Ticket Week!

Let me just say that last week was awesome. Quite surprisingly, I somehow acquired free tickets to a variety of exciting and entertaining events. Some were simply handed to me, while others I had to do a bit of work for. Read on...

Let’s take Wednesday, for example. The writers periodically attend advanced screenings for upcoming films. I’ve always sat at my desk, quietly seething with jealousy as they headed off to their private showings. However, my luck changed last week as I got invited by the head writers to attend a screening of a highly anticipated summer film. I had a great time watching the film which was further enhanced by the writers' comical commentary after the movie was over.

After sitting through the enjoyable movie I got home to find an email in my inbox from the FOX hit show “Glee” telling me I had won two tickets to the taping of the show’s season finale. Unfortunately the taping was the next day in Los Angeles which meant I would be unable to go. A few days earlier I had responded to a Tweet on Twitter about getting tickets to the finale. However, when I submitted my name I didn’t realize the taping would be so soon. I wish they would have given me a bit more advanced warning so I could have gone. Nevertheless, I was just surprised I had actually won the tickets.

On Thursday, my ticket streak continued as someone at work gave one of my fellow interns free tickets to a Mets game that night. Fortunately, I was released earlier than normal for a Thursday night so I was able to accompany my friend to the game. I had actually been wanting to go to a ball game for several weeks, and finally the opportunity had arisen. We had a good time watching the Mets beat the Cubs 5-2. The game really got me excited for summertime: baseball, hotdogs, warm weather, and the good company of friends.

Friday night was the night I had to do some work for my tickets. When I got to New York at the beginning of the year, I said my one major goal (outside of doing a good job at work) was to attend a live taping of Saturday Night Live. The challenging part is, all the tickets for the entire season of SNL are distributed by means of a lottery system back in August. The only way to get into a taping if you did not get tickets during the August lottery is to stand outside in a standby ticket line ALL NIGHT LONG. I had considered making the significant time sacrifice several times earlier this semester, but the timing/weather was never right. One week it would be freezing cold, the next it would be raining, the next there would be 100 people already in line. However, my time to accomplish my goal was certainly dwindling. I decided that if I didn't do it last weekend I probably wouldn't ever be able to do. The reason being, I will be gone for the show's final taping on May 8, because I will be returning home for Carly's college graduation.

Soooo...it was now or never time. I packed up some blankets, warm clothes, and snacks and got in line on 49th street on the south side of Rockefeller Center. When I arrived I was the 22nd person in line. I figured if I was in the top 30 I would have a pretty good chance of getting in. Oh yeah, by the way, just having a standby ticket does not guarantee admission. So I could wait in line all night for a standby ticket, then show up the next evening for the taping and be turned away. It all depends on the popularity of the guest and how many family members/friends they invite. Nevertheless, I figured it was a risk I was willing to take. I even convinced three of my fellow interns: Nate, Nathan, and Kevin to join me in line. So we made a sleepover out of the experience. We got in line around 7 pm on Friday and finally received our standby tickets at 7 am on Saturday...after twelve, long hours on the sidewalk. We managed to pass the time by playing cards, eating junk food, and making conversation with those around us in line. In the end, our commitment paid off though as we were given tickets numbered 6-9. With such good numbers we were likely to get into the show, but nothing was for sure.

After getting our tickets Saturday morning I had just enough time to race home, take a shower, and then head to Brooklyn for a service project as part of Hands on New York Day. After putting in several hours of manual labor the guys and I left exhausted and sunburnt. But we managed to still muster up excitement for the taping of SNL.

When we showed up Saturday night they initially let numbers 1-30 pass through security. They then had us wait in a small cluster for more directions as to how many of the 30 would actually get into the studio. After a few minutes they gave the word that the first ten had been granted permission to go upstairs to the studio. It was such a relief! Once getting into the famous Studio 8H we quickly found our seats. We were placed in one of the side rows of the studio which weren't exactly the best seats, but we were just happy to be in the door. The show itself was a great time. Gabourey Sidibe from the movie "Precious" was the host and MGMT was the musical guest. It was fun to see how the entire show is actually put together and how little room they actually have to work with. It was also exciting to see all the SNL cast members including my favorites like Andy Samberg, Kristem Wiig, and Bill Hader. The show also contained some memorable sketches like the Digital Short: Cherry Battle. All in all, it was a very cool experience and so worth the wait.

