Day Date on the Upper West Side

When our dear friend and co-worker Tanya offered to spend a day with Jameson, so Jordan and I could have a day date, to say we jumped at the chance would be a gross understatement. We get a fair share of evenings out after Jameson has gone to bed, but it had been a pretty long time since we’d had several hours to ourselves on any given day. Our agenda was pretty simple: food. exploring. movie. more food.

I was determined for us to do something that we truly can’t do when Jameson is with us. And the movies were perfect, because I hadn’t been to the theater since before Jameson was born. With the Oscars coming up, I’m always more motivated to see what’s been nominated. And as fans of our pal Leo DiCaprio, we made plans to see The Revenant.

Before anything else–as is always the case with us–food was the top order of business. A friend had suggested we check out Community Food & Juice just south of Columbia U, and boy, am I glad she did. Their dishes include seasonal, locally-sourced, organic ingredients, and after one look at the menu, we were already planning a return trip so we can taste more.
For this particular day, we settled on french toast with caramelized bananas and walnuts for me and huevos rancheros with turkey chorizo for Jordan. We also got a side of carrot hash browns (why had I never thought of that?) Everything was delicious. The kind of delicious where you keep eating well after you’re full. Or maybe that’s just me who does that?After brunch, we walked down Riverside Drive, taking in views of old beautiful buildings and the Hudson River through the trees.We came across the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial on 89th Street, and actually, this little corner might now be one of my favorites in the city, between the memorial and the Isaac L. Rice mansion (no relation, ha!) across the street.From there, we kept walking down to the AMC theater on 84th & Broadway. We picked this theater because of the fully reclining plush seats, and as tired parents of an infant, I had some concerns about our ability to stay awake throughout the movie. We showed up to The Revenant with not a shred of an idea what it was about. Kind of a risk given that movie tickets cost a bajillion dollars these days, but what can I say? We live a wild and crazy life, folks.

I had absolutely no need to worry about falling asleep, because the movie was so incredibly intense, I questioned whether I’d be able to fall asleep nine hours later that night! I’m pretty squeamish when it comes to violence and gore on screen, so I had moments where I covered my eyes and made Jordan tell me when I could look again. And I still ended up dreaming about a bear that night.

But I did appreciate the movie for what it communicated about the love of family as a prized possession and the incredible strength of the human spirit. The movie seemed to say what I’ve found to be true in my own journey — that the strength of the human spirit can only truly be seen in its full glory when put to the test.

After the movie, we capped off our day with a stop at Jacob’s Pickles for a snack of their homemade cornbread and jams. It’s another great spot to visit on the Upper West Side if you’re ever in the neighborhood. We made it back home and were giddy to hear Tanya’s report of playing with Jameson and all the fun they’d had together. He tricked her into holding him for an hour and a half long nap. But he also gave her a tender moment and held her hand as they listened to Adele together. :-)

So we all had a good day.