not just any flowers

I read on Instagram and then later see on TV, Cj Hendry's Flower Market in Rockefeller Center for this weekend only. On display (and for sale) are not your usual flowers. They are fake.  And not just any kind of fake. But plush fake. 

Despite the line on Friday being over three hours long, I decide to go the next morning.

Armed with my phone (including today's Bee), my Kindle, a mug of coffee (which I later decide not to drink as I can't risk leaving the line), and a sweater, I leave home around 9:15 and am in line a half hour later.

It's a beautiful cool fall day. Perfect weather for waiting in a long line. 

The market is in the Rock Center Plaza, between Fifth and Sixth on 49th. I get in line on 51st Street, between Fifth and Sixth. It's long, but my line-neighbors are nice, and I've come prepared.

I get closer to the front about 2 1/4 hours later. Some guy on the sidewalk is ranting about how stupid we all are to spend hours in line to buy fake flowers. He's actually pretty articulate, but aggressive in his tone. The guy behind me stupidly gets into a verbal altercation with him, which clearly he won't win. And soon the police are summoned and I somehow end up being questioned about this guy's behavior.

I tell the officer that the ranting-sidewalk-guy is not harming anyone and not saying anything too offensive; he's just really annoying. The ranting-guy thanks me, and now I have a new friend, and not one that I particularly want.

And then...

When I'm within ten minutes of the entrance, I notice two women behind me who weren't there before. In fact, I hadn't see them anywhere in line. I say something to them, and they are nasty and dismissive, telling me to mind my own business. Soon a security guard comes over and tells me the same thing. They must be friends with the security guard who let them cut the line. No one else says anything so I stop. In retrospect, I should have stopped myself before I said anything. I need to be more careful.

In any case, I eventually get to the front of the line and have fun picking my flowers.

I can rotate them throughout the year to make different bouquets.

But was it worth three hours in line peppered with some NY drama?  Some may disagree, but I think it was. 

What's three-hours of time for flowers that can last a lifetime?