#2,075 New York For the Day.

Since we only had one full day to spend in the city before we head on to our next stop tomorrow, we were moving fast from sun up to way past sun down. First things first: English muffins at Sarabeth’s where we had a celebrity sighting. Jessica Chastain from The Help and Zero Dark Thirty was a couple tables away.

After breakfast, we took a long walk to the upper west side through Central Park. The weather was incredible! I never broke a sweat!

There were two places from You’ve Got Mail that I didn’t see last time, so I crossed off the Shop Around the Corner (which is now a laundromat):

And Cafe Lalo, where we took a break with a coffee and a Coke.

  “She had to be! SHE HAD TO BE.”

Later we hopped on the train and headed to midtown in search of comfortable sandals, but alas we were met with store after store selling only cold weather boots.

When lunch time rolled around, we couldn’t get to La Esquina fast enough for a torta and plantains. We shared every meal today so we could taste as many things as possible without getting too full.

And then shopping at my favorite place in Soho: Zara. I brought home this warm autumn plaid blanket scarf and another one too that reminds me of a hand knotted Persian rug pattern. You’ll be seeing lots of these scarves the minute it’s cold enough to wear them. Mal, I wanted that fatigue jacket SO BAD but talked myself out of it.

We wandered around Warby Parker so I could try on some different frames now that my prescription has changed. And no matter how many cute pair I tried on, none of them looked right on my face except the ones I have already. Percey for life!

We had a meeting at 4:30 with our friends Lindsey and Angie, so we picked up some afternoon snacks at Balthazar to share with everyone. What a magical little bakery. I want to live in there!

We got buzzed up to the Scripps Network offices to see Lindsey, which was about like trying to get into the Pentagon. There were some pretty intense elevator security precautions. I felt like such a hick.

And after a little visit, we rushed home for showers and to change and head way downtown to Perla for a birthday dinner with our friends Angie and Tim. Tim had NO idea we were in town so he was pretty confused/shocked to see us Mississippians strolling up to the table.

Angie gave me the coolest Empire State Building salt and pepper shakers from Fishs Eddy!

And we shared basically everything on the menu.

After a long dinner, we hugged and said our goodbyes so they could get on the train home and we could head north to our hotel. I, in an attempt to be sophisticated and cosmopolitan, wore my favorite high heels to dinner. This is me, after a walking over 1 mile in them, crippled and blistered and jealous of Ben’s boots:

But man, Bryant Park made me forget it kind of for a minute. Such a magical spot that we’ve never experienced this time of year. We usually come at Christmas and buy an ornament from one of the seasonal shops that sets up in the park every December.

And finally, eventually, I barely hobbled into the lobby of our hotel. I’m pretty sure I have one big blister covering the bottom of my left foot, but I’m too scared to investigate it too closely.

For now, I’m over and out. See y’all on the next leg of our last minute trip tomorrow!