No Mindy Tonight

I was up well ahead of 430am and felt about as good as I have all week. I rolled over and tried unsuccessfully to get a little more sleep. I went ahead and got up at 428am. I brushed my teeth and doused my eyes with drops. For the first time the entire trip, my eyes weren’t completely bloodshot.

I whipped out sit-ups and push-ups by 440am. Popped open an orange juice then did meditation and a stretch. I dressed for the fitness center then lubed my right thigh with ketoconyzole cream. I’ve got a crazy itchy spot going on there that occurs when it’s warm humid and irritated by shorts.

On my favorite treadmill by 501am, I cranked it up to 6.7 miles right out of the shoot. I watched CNN via the treadmill with no audio. The run went well. Finished in about 28.5 minutes. Felt great.

Back to the room and in the shower by 540am. Ready to go by 555am. Took a few minutes to hand wash a pair of running shorts, socks, and shirt in the bathroom sink. Because their made of wicking material I expected them to dry fairly quickly. I rolled them up in a bath towel to absorb any remaining loose water before hanging them to dry near the AC vent and over a lamp.

 I headed to the lobby near 605am. Once again I ordered a caramel macchiato latte and bought a sealed package of oatmeal to-go. Met Dave and Natalee in the lobby then dashed off to the subway.

Travel went smoothly. I really enjoy the morning commute, and it was a lovely morning to boot– sunny warm but low humidity. Arrived at the office to mild badgering. There again about 10 minutes early. Got busy right away. Didn’t bother prepping my oatmeal. Got too busy with work. In fact, I never did eat my oatmeal. Called us for breakfast before 8am. Word was we were having sausage and eggs. That was exciting news!

Sure enough, cheese omelets prepared banquet style and sausage patties. It wasn’t gourmet but still a welcome change. I was appreciative. Filled my coffee cup up again too. Stayed busy all morning long.

Like the day before, we made plans to lunch across the street at the waterfront. Chad joined the four of us this time. Instead of eating at the grill, we opted for the Chinese restaurant under the atrium. It was a bit pricey, especially for Chinese. Everything on the menu was ala’ carte. I wasn’t too concerned abut the price. I ordered sweet & sour chicken, brown rice, and wonton soup.  I drank only water.

The escape was great. The food was just decent. My bill was $19. I left a $3 tip. We were gone from the office for about 50 minutes. Walked back to more heckling. They’re fewer in numbers but seemingly growing more bitter.

Worked hard all afternoon – REALLY hard. They catered in some yummy cup cakes mid afternoon. I couldn’t resist them. Took one, all chocolate. Umm good!

As the day wound down, one of the sups came by my desk to talk about a mistake I made. Not a big deal, but I wasn’t too thrilled about it. I spent the end of my day taking care of some travel related logistics. We prepared to leave the office by 655pm. Beat the mass exodus.

Not to be disappointed, we were greeted warmly as we exited the building. Made it to the subway and home in record time. Walked in the hotel at 719p. Dave, Natalee and I agreed to meet in the lobby for dinner at 8pm.  It was raining. Got a text from Mindy that her flight was pushed out to 10pm. Bummer!

Unloaded my gear, rested, and then called Mindy, who was in the bar at the airport having some wine and making friends. Gave her my room number. After our call, I texted her one of my work peeps wife’s cell number and name. Paul suggested they chum around Manhattan on Saturday while we both work. Mindy was game. While in my room, there was a thunderstorm blowing through outside. Lots of rain and vicious lightning and thunder. Awesome audibles in the concrete canyon.

Brushed up just ahead of 8pm then headed to the lobby. We already had our destination arranged – O’Neil’s on

3^rd avenue

.  As we exited the hotel I could see that it was still raining. I begged for a couple minutes to run back to my room to get my umbrella while Dave and Natalee agreed to wait.

It was a relatively short walk to O’Neils- an Irish pub/restaurant. The restaurant portion was upstairs above the bar, although there’s a small bar up there, too. We were seated at a table under the 2^nd floor atrium. Nice! It was extra cool with the rain and lightning flashing.

Our server was a young red head who I pegged as Irish through and through. I asked for a beer list after first ordering a Jack & Coke. Saw they had Harpoon IPA on tap. I like that a lot, so I changed my order. I was much looking forward to a somewhat respectable IPA.

I ordered crab cakes served over a bed of spinach. Engaged the young server in conversation. I believe her name was Samantha. Said she was fresh off the boat from northern Ireland. Strong Irish accent. Had just graduated college in occupational therapy and moved to New York to search out her career. Said she loves the beaches on Long Island.

While having dinner I got a couple more texts from Mindy. The last said her flight was canceled. Wouldn’t get in now until Saturday evening. I decided to give her a call. She was bummed, but did say she made new friends. The airline cited force majeure – weather related. Basically, sorry about your luck. Flights were canceled into the NY area from allover. Offered to extend her stay into Monday, but that wouldn’t work for Mindy, since she needs to be at school Monday morning. I agreed to call her again once back at the hotel.

Dinner was delicious. The crab cakes probably the best I’ve had in recent memory. I had 2^nd beer, the first such doing on a work night since I arrived. Dave and Natalee had two as well.

We walked back to the hotel stopping first at the CVS just a couple blocks from our destination. I bought a bag of chocolate covered pretzels. We were back at the hotel near 10pm. After getting settled I took three Advil for preventative purposes only then gave Mindy another call. She was already back at home, or really down at Kenny & Chrissy’s to get Eiknarf. Said those two were spatting over Kenny’s desire to head to Lake Erie with his peeps over the weekend. Mindy was consoling Chrissy, who was still angry.

Mindy shared that she’s on stand-by for a 120pm flight in on Saturday but also has a secured seat on the 520pm flight. She plans to get to the airport early in hopes of making the earlier flight. And since I’ll be at work from 7am to 7pm, it’s not like we’d miss out on much time together. More than anything, she was sacrificing her free day in Manhattan, which in my mind is a priceless experience. Good night Thunder!

St Patrick's Cathedral

Still incredibly tired, I rolled out of bed just a couple minutes after 430am. Easily could’ve slept another 2 hours. I resisted the urge for more pillow time and instead got up, brushed my teeth, then started calisthenics. By 550am the calisthenics were behind me. I sucked down some orange juice then did a brief meditation and stretch.

It was 505am when I headed for the fitness center. Set the treadmill up in a hurry to 6.7 mph bumping it up a notch by notch until it was at 7.5 mph for the final .25 to .5 miles. Finished in just over 28 minutes. Felt good, but there was no denying that I was still sleepy.

Shaved, showered and dressed all before 6am. Wore jeans and a tight purple t-shirt. Headed for the lobby at 605am. Ordered a caramel macchiato latte and an oatmeal for the go. Met Dave & Natalee in the lobby. Off to the subway.

Train came just as we made it down to the platform. Quick ride in. It was a sunny walk to the building. We were at the office by 645am, the first to arrive.

It was another fast moving morning. I stayed busy from jump. When the breakfast cattle call came, I fetched only some coffee and orange juice to go along with my oatmeal. Glad I did. Four of us decided to head to the waterfront again for lunch. This time we planned to eat over there.

