New York, Day Two

Okay, so here's where things got a little nerve-wracking. On Friday, I went my own direction while everyone else went theirs.

 

Greg, his parents, and Brian and Susan all went on the Grayline Tour to see some of New York's most famous sites.

 

I left to meet my editor from Hyperion for the first time. I was SO nervous. I left the hotel at 9:07 for a 10:00 a.m. meeting based on the front desk's warning that there might be heavy traffic. I arrived at our meeting place at 9:22. Good grief. Fortunately, I noticed there was a Barnes and Noble on the corner, so I went in to shop and kill some time.

 

It was an interesting experience. The store reminded me of our college bookstore, all crowded shelves and things in odd places. It wasn't the sleek, stand-alone structure I'm used to seeing in the Chicago area. It was like a rabbit warren with all these little rooms kind of stuck on to each other and alcoves full of books. It was cool.

 

I headed back then to the City Bakery and read for a few minutes. My editor arrived, and we had a great time talking about everything from books to our favorite television shows. He is awesome and I can't wait to work with him! : )

 

After that, feeling quite confident in myself, I hailed a cab on my own and gave directions to the hotel (Madison and 21st, please). Of course, I immediately failed the next test when the cabbie asked me if I wanted him to take twenty-third all the way. I had no idea and was forced to confess so. But it was all good. I made it back eventually, probably in a more roundabout way than if I were a native, but oh, well.

 

After dropping off stuff at the hotel, I walked the block to Grand Central to meet my friend Stacey Agdern for lunch. She's a bookseller in Grand Central as well as a writer, so we just grabbed a quick bite to eat while she was on lunch break. We chatted about writing and books and about the possibility of RT next year.

 

When Stacey went back to work, I headed back to the hotel. I should have taken a nap, but I was way too keyed up. So I headed up to the rooftop garden bar on the hotel (picture at the top). It was beautiful and warm up there. I wrote for a bit. Then I went for a walk around the block and checked in with my folks on my cell phone.

 

At four, I went back over to Grand Central and met Stacey again. I was about to take my inaugural subway ride to see a mutual friend and she, thank goodness, agreed to come with me. The subway system, to me as an outsider, seems very confusing. Trains are identified by both letters and numbers, and I can't quite get a fix on how everything comes together. Chicago's color coded system seems much easier.

 

So, we found our way to Queens and our friend Isabo Kelly, to see her and her new baby, Jack. Both are doing well, and Jack is SO adorable. Lots of hair, and he's holding his head up like a champ after only two weeks.

 

We met up with another friend and author, Leanna Renee Hieber, at Isabo's house, and after a short visit with the new mom and baby, I had to head back to Manhattan for the rehearsal/welcome dinner. Thankfully both Stacey and Leanna agreed to chaperone me all the way back to Grand Central, even though it was out of their way. Thanks, you guys!

 

I raced the block back to the hotel, and I do mean raced. The family was supposed to meet at 7:30 in the lobby for a shuttle (or so I thought) and it was 7:22 by the time I walked out the door of Grand Central.

 

I got to the hotel, out of breath and sweaty (ew!), but no one was down in the lobby. I made it up to our room and found Greg just getting dressed. Apparently, I'd gotten my days mixed up for the shuttle, which was actually going to be Saturday, and they'd all just gotten finished with the wine and cheese hour.

 

Whew. So, I freshened up and then we took a cab over to the dinner location. In the cab, we had our first what I would call stereotypical NY experience. A woman started to walk in front of the moving cab. Our cabbie honked at her. She gave him the finger. He gave it back. She kicked the cab as we pulled away. Yeah. : )

 

Dinner was fabulous and so much fun! Even though most of us were staying the same hotel, we hadn't all seen each other yet. So it was great to be able to catch up, laugh and share stories. Greg's uncle, father of the groom, had put together this great presentation about the family, traditions, history, fun stuff. It was cool to see the old pictures and nice to be included in some of the more recent ones as well!

 

After dinner, we relocated back to the hotel and headed up to the rooftop bar again. It was really beautiful at night. Full of scammers, too. : ) Older business-type gentlemen hitting on girls young enough to be their daughters. Yeah, we had fun watching that. The girls kept pumping them for drinks and then…went home for the evening. Ha.

 

Feeling full from good food and drink and fabulous company, we finally dragged ourselves off to bed at about 12:30.