My Shamrock Shake Heartbreak

Here it is the final hours of the final night of March 2010, and I have yet to enjoy a McDonald's Shamrock Shake this year.

Now I know what you may be thinking. Does this really warrant an entire post? And to that I say, yes. Yes it does. Perhaps, the thing I love most about March is the Shamrock Shake. I look forward to it every year.

Some of you may be thinking, "What is a Shamrock Shake?" Well let me tell you. It is pure bliss. A Shamrock Shake is a seasonal mint-flavored milkshake sold at McDonald's across the country throughout March in celebration of St. Patrick's Day.

Well, apparently, the Shamrock Shake isn't a universally celebrated dessert because here in New York City they do not sell them. Trust me, I've looked. I've been two dozens of McDonald's in the city this month and every time I ask for one I'm greeted with a look of pure bewilderment. There are even entire websites created by Shamrock Shake lovers in search of one of these treasures within the city's limits. But they simply don't exist. On St. Patrick's day alone I went to four different McDonald's thinking that perhaps they would serve the shake on that day since it was a special occasion. But sadly, no.

I've been misled and let down so many times. One restaurant will tell me that a different restaurant nearby is serving them, but then when I go there they tell me I have been mistaken. I have even been told by my coworkers where I can get them, but every time I leave empty handed. They simply don't serve them here in the city and I don't really know why.

It looks like this March will be the first in many, many years that I did not get to enjoy a Shamrock. And I must admit. I am partially to blame. You see, I had my chance and I missed it. On my way back to New York from my Grandma's funeral last month, I had a layover in Chicago. While there, I saw the wondrous sign of hope hanging at the terminal's McDonald's which read, "You're in luck. The Shamrock Shake is back." If I knew then what I know now I would have stormed the counter demanding a shake. But instead, I made the worst mistake I've made since that time I gave my goldfish a bubble bath. I kept walking. I thought, oh great, they're back...I'll get one when I get back to New York. I didn't know until I got back to NYC that they were nonexistent here.

So it seems like I have nobody to blame, but myself. I had my one chance, but I blew it. Now the only thing I can do is to start the countdown to March 2011.

Queens

This past weekend I realized something. I have been neglecting four of the five boroughs that comprise New York City. Without a doubt, the borough with the most collective draw is Manhattan. It has all the major tourist sites and is the central hub of the city's activity. And admittedly, that is where I spend most of my days off. I have been to all the remaining boroughs: Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island, but have not spent a considerable amount of time in any of them. Well this last weekend, I tried to partially rectify this injustice.

On Saturday, a few of my fellow interns and I embarked on an exploratory journey to the borough of Queens. The "7" train that takes you all the way from Times Square to Queens-borough Main street was a refreshing ride. The reason being, as soon as you emerge in Queens from beneath the East River, the train is above ground for the rest of the trip. This is a refreshing change from much of the rest of the subway system which lies underground. It was nice to see the sun shining as we passed through neighborhood after neighborhood (However, I also noticed the copious amounts of graffiti covering the building-sides).

Our first stop was Queens Borough Main Street. This area is pretty much Queens very own, miniature Chinatown. The streets were flooded with people pushing past one another. We walked past shop after shop of Chinese markets where you could purchase anything from fresh vegetables to knock-off brand clothing. We made our way down to the town hall where we walked through an art exhibit dedicated to the Year of the Tiger.

While at town hall, we asked the employee if they could recommend any good places for us to eat. He suggested we try a dive called Little Pepper. As you can probably guess, the food they serve is just a wee-bit spicy. I for one, am not a big fan of spicy food so I kept my order simple. However, Nathan, one of my fellow interns, ordered spicy lamb. As soon as he took his first bite, he knew he was in for a challenge. It was pretty remarkable how quickly the line of sweat appeared on his forehead. But, like a champ, he managed to finish the entire entree...with a little bit of help from a pitcher of ice-cold water.

We then took the train over to CitiField where the Mets play. I am definitely looking forward to attending both a Mets and Yankees game as soon as baseball season starts! Following that, we walked over to Arthur Ashe Stadium where the US Open Tennis Tournament is held every year. It made me really miss my tennis class I took last year. Tennis is a sport that I may not be all that great at, but I still enjoy playing.

