NYC Day four

After we got off the bus we discovered the uptown bus was done. Sigh. So we had our first taxi ride to get a buggy ride. It wasn’t bad really. Easy to hail as well. We loaded up and headed up. It want too far and only $4.50.


The skating rink as seen from the carriage ride.


All loaded up in the rig before we got out. It was a fun ride big we need to go back in warmer weather and daylight. It gets dark so early here - 4:30. Weird!!


My new boyfriend Billy. Sweet horse.

We learned something about where they are boarded. They are boarded in Hells Kitchen. In a four story building with ramps. They store the carriages on floor one and horses on two and three and grain on floor four. Really. And with stalls big enough for the horses to roll. Big stalls! They rotate two of this drivers horses every other day. They have four horses total and they even rotate those with only two in the city at a time. So they have good lives those horses

We hailed another cab back and it was 5.30. Not sure I looked at the one can after he flicked a switch that bumped it up a bit more. The first guy didn’t stop me, so who knows. When we were walking back to the hotel we were approached for the night bus. We decided to grab a hot drink and jump on the bus! Mom opted out her hip wasn’t doing so hot by then and she wanted to get warm. I don’t blame her!!


We on the other hand are hitting for
Punishment so hopped on the bus and enjoyed the hot drinks while they lasted and enjoyed the NIGHT bus!!


Freedom towers seen from the Manhattan bride.


Freedom tower with an edge of the oculus


Wide boulevards! And the Empire State Building (I think) in the distance.


Yep that was it!!


Glowing eyes. Scary!!

When I gig back I decided to check the temps as they were warming up a bit. But not THIS much. Hahhaha.


Well we are in Hell’s Kitchen.
Too funny. I never did get a good temp for that night.

NYC day three

Temperatures today on our adventures. It was to warm up to 40s I think.


Mom and I chillin on the bed before heading out.


Wrapped up and ready to see the sights from the top of the bus. I am double gloved and have thermals on. Scarf OVER my hood to make it warm and wind proof. It worked. I did learn however that I can’t take pictures from the top of the bus as if required me to un-glove. That was a hard nope.

Then off to the Empire State Building. The lines were surprisingly short. Could be that thee was a parade going on right outside!!

Top of the tower.














That’s our airport in the distance.


Mom and I were taking a break.


Then Janet joined us.


Heading to the NEXT level.


Where it’s outside.


On the WARM sunny side. Squinting into the sun for a selfie with the City.


Looking uptown.



Selfie on the windy and COLD side of the building (aka north side)


The parade was outside. There is a Santa in that truck!!

From there - still avoiding the traffic we headed south to China town for dinner (early) I didn’t get any pictures of dinner. We were cold and wanted a warm meal. We had hot tea. I was the only one who wanted it, but the servers didn’t really help out on menu things. I ordered sesame chicken with rice, Mom had sweet and sour chicken with rice, Linda got a mushroom soup and Janet got a pork sweet and sour over noodles. And I ordered some pork dumplings. The pork one was interesting. It was almost BBQ flavored. We all tried everyone else’s food. It was all tasty.

On the way home we picked up a variety of desserts for later that night. It was quite fun and some of it was tasty.


And with that we had an early night.

NYC day two

Friday. Janet and Linda came in at about 7am and Mom and I were still in bed. Ha!! We relaxed and visited for a bit then we decided we would get brunch at a local deli. It was a good meal and most of got good sized meals at a good price too.


Everyone crammed in.

Later in the day we got out again and bought out hop on and off bus ticket. Well worth the money to have a narrated tour of the city.

And we had pizza for out linner (lunch/dinner)


On our way home we found a CUTE cookie place for a good dessert treat later in the evening.



We bought a variety to try.
AND we found the Kinky Boots sign to take pictures in. We did debate trying to get tickets but the LINES for TKTS as too long and it was way too cold!!











Fun!


and some poop hats in a little pop up shopping area close to the hotel.


This was the temps when we headed TO the theatre.


Outside the theatre. BURRRR


The lines!!! They went to the next block. Who would have thought they could fit SO many in there??


My seat. Dang pole. Didn’t affect me too bad


Janet was at the top of the row where the man in black is standing. The ones I took with them them waving were super blurry. Needed to have my glasses on!!


Linda is way over in the other side. Just above the last of 2nd pole. The poles look doubled....

There was a funny glitch with the sound after intermission. Serious feedback at one point. Bette Middler just said she would sing the rest to us... ha! They went off stage to fix it. Came back with David Hyde Pierce saying that they would do a sound check saying “this is why we do television” ha!!


