Mornin' from the Wet Apple. It's disgusting outside. My jeans are soaked through from the rain and wind - and I've been inside for almost 2 hours now! Thank goodness it didn't rain like this last week for all you travelers out there in the dark. I suspect your trips would have been a tad miserable.
Last night I went to a concert with a friend from work. He had an extra ticket due to a last-minute back-out and didn't want to go by himself, so I went. The artist was Mr. Jamie Cullum - a British jazz-rock singer. The performance venue had no seating, so we stood for nearly four hours (and that's after standing in line for an hour just to get in!), and as my friend is quite wee, we were right up front...about 10 feet from the speakers. I hate to sound like an old man, but...it was WAAAY too loud for my taste (louder than anything you've EVER heard in a Broadway theatre) and all of Mr. Cullum's songs started to sound the same after about an hour. And I was miffed once I got in, anyway. The security guy required me to check my bag, which is no big deal. As a bag/coat checker myself, I understand these things and make it a point not to make an ass of myself when required to check things, but then the coat check guy demanded I pay him $1.50. WHAT!?! You do NOT require people to check items and then CHARGE them for it! Not even the money-hungry Met Opera does that! I can understand charging if someone CHOOSES to check an item, but to be required to cough up $1.50 is ridiculous. And, sadly, I had spent my last bit of money on dinner, so I had no money with me and Russell had already gone up to save us a spot on the floor. I explained my situation to the security guard, who looked at me like I was stupid and said, "I don't understand - you don't have $1.50?" At that point I lost my temper and snapped back, "What part of that don't you understand? I don't have any cash on me - I spent my money on DINNER!" The jerk actually made me leave and walk three blocks to an ATM. I will not be returning to the Irving Plaza any time in the future.
I love circuses. But I love zoos more.