New York (Uncensored): Day 2

October 18, 2006

All of us (sans Nicki & Scott) are ready to go by 8:30am. While we are getting ready Tricia informs me that I was on her side of the bed all night and she doesn’t look impressed. From that time on I spend each night half-awake so that I don’t get in her space. Needless to say I was not well rested.

The concierge suggests that we contact the place we got our tickets from (ticket master) to explore our options. They don’t open until 9:00am. We grab some breakie and head to Central Park. While we’re walking down the street I get a hold of Ticket Master. They were really helpful and printed off tickets for us to pick up at the Theatre. Dilemma solved.

We get some beautiful shots of CP as well as the horse carriages. Our group of 6 have a hard time staying together. Tina and Tricia seem to have paired up as they are zooming through the park several paces ahead of the rest of us. We get a wee bit lost so didn’t end up having time for the Met (Metropolitan Museum). I was quite disappointed. We hit the Central Park zoo and get plenty of good shots of penguins (my favorite), polar bears, turtles and birds. We don’t have time for the children’s zoo which is okay by me. On our way back to the hotel we walk along 5th Avenue (where the famous shops are: Tiffany’s, Gucci, Trump Tower), though we didn’t see anyone famous.

Back at the hotel I change my shoes (blisters already) and my outfit (everyone else dressed up). We head to the Gershwin theatre where Tricia, Megan, Tina & I are going to see “Wicked” (the prequel to “Wizard of Oz”). Mel has no problem getting our new tickets and so they (Vanessa & Mel) split off to go see the Lion King at the Minskoff theatre. I was thirsty so I bought a small glass of pop & a small bottle of water. Cost me $7.50 US. I guess expensive concession stands are international?

The play was amazing…I think I’ll write a separate entry for the synopsis as I don’t want to belittle it with a few lines. Ana Gesteyer (best known for her roles on “Saturday Night Live”, but you may also know her as Cady’s mom on “Mean Girls”) starred as the Wicked Witch.

After the play some of us changed again as we rendezvoused with Nicki & Scott. We attempted to take the Subway to Madison Square Gardens but do to some train cancellations had to do some really complicated switches. Nicki & Scott ended up leaving us & taking a cab. Luckily they were waiting for us at the Will Call where we needed to get our tickets.

We had two tickets in one section, 226 and four tickets in another section, 202 (fairly equal levels). Originally Melody offered to sit with Tricia by themselves and Tricia agreed saying she didn’t care…however after Tina & Megan got tickets in the bigger group section, 202 she told me she wanted to sit with the group so Mel & I sat together (it struck me as a little odd but I guess by this point she was just a lot more comfortable with Tina then my other friends). We split off to our sections and Melody & I hit the souvenir store. We managed to find a deal where a New York Rangers sweater was $30 versus $60 by accident. It was awesome. Then we split a foot long hotdog, pretzel, knish & some pop. We were having a pretty good time. After the first period, since the Gardens were about ½ empty, we went over to sit with the group in 202. Game was okay, but I think the Rexall has a much nicer arena. Rangers lost 3-1 against the Nashville Predators. A guy walked out into the stands wearing a jersey of someone from New York Islanders and the crowd went crazy yelling “asshole”…apparently there is a really good story behind that involving a new rookie & cheap shot-ing but I don’t know the names so I won’t bother to tell it.

At one point when I went to the washroom the signs were confusing and I accidentally walked into the men’s urinal…very embarrassing. But it makes a good story! LOL

After the game we decided to walk to Empire State Building. We walked down this really scary street where one guy was puking and another was peeing! On the way there Mel realized she didn’t have her NY Pass which got us pre-paid admission, so I offered to let her use mine as I would rather have seen the Top of the Rock (Rockefeller). Once there Megan realized she had left her’s back at the hotel so we were both hooped. We waited in the lobby with nothing to do, no where to sit for well over an hour. I don’t mind taking one for the team but it sucked that no one bothered to hurry so that we wouldn’t have to wait as long…and that no one was thankful that we waited. Wait, scratch that. Nicki bought me a scrapbook pack of paper so I am VERY thankful that she thought of me.
Then we headed back home & I think may have done some more shopping and hit a Starbuck’s? It wasn’t important either way.