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December 06, 2001
Okay, well I have decided
Okay, well I have decided to try again (this time in Word first!).
On Wednesday (November 28th) night I made my way to Kambri's work to catch a glimpse of the Lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. An experience that started out to be quite harrowing. Getting there was a chore let me tell you. I got off work at 5:30pm and then made my way on the subway to 6th and 50th street thinking I would just cross over to 5th avenue. I had my faxed security letter with me so I didnÕt think I would have too much of a problem getting there.It was only 6:00 by the time I emerged from the subway with the Champagne and Hummous I had bought from the corner deli for the celebration feast. Oh how foolish I wasÉand not very NY savvy.
There were about a million people crowded around 3 blocks. People were everywhere and 51st, 50th and 49th streets were closed because of the festivities. I had to keep going down the block to try the next street. Foot traffic was at a virtual standstill. I remember promising myself to NEVER get sucked into this maddening tourist-y thing again. I saw a number of people with babies and strollers. Now this was apalling on many levels: First of all these strollers were pretty bulky and most often the people pushing them were very passive when it came to moving forward. So I was frequently parked behind them whilst huge crowds of people were moving the opposite direction. I was very close to giving up and going home. Then I started to chill out when I heard a woman cussing at another person. Ironically, her crude manner brought home to the whole point of lighting trees and ringing in the season. Secondly, I canÕt imagine taking a baby, who will never remember a lit tree (if one were lucky enough to find a place to stand where you could actually see the tree) to a crowded outdoor festivity where there were a lot of frustrated people in a pretty aggressive atmosphere. Those babies I saw did not look like they were having a good time and whatÕs more under the best of situations, they wouldnÕt have cared about the tree one way or the other. Note to self: Never be foolish enough to put my future children through something like that because it will make me feel good. Finally, I was able to make my way across 48th street and onto fifth. Getting to the building was relatively easy after that. I showed my info and ID to the cops at the door and to the security guard and discovered I was in the wrong building. My destination was next door. The doorman must have seen the look on my face at the thought of braving the street crowds because he told me I could go down to the basement level and cross there. I did so- briefly bypassing what I think was one of DestinyÕs Child (ren) critiquing the Harlem Boys Choir.
Once I got to the right building, it was nothing but fun and festivity. KambriÕs company has a conference room on the third floor with a view of the unlit tree, the ice rink and the big screens on the other buildings that will televise the events. We could go to the second floor to view the side stage where Jessica Simpson, DestinyÕs Child and John Cougar Mellencamp performed. Kambri, her boyfriend Marc, and I hobnobbed with KambriÕs coworkers and feasted on Champagne, Wine, Hummous, pretzels and Wheat Thins. The performances were pretty fun to watch. It was also neat to watch the behind the scenes business too. We were all shocked to see performances by Tony Bennett, the Rockettes and some skaters on the telly but not on any of the stages! ThatÕs right. They were pre-taped performances. What a crock!
But even with that anomaly, the evening was perfect except, as it turned out, for Laura Bush. We were not allowed to open the windows at all because she was about and the Secret Service feared some sniper might try to shoot her. I would have just as soon have somebody with less cache, more pinache, and less security light the tree but oh well. (I was a lot more vitriolic about this issue in the first draft but decided to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative---to any secret service: I mean that in the nicest way possible.)
About ten minutes before the actual tree lighting we went down to the lobby. Hector, KambriÕs doorman, got us outside next to the performers stage(where Jessica Simpson etc performed). We had a straight on view of the tree and were about 6 feet away from the stage. There were some women next to us who were none too pleased that we ended up in front of them and in a prime spot without the appropriate pass. I know this because they tried to sick the police on us. We told the police that Hector, the doorman brought us out there and they nodded and went on about their business. ÉI wonder who those women knew to get out there? It just goes to show, that anybody can be somebodyÕs hero once in awhile. We knew a doorman, and he did allright.
Finally, the tree was lit in hues of beautiful reds, whites, and, blues and DestinyÕs Children, Jessica Simpson and a slew of other people were singing a Carol. I couldnÕt help but sing too.
I love New York! Merry Christmas.
Posted by mermu at December 6, 2001 09:07 PM
Comments
Jessica's rendition of "I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLOTHES" was unbelievable. Don't you think her career is over now? Or at the very least, it should be. And she needs a nose job ASAP.
Posted by: don at December 6, 2004 10:11 PM
Sounds like a great time. Babies in strollers probably won't appreciate the crowds at the event, but I think most would be fascinated by the tree. Jonathan adores decorated Christmas trees....I can't wait for him to come over and see mine :-)
Posted by: Jenny at December 10, 2001 10:43 AM
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