nyc

Yesterday we went into the city to see Harvey at the famed Studio 54, which is now a theatre. If those walls could talk, I bet the stories would be fantastic.

Beth has no qualms about driving in, so I met her and we headed into the city and found a parking lot near the theatre. It was only 10 am when we arrived. That left us time to kill.

Last fall Beth was in a horrible pedestrian accident (my worse fear as a walker)  which killed her dog, and landed her in the hospital with a smashed up knee. This would be her first serious walking outing since the accident. She went slow but steady. First stop brunch. Then we walked down to Times Square, checked out TKTS, and headed back toward 54th street.

We stopped into the Times Square Visitors Center, which is an old gutted theatre, and used their bathrooms and looked around. Saw my first real Tony, and the Centennial TS ball. Since I didn't have my camera, Beth took one with her phone and emailed me it.

About 49th she asked to stop, and we did. We leaned up against a building. I had thought she was doing well. Actually she was just being a real trooper and was in lots of pain. With no coffee shops around (what every happened to a Starbucks on every corner?) we found a bar and had a pre-show cosmo. I had hoped that sitting a while would help, but it didn't. It actually made things worse. Then we headed to the theatre. At the theatre her knee was swollen. Apparently the repairs did not go as well as expected. She's going to try and find a doctor that will put in a new knee.

It was a great show and a nice day in the city.

water review four?

Is this the fourth water? I don't remember.

When we were tripping around NYC on Tuesday, we stopped to get water at Duane Reade on our way to the Port Authority for the bus. I was hoping to get some of the artesian water I had the last time I was in the city.

At the one we were at, at 8th avenue and about 44th street, there was none in the coolers. On the floor you could buy it by the gallon and quart.

The graphic designer in me reached for the store brand spring water. The UPC code is a statue of liberty. Also available are a subway car, a skyline, and the Brooklyn bridge. All the store brand products have these UCP codes, and the are the major art work also. I was down right giddy in the trail mix aisle. My pix got awful, so I borrowed this one from a web site.

I had it in my hand and the graphic designer saw another bottle. It's a continuous label, which is what we are working on in out package design class. It's water and blackberry essence. Looks great and was cold. But really tasted like plain water, not worth the money. But then again, who wants to fill up their water bottle at a NYC public fountain?

new york city

Yesterday I played hookey from work and went to New York City. Don't tell mama. She was real into the Protestant work ethic. Playing hookey was no part of it.

I don't know how far I walked, but I walked from 42 nd to 72nd and a couple of the Avenues. Once a full trip. The second a partial. I had Sharon with me and she never rode the subway. She can now cross that off her bucket list.

Plus I stood in line, a lot. Lines for buses, lines for television stations, lines everywhere.

Alas, reality bites and I'm back at work. It's air conditioned, and my house isn't so I guess it's a good thing!

saturday in new york

Yesterday my workout was a little different. Sure I walked a bit, but more importantly I attempted to dance.

I went on a bus trip with the Girl Scouts to NYC. They were going to a dance workshop at Pearl Studios, and the musical Sister Act.  With a stop for lunch at Dallas BBQ.

As I've noted before, I can't dance. I was doing okay with the foot work, then they added hands. Ut oh. I can't do two things at once. Then they added singing. Then I sat down! Even though I was just swaying and doing the arm work, it was a bit of a workout.

We had about 40 people. There was only a couple elevators and it took awhile to get everyone up and down. Bonnie asked about stairs—Pearl was on the 12th floor—and they were locked. We couldn't add a stairclimb to our day. On the 12th floor the door had emergency exit only on it, and a panic bar to get out.

It was about a 10 block walk to the BBQ place. We went to Dallas BBQ. Food was okay, but they clearly catered to large groups. Food was pre-ordered, and out about 5 minutes after we sat down. It looked thrown on the plates. I think the kitchen had an assembly line. As soon as a plate was clear they  took it away. They were totally cleaning the tables before we left. It felt really rushed. Like they wanted to get one group out and get the next in.

Across the street was Famous Dave's. (My brother Dave makes kick-butt BBQ. He also works in NYC off and on. A double life?) They had a great sign. Being a graphic designer I would have chose Dave's.

Finally we walked thru Times Square to the theatre at 54th and Broadway, and after the show to the bus stop.

nyc here we come!

