NYC - Day 5 - The Empire State Building and the Country Girl

Home from Washington Square the blog is complete - what now?

Empire State Building - straight out of lonely planet - I feel a disaster looming - its hot and very, very humid - what the hell!- you have had a fascination with the old girl since you saw movies of her construction in the lecture theatres of Melbourne University as an undergrad - lonely planet or not you are going to have to go!

Arrive on dusk - fears confirmed - hordes overflowing to the streets - resolve tested - nostalgia prevails - I join the queue - I shuffle - I stand still - shuffle - still - shuffle - still - no I don't want to up size my visit to the Observatory/Sky Ride combo - shuffle - still - shuffle - listen I told the last girl I wont be upgrading to the combo - shuffle - still - OK I bloody well will upgrade to the combo (who ever heard of up sizing a tour! - come to think of it Bernie's been doing that for years!) shuffle - stand- stand - stand - shuffle - reach the security screening area - lose places in the queue as I remove belts and clear my pockets - have my resolve tested further - realise that I haven't yet reached the ticket purchase queue - nostalgia prevails - become tempted by the sign that says for twice the price I can buy priority in the queue - refuse on principle - brow sweating - testing capability of the new deodorant - finally reach the counter and acquire my combo ticket.

Join the queue for the elevators - much more orderly - into the lifts in a jiff - up to the 80th floor - into another queue - shuffle - still -shuffle - still - into the elevator to the 86th Floor observatory - join the crowd on the roof - wait in turn to get near the railing - atmosphere nothing like "Sleepless in Seattle" - view - Spectacular - spend 15 minutes on the top - walk down the 6 floors to the elevators on the 80th Floor - down on ground level - reflect - was it worth it - say to myself "for an old structural engineer - absolutely"

Now for the up sizing - the New York Sky ride - what the hell is it?

What the hell is this! - small crowd and no queue - this is a worry - seems like the sales people who barked like sheep dogs at the sheep in the observatory queue were not terribly successful in convincing them to up size their visit.

Enter the small group of up sizers and wait for the guide - and wait for the guide - and wait for the guide - eventually be guided into a small Imax theatre with seating that is equipped with a restraining bar and a movable floor - be subjected to a simulated helicopter ride through the skyline of New York complete with the rattling of the restraining bars and the pitching and yawing of the seat - all very kitch - strangely enjoyable.

Home at 11:00pm on the subway - safe - clean - very busy - very hot and humid

Sleep well - take it easy - a highlight coming up -off to see Morgan Freeman in Country Girl on Broadway

Two metro stops and I am there - love Time Square - think how impressed Xavier Rudd would be to see his name in lights in the centre of Time Square - locate the theatre - soak up the atmosphere and the environment pace up and down in anticipation - wait outside the theatre - jump as the thunder roars and the rain teems down - be amazed at the street vendor who runs out in the rain accosting every scurrying passerby with his $2 umbrellas - unfortunately it is raining so hard that no one is prepared to stop long enough to recognise that he has an offer they should not refuse.

Take a seat - enjoy and enjoy and enjoy the performance of Morgan Freeman - be amazed at the performance of Frances McDormand - the best play I have ever seen?

Head home - reach the subway - reach for my wallet - heart sinks - oh hell - no - no - no ... hightail it back to the theatre - doors closed - try every door I can find - ah - there is a ticket person - lost my wallet - sorry there is no one here - nothing has been handed in to me - look dejected and distressed - she feels sorry for me - puts up the "back later" sign and disappears into the dark abyss that is now the theatre - returns five minutes later - sorry nothing!

Heart thrashes a hole through my stomach - head down I head for the door - crash head on into a girl who is trying to make her way in - apologise - "wat ya do'in here" says she - I lost my wallet said I - "eyes found it inside - eyes get it for ya" - someone is looking after me!

Travel home quietly and carefully not releasing my grip on my wallet until I was safely inside.

A day off tomorrow - a days work for AARNet is planned.

NYC - Day 4

Arise with trepidation - tooth has almost self healed - what will I say to the dentist? - off I head - get adventurous - take a different route - New York hot but not humid - bloody hell !- northern hemisphere again - where is north? - that's right the sun is in the southern sky - shadows point to the north west in mid morning - panic a little - running late - compose myself - back in familiar territory - on my way.

No need to panic - dentist yet to arrive - listen to nurses describe office politics to one another - 9:10 dentist arrives - 9:20 he greets me - really pleasant individual - young fellow - specialist - does nothing but root canals.

I explain Australian travel insurance - he understands insurance companies - if tooth is live then he can do a temporary fix - if it is dead then its either root canal or nothing.

He tests and tests and x-rays again - inconclusive - X-ray looks fine.

