NYC Weekend

I had a short visit to New York before we left for Missouri for Thanksgiving, and I got good time in with friends (and plenty of good food!). Photos as follows...

5...4...3...2...1...

Tomorrow night, after two long years in New York, I'm going home to Seattle. This is an odd move for me, in a way. It's my sixth cross-country in ten years, perhaps my 30th apartment move in the same period of time. But this time I'm moving back to the apartment building I left, back to work at the company I left - in many ways picking up after taking a three year break. But the time here was good and I leave with no regrets.

I spent the last two weeks in New York enjoying the best of what it had to offer:
- My first (and perhaps last) show at CBGB, Ex-Habit
- Slices from Di Fara
- A bonfire in my backyard, complete with s'mores
- A double shack burger from the Shake Shack in Madison Sq. Park
- Incredible and frighteningly pricey cocktails from Pegu Club
- Milles crepes, a specialty dessert from Lady M Confectionery
- A dinner party in the building from 'The Jeffersons'
- A luxurious nap on Annie's table at Cornerstone Healing
- 'Pride and Prejudice' shown in the BAM Rose Theater
- Dessert at my very favorite place: ChikaLicious

Over the next five days, Tanarra (my pal and roommate), Grendel and I will cruise west. First stop, Chicago.

Huh? But it's just November

What's that you say? It can't be. No, I thought she said the spring!

Actually, it's true. Whatever the little birdie or the butthole pixie told you is in fact the truth. I'm returning to Seattle. And soon, I might add - I will be back before December, although barely. And yes, for all of you naysayers - to stay.

How'd this come about?
Lots of things contributed to it, but many of you read my Manhattan Project e-mail from late summer and knew it was coming. I was just ready to come home, and when the right offer came along I took it.

What about JetBlue? What about your friends in NY? What about all of that?
I love JetBlue. This is a fantastic company, I wholly believe in the product, and I hope to support it for as long as I can. I'm even offering to work on projects for them on the side. But this isn't about work and it's not about friends. It's about me being happy where I am living, and frankly New York just wasn't doing it for me. I've spent a lot of time elsewhere in the last few months - on a kayak in Florida, hiking on property outside of (gasp!) Waco (actually, double-gasp - it was outside of Crawford), even in Seattle. The more time I spent in New York the more I realized there were things about it that would never work for me, and I just didn't want to do it anymore.

And what about school? Weren't you starting this fall?
I was scheduled to start a Masters in Gastronomy program this fall at Boston University. I was working through my financial aid forms and thought, 'hmm - 5 years to finish the program and I'll be 40, $35000 more in debt, commuting weekly to Boston and I'll have lived 5 more years in a place I can't stand. Is this a good idea?' Just because it didn't work for me here doesn't mean I can't make it work somewhere else.

When's this all happening?
I'm leaving New York early in the morning of 11/23 and my good friend Tanarra and I are driving Grendel across the country. We should arrive in Seattle somewhere around the 27th or 28th.

Where are you going to live? What are you going to do?
Not to worry, I have got a cunning plan. I turned to my good friend Holly for the answer to the housing question...I'll be back on Capitol Hill beginning 12/1 in yet another unit in the kidney (for those who don't know, that's the Malden), my fourth apartment there. For work, I got a contract gig in Redmond.

Are you baking?
Well, not really. After some really difficult baking jobs over the last year, I'm taking a break from the whole thing. I'd like to get back to doing it because it makes me happy, not because there's a deadline or a paycheck at the end of it. For now, I'll bake for friends and just little things, but no more formal affairs. Sadly, that puts me out of the running for Bethany's cake in February, but I'm hoping to make amends to her and her lovely husband-to-be by baking something just for them.

Are you bringing any other baggage back with you?
No kids, no men, only a new mattress. Movers will pick that up sometime at the end of December, along with a few other things I accumulated. For now, only personal effects and the dog. So no, no new baggage. Oh yeah, and the random brick-throwing habit I picked up when I'm honked at by a car. You have been warned.

