How Cold is It?

Predictions of a change in the weather were spot on.  After the rain all day Tuesday, overnight the temperature plummeted, and we woke up to a very cold and rather white morning.  It had snowed overnight, and the temperature got down to 34 degrees.  That is just a touch above freezing.  The wind was a bitter easterly, making it seem much colder. The beanies, gloves, scarves, jackets and all things woolley and warm were summoned.  After days of wandering around in almost summer gear, we were all rugged up and still shivering.

Breakfast of coffee and bagels at Atlas warmed us up considerably.

The gang then split up - some got the ferry to Staten Island to get a closer look at the Statue of Liberty, some went shopping, and others attended to the mundane housekeeping tasks like washing the dirty clothes - actually we walked them around the corner to the Laundry and Dry Cleaners, where a fee of $8 took care of our whole load - washed and folded.

I was contacted today by New York Stays who organised our accommodation.  They sent an email to ensure that we were happy with our accommodation.  Of course we were not, and after a lengthy telephone conversation, we learned that the guy who owned the apartment we were booked into, and who changed it to the apartment we actually stayed in, had done so without the authorisation or knowledge of the Agency.  The Agency immediately refunded the deposit/bond that we paid, and promised to chase the owner to attempt to secure a full refund.  They also cancelled his accreditation and took him off their listings.  We feel a little better knowing that at least someone is trying to assist us, and we are hopeful that we may get more money refunded.

Undoubtedly the highlight of the day was the Musical Mama Mia which we saw at the Broadhurst Theatre on W 44th Street. It has been running since October 2001. We managed to get tickets on Monday for the Wednesday night show, and we all had a blast.  The great thing about it is that everyone knows the music, and the performances of the cast were excellent.

A hair raising cab ride back to the Holiday Inn was followed by an excursion to the local 7-11 which was still open for beer, chocolate and other essential food groups.

Maybe the hectic pace of the past week is starting to catch up with us, as everyone was happy to retire to their rooms.

Tomorrow the group splits - Dennis and Janet return home to Stockton to get ready for Janet's brother's wedding at the weekend, while the rest of the crew heads for the bright lights of Las Vegas.

We have enjoyed Dennis and Janet's company for the trip and we hope that we can do something together again.

Cheers,