all in all, a great weekend in new york. Travel was via amtrak, smooth as silk both ways. The quiet car was indeed quiet, and it was a very good ride.

the grand hyatt is on 42nd and lex, connected to grand central station, a pretty convenient location for just about everything.

I made it up to the butterfly conservatory at the natural history museum, a wonderful exhibit, expect for the amazingly stupid people going through it. Let me set the scene: a gallery in the museum is dedicated to this butterfly exhibit. The highlight of the exhibit is a walk through a butterfly conservatory, filled with (duh) butterflies and plants. As you approach the conservatory, the walls are lined with factualy exhibits about butterflies. A huge sign is outside the conservatory door, asking that you not touch the butterflies, and if one lands on you, to just stay calm. Oh and it explains that the temperature and humidity is set to butterfly specifications, not yours.

How do I know this? I actually looked at the exhibit. Unlike most of the people with me. The teens who climbed into the plants to touch the butterflies, and seemed shocked when a staffer told them to get back onto the pavement. . The kid who started screaming when the butterfly landed on his shoe. The woman who asked why it was so hot, and if they could fix the ac. The woman who wanted to know how the butterflies get their colors. And the one after her who asked the same thing. And the third one in five minutes who asked the question. I told her that there was a fantasic exhibit JUST OUTSIDE that would explain it all! She looked at me as if i was crazy. "Exhibit?" she asked. Yes, those glass cases and the photos, and the pinned butterflies, etc. Nope, too much trouble, she just wanted to see the live ones.

But here's the best: the woman who asked the staffer what they were going to do with the butterflies after the exhibit closes at the end of the month. The staffer replied that they only live about five weeks. The woman asked if she was going to take some home. After a pause, the staffer said they were going to keep the conservatory conditions at butterfly settings for three weeks after the exhibit closed...and that they'd, um, be dead by then. The woman looked shocked. Of course, the exhibit outside explained the whole lifeline of a butterfly, but I guess it's just too difficult to read these days.

The afternoon also included a visit to bendel's, and an unexpected makeover. a bunch of dollars later, we both looked like ourselves...but a bit better.

NM gifted me with a quick manicure at bliss, and then we went downtown to meet my friends liz and dan for what turned out to be a very yummy, and fun dinner. A looong dinner, as we caught up and solved the worlds problems.

Sunday: We went to century 21, then back up to bendel's where I returned some makeup that i knew i wouldn't ever wear...keeping the stuff i would wear. strolled around a bit more, then back to the hotel. I'd checked out of my room in the morning, NM got herself a late check out so I had been able to put my stuff in her room. We retrieved our assorted things, went over to grand central station, didn't have lunch at the oyster bar as it was closed, but did have some suprising good food at the little sit down mexican cafe right there in the dining concourse. I had some spicy chicken soup, loaded with fresh veggies and chicken...very flavorful and home made. She had an amazing looking salad. The salsa was a bit sweet, but we both found the food better than expected. Not as good as the lobster gazpacho at the oyster bar Saturday afternoon, but still good.

and that's it, in a nutshell. A great weekend, and a very nice break.