That's All I Have to Say About That

"Mama always said, 'Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.'"
- Forrest Gump

Walking in New York City anytime of day or night is often like a box of chocolates. This afternoon a colleague and I stepped outside to grab salads from Cosi, but it was such a beautiful day, we decided to stay out and eat on the front steps of the New York Public Library. Among those seated around us were other midtown professionals, college students, a homeless man sleeping on his trash bags, tourists, and a mime.

It was a gorgeous day. One of those days that can make you fall in love with the city - if you haven't fallen already. My boyfriend - who is now living in Seattle through July - hates New York, but I believe it might grow on him if he could experience days in Manhattan like these.

Today also marked the beginning of the end of pleasant evening commutes through Times Square. It was so congested with tourists at 6:30pm. standing in the middle of the sidewalk looking up and posing for photos in front of the lights, billboards and the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant and Market.

Victoria and I bobbed, weaved and dashed through the crowds from our office on 42nd Street aiming to be on time for our 50-min massages at the Broadway & 50th Equinox. She accidentally whacked some guy selling CDs in his leg with her laptop bag. Shit happens, but walking through Times Square was just a bad idea.

I finally used the Equinox gift card that my boss had given me for my birthday back in January. After my massage I was feeling so invigorated - as if I had magic legs - I decided to walk up to 59th Street instead of catching an uptown 1 train right outside the gym. But when I got to 59th, I decided I might as well walk to 66th.

I started to feel like Forrest Gump. By the time I got to 66th, I figured since I had come this far, I might as well walk on to 72nd. And when I arrived at 72nd, I figured since I had come this far, I might as well walk on to 79th.

When I got hungry, I grabbed a stick of street meat. When I saw a camera phone photo op, I took it, "and when I had to ... you know ... I went."

At 86th, I decided to hop on the train the rest of the way home. Back at my almost fully-furnished apartment, relaxing on a Friday night, a glass of red wine and a huge window peering out into Manhattan.

"Sometimes it would stop raining long enough for the stars to come out. And then it was nice. It was like just before the sun goes to bed down on the bayou ... There was over a million sparkles on the water. Like that mountain lake. It was so clear, Jenny. It looked like there were two skies, one on top of the other. And then in the desert, when the sun comes up ... I couldn't tell where heaven stopped and the earth began. It was so beautiful."
- Forrest Gump