In a city of 8.3 million people, I was home with just one...
I just got back from New York, and MAN are my arms tired... and my feet... and my brain... and my legs... and my eyes... and my neck... and my butt...
Come to think of it, my entire body is screaming bloody murder at me. (BLOODY MURDER! BLOODY MURDER!) I think it has something to do with the fact that no human being is supposed to sustain that much physical and mental activity for 48 hours straight. The little amount of sleep I got in the mean-time (which barely equates to ONE night's sleep) did little to recompense my frail physical form for the stresses visited upon it during its waking state.
*sigh* I stray from my purpose.
Last week was a hell of a time at work. Busy, busy, busy, busy is an understatement. However, all was completed on schedule and I was finally able to relax. To make things more happy, I learned that Friday was an off-Friday! Nice when you stop counting and it actually sneaks up on you. Makes it a pleasant surprise. It also made it easier to prepare for this weekend.
Spent all day Friday doing two things:
- Doing school schtuff
- Prepping for my trip
While this list is brief, the number of sub-bullets for each staggers the imagination. These two things alone (the second moreso than the first) took all day to complete. Normally, I am what you would call an active-lethargic. I will blaze through whatever activity is required in record time just so that I can sit down and relax afterwards. You could say that I'm procrastinating in the wrong order.
Anyway, I had to pack up for my trip, which required not one but TWO trips out to buy stuff. This was to be a very short trip, which meant that I was not even going to check my baggage. Everything was to be carry-on. Two problems with that: first, I did not have any form of luggage that conformed to carry-on size that lent itself well to being dragged through the air port; and second, I had never packed for an overnight trip since the new TSA regs came into effect. That necessitated a quick run to Wally-World. Later on, I thought of the horrors I would face should my new iPod run out of juice while on the road, so I had to run out to the mac store and buy one of their insanely-overpriced wall-chargers. (I realize the form-factor and space-saving design is fantastic, but does a 5V AC-to-DC converter honestly cost THAT MUCH!?!?!) I threw clothes and my brand-new, TSA-approved no-I'm-not-planning-to-formulate-a-liquid-bomb-in-the-lavatory kit (abbreviated NINPTFALBITL, still working on the pronunciation) into my bag and headed out around nine o'clock, traveling northward to Nashville.
My parents were participating in a dance competition that evening, so instead of staying alone at their place that evening, I went up into town to stay with my little sister. School has been quite busy for her, so she would be unable to join us on our trip, which made all of us so very, very sad. I got to my parents' house and dropped off my car. About an hour later she came by to pick me up. We got back to her place with just enough time for me to make up my bed (air mattress with half-a-dozen blankets) in the guest room and fall asleep. Got up with the sun to get ready for travel. I actually had two bags packed: one that was just for that evening, and another that I would take on the plane.
My parents came by about an hour-and-a-half later so we could all go to the airport. Nashville has the perfect airport. It isn't small, which means you can get direct flights to A LOT more places, but it isn't huge either, which means you don't have to fight your way through three thousand people to get through security and to your gate.
It kinda threw mom for a moment when she realized that we only had carry-on items, and thus did not have to stand in line at the check-in counter. When our tickets were purchased, we had not been able to sit together, so I was several rows behind my parents. It was fine though, got to watch DS9 over the shoulder of the guy beside me. The flight time also threw me. When I travel for work, I fly in the east-west direction. I'm used to taking half-a-day to get anywhere. Very rarely do I go north-south. We landed at LGA about two hours later.
I must admit that I had a few "bloody tourist" moments upon my arrival. I had never been to New York before, so I was entitled. Leaving the airport, you are tempted to go, "Where are all the tall buildings?" Later on do you realize that the sheer size of New York (and other things... like the CURVATURE OF THE EARTH) prevent you from seeing the entire city at once.
We stayed at a very nice hotel on 92nd and 1st. It got us away from the excessive hustle-and-bustle of the southern part of the island, but also kept us out of Harlem. Unfortunately, our reason for being in New York was actually in the de-militarized zone just south of 125th.
Well, we checked into our hotel, and then my parents and I went for a walk. We had several hours to kill, and wanted to see what we could see. We walked from 1st Ave all the way up to 5th. We got to at least SEE central park, even though we didn't have enough time to enjoy it. Walked a little bit down museum mile, seeing some VERY interesting architecture. We then returned to the hotel to get changed for the evening's festivities.
Our reason for being in New York was simple: Angel. Funny how the whole world seems to revolve around her sometimes. I think she has some sort of sub-conscious ability to screw with causality. Really, we were only a drop in the bucket compared to the mass of followers who had gathered. In total, she rated the following:
- Two parents
- One sibling
- Three grandparents
- Two aunts
- One uncle
- One cousin
- One best friend & her mother
- One fiance (me) & his parents
I think the only way this can be topped is when we get married. The group met down in the lobby of the hotel, and we walked literally around the corner to the restaurant where we had reservations for dinner. Nice little diner-style place. Had a great dish: chicken with sauteed mushrooms and spinach in a white wine sauce over angel hair pasta. NOM.
