New York Say What?

Greetings from the Big Apple. Actually, from the Big Potato but this post is really about New York City because I just got home yesterday. And let me tell you, it was a rocking good time.

First the most important thing. We saw Joan Rivers. In person. We turned a corner off Park Avenue and there was a black town car sitting right in front of an awning. We were walking by and I look up through the open door, to see Joan’s glorious albeit plastic, face virtually floating down the stairs. So I said “Hey Joan Rivers. How’s it rolling?” JK. JK. I grabbed my sister’s hand and squealed like a fifteen year who just made the varsity cheerleading squad. And of course, she flipped around just in time to see Joan get in the car. It was all very low key. No paparazzi. No adoring fans (besides us). But totally awesome. Here is the photo proof.

No it’s not great photo. In fact, it will require a lot of trust between you and I. But take my word for it, JOAN RIVERS IS IN THAT CAR. We actually aren’t adoring fans but it was still fun to randomly see someone famous.

But let’s go back to the beginning. Our dear hubbies arranged a trip for my sister and me to travel to the city sans kids. SANS KIDS. For five days. It was a little cray cray without my little peeps following me around, and I most certainly missed them, but I came back feeling so refreshed. We did all of the touristy stuff. Of course. But I do have a little highlight list for you of the BEST moments.

• When we arrived at our hotel it was close to 2 a.m. We were tired but extremely excited. Terrance, the friendliest person I have ever met at 2 in the morning, greeted us as he checked us in. When he saw my license, he said, “I don’t think I have ever met anyone from Idaho. What’s the club scene like out there?” I, knowingly being facetious, said “You mean the Sam’s Club scene?” He didn’t even laugh. At this point, I was beginning to realize people in NYC don’t really get me.

• At one point, we were at our hotel traveling upward on the elevator. A couple got in after us and after pushing the fourth floor button, asked if they could push ours as well. After explaining to them that we did in fact know how to operate an elevator and we had already pushed our button, they marveled that we were on the 16th floor with an awesome view of the Empire State Building instead of close to the ground staring at an alley like they were. We told them that we told the front desk we were from Idaho, so he had moved us up. That, my friends, is a true story. All of a sudden they were laughing so hard. So we started laughing with them. Ours was more of a nervous laugh because it was kind of a small elevator and being in tight quarters with men displaying erratic behavior can be intimidating. When they finally caught their breath, they said, “That’s sooo great. We’ll have to remember that next time we check in somewhere. Where are you really from?” Let’s just say, we all got to know the meaning of dead silence when we confirmed the Gem state really was our ol' stomping ground.

• After visiting the World Trade Center Memorial, we got on the Subway to travel south. Once we sat down and pulled out the map, we realized we weren’t that far away from where we wanted to end up so we started planning on how to get back to that exact same station. Our conversation was something like this:

Heidi: We could go up two stops and that station has a platform in the middle so we could jump right back the south traveling train.

Katie: Or we could go up four stations and jump on the R train which would come back down and drop us off only one block further away.

Stranger: You realize the train isn’t moving yet right? You could seriously just get off and still be here.

Such a great point. Heidi and I were laughing so hard we couldn’t breathe. The train that we had just got on was at the end of its line and was parked as they were changing conductors. It wasn’t moving. The doors were wide open. We just had to walk out to be at the exact same location that we needed to be in. You know, instead of waiting ten more minutes, traveling two stops north and waiting for a southbound train to take us back to the same spot. This is why people think that saying you’re from Idaho is a joke. Natives shouldn’t travel to places where they have to use critical thinking skills. Or, in our case, just thinking skills.

• We were on the lookout for the people that sell cute purses. Well actually, Heidi wasn’t. Only I was. But once we found them, let me tell you, it was on. I found what I was looking for and started negotiating my way to a lower price. While my sister just sat there slack jaw as the man and I “Yo Mama’d” our way back and forth. Finally I had to yell at her to pull out her money and pay the guy before he changed his mind! As we walked away my sister was in shock. In fact, her exact words were “I feel as though everything I have ever believed in has been shaken.” Such a drama queen. She wasn’t used to me taking charge in such a brutal negotiation but we got smokin’ cute purses out of the deal.

Well my friend, thanks for sticking with me through that journey. I hope you can tell that New York was a great time for me and my little sister. A nice vacation from everyday life. I can sum up the rest of the trip in case you are interested. We saw. We ate. We shopped. We ate. Good times. Good times.