Friday Night Lights

On the crowded subway commute home a giant of a guy with a huge S & P beard, wrapped in layers of a white wool scarf above a fortress of an overcoat and donning a wool cap from the Dr. Seuss Collection cried out to all of us in the car "I declare this seat on behalf of the Queen of Spain!" And then he sat down. I thought he was doing this for his friends and then I realized he had no friends. This was driven home when he cleared his space by going nuts about Wall Street and all the money grubbers and the corrupt government. Further down the car 3 kids were jive dancing while the rest of us had our ear buds in and were all pretending collectively to be oblivious. At that moment I knew I was hooked. This is the town for me.

I need strangeness in my life. Let me correct that, I want strangeness in my life. I like color and a little chaos. Just a tad, thank you. But I want to be an observer, perhaps an occasional participant, but I stop short of wanting a knife plunged in my chest.

I went to dinner with my landlords tonight. They took me out to dinner for the holidays! How nice is that! They are the nicest guys and I really feel blessed to have landed where I did. We went to our corner restaurant. Literally. I had the pork chops with figs and the roasted beet salad. Doesn't that just sound...right? At the next table were Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller with their daughter Amy. I guess Amy lives two doors down. My landlords were chatting with them afterwards and this is what I gleaned. A neighborhood/neighborly star-sighting! This and borrowing-sugar distance from next door neighbor, Chirstopher Walken, warms a recent LA transplant's heart.

It was a great night and I was so happy to be home and warm and safe having been OUT THERE. I love OUT THERE knowing that I have HERE to be afterwards. That is the trick.

It Is Always Something. Thank God, Really

It was Cold Day #2 today. Brrrrr. Cold. Brrrrr. I have figured out how to scarf and glove myself and I am mastering putting my ipod earphones under the ear muffs for that warm, surround-sound feeling.

I realize I am still getting set up here. I have this notion that once ALL these things are in place then I can just LIVE. WHERE did I get this notion from? It is a day to day, always something life. WHY do I keep thinking differently? Today was DSL wireless. I spent way too much time trying to get this going. And banking issues and address changes. Not to mention job hunt and resume rewriting. So if it NEVER ends then I may as well enjoy the process along the way. There is a concept. I need thumbtacks, er, I want thumbtacks. And I have to photocopy a box code for a rebate. Oh, the stress. How can I possibly read a book or exercise. Exercise? That requires joining a gym and gym-joining research. I need to get thumbtacks first.

So today was a good day despite all my festering. And tomorrow I am going to just work. And leave the rest to whatever. Oh, I have to set up a proper filing system at home, but eventually I will have to look for my own place and buy furniture, oh and towels, and sheets. I don't have sheets...........................................................

Cold Comfort City

The first day back at work went well. I woke up feeling energized and optimistic. So much so I decided to walk to work as my heel is healing and I am up early enough to do it. I set out with my i-pod and full coat/scarf/gloves/ear muffs. The temp dropped to 27 degrees which in LA terms would shut the schools. I made it some blocks and then just had to get on the subway. Too bloody cold. I could not believe I wimped out. My body will have to adjust as it is gonna get colder...

I want to speak a bit about the ear muffs. I do not remember who gave me ear muffs OR why someone would give a guy living in Los Angeles ear muffs OR why I kept them as they always seemed so silly to me OR why I moved them East when I got rid of most of my possessions, but I have this to say:

THANK GOD FOR EAR MUFFS AND GOD BLESS THE CHILE WHO GAVE THEM TO ME!

Have a great start to the year, my freinds. It is a decision, I am finding.

Happy "2000 Great"

This is the term I am hearing from the hopefuls: "2000 Great." I am all for that.

