Well I got back from NYC tonight. I had a 20 minute layover in Atlanta and they weren't able to get my luggage to my Pensacola plane in time so I had no luggage, which didn't bother me, except that my keys were in my bag (stupid, I know). But thankfully, CLewis saved the day and brought me the spare key she had.
Otherwise, I didn't have much fun on this trip. I shouldn't have gone with my sister and her boyfriend, and I have to admit I knew better. I knew that Erin and I get along only when we're on the phone and never do in person, but I guess the sight of a city I love got to me and clouded my brain when it came to travel mates. The first day we got there, Sunday, we met up with 2 of their friend from Connecticut (they were both really cool) and walked around with them. Then we all went to this place called Connelly's and they all got shit-faced after I went back to the hotel. They all came back, stumblinig all over the place and being loud, and then Sarah and John left. Erin started to get undressed and was being stupid about it, so I took a picture of it, thinking she'd take it as a joke, like I thought. Well, never try to joke with a girl as fucked up as she was. She attacked me--I'm talking, a 24-year old, half-naked, drunk--by pulling my hair and hitting and kicking me. Her stupid-ass boyfriend, also drunk, thought it was funny and didn't pull her off me, and I was fighting back but couldn't get her off of me. Why should my 24-year old sister attack me like that? I don't understand the logic of getting plastered and htinking you're bigger than you really are.
Since that night caused us not to speak and be pissed at each other, I hung out by myself the next day, which I didn't mind because I know I'm not into the same things as they are. I walked from 48th to 86th (a little too far, as my feet are reminding me now) and had lunch and went to Central Park. I then went to the American Museum of Natural History, which I didn't get to go to last time but wanted to. It was bad ass. Here are some pics of some of the stuff in there.
That's the front. I was sad that the Darwin tickets were sold out.
Something in the African Peoples exhibit. I think this was describing their rituals and stuff.
A replica of something from the Mayans, I think?
After I walked around there for 2 hours and still didn't see everything, I went to Riverside Park. I love it there. It's so peaceful, even though it sits above a really busy road. The weather was really nice all day. Cold, but nothing I couldn't handle. I went back to the hotel (by cab, this time) and took a nap (Erin and Bruce were already tehre. Surprise). We got up later and went to a tension-filled dinner. Luckily, my friend Nick called me a little bit later to hang out (he was up there on vacation too). I think I hung out with him on Monday. I'm getting my days mixed up maybe. Anyway, we met up and walked to a coffee shop and chatted before deciding that he needed to see Central Park before he left the next day (because he said he hadn't seen it yet). He talked me into braving the subway and we caught a train to Central Park, just to walk on the outside (walking through it at 11:00 at night may not have been smart). After a while, we went back to catch a train back. We got to the station about 10 minutes before the strike was scheduled to start, and we knew they'd pick people up until then. Well, we're standing there, minding our own business, much like the other 25 or so people waiting for the train, and this homeless black guy comes up and says something along the following:
Black guy: “You’re a cocksucker. I can’t stand to look at your cracker ass. I ain’t your bitch. Don’t you ever pretend to stand behind me you motherfuckin cracker. You ain't got my back.”
Nick: ?
Mehgan: “Look, we’re sorry if we . . .”
Black guy: (walking away) “You’re sorry? White bitches are always sayin they’re sorry. (walking up stairs to exit the subway) Don’t worry, baby, none of you crackers gonna stand in the way when The Revolution comes.”
Nick: “WTF was that?”
I was scared as shit. I basically thought he was going to bust out an AIDS-infected heroin needle and stab us with it as New Yorkers looked past (did I mention there was a camera crew standing there too?). It was either the needle scenario or it was this: I thought he was going to push us into an oncoming train. I tend to watch too many cop-and-robber shows and think these things. But the guy walked off and I told Nick we were taking a cab. So we get upstairs and start walking to the nearest street with cabs when this homeless lady with a huge shopping cart walks by us and starts yelling at us, basically speaking in tongues, from what we could understand. Yeah we grabbed a cab and hauled ass to the side of town where we were staying. But we were both still wanting to be out and about, but we ended up going to his hotel and hanging out with his brother. I went back to the hotel at about 130 or so I guess.