After that, we divvied up into cabs for a trip closer to Harlem than I ever want to be again. Our destination: Angel's senior recital. Long build-up to this point. I didn't have the chance to go see her junior recital last year, though her family said it was great. This year was a momentous occasion for several reasons, it being her senior year, the fact that the whole family would finally meet me, and for people to congratulate us on our upcoming nuptials.
We arrived at the school, and I got to enjoy my first perk of being joined with the star performer: access to backstage. Indeed, she told me how she informed the stage manager that I - not her parents, not her sister, I - was the only one allowed backstage prior to or during the performance. She even asked me if I would like to enjoy the show from backstage. I felt really good at that, but honestly I wanted to enjoy the experience, transfixed on her from my seat at the front of the hall.
To say that Angel was fantastic would be an understatement. What made it even more fun for me was the fact that my mom & dad had not yet heard her sing. Oh, boy. After her first set, I looked back over my shoulder at my mom, and she just stared at me with her jaw on her chest as if to say, "Okay, I believed you when you said she was good, but I didn't know she was THAT good!" This from the parents who regularly attend shows at TPAC. They've seen good, and they know that she's it.
After the show, her family brought her flowers on-stage. She took time to thank everyone: her teacher, her coach / accompanist, friends, family. At the end of this, she said, "And I have one very special person to thank."
In the back of my mind, I went... OH. SHIT.
She said the sweetest thing about me that anyone has ever said about me in my whole life, whether in public or private. According to her, I turned three to four shades of red.
After the show, there was a meet-and-greet outside the hall. Her recital had been far too late in the evening for there to be a proper reception afterward, so this sufficed. I stood behind my little starlet, beaming at her. I know that pride goes before a fall, but you'd have to push me off a cliff to change how I felt at that moment.
A few of us went out for drinks. We stopped by one place where we had a little bit to drink. I had a scotch that was new to me. Bit over-powering at first and lacking flavor, but then there is a poof of soft flavor that comes in behind it. Not the best I've had, but not bad either. I'll stick with Glenfiddich. We walked to another place where they had live IMPROV Jazz downstairs. It was a lot of fun... for a time. Then a LOT of annoying-ass freshmen from the school came down into the room, and what had been a nice, relaxing Jazz joint became a club for drunken hoes who have more cleavage than sense. When we'd finished our drinks, we extricated ourselves.
We returned to the dorms to hang out for a while. Got to snuggle with my baby for the first time on that trip. It was nice getting to share some alone time with her.
At about two-thirty in the morning, we were walking down to Broadway so I could catch a cab back to the hotel. We kissed under one random streetlight on a dark city street before I jumped in and rode off into the night.
I got to bed around three o'clock in the morning. The fam would be up and down in the hotel restaurant at about nine or nine-thirty the next morning. I was exhausted. My dad called me from the restaurant, as I had slept right through my alarm. I showered and dressed quickly to join them downstairs. Breakfast was as good as it was big. I couldn't finish my eggs and toast. Everyone had a fantastic time, all smiles everywhere. We had to check out of our rooms, so Angel accompanied me up to keep me company while I packed. We stole a few minutes to cuddle and spend some alone time. After that, we gathered up all my things and met my parents downstairs. We left our bags in the care of the hotel so we could go for a walk. Our flight didn't leave until four o'clock, so we had some time to kill. Mom, dad, Angel, and I went for a walk. This time, instead of walking west, we went south. We made it down past 79th before turning back. Walking along and having seen the fourth florist since leaving the hotel, I couldn't stand it anymore.
Last night, I had meant to get flowers for Angel, but did not have the time. I had had it. Taking her by the hand, I walked up to the florist for one of her favorite flower. He took it, wrapped it up, and gave it to me. I think that one flower, bought here and now, meant more than the bouquets she had received the previous evening. She positively glowed as we returned to the hotel. We had only a few more minutes before we had to leave. We held each other and kissed one more time before I got in the car to return to the airport.
I was zen for the rest of the afternoon. Nothing could get me down. Our flight was delayed, and I didn't even care about it. I was in too good a mood. I still am, really.
That evening, dad and I watched the series finale of BSG. It was really, really good. Though I wanted to stay, I had work the next morning. I repacked all my luggage and headed south again. Shortest vacation ever, but one of the most worth it.
Plane ticket: $300
2AM Taxi ride: $15
Celebratory drinks: $20
1 Stargazer Lily: $5
Being alone in a city of 8 million people with the one that you love: Priceless
There are some things that money cannot buy...
