30 hours in NYC

w OK...why was I up 43 hours?....here goes...

Last Wednesday 10AM PST, I flew out to NYC for a one day meeting on Thursday. Landed at 7PM EST, jumped into a cab and checked into the hotel, The Marcel at Gramercy to drop off stuff , then walked 8 blocks to the restaurant, Irving Mill, to meet the rest of the team and client for dinner. Nice restaurant and food was really good. Sorry no photos...i don't think it would be good as I sat next to my EVP/Partner (#2 guy in our agency) and with clients around. Right behind us was NYC's #1 prosecutor, Jack McCoy...aka Sam Waterston!!! Cool!!! It was like a scene right out of an episode of Law & Order.

10:30pm, we all walked back to our hotel. I worked until midnight catching up with stuff...started to download files back to our office...and the computer message said "25 minutes left..." Out the door I go and a block away on a corner, was a pizzeria!!! Got a slice of cheese and headed back to finish work. Passed out at 1:30am.

The 43 hours start now...

Woke up at 7am, dressed and ran down 1/2 block to Pick-a-Bagel for a nice big Poppy seed with cream cheese!!!

My EVP and Director

11 Tears - AMEX 9/11 Memorial

WTC Construction Site

Met up with the team and drove downtown to meet clients at their office at World Financial Center (WTC). Client was soooo nice that during dinner, we talked about me and my pizza quest that they ordered....PIZZA for lunch!!! Meetings ended at 5-ish, so we got into our rental and as we drove one block...the craziest storm hit, lightning, thunder...the works!!!

On the way to JFK...

We needed to drop off our EVP at his hotel, Club Quarters in Wall Street...during the storm...the rush hour...the WTC construction...OMG, it took about 45 mins, so around a few mins before 6pm, I thought we had plenty of time to make our flight. I left with my Creative Director for JFK...luckily, he worked and lived in NY for 10 years and drives like a maniac...so, through Brooklyn we go trying to catch our 7:55pm flight. He kept saying that we may miss it, but I tried to stay optimistic...but Man, it's a long drive!!! We drove through Atlantic Avenue to S. Conduit...STOP! Flooding on the underpass section. Now, I begin to think the we will miss the flight as we still needed to return the car. We finally make it an right up to the check-in...we are DELAYED until 9:30pm.

Oh well...9:30 comes and goes...the plane taxis in at 10pm.

We board at 10:50pm...

sit at the gate until 11:45pm...finally begin towards the runway...

but wait...I never, ever have seen such a long line of airplanes!!! Argh!!! There must have been about 25 planes queued for takeoff!!!

As we take off, it's 12:50am...I watched some TV, played some games. (flew Virgin America...nice!)

We landed at 4am PST...got home at 4:45am...Now for sleep???

Waiting for the Shuttle to the parking lot.

NOPE! Did I forget to mention my cousins from Toronto cousins are visiting since last Saturday?...anyways...it's a pitstop for them to Hawaii...

so at 5:15am, I had to drive them to the airport (yup was there less than an hour ago) for their flight to Hawaii.

Now, I come home at 6am, unpacked, washed up, shut my eyes for about 15 mins...then off to the office for a long day as we had deliverables....

didn't leave work until 8pm...came home...ate dinner (AC cooked me a nice New York steak!!!)

played with the kids until their bedtime at 10pm...stayed up with AC and watched the Olympics until just before midnight...eyes dancing...good night.

So, was that 43 hours??? 7am EST Thursday to Saturday 3am EST...just about.