Loads me up with scripts for penicillin and pain relievers - only use them if the tooth blows up!

Out to see the receptionist credit card in hand - "we'll send you a bill" - are you sure? - "yep - we'll send you a bill'' - all in all a very trusting, cheerful and friendly bunch these New Yorkers.

Wander home past Union Square - Saturday farmers market underway - great produce - cheeses, fruits, vegetables, juices ... a great variety.

Visit the bagel shop - overwhelmed by the choice - what did Simon say to ask for? - can not remember - slink back home - check the email - that's right - order a "toasted everything bagel with tofu cream cheese". What on earth does that mean - resort to Wikipedia - ah - "everything" is the seasoning on top of the bagel - now I get it! - back to the shop with a renewed spring in my step!

Wash down the bagel with latte - I can see what Simon was getting at - very tasty!

OK so now you don't have to worry about the tooth what are you going to do for the day? - resort to the Kahn book - resolve to visit the Empire State Building after dark and Washington Square during the early afternoon.

Washington Square - no more that three minutes away - arrive, wander, sit, wonder, wander, sit, wonder, wander, sit and wonder some more - observe families, children, grandparents, loners, misfits(many of them), people who are coping and those that are not, tourists (only a few of them), chess players, dealers and people on the lookout for dealers.

Sit, listen, wander - sit, listen, wander and sit and listen some more - enthralling - jazz groups, blues singers, a gospel group, violinists.

Washington Square -part of the Village! I would recommend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon at Washington Square to anyone!

NYC - Day 3 - Ellis Island

Still hot and sticky

Test out video conferencing with Chris - eventually we get it - Cindy is amused - boys will be boys

Off to Ellis Island - queues are long - buy a cheap ticket off a lady who couldn't face the shuffle - queue moves quickly enough - to security - worse than at an airport - end result - one cheap watch left in the container.

Find an ideal seat on the ferry - top deck - bench seat two feet from the railing - even picked the right side to photograph her ladyship - all looking good until the ugly Americans arrive - (sorry Amy - there are ugly Australians too - it was just that these were Americans from the deep south) - they almost stand on the toes of those seated to squeeze in between the seats and the railing - such is life - get a pretty good view anyway.

Stay on the ferry as it stops at the Statue Wharf - it is Ellis Island I am after.

12 million immigrants past though its doors including only 50,000 from Australasia but a stunning 1.8M from Canada (mostly French Canadians).

A stunning place for someone interested in such things - an exceptional audio tour - they should send the tour designer off to help the French at Versailles.

Back to Battery Park and off to the Staten Island Ferry - some nice views but not as spectacular as I had expected - perhaps I should try it at night - pass by New York's latest attempt at public art - a series of man made waterfalls - interesting - a great idea - not sure the designer got it quite right!

Home via a steet vendor to replace my A$9.95 watch with a US$5 version - Ah - at least it seems to be keeping correct time - off the the Dry Cleaners - home to a nice glass of wine - clean up the photos and chat to Tom, Amy and Eliza on the video....

Well dentist tomorrow - trouble is the tooth has stopped irritating me - not sure about a root canal!

NYC - Day 2

Open the windows - put on the eye shades and insert the ear plugs - a great night's sleep in spite of the humidity.

Bundle up the shirts and round up the suit and jacket and struggle off the the dry cleaners - amazingly polite - asks about my twang - ahhh - Australian - says she in a broad Polish accent - you come back tomorrow after 6 and they'll be ready.

Drag some books on NYC tourism from Simon's shelves - quickly put the "Lonely Planets" aside - discover a hardback - "City Secrets - New York City" by Robert Kahn - this is what I was looking for - the places and sites of New York from the perspective of a series of contributors made up of artists, architects, playwright's, historians, academics and others - each gives their personal perspective on a particular site.

Roughly map out the next few days - today Central Park so that I can pick up the wedding trousers - tomorrow - Ellis Island - because it always intrigued me and because the perspective on it given by museum and exhibition designer Charles Marsden-Smedley in the Robert Kahn book rekindled my interest - I will also spend time wandering Battery Park and riding the Staten Island ferry.

Off to the underground - Ahh - a past master at all of this - I even tend advice to a poor tourist -off at 68th Street - down to Central Park - a little rain - I love the park - I walk and walk and walk - I lay down on a bench - I wake in a start - never mind - only a few minutes in the land of nod - I walk and walk and walk and then I walk some more - I love this place - I love the way the locals love it and use it - I love the way the city skyline looks down on the park with a sense of pride - it seems to smile down on the intruder within its midst and says "Well Done Pig" - "you serve the community well!"

Squirrels everywhere - sparrows and countless other bird species - all are comfortable if suitably cautious in this human dominated environment.

