"I'm back! UH! Back in the New York Groove! I'm back! UH! Back in the New York Groove!"
Chris and I sang that song over and over (we only knew that much of it!) as our plane landed at Kennedy Airport with the rest of the tour staff.
New York City was now before us. Neither of us had been here before and it was like our Vegas trip all over again. Only this time, it would largely be for fun. The Triple Threat Tour was going well and the NYC shows would be one of the key events on the tour. And we also had some business of our own to take care of. A big PR firm was looking to expand its interests in Los Angeles and wanted to see us and our work firsthand.
Though there was no snow on the ground, it was a brutally cold day when we arrived. The biting wind really reminded us of how we weren't in LA.
We had a limo for transport to the Plaza Hotel, and the accommodations were perfect, as expected.
And there was an added perk of membership at an exclusive 24 hour health club called Empire Fitness.
I was immediately interested in that. I had gotten into the fitness culture in California and really wanted to keep up my regimen wherever we went.
Once we checked in, I immediately headed over to Empire.
The club was a vast complex of regimens, equipment and facilities.
My workout always started with a treadmill run. I clicked on my IPod and I got into my running groove. One machine over from me was an athletic looking beauty wearing blue running shorts, a grey "UCLA" t-shirt, her light brown hair in a ponytail.
We both looked at one another and I suddenly realized who I was running with.
Jennifer Aniston.
Holy shit! I thought. No matter how many starlets I'd seen (and seen in other ways) it was still the stargazer in me who came out when they saw someone famous. You wonder, 'how should I handle this? Do I talk to them? Not talk to them? What's the protocol?' Thank god, someone else made the first move;
"Is that one of those new IPods?" I heard her ask.
"Huh? Oh, yes, yes it is. I really like-" I said stopping my run.
And forgetting the machine was still on and running. I was promptly thrown backwards off the machine and into a wall.
"Oh my god!" Jennifer cried out. She immediately jumped off her machine and crouched down where I'd landed.
"Are you OK?" she asked with concern.
"Oh yeah. Not the first time I've done that." I said rubbing the back of my head and chuckling. "I keep forgetting to wear my helmet when I do that."
"I'm so sorry! You're lucky you didn't get killed the way you flew off." She said.
"Well, it's happened before." I replied. "I'm Jim." I offered my hand.
"Jennifer. Great way to meet someone right?"
"It certainly makes an impact."
And we both laughed.
She helped me up and I resumed my workout, but this time walking.
"As I was saying, yes, this is a new IPod. And I really like it." I said to Jennifer
"I really should get a new one, I had a really great one but it self destructed." She said
"Self-destructed?" I said, confused.
"Well, I got mad at someone and threw it at him." She said hesitatingly.
"Ah, I see now." I answered. "A lethal weapon, eh?"
