Frankie 95, Part 2: Day 1

Despite my usual misgivings about mornings and airplanes, I managed to get to the airport on time, go through security, get my bag checked in without paying the fee again, but wasn’t able to get a first-class seat without talking to five different places.  Which I wasn’t awake enough to do.  So, coach it is.

Things for me to note for the future:

• I get really bad headaches from the pressure, especially in the smaller planes
• I do get nauseous
• I hate turbulence
• Sunrise from the air is actually pretty cool.  I was starting to wish I had gotten a window seat; most of the people at the windows on that side were either leaning up against it or drew down the “blind” or whatever that’s called to sleep.
• Sitting in the first row behind first class isn’t too bad

I arrived at New York only a few minutes late (after getting to fly over Manhattan and see most of the famous New York landmarks from the sky), managed to not have my bag lost, and, fortunately, didn’t have to wait as long for Jillian to pick me up as I expected.  After running a few errands, I did a little sightseeing (Brooklyn Bridge), got my first insult by a New Yorker (“stupid”; I really have to try harder), checked in at Frankie 95 at the Manhattan Center, then ran back to the apartment to change and head back to the Manhattan Center to go to the first event, the premiere of Frankie Manning: Never Stop Swinging, and the dance that followed (after climbing the endless stairs to the ballroom).

I’ll admit this: I’ve never met the man, this was going to be my first time at a Frankie event.  And I cried throughout the documentary and everyone’s recollections of him.  I felt like a dork, but at least I knew I wasn’t the only one in tears.

Since I’ve been up since 3:00AM, and Jillian wasn’t much better, we both unfortunately tuckered out right before midnight.  We got to see some of the performances (and I got to take video with my new camera!  Too bad I’m a horrible videographer: it’s jerky, blurry, ugly…) thankfully and got a few dances in.

But now, sleep.  Tomorrow is the memorial service, followed by the Central Park dance and the world record biggest Shim Sham and Jack & Jill contest (wish me luck!).