We ended up at the Quality Burgers grill and grabbed a covered table in the park like setting. It was really, really nice – a gorgeous afternoon. Getting away certainly helps break up the day.  Had to contend with the rowdy’s as we made out way back into the office.  It keeps many from leaving at lunch time.

The afternoon went by as fast as the morning. No doubt a byproduct of how busy I stayed.  I was tired all day. There wasn’t anyway I was gonna got out with the others. I wanted nothing more than a good night of sleep. Bu then again, no one made mention of plans until quitting time neared. Many talked about meeting at a restaurant in the financial district. Again, not me.

As quitting time arrived, I hustled out of the building towards the

Fulton St

subway. As the terminal neared, the sky clouded over. In fact, there were a few strikes of lightning and a few big rain drops. I was down in the subway shortly thereafter. No rain down there.

Got back to the hotel room at 723pm. I slipped out of my shoes and plopped down on the bed eager for a nap no matter how brief. I napped on and off until 750pm. I called Mindy a few minutes later. Talked mostly logistics of her Friday evening arrival. She also shared that she picked up the Honda Pilot. Said they did a super job fixing the small dent and paint damage.

Ended our call just after 8pm. I planned to head out for a walk up

5^th avenue

towards St Patrick’s Cathedral. I was told I wouldn’t be disappointed. I freshened up and headed out.

I headed north up

5th avenue

. There was lightning just to our east but dry over head. I checked the radar just before I exited the room. The coast was clear for the time being, but there was another small cell nearing us from the SW. I figured to have at least an hour.

St Patrick’s is near

5^th Ave.

&

50^th St.

It was as ornate as promised. Not a lot of city lighting around to create the cool shadows I had hoped for, though. I still managed to get a few nice shots. I felt satisfied with my walk and headed back up

Madison Ave

towards

42^nd St

.

By then I decided that I would simply stop in the hotel café’ for some wings before heading back to my room. Nothing really sounded better. That’s exactly what I did. Picked up 12 wings and a chef’s salad.

Back in the room by 910pm. Slipped out of my clothes and into my boxers. Got my work laptop connected to the internet then downloaded the last couple days photos. Edited and updated my blog while enjoying my salad and wings. Called Mindy near 940pm. We talked only briefly. Agreed to call back just before heading to bed. I wanted to finish my dinner and my blog stuff. Watched an NFL preseason football game too – Eagles versus Steelers. Eagles didn’t resemble anything close to a dream team. Well, unless you’re a Steelers fan. J

Finished dinner and my blog stuff right around 10pm. Brushed my teeth then gave Mindy another quick call. Once again, didn’t talk long. I was much looking forward to a restful night of sleep. Good night Patrick!

I Wanna be a Naked Cowboy Baby!

I didn’t fall asleep until almost midnight, all the while knowing that 430am would come around really fast. In fact, it came so fast that I didn’t want to get out of bed. It was hard to do, but I drug my ass out of bed at 435am. Sleep!

I did sit-ups and push-ups after brushing my teeth. My eyes were completely bloodshot and my head in a fog. I wanted nothing more than to snuggle up with my pillow. However, I knew that I couldn’t. Completed an abbreviated mediation and a stretch next, and was soon off to the fitness center and there before 5am.

I was the only one in the fitness at the outset, so I had my choice of the nine treadmills. I’ve become fond of the treadmill just to the right of one of the two flat panels. And while I watch TV on the treadmill itself, I opted not to wear the headphones for the audio. Instead, I turned the audio up on the nearby TV instead.

I ran really well and strong. Ran the 3.2 miles in 28.5 minutes. I was dripping with sweat at the run’s conclusion. Felt fantastic to be through it. Headed back to the room for a shower. Provided I’m up on time, I’ve got this routine down pat. .I was shaved and showered by 550am and ready to head out of the room by 605am. I wore the lone pair of Dockers I brought with me from home along with one of my freshly clean black t-shirts.

In the hotel café I bought a caramel macchiato latte and a portable oatmeal for later. Met a little guy working in the field. Said it’s rough sledding out there. Constant badgering all day long. Felt or him.  Met up with Dave and Natalee then headed for the subway.

Smooth sailing. The platform at Grand Central Terminal is oppressively warm and humid. So no matter what I wear, I’m typically in a sweat by the time we get on the train. Other than the daily sweat, it was a smooth ride to Fulton St. Aside from feeling under slept, I was fine. 

We arrived to the usual badgering about 10-15 minutes early. I got situated, updated my expense spreadsheet, then prepped my oatmeal and filled my water cup. My goal was to avoid any pastries come breakfast time. When breakfast call came, I fetched only some coffee and OJ.

Without question, Wednesday was my most productive day yet. As lunch time neared, I talked my peeps into leaving the premise and venturing over to the waterfront during lunch. I thought we might eat from the street carts. It was a perfect day for a walk too. And aside from getting hassled exiting, it felt good to get outside in the fresh air.

It’s a short walk to the waterfront. There, we took pictures of the Jersey shoreline, Statue of Liberty, and the soaring Freedom tower. Very nice! Amex has a large presence in the Financial towers right on the water, and there’s a huge outdoor grill with all sorts of grilled foods, including burgers, dogs, sausages, and even lobster rolls. We were impressed but none of us opted to stand in the lines.

We walked along the waterfront then eventually headed inside the building where we discovered an indoor mall of sorts. All very beautiful, of course. We headed back to work after being gone about 45 minutes.  We stopped in and grabbed our catered lunch immediately inside the door.

I grabbed half a wrap – roast beef – and a small bag of chips. That’s it. The afternoon cruised by. Once again, I stayed real busy. The 12 hour days are starting to move pretty fast. We had a group pow-wow to discuss the logistics of the promised trip home after completing 3 weeks of service. Going to do it over Labor Day weekend, which is just a day or two short of being away for 4 weeks. Many were frustrated with the plan but I thought it sounded fair. At the time, I wasn’t sure if I would fly Mindy in again or head home myself. If I go home, I’ll be heading out Friday afternoon and returning to NYC Monday late in the afternoon - Labor Day.

I planned to discuss the options with Mindy later than evening. I stayed busy until 630pm then started prepping for our trip back to the hotel. Our little click decided it was OK to leave 10 minutes early, justified by our early arrival. That enabled us to secure an elevator rather easily. That’s never the case when leaving at 7pm.

We made good time both getting to the terminal and ultimately back to the hotel. Dave & Natalee were talking about doing the Capital Grill again, only this time by our hotel. I shared that I was going to the Heartland Brewpub at the Empire State Building. They opted for that in lieu of Capital Grill. As usual, agreed to meet in the lobby at 8pm. It was only 720pm.

Back in the room I thought I might steal a brief nap. My head was fuzzy & tired. But by the time I got settled, removed my shoes, and called Mindy, it was 740pm. She and I talked for about ten minutes. She confirmed her flight arrangements for this coming Friday. Getting in around 10pm. Will meet me at my hotel.

