Is This 46th Street? NYC: The final chapter

After the first night trapsing around NY in our heels, we swore them off forever and I personally would have torched them, but the concierge never got back to me on the flame thrower. Somehow, somehow, I got talked back into dressing up fancy for our last night in NYC but was promised nothing but taxis. We were feeling like old pro's hailing a taxi in no time flat after our yummy dinner at El Rio Grande (which, just for the record, sounded very Texan.) We thought we were too cool for school, especially since it started to rain and we were warm and toasty in our cab.
Our cab that sat in traffic. And then sat some more.
Since we were being charged by the inch, and we were cutting it close to getting there in time, we got out and walked the last 5 or 6 blocks to get there.
If I was murmmuring obscenitites under my breath by the time we got there soaking wet, (i said if!) the bad mood was instantly turned around to find that my friend Joe, who I had not seen in 12 years, was infact in Grease, and was playing the role of Sonny, alongside Ace Young of American Idol fame, playing Kinicki (sp?). The show was a blast!

Afterward we went to the stage door to see if Joe would remember me. Jill and Beth were as excited as me to see him and they hadn't even gone to 4 years of high school together! He was one of the first ones out and it was a happy reunion and we all felt instantly 17 again. Joe moved to NY to pursue his dream and now he was living it. I was just really proud and found it so inspiring. But the fun is just getting started. So we're doing the "oh man, can't believe it, how are you, it's been forever, you're doing so great, seriously 12 years, we're just here for a long weekend, what have you been doing, 4 kids wow....and on and on." Then the cast starts to come out and Joe is calling them over to meet his friend from high school and her pals. So you guessed it...we got personally introduced to Ace Young! He even took a picture of me, Joe, Beth and Jill. Ace Young. Took OUR picture.
Am I living in bizzaro world? We also met the guy who played Danny who was super nice, and for a little while, we seemed like the VIP club with all the stars huddled around us. At least that's the way I remember it.








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After heartfelt goodbyes, we had a general idea of the place we wanted to go to called "Caroline's Dueling Piano Bar." (Per Beth's request) But it was cold, dark and rainy and we've gotten turned around under less stressful conditions. In a move of desperation I turn around to ask the first person I see behind me,

"Hey, is this 46th street?"

And who is my helpful New Yorker? None other than, yes, Lin-Manuel Miranda. The fact that lightening has struck twice and it was him again left me somewhere between astounded, amused, and at the same time wanting to get Beth's attention. It came out as,

"Hey, is this 46th street-oh! oh! uh, wow, hey!"

As incoherent as it was, it managed to scare him but get Jill and Beth's attention. Beth was rendered speechless and Jill channeled her inner stalker and started walking quickly down the street with her video camera on record. He, bless his heart, flagged the first taxi he saw, jumped in and I'm sure he thought, saved his life. So hilarious, I can't even do it justice, I'm sure.

The dueling piano bar turned out pretty cool: this basement like club with two guys, two pianos and lots of people requesting fun songs that somehow these guys always knew how to play and sing all the lyrics. Very cool. It was late and we didn't get the best seat, and I was finding I was coming down off my hanging out with celebrities, and the whole Lin spotting pandemonium and was beginning to crash big time. And consequently my 8 dollar club soda was doing little to keep me alert. After about an hour we decided to head for home.

I had been promised taxis for the whole night and as it turned out, had walked all 500 blocks (I'm rounding to the nearest hundred) minus the 4 that the first one drove us. Translation: Our feet were totally dead. Add to that it was raining and all the taxis were full. We kept walking in hopes of eventually finding one when we passed by the Toys R Us where a man in a Spiderman costume was hanging out. Enter freak show number 8.

I realized that he probably wasn't being hired by Toys R Us to stand outside its store at 12:30 in the morning and that this was just your run of the mill weirdo up to general weirdness. He was totally scarring Beth and she clutched onto my arm and was half dragging me down the street saying, "Spiderman is freaking me out, he's freaking me out!" No sooner had she said that than she jumped like she had been hit and all I hear is Jill yelling, "Oh man! He spidey-webbed you!"

He had totally flung this web-like rope at her back, and while some good samaratin escorted him away from us because we should have been freaked out to tears, we couldn't help but find it hilarious.

So, now we're tired, wet, been webbed and we still can't get a taxi. We must have tried to hail 10 on whatever street we were on and all were full or off duty. Out of nowhere, this limo comes down the street and half joking, I put my hand out to hail it. It stops. The driver rolls down the window and asks if we need a ride. Beth still frazzled from being webbed says we cannot get into a strange man's limo right at the same time Jill and I say,

"how much?"

"20 bucks."

"Done."

He even takes our picture getting into the limo. Super nice guy, we get to our hotel safe and in style.

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It took 20 minutes and the 3 of us putting our hand on the hotel Bible to convince Andrea (who had gone back to the hotel after dinner) that we had seen Joe, met Ace Young, seen Lin again, got webbed and came home by way of limo.

Maybe fairy godmothers really do exist...

Well, that was our wild and crazy last night. Hope you've had as much fun reading it as we had doing it! All I know is that it felt like the heavens opened up and smiled down on our little adventure and I guess that's all you can ask for.

The end of our "Find the Biggest Freakshow" game (not exactly a PC title, I'm aware) came on our last day there. We were crossing the street and this guy comes towards us decked out in a dress, tons of costume jewelry, and was pushing a stroller with a dog in it who was also bedazzled to the nines! At the exact same moment we all yelled, "Winner!"

I wanted to get a picture but he kinda scared me. If I made him mad maybe he'd attack me with a rouge bedazzler and I'd have to ride around in the stroller with the dog or something. So I took this shot over my shoulder while walking and trying to look non-chalant. Turned out fuzzy, but I think you get the general idea

Miscellaneous pictures from Sunday before we left...

The Piano from the movie Big at Planet Hollywood.

Rockefeller Center

Across the street from Central Park.

A run in with yet another celebrity at the NBC experience store.

The WTC site is mainly a construction site.

Seinfeld fans anyone? It's a black and white cookie.

In search of the Manhattan LDS temple, we literally said, "It should be right here." We looked up and it was. You'd almost miss it if you weren't looking for it. So interesting how it is built right into the city like everything else.