So what's your plan?
For now, get back and get comfortable. Pay down debt, think about buying. Yes, that means laying down roots. Get more dogs. Find someone. You know, all of the usual things. But working to live, not living to work.

When can we get together?
Give me the first week of December to get my bearings, to buy some things for the empty apartment, and to figure out much money I'll have left in my account. And then, I'll make soup and whomever wants to come over can come and sit on my wooden floors and visit. And for all of you who haven't lived in NYC, the send-offs are long and liquor-filled. I've already sworn off drinking for the rest of my stay here after a little game of dodge-car and getting-to-know-your-vomit-container. So forgive me for my teetotaling. It won't last forever.

Much love to everyone and have a happy Thanksgiving. I'll see you soon.

The Manhattan Project

Introduction
Ladies and Gentlemen - we have arrived at the results stage of this glorious project, and I'm happy to finally have something to report. As previously suggested by a lot of non-native New Yorkers, New York *is* in fact a nice place to visit, but (and I quote) 'I wouldn't want to live there.' As this experiment winds to an end, I wanted to share with you some of the things I have learned about the city and about myself.

Findings
- Bag searches aren't happening everywhere in the subway system, only at two stations. So the nice reporting that I'm sure our network news channels devote to how safe New York's transportation system is is a little lean on reality.
- 97 degrees with 90 percent humidity makes stale urine the most recognizable smell in town. Sweat is a close second. It also makes for daily rushes at the local hardware store for air conditioners, which have gone up in price nearly 75%.
- There are no stars over New York. At least none to be seen. But there are fireflies at dusk.
- Every movie you've ever heard might be coming soon opens in New York. There's certainly no shortage of choices at the theater when you pull out your $11 ticket and take a swig from your $5 bottled water.
- It's weird to turn on the Today show to see Al Roker report on the weather, knowing he's talking about *my* local weather.
- Liev Schreiber is very handsome and intense looking in person. And he rides a beat-up street bike that he parks against a light post like everyone else around here.
- The New York Times is responsible for not only reporting, but exacerbating horrible fashion trends.
- All the cops are young and are as afraid to check trash bins around subway stations as I am.
- Barnes and Noble is a beacon of free toilet facilities everywhere.
- Dressing up your dog is cute except when it's 630am and you need to get his snow booties on and you're late for work and he doesn't want to get out of bed.
- And for those of you who know my dog well, there's nothing like tacking on two $35 taxi rides to the $150 - $500 vet bill every 21 days for his allergy meds.
- Anthony Bourdain, one of my very favorite people, just reported Monday night on the amazing trend of putting tapioca beads into a colored flavored 'tea-like' drink. Bubble tea, it seems, is still a mystery to many New Yorkers.
- New Yorkers fly to Florida in droves to enjoy the same shopping, the same heat, and the same people as in New York, but in less clothing.
- I can die happy knowing I have had the best pizza of my life in Brooklyn. And that I've had enough of it too.
- Union Square at midnight is a bustling place with rats everywhere and hundreds of people talking. I've had some of my best conversations on those park benches, and I will miss my chef dearly. He knows my heart.
- I loved the place I worked until it realized it was an airline. But I was lucky to have met one of the best friends I've ever had at that place. Fate was on my side that day.
- Cinnamon babka from Russ & Daughters is enough of a reason for me to fly back quarterly.
- Hatha yoga becomes bikram in this weather. I slid right off my mat and nearly broke my ass. But my skin was glistening and golden and looked lovely in the sweat.
- Grocery stores, if you're lucky to live in an area with one, close as early as 8pm here unless you're willing to go to one in the city. The overpriced bodega with its stale bread and old fruit is your only choice until it closes around midnight. After that, it's I-know-there's-something-in-the-back-of-the-pantry-I-can-eat-if-I'm-creative time.
- Nobody tells you how much work it is to go to the grocery store. Or the movies. Or to brunch. 'Ring, ring...hello? Hey, it's been a long time. Brunch, sure! Hmm, let's see - the G is running on a shuttle schedule today which means I can take it from Bedford to Hoyt and then transfer to the A which is running on the F line. I can take that to W4 and then transfer back to the A to go uptown. That place off 5th? Sure, I can get off at 72nd and then take the crosstown, or wait...maybe I can take the G to Hoyt then transfer to the F and then backtrack to Atlantic to catch the 4/5. That might be better. What? There's flooding on the tracks? Shit. Well, I'll meet you in 3 hours at Union Square and we'll just figure it out, how about that? I'll call you when I get there and we'll find one another. Yeah, I know about the parade, but...'
- Tons of children died here this summer. They shot, stabbed, dismembered, suffocated, beat, and otherwise were terrible to each other.
- Protests on the West Coast are a lot more fun than they are here.
- The 5 boroughs are a lot more segregated than I expected, and I've experienced more racism here than I ever did growing up in Texas. Race is an issue everywhere in everything, for every person you meet.
- You know your neighbors but you're not always friends with them. So you don't go knocking on your neighbor's door to invite them down to the local pub or to invite them over for poker night. Community means something different here.

