A Nice, Short Trip

So Wifey and I drove to the Grove and fetched D2, who had with her luggage suitable for a 5 month voyage at sea. D2 is amazingly awesome, but has one flaw: an inability to pack well. We got to MIA, and the helpful steward told us her bag was WAY overweight, and would cost $80 to send. He had her remove stuff from it, put it into her carry on, which became another checked bag, and, since I'm a AA Gold Member, the only additional charge was $20. D2 is going to look into therapy modalities after her wedding. Ha. It's really a good problem to have.

We jetted to LGA, still a Third World airport, and got an Uber to Greenwich Village. We left our bags, and walked to lunch. D2 picked a place with communal tables, and warned me against talking to our fellow diners, so of course I said "Hi -- I'm not allowed to talk to you, but hope you're enjoying your lunch." They were 2 young ladies, who clearly had similar embarrasing Dads, and they laughed.

We then walked around some more, checked in to the nice but tiny room, where I happily only tripped over D2's suitcase one time, and headed to dinner. We were joined by a friend of D2 and Jonathan -- and greatly enjoyed our time with him.

It was a clear, cold night, and I was in the mood to sit in front of a fire, listen to jazz, and maybe have an Irish coffee. The Walker had ALL those things -- a talented pianist and singer -- and D2 and I toasted our lives and families as the sultry singer sang Christmas tunes...especially the best ones, which were all written by Jews.

Sunday we Ubered up to the Upper West Side, and met Ali and Blake at a place called Jake's pickles. The place was PACKED with millennials, and the stray visiting parent, like me. After we ate, we walked back to Ali and Blake's apartment, on 79th Street, and greeted Professor, Ali's work partner at Sinai Children's Hospital. Professor was very happy to see D2 -- he lay his huge head in her lap and looked at her with his soulful eyes.

I took leave, and Ubered to Saks 5th Avenue -- the one really on 5th Avenue, and met my old friends Mark and Rita. I last saw them over 4 years ago, and we walked to the Rockefeller tree, and talked about our lives. Mark's Mom Grace died a few months back, and we talked about the dynamics of losing parents, and caring for them at the end. Their boy Joe is a 1L at St. John's, and hopes to become a patent lawyer. He has a nice girlfriend. Mark and Rita, like me, think life is grand.

Rita had us walk -- a LOT. We hoofed it all the way to Hudson Yards, the new luxury development on the Hudson at 34th Street. I was unimpressed -- it was a crappier version of Brickell City Centre. They have a "vessel," some artistic stairway you have to get a ticket to to walk up 14 stories and take selfies. I thought it was silly.

But we had a nice lunch at the Hudson Grille, talking of times going back to Mark and me in the 2nd grade. Mark never travels -- his last time on a plane was two decades ago. I invited them to Miami, as I always do. Rita said maybe she and Joe and his girlfriend would come to Key West in March, and stop to see us along the way.

I walked them back to Penn Station, and they LIRRed home to Suffolk.  Next -- I walked North to Times Square, and D2 found a nice place to meet -- the Lamb's Club, in 44th. It was an old hotel and restaurant, with a fireplace imported from France in 1904. It was delightful. They had carolers -- dressed like Victorian Brits, and wonderful harmony singers. They went table to table and sang requests.

I had two martinis, and asked for Adam Sandler's "Chanukah Song." They knew it, but it wasn't in their repertoire. Instead, D2 asked for "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and they sang it so beautifully I thought of my Dad singing it to my Mom during WW II and got teary eyed..."...if the Fates allow..." I overtipped them, which D2 snitched to my family about, and Wifey reminded D2 that when I drink, I need to be reminded of boundaries...Whatever.

We then went to the Booth Theater, for "Freestyle Love Supreme." It was creative, and the performers very talented, but I'm a traditional guy and prefer a musical with a plot, characters, and great songs. My favorite is "Book of Mormon," which is anything BUT a traditional show, but the songs, like "I Believe," are Rogers and Hammerstein quality.  We did laugh , though, as a very stereotypical housewife from Merrick, LI, was the subject of the hip hop songs.

D2 thought we should walk back to the hotel, and we stopped for a late dinner of turkey burgers on the way. Back at the room, I saw I had walked 8 miles! I was pretty proud of myself.

Yesterday am we checked out of the Walker, in pissing rain, as the Brits say, and went to the Henri, the hotel D2 will stay in for her work week. We planned to just store bags, but the tough, NY Rican desk clerk said she had a room available. so we schlepped the bags there and went down for breakfast.

I said goodbye to D2, and she reminded me that, unlike our typical NYC goodbyes, she would be back home in Miami in a week. I still missed her.  I went to the room and napped, and read the Times. The weather was so awful, I decided to stay in, until I left at noon for East Elmhurst.

I met my cousin Steve at an old school Chinese place for lunch. He had some health issues recently, and we last saw each other years ago when he came off a cruise in Miami.

I was happy to see him doing pretty well despite the health issues -- he's 67, and has lived in Jackson Heights his entire life. After lunch, he drove me to LGA. The 1 mile trip took a half hour.

As I figured, the bad weather delayed my flight, so I went to the Centurion Lounge to hang. The plane left an hour late.

Wifey fetched me from MIA. I joked that Wife-ber was now a thing. We came home, and the dogs wanted to know all about Professor. I told them.

So it was a grand few days -- plenty of time for me in NYC late Fall, with cold and gray skies. I always say, NYC is the greatest city in the world, and I love to visit, but am very happy to not live there.