Weekend in the City

So since my father in law died in late January, Wifey has been busy leading her mother into the next phase of her life -- widowhood. This hasn't been easy -- my mother in law is not a "background grandma," as she properly labeled MY mom for her ability to go with the flow, and make things easy on us, her caregivers. D2 is also not at all needy, but humorously noted a few weeks past "Hey -- does anyone want to see ME anymore?" It had been since late January. D2 was correct -- so we booked a flight to NYC to be with her and her man Jonathan during the first nights of Passover. It actually worked out well, as D1 and her man had made plans to see Joey's family in Bogota -- to give our gringa daughter a true look at a Colombian Passover... My sister of another mother Mirta was free to dog and house sit, and so Wifey and I fired up the SUV and headed to MIA, and the best way to start a plane trip, the Centurion Lounge. AMEX opened a few of these around the country for their Platinum cardholders, and now that Morgan Stanley gives Platinum cards for free, having one is a no brainer. The food is awesome, and the coffee and drinks very high quality. A fellow sat behind us I was sure was Pharrel, but Wifey said no -- I ALWAYS think I recognize people who turn out not to be who I think they are...The flight was smooth, and we were in Queens, and soon afterwards, thanks to the nice African driver, at our hotel on Park and 29th. We unpacked and walked around in the gorgeous weather. NY is best in Spring and Fall, and it was indeed lovely -- mid 60s, bright sunshine. We found a natural themed place on Madison, either Exxi, or Ekki -- the consonants were spelled out in carrots, and I couldn't tell. Then back to the room for naps, and at 6, a delightful, hug filled reunion with D2. We repaired to the strangely named Asselina Bar, and toasted our seeing together. Afterwards, we walked to D2's apartment, greeted the absurdly long hours working Jonathan, and Ubered to SoHo for dinner at Gato. It was the first night of Passover. We talked about the holiday, but alas, no seder. Jonathan DID refrain from bread, and I thought about it, but a mushroom pizza appetizer called my name... Wifey and I made it an early night, and the next am, alas, Jonathan had to work. We fetched D2, and headed to breakfast. On the way, we ran into Ashley, D2's sorority sister and 2 year Gville roomie, who is headed on a new life adventure -- working for a start up in SF. Ashley was born and raised in Boca, and her Mom and sisters are all on the East Coast, but she is ready for a change. We wished her Godspeed, and promised to meet in the Bay Area -- my nephew and niece are there, and we want to visit sooner than later. We then walked to Midtown, on a mission. I had agreed to buy a new pair of jeans. D2 got a major discount, and we visited the original Bloomingdales. After a lost hotel umbrella humorous squabble, I bought the jeans, D2 returned some online stuff, and we went to Magnolia, the great bakery famous for its bread pudding. We again violated the no bread rule, for the delicious banana and chocolate concoction... We then headed for Central Park, and people and dog watched. The sun was streaming down. The New Yorkers and many tourists were smiling. We walked to Tavern on the Green, finally renovated after a long downtime. We sat at a table to order drinks, but were told, curtly, it was "food only." It was part of the experience -- there is too little left of the nasty New Yorkers of days past, and the jerks at the Tavern were a welcome throwback... Wifey's legs were giving out, and we ubered back to the hotel, where we took parent/daughter naps, like in the old days. D2 left to get ready for Second Seder. We made our way, with Jonathan again, to Marchi's, a place I was told about by some new friends we met in New Orleans. It's an Italian place there since 1929 --no sign on the door, and no menu. The place was very old school -- they brought many courses -- antipasta with radishes, salami, meat lasagna. And then came the moment we will long remember, thanks to Wifey. The waiter, an affable Central American fellow with a strong Spanish accent, brought fried cod. As he put it down in front of Wifey, he said "This is feeeesh." Wifey, quizically, said "Feeeeesh?" Then she realized, and said "Oh, you mean FISH." D2 and Jonathan looked on in horror at the inadvertent exchange of political incorrectness...It will now become part of our family lore... The food was good, but not great, but the memory shall last...From there we went back to the hotel, bar, where Jonathan's affable friend Andy joined us. The moon was full, and Wifey and I were privileged to be part of the talk of young careers, and making new lives in the best city in the world. The trio headed off to a party in Brooklyn, while Wifey and I retired for the night. Sunday we all slept in, and then Wifey and I checked out and rolled our bags to D2's apartment. Poor Jonathan was already at work, crunching numbers. We ubered down to the Lower East side, to Russ and Daughters cafe. The wait was 1.5 hours. We strolled North, to Ludlow and Houston, and went into Katz's Deli. Though it was 11 am, the tourists were eating enormous corned beef and pastrami sandwiches. I had a corned beef omelette, and Wifey and D2 opted for bagels and lox. We shared an egg cream. At the table behind me, a European woman with a French accent was ordering a bagel, and the waiter, an affable Egyptian man, asked what kind. "Oh -- there are different kinds???" I was about to turn around and lecture this foreigner, but D2 stopped me. We then walked around the 'hood, and wandered into the Village, and D2 and Wifey tried on glasses frames at some cheap place whose name I forget, but is famous for $95 glasses. We rested in Washington Square, and enjoyed the dogs playing in their own park, and then kept walking, to Madison Square Park, where there were more frolicking dogs. Wifey, despite a trick leg, acquitted herself well, and we collapsed into D2's apartment, where bff Ali joined us. She was D2's roomie for three years at college, and is about to graduate with her MS as a child life specialist -- already working for Mt. Sinai Children's. It was great to catch up with her. She told me Yellow House, the rental D2, Ali, Ashley, and Cathryn shared for two years, is being demolished, to make room for a new sorority house. I understood -- my college apartment building, where I lived for 3.5 years, and made indelible memories, is likewise just a big lawn. Ali left, with plans to host D2 for the "Game of Thrones" season premiere, and D2 summoned an Uber for her elderly parents, us, and off we went to LGA. It was a lovely, delightful trip. D1, returned from Bogota, texted that SHE wanted to see us for dinner tonight -- to share her adventures with us. I turned to Wifey and we both smiled -- how lucky we are that our grown Ds still fight for our time and attention. If there's something better than that...I don't know what it is.