Terminated our call around 750pm. I freshened up then headed to the lobby to meet Dave and Natalee. According to Google Maps it’s about .6 miles from our hotel. It was a fast and easy walk. Lots to see. Dave and Natalee commented about how fast I walk. Used to walking by myself, I guess. We stopped for several photo ops, especially as the Empire State building came into view. As you might guess, that area is heavily congested with visitors. Macy’s is right down the road, as are many other popular fashion store fronts.

We were dispatched to the lower level of the brewpub. Unless I’m mistaken it’s has three levels. Very cool décor. I was anxious for an IPA. We elected a booth. I ordered their Indiana Pale Ale. Dave ordered their Farmer John’s Stout, and Natalee ordered the sample flight.

The menu had lots of tempting dinner options but I went with the NY strip steak. Our waiter was attentive but not overbearing. Food arrived about 10-15 minutes later. I stuck with just the one beer. It wasn’t really that good, at least compared to the IPA’s back home. Guess I’m spoiled. I didn’t want to drink more than one anyway, given how fast 430am comes around.

As always, we had the waiter split up the bill for expense purposes. I suggested we venture

34^th St

down my Macy’s. Dave and Natalee were game. We walked amongst the throngs of people snapping pictures along the way. At the corner of Broadway and 34^th we opted to head north towards the lights of Time Square. Dave and Natalee hadn’t ventured that way yet. I knew they’d be impressed.

My camera battery died. I switched to my Droid for a couple photos. I sent them via text to Mindy, Bob, and Darwin back at home. We ran into the naked cowboy, a Time Square icon. Tried getting a picture of the wandering sponge Bob but he kept turning away inadvertently. Maybe next time. It was nearing 10pm. We started our trek back. Called Mindy from the corner of 45^th and Broadway. Talked with Bella, who was waiting for me to call. Said she wants me to come home now. Also said it wasn’t fair that her momma gets to come see me Friday. I shared my plans to come home in two weeks for three days.

Talked with Mindy. Promised I’d call her back once back in my room in 10-15 minutes. It’s a relatively short walk down 42^nd st to our hotel. Not sure why, But every night at 1015pm about 30-40 NYC cops cruisers convene near our hotel and sound their sirens. I guessed it a 9-11 exercise. NYC has big things planned for that day/week.

Back in the room by 1020pm, I quickly got out of my clothes and into my PJs. Once I was completely settled I gave Mindy call. She was either sleeping or just about to. Didn’t talk that long. Earlier in the day I sent her a list of a few things I hoped she could bring me. I didn’t pack for being here much beyond 7-10 days, and even then I packed light.

Wall St

I slept a little late. Well, OK, I slept a lot late. Didn’t get up until 550am. To help heal the wound, I skipped sit-ups and push-ups, at least for the time being. I hurried through brushing my teeth then quickly slipped into my running clothes. I sucked down some OJ, meditated then stretched in all of about ten minutes. I rushed off to the fitness center next.

Hopped up on a treadmill at 510am. Like the morning before, I set it to 6.7 mph at the outset. I ran the 3.2 miles in the best time yet, cranking it up to 8.0mph for the last sprint. Closed her down at 28+ minutes. Felt terrific.

Back to the room, it was 545am. I decided I had time for push-ups. Glad I did ‘em. Shaved, showered then groomed. Slipped into my 2^nd pair of jeans and a black button-up santeen dress shirt. I was ready to go by 610am.

Headed off to the lobby for coffee. I went with a large caramel macchiato latte. Picked up a portable oatmeal bowl too. Shoved that down into my backpack for later. Dave & Natalee were down and ready by the time I had my coffee set-up for the go.

Good timing. The 4 train was just boarding when we made it to the platform. Sparsely populated train. Nice ride! As we exited the

Fulton St

terminal, the skies were cloudy and it was raining. Got to use my travel umbrella. We banked on the fact that the rain would dampen the spirits of the antagonists. It did. There were far fewer of them out to torment us.

Arrived in the office by 650am. We joked around for the first 30 minutes or so before digging into the day’s workload. Breakfast was ready for us by 815am. I made it a point to reduce my carb intake, though I did still have one bagel with cream cheese.

The sky started to clear as the morning turned into afternoon. Dave spent part of the morning organizing a birthday dinner for one of our new work buddies, Jennifer, who used to work with his wife in Dallas. He made reservations for 20 at the Capital Grill in the

Wall St

district. Reservations were for 745pm, which meant we’d be sticking around the area after work until after dinner.

Talked with Mindy near noon. We didn’t talk long. She and the kids were just getting back to her classroom with their lunch. Said she planned to book her flight Wednesday AM. Right now she can get a round trip flight for about $170. That’s pretty good.

Lunch was pasta and meatballs. Damn! Something’s gotta give. I had pasta and salad. Getting old. Worked harder than I have since I arrived. Starting to get used to all the systems, tools, and quirks. That makes a big difference. .

The afternoon went fast, due mostly to staying extremely busy. My home director held a conference call with all of her reports around 3pm. I joined for about 20 minutes.

As 7pm neared, most of us quietly reviewed/discussed the logistics of our dinner plans. The birthday dinner was supposed to be a surprise for Jennifer. The plan called for all of us to arrive there first while Dave walked with her around

Wall St

. The plan worked flawlessly. We left the office and made our way over to Wall St. It’s not too far at all. We actually ran into Dave & Jennifer, but passed nonchalantly bidding them farewell. Natalee, Stacey and I headed to the stock exchange where we enjoyed the sites and took some photos. The area gives me goose bumps. Powerful area. Got a lot of cool pics.

Made our way to the Capital Grill with five minutes to spare. We were guided to a private room in the cellar. Very cool. Used to be a bank. You pass through a gigantic safe threshold in route to the dining room. The table would seat about 24. There were almost 20 of us. One of the women in the group stopped and bought Jennifer a bouquet of flowers. That was nice.

One of the waiters stopped in to share the plan. Once they arrived he would offer them a tour of the old bank and safe, at which point he would open the dining room door to all of us.  The restaurant went out of their way to facilitate our group. As planned, Dave & Jennifer entered after we’d all been there for about 5 minutes. We hollered happy birthday as she entered. She seemed genuinely shocked. By the way, I believe this was her 60^th.

It was restaurant week in NYC - actually extended through September 03. Many local restaurants are offering full course meals for very reasonable prices. The Capital Grill was no exception. We were served some very yummy breads and then a really good salad. Many ordered alcoholic drinks. I passed, going only with water. Dave took them up on the restaurant week wine special, which included nine flights of wine for $25 - a wine tasting experience.

I ordered the filet and lobster tail for $45. And that included a salad, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, and dessert. One poor soul in our group didn’t get his steak until most of us were nearly done. And when they finally brought it, he complained that it was too rare. He wasn’t pleased. Mine was really good, but not exquisite. But then again, there were 20 of us. That’s hard to pull off. The staff went out of there way to please. I was very impressed with their professionalism. They handled the event quite well.

