It was in June, 1997, when I sent in my postcard requesting two tickets to the showing of "Spin City." I live in Michigan and I work at a seasonal restaurant so, I had it all figured out on what I was going to do. As soon as I got the tickets that fall, when my job ended, my boss and I would take a train trip to New York and see the show, along with other sites, and then shoot back here on the train again. My plans became dismal as the season at work drew to a close. It was nearing the end of September, and I was beginning to feel like I was not going to be able to go to New York and see the show! Then on September 29th, I got my answer! What I had been dreaming of all summer! I got my tickets to "Spin City" for the October 9th show!!! I went immediately to the travel agency and made all the necessary reservations! I was going to be meeting the man that I had been in awe of for over 15 years!
During the next week, I was in a dreamlike state! It didn't seem possible that it was really happening to me! Sorry, I know Michael is just a regular person like everyone else and that he isn't a superhuman entity! Yet this is someone whom I've been following career-wise for so long and I admire everything that he does! The energy he creates on screen is unbelievable beyond compare! If only I could bottle it up......... :)
My boss, Julie, and I drove to Toledo, Ohio, to get on the train which left at 1:09 AM Wednesday morning (the 8th). On train, we arrived at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and from there boarded the train at 9 AM to go into New York! My excitement was overwhelming this entire time! I had never been to "The Big City"! Arriving at around 7:30 PM, we were so tired from sitting on the train for sooo long yet never too tired for New York! We got directions to our hotel which, coincidently, was just a few blocks away (no need for a taxi). I have to tell you that our hotel was right in the middle of something like Korean Town! There were Korean restaurants and stores all around it which made me feel a little out of place! :)
Once checked in, we had to go see some sights! Time Square was on the top of my list at that moment. Man, was it beautiful at night! The Empire State building was a sight to see too! I couldn't really believe that I was actually there, seeing all of the people, the taxis, the lights! I mean, I felt like I was in a movie, or something! (You have to pardon my behavior, I'm a small town girl who doesn't get out much!!!) Get this, we then went into a McDonald's to grab something to eat and then we went back to our room. Julie, to this day, keeps razzing me about my New York eating!! :)
We had the next day (the 9th) all planned out. We were going to take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and to Ellis Island then we were going to go to the taping of the show. I have to admit that I was having trouble concentrating on the glorious statue and it's true meaning for all immigrants because my mind was elsewhere! I mean, I was in the same vicinity as the great Michael J. Fox! I kept wondering what he was doing every minute! The day just couldn't go any faster for me! We had to be at Chelsea Piers by 6 PM for the taping so we started heading back at 5 PM. Taping didn't start until 7 PM but we were told to be there atleast an hour before and I wanted to make sure we arrived in plenty of time!! We just walked back (and what a long walk it was!).
On our way back, we stopped at the City Hall.....where the show is based at. I proceeded to take about 5 pics of the building while others were looking at the 'crazy tourist! HAHA
I kept checking for my tickets every few minutes, making sure that I still had them. We were only a few yards from the piers when I checked again and they weren't there! I stopped walking and started screaming, "I lost the tickets! I can't find them!!!!" I was frantically looking around on the ground, knowing that what I had been looking so forward to, was now stripped from me! My heart was beating so loudly! I couldn't think straight! Julie was laughing and was telling me to chill out (I wanted to beat her up right there!). Julie then caught sight of the tickets a few feet back on the ground and I ran to get them! I was never so happy to see two pieces of paper in my life!! Julie was getting a major kick out of it all! She thought that it would have been funny if, after going through all of this trouble to get here, I lose the tickets and I never get to see the show! Of course, I never saw the humor in that!!! :)
Well, we approached the piers, not looking like the place where a TV show would be taped (quite deceiving!). There were no signs to give us directions on where the show was at so, unfortunately, we were somewhat lost around the building! There was this open area where there were lots of people sitting around and talking and, thinking that this was where we were to go for the taping, we started walking in. We asked someone if this was where the taping of "Spin City" was at and they informed us that they were the staff from the show! The entrance was in the next doorway. Boy, did I feel stupid!! They must have been relaxing before the show and 'brushing up' on things! (And Michael could have been in there too! HAHA)
After finding the right way in, we found out that we were the only ones there! I couldn't believe that there weren't tons of people there, ya know? I mean, this is the one and only Michael J. Fox that we are talking about here! :) It was about 6 PM when we got there and, since the taping didn't start until 7 PM, we walked around the pier a little. We saw the basketball courts, gymnasium, along with some other sites. There is quite a bit of action going on in that little place! :) At about 6:30 PM, we went back and waited in line. People started slowly showing up. We were 3rd and 4th in line at that time but when we finally got to go in, there were only about 15 people there! Julie took a quick snapshot of me before we went in. Boy, did I look bad!!! If only I knew beforehand, I would have tried to save myself! HAHA This is how Michael remembers me......and I'm not too happy! :( Anyways, since we were in the beginning of the line, I thought that we would be able to sit in the front. Instead, they put us way up at the top...as far from Michael as we could possibly get! I was absolutely bummed! :( Before we were seated though, we had to go through a metal detector and get our bags checked for any weapons. It's sad that they have to do that, isn't it? But I'm glad they do.
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