Weekends..

Had almost forgotten what it's like to have real weekends again. No waking up on Saturday and Sunday mornings and staring at piles of research, reading or writing. The first weekend of my four months of non-academic life (well, I am taking a class, but it's not a full course load) bodes well for the rest of summer. It's a pleasure to sit back and be part of the randomness of the City again.

Friday: Cinco de Mayo margaritas among the banker types (they're a whole breed on their own, aren't they?); the caped wonders in white tights and red masks who took pictures with us; the random tidbits of information offered by strangers; walking into ML for the first time and running into a Brown classmate I hadn't seen since graduation; a dog wearing shoes; an unexpected compliment from a married man..

Saturday: Melon martinis, foie gras, loud Southern European types, California guys with moms, blondes from Dubai, ginger margaritas, maitre d' "Miguel," Juilliard Russians who "love Raj Kapoor," learning the practical utility of the phrase "nyet, spasiba"..