NYC

I'm sitting on a plane at JFK airport waiting to fly back to Boston after a business trip on Long Island. I wanted to update the blog while I was away but the schedule didn't allow it.

The trip started at 3am on Monday when I had to wake up to get to the airport. This was after watching my previously undefeated Patriots blow a lead in the final 2 minutes of the superbowl the night before.

I haven't done any traveling for a while and hadn't been to the NYC area since about a year after 9/11. I was looking forward to the trip except for leaving the family for a few days.

Overall the trip was a good one. From the plane, I was able to see the sunrise on the way out and sunset on the way back. It was a little thing but I felt thankful to see it nonetheless.

The work part of the trip went well and I was able to interact with some new people at the company. They are a good group of people, even if they were all Giants fans and I had to listen to their Superbowl gloating for three days.

I was also able to take the Long Island RR into the city one night. What does someone who only has a few hours do in NYC? I decided to do the traditional tourist thing and go to Times Square. I had never been there at night and was curious to see the spectacle. It was 9 at night and it was as bright as if the sun was in the sky with no clouds. As cool as it was to see the massive video screens and scrolling billboards, I found myself thinking how much frick'in electricity was being used. It must have been the environmentalist in me.


I'm not in a city the size of New York very often so every time I'm able to visit I feel pretty humbled by how many people there are in the world. Seeing so many people in one small section of one large city, it's incredible to think of how many people there are in the rest of this city and the rest of the world.

I saw plenty of strange (someone dressed in superman costume outside the Toys 'R Us store which had a full size ferris wheel inside) and cool things(a street performer who was playing plastic pails, the top of a gas grill and several other items).





I had a great dinner at a scottish bar called St. Andrews. I had a scottish waiter with a scottish accent (in a kilt!) and a great scottish beer. It was a fun experience.

On my first morning I was able to get one of my two planned workouts in, a one hour run around and through Eisenhower Park in Westbury, NY. I had brought my cold weather gear and shorts to run in because I wasn't sure what to expect for weather. I was able to wear the shorts, and, I didn't need the headlamp I brought. Apparently every street in Westbury has street lights, even going through the park! This is definitely something I was not used to. After getting back from NYC late and having to pack, I couldn't get my 2nd planned run in. Such is the way it goes with traveling I suppose.

The long range forecast calls for a snowy several days at home. Looks like I'll be getting some quality time on the trainer...