Random New York

© shoutingforha

A few, well two, random stories from our trip to the Big Apple...

All you long-time readers know that my boy is an aspiring drummer. His favorite drummer, hands down, is Darren King from Mute Math. They just happened to be playing on the Late Show with David Letterman the same day that the boy and I arrived in the city.

Here's Darren in action:



As luck would have it, the hubby has a friend who is on the road with the band. He heard that we were going to be in New York and arranged a meeting. The boy was so excited he could hardly speak.
The street outside the Ed Sullivan Theater was packed with people hoping to catch a glimpse of tennis star Andy Roddick, who was also on the show that night. The boys and I wrestled our way to the side door where Darren was waiting.

Darren was so kind and gracious to our boy. He answered all the boy's questions, talked about their common love of drums and posed for a quick picture before heading back inside to play his gig.

He also invited the Ha family to come hang out during sound check when they come to Nashville in November. The boy, who was already looking forward to seeing the show (we bought tickets last month), could hardly contain his excitement. He can't wait for November to arrive.

Now, for my favorite meal of the trip...
The boy's and I enjoyed an abundance of tasty food while we were in New York. I'm sure that will come as no surprise to you, dear readers. The Big Apple is known for, among other things, it's eateries.

© shoutingforha

At the top of my list is Les Halles, the delightful French bistro where famed chef Anthony Bourdain cut his teeth. The restaurant is charming and the food is simply delicious.

Our meal got off to a tasty start with an appetizer of baguette that had been topped with brie, fresh cracked pepper and a drizzle of honey before being broiled until the top was slightly bubbly. It was incredible.

The boy, whose manners, by the way, were impeccable, started waxing philosophical. He said, "I think that when people eat junk food, it ruins their taste."

"How so?" the hubby and I inquired.

"Well,when they eat something that is delicious, they don't even recognize it because they are used to eating terrible food." He then glanced around the restaurant and said, "This is truly amazing."

The hubby and I had to agree. The child is insightful and wise beyond his eight years.

As we enjoyed the rest of our meal, which was equally as wonderful, we chatted about all that we had seen and done on the trip thus far.

After our bellies were full, we made a pact that we would eat at Les Halles every time we go got New York. It will be our tradition, and a tasty one at that.

Later that night, the hubby and I started talking about how our boy had grown up a little bit on this trip. Seeing a different part of the world, a different way of living, has a way of changing a person.

For the boy, our meal at Les Halles, and the entire trip for that matter, seemed to mark a right of passage. He left some of the boy behind and took another step towards becoming a man. He realized that he was getting to enjoy something truly special, something new. Instead of collapsing under the weight of it, the boy rose to the occasion.

I was incredibly proud.