Home Again, Home Again

8 nights in New York City - wow, what a place. A few of the highlights -

* Sam's graduation ceremony in Yankee Stadium on a gorgeous day.

* Dinner at wd-50.

* 18 miles of bookshelves at the Strand.

* Ducking into PDT through a secret door in a phone booth to dine on $180 worth of hot dogs and amazing cocktails.

* Relying on subways and shoe leather to get around the metro area.

* An evening tour at the Tenement Museum - things haven't changed all that much since the days when "illegals" were white.

* Catching up with an old friend at beer heaven - the Blind Tiger Ale House.

* Taking a brief train ride out to Chappaqua, and finding prints and sculptures by Brian Andreas all over the home of some new friends.

* Ellis Island and and the feeling of being haunted by history.

* Catching the Mountain Goats and John Oliver at an AIDS benefit at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple.

* Wandering around Harlem for hours.

* Seeing Sam after his first day at his new job as a production assistant for a video game company.

* The most amazing brunch ever on Mother's Day at Bouchon Bakery, Thomas Keller's casual eatery, where the chef wowed us with everything from salad to foie gras to lobster macaroni and cheese with shaved black truffle.

There's more to write about, but that ought to suffice as a start . . .