What's this - pretty fancy baseball outfits - a major competition going on - it is the Broadway Baseball League competition - "Mary Poppins" is playing "The Lion King" for competition supremacy - not much interest from spectators partly because while there are plenty of people in the park most of them are running, walking or are competitors in softball or handball competitions of their own -

Groups of school kids are everywhere - their activities being supervised by small groups of battle weary teachers who apart from trying to supervise the kids appear responsible for lugging huge iceboxes carrying the compulsory food and drinks for the terrorists under their control.

The sun emerges briefly and the humidity rises to new uncomfortable heights - time to head for Mr. Grace to collect my pants - I cannot believe this place - I front up with the collection slip - a suited gent (perhaps not the right word) greets me - A hot and sweaty Mike notes that he is complete with kerchief neatly arranged in the coat pocket and enormous plum in the his mouth - did he really look down his nose at me or was I just feeling sensitive - I look around anxiously trying to find another customer who is as disheveled as me! - cannot find one - I want to shrink out of the place - "which sales person attended to you sir" - I wanted to say "can't you bloody well just ring up the alterations department, give them the number and get them to give me the garment so I can get out of here" - what I actually said was "I am sorry sir but I don't recall" - A look of disgust - a few terse words to the accounts clerk - few clicks on the keyboard and all is revealed - the salesman is summoned - he takes the slip - rings up the alternations department - gives them the number and they emerge from the depths of the store with the garment - "at last I can escape" I say to myself - no I am subjected to - "Does Sir wish to try them on" - "Does Sir wish to have them boxed or would sir prefer a hanging sleeve?" - "Listen Sir just wants to get out of here" I say to myself - I select the sleeve - The garment is sleeved up - I dive for it in the hope of escaping - "Would Sir like the sleeve folded for easy carriage" - Old Mr Grace you have a lot to answer for!

Escape at last - head for the metro - I am a pasted master at this right? - well nearly - right line - overshoot the exit station - retrace my steps - home for a shower - I will eat in tonight

New York - New York

Indianapolis -

The IT Directors tour complete - significant outcomes include increased weight, girth and tiredness - struggle to the airport - sleep though the flight -

New York - Day 1

Arrive at La Gardia - worry about the Pakistani who hurries me across the car park - become relaxed when he discovers I'm Australian - he commences his sermon on the virtues of Australian cricket - he places me in his brand new BMW town car and we head for Simon's place - my sense of relaxation starts to return and I feel of a sense of anticipation rising in me.

The weather is hot and humid and the trip into town is punctuated by frequent albeit short thunderstorms that clear away to a bright skies as we arrive at the apartment.

I am greeted by the doorman - he commences the third degree until his mate chides him saying "he is Simon's dad" - with that questions flow from both of them about how he is going and when the wedding is to be held - eventually keys are produced and instructions provided.

This bloody tooth is starting to create chaos - off to look for Simon's dentist - impressed with the area as I wander up University Place and head south along 14th Street at Union Square - I find the dentist hidden behind a reinforced locked door that buzzes as I try to unsuccessfully open it - I almost give up when suddenly the door opens and the receptionist rushes out and invites me in.

I explain my situation - over here for a wedding - tooth playing up what can you do for me - cheery receptionist looks sympathetic but not optimistic - how did you find out about us she asks - my son is a patient said I - your not Simon's dad are you? - all of a sudden everything is possible and I have an appointment for 1030 tomorrow morning.

Buy some groceries and some beer and retire to the apartment.

New York - Day 2

Off to the dentist - ushered into the chair by the nurse - she goes out and I hear her say to the new receptionist "its Simon's dad" - Dentist arrives - "how is Simon? - when is the wedding?" - looks into the depths of my mouth - pokes and prods and examines x-rays - "not great news I'm afraid - come back on Saturday for a root canal" - "don't worry - you'll be fine for the wedding" - pay the receptionist and appreciate that if a consultation costs this much then a root canal procedure will seriously damage the credit card balance - recall the advice of John and Merie - "it not much in the scheme of things"

Head for my first encounter with the NYC underground - a relatively pleasant experience - very few questions needed to see me riding the railroad to Polo on Madison Avenue to select and be fitted for the wedding pants - I thought the staff from Grace's Department store were fictitious - not true they came straight from Polo's.

Head home - deal with the complications of automated laundry systems - successfully replenish my supply of dirty underwear - look for an iron - Simon rings - I stop looking for an iron and resolve to take my shirts downstairs for professional treatment.

Undertake one of Simon's "must do's". Dinner at Patsy Pizzeria immediately under his lounge room window - superb - arrive home and write this nonsense

Slip out and take some photos to append