Adventures in the big apple

 JHC do I need a week of straight sleep to recuperate from the trip.  I am still trying to process it all.

Our flight left on Thursday.  It was a sold out flight and everyone was seated on time so we got a little bit of an early start.  We ended up at the luggage carousel 30 minutes before our flight was scheduled to land.  My suitcase was one of the first to come out.  My sister B and BIL S got their bags pretty quick and we headed to the taxi area.  The hotel is less than 10 miles from the airport but it took well over 45 minutes to get there.  It wasn't even noon yet, luckily they had a room ready for me.  I was really surprised with how big the room was.  I expected to get a tiny room but it was a normal size room, probably bigger than some apartments there.  I was told before we left that S has a thing where he has to go to every Hard Rock I suggested we get it out of the way, it was about half a block from the hotel and I was getting hungry.  So we ate at the bar, split 2 appetizers and they each got a drink.  My sister made a comment at the airport that S had asked her if I was on drugs because I had lost so much weight and I needed to try and eat or he was going to force me into rehab.  Looking back on it, that was fucking hilarious but I'll get into that later.  I told her that I don't really drink anymore and that I can either eat or drink but that the obstructed stomach thing makes it hard for me to eat and drink at the same time.  Anyway, while we were sitting there we talked about what we were going to do that night.  They decided we needed to go to the Empire State Building.  I had told them that I was terrified of heights and wasn't looking to do tall buildings but I agreed to do it as long as we could go at night because it isn't as bad for me.  For whatever reason their phones wouldn't connect so I bought the tickets at freaking $79 each plus whatever fees you are forced to pay.  So it was $300 for something that I really didn't want to do and we would be done within an hour max.  While we were sitting there S said he had taken 2 gummies on the plane and he thought they were a lot stronger than what he thought he had taken.  It was fine, he was funny and laid back so no big deal.  He offered me a portion of one to get me through the ESB visit but I had my Valium.  

After lunch we walked to the Hudson.  Saw the Titan but didn't go on because it was almost 3 and it closed at 5.  We hung out there for awhile and started to head back to the hotel.  A few blocks from the river S decided we need to go into a bar.  OK, they needed to be back to check in at 4 so we didn't have a lot of time to do anything.  I actually got a drink or two.  They had something called strawberry baroness made with vodka, peach liqueur, some kind of citrus and muddled strawberries.  It was yummy!!   We got to talking to the bartender and turns out he is from the Tulsa metro.  His dad graduated high school at the same high school S went to and was like a year older.  He hooked us up and by the time we got back to the hotel I was feeling pretty happy.  We go to my room to get their bags and in his gummy haze S somehow lost track of his suitcase.  Turns out someone turned it into security instead of getting the NYPD bomb squad out to get it.  I was an anxious wreck between that and the apprehension of  going to the 106th floor of a building.  There was a Target across the street and my allergies were flaring so I made the comment that I was going to get some pataday for my eyes as I had ran out that morning.  B wouldn't let me go by myself, which kind of infuriated me.  By the time we got the Target run out of the way and unpacked it was time to meet up for ESB.  We decided we were going to walk around a little and get street food for dinner.  

It was really tasty.  

I thought it was so neat how you could see Times Square glowing like the Las Vegas strip

I stayed about 3 feet from any of the windows.  

After that we headed back to the hotel.  There is an Applebee's right off the hotel so they wanted to go in and have a drink.  I ended up sitting at the bar with a couple of empty stools next to me.  There was a pair of people, I hesitate to say couple as I think they were siblings, anyway they sat right next to me and proceeded to get cut off by the manager and still tried to order drinks from the bartender.  I really didn't want to be around that because I didn't want them falling on me and I sure as hell was over hearing the dude tell the bartender how beautiful she was and making her super uncomfortable.  We were all really tired so we were back in the room by 10:30.  I got showered and into bed but it took me awhile to wind down.  I did think to bring a fan because I thought it might be loud but other than sirens it wasn't bad.  

Friday we had tickets to the natural history museum. We had plans to meet up at 9:30 to get a cab to the museum.  I ran into the little shop and picked up a muffin and orange juice, have to take advantage of my $18 daily credit.  It was a pretty good grab and go pastry.  By the time I got back out to the lobby B & S were at the bar, S with a bloody mary and B with a mimosa.  Cool, whatever, it's vacation.  When I went to DC the dinosaurs exhibit was closed so I missed out on that.  So I spent a lot of time at the dino area.

