NYC 2011 ... Kayti's Best-Ever Spring Break!

Kayti & I went to New York City for spring break again this year.

We did some old favorites ... rode the ferris wheel in Toys R Us, ate oatmeal at Jamba Juice, shopped at the NBC Store, ate a delicious dinner at the Brooklyn Diner (sat where Dermot Mulroney, Neil Patrick Harris and Al Roker sat), and spent hours in the Strand Bookstore.

BUT THIS YEAR, we saw the "Addams Family" on Broadway (great music, loved Wednesday). We also went up to the Top of the Rock.

And ate soft pretzels on the street corner (our favorite lunch!).

And bought some very cool boots at Urban Outfitters.

And on Monday, we met cousin Steven for dinner at Serendipity for great conversation and Frozen Hot Chocolate. Steven attends Columbia and is Kayti's movie mentor. He brought Kayti an advertisement for a new play, "The Normal Heart," opening on Broadway Tuesday night, starring none other than Kayti's favorite actor, LEE PACE, along with Jim Parsons from "The Big Bang Theory" and Ellen Barkin.

To make an amazing long story short, Tuesday morning Kayti and I got last minute, just-releasaed tickets for the opening night of "The Normal Heart" ... seats typically saved for producers ... in the second row! The show was the best we've ever seen. It was the true, moving, profound and awe-inspiring story of the brave men and their doctor who first experienced the outbreak of AIDS in New York City and it was something we will never forget.

Of course, we will also never forget the opportunity to get autographs after the show...

AND PHOTOGRAPHS with LEE PACE (Oh. My. Goodness. Kayti could barely breathe after this ... and rightfully so!)

On our last day, we saw "La Cage Aux Folles" (fun, fun!) and ended our trip with a stop at one of our favorite NY retreats, Bryant Park, where we were moved by the Empire State Building shrouded in fog.

It was our best trip to date. We've got the hang of it now ... how to get around, how to schedule (or not) our nights and days, and where to stay, eat, and shop. And, most importantly, how to find the stars after the show!

A Reasonable Excuse

I have always told Andy, Willie & Kayti that skipping school on days when they are not sick is a privilege earned by being good students, great kids and by meeting several key criteria:

(1) There may be no tests during the class(es) that will be missed.

(2) There may be no prep for tests during the class(es) that will be missed.

(3) I will not lie when I phone-in their absence, and

(4) The justification for the truancy must be reasonable.

Yesterday was an A-Day at Potomac Falls High School. Kayti's second class on A-Days is Latin 4, a class in which she has over 100%.

(1) No test.

(2) No test prep.

(3) "Kayti will be leaving at 10:45 today. She should be back by noon."

(4) Blockbuster Video was closing. All the movies were on sale.

Kayti bought 10 movies.

More than reasonable.

Crisp or Cozy?

Among life's important decisions comes the choice of bedding ... sheets, blanket and bedspread. (Stick with me, please. I never promised only lofty topics on this blog!) Where some prefer crisp, slightly stiff, "right off the clothesline" sheets, the kind that in an ideal world would have been ironed before being placed upon the bed, others opt for the silky, soft, cozy sheets that you just melt into each night. The third option for sheets rides down the middle of the crisp vs. cozy extremes, and typically falls into the category of "On Sale at Bed Bath & Beyond."

While I'm not suggesting that bedding is worth a hefty chunk out of the family budget, I do believe that sheets and blankets and bedspreads that make you sigh with a mixture of pure exhaustion and pure elation when you slip into bed are well worth the money. As I get older, a good night's sleep has become more appreciated and cherished and I have become more attached to my bedding preference ... silky, soft, cozy everything, including sheets, blanket, down comforter and pillow.

Be that as it may, Gary is a crispy sheet guy. So our bed is a compromise made up of middle-of-the-road BB&B sheets, a soft cozy blanket and a regular quilted bedspread. Kayti, on the other hand, prefers a fine-tuned variety consisting of crisp sheets, a plush, soft, and cozy blanket, topped by a heavy denim-comforter. She calls this combination her "bedding parfait of good dreams!"

What's your preference?