New Years Eve - Times Square (Part I)

I hesitated until about noon, not 100% certain that I was prepared, physically, mentally, or emotionally for the Times Square experience. Most people know that the center of New York gets pretty crowded for the ball drop, but fewer know the gory details - that armed policemen shove spectators into well-named 'pens' based on when they arrive, and in the pen there is no alcohol, no large bags, no elbow room, and, most notably, no bathroom. In the end, I went for it, not least because I'm studying to be a Travel Journalist, and I can't stop running from such unpleasantries now. This is how things went, from preparation to aftermath:

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11:00 - Zahra and I have been watching the news all morning. We learn that it is snowing in Times Square on New Years Eve for the first time in some fifty years, that despite the bitter cold people are already massing at the best viewing spots, that we aren't allowed to bring backpacks, and that it's true - there is no access to bathrooms within the pens. Amy and Kelly arrive, and we make our decisions. In the end, Zahra elects to stay at home. She will have many more chances to see the ball drop. Amy, Kelly and I decide to go to the Square.

11:30 - We head out to a convenience store to buy a pack of adult diapers. They are sold in sets of twenty, so we have a few extras. We test one out with water and turmeric, and are surprised and disgusted by how much 'pee' it holds.

12:30 - We eat our 'last meal', complete with quite a bit of water. The goal, after all, is to not need the diapers. Then, we lay out all the clothes we're planning to wear, and rest up. We'll need our strength to stand for 7+ hours in the cold.

2:30 - We struggle into multiple layers of warm clothing. The cold is the one enemy we know how to keep at bay. In the end, I was up to 17 articles of clothing, and Amy and Kelly were at 19 each.

Photo: Yes, I wore all of this, and then some...

My Outfit:

Thick, Crew-Cut Socks (2 pairs)

Snow Boots

Adult Diaper (and no, I'm not ashamed)

Long Underwear Bottoms

Workout Pants

Jeans

Bra

Long Underwear Top

Long Sleeve Shirts (2, one of which extended below my hips at the bottom)

Sweat-Jacket

Sweat-Shirt

Parka

Wool Scarf (for lower neck)

Silk Scarf (for upper neck, lower face if necessary)

Thick Gloves

Silly Monkey Hat (not worn)

Photo: You might call this my under-wear.

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