Lovely weather for a sleigh ride together

I could not be happier to be home sweet home in Houston. It's been such a joy reuniting with all my loved ones, and my first couple days back at work have reminded me that, despite the excitement of new challenges, there's certainly a lot to be said for the familiar and the comfortable.

Before I can completely close the book on my NYC experience, though, I would be remiss if I didn't tell you all about my latest list item cross-off.

This was my first extended stay in New York as an adult with a paycheck, and I tried my best to behave like a native, except without the excessive opinion-voicing and misuse of the phrase "on line." I rode the subway every day. I avoided eye contact with strangers. I wore cute patterned snow boots and changed into heels at work. I met friends at bars and restaurants in neighborhoods all over the city in the evenings. I bought only what I could carry home at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's and Fairway Market. I paid $12.50 to see a movie.

What I didn't find/make time for was the touristy stuff. I didn't go to the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building or Ground Zero. I didn't see a taping of a late-night talk show. I didn't see a Broadway show after standing in line for half-price tickets at the TKTS booth in Times Square. I didn't take a Circle Line tour. I spent very little time in museums.

I made one exception, though, when CameraMan came to visit. I've always wanted to take a carriage ride in Central Park (and by "always" I mean ever since I saw that one Sex & the City episode, of course), so CM and I made our way over to Central Park South, gave a wad of cash to Tony the Irish Carriage Driver (with Bobby the horse), snuggled under a blanket, and took the extended tour.

And of course it was touristy. The other carriages were filled with tourists, most of whom were foreign, and maybe I imagined it, but I'm pretty sure all the real New Yorkers we passed looked at us with undisguised disdain. I didn't care at all. It was a perfect, relaxing, romantic way to see the park, more of it than I had ever seen before. I probably won't do it again, but I was happy to play tourist for an hour.

96. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride through Central Park.

You know what this means, don't you? 10 down, 90 to go!