Last Day of NaBloPoMo!

Woo Hoo! I made it. Today is the 30th and last day of National Blog Posting Month. [Thank God!] I will miss reading others' daily posts, though. But I won't miss the pressure of having to think of something for every day.

I actually had a panic last night as I was getting into bed, thinking, "did I post today? I think I did. I think it was about my tea in my closet. Or was that yesterday? What day is today? I think I posted."

I was so tired and had to be in to work early, so I convinced myself I had posted (which of course I had) and went to sleep. (And double-checked this morning.)

So! Tomorrow, I will NOT be posting!

Today, I am enjoying my new coat I got from Coldwater Creek. It finally arrived in the mail last night, and today is a lovely sunny but cold day to enjoy it. I also enjoyed walking through City Hall Park this morning on my way to the subway. The sun was SHINING, and I haven't seen it in awhile. I thought, this could almost make me a morning person, because of course, when I get off work, it's dark already.

And: social life news! I'm having dinner with my friend L from Canada on Saturday night and a spa day with my new friend Jenna and some of her girlfriends on Sunday afternoon. I'm really looking forward to both.

What's Wrong with this Picture?

This was taken in my closet last night. Can you see what's there that's not supposed to be?

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That's right...it's my daily cup of tea! (Yorkshire Gold, love it.)









I carry it around with me in the morning as I'm getting ready, even into the closet when I pick out my clothes for the day. Unfortunately, this isn't the first cup I've found in my closet.

No wonder I feel like I don't have enough caffeine somedays.

Someday

I love music. And the iPod...what a great idea! I join the other commuters in the morning on the train with my earbuds in, each of us zoning out to our own music.

Lately, I've been listening to The Wreckers, a female duo of Michelle Wright and a friend of hers. I really like their harmony, and the lyrics are great. The song "Cigarettes" really resonates with me right now, especially this part:

"Someday maybe somebody will love me like I need,
And someday I won't have to prove to somebody who'll see
All my worth but until then I'll do just fine on my own
With my cigarettes and this old dirt road...

I ain't gonna sleep. I don't wanna dream about the things I used to need.
I ain't gonna cry or gonna live their lies
I'm just gonna drive..."

Only problem: I don't smoke (I'm asthmatic) and I don't drive. No dirt roads around here either...

Images of Christmas

I should have added these pictures to my post "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas," but I didn't have them yet! On Sunday afternoon, I walked around Midtown for 2 hours taking pictures and window-shopping. Here are some of the best.

This guy sure has big balls! (ha ha...couldn't resist)




From Rockefeller Center:






Saks Fifth Avenue had their windows decorated with these beautiful animated snowmen.



This was outside Chanel, and as you entered this canopied twinkling enclosure, Christmas music was playing.

Pictures from Thanksgiving

Here are just a few pictures from Thanksgiving at Jenn's. I didn't take too many pictures...I was busy enjoying the food and the family.

Here's a nice one of me, my mom and Jenn.








It got cold there...their first of the season, and Jenn and I took the dog and the kids on a long walk. They were excited to try out their cold weather gear, and Colin really wanted to wear the pink hat (he ended up with the blue one, though.)












Finally, here's a picture I took in New Jersey last week to show the color here in the Northeast. So beautiful.

my "Angels"

As my sister Jennifer mentioned in a recent post, I have adopted five "angels" for Christmas.

In the past, I've gotten an angel child from the Salvation Army trees found in mosy malls. But knowing how different things are here in NY, I jumped at several opportunities to help a child this holiday, and all those opportunities came through!

First, I learned through my volunteer group NY Cares that there were children available, so I signed up for two children, and I got a 4 and a 5-year-old girls. Then, my office made a plea, so I signed up for two more and got boys, ages 10 and 17. Last, at church I picked an angel off the tree, a 3-year-old girl. I've had so much fun shopping for them!

Back Home

I flew back to NY today. The holiday sure went quickly.

As my mom had told me, the more times I fly back here, the more it feels like "home." That, and the fact that my cat Sabrina is here. She was very happy to see me.

The only bad thing about coming home was the smell. Seems I forgot to take out the trash before I left!

