The Subway Stairs Story

Funniest story from the subway today, I thought I better write it down before I forget:

I was going to meet Scott downtown after T's nap.  So I got our stroller packed for a day in SoHo, Chinatown and a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.  The stroller was quite full and quite heavy.  Getting down the stairs to the subway causes me a considerable amount of anxiety... it's getting better with time, but I still get geared up and eager about the whole situation.  The stairway at our stop feels particularly narrow.  So today I got to the top of the stairs, and waited a long 30 seconds for a kind stranger to offer a helping hand. When nobody volunteered, I just lifted the thing up and started down the stairs myself.  A few steps down I saw another stroller coming up, so I stepped aside trying to make room for all of us.  Through this process, there was a very large man standing about 5 steps below watching the whole ordeal.  Once the other stroller passed I continued down the stairs, watching my footing and trying to get a better hold on my stroller.  When I reached the man, I realized he wasn't moving and this event was going to be even harder than I anticipated.  

Then from the bottom of the stairs turns a woman, jaw dropped open, appalled at what is going on.  She immediately looks straight at the standing man and shouts,

"Would you help her???"

After some negatory body language, she gets crazy.

(Keep in mind that here I am, between two steps awkwardly hefting the stroller and a crying baby)

Woman: "Take a look at your surroundings, and then act like a HUMAN!"

He defensively says "You don't know my situation, woman!"

Woman: "You could at least move your fat body!"

Oh baby... it was intense!

The woman then proceeds to come gently over and lift the end of the stroller all the way to the bottom of the stairs.

Once I thanked her profusely, she marched right back up there to give him some more fightin' words!  I heard them banter for at least another 2 minutes while I waited for my train.  I have a feeling this is only the first of many solo adventures on the subway stairs.

Photo Overload: Week 1 NYC

Scott was wondering why I haven't blogged much lately...

The answer is because we haven't had internet.

But that has changed.  We are finally connected! If you follow me on Instagram then some of these will be repeats.  But, you'll get a little more detail about our life here in the Big Apple here on the blog!

We live off the 145th stop.  It's farther north than we planned on or hoped for, but it is working out splendidly.  We are only 2 stops from Columbia for Scott and right beside Riverside Park, offering Tennis, swimming pool, playgrounds, splash pad and a walking trail.  By living this far up on Manhattan we also get a little bigger space and nicer kitchen for the money.  

 T is getting used to the train.  She flaps her arms with excitement when the train approaches, and she loves riding out of her stroller so she can look out and hold on.. more pics to come.

This is the best news I know about moving to New York.  They sell Pop Corners at my local grocery store- Fairway!  These chips are so delicious!  They are gluten free and fairly healthy... and they cost $1.50.  I was first introduced to Pop Corners on a Jet Blue flight.  I have since taken at least 3 bags on every subsequent flight, and have even paid a bit more to fly Jet Blue just for the option of having Pop Corners.  They are that good.  My favorite is the Kettle variety.  

 Scott had us to Chinatown in our first week.  It was pretty fun and pretty crazy.  I'd say its a very good China Town, but nothing beats San Fransisco.  We ran into the sister missionaries, one of which who was on Day 1 in the field.  She looked a bit nervous, but quite happy to be there. The hand pulled noodles at this Yelp recommended shop were worth coming back for.  But maybe in the winter since hot soup on a hot day was a very hot experience.

 We've stopped by Central Park as often as we can.  There are always new parts to explore and many people to watch. I love this little outfit on T.  All from the Old Navy clearance section for $4 total. Win!

 The girl runs away so fast and does not look back for us.  There is no such thing as a relaxing day at the park for us- we're always chasing her around!

 We met up with our friends Josh and Katrina and their son Ryker this week.  They live in Long Island but come to the city quite often, so we're looking forward to hanging with them a lot! Ryker and T are so sweet together.  He'll do anything for the camera and T just loves the attention.  He was following her around trying to rub her shoulders and give hugs.  

 Later at the fountains at Bryant Park he would run and slide along the slick ground, making T laugh and laugh and laugh.  They are so cute together!

 Poor baby woke up with new bites almost every day this week.  She has been miserable because of them, to say the least.  

 Look at that knee!

 We called our super to come look for bed bugs.  We actually really trusted him, he showed up with gear and talked like and looked like he knew what he was doing.  We found a spider under her mattress and decided the rest of the bites must be mosquitos.  We've closed windows more (hard since it is Soooo hot!) gotten screens, and trapped the spider.  Things are going much better now.  And we are all relieved not to have bed bugs!

We lost Lambie for about a day and a half.  T carried her off and we couldn't find her to save our lives.  Llama had to fill in- she wasn't lambie, but did calm T down in desperate times. Lambie has since been found (buried in a box) and we are determined to never loose her again.  Im making lambie a leash.

 We ran to Home Depot the other night (by ran, I mean 45 min across town) to get those screens for the windows.  It is so funny how you enter on street level, and then every floor down has different stuff, like a department store.  We are happy to have a Home Depot in the city, just getting used to multi-level places, and trying to get our heads around where we can find a few stores like this near each other.  

