in New York, he would volunteer to do it. I think I could live with that.

Two consecutive weekends at home now - that hasn't happened since mid-September. In fact, we haven't even had one weekend at home since mid-September ;).