Day After the Holiday

Last night, I watched "Ratatouille" with Colin and Anna. Colin was glued to my side for the first half of the movie, and Anna snuggled with me for the last half. It was a great movie, made better by all the sweet lovin's.

I got to sleep in Anna's room, and when I crawled into bed with her last night, she moaned and threw an arm towards me so that her hand was touching my arm. When she awoke this morning and saw me, she smiled. It was a great way to wake up.

My parents and I drove back to their house in Houston today. It's a pretty drive where you can see a lot of the Texas countryside. I enjoyed it. My mom and I did a little shopping and got massages and came back to a wonderfully fragrant kitchen. My dad made veal scallopini and veal parmigiana. Excellente!

Heading back to the wintery North tomorrow...

Happy Thanksgiving

Ah, I'm happily stuffed with lots of good food. We had smoked turkey, stuffing with gravy, wild rice, roasted vegetables, corn & edamame succotash, green beans, cranberry relish, and lovely wine to wash it all down with! There was so much yummy food, you could hardly fit it all on one plate.

For dessert, there was pumpkin and pecan pies and freshly whipped cream. We watched Anna dance her ballet dances that she will perform at the recital in December and listened to Colin recite the poem "The Owl and the Pussycat."

When my parents and I arrived several hours ago, Anna ran to me "Emily!" and gave me a big hug. And Colin, who usually is overwhelmed by his emotions and hides shyly when I first arrive, ran to me and hugged on my neck for a LONG time. It was so sweet. I wish they would stay this age.

Headin' Home

I'm going to Texas today! I'm so excited.

Yes, I know it's the busiest travel day of the year. I'm planning on getting to the airport two hours before my flight. I have my liquids and gels in a ziploc baggie. I have my travel pillow and a book to read, and my iPod, of course.

I'm flying into Houston, where my parents will pick me up. I haven't seen them since my garage sale before I left Dallas. Tomorrow, we will drive to Austin to be with my sister Jenn and her family, including her in-laws. I just can't wait to see everyone!

And then there's the food to look forward to! Jenn always makes great stuffing and sometimes does roasted root veggies, Daddy makes the best pecan pie, and Mommy makes delicious cranberry muffins. We only have these things at holidays, which make them all the more special.

I've lost two pounds so far on my diet -- not a huge thing, but it's progress in the right direction -- and I'm going to try not to gain it all back this weekend!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

I saw the first decorations go up on November 1st, but over the past weekend, even more garlands and lights went up, decorating the buildings around NYC. There are also shooting star lights on several streets around town, and the stores are putting their holiday displays in the windows. Rockefeller Center has their large tree up, but it still has scaffolding around it.

Although I've been tempted to pull out my Christmas decorations, I have a personal objection to decorating for the holiday before Thanksgiving is over. I think each holiday deserves its due. But once I come back from this week's feast in Texas, I'm gonna be all over it!

SNOW

The forecast actually says rain and snow today! It's bitterly cold with a dampness to it. (I think the rain will overpower the snow...nothing will stick today.)

I'm so glad this is a short week...I'm counting down to my flight on Wednesday, but in the meantime, I have so much work to finish!

Today, I'm going to an all-afternoon meeting at another agency, and since the location is close to my apt, I'm working from home. Other than the constant construction noise, it's nice to be here with my cat Sabrina.

(Sorry I can't think of anything more interesting at the moment. As peevish calls it, BloMe is getting rather old.)

Good Workout

It takes me so much longer to run errands here. This is when I miss my CR-V.

My mom gave me a great canvas bag with wheels that folds up very compact. However, I busted it this weekend. I went to the farmers' market and then to the wine store and loaded it up. Walking down the street from the wine store, I heard a CRACK! The plastic part that held the wheels broke. I was one block away from K-Mart, so I limped along to there.

I hauled everything into a grocery cart and found what I needed from K-Mart, including a wire basket cart that folds for easy storage. Perfect, I thought.

After I purchased it, I assembled it in the store. I transferred all my purchases, which now included not only the vegetables and wine but also kitty litter, to the new cart. I took it on the subway and headed home.

I found the elevator in the subway (never used that before) and made it up to the street level. CRACK! Oh no...yep, the wheels on this new cart have plastic spokes. Well, it's still moving along, just a little wonky. Let's see if we can make it through the park and home.

