3 on Thursday

I am so excited for my Mom to arrive in the city tomorrow!  Her idea of a good day in Manahattan is EXACTLY like mine so I imagine there will be plenty of exploring, meandering, and eating going on.

've always wanted to go to a movie screening in a park, but after six years in NYC I only just made it.  It sounds like something you could just pop by last minute, but it actually takes some planning.  The park fills up hours in advance and since no movie would be complete without snacks, forethought is necessary.  Albert and I went to one of the HBO Summer Film Fest screenings in Bryant Park and even though the park was too full for us to use the blanket I toted along, we got seats at one of the small tables around the park.  We could still see everything and were actually able to beat the crowds when it came time to leave.  The movie of the night was Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the 70s one with Gene Wilder - a personal fave).  The audience clapped and cheered when Charlie found his golden ticket and when the Oompa Loompas watched Veruca Salt go down the chute with the other bad eggs.  I also loved that they played a Looney Tune to start off the evening and the old school HBO movie intro just before the feature.  One of the coolest things I've done in the city.

One of the best parts about bubble tea is puncturing the plastic film with that fat straw.

For my birthday this year my parents offered to get me the tablet of my choice to replace my laptop.  They helped me research the options and about 2 weeks ago I went to pick up my shiny new iPad.  I absolutely love it!  It was such a generous gift so I am definitely putting it to good use by writing up a storm and watching HBO Go in bed.  It's so much fun having a new toy and even better when that toy can improve your daily productivity thanks to some handy dandy apps.