Friday, August 15, 2008

In a New York minute.

Washing, packing, re-packing, charging phone, charging PDA, charging laptop, charging my credit card for my oil change and serpentine belt, checking the weather here, checking the weather on the way, checking the weather there, checking my checkbook (BREATHE!)

Ok, I think I am almost together. Going home to see the family for a short, but much needed respite, and soak in the kind of energy that only NYC can provide. I'll have the laptop with me, but I don't know how much in the way of posting I'll be able to do. Mom doesn't have a computer, and I'm not sure if my brother has a wireless router, so I will be forced to scour my old neighborhood in search of a WiFi signal that I can pilfer from somewhere. Of course, I could just go into Manhattan, where there are hotspots just about everywhere you walk these days.

I will have the camera to take as many pictures as I can because, if I don't post any NYC photos, I shall feel the sting of Claudia's lash. (Wear the boots baby, please... ;-) )

While this will be a short visit, only until Tuesday, it will be nice to see the family, especially my little niece, (well, not so little these days) who was born 36 hours before my transplant. ("Mr. Nighttime's Good Luck Charm.")

So at 9 am tomorrow, it is on the road again for the 6 1/2 hour journey to the land of my birth, real pizza, bagels that matter, and where people speak my language. ("Cawfee, light no sugar!) Oh, and now that I think of it, I might just need to get to Katz's Deli on Delancey Street for a decent kosher corned beef sandwich.

Oh, and if anyone wonders, below is where I grew up:
It's massive, and there are times it reminds me of Soviet-style housing, but hey, it's home.

10 comments:

battlemaiden said...

Have fun!

BenefitScroungingScum said...

Ooh photos of NYC how exciting, I can't wait! Hope you have a wonderful trip

Anonymous said...

Hope you have a great break. Look forward to seeing the photies.

Anonymous said...

Going back to the roots, huh? Will we ever see you again? *Wrings hands*

Have a great time!

C. said...

You WOULD feel my sting baby, but knowing you, you might actually ENJOY it! LMAO! :)

Have fun honey!!! I'll miss you! Soak up some energy for me too, please...I am SO envious, you have NO idea! I would KILL to be there right now!

buffalodick said...

You've lived there, and you know the drill. I was there when I was 8 years old once, and if I ever go back I'll look like the English guy in Cairo, in the first Indiana Jones movie... "Hello? Anyone one here speak English?" as I wander lost..

C. said...

Thinking of you!

Anonymous said...

Ah, Co-op City in the Bronx: it's well known, even in Belgium.

I'd seen a tv special on the mismanagement, shoddy construction and corruption in that huge complex.

Anyway, you're going home, have fun in NYC!

Unknown said...

I hope you have a wonderful time, and I want to see pictures, too!

Mr. Nighttime said...

Peter - Sadly, you hit the nail on the head. They have only recently reopened all the car garages (8 of them in total) which were shut down. They were all in danger of collapse, and all had major repair work done to them. We'll see how well they hold.

As for the buildings themselves, well, this was the first time in about 5 or 6 years that I visited my mom in which her building did not have some kind of scaffolding or construction netting around it. To their credit, they did install new windows in her apartment, and they are quite excellent, I must say.

The corruption runs deep there. The story is too long and sordid, but I am glad I no longer live there. My mother will only move out after my brother retires from FDNY and moves to Maryland, which should be sometime in the next 3-4 years.