NEW YORK CITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As you probably all know, I went to NYC with Heather this weekend, we left Thursday and returned this evening. Thursday started off with her parents dropping us off at the train station, with my mother insisting on coming along of course, because she worries like that. The station was like completely dead. But the ride down was comfortable, it was also slow with a few delays and I felt like I could get out and run alongside the train and beat it to New York, but it was still very comfortable. Uncle Lou met us at the station, I was kind of nervous about seeing these people I haven't seen in so long. But it turned out okay. We had really heavy baggage with us that we had to haul up the stairs and outside down the block through the hot, muggy streets in order to get a cab. My first cab ride was pretty cool, I couldn't believe how much room there was back there! To think, I'd played a cab driver on stage and never really had the experience. It was pretty interesting. Like the only cab in nyc that isn't air conditioned, but that's always my luck and beggers can't be choosers. My uncle showed us the room we'd be staying in, on the first floor, beneath his apartment, used to maid's quarters so it was basically like a closet with a bathroom (which had only a tub and toilet), but I really wasn't concerned with the room since all we'd really be doing there was sleeping in it. There was a single futon (which Heather claimed) and a blow-up air mattress, which I became quite friendly with but will get more into later on. So anyway, Heather got to keep the keys, I think my uncle could tell she was the brains of our duo before he even got talking with us. Gosh, his apartment is cool. Lots of little hallways, I think I got lost every single time I walked out the door by myself, either to find his apartment so I could shower in the morning or to leave his apartment after showering to find mine. It was insane. Famous people live in that building, too, like Bebe Neuworth, whom I did not recognize when I guess she apparently passed us by as we were entering the building and she was leaving. Isaac Mizrahi, too, but we didn't see him. And a few others I don't remember. Oh, man, and a doorman! That just made ya feel kinda important, ya know, when there's this guy always greeting you and everything.
He treated us to lunch, along with my cousin Daniel, and thank God because I later ran out of money!! (came home with precisely $6 to be exact) Then we walked around Greenwich Village (where he lives), he left us alone, we were fine, I didn't buy anything. I did, however, see a man in a fountain on a bike in Washington Square. Kinda funny. Extremely random. I heart NY. Later Uncle Lou bought us tickets to see an Off-Broadway show, the Hollow Men, which was really funny. They were these British guys who performed skits about nothing, something I might actually try writing and performing sometime.
Let's see... We got home and went to bed, but it was sooo hot in that room, but lucky for us Heather brought her own little plug-in fan along. She is so smart!!
Friday. Uncle Lou took us on our first subway ride downtown to see Ground Zero, which was being all rebuilt and stuff and was nothing like I'd expected. There's a freakin' railroad going through it now, for God's sake. Nothing too exciting. Then he took us and left us to fend for ourselves in Chinatown, where I took pics of the Chinese, as I'd promised my strange little brother I would. We ate there, I'd never heard of about 95% of the items on that menu, let alone pronounce them, so I ordered chicken and broccoli, which was delicious and filling. Heather knew like all about Chinese food and the culture and stuff, I just got this vibe of intelligence radiating off of her, and it made me stick close behind her shoulder the rest of the day. She is so smart!!
But other than that, Chinatown's really just commercialism now, nothing really Chinese anymore. So we walked home and collapsed in our closet, and then Heather had this sudden spontaneous idea that we go see a show... I believe I paused only a few seconds before... "Ok!" So we took the subway ourselves downtown and actually got front mezz. tickets for... get this folks... CHICAGO!!!!!! AAAAHHHH!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it, the show of my dreams, it was all coming true!!!!! EEEEEK!!! We waited outside the theatre on the steps for it to open, and saw all these cute, most-likely gay male dancers in the chorus walking into the backstage area. The show itself was like sooo awesome! It was just too cool, the costumes, the actors, omg the dancers!! I liked the way it was all done, better than the movie, which I love, it was cooler when it was through the eyes of the audience, rather than through Roxie's. There were only like 14 people in the entire show, no sets, no real props... It was a show run by the actors, and I was absolutely loving it, something I've always wanted to do, and I was just in my glory. I was too excited and happy to cry!! And all thanks to my best friend with the spontaneous ideas that make the whole trip worth while--I love you, Heathy! She is so smart!!
