I landed in New York and took the A train all the way up to Washington Heights. I love public transportation, especially when it is simple. I think I had more fun riding the A from the bottom of Brooklyn to the top of Manhattan than I would have enjoyed the convenience of taking a cab. I just think it’s cool that you can take a subway to the airport, and it’s especially cool that my friend Amanda lives on the other end of that line. I didn’t even have to change trains! Amanda was still in China recruiting for the New School, so I met up with Micah, Amanda’s long time friend who I had hung out with in New York a few years before, and then in Denver when he was there on tour. We had an amazing dinner at my favorite Washington Heights Italian restaurant, Saggio, and then I took a bus to Boston the next day.
I was so proud of myself when I found a bus that went to Boston from the Bus station just a few blocks from Amanda’s apartment. I navigated my way there, followed the signs that said the Greyhound bus would come on the corner across the street rather than in the bus station. I went back to double check and found that I had been standing on the wrong corner. I found the right corner when a lady came running out to say that my bus wasn’t coming for at least 5 hours, but she could put me on another bus to Boston that left from 42nd street. So much for efficiency!
On the way back, all went according to plan, and I was dropped off at the George Washington Bridge Station. I arrived at Amanda’s where I found her jet lagged and sick with a cold. We had Indian food delivered and then I found I could barely keep my eyes open as we tried to watch Clue. Once again, I thought I was invincible to hopping time zones, but it was catching up with me. I slept for 14 hours and woke up new.
Another thing I really love is finding something interesting and then figuring out that I’m going to be where that interesting thing is! I had seen some ads for shoes online that were made of bamboo and were supposedly very comfortable. I was hesitant to buy these shoes online because I wasn’t sure about what size would fit me or if they would look as good on my feet as they did in the pictures. These shoes had 3 stores and one of them was in New York! Woo hoo!
On the way there, I saw a Birkenstock store. My sister works at the Birkenstock store in Sacramento so I sent her a picture.
At the Allbirds store, I was glad I had made the trip. I tried on 2 different sizes, and 2 different styles before I had to choose a color. This would have been far too annoying if I wanted to return every pair of shoes I tried on and didn’t like, hoping that the next one would be better.
I went with the blue ones.
On the way back to the subway, I saw a sign for Sangria and decided it was the perfect time for an apperativo. I had the special blackberry sangria and an eggplant tapa. A great day in the big city.
The next night, Amanda had gotten tickets to see a show with Stockard Channing. I was more than happy to be her date. The show featured Stockard Channing well, but didn’t have a lot of other likable characters. I love seeing a great play but I also love seeing a play that makes me analyze what didn’t work. We did that on the subway ride home.
And we stopped at the best cookie shop in NYC on the way.
Halloween was another great day. Amanda, Micah and I had an all out diner breakfast.
And then we took the train all the way down to the Brooklyn Museum. It was halfway to JFK, so I brought my bags along.
I’m not sure what those big yellow letters are for, but from our side it says YO. From the other side it says OY. I was entertained.
We strolled through a blue exhibit which featured blue stuff from all areas. They’re still collecting things. We went to a couple of feminism exhibits. Then they had an exhibit of rooms set up from other eras with the furniture set up as it would have been.
This sign was outside one of the structures. We started making up alternative meanings for Brick Nogging. I snatched this picture with the definition in case we need a new word for Liar’s club.
This hall was in the center. The most natural thing to do was to walk to the very center and look up.
Here we are on the subway! Amanda is all hopped up on cold medicine.
And then I was off! We all agreed that next time I should stay longer.