Come to think of it, my entire body is screaming bloody murder at me. (BLOODY MURDER! BLOODY MURDER!) I think it has something to do with the fact that no human being is supposed to sustain that much physical and mental activity for 48 hours straight. The little amount of sleep I got in the mean-time (which barely equates to ONE night's sleep) did little to recompense my frail physical form for the stresses visited upon it during its waking state.
*sigh* I stray from my purpose.
Last week was a hell of a time at work. Busy, busy, busy, busy is an understatement. However, all was completed on schedule and I was finally able to relax. To make things more happy, I learned that Friday was an off-Friday! Nice when you stop counting and it actually sneaks up on you. Makes it a pleasant surprise. It also made it easier to prepare for this weekend.
Spent all day Friday doing two things:
- Doing school schtuff
- Prepping for my trip
While this list is brief, the number of sub-bullets for each staggers the imagination. These two things alone (the second moreso than the first) took all day to complete. Normally, I am what you would call an active-lethargic. I will blaze through whatever activity is required in record time just so that I can sit down and relax afterwards. You could say that I'm procrastinating in the wrong order.
Anyway, I had to pack up for my trip, which required not one but TWO trips out to buy stuff. This was to be a very short trip, which meant that I was not even going to check my baggage. Everything was to be carry-on. Two problems with that: first, I did not have any form of luggage that conformed to carry-on size that lent itself well to being dragged through the air port; and second, I had never packed for an overnight trip since the new TSA regs came into effect. That necessitated a quick run to Wally-World. Later on, I thought of the horrors I would face should my new iPod run out of juice while on the road, so I had to run out to the mac store and buy one of their insanely-overpriced wall-chargers. (I realize the form-factor and space-saving design is fantastic, but does a 5V AC-to-DC converter honestly cost THAT MUCH!?!?!) I threw clothes and my brand-new, TSA-approved no-I'm-not-planning-to-formulate-a-liquid-bomb-in-the-lavatory kit (abbreviated NINPTFALBITL, still working on the pronunciation) into my bag and headed out around nine o'clock, traveling northward to Nashville.
My parents were participating in a dance competition that evening, so instead of staying alone at their place that evening, I went up into town to stay with my little sister. School has been quite busy for her, so she would be unable to join us on our trip, which made all of us so very, very sad. I got to my parents' house and dropped off my car. About an hour later she came by to pick me up. We got back to her place with just enough time for me to make up my bed (air mattress with half-a-dozen blankets) in the guest room and fall asleep. Got up with the sun to get ready for travel. I actually had two bags packed: one that was just for that evening, and another that I would take on the plane.
My parents came by about an hour-and-a-half later so we could all go to the airport. Nashville has the perfect airport. It isn't small, which means you can get direct flights to A LOT more places, but it isn't huge either, which means you don't have to fight your way through three thousand people to get through security and to your gate.
It kinda threw mom for a moment when she realized that we only had carry-on items, and thus did not have to stand in line at the check-in counter. When our tickets were purchased, we had not been able to sit together, so I was several rows behind my parents. It was fine though, got to watch DS9 over the shoulder of the guy beside me. The flight time also threw me. When I travel for work, I fly in the east-west direction. I'm used to taking half-a-day to get anywhere. Very rarely do I go north-south. We landed at LGA about two hours later.
I must admit that I had a few "bloody tourist" moments upon my arrival. I had never been to New York before, so I was entitled. Leaving the airport, you are tempted to go, "Where are all the tall buildings?" Later on do you realize that the sheer size of New York (and other things... like the CURVATURE OF THE EARTH) prevent you from seeing the entire city at once.
We stayed at a very nice hotel on 92nd and 1st. It got us away from the excessive hustle-and-bustle of the southern part of the island, but also kept us out of Harlem. Unfortunately, our reason for being in New York was actually in the de-militarized zone just south of 125th.
Well, we checked into our hotel, and then my parents and I went for a walk. We had several hours to kill, and wanted to see what we could see. We walked from 1st Ave all the way up to 5th. We got to at least SEE central park, even though we didn't have enough time to enjoy it. Walked a little bit down museum mile, seeing some VERY interesting architecture. We then returned to the hotel to get changed for the evening's festivities.
Our reason for being in New York was simple: Angel. Funny how the whole world seems to revolve around her sometimes. I think she has some sort of sub-conscious ability to screw with causality. Really, we were only a drop in the bucket compared to the mass of followers who had gathered. In total, she rated the following:
- Two parents
- One sibling
- Three grandparents
- Two aunts
- One uncle
- One cousin
- One best friend & her mother
- One fiance (me) & his parents
I think the only way this can be topped is when we get married. The group met down in the lobby of the hotel, and we walked literally around the corner to the restaurant where we had reservations for dinner. Nice little diner-style place. Had a great dish: chicken with sauteed mushrooms and spinach in a white wine sauce over angel hair pasta. NOM.
