Life’s hard enough. Eat the heart-shaped donuts ❤️🤎

Also, I washed down my prozac with an iced coffee from Mcdonald’s this morning, and I’m ready to start my day 😅

BRB crying.

I usually like to let my birthday pass without much fanfare (one year, Shi was like, “Am I just supposed to sit across from you at dinner and not acknowledge it’s your birthday?!”). I spent my last birthday in the hospital, so I decided to celebrate this trip around the sun.

A lot of iconic NYC eateries have since opened in LA (Roberta’s, Levain Bakery, Halal Guys, Langer’s Deli, Shake Shack, and Magnolia Bakery among others), but there’s still lots of places to try over here!

I have TSA pre-check because of my global entry enrollment, but my boots set off the metal detectors, so I had to take off my shoes and run them through the x-ray. I was wearing my Let’s Watch Horror Movies shirt, and I was like, “Are you sure it wasn’t the chainsaw on my shirt that set it off?” but no one was amused by my joke 😅

We took the red eye to NYC and got there at five in the morning. We flew JetBlue Mint so we could comfortably get some shut-eye on our overnight flight.

Actual footage of us in first class:

Sidenote: IDK why it bothers me so much that Timotheé Chalamet is dating Kylie Jenner. That’s a straight up lie, I know exactly why it bothers me. I’ve loved everything I’ve ever seen Timotheé Chalamet in, and I can’t stand the Kardashians/Jenners. Plus, I was so annoyed at the Golden Globes, Kieran Culkin (who won best actor in a drama series for Succession) didn’t even have seats with his wife, while Kylie was sitting front and center at Timotheé’s table. Like who even are you? I’m such a hater 😅

While I was laying flat, I heard something fall and didn’t think anything of it till we were deboarding the plane, when I was looking for my phone and couldn’t find it. I had already put the seat back up and my phone was stuck between the seat and the mechanism that makes the seat fold into a bed. Needless to say, my screen was shattered when I was able to get it out 😅 That’s what I get for talking shit about Kylie Jenner LOL.

We ordered some night caps before snoozing on the plane. I got their signature cocktail (Mint Condition), while Pammie got a chamomile tea and a virgin bloody mary LOL. I’ve never had a bloody mary with no vodka before!

Home for the weekend (The Plaza)

Partly because we got 40,000 Southwest points for booking this hotel, but mostly because Macauley Culkin stayed here in Home Alone 2.

Me: How much for the Kevin McCallister suite?
Internet: Nearly five grand a night.
Me: I’ll just book the cheapest room they have available, thank yew.

This is like the first time I went to NYC twenty years ago and went to Supreme to get something for Julz, and was like, “How much for this Nike necklace?” (it was just a dunk on a silver ball chain) and the guy was like, “two fifty,” and I was like, “$2.50? I’ll take two!” and the guy was like, “two hundred fifty,” and I was like, “Oh, I’ll take none then.” 😅

I brought my Grimace Crocs I got for Christmas in case this hotel was too fancy 😅

Bagels for breakfast (@ Ess-A-Bagel)

We went here last time we were in NYC, and the bagels were sooo good. I also grabbed a bagel and iced coffee at Skyline Deli and Grill in Brooklyn, and it was just as good! New York really knows their shit when it comes to bagels.

“You brought your tarot cards, but you didn’t bring any winter clothes???”

I run hot, so I packed pretty light. I just brought 4 pairs of warm leggings, socks, a nice tank top blouse for Moulin Rouge, 3 days of t-shirts, a pair of boots, my winter coat with the faux-fur lined hood, a beanie and some gloves. It’s a good thing I packed light, because Pammie had to put some of her Harry Potter haul in my luggage going home.

