Coldest Damned Day in Four Years!

by Pa Rock
Weatherman

Manhattan held a sick call this morning and I fell out for it. I knew last night that I had come down with a New York City flu bug, and by this morning I couldn't even get out of bed. So while the rest of our merry group rushed downtown to see Ground Zero, I stayed in bed.

A graduate of Baker University who lives here and works for the Port Authority, the organization that apparently controls Ground Zero, saw our group on the Today Show on Tuesday and got in touch. He arranged for a special tour this morning. I am certain that I missed a really good outing.

It is bitter cold today, supposedly the coldest day that this city has experienced in four years. When I finally did get up, I ambled across the street and had a wonderful lunch at a local greasy-spoon diner. For a good meal in the Midwest, look for the truckers - for a good meal in New York, look for the working people. It's as simple as that.

Our evening meal last night was at Tavern on the Green in Central Park. It sparkled, with stained glass, mirrors, and Christmas lights everywhere. And the food wasn't too shabby, either! But they didn't have a blue collar special!

Last night's play was Into the Heights, the winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2008. It was a high energy depiction of everyday life in the Jackson Heights area of New York City. We weren't fifteen minutes into the show when I realized that what we were really watching was the grandchild of West Side Story. It was an amazing display of singing, dancing, and drama - almost as good as the Jersey Boys and head-and-shoulders above Wicked!

This afternoon we are lining up for half-price tickets for a play tonight. (That's how Broadway ensures that every seat is filled.) Most of what's playing this season looks to be really good, so I am certain that we will come up with a great evening's entertainment.

Bright Lights, Big City!

by Pa Rock
Streetwalker

Our group left Kansas City early this morning, in what seems like a whole other lifetime. We had a short flight to Detroit which was blanketed in snow, beautiful snow, followed by another short flight to the Big Apple. The only snag in today's adventure was that one of the airport baggage throwers somehow managed to rip the handle off of my suitcase.

Our first (and only, so far) celebrity sighting was Mr. Al Roker of the Today Show who was boarding a flight at LaGuardia next to the gate where we arrived. Dapper Al was dressed to the nines in a black suit and top coat, and crowned with a black, wide-brimmed felt hat with a bright blue feather in the band.

After checking in at our hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn, our entire group walked to Ellen's Stardust Diner for a meal. The waiters were all singers, loud and aggressive singers with dreams of making it on Broadway - which was very close by. They sang songs of the fifties and sixties, and served and waited tables between numbers. One of them said that every musical currently playing on Broadway has at least one former waiter from Ellen's in the cast.

After supper we walked a few blocks to Rockefeller Plaza and watched the ice skaters. Carla and I separated from the group after that and strolled over to Fifth Avenue. Soon we were on Broadway right at Times Square - which isn't square at all. The enormous billboards and lights were amazing. All of the shows that we will be seeing this week were right there - and it is just a couple of blocks from our hotel!

Carla asked me if I would like to live here, and I think that I would. Of course, for that to happen I would have to have many layers of clothing and come up with a grocery cart!