Four years ago yesterday my Mother passed away. I think of her every day and wish she was still with me.

When I went to college, a little late at the age of 20, my Mom started something that I always treasured. She sent me care packages. Now being at college this was always a great delight to find a note in my mailbox that I had a package waiting for me to pickup. It would be filled with simple yet thoughtful things: local news clippings, colorful markers, packaged goods like Reese’s Cups and my personal favorite Mom’s home-baked Toll House cookies (double chocolate chip, if you please).

As the years went by, even after college halfway across the country, Mom continued to send these packages. While working in Houston it was still wonderful to get a package with enclosed goodies.

Mom, I miss you very much and I’m trying to do well. I love you. I miss seeing your handwriting.

I’m off at 4:00 today and I walked over to Chevy’s for some of their $3.25 margaritas. LadyFabolous231 is going to join me when she gets off at 5:00.

Having such a crazy (read: abnormal) work schedule this is a little semblance of normalcy. In that manner, I mean getting off at a normal time and doing things that normal people might be doing.

She just texted me: “20 more minutes. Drink slow.” She don’t know me.

LF231 is off for the next seven days, I think. She’ll prob go see her people in NJ. (She a Jersey Girl.)

What else?

Oh, Pippin came into the store today and finally got the iPad he has been wanting. I hope he enjoys it. If I had an iPhone 4 I would FaceTime him and find out but, alas, I do not. It’s on the list though.

What else? Can I keep typing for the next fourteen minutes?

I’ve come to Chevy’s for lunch sometimes when I have an hour lunch break. The food’s not bad and it’s nice to get out of the mall and away from all the people that visit the mall. But this is the first time for an actual “after work drink” situ. It’s not bad for the price and a corporate chain restaurant. They have music playing like KQQK played: tejano mixed with Hispanic techno. Love it.

There was once a man who surprised me. We had met before, although these meetings were apparently non-hard-drive-writing to my memory. So, at one evening during the Greek Festival Hal comes up and says “I know you, you’re <insert first and last name>.” Impressive.

Things progressed after this but not for too much longer. This was around the time my situation was leaving Houston, and Hal had a big dream of moving to Chicago. This is not the first Chicago-related opportunity that I’ve denied/ignored. Sad.

What brings this to my memory is, off all things, a Madonna album. Bedtime Stories. This was out at the time Hal and I were spending weekends together in Houston. I guess i should reveal here that Hal was a consultant and was at a client (I don’t remember where, but out of state) during the week and we would have weekends together.

Once we had lunch on a Friday (@ Barnaby’s) and then we went to his alma mater (Rice) to pick up a class ring and I way from work until about 3:30 and I didn’t even care.

Our best date, in my opinion, was this: it’s a Friday night and I know he’s in town and I’m thinking of things we can socially do and he says “What if we just stay at your place and play MYST and order a pizza?” Heaven.

Oh! When I was visiting Jonathan & Mary a few years ago I set up a meeting with Hal and, yet again, totally misrepresented myself trying to be what I thought I was instead of simply relaxing and being me.

Someday I’ll learn.

It’s Tuesday now but here’s the rundown on Monday in NYC.

I woke up to the sound of the city going to work. Across the street from me appeared to be a printer or some service bureau and I watched them move around for a while, wondering if they were complaining about it being Monday. Then I noticed it was raining, which wasn’t good news since I did not bring an umbrella with me. Then it actually started snowing for about a minute.

I checked out of the hotel (while they held my luggage) and headed down to SoHo to visit my last AS (BOH tour!) and also to check for a new wallet at Yellow Rat Bastard. Couldn’t find one that I liked.

Then I headed over to Record Runner to have a talk with John about the version options of Duran Duran’s All You Need Is Now which is actually releasing today in its full version. He’s going to look into some of the UK versions which have additional songs and get back in touch with me later this week.

Then I kinda just bummed around the Village until it was time to pick up my luggage and head up to Penn Station for my train home. Luckily there were none of the power outtages that delayed my trip up and I was home on schedule in Union Station at 10:40.

Technically I’m no longer in New York, but this is more of a wrap-up than anything. So I think I left off with Sunday morning?

Sunday I started a little late, but that’s a little indicative of nightlife in New York: one doesn’t wake up to early. So I went out. I had decided that I wasn’t going to take any public transpo’ anywhere, no cabs, but then realizing that I wanted to go up to the AS UWS that it would be a hike. So I trained it up there, did a great BOH tour and then ventured to 5AV and did a most excellent tour there, led by an Expert. #geekawesomeness!

From there I took Franklin’s advice and headed to ViG 27 which is an awesome lounge bar on the east side. There I had delicious cilantro gimlets and black raspberry cosmos.

Heading back to Chelsea Inn it was time to do some reassessment and from there I decided to watch a little tv and then pass out. Maybe I missed out on some unique NYC stuff but at least I got a full nights sleep out of it.

So what did I get up to last night?

Getting into town a little later than I anticipated put a damper on things; by the time I was settled it was time to go out and I didn’t have much assimilation time. No worries.

I decided to start my night by going to the AS at W14 and they showed me BOH! They didn’t even ask for credentials which I thought was a little odd but chalk one up for honesty.

I stopped at a street truck vendor and got a $2 beef taco it was so good I had to go back and get another to stash in the room for later (one beef, one pork). Then I ventured out for some nightlife: Gym Bar, G Lounge and Ty’s. I had thought about recreating the blargcrawl from a couple of years ago and then decided to go visit the local joints. After these couple of spots it was about 1:00 or 2:00 and I know that’s early for a NYC Saturday night but I had been up for 20 hours and going on six hours of sleep, twas lullaby time.

So what to do today? Definitely a stop at Record Runner since they’re closed tomorrow. High line? The Met? AS UWS?