NEW YORK CITY

A few days after returning to Seattle, I went to New York to visit some friends and see the sights.

I arrived on Saturday evening and went straight to Marybeth's apartment in Queens. We hadn't seen each other since my first trip to New York almost three years ago, but it only took several nearly uninterrupted hours of high-speed conversation to catch up and a few more to reminisce about London, the LSE and times since. On Sunday we went to Tea & Sympathy for breakfast, and sipped a bit of the mythic melon-flavoured gin from the Borough Market for dessert. I met her boyfriend and their dog and enjoyed the novelty of the downstairs neighbors' Reggaeton wake-up call. It was lovely to while away the time with mb again and even better that we are both better, stronger, happier people than we were the last time we did so. [Although it could have just been me that sucked.]

Here we are in the office which mb will soon vacate for greener, uptown-er pastures



I saw Reggie and Tommy when we were all in Seattle just last December...




But I was greedy for more. Lucky for me Reggie had a show and Tommy a reading of his new play while I was in town. [Note to parents: this is where you exclaim "what talented friends you have" and I smile and nod and try to avoid talking about the projects of said friends, which included, respectively, the song "fuck shit stack" and a most ingenious way to kill your wife and her lover if you happen to be a 16th century Italian composer who is above the law].

Although I was unable to visually document the lovely Lia Aprile, seeing her shining face again was a delight that my mortal self could only just bear. We didn't have quite enough time together; dinner, the theater and a couple of beers, but spending even just a little time with her again was a time warp in a good way. It felt as if we'd been in better touch during the many years since I had last seen her, and really she has been present in my life always and everywhere, as have all those friends from whom I have taken inspiration and comfort and shared excellent times with over the years. I'm sorry if that makes you throw up a little in your mouth, but it's true.

Now I am in Seattle for a week and a half to visit friends, bunny-sit, prepare for my departure to Taiwan, and help my old friend and former boss Alia get her new teahouse on Bainbridge Island open. It has been nice to commute by ferry the last few days and to work with my hands for a change. Yesterday I built 12 tables and drank almost as many cups of a delicious Taiwanese Oolong with an aroma redolent of peaches and butter cookies.

Pictures of the rabbits are forthcoming.