CRACK! Off came the first wheel, and CRACK! again, the second split into smithereens. Who makes spokes out of plastic anyway?

The front wheels were still intact, so I just had to lift with my forearms and push. This also caused me to be closer to the cart, so I'm shuffling a bit. I finally get across the park and across the street. I can see my building...just a little further...my arms are going to fall off...

As I enter the building, the doormen can tell I'm frazzled. One of them helped me up to my apt with my load and commented that this was a good workout! (I don't recommend it.)

Recipes

Barely making this post today...it's 10 minutes until midnight. So, I'm going to post the Tiger Chocolate recipe and will tell you more tomorrow.

Tiger Chocolate
1 lb (2 cups) white chocolate
12 oz. (1 1/2 cups) extra crunchy peanut butter
1 lb (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips

In double boiler, melt white chocolate. Add peanut butter and stir until fully melted and blended. Pour onto waxed paper lined cookie sheet.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave. (I usually put on high for 1 min., stir and 1 min more)

Pour melted dark chocolate over white mixture and swirl with knife. Refrigerate to set. Break into pieces.
(I like to keep it in the fridge so it stays hard and cold)


Tomorrow, I'm making another family recipe, Sudie's Squash Casserole, for my church's potluck lunch, and then my boss and his family are coming over for dinner. I'm going to make my dad's recipe for meatballs.

Quiet Please

[I will post the Tiger Chocolate recipe this weekend...just haven't had a chance to look it up.]

I'm so freakin' tired. I love my beautiful apartment, I love the view of the Hudson, I love that I have a washer & dryer. But THE FREAKIN' CONSTRUCTION NOISE IS DRIVING ME CRAZY! As you may recall, I have a great view of Ground Zero, where they are busy constructing the new Freedom Tower.

City noise in general doesn't bother me. When I used to visit NYC on business, I would even open my window at night to hear the city and get the cold air into the stuffy hotel rooms.

But the jackhammers!!! EVERY DAY (even weekends) they start at 7 a.m. and last night, continued well past 11:30 p.m. I bought a sound machine that creates white noise, but it doesn't drown out the pounding sound.

As much as I hate to even consider moving again, I'm thinking about it. I'm so tired, and it's starting to affect my daytime mood and productivity. It's hard to relax in my own place because of that noise.

What Classic Movie Are You?

don't have time for a proper post today...

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Guess I should see this someday...

The Lunch Bunch

It's now been three months since I moved to NYC. I'm still struggling to make friends. I have a couple people that I've gone out with once or twice, but it's not like we're confiding in each other or anything. I also find that everyone is so busy, even if you are really good friends with someone, you don't see them very often. One of my colleagues said she only sees her best friend once every six weeks or so.

Back in Dallas, there were four of us girls who used to work together that coined ourselves "the Lunch Bunch." Most days, we'd just get out of the office to share challenges or personal stories that were going on in our lives. Once we all went our different ways, we only got together on each of our birthdays and for Christmas.

I missed the first Lunch Bunch birthday this month. It really bothered me. I guess we've been doing this now for...6 or 7 years? We've seen each other through a lot, and I miss the easy camaraderie I have with them.

At Christmas time, we get each other gifts. My gift to them is always Tiger Chocolate, a homemade candy made with semisweet chocolate, white chocolate and peanut butter. I've been making multiple batches for so many years, I can't stand the stuff, but my friends love it. Whenever I've hinted that I might do something different, I get passionate pleas for Tiger Chocolate.

Since they are already having to live without me close by, I don't think I can force them into Tiger Chocolate withdrawal, too. I've decided to have a Lunch Bunch weekend in December, so I can personally deliver their sweets and enjoy their company once more.

Another Thing That's Different Here

I'm growing weary of NaBloPoMo. Damn, I just realized it's only the 13th...I'm not even halfway done.

I can't believe I post something as controversial as "Knocking Yourself Up" and only get one comment. You lurkers out there should consider throwing me a bone every now and then.

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One of the things that NYers do differently is laundry. Or, should I say, mostly they don't do it.

Most NYers send their laundry out to be done to a Fluff and Fold service. This amazes me. I can't imagine having someone else wash your underwear. Ew. One of my colleagues told me she regularly sends out her laundry and there's always something missing and occassionally you get someone else's item. She gave the example, "Who's thong is this?" Now, I realize the items have just been cleaned, but that still bothers me.

