Packing it up...

Vicky gets home form work and guess what??? Yes, I'm still at my little set-up typing away, by now recreating the past day, trying to figure out the timing of too many things, but that's how it goes, once you behind, with something you promised yourself to do every day. I'm now sitting in my bedroom back in Berkeley writing these words, but that is not too bad, its just far away from it all now but just 2 days ago. Back to Vicky, we drink a glass of white wine while I get myself ready to go back to Manhattan one more time. I pay another 12 dollars for a roundtrip ticket from Tackahoe to Grand Central Station. I catch the 5:48 Train that gets me to the underground of Manhattan by 6:28. Erik Schurink calls me just as I roll into the 125th Street Station in Harlem to see where I'm at. We planed to meet at 7 somewhere by the Penn Station where his train rolls in from Long Island. But he is early and I just arrive in Harlem, we change our meeting location to Park Avenue between 28th and 29th Street, I know exactly where I wanna eat tonight if Erik is up for it too.

Every time I emerge out of the underground into the maine concourse of the Grand Central Station I have goose-bumps, it is just a powerful place...

The city is full of these mixtures of building details, a blue sky helps to define them better!!!

I meet Erik at the Starbucks on Park and 28th, he's drinking a Chai Tea and I ordered a short Double Latte. I don't like it! Why is Starbucks such a successful coffee place?
I haven't seen Erik since 2007, and it was up in Maine at the Great Mother Conference, he is another amazing person I know through this wild and unusual gathering in remote woods of Maine. We have a lot to catch-up, I wanted to hear about his work, family and accomplishments since since our last reunion. The daughter is 14, wife is doing a chinese documentary movie and at work is a new sculpture to be installed, all sounds great. Now it's time to get some dinner, we walk over the "Les Halles " Restaurant, and of corse I ask for Antony Bordoin, the chef at large and author of my latest favorite book, Kitchen Confidential , but of corse he was here yesterday, the hostess informs me. Too bad I really would have liked to meet him in person, one day he might read this blog and call me up. Dream on...
So here we are, the place is great, food looks good and the menu reads some interesting items. Eric orders a Sauerkraut platter with Sausages and other meats, I shall have the Merqueze, spicy Moroccan Sausages, with French Fries and Salad, a feast in the making. With that I have a draft Stella Artois Beer.

Feasting away... Eric, then me...

A Cheers to all of you out there...

Back out on the streets again, where the action never stops...

Now we're on the search for a place to have a dessert, on our walk I tell him that last year when I visited New York and stayed with my friend Jennifer and Rupen we went to this bar in Manhattan and had a drink there. The owner is friends with both of them and is way too old to be working. I have no recollection on whereabouts this bar could be but after telling Eric this story we passed that damn place. Here it is, that is the bar where this geezer works, we went inside and I only found this young lad behind the bar. I ask him about the old man and he informes me that Stefano died on February 3rd 2009, he was 89 years old. What a trip, I have to call Jennifer to give her the sad news. But in the meantime we moved on, this is not a place for dessert and not even good beer. We did find a place, right near this bar. I had a piece of Apple-pie and Eric 3 scoops of Ice-cream, with some coffee, all is well.

Walking back to Grand Central one more time...

Passing a beautiful fountain in Madison Square Garden

Going back to Tuckahoe on the 11:14 Train...

No time to sleep in this morning, have to get my bike ready to meet Mary Schuman for breakfast in Yonkers. I didn't know until a few days ago that she lives in New York, even less that sch is in Yonkers which is the town west of Tuckahoe, just a skip jump away from Vicky's place. I got a threatening e-mail via facebook from her that I dare to go to another Zydeco Dance in New York without letting her know. Well live and learn, all I know about her that she is a bicyclist, I met her in November of 2007 when Sarah and I did this bike-trip down the Keys in Florida, oh my god we all had so much fun, and one reason was Mary. She and her girlfriend Kathy just thrilled the men on that ride, then I see her on Cycle Zydeco , and I not even have a picture of her from this years ride. Anyway, it's time to go and meet her at the Central Plaza Diner just over the hill from here.

Breakfast with Mary at the Central Plaza Diner in Yonkers...

I had the "Lumberjack special" that should get me through the rest of the day!!!

Back at Vicky's, it is time to get serious one more time, I have to get my Honda ready get packed and organize my stuff to take with me to go back to the West-coast for the weekend, waht a crazy idea was that when I booked that flight long time ago. But thats how it will be, I do look forward to go back home, even if it is just for a few days, but also I do will miss a nice Zydeco Festival here.

The 3 o'clock shot happen somewhere in my drams, I had to take a serious nap to regain energy for the coming few days, it will be crazy...