New York State of Mind

My first day in New York City, and my manager is sick. Being that he and I are the only ones on this job, that poses a problem. Monday morning, he basically just came to work with me just to introduce me to the CFO and get me started working. Then he went back to the hotel. I've never been left unattended like this since I started at the firm. Much less with a bunch of accented New Yorkers in a city I've never been to. Oh, the largest in the country at that. Well, after a minute of panic, it was no big deal. I figured things out. I got done what I needed to get done. I was a trooper.

Since we're at a culinary school, naturally, there was culinary (food?) to eat. I ate lunch with the CFO. Intimidating at first, but he was really cool. He gave me his little pocket map of the city and told me what to see Monday night. Oh, we also ate veal and some other weird looking stuff that tasted mighty fine. Loved it. And it was $2. Which the CFO picked up. Score!

By Monday evening, Ryan wasn't feeling any better, so I went out by myself. It was actually better that way. I was pretty much scared to go exploring on my own. They say it's safe, but I'm a Scandanavian from a small town in Minnesota, I was a little nervous. I left our hotel on 24th and 6th, intending toget to Midtown on the first subway I saw. Well, I didn't see one. I think I was a block over too far. So by the time I got to 34th Street, I decided to just keep on walking! It was mid 30s out; not bad actually.

I stopped in Bryant Park to watch some ice skaters; I wandered through Times Square and gawked like an idiot; I hiked it up to 52nd and saw the Ed Sullivan Theater - where David Letterman tapes; I saw Radio City Music Hall; finally, I went to Rockefeller Center and saw the big Christmas tree and all the ice skaters. It was pretty much surreal. To finally be in NYC and verify (to myself) that it exists beyond tv and folklore was pretty wonderful.

By the time I returned to the hotel, I'd walked for 2 and 1/2 hours. I was pretty much shot by then, but it felt good. I only saw one hobo. And I actually felt safer walking around Manhattan than I did walking around San Francisco. No idea why. Less weirdos (at least that I saw)?

Tonight we're off to Long Island for the rest of the week to audit a sister company of the one in Manhattan.

As I was walking back to the hotel last night, I couldn't help but be thankful that the $800 hotel bill (for only two nights! not even that nice of a place!), airfare, and food are being expensed. You can't beat that.

I hope to come back to New York on my own sometime and see the plethora of things I didn't get to see this time. Thankfully I hit two of the major sites. Success!