Bright Eyes Tour 09

The Bright Eyes formed at a Benefit Cosmetics counter at Tyson's Corner in 2004. We had just attended W's 2nd Inauguration (75% of us were together for Inaugural #1) and were preparing for our first political party with the National Review editors and readers. I guess the excitement of the event and the nervousness of meeting some of the most brilliant pundits made us fantastic targets for aforementioned cosmetics counter. We were suckered into buying what was described as a life changing product, Bright Eyes. I guess you can say, our lives haven't been the same. Here we are in 2004 with John O'Sullivan.


During that trip, we made a pact to gather together every 4 years. If the GOP wins, we meet in DC. If someone else wins, we take a trip. We decided NYC was the destination this time.

I drove up to Karin's place and we were going to leave the next morning to scoop the girls up from Newark. I was a bit embarrassed when I took my suitcase, aka Bertha, out of the car. You see, Joanna had convinced me to bring a big suitcase for "just in case" purchases. Thankfully, Jo's bag was almost as obnoxious...but not quite. (I brought my own pillow since I had so much room. I think they were jealous once they saw the flat options in the hotel room.)
For Christmas this year, Karin bought us all "Ms. Bright Eyes" tees. We decided that we would wear them to travel in. Yes, it is very dorky to do such a thing, but who cares. It was funny.

(L to R: Me, Joanna Key, Nikki Ritterspach, and Karin Kramer)

We pretty much did everything we could in the few days we were there. Isn't it amazing how you can pack in activities but still feel like you didn't even scratch the surface? I plan on returning very soon.

We took care of the most pressing and important reason for NYC first thing - "designer" purses. What an event that turned out to be! We laughed alot and Joanna and I both bought purses out of pressure. I honestly wasn't sure I even wanted the bag I bought, but the Asian lady insisted I make a decision fast. So, I did! After that we had to hit a Dumpling House. That event started our eating extravaganza.

One exciting part of our trip was learning that Nikki had gotten engaged. So, once we went through the usual "Who is this guy?" questioning, we started to help her make plans for the big day.

Another highlight was Rockerfeller Center. We weren't interested in ice skating and more interested in seeing others try it. Lo and behold, we saw a gem of entertainment. This guy looked like he just got off of work, was by himself, and skating/dancing his little heart out. I haven't laughed that hard for that long in a very long time. We all took out our cameras to capture the moment. Joanna's version is much better. I thought it was funny to watch later, but also enjoyed the commentating Joanna and I had to offer...and the giggles.

We were able to see Phantom of the Opera, eat at Carnegie Deli, and visit the Empire State Building. We saw the WTC site, Wall Street, and Times Square. We met the blue M&M, shopped our little hearts out, and walked until we couldn't walk any longer. It was an absolutely awesome time.

While there, I was able to hook up with Lee University friend, Shelley Duoros. I love Shelley and I think she may be the sole member and President of my fan club. She has always given me a hard time about how cool she thinks I am. She's a mess, really. But she was a great hostess for our evening of Smores.

I am definitely looking forward to the next Bright Eyes Tour. We have decided that midterm elections also afford an outing.