Hurricane Irene

I have to say that while I have been very worried about all my loved ones on the East Coast more than anything all this talk has made me extremely home sick for the big city. My side note being that this hurricane has the same name as my Grandma Gabriel in upstate New York. And I find it very appropriate as she has proved herself a force to be reckoned with lately overcoming so much these past months.

My regret is that I didn't start this blog the second I moved to New York. Because I feel like every day I said to myself "DO NOT FORGET HOW FANTASTIC THIS MOMENT IS!" and now I am sad to say, I could never remember all the moments I said this about. So I thought I would start writing a few memories here and there and that I would share a story about when I made a total fool of myself in front of someone famous. Which I can assure you happened several times...

I was walking out of the Manhattan Temple after a ward temple night towards the bus stop across the street and was chatting away with my Mom. It was a slightly chilly night but the Temple and Lincoln Center across from it were so beautifully lit up I didn't mind. I looked over to see the couple about to pass me and it was Maggie Gyllenhaal with her husband Peter Sarsgaard. I was caught a bit by surprise, and anyone who knows me can tell you I LOVE pop culture and so running into famous people pretty much makes my day. Without thinking I whispered into my phone "I am walking next to MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL" . My whisper was obviously NOT a whisper because she looked over at me, gave a little laugh and a small wave and kept walking. Of course as she walked away I said "oops and she just heard me" into my phone, again, not quite. Which made her laugh even more although by then she was ahead of me and off on their way.

I felt pretty stupid but I like to think I made her night a bit entertaining. My sweet mother is not so into movies and pop culture so I had to explain that Maggie was the girl in the latest Batman flick since I knew she had seen it. Overall it was a moment where you could definitely say, "...only in New York"


xoxo