Up before the crack of dawn to do last minute packing and be ready for shuttle. Almost forgot my heavy coat … probably better if I had.
Arrive at JFK – rainy. Called Super Shuttle. Waited 40 minutes. Called again. Waited another 20 minutes … an hour of my life that I can never get back.
Arrived at Monkster’s. Didn’t know if I wanted to tip the driver, but I did. Then he gave me a hard time because he wasn’t aware that I had already paid when I booked. This does not bode well for Super Shuttle. Or for my return trip to JKF. Already thinking that Prime Time will be my shuttle of choice from here on in.
Up to Monkster’s. Met Rosebud, Monkster’s girlfriend from Canada. Decided to go to dinner at a little Italian place just below her apartment. Lenin's Son to meet us there. Took the 1 subway (along Broadway). Got my week’s pass, so I don’t have to worry about getting lost, I can always just hop back on going the other direction. Roseanna gave me her subway map, already with the Manhattan fold.
Great little Italian place, bustling and aromatic. Lenin's Son already there. Confess I was a little startled, as he looked like a young Lenin, complete with beard and a twirly-ended mustache. Had mussels and asparagus for appetizers. Peter showed us a new way to eat the mussels … use the shells in the dominant hand to pluck the meat of the one held in the other hand. I ordered steak a stracciata … eating protein a good idea with all the walking I intend to do. When my dish arrived, I took a moment to stare … steak that had been cut up and basically strangled.
When dinner was over, I opted to walk back with Lenin's Son … could tell that Monkster wanted some time alone with Rosebud, despite them inviting me up to visit some. Anyway, walked back to Harlem with Lenin's Son in the rain. Weird to attempt conversation with someone I don’t know at all, who didn’t actually choose to spend time with me. After a couple of awkward topics, we finally started talking about liberals versusconservatives (we’ve both rather converged from opposite ends of the political spectrum), and church versus federal forms of welfare.
Offers for free stuff … getting into MoMA courtesy of Lenin's Son, the Met and Cloisters courtesy of Rosebud, and an off-Broadway show from Monkster. Connections are fantastic!
Later that night, when I heard someone come in the door after me, I called out a hello, thinking it was Monkster. But no. It was his other roommate, B. As it was late, and knowing that the last thing I want to do when I’m tired is talk to a stranger in the hallway, I soon said goodnight. When I realized that maybe his curtness (?) was due to shyness or being startled, instead of a disinclination to talk, I felt that I had committed a gaffe. Whoops.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Must add that I ran into Party Andy at the airport ... on his way to Philly for a work event. Interesting to interact on a non-dancing level. Instead of the usual loose and groovy dancing that's PA's specialty, we ended up chatting about politics and the state of the nation, especially since it was the day after election day. Funny, but I generally don't talk about things other than dancing with swing friends. Not because I don't want to, but it's virtually impossible to do when the lights are low, the music is going, and everyone jsut wants to groove.
Post a Comment