Happy New Year everyone. When I wrote my 2007 look back letter, I would never had known most of that stuff would happen when I was living in December 2006. Of course I wouldn't. And so I can see now that 2008 has yet to be written. And not by me. Who knows what will happen this year? None of us knows. I do not know. I know that I am typing this. That is all. Why has this been so hard to accept all these years? Plan, plan, plan. THAT is the only way to a happy life. To achieve goals. Piffle, really. The best laid plans and all that. Tiger jumps over a fence, someone drops a handkerchief, a door opens at work and a guy says "You!" Someone smiles on a subway car. A gun goes off in between Algebra and History. A baby is born.

My best plan is to drink more water, get more sleep and keep walking. I want to meditate more and read more. More, more, more! Enough with more. How can I rephrase? I will drink plenty of water. Get plenty of sleep. I will read and meditate. I will allow what is to happen to happen and concentrate on staying in the present where I belong. This is my non-plan. I will take the next step and take the next breath. That is my non-plan. I have planned and planned so many years and times. Today, I stay calm, breathe, sleep and stay hydrated. In fact I will only mediate on water and sleep and words. In fact, I have no idea what I will do. And 2000 Great will write what it likes.

Check this space.

New Year's Eve, Manhattan 2007

New York City is a city of gatherings and happenings and parades. Before Christmas there was the massive Santa event and when I came out of the subway at 42nd street today there were 100s of cops in New York's Finest Fall Fashion Wear. They were gathered, of course, for the Times Square Ball Dropping New Year's event. What was so cool was tourists and the police were having a grand old time taking photos.

It was a great atmosphere there during the day.

I walked along 42nd Street past Bryant Park and the New York Public Library. I ended up in Grand Central Station. It was the last day of the Grand Central Kaleidoscope Light Show. What good fortune! I had no idea. Essentially it is one of those "You had to be there because it sounds lame if you were not" things. There is grand music and a light show that fills up the great hall. I am a sucker for such things as this. Any lights set to music and I am had. Lovely.

I got home and tried to rest before my big Upper East Side dinner party. As has been the case with about everything since I moved here: I had a wonderful time. Took the 79th Street bus across the Park to the East and the #6 subway up Lexington. Jerry from my work was the most excellent host. I have never seen a calmer one. He was gracious and sat with us knowing he had 5 courses ahead. I would have been chain-smoking with rivulets on my forehead, one for each person multiplied by each course. There were 11 of us for dinner. These are mostly old and dear friends and he asked me to join. I was quite honored. And what a great laugh. The meal was really amazing and a celebration of life, really. I know it seems weird to put things on that grand of a scale, but when someone cooks for his/her friends it always feels like that to me and I think I am correct on this one.

The soup in front of us is a fennel blah, blah, blah with a reduced blah, blah, blah. Delicious.

Jerry with Two Tarts. The candied citrus for the chocolate tart was divine.

After some time we all departed into early morning of a brand new year. I got back to my pad around 3am and went to bed.

Ciao e grazie 2007, CIAO 2008! CIAO!!!!!

Here is what I think is a quick video from Grand Central Station and the lights to music (turn your volume up!):

Happy and Healthy New Year ALL, xo Pat

River Walk

16542 Steps

Took a walk. Along the Hudson. With my ipod. Knowing just 100 years ago someone made this very same walk with a gramophone strapped to his head. Times were hard then.

I listened to the St. Lawrence O'Toole Pipe Band Glasgow Concert album. It was a perfect complement to the river walk. I walked from the Upper West Side to the Village. I have to say New York is so clean and makes so much sense. It shocks me. This is such a livable city. They have made this bike/walking path along the river and it is wonderful. I expect that kind of urban behavior from mid-size cities trying to get on a "Top 1o Most Livable Cities" list, but New York has nothing to prove and yet.

Along my way I passed by this portal to well, New Jersey, but this portal that says "Department of Sanitation." It felt like it should have been written in the original Greek. So classy.

And chairs that support their own roof. Art and Function. With the Empire State Building in the bg.

But then I passed by this billboard for Manhattan Mini Storage. I am sorry, but suggesting that you are making a statement against the government re: a woman's right to choose when you are really being "playful" with back alley coat hanger abortions to sell storage space... !! This is one idea that should have stayed in the closet.