What Happens Next?
I'm glad you asked. It's time to get the hell out of Dodge. Weather and pollution like this can't be good for my aging skin - and those of you who have spoken to me since I got here know I've lost a good amount of my hearing (another benefit of public transportation). I miss fresh air, quiet, and the warm friendships that saw me through so much - in the bar, in our apartments, on the back of motorcycles. I miss being able to take the dog to Magnusson Park to run to the shore, and I miss quality coffee, Thai food, and sensibilities of that coast. And let's not start on the men...(but be on the lookout for good ones, I'll need a wingman to introduce me).

But What About Grad School?
Reality hit. US Airways changed its flight schedule and our planes ran late. Then there was the $3k per class, the first payment due in about a month - loans were ready for that. But after realizing I was really pushing hard to tolerate my surroundings, I thought it would be true torture to force myself to stay for the 4 - 5 years it might take for me to finish, with a $30k bill due at the end. I don't know what I'm going to do, but I think that's going to have to wait - perhaps indefinitely.

When? Where?
Spring, I figure. If I had to guess, I'd put my money on the Emerald City. I mean, I've already lived there twice before. Maybe third time's a charm.

I've got some work to finish here, but after winter I'll start really looking for a job. That's priority one. Everything else will fall into place after that. Anyone planning to come out should.

So friends, that's that.

Thawing Out

The last week has taught me something about myself. I can't live here forever. New York had its first miserably cold days this season, just well-timed to catch me on my return from a snow-blanketed but slushy Seattle. Two nights in a row we hit 0 degrees here, with a wind chill of -10. Jessica (my college roommate), here in town on business, put me up at her hotel and we stomped around the city during this blight. She grew weary of my complaints of frozen thighs and an icebox butt, offering to buy me long underwear to combat my chill, but finally relenting to the cold, we headed back to a noisy steam radiator-warmed hotel (those of us from the Malden know this phenomenon well, and as I had grown used to the anvil chorus in my room, this hotel didn't bother me a stitch!) and watched movies and planned our next culinary adventure. One of the places we discovered is the Doughnut Plant, with its 4 flavors only - big soft pillows of fried dough (no cake doughnuts here!) covered with vanilla bean glaze, Valrhona glaze, pistachio and (the WINNER!) fresh pear glaze. Flavors change seasonally - I bet the pistachio and pear are exchanged for fresh peach and spring strawberry during warmer months. For any of you who want to try one, I promise to take you upon your next visit.