Dessert was as assortment of crème brulee, chocolate gnash, and some fruit thing. I sampled just a few nibbles of the gnash. Very good stuff. I glanced at my blackberry and saw that it was already after 10pm. Holy smoke! Mindy eventually called my blackberry wondering what was up. I explained that we were just leaving the restaurant. Had to be near 1030p by then. I was tired, and so were most others.

Despite drinking nine flights of wine Dave seemed to be holding up quite well, although he was a bit more open and chatty than usual. Four of us caught the

Wall St

subway back to Grand Central. Weren’t a lot of folks on board. Didn’t’ expect there to be, either. Didn’t take long at all.

I stopped at the lobby desk to get my laundry. Had it waiting for me right around the corner. I was surprised at just how small of a bundle they had all my clothes in. Had the bag sealed extra tight too, along with my luggage tag and then one of their own too. Took me a while to get it untied and opened.

All my stuff was present and accounted for, but I was a bit taken back at how worn and faded the new articles of clothing I sent off for their initial washing were.  I could only guess that they washed everything in extra hot water. Oh well! It would look like that in a year or so anyhow.

I called Mindy once I had my laundry sorted and accounted for. Once again, we talked only briefly. She was either already asleep or just about to. It was after 11pm. I brushed my teeth and stripped out of my work clothes. I set out the day’s receipts on the dresser so I could enter them into my expense spreadsheet the following morning. Sleep tight night NYSE.

Bierhaus

I slept a few minutes late but not nearly enough to get excited about. It was 435am. I breezed through calisthenics, stretching and meditation. I was off to the gym by 505am, a few minutes later than optimum.

At the fitness center door, my key card was rejected. I tried it three or four times. Dammit. I quickly reboarded the elevator and pushed the lobby button. Last second I pushed the 17^th floor, my floor, and headed back to the room to check and see if I could get back in. Nope! Shit. Not happy, I made a beeline for the front desk.

The gentleman at the front desk didn’t seem too eager to help at first. He even asked for ID. What? I explained that I was in my workout attire and facing a time crunch. I shared that I only had my room key card. Said it was probably a bad card or reader and to head on back to my room where he’d have a security guard meet me there to assist. Said I’d have to show ID once back inside, though. Whatever.

I hurried up to my room and waited patiently by the door until the security guard arrived with her master key card. She opened my door then started to walk away. I asked what she/they planned to do with my errant card. She said it would work now. I asked that she wait and watch. Sure enough, it failed. She immediately assumed it a bad card.  She said I’d have to go back to the lobby and request a new one. I wasn’t happy. I had a 2^nd door key card in the room safe. I asked that she wait while I grabbed and tried it. She did, and it didn’t work, either.

She then tried telling me it was a door lock – card reader problem. Nope, then why is it doing the same thing in the fitness center? Good point. Time quickly slipping away, I called the front desk to request immediate remediation. He sent a bellboy with two new key cards. Said he’d be up in a snap.

He was. Arrived in less than two minutes. Thank goodness. Before he departed, I made sure that both cards worked in the door. I then rushed back to the fitness center to do my run. Given that it was now 520am, I was understandably tense. To help conserve time, I set the treadmill to my fully warm pace – 6.7 miles per hour and let it rip. I worked it up to 7.0 mph and finished the 3.2 miles in about 29 minutes.

I hustled back to my room where I flew through a shave and a shower. I still had to drop my laundry bag at the front desk, too. I made sure that I supplied an inventory list and also attached an extra luggage tag with my name and phone number. I headed to the lobby at 610am. The hotel wasn’t too enthused about those of us that opted out of using their ridiculously priced laundry service and instead procurred our own. They still agreed to take my bag and hand it off to Pure Cleaners upon their arrival. Pure Cleaners was charging us $1.25 per lb. I guessed my bag weighed about 15-18 lbs max.  Using the pricing sheet in the room, it would’ve been about $200 to have my clothes laundered by the hotel. Yikes!

Dave and Natalee were now in the lobby. I grabbed a quick cup of coffee just before we cruised to the subway.  I had to buy a new weekly MTA pass too. That was a snap, this my second go round.

Rain was forecasted. So I had my new travel umbrella in my backpack. I joked that it wouldn’t rain because of having it on hand.  The first subway train was packed to the hilt. Dave & I passed and waited for the next. Natalee squeezed on. Dave and I opted for the next train. It was there two minutes later. We met up with Natalee again in front of the hotel Millennium, which is directly across the street from ground zero in the financial district.

After all that, we arrived at the office plenty early. Everybody was in good spirits after our one extra-rainy day off. According to the local news, broke a 108 year old record for rainfall. One of the directors said it was the first significant rain all summer long. Hmm? Wouldn’t you know it.

I got busy in a hurry and stayed that way all day. I was more productive Monday than I’d been the entire week before. I guess that’s to be expected, though, given the challenge. Cut back on the breakfast, but still consumed a lot of carbs. I lightened up big time on the lunch, too.

Didn’t talk with Mindy until late in the afternoon, around 3pm I think. She was busy in her classroom all day. Took the kids with her. At the time she’d just gotten back from the grocery. We didn’t’ talk long. She’s watching airfares for a possible trip to NYC this coming weekend. We both agreed to wait until Wednesday.

The late afternoon and evening went really fast. I called Aqeel, the Pure Cleaners guy checking on my clothes. Gave me some song and dance about getting inundated with clothes from me and several others. Wouldn’t have them back until Tuesday now Lucky for me, I planned for just such a problem and had one more clean shirt and underwear in my room. Smart planning!

Dave, Natalee, and I made plans to do dinner at the Bierhaus - a german pub/restaurant just around the corner form our hotel. The subway ride home was uneventful. However, the walk there was about as intimidating as one could imagine short of any real violence. Lots of disparaging comments about my mother.  Hmm? I had no idea they knew her. Talked about my big ass, too.  J

Arrived at the hotel by 725pm. Before heading our separate ways, we agreed to meet in the lobby at 8pm. I got the feeling, and rightfully so, that they weren’t gonna hold their breath waiting for me. In the room I dropped my bags and put away my snack stash.  I called Mindy near 740pm. We talked for about 10-15 minutes. Bella was off to gymnastics. Mindy shared that the Pilot goes in Tuesday AM to have the small dent fixed. My dad is going to meet her there and drop her back at home. She’ll be driving the Accord for a few days. Yikes!!!

Agreed to call her again once I was back from dinner. Freshened up and headed out the door at 755pm. I was the first one down, either that or burned. J I checked out the lobby remodel pictures. While trying to orient myself with the current and the new, I noticed Dave & Natalee standing off to the side chuckling at me.

The Bierhaus was up

3^rd avenue north

about three blocks – not too far. We had to walk up a flight of stairs. The seating was family style – bench tables. We, however, got a table all to ourselves. Much to Natalee’s delight, they had the Houston Texans game playing on both big screens. We ordered beers first, me a dunkel. No sure what the other two ordered.

