I wrote a fairly large post last night at 2AM from the hotel I’m staying at in the Chelsea area of Manhattan. Chelsea is located between Midtown (think Times Square, Rockefeller Center and The Empire State Building) and Greenwich (ironically pronounced grin-itch) Village. My hotel, the Hotel Chelsea, is a $200 per night dump. Now I understand why the Marriot was $500 per night.

As I’m writing this, it’s almost 10:30 AM and there’s a break in my conference. I am the only one in the room wearing a pink shirt, which leads me to believe that pink is no longer the new black, but rather black is the new black. Also, don’t these people know I’m from Utah and where I come from we drink Diet Coke, not coffee.

The conference is at the Metropolitan Pavilion on 18^th Avenue, just five blocks south from my hotel. As I thought last night, my initial impression of New York City is the enormous amount of people. I’m also 100 percent sure there are more McDonalds and Starbucks in a 20 mile by 2 mile radius than any place on Earth. When I say there is a Starbucks on every other block, I’m not kidding.

In any regard, let me recap yesterday.

My flight was due to leave at 9:56 AM, but due to “high wind gusts” in the Newark, New Jersey area, my flight was delayed until 10:45. It was a smooth ride out and I got some great views of the Salt Lake Valley, Park City and the Wasatch Range. I even saw Kathy in her white minivan, driving like a crazed manic on I-15. The in-flight time was over four hours and I spent my time watching TV and reading the NBA preview issue in SI. Yes, they have the Jazz picked to finish 4^th in the West next year. Thanks for the jinx, SI.

This is the first time I’ve been back to the Northeast since my mission ended in 1995. While we were descending from 41,000 feet to our eventual landing, I suddenly remembered how pretty and lush the trees are in this part of the country. Plus, with the fall colors, it was quite the site to behold. Sadly, that quaint moment was broken when the lady next to me decided it was time to barf in the blanket she was sleeping with. If it hadn’t been for the Extra gum I had placed in my mouth, the smell would have made me lose my guts too.

Took a cab from the airport for $60 ($45 + $6 toll + tip), passed through the Holland Tunnel (which goes under the Hudson River) and finally hit my hotel at about 6:30 PM. After unpacking, I walked from 23^rd Street to 42^nd Street and explored the lights and sounds of Times Square. From Times Square I moved to Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick’s Cathedral and then down 5^th Avenueand on to Broadway. Again, what a crowded, dirty, smell and amazing city. Plus, you’d think the people would be mean, but really, they are amazingly nice. No wonder New Yorkers banded together so well after 9/11.

Took a cab from the airport for $60 ($45 + $6 toll + tip), passed through the Holland Tunnel (which goes under the Hudson River) and finally hit my hotel at about 6:30 PM. After unpacking, I walked from 23^rd Street to 42^nd Street and explored the lights and sounds of Times Square. From Times Square I moved to Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick’s Cathedral and then down 5^th Avenue and on to Broadway. Again, what a crowded, dirty, smell and amazing city. Plus, you’d think the people would be mean, but really, they are amazingly nice. No wonder New Yorkers banded together so well after 9/11.

Anyway, back to the conference and I’ll write about Day Two later.