After the show, I was so exhausted I fell asleep on my train ride home and missed my stop completely; riding the train all the way to the end of the line, finally awakening after the train came to a complete stop. When I opened my eyes I found an empty train car except for one MTA employee who was mopping the floor around my feet. I gave her a sheepish look as I tried to regain my bearings. Frankly, I was lucky I woke up with both my kidneys! Oh well, I eventually did get home. And you know what, even if I would've had a kidney stolen I think the whole experience would have still been worth it. Because I have now accomplished my semester-long goal: I've finally attended a taping of Saturday Night Live.

Alicia's Visit

As much fun as this city can be, having someone to explore it with just makes it that much better. Last weekend, that person was my good friend, Alicia Foley.

Alicia's flight got into New York late Thursday night so we started her first NYC experience bright and early Friday morning. I took her down to the nearby bakery, where I went with my Mom and her friends while they visited, so we could indulge in some cheese danishes. We then made our way to midtown where we purchased student rush tickets to the Broadway show "Promises, Promises" starring Kristin Chenowith and Sean Hayes. After securing our tickets and making a quick pass through Times Square we went down to Battery Park where we boarded a ferry to Liberty Island, home to one of our nation's most iconic symbols, the Statue of Liberty. It was my first time since freshman year of college since I've gone out to see Lady Liberty. We had a good time while there, especially as we unsuccessfully attempted to get a decent photo of the both of us in front of the statue. Epic fail, oh well. The ferry also took us to Ellis Island where we got out and looked around for awhile. However, our hungry stomachs were demanding we find a place to eat so we soon headed back to the mainland where we ate at a fun diner in Greenwich Village. We then visited the World Trade Center site, the financial district, the Wall Street Bull, and walked through part of SOHO. We then made our way back to the Broadway Theater where it was time for "Promises, Promises" to start. We had a great time at the show which successfully managed to get several of it's classic Burt Bacharach songs stuck in our heads for much of the weekend.

Our Saturday morning started off by assisting Chhaya by taking some old clothes she wanted to donate to a neighborhood cobbler (I didn't even know cobblers still existed). Alicia and I then went down to Union Square where we had an enjoyable morning at the farmers market. We bought some Empire Apples and chocolate milk from a dairy farm vendor. While there, Alicia introduced me to maple candy, a treat she enjoyed as a child, but which I had been deprived of for some reason. We managed to squeeze quite a bit of site-seeing into that afternoon: we explored the Strand bookstore, visited Grand Central Terminal, walked down 5th Avenue, admired a middle-aged wannabe figure skater at Rockefeller Center, watched the "Big" Piano Show at FAO Schwarz, and then took a stroll through Central Park. That evening we had hoped to see "Wicked," but were unable to get tickets so we got student rush seats to the play "God of Carnage" instead. Before the show, we ate supper at El Azteca Mexican restaurant. We then went back to the theater for "God of Carnage." The cast consisted of a whopping four actors: Jeff Daniels, Lucy Liu, Dylan Baker, and Janet McTeer. However what they lacked in numbers they more made up with their energy, comedic timing, and sheer talent. It was a hilarious 90 minutes of theater. Before heading home that night we stopped by Café Lalo so Alicia could try out a true New York cannoli...they're so, so good.

Sunday proved to be a more laid back day as far as sightseeing. We paid a leisurely visit to Central Park where we saw such popular sites as Strawberry Fields, Bethesda Fountain, and the Belvedere Castle. We also saw The Dakota, John Lennon's apartment building, and checked out the dinosaur fossils in the lobby of the American Museum of Natural History. We then made our way back up to Washington Heights where we got a bite to eat at a nearby diner and then enjoyed a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-shaped popsicle purchased from the ice cream truck stationed outside Fort Tryon Park. I then took her on a brief tour of the park before it was time for her to go. After she left, I cried the rest of the day away. Okay, not quite. But it was sad knowing from here on out, I'm on my own. No more guests. I'm going to have to sustain the remaining duration of my New York experience without any further visitors. No worries though, I will make do. I plan to thoroughly enjoy the rest of my time here; sadly, I have a feeling these last few weeks are going to fly by and this entire experience will soon be just another memorable event in my past.

Bridges and Shows

For the last week, we’ve been fortunate to have off from work for a staff vacation. Since we had a whole week to do as we wished, I thought I would make the most of my free time and see/do as much as possible.