We then spent the rest of the afternoon roaming Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The park was home to the 1939/1940 New York World's Fair and also hosted the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair. If you are a fan of the television series, "The King of Queens," you may be interested to know that scenes from the shows opening sequence were actually filmed at this park (I had the show's theme song stuck in my head all afternoon). The park itself seemed to be full of life: people were running, riding bikes, cooking out, playing sports. It was simply the perfect weather for a day in the park. We then capped off the day by eating at a pizza place called Two Boots in Grand Central Station.

I'm glad we decided to take a day to branch out from our surroundings a little bit. I now look forward to exploring the remaining boroughs in more detail during my remaining time in the city. Manhattan, may have all the big attractions, but each borough has something unique to offer. And I can't wait to find out what those things are in the months ahead.

The Colbert Report

On Wednesday, we were fortunate enough to get off work early so I decided I would try to make the most of my free time. As soon as I found out we were getting released, I went online looking for information about tickets to the Comedy Central show, The Colbert Report starring Stephen Colbert. To my surprise they still had some available for that day's taping so I submitted a request for one ticket. A few minutes later I got a confirmation email letting me know that at ticket had been reserved in my name. I was actually kind of surpised...every show for the next three months was sold out…I’m guessing they must distribute extra tickets the day of the taping to ensure they fill the studio.

Anyways, I got in line at the Colbert Report, located on West 54th Street, around 4:30 and was 36th in line. While waiting, I managed to finish reading my book “The Other Shulman” which has been my “subway” book for the last several weeks. It always feels good to finish a book. I ended up standing in line until 5:30 and then the Colebert Report staff brought us into the studio. We were required to go through a security checkpoint and were then corralled into this small room with a TV overhead where we all stood waiting to take out seats. It was not a very glamorous room at all. There was one bathroom on the east side of the room, a slanted Colbert poster hung on the wall, and a bunch of miscellaneous objects were lined up against the west wall partially covered by a big, blue tarp. After awhile, they finally allowed us to all enter the actual studio so we could take our seats.

I was seated in the fourth of seven rows, next to the aisle; it was a pretty good spot. The studio itself was MUCH nicer than the waiting room. The chairs and steps were new and the set itself was very impressive. I have always enjoyed watching The Colbert Report and Daily Show and now I was here! Before the show, Stephen Colbert came out and did a "pitch" with John Stewart at the Daily Show. Pretty much a pitch is just a little taped segment in which Colbert and Jon Stewart talk back and forth for a few minutes. They said they don’t do it all that often anymore so we were lucky. There was then an opening comedian who warmed up the crowd (he was also a writer for the show). Then Colbert did something which I thought was pretty cool: he came out and did a Q&A session, out-of-character, with the audience. After that, they got ready to tape. It was just fun to see how they primp him and prepare for the show in the minutes leading up to going on-air. The show itself was funny as always, and I think I was even in a few of the crowd shots. Colbert’s wife and kids were also in the audience, so that was kind of cool too. Colbert's guest on the show was author Nell Irvin Painter who has written a book entitled "The History of White People." As you can imagine, Colbert had plenty of humorous questions to ask about the book and it's title. Around 8:30 the show finished taping and I went on my way.

Anyways, I felt it was a rather rewarding way to spend my afternoon off. I'm going to try to attend as many other television tapings as possible in the months ahead. Next up: The Daily Show!

My Favorite Conductor

There are certain mornings when you just know it's going to be a good day. Today was one of those. The reason being that today I was fortunate enough to get on the train which was under the command of my favorite conductor.

I've never actually seen her, but I've just heard her voice through the aged, crackly, and exceedingly loud overhead speakers on my train ride to work. I don't know much about her, but I know she makes me feel good about myself.

Most conductors deliver their routine announcements as if they are irritated with such a chore. But this lady always delivers her messages with a positive message and upbeat tone. She says some variation of, "Good morning to you all"; "You are a beautiful person"; "Be safe and be happy"; "Remember to have a wonderful day." So, pretty much, she's a motivational speaker. She sounds a little "out there", but she's a refreshing break from the mundane and depressing subway surroundings.