After that, we divvied up into cabs for a trip closer to Harlem than I ever want to be again. Our destination: Angel's senior recital. Long build-up to this point. I didn't have the chance to go see her junior recital last year, though her family said it was great. This year was a momentous occasion for several reasons, it being her senior year, the fact that the whole family would finally meet me, and for people to congratulate us on our upcoming nuptials.
We arrived at the school, and I got to enjoy my first perk of being joined with the star performer: access to backstage. Indeed, she told me how she informed the stage manager that I - not her parents, not her sister, I - was the only one allowed backstage prior to or during the performance. She even asked me if I would like to enjoy the show from backstage. I felt really good at that, but honestly I wanted to enjoy the experience, transfixed on her from my seat at the front of the hall.
To say that Angel was fantastic would be an understatement. What made it even more fun for me was the fact that my mom & dad had not yet heard her sing. Oh, boy. After her first set, I looked back over my shoulder at my mom, and she just stared at me with her jaw on her chest as if to say, "Okay, I believed you when you said she was good, but I didn't know she was THAT good!" This from the parents who regularly attend shows at TPAC. They've seen good, and they know that she's it.
After the show, her family brought her flowers on-stage. She took time to thank everyone: her teacher, her coach / accompanist, friends, family. At the end of this, she said, "And I have one very special person to thank."
In the back of my mind, I went... OH. SHIT.
She said the sweetest thing about me that anyone has ever said about me in my whole life, whether in public or private. According to her, I turned three to four shades of red.
After the show, there was a meet-and-greet outside the hall. Her recital had been far too late in the evening for there to be a proper reception afterward, so this sufficed. I stood behind my little starlet, beaming at her. I know that pride goes before a fall, but you'd have to push me off a cliff to change how I felt at that moment.
A few of us went out for drinks. We stopped by one place where we had a little bit to drink. I had a scotch that was new to me. Bit over-powering at first and lacking flavor, but then there is a poof of soft flavor that comes in behind it. Not the best I've had, but not bad either. I'll stick with Glenfiddich. We walked to another place where they had live IMPROV Jazz downstairs. It was a lot of fun... for a time. Then a LOT of annoying-ass freshmen from the school came down into the room, and what had been a nice, relaxing Jazz joint became a club for drunken hoes who have more cleavage than sense. When we'd finished our drinks, we extricated ourselves.
We returned to the dorms to hang out for a while. Got to snuggle with my baby for the first time on that trip. It was nice getting to share some alone time with her.
At about two-thirty in the morning, we were walking down to Broadway so I could catch a cab back to the hotel. We kissed under one random streetlight on a dark city street before I jumped in and rode off into the night.
I got to bed around three o'clock in the morning. The fam would be up and down in the hotel restaurant at about nine or nine-thirty the next morning. I was exhausted. My dad called me from the restaurant, as I had slept right through my alarm. I showered and dressed quickly to join them downstairs. Breakfast was as good as it was big. I couldn't finish my eggs and toast. Everyone had a fantastic time, all smiles everywhere. We had to check out of our rooms, so Angel accompanied me up to keep me company while I packed. We stole a few minutes to cuddle and spend some alone time. After that, we gathered up all my things and met my parents downstairs. We left our bags in the care of the hotel so we could go for a walk. Our flight didn't leave until four o'clock, so we had some time to kill. Mom, dad, Angel, and I went for a walk. This time, instead of walking west, we went south. We made it down past 79th before turning back. Walking along and having seen the fourth florist since leaving the hotel, I couldn't stand it anymore.
Last night, I had meant to get flowers for Angel, but did not have the time. I had had it. Taking her by the hand, I walked up to the florist for one of her favorite flower. He took it, wrapped it up, and gave it to me. I think that one flower, bought here and now, meant more than the bouquets she had received the previous evening. She positively glowed as we returned to the hotel. We had only a few more minutes before we had to leave. We held each other and kissed one more time before I got in the car to return to the airport.
I was zen for the rest of the afternoon. Nothing could get me down. Our flight was delayed, and I didn't even care about it. I was in too good a mood. I still am, really.
That evening, dad and I watched the series finale of BSG. It was really, really good. Though I wanted to stay, I had work the next morning. I repacked all my luggage and headed south again. Shortest vacation ever, but one of the most worth it.
Plane ticket: $300
2AM Taxi ride: $15
Celebratory drinks: $20
1 Stargazer Lily: $5
Being alone in a city of 8 million people with the one that you love: Priceless
There are some things that money cannot buy...