New York at Christmastime

I'm not dead yet. New York City at Christmas is a wonderful place to remind me of this. I went to visit with the folks at the Economist Intelligence Unit, which is doing research for us. But I also got to see the tree and ice skating at Rockefeller Center, along with 100,000,000 pennies school children collected for charity.

I got Chieko a "Coach" purse in Chinatown for $35 at her request. I considered getting her a real Coach purse at the Coach store next to Rockefeller Center, until I saw the $485 price tag. The M&M and Hershey stores at Times Square are my favorites (plus, I stayed in the Double Tree just across the street for $440.88 per night), so of course I stopped at those two stores two or three times and got an M&M luggage tag and a sleigh Christmas stocking holder, as well as some dark chocolates with almonds and a tin of Good & Plenty. The Sapporo Ramen restaurant was just around the corner, so I had to stop there. And I ate a hot dog at a corner stand.

That was on Monday. On Tuesday I visited EIU and FAO Schwarz, the toy store, where I got a really cool item that I can't mention because I'm probably going to give it to someone. But I have to say I paid $40 for it. When I got home I found the exact item on Amazon.com on sale for $12. Oh well, that's New York. I also paid $46.50 for a $15 meal.

That was on Tuesday evening, when I ate dinner at Angus McIndoe, across from the Shubert Theatre. I was told a lot of the show producers and such hang out there, but I saw only a guy (at the bar; no tables available) who looked about as much like Richard Gere as the China Town handbag looked like a real Coach--pretty close, but no autograph.

Then I went to what I've been waiting two and a half years to see.






















It was well worth the wait.

On Wednesday morning I went to my next favorite store: B&H Photo, where I bought a 10' x 12' green muslin screen. Chieko would have thought to bring a half-empty suitcase to New York, but I brought a small one just big enough for three days' worth of clothes. Somehow the purchases squeezed in, though.

Just remember: Always look on the bright side of life.