Park Avenue = Hell

I'm getting stressed out and mad just thinking about today. I thought today was going to be awesome...I could not have been more wrong.

I picked up M from school at 2:45 and it was just us gals because W went home with a friend for a play date. I had an hour with M in which I thought it would be nice to let her play before T came to take her to the museum for a field trip. I gave her her snack and changed her into comfy clothes and before I knew it T was there to take her to the Museum of Natural History. She was early and I thought it would be a good idea to get her math flashcards out of the way before they left since they were going to their weekend home later and there might not be enough time. T offered to do them with her and I got very territorial because that's MY job with her. I timidly said, "OK" but thank goodness M said she wanted me to do them with her. Damn right, M!

They left for the museum at 4:10pm and I had to pick up W from her play date at 4:45pm. I didn't know what I was going to do for all that time so I left at 4:15pm to get an early start. The mom had texted me their address earlier that day so I google-mapped it on my blackberry to know where to go. The map showed me that 150 Park Ave was at Park Ave between 32nd and 33rd streets. That's pretty far from their house on the Upper West Side, especially during rush hour. It was a good thing I left when I did because it took me 45 minutes to get there by taxi! $21 later, I'm at 32nd and Park Ave and do not see the address 150 anywhere. I go inside somewhere and ask why I'm so turned around and the guy told me google maps messes this up all the time and that 150 is actually around 41st St. I'm not about to walk that distance since it's already time for me to get her, so I take another taxi to 41st St. I still don't see #150 anywhere. I see 120 Park Ave and 200 Park Ave but there is no 150 to be found. I stopped and asked several people and they told me to go through Grand Central Station to get there....so I do. Twice. It seemed as if 150 was right in the middle of Grand Central. How can this be?! I asked several people and none of them seemed to have an idea of where it was.

I had called W's mom when I originally got to 41st St telling her the map gave me the wrong direction and I was very close to picking up W and asked if she could call the girl's mother and let her know I was close by. Well after I had walked around, through, and behind Grand Central for a good 15 minutes, I was sweaty and freaking out because now I was a half hour late to pick her up. I finally called W's mom again and said, "I feel really stupid but I cannot find their building anywhere." She says, "1150 Park Ave??" And I said, "1150?! I thought it was 150." She says so calmly, "oh no, it's 1150. I texted it to you". I informed her that I received that text and that it said 150 but not to worry....I would find 1150 right away. I look it up on my phone and it's at 92nd and Park Ave. My family lives at 81st on the other side of the park. I was SO close to them from the very beginning but had gone all the way down to 32nd and then back up to 41st, only to take a THIRD taxi to 92nd. I had spent about $50 at this point in taxis and wasn't sure I would have enough to pay for the taxi home with W.

Humiliated, I got to their apartment an HOUR late to pick up W. She, of course, didn't mind because she got an extra hour to play with her friend. But this would mean she wasn't getting a bath and she would hardly have any time before she had to turn around to leave for Purchase because they leave at 6:30. W was being a darling on the way home and very clingy for the rest of the afternoon. When I got back to their apartment all sweaty and tired at 6:00pm (mind you, this is 2 hours after I left originally), the mom told me she had checked her text she sent me and confirmed that she had, in fact, written 1150. My phone can't receive more than 160 characters in one text message so it had split up her message into 3 different texts and it split up the numbers so all I saw was 150. I could not believe it. Thank G-d she was really understanding about it and said she would be more careful when sending long texts or would text me the cross streets. *sigh*

I got the girl's bags packed for the weekend and bundled them up, and before I knew it, they were off! I took the elevator down with them and W asked if I could come with them to Purchase. She even asked if I would wait with them in the lobby until their dad pulled up in the car. Where did this sudden affection come from?? I don't know but I love it.

I am ready for the weekend. No more Park Avenue adventures for me!!