Marriott Marquis: Time Square

This hotel is crazy nice. I think there are 45 floors. The first eight aren't even rooms!

The tallest building at home is 8 stories. The front desk is on the eighth floor here. It's nuts.

Getting down the the street level spits you out RIGHT onto Times Square, which has made everything extremely accessible.

The rooms were really nothing special, just the standard 2-up queen beds, with a bathtub and a desk. The shower heads are REALLY nice! There was a nice 42" LCD TV. I never turned it on, but I'm sure it's really something.

There is a Starbucks across the street, there is a Starbucks just outside the hotel, and there is a Starbucks on the eighth floor. People like coffee up here I guess.

More importantly to me, there is a McDonalds located directly across the street from the Hotel, making alte-night meals and soft drinks within easy reach. That McDonalds is faithfully providing the internet connection that is publishing this blog. The hotel wanted $17 A DAY to give me WiFi in the room, so I said, "no."

I am taking pictures constantly, and pausing to write the blogs throughout each day. I just can't PUBLISH them until late each night. Hopefully this hasn't caused too much confusion. :D

The Hotel has at least twelve elevators, called Wonka-vators. (they are all glass, the name was just natural) The go CRAZY fast, and I really haven't spent more than 15secs waiting for one since I arrived Saturday night.

This hotel is way too nice for me, but I love its access to Times Square. I would love to stay here again.

My 19th Birthday

Today is Fabio's birthday

Julius Caesar was stabbed to death today (44bc)

South Carolina and Maine joined the United States today.

The first internet domain name was registered today, 1985.

16th Birthday

Happy Birthday, Facebook friends!
Ashley Renae Caldwell
Josh (Catfish) Carnes
Vicky Alexander
Morgan Knight
Tabitha Pearcy
Cameron Jensen (oh yeah!)

17th Birthday

Had a great City Birthday, but I missed my family and my girl. Sure, it was spectacular to get to be in such a fabulous place on my birthday, but I would trade birthday time with either of them in a heartbeat.

My birthday last year was kind of like this. I was on a Disney trip with the BHS band. But, it was WAY WAY cool, because Aubrey was along on the expedition to keep my cheered up. More importantly, she had a small cake made for me before we left, and hid it on the bus so I would have cake for lunch. Even better, my mom stowed away about 300 birthday cookies under the bus, which Aubrey used to throw me a surprise party in the Hotel Lobby. IT WAS SMOOTH. I was just sitting up in my room, and my buddy called asking me to run down to the lobby real quick. Aubrey and my friends had assembled nearly the entire band down there, and when I stepped of the elevator, that band sounded like a choir. THAT was a BIRTHDAY.

18th Birthday

This year was cool, but I am going to really push to have a family-oriented 20th Birthday for next year. I miss ya'll!

Today I visited the Statue of Liberty. I'm staying in Times Square, and the Statue is WAY downtown, so I took the Subway. I've actually been taking the Subway and walking, everywhere. I haven't taken a cab or a bus yet, just walking. I'm appreciating the free aspect of the exercise, as well as how much of the sights I've been able to take in.

19th Birthday

Aubrey's Hourly Birthday Envelopes

Aubrey has managed to warm my 19-year-old birthday heart in this cold cold city.

She came over to help me get Reddie to leave Friday night, and gave me "Part I" of my birthday present. You know you've got a good woman when a birthday present comes in parts... :D

All it said was "To be opened on the airplane". I had a BLAST staring intently at it on the plane, while my passenger neighbors wondered what terrorist blueprints lay inside this suspicious envelope.

I probably shouldn't have made such a dramatic scene out of waiting to open it, but what kind of terrorist looks like a 12-year-old kid from Arkansas?

The envelope was instructions to an additional 24 envelopes stored in my Checked-Bag. One envelope for each hour of my birthday (the next day). I am nearing the end of my birthday at this point, (blogging this at about 10pm), and have LOVED every envelope.

It's been a bit of a lonely day today. The group was all out late last night, and wanted to sleep in this morning. I don't blame them. But since I thought that Breakfast was free, I made sure I was up to get some.

2 NYC formulas in play here:
C-Mag = CLASS + CITY + RELAX
group = RELAX + CLASS +CITY

So, tomorrow I will do a better job of timing myself with the group.

food note: the McDonalds here has donuts.

One of Aubrey's envelopes had a candle in it. I just bought some donuts, and plan to utilize the typically-frustrating (and questionably unnecessary) donut-hole. That hole outta be just right to prop up a wax candle. :D

The hotel wants $17 a day for internet. I say "no sir". I'm across the street at the Times Square McDonalds right now, enjoying their WiFi. Most of what you are reading is blogged and shot throughout the day, and then all regurgitated at night when I can hit WiFi and pump it all out to ya.

Enjoying New York City, and having a great birthday.

Good Morning, New York

Look out. It's fancy-blog time. Enjoy the entirely-predictable soundtrack:

Woke up this morning at 6:30am. The conference started at 8am, and I wanted to hit the hotel breakfast before I had to be at the first session.

I sat down in the breakfast area, and a lady walks up to hand me a menu. Bad sign. I think to myself... "this CAN'T be free..."

It wasn't.

I opened this menu to feast my eyes on their breakfast feast-sized and feast-priced meal.

$32

I politely stood up, gathered my things, and briskly walked (more like, fastest I've ever RAN) out of there. I had to, before they could slip me a $4.95 water.

fact: NY City is a Ghost City at 7am on Sundays. :)

I made my way down to the first floor to cross the street and hit McDonalds. Walked out on to Times Square to find less than 10 people out there. There were probably 10,000 folks out seven hours ago. I guess nobody wants out at 7:15am on a Sunday.

Traveling to New York City

I flew on a separate flight from the rest of the group. We were supposed to hit Laguardia at the same time, but my flight was early and theirs was late.

After a WILD shuttle van ride to the Hotel (Marriott Marquis on Times Square) we dumped our bags and walked around a bit.

Our hotel is RIGHT on Times Square. I can't believe we're staying here, it's way too nice. I LOVE it.

Just by wandering aimlessly last night, we managed to see where Good Morning America is broadcast, Rockafeller Center, and Radio City. I saw a bunch of Production trailers set up outside of a place, that turned out to be a Will Ferrel HBO special. That was cool. We also walked around the SNL studios (it was a Saturday Night, we HAD to).

Times Square was LEGIT. LEGIT. It was a shoulder-to-shoulder swarm of humanity, and this was 11:45pm. I was cringing at how crazy it must be in the mornings, with everybody trying to actually GET places!

I got back in the room after midnight, and after unpacking and preparing for the conference, I didn't get in bed until 2:30am NYC time.