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August 13, 2011:

NEW YORK STORIES

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, I’m beginning these here notes high in the sky on my way to New York, New York, the city that never sleeps. I have my extra leg room seat so I’m happy, although I’d be happier if I was closer to the front of the plane. All the extra leg room seats on Jet Blue are in rows one through five, except for one other row – row 10. Normally, it is never a problem getting the aisle seat in rows one through five, but when I made my reservation three weeks ago all the aisle seats were taken. So, I got row ten. Any other flight at any other time had all the leg room seats available. If you saw the cretins sitting in those seats, the ones who happened to grab each and every aisle seat over three weeks ago, you’d just say, “It figures.” I don’t mind row ten at all – it’s just that it will take much longer to get of the plane, which is annoying, since I can usually manage to be the first one off the plane. I have the row 2 aisle seat coming home. The good news is that the middle seat in my row is empty, so that’s enjoyable.

One amusing thing happened: They let the extra leg room passengers board first, so I was first on and got my one and only bag, my laptop, and my coat up in the bin, just the way I like it. Later, a guy who’d been really annoying at the flight desk, basically whining because Jet Blue wasn’t going to serve him a meal (what rock has he been hiding under) and going on and on about it – well, he’s carrying a hanging clothing bag. Most of the overheads are empty, but this whiner goes to MY overhead been, takes my coat and begins to move it. THEN he turns to me and says, “I hope you don’t mind if I move your coat.” I said, “Actually I do mind – there are glasses in it and I want it exactly where I had it.” He looked at me with whiny eyes and found somewhere else to put his stuff. I’m sure he feels he’s entitled to put anything he wants anywhere he wants – he found out differently.

I had some blue potato chips. I didn’t think they were too good. We are having a spot of turbulence right now.

The turbulence came and went throughout the flight. The Turbulence Came and Went – that’s the title of my next novel. We arrived on time and then I got a cab. I was expecting horrible traffic on a Friday afternoon, but after we passed La Guardia, it wasn’t bad at all. The hotel looked a little non-descript from the front – nothing that really read hotel, just two glass doors. I went in looking for the front desk. There was no front desk. I saw a little cubby-hole office and went there. That was where one checked in, which I did. They were ready for me, already had my key, I didn’t have to re-give my credit card number – they just took me up to my second floor room.

All fears past when I saw the room – a very nice-sized affair with some walking around room. Also, a little patio with a table and chair. A huge bed, a great bathroom with a large walk-in shower – the hotel is less than a year old. The only downside is lousy cell phone reception – otherwise I was very pleased. I unpacked, answered e-mails and made a couple of telephonic calls. Then I headed out at about seven-thirty.

I took a brisk walk to Times Square. I walked each block from 44th up to 53rd, traveling from Broadway to Eighth or Eighth to Broadway. I was a little taken aback by how many theaters were dark and how little interest I had in seeing any of the shows that were still open. As to Times Square, I don’t even know what I’m seeing anymore. It’s like a mutant Times Square, an alien Times Square, a Disneyland Tokyo Times Square. I hate the tables in the middle of the street. I cannot stand that there is not one single movie theater left. I hate all the Blade Runner videos. The tourists are completely different than the tourists of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. It’s just not the Times Square I knew and loved, and all the cleanliness and Disneyworld of it all has nothing to do with New York.

I got to Joe Allen at 8:30 and elmore arrived a little after that. We had a grand time catching up and dishing the dirt. My friend David Wechter, who’s in New York producing a new reality TV show, joined us at about 9:15, and then Mr. Barry Pearl joined us at 10:45. David and Larry left, and Barry and I talked about lots and lots of stuff, and about our shoot on Monday and Tuesday. Then I jogged back to the hotel. I didn’t overeat, so that was good, considering this was the first day in seven weeks that I didn’t do the long jog.

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because it’s getting late and I’m getting tired and I have a long day and evening ahead of me.

Today, I shall be up by ten and I’ll either do a jog right then, or I’ll wait and go to the gym later in the afternoon. Frankly, I’d rather get it out of the way and may do the morning. At noon, at least one of the cameramen and I are having a production meeting, and we’ll talk through the scripts, the kinds of shots and coverage I want to do, and basically lay out how the day will go. After that, I may meet up with David Wechter for dinner, and then I’m seeing Follies, after which I’ll visit backstage. Whether I go out after that is anyone’s guess.

Tomorrow, I’ll definitely do an hour on the treadmill at the gym – one has to go two blocks away to a real gym – it’s not in the hotel. We get a day pass. Then I may try to catch a matinee and then sup, but I’ll be in for the evening planning shots and getting rest. Monday is our long shoot day and a very musical one, and Tuesday is our short shoot day. Wednesday morning, bright and early, I shall be on my way back to Los Angeles, California.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, get some sort of exercise, I must have a production meeting, I must sup, and I must see a show called Follies. Today’s topic of discussion: New York Stories – have you been to New York? When was the first time? What are your memories? Did you see shows? Tell us everything. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland thinking of the Old New York.

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