Tomorrow is the big day. Our Avon Breast Cancer Walk adventure begins. We'll be leaving Bonnie's office at 12:30. (She has to work in the morning.)

I've taken a few short walks this week, and went to Tai Chi, but other than that, I've been getting ready for the big walk weekend. I'll walk with Sharon in the morning, then get packed.

She's driving. Her first time driving in NYC. Maybe I'll end up driving her car. We'll see.

We're staying in the host hotel in Times Square. Big money, but we're splitting it in three, so it will be better. The Expo will be in the hotel. Saturday and Sunday we walk. Then we cross the finish line and come home.


Then it's over. But I'll still be walking and climbing stairs. The Wilkes Barre stair climb is March 19!

Before I have about $250 to put in my fund-raising account, and then I'll self donate the other $250. Not bad considering I didn't have a fundraiser. Just too much crap this year. I'd walk accross the country if I didn't have to raise money. I love to walk.

I'll try to blog from the event. I have my iPad. All I need is wifi.  If nothing else, I can do the write ups in notepad and copy/paste them when I get home.

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Good luck to all my friends walking tomorrow in the Philly 3-Day. There really will be a pink army out there this weekend.

a sunday in new york city

this needle and thread in the fashion district must
be the world's largest. Look how small
the worker sewing is.

 

Yesterday was the crew meeting for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. Sharon signed up for crew, so we went. The original plan was for Bonnie and I to go along and we'd walk, while she met. Beth had also signed up for crew, so Sharon would have company also.

Earlier in the week the plan fell apart. Bonnie decided not to go since she's leaving for vacation Friday. Beth dropped out of crew for personal reasons. It ended up Sharon and I on a Bieber bus in the rain.

We arrived about 9:45 and walked up to GSUSA headquarters on 5th Avenue. That's where the meeting was. Sharon checked in and we realized that the meeting was 11:45, not 11, so I made Sharon walk more. It wasn't hard walking. We looked in stores, but we kept moving.

Did mention it was raining? As the day progressed the rain got worse.

I dropped Sharon off safely at GSUSA and started to walk. I looked in store windows. I was easily distracted. I went down one street to 9th Avenue went across and came back up the next street to Lex or Madison. At one point it rained hard and I went into the NY Public Library. Okay, that was a mistake. Should have went into a department store. Someplace less tempting.

Then I went down 5th to Macy's and rode the wooden escaladors, and came back Broadway.

I made a couple calls from Bryant Park, but no one was home. I was getting really bored walking alone. Even in NYC.

So I headed to the GS office and waited in the lobby for Sharon. She came out at 4 pm. Sharp.

I have no idea how far I walked. But I slept well last night.

pooped

Bonnie and I didn't walk today. She had other plans. So I figured I'd go to T'ai Chi for a change.

When Betsy canceled yesterday and we decided to go for a long walk today after T'ai Chi. So today we did seven miles at what I think was a quick pace. I'm sure it was her slow pace. I was panting for at least 4 miles.

Basically we made a serpentine thru her development out to Springhouse Road. Up one street and back the other. Back and forth, back and forth. That was the first loop. Nearly five miles.

Then we headed out again toward Target on Cedar Crest Boulevard, and came all the way back Winchester.

By the time I got home I wanted a nap! But alas there is no time. Grading tonight, NYC tomorrow. Never got a pedometer so I'll have no idea how far I'm going to walk. Sharon's meeting is five hours.

We're considering next year to bike on Fridays instead of walk. Something different. It will also take less time!

Avon Walk--With a laptop on my back

Originally posted on my Avon Blog the day after the walk. This is a bit more permanent.

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October 9-11...with a laptop on my back

Event weekend. We left P'burg about noon, by the we gassed up, banked, and picked up everyone. We hit Brooklyn at about 2. Surprising, but traffic was heavy. The event eve party had already started.
We got settled in our room and went in search of lunch, and found Trader Joe's, came back and went to event eve. It was sort-of like Expo at the 3-Day but tons more fun. There were people begging for money so that they could walk. Some were as little as $100 short, others much farther. One lady was $1100. I wouldn't have went. We have till about Dec. 1 to get all the $ in but I guess they weren't willing to give over their credit card number to assure the donations. For $100 I would have. For $1100, no way.

