A Trip To Bountiful...New York

     This past weekend, daughter Angela and I took an an amazing journey.  Following are thoughts and meanderings about our trip.  This is long, you might want to read it in stages.


Friday Morning:  I'm 16,000  miles up in the sky, Bloomington to O'Hare where I am meeting #5 daughter for a trip to New York City.  As I am flying over pale green earth - newly planted fields - and traveling in a machine that weighs several tons, I wondered just how much that first plane of Orville and Wilbur's weighed.  I looked it up!  Fifty pounds.  A typical passenger plane today weighs over 75,000 pounds.  (It's awesome what you can find out on Google).   Angela had a wheel chair waiting for me so we boogied right over to our gate for NYC and in a few moments I was joined by Angela.  She had booked our trip in First Class - which I always enjoy.   (I left the house this morning at 8:27.  Thirty five minutes to Bloomington and then thirty more to O'Hare.)   
      We noticed there were buttonholes on the napkins.  The attendant told us that a previous President of American Airlines was notorious for spilling his meal on his ties, so his wife had a button hole added to the napkin, so his ties would stay clean.  Thoughtful wife!  Wanting her spouse to make a good impression.  I am always wearing my food, so I am really considering that buttonhole idea.

    Mary had booked us rooms at the Waldorf Astoria and so up to the tenth floor to a really lovely room.   Our room overlooks St. Barts Episcopal Church.  Jim, our bellman, has worked at the hotel since 1977, so he told us wonderful stories about who had lived in the hotel and some of the people he had met.  He also told us that the piano in the lobby, had been in Cole Porter's suite when he lived there and after his death, it was brought downstairs.  In the evening you can sit and listen to musicians, singing or playing, or both.  
      We got unpacked, and headed out for the evening.  Cold, rainy and very windy tonight  (when the daughters and I were here in 2010, it was up over 100 degrees each day, total contrast tonight)  
       We are going to a play in  preview this evening ,"The Explorers Club",  We found the Manhattan Theater between six and seventh.  We were early, so we walked across the street to a darling little Italian restaurant and had 'little plates', appetisers basically, -  Nonna's meatballs were exceptional.   Back across the street to a cute play, funny, even silly and great fun. - The drink passing/catching scenes were hilarious.  Just a funny premise.  Talked to one of the actors as we were waiting for a cab and he said one particular funny scene, they had added that day.  That is what 'being in preview' is about.  Back to the hotel, I'm cold, so Angela ordered Jamisons and we sat in the lobby, listening to a singer, playing Cole Porter's piano and singing, "It's A Wonderful World", and sipping whiskey, what can be more New York than that?

Saturday:  Big day today, Angela went out for a run this morning and brought back bagels, cream cheese w/lox, coffee and orange juice.  We lazed around until 10 a.m and headed out.  First stop, the ticket place on Times Square.  The line went really fast. (Let me back up a little here:  At Easter, I had mentioned that I had seen that a play named "A Trip to Bountiful" starring Cicely Tyson, Vanessa Williams and Cuba Gooding, Jr.  was playing on Broadway.  I had liked the movie made years ago, and thought seeing Miss Tyson in the role would be major.  Angela said:  "Let's go!"  and we made plans.  Lately, I have been having severe back pain and wasn't sure I'd be feeling good enough to go, but last week after a visit to the Chiropractor and a masseuse, I decided to try it.  We planned to see "Bountiful", any play in preview and one of four other shows:  One with Mathew Broderick, "The Nance", with Nathan Lane, "Matilda"  and Angela's pick, "Kinky Boots"   For me, tops was Mathew, last would have been "KB".)  When we got to the ticket booth, there were only seats in the third mezzanine for "KB" and Angela was concerned about me so was going to go for "The Nance"  I could see she was disappointed and told her  to go ahead with "KB", I'd hang on to her.  She has been so good to encourage me to do what I wanted, I hated to see her disappointed.   We then walked over to the Times Square museum, saw the big ball that drops at midnight on New Years.  They encourage you to write your wish for 2014 on a piece of confetti to be dropped when the ball drops.  I wished for good health.  Found the theater, and a restaurant around the corner - another great Italian.  Sat next to a couple from New Jersey, discussed Governor Christy, had a great lunch - politics and Italian food, what could be better?   Over to the theater,  Seats third row from the top but they were center and good and the rows were steep.  "Kinky Boots" was full of  energy, one of the best musicals ever.  Even that high up, you felt surrounded by the enthusiasm on stage and in the audience.  Powerful!   Word to Old Folks:  Listen to your kids!  
      Afterwards, we went to the Drama Book Store.  If you like theater, it's a must do.  It's a  one of a kind store.  Bought  some cool books. We couldn't find a cab, so we took a bicycle rickshaw back to the hotel. I felt every bump in the street and the gas fumes really kept me coughing.  It cost $90. for the two of us, plus tip.  We had talked about traveling that way and we did.  Enough said!
      Back to the hotel for a short rest and then back out for the reason we came,   "A Trip to Bountiful".  Probably half the audience was African Americans, 60s plus.    The most wonderful thing happened, in the play, Cicely  sings a couple of hymns and the audience, quietly at first, started to sing along.  By the time, she was done with the second hymn, it was a sing-a-long, the audience full voice, beautiful and stirring, as well.  I even hummed along.  joyful, joyful!   
      What a contrast from "KB", this afternoon.  But seeing this play was like seeing history, this iconic actress, overwhelming the stage.  I have a lot more respect for Vanessa and Cuba as well, their parts are small and they are definitely taking a backseat to Miss Tyson.  I think it says a lot about the people they must be to do this.  All around, an outstanding event.  Our cab karma was working after the show and back to the hotel.  No drink in the lobby, we were both tired and went immediately to sleep.

