“Does your throat hurt?” he asked. “No” I replied, “but it does feel like its closing up, I figure from my allergies acting up”.
“Based on what your throat looks like, I’d say it SHOULD hurt. It looks pretty bad, I think its strep not Swine Flu” my doctor said. He prescribed me an antibiotic.
The next morning, Wednesday, My throat was on fire and I felt even worse. I stayed home from work. I returned to work on Thursday, but was still extremely tired.
By 10AM Saturday morning, I was starting to feel like my old self again. It was a beautiful sunny morning. I was too lazy to make breakfast, so I ran to the McDonald's one block away from my house, and ordered a meal and a vanilla iced coffee (I asked them to put only half the vanilla syrup in so it wasn’t too sweet—they usually put too much). My coffee was just right. I opened all the windows in my bedroom and the sun and breeze was streaming through. I turned on some Kristine W (Save my Soul) and stared out the window as I updated my Facebook page.
I was antsy to get out but knew that I should still take it easy. I called Herbert and Mykel and informed them that I wasn’t going to be at flagging class in Central Park today because I didn’t want to push myself doing anything too strenuous. Besides, the pollen in the park would probably kill me.
The day was absolutely stunning. I had CABIN FEVER! Alana called me and said “it’s so nice out let’s head to Fire Island!” I was so tempted.
My friend Frankie called. “You need to stay in the city and take it easy! and NO ALCOHOL!—it keeps your antibiotic from working” Frankie said. Frankie was right. I called Alana and told her that if I went to Fire Island it would be too hard for me to resist partying rather than get the rest I still needed.
At 1PM I couldn’t take it anymore (I’m not a TV watcher) so I decided to take a shower and head down to the city to catch the end of flagging class, and maybe entice a few people to have a late lunch or iced cappuccino with me at an outdoor café.
When I got to Manhattan, I headed straight to Starbucks to get me an iced cappuccino. Just then my phone rang. It was Lisandro. “That is why you are sick drinking all this cold shit. Remember me when I was sick 2 weeks ago with that bad cough, it was cause of all the cold drinks I kept drinking; don’t drink cold things while you are sick!”
UGH! As much as I wanted to believe this was a Latino (and Filipino) wives tale about drinking cold things when you are sick, something told me not to get anymore iced coffee. I called Quinta (who for the summer is living in a fabulous apartment right at Columbus Circle and Central Park South- Overlooking Central Park). “Zach and I are headed to the park to have a picnic, meet us at my building and we’ll walk over”.
I met them at their building and we walked across the street in time to catch the end of flagging class. I was able to convince Mykel, Herbert, and Marguerite to go for some food. We decided on Burger Joint in the Parker Meridian, not an outdoor café, but the most amazing burgers in NYC.
After eating, I was still antsy to be out. So I said “Let’s go to Times Square and Flag!” The city of New York recently decided to block off some of the streets in Times Square turning it into a pedestrian mall. 
They even put out lawn chairs. It looked so trailer park! White people in flip flops sitting in lawn chairs wearing 5.00 shades they just bought off the street corner (I just bought 2 pairs of 5.00 shades!).
Marguerite had to use the restroom and since there are no real public restrooms in Times Square, I suggested a place I use to go and hang out at whenever I needed a toilet or place to sit down when I first moved to NYC: The Marriott Marquis Hotel.
Now listen carefully folks. If you ever find yourself in Times Square (or NYC for that matter) and need a place to sit, use the toilet, or get out of the elements, head to the Marriott Marquis Hotel on 45th and Broadway (the Marriott probably doesn’t want me blabbing this).
I learned this from another New Yorker when I first moved here. It’s a little tricky. Their lobby is on the 8th floor, NOT the first floor like a normal hotel. Just walk in as if you were a guest of the hotel. No one will stop you. Either take 7 escalators (like we did) up to the eighth floor, or take the speedy glass elevator up. Just so you know, there are restrooms on every floor going up to the eighth floor so if that’s all you need then by all means just go to the second floor; AND the restrooms are BEAUTIFUL and CLEAN. We used the restrooms on the second floor, but then decided to head to the Atrium Lounge on the eighth floor for some drinks (no alcohol for me!).
The Atrium lounge looks like something out of an Arnold Schwarzenegger film. You can see the balconies of the rooms above, with the great glass elevators zooming up and down overhead. 
You can occasionally even see a woman’s black or red panties under her dress as the elevator zooms up. Alana claims to have had sex against the glass in the elevators (can you say minute man!). There are also a ton of couches to sit on.
We quickly grabbed a table next to the giant stone waterfall encased in glass. 
Mykel and Marguerite ordered Stoli and tonics, Herbert ordered a beer, and I ordered a virgin (like me) coca cola—yes WITH ICE Lisandro! (cough cough)
After a couple of rounds, my second drink being and orange juice (without ice cause I started coughing again), we checked out the hotel's chocolate bar. I think for 16 dollars you can get your fill of scrumptious chocolate desserts.
The centerpiece of the chocolate bar is a human torso made of chocolate. We did not partake in eating any chocolate--not for 16.00 dollars anyway—you can get free samples at the Hershey store or eat M&M’s on the sly at the M&M store.
We headed downstairs to Times Square. It was still beautiful out. Times Square on any given day plays host to a ton of characters all hoping to make a quick buck from tourist looking for photo opportunities. 
From Mickey Mouse, Donald and Daisy Duck (I think Disney’s copyright on these characters have expired which is why they can do this but I’m not totally sure), and Elmo.
Who wants a picture with Mickey in NYC? If I wanted to see Mickey I’d go to Disneyland!
I even caught Hello Kitty in the crosswalk (not a good place for a cat—a busy street). 
There was also a guy selling Obama condoms saying they were the “ultimate stimulus package for HARD times”.
On one of the center Islands you will usually find Statue of Liberty characters—guys or girls painted green. To me they look creepy, but I guess to tourist, it could make for a cool picture with them in Times Square. Marguerite and I decided to add to their photo op by flagging right between two of them.
On one end of Times Square is the TKTS booth, famous for offering half price tickets for day-of-show Broadway performances. They recently renovated the booth turning it into large red bleachers that everyone likes to sit on. Herbert decided that it would make a great picture to stand in the middle of the bleachers and flag. It did look cool, a sea of people and one guy flagging!
As we finished snapping Herbert’s photos, a woman stood up and started shouting it’s my birthday. A guy nearby clad only in boxer shorts and a tank top asked her name. “Mary!” she replied (how generic).
“Everybody sing happy birthday Mary” shouted the boxer boy. Everyone (including us began singing) as boxer boy appeared to do what looked like an erotic dance for the woman. People are crazy.
We headed to the very center of Times Square, and on an island that barely fit 3 of us, with traffic zooming by, we took a photo of Herbert,
Marguerite, and I flagging. It’s a great picture!
From there we headed to the other end of Times Square where the police station is, and the giant Yahoo sign. We posed for a few more pictures before parting ways to head to our subway trains.
Despite not really doing anything, I had a great time. This is one of the reasons I love NYC so much. You can pick a random place and even if you did nothing there but just sat and people watched, you would have a great time. Lazy Saturday afternoons in NYC are great!
For Real, Seriously!
2 comments:
That's pretty cool! I mean, you would never catch someone, here, going in the middle of the street and start flagging. NY people are crazy! And totally fun! Can't wait until we get to hang out! Btw, how often does people have sex against that glass...Alana? lol.
you write an awesome blog. i've also pooped at the marquis, it's a great place for that. the red velvet cake looked awesome, and you're very handsome all dressed up!
John L.
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