Sunday, June 24th
Rita called the desk the night before to give us a wake-up call, so we were down to the lobby at 9 AM to say good-bye to Linda, James, and Mary, who had to get back to Rhode Island before their "limited spare" gave out.
Dana called her friend Marty to help get the rest of us out to the World War II restaraunt in Long Island. We had a lovely brunch there, and also had our Fanfiction Awards Ceremony. I didn't win anything (I only had three stories nominated, none of them all that good, especially compared to the winners), but I congradulate those who did win! We had some really good stories this year! We went around back to the area where the older planes were kept after brunch. I hope the pictures I took came out all right. I was at the end of my film by then.
We stopped at a small farm stand in Long Island on the way back to Queens. Youngs Farm wasn't all that different than some of the farm stands where I live, so I didn't buy any produce. I did get my mom a cute sign that said "Free Weeds - Pick Your Own" and a fan with the American flag printed on it. We dodged traffic on the freeway and took scenic back roads into Queens.
After we got back and Dana and Alan went to take Suzanne to the airport, Rita and I said good-bye to Di (who had a taxi waiting for her) and tried to figure out what to do with ourselves. We thought about going to Manhattan and seeing a show, but we discovered that no shows run on Sunday night. Dana solved our problem by inviting us to come with her, Alan, Julia, and Britt to Eddie's Sweet Shop, where we were supposed to go on Friday night. It was a really nice little place, with a real, working old-time cash register. I had a Chocolate Egg Cream (a drink made from syrup, soda, and half-and-half) and it was wonderful. I love egg creams. I also sampled a bit of Julia's vanilla when she decided she was tired of it.
Rita and I said good-bye to Dana and Britt at that point. Dana needed to give Julia a bath and had to work the next day, and Britt had to catch an 8 PM flight. We walked up and down the street and eventually sat on a bench across from Eddie's, waiting for Alan to pick us up.
After we got back to the hotel, we declaired "girls' night in". I watched the final fifteen minutes of Chicken Run on HBO and Rita took a shower. We both spent the last hour before we went to bed reading quietly.
Monday, June 25th
I saw Rita off the next morning. She had to catch a 10 AM flight. I could have stayed at the hotel longer, but I wanted to go back to Manhattan and do a little shopping (something we didn't do much of Saturday night). She got on the shuttle to the airport and I walked across the street to eat a quick breakfast at McDonald's and hit the subway to Manhattan.
It was about 9 AM when I got into Time Square. Most places weren't open yet, but I found a lovely little newsstand that sold every magazine in the world, and many different newsspapers as well. I bought my mom the Monday copy of the New York Times. (She's always complaining that the Press of Atlantic City doesn't carry enough world news.) I left the newsstand and wandered up Times Square a bit, passing by the Ford Center for the Performing Arts (home of the hit 42ND STREET revival), the New Amsterdam (THE LION KING's den), and the New Victory Theater (a children's theater that, according to Fodor's, is even older than the New Amsterdam).
HMV Music had just opened, so I explored there a bit. I bought a CD of music from several movies, including an Alice Faye vehicle (YOU CAN'T HAVE EVERYTHING) and the only movie that Al Jolson and Ruby Keeler ever starred in together (GO INTO YOUR DANCE), neither of which are avalible on video.
I wandered through the Warner Bros. Store after that. Didn't buy anything there, but I got a kick out of some of the posters, which parodied hit Broadway shows (GREASE as SLICK, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA as I'M SCREAMING AT THE OPERA), New York institutions ("Barney's of New York" showed Barney Rubble decked out in a pre-historic tux), and classic Warner Bros. films ("Seargant Pork" was particuarly cute).
I made my way back down 42nd Street to the Port Authority after that. It was getting crowded and I was happy to duck into a shop and buy a colorful ethnic bag to use as a carry-on for the bus, then head across the street to eat a quick lunch of fruit salad and Pepsi and explore the Port Authority Bus Terminal before finally getting my ticket and finding my way back to the NJ Transit gates. I got to the gate just in time to load my bag in the bottom compartment of the bus and get on. The bus ride both ways was fine, with no traffic at all.
I'm glad I took this weekend off from work! I had a wonderful time. It was so nice to be able to share my love of WENN with others face to face!
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