All Gussied Up

Definition: Dressed up, as in Emily loves to get all gussied up and go to a fine event. The origin of this expression is not clear, though possibly it relates to the earlier use of the noun gussie (derived from a proper name) for an effeminate man. [Slang; mid-1900s]

And so I was on Saturday night. This isn't the best picture of me, but I wanted to show the back of the dress, which I believe has the most interesting feature. (And if I look tired, it's because this was taken at the end of the evening, when I got home.)



I was delighted to be invited and attend my cousin Rob's senior banquet at West Point on Saturday evening. It was Ring weekend, and he received his senior ring at a special ceremony on Friday. I met up with him and his new girlfriend Brittany on Saturday in the city, and we headed up by train later that afternoon. It was great to catch up with his parents and grandparents, whom I hadn't seen for some time. The only downside was that the grand banquet hall isn't air conditioned, and we had the worst hot, swampy, humid weather imaginable. We all sweated through our nice dinner, passing up the piping hot coffee that was offered with dessert.

Unfortunately, my camera battery pooped out on me, so I only got a couple shots. I'm hoping others will share their photos with me.

One thing of note: the dress I wore was one I originally purchased in 1995. I've kept it all these years because I just loved it, but it hasn't fit for a long while. I was thrilled it does now!

A Weekend of Parks

As expected, my cousin Rob arrived from West Point on Friday. I took him to an Indian restaurant for dinner since he had asked me about it. I ordered a variety of dishes, including Chicken Vindaloo, their spiciest dish. The waiters couldn't believe I would order that for someone who had never had Indian before, but Rob loved it!



On Saturday, after sleeping in, we met two of my coworkers (who are sisters, how cool!) for brunch. The restaurant wasn't quite open when we got there, so we walked around Washington Square Park and NYU. These pictures are from the park.



The brunch was divine: I had Proscuitto Eggs Benedict and Rob had Creme Brulee Vanilla French Toast. Both were delicious!



























Rob went to meet up with a buddy from West Point for the afternoon. I went to Union Square and came upon a street fair. I bought some handmade jewelry and visited one of the bargain stores, Filene's Basement, which happens to be on the third floor! I got this great view of Union Square from their windows.

On Sunday, we went to church, then headed uptown for lunch and Central Park. We walked around for three hours or so, exploring the different areas and enjoying the beautiful weather and greenery. The Lake is full of boats, and I was surprised to see a gondola!







Here, Rob talks to Grandma. We gave her a call just to say hello and check in on her. She also allowed us to talk to Sudie!















The Reservoir, at the north end of the Park, was breathtaking. There's a running path that encircles it, and the views of the city across the water were just asking to have their picture taken.

More New Discoveries in NYC

Compared to my friends in Texas, we've had nice weather since I moved to NYC. Although the humidity does get to me, and the muggy air in the subways can be oppressive, I'm thankful to have missed the days of 100* in Dallas and Houston. One day as I was walking around my new neighborhood, I caught the reflection of clouds in this mirror-like building.






My cousin Rob was able to come visit me for the day on Saturday, getting a pass from West Point. It was so great to see him and to have someone to pal around with. I took him to a Mexican restaurant I've found for lunch, and he was thrilled with the almost-as-good-as-Texas taste. He then accompanied me on some errands. I wanted to go to the market at Union Square where I'd heard I could find house plants. The market was impressive, with everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to baked goods and artwork. I bought a couple plants and then realized I needed pots for them. One man suggested Home Depot, 6 blocks away.

Rob was impressed with the architecture of the building that houses Home Depot. It doesn't look like any Home Depot we were used to in Texas!




He was also as surprised and delighted with the cart escalator as I had been at Target last weekend. (This is the picture I took as discreetly as possible at Target.)













Last night, we had a pretty good sunset. I remember when my aunt Cinda lived away from Texas, telling me how much she missed the Texas sunsets. They are some of the best in the world, and I've been disappointed with the lack of color that most of the sunsets have in NYC. However, last night was a good one, and I was able to capture the nighttime view from my apartment. (For you, Jenn!)