Bayou v. Brooklyn

They laugh loudly and they grieve losses with brass instruments. Now that the Christmas eating is over, they're headway into the seasonal king cake. Year-round there's the etouffe, crawfish, gumbo, and boudin, and the chicory Community coffee. New York Jews and Cajun folk may come from very different places, but we live our lives similarly, savoring every last drop. One workshop participant today spelled it out for me. See, if we don't feel like walking somewhere in New York we can jump on the subway for a quick trip. Back home, she said, if they didn't feel like walking they jumped into their boat and zipped up the bayou. A culture that believes flavorful, full-volume living, that believes that their way of life is the best there is. I can relate to that.

196/365 Walking, walking, Fantasticks, and Family

More hoofing it about today. I wish I had a pedometer, because I think we walked for at least 4 hours each day here in NY. After readying our luggage and leaving it with the bellman we hit the streets. We walked up sixth towards the park with a stop at FAO Schwarz. Lunch in the park included some great entertainment, 4 young guys playing Dixieland. The tree canopy was perfect, our bench seats gave us great view, and we people-watched and toe-tapped as we munched our Sabrett's and knishes. Then we were off to the Jerry Orbach Theater for the Fantasticks. Great performances in this intimate space. Our evening brought it all home with family and a Queens diner experience. The great-great aunt, still sassy at 8o years plus, the second and third cousins, with the giggling and the silliness, and the piles of food were really the icing on a great New York trip, but the road calls. On our way to Virginia for more family, fun, and undoubtedly more food.

195/365 The Village, TKTS, Killer Pizza and 9 to 5 The Musical

The Arch at Washington Square Park

The NYC weather has been so beautiful, it's positively....Floridian! We're hoofing about town, through The Village, west and east, Times and Herald Squares, and back to hotel. A bit of browsing stores, about an hour for 1/2 price show tickets and some of Guiseppe's pizza. Yep, it was the real deal. Crispy-bottomed, fold able pizza that created a juicy, delicious sensation when the cheese/sauce energies combined on the taste buds. Off to another show tonight...

193/365 Not from around here...

View from the window of our hotel room.

\As a New Yorker, I never spent a night in Manhattan, even when I lived in Brooklyn, only a token away. If we went to an opera, show, or concert, we schlepped back home with the train or the bus. I knew many Brooklynites who'd never came into Manhattan, ever! Now, as a Floridian, I'm enjoying the convenience of the midtown hotel room. Close to everything, and the world outside our door, we're ready to be tourists. And the tourism began today. Chinatown had its colors and odors on as we walked and shopped and snacked our way down Mulberry, Canal, and Mott streets. Little Italy offered a good finish to the meal with authentic Italian Ices. The night was so beautiful, and we had no plans, so we decided to take the R train to South Ferry and hop the Staten Island Ferry round trip. It's free! And we had an up-close nighttime view of the Statue of Liberty. Back on the R and we are in our room for tonight. I love this city, I'm glad I'm spending the night in the heart of it all, but I'm also glad that I'm just a visitor.

183/365 Aloha and Welcome to New Yawk

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Doing our best to salvage some fun this summer, we're planning a couple of excursions. Driving to NY and taking in a couple of shows and some family visitation with a much-needed stop with the BJNR crew in the Richmond Area, and then a play-work-play trip to the island state of Hawaii. Summer 2009 will not be known as the summer of Shands and surgery. It will be the summer of family fun and travel!