 The Big Apple. T was mesmerized by the Apple Store at night.  And so were we.

 Here she is, holding on!  It is so wild how fast she learns what to do and how to act.  Whenever we ride sans stroller, she insists on holding onto the bar, just like all the other passengers.  City girl.

 Fashion is a big deal here. We all knew that, but really.  Its a big deal.  I feel like I need some Oxfords to even show my face in the city.  I'm not in love with these, anybody know of a cute pair for a decent price??

 I found Zabars on a fluke when we were here in May.  Turns out it is a really great resource for cheeses and meats.  It's nice that it is right on our train line and within walking distance from Central Park.  I see lots of fun times ahead!  Next time we just need to remember to pack our sheathed knife! (Best gift ever, Kristen!)

 Playgrounds are everywhere in Central Park, and T is at a great age to run free and enjoy.  And you better believe she always picks the steepest slides and wants to swing higher and higher!

After the park, we stopped by the Met to see a few exhibits.  The Civil War Photography exhibit is leaving soon, so we went there first.  It was pretty amazing.  We also went to the Roman section, Egypt, Oceana and Africa.  T like Africa the best, identifying all the parts of the face on their masks and carvings... in the future we hope to go without a baby, as keeping her quiet is almost an impossible task.

 Here's my little cutie in the kitchen.  She feels like such a big girl with her apron on.  Sewing these with Noelle at "Sewing Camp" last month (was that really just LAST MONTH??) was super fun, and I love knowing that all 4 of us have matching aprons.  T's main role in the kitchen is to cry for food, dump out all the pots and pans and/or unlock the dishwasher and pull out all the knives.  Let's just say our hands are full.  

 Just a few hours ago we took a Sunday night stroll down to the Hudson river.  It is really nice weather this weekend and we are trying to enjoy.  All these pics make it seem like we're out a lot, but really we spend 70% of our day unpacking and trying to get settled.  It is really hard to get settled without a car.  We can't just go to Wal Mart and get a bookcase.  No such thing as running to grab a few things at Target.  All these take time, planning and a lot of effort.  I think we'll be in good shape once our place is put together... hopefully we'll be all done this week!

First Impressions NYC

I so wish I were writing an organized post right now, but I am not. This is a ramble to update the fam and keep a record for myself:

I guess we are New Yorkers now! I can tell because I am laying on my bed listening to people, cars, planes and bangs. City life.  I can tell bc when I cross the street, I see a lady detach her hair and brush through it! I can tell because we just paid up the wazzu (sp?) for our modest apartment. But by golly, it feels great! I know I've only been here 3 days, but I am beginning to understand the sense of accomplishment and pride that comes with "being a New Yorker" because I have managed to move here. It is a big ordeal in terms of time, expectations, logistics and finances to get yourself here. 

We have a space to call our own and T has a high chair again! We were too tired to set up her real crib tonight, but tomorrow she will sleep on an actual mattress for the first time since Jan 30-- 7 months ago! She has literally spent half her life on the move. It was amazing and fulfilling and free, but it is time to settle down again. We are in the Harlem 1st ward and we are excited to move our records there starting tomorrow. I'm grateful to have a little over a week before school starts for Scott so we can get settled. I'm even hoping to paint!!! Our ikea trip is scheduled for Monday.  With no further ado, here are some pics:

We are quite shocked Brenda's car pulled our heavy ubox home from Chelsea. Wow, a few barriers to this working but we made it in the end.

Unloading on the street. We were quite the sight. Really. And we are so grateful to our friends Brenda and Josh who helped us soooo much!!

You can only barely see them, but our broker Carlos is the tall guy on the left. We expected a turndown service for a month from him for all the money (brokers fee) we gave him for a total of 1 hour of work over the past 3 days. Carlos and Sandy his partner were nice enough. 

Here is the kitchen. Lots of cupboards, a dishwasher and a full size refrigerator! We are totally spoiled in the NY world. We even have a gas stove which Scott. (And I) much prefer to electric!

This is the living room/ eat in room. We are hoping to get our table and couch at ikea on Monday. Also note the heater. We are happy heat an water are included in our rent. And bc we have a baby NY law says our owners have to put in window bars to every window. Yay!

Here is our bathroom. I kind of love the bulbs. So far the tub/shower doesn't drain... Well work on that...

Our bedroom- big and lots of natural light! It's a good thing bc this room doesn't come w a light. 

Ts room is long and narrow. It will also double as my sewing room and the office. She has a walk in closet w shelving which may be my fav feature of the house.

On this side of the bldg we have a ramp which will be really nice using the stroller. There is street parking here, but so far I'm still really glad we are carless, the hassle of moving for street cleanings, searching for a spot, insuring, and preventing bumps and scratches is too great.