Ordered our food soon after. I went with the bratwurst sandwich with peppers and onions. I ordered cucumber salad an a bowl of potato leak soup too. Food arrived after about 15 minutes. The beer was good, but not something I would seek out again. I planned to drink only one anyway. 430am comes around way too fast. My food was decent but nothing to write home about. We were there until halftime, or just after 9pm. Because we were on expense accounts, we had to get separate checks. With tip, my tab was $40.

By the time we left the restaurant, I was feeling sleepy. Nobody was talking too much. Arrived back at the hotel and headed our separate ways. Before heading to bed and before calling Mindy, I wanted to get into my PJs, brush my teeth, and log onto the internet and publish my blog with pics. Mindy called me while I was uploading Sunday’s pics to my laptop.

We talked only briefly. Like me, Mindy was tired. Said Bella wanted to talk with me. I was tired too. Bella shared that her gymnastics instructor was mean, grandma Sharon’s daughter. Agreed to call sometime mid-morning if at all possible. Jumped in bed at 1020pm while the MNF game whirled in the background. I used it as a sleep aid. Gute nacht mond.

Pouring Rain

I woke a few times during the night and early morning. Around 6am I got up and took three Advil. Holy smoke, I drank only two beers over the span of 3 hours and still had a headache. All totaled, I slept for 9.5 hours not waking for good until 930am, and even then, I was still a tad groggy. It didn’t take long to wake up, though. Felt great a few minutes after.

It was more than nice to have an entire day ahead of me with no where I had to be. The only thing on my mind was doing my run. I looked out the window and could tell it was raining, but just how much or how hard I couldn’t tell. Over the next 30 minutes I got into my running clothes and prepared to head out for a run, hopefully up to and through Central Park.

I pulled up the running map supplied by the hotel’s website and headed down to the lobby to make my exit. It was pouring rain like nobody’s business.  I stared out the door for a minute or two then decided it a far better option to run on the treadmill. Maybe next Sunday. For one,  I had no means of drying my shoes if they got soaked.

I worried just a little that the fitness center might be full, the treadmills anyway. Up to the fitness center. There was a large contingent of patrons, but still a few treadmills available. I nabbed one and kicked into high gear in a hurry. I was anxious to get my run done.

Took about 30 minutes to run the 5K. I worked up one heck of a sweat.  In fact, it was flying off me. I think it soaked the guy next to me too. He hopped off his treadmill abruptly. I wondered if it was my sweat or my odor. After all, I’d been wearing the same running clothes all week.

Back to the room I grabbed my wallet then headed down to get some coffee. The lobby was chalked full of patrons whom I assumed were checking out. It was that time of day. As busy as I’ve seen it. I didn’t bother asking for my weekly receipt as I had planned. I figured I could do that anytime.

Back in the room I turned on the TV, logged onto the internet, and eventually took a shower. I talked with Mindy at some point to let her know that I was alive. She and the kids were going to dinner with her family to celebrate niece Julie’s b-day, her 29^th. Got a text from Pat Shultz sharing that there flight home from NYC was delayed quite a while. Apparently the rain was more significant than even I thought. There was localized flooding all over Brooklyn. They got as much as 6 inches overnight and early AM. LaGuardia, which is due east of midtown Manhattan, got about 4 inches.

I’m thinking it was near 2pm when I ventured out of the room to tour the hotel and then Grand Central Terminal. I knew there was a market in there, spotted it the other night from

Lexington Avenue

. I toured the small Grand Central  museum as well as the market with all sorts of yummy looking fresh food. I also walked through the main terminal taking pictures here and there. Very cool! I noticed a lower level called the ‘dining concourse’. Headed down there to get lunch. After checking out all my options I opted for some Greek – a gyro. After picking up a gyro I headed back to the market bakery and bought two giant cookies. On my way back to my room I stopped at the front desk to get the receipt for my first week’s stay. No problem.

Back to my room. It was still raining hard. I tuned the TV to the local NYC channel then turned the sound down low. I enjoyed my gyro while logging onto the internet and updating my blog complete with pics through Friday. Once I finished playing on my blog, I spent some time working on my expense report. Before I knew it, it was early evening. Where had the day gone? I took a nap around 445pm and slept for about 30 minutes.

I woke around 530pm and spent more time on the internet. Before I knew it, it was getting dark. My belly was still plenty full. It didn’t make sense to go out for dinner even though I was hoping to get a formal steak dinner.

I watched TV as the evening ticked away. Around 8pm I tuned into the Discovery program, Curiosity. The episode was about what would really happen if aliens attacked our planet. They explored how we might respond as well as what might be their motives. Interesting perspective.

Around 9pm I talked with Mindy, who was now home from dinner with the family .Said they had a good time. Talked for about 45 minutes, including two conversations with Bella, and brief chat with Eiknarf.  Said our goodbyes around 945pm. I was hoping for sleep shortly after 10pm. Good night monsoon.

Hanging with the Neighbors in NYC

I was awake just before 430am but decided to steal just a little more sleep. I let myself sleep for another ten minutes. Up for good at 440am, I quickly brushed my teeth then completed sit-ups and push-ups.

Now wide awake, I downed some orange juice then did a quick meditation and a stretch. Headed to the fitness center at 501am.  Only one other person in the fitness center, some spindly older guy. Got a bad vibe from him after he got uncomfortably close up behind me as I mounted a treadmill. I gave him a disapproving look to which he heeded and moved on. Not sure what the heck that was about. A couple minutes later he left the fitness center.

I did my run while watching ESPN, mostly Friday night football/baseball highlights. Time passed quickly. The 3.2 mile run was done and over with in about 30 minutes. Worked up a good sweat. While it’s cool in the fitness center, it’s also humid, just like it has been outside.

Back in the room for a shave and a shower before 535am. Ready to go even before 6am. Took my time making last minute preparations.  Stopped in the café for a coffee and a muffin, this time a banana walnut. Natalee was already waiting by the escalator. Dave was down a minute or two later. Off to the subway we went.

As expected, the subway was sparsely populated. We joked about having the subway car all to ourselves. With few exceptions, everybody walking the streets of the financial district at 645am looked to be fellow employees. Fewer rowdy’s out that early, too. Thank goodness!

Almost everybody came to work in jeans, just like me. And everyone was in good spirits too. Lots of talk about what each of us was planning to do on Sunday, our only day off.  Sadly, the weather forecast wasn’t looking too good. Expecting heavy rain from Saturday night through Monday evening. Almost like a bad joke.  A guy staying at another hotel gave me one of the blue Pure Cleaners laundry bags left at his hotel. Turns out, Stacey, another girl staying at the Grand Hyatt had all five of ours. No wonder the front desk couldn’t find them.

I stayed busy all morning, and was busier than I’d been all week. Went down for breakfast at 830am. Picked out a couple more muffins, only this time lemon poppy seed. Also grabbed a fresh cup of coffee and couple foil orange juices.

The morning went quickly. Took a break and called Mindy mid-morning. She wasn’t in the best of spirits. Seemed like she was frustrated that I wasn’t melancholy. On the contrary, I was in good spirits and looking forward to a much deserved day of rest. Agreed to talk again later. Encouraged her to go party with the neighbors, who were having a bunch of friends over to celebrate Makayla and Lillian’s birthdays.

