Last ruminations of NYC...

 You meet the most interesting people on trips!  And that is doubly true in NYC!!  We were sitting quietly on a sofa in the club room at the Ritz, when a whirling cloud of white, head to toe, swirled in and sat across from us.  With two daughters, a son and a very quiet and tired husband.  "Miranda" was larger than life.  And her tee shirt had not so strategically placed cloth roses, one over each "tassel area" and one in the middle to even things out.  And rings.  Well, she had lots of rings, all diamond and larger than life.  And necklaces, long long necklaces -- from Chanel.I knew that from the double C's on the necklace. The jewelry made me think of Texas.  But, no, they were from Virginia.  And they were waiting for their 3 (yes, three) rooms to be ready to check in.  Hoards of people check in for the weekends and they had to wait 4 hours in the lounge.  Understandably, tired.  Except for Miranda.  Who talked and talked.

Her daughters, age 16 and 18, were called "Chanel" and "Prada".  Her son, 21, grumpily along for the trip and very vocal about it, said the only thing he wanted to do in NYC was to go to the Baretta shop and buy more guns.  He had one more year at VMI, Virginia Military Academy.  And told us that he usually sleeps all day and everything he wants to do is at night.  (P.S. They bought two guns and were ecstatic!  Can you say, maybe we should be scared!)  I did ask him what he intended to do when he graduated.  Was he planning on going into military service maybe??  After all, he has lots of guns, it seems.  But he wants to be CIA or FBI, he said.  Popping into my head: "Can you buy your way into those type of services??"

And the next day Chanel and Prada went to Saks.  Into a private room.  I didn't know they had private rooms.  Oh well. And Miranda bought them all new school wardrobes.  Yup.  All new.  At Saks.  For school.  Then, they told us, they were off to Tiffanys.  I took the moment to tell her about Eileen Fisher at 395 W. Broadway in Soho, as she is a large woman also, in both presence and real life.  I suppose she bought out the entire store.  They'll have a spike in sales there, I'm sure!!

We became so cozy (she really liked me, I must admit) they were asking us for dinner recommendations and telling us how her "kids" didn't like dbBistro ("There's nothing on this menu I can eat," said Prada).  So I figured I could ask a few more probing questions.  After all I had heard about her 3 homes, including the 'farm" on the Chesapeake.  And her nanny and her husband's nanny, whose daughter has now been Miranda's "maid" for 18 years. And all her friends have maids and nannies.  Do teenagers need nannies, I wonder?? (All in reference to the upcoming movie "The Help".  She said, in reference to that, that she "knew" every character in the novel, from her and her family's life experiences).  So --- here goes.

Me: "Miranda, if I may ask, what does your husband do?"
Miranda: "He pays the bills"  Seriously, she said that.
Me:  Can I ask where all your  money comes from?"  I know that was gutsy, but I also knew I'd never see her again!
Miranda:  "Oh.  My husband's great great grandfather was one of the original investors in Coca Cola."
Me:  "I see.  I understand.  Off to Tiffanys you go." I wonder if they have private rooms at Tiffanys?

Wonder what great great grandpa would be thinking of his "investment" now?  Wonder if Grandpa knew of private rooms at Saks and Tiffanys jewelry rather than just lamps?!

As I said, interesting people.  Can't wait to see 'The Help" and muse on which one is Miranda!!