Yesterday I came across one of those moments that makes being "an adult" such a pain in the ass sometimes: pointless bureaucracy. I went to the local Walgreens to fill a prescription. Backstory: the prescription was written about a month ago by my sleep specialist in Chicago. Since I was leaving Chicago very shortly, but had only started the next (and last) prescription round, he wrote me out a prescription so I could fill it when I was in New York. I went to the Walgreens after work, and handed it to the pharmacy technician. Five minutes later, the guy calls me and is like, "oh the prescription is a month old, so it is expired and we can't fill it." (Btw, I believe it was expired by like a day. I also didn't know these things expired). So, I call the doctor's office in Chicago (which was luckily still open), and try to get the doctor to talk to the pharmacist. Unfortunately, the pharmacy was in the basement of the Walgreens, and reception was shitty. So I gave the doctor the pharmacy's phone number, and he was going to call them to give the prescription. So I wait. For about 20 minutes. Finally, the same pharm tech told me that "oh, your doctor left a message on our answering machine, and did not speak to the pharmacist directly, in person. Since your prescription is a controlled substance [I thought all prescriptions were controlled?], New York state law prevents us from filling it until we speak with your doctor personally." I tried arguing with the tech, then the pharmacist himself. And of course by this time the doctor's office in Chicago had closed. So, I left drug-less (which is annoying, because this is the medicine that helps me stay awake during the day like a normal person). I called again today, and the last I heard was that the pharmacy had called the doctor's office again and had left a message with the receptionist, and was waiting for the sleep doctor to call back. I didn't get to go to the pharmacy today because I had to stay later at work, and by the time I left, I was tired, wanted dinner, and decided to say, "fuck it." Hopefully it will be there tomorrow. Oy. What a production it has been to get one damn drug. Why is it that the states with the most people (California, Illinois, New York-- all to which I have been) invariably have the most asinine rules and overregulation?
So, rant over. I have been thinking about it, and have made a mental list of things I want to do or accomplish while I am in New York. I am posting it here so you all can see if and what extent I accomplish my mission. I will be editing this particular post (by strikingthrough-ing the various items on the list) every time I do one of these things, so you all can follow my progress (I will also most likely write more extensively about them in subsequent posts)
1. Visit the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island. For obvious reasons. One of the quintessentially touristy New York things to do. I should also check to see if any of my ancient relations came through Ellis Island, so I can look them up or whatever. [X]
2. Visit the World Trade Center memorial. Again, pretty self-explanatory. [X]
3. Go to the top of the Empire State Building. I hear you aren't supposed to do this, but I really want to drop a penny off the top or something.[X]
4. Go to a Yankees game. Yes, I hate the Yankees (as does pretty much anyone who is not from New York), but it is summer, and it is baseball season. And the Yankees are an American institution of sorts. It's a thing. But, I am still pissed they tore down the old Yankee Stadium. I seriously cannot believe that they would tear down such a relic of American history. I will probably be rooting for not-Yankees, however.
4. Go to the Central Park Zoo. My boyfriend and I tried this when he was here this past weekend, but we couldn't find it. But I love fluffy animals, and I wanna see them![X]
5. Go on some of the rides in the carnival section of Central Park. I am secretly five years old at heart, and have always been a rides junkie since I was a kid.
6. Take of one those horse-drawn carriage rides around Central Park. It is one of those New York things to do if you are a tourist (and let's face it, despite living here for a couple months, I basically am). Plus, I think Central Park is gorgeous, and would like the opportunity to see more of it in a leisurely fashion.
7. See Shakespeare in the Park. The Shakespeare in the Park is doing a bunch of shows of both Shakespeare and Sondheim. I am a self-confessed theatre groupie, and these events combine my two favorite concepts: live theatre, and "free."
8. Be in the audience of The Late Show, The Colbert Report, and/or The Daily Show. I missed my opportunity to be in the audience of Oprah while it was still going on in Chicago. And I always thought it would be cool to be a studio audience member. And I love those shows. The one problem is that they tend to film during the day, when I am at work. Maybe on July 4?
9. Be a random extra in a film or TV show. When I was leaving work today, I noticed a bunch of trailers and shit on a road near my building. I overheard some woman ask this guy what was going on, and he said they were filming for a TV show, White Collar (I have never seen said show, although I have heard of it). I thought about sticking around, but it was after work and I was tired and hungry, and it was cold out. I imagine though, that random filmings happen pretty frequently in New York, so hopefully I can be around for one.
10. Go shopping on Fifth Avenue. Despite it being I am sure tres cher, 5th Avenue is such a New York thing, how could you not do at least a little shopping, even if it is just to buy a hat or something?
11. Go to Frank Restaurant. This restaurant was recommended to me by a friend who went with her mom to New York a few months ago. I heard it was good and reasonably-priced. I have been meaning to go, but have not yet gotten around to it, although I recently discovered that it is not too far from where I am living.
12. Go to some she-she restaurant/bar in Manhattan. Again, as a New York thing to do, a place to go to "see and be seen." It would be interesting to spend one night "how the other half lives." Who knows, maybe I will run into some famous person?[X]
13. Go to Coney Island. I have heard that it is kind of a shadow of its former shelf, but it is a historic, very "New York" thing to do. Also, apparently there are still some rides there, and as we have established, I am a rides junkie.
14. See Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. Yes, yes, I know. I have seen it on stage at least twice, and own the movie. But it is Phantom. On Broadway. It is like, THE Broadway show. There are whole tourist shops in Times Square named after the show because it has been there so long. It is just... a thing.[X]
15. Go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the MoMA. The art history geek in me really wants to check out one of the arguably best museums in the country (The Met), and one of the pre-eminent modern art museums in the world. Am totally looking forward to the ancient Egypt section at the Met.[X]
So, there it is, my New York "bucket list" of sorts. I imagine the majority of this will have to be done on the weekends, as I don't get off from work until around 5:30pm on weekdays. It will be interesting to see what I manage to accomplish in my short time here.
Until next time...
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