Ronkonkoma Ramblers

Please. Get me to a decent internet connection.


Rap Superstars.

Well, boyfriend’s flying high right now and I’m proud to report that’ll be a long time before I get on a Long lsland Railroad train bound for Ronkonkoma again. Geez. His visit was more of the secrets of New York, whereas Maria’s was all about the stars and the glitz. Equally amazing, but completely different.

However, Kyle did take me to do one of the most manufactured New Yorkian treats…


Ice skating in Rockefeller Center! It was kind of magical, and I’m really glad I went on January 14, as opposed to December 23. It was way less crowded, so you could actually skate, as opposed to “ice-crawling”.


Here’s that thing.

We also went out to Coney Island. In the winter, oh man, is it ever fantastic. Everything was boarded up, including the Taco Bell, and the whole place was disserted. So of course, I loved it.







Coney Island is way at the tip of Brooklyn, so it’s a pretty decent Subway ride. And an amazing thing happens in Brooklyn…


The Subway isn’t underground anymore! (I know, it’s not that rare.)


Brooklyn faces.

We also tried to eat as locals, as much as we could. That included a trip to the Corner Bistro, home of the best cheap burger in NYC; McSorleys, a 150 year-old pub that still has saw dust on the floor and only serves two beers: a light and a dark; THE KGB, which, as I told Kate, I’m proud to report is a tiny neighborhood bar for aging literature professors. (By the way, SO easy to drink underage in NYC, I've been ID'd twice out of eight places.)


Also, Grays Papaya, home to the $3.50 recession special: 2 hot dogs and a 24 ounce juice. Love.


And White Castle. Of course. Excuse the image quality, too precious to not post.

So, after all of that in two days, we took it easy last night and went out to dinner. But! Look who was there!


Pope John Paul the Second!

And by Pope John Paul the Second, I mean my grandpa. Isn’t it uncanny?


Grandpa rules. Hard.