Tuesday we checked out of our hotel to go to another that was much cheaper, so we trekked 9 blocks with lots of luggage just to save $80 a day. Well, we should've known it was too good to be true because we got to our room and it was literally a room with 2 beds and no standing room. The room had not been cleaned and had what we think STDs on the toilet and poop on the pillows (I know about the pillows because there was something that looked very similar to it on hte pillows...). We grabbed our stuff and checked out (after the Asian receptionist yelled at us in her native language). We sucked it up and went back to our other hotel (we told them we had a family emergency and needed to leave but couldn't get a flight back so we were checking back in). I think they pitied us for our "emergency" so theey gave us a much bigger room for the same price. That was it for that day. Literally.
Wednesday was Erin's birthday and we had tickets to see Rent. I love Rent. It's so amazing. The cast was a little different this time from the last time I saw it (example. the girl who played Maureen this time played Mimi last time). The girl who played Mimi in this one had a strange, raspy voice that I wasn't sure I liked. But the show was of course good, so I didn't care. Wednesday morning, Erin wanted to get up and go to the Today Show at like 5 am. I told her I'd go with her, and I got up and got dressed and she started bitching at me that I was taking too long (3 minutes. Tops.) so she forbade me to go. I thought she was going to hit me again, but I didn't care to go either way so I went back to sleep. Bruce got pissed that I wasn't going so he got up and went after she had already left (he had already told her he wasn't going with her because he didn't want to). He bitched at me and then left. But we went walking later on when they got back (after they slept for a little while longer too). I have never travelled with people who want to sleep so much while on vacation in a place where they have little or no experience. I like to get out and explore and they wanted to sleep! I didn't go to NYC to sleep. But we went to Central Park later and walked along 5th Ave. and went back to the hotel. We stayed in that hotel so much.
Thursday I told them I was hanging out by myself, and I went to the Upper West Side and had lunch and then went to the MoMA. I had never been there before but it was awesome. It was 6 floors and had so much stuff in it. I am confused on what art really is though. I mean, one "display" was seriously a blank canvas (I'm not friggen kidding!) and it had a name with the title "Presence". Art? I don't know about that, but who am I to say it? One display that was kind of cool, albeit questionable, was a sting of regular, 60-watt light bulbs thrown in a corner. I'm serious. It was about 20 or 30 bulbs I guess, just lying there. It had an artist and a name listed there, so I'm guessing it is art. Am I missing the point of art? Art is just like literature to me: I may be an English major, but I don't get literature and never will, as I won't art.
But anyway, I got back tonight. I'm glad to be home, just because I'm glad to be away from my sister. I know I won't be doing anymore vacations with her. I love NYC so much, but all she did was say stuff like this: "I don't like taking 5 minutes to bundle up. I'm a Florida girl." "I need a beer." "Let's just hang out at the hotel." "We've been walking all day. I need something to drink" (She said that last one after qwalking the 12 blocks to Central Park). She really had little good to say about New York. I love that place so much. I l ove the look, the way the cab drivers honk for what it seems for no reason, I love how people walk around with huge coats and Starbucks cups in their hands, I love how you run into people constantly and it's normal. But being there with my sister got me down. But it also made me realize taht I am happy that I found some kind of appreciation for it, when others can't. I feel like this vacation could've been better, and I feel liek I've wasted what could've been a great vacation. It bums me out. But I'm going to leave you all with some pics.
The tree at Rockefellar Center
Times Square, of course.
I love Central Park.
I'm obsessed with this picture. It looks like the guy is posing for it. I just wanted a picture of the bridge, but then I started really looking at it and I like it a lot.
Here's my great photography skills at work, all I did was crop and turn it black and white.
This is the one pic I got in MoMA. It's a photo series of a guy "catching" stuff falling down. I wish you could see the details. I love it!
Good night, all. The revolution is coming!
Signed,
A Cracka-ass White Bitch