So New York was about as fine as fine can be.
Most importantly, Olivia, who stayed here with my mom, had a great time. She slept well, ate like a champ, and played hard - she even learned some things. (She didn't take her first step, but did apparently do a lot of bootie shaking.) There was a lot of pre-trip discussion over whether or not O was going to accompany us to the city - we finally resolved that it would be better for her to stay with her grandmother. I felt good about the decision when I left town, but I was worried about her sleep and adjustment. If it had not gone well, I would have felt like the biggest heel and would have been as miserable as I have ever been for the four days I was away. I'm so glad that she enjoyed herself and it all worked out well. It was good for me and Marc to have some time together.
Marc is officially a PA and I am so proud of him I could explode into a million pieces. I did in fact go to pieces at his graduation. He was awarded the Peer Award by his class - pardon me while I quote - "The Graduating Student Who Most Exemplifies the Qualities of the Consummate Physician Assistant." I burst into tears. Pretty awesome, right? He's working on his CV and getting ready for the boards, working with a recruiter to find a job. Onward.
OK, can I just say how much I love New York? I miss so much about living in the city. The walking, looking, listening, not so much the smelling. God, it stank. And the weather was beautiful, nice and cool, so I know that the smell factor was probably hovering somewhere around 4 and could have been much worse, but I had forgotten the stench. We saw some old friends, made a couple of new ones (Hi, Dan and Katie!), saw Donald's new place in Harlem, had some good meals and drinks with Courtney (who was sweet enough to put us up!) and did a lot of walking around. I noticed every child who crossed my path and fantasized about what kinds of things O would be doing if we still lived in Brooklyn. Museums, music, green markets...asthma, growing up too fast, proximity to 2.3 million pervs and lunatics.
One thing that I have always loved about New York is the fact that one is privy to so much life out and about. You see what people are wearing and how they behave, you hear what they think and plan...people on their way to work and people dressed for church, people fighting and crying and laughing and making out. I come back to Chattanooga and I realize that most of what I see of people here is them in their cars, and god knows, I hate how people act in their cars. Don't get me wrong, not everything that I have seen in New York has been good or uplifting or interesting. In the past, I have seen some really bad behavior from people on the streets; mean, ugly, cruel things and some of it has been directed at children and has really shaken me. But now that I am a mother, I have real trouble watching the way that some people treat their kids. I know that bad or abusive or indifferent parents are everywhere, but it seems that a lot of them ended up sitting next to me on some train. It's hard for me to stomach.
This really isn't where I was orginally headed with this love letter to NYC, but here we are. I do miss it and I'm glad that I at least got back once this year. I guess we can be like old lovers who remain friends...we have both moved on, but we share wonderful memories and will always have a tender spot in our hearts for each other.
Most importantly, Olivia, who stayed here with my mom, had a great time. She slept well, ate like a champ, and played hard - she even learned some things. (She didn't take her first step, but did apparently do a lot of bootie shaking.) There was a lot of pre-trip discussion over whether or not O was going to accompany us to the city - we finally resolved that it would be better for her to stay with her grandmother. I felt good about the decision when I left town, but I was worried about her sleep and adjustment. If it had not gone well, I would have felt like the biggest heel and would have been as miserable as I have ever been for the four days I was away. I'm so glad that she enjoyed herself and it all worked out well. It was good for me and Marc to have some time together.
Marc is officially a PA and I am so proud of him I could explode into a million pieces. I did in fact go to pieces at his graduation. He was awarded the Peer Award by his class - pardon me while I quote - "The Graduating Student Who Most Exemplifies the Qualities of the Consummate Physician Assistant." I burst into tears. Pretty awesome, right? He's working on his CV and getting ready for the boards, working with a recruiter to find a job. Onward.
OK, can I just say how much I love New York? I miss so much about living in the city. The walking, looking, listening, not so much the smelling. God, it stank. And the weather was beautiful, nice and cool, so I know that the smell factor was probably hovering somewhere around 4 and could have been much worse, but I had forgotten the stench. We saw some old friends, made a couple of new ones (Hi, Dan and Katie!), saw Donald's new place in Harlem, had some good meals and drinks with Courtney (who was sweet enough to put us up!) and did a lot of walking around. I noticed every child who crossed my path and fantasized about what kinds of things O would be doing if we still lived in Brooklyn. Museums, music, green markets...asthma, growing up too fast, proximity to 2.3 million pervs and lunatics.
One thing that I have always loved about New York is the fact that one is privy to so much life out and about. You see what people are wearing and how they behave, you hear what they think and plan...people on their way to work and people dressed for church, people fighting and crying and laughing and making out. I come back to Chattanooga and I realize that most of what I see of people here is them in their cars, and god knows, I hate how people act in their cars. Don't get me wrong, not everything that I have seen in New York has been good or uplifting or interesting. In the past, I have seen some really bad behavior from people on the streets; mean, ugly, cruel things and some of it has been directed at children and has really shaken me. But now that I am a mother, I have real trouble watching the way that some people treat their kids. I know that bad or abusive or indifferent parents are everywhere, but it seems that a lot of them ended up sitting next to me on some train. It's hard for me to stomach.
This really isn't where I was orginally headed with this love letter to NYC, but here we are. I do miss it and I'm glad that I at least got back once this year. I guess we can be like old lovers who remain friends...we have both moved on, but we share wonderful memories and will always have a tender spot in our hearts for each other.
Labels: NYC
posted by Paige at 8:27 PM
2 Comments:
excellent.
Dan and I enjoyed meeting you, Paige. Hopefully we can encroach upon your hospitality one day and crash with you guys in TN!
And yes, NY is The Most Odiferous Place on Earth...not quite the tagline for a vacation destination but it does make one appreciate getting the hell away.
Post a Comment
<< Home