Sunday:  Angela out for her morning run and brought back coffee and orange juice.  She said"  "Mom, St. Patricks Cathedral is 800 feet from the hotel, do you think you can walk that far?"    My standard answer:  "As long as I can hold on to you"  We made it to the side door and up the steps and we were in the front of the Church.  They are doing a lot of renovation, inside and out, scaffolding everywhere.  I asked the usher if there was handicap seating and he pointed to pews on the side with no view of the altar.  I asked if there wasn't something where I could see the altar.  Now, here I am going to sound like a bragging mother - and I am - but Angela looked beautiful.  She was wearing a deep royal blue sleeveless Jackie O type dress, her hair was pulled up in a chignon and she looked quite elegant.  I really think he thought she was someone important.  He walked over to a couple sitting in the first row, and asked if they would make room, which they did.  So we at right in front of the altar.  God is good!   I thanked the couple who had moved.  They were Brendan and Katherine from Tipperary.  His first visit to America.  He represents St. Killian's Candle Company who supplies the candles for St. Patricks as well as the Cathedral in Pisa, Italy and others.    I, of course, was walking with a cane and he said, the next time He was at work in a Cathedral, he would light a candle for me.   Is that just the dearest thing? 
      We then walked behind the main altar to the crypt of Fulton Sheen.  A diocesan Priest up for sainthood.  If you want to visit the crypt, you must request to do so in advance.  Just seeing where he is buried is cool.  I told the attendant, partly joking, that we here in Peoria want the body back but New York isn't eager to send it back to his birthplace.   
       When we came out of Church, the Puerto Rico Day parade had started.  Angela wanted to walk and she put me in a cab.  The driver said that over a million people participated in the parade.  it is one of the biggest of the year.  it closes several streets so the parade halts, so that police and let traffic and people flow across the side streets.   Lots of police presence.  Angela was making better time than I was.  I saw her window shopping at a Mackenzie Childs store and then a little later, be part of a crowd going around a barricade.  Me I'm still idling in the cab having a nice conversation with the driver.
      Back to the hotel and then a carriage ride through Central Park.  Angela checked out the horses eyes and hooves before we got in one.  Dermot from Ireland was our driver.  I asked him if there were many Irish drivers.  He said:  "Ah, yes, that's the thing about Irish lads, they're either driving them or betting on them."   Good tour, Saw boaters on the Lake, Strawberry Fields, which is maintained by Yoko Ono, passed the Sheeps meadow and the building that was the restaurant "Tavern on the Green"  It closed a couple of years ago but is being totally redone and opening soon.  Dermot said the building was originally the sheep barn.  It was near perfect weather, 82 degrees.  Loved the outcroppings of rocks all over.  
      Lunch at Rue 57.  Another great restaurant.
       A nap in the afternoon and then getting ready for the Tonys.  When we made plans for the trip, we thought it would be great to order room service and sit in our room and watch them on TV.  Angela went to the website and you could buy tickets.  We decided it was too good a chance to pass up going and so buy tickets she did.  The tickets said black tie  - I called my friend, Sue Sepich and asked if she would let me borrow her outfit that she wore for her son's wedding - and we must be in our seats by 7:00pm.  They are held at the Radio City Music Hall.  We are in the third balcony again.  but much more comfortable seats.  I had my binoculars.  A young woman named Casey, an intern for Chris Mathews show, struck up a conversation and we so enjoyed her.  Once, I looked at the audience around us, everyone looking so elegant, it was just nice, just nice.  People should just dress up more.  This was my first time at Radio City, just an awesome place.  Before the broadcast, there is a pre show where awards are given out.  Jane Krasinski and Jessie Ferguson from Modern Family hosted that portion.  He is very witty, had everyone cracked up.  My impressions:  There are a lot of kid shows on Broadway, It was cool watching the logistics of changing scenery etc.  and LIAM NEESON was in the room!  Actually seeing him and other stars - through binoculars - but in the same room was really neat.  Would i go again.  No.  Am I glad I went once, absolutely.  We didn't see any commercials in the room, so it will be interesting to see the program with those added.  The show just continues through commercials and then is edited.  Very interesting.  

Monday:  Off to Bloomingdales this morning.  Bought a new purse.  Ate at their restaurant, 'Forty Carrots'  Very good and healthy.  Back to hotel and airport.   Angela was surprised and impressed, I think, of the perks of traveling with a handicapped person. -   Right to the head of the line - I was telling her of when we traveled to Italy a couple of years ago and my sister and niece were with me and they bring those traveling with you through too.  Niece, Michelle, that sweet child, was so embarassed to be going in line before hundreds of people waiting in long lines, that she kept apologizing to them.  
     Yesterday was a long day, but I was eventually home 

     We met some wonderful, interesting, charming people.  New Yorkers were friendly and helpful.   This was a trip of a lifetime.  I wish my legs were stronger and I had more stamina but the Lord provides.  Best experience:  being at Mass at St Patricks with one of my children.  Most memorable:  The sing-a-long at "Bountiful"  Best food:  Angela's daily bagels, and orange juice.  Biggest surprise:  How much I enjoyed "Kinky Boots"  I am blessed.  Life is good!