Last Friday, I explored one area of Manhattan I had yet to visit, the South Street Seaport. While there, I checked out the Titanic Memorial Park, which is currently being renovated…wah-wah…kind of a downer. I then went out to the pier and checked out the shops. It’s pretty much just a mall out there…it reminded me of Navy Pier in Chicago…without a Ferris wheel. I then walked down through the financial district to Fraunces Tavern, where George Washington gave his farewell address to his troops after the Revolutionary War. I intended to camp-out Friday night down at Rockefeller Center in hopes of getting stand-by Saturday Night Live tickets, but when I got there, there were already 70 crazy fans of Justin Bieber (who happened to be the musical guest) who were already waiting in line. So, I scratched that idea.

Just for fun, on Saturday, I went to an open casting call for the reality show Big Brother, which I’m almost embarrassed to admit, I’ve been a fan of since season one. For the audition I just turned in my application, went into this room with four casting directors and a camera, and explained why I should be on the show. They seemed pretty amused that I was from Nebraska. I’m definitely not expecting anything to come of it, but it was still a fun experience. Later that night, I was down in Times Square when a lot of the Broadway shows were getting out so I saw quite a few of the stars like Christopher Walken, Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker), Justin Bartha (National Treasure), Tony Shalhoub (Monk), and Corbin Bleu (High School Musical). Also, most importantly, on Saturday, I found out I got the job with ABC News on Campus! I will be working as the bureau chief at the UNL bureau…I’m really excited!

On Monday, I decided I wanted to go to a movie so I went and saw the new animated Dreamworks film, “How to Train Your Dragon,” which I really enjoyed. That evening I also did something I’ve wanted to do for a while: I ran across the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey. The GWB isn’t far from my apartment so I felt it was something I just needed to do…and it was a nice afternoon. The bridge used to be the longest suspension bridge in the world…it is also apparently a popular place for people to commit suicide (according to Wikipedia). Anyways, the run felt good, I was glad I did it. This week marks one month since I’ve started my running workouts again.

Tuesday was quite a day. I woke up at 6 am and went down to 67th street to stand in line for standby tickets to Live with Regis and Kelly, and fortunately I got in! As it is with most TV shows, the studio was much smaller than it appears at home. Regis and Kelly were both very friendly and conversational with the audience. However, I was surprised by how scripted their opening dialogue seemed, particularly Kelly’s. I had never noticed it before. It’s kind of awkward because Regis and Kelly are pretty much holding a conversation between just the two of them, but the entire audience is listening in quietly. Michael J. Fox was supposed to be on the show, but he had already taped his segment a different day. So that was kind of disappointing. The other guest on the show was Seth Meyers, the host of Weekend Update on SNL. He actually WAS there. The show was entertaining, I was glad I went. Afterwards, Regis was in the lobby of the studio signing autographs and greeting the guests. He seems to be a really nice guy, how many people as famous as him take so much time for his fans? I talked to him about working at the Late Show and how much he likes my bosses, the head writers.

Later that evening, I attended a book reading and signing of Kathie Lee Gifford’s new children’s book called “Party Animals.” I bought a couple copies and had them signed as gifts. When Kathie Lee first showed up she joked about the small crowd and did her classic eye roll. She then did the book reading, which didn’t take too long, but she kept it lively by using some “interesting” accents. She then explained a little bit about the background of the book and told how it originated as a song. After the reading she signed copies of the book. While she was signing my copies I struck up a conversation with her about my previous interaction with her on the Today Show last spring break (I was her team member in a sumo-wrestling style obstacle course). She apologized for us losing and blamed it on Hoda, making the claim, “Hoda always cheats.” Anyways, the evening was just as successful as the morning. I met Regis, Kelly, and Kathie Lee all in the same day. On my way home, I stopped by Harlem to see the Apollo Theatre and the Cotton Club…both historic buildings.

On Thursday morning I went down to the Today Show to watch the hosts out on the plaza. I got to see Ann Curry and Al Roker while standing out there. I was even on TV for a few seconds...a couple of different times actually. One time the camera panned the audience as they were going to a commercial, the other time I was standing over Al Roker’s shoulder as he was speaking. Thursday afternoon I kept up my bridge running trend by running over the Brooklyn Bridge. I’ve been wanting to walk over the bridge to get a good view of the city, so I thought, why not run it? The bridge was deceptively more inclined than I had thought, but it was still a fun run. Thursday evening, I went to a taping of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. In comparison to the Colbert Report's, this one was much bigger and nicer. Before the show, Jon Stewart came out and did a Q&A session with the audience, which was pretty entertaining. The show itself was very fun, but I honestly think I like Stephen Colbert’s humor better. The jokes were good, but the highlight of the show, for me anyway, was the guest, Tracy Morgan. He’s on “30 Rock” which happens to be one of my favorite shows. I’ve got to say, that guy is crazy! He just talks about the most random, unexpected things….it made for a good interview.