Fortunately, I have a washer and dryer in my apartment, so I continue to do my own.

Knocking Yourself Up

(Inspired by this article)

It's something I think about sometimes...having a baby on my own. I know it's not ideal, but although I can live with the idea that I might never get married again, I can't give up on my dream to have kids. Or at least 1 kid.

I also consider adoption. I know several people who have done that and have had wonderful experiences. I know I could give a child a safe, loving home.

But there's something alluring about the ability to create a child within your own body. I know there are less pleasant aspects of pregnancy (Paula reminded me this weekend), but there's also so much wonder. Plus, I'd like to see some of my genes passed on.

Now, don't panic, this isn't something I'm planning on doing this weekend or anything. It's just interesting to me that there are more and more women who are in my situation -- financially stable and successful that haven't met the right partner -- who are choosing to make their destiny instead of waiting to see if it will happen.

Quick Post

Ack! Almost forgot to post...I'll just post about one good thing that happened today and get to bed.

I auditioned for a small singing ensemble today after church and passed! The organist of the little church I've been going to is in charge of all the music. There isn't a choir, but soloists rotate singing the anthems each week. I knew I wanted to get back to singing, so I asked the minister about it last week. He made the ensemble idea a reality.

Our first rehearsal is in December, and our first performance is already on the books for January!

Cousins

Often when I think of calling my relatives in the UK, it's too late in the day, and I realize they are most likely sleeping. This goes on for weeks until I finally think about it and have the time to call during the morning here, which is early evening there.

I called my cousin Paula this morning just to chat and get the news about her life. In theory, she has a blog, but her time and her limited internet connection don't match her wit and humor, so she doesn't post with any frequency.

I caught her just as she was leaving the pharmacy. She's got a stomach virus (yuk) and had just picked up what she later described as disgusting tasting ("like piss") medicine. It's usually the bad tasting ones that work, though, right?

Other than that, she didn't sound at all sick. She was her usual bubbly self. I congratulated her on her incredible weight loss with Weight Watchers (24 pounds!) and she encouraged me as I start mine.

It was lovely to catch up with her. It always seems we just pick up where we left off, like no time has passed, and we joke that our similarities must be due to heredity. It's great having cousins.

And, in that spirit, I'm preparing for another cousin's visit. Rob is coming down from West Point this weekend.

It IS Easy Being Green

It is becoming increasingly more important to me to be "Green." Unlike Kermit the Frog used to sing, it IS easy to implement some small steps to becoming a greener person.

On Monday, I attended a talk held at my church by a guy who wrote a book for city planners for the post-carbon era. He shared some of the tactics cities like Portland have taken and shared the statistics that forecast an impending energy crisis with oil production dropping and consumption increasing.

Being Green has become a topic of conversation at my office, too. Since I moved here in August, they have added recycling bins for paper, plastic and aluminum, and we have scrap paper printers. (I go around turning off the lights in empty conference rooms, too!)

My sister Jennifer and her husband Anthony are inspirations to me in this area. They have their own compost, solar panels and wind generators. They recycle everything they can and have shared these values with their kids.

After Jennifer told me about a blogger's experience of carrying around the garbage she created for a 2-week period, I have become even more aware of what I throw away. The large piles of garbage bags that can be seen around NYC also serve as a reminder.

In addition to turning off lights when they're not needed and unplugging appliances, I've recently bought some handkerchiefs to reduce my tissue consumption and I now wash and reuse plastic water bottles, rather than purchasing bottled water. (Fortunately, NYC has some of the best tasting tap water in the country, and my apartment building is Culligan filtered.)

What do you do?

Online Dating at its Best & Worst

My new friend L told me about PlentyofFish.com -- a free online dating service. In the past, I've tried Match.com, Yahoo Personals and eHarmony, so I thought a free one sounded pretty good.

I created a basic profile yesterday. I've already gotten a dozen or so messages. Some seem nice and normal, but others....well, I'll let you judge for yourself:

Bachelor #1: "You are looking at the light coming from your screen, reading my words on the inside you begin to realize that something feels very different. There is a real feeling of curiosity and you want to know the answer. And the question is why is this so interesting. Why you Desire more? You are just so bored with all the others. They are so predicable and easy. Don't stop wondering and you may discover so much more."

