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Start Spreading the News

Welcome to 2007. For some reason it's been more difficult for me to sit down and blog something interesting recently. That might have something to do with my coming out of retirement... but I'd hate for the first entry in 2007 to start off with such a depressing announcement so I will save that tidbit of life info for later.

Instead let's begin the first entry of the new year at the beginning. At the end of my previous blog, for those of you who had the patience and perseverance to make it through my last blog (which was pointed out to be the "longest ever written") I had to hustle out the door so I could make it to Times Square for the New Year. I arrived in New York at 5:30 am on December 29, where I met a friend who moved there in the summer to be a flight attendant. After a little nap and a stroll around Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and other sites I've seen on TV, we met up with some of Mandi's (my friend) friends at a local pub in Midtown.

This is where I met Steve. Steve was the boyfriend of Mandi's friend, who I found out the next day Mandi hardly knew. But that's the thing about New Yorkers, is anyone who is a friend of a friend is a friend, especially after a "few" drinks. "So where are you from?" "Arizona. Have you lived here long?" "4 years." "Do you like it?" "Yeah, it's great. I live one block from Times Square in a 35th floor apartment with a balcony." "...whoa..." yada, yada, yada and a drink or two later... "I could get you some passes my place for New Year's if you guys want?" "Uhm yeah... that'd be cool", is what I said but was thinking something a little more along the lines of: "Are you FREAKING KIDDING ME! HECK Yes, I want!" "Cool just call if you want them..."

Did he remember when we called? No. Did we still milk a couple of 35 floor passes to New Year to a guys apartment that actually was going up to Connecticut on New Year's? Yes. And that's where my last blog ended. But where I ended up when that clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve was right in the middle of Times Square (and one million plus people). Even better was the fact that we got into a section that was blockaded off for people who were probably standing around since 12:00 noon to get good positioning.At 11:15 pm when we made our way down the block to Times Square, we approached the blockaded section and my new best friend with the NYPD, where after waiting for almost one full minute we were secretly waived into the blockaded section. A perfect ending to a nearly perfect year.

There are some great stories to be told about New York, the city that never sleeps, except on New Year's Day. Stories about the subway and the linebackeresque drunk guy telling the entire car that "That's the kinda guy you don't mess with...black gloves...friggin Irish and Scottish... Nah, that's the kind of guy that's packin...We good, man, we good," which he said ofcourse referring to a big-smiling Derek. Stories about Broadway, Central Park, walking the Brooklyn Bridge and the streets of New York. But I can take a hint, my friends. So instead of another never ending blog entry, I will just tell you that New York is pretty freaking great. One of America's, nay the world's greatest. Happy New Year.

posted by Travelin' D @ 7:23 PM