It had been about 14 months since I had lost gone to New York City, but that dry spell has ended after this week! I went back there for some additional training for my job and I have to say I definitely enjoy getting trained in NYC rather than in the Atlanta airport vicinity. But that’s just me. I’m very appreciative of this week’s training as I got an increased visibility into just what it is I can expect to be doing and I got to learn some valuable skills that I want to keep perfecting, especially in the Spotfire and Tableau realms. I also met some great people who were also going through this session – networking, networking, networking! The also fantastic part of this week was that Larry was also back in NYC with me, but he was here for his own job. There’s also some hopeful news coming from there and which I hope to report on very soon. Fingers crossed.
The time spent there certainly wasn’t a vacation although there was time in the evening to at least get out a little. Walking around New York during the morning and evening rush hours was invigorating, and I got to recognize that even though I thought I was a fast-walker, Los Angeles speeds don’t compare at all to the NYC walking pace. I was once one of their number, but you do chill a bit back here on the west coast.
Anyway, I took some pictures, of course, while back. I revisited the United Nations (exterior, at least), finally got in and saw the Daily Planet globe, braved Grand Central Terminal, and of course the views of the PwC building in Midtown Manhattan. So there’s pictures of those things, but not much more as it was damn cold while we were there. Well, Larry is still there until tomorrow night, and apparently it snowed today. I’m happy to be enjoying the 70-80 degree temps here.
Monday, March 16, 2015 – First Day back
16-Mar-2015 18:01, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 50
16-Mar-2015 18:01, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 64
16-Mar-2015 18:02, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 50
16-Mar-2015 18:02, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 50
16-Mar-2015 18:02, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 320
A few of my favorite places
16-Mar-2015 18:02, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 50
16-Mar-2015 18:03, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 40
16-Mar-2015 18:03, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 125
16-Mar-2015 18:03, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 160
Los Angeles!
16-Mar-2015 18:04, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.042 sec, ISO 250
My hotel for the week on the east side of 42nd St
16-Mar-2015 18:06, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 32
The lit-up Chrysler Building just down the street
16-Mar-2015 19:50, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 320
16-Mar-2015 19:50, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 400
It's such a fantastic skyline component
16-Mar-2015 19:53, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 640
16-Mar-2015 20:06, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 400
Yay for Blue Smoke!
16-Mar-2015 20:07, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 640
Oh Blue Smoke, how I missed thee.
Tuesday, March 17
Monday’s training was in one of the basement conference rooms, but Tuesday’s was on the 7th floor and hence we were afforded a bit of a view! After training, I went to visit the exterior of the United Nations, as now that I’d built it in LEGO, I felt like I knew it. I really loved taking a tour of the UN shortly before leaving NYC in 2010 – highly recommend it to anyone! For dinner, I was on my own so I wandered to Grand Central’s restaurant concourse in the lower level and treated myself to Shake Shack. Honestly, it wasn’t as good as I had remembered – maybe I’m truly an In-N-Out man?
17-Mar-2015 08:54, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 50
St Patty's day was slightly rainy in the morning
17-Mar-2015 08:54, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 64
As you'll see, plenty of people took today off to drink regardless of rain or time of day
17-Mar-2015 11:02, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 32
Yep - loud too
17-Mar-2015 11:02, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 50
Lots and lots of celebration
17-Mar-2015 11:03, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 32
17-Mar-2015 11:12, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
The pwc logo awaits thee!
17-Mar-2015 15:11, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 32
17-Mar-2015 16:53, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
Grand Central feels like a special place and time within Midtown
17-Mar-2015 16:54, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 32
17-Mar-2015 16:54, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 32
The UN!
17-Mar-2015 17:52, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
17-Mar-2015 17:52, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
Bridges in the distance!
17-Mar-2015 17:52, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
17-Mar-2015 17:52, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
17-Mar-2015 17:53, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
17-Mar-2015 17:53, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
The General Assembly building
17-Mar-2015 17:55, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
17-Mar-2015 17:55, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
It does have a LEGOy feel to it, doesn't it?