After. Happy girls. In time square.


And the other end of Times Square.


And the temps. Yeah. Felt like -8 degrees.
It was cold cold cold.

NYC day one travel day!

The girls are loaded on the bus. Mom is on the front seat. I was in the back of the bus but don’t be sad for me, I had two seats and got to spread out and actually sleep a little. Yay me!!


The lady in front of me was coughing so I masked up quickly!

We got dropped off at the pickup area for the shuttles. That’s something new. I don’t like that option. Makes for a long walk. We made it however. Got all checked in and I added the wheel chair request as I really was tired.


Here we are waiting in the wheelchair holding area. Not sure why they put is in holding - neither was the gal who came to get us through security.

Security was easy peasy in a wheelchair as we didn’t scan at all. They did the hand wipe and that was it. Could have been that I was TSA pre-check. No issues with anything then we were only at the gate for a few minutes before we were boarded FIRST. Nice! Toddled back to our seats at the back of the plane (near a potty for me). I didn’t have any issues with Audrey. She was quiet the whole ride. No gas nothing. Great!!


The lady right behind me had a cute toddler. Cute until he started banging ion the tray and shoving it closed and dropping it open while the ladies back there said NOTHING to him until the LAST 10 minutes of the flight. What a joke. It wasn’t nearly as annoying in the beginning as he was shoving in the bottom of seat giving me a massage of sorts - ha!

When we landed we got rides from the plane to pick up luggage AND to our shuttle stop. Nice guys. Then off to NEW YORK!!


And we’re on the shuttle headed in. Note the sign.

Our hotel was the Edison Hotel. Fun history is that it was first lit by electricity remotely from Nee Jersey BY Edison. Fun hu?


Out $300 a night hotel room. Ha! The Hall ways had duct tape on the carpet too. Classy. Ha! There were other similarly priced hotels in the area but all only had double beds. We needed two queen beds on this one. :).


Tiny bathroom!





Closet the same size as the bathroom :)


I sent this to Linda to tell her I was eating cookies in her bed! Ha!!

I also slept in her bed :). I did take my pillow back to my bed with Mom the next day!

They weren’t due in until about 7am anyway.

Chemo number 4

Chemo number 4 kicked my A$$ this round. I was OK during treatments just as before, but I was in training that week too - so although I worked from home. I had my treatment on Tuesday - which is new for me.

I went to an event on the day after my treatment - movies for a Pure Romance party. We saw the Bad Moms Christmas. It was hilarious! Fun night out! Felt “normal” sans the pig tagging along!

I also had one more of my lovely gallbladder attacks - can’t remember exactly when but I think it was Friday. That made 3 on that week. It was after some Olive Garden Tuscan Soup. Not sure if that was what set it off, but creamy soups and some meats were listed as no-nos. Not sure what set it off, but really over this stuff now!!

Anyway, I reported it... they just think it's gas - more on that later as I'm doing this update LATE.

I went back to class on Wednesday as well. Had two telework days in there to allow for infusion day. It all worked out.

We did a team building event to build two halves of a bridge. It was horrible! Ha!





Yeah they don’t even match even though we had a strategy meeting prior to discuss design. They went off the rail. Oh well. We passed the classes no matter.

So Saturday was my very worst day EVER in this treatment - flu like shakes and neuropathy in my feet to where the tiles felt cold no matter what - time for slippers when shoeless in the house. Fingers weren't too bad, cold water.

Very unsteady to the point of peeing my bed at one point. Sad but true. Ah the joys of chemo and the fun affects. Not. But hey there are worse things I’m sure like blowing out a poop bag or something else as equally as joyful. Ha! Roll with it. This is why I have bed protectors for a reason. The shakes only lasted one maybe two days. Sleep is all I did ALL weekend. I’m sure this will be a trend. Ok. I can handle this. I did tell the family you need to feed me in these days as my brain will NOT function period. I can’t think straight and will not think to ask for food. It just doesn’t occur to me. Hopefully they get it as I burst out crying as Butch tried to make light of it all when I was at a super low. The issue is that the low isn’t just physical. It’s emotional and it’s at your core. It makes you question what the hell you were thinking when you signed up for this. You question if it’s even worth it all. Yeah it’s bad.

But I got past it and back to school on Monday. Which left me too tired to fiction after hours. I had to still figure out shuttle from JFK to our hotel and pack and get my stuff together and plan. Yeah. Brain was still foggy to the end - Thursday was our flight out.