Manhattan madness

driving up on a saturday morning to spend the night in nyc with a girlfriend and return the next day might seem like a whirlwind experience hardly worth the trouble.  people who think that are lame.

last weekend, the swope monster and i throttled up 95 in no more than three hours flat to shop and hit the comedy cellar in the greatest city on earth.  aside from the expected wait to get through the holland tunnel and then tool down to the lower east side, where we’d meet up with josh and head to spitzers for lunch, the trip was easy — THUS setting the tone for the rest of the weekend … almost.

after scoring a $165 parking ticket (EPIC FAIL) but then finding another just yards away (this one NOT blocking a pedestrian ramp = WIN), we sidled through the heat to the aforementioned spitzers on rivington and somethingerother.  as everywhere was, the windows were open and we sat in the cooled “back room” where the stifling sun didn’t reach.  there, i ate the greatest grilled cheese on earth.  swope’s was the second greatest.  probably.

josh headed out and we parted with a coworker and her man, then set off to irregular choice for shoes that not everyone appreciates.  sure i dropped some cash i hadn’t intended to drop but my shoe collection now contains black pinstripe pumps with tape measures on them.  i feel more complete now.

on home after getting caught in the rain and frequenting a couple street festivals, where we got dolled up and tried to fit into the crowd we’d expect to see in the west village and soho.  i think it worked, because we totally owned the olive branch that night, and we got seated practically onstage during the comedy show, where we were pulled into comedians’ acts throughout.

the next day, we hit up my old stomping grounds — chelsea market — where i’d spent loads of time while working for a startup.  there’s something sweet about having worked with the guys at mlb… some seriously hilarious times.  but i digress.

josh lost his phone in the cab, but some nice fellow actually called me after seeing my number in josh’s most recently called list — we headed to the upper east side, picked it up, spent an hour going four blocks to get through the lincoln tunnel, then sped back to nova leaving romantic memories behind us.

except, when i got back — and, admittedly, before i left — i knew something had changed drastically in my brain.  not only had i recently come to the conclusion that i needed to have music a bigger part of my life, but now i realize its no coincidence that cuny, nyu, and columbia were three of my top four choices when thinking about going back to earn my phd.

i have to move to nyc.  so, i will.