GONE WRITING

While I take the week off to work on my Novel-in-progress, please enjoy a vintage post (from 2008) on my trip to New York City:




"Write!" Celie cried as Mister tore her and her sister apart from each other's arms, finger by finger.

"Nothing but death can keep me from it," Nettie yelled back through a torrent of tears.

Nettie's promise to her sister reflects my own promise to myself to fly to New York City one day just to see The Color Purple on Broadway, #72 on my Bucket List. My sister-friends all around me were making their own journeys to the Great White Way for the same reason, so why not me and the Diva?

The Diva went online and found second-row-center tickets to the Broadway Theater on 53rd. We used our frequent flier miles and flew to JFK International Airport where Sarge's friend sent a driver to pick us up in a Town Car.

We had a couple days to kill before watching Celie put a curse on Mister, so we shopped on 5th Ave where the Diva got scent of a sale at Saks: 70% off all coats! Of course, she bought the red eyelash mink because, well, that's her signature color. She made me buy a red shearling. Against my will. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it

She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, another friend of mine who'd made her own trek to see the play, highly recommended B. Smith's restaurant, so we followed orders and ate there one night, Chez Josephine's the next. Both had exquisite fare beyond compare. B. Smith has her own TV show, and Chez Josephine is owned and operated by one of Josephine Baker's 12 children. Another night we ate at a place (that I refuse to name) where a plate of spaghetti cost $110, and it was just an appetizer. Live and learn from my mistakes, people.

But the piece de resistance was, of course The Color Purple. That play was like a Grey Goose Vodka martini with a little twist on the ending, smooth yet intoxicating. While I am not usually given over to sentiment, I cried right there in the middle of the play when Celie said, "I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don't notice it." Truer words were never spoken.
Since then, The Color Purple has closed on Broadway, and come and gone to Los Angeles, so I am glad the Diva and I seized the day.
Weekend in New York: $$$
Fun with a fabulous friend: Priceless
There are some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's Sarge's Mastercard.