Texted neighbor Pat mid-day to learn what they planned to do that evening. I already knew they’d be leaving for home sometime Sunday. He confirmed they’d be leaving at 2pm Sunday, and said they’d be hanging out in Time Square somewhere that night. Agreed to talk/text later.

The day went fast. And while it was sunny early on, thin clouds were slowly but surely moving in from the SW. As late afternoon approached, several work peeps organized an outing at a midtown rodeo bar. Planned to meet up around 830pm. I thought I might join them but only after spending a little time with Pat & Lisa.

Got a text from Mindy late afternoon sharing that she almost bought herself a ticket to Manhattan that would’ve left CMH around 2 or 3pm. In the end she thought better of it. We talked again some time that afternoon.

Started to pack it in around 630pm. Everyone was looking forward to our day off. Some were talking about sleeping in, while others talked about going out on the town. Dave made copies of a map to the rodeo bar with subway instructions.

Aside from all of us, there weren’t too many others out on the town until we neared the

Fulton St

terminal. Subway home was only slightly less crowded than a normal work day. I was a little surprised. Guessing the MTA folks run fewer trains on weekend days. We were back at the hotel by 725pm.

Just before calling Mindy, I sent Pat a text asking where they planned to hang out that night. Called Mindy, who was at the neighbors hanging with our peeps. I could tell by her speech that she’d been drinking. She was in far better spirits. Talked with Bella, too, but not for long. She was busy having fun with her friends. Mindy said both kids were staying the night there.  

Talked briefly with neighbor Kenny, too. He joked about Tiger Wood missing the cut at the PGA championship this weekend, and then shared his opinion of our situation in NYC. Talked a minute or two longer with Mindy. She asked that I call her back once I was home for the night.

Now near 8pm, I freshened up in preparation for a night out. I decided not to change clothes, though should’ve changed into shorts.  Pat returned my text indicating that they were at a pub near

55^th St

&

8^th Ave.

called Rumors. I glanced at my subway map then headed off. Looked like I could take two trains and get pretty close. I caught the Time Square Shuttle in Grand Central. That was easy.

Once I got to Time Square I had no idea which train to catch north. I decided not to fool with it and took to the streets on foot. I needed to head north about 8 or 9 blocks then west a couple more. Being Saturday night, the crowd was incredibly thick, far more than Wednesday night. But since I was alone, I was free to navigate the crowd without worry of losing anyone with me.

Once I got passed the heart of Time Square it was far easier to navigate. It gets a little seedy once you get above

52^nd St.

I got to what I thought was 55^th and 8^th St and then gave Pat a call. Didn’t see any place named Rumors. He agreed to walk out to greet me.

A few seconds later I realized that I was at 55^th and Broadway. Needed to be one street further west. Add to that, they were actually on 56^th, not 55^th St.  I was a tad anxious as the streets in that area were pretty dark. Started to sprinkle too. Great! Finally, I spotted Pat standing at the corner. I asked for a quick photo of the two of us. We walked back to the bar, a small neighborhood type pub.

Pat introduced me to the young server, whose name I’ve since forgotten. She was friendly and fetched me a beer menu. I was much looking forward to a cold beer after 76 hours of work. Pat’s family had a table tucked back in a corner. Greeted everyone: Lisa, Alaina, his brother Greg and his new girlfriend, Tracy. Greg’s daughter was there too. Can’t recall her name, but she was sharp as a tack, cute and friendly, too.

I ordered a Sierra Nevada pale ale. Went down easy, but took my time to savor the flavor. Greg looked like he could fall asleep any minute. Got the idea that they’d been drinking most of the day. After all, they were on vacation. Pat was just finishing up a steak. Our visit was relatively brief, but fun. They shared stories about there 4 days in Manhattan. Sounds like they did quite a bit.

Took a photo of the entire clan just before we headed our separate ways. It was just before 10pm. I walked briskly through the crowd making my way back to the Time Square subway terminal. There I caught the

Grand Central/Time Square

shuttle back to Grand Central. Sent Natalee a text letting them know I was on my way. Once back at Grand Central, I reviewed my map. Looked like I could take the downtown subway #6 to

28^th St.

I waited patiently and then asked someone that looked smart and trustworthy what shuttle I should take to get to 28^th and 3^rd Ave. He concurred, take the #6 downtown.

Waited, waited, and waited. Finally realized a paper poster on the pole advising that the #6 was moved to the #4 for the weekend. But with each train I checked on the express track, they were all headed to Union Sq –

14^th St.

After checking 4 or 5 of them in a row, I decided to bag the Rodeo bar. I wouldn’t have lasted very long anyway. I was starting to get sleepy as it was.

I quickly put together plan ‘B’. I walked over to Duane Drugs right across

Lexington Ave

where I bought a six-pack of Brooklyn East India Pale Ale and a travel sized umbrella. I headed back to the hotel where I picked up eight more of their yummy buffalo wings. I headed back to my room with all my goodies.

Felt good to get out of my clothes. Slipped into my PJ’s then cracked open a beer and dug into my wings. The beer and wings hit the spot. I called Mindy at some point. Guessing it was nearing 11pm. Talked for a while. Mindy was all but asleep when we ended our call. She sounded relaxed. After our call, I cracked a 2^nd beer. Shouldn’t have. I woke a few minutes later realizing I hadn’t even touched it. I plugged it with toilet paper and put it in the fridge. Good Night Princess!

Miracle on 34th St

I woke just ahead of 430am once again feeling well rested and ready to begin another long work day. I brushed my teeth then whipped out sit-ups and push-ups. Afterwards I rewarded myself with some orange juice.

Meditation and stretching were next but again quite brief. Spent now more than ten minutes between the two, but that was plenty of time to focus my mind towards the positive and prepare my body for another run.

I was in the fitness center and on the treadmill a few minutes later. The treadmill I selected had no audio. I watched a NatGeo program about mummification of saints. Who knew? Lucky for me, there was text available thus allowing me to follow most of it with ease.

I ran 3.2 miles in a little more than 30 minutes. Felt good and finished strong. Time for a shower. I was back in the room, shaved, showered and dressed before 605am Wore the same pair of jeans, now for the 5^th day in a row. Maybe I’ll turn them inside out next week. J

Met Dave and Natalee in the lobby after grabbing a macchiato and a bowl of oatmeal from the café’.  We were on the subway a couple minutes later. Chatted through the entire ride downtown. Went super fast. Lighter crowd than every other day. A lot of folks must’ve have had Friday off.

Another sunny day with an expected high in the low 80s. Been sunny all week save for one wet afternoon. But even then it cleared up before we left for the hotel. Sadly, our only day off, Sunday, is forecasted to be a washout. I am hoping to do my run in Central Park that morning.

Arrived at the office by 650am. Joked around with others for the first 20-30 minutes. Finally got settled into some work. Breakfast was served just after 8am. Same as the day before. I’ve been eating way too many carbs on this trip. Ugh! Gonna have to curb that or I’ll get big as a house.

