Yew Nork, Yew Nork

So last weekend the Ben and I went to the Big Apple.  It was pretty rad being able to drive an hour and then just BE THERE.  I've been a couple of times before but it was a much more lengthy involvement of time and money.  And then the most AMAZING and wondrous thing happened...

We found FREE parking in Manhattan.  Right by Central Park.

I had done the research and finding free parking was the best deal (obviously) but it was highly unlikely and none of the sites told us EXACTLY where to find this free parking.  Our first goal was to find a cheap lot in Jersey and then ride the subway in, but the subway doesn't ride to Jersey, only the train, and that's timely and expensive.  So then we were armed with Apps that would tell us the cheapest parking garages in town.  And then Ben called his co-worker that lives there and HE told us the secret.  Will I tell you??  Nope.  Why?  Because we plan on going back.

Anyway, I was so excited I double checked with the people getting into their car near us that this was, in fact, a free parking spot and that my calculations and derivations were correct.  That we were fifteen feet away from a hydrant and there was no secret sign hiding in the tree that said there is only parking allowed here between 6:13 and 6:15am and only with a permit and then in really fine print it says and only if you are a REAL New Yorker and that the stars had aligned and a portal opened up on 109th street (whoops) and we had free parking.  It really happened.  Which is good, because it already costs like 12 bucks just to get through the Lincoln Tunnel.  Sheesh.

Then we got some REALLY good hot pastrami at this hungarian bakery a few blocks away.  The sun was shining and the grass was green and there was a really good quote from Van Gogh across the street that made me feel all deep inside.  And the weather was PERFECT.  The first time I went to New York it was really really really hot and muggy.  The second time it was super cold and there was a freak snow storm.  Saturday made me understand why all those New York blogs talk so romantically about the place.  Good weather does that for me.

Oh yeah, but BEFORE the hot pastrami I of course went to the bathroom.  Going to the bathroom is always the first order of business for me.  Always.  Ben is very, very patient with this.  His first nickname for me was "Walnut bladder."  After the elation of finding our free parking and resisting the romantic lure of Central Park, we went off in search of urinary relief.  Ben headed for the subway station.  "Where are you going?" I asked, wondering if he actually FORGOT we were in need of toilet (I say we, but it's pretty much always me).  He replied, "I figured there would be a bathroom in there."  Now, despite the fact that I'm a germaphobe, anytime there is a battle between going weewee and going in a non hygenic bathroom (which is anywhere that's not Home, Nordstroms, or BYU Campus) the fight to relieve myself always wins--EXCEPT for Subways.  I have traveled on Subways in almost every major city in the US and Europe and I have peed at almost every location I have ever traveled, but I have NEVER gone in a Subway stop bathroom.  Never.  Even if I feel like this:

I didn't blame Ben for not knowing, this was his first time with me on a Subway traveling day.  This was his first time on a Subway period.  Despite my issues with subway bathrooms, I LOVE subways.  I think they are the BEST mode of travel.

Anyway, we moseyed over to our nearest hot dog vendor and asked him where we might find a commode.  He pointed in a direction and said something we were too polite to ask to be repeated.  We just started heading in the direction of his finger and deduced that the gas station was probably what he was pointing at.  I went inside.  After being shepherded into a line by a nice man who was letting every person that walked in go in front of him (and I don't think he worked there), I waited my turn.  The window to my right opened up.  I asked the man "Do I need to buy anything to use the bathroom?"  Because I have peed in a lot of places, I know this is a common practice.  "Yes, $100 dollars to use the bathroom."  Although my FIRST instinct was to believe him, because I am as gullible as they come and hey, this is New York and they probably COULD get away with it, I cracked a smile instead.  Now the ball was in his court.  "Nooooo" he said sheepishly, "you don't have to buy anything to use the bathroom.  Here is the key, bathroom is in back."  I hate the key.  It's usually tied to something HUGE and I just think about how it has probably NEVER been sanitized, but again, the urge to relieve always wins.

I headed toward the back, or side rather, of the gas station and found the bathroom.  There were taxi drivers standing around.  I asked if the bathroom was in use.  The shorter one said in broken english "Ya, I go next, then he go (pointing to his comrade), then YOU go."  "Come on man" said the other, "Leet her go."  "No man," he replied, "I gotta go."  I was in the midst of figuring out how they were even in LINE for the bathroom when they didn't have the key, because I had the key and calculating how long I would possibly have to hold it when another man came out from the store, I assume, because he pointed at me and curled his finger in a very commanding way.  I followed him (probably not a good practice, but it was daylight and Ben was right there) and he lead us to the garage where he unlocked ANOTHER bathroom for us to use.  He took the key from me and then went back into the store.  Again I assume this, I never actually saw from whence he came or to where he went, but he was my own little bathroom guardian angel! Free parking and my own bathroom guardian angel???  This was going to be a good day.

The main reason we were there in New York was actually to go to the Temple.  My favorite part about going to the Temple is how when I'm inside, my body exhales just a little more.  I think I'm relaxed and then I go to the Temple and realize I was carrying around a little more stress with me than I realized.  Everybody probably needs a little more worship and meditation in their lives than they realize.  I find it at the Temple.

After we left the temple we visited Times Square, Rockefeller Center (where I secretly hoped to run into Tina Fey), SoHo (where I secretly hoped to run into Nat the Fat Rat), and #Wall Street.  Good times.

And then I came home and found out my friend has cancer.  Not good times.  His blog is here.  Prayers are welcome.