What a week it has been! Trying my best to recover from Super Bowl XLVIII. My spirit has been on a permanent high since lifting off from SeaTac. The 3.5 days in NYC were spectacular. Absolutely perfect. The crowning glory was my Seahawks dominating the day to become World Champs (a.k.a Best Day Ever!) Defense wins championships folks. Loved that us 12's created the loudest Super Bowl on record. Great game for all on our side of the ball!
Beyond football, I was blessed with a lot of quality time with Heather & Mike, my Dad and Jennie to play in the big apple (Super Bowl Boulevard, Times Square, Top of the Rock, 9/11 Memorial, Empire State Building). And we had wonderful meals with a bevy of friends to pepper our journey. Here are the highlights:
- Tick Tock Dinner - the hotel's dinner served a mean breakfast that we went back to daily.
- Bouchon Bakery - lovely pain au chocolate and macarons.
- Dylan Prime - a wonderful steak house. Ricotta cavatelli with butternut squash, broccoli rabe & sage and the perfect 8oz filet. Topped with a deconstructed tiramisu.
- The Top of the Standard - cocktails with a spectacular view.
- Cherry - Asian fushion & lovely cocktails. Tuna crispy rice, foie gras short-rib gyoza, BBQ eel roll with candied bacon, yellowtail jalapeno roll ...to name a few. Recommend the Bordello & Cherry Bomb cocktails.
- Il Cantori - Tuscan restaurant. Pappardelle alla buttera with sausage, peas, cream & tomato, risotto of the day, rib-eye dressed in rosemary and profitteroles. The osso bucco was lucious as well.
LOVED every minute of it!
New York pulses to a beat all it's own - fast, chaotic and bold. Of all my times in the city, this trip was the most fun interacting with the urbanites. Cheer or jeer, our interactions were all laced with football banter and fun. And the 12s around walking around the city would stop conversations for the exchange of "Go Hawks" everywhere you went. Rarely minutes would go by on Thursday and Friday without giving voice to the Hawks greeting. The code of the 12s - what a beautiful thing.
On the training side of the week, I didn't officially do my 5K prep. However, I'm happy to report that I walked over the equivalent of a marathon (26.95 miles) during my days in the city. Only experienced one night flare up of joint pain, not too shabby. Very proud with my activity level & mileage for the long weekend.
A once in a lifetime weekend!! So thankful I was lucky enough to share it with my siblings Mike & Heather, my Dad & Jennie. It was absolutely the perfect group to share the experience of our team and city winning their 1st Super Bowl!!!
Postcards from NYC & Super Bowl 48:
1st night in Times Square - Jennie & I
Mike on Super Bowl Boulevard - video park
Downtown view from Top of the Rock
Favorite pic of me from the trip
Central Park from Top of the Rock
@ Top of Rock with my sibs
Empire State Building in Seahawks colors
Downtown view from top of the Empire State Building
Chrysler Building from top of Empire State Building
Tippy top of the Empire State Building
9/11 Memorial
Freedom tower - to be completed spring 2014
Dad & I in Times Square
Acquired 12th man flag leaving hotel
Boarding buses to Met Life Stadium - my favorite pic of us 4
Arrived @ Super Bowl XLVIII
Soon-to-be named MVP on the video monitors on our way in
Pre-game prayers
Seated and ready to go
Seahawks Defense - Denver Offense
Half time show - Bruno Mars finale
Seattle Offense - Denver Defense
Heather & I needed to leave to get on field for ceremony - final score
Here we go onto the field
Thanks for saving our team Paul! Congrats!
Pete Carroll
Russell Wilson & Company with the Lombardi Trophy
Our hawk
Heather, Mike & I celebrating on the field
Sidney Rice
Walter Thurmond III
This is mayhem
Red Bryant
Steven Hauschka on a ladder to reach the 12s
Golden Tate
Woof! Jermaine Kearse
Lemuel JeanPierre, Jon Ryan & Luke Willson
Mike & Red Bryant
Percy Harvin
Breno Giacomini & Paul McQuistan
Cliff Avril
Favorite pic of Heather & I - so cool!
Richard Sherman
Queue the Queen song - you know the one...
Party continues with champagne
Family celebration photo
Close up view of the Lombardi Trophy
Celebrating with Seattle's own Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Next up: I'm going to Disney World!!! Tough work week ahead with the prep/push for a week off to trek through the parks of Orlando, Florida.