Just before lunch, I made arrangements to have my laundry done by a guy recommended by one of the managers in our center. Said he’d do it for $1.25 per pound. That sounded almost too good to be true contrasted to the hotel that charges on a per item basis– pair of underwear $4, pair of socks $4, etc.

Walked over to one of his shops just down the road from the Whole Foods. He said he left blue bags at the hotel for us earlier. Would be there Monday morning early to pick ‘em up and then have ‘em back by the end of the day.  Sweet!

Rowdy crowd outside. What’s new? Nothing! Lunch consisted of wraps, salad, and homemade chocolate chip cookies. Good stuff.  During the afternoon, I worked as hard as I have all week, though ran into a few  problems with systems and tools.

As the day wound down the realization that I’d be repeating this over again on Saturday casted somewhat of a dark cloud over the fact that it was Friday. There certainly wouldn’t be any Barley’s, that’s for sure. Instead, I thought I might walk to Macy’s on 34th St to do a little shopping after work.

My peeps, Dave & Natalee, planned to remain in the financial district for dinner and drinks. I did the subway back to the hotel by my lonesome. No worries.  The subway train was slow due to reported back-ups ahead of us. Didn’t get back to the hotel until 735pm.

I was a bit more tired than I’ve been prior evenings, and also drained of my energy reserves. Once back in my room I remembered I was supposed to stop at the desk to pick-up the laundry bags. Shoot! Oh well, maybe later on my way out or way back. Mindy called around 750pm. I was veggin’ on the bed when she called. We talked for about 10 minutes. She and the kids spent the day with Tara water skiing at the lake.

I gave half a thought to simply remaining in the room and getting some extra rest, but once again, how many times am I gonna get the opportunity to visit/play in Manhattan? I got up and headed out destined for Macy’s. I walked down 42 St to Madison Ave then south to 34th. Very busy. Lots of shopping and restaurants. I found the brew pub Darwin texted me about, Homestead Brewpub. Think it was near the corenr of 34th and Madison Ave. I thought I might stop in on my way back to the room.

Entered Macy’s off 34th St. I thought I might pick-up a couple pairs of Dockers, new black t-shirts and a new polo shirt or two.After wandering around aimlessly for a few minutes, I asked an associate where I might find the Men’s dept. Said floor 3, 2, 1.5 & 1. Oh, OK! Floor 1.5? As expected, the higher the floor the fancier the designer name and also the prices. Where I wanted to go was floor #1.

Tried on a couple pair of Dockers and bought both – one coffee and the other black. Picked up a 4-pack of black t-shirts and a tan polo shirt. Spent about $100. I headed back towards home heading north on 6th Ave until I got to Bryant Park, a quaint park smack dab in the middle of everything. Hard to believe it’s in the middle of midtown Manhattan. Very nice – lots of mature trees shielding visitors from the noisy streets and then a sunken grassy area.

The park’s only a few blocks from my hotel. I stopped for the third time at Bravo pizza where I got two slices of sausage and pepperoni. I figured I’d pick-up a bottled soda back at the Hotel café just after picking up my laundry bag at the desk.

Back at the hotel I stopped at the Concierges desk to ask about the laundry bag. He definitely wasn’t as pleasant as Tina. He basically blew me off and told me I’d have to take that up with the front desk, which had a line about 30 deep with people checking in. I wasn’t too happy, but moved on.

There was a long line in the café’ too. I decided to wash my pizza down with the orange crush already back in the room. As usual, before enjoying my food I changed out of my work clothes and into my PJs. I walked to the ice machine down the hall in PJs. Two young teenaged boys passed me snickering at my attire.

The sausage and pepperoni pizza was really good. Enjoyed it much. Called Mindy around 940pm, or after 1 slice of my pizza. We talked for a while. Talked with both kids, too. Bella is still in a funk. She asked me to tell my bosses that I have a family at home that loves me very much and wants me to come home. Very cute! Promised her that I would tell them Saturday. Jacob sounded fine. Mindy asked if we could again talk just before I fall asleep. I shared that I expected to be in bed in ten minutes. We agreed to talk Saturday morning, instead.

Walkin' about Town

Up at 435am. I felt good but not quite as energetic as I did the day before. Sitting briefly on the edge of the bed, I quickly got motivated to brush my teeth and start my exercise regimen.

I was done with exercise by 445am. Meditation and stretching were next, but with time being of the essence, I did both in less than 10 minutes. The important thing was getting the intrinsic reward of both, not the amount of time.

In the fitness center by 501am. Tuned the treadmill to CNN watching Carol Costello on CNN again. Time went fast. Ran 3.2 miles in about 30 minutes.  Back to the room for a shower just after 530am.

Ready to go by 605am. Still wearing the same pair of jeans as Monday. Gonna have to have laundry done soon. Running low on shirts, socks and underwear. To the lobby at 610am. Stopped for coffee. This time I went with a large caramel macchiato. Met Dave and Natalee a couple minutes later and headed off to the subway. Decided to skip cutting through the hotel. Much easier going outside then reentering.

Nice walk to the office from Fulton St station. Took the usual abuse entering. Word had it, President Obama was coming in town for a dinner. Wasn’t too long before his motorcade passed by. Not such a big deal for the locals. – ‘here all the time’.

Breakfast was provided just after 8am – bagels, boiled eggs, coffee, etc. Appreciated. Work day moved fast. Lunch was served at 1pm. Sandwiches and wraps again. Not bad. I’ve gotta stop eating like this, however. I’m on carb overload.

Dare I say that I’m getting used to the 12 hour days. They’re going a little faster, especially the last couple hours. Several folks planned a social gathering at the nearby  Battery Park for happy hour and NFL preseason football.  Not me. I didn’t want to drink even a single beer.

Come 7pm I made a solo beeline for the subway. On my way I poked into Century 21, a TJ Max kind of place according to others. I was looking for a small umbrella in preparation for a rainy day. Prices weren’t low at all. 20$ for the cheapest one. The place was packed too. Not my kind of place. I was out of there as soon as I was in.

Subway ride home went smoothly. Getting it down. Back in the room by 732pm. I took several minutes to unwind and stow my snack build-up. Called Mindy near 8pm. Talked for about ten minutes. Said her annual school retreat was a dud. I wasn’t surprised, though, given the coordinator – her principal, who is completely lazy and disorganized. We agreed to talk again when I got back from dinner.

I watched the first drive of the Seattle Seahawks and San Diego Chargers. The Seahawks picked up the Vikings back-up quarterback Tavaris Jackson and stand-out wide receiver, Sidney Rice.  First drive fizzed near the 50 yard line. I left for dinner, still not exactly sure where I’d go. And honestly, I wasn’t that hungry.

I wanted to stop at a CVS if possible. I Google mapped one just .6 miles up

Lexington Ave.

I ended up walking 20 blocks north up Lexington to 62^nd St up by Central Park. Gorgeous walk. Exciting. Got lots of cool photos of the city scape. I walked at a fast pace. Being by myself I was a tad nervous here and there but had not a single problem.

