New York, New York

I'm sure there will be just short of a gazillion pics floating on blogs as the RWAers get back from conference and upload or download their cameras.

I didn't visit the Big Apple this year with the writing world, but instead toured it in March -- a bit damp -- with a group of HS students. Choir HS students. Let me start by saying, 'It's never quiet when you're with 16, 17 and 18 year-old singers. That old 'burst into spontaneous song' really does happen. Anywhere. Anytime. That aside, they were quite amazing. Unbelievably careful with each other considering how little sleep was really to be gained during the whirl-wind trip. Four days, three nights and no, we didn't stop. The first day started at 4am (time to meet the bus for departure to the airport) and ended around 11pm. Many of the little darlings hadn't slept in front of the 4am bus departure. We, supervising parents, had, however been to bed to fortify ourselves for the upcoming marathon. The choir directors were nothing short of miraculous. They not only kept going, like Energizer Bunnies, but managed to herd 39 teenagers all in the same direction. I marveled at the Herculean effort and again was reminded why my stint at substitute teaching lasted only a scant two years. It's simply exhausting.

This was my first trip alone with my youngest child, who was just short of her 17th BD at the time of our excursion. It was a wonderful adventure.

Best day . . .

Definitely the day we had 5 hours to ourselves. For those familiar with the streets of NY, we started our walk-about at the Donald Trump Tower, around 54th or 55th and came down 5th Avenue, window shopped at ridiculously expensive jewelry stores, stopped in a chic clothing store or two, enjoyed the dog-walkers and their broods and nannies a-plenty with more broods, past the NY Library, onto Macy's and it's wonderful wooden escalator, past the most decadent cheesecake known to a woman's hips and finally hit 32nd. A good stretch of the legs and we found Madison Square Garden. BTY: we were in town during March Madness, and with our lovely luck there was a game that night. Spawning Salmon have nothing on my attempt to head back uptown and to Time's Square against the surge of New Yorkers and out of towners that evening. With the subway rumbling beneath the streets and the stamp of New Yorkers by the tens of thousands, my daughter and I swam in the ambience that is New York.

Go again? You bet.

For those who enjoyed the fun of New York during the writer's conference, here's hoping your time amongst the skyscrapers was every bit as poignant as mine.