Big city livin'

New York City. I am so happy to be here. Sometimes though, I swear, it feels like I just got here from the village. Not the east village, the pueblo. I feel like a yokel, like, "Lookie here what them city folk done did this time!" Today with lunch I had one of these:

Yes, diet coke PLUS. With vitamins! Maybe it's not a New York thing, but we sure as hell don't have those in Spain. Did some reading about it, (yes, big nerd, right here) and it turns out the FDA is not such a big fan. Apparently it's not plus enough to actually be allowed to call itself plus. Regardless, I drank it, and feel plussed. Which brings me to something I've always wondered: why is there no such thing as 'plussed' ? How can you be nonplussed if you've never been plussed?

But of course, nyc has more to offer than just wacky mildly fortified junk food. I've been here almost 5 days, and am exhausted already! In a good way. Taking class over at DNA, which, as usual, I love. So far I've been easing my way into it, just one class at a time, but according to the schedule I've laid out for myself on tuesday I've got 4 classes. That means 8 hours. Wha? Really? I guess we'll see. If I survive I'll tell you all about it.

Also did a gig, last night, at Alegrias. Had a great time, good energy all around, it felt like we were being paid to have a party on stage. Well, ok, it was a little more work than that, but I realy enjoyed it. Also so nice to see Pedro, who I hadn't seen in about 8 years, and I love the way he plays.

New York also makes me eat a lot. Not often, because I'm so busy running around sometimes I lose track of time and forget to eat, but when I do, it's with much gusto and zero guilt. For example, I think it's completely south beach acceptable if you eat just a bit of the pizza crust, suck most of the toppings off, and leave a massive mountain of bones on your plate and embarrass the people you're dining with. Lombardi's is the best place to do that. We waited in line for half an hour, dizzy with hunger and weighed down by the heavy dance bags on our shoulders, but we left smiling and content with our convex stomachs. On our way home we passed by the Little Italy street fair thingie, and someone trying to get me to play darts called out to me, "Reba McEntire!" which really just put me over the edge. It was a perfect evening, and I love my new hair color.

Another nyc dining experience that I just cannot get enough of is the Shake Shack. Yes, the lines really are that long, and yes, it really is worth it. They have, hands down, no contest, the. best. burgers. Ever. Not to mention their shakes. It was literally the first place I went when I got off the plane last week. So far I've only been once, but don't you worry, I will be back, many, many times before I leave. Next on my list of things to eat? Banana pudding.

And of course, surprise surprise, I've been shopping. Up until yesterday I was so busy I only had time to duck into a few stores on my way in or out of the studio. First place of major success was Save Fashion. I'd read about it on Fashion Binge, but of course I promptly forgot about it because, well, I don't live in New York. But on my way to rehearse the other day, I passed Port Authority, and there, practically inside the bus station, was this gem of a store. It's a mess, a complete and total hot mess. But the discounts are deep and it's actually a super fun place to rummage. There's no dressing rooms, so I had to resist the Earnest Sewn jeans they had for only $70. But I did get to try on a bunch of Rick Owens stuff, which is always fun cause it's not that easy to figure out how to put it on. I managed to walk out of there having spent only $21, on what I think is the perfect summer cardigan. If you know me you may think I already have a bunch of these, but really everything I have is wool or cashmere, and only for winter. I thought this cotton guy would be perfect for a summer evening or a windy spring day. The one I got is grey and white stripes instead of the navy you see here.

And that was it, that was all I purchased. Until today. Which I will tell you all about later. Oh, wait, I did get some stuff at Sephora, but I didn't have to pay for it because I had a bunch of returns, so it doesn't count, right? Picked up another cream blush, a multiple actually, in Portofino, which I layer under my Benefit Coralista for the perfect springy summery flush. Happiness.