The time has also brought a few welcome changes - today was my first day of work at what seems like a wonderful little company called JetBlue Airways. Sure, there was lots of logo wear and fawning over a brand well-branded, but maybe this little company has got it right. I can't begin to tell you how many people came up to me during orientation and said, 'it sounds too good to be true, and I didn't believe it either. Just wait and see for yourself.' If you haven't flown them, check them out sometime. And don't be fooled by the Direct-TV at every seat/in-flight yoga/healthy snacks/one-class airline marketing hoo-ha. They've got a good business model, they seem to be genuinely eager to make an impact, and hell, I found out today that the CEO only pays himself $200k annually + profit sharing of $85k last year, which certainly smells of balance, even if it's not the real thing. Besides, anytime you can get 2 jaded ex-Microsoft employees in the room together (a former MSFT consultant heads up part of their IT group), giggling with delight and saying they might actually wear JetBlue logo wear, either someone's spiked the punch or they're doing something pretty cool. Now if only they would make JetBlue mittens...

Last night was also my first night in my very first New York apartment. Well, it's really just a tiny pass-through closet I'm renting from this German filmmaker chick, but it's a bed, and she's not my elderly aunt. The whole room is about 7x8, with the 'hallway' taking up about 1.5' of the 7' space - leaving me a twin futon and a shelf crammed with my clothes in about 5'. I had a nice, big room rented near the Museum of Natural History, but the guy (Woody Allen-type neurotic older OCD-sufferer) gave my room away during the holidays, and then jerked me around when I offered to rent his larger room. So I'm living in the E. Village, about 2 blocks from my great aunt's place, and about an hour commute from work. It's tiny, but I'm only here until the end of April when she goes to Germany, and I start looking in earnest for a place to share with Tyler and the dog.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and a very happy new year! If I didn't get a chance to see you, perhaps I will in the spring or summer, once I have a little vacation time saved, and I can begin to use those flight benefits of mine. And feel free to write or call, I haven't disappeared off the face of the earth!

Take care, avoid the flu (we had it over the holidays, the ass-kicking variety), and remember, check out Tyler's band!! They're an awesome little trio with some crazy surf/carnival/jazz influences, and they're trying to get shows set up in Seattle. They're known as the Diminished Men, and you can download their music from http://www.diminishedmen.com! Play it loud, and pass it on!!!

Dinah Washington's On, the Chocolate's Hot

Well folks, they don't really tell you what to expect during your first winter snowstorm. You expect (and hear) the usual:

'Do you have a warm coat?'
'Did you bring gloves?'
'Are your boots waterproof?'

Yes, yes, and sort of. But what they should have said to the new New Yorker, or at least the one adrift in snow flurries and sparkling holiday decorations, was that the first snowfall really is the stuff of memory, and it's never like this again. This is especially true for someone who hasn't grown up around the stuff, and I daresay there are few places which wear snow - the pristine first fall - so well. Parks rendered bare of leaves are transformed and adults become children and run in the snow. The Empire State Building, looking like a gigantic tree ornament, glows proudly red and green, beckoning those in the distant snow-packed neighborhoods to come play, or at the very least, come shop.

And while I can't wait to see Rockefeller Center all dressed up, it's not where I want to be tonight, this first night of snow. It's kind of overpowering, the urge to wear fuzzy slippers, make hot chocolate, and listen to bluesy standards while sitting in the dark, or as fate would have it, as dark as the laptop light allows.

On a lighter (and less ridiculous) note, I had my first 'angry New Yorker' experience. Or was the victim of one, anyway. Crossing the street I nearly ran into a man - I think he ran into me on purpose - and I proceeded to get verbally assaulted in a most unexpected and unpleasant way. Thoughts raced through my mind as I ignored him and kept walking, his breath hot on my cheek as he walked alongside me and continued to shout in my ear. I wondered if he was going to hit me, stab me, or push me into the street. Was he a pickpocket? Was this karma for walking past a volunteer for homeless children and smiling only? A little shaken, I kept walking until traffic wouldn't let me go any further. Instead of more shouting, people who had witnessed it came up to me to see if I was okay and to bitch about the crazy. I figure this is par for the course, and luckily came home with little more than a headache. Which is less than I will have when all of this white stuff turns sloshy yellowish gray, and I have to go to a temp job across town!

