Waiting ......

...... at the airport to go back to Houston.
Son #1, #3 and me.
Daughter #1 is hanging out at the apartment and going to see a show before she heads home.

I hated to leave.

Yes, it was cold but it's strange in that it didn't bother me.  Except for the first when we walked down to Rockefeller Center and had dinner.  I didn't have my ears covered and they were stinging when we walked into the restaurant.  But that wasn't bad.

After seeing my "winter coat" Daughter #1 announced that we were making a trip to Macy's to get me a real coat.  Now my coat is lovely, and long, but it's a Houston winter coat.
Meaning that it doesn't have buttons, or a zipper, or a tie.  It just hangs open.
And I think that all 3 children were mortified to see me wearing my wool scarf tied around my waist, with my small shoulder bag underneath the coat.
It did look fairly hideous.
The daughter said that they'd probably see me in a fashion magazine next month, with one of those black rectangles blacking out my face.
I took the scarf off.

And we made a stop at Macy's before we went to dinner a couple of nights later and to a show (Peter and the Star Catcher ..... SO much fun, but alas, closing this month.  If you're going to NY before that, it's worth your while - and your kids', if you have any, to see this show.  Lots and lots of laughs and great performances.  It's a pre-Peter Pan story).

Macy's has their coats on sale until tonight) for 60% off.  Sweet.
I bought 2 - one longer and one shorter and for less freezing weather - and paid a ridiculously low price.  Both coats were less than either of them at their original price.

From that point on I was more than warm.

My friend Beth came down yesterday with her two kids and spent the day.  It was so very good to see her.  We walked through Central Park and went to the zoo.  We hit also hit a couple of stores .... Tiffany's and FAO Schwartz, where her daughter played the giant piano.
Some child was having his/her birthday party ..... what an awesome place to have a birthday part!!  I wonder if they'd think it was strange if I have my next one there?
Always a kid at heart.  :)

Son #1 was a champ.  He set up the sofa, the recliner and my bed, which took more than a couple of hours.
And then we found out that I didn't have the support slats for the bed.
For any of the beds.
I was supposed to order that separately.
Curse you, IKEA.

I put layers of large cardboard pieces down and set the mattress on top.  Both of the sons kept wanting me to get on the bed so they could watch me fall through it.
I told them I'd do that in private, thank you very much.
I know how crap ends up on You Tube.

But I didn't not fall through the bed frame.  My makeshift support lasted the entire time.

Other than that moving in went smoothly.
If you don't count the fact that I was told the apartment was cable/internet ready so I ordered the modems for a self-install (because really ..... who can't attach a cable onto a cable receiver in the wall?).
Unfortunately, it appears that the apartment has never had cable.
Ever.
So I had to call to make an appointment for an installation.
That phone call took almost an hour as I and two women went back and forth on what I would pay and what I would not pay.
I find it very interesting that somehow, fees that are "standard" and cannot be waived, are suddenly and magically waived when you utter the words, "I'm canceling my order."
I wonder if that works elsewhere in life?

So we survived with no tv and no internet.
Very well.
Thankfully I had brought several DVDs.  So we watched movies at night after traipsing around the city.

So now we're headed back to warmer and more humid weather.
It's crazy how you can miss humidity in the winter.  I shocked myself any time I touched anything, or anyone, in the apartment.
Ah, the childhood memories that brought up.
Rubbing your feet on the carpet just to shock the snot out of a sibling.
:)

It was a great week.
We'll be back for spring break, when it will be a full house.
Or a full apartment.
With many of the kids.

And maybe, if United runs one of those weekly specials from Houston to here, I'll be back sooner.
Whoop!

Happy Sunday, Peeps.
:)