The Phoenix VII

My jeans weren't even dry as I walked off the plane but I was still able to smile at the nice lady when she apologized to me for the umpteenth time.  I said a little prayer on my way to the luggage carousel not really sure at this point if I wanted my luggage since it would be easy to get into the city without it and they could drop it off in the middle of the night...however smelling like a barista does nothing for me so luggage it is.  I stood half way between the lost luggage counter and carousel feeling like I just spent a day on the Amazing Race, I need a drink.  I almost shed a tear when my bag came through the small door, I didn't even notice I skipped over to retrieve it until the security guard started laughing at me.  I easily found a shuttle bus and was on my way into the city within fifteen minutes.  I never get tired of looking at the beautiful skyline and it is even more breathtaking after midnight.  I didn't even care that I would have to walk with my oversized bag eight long blocks to my hotel; or that Vince was working later and our evening drink was now a 2am drink, which was perfect since Manhattan never shuts down.

I checked into the hotel and was overly excited to change and hit the town.  I had stayed at this hotel before so I was shocked when I walked in and seen an outdated dirty room; last time everything was state of the art and beautiful...wtf?  I made my way back to the lobby where they happily switched me rooms and apologized for the less than clean decor.  The second room may have been better...or worse?  I wanted to throw up except the bathroom wasn't even clean enough for me to do that.  Back on the elevator I went and tried my best to ask the young man for yet another room.  "My apologies ma'am but those are the only two rooms we have for the night".  I dropped my head in my hands, there is no fucking way I am staying in either of those rooms for the duration of my stay.  I looked at him and nodded, he doesn't have anything else tonight so I smiled my best smile and started the negotiation process.  

A half hour later and I was walking out of the lobby looking for a Starbucks.  We agreed that the cleaning crew would scour my room and I would stay in it tonight and instead of reimbursing me for the night they will kindly move me to a newly renovated room the next afternoon.  I'm really starting to buy into the whole idea that a different frame of mind can reframe any situation.  I stood on the corner of 42nd and 7th next to some guy and waited for the walk light.  I looked over to break the awkwardness of there being only two of us in Times Square, I nodded and smiled at the familiar face...another light in my dark start of the trip.  In Manhattan anything can happen...I guess that is why my heart and soul belong there.