I stopped at a CVS on my walk back and picked up some Salt & Vinegar chips, deodorant, and chewing gum. I opened the chips on my walk back to the hotel. I was getting a little hungry after my hour long walk. Thought for a second about going after more Bravo Pizza. Come on man! Not again.

I diverted into the hotel instead. It was 915pm. I stopped in the lobby café’ and bought eight hot wings. The guy behind the counter hooked me up. Gave me ten for the price of eight. Took ‘em back to my room. They were really good. Finished about 7 of them before giving Mindy a call.

Talked with Bella and Jacob. Bella sounded sad. Said her friends have been mean to her. We talked for a while, me trying to cheer her up. Jacob seemed to be doing OK. Talked with Mindy for just another minute or so. It was already 945pm. I wanted to be asleep no later than 1015pm but also wanted to finish my wings, read, and brush my teeth.

I did all that and jumped into bed just after 10pm watching the end of the football game. Fell asleep before it was over. Good night Central Park. I’ll be back

Fly Fishin'

I woke somewhere near 4am feeling as rested as I have for the past several days. I closed my eyes and tried getting back to sleep but never did, at least not fully. At 425am I decided to get up and moving.

I brushed my teeth then quickly whipped out sit-ups and push-ups. I then drank one of the two small foil orange juices I brought home from work. It was refreshing. For some reason, I had a ton of energy. I headed up to the Fitness Center to do my run.

Now more familiar with the machines, I grabbed a pair of sterilized headphones and had my pick of the 6 treadmills. The first one I chose malfunctioned. I switched to the one next door. I selected CNN as my program of choice, watching Carol Costello, who used to be an anchor back home in Columbus on 10TV, I believe.

The early CNN news program is a looser, more friendly, upbeat version than what I’m used to seeing years past. Admittedly, haven’t watched much if at all for years. But maybe that’s the way it’s been for a while, or maybe they’re trying to be more like FOX.

I ran a slightly faster pace and finished my 3.2 miles just before 530am. I wasted little time getting back to my room and starting a shower. I ate one of the bananas I had in the room, too.

I was all but ready to walk out the door by 6am. Already have a routine down. I’m thinking I headed to the lobby at 610am. In the lobby café’, I met a fellow employee also on special assignment, but not at the same location. Thinking he said his assignment was in the midtown area. He shared stories of his experiences thus far. Sounded worrisome.

I picked up a 16oz coffee and a blueberry muffin. I asked for a bag for the muffin so I could stow it in my backpack for later. Met Dave in line, a new peer, Said he and another peer, Natalee went out to a rodeo bar the night before and stayed until 1am. They actually sent me an email from the venue saying I should be there, too.

I planned to ride the subway with the two of them. Only problem was, no Natalee. Dave tried raising her via blackberry two or three times. Even had the lobby desk call her room. Finally, on the second try she answered. Asked for ten minutes. It was already past the time I wanted to leave. I chose to wait, though, figuring it much safer to travel as a group.

Natalee met us in the lobby at 640am. Said she stayed awake until almost 5am. Holy smoke! Are you kidding? We made good time, both on the subway and then on our walk from the Fulton St terminal to the office. We arrived at 707am.

Breakfast was served earlier than the day before – 8am. This time they had fancy muffins, power bars, orange juice, fruit, and coffee. I took a little of everything figuring I could stash what I couldn’t immediately eat for later.

Actually did some work after getting most of the accesses I needed. It was lunch time in a hurry – 1pm. Lunch consisted of sandwiches (both wraps and deli-style), pretzels, potato salad (two types), veggies and soda. Good stuff.

Got confirmation that my room reservation was extended through September 15^th should I need it. The hotel marketing director informed me that the rate would soar to $719 per night after that date due to a big UN conference happening that week. Honestly, hoping I’ll be home by then and it’ll be a nonissue.

The afternoon was slower than the AM. During some work downtime, I worked on my expense report, the first one I’ve done in years. Very confusing to navigate. Had to find my online airline receipt and print it off, too. That proved to be a bit of struggle. Think I finally got it right and sent it off for approval.

Talked with neighbor Pat Shultz around 3pm. Ironically, he, Lisa, and their daughter Alaina were in NYC as well. Had just arrived at their hotel, which is only ten shorts blocks north of me. My only dilemma would be having time or energy to meet them for a little fun.

Told Pat that I had an offer to go to Central Park after work with some new co-workers and eat from street carts. Haven’t seen Central Park up close yet. Thought I might do that.  I shared that with Pat.

The last couple hours of the work day moved pretty quickly. Left the building right at 7pm. Made a beeline to the Fulton St subway station with Dave and Natalee. No problems at all. Back at the hotel by 725pm. Dave & Natalee asked of my plans. They were meeting in the lobby at 8pm. I shared my two other options but didn’t commit to either. Honestly, I was very hesitant to want to go out and drink beer with such an early rise time.

I called Mindy before heading out for dinner. She and Jacob were just back from a bike ride. Said it was a cooler day. Went to lunch with her mom and the kids. Didn’t go to Zoombezi Bay. Rained again. Hasn’t activated the irrigation system even once for all the rain.

She also shared that there’s been a strong police presence in the subdivision of late. Not entirely sure why. It was 810pm when we ended the call. Agreed to call back when I returned from dinner. I wasn’t that hungry, but didn’t want to rot in the room, either. After all, I’m in NYC. Headed out at 815pm. I thought that if Dave & Natalee were still in the lobby that I’d go to dinner with them.

They weren’t. Already gone. I decided to head out alone. I walked north on 5^th avenue up to 47^th St then west after being attracted by the lights of Time Square. Didn’t realize how close it was. 

Wow! If you haven’t seen Time Square at night, or if you haven’t seen it in the last ten years, it’s a MUST SEE. Sensory overload.  I snapped several pictures as I walked amongst the throngs of people. As I made my way down 7^th St to the heart of it all, I was approached by an NYC police officer, who slowly leaned over, whispered in my ear that my fly was down. I thanked him, zipped up, and moved on.

I walked back to 42^nd St then east towards home. I stopped at Bravo Pizza for the second time buying two slices of their yummy looking bacon and red onions. Honestly, though, I thought it was sausage when I ordered it. I took it back to the room. I’ll bet I walked three miles. I was hungry by the time I was back in my room.

I changed into my PJs before sitting down to dinner. I also logged onto my laptop so I could update my expense spreadsheet to make completing my weekly expense report easier. Watched Discovery Channel passively while eating and before calling Mindy back.

Talked with Mindy, Jacob, and Bella. Bella said she wanted me to come home now. Wanted a definitive ETA – something I couldn’t readily give. I did, however, assure her that it would be “before you know it”. Jacob was excited to share some stuff about his new soccer team. Also quizzed me about NYC. Told him how cool Time Square is. Talked again briefly with Mindy. It was now after 9:30pm. I wasn’t sure how much longer I’d be up. Figured I’d be in bed within 15-20 minutes.

I finished my pizza, brushed my teeth, did a little reading then headed to bed. It was after 10pm when I snuggled up amongst my three pillows. Good night Longacre.