Tuesday 23 June

I'm up at 7am just as the construction workers are beginning but take my time getting ready. I think TKTS opens at 10am and I want to get in line. This place offers up to half price theatre tix. I have 4 options: August: Osage County, God of Carnage, 39 Steps and Our Town. Of course when I get there it doesn't open til 2pm. No matter, I have a 10.30 tour at the Lincoln Centre I want to take so make my way there. Trying to find the entry with the address in my pass book sends me around the block, literally. When I do finally make it, the tour time is 11.30 - I have an old pass book. Fine, so I go off for a coffee. I have been drinking mochas and I don't have much to say about them. I don't like the regular coffee and the tea is pretty ordinary. Starbucks is everywhere, on every corner and in between. The way we have 7/11's, they have Starbucks, in fact we hardly see 7/11 anywhere.

Lonely Planet tells me I should go to the Time Warner building and head to the 7th floor atrium for the amazing views of Central Park. After failing to find the atrium I ask 2 staff members, neither of whom knew what the book was talking about. Okay, I will just go back to the Lincoln and hang out for my tour to start, resting my blisters.

The tour is very good and we are lucky to listen to the New York Philharmonic rehearsing with a choir and some famous principals (sorry Cathy, can't remember the names). We saw the theatres for the ballet and plays/musicals (which is holding South Pacific right now)

I needed to get back to Times Square to check theatre tix and after joining what I thought was the right queue, for plays only, I find I am in the main one and probably could have been out of here almost half an hour ago. Oh well! I get my ticket for August for half price at $64 and am extremely happy. This play is/was playing in Melbourne at the time of my departure and because I had quit MTC I wasn't able to get free tix.

I'm hungry so go to Bubba Gump for lunch. Inspired by Forrest Gump, it's a seafood restaurant along the lines of the Hard Rock et al. It's yummy but soooo salty.

Next stop is the Guggenheim and I get lost on the way due to crossing town and then not finding the uptown connection. See what I mean!!! Eventually I get there and it is a waste of time for me. Not the sort of art I am remotely interested in. I read a review that felt the same. I stroll back along Fifth Ave for a bit, then catch a bus back to 42nd st. I don't really have time to do anything much so I just hang around.

I'm up for a 3 and 1/2 hour show and it starts 20mins late. I am in the 2nd row on the side so it's not a great seat. It's too close to allow myself to be transported to Osage County with these characters. However it is still fabulous and most of the acting is superb. So it should be for winning the 2008 Tony awards for Best Play and Actress, etc. It starred Phylicia Rashad from The Cosby Show and in a cameo John Cullem, who most people will remember as Holling in Northern Exposure. I have seen my first Broadway show!!

Another exhausting day behind me as I reach my front door and collapse.