This is the entrance to our building. It's nice. We already have two friends here, afcorro, a nice grandma who lives below us, and Louisa (pictured) who has already offered to drive me to the mall. Pretty good for not being here 12 hours yet :)

And lastly, here is the lobby. Nothing fancy, but it has a cool light fixture and fresh paint. Our owner says the UPS man for this building is really good and packages are never stolen from doorsteps. We are thrilled to have laundry in the basement and be in an elevator building. I'm so happy to have a playground across the street and I've heard a rumor that there's a splash pad nearby... 

So we are basically living in Manhattan with the benefits of suburbia. I know I'll have more obstacles but today I'm feeling pretty positive about this whole New York life!!

First Impressions NYC

I so wish I were writing an organized post right now, but I am not. This is a ramble to update the fam and keep a record for myself:

I guess we are New Yorkers now! I can tell because I am laying on my bed listening to people, cars, planes and bangs. City life.  I can tell bc when I cross the street, I see a lady detach her hair and brush through it! I can tell because we just paid up the wazzu (sp?) for our modest apartment. But by golly, it feels great! I know I've only been here 3 days, but I am beginning to understand the sense of accomplishment and pride that comes with "being a New Yorker" because I have managed to move here. It is a big ordeal in terms of time, expectations, logistics and finances to get yourself here. 

We have a space to call our own and T has a high chair again! We were too tired to set up her real crib tonight, but tomorrow she will sleep on an actual mattress for the first time since Jan 30-- 7 months ago! She has literally spent half her life on the move. It was amazing and fulfilling and free, but it is time to settle down again. We are in the Harlem 1st ward and we are excited to move our records there starting tomorrow. I'm grateful to have a little over a week before school starts for Scott so we can get settled. I'm even hoping to paint!!! Our ikea trip is scheduled for Monday.  With no further ado, here are some pics:

We are quite shocked Brenda's car pulled our heavy ubox home from Chelsea. Wow, a few barriers to this working but we made it in the end.

Unloading on the street. We were quite the sight. Really. And we are so grateful to our friends Brenda and Josh who helped us soooo much!!

You can only barely see them, but our broker Carlos is the tall guy on the left. We expected a turndown service for a month from him for all the money (brokers fee) we gave him for a total of 1 hour of work over the past 3 days. Carlos and Sandy his partner were nice enough. 

Here is the kitchen. Lots of cupboards, a dishwasher and a full size refrigerator! We are totally spoiled in the NY world. We even have a gas stove which Scott. (And I) much prefer to electric!

This is the living room/ eat in room. We are hoping to get our table and couch at ikea on Monday. Also note the heater. We are happy heat an water are included in our rent. And bc we have a baby NY law says our owners have to put in window bars to every window. Yay!

Here is our bathroom. I kind of love the bulbs. So far the tub/shower doesn't drain... Well work on that...

Our bedroom- big and lots of natural light! It's a good thing bc this room doesn't come w a light. 

Ts room is long and narrow. It will also double as my sewing room and the office. She has a walk in closet w shelving which may be my fav feature of the house.

On this side of the bldg we have a ramp which will be really nice using the stroller. There is street parking here, but so far I'm still really glad we are carless, the hassle of moving for street cleanings, searching for a spot, insuring, and preventing bumps and scratches is too great.

This is the entrance to our building. It's nice. We already have two friends here, afcorro, a nice grandma who lives below us, and Louisa (pictured) who has already offered to drive me to the mall. Pretty good for not being here 12 hours yet :)

And lastly, here is the lobby. Nothing fancy, but it has a cool light fixture and fresh paint. Our owner says the UPS man for this building is really good and packages are never stolen from doorsteps. We are thrilled to have laundry in the basement and be in an elevator building. I'm so happy to have a playground across the street and I've heard a rumor that there's a splash pad nearby... 

So we are basically living in Manhattan with the benefits of suburbia. I know I'll have more obstacles but today I'm feeling pretty positive about this whole New York life!!

John Hathaway

Scott's dad John passed away last Thursday morning.  

He has fought multiple myeloma cancer for 5 years and worked hard through it all.  John was a fighter, and continued his construction business, church calling, and even travelled to Alaska and Fiji since his diagnosis.  

One of our fondest memories with John was this past September when he and SueAnn came to Utah to surprise Scott for his birthday.

We had the best day riding horses in the Uintas and enjoying fish tacos together before our campfire up AF canyon. 

 

 Some of the qualities we plan to teach Tatum about her Grandpa Hathaway are:
-The value of hard work
-Finishing a job

-Doing it right

-Selfless service, and

-Giving/sharing with those in need.

We had the funeral service on Saturday morning, just two days after his passing.  The ward was incredibly helpful with making arrangements and coordinating the logistics of doing it so quickly.  The Circle City ward in Corona really knows what it means to be a ward family and has such a strong sense of community. Our family was so amazed at the outpouring of love and support from all our family and friends.  We couldn't believe how many people drove in (on just 1 day notice!) and brought flowers, food, gave help cleaning, setting up tables, decorating... the list goes on and on.

We will miss you, Grandpa Hathaway!