 We hung out there for a few hours then walked to Central Park.  B wanted to go to Tavern on the Green, S wanted to go to strawberry fields.  I didn't care since we didn't have anything until dinner reservations at 6.  S did the navigating and B started to get really bitchy.  She was cussing him somewhat under her breath and calling him an idiot.  I told her to chill.  We ended up at strawberry fields and I thought there was going to be a murder.  Probably didn't help that I told her that she could have given the directions.  I ended up grabbing a pedicab and we went to Tavern on the Green.  It was well passed lunch by then and we knew we had dinner plans but she was determined.  We couldn't even get a spot at the bar.  I just wanted water but they both got drinks.  S got a double and ended up downing 2 in the short time we were there.  We were pretty far from the hotel so we were going to grab a cab when another pedicab guy picked us up 

bridge and rock from ELF

The pedicab driver was Irish so S decided we need to go to an Irish pub.  We split an appetizer and more drinks were had by the dynamic duo even though the undercurrent of snipping was very evident.  I know he had at least 2 more doubles.  They said when they were in Ireland they had a thing that they stopped at every 3rd Irish pub.  I thought that was funny...at first.  It wasn't a joke.  We stopped at every fucking third pub.  The things we could have done instead blows my mind.  It was supposed to get really cold and rainy the next day and I left my coat in my car so I planned on stopping at a store in times square to get a jacket.  Unbeknownst to us there was a huge Palestinian/Israel protest and they closed all the stores.  That was disappointing, but  the weather was still nice so it wasn't a huge deal.  I did stop at a souvenir shop and picked up a poncho and a sweatshirt for the next day.  I tried so hard to get my sister to go back to her room but she wouldn't let me go out alone, super annoying.   Did we stumble right in the middle of the protest?  Maybe, but it was peaceful.  I even pulled out my mask because it was crowded and there was a lot of screaming.

We didn't stick around long, it didn't feel like we should be there as tourists as most people there have a serious cause they are fighting for and I don't feel informed enough to have a viewpoint.  We headed back to get ready.  It felt very voyeuristic 

S was pretty close to black out drunk at this point.  This place served family style so we were trying to decide on food and S kept saying he wanted meatballs and some kind of shellfish.  Well I am allergic to shellfish but I don't care.  B was aggravated at S and we were trying to get stuff to share.  We ended up getting the meatballs, stuffed mushrooms and chicken piccata.  S ordered 2 Stella's and downed one pretty quickly.  He stumbled to the bathroom and I told the waitress to please refrain from asking him if he wants more.  He was stuffing whole meatballs in his mouth and being generally belligerent and embarrassing.  He got lost on his way back to the table from the restroom.  He finally gets up and said he was going to walk back to the hotel.  I tried to discourage it, I told him if he gets mugged he won't be flying home on Sunday.  Like most drunk people he didn't want to hear it and just walked off.  I told both of them that the entire trip was planned around going to a broadway show and I wasn't going to risk being late because of his choices.  We went to the show without him.  

 It was magnificent.  They guy that developed Schitt's Creek developed the show and it was so funny.  It is supposed to tour starting next year and I would go see it if it comes close.  Very much worth it.  We went right back to the hotel after the show to make sure S made it back.  He was sound asleep.  

As promised, the next day was cold and rainy.  We thought getting a cab would be harder than it was.  I stopped in and got a chocolate croissant for the ride, it was really good too.  On the way there B announced that S was back on the wagon and was going to be in a mood.  Our tickets were for 10 and we got there right on time.  It was a little surreal.  I felt a little rushed but for the most part I kept to myself and tried to take my time.  While we were at the show the night before I told B that since the weather was going to be gross we I was going to go to another show and she/they could either join me or do their own thing.  She decided since S ruined the night before he was going to buy us tickets to a show that night.  We ended up with tickets to the Lion King.  We had both seen it several times on the tour but S had never seen it and it was neat to see the difference in the tour and resident shows.  Anyway, after the 9/11 memorial we walked a few blocks in the pouring rain to see Hamilton's gravesite.

 

I had an appointment on Sunday to go to the piercing place but we decided given the weather we would try to move the appointment.  They were pretty quiet so we started walking that way.  Granted it was cold and raining but S was walking like he was on a mission.  It didn't matter what direction we were going, he would walk with the light, regardless of what direction we were supposed to be going.  I'm sure there were at least 2 bars squeezed in.  I finally gave up and got a cab the rest of the way.  Should have done that in the first place.  While I was at the jewelry store you will never guess what the other 2 did.  Yup, they found a bar.  

I spent a lot more than I planned but I really liked the black diamonds!!  It didn't help that my sister kept coming over to see what was going on and pressuring me into spending even more money.  I do love them but I hope they hold up well.  The top black one is the new piercing and I didn't even feel it.  It is kind of bad because kept forgetting to clean it.  It is a little swollen today but it is still one of the easier ones.  