In case I don't see all of you this holiday, I wish you the very best.

And they're off...

Maddening. Vacations, that is. You know, how you expend so much energy trying to relax, or in my case, fixing to relax? Well tomorrow's the big day, so I thought I would write one more entry in my little notebook before packing it all up for nearly a month. The backpack's ready to go, all of my things here are packed up nice and tight and out of the way. In the short time I've been here I've started to get used to the rhythms of the place, and even though I'm happy to get away from it for a little while, I'm looking forward to the things to come.

The book...well, it's not writing itself. But I'm working on it slowly, and even though my grandmother put a ban on all information (that's another chapter), I managed to get a few juicy bits from her. Or just small pieces I guess, but they're part of the collage anyway. Maybe the week I get back I'll sit down and create a project plan for it, do the outline, and call it a day. At least it will feel like progress.

But why would I want to get stuck in the house when there's so much to do outside? Like when I...

Cheered on the runners in Central Park today (yes, including P. Diddy, although I didn't know he was running it until Bethany told me) in the middle of the New York marathon (I was in the right place at the right time).
Celebrated the 25th birthday of Hello Kitty at the Times Square Sanrio store (what a riot! Again, at the right place at the right time).
Walked home from 86th (down to Chinatown and back up to 8th St in the E. Village) to get some fresh air (for those of you who don't know, that's probably a little over half the length of the island of Manhattan).
Played with the alpacas and goats at the children's zoo in Central Park.
Taught myself to knit in one evening, just to understand the mechanics of it.
Called myself a 'consultant' rather than a 'temp' at the place I temped this week.
Practiced Moroccan bargaining techniques (thank you, Lonely Planet!) on the shopkeepers in Chinatown, and got what I wanted!
Discovered yet another good reason to be a girl (http://www.juvenexspa.com, a 24x7 spa for women, with the coolest treatments in the world!).
Bought another 256MB compact flash card for $50 (what a steal!) for the camera we're taking to Morocco...600 picture potential, and I promise not all of them will be like the NC-17 version of the castoff slide show.
Learned how to say 'peace be with you' in Arabic. A gigantic part of the world's population is celebrating Ramadan, and we're about to plop our hedonist little selves right in the thick of it. The least we could do is be respectful and polite. Or pretend to be French.

Well folks, this is it. Take care, do good. And for those of you watching my little kid, give him lots of love. I miss him terribly, and I know all of this moving around is stressful for him, so he might be a little cranky. But be patient, he's a very sweet and good natured boy. I'll be back to get him as soon as I can.

Three weeks in...

I hate those letters that come from your aunt Sue's best friend's cousin Angela, the one related to Heather Langenkamp's ex-boyfriend's sister's waxer - you know, the ones that say...

And little Bobby joined the Little Peanuts Allstar Soccer team this summer and scored his first big goal in last Thursday's game. Eugene, our dear friend from Long Island (visiting while trying to take a break from his well-paying but soul sucking job as a day trader) was there to videotape (don't we all love digital?) little Bobby's reaction! We have enclosed the momentous event on a CD for your enjoyment, as Eugene was kind enough to send the tape to Harold (you all remember Harold, don't you? Our Thanksgiving '88 friend who dropped in only to vomit Grandma's peas and yams later while walking down the corridor on our beautiful new Berber rug?), who is a film projectionist at the local indie film theater. He's also a graduate film student whose project it has been to transfer old super-8 films from a personal collection of a famous person (he won't tell us who, but that this person was very famous sometime in the 70s)...

Misery, getting those from long-lost friends we all wish could find a better use for their time.

So here's a brief report, three weeks in! HA HA HA HA HA! Enjoy.

