Cue the Unexpected

I left Raleigh at about 8 am on Thursday. To avoid the rush hour traffic, I took the back way to Chapel Hill, and as is my usual way with avoiding traffic, I was very successful, as I was very lost. But I allowed myself some extra time and made it to Perry?s apartment. Suzanne and David showed up and we settled into our places in her ?94 Tahoe. Well, an 8-hour drive it wasn?t. Traffic stunk. I guess it does that along I-95. Well, it became pretty apparent that we weren?t going to make it. Or, we almost did. Staying at the Hilton Times Square, Rent was just across the street. We were only a little over 30 minutes late for the 3-hour show as we tucked in our shirts and ran across the street. Then the plans changed. At the box office, the young lady suggested that instead of missing the beginning of the show, we exchange our tickets for a later date. Well, fancy that. So, I?m going back to the city that never sleeps again this summer. I?m pretty sure it can be done.
Well the city does sleep. Just not at night. I think we stayed up too late Thursday night, because when I went to bed, the sun was in my eyes.
WOW! Did I tell you what a good view we had from our room? A block from Times Square and on the 26th floor. Most of my pictures were taken from the window of our hotel room.
Day Two: I guess you realize that Friday got a late start. For Perry and I, it started at noon with a breakfast of two Gray?s Papaya hotdogs. They?re not as good as Bill?s in Washington, NC, but where else can you get a hotdog for 75 cents in New York? So then, a walk around downtown Manhattan, a ride on the subway to Battery Park, and a concert featuring Ryan Adams (whoever he is). The concert was fun. It was packed with kids and people who think themselves kids, and sun and grass and a view of Lady Liberty. Also three-dollar Cokes.
From there, it was a trek to the other side of the island where we expected to find the world?s greatest fireworks show. Actually, what we found was the entire population of New York and every tourist that was in town for the weekend, crowding some 30 blocks of the East River shore. Okay, so they were really incredible fireworks, despite the fact that we watched them through an onramp for JFK Boulevard. Thirty minutes of BOOM CRASH BAM POP POP POP and ?ooh ahhs.? Then a couple of million people started all decided to walk west, inciting the fury of more than one taxi cab driver. Oh gosh! I left out the best part! Perry and I found oil and vinegar to dip our pizza crusts in at Sbarro?s. It was just like being in Las Vegas again. Well, except not.
Blamo! 7 o?clock Saturday morning, we called ahead to the hotel desk, to have our car brought out. Yeah. So parking was $34 a day. And the car didn?t show. The bellhop got me on the phone with the hotel desk. ?I have some bad news about your car.? I know the car wasn?t stolen. It?s New York, but the Hilton?s not that irresponsible. ?It won?t start. Is there any trick to getting it going or anything?? Well, that was unexpected.
Wow, I?m tired. I?m going to bed.