The trip in,

Early morning, little sleep. First flight to Dallas I decided to pay extra for an upgrade to first class. I thought that I would be losing space as I moved east and wanted to savor as much of it as I could before it disappeared all together. No upgrade from Dallas to New York. My space issue suddenly collapsed. Not even Whitman’s 18 inches to comfort me; no inches. When you have very little space to move time begins to flow differently. It slows down, maybe because there is little else to focus on, no space, no comfort, no motivation. It is difficult to find consolation when your arms and legs are bound by a chair back, your seat, the wall, and the person to your left. But you gut it out. Who would have thought you could find relief of your space issues in New York City; I was grateful to have my 18 inches back. Getting oriented is almost impossible at first. In the air you lose your sense of direction; your internal compass becomes confused and misguided. Landing in a new city it is completely destroyed, thanks to gravity up and down is all you are sure of. I could live here in a three block radius, I have everything I need: bagel and coffee for breakfast, deli for lunch, and more places to eat dinner than you could find in 10 square miles back home. I am astounded at how many people here have dogs; just like their humans, they have adapted to live in this setting. In the evening we went to George Keelys, a bar of course. Once again, everything I could need in only a few blocks. Drinks with David Gates; a writer and a drinker. I think Hemmingway once said the terms were synonymous. It’s nice to know that he wants to talk about the weather and other banal nothings. Late night, stop for a Philly cheese steak from an all night vendor. Best 3am sandwich I have ever had. I know, cheese steaks are not vegetarian, but why not? When in NYC…