We woke up at 3am, flew out of rdu at 6:35 to Atlanta on a flight that wasn't full. It was luxurious. There was elbow room.
Then we got to Atlanta and it was over. I was squished between Aaron and a very very sleepy Indian man for 2 hours. Only to land in NYC where they were doing a full scale emergency drill at the airport. We were hoping to see some action but nothing. The airport pushed us out onto the street where the cab drivers argued with the cab attendant over a simple typo and neither spoke English very well. Fortunately the African driver behind us told them to shut up and get in the car.
The car slung us out on the curb of Park Central Hotel and we checked our bags and walked. First on the agenda - Joe's Shanghai. We ordered 3 types of dumplings. 3 types. Crab, pork, pan fried pork. Neither of us spoke - we just ate. Then we walked some more. Aaron grabbed a giant piece of cheesecake from a diner to go and we took it back to the air conditioned hotel lobby, and promptly murdered it. It was a red velvet cake\cheesecake sandwich with cream cheese icing. There was red velvet everywhere. It was impossible to hide the evidence of the cheesecakes demise as other guests passed by. So I just shrugged and smiled at them.
Our room is ok. You can see Times Square a few blocks away and there's plenty of room. I miss my upper west side hotel though because it felt like a place you could live, not a place you were visiting. I don't know if that makes sense or not. This place lacks "home". There are shops nearby, but not little one of a kind shops. There's Starbucks two doors down though, and I have gift cards so I don't have to pay for coffee while I'm here. Thanks students!
It's also cheaper than my upper west side place, until you get here. Then they tell you there's a $30 a day "resort fee" so that you can use the gym, the computers, and well, that's it. That kind of stuff annoys the snot out of me. At my upper west side place, it was here's the cost, use the building. Here it's like here's the cost and here's another cost so you can use the building. Even if you don't use those things you have to pay for them each day. Total crap, y'all. Total crap.
After resting, we were off again, this time down to the Village. Guess what? It's gay pride week. While the parade will be starting right outside our hotel at noon today, everyone is staying in the Village. So there were rainbows all over Washington square park. and the sidewalk, and on people. We ate at the Copper Still and we had beef sliders and Mac and cheese with bacon. Then we walked some more.
We passed the comedy cellar where Louis CK performs and where we will visit later this week. If you haven't watched the intro to "Louie" go YouTube it. You'll see it. You'll also see Louis CK eat Joe's Pizza and throw part of the crust away. For weeks that has annoyed me. He can eat that pizza all the time. I can't. Three weeks ago I watched it and screamed at the TV. He just throws it away!! Some of the best pizza on the planet, in the trash. Well not me. I wasn't even hungry after the Mac and cheese with bacon, but I folded that slice and ate every last crumb and then licked the grease and dried flour from my fingers and washed it down with a coke. Then I put the rest of the coke in the trash. You can get that anywhere. So take that Louis CK. Take THAT!
Oh Wait! The cupcakes! I forgot!. Before the pizza we actually ate cupcakes. Well Aaron ate a cupcake. There's this place called Melly's Cupcakes and it is listed as one of the best cupcake places in the country. He got this thing called a Cookie Monster. Chocolate chip cupcake with cookie dough - literally cookie dough - in the center. Semi raw. Whipped cream icing and a tiny cookie on top. I had one bite because at this point I couldn't eat any more. But I bought one to go and it's currently staring at me from my night stand. Don't worry, it will not go in the trash like a Louis CK pizza crust. I will conquer that cupcake.
Then we walked. We walked and walked and walked. We walked through Times Square with people stepping on my heels and bumping into me and pushing and not paying attention to their selfie sticks. We walked through that mess until I just couldn't stand it and said "HOW MUCH FURTHER???!! I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE! I'M GOING TO PUNCH SOMEONE IN THE FACE IF THEY TOUCH ME AGAIN!" And Aaron, so smart after a year of marriage, took the next right on to a calm side street and guided me the next 10 blocks counting them down until suddenly I was back at the hotel.
No one was punched in the making of this blog.
And that's how I woke up in the shape I was today.
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