Hot Dogs...

I love a good hot dog. I make no excuses for it, it's just something that suits me.

A good hot dog (street vended, New York style) is one of the only things I didn't partake of on last weeks M&K East Coast WinterTour 05. This mostly a climatological choice. It was too cold to eat street food. (I've never said such a thing before, normally having traveled in warmer climes...)

A unexpected day job work project pointed us north, so we decided to expand it and take in some sights. Somewhere along the line, the work thing became un-needed, but we went anyways since we had some plans and K has never been north. Of course we picked the coldest week so far this year, but, the subways were still running so it was a decent trade.

We're walkers. New York city is easy for us (no hills). So that's what we did. Drove to dc, spent the night, drove up to Princeton, took the train into the city (another K first) and spent a few days. Graciously hosted by some kind people that are on our board at the day job. A warm safe place to sleep, midtown, 1 block from the subway. Life is good.

So we subbed, and walked. Miles. It was great. The city was clear and COLD. K accuses me of having a masochistic streak, but watcha gonna do? Lots to see from the street level. Stimulating. (At some point I must stop accumulating inspiration and do something with what I have.) Bright lights, beautiful windows. You could see miles from atop the Rockefeller center, like a postcard. Madison and 5th avenue glitz and glamour, Greenwich Village down-to-earth funk, and Chelsea bridging the two. Food, and coffee- did I mention we walked a lot?

Times Square at night (a great, cheap burrito shop a few blocks away). Lit up like Las Vegas on steroids. About a billion people scurrying about. I don't like crowds, but find it easy to become invisible and enjoy the scene when its on this scale. I don't feel obligated to be a part of it...I just stand and the side and watch it go by, a river of humanity in all its variety. Garrison Keillor says Times Square is like the Grand Canyon of advertising. Perfect description. I shake my head in wonder.

We have a marginal income, so not hardly any money to go away and visit things. But we're fortunate in that we don't tend to be consumers of stuff. So we're content to walk, look, see. To be an artist of limited means living in New York would be too hard, depressing even. But to visit? It's like the wind blowing from another direction on a hot day. I should write a book: The Poor Guy's Guide to Visiting New York: Having Fun on Pennies a Day.

So I"m back on my mountain, pondering all the stuff I saw. I think I'm a bit visually overstimulated; it was good to walk the dog a while ago in the cool clear air, walking through the woods and the remainder of the snow that is lingering from the surprise early storm while we were gone. Later on, I'll talk about food (yes, there were ethnic foods, sushi, and martinis involved), the day long expedition to MOMA, doormen, ice skaters, and the bright lights of the city. Or not...I mean who needs another travelogue??? Oh yes, did I mention we walked a lot?

I hope everyone is well, and look forward to reconnecting with my blog friends after being unplugged for a week. Right now, I need a nap!