Anniversary Getaway ... A Lifetime Ago

Or so it seems! It always amazes me how quickly you can slip right back into "normalcy" and let those wonderful yet brief highlights defy time and feel as if it happened ages ago. Thankfully I have a good memory ...

We left off at A Day at The Met, an exhausting yet exhilarating day, satisfying the History Geek inside of us to last for quite some time. After a recuperative nap in the late afternoon, we donned our finery and headed out toward our anniversary dinner destination: Maze.

No, not The London as we had planned, and longed, for. Due to "staffing issues" (more on that later!) they graciously gave us a spot at their "daughter" restaurant in the same hotel. Smaller, more "casual," and (thankfully, despite Don's constant reprimand, "Stop worrying about the prices - this is our anniversary!") a great deal less expensive! As we arrived and were ushered to our table, I was once again reminded that even Murphy's Snafu's can turn out to our advantage. This was one of those cases. Beautiful, elegant, and -- after both selecting the Chef's Five Course Menu -- fantastically delicious.

Don had told them ahead of time that it was our anniversary, so between that special affair and their bending over backwards to be accommodating for screwing up our original plans, we were treated like royalty. I stopped counting the number of times the hostess apologized, or that we were thanked profusely for our patience and understanding and willingness to dine at Maze (for Pete's sake, people, this isn't McDonald's! Our arms did not need to be twisted!). We were given several complimentary tasting dishes tucked in between the courses (I do love their Appeasement Policy!), as well as a few extra sweet treats during the dessert course. Yes, we were won over, completely.

Ah, but there's more ... As we finished up, the hostess (I'm sure there's a much fancier, French term for her job) came by and asked if we would like a private tour of the kitchen. Ummmm ... YEAH! What a great surprise! It was fascinating for us, both of us great fans of cooking (and, of course, eating) and being able to see first-hand the inner workings of a professional kitchen. Busy, quiet (no Gordon Ramsay shout-fest there), focused, and extremely intense. That was truly the proverbial icing on the cake for us.

8:30 pm ... what do we do now? My normal inclination is to put on my PJ's and read a book or veg in the front of the TV, winding down my very busy day. But not in NY ... not on this trip. The party is just getting started! After going back to the hotel and changing our clothes, we walked the 6-7 blocks to the heart of the action: Times Square. Bright as day, loud, busy, swarming -- absolutely swarming! -- with people, all having fun, all with smiles on their faces. It was truly a different life. We spent about an hour and half walking around, soaking it all in, until I had to "cry uncle" and succumb to my inner introvert starting to protest. Too much chaos, too much energy all at once. I was being sucked dry. Time to recuperate and recharge my inner batteries. But it was all utterly fantastic.


Thursday came quickly, the day we had to leave. We took the subway to SoHo, a very different feel from where we were staying and spending more of our time. More quiet, more accessible, quite edgier ... definitely more my style. We grabbed a "light" breakfast of pastries and coffee and sat on a bench, Don completely energized and me trying to wake up. We strolled (and salivated) through Dean & Deluca, window-shopped up and down Broadway, and finished out our adventure at a tiny, grungy, yet absolutely delicious taco joint where part of me truly wished I could indulge my gluttonous side and devour more than I had in front of me. With tired resignation we boarded the subway once again and returned to the hotel.

Oh, the "staffing issues" we kept hearing about? We found out the answer. On the subway back to the hotel, I happened to glance at a passenger across the aisle from us who was reading The New York Post. Splashed across the page was the headline "Hell's Kitchen," with Gordon Ramsay's picture next to another photo of an Asian female chef. This woman is apparently bringing charges against the Executive Chef of The London for sexual discrimination. The entire staff walked out of the kitchen. No staff, no dinner reservation. "Staffing issues," indeed!

That last day, it figures, was absolutely perfect. No rain like Tuesday, no gray mist like Wednesday. Sunshine, warmth, perfection. Ah, so it happens. We quietly, tiredly, packed our belongings, and headed home.

Three days ... packed full of adventure, excitement, and US. We did what we wanted to do; we took in the sights that we wanted to see. No time constraints, no worrying if the kids were getting bored or tired, no calling it quits far too early because the kids had had enough. I was allowed to be me for a little while, to indulge myself as much as I wanted to. And as the train crossed the river and I began to once again see the familiar sites of NJ towns passing by, I was slowly but surely making that transformation, shedding that Other Me and being enveloped by Motherhood. I began to look forward to picking my kids up from school, seeing their exuberant faces as they ran to us and wrapped their little arms around our waists. They eagerly listened to our recap; they told us how much they missed us.

Yes, I suppose you can be two people at once. And I will forever remember those three days, just the two of us, creating memories that last.