Day 8: Friday November 12, 2004

Around 6am I woke up from what could only be called a light doze. Maybe it was the cup of coffee with dinner that kept me going all night long? Somehow I think not. Why is it that I cannot sleep for more than a few hours at a time in this city? I lie in bed for another hour and a half, and decide to finally make my free breakfast downstairs. As I get dressed, I notice a pitter patter outside the window. Can't be rain, can it I wonder. I look outside my window with my NY view of a brick wall and see rain falling down, much harder than I realized. At 8am I head downstairs, thinking I am early for breakfast, but it is a weekday, and there is a short line waiting to get into the restaurant. I am seated relatively quickly in a small corner table and pick the bench seat. A young British couple are seated next to me. The guy has long sideburns chops, and the woman has straight blonde hair, wears glasses, all black and is as thin as can be. The free breakfast consists of coffee, OJ, bagels and yogurt, but I am hungry from not having slept much, so I order eggs and chicken apple sausage. I eat my eggs, but only half my sausage as the grease starts to sink into me, and I'm afraid I might feel sick. I look through my book for things to do around midtown, but feel at a loss to figure out anything else. I leave the restaurant. By now there's a long line going down the stairs waiting for breakfast. I bring a cup of coffee and an apple back up to my room. I finish packing the rest of my things, and think I really need to buy another bag to fit some of this stuff I've bought. The rain is pouring outside, and I have not brought a raincoat with me. I find a felt hat I've brought with me and put it on. It's just past 10am, and I head out to The House of Oldies.

The House of Oldies
I leave the hotel and walk a block to the Duane Reade drug store and buy a small umbrella. I choose the smallest one, a red and white I LOVE NY umbrella to match my red wool swing coat, which is dripping wet by now. When I open it up after I leave the store I realize the umbrella is cheap and flimsy, and I make a note to myself to buy a more expensive model next time I do this. But it serves its purpose, and I find my way back to Carmine Street where the House of Oldies is located. Most stores in the Village do not open until past 11am, but his hours are posted as 10am-5pm, and at 10:15am, he is open. The House of Oldies only sells vinyl - there are no CDs sold in this store. I enter and am immediately struck by how warm it is. The store is a long rectangular shape, lined with rows of albums on one side, and 45s and album covers on the wall. A small man probably in his 60's sits in the back behind the counter. "Hello," I say loudly as I enter. "Wow, it's warm in here!" "Welcome to Manhattan's finest establishment!" he says as he greets me. I tell him I've heard this is the place to come to if I'm looking for a record, and he says, yes that's true and what am I looking for. So I say, The Kinks' Sunny Afternoon 45, to which he says, "Yes, I believe I have that." Wow, really? I get excited and wonder if that is true. He looks in a binder and opens it up to the Kinks page and says, yes he has it, and goes to the wall of 45's behind the row of albums, and reaches into the K section and pulls out a stack of 45's. I tell him that it's really the b-side I want, and I want the 1966 edition of the single. He spends some time looking through the stack and I look around the store, wondering what other lost piece of vinyl I could possibly want, but can't think of anything. Success! He has the single! I can hardly believe it! He says it's $20 - costs more than most 45's in the store, but he's not trying to rip me off. I know the blue book value is $15, but I don't feel like haggling with him, so I agree to the price. He asks me if I am going to pay cash and I say yes, so he waives the sales tax. He also shows me one of Joel Whitburn's Billboard Top 1000 Singles (1955-1987) books - one that I am quite familiar with, having used it as a research tool when I was the Program Director of KLLK radio back in the 80's. We look up the Kinks single in it and verify the number of the record. It's the real deal. I buy the book for $10, tax-free. It's one of those geeky reference books a music fanatic gets into. The man tells me his name is Bob (Abramsom), and shows me how he was featured in a magazine recently (I can't remember which one now), and shows me a copy with his photo in it. I kid him about the Yankees baseball cap he's still wearing and make a joke about him wearing it in the shower. I don't know what the guy at Bleecker Records was talking about. Bob is as friendly as can be, and it's a pleasure for me to shop in his store. He wraps my purchases in a plastic bag, and I leave his warm store.

