New York NY, June 17-28
I headed to
New York City on Wednesday, June 17. We were scheduled to open a Titanic exhibition there on June 24. Production was behind when I got there and logistically, it was impossible to make up any time.
Since we were in Times Square, it was difficult to get materials, supplies, etc. No parking, no waiting on the streets, two dock doors for all deliveries…chaos. We had to put off the opening until the Friday, 26th.
As always, I had a great time in New York. I have been there about a half dozen times now and I always have fun. I made time for myself and thoroughly enjoyed the city. On Monday, June 22, I went to “Phantom of the Opera” with two colleagues. I love that show.
We also got a backstage tour of the set. We saw the wardrobe and wig rooms. The sets were hoisted in the air (there was no room backstage for the sets).
We went down into the “basement” where we saw the air mattress that Raul lands on when he jumps from the bars. They put blue neon lights around the perimeter of the mattress so when he looks down, through the smoke and trapdoor, he can tell where the mattress is.
We saw where the candelabras raise and lower…and the infamous boat. I always thought the boat was on a track in the stage, but it’s actually maneuvered around the stage by a remote control offstage.
I wanted to go to “Mamma Mia” but there was only so much time I could make for myself. After all, I was there to work.
I drove my HR Director to Foxwood’s in Connecticut for a check-up. We have a Bodies exhibition up there and I hadn’t done a check-up on them since the opening. She went to do some harassment training. When we got back to NYC, we parked the car at the same parking garage that I had parked at several times during that week.
When I came out on Sunday morning, with 2.5 hours to get to the airport, I went to pick up the rental car and was told “the car’s not here.” Yes, apparently, the garage was also a drop-off location for my rental car company, so when I parked the car there, they checked it in and re-rented it. My new GPS (remember, I just lost one in the St. Paul vandalism) that I just purchased 2 weeks prior was in the console. Livid was not the word for it. I have been pissed off before, but this sent me into a dimension of pissed off I don’t think I’ve ever been in. I didn’t have time to argue with the attendant, as I had a flight to catch out of JFK in a couple hours. So I caught a cab to the airport and stewed on the debacle all the way home…which, anyone who knows me, knows it not good for me to stew on anything! The more I stew, the madder I get, and the madder I get, the more irrational I get.
After 4 days of arguing with the rental car company, and e-mailing a 3.5 page scathing letter to the President of the rental car company, I finally got confirmation late yesterday that they were going to credit the entire rental invoice, cut me a check for the cab ride to JFK, cut me another check for my GPS, and if I wouldn’t cancel my account with them, they would give me 3 free rental days too. Sometimes it pays to take a problem up the corporate ladder.
Anyone who knows me also knows that my biggest pet peeve is customer no-service. Well, that and unruly brat-ass Spawns of Satan whose parents don’t make them mind. Ooops…did I say that?
Anyhoo…..I will erupt instantly like Vesuvius if I get bad customer service. After all, I HAVE been ejected from a Wal Mart. LOL. In the words of Jimmy, “you have to be some sorry-ass trailer park trash to get tossed out of a Wal Mart.” But that’s another story….
I guess I’m all updated now. Thanks for reading my blog. Bookmark it and come back often. I try to update it as much as possible, but with my travel schedule, it’s difficult sometimes.
PS: I love reading your comments, too.
