Sorry that I did not see this message but unless I go to an e-cafe, and I did not this trip, I just do not go online.
Perhaps we should have made more effort to make contact with our real names prior to going so that we would have been able to call each other in the hotel. @:-)

Jerrie and I went out to the square and after an indeterminable (and for Jerrie an ordeal) time we finally got into the square. We had a great time with others from North Carolina, Montana, Florida, Canada, Korea, Portugal, etc., etc., but never did meet someone who said they were from New York

Belle3388 called us on her cell phone while we were in the square to say she had seen us on TV but Jerrie's phone was off and we did not get the message until the next day.

We met one young couple also from North Carolina who flew up that day for the festivities. Then they were going to spend all night on the streets and catch an 800am flight from lga home. I told them about FT

All in all with the price of the Marquis, dinner with the dhammer53's in White Plains, some theatre and participation in the 100th anniversary of the celebration on the square it was a worthwhile time. ^

Would I do the celebration again?

Apologies to the purists for making this post into a mini trip report. I promise not to do it again.