Jimmy Buffet in the city....

I mean Jim Hope. That's kind of a joke between us because the last time my dad was here we went to dinner at Jekyll and Hyde and my he was getting heckled by an Jekyll employee (whom I ended up dating for two months) because he was sporting a peach Tommy Bahama shirt. Brandon kept call him Jimmy Buffet. When my dad asked me if he looked out of place I said, "Well, you can definitely tell you're not a New Yorker with the Tommy shirt and the brown loafers." He got kind of embarrassed but I told him it was no big deal, it's just easier for people who live here to spot people who don't. This was back in April and it was still a little chilly at that point, so New Yorkers were still dressing in black every day.

It was cute because this time around my dad was like, "Do I look more like a New Yorker now?" I just smiled and said, "Um, not so much." He looked so disapointed but I explained to him a white collar middle aged man would be seen in button down dress shirts, not Tommy Bahama shirts. He's definitely a west coaster.

So anyways, we had a total blast together. He had business north of the city last week and came into town last Thursday night. He got into the city about the time I got off work so he swung by my building to pick me up. He was so excited to see where I spend most of my time here, especially since I talk so much about my lunches in Bryant Park. It was nice for him to get the visual.

We drove back to my place so he could park and I had a few things for him. When we'd eaten at Jekyll he'd really wanted to buy a shirt for riding his motorcycle, but they didn't have his size. I got one of those for him and also presented him with an official HSBC "From the desk of Rachel L. Hope" pad of paper. He was SO excited. It was cute to watch him think of me as someone who is important at HSBC (little does he know....)

Then we hopped on the subway and headed down to 72nd St. We walked over to 68th and Columbus to eat. I'd seen an italian restaurant on the corner with the floor to ceiling windows and I thought it would be perfect. We both love italian food and people watching. I don't even know the name of the restaurant but it was delish! We had such a good time "fellowshipping" (my dad's word of choice for just sitting around chatting.)

After a long dinner we walked down to Lincoln Square so he could see the temple, and then cut over to Central Park West to walk up the street back towards my apartment. My dad said he hadn't really been in Central Park before so I insisted we walk through just a bit. He didn't have a ton of time because he still had to drive about an hour back to his hotel. He loved the park, and we had such a good time walking and chatting we ended up just walking the two miles back to my place.

He needed an ATM and there's a WaMu just 4 blocks north of my apartment so I told him I'd walk him up there. As we passed my apartment he told me I didn't need to go with him and I laughed. Yeah right, like I was going to let my dad wander through Harlem looking like Jimmy Buffet in search of an ATM. It's not scary where I live, but if you're not familiar with the area it can be intimidating and look scarier than it is. The part of Harlem I live in (RIGHT on the border of the UWS, mind you) is not bad at all. Its bark is worse than its bite. It was strange, however, the feeling I had while walking to the ATM with my dad. He's always been the protector of me, but I suddenly felt a responsibility over him. There were a couple guys on the sidewalk we were on that looked a little sketch. If it had been just me I would have breezed right past them, but since my dad was with me I decided we should cross the street, as if he's some little child I needed to protect or something, haha.

Anyway, all in all it was a great night, as time spent with my dad always is. The picture is not the best of me but oh well, it's the only one we got from the night. It's just on the street after we ate and were headed toward the park.

Can't wait for next time Dad!!