Let me tell you about New York. I sometimes ask myself what I was thinking when I decided to spend 6 weeks here. Instead of in some beautiful place like LA, San Francisco, Sedona, Bangkok etc.
New York is very expensive, space is limited and the climate sucks. It's way too cold in winter and in summer it so hot and humid you collapse on the sidewalk after about five blocks. The rest of the year there is a constant threat of sudden rainshowers that are extremely violent and will have you soaked before you can wave your hand for a cab. When the rain is over, there is the problem of navigating around the huge puddles and lakes that have accumulated on the streets and sidewalks. Cars love to drive through them really fast and splash the crowd trying to cross the street. Similar problems with blizzards, maybe more dangerous, that's what got Dr. Atkins last April.
All of this sounding somewhat negative, let's look on the bright side of the city. There are many, many events (that I rarely go to, since they are expensive or bad, with a few exceptions). There are millions of stores (like the Prada store, can't wait to see that place go out of business). There are more restaurants than residents (or almost). Unless you are willing to spend about $100 on a meal (without drinks) you will find that you get the same food you get in California, the difference being that it's imported, so it's more expensive and it's three days old.
But now serioulsly, let me tell you the good stuff. There is for example the old Eastern European couple that owns the Christian-Military-Surplus store. Very friendly and honest folks that decided to sell me a black wool hat instead of the white one I had chosen because it goes with more things. There is the crazy lady in the bag store on West Broadway. She locks herself in and watches me trying to open the door. After about five minutes of watching me she opens the door. "Are you closed?" "Huh? No, it is locked." Then she starts watching TV. "You need help?" "No", says I, "I'm just looking." "Huh??" she says, turning her big blond head towards me. "No, I don't" She continues to watch TV and is strategically positioned between me and the door. There is no easy escape. And the bags are awful and priced at $532 and up. The solution might be smalltalk. "How long have you been open?" Turning her gaze from the TV towards me: "Huh?" "How long has this store been here?" "Huh????" She seems to think I'm insane. "Is this a new store?" She stares at me in disbelief "No!" "I see....good bye then!" I quickly run for the door and make my way out while she turns her attention back to the soap opera.
Such is NY. I'm really pretty happy here.

Picture of the day:


Student Becca Loebe performs
while James Taylor watches.

There seems to be some confusion about the dice. So for those of us who haven't read The Dice Man: Simply record 6 options on the pad to the right. Then role the die and see which one should be executed. Examples are: Dinner choices, where to move to, who to marry, which record to play.... Or more adventurous things like: whether or not to commit a crime and if so which crime and how, what kind of poison to put in your brother's miso soup, how to name your child....
Excellent tool for people who can't make up their minds.

While I was holed up I made a little dice set for emergency cases (you don't carry die nor pen). It's not pretty, but I think it works. If you find it doesn't let me know. DIE

This one:

FIRE AND ICE

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Finally.....phone service is restored, which means I might be able to get on the internet again on a regular basis. Slowly I'll be answering emails I'm really behind, I apologize. It was much warmer today, outside at least. Inside the buildings it seemed to have gotten colder, though. Or does it just seem less dramatically different from the outside?
More snow falling from the sky. I must now return to the coffin-like bedroom and think about whether I prefer death by suffocation (window closed) to death by ice (window open). You know the Robert Frost poem.