Lessons in NYC: Day 3

(This entry is part III of a series of blogs on my NYC adventures. Initial blog post is http://bit.ly/ODK6SE)

Enjoying a sangria while my room is being cleaned

I first need to come clean by letting you know that I went back to the noted "amazing" deli last night before calling it a night. I was intrigued that it was open 24 hours and a mere steps away from the front door of my hotel. As I sat in bed responding to e-mails, I kept visualizing the fresh fruit that lay delicately in the deli cooler bins. The urge to purchase and consume the noted fruit felt a bit like a late night visit to my home refrigerator and a step above visiting a college basement vending machine. So after a short walk to the elevator and down six floors, I found myself in the quiet hotel lobby dressed in my jammies and flip flops. And anyone who knows me also knows this to be a cardinal sin. I have strict clothing rules that follow the premise of always taking dress a notch above expectations. This rule does not include jammie shorts and a NU Tee outside the privacy of my home/hotel room. No doubt that I have lost my forty-something self into the belief that I am temporarily twenty again.

Instagram pix showing my NU alliances intermingling with NYC

The deli was hopping at 11:00 p.m. as was the busy NYC street. I have to sadly admit that a rough looking man running across the street towards me hastened my pace a bit. As I nervously heard Garrett's words "be careful!" ringing through my head and seeing the man's shadow out of the corner of my eye, I quickened my pace even more. Realizing that the shadow was now in the deli as well, I was soon relieved to find that his intended victim was only a Mountain Dew. He had no interest in a jammied Midwestern gal.  With a purchase of some grapes and water, I fulfilled my late night craving and made the short walk "home". Success.

Day 3 began just like Days 1 and 2. A cup of coffee from the lobby and then a right turn out the hotel doors towards the News Corporation building a mere block away. Being a creature of habit (who owns the fact of enjoying small routines), I stopped by my same vendor stand for an egg sandwich. The man with the heavy New York accent was nice. I noted right away that the price of the breakfast sandwich went up from a $1.50 the day previous to $2.00 today. With uncertainty on the economic shift, but with respect for his entrepreneurial nature, I ordered the same sandwich. "Salt and pepper, today?" he asked with a hint of recollection. "Sure. Thanks." I now denote myself as an official patron.

Class was again intense with much detail into the workings of our economic structure and the resulting effects on business values and sales prices. I have befriended Josh, a CPA from New York. Josh is no more than 33 years old and a cross between Adam Sandler and one of Tony Soprano's "guys". We had taken the elevator up together on Day 1 and he has been sitting two to my left (the Puerto Rican gentleman sits between us). Josh is a straight shooter leaving no doubt to the other class participants that he is from New York. On Day 2, he asked Mr. Puerto Rico if he was bothered with the number of questions he asked. Mr. Puerto Rico just smiled and shook his head (I don't think he understood the question). Josh didn't miss a beat in responding "Well, as much as I paid for this damn class, I'll ask as many questions as I want!" And, yes, he does ask a lot of questions, but ends each question with a "thanks". I like Josh. Despite the roughness that goes with his East Coast accent, he is very polite and enthusiastic to learn (see how I quickly flip back the the forty-something mom???).

Josh and I took the same elevator down together after class today as we discuss options for exam review in the fall; self-study or an on-site course similar to the one we are attending? Based on my research, I encouraged Josh to attend one of the on-site sessions. He responded with no hesitation, "You must have a lot of money. I can't afford all these classes!" Taken a bit aback, I explain that we have an education budget at my firm and I don't typically take this much continuing education that requires travel. Josh ignores my comment and goes on to tell me that he parked a mile away to save $10 in parking and that he was on his way to have dinner in Brooklyn with his mother for her birthday (awwww......), but had a dilemma as he needed to go bearing a gift and he had none at the moment. "A fake Coach purse?" I offer as I look at a street vendor begging for our business. Josh frowns at me as I am keenly aware now that I am truly a tourist. After a smile and exchanges on good wishes for the night, I head to my temporary home at The Muse.

The lobby of The Muse at Happy Hour

I don't think I stated this fact in my prior blogs; The Muse has Happy Hour each night from 5-6 with complimentary wine and sangria. Today I needed to get my workout in (that routine thing...), so I had to bid farewell to Josh in order to hit the elliptical for 30 minutes and still make Happy Hour (whew!). That I did, but unfortunately there was a minor roadblock as my room was missed for cleaning and half of my "New Yorker" from the night before was sweltering in my trash can. So....of course, I didn't miss Happy Hour and  instead choose to pick up my complimentary sangria sweaty and stinky while my room was cleaned (thus the picture above). Stink obviously doesn't bother New Yorker's as they brushed by me on the busy street as though I was still dressed in my "corporate uniform" of the afternoon.

So now my room is clean, Day 3 of classes is complete, and Josh is somewhere in Manhattan presenting to his mother some meaningful, but inexpensive birthday gift. I, on the other hand, am meeting an old friend for dinner. He asked that we meet at 7:45 which entails a cab and no doubt, great cuisine (my handsome New Yorker friend is a food snob...a good thing by my estimation!). Dinner at 8???  Back to feeling 20-something again? Yep! Off to meet Dr. Hansen. More to come tomorrow...