Tuesday

A few lines this morning to catch up with The Maddening Crowd.

Fun times in NYC.  Air travel was fairly uneventful.  My hotel in the financial district was a good choice.  The weather fully cooperated.  Event planning was a success.  And we did a lot/saw a lot without ever feeling rushed.

Not that I am anxious to return to a life in The Big City.  I like my green-space here in the prairies.

The police presence in the financial district was significant.  Many of the streets were either blockaded or had limited vehicle access.  Wall Street was closed to vehicles.  The cops came in three's and four's at every corner or pedestrian crossing area.  Mounted patrols came in three's and four's as well.  If you wanted to make trouble, you would have been greeted quickly by several of New York's finest.

We actually did pass by the "occupy" park on Friday evening as we headed to our meeting place with 3's friends.  The park might be a half acre in size, and was packed solid with an assemble of hippy-ish folks.  They displayed a variety of signs, protesting not only corporate greed, but every other issue popular among the leftward-leaning population.  Not sure what it means when your cause turns from a social statement to a tourist attraction, but judging by all of the camera's being used by the passers-by, the movement is in the curiosity space at this point.

A Top Ten list of NYC observations that I will expand upon later this evening:

1.  The caricature of The Japanese Tourist has substance.

2.  Central Park is worth the trip.
3.  Ethnicity has no barriers.
4.  The trains work.  You can get around.
5.  Cab drivers only use English as a second language.
6.  Not much price difference at Starbucks from Bettendorf.
7.  My "top-shelf" wines may be a little less so in NYC.
8.  The Concrete Jungle and The City That Never Sleeps are accurate descriptions.
9.  An endless variety of options for dining.
10.Having a few extra dollars probably doesn't hurt.

So I'll jump back on here later.  (That's the Brooklyn Bridge in the background of this shot of 3.  We were at the tip of Manhatten on Sunday morning checking out the tourists' boats and the markets.)

BCOT