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I didn't think I would like New York, but I did. Riding up and back with a Bear in the Space Van probably helped. I can't be but so cranky with Blackbear (Lance Strongbear, that is) around. He's a silly guy. He's also a voice of reason, eminently sensible, and extremely good at finding hidden signs when you're lost in Manhattan at 1 AM. Note to self: Mapquest sux. Evja's wedding wasn't until Sunday, so we had Saturday for Noo Yawk exploration. Corby and Thjora, Jen and Alan, myself, the Samurai, and Lance took the train into town (from Long Island) with Evja as our native guide. Lance dubbed the excursion,"Secret Squirrel, the Ninja, and Salty Pup invade the Met." Good thing we had our Consiglieri along, too. I liked everything I saw in NYC. Every conceivable shade of skin you can find on a person. All kinds of nifty outfits. Buildings so tall I wanted my webshooters. Gorgeous mosaics in the subway. (Yes, I thought the subway was beautiful.) When it came to the Met, I thought my eyes would explode, and I only saw about a hundredth of what's there. My throat was sore that night because my head had been whipping around all day. The smells were fascinating, too. I'd be walking down the street, and catch a whiff of patchouli, then lavender, or clove. Something cooking here, something rotting there. It definitely didn't smell like home. I can't leave out taste. We had wonderful frou-frou food at the Met for lunch (the Samurai burst out howling when he saw my nouvelle-cuisine dabs of food artfully arranged on my plate) and wonderful Indian food for dinner (with a wedding function in full swing upstairs--I felt very out of place when I went to the restroom.) Evja's wedding on Sunday was beautiful, too. Watching her swing-dance with her dad, hearing the Kallipygian Cat choke up while speaking his vows, and getting mildly toasted on mimosas (blame Thjora)...what a cool way to spend a Sunday. Traffic was beastly on the way home, but the view from the Verrazano Narrows bridge (lady Liberty!) and the opportunity to scandalize Lance with my apt phallic Manhattan description livened things up a bit. Cheesapeake looks very small and provincial to me now...oh, wait, it always looks like that. Blackbear asked me what I liked about New York, and I told him that I loved its vitality. Every part of the city (that I saw) seems to be useful to somebody, no matter how old, run-down, or shabby. Useful bits aren't discarded, they're incorporated. It's an organic entity. After seeing so many sad southern cities, where large chunks of old stuff are abandoned and sit blighted and useless (try Birmingham sometime: acres of abandoned buildings), it was good to see a place where the new and old meld to create something else. I like that mindset, being an old thing myself. Must go unpack, and go watch Matt Damon kick tushie. Headbone selections from this weekend: "New York, New York," "Take the A Train,""America," and the Oompa Loompa song (Bad Bear! No cookie!).Oh, and the "J Lo Lingerie Song," composed by Jen and the Samurai, lyrics by me. |
 
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The West Side's Up, and the Battery's Down