OMG, what a day!!!
Once again, my friend whom I was supposed to met in NYC got nailed b a crazy work schedule. Not to mention, the Anderson Live show was not going to tape on the 19th, the one day she had free on her schedule. AARRGGHH!!! That's the 2nd time that happened. I just figured "yeah whatever," and decided to go on my own. Busy people are understandably impossible to co-ordinate with.
I found an availability slot for a few days during the week of the 11th. I decided to order tickets. Then I got a confirmation message saying I'd get a reuest "close to the date of the show" if tickets were available. That's rather unprofessional. Are they, or aren't they? Later dates still had "coming soon" on them. I thought for a second, and decided to "order" tickets for the 11th. If i get them, that's cool. If I don't get them, I'm still going to have an awesome time in NYC. I've wanted to go to the city long before Anderson had a show.
I checked out the Waldorf site again, and that nice "reasonable" rate that I'd been shot up by about 150%!!!! No AARP rates either. I know I'm not old enough to be a member of the AARP but I'm married to one of the world's oldest Baby Boomers, and when they sent him a card, they sent ME one too!!! I took a second look at the rates, and decided that they really put the ASS in ASStoria, with that little trick. Time to find another hotel! I mentioned a price range, and my travel agent suggested a Holiday Inn, because it was in the price range I'd quoted. We have one of those in Guelph! I did a little searching on my own, and found a beautiful hotel!! A bit more than the original price I'd quoted, but a hell of a lot less than theWaldorf was going to be. I crunched some numbers, and figured it would work nicely.
Crowne Plaza ManhattanPretty sweet, eh? Beautiful views, nice bright rooms, and the cheaper rooms really aren't that much different from the expensive ones!
I got paid yesterday, and this being Friday, Walker got both his SSI and VA today. I needed to run down to the bank and start paying bills, and putting money where we needed it to be, for the month. I also had a couple of stuffed birthday cards, that I needed to put in my account. It was an awesome birthday! After the bank, I ran across the street to the downtown mall to get a foil pan. Walker's making guacamole for the guys at the Army Navy Air Force club on Superbowl Sunday. I also needed to pick up a refill of his prescription. On the way out of the drug store, I stopped at this cute little German bakery that I'd been hearing advertized on CKWR.com for years!! They had locations in uptown Waterloo (near Kitchener) and had just opened one in Guelph the week before. The baked goods are started in German, then flash frozen, shipped over here, and baked fresh every day. I ordered a herring sandwich, and boy was it good!!!!! A nice cup of coffee too, that could actually rival The Second Cup for quality!! :)
Six o'clock rolled around, and they were going to close, so I called a taxi to take me home. THAT is where things got totally CAR-AZY!!!! Pun intended. Actually, it wasn't so much the car that was the problem, as the idiot behind the wheel. He greeted me with a rather gruff sounding "what." A little unusual, but it was only a few blocks home, so what the hell. I had my two grocery bags, my purse, cane, and I thought on the way home, why not swing through McDonalds, and grab something? I mentioned this to the driver, and then said "and could you plese help me carry some stuff down a flight of stairs?" He started giving me static. Keep in mind drivers help me often, and I top them very well for doing it! That just got him RANTING AND RAVING!! Not just a bit of attitude, but a psychotic rant!!! So bad that I told him to stop the car and let me out. Oh no. He insisted that he was going to take me where I wanted to go, in that tone that suggested he wanted to do it, so that he could keep anting, the whole damn way. Know the tone I mean? Some people are quick draws with their weapons, but that's not Canada. I am, however, a quick draw with a cellphone! He was yelling so hard that he did not realize I'd grabbed my phone, and called dispatch. I told them that the cab they sent me was being driven by someone who chooses to rant at the passengers. It felt a bit like a hostage situation, the way he was acting. Fortunately they could hear him very clearly. He decided to geton the radio and tell HIS side of the story. I thought this was funny s hell, because now every taxi and passenger in the city of Guelph could hear his psychotic rantings. He yelled at me up and down for having filed a complaint against him before. Really? I've been using that company for 15 years, and have never in my life filed a complaint against a driver. Never filed a complaint against a driver in any other city, or company, either! He also agreed to let me out, and the company said they'd send a new cab. I told them there was no way I was going to pay to be yelled at, and they agreed. New driver came, and he was a complete angel! I told him I'd just escaped from Car #39, and he told me a few stories that almost curled my hair. Seems this idiot has a reputation. No managers around on weekends, but I am going to file a report with the President of the company on Monday!!!
Came home, thought of having a drink, and then decided if I did, I'd probably enjoy it a bit too much. Hubby made me a cup of peppermint tea instead. Unfortunately Shakti has decided that my mint tea smells like catnip. This is the 2nd cup I've had this week, and the 2nd time he's gotten totally stoned on tea steam.
Anyway, when I'm done with this post, I'm going to e-mail my travel agent, and put in my reservation for a room at the Crowne Plaza Manhatten, and a flight for the 11th.
I hope the people at the Anderson show get in touch with me about tickets, but if they don't, then to Hell with 'em. Not my fault they don't give people enough advanced notice, and I'm still going to have an awesome time in a city I've wanted to visit for most of my life. Can't wait!
Walker told me that after working in NYC for a while, the city made him feel claustrophobic. He's opted to stay here, and have a 3-day sci-fi movie marathon! :) He'll probably watch all the Star Trek movies on Netflix.
