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.
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