New Year is approaching

30 December 2011 - quiet day - found a laundromat - huuuuuuge and just explored the neighbourhood. I have to admit I get very nervous when I pass someone just hanging out on the street. The news broadcasts are proving that maybe I chose the wrong area to stay. I need to overcome my fears - at least 12 times I have talked myself out of going to Times Square for NYE but I know if I don't go I'll be a bloody idiot because I'll never get the chance again. Lady Gaga and Justin Beiber will be singing....lol.....another reason to stay away. hehehehe

31 December 2011 - OK - decided I definitely will go tonight. Points to ponder....

•  News broadcasts keep saying there is no "specific" terrorist threat.  (a) do I need to know this? (b) is there a "non specific" terrorist threat.
•  Also they say there will be a million people there...I always wanted to be one in a million and now's my chance :)
• They are saying there will be no toilets available...a million people and no toilets WTF?
• No cars and no back packs allowed - fair enough.
• They keep showing on TV how NOT to get pick pocketed...Doh!...too little too late
• Will need to use the subway.....hmmm.......not looking forward to that after midnight. Chances of getting a cab will be slim
• This is the third December on record  in NY that there has been no snow (others were 1877 and 2006). Snow has continued to elude me no matter where I go (a few random flakes in Aspen DO NOT constitute a snow storm *!*

Oh well...will try and catch a few zzzzzz's this afternoon so that I can stay awake during the festivities...despite any trepidation I feel I AM looking forward to crossing another thing off my bucket list :)

Dotting the i's and crossing the t's

29 December 2011 - after getting bumped from my Little Rock flight because I hadn't actually reserved a seat on the plane - even though my booking was confirmed  - I thought I better avoid this problem for future flights I have booked

• Confirmed flight to Iceland Jan 11
• Confirmed flight to London Jan13 - hmm flying on Friday 13th - not happy Jan
• Booked accommodation in Iceland
• Booked accommodation in London
• Booked a Visitor Pass to go to Ground Zero Museum in New York on Jan 2 (couldn't get in to this part when we were in New York before)

I think I have it all covered. When I went to Iceland Air site it said there was no record of the booking I made in May 2011 so I checked with Expedia and it said my booking had been deleted. Spent an hour on the phone till they finally found my booking and confirmed it - time consuming and tiresome.....sigh!!

A chilly day in New York

28 December 2011 - had a nice sleep in and got a few more outstanding jobs done. The sky cleared about lunch time so I thought I might go to the local hairdresser and get a long overdue haircut.....look like a Yeti on steroids.

Before my haircut :)

 As soon as I stepped out I wished I rugged up some more....bloody freezing and the wind cut right through me.    3 degrees C at the moment...with the wind chill factored in they say it will be minus 12 C tomorrow...I wonder of that's the max or min. hmmm.

Anyway...back to the haircut...always nervous going to a new hairdresser and this shop looked fairly basic. The lady inside didn't speak much English so I mimed what I wanted lol. When I sat down she got out the biggest pair of scissors I ever saw in a hairdressing salon. She started snipping at a 100 mph...a bit of the old Edward Scissorhands style......and I was too terrified to move as I might lose an ear...or a nose. WTF!!    Well....when she finished I took a look in the mirror expecting to see a bowling ball looking back at me and I was amazed....she had done exactly what i wanted...perfectly!!!!  And....it cost a whole $18.00!!!

The NBC news was full of doom and gloom with warnings about muggers and crooks and threats regarding Times Square on New Years Eve and a dude in Brooklyn (where I am) who's attacking women at night as they come out of the subway. I have to say..I am so sick and tired of being on my guard every minute and scared someone is going to steal my stuff or worse.  I think the two thefts so far have left me a bit emotionally scarred. :(

New York!! New York!!

27 December 2011 - Finally got on a plane at Little Rock at 5 pm yesterday. Was very small and pretty old so I was not convinced I would see the night out lol but arrived at Atlanta safely despite the pouring rain. Atlanta Airport is mind blowing - never seen anything that big before. When we got off the plane we got a bus to the terminal then walked for what seemed like miles (and probably was) through the terminal and then got a fast train that was INSIDE the terminal out to the concourse for the flight to New York - this took 35 minutes and didn't leave much time to get to the connecting plane. The plane to New York was much larger but made some disconcerting noises as it took off so as I was sitting next to the wing I kept and eye on it all the way to make sure it didn't fall off  hehehe.   I guess you could say I'm not keen on flying...it's unnatural.  When I got to New Yorl and retrieved my bag I noticed the zips weren't as I left them and there was a notice inside saying the bag had been searched (I have those padlocks that Security can also open). I don't mind them looking just wish they put things back as they found it.

I kept my eye on this engine lol

Arrived in New York at 10.30 pm and got the sky train into Penn Station and caught a cab to the hotel in Brooklyn. It seems I'm not staying in the safest area in the city but it's hard to find a place that does get a safety thumbs up so I will just take care. The taxi driver offered to turn off the meter and take me to the hotel for $40 cash....I declined and said to use the meter....cost $25. I'm learning!

Hotel is pretty good......king size bed.......big TV...what more do I need?

Bugs#1484

Ang

Kae

Ang's Ribs - I love da ribs :)

Sitting around the fire pit in Arkansas

On the move....albeit slowly :(

25 December 2011 - We "did" Christmas on Christmas Eve and I was so full of food my stomach ached.....and I think it kept expanding for several hours  after :) .......tried undoing my belt...then  my zip....then resorted to trackie daks....ah joy!!!  Thank you to the no#1 Chef - Angie - you are a superb cook - and thank you Kae and Ang for having me in your home for Christmas....we'll overlook the lack of snow for the time being.

Turkey, chicken, mashed potato, creamed corn like you never tasted before, sweet potato pie, green beans with a pecan topping, macaroni cheese, rolls, magic pie, and stuff I cant even remember and I tried them all ....twice!!!!  Oh and pumpkin pie and cranberry cake. Groan :)

Early afternoon on the 25th Kae and Angie drove me in to Little Rock as I was to fly to New York on the morning of the 26th. I stayed the night at the Little Rock Hampton Inn - what a great hotel!!  The trouble started the next morning when my taxi didn't show up - the desk clerk forgot to order it. No problem ...soon got another and booked my baggage in at the airport at 10 am only to find they overbooked the flight and I probably wouldn't get on. Was pretty pissed at that as I'd booked on line but because I didn't select a seat I wasn't confirmed. Ah well you live and you learn. They were offering $500 vouchers and a later flight to anyone who wanted to  change their flight and a couple of people did that and freed up some seats. However......I still couldn't get on and was worried about my connecting flight - was supposed to fly Little Rock to Charlotte then Charlotte to New York. AND I have hotel bookings in NY  :(  I even offered to upgrade to First Class (an extra $100) but the dopey airline lady forgot and the plane went without me grrrrrrrr.   They gave me a free flight voucher and have booked me on another flight with Delta Airlines - doesn't leave till 5 pm -  stopover in Atlanta - so I wont get to NY till after 11 pm. Not happy but what can I do? It's now 12.10 pm on Boxing Day and I am sitting in Starbucks at the Airport catching up with "stuff" on the puter and drinking coffee. It's raining outside so I can't really go anywhere so I'll just sit here and sulk for a while lol

Never mind - have my computer and my kindle so the time will fly - a lot faster than me it seems hehehe


Bugs # 1484