From here S said he needed a nap and I wanted to go to Zara shopping since we don't have one here.  I had mentioned several times that I wanted to go but you know how that goes.  B wanted to get something to wear to the Lion King.  She tried to pressure me into buying a coat.  I told her that I didn't want to deal with it.  I have a brand new coat I bought at the end of the season last year that I have never even worn.  I just need something to get me through the night.  Did she listen?  Nope, she found a coat she liked and bought it and told me to wear it while we were there.  Fine.  It was a fine coat but not anything special and there were definitely more affordable alternatives.  The drunker she got through the night the more she brought up that fucking coat.  At one point she told me to just keep it.  I don't know why I found it so irritating.  I didn't buy anything.  I just didn't really see the sense it spending money at Gap, H & M or other places I have here.  Anyway, after the shopping trip we went back to the rooms to dry off, warm up, and get ready for the Lion King.  We decided just split appetizers at the hotel since we didn't have any reservations.  Our original plan was to go eat at the place we went the first day and get kobe burgers because it was right next to a comic-con and the people watching was prime.  

 

The show was great but by the time we left my sister was trashed.  S was more or less guiding her through the street to keep her upright.  She decided we needed to stop and get another drink.  S and I decided we should probably get some real food in her stomach besides wine.  I reminded her of the people that got cut off at the applebee's the first night but she decided to risk it.  We got a table instead of going to the bar, which I am not sure she could have pulled off.  She was still being really snippy and horrible to S and calling him an idiot.  I was just 100% over it.  She got on some tangent about how everyone forgot about the OKC bombing and that it was all bullshit that it got overshadowed.  I was like, first of all, shut the fuck up saying shit like that in a public place, second not a competition.  I was more or less mortified.  She would go from saying we live in a shit hole town to 3 seconds later defending it because "it's trying"  I was dizzy.  It got to the point that B drunkenly knocked her wine glass off the table and shattered it.  The staff were over very quickly to clean it up but B was saying that she threw the glass off the table because she was mad at S.  It was well passed time to go home at that point.  

This brings us to the final day.  I decided I wanted to walk down to World of Hershey and make my own peanut butter cup.  They opened at 10 and I got there right after they opened.

While I was out B called to see where I was.  I told her I was about to walk back to my room.  She said she was wanting to get out so I was like, cool.  Her plan was to walk to Saks.  It opened at 12 and I had to be checked out at 1 (they got a 2 checkout).  After we had been walking for well over 30 minutes I asked her how much further it was.  Well, she was going off of memory.  I was like good job magellan, we have just enough time to catch a cab back.  

I had most of my stuff packed up already so it didn't take long to get out of there.  I got a text that they were sitting in their room watching football if I wanted to hang out.  UM, NO I don't want to watch football when I am home.  I ended up finally getting to go to Zara!  It might have been a good thing I didn't have more time.  I found a really cute full length dress coat that I was able to have shipped home.  There was more drinking my both B and S.  I don't know how they do it.

The flight home was fine, we ended up getting back early and I was home in my pj's before 10.

My sister is already talking about us going back in the spring to see the Outsider's.  

In summary, I am glad I went but mistakes were made.  I should have bought tickets for a show on Saturday regardless of what they had planned.  Lion King was good but it wouldn't have been my first pick.  I also would have just done what I wanted and not told them what I was planning.  I kind of felt like I needed to check in with the protests and stuff but it was all fine.  I probably wouldn't have gone by myself but I totally would now.  I realize that I am a west coast type of person and that I like NY style pizza a lot more than Chicago. Broadway is everything I had hoped it would be.  

I took off work until Wednesday and got my hair done one day.

The hair niece sold her salon and started working booth rent again.  She made the comment that she did that to hide behind their pricing structure and hours.  Her prices increased a lot.  I want to hate my hair so much but realistically I know that I won't find anyone else that does the quality she does any $$$.  I wonder how things will change once she has her baby.  I think she is due sometime around March?  I hope that going lighter will allow me to go longer between appointments.

For some reason I have kind of started looking at cars.  I had to take my mom to the eye doctor on Wednesday and played on my phone and found a 2021 Nissan Murano with like 40K miles fully loaded.  It had hail damage so it was considered wrecked.  It was a hell of a deal.  I got the VIN number and before I could even get the results back it had sold.  He had a couple of more but I wasn't as blown away as I was by the first one.  He is supposed to call me if he comes across another one.  He has a 2018 platinum series now but meh.

Friday we got a message from the strike team that they are looking for people to go to Hawaii 24 November - 24 December.  I put my name in but they had it filled.  They have me tentatively schedule to backfill starting 26 December.  I am not going to hold my breath.  

Friday night I met a group of friends from college for dinner at a board game cafe.  It was a good time considering we all drank water and home by 10.  Our younger selves would have hung our heads in shame.

 And I leave you with Ms. Olive taking her spot on my suitcase.