Waiting to the last minute can pay off: It’s called rush tickets

by Jamie Rhein on

Although, it’s true that living the Girl Scout motto “Be Prepared” can pay off, flying through life by the seat of ones pants also has merit. Take yesterday, for example. Yesterday, I got the urge to see Avenue Q. The touring company is in town for a few days, and because I’ve been busy, getting tickets became shuffled to the background of my life. Then, about 3 p.m., I had to go. I must go, even if no one was going with me. I’d be nuts not to. At 4:45 p.m. I dashed into the CAPA ticket office to buy my ticket.

The guy behind the counter said, “Ya’ know. At 6:00, you can get a $25 ticket. There will be 20 rush tickets for sale.

At 5:30, after a trip to the library to pay off a fine for overdue books, there I was, first in line, at the Palace Theatre box office, By 6:10, I had two tickets. At that price, my husband agreed to go with me when I called to tell him about our good fortune. By 7:50 we were settled into our third- row orchestra seats on the right-hand side, much better and cheaper than the ones we would have had if I had planned ahead.

There are two morals of this story:

  1. If you get the urge to go to a performance, even if it’s last minute, don’t assume it’s too late–you might hit pay dirt.
  2. If you want to plan ahead, find out if there are rush tickets and how to get them.

Here is a link to tips on getting rush tickets for Broadway shows in New York City, and here’s a link to Talkin’ Broadway’s On the Boards that has ticket information including rush ticket policies and standing room only details. Standing room only is another last minute, cheaper ticket option. Here’s Avenue Q’s touring schedule. I highly recommend it, but it’s bawdy. Good natured, clever and terrific, but bawdy.

Canceled flights can get you some luxury

by Jamie Rhein on

If you happen to be one of those unfortunate people who come up with a dud on what seems to be a new roulette style airline game called “Will My Flight be Canceled?” or even worse, “Will my Airline Shut Down Overnight?,” you can head to certain Kimpton Hotels for a gift designed especially for you–the stranded traveler.

As a way to coax stranded travelers to a Kimpton Hotel, the “Stranded in Style” promotion allows guests with a canceled flight to choose from the following options they show a canceled boarding pass or ticket:

  • Bath salts or eye mask
  • Bottle of wine or in-room movie
  • KN Karen Neuburger zebra chenille lounge socks
  • Cocktail or appetizer at adjacent restaurant

    Participating hotels include: 70 park avenue and The Muse in New York, Hotel Argonaut in San Francisco and Hotel Monaco in Denver.

    This may not be enough to turn lemons into lemonade, but it’s an interesting idea. I wonder what budget motels could come up with? Maybe you could get real Half-and-Half instead of non-dairy creamer with that complimentary cup of coffee.

    • Camel cheese – coming soon to a grocery near you

    by Jeremy Kressmann on

    As any proper Bedouin will tell you, camels are an essential part of a nomadic desert existence. They provide a convenient method of transportation, require little water and can stand up to great extremes of temperature. We now also know that they provide the perfect compliment to your next cheese and cracker platter. I’m talking more specifically about camel cheese, the latest delicacy to make its way to grocery stores here in the U.S.

    The camel cheese trend started in the African nation of Mauritania, site of the world’s first and, to the best of my knowledge, only camel dairy farm. Mauritanians consume camel milk as part of their everyday diet, but it was a local expat named Nancy Abeiderrahmane who first got the idea to turn the milk into cheese to preserve its shelf life. The idea was a hit, and Nancy has been producing camel cheese ever since.

    The cheese made its debut in the New York City area this past month. Connoisseurs compare it favorably to goat cheese, citing its subtle “barnyard flavors” and the ability to spread it easily on bread or crackers. When it comes to food, nothing wins me over quicker than when I hear phrases like “barnyard flavors.” Pick up some now for your Final Four party this weekend!

    [Via Buzzfeed]

    New York Toilet Map

    by Abha Malpani on

    When you gotta go, you gotta go — surely something artist Tommy Mintz had in mind when he created a toilet map for New York City, plotting 250 places to do your business in the city. Mintz was inspired to do this project as he suffers from ulcerative colitis, a long-term disease that causes frequent diarrhea.

    The map is a laser printed, wallet-size fold-out that marks out well-known as well as obscure toilets across the city, assuring that you will never have to hunt for one in NYC again.

    It is displayed at the Jewish Museum as part of their Off The Wall exhibition and can be bought for $2 on the Internet.

    Not pocket-able, but another well known effort to do the same was that of New York Restrooms a couple of years ago.

    [Via Gridskipper]

    Danny Boy banned because it’s too depressing

    by Jamie Rhein on

    When we were in India we went to some Irish festival for St. Patrick’s Day. I remember the soda bread, the corned beef, the beer and my husband belting out “Danny Boy” to the band that provided the accompaniment. Then there was the karaoke bar we went to in Hsinchu, Taiwan. A friend who was visiting us from the U.S. could hardly sit up straight she was laughing so hard. Let’s just say my husband has a way with “Danny Boy,” particularly in Taiwan where the video background doesn’t exactly go along with the lyrics. You could be singing “California Dreaming” to images of people on bicycles in Vietnam. No joke.

    If my husband had the urge to belt out “Danny Boy” at Foley’s Pub and Restaurant in New York City, he’d be stopped in his tracks. The bar owner has banned it from being sung in the pub for the month of March.

    The owner Shaun Clancy thinks “Danny Boy” fits a funeral more than a celebration, and that it has been over done. He may change his mind if he heard my husband’s version. All it requires is a few Guinness. He’s loud enough a microphone isn’t necessary. I wonder how Shawn Clancy feels about “Proud Mary?” It’s not an Irish tune, but my husband and I do this one as a duet. The last time we sang this one was at a wedding reception in Vietnam. Those were the days. [see article about the reaction to the ban]