I am expecting this to be a long post about the trip to NYC. But, I also have a migrane right now, so I guess we'll see how much I'm up to doing...

We got really cheap-o airfare from Jet Blue to the tune of $380 for 2 people round trip. Jet Blue isn't in Houston, so we had to fly out of New Orleans, which is actually more convienent for us anyway. The airline had an arrival time in New York for 3:50pm. They got us there for 3:20pm. Can't complain about a nice flight that gets you there early AND gives you 24 channels of digital cable. Even with this beard that makes me look like the only Irish-American member of the Taliban (*Note to FBI - No, I'm not in the Taliban; I just look like it until the play is over...), we had no problems with security. Didn't even get a bag search. I was quite happy about that.

The taxi ride from JFK to our friend's house we'd be staying at was quiet. The wife doesn't travel well and took some dramamine. So she was asleep for most of the cab ride. Our friend lives in Forest Hills. Comic-book fans should realize that's where Peter Parker/Spiderman would reside. So, after relaxing, we all started on a hike through Forest Hills to find some supper and look around for the actual address Peter Parker has in the comics.

We had real Italian pizza at Nick's Pizza. For toppings, we got pepperoni as thick as your big toe and garlic slices that were big enough to look like almond slices. It was possibly the best pizza I have ever had. And while the price was high, it was well worth it.

Full on pizza, we walked around some more, partly to walk off the pizza, but also to find Peter Parker's place. And we did, but we didn't have a camera. So we made plans to get a camera and return before going home.

The next day, we headed towards the subway around 10:30am and we were in Manhattan - Times Square - for 11:15am. We talked about trying to get stand-by tickets for Letterman and the Late Show, so we walked over to the Ed Sullivan Theater. They would be giving out tickets at Noon.

We walked around for a while and ended up at Toys -R- Us in Times Square. That place is so big, there's a ferris wheel inside the store. We ended up buying some really cheap Spider-Man toys for the kids. Marked down to $2.90 from $6.99. And we also got a couple of Wonka Bars because we have yet to find any in this area.

Back at the Ed Sullivan Theater, we were just walking by and some guy with a clip board asked us if we wanted to see the Late Show that night. Sure, why not. Heh heh. The guy said we had to answer a Late Show Trivia question because it was only fair to give tickets to actual fans of the show. Whatever, I think we got our questions wrong and we still ended up with tickets. I think they must be having problems getting an audience these days. They told us to be back to get our tickets at 3:45pm.

So, we walked over the the Jeckel and Hyde Club for some lunch. The Club has a great idea - a spooky/scary theme restaurant - but it lacks in actual delivery of spookiness. They had a pyschic, who reminded us of Professor Quills and Lord Voldermort, who comes up to you and says "You have a shining aura." End the Spookiness there. And the $10 hamburger was not very good...Overall the food wasn't good. A great idea gone sour.

Back again at Ed Sullivan, we got the tickets and were told to be back for precisely 4:45pm. Precisely 4:45 pm because, in the words of the Late Show intern, "We're stupid and don't want to get confused." So we walked around some more and stopped in the Marriot Marquis (as we would several times) to use the bathroom. Walked some more and saw some of the different theaters and the marquees. Mama Mia is now playing where Cats used to be.

Anyway, we got to see Letterman tape at 5:30pm. It wasn't a very good show. Watching them tape was interesting, but the actual show just sucked. They didn't even do a Top Ten. Ellen Degeneras and Al Franken were the guests. They were fun, but it was still lacking. One of the things they did on the show was hit golf balls off of Studio 54. They were trying to break windows in the Late Show Office. I think there's something funny about the lesbian being the one to come closest to actually breaking a window. They did manage to hit a cop car though.

After Letterman, we had dinner at a diner. The Cafe Edison, and in one corner is supposed where all great Broadway deals are sealed. The big producers and directors come there to eat, drink, and get rich.

On to Studio 54 and Cabaret. We had seats front and center in the mezzanine. Really great seats considering the orchestra section had no incline so you could see over the people in front of you. The ambiance was great though. The place was jazzed up make you feel like you were attending a cabaret performance at the Kit Kat Club, not just a play. The chorus girls came out early and did their stretches. And since they were supposed to be whores, they took some shlub's money and kissed each other at his request.

Then the show started, and we were enthralled with, yes, John Stamos. Don't laugh. He was very good and was looking good, too. Jane Leeves was a good Sally Bowes, too, though I wish I could have seen Gina Gershon instead. Jane is just too bony for a corset. At the end of the first Act, the Emcee moons the audience and there it was. John Stamos' flabby butt. He needs to work on that a little. Not a bad tushy though.

That was pretty much our first full day in NYC. I think I'll stop now and give you the second day later. This is long enough as it is, and my headache is not doing well...