New York Lessons

It’s been a week since I’ve been on here.  A Mayhem Show went on without me.  Parades have been watched.  Turkey has been decimated.  But I also learned a few things on my trip to New York City.

• Tolerance for the Bus Lines. To save a few dollars, and have more fun money, we set me on a Greyhound trip to the big city.  The internet print service didn’t work, warranting a call to get the tickets emailed to me.  I was told the wrong, and yelled at for going to the gate I was told to, both in Pittsburgh AND New York City.  The seats are roomy, but still wear on you when you can’t move for 3 hours straight (longer, when not given adequate stops) and you’re on a packed bus. My 6’4″ frame was not happy.
• Keep that iPhone in a cool, dry place. I witnessed my phone take an impossible tumble from a shelf, off of a basket, right into the shower.  I recommend a five foot minimum when listening to your Podcasts at cleaning time.   Thankfully, the folks down at the Fifth Avenue Apple Store (the glass box/elevator one next to FAO Schartz) were very helpful in letting me pick up a replacement.  Stupid water.
• Cabs Win. I didn’t get into the Cash Cab, but those things are connected. The touch interface with GPS, news, weather, and of course, ads, were interesting.  Not nearly as scary as the Pittsburgh Taxi’s I’ve had to take for a bachelor party.  Handy when they unexpectedly eliminate your stops on the subway ten blocks from the Hooters leaving you minutes before UFC 106.



• Studios are much smaller in person. I realized this while touring the Dr. Oz (formerly Conan O’brian’s old set), Football Night in America, and Saturday Night Live’s sets during my Rockefeller Center Tour.
• FIOS HD > Cablevision. And this is from having the video editor’s eye, but the HD feed for wrestling was incredible blockiness everywhere. I saw this in Survivor Series and RAW at Mad Mike’s abode.  I’m sitting here watching Smackdown on my fiber optics and I’m astounded at the clearness in comparison.  But Mike still wins with the WWE On Demand access.
• Apple Stores in NYC are like church.  Complete with their own “crystal cathedral”.  You can also record your own confessional, of sorts…
• It’s like in the movies. I was feeling really down after my iPhone incident, and went in to FAO Schwartz just for the hell of it.  Now, if you haven’t seen this store, it’s where they played the giant piano in Tom Hanks’ “Big”.  It’s still there, actually.   But this place is really awesome for having people demonstrating toys I’ve never seen.  I was wandering and was taken aside to play something called “Odosport” I think?  Cool Stuff.

• Don’t Shining Wizard the Subway. These signs were everywhere.  Weird.

All in all, another fantastic trip to the Big Apple.  I’m never less than impress by the hospitality from our extended Mayhem Family up there.  Big thanks to Mad Mike and all of his friends for making the trip awesome again.