Plains, Trains, and Automobiles is not a miss-spelled movie but rather the first stop this morning – White Plains, NY. Our last night in the “City that never sleeps” was filled with dinner and scantily dressed Paris women doing the can-can. We met our good friends from White Plains at Saju Bistro before the Moulin Rouge Broadway show. Today, we’re on our way to see their home via the same train route that took them into Grand Central last night. Their automobile will then take us to the Newark airport and the plane back home to Portland, Oregon. It’s what you call “Plains-to-Plane” transportation.

Our mouth-watering “Big Apple” snack has involved several other modes of transportation – moving sidewalks, escalators, elevators, a taxi, shuttle bus, and too many miles on-foot. This time we did not travel by boat or subway, nor meet any strange characters selling shower curtain rings like John Candy’s Del Griffith along the way. We also didn’t need a rental car and had a Marriott reservation that allowed an early a.m. check-in, so thankfully there were no incidents, hassles, or Hollywood comedic twists. It’s always surprising to me when a plan comes together, considering all that could go wrong. In fact, we were supposed to do this four months ago but a death in the family prevented us from traveling. This was the make-good, so I’m glad it turned out to be a good time.

The other two Broadway productions we saw on this trip were Tootsie and Beetlejuice. In-between the shows, we had drinks at The Knickerbocker rooftop bar, and met-up with an old friend from Indianapolis at Starbucks. She just happened to be in town at the same time and a Facebook post is once again credited for getting us all together. We’ll be back in Portland in a few hours, as I jot down these words, for a hectic week or two of moving and packing. This weekend’s New York getaway was a pleasant diversion from our rapidly changing lives there. As a final thought, the question now remains as to when we’ll take another bite out of the apple?

This poem reflects my thoughts on our visit:

Bite of Broadway

We’re on our way,
Big Apple Bound.
Plane’s in the air,
Just left the ground.

Five-hour flight,
Hoping to sleep.
Though quite uncomfortable,
And never deep.

Broadway awaits,
As do old friends.
We’ll have good fun,
Before it all ends.

Red-Eye arrival,
A nap before lunch.
Several Surprises,
I have a hunch.

A Facebook post,
Led to the first.
A rooftop toast,
To quench our thirst.

Your closest friend,
Was just down the street.
What a coincidence,
For you two to meet.

Just who you needed,
So much to share.
As if out of nowhere,
She’s suddenly there.

More support at dinner,
From pals from your past.
Those who understand,
And help you heal fast.

Life for you this year,
Has been a whirlpool.
A blend of good and bad,
Crowning to cruel.

I’ve tried my best,
To stand by your side.
An open ear,
For you to confide.

This Bite of Broadway,
A sweet distraction.
The shows we saw,
Brought great satisfaction.

You’ll now be tapping,
To a new tune.
And for an encore,
We’ll come back soon.

Copyright 2019 johnstonwrites.com