We got lost coming out and trying to find our way back to the subway, and then again once we were off the subway, trying to find our way home. I had intuition about directions but failed to act on them, and for once I was right, but I followed Heather and we made it home safely eventually. Plus, there's no one I'd rather be lost in nyc with than my best friend, so I didn't care. It was a rough night for sleeping, however. The mattress kept deflating on me, and we eventually reasoned there must be a hole in it. I searched up and down, feeling everywhere for a hole, nothing. But I kept laying on it, and blowing it back up now and again the lazy way, while still laying on it. Although in a few hours I was completely on the hard ground. We later figured it out... ok Heather figured it out... it was because I was laying on it while trying to inflate it that it wasn't completely working. I know, I know. Goddamnit Meghan Russell. But yay for Heather, it worked fine for her the next night. She is so smart!!
Saturday. Couldn't get up, just wanted to sleep in, which through off some plans. But we went uptown to Times Square eventually and bought a few things, and later we saw The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, which was actually planned so I wasn't in shock again or anything. I thought it was better than the movie, but prolly cause it's live and all. The Phantom was like... omg excellent. Amazing voice. Other players were so-so. I've seen and heard acting and singing at AHS that's along the same lines, so it wasn't anything outstanding, considering it was Broadway. But the sets and effects and... the phantom! all made up for that. Carlotta was funny, too. Gotta love the prima donna. And then we went to Sbarro's for pizza and spontaneously decided to get back in line for more ticekts, we're like addicted!! Beauty and the Beast, we got, the seats were like the best we'd had, very very cool. The show was awesome, beautiful directing and acting--just the way lines and things were interpreted, gave it a spin to the original Disney cartoon. And the beast was sooo amazing, almost as talented as the phantom, and he made me laugh. I loved Lumiere and Bebette (who reminded me 100% of Nani). Speaking of, Nani is going to be sooooo jealous of me when I tell her all this!! All her fave shows... and I saw them all in one weekend! But yeah, I loved the choral choreography, esp. in Gueston's song.
We made it home perfectly that night. Heather took the air mattress and didn't stop making fun of me about the previous night. But that's ok cause I made funny of her for how she flushed the toilet and it wouldn't stop flushing. "What did you do??" "I flushed the toilet!" "Well UNflush it!!!" She just walked out of the bathroom and was totally going to leave it alone, all nonchalant and casual, like toilets are totally just supposed to do that. It was hilarious. I fixed it, though! :) I am so smart!! So then we made fun of each other and laughed/talked ourselves to sleep. "Heather, what are you thinking about now?" "I'm thinking I'm going to beat my best friend." God, I'm gonna miss her in college!
Sunday. Woke up early and packed, had pancakes at my uncle's, and set out for Central Park. It was hot and humid, and I hate sweat. But we saw some great sights there, beatiful lakes and views... kinda like here, but ya know. We walked down to Times Square from there and bought more stuff, and please don't even ask me how much those things cost. Heather got Uncle Lou flowers and read her Harry Potter book (God forbid!) while I worked on recording a bit I had to do for a song my uncle's making for my grandmother's 80th birthday. It was a terrible range for me and I would fall to my knees and thank the Lord if he'd only found a different grandchild to do this. It took me a while to get up the air and the nerve to sing--SHOUT! Kinda like being on stage, were it's so high I have to just shout to get it out there, and it was much higher than I'd had to go in any show. It took Heather barging in and yelling at me to finally shut up and just do it, and so I did and now my voice is shot, but yay for my best friend's words of encouragement and always pushing me to go higher... Lol, she is so smart!!
