Mooooooooo...we were herded like cattle...

But it was all worth it. Totally worth it. I LOVE NEW YORK! I know...I'm starting to sound pitiful...but really, have you been here? Seriously. You must come. Bump out that silly vacay to Disney and come here. Despite the $15 martinis it'll probably still be cheaper than the money trap that is Disney. And there's just as many queens. HA! See? That was funny right there.

So class was class. I'm learning stuff. Whatever. After class I came back here, fixed some stuff at work, checked email...waited for 7pm to come because that's when I was meeting Lee Ann and Javier to go to the tree lighting. Now Natasha and several other people had told me "go early...these things tend to be a zoo in NYC." But Lee Ann had class, so there was no going early. "How bad can it be?" I thought to myself. Well, self...you're about to find out.

While waiting I remembered that adorable little red sweater coat in the window up the street. That would be perfect for my holiday evening, right? And it was only $20. A steal! So I hoofed it out door and went in search of my new sweater love. I can't wait for you all to see it. It's brilliant, truly. I'll be wearing it all holiday season, so you're bound to see it. I hook up with my pals and we're off. To the SUBWAY! Cha-ching! I'm now participating in the mass transit system of NYC. I love it! It completes my NYC experience. Shopping? Check. Overly priced drinks? Check. Limo ride? Check. Gay waiters? check.check.check.check.and check. Good food? Check. Mass transit. Check. Witnessing man peeing onto the street while in a phone booth AND talking on the phone? Check. Touristy tree lighting with 100,000 people? Check! When we came up out of the subway it was a wall of people. A wall. We weren't sure which direction to go. Javier wisely asked a police officer which way to the big tree. "Turn around and go back home, you'll see it on television." Said with a super thick cliched New York accent, by the way. Smart ass cop.

So we ignore him and go to where we think the tree is. There are metal barriers everywhere...you can't cross the street anywhere, you have to walk blocks out of your way just to get where you need to go. A mess. and then the way they had these barricades set up it was like we were a herd of cattle being led to slaughter. And then there was no where to go. It just stopped. We could see the sign for Rockefeller Plaza...we could even hear the music. But we were around the corner from the action, so we couldn't see anything...no tree, no lights, no stage. But from a distance I heard Taylor Hicks...he sounded great! Very fun. Slowly but surely people gave up on the cattle herd and were turning back and we inched and inched and inched our way up until finally BAM! We were in! It only took 45 minutes but I could finally see 'the tree.' Javier is on the phone with his mother and Lee Ann and I hear him say "Yeah, I'm here, I'm looking at it, it looks like a tree." Okay. Give the woman a little something! She's living vicariously through your experience and your description is 'it looks like a tree??' LA and I were dying. "What? it does look like a tree" is his only response.

I could see the stage. And I got to hear Sting and John Legend and Martina McBride and Sarah McLaughlin and Christina Aguilara. It was so great. And then the there was a countdown and the tree was lit and it was gorgeous. I have pictures...I'll share them when I get home. I really haven't been taking too many pics this trip. I guess I'm so used to taking pictures of other people when we're on vacation.

We leave the tree lighting, grab some McDonald's and catch a bus...MORE mass transit, hoorah! We head off to Proof, this karaoke bar with $1 drafts. Score! It's like being at Flannery's. We submit our karaoke songs and we're on our way. It was fun...cheap drinks, fun friends...perfect.

But then...then karaoke DJ turned into karaoke nazi. He wouldn't let me sing Bobby because he doesn't like Janis. He wouldn't let me sing Hard to Handle because people sing it all the time. Finally I said 'just play whatever you want me to sing'...we settled on Marvin Gaye. And then this little diva boy band wanna be was begging...BEGGING to sing another song. It's over. Karaoke nazi said so. No song for you. Sit down. You're not even good. Finally after talking to everyone involved with the karaoke he is granted his wish. To sing. Wait for it. 'More than words.' You're kidding me, right? And this...this is when I officially fall in love with Javier. While boy band is trying and not succeeding at belting out this sickly love song from the 90's, Javier is baritoning at the top of his lungs right.over.top.of.him. OMG. No microphone and completely oversinging him. LA and I are cracking up. Cracking up. Great moment.

So now I'm back in bed and really awake due to the DC I had with my mickey d's. And I apparently didn't have enough beer to counteract it. I think I'm on NYC overload. It's been such a great trip. And tomorrow I pack. *sniff*