I want to be a part of it...New York, New York...but does NY want any part of me again?

Phew! I finally got to where I could sit down and post the silliness that was my NY trip. It did not disappoint. Well, I guess the View prize pretty much stunk, but even that made it all pretty funny.

After an early morning Starbucks run, we set off for our journey. Yes, four crazy chicks, who ditched the kids and husbands to go cause trouble in NY. The ride up was filled with great conversation, the usual girl talk, etc.

We arrived at ABC studios, and lucky for us, got to wait outside for 2 hrs (in the sun and humidity - which btw is so not good for your hair!), and then for about 1 hr. inside before we got admitted to the studio. Diane and I were giddy with excitement, sure that we would once again hit paydirt and win a fab prize. Lisa and Kirsten were less optimistic, and Diane and I are convinced that they are responsible for the "lovely" gift we received.

The show we saw was taped, and set for an August 11th air date. Set those Tivos folks.

Here are some shots of the set in between takes. The set is much smaller than it appears on TV.

During commercials, the View ladies come and talk to people. Elisabeth Hasselbeck is right in front of us (above)

Here's Whoopi! She seems to be the favorite cast member of the audience. I have no idea what she is really like in real life, but comes across as very friendly and funny when chatting.

The show was ok, but actually one of the best things about the show is the warm up comedian who is awesome...friends, meet Tom Kelly! He is hysterical and also is a great sport putting up with all of the (mostly) crazy women in the audience. Check out Tom's website here: http://ihateweddings.com/

Tom's day job appears to be with The View, but he also has a rising career in comedy. He does stand up routines in NYC, and also is immersed in several other projects at the moment. So, as I said, he is a great sport, because he put up with our goofiness (i.e. demands to have a picture with him).Disclaimer: We had been out in the heat and humidity for a couple of hours. This is why we (I) do not look my best. Plus, having to tuck your chin down for a picture does not yield a attractive shot. Look at my poor sister Lisa...she had to endure being smashed up against my chest for this shot. Note: the chest stuff will come back into play later. Then Tom decided he should be serious...

Notice that Lisa and I did not feel the need to be serious. Oh, and one more thing about Tom...he smelled really good, so if anyone out there wants to hire him they should know that Tom puts hygiene first.

We're hoping that Tom will come visit Debland and put his two cents in here. Hey Tom, were we not the best guests ever? Didn't we make those other ladies seem like pathetic boring housewives? Weren't we awesome? Did you love us? Don't hold back Tom. Honesty is the best policy here in Debland. We asked Tom to come out to lunch with us, and possibly drink a lot, but alas, he had an audition elsewhere. Next time, I'm sure.

I'll bet you're wondering about the prize. The big prize. Here it is.

A bag? What is so bad about a bag, you ask? Well, it isn't just a bag. It was a bag filled with this:

Yes, those ARE Clorox cleaning products. On our one big day out and about in Manhattan, we were once again reminded of the fact that a good portion of our "regular" lives involves scrubbing toilets and such. Oh, and the bag stunk like cleaning products. We got to lug them around Manhattan for the afternoon. Very Carrie Bradshaw, I think, don't you?

We did get a CD as well. It is a blues guitar album by Nils Lofgren. He plays, or played with Bruce Springsteen for a long time. That wasn't a bad prize. He seemed like a decent guy.

So, after the taping of the show, we decided to hit the town for a bit. The fun started when S, my violin teacher, calls me while we were in the ABC bathrooms. Shockingly, I couldn't stop laughing as I attempted to hold a conversation amongst the flushing toilets. Since he lives in the city, and is a friend, he was invited to come to lunch as well, but he too had other things to do. Personally, I think the whole bathroom conversation thing kind of weirded him out. That, or he didn't want to smell like Clorox.

Time for lunch. While we were waiting for our cab, the girls were guffawing about my top. Apparently poor Tom got quite the "view" from me. What can I say? I just wanted to look somewhat stylish and hip for my big day. Quite by accident, I wore what turned out to be an exhibitionist piece of clothing. You could say that I looked like a boob. (pun intended) More to come on this subject.

Off to the Time Warner building. Very impressive.

Before lunch, we made sure to explore the building, and we especially paid close attention to the art there.

We had a ball. Or two.

During lunch, I decided that rather than be embarassed about my top, I would celebrate it. I would find the positive in the situation. I would turn lemons (or canteloupes) into lemonade. I found out that my chest has functional qualities!! Watch...

Here is the top in question:

Not only can it be a pretty summery choice for a day around town, but it also helps me create this handy sugar packet dispenser...

Or a great place to stash a ticket...




Now I'll tell you one thing that was NO JOKE. Lunch was amazing. I had a lobster BLT that was to die for. Really. No really. I mean it. It rocked. Hey, by the way, here is a picture of Central Park. We had a great view from the restaurant. Unfortunately, this picture was shot from street level.

After lunch, we were able to contemplate the art from a different perspective. You know what sucks? Having the only good picture of you being one that was taken while your head was in a bronze ass. But, I liked my hair here. It finally looked normal, and so did my face.

Finally, we did a bit of shopping and then headed back to good ole' Philly. We also found that the NYC skyline was a great backdrop for my blouse...

I thought it would only be fair to show the other tops that were worn that day, lest you think I am the only exhibitionist...

Just sayin, that's all. Hypocrites. :)

It was a great day!!!