Never have a bored day, cause you're a New York City boy....

So, yeah, this weekend was spent in NYC.  The purpose was for Tam's Pre-Kuwait Going Away Party.  (She'll be working there for three maybe four years)  When she scheduled it, though, she didn't know it was also Gay Pride in NYC.  So there were TWO things to look forward to.

So....the weekend.

Three and a half hour train ride from Harrisburg PA to NYC.  After a slight mixup, met john eliot (who took the train from his home in New England) and we walked to the apartment Tam had rented.  AMAZING apartment, nice part of town (Murray Hill), with a terrace and our bathroom had a walk in closet AND a shower I wanted to bring back home with me.

Tam, her daughter Kristen, john eliot and I then walked to Times Square and the to an Irish restaurant to supper.  Walking back to the apartment, I wasn't feeling well: backache, neck ached, BAD headache.  So i continued on to the apartment while they visited a Barnes&Noble (yeah, I didn't want to go to a bookstore, that should tell you right there how bad I felt!).

Got to the apartment, showered, took an Aleve and laid down resting on the bed until the returned.  I felt much better and we talked and stuff and then went to bed.

Saturday, when we got up, Tam had already gotten up, gone out and got us genuine New York bagels (and a pack of strawberries for me, bless her heart).  After eating, showering and slathering on the sunscreen (and i took another Aleve), and we headed out.

Took the subway to the southern most point of Manhattan, then took the ferry to Staten Island.  Not that we wanted to go to Staten Island (I always thought of it as the West Virginia of NYC), but that way they'd get to see the Statue of Liberty without having to pay to go to the island itself.  See, the Staten Island Ferry is free.

We got to Staten Island and than took a short walk to eat at a restaurant there and had genuine New York pizza.  Then we rode the ferry back to Manhattan.  And we all survived Staten Island just fine.  Then back on the subway to Soho.  We walked several blocks to the area the ladies wanted to go shopping in.  And shortly thereafter, left Kristen to go shopping on her own.  The other three of us spend some time in Old Navy, but Tam didn't buy anything cause there were like 300 people in line.  And then the three of us rode the subway back to Murray Hill.

We went to The Food Emporium, which was a nice sized grocery store completely underground!  And there we bought all the foodstuffs for the party that night.  We returned to the apartment and hung out until the guests arrived.  There was FDot, Paul, Craiggers, David P., Joshrico, Adam and Drazen, Mickey and Ty, and Chris D.  And we feasted on pasta, meatballs (for those who wanted them), salads, bread, fruit salad and a multitude of delicious desserts.  And all kinds of alcohol.  And then there was the sitting around and talking part of the party.  Until it eventually broke up and everyone went home.  Except for Paul, who didn't want to wait for the 3am train, so he slept on the futon/sofa thing in the bedroom john eliot and I shared.

Sunday morning, Paul got up and went out and bought new clothes (as you do).  I'm really not at all sure what we had to breakfast, but I know we did.  And then after getting ready, we headed out for the NYC Gay Pride parade.

It's not like DC's.  It's MUCH longer (like 5 hours).  And with bigger crowds.  But just as fun.  And we (Tam, john eliot, Paul, FDot and myself) actually watched all of it.  Well, when we were getting some delicious food from Bread & Butter.  Following the show and the return to the apartment, Paul went home, FDot went home and the other four of us went to a showing of "Avenue Q".  Funny play.  And in a subbasement theater, no less!  Oh those inventive New Yorkers and their use the underground.

So after getting lost on the subway, we took a cab to the apartment, stopped at a convenience store nearby to get things to eat and went inside and ate it and rested up before going to bed.

Monday morning, Tam got up first (again) and got us bagels (again...she's a saint!) which we ate.  Then john eliot and I showered (separately), said out goodbyes and headed out to Penn Station, where our trains left almost simultaneously.   Another three and a half hour train ride back to Harrisburg and a drive to home here of a little over an hour.

It was an amazingly fun weekend.  And I didn't it ALL in less than 80 hours!  Talk about whirlwind!

Pics will be forthcoming soon.

POLT