Report on Day Two of Polly and Matt’s Big Apple Adventure

Friday==>I’m sorry for this somewhat delayed posting but I had an early afternoon appointment with my cardiologist that took a bit longer than anticipated. Oh ... not to worry ... everything is “fine” it just took a bit longer than I had anticipated. Details will be in a later posting.

So ... let’s get started with Day Two of Polly and Matt’s Big Apple Adventure ...

Yesterday, in the morning and early afternoon they were on a helicopter tour that started in lower Manhattan and then went all the way up to The Bronx (and Yankee Stadium) and then back. This is the awesome picture that Matt took. Notice the ice in the river ...

At 3:00pm we met up at their hotel, the Marriott Marquis at 45th and Broadway, and began the second part of their adventure.

It was still very cold out and, of course, the ice and slush was still very much present on the sidewalks and especially at the intersections and crosswalks.

We very carefully walked down to 42nd Street and then East of 42nd Street stopping along the way at Bryant Park, where I took this picture ...

We then went inside the cavernous New York Public Library for a brief look-see and then we continued our walk over to Grand Central Station.

We walked all around Grand Central at all three of its levels, including a stop at the Apple Store. I was very careful not to touch anything because, as many of you loyal and faithful readers and followers know, if Billi Pod touches anything in an Apple Store he has to buy it ... so ...

The next part of our tour was to subway down to Astor Place in The East Village, a very “in” area because of the presence of NYU and its students.

We had a brief respite at a Starbucks and then we leisurely (and carefully) walked East on St. Marks Place and over to our dining spot, the trendy pizza-themed restaurant, Nicoletta, at 10th Street and 2nd Avenue.

It was around 5:45pm when we got there and the place was virtually empty, much to my surprise. Matt took this picture of me and Polly ...

We had a nice meal. Matt and I shared a pizza while Polly (who I found out doesn’t like pizza - is she really from another planet?) had ... gasp and choke ... Eggplant Parmigiana. 

I didn’t know it was eggplant until after I had eaten the piece she INSISTED that I try. Gasp and choke ...

You know, I don’t want to digress but ... ladies ... why don’t you understand and accept the fact that real guys are physically and mentally incapable of eating EGGPLANT. If God intended eggplant to be consumed at all by humans he intended it solely and exclusively for the female of the species. What can’t you accept this? WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY????

Anyway, when we finished we did a little more walking in the area. It had gotten a lot colder and the sidewalks were very tricky.

Then ... it was time for the reason Polly and Matt had left warm and comfortable Florida to come up to the frigid Big Apple ... 

The first preview performance of the World Premiere of the Off Broadway show ...

8:00==>BLIND ANGELS - “A news reporter is taken prisoner by a group of cosmopolitan, integrated, successful, secular Muslims who are embarking on a terrorist attack. He has long relationships with two of his three ‘hosts’--one of them is his ex-fiancee and the other was his college roommate.”

The playwright is our mutual friend Dick Brukenfeld, a former reporter for the Boston Globe and Lowell Sun who was also a theater critic for the Village Voice for six years.

We met Dick and his wife Mimi just before the show was to start and, of course, they were both excited and a bit nervous.

Billi Pod’s report card==>B+

The story line is very compelling, especially since it is set in a New York apartment. The so-called “plot” is to detonate a nuclear device, obtained via the black market, after issuing a warning to the residents in the area, in order to deliver the message that weapons of mass destruction are easy to obtain so America should leave the Muslim nation(s) alone before another and larger attack happens.

The 5-person cast does an excellent job, especially Francesco Campari as Sadri the former roommate and longtime friend.

Since this was the first preview performance there were some rough edges that I know will be addressed before the official opening.

There was a good house and everyone seemed to be very much into the show.

It is playing at the Theatre for the New City in The East Village, has a running time for 1:30, with intermission, and runs through March 2nd.

When it was over we told Dick and Mimi how much we had enjoyed the show and then we headed back out into the cold. We subwayed back to Times Square via the L and E trains.

When we split we all agreed that it had been a pretty AWESOME day for Polly and Matt. They had every reason to be tired and happy.

Moving on to Day Three ...

During the day Polly and Matt will  do the Museum of Natural History, Metropolitan Museum of Art & Central Park.

Then for the evening we will attend a rock concert ...

8:00==>ACROSS THE UNIVERSE BEATLES MUSIC FESTIVAL (with Spin Doctors) - “A line-up of great bands, headlined by Spin Doctors, playing their versions of the Beatles' classics, plus their own greatest hits!” (concert - complimentary ticket)

This concert is part of the NYC FAB 50: CELEBRATING THE MUSIC OF THE BEATLES festival and is playing at The Hudson Theatre on West 44th Street.

Yes ... this is correct to those of you loyal and faithful readers and followers who are staring at your internet devices in absolute horror and total, abject disbelief==>YES, Billi Pod and Matt coerced Mizz Mounts into attending a rock concert ... read it again ... ATTENDING A ROCK CONCERT!!!

YES!!

STAY WARM EVERYONE!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>5.54 miles (or, 12,110 steps)

Total mileage for 2014==>108.78 miles (average 2.94 miles per day)

Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”