I had my ticket for the First Ladies of Disco show at Resorts World Casino in Queens. There was to be a book signing by First Ladies author, James Arena (who I still hope to interview). I would buy a copy of the book and cd (compiled by producer Rick Gianatos) and meet the writer and the performing divas, a favorite foursome: Martha Wash, Linda Clifford, Pamala Stanley, Claudja Barry! Plus, it was to be hosted by Deney Terrio (Dance Fever). I was stoked! This was going to be a great evening to remember.
I'd picked out a fresh, new shirt at Century 21 Bay Ridge for the occasion, packed my bag (notepad, cell phone, business cards) and I was off! I know Queens like I know Zanzibar. But I was aware that a subway ride from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn to Jamaica (NY, that is; not the island of) would take me about two hours. (Actually, I could fly to the island of Jamaica in that time!) This was Dj Buddy Beaverhausen's Big Adventure!
First, I had to transfer from the R train at Union Square in Manhattan to the L, then connect to the A. I initially got on the L headed in the wrong direction. Somewhere along the way, I lost my reading glasses from my shirt pocket. I'd have to take notes half-blind.
The A train was skipping stops due to construction. I'm not certain that I even saw a stop for Aqueduct/JFK but decided, for some reason, that it had to be the end of the line.
Nobody I spoke with on the street ever heard of a shuttle bus to the casino. I hailed a car service, asking to go to "the casino." The driver said $20 and I said it was a deal. At this point, I would be roughly 1/2 hour late for the 8 pm show. Not what I hoped for but at least I'd catch most of the show and meet the author and divas afterwards, even getting their autographs. I ended up at Empire Casino in Yonkers! This was so wrong.
Explaining I meant the Resorts casino, I learned it would be a 40-minute ride if traffic permitted and the ride would cost me a total of up over $80 from Yonkers. I cried uncle. The driver returned me to the A train. Down and defeated, I took the subway to Manhattan, then a $40 cab ride to Bay Ridge.
Talk about going nowhere fast!
But, chin up! Although gravely disappointed by my fruitless misadventure, I am ordering First Ladies of Disco (book and cd) on-line where it is an Amazon best-seller. And I'll catch these perennial, ageless divas another place, another time, hopefully.
Somehow, the whole debacle reminded me of the following song (sung by Cyndi, written by Ellie Greenwich):
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