This s’mores hot chocolate was everything the internet promised it would be (@ Glace)

We got there before all the kids got out of school, so there wasn’t much of a line yet. While we were waiting for a taxi, this kid walking by asks her dad, “Daddy, what are all these people waiting for?” and he was like, “They’re just a bunch of TikTokers waiting for hot chocolate.” 😂

La Summer (@ All’Antico Vinaio)

We invited our cousin from LA because she mentioned wanting to go to NY the last time she visited. This was the one place she wanted to go to, and they had a location right by our hotel. They had a pop-up at Mozza2Go in LA last year,  but sold out before she could get any. I’ve eaten at one of Nancy Silverton’s other restaurants, Pizzeria Mozza, and anything good enough for her is good enough for me! This italian sandwich shop def didn’t disappoint.

Toe pick ⛸️ (@ The Rink at Rockefeller Center)

The last couple times I’ve been in New York was during the summer and this rink closes in April. I’ve always wanted to go ice skating here! I was so scared to go ice skating because my balance has been off since the strokes. Apparently, your iPhone measures your walking steadiness now, and I recently got this notification that I’m a fall risk 😅 I held on to the wall the entire time, but I’m glad I went!

We hit up Grand Central Terminal, because there’s a food hall inside of it. I had a lobster roll and a mule from Luke’s Lobster. The lobster tastes so much more fresh when they don’t have to fly it to the west coast!

I wasn’t planning on going to Magnolia since I’ve been to the one in LA, but they had a location inside the food hall, so I had to get some banana pudding.

Spectacular, spectacular (@ Al Hirschfield Theatre)

Moulin Rouge is one of my favorite movies, and the Broadway musical was amazing! It easily tops Waitress as my favorite musical ever. When we were getting snacks before the show, we asked the guy at concessions if they had any real food because we hadn’t eaten yet, and he was like, “Sorry, we don’t. The hibachi’s getting installed tomorrow.” LOL.

If you need me, I’ll be at the Butterbeer Bar (@ Harry Potter NY)

Pammie was in heaven and spent hours at the Harry Potter store, while my cousin (who’s never seen a Harry Potter movie) and I drank butterbeer and ate butterbeer soft serve.

My favorite place to fake an orgasm (@ Katz’s Deli)

We had to go here after recently watching When Harry Met Sally in the theater. The pastrami sandwich was def orgasm-inducing, and so was the guy who helped us (S/O to Julian!) 😜

My sister fell in love with espresso martinis at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery we went to in Chicago (even though she doesn’t usually like coffee or vodka!), so when we found out there was a roastery in NYC, we had to go here (@ Starbucks Reserve Roastery)

We couldn’t go to NY without getting a quintessential black and white cookie and cheesecake from Junior’s.

When my sister’s husband found out we were going to NYC, he showed me this video where they try the world’s most expensive cereal from this bakery in Brooklyn.

They only make a limited amount of boxes and they sell out every morning, so we went there at an unholy hour and were the first people in line. I once stood in line in LA for 2 hours for Howlin’ Rays Hot Chicken the morning after I got absolutely trashed at a music festival, so this was nothing compared to that 😅 We got a box each, so it was worth it. I also got a raspberry almond croissant here that was *chef’s kiss*.

Coney Island closes the boardwalk and rides during the winter, but Nathan’s is still open! I had the best hot dog ever (although I was bummed I took that packet of relish out of my purse from the last time I ate a Costco hot dog LOL). I’ll def have to come back here during the summer to watch the hot dog eating contest live (I watch it on TV with bated breath every 4th of July).

Checked another one off my BBQ Bucket List (@ Hometown Bar-B-Que)

When planning my trip, I looked up BBQ in NYC and went to add this place in Brooklyn to my BBQ Bucket List and saw it was already on there!

It started snowing while we were there. BBQ and snow??? It doesn’t get more magical than that.