- Climbed the last 8 floors to the observation platform on the Empire State Building. Oh yeah, and sent e-mail from up there.
- Shopped at the 'world's largest department store' - Macy's. Of course, I think the KaDeWe in Berlin is bigger, but damn! this Macy's is big.
- Ate Blue Point oysters at the oyster bar in the basement of Grand Central Station
- Tyler's band had their first BIG GIG at the Monkey Pub in the U-Dist in Seattle, and I heard it was a smash hit! His grandma showed up and showed them how to rock out, dancing in the crowds with all of the young'uns, to her devil-boy grandson's slapping phat bass!
- Dined on Tony Bourdain's Steak Frites at Les Halles, courtesy of my best pal, Jessica, who works at JPMorgan Chase, and who was up here for a few days this week (and who fed me all week, including munchies on lobster benedict, with lemon brioche!)
- Ate the most scrummy haricotes verts at Balthazar, in SoHo
- Bought chocolates from Les Vosges, this new designer choco place. I bought 2 flavors, milk chocolate curry (an indian curry), and dark chocolate wasabi, topped with black sesame seeds. Very nice.
- Was overwhelmed at Zabar's. Totally. Check it out. www.zabars.com
- Stood amongst the Egyptian ruins at the Met. This was so spectacular I nearly cried. And I cursed when we found out the Frank Lloyd Wright gallery was closed that morning. And I hardly noticed as I charged through rooms filled with Caravaggio, Renoir, Cassat, and oh yeah - a just-opened traveling exhibit of El Greco. Nice stuff.
- Missed my honey and my pooch, lots. And spent a lot on phone bills, I'm sure.
- Stood next to the lions at the New York Public Library and mused on the geography represented in Logan's Run.
- Bought 3 black-market pornos from little old Chinese men in Chinatown, to send in a care package along with tasty Turkish pistachios to someone much in need of a little...affection. He said one of them was rather...clinical! Turned out the squealing on the tapes made Grendel woof.
- Went to the Bronx and discovered it's quite a nice place, contrary to the Charles Bronson image of Fort Apache, the Bronx.
- Saw Kill Bill, and yes - paid whopping NYC ticket prices. Well, actually, Jessica paid - but I've seen 3 movies here already and it's a TOTAL ripoff. And I have a lot to say about this movie.
- At midnight, ate escargots and mussels with my Mom while drinking vodka tonics and single malt scotch.
- Had another job interview, and the first *still* hasn't called back. Nor has this one.
- Took the *free* Staten Island ferry to SI and passed the amazingly tiny Statue of Liberty. You know, with all of the flyovers of the Statue of Liberty at the beginning of David Letterman, I thought she was gigantic. This is why I wondered why they didn't try to crash the planes into her on 9/11. Now I know she's not all that big. Know the scene in Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring, when they're entering that river valley and it's bordered on both banks with those HUGE statues? That's what I thought it was like. Like the Colossus of Rhodes. I was a little disappointed, but it was still cool.
- Applied for the coolest software job I've yet seen, one that convinced me the business could still be worth another look. I just hope I get a call back (everyone, cross your fingers!!). And a big thank you to Kim, who put me onto it, and Richard, her husband who I'm sure she needled into calling them on my behalf. I am most grateful. And will feed you when you get here.
- Opened a new checking account, and I'm getting my financial house back in order!!!!
- Learned a new airline travel rule: if you don't call them to tell them you're not going to show up, you forfeit your ticket. It used to be you could use it later, pay for the change and a penalty, without calling or showing up. Now, if you don't call or show up, you lose it. Period. So I had to buy a one-way ticket back to Sea-town, which turned out cheaper than changing my existing ticket, had it been valid. How weird is that???? Cool, but weird.
- Heard from my good friend Dylan, who's living in Hamburg, for those interested.

Think of this message (and those like it) as a little glimpse into my writing process, for those of you who know I'm working on a book. And you might also want to think of it as an executive communique, because all of you are my investors of sorts, and I'm hoping you'd like to know how your little investment is paying off.

