For those of you who are sick of hearing about my trips to New York (and you were spared hearing about the day trip I took on St. Patrick’s Day to see The Full Monty), you’d best skip this entry.

I decided in a very last minute fashion, that I really had to go to New York City for a couple of days during April break. I did it in a very impetuous way, just hopping on the internet and finding a hotel that might be reasonably priced (not easy to find let me tell you!) and basically in the Times Square area.

So I found a promotional rate at a hotel called The Ameritania, which was located at 54th and Broadway, right near the theater where Letterman films. The internet pictures made it look as if it wasn’t too bad, and it was listed in Fodor’s, so what the heck. $115 a night was the lowest I’d find.

I hate to pay a lot of money for a hotel. I’m only there to sleep, shower and change, so why bother to go luxurious?

I'd rather pour obscene amounts of money into theater tickets.

Theater was, of course, the driving force behind this venture. And one show in particular. "The Producers" starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.

There was so much excitement surrounding this show that it’s nearly impossible to get tickets. I figured, "what the heck", nothing ventured nothing gained.

So Tuesday morning I got up bright and early to hit the road. I left the house somewhere around seven thirty and had fairly clear sailing until just outside of Hartford, where the traffic came to a halt. There was an accident on the other side of the road, so the rubberneckers all had to slow down to peer at the mess.

Once that cleared up it was moving right along until New Haven. That was a construction delay. I don’t think there is ever NOT a construction delay in New Haven. I was relived to finally get to my exit.

I encountered a problem in New Haven, there was no parking left at the train station! This led me to have to park about six blocks away at the Coliseum parking lot (I had NO idea where I was). They claimed to have a shuttle bus to the station, but I think that was a figment of their imagination. I never saw a shuttle so I decided to walk it, trailing my electric blue suitcase behind me like a faithful puppy.

Luck was with me when I got to the train station, though, there was a train leaving in less than ten minutes and it was on a track that was easy to get to.

Amazing. I had figured that I’d have to wait a good hour to get a train.

I was again on "the train car of screaming children" which seems to be my lot in life. These four little girls NEVER stopped screaming and fighting the entire way. There were some business people in the car who were trying to make phone calls and get things done, but this was quite impossible.

It was a long, loud trip.

When I finally got to Grad Central, I decided to try a new tack when it came to getting a cab. It involved dragging my suitcase up a huge flight of stairs to reach the Vanderbilt Ave exit, but I knew that this is where most of the drop-offs happen, so I figured that it would be easiest to get a cab there. (As opposed to standing in the queue on the street as we had last summer.)

I was right. I don’t think it took more than ten minutes to catch a cab. Unfortunately the traffic through the city was really bad, and it took far longer than it should have to get to the hotel.

Once I did get to the hotel I knew my room wouldn’t be ready, so I checked in, dropped my luggage, and hotfooted it down to the St. James Theater to see if I could beg for a ticket.

Well, the line to get tickets was halfway down the block, and moving at snails pace. It took about an hour to get to the window (the guy who was in front of me gave up), but the woman who was in front of me was very interesting and we had a great conversation about the theater.

I got to the window and said, "I’m here to give you your laugh of the day, do you have a single for either tonight or tomorrow?"

"I’m not going to laugh, let me check"…..waiting while he peers at his computer screen….. "I have one left for tomorrow night (OH MY GOD!!!!!), but it’s obstructed view."

Heart sinks a tad. "How far back and is it behind a post?"

"Oh no, it’s FIRST ROW and to the side. You have to look over the edge of the stage a bit, and you might miss some of the stage left action".

I could have leapt through the window and kissed this man!

Obviously I took the ticket and fairly skipped down the street.

I had a ticket!

To "The Producers"!

The hottest ticket on Broadway!

The last preview performance! (Which means that it’s the same show that will be seen from opening night on, no more changes will me made.)

From there I went to the Times Square Visitor’s Center to see what they might have had for "two-fers". I had two more opportunities to see shows while I was there.

They didn’t have any for "Bells are Ringing", which was the other show that I really wanted to see, so I decided to go to the box office to see what was there.

I couldn’t get one for the Wednesday matinees but I could get one for that night. Seventh row center. Are the theater gods looking over my shoulder or what?

At that point I decided to go to the Village and visit the Ink Pad, which is a rubber stamp store (oh there’s a shock, I’m sure!).

This is a very small shop, crammed with all sorts of stamping goodies, and run by a really terrific woman. (I had been there for the first time on St. Patrick’s Day).

I spent quite a bit of time perusing every single item that I could find, and buying far more than I’d planned. The thing is that I continue to subscribe to the theory that you have to buy it when you see it or you may never find it again.

So I spent too much money but happily skipped with my little bag of goodies back to the subway station.

When I emerged from the subway I was on 8th Ave, so headed up 49th to get to Times Square. It was after 4 o’clock and I’d skipped lunch so I decide that I’d grab an early dinner.

I was walking up the street when suddenly, there before me was MEL BROOKS!!! I was obviously gawking, because he stopped and said "Yes, I am who you think I am". I told him that I had just gotten the last available ticket to "The Producers" and was excited to be going. He said I’d love it and laugh my head off.

Man are those theater gods ever with me!!

I went to Planet Hollywood to decompress and have some dinner.

More later…..