I've been lucky enough to get on her train a few times in the past and it always makes my morning. I've also noticed others in the train car smiling when she makes her announcements. Her positive attitude seems to be infectious. If only other conductors would adopt her approach...the public transit system would be a much happier place.

A Day On The Set

Last Friday, I was given the privilege of going along on the "remote shoot." This means I got to go along as they taped footage for an extra segment. We filmed inside the theater, outside on the street, and at a nearby pub. Usually these little segments have one of the show's staff members going out and doing something funny. Occasionally, they also get "friends of the show" to do a segment. Last week's shoot featured an actor and comedian who shall remain nameless for now. Sorry, but I'm just not sure if they want it publicized yet or not. It's not a big secret, but better safe than sorry.

My primary role on the set was to just stand there and observe; it was supposed to be a learning experience for me. However, they did give me some responsibility by putting me in charge of the water. I know, I know....very important...haha! But hey, you've got to keep those actors hydrated! I also was given the responsibility of cuing one of the stunt police cars when it was time for them to start driving.

Anyways, it was fun spending the day watching as the cast and crew shot footage for the segment. I felt like I was on a movie set the whole time. There I was, brushing shoulders with an actor I've seen in several movies and has appeared on several television shows. I also found it incredible how much shooting they do for a video that will probably only be a few minutes long when it's finished being edited. The shoot took most of the day, and towards the end my supervisor said I didn't have to stick around since it was getting so late. However, I decided to stay longer because I figured it's not every day I get to go on a television shoot!

The day was a day of mostly observing, but I still had a great time. I'm enjoying the different things they are letting me do at the show. Last week I got to sit in the control room during taping, then I got to go on a remote shoot, and next week I've been invited to attend a voice-over recording session....it should be a good time.

Pappy the Monkey

So here's how important my role at the show really is. Yesterday, a vast majority of my downtime was consumed with brainstorming potential names for the office monkey. Let me explain.

I wasn't actually aware of this, but apparently Dave likes to use the expression, "Monkey on a rock." I'm not sure in what context he usually says it, but I guess, he says it. Anyways, last week, a company that makes fake rocks sent us a fake rock and an electronic monkey to set atop it. I guess they were hoping that the prop would eventually make it on the show.

I was given the responsibility of unpacking the monkey and rock which have now found a home on the filing cabinet next to my desk. Which is especially "fun" since he also makes noises and once you activate him he doesn't stop whooping and screeching for some time. It's actually kind of creepy....kind of reminds me of a Furby. Remember those things? You know, those things toy companies tried to pass off as cute, but really scared the bejesus out of you?! Anyways, the first day I spent about an hour trying to figure out how to turn the chimp off. I considered just slamming the poor thing against a wall, but didn't want to create a scene. I eventually came to the conclusion that isolation was the best method to get it to tone down. So, I'd simply put it in a chair around the corner where nobody would accidently activate him.

Needless to say, the little guy has become a topic of conversation around my "desk area." Yesterday, the head writers gave me the task of coming up with potential names for the monkey. I was actually really excited....my first writing assignment! They told me that by the end of the day I needed to have a full list of monkey names. So, I spent most of my downtime trying to think of funny/cute/ridiculous monkey names. I ended up compiling a list of 42 potential names. I then turned the list over to the head writers and they narrowed it down to their ten favorites. This morning, they had me come into their office and recite the ten names just so they could hear how the names actually sounded to the ear.

The ten finalists were: Scooter, Chumly, Cha Cha Hernandez, Hijinx, Frank, Lil' Stinker, Mango Fandango, Fanny, Pappy, and Sheldon.

After much deliberation....they chose...."Pappy!"

So, there you have it: my first "writing" assignment. I know what you're thinking, "He went all the way to New York to brainstorm monkey names?" And I apologize for this being a ridiculously long post about an electric monkey, but I actually really enjoyed this little project. So, what do you think...do you like the name Pappy? Do you have other suggestions? Let me know.