So here it is...my week off is over half over, but there’s still a lot more fun to be had. Tonight, my friend Alicia arrives for a visit for the next several days so I’m sure to have more stories to share by the time I head back to work on Monday!

Mom and the Ladies

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to finally have guests! My Mother and her friends, Pat, Deb and Des ventured to the Big Apple for a short get-away. When they arrived last Thursday, their party split in two. Pat and Deb took a cab to my apartment complex and checked into the penthouse suite, which they had reserved for the entire weekend. Mom and Des, on the other-hand, came straight to the Ed Sullivan Theatre for a taping of the Late Show. I had wanted to get tickets for all four of them, but was only able to reserve two. Anyway, they had a great time at the show and afterwards I brought them up to my floor so they could see my desk. I also introduced them to Tony Mendez…whom they were both excited to meet. After I got off work I met the entire group including Amy at a restaurant on Broadway. I then took them down to Times Square so they could get a glimpse of all the lights. Amy then took us all to a little place called Café Lalo where scenes from “You’ve Got Mail” were filmed. While there we all indulged in some cheesecake.

I knew from that first night it was going to be an entertaining weekend: Mom accidently sat on a gay guy in the subway, whom then put his arm around her (I think his boyfriend got a little jealous), and then Mom and the ladies struck up a convo with a couple of strangers sitting across from them on the train. Fortunately, and a bit surprisingly, the New Yorkers they interacted with seemed patient and friendly.

On Friday the girls got up early to try to get on the CBS Early Show down on 5th Avenue. Not only were they on TV, but they got pictures with all the hosts including Harry Smith, Maggie Rodriguez, and Dave Price. Mom also struck up a conversation with Harry Smith about my hometown Exeter, Nebraska, which he had actually heard of! Needless to say, they had a great time. The rest of the day they explored some of the cities’ sites. They walked down 5th Avenue and bought tickets for a bus tour of the city. The tour took them around many of the sites in mid and lower Manhattan including Greenwich Village.

Me, on the other-hand, spent my morning preparing for an interview at ABC News for a supper reporting job with the ABC News on Campus bureau at UNL. Working for the bureau would be a great opportunity to gain valuable reporting experience while collaborating with a prestigious organization like ABC News. I feel like the interview went well, but we’ll just wait and see what happens.

Saturday consisted of more site-seeing in lower Manhattan. We had hoped to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, but the line was over a two hour wait. Instead we took the Staten Island ferry so we could at least get a closer glimpse of Lady Liberty. We also went to the World Trade Center site and saw the plans for the 9/11 Memorial. After getting some pizza for lunch the girls went to a matinee performance of the Broadway musical, West Side Story. While they were at the show, I went with Amy to a rooftop party one of her friends was hosting. Although I didn’t know anyone there I still had a great time. I would love to have a rooftop terrace in my apartment some day…it’d be great for grilling out on hot summer days and reading a good book in the evenings. After a few hours we met up with Mom and the gals and ate an authentic Italian supper in Little Italy. After supper, Amy, Deb, and Pat went to the Opera while Mom, Des, and I went to a movie, which Des was kind enough to pay for. Since there was nothing neither Des nor I particularly wanted to see we let Mom choose the movie. Big mistake. She chose, “The Last Song,” the new film starring Miley Cyrus. Needless to say, it was awful. But at least it was so bad I could actually laugh at it for being so bad…so it was still an enjoyable outing.

On Sunday I took them to Easter services at Advent Lutheran Church on 93rd and Broadway. Easter Sunday is always my favorite church service of the year, and this one did not disappoint. Following church we went out to lunch and ate on the patio of a Greek restaurant on Broadway. It was a beautiful day. That afternoon we took a nice stroll through central park and then they got on the bus to go on an evening tour of the city. That evening they also were "fortunate enough" to witness a huge gang of teens descend on Times Square. Dozens of teens were arrested and four individuals sustained gunshot wounds. Mom and the gals played it safe and took a cab home...good call.

As I was leaving for work Monday morning we said our goodbyes. Their flight left that morning. I’d definitely say there trip was a success. They managed to cram pretty much everything significant there is to do in NY into one weekend. They seemed to be going nonstop and they hardly complained…or, at least, I never heard it. Not only was it an enjoyable vacation for them, but it was also a nice chance for me to have guests. While it’s been nice spending time with the interns, there’s nothing quite like seeing a familiar face. So, I just want to tell Mom, Pat, Deb and Des thank you for taking the time to visit me…I had a great time!