Back out in the rain again. I head back to my hotel, but stop by Le Pain Quotidien where I had breakfast the other day, and pick up a jar of that delicious Brunette Belgian Parfait spread. I walk around a bit looking for a store where I can buy a duffle bag to put my new purchases in, but have no luck so go back to my hotel. It's still pouring rain.

Back in my hotel room, I cram everything in my suitcase and take out my additional overcoat so I can zip up my suitcase. There is no doubt about it. I need another piece of luggage. I lug everything downstairs and check out. I am sad that I am leaving the Washington Square Hotel and the Village, but I have no choice. I catch a cab to head midtown where my next hotel is. It's about noon now, and the traffic is horrendous. Must be the rain. I chat a bit with the cab driver - he tells me about his ex-wife and kids. We move slowly up towards midtown. Finally we arrive at my new destination - The Hotel Metro, just a block from Herald Square, Macy's and the Empire State Building.

Hotel Metro
I've already called the Hotel Metro to request an early check-in and they say yes, they can accommodate me. I check in and they assign me a room on the second floor. How convenient, I think, and as I arrive at my room, I realize I can practically see it from the lobby. I look across the hall and recognize the artwork on the wall closely resembling the cover of a B-Movie single from 1982 Nowhere Girl. I'm a little stunned as I had no idea that artwork came from a famous painting. I unlock the door to my room and drag in my suitcase. The room is much bigger than the Washington Square Hotel, and even has a small refrigerator. It's decorated in an art-deco style, and although it's decent, it doesn't have the same charm of the Washington Square hotel. The closet is large and has a light in it, which I find very cool for some reason. The bathroom is pretty decent sized as well. I really can't complain. I unpack a bit and get settled in. Then I head out to get some lunch.

Midtown is such a different feel from the cozy Village. The Metro is located on West 35th Street and is literally 1 block away from Herald Square and Macy's. It's a Friday lunch hour and it's bustling. I decide to stop at a Korean retaurant for lunch. I order what I think is a Korean version of Sukiyaki (one of my favorite Japanese dishes), but it really isn't the same, or all that similar at all. Still it's not bad, and I like that Korean food always comes with these additional little dishes like pickles and fried potatoes with your meal. I order tea and it comes in a tall stainless steel pot.

Macys - Herald Square

After lunch I head off to Macy's. I love the Macy's in New York City. It's big and old and feels like it never ends. Even though it's only early November, Christmas is alive and well at Macy's. Christmas lights shaped like a tree adorn the outside, and inside large lighted wreathes arch over the main floor. I head to the bag department looking for a Sport Sac duffle bag, but don't find anything large enough. I think I must check out the luggage department and take the escalator. Macy's has many of those rickety old wood escalators. I love all the wood in them, and can't think of another store I've been in that has these kinds of old escalators.

I first go down to The Cellar, as they always have things there that I like. This time, it's an RCA all-in-one stereo system that catches my eye. It's made to look like an old victrola, and it comes complete with a 3-speed turntable, CD player, AM/FM radio, line-in and speakers all contained in one unit! I love the look of it, and the sale price is $199, $100 off! I ask if they ship, and they tell me I can order it from their website. There's also a retro-futuristic TV/DVD-player sitting next to it. It's all very Flinstones meet Jetsons. But I pass on everything, and head upstairs. The luggage department is on one of the top floors, so I ride the escalators all the way up. I browse the luggage department and find several possibilities for my extra bag, but I can't figure out which one I like best. I'm tired from the lack of sleep and decide that it's not a good time for me to be shopping, but that I could badly use a nap instead. I leave Macy's and am in the middle of Herald Square. A huge Wonderbra ad stares at me in the face. It's Friday afternoon and the city is bustling now. It's still pouring rain and traffic is loud and busy. I cross the street and head back to my hotel, where I climb into bed and try to fall asleep.

