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!