NYC: A Quick Visit

I took a whirlwind trip through NYC to celebrate my birthday weekend.

Friday night it was just Katrina and me. We stayed at the Park Central Hotel and had an amazing dinner at Kin Shop where I discovered that I do like stir-fried aquatic vegetables and do not like duck. I can't even talk about the coconut cake without wanting to hop a plane back to the city.

Saturday morning we met up with Kelly (and struck out on rush tickets to Once). Katrina and I had breakfast at Max Brenner, walked through the Union Square Holiday Market, and shopped at Fishs Eddy before meeting back up with Kelly for a matinee of Annie.

We fought the crowds to see the tree at Rockefeller center and warmed up with some Blue Bottle Coffee before heading to dinner at The Mermaid Inn. 

Oddly enough, dinner Friday and Saturday both included Brussels sprouts.

We stopped for a beer and went to the movies.

We stayed up late talking and gossiping. We ate Holiday JoJos. 

We were normal, everyday friends instead of friends who live in three different states.

We had breakfast at Good Enough to Eat, and Katrina had to head back to VT. I hate the saying goodbye part.

Kelly and I wandered around the city, enjoying the park, making fun of the ice skaters, doing some window (and real) shopping, and eating some Shake Shack.

Know what is missing from these pictures?!? The best part of my trip - Kelly and Katrina. How did that happen?!?

Gun-due

Angie and I have had all kinds of adventures. Most recently, there was the hot pepper jelly. Last summer, there was the Sconnie Cheese Tour. Before that, we collaborated on Fancy Word for Simple. There have been parties and Thanksgiving dinners, too.

This adventure might just top it all, though.

Last night we learned how to shoot handguns - lots and lots of handguns.

 

I was pretty confident and excited about the whole thing. I had a moment of hesitation when the guns actually came out. The first one was a lot heavier and bigger than I thought it would be. It felt really "real" to see the guns (there were about six of them) and the ammunition just sitting on a table. The man who was our teacher was fabulous, though. He explained how the guns worked, their history, and safety precautions. He was patient, calm, and knowledgeable. 

 

When it came time to actually shoot I wasn't nervous at all. I was expecting the gun to have some kind of kick when it was fired. Some of them did but nothing that was difficult to control or uncomfortable. And, aiming the gun was actually pretty easy. I hit the target every time and even hit a bulls-eye. I was amazed by how different each gun felt both in my hand and when it fired. My favorite ended up being the "NCIS gun" - a Sig Sauer 226.

He talked with us about using handguns for home defense and shooting just for sport. I didn't come out of the experience feeling like I need to have a loaded handgun in my house for defense. In reality, I would need to become a much better shot for the gun to help me. Plus, what are the odds that I would actually be near where the gun is and be able to access it in time for the gun to actually be helpful. Our teacher also talked a lot about the legal ramifications of using a gun for home defense. I'm just not ready for all of that.

I came away really understanding that there are a lot of steps involved in being a responsible gun owner. I don't want to weigh in at all on the larger discussion about gun ownership, but I will encourage others to learn more about guns, gun ownership, and gun safety. I'm glad I went shooting, and I look forward to doing it again.

And, in case you're wondering about the post title. . . Gun-due.

Each of our adventures involves food. So, we ended the night with fondue at the Melting Pot. How's that for interesting. We shot hand guns and ate fondue.