New York, New York, it's a hell of a town


Sunday: Went to Heather's wedding party, got there just in time to miss the open mic folk singing (thank God) but got to see Heather & Stuart serenade each other, then Errol and I got to watch 1 hour of contra dancing. Went back to the Chelsea Four Points Sheriton, Errol went out to pick up an order of haute Italian cuisine: arugala salad with pears and blue cheese, duck w/honey glaze with a side of risotto, and a crepe soaked in liqueur w/berries


Monday: Errol got 1/2 gallon of fresh squeesed O.J. which accelerated my bowel program, so I was able to catch the 10:30 paratransit bus ride (acces-a-ride: $4 to anywhere in the city, natch!) to the Guggenheim. The works on display were not interesing to me: a modern art sculpture collection, Maplethorpe photos, and some classical scetches. Not one color other than black, white or beige. Heather met us at the lobby and gave us a tour of central park. Then back to the hotel for Indian food: chicken vindaloo, saag paneer, naan, 2 chutneys, and a mango lassi. Then off to Yankee Stadium, where the Yankees shut out the Blue Jays 7 - 0. It was kinda creepy waiting for the bus back, which didn't arrive until an hour after the game ended.


Tuesday: Caught the bus to the MoMA, but it was closed. Heather saved us again by telling us that the Carnage Deli was around the corner, and told us to order her a bowl of matzo ball soup. I had a Rueben, fries, a celery soda, and sour pickles. The size of the sandwiches shocked Errol, who called his ethically vegitarian wife. I didn't eat anything else for the rest of the day. Heather took us to the nearby Museum of Television. We watched the notorious episode of Saturday Night Live where Elvis Costello stopped his band at the begining of his second appearance to say "I'm sorry ladies and gentlemen, but there's no reason to play this song here tonight" and played "Radio Radio" instead. NBC told him not to play that song beforehand, as it is critical of the media. Back to the hotel, then up to Broadway to see Spamalot, which was superb. Back to the hotel for a rest, then out to a bar which specialized in martinis. I expected to see a quiet piano bar, but the place was packet full of business school undergrads from Columbia finishing up a team building exersize. The DJ was spinning 80s retro, which these kids would have heard when they were 5. I had an apple martini, which was great (and they didn't skimp on the vodka). The carmel apple martini I had next wasn't as good. Then we went to Scores, a couple blocks away. As the zagat guide forewarned, the dances were rated "G", and, as it has always been true for me, the brunettes were nicer to me than the blondes. A few of the girls showed much more inteligence than strippers elsewhere, making them more like geishas. I spent $250 in 25 minutes. Several strangers said they liked my Beastie Boys t-shirt that day.


Wed: Woke up at 11, and thanks to the ineffectiveness of a bran muffin, we didn't leave until 2. Heather met us on the way down to the West Village. I finally got to see New York as I imagined it; brownstone buildings with shops offering the best stuff in the world. Murray's cheese shop, John's pizzaria (2nd oldest in America), and Cones ice cream, all on the same block! I then met up with a friend for dinner. We had planned to go to a French Bistro, but it turns out it had steps, so we went to a Mexican restaurant next door. I had beef enchiladas mole and guacamole, which the waiter made at our table.