Friday, December 31, 2010

A DAY IN NEW YORK - or How I Spent My Day-Before-New-Year's-Eve

The producers of Lion King surprised us all by agreeing to having me flown to New York for a second costume fitting, this one focusing on the flying harness. Not nearly the adventure in the city of the previous trip, this one was an in-and-out quickie.

5:33 a.m.
Ivy (the cat) stomps over me, purring, and settles in for a cuddle. This is a morning ritual and today, a fortuitous one since the alarm that I had set for 5:25 has malfunctioned.

6:15 a.m.
Into the car














6:22 a.m.
On to the cold, dark highway.














7:20 a.m.
Arrive Pearson Airport

8:00 a.m.
Arrive at gate 155 boarding lounge


8:40 a.m.
Announcement made that 9:15 scheduled departure time has been pushed back to 9:30 due to a 'mechanical issue'.


9:00 a.m.
Announcement made that 9:30 departure has been pushed back to 10:00.













9:41 a.m.
Announcement that departure gate has changed. Migrate to gate 161.


10:00 a.m.
Posted departure time suddenly, and inexplicably, changes to 11:20. No announcement.

10:10 a.m.

Over-priced airport breakfast. Consider having a martini. Decide it's too early, even for me.

11:30 a.m.
Departure, at last.


12:30 p.m.
Arrive La Guardia Airport.













12:35 p.m.
In a taxi to costume shop in mid-town Manhattan.

1:15 p.m.
Arrive Parsons Meares costume shop, 8th Ave & 36th St. Fitting begins. Breakdown as follows:
-Clothes off. Into flying harness supervised by flying technician.

-Hang in underwear from temporary metal frame constructed in elevator lobby of shop.
-Brief lesson in weight control and harness balance.
-Harness off. Detailed costume fitting begins as pieces are added and discussed one by one.
-Strip off full costume back down to underwear. Flying harness on again.
-Full costume back on OVER flying harness.
-Holes are marked and cut in costume to allow for harness attachment points.
-Hang in elevator lobby again, this time in costume.





3:15 p.m.

Fitting finished. Back out onto the street, hunting for a taxi.

3:45 p.m.

Finally manage to flag down a vacant taxi. Driver tells me that his credit card processor isn't working. I tell him I have $30 cash and ask if he's willing to risk it. He is.

4:15 p.m.
Taxi gets me to La Guardia $24 dollars later.

4:20 p.m.

Check in for flight. Upgrade to Executive Class.

4:25 p.m.
Clear security. Begin looking for bar.

4:32 p.m.
Exit secure area. Continue looking for bar.

4:41 p.m.
Martini












4:50 p.m.

Eat something called "Buffalo Chicken Wontons".

4:55 p.m.
Martini












5:35 p.m.
Re-clear security.

6:07 p.m.

Plane departs a full 20 minutes early. Discover I am the only person in the Executive Class cabin.

6:15 p.m.

Flight Attendant begins off-loading excess wines and cheeses on me since I am her only passenger.












7:02 p.m.
Arrive in Toronto forty minutes early.













7:30 p.m.
Fall asleep in arrivals area waiting for Michael.

9:15 p.m.
Arrive back home.

9:25 p.m.
Martini

11:45 p.m.
Asleep







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