Made it to the village just as the pipe band was wrapping up in my head. Went to Sean's for a brunch with Frank, Charlie, Bill, Sean and Pat. Sean did an excellent job. The meal was really good. And the day was fun. Just to drive whatever cliche home, we had quiche. Three of 'em. Excellent and really good coffee. Left at nightfall. A great time.

Oh, the People You'll Meet

7869 Steps

Today was a day of big, big plans: I had to get shoelaces and toothpaste. This list expanded to gel and a haircut and new eye glasses. And then mushroomed into dropping off my laundry and buying a TV tray.

I lost my glasses at Thanksgiving and spent all this time CONVINCED that they would return to me because I MAY HAVE put my LA return address label on the inside of the case and JUST MAYBE some kind person would MAIL them to me in LA and I would get them via forwarded mail. Like a woman pacing the widow's walk waiting for her man to return from the sea, I waited. No glasses and a series of headaches and blurry plays and movies. So now I am just going to fork out the $10,000 it costs to get a new pair and be done with it.

The shoelaces were decidedly cheaper. My friend Sean took me to a cobbler and I got my shoelaces for $2.

"For $2 you want a photo too? Geddouttahere!"

To celebrate we went to the local donut place called something like "The Donut Store," That isn't it, but it is something like that. Cool, old, neon sign, stools and a counter. Love it. I got a Black and White cookie. The woman was not into having her photo taken, but capitulated when I told her it was for a school project.

This photo screams for a caption contest for what she is thinking at that very moment.

Then it was off in search of a TV tray. Brian says The Secret says to not get one TV tray, but two to allow for someone else in your life. My philosophy is if I am sitting with someone else and they have a TV tray too, the relationship is over before it has even started. So I wanted a singular, lonely, I eat in front of the TV by myself TV tray. This was not easy to come by. We happened in to The Container Store where my friend John who is now in LA used to work. They do not deal in TV trays as TV trays do not contain anything except a life of lonely slovenliness. But I did meet Joe who knows John and I took his photo to send to John. And the world!!! MwahhAAAHHHhhhAAAHhhh!!!

Joe. Container Store NYC scholar and FOJ ( Friend of John)

Finally hit TV Tray Gold at Bed, Bath & Beyond. They had the Deluxe Faux leather-topped model which I saw as sort of from the British West Indies collection. I almost went for this as it was kind of masculine and solitary. Lone Wolfish. But like the tree that fell in the woods to build this TV tray, just how macho does one have to be, or can one be, dining alone without the threat of company? I went for the more basic model (read: cheaper). I also managed to get my gel and went all crazy in this store and bought razor blades, Ziploc bags (will blog eventually about my total obsession with Ziploc bags. Get ready for the compelling and hard-hitting entry.), and sponges with scrubby siding. A bonanza.

The razor blades costs more than the TV tray!

In New York City most folk take the subway and at Bed, Bath and Beyond they will wrap your packages for subway transport! I had no idea. I got my TV tray shrink wrapped with a handle attached. Superb!

I could not believe it was nightfall already and I had just set out for shoelaces and toothpaste! I got home and then left to get my haircut. I was the last customer in the shop before they closed. I explained that this was my first haircut in New York and my last one of 2007 and it needed to be excellent. I didn't really explain, I implied. Okay, I didn't really imply, I just sat there and said "Over the ears, please." I was putty in her hands. She was very nice, but had a Caspian edge. The shop owner even gave me a free T-shirt and CD. How may barbers have their own CD's? His has chosen for his logo the Male arrow symbol with the phrase "Who's the Man?" underneath it. Excellent question. You can see it all at http://www.reamir.com/. His father was a famous barber in Uzbekistan so maybe "Who's the Man?" is a translation of something really cool there. Nice people. Local. I would go back.

"Who's the Man?" The one on the left who is happily going to spend Saturday night with a TV tray.