A trip into the city for professional purposes, whether it’s an audition, in Don’s case, or some coaching work, in mine, is always a whirlwind. Drive to the bus station in a neighboring town. Take bus into the city, which takes about an hour and a half, exit the bus at Port Authority and either briskly walk to the destination or grab the subway. Audition. Or coach. Grab some food to go. Return to the bus station. Wait for the bus. Return home, which takes another hour and a half.
You can see why I very seldom do any window shopping or travel to another part of the city. There’s really no time. So, tomorrow will be fun change for us. We’re going in to see Rockefeller Center all lit up for Christmas. (Don has a ten minute meet and greet with his new agents, but we’re not really counting that.)
It was very cold and windy as it often is in a big city where the streets and tall buildings end up being a sort of wind tunnel. My destination was about 12 blocks from the Port Authority and I got there in time to order a hot chocolate to go. I needed something warm to drink!
I was there to coach an actor who is replacing another actor in a play that is currently touring. He needed some help with a Scots dialect. I also worked a bit with the other two actors in the play. They couldn’t have been nicer. My friend and former colleague from back in the Old Globe days is the producer of this production and he’s the one who called me in.
I was right around the corner from the former Ed Sullivan Theater, now home to the Late Show with David Letterman and soon to be home to the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
I love, love Stephen Colbert, but I must confess that I’m curious as to how he will transition to being a late night talk show host without the persona we’re so used to seeing on the Colbert Report. And I’ll miss David Letterman, of course.
Today, I’m going to work on the mini Christmas tree and take care of some other chores that need to be done.
The big news? It’s sunny today. I can hardly believe it. I feel like I’ve emerged from a dark cave.
Happy Saturday.
Have fun when you and Don go to Rockefeller Center to see all the lights. I know it will be wonderful. Here in Gaithersburg, we have the Winter Lights Festival which the city host. It is held in one of the parks and you drive through it and it is so pretty! Good luck to Don on his meet and greet. My interview was rescheduled for Wednesday due to a class the person was attending, so I won’t know anything till then. Have fun and give Scout a hug for me!
Hugs
I will, Nancy! Thank you.
I know how that wind can be in a city with tall buildings! Wind tunnel is a good description. Enjoy the lights and the tree! I think New York at Christmas must be magical! I’m about finished with all my decorations and I’m on to clean up.
hugs,
Linda
I’ll try to take a lot of photos tomorrow, Linda!
Have a lovely day tomorrow. Please take lots and lots of photos!
Back in the day, I was lucky to have part time work as a window dresser to help pay for university so I love looking at photos of the Christmas window displays in the department stores.
Your photos of NYC make it look so exciting – I think the city should hire you as a promotional photographer.
It is exciting in NYC – noisy, crowded, but exciting, nonetheless.
I can’t wait to see how Stephen C make the switch as well. I hope he retains his character occasionally, just because it’s hilarious! And I too will be missing Dave. Been watching him since the NBC show started in 1982 [I think]. Have a wonderful time in NYC tomorrow. A lot to see there in December, and so much of it is beautiful [as you know]. No sun here but we’re hopeful for tomorrow [want this snow to melt]. Enjoy your day…
It will be a quick trip, as we have Scout to consider in the equation. But it will be fun.
I loved visiting the city at Christmas when my daughters lives there. I never failed to get in the Christmas spirit with all of the lights and hustle and bustle. Have a great day, sweet friend. xo Laura
Thank you, Laura!
I lived at East 86th and Third. I have never stopped missing NYC ~ especially at Christmas! Enjoy your fun filled day in the city!!
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
Ah, the Upper East Side!
Hope you have a wonderful time together tomorrow…you going to take a few pics? It’s still cloudy, gloomy, and damp….guess that’s our penance for warmer temps! Enjoy your sunshine! ;)
I’ll take pics. I may even take my big girl camera with me.
Hi Claudia, wish it were sunny here…it’s supposed to be, but instead it is damp and grey. I think we had one day of sun in the last 2 weeks. Haven’t been reading blogs much…had to have reconstructive surgery on my nose (a spot of skin cancer was larger than anticipated)…and the mess of my face has prevented wearing glasses since 12/3! 2nd surgery is 1/2 and after that I should be able to wear glasses and be (hopefully) back to normal. Meanwhile, thank goodness for my Kindle Paperwhite and the EXTRA LARGE font – lol. I can read that without glasses,. Just finished “The Moonstone” by Wilkie Collins the other day — very good. Am now on to a Willa Cather book…love her descriptions of people and places. Best wishes to you and Don for the holidays.
