Well here I am in NYC!!!! I arrived at 3 and then waited about 25 minutes for a cab. Finally got to my hotel and settled in. The room is pretty disappointing for $250/night. It's a pretty hotel in the lobby and the room itself is nice and clean but the beds seem to be about 20 years old! We'll see how I sleep tonight. I then wandered around. My plan of walking up 5th ave got messed up when I saw the miles of people dressed in red, white and blue. Turns out there was a huge Puerto Rican parade. I changed my route and found most of the streets closed off to cars! The walking was easy but there were so many people and so many teens that looked up to no good that I was a bit uncomfortable. I was glad I had left my rings in the safe in the room!!

Katherine had recommended I go up to the top of Rockefeller Center instead of the Empire State Building. She said it would be much less crowded and boy was she right! I got right up to the top in no time. One of the coolest parts was going up the elevator. Once it started the ceiling loses it's opaqueness and you see blue lights at the top of the elevator shaft. A movie plays on the ceiling in a shadow type way. It was the neatest thing! Up at the top I could see all of Central Park. That is so amazing to see this huge expanse of green in the middle of all the buildings.

I did lots more wandering around and then ate at a little italian place near the theatres, of course I paid $15 for it. agh! my dining budget out the window!

So here I am back in my room by 9pm with nothing to watch on tv (I know some of you are watching the Sopranos finale!!) Hoping to fall asaleep in the next hour or so. I am getting up at 7am (4 at home) so I can meet an internet friend for breakfast! I love meeting these new friends! I am then meeting up with my friend Simon and will be getting a weeks worth of excercise as we start at the WTC and work our way up to Central Park.

Tuesday and Wednesday are the Conference so there wont be much to report then. I should have a ton of pics though when I get back on Thursday!!!