There, there. I'll be back in a few weeks to pick up stuff, hoping the whole job thing goes as planned. Love to all of you, miss you tons. More in a few weeks!

At the end of the first week...

Wanted to let you know I got here okay, and I've just finished the end
of my first week living in New York!
The first few days were a little stressful, but all in all it's been
good so far...
I've done the usual tourista things...and some not so usual...
- walked across the Brooklyn Bridge this morning
- ate a bagel and cream cheese down at the federal courthouse
- ate a pastrami sandwich at Katz's (oh my GAWD!)
- ate dim sum and noodles in Chinatown
- bought cookies at Dean & Deluca
- rented a flophouse room for 2 hours for some privacy with my honey
- interviewed at a good job
- bought bagels at 130am from H&H Midtown bagels
- watched a hundred tweens scream when Carson Daly walked into the MTV
studios
- was engulfed by neon in Times Square
- have found a few places to dash to the can in an emergency, for
under a buck
- went to Ground Zero
- fought over discount designer duds at Century 21
- figured out the subway system
- found a private place to neck, in a very public park
- ate dinner at a celebrity chef's restaurant
- toured the French Culinary Institute and ate at their restaurant
(man o man, you AIS people have NO idea how good it can be!!)
- discovered, back in Seattle, that my last paycheck by my FAVORITE
employer was not direct deposited, and thus allowed me to have a
whopping number of overdrafts!
- discovered there are no B of A banks or Wells Fargos here in town,
and very few fee-free ATMs
- discovered nobody takes credit cards, it seems
- discovered taxis are a cash-only affair, unlike in SEA
- rode out to JFK this morning for a teary-eyed goodbye for now
- have not been carded anywhere, and it doesn't seem that bars or
liquor stores ever close
- discovered something very funny about the state of the porn industry
here
- walked through tons of doggie-friendly parks
- didn't scream upon my first encounter with a large rat, or a small
mouse

I know, I know. Sounds like a lot. That doesn't include all of the
walking, drinking, and whatnot one does when trying to get accustomed
to a new place, even if it's just as a tourist.

I'll be here for a month, back around the end of October for a little
time with Tyler (before he leaves for Portugal) and then for a drive
back to NYC. The first day we were here - well, the first 3, actually -
it was hot (80s) and muggy (100 percent humidity). Since Monday, it's
been in the mid- to low-60s. Fall has arrived, I've heard on the lips
of the people here.

After a much heated debate (argument?) with my grandmother this
evening, I was finally 'released' from the house to go see a movie,
which I did by myself. Most happily, I might add. There's something to
staying in a sterile old folks home, sleeping on the linoleum, which
gives me the creeps and makes me feel like a shut-in. Oh yeah, and the
shower wasn't working until this morning. I promised Tyler I'd do my
best to make this quite thorny situation tolerable, because the rents
are still really high, and it's hard for me to commit without a firm
job offer. And for those of you who had heard about the restaurant PR
position, they haven't gotten back to me after my interview on Monday.
I'm a little bummed about it, but I have another on Friday, so I'll
deal. Anything to get me out of here, and let me start living like a
normal person again.

And for those interested...
Babbo, Saturday night.
Appetizers: BBQed octopus (AMAZING, I SWEAR!!!!), lamb's tongue salad
with a 3-minute egg, duck bacon, and a bit of pecorino, and a plate of
marinated sardines with a nice radish salad.
Entrees: fennel dusted sweetbreads (I didn't know these were glands,
not brains!) served with candied dried orange peel (and lastly) goose
liver ravioli served in a reduced basalmic sauce.
Dessert: zucchini spice cake with lemon olive oil gelato + espresso

It's not too bad up here, the pace is definitely different. A weekend
in Seattle might be positively relaxing!
I'll try to keep you all posted on the goings-on, the progress on the
book (a MAJOR setback today), the job search, and hopefully soon, my
new address (AKA your NYC crash pad).