I <3 NY

Or do I? I've been in Manhattan since Friday for my company's Winter Meeting, which comes around every January, and is held in varying cities. This is my sixth meeting (we also have Annual Meetings every June), but this is my first one in New York -- the last time they were here was in 1991. Don't get me wrong -- this is an amazing city, but I think it would eat me alive in a matter of months if I actually lived here. When Jarrett lived here for a few years back in the late 1990s, I was enthralled with the place during my visits. I loved the fast-paced feeling, falling in stride with all the other black-clad city folk, mammoth buildings towering overhead, the smell of the subway wafting up through the grates in the sidewalk, and the glitzy shops on Fifth Ave. There is still a part of me that really loves Brooklyn (especially Brooklyn Heights), where Jarrett lived prior to moving back to the South -- it moves at a slightly slower pace; its brownstones are beautiful; there are cute little grocery stores on every corner, lined with rows of cut flowers out front; and strolls along the Promenade are lovely. But on this trip, New York is leaving just a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Maybe it was realizing that a trip to the grocery store -- even if the shop was close by -- would be so much more of a chore, having to wield a little rolling cart to haul the groceries back home. Or maybe it was seeing the poor woman trying to emerge from the depths of the subway station, using all her strength to pull the stroller that held her sleeping child up the steep set of stairs. Or maybe it's really just that I'm stuck in this hotel for most of my stay and am chilled to the bone every time I do find the time to actually go somewhere. I'm just feeling much more appreciative of my three-bedroom, two-bath house, on my relatively spacious lot. I'm ready to go home.

Jarrett flew up with me on Friday and is just now at the airport, waiting to board the plane to head back to Atlanta. It was nice having him here. He was able to visit some of his old haunts during the day, and we then spent the evenings together. On Friday when we arrived, the first thing we did was take the train out to Brooklyn to eat at Grimaldi's. If you've ever wondered where exists the best pizza in the world, look no further. No one should visit New York without visiting Grimaldi's. Their brick-oven pizza is to die for. We also had a couple of nice Italian dinners and ate at a yummy deli Jarrett used to frequent during his SNL days. And he even got a gyro from his old street vendor friend -- the guy has his cart in the same place (and remembered Jarrett, apparently, after Jarrett triggered his memory a bit!) after eight years. We were also able to pay a visit to our college friend, Mike, who still works at SNL, and who was actually working on Friday, regardless of the writers' strike (since he's an editor, he still has work to do -- the show must go on, even if it's a compilation of old material), so we were able to go up to the studio as vistors and just hang out and chat. So we've had a good time -- and I will always love visiting -- but I'll be happy to get home on Thursday.

Oh -- and I get home Thursday only to turn around and leave for yet another business trip to Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday. I'll be there until Wednesday afternoon. I guess at least I'll be headed to warmer weather.