He's in for a real good time in March though, because there's a Comicon in Toronto that he really wants to go to. The nice thing about that is that it's a mile away from The Grand Hotel, where we always stay when we're in town. I'll go along for the ride, and while he's at the convention, I'm going to have fun touring around Toronto.
Anyway, WOOHOO!!! I'M GOING TO NEW YORK CITY!!!!
recommend
Facebook
Twitter
bookmark 
print
Comments: 39
Walker, for example, has NO interest in going to NYC, so if he came with me, it would not be fun for him, and would be less fun for me.
My friend that I was going to meet got nailed at work, and while that's perfectly understandable, I can't spend my life working around someone else's schedule.
I know people I might be able to meet when I am there, if they are available. However, the only constant in my travels is ME, so rather than having to work around everyone else, if I want to do something bad enough, I'm going to figure out how to do it on my own. :)
It was snowing and cold.. My husband was there for business... so we drove up with my younger son and daughter. It was quite impressive. I liked being about to walk though Grand central to get to a nearby deli and limit the time in the snow.
Warning though, food is expensive and the buffet we went to ( which was in the lower part of one of the trade towers that went down) it was by the pound... you paid for how heavy your plate was.
The people in the hotel were great and it had a safe in the room. I enjoyed the week we spent there... I imagine it was expensive... I don't know... it was paid for by the company he worked for.
We went to the towers to go up the observation deck but they shut it down because of the snow. I told my children we would see in next time we were in NY... but there was no next time. My last memory of the towers was standing in that very empty elevator area... with the snow swirling around out side... it was eerie... and later watching the tv after the first plane hit, it is still unbelievable. My husband has photo's he took when those building were being built. I still don't believe it... and then seeing what Sandy did.
Well, I hope you have a wonderful time...
One of my friends cousin was on the second building (window washer) when the first one got hit. He was able to get lowered to the ground. Another friends brother was in the building and she wasn't able to get ahold of him for days... and many of my friends and relatives were working downtown when it happened. My brother in law jogged from where he worked downtown over the Brooklyn Bridge. We were relieved no one in our families perished.
From the third floor of the two family home we owned when we lived there, we could see the twin towers. It is still hard for me to believe it happened. When my youngest visited my husbands relatives, she did go to ground zero.
If you go through my pics and videos, you will see the biiiiiig pic of the pre-9/11 NYC skyline that I have on my wall. It's huge!
I remember wanting to go to NYC, and that happened. of course I didn't hve the money to go before then, and the times I was in the states with my family, we were nowhere near NYC.
In 2005 I was thinking about New Orleans, and I think we all know what happened in '05. Last summer I started thinking about finally getting to NYC, and my plans fell through because the person i was supposed to meet canceled. then in october the hurricane hit. I'm going to go next week, before anything else has a chance to happen!!!!
I hope you have a safe trip and have a good time. Be careful - like anywhere else there are good and bad people...
Years ago we went up to NY and Jordan stayed behind to visit my husbands relatives. My MIL was going to fly down to Florida with one of my sister in laws so Jordan would return with them. Then my MIL stayed with us for a month. My one sister in law does not work(5 children).. so she was trying to show my daughter the sights. Jordan and her cousin got separated from my sister in law in the subway system... they got on a subway train.... and then realized she didn't get on with them. They got off at the stop for the hotel they were all staying at (with another sister in law who had a suite there provided by her work - her Employer sent her to doing something for Barnes and Noble) When they were back up to street level my daughter told a police officer what happened and he walked the two of them back to the Hotel to the consierge desk. They called the Aunt who had the room and she called us.
I suggested she call the Subway system so they could tell the Aunt who had to be searching in the terminal for them. Indeed she had gone to them for help. It had to difficult on her... as they were 11 and 12 years old at the time... But my daughter had a blast and the group even went to a Broadway show. Sometimes you can get discount tickets the day you want to go, the consierge might be able to help you do that.
Good idea about the consierge. Taht's what my travel agent told me.
When ever my husband had to make a trip to NY for work, he would fly back with warm bagels he bought before leaving... and we would have our friends who also once lived in NY over to enjoy them.
I also like the poppy seed covered ones and the onion ones. New York is so great when it comes to food. I am partial to the pizza and the chinese food... is great as well. When I was small there was an automat when you could go and put change in and get a sandwich or pudding... but they went out.
The hot pretzels with the street vendors are good... and the hot dogs too. Now some of the muesums have guided tours but some have a lot of steps and I'm not sure how good that would be as you can't get close to the exhibits some times.
Last time we were in NY we brought someone back to their hotel near Times Square and it was all lit up in the middle of the night and crowded with people and people pulled rickshaws. We had to go slow... but it was so alive... in the middle of the night.. what a sight!
Today I've been confirming things, filling out forms and such on line for frequent flyer miles etc, and I need to call my two banks, and let them know I'm taking my credit cards with me. LOL So glad I opened an American account when I lived in AZ.
There will be lots of posts etc. from NYC, so stay tuned!
No I will take a peek at them and comment when I do. I wrote a new article too. Check it out please.
Oooooh I am excited!
If you might be interested in staying there, Leah, (or anyone) send me a Gather mail
http://www.cpmanhattantimessquare.com/times-square-lodging.html
It looks like it's going to be a beautiful place. Also, at the hotel, I have the consierge to help me find anything that I may need, including hailing cabs, since I'm legally blind, and may not see one coming.
Thanks again though, for the wonderful offer.