I LOVE NYC!!!

Ok, I have only been to NYC (Manhattan) a few times but I LOVE IT!!! Strangely I feel very at home there. I love to walk for blocks and blocks and soak in the sights and sounds (don't really enjoy all of the smells) and just feel the energy. I have been out at all times of the day and night and the city really never sleeps. I am NOT a morning person but yesterday morning I was out at 6:45 on my way to Starbucks for my favorite morning drink (chai latte) and couldn't believe how few people were out. It was really amazing!!!! For those who know how much I love mornings I was only up and out that early because I had to fly out at 9:20 so was waiting for my ride to JFK.

I got to NYC on Thursday for work. I had several appointments for site visits for possible venues for future alumni events there. Then I met some colleagues for dinner at the Ellen Stardust Cafe, which I highly recommend to everyone who finds themselves in NYC!! It is american food and a sort of 50s style cafe. The waiters and waitresses are all asipiring actors who perform songs while you eat. The prices were very reasonable for NYC and it was A LOT of fun! Jared, they even performed the devil went down to Georgia song - sorry I don't remember the name of that song.

Then we had heard of a place - sorry forgot the name but it is on Broadway in Times Square and is something like NTKS or something. Anyway, this place sells tickets for certain (not all) Broadway shows at a reduced rate, and the shows are listed on a board. I have this sickness where I have to have a reason for everything, so in my head I reasoned that they must only list shows that are not sold out that night and then offer the reduced rate tickets in order to fill the seats. So we were able to score tickets for Mama Mia which was really fun, I loved it! My first Broadway show and it was TOTALLY worth it! Tickets for this show online were around $120 - we got them for $62 and were 3 rows from the stage.

Afterwards we were trying to get a cab back to the hotel - not an easy task, as you might imagine, since everyone who had attended the show was trying to do the same thing at the same time. A stretch Hummer was coming down the street and one of my co-workers said "We'll just take the hummer!" Well wouldn't you know it the Hummer actually pulled over and stopped and asked if we wanted a ride!!! One of the other co-workers asked how much and the driver told her (not sure what price he told her) and she said "$20" and he said yes!!! So the four of us piled in and they were just thrilled to be taken back to their hotel in a stretch Hummer limo!! I don't really care about that kind of thing but as I remember my life I do believe this was the first time I rode in a limo. They were so funny and wanted pictures, etc. I took one of them standing beside it when we got out at the hotel. They tried to take one of me next to it too but #1, I don't like pictures of myself, and #2 I am just not that impressed by things like that. It was a lot nicer and more fun than a regular cab but didn't really need a picture to document the occasion. :)

Friday night was the alumni event - which was the whole reason I was there. I didn't really have much to do with planning this particular event so it wasn't as stressful for me as I normally feel. It was very nice and all who attended loved it and had a great time. I met some really nice people and saw some I already knew and was nice to catch up with them too. I met one of our trustees for the first time and he found out I am from Texas and got very excited because they have friends who have a large ranch about an hour south of San Antonio. They wanted me to "talk Texas" but I can't just turn that on anymore. I was able to do the Mexican sound of rolling your tongue and ending in "AHA". (If any of you have a clue what I just described I am impressed!!) He thought that was really great and literally grabbed my arm and dragged me over to his wife, whom he pulled out of a crowd that she was chatting with, and demanded I do it for her as well.

Now I ask you - what possesses me to do these kind of things???? Now one of our well known and distinguished trustees knows me because I can do some Mexican cat call. How nice!!

Anyway the event went very well - everyone was happy and I ended up hanging out with a few colleagues, a recent grad, and another trustee (whom I already knew and have been to his house) for several hours afterwards - to bed at about 12:30 that night. Great trip and I can't wait to get back!!! :)