Day 41: New York City (offline website building)
April 15, 2000
12:21P – Woke up again this morning. Not sure exactly where i am.
Ah yes, Belle Meade, New Jersey. Chelsea Manor - the Sugden Estate. The neighbor is quiet and peaceful - just the kind of place i like....to stir up.
Apparently the people across the street enjoy themselves on regular occasion....maybe so much so that they in whooping it up they are forced to own the strongest mailbox in the Northeast.
1:08P - Following Chris in his silver Denali, in the rain, to the City is what i imagine shadowing a teammate in a Formula1 race. Blinker, lane change, brake, gas, gas, gas brake, gas, downshift, downshift, gas.
Zoomed past another "bug" and got a thumbs up!
2:19P - Sitting in traffic, i figure out the design and purpose of the non-profit foundation arm of VickeryHill.org, if i ever get the money to fund it. It will be chartered with a single objective: give grant money on a yearly basis to individuals destined to perform acts of greatness (in their own mind). And while thinking about who would be perfect for the board of directors, i get a phone call from a friend who is taking off for a solo European tour - he wins the Spring 2000 grant without even knowing about it.
3:50P - Lunch with Deb & Chris at the oldest bar in Manhattan. Horseradish cheddar dipped skins, burgers and a bloody Mary. 108 years old. Great great burgers.
Chelsea Shopping, luggage, cell phones, sweaters, shampoo, presents and more. In my 10 or so trips to Manhattan, this will be the third time i end up in Chelsea ('round 22nd & 5th) shopping with these two. Without them, i would never have any really cool stuff from New York. The SmartBeetle's Kipling duffel bag comes to 
mind.
6:10P - 20 blocks of walking and shopping sets up the dessert stop at the Little Pie Company - on 43rd and 9th. Me with the Banana Coconut and them with the Mississippi Mud Pie - little $5 pies 5 inches in diameter. I of course had to make a second stop for a quart of milk to go with it.
9:35P - Dan Davis arrives in a cab from Boston by way of Laguardia Airport and US Air Shuttle. He's decided to take advantage of the Boston-only holiday weekend (Marathon/Patriot's day on Monday) and spend it in New York City.
10:30P - Bull Moose Saloon. Juke Box, Maker's, Black & Tan, and a men's bathroom poster in plain eyesight falls into my back pocket
My prediction is beginning to come true - soon, Blackberry will control the universe!
2:45A - telephone call to the deep South and it's bedtime for Bonzo
Missing a 'home'
The last few days i have started actually 'missing' being in the peace and quiet of my home in Vermont.
Could it be the length of time i have been away?
Could it be the relative proximity to home after being 'on the road' for over 40 days?
Maybe it's the new chapter in life this trip has started coupled with Einstein's Relativity making me seem closer than i really am, and making the trip seem longer that it really is.
Most likely though, it is probably that old friend, Catholic Guilt, creeping into my consciousness - questioning whether giving up society was really a 'sacrifice' or not.