Gotham redux, Nov 2007

From our midnight arrival Friday night to our Sunday flight through the Canal St. nightmare swag marketplace as we made our way for the Holland Tunnel, our New York micro-vacation was at once brisk, relaxing, renewing, intoxicating, and stimulating. Let’s take a look…

Friday
5:00 PM: Depart Pittsburgh with T-bones goodies for sustenance
11:59 PM: Arrive at Robbie Cook’s house at 13th St and 7th Ave in Brooklyn.
12:20 AM: Find parking for my car for the weekend. Stop for a 6-pack of Brooklyn Brewing company Pilsner.
12:35 AM: Commence regalia and camaraderie.
2:20 AM: Four adults consumed three beers in nearly two hours. Getting old, folks. That’s 4-3-2.

The weather along the way was horrendous. It was a miracle to have survived the turnpike between Donnegal and Breezewood. Many of you know what I mean.

Saturday
8:00 AM: Rise and shine, drink coffee, shower and chit-chat, review SAIC Alumni Directory for omissions, old crushes and friends. No hurry.
10:30 AM: Long brunch at 2nd St. Cafe in Park Slope. Excellent Eggs Florentine, fresh squeezed OJ (crying set-up), and outstanding company.
1:30 PM: Finally make our way from Brooklyn up to the Met for the Age of Rembrandt show.
5:00 PM: Depart the Met and make our way down to Washington Sq. Park to meet up with friends.
7:00 PM: Every single friend running late. This is NY. Let’s eat at Matthew Broderick’s supposed favorite restaurant on MacDougal and 3rd.
8:30 PM: Arrive at Stoned Crow on Washington, friends start to appear.
11:55 PM: Last friend finally appears.
2:00 AM: Time to find a cab back to Brooklyn.

Great day, great friends, great show. Met a couple of fascinating folks today, including painter David Jon Kassan, with whom I had a terrific conversation at the Stoned Crow. Long overdue catching up with longtime friends Raha Raissnia and James Covert.

Sunday
8:00 AM: Are you kidding? Two days in a row? No way. We’re still sleeping.
10:00 AM: Starting to stir.
11:00 AM: Stirring slightly more.
12:00 PM: Drink coffee, shower and pack. No hurry.
1:00 PM: Grab brunch on 7th. More coffee.
2:00 PM: Turn left onto Flatbush heading for the Manhattan Bridge.
2:10 PM: Manhattan Bridge in sight.
2:20 PM: Get on Manhattan Bridge
2:23 PM: Get off Manhattan Bridge
2:25 PM: OMG, It’s Sunday on Canal St.
2:51 PM: Finally made it through the swag vendor corridor and enter the Holland Tunnel.
3:01 PM: Emerge, victorious, from the Holland Tunnel. Victorious means we’re in Jersey City??
9:00 PM: We’ve made it through the Squirrel Hill Tunnel exactly six hours after escaping Manhattan’s gravitational pull. Dinner time.

After a day like Saturday, we needed a little downtime – and this day was filled with it. Even the drive back was relaxing.

Yeah, this is the redux version. Look for the youtube video some day.