We met Beth and Pat's walker buddy Tara several times thru the weekend bu the first was at Event Eve.
At event eve we collected lots of stuff. Pedometer, water bottles, blister block, hand sanitizer, lip balm (of course they were Avon), pink ribbon pins, etc.

In the hall people were hawking their wares to make their money. I bought a big button that says "blisters don't need chemo." Also bought one that says "walking chick" and one for both Beth and I that said "I'm a street walker".

I took my laptop to do my online classes. The hotel internet was $14.95. I took my lap top to all the usual wi-fi places and nobody was free. (Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, McDs, Dunkin Donuts....) I guess they don't want people hanging out all day using the Wi-Fi. When I came back to the hotel, angry, I was riding up the escalator when the light bulb went on. I'm an idiot. (but then you knew that.) Avon is in there checking people in, and registering people for next year. They had to either bring an internet connection or are using the hotels. So I sat outside the ballroom and turned on the laptop. Opened "airport" and there it was on the list. AVON1, AVON2. Now I pray they didn't ask me for a password. The 1st one did. The second one didn't. I shoot, I score, I get into class. However my cell phone died the minute I reached Brooklyn.

We went to a pub for dinner and hit the hay early. We needed to be up at 3:30 am to make the 5 am shuttle. With three people in the room it would be a challenge. It went well and we got downstairs by 4:45.

The shuttle took us to Pier 84 where bagels and orange juice awaited us. The opening ceremonies started at 6:15 and we hit the streets by 6:45. I had my laptop in my backpack. No way I was letting the gear guys have it.

This is the route for Saturday. We started at Pier 84 (about 42 street) and walked up the riverfront to about 149th street. Then we walked all the way back down to city hall, across the Brooklyn Bridge, back the Manhattan Bridge and back uptown to about 110th and then over to Randall's Island near the Tri-Boro bridge for the night.

We met up with both Pat and Diane that had done training walks with us. We walk part of Saturday with Pat.

Along the route was also the Youth Crew. Girls from 10-14 who sang familiar songs with much different words and cheered and were very perky. They had yellow shirts like ours with Youth Crew on. At camp a few had t-s on that said the "Itty Bitty Titty Committee" I didn't get a pix.
We stopped in Brooklyn, about 18 miles, and bussed it to Randall's Island. The route closed at 6:15 and we heard Diane was still out there. She refused to come in. Sounds like me if I was alone. (Although I think if they said get in the van I would have. At Koman you get disqualified for not following the rules.) They had a van follower her and eventually a police escort. She did all 26 miles and finished at 7:30. Last I heard she had feet full of blisters and started walking on again Sunday. She was finishing come hell or high water. Fool.

I loved camp! podiatrist, PT, chiropractors, yoga, massages and 5 SHOWER TRAILERS (filled with Avon products. The pink shower gel was nice. I wonder if the boys got pink too?). No lines!. So I showered, and had my first chiropractors visit (fun!), a massage (1st time, fun!), and then I did the machine-foot massage in their tent (2nd time-fun!). A couple of Boy Scout offered to set up my tent. I resisted the urge to say scram, and said sure. Why not. Took three tents before we got one that wasn't wet and had poles. Didn't get to take a yoga class.

FYI Avon's blister block is great. Might have to order some. So is their vanilla hand sanitizer available at every rest stop 2.5 miles apart. Food was so-so.

Sunday we got up about 5:30 showered again, took down the tent and found what looked like litter. It wasn't. It was a ribbon to wear, that pixies delivered to certian tents during the night. It represented that every 3 minutes someone is diagnoised. We decided to share wearing the ribbon, but I wore it the whole time. Apparently they were also given out on the room. By closing there was lots of them.
We ate breakfast and hit the streets. We left the island and were going around Central park. All of it. We had to deal with lots more traffic and a lot more stop start. At one point a woman (not a walker) fell down the steps of a store and was in the middle of the sidewalk, face down. Our little medical car radioed for help (good thing he was there...karma, it's a good thing) and stayed with her until the ambulance came. The walkers had already covered her with mylar blankets. Someone said she looked like she was having a seizure coming out of the store.

We stopped walking at lunch time. Beth's feet really hurt, so when the bus drove us to the finish line we cross the line, took our victory pix, and she headed for the medical tent.

So for me it was a good training walk. For Beth it was a personal best.

Koman, here I come.