17-Mar-2015 17:55, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
17-Mar-2015 17:55, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
17-Mar-2015 17:57, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
17-Mar-2015 17:58, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 32
17-Mar-2015 18:01, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
17-Mar-2015 18:01, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
Looking west down 42nd St - my hotel is right there on the left
17-Mar-2015 18:05, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 32
Inside Grand Central
17-Mar-2015 19:50, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 250
17-Mar-2015 19:50, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 250
17-Mar-2015 19:50, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 320
17-Mar-2015 19:50, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.059 sec, ISO 250
Wednesday, March 18
Back in the basement that day, but I did want to see what the PwC building actually looked like from the outside. It’s kind of the midst of everything in Midtown so you really can’t see it and then all of a sudden, you’re there and walking into the very spacious white lobby. It’s a very nice building – and then Osman took me to lunch in the cafeteria and I got very jealous because the LA office does NOT have such luxuries! 🙂
18-Mar-2015 08:47, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
18-Mar-2015 08:47, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 32
18-Mar-2015 08:47, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 32
Thursday, March 19
And finally, the last day of training. This day, we were on the 21st (!!!) floor and the view was stunning from the conference room’s windows. Stunning. You got a singular view of the Chrysler Building and a nice overhead view of Grand Central. You could also see the thin sliver of what will be the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere as it keeps building higher, 432 Park. We could see the construction elevators going up and down and you could NOT pay me to go on that. Nope, not at all going to happen.
My flight was leaving that evening after the training as that was what we had been told to schedule, but damn, if there is a next time doing this, I will have to rethink it all. You see, trying to leave Manhattan towards JFK at 4pm, which is early-ish, is a horrible idea. Normally, the ride can take about an hour or so, even with traffic. But this ride? It took me just under 2 hours. Luckily, I had made the command decision to cut out a touch early as my flight was at 6:45pm and I realized, I can’t leave at 4:30pm and hope to make my flight. Sure enough, that 2-hour cab ride meant I got there with just less than an hour to get checked in and to the gate. I ended up arriving at the gate and being nearly the last to check in. That’s cutting it close. I made the flight though (one of the new American Airlines jets with some tricked-out business and first class sections and Hobie wants that now, please), decided to watch Moneyball as I hadn’t seen it (I know!) on the entertainment system and now I’m back.
Flying a lot is exhausting. But I actually will have a Sunday this weekend and I am fucking thrilled. Larry will be back by then and I won’t be flying out and all will be nice in the world.
Grand Central from our 21st floor perch
19-Mar-2015 08:55, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 32
The Chrysler Building was right there!
19-Mar-2015 10:09, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
MetLife (former Pan Am) building too
19-Mar-2015 10:09, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
432 Park in the distance - it may look not that imposing from this angle, but it's realllly far away
19-Mar-2015 10:09, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 32
19-Mar-2015 10:09, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 32
19-Mar-2015 10:09, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 32
19-Mar-2015 12:22, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 32
19-Mar-2015 12:22, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
Thanks, Google Auto-Awesome
19-Mar-2015 12:22, Apple iPhone 6, 4.15mm
19-Mar-2015 12:24, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
19-Mar-2015 12:24, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 32
19-Mar-2015 12:49, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 32
19-Mar-2015 12:49, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
19-Mar-2015 12:50, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 32
19-Mar-2015 12:52, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
19-Mar-2015 14:07, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 32
19-Mar-2015 14:08, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 50
19-Mar-2015 14:09, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 64
19-Mar-2015 14:09, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 32
19-Mar-2015 14:09, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
On the drive to JFK - you can see 432 Park from this perspective and see just how freakin' tall it is
19-Mar-2015 17:04, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
19-Mar-2015 17:04, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
19-Mar-2015 17:04, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 32
Time to go home!
19-Mar-2015 18:55, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 32
19-Mar-2015 19:21, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 80
Manhattan in the distance as we leave JFK
19-Mar-2015 19:21, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 80
19-Mar-2015 19:22, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 64
19-Mar-2015 19:22, Apple iPhone 6, 2.2, 4.15mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 64
