thing is, everyone is important in new york. everyone is busy. everyone has a purpose.
and yet, nobody is important in new york. and no business really matters. and who really gives a rats ass about purpose.
there's just something so incredibly refreshing about the anonymity of it all.
the city dwarfs personal problems. taken the right way, the baggage you bring to new york feels a lot lighter. and if you don't lose your mind while you're there, you can actually leave with some new-found perspective.
or not.
i grabbed breakfast one morning at a classic local joint on the upper west side called Big Nick's. in fact big nick himself was there getting interviewed by some rag doing a story on local fixtures. and yeah, he was big.
anyway, i ordered some sort of omlette and a large orange juice. you know, regular breakfast fare. short, old, weathered waitress takes my order like she's heard it a million times.
except she comes back 5 minutes later and says i can't order a large orange juice before noon. in fact, how dare i order a large orange juice before noon. in fact, if i insist on ordering a large orange juice before noon she will have to charge me an extra $5 dollars.
hmmm. well, i said, any chance i can get two small orange juices?
sure, no problem, she says, and walks away about as disengaged as she was impassioned moments before.
yep, the place just oozes with character.
as it should be.
and a plethora of xmass lights ala our very own La Rondolla. oh, and shrines to elvis. and about 75 crayon drawings of the virgin mary that were part of a grade school competition.
yes, yes, another round of tequilla please.
excellent late night rendezvous with beermongers goldfarb, pashke, and cambell. sadly, no pictures were allowed at that point, what with all the concubines that were present and all.
night two was spent living a bit more upscale at the Tavern on the Green at an awards ceremony. as good fortune would have it, our nefarious operation took second prize in a beauty contest, and a few of us ne'er-do-wells were there to claim the prize.
morning came quickly and with it my flight out. reminded me of vegas a bit as our plane took off. giddy upon arrival, but pretty much ready to jet after a few days...