NYC Subway music and yearning for rain boots...

Well, first let me say that this blog, again, was initially set up to follow my TODAY SHOW happenings, but due to my uncertainties about what is okay to write and what is not, I have made this more into a NYC blog of my adventures around the city...with a little "salt and pepper" of the TODAY SHOW when I know that it is okay to write about it.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO onto the city of everything:

I find that instead of being compelled to give to bums on the street or in the subway, I have found many talented/interesting musicians in the subways- especially high-transfer subways like 59th and 42nd...even 34th. LOVE IT! Last night while out with Lindsay, a fellow intern, we came across an amazing blues band. These guys were not messing around! They had a whole set up with drums, guitars, amps and a harmonica...and by the time I left, I had not only placed $1.00 in the open guitar case, but was "feeling the blues" in the best way possible.

On numerous other occasions, I have stopped to enjoy musicians in the subway...now this is a big deal, because the city is hustle and bustle...it doesn't stop and in the bigger subways when you are racing to catch the next train and trying to weave through the crowds, to be stopped by anything is a big deal.

The music takes me out of my trance...a couple weeks ago there were 2 musicians dressed up in Elmo and Cookie Monster outfits playing the guitar and chello....no joke.

On Monday there was a girl with her guitar in the subway singing blue grass and her voice was so unusual that it was good...it cracked and she had a hard time holding a note, but it was really good :) While she was playing a rat came running up and people stared gasping and a few screams let out...I'm just glad I saw the rat so I knew what the commotion was about. I, of course, moved quickly out of the way and jumped on top of a seating area, and immediately thought of my mom. I haven't told her this story and do not plan on it until after her visit to take me home, so that she will not be staring at the ground in the subway looking for them. (I'm sure my dad and rest of the family can see this happening).

Today it is raining...again. I took my rain boots home this last visit because I thought it would be good to start taking things home. BAD IDEA no WORST IDEA EVER. It is raining and it is the sticky rain that makes sloshy puddles and before you know it you are ankle deep in them which is awful because you are blocks from your house and you can't go back because you haven't gotten to the store yet to buy those groceries or soap you really need. So as you continue walking with the squishy sound of your sock rubbing up and releasing water into your shoe (which does not go anywhere, but lingers) you can only think about those beautiful rain boots...missing them. BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS KEPT YOU DRY.

I am lucky enough to be by the river though...it is really amazing, because the rain makes it smell so good. SO GOOD.

If you go down further into Times Square the rain does not make anything smell good, but worse. It's like all of the smells from the food carts and subway now are stuck to the ground by the rain and instead of floating smells...you now have heavy, sticky smells. LOL it's bad.

I am in NY at the best time of year, the trees are blooming and it is not hot enough to make the subways smell and people sweat because there is no ventilation down there...can you imagine? I have heard from my roommates that summer is fun, but the subways are awful because people are sweaty and smashed into the train cars and you are stuck up against not only smelly people, but sweaty, smelly people...ahhhhhh.

I would really love to see my DAD on one of those cars...it would be like his worst nightmare, besides breaking a hand or something that would stop him from playing the guitar...except at that point he would learn to play with his feet or teeth or something...I'm not sure that anything would ever stop him :)

SO ANYWAYS, NY in the Spring is amazing. AMAZING. The trees are starting to turn pink, purple and white and the grass is getting green and the weather is perfect for walking everywhere. It's like the city is coming alive and I am falling in love with it more and more with each passing day.