My Blue Castle

Hey flist ... anyone in the NY area got any advice on current doings in the city that must not be missed?

I'll be in Manhattan next Saturday with a friend, so I'm not really sure what our schedule is going to be (or if we have one). I think this is only her second time in the city, so I don't know what she'll want to do. Well, other than her asking if we can wander around in the garment district. (She's a seamstress and actress, so buttons are very exciting :)

Thought I'd throw it out there in case there is something we should be sure to make time for... we'll be there between say, 11 am and 7 pm (depending on when the bus gets us there, so timetables are always in flux). Also, she might be meeting up with a friend of hers, so that might kipper any plans as well.

OK, so just home from mother's day shopping, and off to read reactions to Vampires of Venice.

(how much did I love that in the opening Eleven's shirt gapped just a bit above where his belt buckle would be if he had one. Also... how well did he get to know "the girl in the bikini" ... Eleven is one cheeky bugger innit he?)

THANKS!

...Till it's time to catch the bus to the bus station, to take a bus to another bus station, in order to take a train (or possibly a bus) ...

Public transport is my friend today. I thought about taking the bus to work just to complete the cycle... but it was easier to have my dad drop me off.

Try not to have TOO much fun on the internets without me!!

See y'all in a week ... at which time I expect to need a vacation to rest up from my vacation!!

OK... so putting aside this Mexican Mennonite film (with a warning label for "moderate sex") that I'm processing at work... I have more important things to think about (although perhaps not stranger)...

On Saturday I am off to New York City for the day!

It's almost TOO long a day, as a trip to NYC means a five hour bus ride on either end of the 10 or so hours we get in the city... but ... you know... it's New York City!! The city never sleeps (so I hear) so why should I?

Am dragging a pal along, and while it's always a lot of fun to just see where the day takes us, I am an inherently organized person and cannot just go on a trip with NO plan whatsoever... so I have been mulling over things to do. Midtown Manhattan at this time of year will be nutso with tourists (HI fellow tourists) but perhaps we can avoid some of the crowds some of the time.

Possibilities include:

• Crafts fairs in Bryant Park and Grand Central Station (Both good sites just on their own. Bonus if can find unique Christmas gifts.)
• Christmas Shopping (I favor places like used book stores and art shops. The BFF has visions of large department stores in HIS head.)
• And the subset of this ... window-shop and look at all the holiday themed windows. I had a friend once who was a visual merchandiser, and before his untimely demise he bequeathed to me his opinion that there is nothing that can't be improved by some glitter and a mirror-ball!! I think of him a lot when I look at those crazy windows!
• Penguins. (Hello... there's a zoo there!)
• The new TKTS booth is rumored to be back in action... so we can always pick up tickets to see a show. Last time we were there we scored seats to Gypsy with the soon to be Tony-winning cast...)
• If we get a hankering for vistas and it is a clear day... I can drag him up to the top of Rockefeller Center. It will be too cold to be outside for long, but I don't like heights that much anyway!
• Times Square after dark. It wouldn't be the holiday season without some twinkling lights.

The overall goal is to go see some places I haven't seen before. Not hard in a city that big, when you come from the middle of Pennsylvania and only get into the city for a few hours at a time, a few times a year (if I'm lucky).

But with 10 hours or so to explore... who knows what we will see. We got a great deal of amusement the last time we were there out of a very public shouting match between two girls in a bagel shop somewhere near Jerry Orbach's memorial intersection which resulted in thrown cell phones and one of them stomping off in a hissy fit. It was like a free floor show with our food.

So Serendipity rules the day.

... and now back to some more odd foreign films. Up next... beauty pageants in women's prisons in Columbia, S.A.