New York City

Forty years ago, when I graduated from college in May 1973, my parents took me on an all expenses paid trip for a week to New York City for my grad gift. My husband had died tragically four months earlier, and I think they wanted me to have a celebration and distraction after a season of grief. We stayed at the Hilton, but I don't remember much about the hotel except for the Egyptian cotton sheets. Never being in NY before, I was dazzled by the city. We went to two plays that were memorable. I saw Debbie Reynolds in the musical "Irene" at the brand new Minskoff Theater, and I saw "The Women" with Myrna Loy, Alexis Smith, Kim Hunter and Rhonda Fleming. Wow,both plays knocked my socks off, and I was hooked on Broadway's glamour and allure, and all that star power. I watched Paul Simon perform at Carnegie Hall, and I was as much in awe of that building as I was of him. The plays and concert were a complete surprise to me. My mother had planned everything so well( I get my need to plan from her). A high mark ( no pun intended) was having dinner at the Rainbow Room on the 65th floor of the GE skyscraoer( now known as the Rock). Iwore a black silk evening gown, drank manhattans, marveled at the views, ate fabulous steak and danced with my dad. Nancy Wilson performed that night. My parents loved her, but I had been unfamiliar with her before that evening. She was phenomenal.Her friend Carol Burnett happened to be there to see her, so we had the bonus of the two icons singing a song together. I was in 7th heaven - great music, great views of night time NY, great ambiance, and dancing with a wonderful man who introduced himself and asked me to dance. His name was Alex Martinez, a vice-president of RCA (but he lived in Chicago,and well that was that.) I love to dance, and Alex knew ballroom dancing, so I was very charmed by him. He gallantly asked my father to let me spend the rest of the evening with him, and Dad said ok. Alex took me to Rodney Dangerfield's new nightclub, and we saw Dangerfield's last set of comedy at 2 am. Now this was total serendipity, because Mom and Dad hadn't planned this, of course. In the "city that doesn't sleep", neither did I. I got back to my room after seeing the sunrise with Alex, just in time to shower and be ready to go on a sightseeing tour with my parents, seeing the Statue if Liberty, Empire State Building and the Rockettes (my dad's idea - hmmmm) and lunch at Stage deli. Last of all we went shopping one day at Macy's and Sak's. I had to get a photo of me standing in front of Tiffany's, but I didn't go in. I know my parents were very extravagant with me, and I 'll never forget this first time in that great city. I loved the trip, and my parents were right. I forgot how miserable I had been, and I was immersed in the NY experience, and even had a little romance. Obviously, I have never forgotten that very exuberant 7 days.