So we were in time for our train back and of course, I'm the writer, she's the reader, and we get the 2 seats with broken lights. Oh the frig well. I'm glad I got to do this with Heather, though. It just wouldn't be the same with anyone else, ya know? Plus, she's so smart! I'd still be looking for the subway station if it wasn't for her! Lol, her internal mapping skills. But also the way she's so easy to talk to about things, she makes me laugh and doesn't have to shy away about telling me when I'm being a pain in the ass. "What time is it now?... What time are we supposed to get in?... How long does it take?... When do you think we'll get in?..." I realize I'm a born pain in the ass, though lol, it came in my parents' manual. And I love how Heather can be so spontaneous and unpredictable--"let's go see a show! NOW!" And Chicago, of all shows!! She liked it, too, I can tell!
So the little vacation is over. Summer's practically halfway done. And the sun, which is setting earlier and earlier each day, is quietly trying to chase us all into college. That's why I'm glad I got to do this, it's something we've been planning and wanting to do for a while now. And okay, so it wasn't a cruise. But it was us, bein' best buddies, losing our way through crowded streets but never losing each other. It was a really great trip overall, and I must say it does feel semi-relaxing to be back.
Here's to the rest of summer '05! Let's make it good, guys!!
He treated us to lunch, along with my cousin Daniel, and thank God because I later ran out of money!! (came home with precisely $6 to be exact) Then we walked around Greenwich Village (where he lives), he left us alone, we were fine, I didn't buy anything. I did, however, see a man in a fountain on a bike in Washington Square. Kinda funny. Extremely random. I heart NY. Later Uncle Lou bought us tickets to see an Off-Broadway show, the Hollow Men, which was really funny. They were these British guys who performed skits about nothing, something I might actually try writing and performing sometime.
Let's see... We got home and went to bed, but it was sooo hot in that room, but lucky for us Heather brought her own little plug-in fan along. She is so smart!!
Friday. Uncle Lou took us on our first subway ride downtown to see Ground Zero, which was being all rebuilt and stuff and was nothing like I'd expected. There's a freakin' railroad going through it now, for God's sake. Nothing too exciting. Then he took us and left us to fend for ourselves in Chinatown, where I took pics of the Chinese, as I'd promised my strange little brother I would. We ate there, I'd never heard of about 95% of the items on that menu, let alone pronounce them, so I ordered chicken and broccoli, which was delicious and filling. Heather knew like all about Chinese food and the culture and stuff, I just got this vibe of intelligence radiating off of her, and it made me stick close behind her shoulder the rest of the day. She is so smart!!
But other than that, Chinatown's really just commercialism now, nothing really Chinese anymore. So we walked home and collapsed in our closet, and then Heather had this sudden spontaneous idea that we go see a show... I believe I paused only a few seconds before... "Ok!" So we took the subway ourselves downtown and actually got front mezz. tickets for... get this folks... CHICAGO!!!!!! AAAAHHHH!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it, the show of my dreams, it was all coming true!!!!! EEEEEK!!! We waited outside the theatre on the steps for it to open, and saw all these cute, most-likely gay male dancers in the chorus walking into the backstage area. The show itself was like sooo awesome! It was just too cool, the costumes, the actors, omg the dancers!! I liked the way it was all done, better than the movie, which I love, it was cooler when it was through the eyes of the audience, rather than through Roxie's. There were only like 14 people in the entire show, no sets, no real props... It was a show run by the actors, and I was absolutely loving it, something I've always wanted to do, and I was just in my glory. I was too excited and happy to cry!! And all thanks to my best friend with the spontaneous ideas that make the whole trip worth while--I love you, Heathy! She is so smart!!
We got lost coming out and trying to find our way back to the subway, and then again once we were off the subway, trying to find our way home. I had intuition about directions but failed to act on them, and for once I was right, but I followed Heather and we made it home safely eventually. Plus, there's no one I'd rather be lost in nyc with than my best friend, so I didn't care. It was a rough night for sleeping, however. The mattress kept deflating on me, and we eventually reasoned there must be a hole in it. I searched up and down, feeling everywhere for a hole, nothing. But I kept laying on it, and blowing it back up now and again the lazy way, while still laying on it. Although in a few hours I was completely on the hard ground. We later figured it out... ok Heather figured it out... it was because I was laying on it while trying to inflate it that it wasn't completely working. I know, I know. Goddamnit Meghan Russell. But yay for Heather, it worked fine for her the next night. She is so smart!!