Bachelor #2: "A position is opened in sweetheart department, send your resume to apply for it! --Love Administration"

Bachelor #3: "Hello, i am a great guy, i love to have lots of fun. Yes, i am genuine, classy, and romantic. I love going to the movies, dining, lil' shopping, photography too. So, on that note, just give me a ring at ###-###-####, ok."

Bachelor #1, again: "I have been told that I am excellent lover by more than a few women. Women enjoy that I have great staying power. "

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In other news, the food in my Nu diet is really good! Very tasty and lots of variety.


We had a Freeze Warning last night!
Today's Hi 49*
Lo 34*
Sunset 4:45 p.m.

My "Nu" Diet

Today is my first day of my new diet. After reading an article in AM New York -- a free newspaper I get upon exiting the subway -- I decided to sign up for a month's worth of meals from Nu Kitchen. This way, I don't have to worry about calories or portions. I just eat what they give me.

Each day's meals are delivered to my doorstep in the middle of the night, kept in an insulated freezer bag with ice packs. I get breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks.

Breakfast this morning consisted of Egg Scramble (looked like whites only) and French Toast with Berry Coulis. It was very tasty!

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Today's High: 50
Low: 32
Sunset: 4:42 pm

My Cat Does [Some of] This

Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJnEgTAa23I

Lately, though, it's been me who wakes up in the middle of the night. Last night it was 4 a.m. Fortunately for me, Sabrina (the cat) doesn't mind if I wake her up by petting her, and her snuggling and purring helps me calm down and fall back asleep. Eventually.

This is Hilarious

One of my oldest and dearest friends, Amie, sent me this via email. I laughed so hard I cried, then I went online to find the original post:

Strap in, shut up and hold on. We're going back.
Last weekend I put an exhaust fan in the ceiling for my wife's grandfather. After a bunch of hours spent in The Hottest Attic In The Universe, he had a ceiling fan that ducted to the side of his house.While my brother-in-law and I were fitting the fan in between the joists, we found something under the insulation. What we found was this:

A JC Penney catalog from 1977. It's not often blog fodder just falls in my lap, but holy hell this was two solid inches of it, right there for the taking. I thumbed through it quickly and found my next dining room set, which is apparently made by simply adding upholstery to old barrels:

There's plenty more home furnishings where those came from, however I'm not going to bore you with that. Instead, I'm going to bore you with something else. The clothes.The clothes are fantastic.

Here's how to get your ass kicked in elementary school:

Just look at that belt. It's like a boob-job for your pants. He probably needed help just to lift it into place. The belt loops have to be three inches long, for god's sake. And way to pull your pants up to your armpits, grandpa.

Here's how to get your ass kicked in high school:This kid looks like he's pretending to be David Soul, who is pretending to be a cop who is pretending to be a pimp that everyone knows is really an undercover cop. Who is pretending to be 15.

Here's how to get your ass kicked on the golf course:This "all purpose jumpsuit" is, according to the description, equally appropriate for playing golf or simply relaxing around the house. Personally, I can't see wearing this unless you happen to be relaxing around your cell in D-block. Even then, the only reason you should put this thing on is because the warden forced you to at gunpoint.

Oh, there's more! Read the full post on 15 Minute Lunch.

Grand Opening

There's a new CVS that just opened last week near my office. There are drug stores on just about every block in NY, but this one does seem nice. I've stopped by there twice so far, and it's bright, spacious and everyone is VERY friendly. There are multiple cashiers, so the lines are never very long. There's even a greeter when you walk in! His whole job is to welcome you in and say thank you when you leave.

My colleagues and I discussed this one day at lunch. We all agreed the uber-friendliness won't last long. Pretty soon, it will be just like the others...crowded, no-nonsense and no smiling.

making do

My internet connection is not working at my apt, but it's NaBloPoMo. Hell if I'm going to be sacked this early in the game! I'm typing this on the incredibly small Blackberry keyboard.

Prepared a pot roast this morning, anticipating having my boss and his family over for dinner. It made me a little late running out the door to church, but I totally forgot about the time change! Instead of being 10 minutes late, I was 50 minutes early!

