Thursday, January 3, 2002

for sale on ebay

"True happiness is of a retired nature, and an enemy to pomp and noise; it arises, in the first place, from the enjoyment of one's self; and, in the next, from the friendship and conversation of a few select companions."

Joseph Addison, The Spectator

We'd considered something more energetic. Like going to the Empire State building and going to the top. But I wasn't feeling my best and we had a hard stop to get to the Russian Tea Room for our reservations.

So, we decided to go see Grand Central and the library. We had our morning coffee/tea and snack in the Grand Central food hall and marveled at the neat old station. It turned out the library was exhibiting a bunch of historical documents like letters and speeches and that kept us busy a while.

We were going the wrong way for cabs so we just walked back to the hotel. I changed shoes and we were off to lunch. I got us there too early and they hadn't even opened the place so there we were standing on the cold sidewalk. Mags turned in some film for developing on the way (to pick up on the way back) and SuRu went back during the wait to a store selling beautiful (and expensive) handbags.

They finally open and we get a table for six on the ground floor and the three of us spread out for the guests to interleave. They gradually straggle in, saying that it isn't appropriate in New York to be absolutely on time. Jessamin talked about the job situation, WEB work and rock bands, Joe about his visit to the city of his youth (he lives in Austin), Leslie about old, old times when we had the same job, before we took very different paths. And everyone talked of everything. About New York, about our lives, families. It buzzed. I had a Blini Supreme which was scrambled eggs and smoked salmon and caviar (real Sevruga) and creme fraiche. We had desserts and coffee and lingered as long as our guests' schedules allowed.

A rest seemed to be in order and we took one. Then we dressed for theater and took a cab to 42nd Street. Inexplicably, the cab driver had his stockinged foot propped on the dashboard.

We were early so we went in a shop and a newstand and then settled in to our seats at the New Amsterdam Theater only to discover people from Waco, Texas sitting around us.

I loved the show. The music, the costumes, the sets. The puppetry was fascinating. SuRu had been wanting to see it forever. I'm glad we did.

We grabbed a cab for the hotel and flopped into bed. A very New York day. I could only hope I would feel better so that I wasn't chewing cough drops and dragging behind the others.

JUST TYPING
One envisions things.
Expecting less.
Expecting more.
Changing the experience.