Saturday. Couldn't get up, just wanted to sleep in, which through off some plans. But we went uptown to Times Square eventually and bought a few things, and later we saw The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, which was actually planned so I wasn't in shock again or anything. I thought it was better than the movie, but prolly cause it's live and all. The Phantom was like... omg excellent. Amazing voice. Other players were so-so. I've seen and heard acting and singing at AHS that's along the same lines, so it wasn't anything outstanding, considering it was Broadway. But the sets and effects and... the phantom! all made up for that. Carlotta was funny, too. Gotta love the prima donna. And then we went to Sbarro's for pizza and spontaneously decided to get back in line for more ticekts, we're like addicted!! Beauty and the Beast, we got, the seats were like the best we'd had, very very cool. The show was awesome, beautiful directing and acting--just the way lines and things were interpreted, gave it a spin to the original Disney cartoon. And the beast was sooo amazing, almost as talented as the phantom, and he made me laugh. I loved Lumiere and Bebette (who reminded me 100% of Nani). Speaking of, Nani is going to be sooooo jealous of me when I tell her all this!! All her fave shows... and I saw them all in one weekend! But yeah, I loved the choral choreography, esp. in Gueston's song.
We made it home perfectly that night. Heather took the air mattress and didn't stop making fun of me about the previous night. But that's ok cause I made funny of her for how she flushed the toilet and it wouldn't stop flushing. "What did you do??" "I flushed the toilet!" "Well UNflush it!!!" She just walked out of the bathroom and was totally going to leave it alone, all nonchalant and casual, like toilets are totally just supposed to do that. It was hilarious. I fixed it, though! :) I am so smart!! So then we made fun of each other and laughed/talked ourselves to sleep. "Heather, what are you thinking about now?" "I'm thinking I'm going to beat my best friend." God, I'm gonna miss her in college!
Sunday. Woke up early and packed, had pancakes at my uncle's, and set out for Central Park. It was hot and humid, and I hate sweat. But we saw some great sights there, beatiful lakes and views... kinda like here, but ya know. We walked down to Times Square from there and bought more stuff, and please don't even ask me how much those things cost. Heather got Uncle Lou flowers and read her Harry Potter book (God forbid!) while I worked on recording a bit I had to do for a song my uncle's making for my grandmother's 80th birthday. It was a terrible range for me and I would fall to my knees and thank the Lord if he'd only found a different grandchild to do this. It took me a while to get up the air and the nerve to sing--SHOUT! Kinda like being on stage, were it's so high I have to just shout to get it out there, and it was much higher than I'd had to go in any show. It took Heather barging in and yelling at me to finally shut up and just do it, and so I did and now my voice is shot, but yay for my best friend's words of encouragement and always pushing me to go higher... Lol, she is so smart!!
So we were in time for our train back and of course, I'm the writer, she's the reader, and we get the 2 seats with broken lights. Oh the frig well. I'm glad I got to do this with Heather, though. It just wouldn't be the same with anyone else, ya know? Plus, she's so smart! I'd still be looking for the subway station if it wasn't for her! Lol, her internal mapping skills. But also the way she's so easy to talk to about things, she makes me laugh and doesn't have to shy away about telling me when I'm being a pain in the ass. "What time is it now?... What time are we supposed to get in?... How long does it take?... When do you think we'll get in?..." I realize I'm a born pain in the ass, though lol, it came in my parents' manual. And I love how Heather can be so spontaneous and unpredictable--"let's go see a show! NOW!" And Chicago, of all shows!! She liked it, too, I can tell!
So the little vacation is over. Summer's practically halfway done. And the sun, which is setting earlier and earlier each day, is quietly trying to chase us all into college. That's why I'm glad I got to do this, it's something we've been planning and wanting to do for a while now. And okay, so it wasn't a cruise. But it was us, bein' best buddies, losing our way through crowded streets but never losing each other. It was a really great trip overall, and I must say it does feel semi-relaxing to be back.
Here's to the rest of summer '05! Let's make it good, guys!!