Later, my boss called to say his youngest daughter was vomiting and they had to cancel. Of course I completely understand, but I made a lot of food for just me! I've invited my neighbor Bobby to come join me.

Good End to the Week

I was so tired yesterday after unexplicably waking at 3:30 a.m. Most people who know me know I am NOT a morning person, but here I was waking very alert at 3:30 feeling for sure it was 7 a.m. I closed my eyes and tried to go back to sleep. Woke up...3:35. Again, closed my eyes, surely it's 7 now? Nope, 3:45.

Of course, when 7 finally rolled around, I was exhausted. Figures.

I found this great little restaurant here in my TriBeCa neighborhood. I usually eat alone, and this place has a great round bar with about 8 chairs, with the bartender in the middle. I've met two of the bartenders, and they introduce me around to everyone else at the bar. It's great...it's like not really eating alone (which gets old).

The Friday bartender is REALLY hot. He's my age, and only bartends one night a week. The rest of the time, he works as a personal trainer or personal coach of some sort. I'm still trying to learn more about that. To put it mildly, there are definitely sparks between us. Mutual sparks. Very cool.

After some great wine and a tasty pork dinner there, I met my new friend L and her gay friend P...we went to this great 80's club. It's packed with gay guys and straight girls (whatever) and all they play is 1980's great hits. We had a blast, jiving on the dance floor, singing at the top of our lungs to each other to Thriller, Debbie Gibson and Paula Abdul!

I got home late (or early, depending on your perspective). One of the ways I know I'm getting older is that I can't sleep late in the morning, no matter what time I went to bed.

Too Much Interest

When I came to NY in July to look for an apartment, the hotel concierge recommended a great Indian restaurant. Since I was staying at a hotel near my office, I remembered where it was and have gone several times, taking colleagues and visitors.

The first time I went, the manager took a liking to me and gave me his card, which was subsequently lost in the move. Every time I went, he would pay me special attention and give me freebies -- an appetizer or dessert.

"He's CUTE!" One of my colleagues said, "You should ask him out. He obviously likes you."

I debated. He is cute. I've never dated an Indian guy, but I have several friends from there and appreciate their culture and especially the food. Ah, what the hell!

So I gave him my card and agreed to go out with him.

We were having a perfectly nice time, just talking over drinks at a jazz bar, getting to know each other, when he blurts out, "I think I love you."

WHAT?!>#?

I said, "It's our FIRST date."

He tried to explain but just continued digging a hole for himself.

I said, "You don't even know me."

We moved on to other topics, but then he said it again!

Needless to say, our first date was also our last. But now I can't go to the restaurant. Except on Mondays (his day off).

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I am missing Comments. Is anyone reading this? Several posts have ZERO comments. It's pretty disheartening.

It's Here: NaBloPoMo

My sister Jennifer has inspired me to do many things in my life. As my older sibling, she encouraged me to crawl and walk. She helped me learn to read and taught me cross-stitch. (I also think she may have had a hand in teaching me to cartwheel, since that is the only thing I do that lefthanded.) She also inspired me to join her in adventure races and then the triathlons.

Now, it's NaBloPoMo: National Blog Posting Month. "All you have to do is post every day during the month of November," they say. Sounds easy, but for days now I've been stocking up on ideas for stories for those days when I'm tapped out.

Today is easy. Here is a picture of me and my boss at the end of the day yesterday. That's right, he dressed as Tinky Winky from TeleTubbies. (His 3-yr-old daughter helped him choose a costume.)

Then I went to the parade with my colleague shown here, dressed as Sen. Larry Craig from Idaho in the Minneapolis bathroom stall, complete with said stall, appropriate grafiti, and dragging his pants around his ankles! (People either completely got it or didn't, but those who did really appreciated his humor and creativity.)

The parade was fun, but we walked and walked and walked. My choice of boots was not the best for so much walking on hard concrete, and I finally cried "Uncle" at 10 p.m. We saw so many amazing costumes, here are just a few. Halloween night changed the City...people talked to each other and commented on costumes. People were friendly. Alas, the costumes are now put away, and we are back to ignoring each other on the subway and as we pass on the street.