Oh, poor Vera. Feel better soon. Thank goodness for the Paperwhite!
How exciting! I saw your pictures on Instagram and wondered how you took those driving! I forget you use the bus for transit! I lived in Dallas growing up .. And have fond memories of riding the bus! I don’t get to do that much nowdays. Letting them do the driving and study your text or take some pictures … All fun. I’m going to miss Dave too. Have a great Saturday !
We could drive, but it’s a hassle. We only do it if we’re attending the theatre at night and don’t want to depend on public transportation time schedules.
That’s a whole lot of bus riding, but it does have its perks as you don’t have to watch the road or deal with traffic — you can read or do all sorts of things. I know for me, time passes quickly in airports and on planes when I crochet, read, and do word searches. Those are my essentials for travel. New York will be lovely this time of year. Enjoy! Best wishes,Tammy
I read and listen to music from my playlist. And snooze.
I’ve never been to NYC. It’s on my bucket list, and I am making some headway on that, so I may make it yet! Take lots of pictures, so I can pretend I was there with you guys.
I will, Sandra!
Have a great day tomorrow..I hope the weather is a bit warmer for your two..
Don says it’s supposed to hit 45 in the city, which is positively balmy around here.
Glad you are enjoying some time in the city Claudia. As a small time gal I can’t imagine even being in NYC. We survived having 50 people from our church come over for dinner last night and then go next door to Donavin’s Christmas lights & music show. It was so cold here in Central Florida that we had to cut the show short. Tonight we are hosting family & friends for dinner and another show. I’m going to rest for a week when tonight is over with.
I will rest on Monday after two trips into the city in three days! Rest up, Janie.
I would absolutely love to visit the Rockefeller Centre and will one day! Have a wonderful time and I hope the tree decorating is a success :-) x
Thanks, Chel!
Claudia, I love that city. I bet it is a rush to and from to get what you need to do done and back home again. I stood in front of the Sullivan Theater, to have my photo taken with the Late Night sign. It was closed when we went there..it was afternoon. Claudia, I saw some blue sky patches but no sun today. Blessings, xoxo,Susie
It is indeed a rush, Susie!
Sounds like a busy day but so glad you have an extra day to enjoy the town. We saw the Rockettes a few years ago in Branson – Amazing! Enjoy!
Judy
We will, Judy!
Oh, sigh, I’ve never been to NYC. I’d so love to see the holiday windows, not to mention a thousand other sights of the city. I try to envision Central Park but I don’t think it’s possible, the vastness of it. Having spent very little time ever in a big city with tall buildings, I think your description helped me try to imagine what it must be like as you said…the windy canyon (wind tunnel). I always think it’s so interesting, too, when you see certain places in Manhattan or Brooklyn where there are these large stairs from the sidewalk up to a front door, with the tall apartments/homes, so vertical, some with barely a rear yard…am I speaking of brownstones?…and having been there, sturdy and strong, from even the 1800s…and, more often than not, there are trees in the sidewalk to soften all the brick, cement and stone. Just seen in movies, books…just so different from where I live ‘out west.’
Perhaps I’m confused here…I didn’t realize at first that Don was with you, and then I guess I thought you were either doing everything in one day or staying the night but it sounds like you’re going in to the city two days in a row (of course you couldn’t leave Scout, so what am I thinking). I thought that people who lived upstate could take the train into the city…like a commuter train; didn’t think of the bus?! Maybe it’s more for people who live further, like in Connecticut. There was a movie I saw with Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro where each was taking a train from their homes…I think in Connecticut?…to go into the city to shop or whatever and I thought, how great, to be able to get a ride without having to drive, be plopped right into the middle of everything, but then be back home in ‘the countryside’ by nightfall.
I went into the city on Friday, by myself. Don and I are going into the city today, Sunday. In our neck of the woods, you can either take the bus into the city (much quieter than the train) or the train. We usually take the bus because it deposits us smack dab in the middle of the theater district, which is where we usually need to be. And once we get on the bus here, it’s a direct line to NYC, with no stops on the way.
Today, we’re taking the train because it arrives at Grand Central Station, which is beautifully decorated at Christmas time. (And it’s a wee bit cheaper than the bus!)
Interesting. Thanks for explaining. It all sounds so adventurous. I’ll look forward to your photos/descriptions. You do it very well.
Thank you for describing your assignment in NYC, Claudia. Now I’m wondering how you picked up all that knowledge of accents and dialects. Linguistics courses?