This is a little belated, but my Internet pooped out. I’m home now.

Woke up and ironed my shirt and pants on the world’s smallest ironing board, as well as an iron that I like to call “Ol’ Spitty.” Grabbed what I thought was a cracked wheat bagel (it was a garlic bagel) and went from my hotel on 23^rd Street to the Metropolitan Pavilion on 18^th street. It’s a pretty quick walk, but ironically you can take the subway from 23^rd to 18^th. In any regard, I got to the conference, registered and then sat through three sessions on email marketing. I was surprised to see that we’re ahead of the curve in some regards at Direct Financial Solutions.

At our lunch break I met up with Loren Monti at a local seafood restaurant. Loren works for a company called Hitwise and they do competitive intelligence for Direct Financial Solutions. She’s lived in New York her entire life and commutes in from Queens everyday. One thing I’ve noticed about New York is the mentality people have about work. Not only do people get in to the city early because of the commute, but they also stay late and get home late. I’d say the average businessman or women in New York works from 8:30 to 7:00 and arrives home around 8:00. That’s a stark contrast to Utah and especially Cache Valley, where 5:00 is quitting time with no exceptions.

Went back to the conference and finished out the sessions. Tracked back to the hotel, bought a subway pass and took it down to Ground Zero. While there is a sense of reverence and a somber mood at Ground Zero, there really isn’t much to see. When the new Freedom Tower is completed, it will be amazing. There were plaques with all the names of the dead – or heroes – of September 11, 2001. There were also photographs from the events of that day and a 9/11 Museum across the street. Also, there is a fire station directly across from Ground Zero and there is a huge bronze mural of the firefighters that died on 9/11.

From Ground Zero I took the subway to Little Italy and ate at Lombardi’s, which, according to every publication about New York on the web and in books, is the best place to get pizza in Manhattan. It was good and the service was fast. It has Italian ham and some spicy pepperoni. Oh, I should point out that I pounded down some Chelsea Papayas before I hit Ground Zero. These are hot dogs with spicy brown mustard for $1 a dog. In fact, that’s how you have to order them (“Gimme two dogs and a Diet Coke”) and if you say you don’t want sauerkraut they look at you like you’re nuts.

From Lombardi’s I walked through the East Village and then got on the subway and went to the Empire State Building. To my chagrin, it was only $16 to go to the 86^th floor (this is the observatory that you see in “Sleepless in Seattle”). You can go to floor 102 because it is closed. Sometimes they open it up and they charge another $14 to go there. The view from the observatory is amazing. Actually, breathtaking is more appropriate. Looking over the side made my knees weak. In every direction lies a limitless sea of cars and buildings. All of the lights make it look like a massive expanse of twinkling, multi-colored stars. And then there is the wind. It was cold! It was like standing at the summit of Mount Everest. Honestly, my teeth were chattering and my fingers went numb.

From Empire, I went down Broadway and 7^th Avenue to 23^rd West where I called it a night. I would tell you about my failed attempt at venturing to Battery Park, but that’s all it was. I got off the subway, walked through a portion of the park, pass the Staten Island Ferry and then back to the subway. As I left, I could see the Statue of Liberty and, as I have many times for the past two days, was again amazed and the sheer grandeur and spectacle that is New York City.

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.