TODAY... and the Rest of the Day

Thursday, June 8

Up at 5:30 but not early enough to get a spot at the rail outside Studio 1A at NBC. I held the sign high as the camera panned, but I have no idea if we were in any of the shots used. The show itself was also in a little different format b/c of preliminary reports relevant to the Comey hearing later. It was interesting being there, though. It was Dylan’s turn to welcome the crowd, and I was impressed at how genuine her questions and comments were. During the first hour, other staffers were out with us, looking for volunteers to participate in a trivia quiz during the 3rd hour (no immediate volunteers for that), handing out TODAY buttons (got mine on my jacket), and asking us a couple trivia questions and rewarding correct answers w/ a TODAY mug. 

The crowd was very friendly – we already had a common interest, and it was fun to learn where folks are from and what their reasons are for being at the show. Prolonged standing strains Greg’s back, so he went into a coffee shop behind us and watched (while sipping) from a counter stool at the window. Even though Matt & Dylan were expected to come out at the beginning of the 2nd hour, I left just before 8 to join Greg. 

NBC is right at Rockefeller Center, so we checked out the plaza and then walked back to our room to figure out the rest of the day (and get off our feet – we're not up for another 7 miles). Also checked out the Owner’s Sky Lounge (33rd floor). Good enough view - not nearly as good as some others, but they aren’t free.

Rockefeller Plaza a la Lego

45' Seated Ballerina
(inflated nylon)

Hudson River from 33rd floor

Eventually we headed out on foot to the New York Public Library (awesome), then took the subway to Central Park and grabbed lunch from one of the food trucks. (My lamb gyro was excellent). The park is bigger than some Wyoming towns, but we did walk through one section and then over a couple blocks to Lincoln Center. 

Reading Room 
(research only - nothing leaves the building)

I like to hang out with icons.

     Apparently I was more into statuary than greenery today... the photos below were all taken in the area surrounding Central Park.

...and just about 50' away stands Dante
(sort of the ridiculous & the sublime)

Fantasia comes to Lincoln Center
(just visiting for 6 months)

Bird Man of Central Park?

I love the diversity in this city!

Back on (a different) subway and off to Greenwich Village. Again, it was basically a cursory walk through, but we did sit and people watch for a while at Washington Square Park. Some of the more interesting folks include:

a dog walker...  a buff jogger (not a jogger in the buff)...  a beautiful 9-month-old lab/pit puppy...  several fashionistas...  several tables of chess players...  a very large woman (not just heavy—tall, and big)...  a handsome gray-haired fellow in very slim jeans turned up about 3” to display brightly colored argyle socks...  one cyclist (walking her bike)...  a mom pushing a stroller loaded with her toddler and several packages of Pampers...  one skate boarder...  a dozen or so kids of various ages all wearing purple t-shirts...  a young woman in what looks like a splatter-paint jumpsuit...  a slightly disheveled gentleman obsessively removing & polishing several small items and returning them to a hard-side suitcase...  and a nicely dressed gentleman calmly standing on the grass by the edge of the path brushing his teeth (no expectoration). 

Chess... a universal pastime.

Another captivating skyline.

The NYU campus is in Greenwich,
and I chuckled over...

the juxtaposition of these two postings.

Gourmet45

From the park we descend once more into the subterranean tunnels (4 tracks in this one) and take the 6 train back to Grand Central. (So far we’ve been on the 4, 5, 6, B and E lines. There are 24 lines - more than any other city in the world - and over 840 miles of track.) We’re a bit weary, but nothing like yesterday’s exhaustion. After a quick stop at the corner 24-hr deli/salad bar/mini-grocery for a can of beer and pre-packaged dixie cup of chocolate Haagen-Dazs, we breeze thru the wide Wyndham revolving door. Later we revisit Gourmet45, walk through that 20' buffet line and tote our meal upstairs to enjoy in front of Lester Holt and the evening news.

BlogThoughts… I’ve had mixed feelings about our Wyndham ownership from the beginning, but this site is perfect—Midtown Manhattan, newly renovated, and w/in walking distance of at least half a dozen tourist-worthy spots. Tuesday I felt overwhelmed and didn’t even want to come to here, but things have really gone quite smoothly.

PartingThought... I took the photo on the left at the NY Public Library, and it may end up enlarged and framed. I love it. The quote was on a building in Greenwich, and I felt it was worth preserving. Another gal was taking the same photo as I approached and I'm sure we're not the only two who have done this.

He's probably posting on FB, but I can
pretend he's writing something profound.