The problem with my hotel room is that it's on the second floor, and overlooks the front of the hotel, right onto W. 35th Street and I can hear all the noise of the street in my room. I try to nap, but can't sleep. Maybe it's the noise, maybe it's just me on this trip. So I get out my computer. Unlike the Washington Square Hotel, the wireless signal is strong here, so I lie in bed checking my email. Someone has sent something saying the Scott Peterson verdict will be aired at 1pm Pacific! That would be 4pm Eastern. I look at my watch - it's almost 3pm. I turn on the TV to CNN. Aside from the time I watched the movie "Thirteen" on TV with Sarah in Chicago, this is the first time I've watched TV, as I've purposely stayed away from it on my trip. I tune to CNN and start watching. They're saying Mark Geragos is not there and may not be able to make it back in time for the verdict. I lie in bed wathing the TV coverage, but, as when the media over-covers an event, they really don't have much to say, and I fall asleep.

The Scott Peterson Verdict
I wake up - it's a bit after 4pm and the verdict has been announced. I look at the TV showing a photograph of Scott Peterson with the word GUILTY being flashed on the screen. I gasp. There is a live audio feed from the courtroom, and I hear the judge talking. Then the court clerk comes on and one by one polls the jurors, asking them if they indeed did return the guilty verdict. One by one they answer yes. Many of them with complete confidence and assurance. It is eerie to me listening to them being polled. Was it really that clear to them that he committed these double murders? What was it that happened in that courtroom anyway that made them so sure? The judge comes back on and tells the jury that they must come back for penalty phase the week of Thanksgiving. In the meantime they still cannot discuss the case. What agony to be on this jury! Then CNN starts interviewing Christopher Darden and Marcia Clarke. Darden looks much older, whereas Marcia Clarke looks much better than she did during the OJ trial when she had that perm and dark, dark bags under her eyes. I can understand why they would interview these two laywers, but then they have that stupid juror who was thrown off the trial, Justin Falconer on. Thank goodness his 15 minutes of fame is finally over.

I'm all riled up about the Scott Peterson verdict and call Rick to talk to him about it. He hasn't been watching it and doesn't really care much. I guess because I've been away and not on top of the news for the last week, I'm not as fed up about it as everyone else. Now that I'm up and amped, I decide to go back out. I need a new pair of pants. I've only packed 3 pairs of jeans for this trip and they all feel like they're sticking to me when I wear them. It's still raining outsdie, and right in the thick of Friday afternoon commute. I head off to the Gap which is right in Herald Square. I like buying jeans at the Gap - they're basic, they're comfortable, and they fit, which all works for me. It's a large store and the women's department is downstairs. It's busy and filled with shoppers. They're playing good pop music which makes me want to stay there - Everything But the Girl's "Missing", Nick Lowe's "Cruel to Be Kind", David Bowie's "Blue Jean", Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner"...and more I can't remember. There are so many pink items, and I am drawn to that color so I can't help but try on some pink clothes. I end up choosing a dusty rose pair of velvet pants, and a light pink-striped long sleeved T-shirt.

I head back to Macy's where I was earlier in the day and buy a duffle bag to carry all the stuff I've acquired on this trip that will not fit in my suitcase. Mission accomplished! I have no need to shop for anything anymore, and head for the cafeteria at Macy's which is nothing special, but it's right there, and I have a soup and sandwich for dinner before heading back to my hotel room.

It's late evening now, and I call Therese and we plan to meet tomorrow at Columbus Circle, where the Samsung Experience is - a place that is not a store, but a showcase of Samsung technology, some in the present, some in the future. She had sent me an article about it a month ago, and I'm always excited by new technology, and am dying to see it. I ponder what to do the rest of the night. I had thought about going to see The Alarm, a band that I fondly remember from the '80's, who have recently reunited and are playing 2 shows this weekend in NYC. I saw them on the VH-1 show "Bands Reunited" not too long ago, and was reminded of how much I like them, although "68 Guns" has never been a favorite of mine, I do love other songs like "Absolute Reality," "Marching On" and "Rain in the Summertime". But the rain in the winter here in New York won't let up and it's cold, windy and brutal outside. I resign myself to the fact that I will probably be better off not staying out late tonight and instead search my iPod for any Alarm songs I might have. I'm in luck - I have "Absolute Reality", so I just listen to that instead, and fall asleep around 11pm.

Next > Day 9: The Samsung Experience