NYC

Second stop in my little jaunt across the country was to New York to visit my friend Zeke and again because I had never been. I remember hearing a New Yorker say that people who live in other cities must really be joking when they compare it to living in the big apple. Again, I agree. It is sort of like entering the twilight zone after living in a Samoan village and Northern Idaho. The sheer scale of how many blocks of skyscrapers and square feet of concrete that has been torn up and rebuilt over the life of the city is hard for the mind to get around. Since I'm not one of those people who goes on bus tours or to Broadway shows but enjoys walking around and taking in all the cityscape, people, sounds and smells (there are quite a few different smells) I ended up walking a lot, maybe 8-10 miles a day. When I wanted to get across town I rode the subway, maybe the best in the world I've ever been on. You can literally get within a few blocks of anything if you know what you are doing.
The shot above is from Katz's Delicatessan. I'm told the most famous deli in New York (where Meg Ryan does the fake orgasm in 'When Harry Met Sally') but I'm sure that would be debated depending on what neighborhood you were asking in. This is the best pastrami sandwich I've ever eaten and those who know me well know that I have a love affair with pastrami. The best $15 I ever spent.
I don't know why I thought this banner was so funny. The irony of finding a driving school in the heart of China town was just too much for me. I have to say this is one of the cooler neighborhoods I went to in Manhattan, with its old buildings and seafood in baskets all over the sidewalk. The diversity of New York is no secret but what struck me was how different all the different neighborhoods are. Just in Manhattan there are dozens all with their own feel and that isn't including the Bronx, Brooklyn, or Staten Island. It affects New Yorkers vocabulary too. Every conversation includes street numbers and subway routes, something like this;

"Why didn't you take the NRQW up to West 56th street?"
"Because I had to get cross town from Brooklyn and the L ends at Union Square and 3rd Ave!"
"Listen to this freakin' guy, heh. Take the bus you schmo."
"Hey! Oh!"

Ok just my own perception. Thanks again to Zeke and Sean for putting me up.

The Windy City

I started a little trip over in Chicago to see my friend Josh and also because I had never been to the Midwest (beyond an airport). Someone told me that Chicago is great because of its working class roots. I would definitely agree. The city has a great night life, lots of younger people and not too heavy of a big city vibe. The highlight of the trip was going to see a Cubs game at Wrigley field. Josh, two of his friends and I barbecued a few blocks away then made our way to the outfield bleachers where we scored some great seats four rows above the ivy in left center field. I came to understand why Josh got so mad at me when I referred to Wrigley as a baseball stadium, it's not a stadium, it's a ballpark. The old style ballpark is so small and intimate that we could yell at the center fielder of the Pirates and he would laugh and nod his head. He even threw us a ball, at least we thought that he threw it to us. The toss was a little high and the ensuing scramble resulted in several beverages being spilled. But who can complain about a ballpark that sells tall cans of Pabst?

Viva la North Idaho!

Coming back from Western Samoa in the summer with nothing to start till fall my Peace Corps friend Josh and I decided that it would be a good idea to have fun in the sun for a couple months. Luckily my family has an amazing cabin on pristine Priest Lake in the Idaho panhandle that had our names written all over it. We quickly snagged jobs as bartenders at a local resort called Hill's and bought some fishing licenses. The summer has been nothing but fun. Fishing, boating, hiking, partying, water sporting, etc. Many articles have been lost to the lake gods (cellphones, sunglasses, cash, etc.).
John and Bob made a brief appearance. The madness that ensued was to be expected. A couple detours through British Columbia, Vancouver, and Seattle aside we've been enjoying the lake and all the cool people we get to work with.

The hikes in the surrounding area are some of the best I've ever done because they are so few people who come here. View from Mt. Roothan over to Chimney Rock. Doesn't that pose just smack of genuine spontaneity?