I picked up a couple of discount tickets at the Jericho Library on a Wednesday. They used to be called "two-fers" but they are definitely not two for the price of one anymore. The show was Oklahoma and you had to call a number and give a code. You were then afforded the not so meager price of $65 per ticket.

Sixty-five dollars a ticket is a bargain if you realize most tickets to musicals are close to $100. Of course the service charges do add up and soon you are paying $145 for two tickets which actually comes to $72.50 a ticket.

At noon on Sunday I made the call for two tickets at the George Gershwin Theater for the 3 p.m. performance. The phone lady was nice and we chatted for a while. She at first offered tickets in Row W. "Is that the best you can do for a friend?" I queried. "OK," she said. "Row C center, will that do?" "Sold!," I shouted.

Lorraine and I drove into Manhattan. From Jericho a trip to the city can take 35 minutes or it can take an hour and a half. On this Sunday we flew into Gotham. My EZ pass always makes me feel that I am the member of an "exclusive club." When that black and white bar swings upward I feel I am being welcomed into the Big Apple.

Parking was now the next problem. Brains and luck are the key to a safe spot. "There's one! I cried." "It's small," said Lorraine. "I can make it," was my reply. Back and forth I maneuvered. After many deft forwards and reverses I was home.

An indignant lady came running up to me after I was parked. "You touched my car when you parked!" she screamed. "I barely touched you!," I shouted back. "That is why they call those things 'bumpers.' I didn't hit you at 90 miles an hour. I just tapped you gently." She walked away not completely happy.

When Lorraine got out of the car she pointed out the sign which was hidden behind branches of a tree: "Diplomat Parking Only - All Violators Will Be Towed." My Herculean efforts had been for naught. Back in the car and back to the search.

On Sunday Manhattan is full of street fairs. It is difficult to get around them. They are fun if you are a pedestrian but a real pain if you are "jockeying" for a parking spot.

We finally got a spot. "Are you leaving?," I pleaded. When the truck driver shook his head "Yes," our quest was over. A 15-block walk to the theater was exhilarating. On the way at a street fair Lorraine bought a Gucci bag (faux) and a woven sash for the dining room table at a furniture store. It would have been less expensive to park near the show, but the sun was shining, we had a great spot and two tickets to Oklahoma.

The show was fabulous. Oh, What a Wonderful Morning, When I Take You Out in the Surrey, People Will Say We're in Love, The Farmer and the Cowman Should Be Friends, and finally Oklahoma were sung and danced exquisitely.

Sitting in the third row center, made it seem that the performance was being put on just for Lorraine and me. Supper in a Chinese restaurant and a quick trip back to Jericho completed the wonderful day. We even made it home in time to watch The Sopranos.