When I got off the plane when we arrived, I felt hot and nauseous so I sat down. I ended up having to run to the bathroom and blowing chunks all over the first stall. I’m sorry to the pissed cleaner that had to clean it all up 😅 Last night when I was in bed around midnight, I felt hot and nauseous again. The heat was cranked up in our hotel room because it was so cold outside, so I was sleeping in my underwear. I ran to the bathroom with no pants on and threw up all the BBQ I ate earlier. The only common denominator when I threw up Friday morning and Sunday night was that I had BBQ both days. Can I not eat BBQ anymore??? I was gonna smoke my first brisket next weekend for when the girls come over for my birthday, but now I’m scared to eat BBQ. Usually, if I get sick after eating something, I never eat it again (this is why I don’t eat strawberry ice cream or chicken fried steak LOL), but it’s BBQ! I can’t give that up…

We couldn’t go to NYC without getting updated photos of our auras taken in Chinatown.

I once went to a festival in LA where they were charging triple the price to photograph your aura. Another vendor at the same festival gave me a paper boba straw when I ordered a drink! Fucking LA 😅 I used to keep a box of plastic straws in the trunk of my car for when Nori and I would go to Starbucks on our lunch break because plastic is banned in Manhattan Beach. I can’t with the paper straws! (Calm down, I recycle. Get off me).

Last meal in NYC (@ Artichoke Basille’s Pizza)

I would eat pizza every day if I could, and my favorite style is New York (I love a thin crust, none of that Chicago deep-dish bullshit). I love that there’s pizzerias on every corner and they all taste good!

The last time we flew home from NYC, Pammie watched Harry Potter, while I watched Homicide for the Holidays. This time, she watched another Harry Potter movie while I watched true crime on the ID channel. We haven’t changed.

I saw so many Christmas trees dumped on the side of the street. The holidays and my birthday are officially over, and they were spectacular ❤️

So with flour on my hands
I’ll show them all how
Goddamn happy I am

What if when he sees me
I like him and he knows it?
What if he opens up a door
And I can’t close it?

BRB crying (@ AMC UTC 14)

Waitress is my favorite musical ever. Yes, over Hamilton. They both debuted in 2016, and Waitress was nominated for four Tony Awards, but Hamilton swept the Tony’s that year (Sara Bareilles was robbed, IMO). They’re showing the musical for a few days at the movie theatre, so I had to watch it with Shi (who was lucky enough to catch the musical on Broadway) and Pammie (who watched it with me here in San Diego). I made us some deep shit dish apple pie to celebrate. Just kidding. I instacarted a Julian Pie from Vons 😅 Ain’t nobody got time to bake a pie from scratch!

I put the pie slices in mason jars like they served at the musical for us to eat at the movie theatre because I’m extra. Shi was like, “Were they selling these outside?” And I was like, “No, I made them. Well, I bought the pie. I just put it in jars and made the label.” 😅 She was like, “I was just trying to make it here on time!”

It only takes a taste
When it’s something special
It only takes a taste
When you know it’s good
Sometimes one bite is more than enough
To know you want more of the thing you just got a taste of

We watched the musical live at the Civic Theatre, but they took it off Broadway in 2020, so I never got to see Sara Bareilles play the lead role in NYC. She did a small run with Jason Mraz playing her doctor, but I couldn’t find anyone who could just go to NYC for the weekend to watch it. I guess I don’t know anyone who flies by the seat of their very chill pants like I do! I hope they release it digitally so I can cry watch it at home whenever I want.

She is messy, but she’s kind
She is lonely most of the time

Sugar, butter, flour (@ Civic Theatre)

Oh, my heart. Even though Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen won all the Tony awards, Waitress is my most favorite musical to date. It’s like how everybody loves Breaking Dawn: Part 2, but my favorite Twilight movie is New Moon, because it’s the saddest one where Bella was emo AF listening to Lykke Li and pining over the loss of Edward the entire time…

I mean what, I don’t know anything about teenage vampire sagas.

BRB crying (@ Ahmanson Theatre)

Jay and Pammie came up to LA for the day to see this beautiful broadway show. I don’t know if it’s the holidays, or my period, or the $300 I spent on my ticket… but Jesus, I got emotional.

Thanks to Jay for surprising us with souvenir mugs! And for refraining from singing along during the show (even though he proved on the drive there that he knew all the lyrics). I know how hard it was for him to confine that urge! Ha.

Rise up (@ San Diego Civic Theatre)