I went away...

but now am back. Hooray? Well, it's nice to see Toronto again, especially this morning, after last night's mini-hurricaine washed away the humidity and smog (less of an improvement: the lightning took out the big tree in front of the library). But really, I was starting to grow pretty attached to NYC and certainly didn't see nearly enough of it in the scant five days I was there. No one wants the play-by-play, I am sure, but the gist is that it was fabulous. In short:

JetBlue is an amazing airline of punctuality, mini-tvs, legroom and animal crackers.

I was delighted by how navigable the subways were. You just look at a map to see where you want to go and where you are, then find the line(s) that go in between (or check hopstop.com for various routes). The whole express/local distinction takes a little getting used to, but otherwise easy-peasy.

Small Kitten is well and thriving, with a cute apartment, amusing friends and a fine sense of style. Sabrina has instituted a policy of biting where I am concerned, but I think I love her anyway. She's just too beautiful not to love.

I ate many delicious things, including a classic New York bagel (far better than Toronto, though very different from/possibly not as good as Montreal bagels). Also IHOP pancakes, which are as fantastic as everyone says, complete with pink strawberry syrup and unlimited coffee. Mmmm....

I walked like a crazy person--from Chinatown through Little Italy and Soho to Washington Square on Thursday, along the Coney Island Beach and then across the Brooklyn Bridge to the South Street Seaport on Friday (thanks, Melaniah, for your tour-guiding fortitude), 30 blocks along Central Park West and back on Saturday (I got confused), and from somewhere I can't remember to and through Columbia on Sunday. Whew. It was fantastic.

I went to Coney Island, from whence my people sprung! It was neat, but I am still not sure I felt *of* the place. We ate at Nathan's, but I had roasted chicken and vegetables because there are no veggie dogs in all of New York City. How weird and antidiluvian. Also no recycling bins. More on these topics later, I'm sure.

I met many of Melanie's fascinating friends, and somehow let them suck me into singing in public. We are still not sure how that happened.

Ok, so that's the short version and it is not all that short, and there is more to come. The point is that I had a fantastic time, and can't believe the party is over and that I am at work eating a weird vegetarian sandwich that appears to consist mainly of shredded carrots. I miss you NYC, Melanie, Sabrina!!!!

If you can make it there
RR